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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/29/how-safe-united-states-mainland-north-korea-nuke-attack/904327001/

How safe is the U.S. from a North Korea nuclear attack?

How safe is the U.S. from a North Korea nuclear attack? After a two-month hiatus, North Korea tested a long-range missile Wednesday that it said could strike "the whole mainland of the U.S." North Korea has made significant progress in its nuclear program, but the country is prone to exaggeration. What should we believe? Can North Korean missiles reach Washington, D.C.? Probably. North Korea's latest test shows it has made huge strides extending the range of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, which now could probably reach targets on the East Coast of the United States easily. Based on the missile's trajectory and time in flight, experts such as David Wright at the Union of Concerned Scientists calculate that Wednesday's launch could travel 8,100 miles. Washington is about 6,800 miles from Pyongyang, North Korea's capital. Scientists don't know for sure because the maximum distance has not actually been flown yet. During tests the North Koreans shoot missiles high into the atmosphere to measure their range to ensure they land harmlessly in the sea and avoid striking a real target thousands of miles away. Wednesday's test reached an altitude of about 2,800 miles and covered a distance of about 600 miles, the highest yet, and convinced scientists that North Korea now has Washington within its range. North Korea would fire the missile on a flatter, or lower, trajectory to reach a target, if it launched an actual attack. Can North Korea place a nuclear weapon on these long-range missiles? Better news here. The key obstacle for the North Koreans is the issue of re-entry. A nuclear warhead would have to withstand heat and massive vibrations as the "re-entry vehicle" comes back into the Earth's atmosphere. Most analysts think the North Koreans have yet to master this. More:Can mega-boastful North Korea really nuke D.C.? Here's what experts say. More:North Korea says it successfully launched a missile that can reach U.S. mainland More:South Korea: North Korea could complete its nuclear program next year A July 28 North Korean missile test appeared to show a failure of the re-entry vehicle, though even that is a qualified conclusion. The high trajectory may have put extra stress on the re-entry that wouldn't occur during an attack. "It may have responded differently if it were tested at a normal trajectory," said Karl Dewey, an analyst at IHS Markit, a London-based research company. Dewey said it is unclear if a North Korean nuclear payload could even withstand the rigors of a long flight. Can the United States defend against a missile attack? The United States would probably not have a problem defending against a single missile launched toward the mainland, though the challenge becomes more difficult when trying to defend against multiple missiles. The U.S. military has 36 ground-based interceptors in California and Alaska designed to defend the mainland. The Pentagon plans to add another eight interceptors, which have proven effective in tests. The U.S. also has missile defense systems in Asia, including ship-based radar and interceptors and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) systems, which are deployed in South Korea and the U.S. territory of Guam. Spurred by the North Korean threat, the Pentagon is looking for new ways to beef up its missile defense. Can the U.S. convince North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to abandon his nuclear program? Experts are skeptical. Kim has said repeatedly that he needs a nuclear-strike capability to deter any military moves by the U.S. to topple his dictatorial regime. There also is a political motive behind Kim's drive. The nuclear program is "a point of great national pride," said Sheila Miyoshi Jager, a professor at Oberlin College and author of Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea. "The fact that North Korea has been able to join the exclusive nuclear club, and that it rankles a big superpower like the United States ... is a huge rallying point of pride for the North Korean people, which Kim needs to shore up his regime," she said. "Why would Kim ever want to give this up?"

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/29/trump-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-a-sick-puppy/906868001/

Trump: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un ‘a sick puppy’

Trump: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un ‘a sick puppy’ President Trump took another dig Wednesday at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling him "a sick puppy." Trump, in St. Charles, Mo., was in the middle of calling the Republican tax plan "rocket fuel" for the U.S. economy, when he digressed and took an impromptu shot at "little rocket man." Earlier, Trump threatened new sanctions against North Korea a day after the isolated nation launched its longest-ranging intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile flew about 600 miles in a high trajectory, but would have had a range of 8,100 miles had it flown in a flat trajectory, according to calculations by David Wright, an expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. That would make it capable of reaching Washington, D.C. The personal slugfest between Trump and Kim has no precedent. Since he became president, Trump has lashed out at Kim, referring to him as "short and fat" and as a "madman," and threatened to wipe Kim and his country off the face of the earth if they attack the United States or its allies. More:After North Korea missile test, what's next? More:Can mega-boastful North Korea really nuke D.C.? Here's what experts say. More:North Korea says it successfully launched a missile that can reach U.S. mainland Kim and his propaganda arm have responded in kind, calling Trump a "mentally deranged dotard (senile person)," saying he deserved the death penalty and vowing to annihilate the U.S. if it attacks North Korea. Behind the over-the-top rhetoric is a deadly serious dispute over Kim's development of nuclear weapons and missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. Trump is determined to thwart Kim's nuclear ambitions, and the North Korean leader appears equally determined to keep his nuclear arsenal to deter a U.S. attempt to overthrow him.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/30/britain-first-far-right-group/908559001/

What is Britain First, the far-right group re-tweeted by President Trump?

What is Britain First, the far-right group re-tweeted by President Trump? LONDON — President Trump was the target of outrage and anger in Britain this week, when he retweeted unverified videos posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First, a far-right, anti-Muslim political organization. Prime Minister Theresa May's office said Trump was "wrong" to re-tweet the videos, and said Britain First "seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives that stoke tensions." May's spokesman, James Slack, said the group “is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance and respect.” Britain First was founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party. In September, its leader Paul Golding, 35, and deputy Fransen, 31, were charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment after distributing leaflets and posting videos on social media during the gang rape trial of three Muslim men and a teenager who were later convicted of rape and imprisoned. Fransen appealed Wednesday for Trump to come to her defense in an upcoming court case in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she is charged with using “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior” in speeches at a rally. “This is a message to the President of the United States Donald Trump. I’d like to start by saying how delighted I am that, as the leader of the free world you took the time out to retweet three of my videos on Twitter today,” she said in a video message. Last year, police won an injunction in the High Court to ban Britain First campaigners from all mosques in England and Wales for three years after they were accused of causing community tensions in Luton, a town north of London. It came after the group filmed themselves confronting worshipers and imams in a series of what the local media has called "mosque invasions." Golding was jailed for eight weeks in December last year for breaching the ban on entering a mosque. Fransen has been found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment and fined for verbally abusing a Muslim woman in Luton. Louise Haigh, a member of Parliament for the opposition Labour Party, has called for Britain First to be listed as a terrorist organization and banned from elections. It remains an open question whether the man convicted of killing British lawmaker Jo Cox was a Britain First supporter. Cox was killed on June 16, 2016, a week before the British referendum to leave the European Union. The killer, Thomas Mair, 52, repeatedly shouted "Britain first” as he shot and stabbed Cox, according to testimony during his trial in London. He was sentenced to life for murder. Britain First has distanced itself from the killing. "We had nothing to do with it, we would not condone actions like that,” Golding said. “I hope the person who carried out this heinous crime will get what he deserves." Brendan Cox, Jo Cox's widower, tweeted: "Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he’s trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself." More:Trump reacts to Theresa May's criticism of his far-right retweets: 'Don’t focus on me'

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/30/you-wont-believe-how-much-tiny-swiss-village-pay-you-move-there/910922001/

You won't believe how much this tiny Swiss village will pay you to move there

You won't believe how much this tiny Swiss village will pay you to move there GENEVA — The Alpine hamlet of Albinen is so desperate for new residents that it has voted to offer $70,000 for a family of four to settle in the southern Swiss community. In the first referendum of its kind, 100 of Albinen's 248 residents showed up to vote Thursday, and 71 approved a proposal to pay $25,000 to each adult and $10,000 per child to live in their picturesque village. The goal, according to the community’s website, is to boost Albinen’s declining population and “bring life back to the village.” To qualify for the bounty, candidates must be younger than 45, Swiss citizens or permanent residents and be willing to buy or build a house that costs at least $200,000. They also must commit to living in Albinen at least a decade. If they leave earlier, they would have to refund the money. The village council will set aside $100,000 a year to fund the project. “We have to seize this chance with all the means at our disposal,” Mayor Beat Jost wrote on the website. He said offering a monetary incentive to newcomers “is an investment in our future,” since new arrivals will boost the local economy with taxes and spending. The council hopes to entice 10 families in the next few years. The proposal created a social media frenzy when it received international attention in November. Village authorities were swamped with nearly 3,000 inquiries from as far away as Asia and South America. “How do I apply?” Murillo Lucarello from Brazil asked on Albinen’s Facebook page. The village council responded by criticizing news media for not accurately reporting the conditions attached to the offer and for inciting “unnecessary excitement.” Those lucky enough to be chosen will find that despite its minuscule size, Albinen boasts several restaurants and a grocery store. A famous resort town of Leukerbad is just over 4 miles away. Other communities have also offered rewards to entice new residents, but Albinen is more generous. For instance, the Italian town of Candela is paying $2,350 to newcomers, and six families have already taken advantage of the offer. In the United States, Baltimore; New Haven, Conn.; and some cities in Kansas, Nebraska and Alaska offer tax breaks and other financial perks to newcomers who buy houses there. Here's an Italian town that tried a similar promotion to entice residents:

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/04/cheetah-worlds-fastest-cat-national-geographic-big-cats/108067318/

Cheetahs, world’s fastest cats, can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds

Cheetahs, world’s fastest cats, can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds The spotted fur flashes by, a blur against scrubby trees and parched grass. An adult cheetah running is a vision of grace under pressure. The phenomenal speed of the world’s fastest land animal — it can go from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds — is essential for its survival. It is either chasing prey or trying to not become it. In Nat Geo WILD’s Man Among Cheetahs, cinematographer Bob Poole captures cheetahs streaking by as well as frolicking, eating and hiding. It’s an intimate look at animals famed for their elusiveness. For almost two months, Poole chronicled cheetahs in the remote Naboisho Conservancy, a private reserve in Kenya. He shot some 16 terabytes’ worth of footage. Having filmed a segment on cheetahs five years earlier, he knew where to find them, but he also knew they wouldn’t exactly be punching a time clock. “We don’t stand a chance (of capturing footage) unless we are there 24 hours a day,” Poole says. He worked with his friend Derrick Nabaala, a Maasai safari guide. The Maasai tribe has lived in Kenya and Tanzania for six centuries and Nabaala knows this land by heart. He took the night shift. What do lions really want? Some stability As the sky transitioned from all-encompassing blackness to an awe-inspiring sunrise, Poole drove in. Even scenes shot at night have a magical clarity. One evening’s activity included a lioness taking down a wildebeest — only to lose it to a massive lion. Although Poole is clear about respecting the big cats’ boundaries — and their fangs make boundaries extremely clear — sometimes the animals come much closer than expected. “I’m not worried about Naborr anymore,” he whispers, referring to the mother cheetah he is following. “I am worried about how to back away without pissing off a 500-pound lion.” The film makes it to TV without any casualties on his side of the camera. But there are close calls on the other end, and they emphasize how vulnerable cheetahs are to lions, packs of hyenas and other predators. “She’s got to get everything right, every single day,” he says of Naborr. Naborr teaches her cubs that same lesson. All along, Poole knew he wanted the star of this film to be a fierce mama. “To me there is nothing better than a mother with cubs,” he says. Poole brightens as he recalls finding Naborr and just knowing that she would be the focus of the film. There was much that drew him to her, including the fact that her cubs “weren’t so small they would be stuffed under a bush.” The documentary also shows how crestfallen Poole becomes when he loses sight of Naborr. It’s a bit of the frantic feeling a parent experiences when losing track of a child in a store. One moment the kid is there, then poof — gone! Like many creatures in the wild, cheetahs are superb at camouflage, and at one point Naborr appears to vanish. Yet 42 minutes later, someone spots her in the Naboisho, which means “coming together” in Maa, the language of the Maasai. Poole tracks down Naborr with her cubs, keeping a respectful distance. Among the intimate moments: Naborr swatting away a cub wanting to nurse. She’s weaning the cubs, preparing them for an all-meat diet. The film engages viewers with the sensation of being there, racing along with the animals. As Naborr takes down an impala, Poole notes that she would outpace his car, even on the highway. When Naborr summons her cubs, though, all she emits is a small squeak. A full-throated roar would alert nearby enemies. So she quietly chirps for her offspring, constantly tilting her head, looking for them. “This is the perfect time to be filming these cubs,” Poole says. “They are in school. This is like Hunting 101.” He describes the 45-minute film as a “non-hosted hosted show.” The audience becomes so attached to the cubs and so interested in the other animals that Poole becomes the stand-in for everyone — particularly when the cubs are in danger and viewers yearn to jump in and protect them. Three male cheetahs, hunting as a team, capture Poole’s interest, too. More territorial than females, the males quietly stalk a herd of speedy Thomson’s gazelles, also known as “cheetah snacks.” They’re good hunters, but they can’t match a lone mother cheetah providing for her progeny. One fascinating scene unfolds as a male approaches Naborr. He chases off the cubs, hoping to mate with Naborr. She brusquely rebuffs him. Poole wonders whether the male is this litter’s father. As much time as the cinematographer has spent in the bush, Poole has never seen this mating ritual before. The male tries a few more times with Naborr and then sprays a tree, marking his territory. “I guess we can add randy males to the list of things Naborr’s got to deal with,” Poole says. While Naborr instructs her cubs on how to trip prey and kill it, Poole admits this is tough going — even for an experienced wildlife cinematographer. He’s visibly agitated when one of the cubs is momentarily lost again as hyenas lurk nearby. Afterward, though, “the cubs seem to be having fun again,” Poole says. “It’s just insane. Their lives are so exciting. Can you imagine being chased by hyenas? That would have scared the life out of me and yet the cubs are full of fun and games again.” Ultimately, Poole hopes Man Among Cheetahs and other nature films make people more aware of cheetahs — even become enamored of them. “We want to get the point across that life is highly threatened, and cheetahs are underdogs in the big cat world,” he says. “What we want to do in a roundabout way is make you fall in love with them and make you care.” Man Among Cheetahs Premieres Monday, Dec. 11, at 9 ET/ 8 CT on Nat Geo WILD as part of the network’s eighth annual Big Cat Week.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/05/jerusalem-history-israel-capital/923651001/

Jerusalem has history of many conquests, surrenders

Jerusalem has history of many conquests, surrenders Jerusalem has been captured and recaptured at least 20 times. It's been claimed by about as many countries and empires, and by three of the world's major religions. Here’s a brief history of how a humble village on a scrubby hilltop became the Holy City that provoked centuries of dispute: 3,000 to 2,500 B.C. — The city on the hills separating the fertile Mediterranean coastline of present-day Israel from the arid deserts of Arabia was first settled by pagan tribes in what was later known as the land of Canaan. The Bible says the last Canaanites to rule the city were the Jebusites. 1,000 B.C. — According to archaeological evidence, King David conquered the city. He was warned that "even the blind and the lame can ward you off," the Bible says. He named his conquest The City of David and made it the capital of his new realm. 960 B.C. — David's son Solomon built the first Jewish temple. The Bible says the Israelites also fought many wars against another Canaanite tribe called the Philistines who lived along the southern coastline. 721 B.C. — Assyrians conquered part of the land of Israel called Samaria, and Jewish refugees fled to Jerusalem, causing the city to expand. 701 B.C. — Assyrian ruler Sennacherib laid siege to Jerusalem. 586 B.C. — Babylonian troops occupied the city, destroying the temple and exiling many Jews. 539 B.C. — Persian King Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonian empire, including Jerusalem. 516 B.C. — King Cyrus allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild. The Jews built the Second Temple. 445-425 B.C. — Nehemiah the Prophet rebuilt the walls of the city. 332 B.C. — Alexander the Great of Macedonia took control. After his death, his empire was divided into four, including the Seleucid Empire that contained the land of Israel and their ancient enemies the Philistines (Palestine). 160-167 B.C. — The Jews' Maccabean revolt, launched against the Seleucid Empire and Greek influence, eventually returned the city to Jewish control. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the purification of the Second Temple after the Maccabees reconquered the city. 141 B.C. — The Hasmonean dynasty of Jewish rulers began, and the city grew. 63 B.C. — Roman General Pompey captured Jerusalem. 37 B.C. — Roman client King Herod renovated the Second Temple and added retaining walls, one of which remains today and is called the Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall by Jews. 30 A.D. — Jesus was crucified by the Roman soldiers. 70 — During another Jewish revolt, the Romans destroy their Temple and exile many Jews. 135 — The Romans rebuild Jerusalem as a city of their own. 335 — Roman Emperor Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher over the spot where Jesus was said to have been buried and to have risen from the dead. 614 — The Persians capture Jerusalem. 629 — Byzantine Christians recapture Jerusalem. 632 — Muhammed, the prophet of Islam, died and was said to ascend to heaven from a rock in the center of where the Jewish Temple used to be. 637 — Caliph Omar entered the city to accept the surrender of its Byzantine ruler, the Patriarch Sophronius. 691 — The Muslim shrine known as Haram al Sharif, or the Dome of the Rock, was built around that spot where Mohamed was said to have risen to heaven, remains there today. 1099-1187 — Christian Crusaders occupied Jerusalem, claiming it as a major religious site. 1187 — Salladin captures Jerusalem from the Crusaders. 1229-1244 — Crusaders recapture Jerusalem twice. 1250 — Muslim rulers dismantle the walls of the city. 1517 — The Ottoman Empire captures Jerusalem and Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilds the walls from 1538 to 1541. 1917 — The British capture Jerusalem in World War I. 1948 — The state of Israel is established, dividing the city between Israel and Jordan. 1967 — Israel captures East Jerusalem and immediately annexed it, granting Arab (Palestinian) residents permanent resident status, but not citizenship. Sources: History.com, Jewish Virtual Library, Lost Islamic History, B’Tselem

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/05/russia-increasing-oil-exports-north-korea/923215001/

Russia 'increasing oil exports' to North Korea

Russia 'increasing oil exports' to North Korea TOKYO — The price of diesel oil and gasoline in North Korea has dropped sharply in the last month, according to reports from within the isolated republic, with Russia apparently stepping up supplies in spite of international efforts to isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un and force Pyongyang to abandon its development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. According to "citizen journalists" who report on events inside North Korea for the Osaka-based Asia Press International (API) news agency, fuel prices began to fall in November after several months of fluctuations. Reports put the price of one kilogram of diesel oil at $0.82 now, down 60% from early November, while gasoline is being sold for around $2 per one kilogram, down 25%. The sharp declines come despite increasingly stiff sanctions imposed on Pyongyang, including measures designed specifically to limit the amount of fuel that North Korea can obtain. Resolution 2375, adopted by the United Nations Security Council shortly after the North's sixth underground nuclear test on September 3, singled out fuel supplies for sanctions, and the U.S. government has since stepped up its calls for China to halt the flow of oil over the border. Oil over the border One of API's correspondents claims, however, that "massive amounts" of fuel are coming into the border province of Yanggang from Russia. "It is difficult to know exactly how much fuel is getting into North Korea, but it does appear that Russia has recently been supplying Pyongyang with fuel," said James Brown, an associate professor of international relations and an expert on Russia-North Korean trade at the Tokyo campus of Temple University. "It appears that Russia, in particular, but also China, are losing patience with the U.S.," he told Deutsche Welle. "They feel that they have done their part in putting new pressure on North Korea but that Washington should be doing more." More:Senior U.N. official makes rare visit to North Korea More:These countries still have diplomatic relations with North Korea More:After North Korea missile test, what's next? While Beijing and Moscow supported sanctions in the autumn, North Korea went for more than two months without launching any missiles, Brown points out. Yet Washington made it clear that it was going ahead with joint U.S.-South Korea air exercises, which began in South Korean air space on Monday. When the U.S. confirmed that the largest ever joint air exercises — 230 aircraft practicing attacks on North Korea's nuclear facilities and missiles bases — would proceed as planned, Pyongyang resumed missile launches. The intercontinental ballistic missile launched on Nov. 29 is understood to have a range of around 13,000 km, putting anywhere in the U.S. within range. Hurting the North "Russia may very well feel that the U.S. provoked the most recent missile test by the North and it is not at all clear that Beijing and Moscow will help cut off all fuel supplies because that that represents the 'nuclear option' that would really hurt the North," Brown said. "And while that is exactly what the U.S. wants, Russia is extremely wary of the consequences of the North collapsing," he added. Moscow's concerns include conflict breaking out on its Far East border, a sudden influx of vast numbers of refugees or a civil war in the North in which numerous players are vying to win control of the country's nuclear weapons. Daniel Pinkston, a professor of international relations at the Seoul campus of Troy University, agrees that there are indications that Moscow is trying to "stabilize" the situation in North Korea in order to avoid a collapse, while some point out that restricting deliveries of fuel oil during the North's notoriously harsh winters would inevitably have a humanitarian cost on ordinary people. "There is also the argument that if the North Korean leadership feels that the screws are being tightened too much and that their situation is deteriorating and there are no prospects of it improving, then they might take some kind of coercive, kinetic action to change that situation," he said. Escalate a way out "Even if they accept that they are in a relatively weakened position and have no chance of winning an all-out war, it is possible that they might try to escalate their way out of a deteriorating situation with the threat of some kind of action in return for concessions." There are also suggestions that Russian policy in the Far East is being shaped by President Vladimir Putin's hostility towards the West over the conflict in the Ukraine, while relations between Moscow and Washington are uncomfortable due to allegations of Russia meddling in the U.S. elections. In addition, Brown points out that if Russia is able to obtain some kind of economic leverage over North Korea, it might give Moscow leverage that could be used to encourage the U.S. to drop its hostility. "Similarly, that leverage might be used to encourage Pyongyang to dial back the aggression, making Moscow appear as the "responsible stakeholder in the region," he added. This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/06/johnny-hallyday-dies/926132001/

'French Elvis' Johnny Hallyday dies at 74

'French Elvis' Johnny Hallyday dies at 74 Johnny Hallyday, France's best-known rock star for more than a half-century, has died at the age of 74. His wife Laeticia announced the lung cancer sufferer's death early on Wednesday. Known as the "French Elvis" for his pumping pelvis and gravelly voice on stage, Hallyday was widely credited for popularizing rock and roll in France. "For more than 50 years, he was a vibrant icon," President Emmanuel Macron's office said in a statement. "He brought a part of America into our national pantheon." Singer Celine Dion also paid tribute to Hallyday, calling him a "giant in show business" and "a true icon" on Twitter. Little known outside France or the French-speaking world, Hallyday sold more than 100 million records and continued producing music and touring up until this year despite fighting lung cancer. In France, he was simply known as Johnny. Born in Paris in 1943 as Jean-Philippe Leo Smet, he was brought up by his aunt after his parents split up. As a young boy he spent time on the road and in London with his cousin's acrobatic dance troupe, eventually taking to the stage at 12 to sing himself. He produced his first professional concert under the name Johnny Hallyday in 1960, and released his first album a year later. Hallyday recycled many American rock classics such as The Animals' version of "House of the Rising Sun" or Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe," bringing them to French audiences subject to legal limits on the amount of English music played on the radio. Between five wives over the years, Hallyday leaves behind two biological children and two adopted children. This article originally appeared on Deutsche Welle. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

eaf7781749d0751077f9b3e5546d4dc4

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/06/show-force-north-korea/926143001/

U.S. warplanes carry out show of force a week after North Korean missile launch

U.S. warplanes carry out show of force a week after North Korean missile launch The U.S. Air Force carried out simulated bombing exercises in South Korea on Wednesday, in a show of force a week after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile it says is capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. The B-1B Lancer strategic bomber and F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets joined South Korean aircraft for the drill at the Pilsung Firing Range, part of a massive five-day exercise that began Monday. "Through the exercise, the South Korean and U.S. air forces have demonstrated the alliance's strong will and capability for strong retaliation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. North Korea launched its new Hwasong-15 missile a week ago, claiming to have achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state. The Vigilant Ace exercise, which was scheduled before the missile launch, involves 230 aircraft and about 12,000 service members from the U.S. and South Korea. Pyongyang, which believes the drills are preparation for invasion, has warned that it will “seriously consider” countermeasures. More:Senior U.N. official makes rare visit to North Korea More:Hundreds of U.S., South Korean aircraft begin massive drill in Korean Peninsula South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that his country and its isolated northern neighbor were “on thin ice,” but that he was optimistic of a peaceful solution to the nuclear and missile crisis. "The South-North Korean relations are still not so good. The tension between the South and the North is at its peak, and so it is a very cautious situation as if we are walking on thin ice," Moon said, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. "But I am not all pessimistic. I believe a crisis may well turn into an opportunity, and the night is the darkest just before the dawn. When we overcome this ongoing crisis, I am sure it will turn into an opportunity to dramatically improve the South-North relations," he added.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/06/trumps-jerusalem-decision-alarms-world-leaders/926109001/

Palestinian leader: Trump's Jerusalem decision a 'withdrawal' of peace process

Palestinian leader: Trump's Jerusalem decision a 'withdrawal' of peace process Israel braced for violence as President Trump announced Wednesday a controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and begin the lengthy process of moving the U.S. Embassy there. The news fueled international concern with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas calling the decision in a televised speech "a declaration of withdrawal from the role (the U.S.) has played in the peace process.” Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza called for three "days of rage," Al Jazeera reported Wednesday. Despite demonstrations that drew hundreds of Palestinians to the streets in Gaza City, there were few reports of violence. Trump's announcement from the White House fulfills a campaign promise and upends decades of U.S. foreign policy over contested Jerusalem. West Jerusalem is where Israel's government is based, but Palestinians view east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. For that reason, every U.S. president since Israel's founding in 1948 has located the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Trump is also instructing the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the embassy to Jerusalem. Citing safety concerns, the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem restricted government employees and their families from personal travel to Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. The State Department also advised American diplomatic posts in predominantly Muslim countries to be vigilant about possible protests. Abbas warned that changing the status of Jerusalem would have "dangerous consequences" for the "security and stability of the region and of the world." Abbas' ruling Fatah Party tweeted images Tuesday of demonstrators burning photographs of Trump in Bethlehem's Manger Square. And Ismail Haniya, the head of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, said Washington's decision would be a "dangerous escalation" that crosses "every red line." Trump appears to view the move as a way to help secure what he has called the "ultimate deal" — peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The White House in a briefing Tuesday described the decision a "recognition of reality." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Facebook video ahead of Trump's Wednesday speech that Israel's "historical and national identity is receiving important expressions every day, but especially today.” Netanyahu said later Wednesday that recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is "important step toward peace." More:Trump will begin process to move U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem International opposition to the move has grown. The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation said that changing Jerusalem’s status would amount to "naked aggression" against the Arab and Muslim world. The head of the Arab League said it would be a "dangerous measure that would have repercussion" across the entire Middle East. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: "That they claim they want to announce (Jerusalem) as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure." "Palestine will be free; and the Palestinian people will be victorious," Khamenei added on his official website. Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud told Trump in a phone call that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital or relocating the U.S. Embassy "would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world." There were also warnings from Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In recent days, the European Union, Germany and France have all implored Trump not to take action on Jerusalem. British Prime Minister Theresa May said she intended to speak to Trump about Jerusalem, which she believes "should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states." “The status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians," she said. Pope Francis said he hoped the "status quo of the city" would be respected, asking that "wisdom and prudence prevail." "I cannot keep quiet about my deep worry about the situation that has been created in the last few days," he said at his weekly audience at the Vatican. While Palestinians may hold demonstrations and Arab leaders condemn it, violent Islamist extremist groups generally have not rallied to the Palestinian cause, said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East analyst and vice president at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Miller, a former U.S. peace negotiator, said groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are more concerned with confronting regional Arab governments, with killing Christians and Shiite Muslims in Iraq, and fighting to preserve their territories. "Al-Qaeda has left the Israelis alone through three Gaza wars," he noted. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said the move would help strengthen his country. "On behalf of the city of Jerusalem, the beating heart and soul of the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years, I thank you from the bottom of my heart," Barkat said in The Jerusalem Post. "This historic step will send a very clear message to the world that the United States stands with the Jewish people and the State of Israel." he said. More:Jerusalem has history of many conquests, surrenders More:Why declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital may upend peace in Middle East Contributing: Jane Onyanga-Omara in London

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/07/hamas-leader-calls-new-intifada-after-trumps-jerusalem-move/929806001/

Hamas leader calls for new 'intifada' after Trump's Jerusalem move amid 'days of rage'

Hamas leader calls for new 'intifada' after Trump's Jerusalem move amid 'days of rage' The leader of the terrorist group Hamas called for a new "intifada" or uprising against Israel Thursday after President Trump announced the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and said the United States would begin the lengthy process of moving the Embassy to the city. The encouragement to revolt came as clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops erupted across the West Bank Thursday. Demonstrators in Gaza burned posters of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as U.S. and Israeli flags, as part of "three days of rage" that began Wednesday. Trump’s controversial decision upended decades of U.S. policy on Jerusalem and countered long-standing international assurances to the Palestinians that the fate of the ancient city, claimed by Israelis and Palestinians, would be determined in negotiations. More:Trump's Jerusalem plan signals to Palestinians — the less you give up, the more you lose In a news conference in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, the group's chief, Ismail Haniya, said that Washington's decision to reverse its policy amounted to a "war declaration against Palestinians" that "killed" the peace process. "We have given instruction to all Hamas members and to all its wings to be fully ready for any new instructions or orders that may be given to confront this strategic danger that threatens Jerusalem and threatens Palestine," he said. Haniya said the uprising should start Friday. "We want the uprising to last and continue to let Trump and the occupation regret this decision," he said. At least 17 Palestinians, one seriously, were injured in Thursday's clashes, but Friday, the Muslim holy day, could be a bigger test when Palestinians gather for mass prayers. Meanwhile, the chorus of international condemnation grew Thursday. U.S. allies France and the United Kingdom said they disapproved of Trump's decision. Saudi Arabia, a key American ally in the Middle East, called it "irresponsible." Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned it would throw "the region into a ring of fire." Federica Mogherini, the European Union's top foreign policy diplomat, said "the announcement has the potential to send us backwards to even darker times than the one we are already living in." Mogherini called for calm and appealed for "the status quo of the holy places" in Jerusalem to be preserved. The United Nations Security Council is expected to meet for talks and a briefing Friday over the policy change. More:Trump's Jerusalem plan signals to Palestinians: less you give up, more you lose Hamas' new "intifada" marks the third time such a request has been invoked. Israel, the U.S. and the European Union consider Hamas either wholly or in part to be a terrorist organization. The group killed hundreds of Israelis during the Second Intifada, an armed uprising against Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the early 2000s. Previous Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat led the First Intifada from 1987 to 1993. Hamas is currently locked in a feud with Fatah, the Palestinian nationalist movement led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. More:What is an intifada? Abbas was expected to travel to Jordan Thursday to meet with King Abdullah II. The monarch, who enjoys good relations with the U.S., is seen as Abbas’ closest Arab ally, and the two leaders might try to coordinate a response to Trump’s policy change. On Wednesday, Abbas said Washington's move was a "reward to Israel" that encourages Israel's "continued occupation" of Palestinian areas. It remains unclear how destructive a new intifada from Hamas might be. The group's ability to carry out attacks is now more limited after Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip. Many supporters of Hamas in the West Bank also have been arrested. Netanyahu said Thursday that Trump had "bound himself forever" to the history of Jerusalem by recognizing the city as Israel’s capital. He also claimed that other nations would follow suit and make a similar recognition. Meanwhile, Israel's military said it would deploy additional troops to the West Bank ahead of Friday, when more mass Palestinian protests are anticipated. More:Pence: Under Trump, 'America Stands with Israel' Contributing: Associated Press

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/12/cheetah-mom-shows-tough-love-her-cubs-nat-geo-wild/944478001/

How this cheetah mom shows tough love to her cubs

How this cheetah mom shows tough love to her cubs Naborr wants what any mother would: healthy babies that grow up to be independent adults. But the odds are stacked against her. Naborr, a cheetah, lives on the Naboisho Conservancy on Kenya’s border with Tanzania. The dangerous beauty of the bush, where wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, lions and zebras share the flat earth and vultures lurk in scrawny trees, is where she tends to her children with the assurance of an experienced mother. Her survival tactics are better than most. Experts figure that about 95% of cheetah cubs don’t make it to the age of 2. Consider those odds, and how different the world would be if only 5% of humans grew up. Naborr cares for her cubs adroitly, hunting for them before teaching them how to provide for themselves. She protects them from predators in a world where dangers are vast and constant. People melt when they see cheetah babies. They can’t help it — the cubs are fuzzy and adorable. But predators don’t see cute. They see dinner. Other animals, from hyenas to lions, can slaughter a litter in a matter of moments. More:Did you know tigers are excellent swimmers? More facts about the big cats of the world More:Cheetahs, world’s fastest cats, can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds More:What do lions really want? Some stability Naborr, which means “the peaceful one” in Maa, the language of the Maasai, is about 7 years old and does not wear a tracking device. Her second litter produced two cubs — a male dubbed Murrani, or “warrior,” and a female, Ntito, which means “girl.” At about 2½ feet high, 3 feet long and about 80 pounds, Naborr can cover 25 feet with each stride. A formidable hunter, she stalks and takes down a gazelle for her babies as easily as a suburban mom might defrost dinner. Even so, Naborr knows her cubs will eventually need to stand on their own four paws. Brilliantly imparting survival skills, Naborr corners a baby impala but doesn’t kill it. It’s truly tough love: If Murrani and Ntito want to eat, they’ll have to take it down themselves. At moments like this, animal lovers may feel their emotions go into hyperdrive: They can’t help but want to parachute in and save the tiny, terrified impala. But of course that’s nonsense; if the cheetahs are going to eat, something needs to die. Precisely how the impala dies is fascinating. Naborr could easily sink her teeth into its neck and kill it quickly. It’s something she has done hundreds of times to survive. Instead, she stuns the calf and keeps it alive, waiting for her cubs to finish it off. She is patient, like any good mother trying to teach her offspring. The difference here is that if her cubs keep lollygagging, they won’t miss the school bus — they may die. Suddenly, a hyena appears. Naborr’s protectiveness is on full display as she hisses at the predator, every muscle in her body on alert. She quickly wrangles her cubs up a tree. Turns out, hyenas can’t climb — which Naborr knew, of course. She leaves the impala behind; better the hyena feasts on it than on her babies.

58e7d43904245b8b77735c4eb03fdbdb

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/12/remembering-those-we-lost-through-year/780934001/

2017: Remembering those we've lost through the year

2017: Remembering those we've lost through the year Take a look back at 10 celebrities, athletes and other notables who died in 2017: Chuck Berry (Oct. 18, 1926 — March 18, 2017) Chuck Berry created the rock star blueprint more than 50 years ago, and generations later there’s still nobody who can touch the original. It’s no wonder that when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland inducted its inaugural members in 1986, the Brown Eyed Handsome Man was at the head of the class. Berry was so energetic, charismatic and unique that he rendered moot the prevailing racial barriers of the 1950s that kept most African-American musicians out of the mainstream. He had a knack for gauging what his audience liked and then giving it to them. His witty, libidinous lyrics spoke of girls, motorin’ and footloose fun. David Cassidy (April 12, 1950 — Nov. 21, 2017) A child of Hollywood, David Cassidy was the iconic teen idol of the 1970s. Before Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber, Zac Efron and the members of the 1980s Brat Pack, there was pop star Cassidy in his colorful polyester ensembles featuring giant collars and flared slacks. And while he did perform as a solo artist, he and the Partridge Family had a No. 1 hit with the catchy tune I Think I Love You in the fall of 1970. His biggest solo single was a version of Cherish, which peaked at No. 9 after its release in 1971. Penny Chenery (Jan. 27, 1922 — Sept. 16, 2017) Helen "Penny" Chenery was a pioneer and an ambassador of horse racing. She will mainly be remembered for owning Triple Crown sensation Secretariat and another great champion named Riva Ridge. But her other contributions to horse racing might be immeasurable. Chenery became the first woman admitted to the Jockey Club and served as the first female president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. She helped form the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and was involved with nearly every charity associated with horse racing. Chenery was also a strong advocate in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs in racing and was intent on finding a cure for laminitis. Fats Domino (Feb. 28, 1928 — Oct. 24, 2017) The legendary New Orleans piano man was one of the founding fathers of rock 'n' roll. More:Fats Domino's music went viral, and led to ska and hip-hop, too During the ’50s, rock ’n’ roll was coming into its own, and Domino was a driving force behind it. In 1955, his song Ain’t That a Shame became a Top 10 hit and was soon recorded by Pat Boone, making it a hit among teens. Walking to New Orleans, Blueberry Hill and I’m Walkin’ were just some of his more than three dozen Top 40 hits. His music influenced the next generation of artists, including The Beatles, whose Lady Madonna echoed his style. Billy Joel inducted Domino into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the first ceremony in 1986, calling him the man "who proved that the piano was a rock ’n’ roll instrument." Hugh Hefner (April 9, 1926 — Sept. 27, 2017) Hugh Hefner was the ultimate playboy who frolicked through life long enough to become an icon in his own time. In 1953, a time when states could legally ban contraceptives and when the word "pregnant" was not allowed on I Love Lucy, Hefner published the first issue of Playboy, featuring naked photos of Marilyn Monroe and an editorial promise of "humor, sophistication and spice." The Great Depression and World War II were over, and America was ready to get undressed. Success came fast for the fledgling publisher, who was both tapping into and fueling the counterculture bonfire that raged throughout the 1960s. His Chicago mansion became a hub of outrageous activity, a Parisian salon set in a Roman bathhouse. Jerry Lewis (March 16, 1926 — Aug. 20, 2017) The consummate showman, comedian, director and actor became synonymous with throwing his worldwide fame into a career-long battle against muscular dystrophy, most notably through the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, which he hosted from 1966 to 2010. Jerry Lewis was married twice, but his life and career largely were defined by one very public relationship and split: his partnership with Dean Martin. After meeting in 1945, the two quickly became the most sought-after duo in show business, with Lewis bringing the zany laughter and singer Martin playing the straight man. In their 10 years working together, Lewis and Martin shared the screen in 17 films. Despite the playful chemistry onscreen, the relationship between the two became strained as Lewis received the lion’s share of the credit for their success. Lewis gained international acclaim for his 1960 directorial debut, The Bellboy, which he wrote, produced and starred in. Three years later, he hit box office and critical gold again with The Nutty Professor, a film he co-wrote, directed and starred in as well. More:Jerry Lewis' best quotes on humor, longevity and having a bad temper The film would spawn two remakes starring Eddie Murphy and later be selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. Mary Tyler Moore (Dec. 29, 1936 — Jan. 25, 2017) She turned the world on with her smile. With a carefree toss of a black beret into the downtown Minneapolis winter wind, Mary Tyler Moore captured the hearts of millions of TV viewers. That opening scene from her hit 1970s sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, cemented an image in our minds that would never fade away. Moore was the girl next door, the colleague at the next desk, the neighbor in the apartment just below. When her ensemble sitcom ended, it was with a big group hug. She played two cute and perky characters that forever marked her career: housewife Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and single girl Mary Richards. And even though she would try to break that image with other roles through the years, those roles forever touched TV audiences. Tom Petty (Oct. 20, 1950 — Oct. 2, 2017) Tom Petty’s music sounded like America, the kind of yearning, big-sky rock ‘n’ roll songs that generations of imitators will try and fail to replicate. Over the course of his career, Petty won three Grammys (and earned 18 nominations) and sold tens of millions of records with The Heartbreakers, the group that carried him from the dive bars of their Gainesville, Fla, hometown to the world's biggest stages. Not a decade went by when Petty didn't release a good album, from The Heartbreakers' scrappy 1976 debut and his hits-packed 1989 solo release Full Moon Fever (home to Free Fallin' and I Won't Back Down) to his stunning 1994 release Wildflowers, which delivered stripped-down Americana in the middle of the grunge revolution. Della Reese ( July 6, 1931 — Nov. 19, 2017) Della Reese enjoyed dual careers, first as a jazz and pop singer and later as a TV star on CBS' Touched By An Angel. Reese's singing career began in church, when she joined the junior gospel choir at the Olivet Baptist Church at the age of 6 in her hometown of Detroit. In 1957, Reese earned national fame thanks to her song And That Reminds Me, followed by her signature hit, Don’t You Know? Touched by an Angel struggled with ratings its first season, but the show grew to become one of television's highest-rated dramas. Don Rickles (May 8, 1926 — April 6, 2017) Don Rickles was Mr. Warmth to a generation of comics as the master of the put-down. In a career that spanned more than 60 years, Rickles appeared in movies (from Beach Party films of the early '60s to Casino in 1995) and sitcoms (C.P.O. Sharkey) and he voiced Mr. Potato Head in three of Disney’s Toy Story films. More:A fond remembrance: That time I was insulted by Don Rickles He made his living as a a self-described “aggressive” stage comedian, whose act jelled by accident as he reacted to hecklers he called “hockey puck.” To many fans, he was known as the prototypical insult comic. He didn’t do punchlines; his act was the ad-libbed singling out of audience members for ridicule, a response to hecklers. It was all an act; in person he was gracious and friendly, though not all of his targets were in on the joke.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/12/tillerson-softens-united-states-stance-possible-talks-north-korea/946494001/

Tillerson softens U.S. stance on possible talks with North Korea

Tillerson softens U.S. stance on possible talks with North Korea WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday softened America’s stance on possible talks with North Korea, calling it “unrealistic” to expect the nuclear-armed country to come to the table ready to give up a weapons of mass destruction program that it invested so much in developing. Tillerson said his boss, President Donald Trump, endorses this position. Tillerson’s remarks came two weeks after North Korea conducted a test with a missile that could potentially carry a nuclear warhead to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard — a milestone in its decades-long drive to pose an atomic threat to its American adversary that Trump has vowed to prevent, using military force if necessary. “We are ready to talk anytime North Korea would like to talk. And we are ready to have the first meeting without preconditions,” Tillerson said at the Atlantic Council think tank. He said that the North would need to be willing to talk and hold off on its weapons testing. This year, the North has conducted more than 20 ballistic missile launches and one nuclear test explosion, its most powerful yet. “Let’s just meet and we can talk about the weather if you want to. We can talk about whether it’s a square table or a round table if that’s what you are excited about,” Tillerson said. “But can we at least sit down and see each other face to face and then we can begin to lay out a map, a road map, of what we might be willing to work towards.” Although Tillerson said the goal of U.S. policy remained denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he added it was “not realistic to say we’re only going to talk if you come to the table ready to give up your program. They’ve too much invested in it. The president is very realistic about that as well.” In public, Trump has been less sanguine about the possibilities of diplomacy with Kim Jong Un’s authoritarian government, which faces growing international isolation and sanctions as it pursues nuclear weapons in defiance of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. In October, Trump appeared to undercut Tillerson when he said he was “wasting his time” trying to negotiate with the North Korea, just as Tillerson said the U.S. had backchannel communications with the North. Trump, who has traded insults with Kim, kept up his tough talk on Tuesday. As he signed a $700 billion defense authorization bill that includes additional spending on missile defense, he referred to North Korea as a “vile dictatorship.” “We’re working very diligently on that — building up forces. We’ll see how it all turns out. It’s a very bad situation — a situation that should have been handled long ago by other administrations,” Trump said. Tillerson did not indicate that North Korea had signaled a new readiness to talk, but said that “they clearly understand that if we’re going to talk, we’ve got to have a period of quiet” in weapons tests. More:Hoop dreams? Dennis Rodman thinks he can bring Trump and 'friend' Kim Jong Un together More:North Korea's newest claim: Kim Jong Un can control the weather

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/14/aid-group-rohingya-killed-myanmar/951035001/

At least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims killed in crackdown by Myanmar forces, aid group says

At least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims killed in crackdown by Myanmar forces, aid group says At least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed during a crackdown by Myanmar's security forces between August and September this year, according to a field study released Thursday by the international aid group Doctors Without Borders. The number far exceeds the 400 people Myanmar's Ministry of Information said died after a militant Rohingya group attacked police posts on August 25, prompting a crackdown by Myanmar troops. The ministry has blamed Rohingya militants for the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state and labeled the 400 as "extreme terrorists” who died during military "clearance operations.” Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said in a statement that it conducted the survey in Bangladesh refugee camps and estimated that at least 9,000 Rohingya had died of various causes in Rakhine state between August 25 and September 24. MSF said 70% of the deaths were due to violence and the dead included 730 children below the age of five. MSF said that among children below the age of 5, more than 59% who were killed in the month after August 25 were reportedly shot, 15% burned to death in their homes, 7% beaten to death and 2% died due to landmine blasts. More:Pope Francis uses 'Rohingya' to refer to refugees, asks for forgiveness More:Bangladesh inks deal with Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya Muslim refugees More than 630,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled the Buddhist-majority country to escape violence in Rakhine State, which the United Nations has called "ethnic cleansing." "The peak in deaths coincides with the launch of the latest 'clearance operations' by Myanmar security forces in the last week of August," MSF medical director Sidney Wong said in a statement. Wong said the findings were staggering, both in terms of the numbers of people who reported a family member dead as a result of violence and the horrific ways in which they said they were killed or severely injured. "We heard reports of entire families who perished after they were locked inside their homes, while they were set alight," she said. International aid and rights groups have accused the military of arson, killings and rapes of Rohingya villagers. More than 1 million ethnic Rohingya Muslims have lived in Myanmar for generations. They have been stripped of their citizenship, denied almost all rights and labeled stateless. "The numbers of deaths are likely to be an underestimation as we have not surveyed all refugee settlements in Bangladesh and because the surveys don't account for the families who never made it out of Myanmar,” Wong said. "Currently people are still fleeing from Myanmar to Bangladesh and those who do manage to cross the border still report being subject to violence in recent weeks.” This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is published separately from USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/15/trump-administration-cracks-down-visa-waiver-program/955040001/

Trump administration cracks down on visa waiver program

Trump administration cracks down on visa waiver program The Trump administration on Friday announced it will more closely scrutinize countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows foreigners to travel to the U.S. without first securing a visa. The U.S. has agreements with 38 countries — all close allies, and mostly from Europe — whose citizens are vetted by U.S. officials and then allowed to travel to America for up to 90 days without a visa. The Department of Homeland Security said Friday it will now require those countries to keep closer track of travelers within their own borders to improve their internal monitoring of terrorists, and to reduce the number of their citizens who travel to the U.S. and overstay their visas. Failure to comply with any of those provisions could prompt the U.S. to remove a country from the Visa Waiver Program, or to implement a variety of sanctions that would limit the ability of their citizens to travel to the U.S. Homeland Security officials, however, said they would prefer to work with the countries to fix the problems and maintain their status in the program. "It's critically important we stay ahead of these threats by improving our security posture," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement. "These enhancements will strengthen the program, and they are part of our continued efforts to raise the baseline for homeland security across the board." More:House panel hears debate about tightening tourist visa rules More:U.S. now can ask travelers for Facebook, Twitter handles More:More than 600K foreigners overstayed visas in 2016 The move represents the latest step by the Trump administration to more closely screen incoming travelers in the name of national security. President Trump has tried several times to implement a travel ban against majority-Muslim countries that he has deemed to be threats because of their ties to terrorism. After recent terrorist attacks in the U.S., Trump has also called for an end to the diversity visa lottery and the long-standing practice of "chain migration" — the ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their extended family for visas. Homeland Security did not provide any examples of a foreigner entering the country through the Visa Waiver Program before committing an act of terrorism. But with 20 million people entering the country each year through the program, the department insists it must improve vetting procedures to ensure that the program is not exploited by terrorists. Starting Friday, the department will begin scrutinizing Visa Waiver Program countries on three new grounds: The last requirement, which targets "visa overstays," highlights an ongoing problem in the U.S. immigration system. People who overstay their visas make up an estimated 40% of the 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in America. In 2016, more than 600,000 foreign travelers who legally entered the United States overstayed their visas and remained in the country at the end of the year, according to Homeland Security data. The Visa Waiver Program countries in violation of the new overstay measurement are Greece, Hungary, Portugal and San Marino. They could be required to pay for public education campaigns to inform their citizens of the overstay problem. Homeland Security officials said it will not make public other countries considered to be in violation of the new requirements, but will negotiate with them directly to resolve the disagreements. Other possible punishments include reducing from two years the amount of time travelers are allowed to freely travel to the U.S., intensifying vetting procedures used against applicants, and temporarily suspending a country from the program. The U.S. Travel Association, which represents airlines, hotels and destination resorts, called the new measures a "sensible approach" to ensuring security. "Every program should be constantly assessed and tweaked to ensure it performs as designed to stop threats," said Roger Dow, the association's CEO.

b2c3a573cea5a3ab66886e5fbbf3d408

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/17/hundreds-get-sick-royal-caribbean-cruise-again/959102001/

Hundreds get sick on Royal Caribbean cruise — again

Hundreds get sick on Royal Caribbean cruise — again More than 300 passengers became ill on a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Florida last week, the second time in less than a month that sickness swept through passengers and crew on one of the cruise line's ships. Royal Caribbean said 332 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported on the Independence of the Seas before it returned Saturday to Port Everglades, Fla., after a five-night cruise. Victoria Nolan of Genesee, N.Y., told WPLG-TV that she and six of 15 of her relatives on the ship fell ill. She described a horrific scene of people throwing up in elevators while going to the ship's medical facility. Nolan said she also went, but returned to her room after realizing the wait for medical assistance was more than four hours. "It's not their fault that it happened, but the way they handled it after people started getting sick made it 10 times worse," Nolan said. Marsha Homuska told the TV station the crew worked hard to keep the ship clean during the outbreak, but the situation was overwhelming. “They started running out of water and basic supplies,” she said. More:Carnival Fascination is latest cruise ship to get a makeover More:One of the world's biggest cruise ships, MSC Meraviglia, to sail from New York Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres said the number of people sickened represented only about 6% of the more than 5,000 passengers and crew. "Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ship's doctors with over-the-counter medication," Torres said, "We hope all our guests feel better quickly." The cause of the illnesses was not immediately released, but Torres said Royal Caribbean conducted "intensive sanitary procedures to minimize the risk" of further issues. The ship underwent additional cleaning procedures and then left Saturday on its next cruise. The outbreak came days after a Royal Caribbean cruise ship concluded a two-week cruise Dec. 7 from Singapore to Australia that saw more than 200 people become sick. Mark Veitch, a physician and director of public health in Australia's Tasmania state, said five passengers required treatment at Royal Hobart Hospital. Royal Caribbean Cruises employs 60,000 people from more than 120 countries who have served more than 50 million guests over more than 40 years, according to the corporate website.

893bb93dc9668cc09f7ad4eb78cdfbcd

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/19/calls-mount-prosecute-corrupt-red-cross-officials-ebola-survivors-face-health-complications-amid-red/962083001/

There's a new Ebola epidemic facing African nations: This one involves corruption

There's a new Ebola epidemic facing African nations: This one involves corruption Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article misidentified the Red Cross organization involved in corrupt activities. FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Barely two years after West African nations defeated a deadly Ebola scourge, they are confronting a new epidemic: corruption. In October, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) admitted that its officials, local bankers, volunteers and others had embezzled more than $6 million in aid funds in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. “For it to now behave like corrupt politicians, to steal Ebola money meant for the poor masses, is unacceptable,” said Freetown teacher Musa Koroma, 26. “It’s a shame. The Red Cross must account for this. They must be prosecuted. They must pay back.” Between March 2014 and January 2016, the Ebola virus killed more than 11,000 people in the three West African nations, according to the World Health Organization. The plague crippled their economies and forced their governments to institute quarantines and other harsh restrictions, such as banning public assemblies and encouraging people to refrain from sex to prevent the spread of the disease. Many of the approximately 17,000 Ebola survivors in the three countries are facing health complications from the sickness. “I have received reports of eye sight and other health problems from some of my members,” said Yusuf Kabba, president of the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors. “The government needs to fast track free health care for Ebola survivors.” In an internal audit, the IFRC said it discovered inflated purchase orders, payments to non-existent workers and padded expense accounts. “We didn’t hear the news from outside. Our internal auditors discovered the fraud and we made it public,” said Aissatou Nafo Traore, who leads the IFRC in Africa. “This is a sign of transparency. We are unhappy about it, and we are very sorry.” The IFRC is investigating where the money might have gone in hopes of retrieving it and punishing those responsible, she said. More:Residents flee as suspected cases of Ebola outbreak in Congo grow In Sierra Leone, anti-graft investigators launched a probe into spending associated with humanitarian efforts in the wake of IFRC admissions. “We are concerned that our international partners who are supposed to help us in times of need are also involved in this alleged type of practice,” government investigator Shollay Davies said in an interview with Radio Democracy. The IFRC revelations were not the first indication of corruption related to the epidemic in Sierra Leone. Early this year, a government audit found that at least $14 million had been misappropriated or was unaccounted for by government agencies and their partners. The audit found that health workers in high risk environments, like transporting corpses that could infect them with the virus, did not receive the hazard pay they had been promised. In all, the audit identified 40 government contractors who misused funds. A few returned money to the government. The IFRC was supposed to be different, said Martha Conteh 32, who campaigns for the rights advocacy group, the Women's Coalition, in Freetown. “Many times, we heard the international community say they have sent huge amounts of money to Sierra Leone,” said Conteh. “For a charitable organization to reap from West Africa over $6 million (in stolen money) during this crisis is unbelievable. I’m shocked and not knowing who to trust now.” Liberians are also angry. Emmanuel Gargah, 28, an activist with Stand Up Liberia, a youth advocacy movement in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, said the IFRC scandal “will undermine future responses in the country.” “It might not be Ebola, but we might have another emergency which will require donor attention. If the donors say no, we will have ourselves to blame. This must be investigated.” The IFRC estimated that corrupt workers absconded with $2.7 million in Liberia. That money could go far, said Dukuray Osman, 22, an Ebola survivor and student at the University of Liberia. “It could change the lives of survivors in the whole country,” he said. In Guinea, ambulance driver Ousmane Bah, 42, a resident of the village of Melliandou, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, expressed shock when he heard about the graft. “I drove an old ambulance for months without pay,” he said. “I left the job because I felt unsafe. I felt very bad for all those colleagues I knew who died from the virus over the lack of medical treatment. Only God will grant them eternal peace.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/19/israel-arrests-palestinian-girl-ahed-tamimi-over-viral-video-soldier-slapping/966542001/

Israel arrests Palestinian girl Ahed Tamimi over viral video of soldier slapping

Israel arrests Palestinian girl Ahed Tamimi over viral video of soldier slapping The Israeli army arrested a 17-year-old Palestinian girl on Tuesday after a video showing her slapping Israeli soldiers went viral on social media. Shot on Friday, the video shows the suspect Ahed Tamimi and another Palestinian teen approaching two Israeli soldiers — then shoving, kicking and slapping them while the soldiers remained relatively impassive before moving backwards. A second video showed the girls asking the soldiers to move, since they were blocking the steps to a family home in the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank. The incident occurred the same day as clashes in the West Bank over President Trump's decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Tamimi's mother was also arrested, and while Israeli police gave no reason for her detention, they did confirm that the pair would be in jail until at least Thursday. "They didn't give a reason for her arrest," Tamimi's father Bassem told French news agency AFP. He also accused Israeli security forces of seizing mobile phones, computers and other electronics from their home. Another family member named Mohammed was reportedly recovering in a hospital after being hit by a rubber bullet. The video has been used by the Israeli army to prove to the world that their soldiers exercise restraint, but the women's arrest in the middle of the night has been criticized by Palestinian activists. A history of protest It's not Tamimi's first brush with anti-occupation notoriety. When she was only a child, a photograph of her standing up to Israeli soldiers earned her an invitation to meet then-Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Then in 2015, a picture of the girl biting the hand of an Israeli soldier trying to arrest her brother became a symbolic photo shared widely around the world. Just last year, Tamimi was denied a visa by the State Department in Washington after she was invited to be part of a speaking tour titled "No Child Behind Bars/Living Resistance." This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/20/meet-anti-trump-icelands-most-trusted-politician/968025001/

Meet the 'anti-Trump,' Iceland's most trusted politician

Meet the 'anti-Trump,' Iceland's most trusted politician Iceland's new prime minister is a feminist and environmentalist who is among the youngest leaders in the world. She has a degree in literature with a special interest in Icelandic crime novels. She appeared in a music video 20 years ago with an Icelandic band, Bang Gang. And she's considered Iceland's most trusted politician by numerous polls. Her name is Katrín Jakobsdóttir, 41, and she's a mother of three boys and comes from a family of poets and professors. Her new coalition government took power at the end of November, and it spans the political spectrum in Iceland from her Left-Green Movement to the Independence Party to the Progressive Party. Jakobsdóttir talks with The World's host Marco Werman about everything from what it's like to lead a coalition that straddles the left-right political divide to commuting by bicycle. Marco Werman: Let's start with your environmental pursuits and your mission. You recently attended the One Planet Summit in Paris where you presented your goal to have Iceland carbon neutral by the year 2040. You've even predicted Iceland will achieve that five years ahead of other green countries like your Nordic neighbors. How far along are you already because isn't a lot of Iceland's energy geothermal? Don't you have a pretty good head start? Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir: Yes, you could say that we have a pretty good head start since we are using renewable energy when it comes to, for example, heating of houses because we have not only geothermal power but also hydroelectric power in Iceland. But we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to industry, when it comes to waste process and other factors, other sectors. We are, for example, now starting a project with the sheep farmers on how we can do sheep farming carbon neutral. So, we are beginning to work with different sectors of society but we think we can achieve it because we have this head start and such a small society, [with] only 330,000 people; and to achieve that goal we really need to get the close cooperation of local governments of different sectors and, of course, of the general public, but it's probably easier in a small country than a big one. Going carbon neutral typically involves dealing in carbon credits or offsetting carbon released by planting trees. How can sheep farmers play a role? Part of the project is not only having less emission of greenhouse gases [but] when it comes to sheep farmers, they can play an important part in restoring wetlands, growing forests etc., to achieve more carbon binding. Prime Minister, you talk the talk and you also bike to work. Are you still doing that? Can you make the case why politicians should cycle and not drive or be chauffeured? Well, actually, now I'm being chauffeured, being a prime minister. And that's something quite novel to me. But, I used to serve us actually, as a minister of education and culture and then I used to cycle a lot but now during the high winter I'm not using the cycle. I will do that when it goes a little bit warmer again ... [In Iceland], we are actually using the bicycles a lot more than we did just 10 years ago. So, we're also making changes ... a big part of becoming carbon neutral is changing the way we travel to and from work, how we can use more public transport. Then, of course, how we can, in spite of the weather, use the bicycle or travel by foot, which is actually the best way to travel in my opinion. You had a small part in a music video about 20 years ago by a band called Bang Gang in Iceland. The song is called, "Listen Baby." What's the backstory? Did you like the video? It was a great band, actually. Two friends of mine asked me to play that role, and it's mainly doing the running bits ... [Besides being a politician], I'm also a literary theorist. I have worked quite a lot on research in crime fiction, and I also have done some pop music videos. I also have three children and family, and it didn't quite stem directly from the pop music, but I've been a professional politician for 10 years and a member of government since from 2009 to 2013. So, we all have to play a lot of different parts, not least [of all] in a small society like Iceland. Prime Minister, there are obviously many differences as leaders between you and the American President Donald Trump but there is an interesting parallel between the two of you. Neither of you is a big fan of NATO. There is no sign that he's carrying through on his campaign pledge to either get out of NATO or not fund it until other nations start pulling their weight. But you've gone on the record as wanting to pull Iceland's membership out of NATO. Isn't NATO Iceland's defense force, though, and are you prepared to abandon military defense for your country? My party is against the membership of NATO. However, we are the only party in the Icelandic parliament that is of this opinion. We actually got 70 percent in the last parliamentary election. So, we decided actually to make a compromise on that. But that doesn't change our position in the matter. Icelandic media call you the country's most trusted politician. We should point out that you're following scandals that have forced out two previous prime ministers, and now you've got a coalition of party members, centrist progressives and conservatives. What is the political mood in Iceland right now? Well, the political mood in Iceland has been [going] since 2008 when we were faced with the economic crisis, which hit us very hard. It was a great shock to the nation. And I should say that even though we have recovered quite well economically, we haven't quite recovered when it comes to the political situation, trust in politics, our confidence in politicians, it's been very low. I've gone through five elections so you can imagine the turbulence that's been here. So, I think the political mood in Iceland is that people hope that all parties in parliament will be able to achieve [a] better political culture. You know we have eight parties in the Icelandic parliament now, which is more than ever. Prime minister, you have three boys, and you've been described as an anti-war feminist. How have all the allegations of powerful men abusing women been discussed in your house, and how are you talking about this with your sons? My oldest son is 11 years old, and my youngest is 6. But we talk a lot about gender equality in my house. You know, we have now, for example, the #MeToo movement has been very visible in Iceland, and I think it's actually bringing to the surface a lot of things that haven't been discussed too widely in Icelandic culture until now — [that is], when it comes to sexual harassment and when it comes to women in politics because that's the world I know fairly well. You are the second woman prime minister in Iceland's history. What still needs to happen in terms of gender equality in Iceland? Where is Iceland falling short? When it comes to international comparison, it's doing pretty good but I still think we have a lot of challenges. For example, there are fewer women now in parliament after the last election than the election before but we still haven't reached what we can call quite an equal pay between men and women, which is something that we have been working on for years now. You know, in my opinion, actually, we have done a lot of good things. We have introduced quotas in boards of bigger companies, and they have actually had some very good results. I could also mention when we introduced the parental leave, that is, that all fathers need to take a paternity leave. It's not something that only mothers can take. So, we have done a lot of good things but there are great challenges ahead. This article originally appeared on PRI.org. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY. MORE FROM PRI.ORG: More:Miami residents fear 'climate gentrification' as investors seek higher ground More:Net neutrality: Smaller, independent websites could take a bigger hit More:Nuevo mariachi is telling the story of one man's California experience

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/20/nike-begins-selling-sports-hijab-muslim-female-athletes/970226001/

Nike begins selling sports hijab for Muslim female athletes

Nike begins selling sports hijab for Muslim female athletes Nike is now selling its first-ever performance hijab for Muslim female athletes. On its U.S. shopping website, Nike says the Nike Pro Hijab is made with lightweight, breathable fabric "that wicks away sweat, and stays tucked in during any workout or competition." "The pull-on design and long back keeps the Hijab in place, while mesh fabric provides a breathable, personalized fit," Nike said. It features tiny, strategically placed holes for "optimal breathability" but is otherwise opaque. The hijab sells for $35 and is available in black in sizes from extra-small to large. While most Muslim women wear the hijab for religious reasons as an expression of modesty, other Arab or Muslim women choose to wear it to express cultural identity. “It’s not just about making a product available for Muslim and Arab women, but it is also giving a chance to those women who are putting off the idea of wearing the veil completely in order to compete,” Manal Rostom told Al Arabiya English earlier this year. Nike said it has been developing the garment for a year, drawing upon the experiences and recommendations of such athletes as Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, Egyptian runner and mountaineer Manai Rostom, and Emirati weightlifter Olympica Amna Al Haddad, who have wear-tested the garments since early 2016. In 2012, two Saudi runners competed in hijab at the Olympic Games in London. One of them, sprinter Sarah Attar, also completed at the Games in Rio, in a uniform designed by Oiselle, an Oregon-based company, according to The Guardian. Nike noted that the new design was aimed at addressing both the cultural requirements of the garment and the particular styles of each Muslim country. Nike also said that fewer than one in seven girls participates in locally recommended sports activities for an hour or more in Middle Eastern countries and said it hopes to inspire more women and girls there "who still face barriers and limited access to sport." In initially unveiling its plan to offer a performance hijab, Nike launched Middle East video campaign “What Will They Say About You,” which was touted for featuring Muslim women athletes such as Lari, Tunisian fencer Inès Boubakri and Jordanian boxer Arifa Bseiso. But many on social media and in the Arab world criticized it for, among other things, portraying Arab women’s lives unrealistically and patronizing athletes by suggesting Nike empowered them. “It means the world to have the leading sport brand in the world come up with a product like this,” Rostom said. “It’s not just speaking to athletes, but speaking to the whole word that Nike supports all athletes to literally go out there and Just Do It.” Contributing: Aysha Khan, Religion News Service

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/21/nazareth-childhood-home-jesus-hoping-christmas-miracle/972403001/

Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus, is hoping for a Christmas miracle

Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus, is hoping for a Christmas miracle NAZARETH, Israel — This biblical city known as the childhood home of Jesus is hoping for a Christmas miracle: the sudden appearance of tourists. The town's markets are stocked with Santa hats and green and red stockings but few buyers in the wake of President Trump's Dec. 6 declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. His announcement departs from an international consensus that Jerusalem's status should be negotiated in peace talks with Palestinians. Israel's tiny, and shrinking, Christian minority already has been facing economic hardships, and Trump's move has heightened their strife and deflated the season's festive mood. “A lot of things are missing for us this year, because of the issues with Jerusalem,” lamented Badia Basha, 66, a Christian resident. Standing at a small table selling Christmas knickknacks outside of Mary’s Well, where Christians believe the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the son of God, Basha noted how Trump's declaration sparked violent protests across the region. “Christmas is supposed to bring many performances and singers and visitors that include Christians and also Muslims and Jews, to this city, but today there is almost nothing. It is not as it really should be,” Basha said. More:Jerusalem Palestinians still seek Israeli citizenship despite Trump declaration More:U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution on Jerusalem Last week, Nazareth Mayor Ali Salam, a Muslim, canceled a number of Christmas festivities in what he said was a protest against Trump. On Saturday, Salam told reporters that outdoor stalls, the Christmas tree lighting, and the Dec. 23 citywide parade in Nazareth would still happen as planned, and that “there are commercial interests of the city and we are used to hundreds of thousands coming for this season.” Tourism, a critical component of Nazareth's economy, has been weak since the 2014 Israeli war in Gaza scared foreigners from coming to this holy land. Ronny Eid, a Christian resident and the head of the Nazareth tourism ministry, said the city has seen a number of pilgrim groups cancel their plans to arrive at Christmas. Hany Khoury, a Christian who owns a shop selling Christmas specialties such as olive wood carvings from Bethlehem, said shop owners have also struggled in recent years to compete with Chinese competitors. “Everyone used to buy handmade, but even with the seasonal business, the Christian market here is not large enough” to sustain local business, Khoury said. He added that it's almost impossible to compete with Chinese merchants who come here, buy olive wood carvings depicting the Nativity and other biblical scenes, copy them at home and then sell them online at cheaper prices across the globe. Elias Mattar, the chef at the trendy Locanda restaurant in the newly opened Ramada Nazareth Hotel, said the weeks between Dec. 15 and the beginning of the new year can translate into as much as two months' profit and set the tone for the rest of the business year. According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, Israel is expecting a spike in tourists this Christmas holiday, though it said the vast majority of Christian visitors plan to visit only the holy sites in Jerusalem. In the winding alleys of Nazareth’s Old City the week before Christmas, there were only a handful of tourists, most of whom came from Jewish towns in Israel. Mattar said the economic difficulties deter Christians from remaining in Nazareth, the largest Arab city in Israel. Before the Jewish state was established in 1948, this city boasted a Christian majority of more than 60%. Today, Christians comprise only 30% of the population. The Christian exodus has been underway for decades, but accelerated in recent years because of a combination of economic hardship, low birth rates and what some say is discrimination by the Israeli government. In October, the Greek patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, told Pope Francis that there is a “disturbing situation in the Holy Land” in which the “historic rights of Christians are being undermined.” Mattar, like many Christians here, has relatives living abroad, and says that if he had the opportunity, he would leave the area. “It’s unreal the extent to which politics enters everything here, even in Nazareth — the symbol of Christianity,” he said. “The situation is not normal.”

429b56e854f12e0f7402f1e9418ccc95

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/21/u-n-moves-vote-against-trump-jerusalem-decision-despite-his-threat-u-s-aid-cutoff/972960001/

U.N. General Assembly repudiates Trump on Jerusalem decision despite his threat of U.S. aid cutoff

U.N. General Assembly repudiates Trump on Jerusalem decision despite his threat of U.S. aid cutoff The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to repudiate President Trump's controversial declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump threatened to withhold aid in retaliation for a vote condemning his position. The U.N. body voted 128-9 to declare Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital "null and void." Thirty-five nations abstained. The measure, drafted by U.S. ally Egypt, urges nations to support U.N. resolutions dating to 1967 — when Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan — that call for Jerusalem’s status to be decided through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel says a united Jerusalem will remain its capital, while Palestinians want it to cede East Jerusalem as the capital of a future, independent Palestinian state. Only a handful of countries recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, while most others maintain embassies in Tel Aviv. The resolution says “that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.” Trump warned Wednesday that the vote could impact “billions of dollars” in U.S. aid. “Let them vote against us, we’ll save a lot,” Trump said. “We don’t care. This isn’t like it used to be where they could vote against you and then you pay them hundreds of millions of dollars and nobody knows what they’re doing.” Americans are “tired of being taken advantage of” at the U.N. “and we’re not going to be taken advantage of any longer,” Trump said. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Trump for threatening to cut off U.S. funding to countries that oppose his decision. “Mr Trump, you cannot buy Turkey’s democratic will with your dollars. Our decision is clear,” Erdogan said at a cultural awards ceremony in Ankara on Thursday. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said, “no vote in the United Nations will make any difference” on the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which will go ahead because “it is the right thing to do.” “We will remember it when we are called upon once again to make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations,” Haley said. “And we will remember when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.” Trump’s Dec. 6 announcement also said the State Department had been ordered to begin the years-long process of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Trump said the decision, following a law passed by Congress in 1998, does not impact the borders of Jerusalem, but reflected the reality that Israel considers the city its capital. His announcement was widely condemned in capitals around the world, and provoked deadly protests in the Middle East. More:U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution on Jerusalem More:Jerusalem Palestinians still seek Israeli citizenship despite Trump declaration More:Trump's Jerusalem plan signals to Palestinians — the less you give up, the more you lose Thursday's vote at an emergency meeting of the General Assembly comes after the U.S. vetoed the same measure in the Security Council on Monday. The remaining 14 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution, including key U.S. allies such as Italy, Japan, Britain, France and Ukraine. While the five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China — had veto power in the first vote, there are no vetoes at the General Assembly. The General Assembly vote expresses widespread disapproval, however, it has little or no practical impact.

50cc229b90292c93208e7e1187fe7731

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/22/lithuania-sends-pope-francis-worlds-smallest-nativity-scene-christmas/977386001/

Lithuania sends Pope Francis 'world's smallest' nativity scene for Christmas

Lithuania sends Pope Francis 'world's smallest' nativity scene for Christmas Pope Francis will have to look extra hard to see what's special about his Christmas present from Lithuania. Lithuania's government and researchers in the capital Vilnius announced on Friday that they sent Francis a nativity scene that is invisible to the naked eye. The scene is a replica of the life-sized creche located in Cathedral Square in downtown Vilnius. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite posted a picture on Twitter of herself using a microscope to view a copy of the one that was sent to Francis earlier this month. "The most important things — invisible to the naked eye," Grybauskaite wrote on Twitter, calling the model the "world's smallest nativity scene." That distinction is still pending, however, as the university where the model was produced said it was only recently submitted for review by judges with the Guinness World Records. Three months for 'nano-Jesus' Students and professors at the "LinkMenu Fabrikas" center at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) developed the project along with local companies. It took the team three months to complete the replica, the university said in a statement. The team first scanned the life-sized sculptures in the Cathedral Square nativity before making a digital model of the scene. They then reproduced the scene, but smaller by a factor of 10,000, and used a 3D printer to create it. The resultant depiction of popular lore could be placed on a single human eyelash. Images of the nativity scene show it placed within the eye of a needle. "In this nanoscale, Baby Jesus is smaller than a human cell!" according to the university statement. A total of five copies of the scene were made, with one going to Francis, one to Lithuania's Presidential Palace and another to the Vilnius Archdiocese. Two of the replicas will be made available to the public. he gift was sent ahead of Francis' planned visit to the Baltics next year. He is expected to tour Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the second half of 2018, but exact dates have not yet been released. Besides an attempt to impress the Argentine pope before his visit, the Lithuanian government and VGTU are using the mini-model to promote the country as a hub for cutting-edge technology. A video posted by VGTU about the production of the model includes the greeting: "Welcome to high-tech Lithuania, Pope Francis." "We are small, but as you see ... size is an illusion," it concludes.

92aa0aa0a0e9f9b4027fee626aed6ed0

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/24/china-shuts-down-thousands-websites-internet-network-crackdown/979973001/

China shuts down thousands of websites in Internet network crackdown

China shuts down thousands of websites in Internet network crackdown Chinese authorities shut down more than 13,000 websites for breaking laws and regulations governing the country's Internet network since 2015, reported China's state-run news agency Xinhua. An additional 2,220 website operations had been summoned for discussions with the official Cyberspace Administration of China, said Wang Shengjun, who serves as deputy chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. "These moves have a powerful deterrent effect," said Wang said in comments carried by Xinhua. While the government says its rules are aimed at ensuring national security and stability, human rights organizations have warned that the country's tough laws governing the Internet amount to repressive measures aimed at quashing dissent. 'Punished for sharing' In the Washington-based Freedom House's 2017 report on internet freedom, China was dubbed the "worst abused of internet freedom" for the third consecutive year. "New regulations increased pressure on companies to verify users' identities and restrict banned content and services," Freedom House said in its report. "Meanwhile, users themselves were punished for sharing sensitive news and commentary, with prison terms ranging from five days to eleven years." While China is home to more than 731 million internet users, dozens of foreign websites and online services, including Facebook and Google, have been banned in the country. 'Common future'? Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged tech industry executives to "respect cyberspace sovereignty" during a three-day conference on the internet in China. However, Xi noted that as the globe becomes increasingly interconnected with growing access to the internet, China will be a firm partner in establishing a "common future" online. "Building a community of common future in cyberspace has increasingly become the widespread common understanding of international society," said Xi. "China's door to the world will never close, but will only open wider." This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

9b5fb733fad63a0dccf97cfaeca5c86f

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/24/nato-chief-warns-russian-submarine-capability-highest-level-since-cold-war/979835001/

NATO chief warns Russian submarine capability at 'highest level since the Cold War'

NATO chief warns Russian submarine capability at 'highest level since the Cold War' NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned in an interview published Saturday that a Russian naval build-up threatens transport and communications links between alliance members. "Russia has invested massively in its navy, especially submarines," Stoltenbergtold the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, adding that Moscow has deployed 13 additional submarines since 2014. "Russia's submarine activity is now at its highest level since the Cold War," he said, adding that submarines were active in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and also "near our coastlines." Stoltenberg suggested the submarine build-up threatened logistic and communications channels between North America and Europe. More:Putin slams Trump's national security strategy as 'aggressive' More:Election hackers pursued reporters in Russia, United States: report "We are a transatlantic alliance, and we must therefore be in a position to transport troops and equipment over the Atlantic. For that we need secure and open seaways," he said. In this strategic environment, NATO plans to establish a new Atlantic and logistics command. The location and structure of the commands is to be determined next year. Decline in maritime capacity The NATO chief also warned that since the end of the Cold War the alliance has lost some of its sea capability, especially in countering submarines. On December 14, 25 member nations of the European Union also inaugurated the PESCO pact — backed by NATO — to cooperate more closely on defense projects in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. A first batch of 17 projects includes a Belgian-led effort to develop submarine drones to tackle mines at sea. Past efforts to integrate EU defence had been frustrated, first by French reluctance and later by British opposition to a "European Army." Abstainers from PESCO are Denmark, Malta and Britain, which plans to leave the EU bloc in 2019. This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

06dcac507615a0b29bdeb143acd6106a

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/24/putin-critic-gains-backing-across-russia-presidential-bid/979916001/

Putin critic gains backing across Russia for presidential bid

Putin critic gains backing across Russia for presidential bid Thousands of supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny turned out across the country on Sunday to endorse his bid to become Russia's next president. Some 800 supporters gathered for the formal endorsement meeting along the snow-covered embankment of the Moscow River. His endorsement was observed by two officials from the election commission. Navalny represents President Vladimir Putin's most formidable opponent during Putin's 18 years in power. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Navalny is banned from running because of a criminal conviction that is widely viewed as political retribution. More:Putin slams Trump's national security strategy as 'aggressive' One caveat is that Navalny could run if he gets a special dispensation or if the conviction is canceled. His representative is expected to file the papers with the Election Commission later on Sunday — the same procedure that Putin, who is also running as an independent, should follow. Aspiring presidential candidates are only required to submit an endorsement from 500 people before seeking 1 million signatures to secure a place on the ballot, but Navalny used a show of public force to illustrate his support. Hundreds or thousands gathered in 19 cities from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok to show their support for Putin's chief critic. Despite a litany of problems such as corruption, poor healthcare and increasing poverty Putin is widely expected to be re-elected. He essentially controls the TV news and so enjoys 80% support among voters. A grass-roots campaign Still, Navalny has managed to galvanize support from some of Russia's sleepiest regions with a year-long grass-rootscampaign. "We have seen for ourselves this year that overwhelming support for authorities simply isn't there," Navalny told Sunday's gathering in Moscow, flanked by his wife and children, in a US-style election campaign speech. Election officials are expected to accept Navalny's filing on Sunday but it seems highly unlikely that they will place his name on the ballot. Navalny said Sunday that he's confident he will win if he runs, and called on his supporters to boycott the election if the authorities refuse to register him. "We are not going to recognize this election but we're not going to step aside either, "he said. "There will be an all-Russian strike of voters." "Navalny is the only real opposition candidate," said Sergei Dmitriyev, 60, in Saint Petersburg where more than a thousand supporters gathered to support Navalny's bid. "We need a new president," added Alexander Semyonov, 18. Asked why Navalny had been barred from running, Putin — who has refused to mention him by name in public — said the opposition was hoping for a "coup" but would not succeed. This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/29/accountant-auschwitz-denied-reprieve-after-being-convicted-accessory-murder-300-000/990897001/

'Accountant of Auschwitz' denied reprieve after being convicted of accessory to murder of 300,000

'Accountant of Auschwitz' denied reprieve after being convicted of accessory to murder of 300,000 BERLIN – Germany’s highest court said Friday it has thrown out a bid by a 96-year-old former Auschwitz death camp guard for a reprieve on serving his sentence as an accessory to murder. Oskar Groening was convicted in July 2015 of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews and sentenced to four years in prison. A federal court rejected his appeal against the conviction last year. Groening has remained free during a dispute over his fitness for prison. Prosecutors argued that he is fit to serve time so long as there is appropriate medical care, and regional courts threw out appeals against their decision. Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court said it has now rejected a complaint arguing that Groening’s fundamental right to life and physical safety was being violated. In the ruling dated Dec. 21 and released Friday, it said it saw no constitutional reason to question the lower courts’ rulings. The supreme court noted that German law allows for prison sentences to be interrupted if a detainee’s health deteriorates significantly. It wasn’t immediately clear when Groening will be formally summoned to start serving his sentence, but he isn’t expected to go to prison before the new year. Groening, who has been dubbed the “accountant of Auschwitz,” testified at his trial that he oversaw the collection of prisoners’ belongings and ensured that valuables and cash were separated to be sent to Berlin. He said he witnessed individual atrocities but did not acknowledge participating in any crimes. The court that convicted him ruled, however, that he was part of the “machinery of death,” helping the camp function and collecting money stolen from the victims to help the Nazi cause, and thus could be convicted of accessory to the murders committed there.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/31/cracking-down-smuggling-eggs-into-haiti-people-eat/965028001/

Haiti cracks down on eggs smuggled in to feed a hungry nation

Haiti cracks down on eggs smuggled in to feed a hungry nation JIMANI, Dominican Republic — It’s dusk on market day at the Haitian-Dominican border. Throngs of Haitians have cleared Dominican trucks of their wares, stuffing diapers, brooms and food-flavoring mixes into buses, and strapping the overflow to roofs for the return trip to Port-au-Prince. But off the main drag here, a smuggling operation is underway. Men and women empty a couple of trucks, tying boxes with colored string and setting them in piles on the ground. Purchasers stack them on wheelbarrows and rush them to nearby Lake Azuei, where wooden boats stand ready for the trip to Haiti. The contraband is eggs. Demand is high in Haiti, where malnutrition is a real threat for many people. Haitians eat more than 30 million eggs a month, and most cross the border illegally from their only land neighbor, whose eggs can cost half the price. Haiti essentially banned Dominican eggs in 2008. The move followed discovery of avian flu across the border, but many doubt that’s the main reason. Haiti faces a dilemma familiar to many countries: Keep prices low by allowing free trade, or restricting imports and encouraging domestic production, even though that is likely to drive up prices, at least in the short term. Officials say its goal tightening the border should help create an internal market. Instead, dysfunction and lack of investment feed a vicious cycle that perpetuates Haiti’s status as the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. The government has paid more attention to the border than to the other half of the strategy — boosting local production. But it hasn’t fully implemented either part, frustrating nearly everyone. The border briefly re-opened to Dominican eggs after a devastating earthquake in 2010. But the next year, Haitian authorities cracked down with greater determination. Four years later, they banned 23 more common items, including pasta, snacks and cement mix from crossing the land border, citing the inability of customs officers to properly inspect and levy duties. Those products continue to pass as contraband, helping fill the boats on Lake Azuei. While improving border controls might increase customs revenue, much of the public sees the effort as heavy-handed and arbitrary, especially when it’s not accompanied by strong efforts to develop the economy. The patchwork of half-measures makes life in Haiti even more precarious. Those bringing Dominican eggs into Haiti never know if they will make it back to Port-au-Prince with their cargo, or if it will be seized. Haitian producers brace for a glut of cheap eggs during the Dominican tourism industry’s off-season. Uncertainty makes banks reluctant to provide loans to new producers. Much of what is sold in Port-au-Prince comes from the twice-weekly market a couple of hours away in Jimani, where Haitians bargain heatedly before loading up and heading home. Jocelyn Lefevre, who sells Haitian chickens and Dominican eggs in a Port-au-Prince open market, rails against the government for the way he is treated at the border. “The police chase us, and the customs agents take our stuff while letting other merchandise go through!” he said. Besides, it’s expensive to travel to the border and to change money. But it’s still a better deal than buying Haitian eggs. One problem, officials say, is the high cost of entering the poultry business in Haiti. To make a profit, you need a minimum of 10,000 hens, said Michel Chancy, a former Ministry of Agriculture official who now advises the government. Buying imported birds and cages, as most Haitian egg producers do, can cost $30 a bird, he said. The biggest expense after that is feed, whose ingredients generally come from the United States. Haiti Broilers, a joint Haitian-Jamaican company producing chicken near Port-au-Prince, expanded into the egg market four years ago and is now the biggest supplier in Haiti, with 400,000 hens. The expansion created 200 more jobs. Dominique Charles Jean, hatchery manager for Haiti Broilers, said the company financed its Haiti operations by itself, but the government helped with paperwork that reduced import duties on feed and equipment. Damoclès Termeus, who heads the Ministry of Agriculture’s unit on poultry production, foresees many more jobs in a growing egg and poultry industry, plus jobs for people growing corn and other ingredients for feed. If the ministry prioritizes egg production and invests every year, Haiti can reach self-sufficiency in eggs in 15 to 25 years, he said. In particular, Termeus and Chancy say, the government should provide technical assistance for producers, facilitate bulk purchases of feed for multiple producers, and provide incentives for banks to lend at low rates. But Chancy still thinks that securing the border is job one. He knows it’s not easy. Last March, Chancy helped draft a plan to increase domestic egg production. The plan declared it “practically impossible to eliminate egg contraband at the border” due to the interdependence of the Haitian market and Dominican producers. But it’s worth working toward that goal, Chancy said, citing an increase in domestic production since 2011. “That interdiction is an opportunity for us to invest,” he said. In the last six years, Haitian companies have gone from producing a million eggs a month to 7 million. That’s a lot of eggs, but it still means that Haitian producers are providing less than one per month for each of the country’s 11 million people. Max Antoine, who heads the government commission on border management, said political instability — a recent history of disputed elections, deposed leaders and interim governments — has made it difficult to secure the border. There also are budget and morale problems. Smugglers have attacked agents, and customs posts have been burned. Many merchants in Port-au-Prince hate their country’s reliance on imported food, but also hate the government’s remedy. Jorel Hibart buys eggs from sellers like Lefevre and fries them to sell in breakfast plates on a Port-au-Prince street. He said Haitian eggs would cost more, and he can’t afford it. Hibart wants the government to focus on creating jobs and developing the economy. He doesn’t like depending on the Dominican Republic, which Haiti ruled long ago. But the idea that the government would cut his supply of eggs agitates him. If they do that, he cried, “We’ll all die in this country!” “All of this stuff is Dominican,” he said, pointing angrily around his cluttered cooking table. Then he paused to serve his next customer a heaping plate of fried Dominican egg with Dominican spaghetti and Dominican tomato sauce — a classic Haitian breakfast. This story was produced in association with Round Earth Media, which is supporting the next generation of global journalists. Michel Joseph contributed to the report.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/02/mountains-u-s-recycling-pile-up-china-restricts-imports/995134001/

Mountains of U.S. recycling pile up as China restricts imports

Mountains of U.S. recycling pile up as China restricts imports After you collect your cans, bottles and paper, then put them out by the curb, do you ever think about where everything goes after the truck picks things up? Largely, it goes to China. Every day, nearly 4,000 shipping containers full of recyclables leave U.S. ports bound for China. China sends the U.S. toys, clothes and electronics; in return, some of America’s largest exports back are paper, plastic and aluminum. But that equation is changing as of Jan. 1 — China is enforcing its new “National Sword” policy, which bans 24 types of solid waste, including various plastics and unsorted mixed papers, and sets a much tougher standard for contamination levels. China notified the World Trade Organization about the ban in July, essentially saying the country would no longer act as the world’s trash dump. Currently, China consumes 55% of the world’s scrap paper and is a major destination for other recyclables. The National Sword policy follows China’s “Green Fence,” a 10-month policy the country enacted five years ago, which set initial standards for lower contamination levels for recycling. The ban will undoubtedly hurt recycling operators in China that rely on the import of raw materials. But delivering a cleaner China is paramount for Communist Party politicians. The National Sword is also already being felt throughout the U.S. About a 45-minute drive west of Boston in the city of Westborough, Massachusetts, bales of paper are stacking up in a parking lot. “We’re looking at 150 to 200 tractor trailer loads of paper. It’s stacked approximately 12 feet high, and it goes for quite a distance,” says Ben Harvey, president of E.L. Harvey & Sons, a family-run business since 1911. To be clear: This situation is not normal. “No, our business is to bring it in, process it and move it out as quickly as we can,” says Harvey. Harvey can’t sell the 2,000-pound bales to China because the contamination levels — the trash that’s accidentally mixed in, something like the remnants of a greasy pizza box that gets thrown in with the recycling — almost certainly exceed China’s rigorous new standards. If he had continued putting bales on ships a few weeks ago, they wouldn't have reached China until the ban would've already been in effect on Jan. 1. Harvey is hoping that China and the U.S. can work out a deal or he can find other processing mills in Vietnam or Thailand. Selling the material in the U.S. simply isn’t an option. “Because everything was going offshore, the mills have been slow to develop in the United States to handle this material,” Harvey says. “With the tightness in the marketplace, there might be mills that will be built, but that takes four to five to six years to put in a mill that will handle the capacity that we’re currently looking at.” In the meantime, he’s growing increasingly concerned as the bales of paper take over more and more of his parking lot. “If this stuff doesn’t move, and we don’t know what to do with it, we can’t keep it forever," he says. "At some point, it’s going to start to degrade. The other thing that could happen is that if we can’t find outlets — and I’m not talking about just E.L. Harvey & Sons, I’m talking about the industry as a whole — we’re going to stop bringing material into our facilities. And that’s going to impact recycling programs throughout the country.” In other words, trucks could stop collecting our curbside recycling. “This is not a little disruption,” says Susan Collins, president of the Container Recycling Institute, a research organization based in Southern California. “This is a big disruption to a bigger industry than most people would think it is, because it’s sort of an invisible process. You put your stuff out at the curb, and it goes away — nobody thinks about it as being a multibillion industry in this country.” Collins says China’s crackdown presents something between a challenge and a crisis for U.S. recyclers. “We’ve already put things on ships that may be coming back,” says Collins. “The U.S. recycling industry has asked for some relaxation of the rules, but there are ongoing negotiations right now in the hopes of making this not quite as drastic a move.” Collins says U.S. recyclers are willing to adjust, but they need time. China has already relaxed the rules in the past few months, shifting acceptable fiber contamination rates from 0.3% to 0.5%, still a near impossible standard for U.S. recyclers. Ben Harvey says he can’t come anywhere close to that. That’s largely because American consumers are making it hard on recycling collectors. Inside his plant, streams of cans, bottles and paper roll by on conveyor belts. A machine sorts things first, then workers do a second, manual sort — they pick out a lot of trash from the bottles and cans. About 15% of the recycling that E.L. Harvey & Sons collects in its recycling trucks is unusable rubbish. More:Trump's dangerous America First path: This is how empires crumble More:China: U.S. should curb demand for opioids, not blame us More:China hits back at Trump tweet accusing it of selling oil to North Korea “We call it ‘wishful recycling,’” Harvey says. “The general public says, ‘Hey, let’s put it in (the) recycling barrel; they’ll figure out something to do with it.’” Harvey says through sorting, he can get contamination levels down to between 1% and 2%, but no further, unless better machinery is developed and/or he can expand the line of workers doing manual sorting. But that’s a risky proposition for a business that relies on thin margins and volatile commodity prices. Harvey estimates that he can continue storing bales of paper in his parking lot for another three to six months. If a solution isn’t found by then, it could mean shuttering the processing facility and layoffs, perhaps getting rid of 50 people. And that could also translate into more bottles, cans and paper being sent straight to the landfill. This article was originally posted on PRI.org. Its content is created separately from USA TODAY.

b9a0414fbf3648f9b99e686b142652ec

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/02/six-days-iran-protests-least-20-dead-450-arrested/995096001/

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini blames 'enemies' for meddling in protests

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini blames 'enemies' for meddling in protests Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story misstated the name of the supreme leader who made the comments. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini accused the country's enemies of meddling in recent protests, in his first public comments since anti-government demonstrations erupted six days ago. At least 21 people have died and 450 have been arrested in the nationwide protests that began Thursday in Mashhad and spread to other cities, according to Iranian media. The unrest started over economic issues, such as rising prices and high unemployment, but widened to a general anger over alleged government corruption and discontent with Iran's clerical rulers. Security services have used force and tear gas to disperse crowds. According to comments published Tuesday on Khamenei's official website, the supreme leader said Iran's enemies had used money, weapons, politics and intelligence apparatuses "to create problems for the Islamic system." Khamenei did not name a specific country or organization. He has the final say on all state matters. He said he would elaborate on the accusation in due course. Iranian state television reported Tuesday that nine people were killed overnight: Six rioters were killed during an attack on a police station in the town of Qahdarijan; an 11-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were killed in the town of Khomeinishahr; and a member of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in the town of Najafabad. The towns are all in Iran’s central Isfahan province, about 215 miles south of Tehran. The semi-official ILNA news agency reported that nationwide, 200 protesters were arrested Saturday, 150 on Sunday and 100 on Monday. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sought to downplay the significance of the protests in a cabinet session Sunday. "We are a free nation and people are free to voice their protests according to the constitution. At the same time, we need to be aware criticism should be expressed in a way so as to change the situation for the better," he said. Still, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency warned Tuesday that arrested protesters could potentially face the death penalty when they come to trial. The agency quoted the head of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, Mousa Ghazanfarabadi, as saying: "Obviously one of their charges can be Moharebeh," or waging war against God. The offense carries a death penalty in Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Court handles cases involving alleged attempts to overthrow the government. President Trump has made several statements of support for the protesters. He made another one Tuesday in a tweet that echoed his previous comments. "The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime," Trump said in the tweet, in which he also blamed his predecessor for helping to strike a deal between Iran and six world powers over Tehran's nuclear program. "All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their 'pockets.' The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!" Trump said. The Trump administration also called on Iran to stop blocking Instagram and other social media sites and encouraged Iranians to use special software to circumvent controls, such as virtual private networks, known as VPNs, said Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein. Washington is considering new sanctions on those responsible for the crackdown on protesters. More:Iran unrest threatens Tehran's tyrants. Can protesters drive them out?

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/04/egyptian-parliament-considers-outlawing-atheism/1005441001/

Egyptian Parliament considers outlawing atheism

Egyptian Parliament considers outlawing atheism It may soon be a criminal offense to be an atheist in Egypt. Shortly before New Year’s Day, the Egyptian Parliament considered enacting a law that would make it illegal to profess no belief in God. It is already against Egyptian law to “insult” or “defame” religion, and blasphemy arrests are on the rise. A conviction can bring up to five years in prison. The new measure would criminalize the act of not believing in God — no insults or defamation of another faith required. The legislation was proposed Dec. 24 by Amro Hamroush, head of the Parliament’s committee on religion. “It must be criminalized and categorized as contempt of religion because atheists have no doctrine and try to insult the Abrahamic religions,” Hamroush said in announcing the proposed law. The legislation has the support of Egypt’s highest Islamic religious organization, the Al-Azhar. Mohamed Zaki, an Al-Azhar official, called it necessary “to punish those who have been seduced into atheism.” The Egyptian government has long punished blasphemy and has targeted atheists since the 2014 inauguration of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. At that time — three years after the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak — the government announced a national plan to “confront and eliminate” atheism. Later, a government-run newspaper denounced atheists as “the country’s second enemy after the Muslim Brotherhood.” Since then, arrests of atheists have been on the rise. On Dec. 21, police in Cairo arrested a 29-year-old computer programmer who they say administered a Facebook page that is critical of religion. Under interrogation, the man acknowledged being an atheist. Under el-Sissi, there have also been crackdowns on journalists and LGBT people. A 2017 report from the London-based International Humanist and Ethical Union does not list countries that outlaw atheism but says that because of blasphemy and apostasy laws that carry the death penalty ”… in effect you can be put to death for expressing atheism in 13 countries.” Those countries, according to the IHEU, are: Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives,Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The proposed Egyptian law came in for harsh criticism from Ani Zonneveld, founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values, an international group based in Los Angeles. “This criminalization of atheism contradicts the very essence of the Quran, verse 2:256, ‘There is no compulsion in faith,'” she said. “This legislation is anti-Islam.” More:Egypt's new cathedral may be a big target for ISIS, Coptic Christians fear

2ef0c573d008dafc48c93a71c449b417

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/04/egypts-new-cathedral-may-big-target-isis-coptic-christians-fear-isis-they-celebrate-opening-new-cath/1003751001/

Egypt's new cathedral may be a big target for ISIS, Coptic Christians fear

Egypt's new cathedral may be a big target for ISIS, Coptic Christians fear CAIRO — The biggest church in the Middle East opens Saturday, a landmark date in the 2,000-year-old history of Egypt’s Coptic Christians. It also could prove to be a huge target for Islamic State militants. Egyptians leaders will dedicate the cathedral, called the Nativity of Christ, on Coptic Christmas in the new capital now under construction 28 miles east of Cairo. The cathedral will seat 8,200 worshipers who may be vulnerable to attacks from Muslim extremists. A spate of attacks last year against Coptic Christians, which comprise around 10% of Egypt’s majority Muslim population, claimed more than 100 lives. Early last year, the Islamic State, or ISIS, said the community was among its “favorite prey.” As recently as Friday, eight Coptic Christians were gunned down in an attack at a Cairo church, and ISIS claimed responsibility. Many Coptic Christians fear their future, said Ramy Kamil, 32, who runs the Christian Maspero Youth Foundation, which was created after the 2011 massacre of 27 Coptic activists protesting the demolition of a church in northern Egypt. “From bombing to indiscriminate firing to direct targeting by extremists, there is a state of anxiety in the community,” Kamil said. Poules Halim, a pastor and spokesman for the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, said the new cathedral shows how Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is reaffirming the Coptic Christans' standing in the country. El-Sissi seized power in 2013 after the military he headed ousted President Mohammed Morsi, the country's first democratically elected leader, and banned Morsi's radical Muslim Brotherhood political organization. Morsi was imprisoned. In 2016, Egypt’s parliament eased restrictions on building churches and adopted other policies to allow Christianity. “Our new cathedral is not a just a great place for Christian worship,” Halim said. “It is an expression of the fact that Egypt seeks to consolidate citizenship for all Egyptians.” More:Egypt: At least 9 killed in attack outside Coptic church More:Islamic State claims deadly attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt More:Attacks on Christians in Egypt raise alarms Egypt’s Interior Ministry has deployed 230,000 security forces to protect the country’s 2,626 churches to thwart terrorist incidents. “But it doesn't feel like that when you live next door to a church that has been attacked,” said Sayed Riad, 48, a car salesman in Helwan, outside of Cairo. Riad feared that ISIS could strike against Coptic Christians as they celebrate Christmas every Jan. 7, instead of Dec. 25, and the new cathedral is an obvious target. “We do not know what will happen on the holiday,” he said. Maged George, 56, a cosmetics manufacturer who sits on several executive Coptic church committees, is not deterred by ISIS threats. “I will go to the Mass at the cathedral and send my children to pray there," George said, adding that the new building will "convey a positive message about our citizenship and partnership with fellow Egyptians.” Church officials haven’t disclosed the cathedral’s cost, but state media reported that the Egyptian government is spending more than $12 million. The cathedral is characteristic of Coptic churches in Egypt, with twin bell towers 200 feet tall flanking the structure. People call the towers lighthouses, because they are illuminated at night like minarets on Muslim mosques. Coptic leaders said they received thousands of requests from worshipers to attend Saturday's inauguration Mass, and each was closely vetted. “The security procedures for attendance are very strict,” George said.

5e30f25ac1c72c7e08b8fd76db7fd998

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/04/trump-administration-turns-up-heat-pakistan-major-test-strategy-region/1004639001/

Trump's pressure on Pakistan is major test of new strategy to end war in Afghanistan

Trump's pressure on Pakistan is major test of new strategy to end war in Afghanistan The Trump administration’s strategy for ending the war in Afghanistan and defeating terror groups in the region faces its first major test in its confrontation with Pakistan. In a tweet this week, President Trump said Pakistan’s government has played the United States for “fools” and received nothing but “lies & deceit” in return for $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years. On Thursday the administration said it was suspending security assistance to Pakistan, including $255 million in military aid this year. Putting pressure on Pakistan’s government to change its policies toward neighboring Afghanistan is central to the Trump administration’s strategy, announced in August, to stabilize the region and bring an end to America's longest war, now in its 17th year. Pakistan is considered critical because its links to the Taliban insurgents fighting the U.S.-backed Afghan government could help convince the militants to reach a political reconciliation. "The senior (Taliban) leadership still resides in Pakistan," said Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Nicholson said the U.S. military would like to see the Pakistanis eliminate the Taliban's sanctuary across the Afghan border. "We have got to see movement on this reduction of sanctuary and support for those insurgents and terrorists operating from Pakistan who are attacking our forces and our coalition diplomats and forces, as well as the Afghans, inside this country," Nicholson told reporters in November. Pakistan has been frustrating successive administrations since 2001, when U.S. troops ousted the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for providing a safe haven for Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader who masterminded the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. Bin Laden was killed in 2011 by U.S. commandos who raided his compound in Pakistan, raising questions about whether the Pakistani government knew he was there and protected him. Pakistan has refused to cut links with the Taliban and other terror groups. Pakistan's intelligence service, ISI, has long had close ties to the Taliban. Pakistan's officials "work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan," said Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. On Thursday, the Trump administration notched up its criticism of Pakistan when the State Department included Pakistan on a list of countries that violate religious freedoms. The political standoff with Pakistan comes in the wake of a push by the administration to get Pakistan’s cooperation as part of its southwest Asia strategy launched last year. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis traveled to Pakistan to meet with government officials. The United States has continually hoped the Pakistanis would change their behavior, but “the evidence is all on the other side,” said David Sedney, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and former top Pentagon official under President Barack Obama. Pakistan’s government denies it has ties to terror groups and has pointed to military offensives it has conducted against insurgents in remote parts of the country. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi called Trump’s criticism “incomprehensible.” It’s not clear the threat to cut off funding will be enough to influence Pakistan. The $33 billion Trump referred to represents all U.S. military and economic aid to Pakistan since 2002. The amount of U.S. aid to the country has been declining, however, so the United States has less leverage over Pakistan, said Michael O’Hanlon, an analyst at the Brookings Institution. The $255 million currently being withheld is annual military aid that the United States still provides directly to Pakistan in return for fighting terrorism. The money is the most direct leverage the United States has at its disposal. Sedney say Pakistan is misusing the money: “They only fight the terrorists they want to fight and they don’t fight the terrorists that we want them to fight.” More:Increased airstrikes to boost pressure on Taliban More:Trump's Afghanistan war strategy: Use military to force peace talks with Taliban .

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/05/modern-day-slavery-thriving-throughout-united-kingdom/1002993001/

Modern-day slavery is thriving throughout the United Kingdom

Modern-day slavery is thriving throughout the United Kingdom LONDON — Slavery is thriving in the United Kingdom, as authorities try to battle a growing problem. Britain’s National Crime Agency said cases of forced labor affect "every large town and city in the country.” A government estimate of 13,000 victims in the U.K. is the "tip of the iceberg," according to Britain’s anti-slavery commissioner Kevin Hyland. He called for tighter regulation of nail salons in the country — some of which are sites of forced labor. “This is a really complicated crime," said Rachel Harper, manager of the national Modern Slavery Helpline, a free 24/7 service for victims and those who want to help them report crimes. "It’s incredibly intense and traumatic." Three people who forced Vietnamese women and girls to work at nail bars in different parts of the county were jailed this week under human trafficking and modern slavery legislation. More:Report: There are 40 million slaves worldwide, most are women and girls Thu Huong Nguyen, 49, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, Viet Hoang Nguyen, 30, got four years, and Giang Huong Tran, 23, was given a two-year suspended sentence. “The victims worked for no money and were trafficked between nail bars according to demand,” state prosecutor Eran Cutliffe said. “They were hidden from the authorities in order to avoid detection while being exploited in plain sight within our society.” Police said it was the first successful prosecution for child labor exploitation and child trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act of 2015. The victims include girls under 18 who were smuggled into the country, beaten and verbally abused. More:How trucking companies that cheat drivers dodge penalties More:Forced into debt.Worked past exhaustion.Left with nothing. In one well-publicized case that shocked many Britons last year, 11 members of one family were found guilty of forcing vulnerable men with learning disabilities and homeless men to work and live in squalid conditions for up to 16 years. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said child slaves from countries including Vietnam, Romania, Nigeria and Afghanistan are being forced to work at cannabis farms and commit street crimes in Britain. Most slaves are trafficked to the U.K. from other countries and forced to work in agriculture, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and car washes. Many women and girls are trafficked for sexual exploitation. The national Modern Slavery Helpline was set up by Unseen, a British charity that works toward ending slavery globally. It began taking calls in October 2016. Since then, it has dealt with more than 1,000 cases of modern slavery, said Harper. Harper said the abuses may have been going on for years but only now have come to light because of better reporting. “Was all of that happening two years ago and we didn’t know, or is it actually happening more often?” she said. “I think it’s been more prevalent than we realized and awareness is growing.” Worldwide, there were more than 40 million victims of slavery in 2016, with women and girls making up 71%, the United Nation's International Labor Organization's (ILO) Global Estimates of Modern Slavery 2017 report said. In the United States, Polaris, an organization that helps human-trafficking victims, said many workers at restaurants, food trucks and bars lured to the country from other nations are forced into a form of slavery, working long hours, living in cramped arrangements and forced into debt. A USA TODAY network investigation last year found that hundreds, if not thousands, of truckers are working as indentured servants. A video that emerged late last year showing west African men apparently being sold into slavery in Libya caused global outrage. ILO figures show that forced labor in the global economy generates $150 billion in illegal profits a year. Pope Francis has rallied against such abuses. "Every year, thousands of men, women and children are innocent victims of labor and sexual exploitation and organ trafficking,” he said. “It seems that we are so accustomed to it that we consider it a normal thing. This is ugly, cruel, criminal! I would like to call on everyone to counter this aberrant plague, a form of modern slavery.” Harper stressed the importance of collaboration between the Home Office, immigration policy officials, police, service providers, businesses and others. “I do not think that we can prosecute our way out of it," she said. Detective Inspector Charlotte Tucker, who helped prosecute the nail salon gang, described the case as “desperately sad.” “As a community, we need to look out for the warning signs and do our part to stop this archaic practice once and for all,” she said.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/08/reports-trump-order-200-000-salvadorans-leave-u-s/1012345001/

Trump orders 200,000 Salvadorans to leave U.S.

Trump orders 200,000 Salvadorans to leave U.S. The Trump administration will end temporary legal immigration status for 200,000 Salvadorans who have been living in the U.S. for nearly two decades, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday. Salvadorans who currently have temporary protected status (TPS) must return to their homeland by September 2019 or become undocumented immigrants if they remain without legal protections. The administration has now terminated TPS status for four countries — El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. Ten nations were in the program when President Trump took office a year ago. Salvadorans were first granted TPS in 2001 after a pair of devastating earthquakes that killed nearly 1,000 people and destroyed more than 100,000 homes in the Central American country. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen concluded that El Salvador has rebuilt and recovered enough so the emergency declaration is no longer necessary. "The substantial disruption of living conditions caused by the earthquake" no longer exists, Homeland Security said in a statement. The latest decision runs counter to those made by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who extended TPS protections for El Salvador every 18 months. Their administrations said the country had not fully recovered from the quakes and also had raging violence from drug cartels that made it impossible for so many people to return to the unstable nation. The State Department issued a travel warning to U.S. travelers last February about widespread violence throughout that country. "El Salvador has one of the highest homicide levels in the world and crimes such as extortion, assault and robbery are common," the warning said. Homeland Security said Monday that its decision was based on recovery from the earthquakes and not on the current state of gang violence in El Salvador. The move comes after months of lobbying by El Salvador's government, a bipartisan group in Congress and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, all urging Washington to find a way that allows Salvadorans to remain in the United States. El Salvador's embassy in Washington estimates that 97% of Salvadorans on TPS over age 24 are employed and pay taxes, and more than half own their homes. Salvadorans on TPS have also given birth to 192,000 children, all U.S. citizens, according to the Center for Migration Studies. "To disregard the contributions that El Salvadorans have made in communities across this country by stamping an expiration date on their lives here is inhumane," said Amanda Baran of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. "El Salvador is one of the world’s most dangerous countries and will be unable to absorb the return of these thousands of people whose lives are inextricably intertwined with those of ours here in the United States." The decision pleased immigration groups that advocate for lowers levels of immigration, noting the TPS program, created by Congress in 1990, was a short-term fix abused by repeated extensions. “The past practice of allowing foreign nationals to remain in the United States long after an initial emergency in their home countries has ended has undermined the integrity of the program and essentially made the ‘temporary’ protected status a front operation for backdoor permanent immigration,” Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, said in a statement. More:Trump may order 200,000 Salvadorans to leave U.S. More:Trump administration to send Haiti earthquake victims home in 2019 More:Temporary protected status: Why Haitians are being kicked out The administration has been phasing out temporary protected status granted by Republican and Democratic administrations to 437,000 people from 10 countries that have suffered armed conflicts, earthquakes and other natural disasters, according to the Congressional Research Service. In November, Homeland Security announced it was ending TPS for about 59,000 Haitians living legally in the U.S. since the powerful 2010 earthquake decimated the country. They must return home by July 2019. The department also eliminated TPS status for 5,300 Nicaraguans first granted in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch. They must leave by January 2019. In addition, TPS status ended for 1,000 Sudanese after first granted in 2001 because of civil war. They must leave by November. While the department extended TPS for 86,000 Hondurans affected by Mitch for six more months, the administration indicated those people may ultimately be eliminated from the program.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/11/north-korea-praises-fire-and-fury-book-foretelling-trumps-political-demise/1023655001/

North Korea praises 'Fire and Fury' book for foretelling 'Trump’s political demise'

North Korea praises 'Fire and Fury' book for foretelling 'Trump’s political demise' Michael Wolff's revealing book about President Trump's White House has made its way to one of the most isolated corners of the planet: Kim Jong Un's North Korea, where state media praised it Thursday for foretelling "Trump’s political demise." The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, has received mixed reviews, with some critics and readers claiming it is an unputdownable expose of a juvenile and dysfunctional administration, and others saying it amounts to little more than unsubstantiated political gossip. Pyongyang, though, gave it five stars (out of five). North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary that robust sales for the book reflected "rapidly surging anti-Trump sentiments in the international community." The paper added that the "anti-Trump book is sweeping all over the world so Trump is being massively humiliated worldwide" and that "voices calling for the impeachment of Trump are on the rise not only in the United States but also abroad." Since the book was published about a week ago, it "has triggered a debate on whether Trump is qualified to be president, even in Western Europe," the newspaper said. More:This ex-general says he knows how powerful North Korea's military is More:Trump open to talks with North Korea under 'right circumstances' More:South Korea floats summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Fire and Fury, which takes its title from Trump's threat to unleash "fire and fury" after North Korea's missile and nuclear tests, sold 29,000 copies its first weekend after being published Friday. Digital sales topped 250,000, and audio sales exceeded 100,000, according to John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan, the parent company of the book’s publisher, Henry Holt and Co. The publisher increased an initial announced printing of 150,000 to more than 1 million, according to the Associated Press. Comments in the book has led to the resignation of Steve Bannon as executive chairman of the Breitbart News Network. Trump's former chief strategist is one of the book's major sources. Trump also promised to "take a strong look" at U.S. libel laws because of what he says is the book's inaccurate and unflattering portrayal of his administration.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/13/h-m-stores-stormed-africa-over-monkey-jungle-sweatshirt-ad/1031254001/

H&M stores stormed in Africa over 'monkey in the jungle' sweatshirt ad

H&M stores stormed in Africa over 'monkey in the jungle' sweatshirt ad JOHANNESBURG – Members of a South African opposition party stormed into some H&M stores across the country on Saturday to protest a promotional image of a black child wearing a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” Local media reports said the Economic Freedom Fighters urged shopping malls to evict the Swedish clothing retailer, which has apologized after an outcry in other countries. People have called the image racist and inappropriate. Television footage showed clothing in one of the South African stores scattered everywhere. H&M in South Africa says it had removed the sweatshirt from sale. “We have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry,” a message on its South African website says. EFF leader Julius Malema said he doesn’t regret taking the action Saturday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported. More:The Weeknd says goodbye to H&M over 'monkey' sweatshirt ad More:H&M apologizes for ad showing black child model wearing 'monkey' hoodie NBA star LeBron James, rapper Diddy and singer The Weeknd are among the celebrities who expressed shock in recent days over the H&M image, which has been removed from online promotions but continues to be circulated on social media.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/13/iran-rejects-trumps-call-renegotiate-terms-nuclear-deal/1031404001/

Iran rejects Trump's call to renegotiate terms of nuclear deal

Iran rejects Trump's call to renegotiate terms of nuclear deal Iran said Saturday that the 2015 nuclear deal with the United States and other key world powers "cannot be renegotiated in any way," rejecting President Trump's threat to pull out of the agreement if the other parties do not fix its "disastrous flaws." Trump, after months of railing against the agreement, signed a waiver on Friday keeping the deal in place for at least 90 days but called for changes, particularly removal of so-called “sunset clauses” that allow Iran to gradually resume advanced nuclear activities in the next decade. . “Despite my strong inclination, I have not yet withdrawn the United States from the Iran nuclear deal,” Trump said in a statement, warning that the options were to fix “the deal’s disastrous flaws, or the United States will withdraw.” “This is a last chance,” he added. Britain, France and Germany had called on Trump on Thursday to uphold the pact. Iran's foreign ministry in a statement ruled out any renegotiation of the terms, saying it "will not accept any changes in this agreement now or in the future" nor allow it to be linked to any other issue. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was reached in 2015 among Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States) plus Germany and the European Union. Under its terms, economic sanctions against Iran were to be lifted in exchange for Tehran halting uranium enrichment. Trump also wants to make Iran's long-range missile program subject to sanctions under the agreement. The deal, negotiated by the Obama administration is centered solely on the Iranian's nuclear weapons program. The foreign ministry noted in an earlier note Saturday on its website that the agreement is "not a bilateral agreement that can be annulled by unilateral action." "The U.S. government, like other parties to the deal, is obliged to fulfill all its obligations, and if it fails to comply with its obligations under false pretexts, it should be fully held accountable for the consequences," the foreign ministry said in its statement. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said earlier on Twitter that the deal was “not renegotiable” and that Trump’s move “amounts to desperate attempts to undermine a solid multilateral agreement.” Although Trump approved the waiver on U.S. sanctions as spelled out in the deal, Washington announced other sanctions against 14 Iranian entities and individuals, including judiciary head Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, a close ally of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Describing sanctions against Larijani as “hostile action,” the foreign ministry said the move “crossed all the red lines of conduct in the international community. It is a violation of international law and a breach of bilateral and international obligations of the United States, which will surely face the strong reaction of the Islamic Republic."

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/20/fewer-international-students-coming-u-s-grad-school-science-and-engineering/1050724001/

Fewer international students coming to U.S. for grad school in science and engineering

Fewer international students coming to U.S. for grad school in science and engineering International student enrollment in graduate science and engineering programs in the US dropped in 2017 after several years of increases. Science and engineering fields saw a 6% decrease in international graduate students from the fall of 2016 to the fall of 2017, and almost all of that decrease was concentrated in two fields: computer science and engineering. This follows steady increases from 2005 to 2015 and comes at a time when demand for tech workers outstrips supply — and foreign-born students are increasingly filling a gap left by declining numbers of American citizens studying science and technology at the graduate level. The biggest drop came from Indian students, whose numbers fell by 19% in 2017. Saudi Arabia, Iran and South Korea also sent fewer students in 2017. The figures were released today in the 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators report from the National Science Foundation’s governing body, the National Science Board. “In the U.S., (international students) are tremendously important,” said Geraldine Richmond, a member of the National Science Board and chemistry professor at the University of Oregon. “Over 50% of our graduate students in technical areas are from outside the country.” The number of U.S.-born students in STEM graduate programs started declining in 2008, and international students have been important in keeping program numbers up, Richmond said. “We have a research engine that needs to be fueled, and that fuel is really our graduate students,” Richmond said. “So, as we continue to try to attract the best and brightest in our country, we also seek to attract the best and brightest from these other countries.” Graduate programs also feed, in part, into hubs like Silicon Valley, where more than half of tech workers are foreign-born. “There is an insatiable demand. There’s more jobs than we can fill with the current slate of talent,” said Michael Morell, a founder of the tech recruiting firm Riveria Partners. “The way we talk about it internally is, if you are an average or above-average engineer with core skills as a computer scientist, that is probably a negative unemployment rate.” The new National Science Board report doesn’t try to explain why enrollment numbers dropped in 2017. Geraldine Richmond said it will be important to see if this one-year dip turns into a trend. She points to the relatively high costs of coming to the U.S. for graduate school, as well as increasing competition from China, as possible contributing factors. A survey last year by the American Association of College Registrar and Admissions Officers raised similar concerns about international students overall. Students from India concerned about job prospects, safety The concerns of Indian students planning to attend graduate school in the next few years suggest this dip might not be a one-year aberration. Several students interviewed by PRI.org worried that with changing U.S. immigration policies under President Trump's administration, they may not be able to get jobs after graduation, which would saddle them with the debt of an American degree but provide few of the benefits. Some worried about their personal safety as cases of anti-immigrant violence make news around the world. Others were turned off simply by the high cost of pursuing a degree in the US. Many are looking to Canada, Australia, Germany and the U.K. as possible destinations for graduate school instead of the U.S. One of those students is Sai Shouri, a senior studying IT at an engineering college in Hyderabad, India. When he was a kid, relatives who lived in the U.S. would come back to India for visits and tell him about the job opportunities and comfortable lifestyle that came with living in the US. “Since my childhood, I had dreams of the U.S., studying in the U.S. as well as getting settled in the U.S.,” Shouri said. Four years ago, he started an undergraduate degree in IT specifically so he’d be competitive for a computer science master’s program in the U.S. But his plans changed in a single moment in the fall of 2016. “That moment was when Trump was elected,” Shouri said. Shouri had followed Trump’s America-first campaign platform and his promises to restrict immigration to increase job opportunities for citizens. “We used to believe that,” Shouri said. “If he really gets to be the president of the United States of America, then we might have a tougher situation.” He thought landing a job might be harder, and after hearing about anti-immigrant violence in the US, like how two Indian men were shot in a Kansas City bar last February, he feared for his safety. “What if I get attacked by some random guy?” Shouri worried. It was enough for Shouri to ditch his decade-old dream to study in the United States. “(I was) shattered for some time, for a couple of days I was, like, totally aimless.” Canada’s immigrant-friendly reputation attractive to students International enrollment trends in Australia and Canada are moving in the opposite direction. International students in Australian colleges and universities were up 15% from March 2016 to March 2017. Canada also saw increases. “This is a moment for Canada to shine,” said Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada, which represents nearly 100 institutions across the country. “We have seen an 11% increase in international enrollment at Canadian universities over the last year,” Davidson said. He first started seeing increases of interest in Canadian universities after Brexit. Then came Trump's January 2017 travel ban. “The weekend that that happened, my iPhone was absolutely dancing across the table, because the world wants to find an alternative,” Davidson said. That Canadian alternative caught Shouri’s eye when researching graduate school options outside the U.S. after Trump’s election. “I was reading about that country, and I fell in love,” Shouri said. Shouri started chatting online with Canadians and found them welcoming. “They don’t mind which country you’re from, what’s your financial status, how you look, how you talk, they don’t care about any of those things,” Shouri said. That rosy view of Canada was reinforced by what Shouri saw on the news. “You can see the prime minister (Justin Trudeau), how he’s accepting the Syrian refugees, going to the airport, receiving them one by one, hugging each of them,” Shouri said. “And you can see Mr. Trump. And you can see a contrast between them.” Shouri has applied to five computer science programs in Canada and hopes to start at one of them in September. He still wants to work at a big tech company like Google — just in their Canadian office. And he hopes that one day he’ll return home to Hyderabad with stories of how great his new home is. It just probably won’t be in the U.S. This article originally appeared on PRI.org. It's content is created separately from USA TODAY. MORE FROM PRI.ORG: More:‘My daughter demands more’: The men fighting child marriage in Lebanon More:Cape Town could be the first major city in the world to run out of water More:Hundreds of Israeli rabbis say they will personally hide African asylum-seekers

78ba483ddb04ee8deaaa4e17ce0b706f

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/23/amnesty-international-report-mexico-migrants/1059523001/

Mexico fails to offer migrants asylum, Amnesty International reports

Mexico fails to offer migrants asylum, Amnesty International reports MEXICO CITY — An Amnesty International survey of 385 Central American migrants suggests that Mexican authorities routinely force people to return to dangerous conditions in their home countries, the rights group said Tuesday. Seventy-five percent of the migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador who were interviewed said they had not been informed by Mexican immigration agents about their right to seek asylum in Mexico. The report also said that “people seeking asylum whose lives are at risk in Central America are very frequently pressured into signing ‘voluntary return’ deportation papers.” It cited the case of a Honduran bus driver who was killed three weeks after he was returned to his country from Mexico, despite the fact that street gangs in Honduras frequently target bus drivers for extortion. Mexico’s National Immigration Institute acknowledged there was room for improvement, but denied it forced or tricked people into signing voluntary return papers. The Institute said it uses promotional materials to inform migrants of their rights, including posters, videos and pamphlets distributed at detention centers. It also noted the increasing number of asylum claims Mexico has granted. Relatively few people used to ask for asylum in Mexico, but high rates of violence in Honduras and El Salvador, and political and economic disruption in Venezuela, have led to large increases in asylum applications over the last five years. In 2017, 14,596 people asked for asylum in Mexico, a 66% increase over 2016. Of those, 1,907 requests were approved in 2017. The 2017 increase was fueled in part by a spike in asylum requests from Venezuelans. Requests from El Salvador and Honduras rose by only about 9%. Last year’s increase was not as big as the jump between 2015 and 2016, when asylum applications increased by 2 ½ times, after asylum requests from Hondurans and Salvadorans more than doubled. Mexican authorities say Central American migrants often decide not to pursue asylum claims after they learn how long it will take. The process can last for months, and sometimes years. Mexico allows consuls from most Central American migrants’ home countries to meet with them, to help ensure their rights are protected. But Amnesty took issue with that practice. “International practice tends to shield asylum-seekers from contact with their consular authorities, as a form of protection against the risk of identification, retaliation and human rights violations at the hands of state agents,” the group wrote.

46f6284688ddb50ee9cc2bc1cb25cc5a

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/25/eu-court-dismisses-class-action-suit-against-facebook/1064601001/

European Union's top court dismisses class action suit against Facebook

European Union's top court dismisses class action suit against Facebook Europe's highest court ruled on Thursday that Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems could not bring a class action lawsuit against Facebook for what he claims is illegal use of private data. With 25,000 signatories to his suit, Schrems' case was highly unusual for Europe, where class action lawsuits are rarely recognized. More:Curb how Facebook, Google and Amazon use your personal data in a quick privacy clean-up More:Facebook tracking lawsuit dismissed by judge The facts of the case: •Since 2014, Schrems has been making assertions that Facebook violates the data protection rights of European users, including giving their data to a U.S. intelligence agency. •Facebook claims that it adheres to European Union privacy laws. •The social media giant has also argued that Schrems, as an author and lecturer on privacy rights, has a professional interest in the case and thus cannot be treated as a normal customer under consumer protection laws. •Schrems was seeking 500 euros ($620.55) in damages for each of his 25,000 co-plaintiffs. 'Facebook knows they can't win' Ahead of the verdict, Schrems accused Facebook's lawyers of trying to stop the case from being heard: "Facebook knows that they can't win this case when it will be heard. Therefore, they are trying everything to block the lawsuit by making it economically impossible." "Europe is already putting in place strong enforcement measures that hold Facebook and other companies accountable for privacy and data protection. We'll comply with these new rules, just as we've complied with existing data protection law in Europe,” a Facebook spokeswoman said. In its ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) wrote that "Mr, Schrems may bring an individual action in Austria against Facebook Ireland," but that he could not use consumer laws to benefit himself and fellow claimants. Why this matters: Facebook has repeatedly come under fire for tracking users' behavior and the information it passes along to advertisers, though it has yet to face any serious legal consequences over its practices. Who is Max Schrems? The 30-year-old Austrian lawyer has long been a thorn in the side of tech companies. In 2015, in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations, Schrems successfully sued the European Commission over its data sharing with the United States. He is also the founder of NOYB, the European Center for Digital Rights. What happens next? The court has ruled that Schrems cannot lead a class action lawsuit on behalf of others. He is, however, still able to sue Facebook on his own as a private citizen. Immediately after the ruling, Schrems said he would do so in a Vienna court. This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

9055d8bebf28ae29c382c708ea8683ea

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/01/25/heather-nelson-first-woman-head-scotch-whisky-distillery-solo/1051935001/

Meet the first woman to head a Scotch whisky distillery solo

Meet the first woman to head a Scotch whisky distillery solo FEARN, Scotland – Heather Nelson, a modest farmer's daughter, is becoming a cultural revolutionary as the first woman to head a whisky distillery by herself. Nelson joined the ranks of a revered, male-dominated arena in Scotland — the world-renowned home of whisky and varieties of single-malt Scotch — by starting her distillery called Toulvaddie. “Some people were taken aback when I said I would start Toulvaddie,” Nelson, 38, told USA TODAY from the Fearn and Tarbat Peninsula in far north Scotland, where her family has lived for generations. “There are women in the whisky business — but I’m the first woman that has taken the lead solo.” The previous woman who opened a Scotch distillery was Helen Cumming, who founded the Cardhu Distillery with her husband John — in 1824. Toulvaddie single malt is a light whisky whose first barrels will be ready for sale in a decade. The whisky, as it's spelled in Scotland and some other countries, is made entirely by hand, produced in two copper stills and powered off-grid by solar energy. To finance the distillery through its initial years, 100 first-year casks containing 70 liters of the new spirit are being sold, with only 13 remaining, each costing about $2,700. Nelson welcomed the chance to make history in an industry worth $5.7 billion a year to Scotland’s economy and create a product unique to the market. “It’s a whisky being created from an entirely different perspective, as it’s a female palate from start to finish,” Nelson said on a cold January day in the Highlands. “This has never been done before. From not only choosing the type of barley that goes into it, but also what sort of wood barrel it is stored in. That doesn’t mean it will be any better or worse, it’s just something completely different.” She said the whisky is being made the "traditional Scottish Highland way, hands on, with no mechanics involved.” “My inspiration for Toulvaddie comes from the people that used to make whisky at home with whatever tools they had,” Nelson added. The region where the Scotswoman grew up — as well as other areas of rural Scotland — were rife in the 18th and 19th centuries with illicit whisky stills, often run by farmers' wives who distilled the traditional drink in secret rooms and buildings, hiding bottles in sea caves ready to be smuggled to other parts of the United Kingdom. Growing up in the whisky-mad area, the soft-spoken Nelson said entering the industry seemed a natural choice. So the budding chemistry student as a teenager became a whisky connoisseur in the following years. “It’s the same ingredients in every whisky, yet the taste is so different,” she said. “That you can take the same ingredients and create so many different flavors — that’s the bit that’s so exciting.” When Nelson started Toulvaddie a year ago — named after her grandfather and great grandfather's small farm — she wasn’t aware she was making history. It became apparent only after a Scotch whisky expert explained to her that Toulvaddie wasn’t just another micro-distillery, but was a groundbreaking project. “I didn’t do it to be the first woman to do it — that’s just a happy coincidence,” Nelson said with a smile. “I’m just someone with a passion.” Growing up on a farm, Nelson said she was treated no differently than her male relatives. When a job had to be done, all hands available were set to the task. Her mother would enjoy a whisky at the end of a hard day's work, just like her father — the drink had no gender boundaries. “Nothing surprises me about her anymore,” said her husband, Bobby Nelson, 46. “She’s her own person, breaking out of the rural Highland mold and creating her own path.” She is quick to note another advantage to making strides in the whisky business — challenging the age-old image that whisky is a man’s drink. It’s a stereotype that female whisky drinkers want to shed, including local schoolteacher Katy Orwin. “People often wrongly assume woman don’t drink whisky, or that they have to drink it in a cocktail, because drinking it straight is what men do,” said Orwin, 29. “I think what (Nelson) is doing with Toulvaddie is great and is needed.” And the mini whisky revolution already has an heir. Nelson plans to eventually pass Toulvaddie down to her 19-year-old daughter, Alice. “You’re in this industry for life. Whisky isn’t a quick turnaround," Nelson said. "It takes 10, 15 years before you even have your product. It’s not a money-making scheme, it’s a passion.”

991017a764eb7b653b4bf35d05fcbd53

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/01/buying-home-italian-town-cost-you-less-than-price-cappuccino/1086170001/

Ollolai, Italy, is selling homes for $1.25. That's cheaper than a cappuccino.

Ollolai, Italy, is selling homes for $1.25. That's cheaper than a cappuccino. It’s a historic town with cozy cafes on picture-perfect piazzas set on a sunny Italian island — and now you can buy a house there less than the price of a cup of coffee. Ollolai, a hillside town toward the center of Sardinia, a large Mediterranean island west of Italy, is offering crumbling dwellings for 1 euro (about $1.25) in an effort to boost the shrinking population of the mini-metropolis, which dates back thousands of years. The catch? You have to spend about $25,000 to renovate the home you buy and do the work within three years. You can sell it after five years. Over the past half-century, as reported in official figures, the town's population has declined from 2,250 to 1,300, leaving hundreds of abandoned homes. According to Britain’s Independent newspaper, Ollolai sits on the slopes of Monte San Basilio Magno, and is one of the few remaining Sardinian towns where a local martial art, S’Istrumpa, is still practiced. It also keeps up traditional artisan crafts such as the weaving of baskets. "We boast prehistoric origins," the town’s mayor, Efisio Arbau, told CNN. "My crusade is to rescue our unique traditions from falling into oblivion." Having dreamed up the idea, Arbau contacted former homeowners and asked them to sign the houses over to town authorities, according to CNN. "They're picturesque old buildings made with Sardinia's typical gray granite rock," he said. "We need to bring our grandmas' homes back from the grave." Arbau said three houses have already been sold, the first in the spring of 2016, and that his office has received more than 100 purchase requests from across the world. In fact, demand has been so great the town has now set Feb. 7 — next week — as a deadline for submitting an application, according to the Independent. Arbau issued a statement saying: “The Municipality of Ollolai announces that with effect from 2 p.m. on 7 February 2018 it will no longer be possible to submit applications for participation in the ‘Case a 1 Euro’ scheme, as the number of requests submitted has potentially exhausted the number of available properties.” After the cut-off date, applications will be evaluated in the order they were received, he added. The project follows that of another Italian municipality, Bormida, which last year floated the idea of offering 2,000 euros to people willing to move into houses in the village. Thousands of people responded.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/03/day-zero-what-cape-towns-water-crisis-inequality-south-africa/303542002/

'Day Zero': What Cape Town's water crisis says about inequality

'Day Zero': What Cape Town's water crisis says about inequality CAPE TOWN, South Africa — “Day Zero” is approaching as South Africa’s showcase city of Cape Town prepares to turn off most water taps amid the worst drought in a century. Tensions among the four million residents are highlighting a class divide in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of inequality. Cape Town, a top international tourist destination, has both sprawling informal settlements and high-income oceanside neighborhoods. Some say poorer residents are unfairly blamed as concerns rise over wasting precious water. The military is prepared to help secure water collection points if “Day Zero” occurs. The Associated Press is exploring how residents are coping as water restrictions tighten in an attempt to avoid the possible shut-off in mid-April, and it spoke with researchers about where the water usage problems lie. Kirsty Carden with the Future Water Institute at the University of Cape Town pointed to the city’s leafy suburbs. “It has been in the areas where people have gardens, they have swimming pools and they are much more profligate in the way that they use water, because they’re used to the water just being, coming out of the taps,” she said. More:Cape Town could be the first major city in the world to run out of water Some residents appear to be changing their ways, she said, but “there have been problems in the more affluent areas where people are just, ‘We’ll pay for it.’” About a quarter of Cape Town’s population lives in the informal settlements, where they get water from communal taps instead of individual taps at home, Carden said. “And there are always pictures of running taps and broken fixtures and ‘Look at the leakage’ and all the rest. But the reality is that those 1 million people out of a population of 4 (million) only use 4.5% of the water.” In one of the crowded settlements of corrugated-metal homes, resident Vuyo Kazi washed her laundry outside as others poured used water into the street. “Before, I was using two kettles of water to wash myself,” she said. “So now I use one kettle of water.” Under new water restrictions that began Thursday, residents are asked to use no more than 13.2 gallons of water daily, down from the previous limit of 23 gallons. The use of city drinking water to wash vehicles, hose down paved areas, fill up private swimming pools and water gardens is illegal. Residents using too much water will be fined. Across the city, in the seaside town of Scarborough, resident Kelson da Cruz demonstrated the new normal of water rationing, pointing out the bucket beside his shower. The city has even promoted a Two-Minute Shower Songs project by top South African artists to keep water usage down. “We are restricted with an amount of the water that we can use per day,” da Cruz said. “So we collect that water, and that water you can use to flush the toilet.” Another jar of water is used for tooth-brushing and face-washing. Some 70% of water used in Cape Town is consumed in homes, authorities say. Experts have said causes of the city’s water shortages include climate change and huge population growth. The local reliance on reservoirs, while projects such as desalination plants were largely left to the future, has been hurt by three straight years of drought. Scientists are watching how authorities cope, as this would be the world’s first major city to go dry. “We always open the tap, the water is there, easy,” da Cruz said. “I was lucky to travel to some dry countries where water has always been a big issue. So when we moved to South Africa that has always been on the back of our mind. “And I think South Africa is for the first time is really catching up with the rest of the world. They have to change their habits. You can’t just take for granted something so precious.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/04/strong-earthquake-strikes-off-taiwan-coast/304765002/

Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off Taiwan coast

Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off Taiwan coast TAIPEI, Taiwan – A strong and shallow earthquake struck off Taiwan’s east coast on Sunday night, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.1 quake’s epicenter was 9 miles northeast of the city of Hualien, at a depth of just 4.9 miles. Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones. Taiwan’s Central News Agency said the island’s earthquake monitoring agency registered seven tremors around that time, with the strongest recorded at a magnitude of 5.8 and a depth of 10 miles. Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage. However, a magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people. In 2016, a shallow earthquake in southern Taiwan killed at least two dozen people.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/07/north-korea-military-parade-olympics-opening-ceremony/318592002/

North Korea shows off tanks, missiles ahead of Olympic Games

North Korea shows off tanks, missiles ahead of Olympic Games SEOUL — North Korea displayed its tanks, trucks and troops during a military parade and rally in its capital Pyongyang on Thursday, just one day before the opening ceremony for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in neighboring South Korea. North Korea's showcasing of its military might, complete with goose-stepping soldiers, came after Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that the White House would soon unveil "the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever" for its missile and nuclear weapons programs. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un attended the military show accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju. In a speech, he declared North Korea a "world-class military power" and warned it would prevent aggressors from infringing on North Korean sovereignty "even by 0.001 millimeter." About 10,000 troops took part in the rally in Pyongyang, which included a display of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be capable of striking the U.S. mainland. Chad O’Carroll, chief executive officer of Korea Risk Group, a Seoul-based consultancy, said it was the first time that North Korea used a military parade to show off its long-range Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15 missiles. However, O’Carroll noted the parade was smaller and more low-key than one held in April for North Korean founder Kim Il Sung’s birthday. North Korea previously said the parade would mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of its military, and the date may have been moved up to make sure North Korea's military ambitions are not overlooked during the Olympics. North Korea is sending 22 athletes and a delegation of more than 400 musicians, singers, martial artists and cheering squads to the games. More:Pence tweets '#FAKENEWS' on report but official says 'offer' to talk with Olympic skater made More:Cold Olympic Games begin on planet's hottest spot Related:North Korea cheer squad arrives for Olympic games in South Kim is also dispatching his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, to attend the opening ceremony. South Korean President Moon Jae In plans to meet her and other senior North Korean officials in Pyeongchang on Friday. Kim Yo Jong will be the first member of North Korea’s ruling family to visit the South since the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korean state media reported Thursday that the country's delegates had no plans to meet with U.S. officials during the Winter Olympics. More:Don't expect Winter Olympics to provide a turning point for North, South Korea Hjelmgaard reported from London. Contributing: Associated Press.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/10/israel-syria-iran-drone-f-16-crash/325955002/

Israel launches 'large-scale attack' on Iranian targets in Syria

Israel launches 'large-scale attack' on Iranian targets in Syria An Israeli fighter jet, under fire from Syrian anti-aircraft batteries, crashed Saturday as Israel mounted a heavy military response to what it said was the incursion of its airspace by an Iranian drone. Two Israeli pilots were injured — one seriously — after abandoning their F-16 over northern Israel while taking part in what the Israeli military called a "large-scale attack" on at least a dozen Iranian targets in Syria. The drone, which Israel said was launched from Syria, was shot down by an Israeli helicopter after what the military called a “severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty.” Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Israeli forces were “fully prepared for further action.” "Syrians are playing with fire when they allow Iranians to attack Israel," Conricus warned. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman were convening a meeting of the top brass at military headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss a further response. In conversations Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Netanyahu said that "Israel will defend itself from any attack and any attempt to hurt our sovereignty," The Jerusalem Post reports. "Iran attempted to do that today, it violated our sovereignty, it inserted its drone into Israeli space from Syria," he said. Gen. Hossein Salami, acting commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, did not acknowledge Israel’s claim it shot down the drone. “We do not confirm any such news from Israel,” he said. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasem called the Israeli claim “ridiculous.” But the joint operations room for the Syrian military and its allies denied the drone violated Israeli airspace, saying it was on a regular mission gathering intelligence on Islamic State militants, according to the Associated Press. Syria’s Defense Ministry said in statements on its website that its air defenses responded successfully to the Israeli operation and hit more than one plane. “The Israeli enemy has once again attacked some of our military bases in the southern area and our air defenses responded and foiled the aggression,” it said. It is the first time Israel has lost an aircraft in combat since 2006 when an Israeli helicopter was shot down over Lebanon by a Hezbollah rocket, according to the Jerusalem Post. David Ivry, a former Israeli Air Force chief, told Reuters he believed it was the first time an Israeli F-16 was brought down since Israel began using the jets in the 1980s. The Israeli attacks came in response to what the Israeli military said was the incursion of Israeli airspace early Saturday by an Iranian drone. IDF chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said the drone had taken off from Syrian territory and was shot down by an Israeli helicopter. "The Iranian drone fell in our territory and is in our possession," he said. Manelis called the incident a "serious Iranian attack" on Israeli territory. "Iran is dragging the region into an adventure in which it doesn’t know how it will end,” he said in a statement. “Whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price." The pro-Assad military alliance, which includes Iran and Hezbollah, warned Israel on Saturday that any new act of what it called "terrorism" will be met with a "severe and serious response," Al Jazeera reports. Russia called on sides to exercise restraint, adding that any threat to the safety of Russian servicemen are "unacceptable." The Israeli military said it struck 12 targets including three Syrian aerial defense batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran’s military establishment in Syria. "Anti-aircraft missiles were fired towards Israel, triggering alarms in northern Israel," the IDF tweeted. It was not clear whether the Israeli jet was hit by Syria fire or simply crashed after the pilots bailed out. "We don't know if the pilots ejected because of the (Syrian)fire," said IDF spokesperson Conricus. It was also unclear at what stage of the mission they ejected, he said, "but it is of extreme concern to us if they were shot down." Israel has long complained about the involvement of archenemy Iran, and Iranian proxy Hezbollah, in the Syria war. The Shiite allies have sent forces to back Syrian President Bashar Assad, who appears headed toward victory after years of fighting. Israel has said it will not accept a permanent military presence by Iran and its Shiite allies in Syria, especially near the Israeli border. Israel has mostly stayed out of the fighting in Syria, wary of being drawn into fighting between forces that are all opposed to it. Israel has been warning lately of increased Iranian involvement along its border in Syria and Lebanon. It fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks or create a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon that could allow it to transfer weapons more easily to Hezbollah. Contributing: Associated Press

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/10/retired-navy-seal-who-killed-bin-laden-calls-trumps-military-parade-third-world/326089002/

Retired Navy Seal who says he killed Bin Laden calls Trump's military parade 'third world bulls***'

Retired Navy Seal who says he killed Bin Laden calls Trump's military parade 'third world bulls***' The retired U.S. Navy Seal credited with shooting al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in a 2011 raid called President Trump’s plan for a military parade “third world bulls***”. “We prepare. We deter. We fight. Stop this conversation,” Robert O’Neill said on Twitter this week. O’Neill, a Trump supporter, then said in a tweet Friday, “I simply think a parade is a bad idea. And I used locker room talk….” O’Neill told The Washington Post in an interview in 2014 that he fired the two shots that killed the mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks. One current and one former SEAL confirmed O'Neill's story of the raid to the Associated Press. Trump asked the Pentagon to get the ball rolling on plans for a military "celebration," the White House said Tuesday. Trump attended a Bastille Day parade with French President Emmanuel Macron on July 14, 2017, in Paris, which included tanks, soldiers in gleaming helmets astride horses and jets flying overhead. When Trump met with Macron at the United Nation General Assembly two months later, he said it was one of the "greatest parades I've ever seen." More:Trump asks Pentagon to explore plans for a military 'celebration' "We’re going to have to try to top it," Trump told the French president. "We are actually thinking about Fourth of July, Pennsylvania Avenue, having a really great parade to show our military strength," he said. The idea of a military parade down Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue came to Trump before his visit to France for the Bastille Day parade. He first mentioned the idea in an interview with the Post two days before his inauguration. According to O'Neill's website, he was part of over 400 combat missions during his military career and received two Silver Stars and four Bronze Stars with Valor. He now serves as a public speaker, security consultant, philanthropist and FOX News contributor. His New York Times bestseller "The Operator: Firing the shots that killed Osama bin Laden and my Years as a SEAL Team Warrior" tells the story of the bin Laden raid and his deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. O'Neill made headlines in 2016, when prosecutors in Montana dropped a driving under the influence charge against him, CBS reported. Both sides in the case agreed that medication prescribed to treat symptoms related to O’Neill’s military service formed the basis for the DUI charge, The Montana Standard reported. Contributing: David Jackson

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/13/global-engagement-center-russia-meddling/333015002/

Information warriors: Here's how the U.S. is combating 'fake news' from Russia

Information warriors: Here's how the U.S. is combating 'fake news' from Russia WASHINGTON — The State Department prepares to get its first funds to tackle Russian meddling in U.S. politics as U.S. intelligence warns that its interference in American elections continues. Funding for the mission is finally expected to arrive this month as an agreement to transfer $40 million from the Defense Department is expected soon, more than doubling its current budget of $35 million. More:Special counsel indicts Russian nationals for interfering with elections More:State Department's answer to Russian meddling is about to be funded More:'The U.S. is under attack': Intelligence chief says Putin targeting 2018 elections Senior managers at the Global Engagement Center described its mission to USA TODAY in a secure office at the State Department’s headquarters here. Then-president Barack Obama created the center in 2016 to counter terrorist propaganda. Now it's focusing on a new threat to democracy: meddling and misleading information by Russia and other countries. All the officials except Daniel Kimmage, the center’s acting coordinator, requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. What is the Global Engagement Center? The center replaced centralized U.S. efforts to combat terrorist propaganda with an approach that works more with local partners abroad who better understand their audiences, the communications platforms they use, and local threats. “We’re now a coordinating body and incubator of ideas,” Kimmage said. How does the center do that? The center's 66 employees coordinates with U.S. agencies, such as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to target the American audience. It works with social media companies that have been used to spread foreign propaganda. And it also consults with foreign governments who face similar threats. France, Germany, Estonia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic have had recent experience countering Russian disinformation efforts. What’s new about subversive propaganda? Part of the center’s mission is to keep up with rapid changes in technology and methods used by its adversaries. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State once spread their message through videos and recordings of their leaders’ speeches online. Now they use advertisements on social media to direct potential recruits to encrypted messaging applications such as Telegram for private conversations and eventually face-to-face meetings to plan terrorist acts. Last year, the center ran a project targeting people deemed vulnerable to such Islamic State recruitment in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, and in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The project focused on people who’d viewed ads by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, on Facebook and had Telegram installed on their phones. And like the terrorists do, State Department employees engaged people in one-on-one conversations to ask about their concerns. Most were interested in emigrating to the United States, while others wanted to bring jobs to their neighborhoods, Kimmage said. “Just like ISIS can use technology to reach out to people vulnerable to their message, we can reach out to people vulnerable to engaging in terrorist activity and pull them back from the brink,” said Jonathan Henick, former principle deputy director for the Bureau of International Information Programs. How much of a difference can the center make? Russia, Iran, North Korea and China each have numerous state-owned media outlets spreading their messages and targeting different audiences through multiple social media platforms, often with misleading information designed to confuse or stir up controversy in the West. In some places, like Syria and Iraq, the U.S. is trying to counter propaganda from terrorists and from Russia and Iran, which try to blame the U.S. government for ISIS’ strength, creating greater risk for U.S. troops on the ground. U.S. programs also target audiences in dozens of countries on cellphones, television and online. Instead of challenging every false message, the center seeks to help other groups implement what works. It is sending teams to the Czech Republic, Scandinavian countries and Germany to learn how those populations counter hashtag campaigns and automated fake accounts called “bots.” In France, media companies joined forces to vet online news and identify fake stories before they were published. President Emmanuel Macron has proposed outlawing the dissemination of false information around election campaigns. The center will seek out what works, but “we’re not there yet,” Kimmage said. How can the U.S. help allies? In the Caribbean, a foreign government asked the center to advise on talking to the press about a counter-terrorism police operation. The center provided advice on how to change the message from day to day, and how not to alienate the local population. Better messaging could help to prevent further radicalization that might result from clumsy government communication, center officials said. How can allies help the U.S.? The center also consults with allies about how to counter state sponsored propaganda from Russia, Iran, China and North Korea. Each U.S. ally faces a slightly different challenge, and some of their approaches might work in the U.S. while others would not. A law to criminalize "fake news" might work in Singapore or France, but in the U.S. it would clash with the First Amendment. In Slovakia, a central Europe country where some citizens want to drop out of the European Union, has developed a high school class to discern real information from false messages on their smartphones. That approach might be more applicable to an American audience. In general, the Europeans are keenly aware of Russian disinformation, one of the center officials said. Can the U.S. keep up with its adversaries? During the 2016 elections, Russian media tried to spread a false story about the U.S. blocking independent international election observers from polling places. The State Department had video of international election observers in Ohio and elsewhere that it sent to people in Latin America and the Middle East who were vulnerable to that message. Henick said it is not clear how often the center will be able to act so quickly. “It requires working in real time,” Henick said. “It remains to be seen whether we’ll be nimble enough to do that on an ongoing basis.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/14/water-crisis-cape-town-day-zero-june/337844002/

Cape Town could run out of water by June

Cape Town could run out of water by June CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Yasmin Dawood is working hard to stick to the limit of 13.2 gallons per day for individuals as this city inches toward possibly becoming the first in the world to run out of water. The stay-at-home mom showers quickly once a day with her daughter, keeping buckets in the stall to catch excess water that she uses to flush toilets — when they absolutely have to be flushed. Her daughter, Asma, 6, wears a special drought uniform that needs less washing, Dawood said. On days when she plays sports, she wears her athletic uniform to school to avoid laundering her regular outfit. More:Cape Town could be first major city in the world to run out of water More:What's next if Cape Town becomes first major city to run out of water? More:'Day Zero': What Cape Town's water crisis says about inequality Cape Town and its surroundings are suffering a severe drought. Three years of low rain levels and an unseasonably dry winter means that average dam levels are hovering just over a quarter full. The metro area of 3.7 million has less than 90 days’ worth of water in its reservoirs. The countdown to "Day Zero" has begun. The reservoirs would drop below 13.5% and the city must turn off all taps. Officials had initially estimated it would arrive in April or May. On Tuesday, Cape Town pushed the date back to June 4. Dawood's younger daughter Sara, who is 2½, gets bathed in a bucket. “If we need an extra shower, we use a facecloth,” said Dawood, 40, who lives in the affluent suburb of Rondebosch. “If our hair is dirty, we use dry shampoo — it works quite well.” Everything these days revolves around water, and saving it, residents say. “Life is very water conscious,” Dawood said. “Every drop counts." The water situation is changing lifestyles but it is also hurting livelihoods. Westley Byrne, 29, works as a director’s assistant in the city’s thriving film industry. He said work has been scarce since the crisis began. Byrne said international projects that used to come to Cape Town would now rather go elsewhere because of the drought. “We often host big Hollywood projects, and they wouldn't want to take a risk if there is millions of dollars at stake,” he said. Byrne has also considered leaving Cape Town "for a bit," but so far he and his neighbors are managing to stay afloat. "I don't know how bad it's going to get, and I know other people I have spoken to feel the same way, but only if Day Zero comes," he said. When the city had light rain one recent night, Byrne decided to give his car a wash. “People are concerned but in a way, they are still hopeful," he said. Evodia Boonzaaier, 33, a city government worker, questions whether people here are doing enough to conserve water despite the city's caps on consumption. She said residents of low-income townships have not altered their habits much. Many live in homes that already lack running water and they already share public water pumps. The poorer areas don't consume as much water as their wealthier neighbors — who are feeling the crisis more, Boonzaaier said. The wealthier residents may have run out of plastic buckets and other items to capture water, "but it’s also easier for us because we can afford it. These people are poor so it would be harder for them,” she added. Boonzaaier and her family had already been thinking about moving to Canada, but she said the water crisis has made the decision easier. Editor Ngubani, 27, a domestic worker who lives in the township of Capricorn, believes life hasn't changed much here and says people are drinking, cooking and cleaning like they normally would. “People know there is a drought. But they haven't changed,” said Ngubani. "I'm worried because water is precious.” Cape Town is in for a rude awakening when Day Zero arrives, she added. City officials have said the rainy season that begins in the Spring could mitigate the situation, but won’t likely solve the city’s problems. Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson said water consumption had reached a record low as the city has reduced water pressure, farms cut irrigation and residents reduced usage. The city would enact other measures to reduce usage even further, he said. “This is very encouraging, but we cannot afford to relax our efforts," Neilson said. Pushing back the date for Day Zero has given residents like Dawood reason to hope. "I think it had been the positive thing for my family," Dawood said, referring to the water crisis. "We are learning to respect our environment. It’s a good lesson.” John Dyer reported from Boston.

ca7f8f3dbaba9cb3cae0ffdc3caac7e3

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/20/donald-trump-jr-india-help-sell-luxury-apartments/354079002/

Donald Trump Jr. is in India to help sell luxury apartments

Donald Trump Jr. is in India to help sell luxury apartments NEW DELHI – "Trump has arrived. Have you?" shout the barrage of glossy front-page advertisements in almost every major Indian newspaper. The ads, which have run repeatedly in the past few days, herald the arrival not of the American president but of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is in New Delhi to sell luxury apartments and lavish attention on wealthy Indians who have already bought units in a Trump-branded development outside the Indian capital. The newspaper ads promise that buyers who order apartments in the development by Thursday will get “a conversation and dinner” with Trump Jr. a day later. President Trump has pledged to avoid any new foreign business deals during his term in office to avoid potential ethical conflicts. While the projects that Trump Jr. is promoting in India were inked before his father was elected, ethics experts have long seen the use of the Trump name to promote even existing business ventures as tricky territory. The distinction between old and new projects can be hazy, they note, and new deals can be shoehorned into old. More from USA TODAY: Trump sold $35M in real estate in 2017, mostly to secretive buyers Donald Trump Jr. posed for photos Tuesday morning in New Delhi with Indian developers building complexes in four cities. Among the business partners accompanying him was Kalpesh Mehta who heads Tribeca, the firm described as the main Indian partner for Trump brand real estate projects. Mehta came to notice soon after President Trump’s November election victory, when pictures of him and two other Trump Indian real estate partners with the president-elect in New York made a big splash in Indian and American media. USA TODAY Investigation:Most Trump real estate now sold to secretive buyers USA TODAY Analysis:Trump condos worth $250 million pose potential conflict Secretive buyers:Here's who is behind LLCs buying Trump real estate Later in the week, he is scheduled to make a speech about Indo-Pacific relations at a New Delhi business summit, sharing the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Gurgaon, the sprawling and ever-growing New Delhi satellite city where a new Trump Towers will eventually rise, the construction site is just mountains of dirt and unruly shrubbery, one of many residential projects yet to be built. For miles upon miles, the landscape is little more than tin-roofed huts for construction laborers and tiny makeshift food shacks to keep them fed. And while there’s almost nothing at the Trump construction site, a handful of burly guards enthusiastically insisted on keeping journalists out of the area. The Trump Organization has licensing agreements with all its Indian business partners, who build the properties and acquire the Trump name in exchange for a fee. The organization has five projects in India, making it the brand’s largest market outside the United States. A luxury complex is already open in the central city of Pune, with other developments in varying stages of construction in the coastal cities of Mumbai and Kolkata, and two in a chrome-and-glass New Delhi suburb, Gurgaon. The apartments are expensive – though not outrageously so in the overheated real estate world of India’s wealthy elite. An apartment in the Trump Towers complex in Gurgaon runs between $775,000 and $1.5 million. The rest of the details of Donald Trump Jr.’s itinerary are hazy despite repeated emails to the Trump Organization and its Indian partner Tribeca. However, local media have reported that he is slated to visit other Trump projects across India. On Wednesday he is expected to be in the eastern city of Kolkata to promote luxury housing bearing his family name there. On Thursday he will be in India’s business capital, Mumbai, where he is to quaff champagne with the city’s elite at a reception hosted by the Lodha Group, the real estate company that is building the golden-hued Trump Tower there.

87f04380db8f39339abf48f58b4823c4

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/23/reports-u-s-move-israels-embassy-jerusalem-may-14/366672002/

U.S. plans to move Israel's embassy to Jerusalem on May 14

U.S. plans to move Israel's embassy to Jerusalem on May 14 JERUSALEM — The United States plans to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem on May 14, Steven Goldstein, undersecretary of State for public diplomacy said Friday. The date coincides with when Israel proclaimed independence in 1948. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson approved a security plan for "a facility" in Jerusalem Thursday evening, Goldstein said. "We're looking at that as a possible date but safety of the Marines and other people who visit and work there is primary." The embassy will be located in a building that houses the U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem, in the Arnona neighborhood of the city, according a State Department statement. Consular operations will continue there, and U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, will work there with a small staff. A new embassy annex will open by the end of 2019 with more space for the ambassador and his team, while planning and construction for a permanent embassy in Jerusalem proceed, the statement said. The current embassy building in Tel Aviv will be renamed the U.S. consulate, and will continue to house the bulk of the U.S. diplomatic staff in Israel, according to this plan. Vice President Pence told the Israeli Parliament last month that a new U.S. Embassy to Israel would open in Jerusalem before the end of 2019. Trump announced in December the controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy there. West Jerusalem is where Israel's government is based. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. For that reason, every U.S. president since Israel's founding in 1948 has located the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Majdi Khladi, diplomatic advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, was quick to criticize the plan. "What is important here is that without the approval of the Palestinians and specifically President Abbas, there is not going to be anything happening here. We know the Americans are coordinating every step with (Israeli President Benjamin) Netanyahu, but they do not do the same with President Abbas," Khladi said Friday. "In the end this is not good for peace, and no good for themselves, their own standing.” Trump's Jerusalem announcement fulfilled a campaign promise and upended decades of U.S. foreign policy over the contested city. “What we want is a clear statement that will allow the Palestinians to have a state of their own, independent, within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Khladi added. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) secretary general Saeb Erekat said the move shows "the determination of the U.S. administration to violate international law destroy the two-state solution, and provoke the feelings of the Palestinian people, as well as of all Arabs, Muslims and Christians around the globe." Erekat said the decision disqualifies Trump and the U.S. from being part of a "solution between Israelis and Palestinians; rather, the world now sees that they are part of the problem." The Trump administration is also considering an offer from Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson to pay for at least part of a new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, four U.S. officials told the Associated Press. A move in May would be much sooner than was expected. The announcement comes a day after Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told a crowd at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics that Trump's plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace is close at hand. "They're coming up with a plan. It won't be loved by either side, and it won't be hated by either side," Haley said, according to the Jerusalem Post. "I think they're finishing it up." Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. peace mediator for Israeli-Palestinian talks, called the Jerusalem move "a real cosmic Oy Vey" moment. "On the eve of ultimate peace deal may move US Embassy on Israel's Independence Day. Really?" Miller wrote on Twitter. Dan Shapiro, former president Barack Obama's ambassador to Israel, responded: "The die is cast, the embassy is moving. It belongs in Jerusalem." The priority now is for the Trump administration "to place the decision in the context of a realistic two-state solution, including Palestinian aspirations for their capital in East Jerusalem," Shapiro said.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/26/global-warming-prompts-norway-strengthen-its-doomsday-seed-vault/372274002/

Global warming prompts Norway to strengthen its doomsday seed vault

Global warming prompts Norway to strengthen its doomsday seed vault Global warming has prompted Norway to invest about $13 million to strengthen its 10-year-old doomsday seed vault, in which about a million crop varieties are stored on a remote ice-covered island. The update at Svalbard, an archipelago near the Arctic Circle, would cover “construction of a new, concrete-built access tunnel, as well as a service building to house emergency power and refrigerating units and other electrical equipment," according to a statement from Norway’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food, The new work comes after a thaw of permafrost in 2016 caused some water to flow into the vault's entrance. No seeds were damaged, but the Norwegian government decided the store, designed to withstand nuclear war and earthquakes, needed an upgrade in case global warming intensified. Norway built the vault in an abandoned coal mine to ensure that plant species affected by rising global temperatures and other disasters could be preserved. For instance, the Agriculture Ministry said, in 2015 seeds were sent from Norway to Syria after the war-torn nation’s smaller seed repository near Aleppo was damaged by military action. Last year, seeds harvested from plants generated by the Norwegian supply in Syria were sent back to Svalbard. “This demonstrates that the seed vault is a worldwide insurance for food supply for future generations,” said Jon Georg Dale, Norway's minister of agriculture and food. Meanwhile, the BBC reports, more than 70,000 crops are to be added this week to the storage chambers, which stay at a steady -18 Celsius (about 0 degrees Fahrenheit). The new stash includes unusual crops like the Estonian onion potato, as well as barley used to brew Irish beer. According to the BBC, the vault opens about twice a year for deposits. This week’s additions also include unique varieties of rice, wheat and maize as well as black-eyed peas — a major protein source in Africa and South Asia — and the Bambara groundnut, which is being developed as a drought-tolerant crop in Africa. More:'Doomsday' vault stores tree seeds in case of Armageddon More:Precious seeds in Norway's 'Doomsday vault' are safe — for now More:Photos: Cruising to adventure in the Arctic Circle More:The most northerly town in the world is at risk of disappearing

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/27/german-village-votes-keep-hitler-bell/376038002/

German village votes to keep 'Hitler bell'

German village votes to keep 'Hitler bell' In a vote on Monday night, the local council (authority) in a small southwestern German village decided by 10 votes to 3 that a Nazi-era bell — complete with the inscription "Everything for the Fatherland - Adolf Hitler" — should continue to hang in the local church. Councilors in Herxheim am Berg, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Heidelberg, said the bell, which also bears a swastika, should serve as a force for reconciliation and a memorial against violence and injustice. The council rejected calls by some residents for the bell to be dismantled, and turned down an offer by the local Protestant church to bear the cost of installing a new one. Resident spoke out The contentious bronze bell has been in the church since 1934, where it was used until recently. Its existence only became known when a former church organist, Sigrid Peters, complained about the inscription. "It can't happen that a baby is baptized and a bell with the words 'Everything for the Fatherland' is chiming," she told news agency DPA last summer. More:'Selfies with Hitler' at Indonesian museum cause outrage More:Sean Spicer: Adolf Hitler remark 'was a mistake' She was also disturbed by the fact that numerous couples around the state of Rhineland-Palatinate visit the picturesque church to get married every year. "They don't know at all" about the bell, Peters said. The large bell sparked an intense debate about how Germany should deal with Nazi symbols. Many residents were concerned the bronze relic would ruin the church's reputation, or that its existence would encourage neo-Nazi groups to congregate in the village. More:Hitler's phone which 'sent millions to their deaths' sold for $243K at auction More:Behind a secret door in Argentina, a huge Nazi trove with apparent connections to Hitler Others complained that its removal would mean the town's history would be covered up. The dispute intensified when the town's then mayor, Roland Becker, argued that not everything was bad during the Nazi era – comments that forced his resignation. The local authority ordered an outside assessment to help councilors decide its fate. Experts came to the conclusion that the bell should be classified as a memorial and either moved to a museum or kept in the church tower. Put back to use The council decided the bell will be put back into operation, and a commemorative plaque displayed in the church to point out its history. Months before Monday's decision, the church voted not to ring the bell any more, and would rely instead on its other two bells, which have no Nazi motif. Ahead of the vote, town Mayor Georg Welker spoke publicly in support of keeping the bell. He told public broadcaster ARD last month that the bell's toll was an important way of remembering the victims of the Nazi regime. This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

1e9316669748a0e98679be08f55a57da

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/27/germany-cities-ban-diesel-cars/376135002/

Germany is car-obsessed. Now, a court is letting cities ban diesel cars to curb pollution

Germany is car-obsessed. Now, a court is letting cities ban diesel cars to curb pollution Germany's top administrative court has ruled that it is legal for cities to ban diesel cars. The government opposes the bans, but is under pressure from the EU to do more to combat air pollution. Germany's Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig ruled on Tuesday that cities may be permitted to put driving bans in place for diesel vehicles. The ruling does not determine whether the bans will be implemented, but rather whether German states, cities and communities have the right to impose them to maintain air pollution limits without needing federal legislation. More:German court defers ruling on banning diesel cars in cities More:Germany considers free public transportation in most polluted cities More:Is U.S. auto market, with its F-150, Chevy Silverado, diesel's safe haven? The decision concerned two earlier court rulings in Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, the capital cities of the German states of Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia, where air pollution massively exceeds allowable levels. The environmental and consumer watchdog Environmental Action Germany (DUH) took both cities to court, saying they hadn't done enough to combat emissions. The court in Stuttgart said driving bans were the "most effective" means to improve air quality and safeguard health in urban areas, while the Düsseldorf court found the bans had to be "seriously examined." German drivers anxious over bans The German government and the country's influential car industry oppose the diesel driving bans. Millions of German drivers and businesses have also been anxiously awaiting the court's decision, with many concerned about their disrupted driving routes and a possible devaluation of their vehicles. Still, facing possible legal action from the European Union over the Germany's air quality, the German government is preparing alternatives. The Transport Ministry could update traffic regulations to include an option for cities to impose diesel bans on certain routes later this year. This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/01/russias-putin-boasts-all-powerful-nuclear-missile/384142002/

Putin says 'no one in the world has anything like' all-powerful nuclear missile

Putin says 'no one in the world has anything like' all-powerful nuclear missile Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted Thursday that his country has developed a nuclear missile with an unlimited range and completely immune to enemy intercept. Speaking during an annual state-of-the-nation speech in Moscow, Putin said the ballistic missile is capable of penetrating any missile defense and can reach virtually any target around the world. "No defense systems will be able to withstand it," he said. NATO has nicknamed this missile — an RS-28 Sarmat rocket — "Satan 2." Russian media has claimed it could entirely wipe out an area the size of Texas or France. Neither the White House nor the U.S. defense community offered immediate reaction. Putin has a track record of talking up his country's military and technological prowess. Putin also unveiled what he said was Russia's new advanced weapons technology. His two-hour address included video clips of underwater drones and intercontinental missiles. Putin delivered a warning to the United States over its pursuit of anti-missile defense systems. "Efforts to contain Russia have failed, face it," he said. "Nobody listened to us. Well, listen to us now," Putin added, referring to accusations that Washington has been violating non-nuclear proliferation agreements by assisting countries from Poland to Japan to establish global anti-missile systems. It follows claims by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that the U.S. is training armed forces in Europe on how to use nuclear weapons against Russia. In his Thursday address , Putin said its new nuclear rocket effectively renders U.S. missile defense systems around the world meaningless. "No one in the world has anything like (this weapon)," Putin said. "It may appear someday, but by that time we will develop something new." Still, Malcom Chalmers, a defense expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank, said it wasn't clear that Putin's announcement actually represented new or novel Russian military capability. "This is Putin emphasizing that his country's new generation of missiles will be able to overcome any missile-defense systems," he said. "Russia has been able to hit targets in the U.S. and around the world since the 1960s. We also need to view his words in the context of a Russian election this month. The topic has popular appeal." One of President Trump's first acts in office was to order Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to conduct a "nuclear posture review." Mattis' report was published in February. It concluded that the U.S. "now faces a more diverse and advanced nuclear-threat environment than ever before, with considerable dynamism in potential adversaries’ development and deployment programs for nuclear weapons and delivery systems." The report intensely focuses on Russia, and to a lesser extent, China. "They have added new types of nuclear capabilities to their arsenals, increased the salience of nuclear forces in their strategies and plans, and engaged in increasingly aggressive behavior, including in outer space and cyber space," the report says. More:No one can prevent Trump from using nuclear weapons, experts say

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/02/facebook-apologizes-censoring-30-000-year-old-statuette-depicting-naked-woman/388209002/

Facebook apologizes for censoring 30,000-year-old statuette depicting naked woman

Facebook apologizes for censoring 30,000-year-old statuette depicting naked woman A Facebook spokesperson apologized on Thursday for the company's censorship of a post showing the voluptuous 11-centimeter 30,000-year-old statuette named the "Venus of Willendorf." The controversy began in December when Laura Ghianda, an Italian arts activist, posted a picture of the artwork on Facebook. It went viral — and Facebook censored the photo. Ghianda was indignant, messaging that the "war on human culture and modern intellectualism will not be tolerated." The Natural History Museum (NHM) in Vienna, where the figurine is on display, expressed its outrage on Wednesday. "An archaeological object, especially such an iconic one, should not be banned from Facebook because of 'nudity,' as no artwork should be," the Vienna museum declared in an official statement. "There has never been a complaint by visitors concerning the nakedness of the figurine," the museum's director Christian Köberl told press agency AFP. The figurine, clearly a fertility symbol, was discovered in the Austrian village of Willendorf — thus the artwork's name — in the early 20th century. It is not only considered the "icon" of the museum, but the most well-known prehistoric depiction of a woman worldwide. Facebook's apology came in reaction to the Viennese museum's statement and the ensuing public outrage. The company's spokesperson explained that Facebook's policies do not allow depictions of nudity or even suggested nudity. "However, we make an exception for statues, which is why the post should have been approved," she told AFP. Facebook is regularly criticized for banning certain content while allowing other controversial posts to be published. A French court is to decide on March 15 on the case of a Facebook user whose account was shut down after he posted Gustave Courbet's "L'Origine du monde" (The Origin of the World), a 19th-century painting depicting a woman's genitals.

bd3b048b49ba6c8701ec5a7e423d089b

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/02/meet-syrian-refugees-abandoning-europe-trumps-america/372114002/

Meet the Syrian refugees abandoning Europe for Trump's America

Meet the Syrian refugees abandoning Europe for Trump's America Filmmaker Feras Fayyad endured bombings, prison and torture in Syria before gaining asylum in Denmark. On Sunday, he could become the first Syrian to win an Oscar. His documentary Last Men in Aleppo is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Fayyad, 34, is one of about 11 million Syrians who fled their homes since civil war broke out in their country in 2011. Last Men in Aleppo tells the gut-wrenching story of the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue organization in Syria, where a half-million people have been killed over the past seven years — more than 500 in the past few weeks. More:What's happening in Syria? U.N. demands 30-day cease-fire Fayyad's story is a new twist in the largest wave of asylum seekers to enter Europe since World War II: He is one of a handful of Syrians who found Europe too stifling for their creative and professional ambitions. Fayyad and Syrians like him said the USA offers better opportunities to assimilate despite the Trump administration's hard-line views on immigration. "In Europe, everyone always make you feel like you are a victim. You are always a refugee first. Your dreams and desires come second. In America, you can be anyone you want to be," said Fayyad, who is trying to move to Los Angeles from Copenhagen. He's been in the USA on a series of short-term business visas. "I don't want to spend my life being told that I am a refugee," he said. "I don't think Europeans are prepared to let me do this. They would rather feel sorry for me." The majority of asylum seekers have little control over where they end up. There is little evidence on how well immigrants settle into one country vs. another, according to Ran Abramitzky, a Stanford University researcher. Fayyad's chances of obtaining residence in the USA have dropped since Trump has sought to impose entry restrictions on Muslim-majority countries, including Syria. The Supreme Court will decide on the travel ban in June. In 2017, the Trump administration allowed 6,500 Syrian refugees to resettle in the USA. In 2016, President Obama allowed about double that number, according to State Department data. European countries have processed about 900,000 asylum claims from Syrians since 2011, according to the United Nations. Uncertainty has not stopped some displaced Syrians from believing in the American Dream. Waasim Majeed, 36, lived in the United Arab Emirates, then France as an aspiring actor before seeking asylum in Los Angeles a year ago. "The Europeans, they give you money, and the government understands your basic needs, but there isn't the sense of freedom and opportunity you get here," he said. Majeed sees Americans as more understanding of a person's past. "They are more willing to accept you have a back story or made mistakes. We say in Syria, 'Everybody has broken wings.' Americans seem to understand this," Majeed said. That idea rings true for Tima Kurdi. Kurdi is the aunt of Alan Kurdi, a 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned off the coast of Turkey in 2015. The toddler became a haunting symbol of the region's refugee crisis. "After Alan's death, I spent a lot of time in the U.S. speaking to people. I expected to hear what Trump was saying in the news about not wanting us," said Kurdi, who lives in Canada. "It was the opposite. Everyone wanted to help. My experience in Europe has not been similar." Rachel McCormack, a literacy specialist at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, said the USA is full of opportunity. "Especially if you have a niche skill, you will do well here," said McCormack, who started a project delivering Arabic-language books to refugee children in Europe. Peter Nannestad, an expert on immigration at Denmark's Aarhus University, has another explanation for why some Syrians are attracted to the USA instead of Europe. More:America is no longer a 'nation of immigrants' More:What the Supreme Court ruling means for DACA Nannestad conducted a study that found high-skilled refugees tend to gravitate toward societies with large income gaps between rich and poor. These are the places where their talents stand the greatest chance of being rewarded. "Denmark is not a good place to be a high-skilled refugee," he said. "Taxes are high. You will pay for social benefits you may not need. If you are highly skilled, you will probably try to reach the United Kingdom. Or even better, the U.S." If you are Kareem Abeed, 32, the Syrian producer of Last Men in Aleppo, you may not try at all. Abeed was granted a short-term visa to attend Sunday's Oscars after initially being turned down. He has no desire to settle in the USA or Europe. "I have heard good things and bad things about refugees living in the U.S. and Europe," said Abeed, who lives in Gaziantep, a Turkey-Syria border town. "I need to be closer to Syria — for my work, to see my family and to be closer to the people. I think Feras, one day, he will probably come back, too."

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/03/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-search-ends-june/392001002/

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, 4 years later: Families hope mystery will be solved

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, 4 years later: Families hope mystery will be solved As families lit white candles and remembered loved ones who vanished aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, they were given new hope Saturday that the world's biggest aviation mystery might soon be solved. It's been four years since the plane, which was carrying 239, went missing over the Indian Ocean. A new search that stretches across thousands of miles of the sea could likely conclude in June. Malaysia’s civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, made the announcement at a remembrance event near Kuala Lumpur Saturday that marked the plane's disappearance. “The whole world, including the next of kin, have (new) hope to find the plane for closure,” Azharuddin told the Associated Press. “For the aviation world, we want to know what exactly happened to the plane.” Malaysia and Ocean Infinity, a company based in Houston, Texas, came to a deal in January to start a new search for the plane. The company will only be paid if successful. More:Malaysia agrees to have Houston company resume Indian Ocean search for missing Flight 370 More:Houston company offers private search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, after governments failed The official search by the Australia, Malaysia and China governments was called off in January 2017 after nearly three years. Officials have said no transmissions were received from the aircraft after it's first couple minutes in air, thus making the search very difficult. Grace Nathan, whose mother was aboard the plane, told those at the remembrance event Saturday that she just wanted to understand what happened. "We still really, really miss all the people we love," she said. "We still don't know what happened to them." She and other family members wore shirts commemorating four years since their loved ones went missing. Ocean Infinity started the search on Jan. 22 and has 90 search days to look for the plane. Azharuddin said the 90-day term will spread over a few months because the search vessel has to refuel in Australia and bad weather could be a factor, the Associated Press reported. The firm has not yet had any significant findings. There were pieces of debris found from the Indian Ocean and along Africa's east coast previously. At least three pieces were confirmed to have came from the plane. Officials have said there was an 85 percent chance of finding the debris in a new 9,650-square-mile search area – roughly the size of Vermont – identified by experts, but the firm did not want to give families too much hope. If the mission is successful within three months, payment will be made based on the size of the area searched. Malaysia says it will pay Ocean Infinity $20 million for 1,930 square miles of a successful search, $30 million for 5,790 square miles, $50 million for 9,653 square miles and $70 million if the plane or flight recorders are found beyond the identified area, according to the Associated Press. The plane vanished March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The passengers on board represented 14 nationalities and included a couple returning to their sons after a beach getaway and a construction worker making his first trip home in a year. Investigators have not determined what went wrong on the plane and theories have ranged from terrorism to mechanical failures to disintegrating in mid-air. None have been proven. Follow Christal Hayes on Twitter: Journo_Christal

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/06/what-you-need-know-potential-u-s-north-korea-talks/399573002/

North Korea-U.S. talks: Why make the offer now, what does North Korea want in return?

North Korea-U.S. talks: Why make the offer now, what does North Korea want in return? President Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May for high-level talks toward a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said outside the White House on Thursday. It would be the first face-to-face meeting between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader. The announcement comes days after North Korea said it was open to talks and offered to suspend nuclear missile and weapons tests during them. Here are answers to the key questions about the latest development. Why did Trump accept the offer? That remains unclear. In the days leading up to Thursday's announcement, the Trump administration said it wanted to see some concrete actions before agreeing to meet with Kim. The administration never made clear what those actions might be, and North Korea hasn't taken any visible steps toward denuclearization in recent days. North Korea has agreed to refrain from testing nuclear weapons or missiles and to accept that the United States and South Korea will conduct regularly scheduled joint military exercises. Those assurances were enough to convince Trump to meet with Kim, the White House said. Is North Korea serious about giving up its nuclear arsenal? Probably not, but if it consents to talks and suspends nuclear tests as promised, it still could result in progress that further defuses tensions. “It’s not an unconditional commitment to get rid of its nuclear program,” said Robert Einhorn, an arms control analyst at the Brookings Institution. “It’s not clear they’re committing to anything at this point.” Is there an upside even if North Korea doesn't give up its weapons? Holding talks, particularly between two leaders who often rely on their instincts, can sometimes yield unanticipated results. “It is a big window of opportunity,” said Jenny Town, assistant director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Even if North Korea doesn't agree to dismantle its nuclear arsenal — which the United States has demanded — it could agree to a suspension of future nuclear activity. That, in turn, could lessen tensions and reduce the chances of a mishap that could lead to war. It also might lead to further talks about a comprehensive disarmament. More:Trump and Kim Jong Un: Here are the worst insults they've slung at each other More:'The world is watching': North Korea reportedly would consider abandoning nukes program Related:War vs. diplomacy: Did the Olympics help resolve the North Korea nuclear standoff? Sort of. Should the United States trust North Korea? There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. “We shouldn’t be under any illusion that they are going to give up nuclear weapons easily,” Town said. Previous efforts to contain North Korea's nuclear arsenal, including an agreement in 1994, ended in failure amid strong evidence that North Korea was moving ahead with an enrichment program despite the deal with the United States. North Korea has also regularly objected to visits from weapons inspectors during previous discussions of disarmament, said Balazs Szalontai, an associate professor at Korea University. What does North Korea want in return for agreeing to talks? Ultimately, North Korea would like to unite the entire peninsula under its rule. That would mean removing U.S. troops from South Korea and getting security guarantees from the United States that it would not attempt to overthrow the Kim regime. The U.S. has more than 25,000 troops based in South Korea. North Korea also wants the lifting of international sanctions that have pinched the nation’s struggling economy. In previous negotiations, they have also asked for financial incentives. In the 1994 agreement, South Korea agreed to pay most of the $4 billion cost for light water reactors in North Korea to replace reactors that could produce weapons grade plutonium. Duyeon Kim, visiting senior research fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum, cautioned that Pyongyang and Washington likely have very different ideas on what denuclearization would entail and what the end goals for each country are. She said if the White House comes away from these talks convinced North Korea won't abandon its weapons after negotiations, it could then prompt a military response. "A potential risk is that if Washington believes Pyongyang is not interested in abandoning weapons even after talks, then the White House might be further convinced that it should use military force to solve the issue," she said. "That's the potential risk." Why is the North making this offer now? It is the result of efforts by South Korean President Moon Jae-in to ease tensions on the peninsula and get the United States and North Korea to talk with each other. The first step was getting North Korea to accept Moon’s invitation to participate in last month’s Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. That paved the way for this week’s visit by members of the Moon administration to meet with Kim. Conditions in the country could also be spurring the efforts. The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that sanctions led China to drastically clamp down on trade across its border areas with North Korea, one of the main sources of hard currency and goods into Kim's country. Observers say the impact is being sharply felt in North Korea through factory closures and rising prices. A North Korean soldier who defected across the demilitarized zone that divides the two countries in November also revealed shocking levels of deprivation. Doctors found enormous parasitic worms in his digestive tract and raw kernels of corn in his stomach. Soldiers are higher up on the rations list than ordinary citizens, so the uncooked corn was an alarming sign. Why is it a big deal that Trump himself is going? A meeting of top leaders makes the possibility of a major breakthrough more likely, since they can make immediate decisions that subordinates couldn't. A summit like this also raises expectations and builds momentum, which could also hasten a decision that would lead to denuclearization. What could go wrong? Plenty. If the two leaders fail to reach an agreement it could be a major setback for efforts to find a solution to North Korea's nuclear buildup. With the two leaders holding the talks there is little margin for error and it would be difficult to pick up the pieces of a failed summit. The meeting would give Kim the prestige he craves, but if he doesn't make any concessions to the United States it will look like Trump was outsmarted. That could wind up heightening tensions. More:North Korea: What could possibly go wrong when Trump meets Kim Jong Un? Contributing: Tom Maresca from Seoul.

adfbd9607273d2f29f272186bafed974

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/07/tiny-latvia-can-teach-u-s-lesson-two-russian-meddling/405330002/

Tiny Latvia can teach the U.S. a lesson or two about Russian meddling

Tiny Latvia can teach the U.S. a lesson or two about Russian meddling WASHINGTON — The tiny country of Latvia can teach the United States a few things about how to counter Russian meddling in politics. One important lesson from Russian efforts to exacerbate ethnic conflict, spread disinformation and possibly compromise Latvian officials is that Russian methods keep changing, according to advice from Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs. “When it comes to the use of information as a weapon or propaganda, Russia does not have an approach that one size fits all,” Rinkēvičs told USA TODAY on Wednesday. “There are different ways of conducting political meddling and also during political elections.” Rinkēvičs was in Washington for meetings to prepare for an April 3 summit with President Trump and the presidents of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Rinkēvičs and his counterparts from the former Soviet republics of Estonia and Lithuania discussed how to counter Russian "disinformation efforts and malicious cyber activity" when they met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, the State Department said. While the Soviet Union invaded and annexed all three Baltic countries during World War II, the West considered them occupied until they regained their independence in 1991. Latvia's experience is relevant to the U.S. ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Director of National Security Dan Coats told lawmakers Tuesday that Russia is “highly likely” to continue its campaign of disruption this year, using even more aggressive cyberattacks and influence operations than in the 2016 presidential election. Russia sees U.S. elections and those in allied countries “as opportunities to undermine democracy, sow discord and undermine our values,” Coats said. More:State Department launches $40 million initiative to counter Russia election meddling More:State Department's answer to Russian meddling is about to be funded More:Special counsel indicts Russian nationals for interfering with U.S. elections and political processes More:'The United States is under attack': Intelligence chief Dan Coats says Putin targeting 2018 elections U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia’s intervened in the 2016 election to hurt Democrat Hillary Clinton and help Republican Donald Trump. But Rinkēvičs said Russia has a broader goal, based on the meddling he observed in Latvia and Europe. When Catalonian separatists in Spain sought an independence referendum last summer, Russians on the Internet polarized the public by amplifying both separatists and those supporting a united Spain, he said. “The goal of (Russia’s) meddling is not to help one side or the other but to get extreme opinions clashing to undermine the fabric of Western society and institutions,” Rinkēvičs said. One remedy is to build strong partnerships between government and the social media industry to close down automated accounts that spread false stories and to expose the funding source for political ads and smear campaigns, he said. When Canadian troops deployed to Latvia last summer to help beef up NATO’s presence there, Russian-language Internet sites launched disparaging stories that portrayed the Canadians as beer-buying homosexuals who lived in luxury apartments at the expense of local taxpayers. “Everybody has a right to know this is fake information and who is behind spreading it,” Rinkēvičs said. After Russia seized and annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and supported a pro-Russian insurrection in eastern Ukraine in 2014, it also tried to create the impression that pro-Russian separatists were gaining popularity in Latvia and other Baltic countries. When someone created a Web page for a “People’s Republic of Latgale,” named for an eastern region of Latvia, and invented a flag for it, Latvian law enforcement officials stepped in, Rinkēvičs said. “It was investigated as fake and it stopped,” but not before The New York Times and others wrote about the supposed separatist movement as real, he said. Rinkēvičs questioned whether Russia is behind a recent political scandal involving the president of Latvia’s Central Bank, Ilmars Rimsevics, as his country prepares for its October election. Latvian police detained and questioned Rimsevics on Feb. 17 in connection to a bribery case, a fishing trip in Russia and American allegations that a Latvian bank violated sanctions on North Korea. “In an election, this will have an impact,” Rinkēvičs said.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/07/u-s-north-korea-used-chemical-agent-vx-kill-kim-jong-uns-half-brother/402478002/

U.S. says North Korea used nerve agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong Un's half-brother

U.S. says North Korea used nerve agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong Un's half-brother North Korea used the nerve agent VX to assassinate the estranged half-brother of the reclusive nation's leader Kim Jong Un, the State Department said. The State Department said it imposed further sanctions on North Korea this week in response to the killing of Kim Jong Nam last year at the Kuala Lumpur airport in the Malaysian capital. More: Who was Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of N. Korean dictator Kim Jong Un? Malaysian police said last month that preliminary tests revealed that VX was used in the killing. North Korea denies any involvement in Kim Jong Nam's death. "The United States strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons to conduct an assassination," the State Department said in the statement Tuesday. "This public display of contempt for universal norms against chemical weapons use further demonstrates the reckless nature of North Korea and underscores that we cannot afford to tolerate a North Korean WMD (weapons of mass destruction) program of any kind," the statement said. Kim Jong Nam was the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011. At one point he was considered the heir to rule the country. After falling out of favor with his father, he moved to the Chinese gambling mecca of Macau, where he lived in exile. He was returning home via Kuala Lumpur when he was killed on Feb.13, 2016. More:Trump: 'We'll see what happens' with possible North Korea talks More:What you need to know about potential U.S.-North Korea talks Two women are on trial for the murder — Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong, a Vietnamese national. They are accused of smearing Kim Jong Nam's face with a tasteless, odorless liquid that killed him hours later. Defense lawyers said the defendants thought they were acting as part of a prank for a reality TV show. Malaysian police counter that the two women knew what they were doing. Officials said four North Korean men who gave the nerve agent to the women fled the country soon after the killing. North Korea said Tuesday it would agree to hold talks with the United States about its nuclear weapons program, and offered to suspend nuclear missile and weapons tests during the talks, South Korean authorities said. The move is a potential step toward resolving the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula. "There’s been a lot of news on that today, hopefully it’s positive," Trump said Tuesday during a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. "Hopefully it will lead to a very positive result.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/09/metoo-south-korea-gives-more-jail-time-harassers/409760002/

#MeToo: South Korea gives more jail time to harassers

#MeToo: South Korea gives more jail time to harassers On International Women’s Day in South Korea, where gender inequality is deeply entrenched, the government announced new measures to combat sexual assault in the workplace — increasing maximum prison terms and extending statutes of limitations. The initiative, a joint effort of five ministries, comes as the country continues to reel from Tuesday’s news of a prominent politician’s resignation after his secretary accused him of rape. The politician, the former governor of South Chungcheong Province, Ahn Hee-jung, issued an apology in a Facebook post, saying, “It’s all my fault,” and retracting an earlier statement of denial. Ahn is the latest in a string of high-profile men to be toppled by South Korea’s #MeToo movement that in the past several weeks has quickly spread through the country’s political, religious, educational, business and arts and entertainment sectors. This reckoning is considered by many to be not just a movement — which had previously been confined to “radical” feminist outliers — but a broad people’s revolution. More:How the Oscars undermined the #MeToo movement: It's all about the clothes More:Women strike, protest as the world marks International Women’s Day “[Now,] there is interest among ordinary women and men,” Cho Hae-lim, a spokesperson of the Korean Institute of Gender Equality Promotion and Education, an arm of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, told PRI, adding, “There has been growing confidence that if we solidify, if we get together, we can make society better.” That public solidarity was on full display Thursday, as hundreds of women and men dressed in black gathered in the capital and chanted "#MeToo" in an International Women’s Day rally. On Sunday, too, participants of the 34th Korean Women’s Conference marched through the streets of central Seoul. In a #MeToo discussion Wednesday, Gender Equality Minister Chung Hyun-back noted, “Winds of change are blowing stronger as victims of sexual violence and supporters are empathizing and banding together.” Thursday’s plan, to be implemented by an inter-agency government task force headed by Chung, is coordinated by the gender equality, labor, education, justice and culture ministries. For abuse of power for sex, the maximum sentence will be raised from five to 10 years and the statute of limitations from seven to 10 years. For sexual harassment, the maximum sentence will be raised from two to five years and the statute of limitations from five to seven years. More:And the worst country to be a woman is ... More:#MeToo isn't just a hashtag, it's destigmatizing — and 'that's 'huge' The government also announced it will pursue criminal cases against CEOs who ignore or cover up sexual assault within their companies, as well as create a fact-finding group to assess the state of sexual violence within the arts industry. Cho described the action as an “urgent,” “earnest” and “all-out effort” by the government to expose and root out the nation’s “hidden” culture of predatory sexual behavior in the workplace. #MeToo’s start in South Korea The #MeToo movement took off in January, when a female prosecutor, Seo Ji-hyeon, accused a senior male official from the Ministry of Justice of groping her at a funeral while he was drunk. For the public, which had long tolerated such forms of misconduct, to realize that even professionals charged with upholding national law and order were vulnerable to workplace mistreatment was a blow. “This case propelled a big response in all levels of Korean society,” National Assembly member Kim Sam-hwa said. “The prosecutor in Korea is believed to be a job with more equality. It was a big shock to Korean society. ... It really raised recognition that nobody is safe from this kind of incident.” Seo’s story, combined with last year’s installment of new liberal leadership in the Blue House and the country’s outrage over the murder of a young woman in Seoul’s Gangnam district, has been a national awakening, spurring widespread demands for probes, punishment and legal reform, Cho said. #MeToo has also expanded to #MeFirst, a vow by those who might witness sexual harassment to be the first to speak out against it, as a Seoul court judge, Moon Yoo-seok, did in a Facebook post, and #WithYou, a pledge to stand with victims who come forward. In the workplace, an anonymous chat app called Blind has erupted with #MeToo, #MeFirst and #WithYou conversations. In the government, there’s been frank discussion about the country’s deep-seated patriarchy, at the root of the public's previously low awareness of workplace sexual harassment and victims’ limited confidence in their claims being taken seriously. A 2015 government survey found that 78% chose not to take action because they didn’t think it would make a difference. Many victims fear they will suffer the secondary damages of being ridiculed, fired from their jobs or sued for character defamation — as former Democratic Party Rep. Chung Bong-ju said he would do after a reporter accused him of sexual misconduct, according to a Korean news outlet. Chung was expected to announce his bid for Seoul mayor Wednesday but canceled the press conference. Last week, two ministries announced a new victims’ report hotline, public office inspections and more stringent policies to fire public workers fined for misconduct. Earlier, they introduced a plan to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, which mandates online report systems, specialized human resources personnel and prevention education. Changing policy, changing culture South Korea’s president, too, has thrown his weight behind #MeToo, joining the dialogue at the end of February to “applaud those who had the courage to tell their stories.” “I actively support the #MeToo movement,” the president, Moon Jae-in said in a cabinet meeting. “We should take this opportunity, however embarrassing and painful, to reveal the reality and find a fundamental solution. We cannot solve this through laws alone and need to change our culture and attitudes.” Those laws were updated last November with tougher penalties, including higher fines and longer prison terms, for workplaces that fail to investigate sexual harassment allegations or who retaliate against the employees who make them. There have been some questions, though, of whether these revised regulations, which have yet to go into effect, will make a difference. “A law can only be as effective as its enforcement,” said Kim Myung-sook, director of labor policy at the nonprofit advocacy group the Korean Women Workers Association. The previous iteration of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act “hasn’t been properly implemented in reality,” she said, with “cases often dismissed due to the strict application of the law.” Indeed, in 2016, out of 552 sexual harassment claims, only one resulted in prosecution, according to Kim. But like Moon, Cho stressed the importance of reforming not just policy, but culture. “The government will not limit itself to punishing the perpetrators, but to looking for a more long-term awareness raising through feminism education ... in the regular curriculum, in formal education,” she said. Ann Babe reported from Seoul, South Korea. This article originally appeared on PRI.org. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY. MORE FROM PRI.ORG: More:After sexual assault, this former aid worker found little help from UN More:Six months after Maria, Puerto Rico is burdened with challenges More:UN Women head: The time is now for gender equality

024c69961f4a32ada4c4498a741da9f4

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/13/russia-ex-spy-poisoning/419248002/

Trump says Russia must provide answers on poisoning of ex-Russian spy

Trump says Russia must provide answers on poisoning of ex-Russian spy LONDON – President Trump said Russia must provide “unambiguous answers” on how a Russian-developed poison was used in England against an ex-Russian spy. Trump spoke by telephone Tuesday with British Prime Minister Theresa May, telling her the United States is “with the U.K. all the way.” The White House said May and Trump agreed on the need for “consequences” for those who use “heinous weapons in flagrant violation of international norms.” The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, condemned the U.K. for setting a deadline for Russia to explain how the nerve agent could have been used to poison former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33. Zakharova said on television Tuesday, “No one can come to parliament and say, ‘I give Russia 24 hours.’ ” Russia said it won’t respond to a U.K. ultimatum unless it gets samples of the nerve agent. The chemical is part of a group of military-grade nerve agents developed in the Soviet Union and known as "Novichok" — "newcomer" in English. More:Novichok: What is Russia's dangerous poison used in ex-spy Sergei Skripal's case? Earlier Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted Moscow "is not to blame" and referred to the allegation as "nonsense." His comments came before a midnight deadline set by May for the Kremlin to answer British claims that it was "highly likely" Russia was involved in the poisoning of the Skripals. Both remain in critical condition after the attack in Salisbury, England, on March 4. May said Britain was ready to take "extensive measures" against Moscow if it did not get a satisfactory explanation for the attack. Britain would consider the incident "an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," she said. British investigators provided few other details about why they suspect Russian involvement. Outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States agreed with Britain's assessment that Russia was probably behind the poisoning of the double agent. In a more cautious response, the White House said the case was an outrage, but it did not mention Russia. Trump said before departing for a trip to California, "It sounds to me like they (Britain) believe it was Russia." Russian news agencies reported Tuesday that the nation's Foreign Ministry summoned Britain's ambassador in Moscow over the case, a tit-for-tat move that follows May's summoning of Russia's ambassador in London on Monday night. More:Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ousted in favor of CIA chief, Trump announces Skripal was jailed in Russia in 2006 after he confessed to being recruited by British intelligence and supplying information about Russian agents. He was freed in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap and moved to Britain. It is not clear why Skripal was targeted, but the case is reminiscent of the poisoning death of another former Russian agent in 2006. Alexander Litvinenko was exposed to a rare radioactive isotope, polonium-210, at a London hotel. An official British inquiry concluded in 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved the assassination of Litvinenko. A number of outspoken critics of Putin have been killed or died in mysterious circumstances, including journalists, opposition politicians and exiled tycoons. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that "Putin’s shadow war is real. Sometimes it looks like information operations aimed at undermining confidence in self-government, sometimes it looks like ground operations with masked gunmen and unmarked uniforms in Eastern Europe, and sometimes it looks like an assassination attempt in Great Britain." More:Russia faces midnight deadline to explain ex-spy's poisoning

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/13/swiss-found-way-save-their-glacier-melting-wrap-blanket/421142002/

The Swiss found a way to save this glacier from melting: Wrap it in a giant blanket

The Swiss found a way to save this glacier from melting: Wrap it in a giant blanket GENEVA — The Rhône Glacier is getting dressed up in white blankets and for a good cause: to protect it from further melting as a result of global warming. Every spring for the past eight years, residents from the neighboring Obergoms area have trekked up the Swiss mountain to wrap thermal blankets around parts of the glacier and the ice grotto carved inside it. The surrounding villages depend on the Rhône’s appeal — from its scenic trails to the spectacular ice cave — to boost the region's economy. So residents started to spread blankets over the most vulnerable parts of the glacier to keep its snowy cover intact. This method prevents some of the snow and ice from thawing in the summer sun that has already wreaked damage to the Rhône and other glaciers. More:You won't believe how much this tiny Swiss village will pay you to move there More:Switzerland makes it illegal to boil a lobster “It reduces the melting by 50% to 70%,” said David Volken, a Rhône glaciologist. The 12,000-foot-high glacier, nestled in the southern part of the Swiss Alps, feeds the Rhône River and Lake Geneva but has also shrunk considerably over the past 150 years. In the past decade alone, it lost an average of 33 feet of ice thickness, said Matthias Huss, head of the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network. The melting water has formed a lake that is becoming larger every year. That’s why the most vulnerable parts of the glacier, especially the grotto inside it, are swaddled in blankets made of heavy-duty fleece material from spring until fall. This process is not easy or cheap. The hauling and spreading of the tarpaulins takes several hours and costs thousands of dollars in material and manpower, mostly paid by local residents. The effort is worth it. “The blankets protect the underlying snow and ice from the sunlight. Another benefit is the thermal insulation they provide,” Huss said. They don't entirely stop the melting process, but “these blankets are very useful in slowing down ice loss locally,” he added. The large sheets of material mainly cover the area closest to the ice cave, a popular tourist attraction at 7,500 feet above sea level. In the winter, this sparkly blue tunnel stretches 348 feet in length, but by the end of the summer the length shrinks by about 12 inches. That’s why every May, a specially trained worker using a chainsaw re-carves the grotto to the original length — a laborious process that takes between three and four weeks, Volken said. Even though blankets help preserve the grotto and some of the glacier, the area being covered is relatively small — about five acres — and “will never suffice to save a whole glacier,” Huss said. While a few other glaciers in Switzerland are also blanketed during the summer months, most are not because they are too large. “This method will never be able to save our glaciers or to counteract the negative consequences of climate change,” Huss said. Scientists like Huss and Volken predict that by 2100, the Rhône, along with other Alpine glaciers, will practically disappear, with only 10% of today’s ice remaining. For now at least, the blankets help the Rhône Glacier keep its cool under pressure.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/16/romanian-court-tells-man-hes-not-alive/431622002/

'I am listed dead, I can't do anything': Romanian court tells man he's not alive

'I am listed dead, I can't do anything': Romanian court tells man he's not alive He's a dead man walking and the court ruling is final. A Romanian court has rejected a man's claim that he is still very much alive, after he was officially registered as deceased, the Associated Press reports. Constantin Reliu, 63, lost his case in Vasului because he appealed too late on the ruling, a court spokeswoman said Friday. The story goes that Reliu had traveled to Turkey in 1992 for work and lost contact with his family. Since his wife had not heard from her husband in years, she acquired a death certificate for him in 2016, the AP reports. However, since Reliu was discovered by Turkish authorities this year with expired papers, he was deported back to Romania. That's when he discovered he had been declared dead. “I am officially dead, although I’m alive," he said, according to the AP. "I have no income and because I am listed dead, I can’t do anything.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/17/zimbabwe-crowns-first-miss-albino-bid-tackle-stigma/435004002/

Zimbabwe crowns first 'Miss Albino' in bid to tackle stigma

Zimbabwe crowns first 'Miss Albino' in bid to tackle stigma Sithembiso Mutukura beat 12 other contestants to claim the crown at Zimbabwe's first-ever Miss Albinism beauty contest — an achievement she hopes will inspire others living with the rare disorder. "We must continue to advocate for our rights and I hope my win will empower the girl child," the 22-year-old social work student said. "I have gone through a lot, but I want people living with albinism to be brave and persevere in life." During the event in Harare on Friday night, the contestants had to respond to questions on stage and model a range of gowns and traditional African robes. Mutukura was awarded $85 in prize money after being named the winner. Pageant organizer Brenda Mudzimu said a lack of funds had made it difficult to get the initiative off the ground. In the end, the contest only attracted one sponsor, but Mudzimu says she hopes to one day make the event international. "This will be an annual event which will later be advanced to Miss Albinism Africa and Miss Albinism World because we want to reach all corners of the world," she said. In many African countries, people with albinism routinely face discrimination and persecution because of the way they look. The genetic disorder prevents skin cells from producing melanin , resulting in abnormal pigmentation of the skin, hair, and eyes. People with the condition also suffer from vision problems and are susceptible to skin cancer. "The pageant aims to instill confidence in girls living with albinism in Zimbabwe as well as reduce the stigma," Mudzimu said. Tapuwa Muchemwa, a Zimbabwean government representative who was the guest of honor at the pageant, said the country's leaders "strongly advocate that people with albinism deserve their right to life and security and to be protected as well as the right not to be subjected to torture and ill-treatment." The rate of albinism in Africa is much higher than in other parts of the world. Communities in some countries believe albinism can bring magical powers, wealth and good fortune — a superstition that has led to attackers kidnapping and murdering albinos to sell their body parts to witch doctors on the black market. According to the United Nations, there have been over 600 attacks on people with albinism documented in 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade. Many more cases are thought to go unreported. This article was first published on DW.com. Its content is created separately from USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/18/putin-calls-uk-accusations-over-ex-spy-poisoning-nonsense/436649002/

Putin calls UK accusations over ex-spy poisoning ‘nonsense’

Putin calls UK accusations over ex-spy poisoning ‘nonsense’ MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday dismissed British accusations of Russia’s involvement in an ex-spy’s poisoning as “nonsense,” but added that Moscow is ready to cooperate with London in the investigation. In his first comments on the incident, Putin referred to the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter as a “tragedy,” but added that if the British claim that they were poisoned by the Soviet-designed nerve agent were true, the victims would have been killed instantly. Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer convicted in his home country of spying for Britain, and his daughter have remained in critical condition following the March 4 poisoning. “It’s quite obvious that if it were a military-grade nerve agent, people would have died on the spot,” he said. “Russia doesn’t have such means. We have destroyed all our chemical weapons under international oversight unlike some of our partners.” Putin’s comments came a few hours after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he has evidence that Russia has been stockpiling a nerve agent in violation of international law “very likely for the purposes of assassination.” Johnson said the trail of blame for the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury “leads inexorably to the Kremlin.” Johnson told reporters that Britain has information that within the last 10 years, “the Russian state has been engaged in investigating the delivery of such agents, Novichok agents … very likely for the purposes of assassination.” He said “they have been producing and stockpiling Novichok, contrary to what they have been saying.” Putin dismissed the British accusations, emphasizing that an attack on Skripal would make no sense. “Any reasonable man would understand that it’s just sheer nonsense, complete rubbish to think that anyone in Russia could do anything like that in the run-up to the presidential election and the World Cup,” he said. “It’s simply unthinkable.” At the same time, Putin, who won another six-year term in Sunday’s election, said that Moscow is open for taking part in the probe together with Britain. “We are ready for cooperation. We said it right away,” he said. “We are ready to take part in the investigation, but it’s necessary that the other side shows interest in that too. We haven’t seen that, but we don’t exclude the possibility of joint work.” Johnson said he will brief European Union foreign ministers on the case Monday before meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. He also said officials from the Netherlands-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons would arrive Monday in Britain to take samples of the nerve agent used to poison the Skripals. Britain says it is Novichok, a class of powerful nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union toward the end of the Cold War. Tests to independently verify the British findings are expected to take at least two weeks, Britain’s Foreign Office said. Vladimir Chizhov, Moscow’s EU ambassador, said Russia has no chemical weapons stockpiles and wasn’t behind the poisoning. “Russia had nothing to do with it,” Chizhov told the BBC. Chizhov pointed out that the U.K. chemical weapons research facility, Porton Down, is only eight miles from Salisbury. Asked whether he was saying that Porton Down was responsible, Chizhov replied: “I don’t know.” The British government dismissed the ambassador’s suggestion as “nonsense.” Johnson said it was “not the response of a country that really believed itself to be innocent.” Britain and Russia have each expelled 23 diplomats, broken off high-level contacts and taken other punitive steps in the escalating tit-for-tat dispute, which clouded the run-up to Sunday’s presidential election in Russia. Western powers see the poisoning of the Skripals as the latest sign of increasingly aggressive Russian interference in foreign countries. Johnson said Britain’s National Security Council will meet this week to discuss what further measures the country might take. He said these could include “defending ourselves against cyberattack, (and) looking at any economic measures that could be taken against Russians who corruptly obtained their wealth.” Opposition lawmakers are calling on the British government to clamp down on the illicitly gained money of wealthy Russians in Britain. Critics say U.K. authorities have been slow to investigate the origins of the wealth invested in London’s financial district and property market. The spy dispute has sent U.K.-Russia relations to Cold War-levels of tension. Russia’s ambassador in London, Alexander Yakovenko, called for “cooler heads,” telling the Mail on Sunday that the dispute is “escalating dangerously and out of proportion.” More:Russia expels 23 British diplomats over ex-spy poisoning accusations More:Britain's top diplomat says Russia's Vladimir Putin ordered ex-spy's poisoning More:Ex-double agent poisoned. Now, Russia and U.K. are battling. Here's how we got here

b11e4db33c167778f7b538df5940d834

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/20/saudi-women-do-not-need-wear-black-abayas-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman/441297002/

Saudi women do not need to wear black abayas, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says

Saudi women do not need to wear black abayas, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says Saudi Arabia's religiously conservative rules constraining the actions and attire of women are showing signs of possibly relaxing. In an interview with U.S. broadcaster CBS on Sunday night, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said women should be able to choose what they wear. "The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Shariah (Islamic law): that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men," Prince Mohammed said in an interview with the CBS show "60 Minutes." "This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover," he added. "The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear." More:5 things to know about Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman The interview aired ahead of Prince Mohammed's visit to the United States, where he is due to meet with President Trump on Tuesday. 'Respectful' clothes open to interpretation An abaya is a loose-fitting, full-length robe that is typically black. In recent years, Saudi women have started wearing more colorful abayas as well as more open ones over jeans or long skirts. Although Prince Mohammed's statement appears to signal another opening for women's rights in the conservative kingdom, the prince's emphasis on "decent and respectful attire" means women will still not likely be allowed to wear whatever they would like to. Although Saudi Arabia has no written legal code to accompany Sharia law, the judiciary and police have enforced a strict dress code requiring women to wear abayas and cover their hair and faces in public. They have also jailed women for not covering themselves in public. Criticism remains over women's rights As the 32-year-old prince has risen to power, he has pushed through a number of social reforms that have included more freedom for women, including allowing women to attend public sporting events — albeit in a "family" zone segregated from the rest of the all-male fans. Women will also be allowed to drive starting this summer. Although these measures certainly indicate progress, the gender-segregated country continues to be criticized for its ongoing guardianship system. The system requires women to get the permission of a male family member in order to study abroad, travel or carry out other activities. This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/22/young-greeks-trade-big-city-life-farm/447237002/

Can't find a job? These young Greeks trade the big city for life down on the farm

Can't find a job? These young Greeks trade the big city for life down on the farm STERNA, Greece — Facing a nearly impossible job search and rising costs in the city, Margianna Xirogianni quit the rat race and moved here, a tiny village 80 miles southwest of Athens. Xirogianni, three of her siblings and other partners set up Green Land, a cooperative farming business that produces and exports extra-virgin olive oil, olive paste and other olive-based products around the world. They’re not alone. Like American Millennials who leave Manhattan for New York’s Hudson Valley or abandon Los Angeles for the California desert towns near Palm Springs, young Greeks are increasingly trading in their urban careers and lifestyles for the countryside. Yet Xirogianni’s move stemmed from a desperation that most American young adults wouldn't recognize. During the decade since the worldwide financial crisis, Greece's economy has been contracting. Youth employment stands at more than 40%, the highest in the European Union. “I finished my master's and had to work as a tutor, a waitress and a clown at kids' parties because nowadays no hospital hires staff,” said Xirogianni, 33, who used to dream of helping cancer patients with her degree in medical physics. “That's when it came to me: ‘We should start something of our own.’ ” The situation in Greece is not likely to change soon. Growth will remain sluggish as the country repays loans under a bailout financed by eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund. “In the countryside, we're self-sufficient,” said Xirogianni’s sister, Ioulia, 34, who moved to Sterna from Athens with her husband and two children. “We wanted a better quality of life where we'd get a decent pay. In crisis-hit Athens, the salaries are too small to make ends meet, especially if you have children.” The situation was similar for Petros Giannakopoulos, 24. After holding several jobs in cafeterias, supermarkets and beach bars in Patras, the third-largest city in Greece, he returned to Agia Mavra, a village with 300 residents where he grew up in western Greece. With no prior experience in farming, he and his family now own 200 sheep and sell milk and meat. “Nowadays in Greece, you spend years studying, and then you frame your degree and put it on the wall. But the only thing you can do with it is look at it, because you just can't get a job,” he said. He hopes to create a modern stable with milking machines, buy more land and a tractor and adopt such innovations as GPS tracking devices on his animals. He also wants to invest in an olive grove and an aloe vera farm next year. The government had seen a bump in the number of Greeks working in agriculture in the past decade, up to 13% from 11%, said Charalambos Kasimis, secretary-general for policy at the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food. Much of that increase was from a spike in farmers under age 40, he added. Rural regions might not be able to handle an influx of newcomers. “Farmers need social infrastructure, schools for their kids, local doctors, banks and so on,” said Kasimis, who is also a professor at the Agricultural University of Athens. The trend is still a welcome one, because Greek agriculture needs to change to remain competitive on the world market, he said. For decades, Greece has exported agricultural products such as olives and olive oil in bulk to other European countries that rebrand it under their own labels and re-export it. As a result, Italian and Spanish companies dominate the olive-oil industry. “We need to increase the added value in our products, build on our quality branding and agritourism,” Kasimis said. European Union policies that give farmers subsidies have also undermined the long-term competitiveness of Greek agriculture, said Thodoris Vasilopoulos, president of the Young Farmer Association in Greece. “The older generation learned to depend on subsidies and often didn't even bother to farm its land,” Vasilopoulos said. “Right now, subsidies are even given to retired farmers, like my 80-year-old grandfather. Only if we support farmers will we see Greece's GDP grow.” The Xirogianni siblings say they are now thankful for the economic crisis. If Greece hadn't tumbled into hard times, they might not have taken the step to become farmers. “We've even started expanding to agritourism,” Margianna Xirogianni said as she pushed harvested olives into a large sack. “Tourists can visit our farm and our home in order to see how olive oil is produced.” More:Two years after the bailout, life in Greece has gotten more miserable More:Voices: My family knows Greece's problems firsthand

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/23/swiss-cities-rank-high-quality-life/448843002/

Looking for a better quality of life? Try these three Swiss cities

Looking for a better quality of life? Try these three Swiss cities GENEVA — Switzerland's three largest cities always rank in the Top 10 places to live in the world, so what's the secret to a good life in Zurich, Geneva and Basel —besides the spectacular views? This country known for chocolate, cheese and fondue can also boast about legendary Swiss efficiency. “Everything works, is well organized and on time. It makes life so much easier and more enjoyable,” said Susan Herman, an American expatriate who lives in Zurich and often visits Geneva. Also consider the financial benefits: The average annual salary in the three cities ranges between $100,000 and $108,000, with income tax rates lower than in most of Europe. More:And the best city in the world to live is ... More:The happiest country on Earth: The winner is ... A common trait for the three Swiss cities is their “highly stable political and economic environment,” said Vera Reuland, spokesperson for the Mercer Quality of Living survey. “Additionally, the standard of health care here is excellent, and the public transport network is safe and reliable.” Mercer's annual survey, released this week, placed Zurich in second place, behind Vienna. Geneva ranked No. 8 and Basel No. 10. The United States lagged behind, with San Francisco in 30th place, and Boston at 35. Switzerland was named the world’s best nation for the second year in a row by U.S. News & World Report. And the country also tops life expectancy charts. A high percentage of Switzerland’s GDP is spent on "social protection," education, research and infrastructure — boosting its international standing and quality of life. Geneva, a city of 200,000, is known for manufacturing Rolex watches and being the European headquarters for the United Nations and the International Red Cross. About 42% of the city's population are immigrants or expats, giving this place on the western tip of Lake Geneva a distinct cosmopolitan vibe. Geneva also claims easy access to Alpine ski resorts and a view of Mont Blanc on a clear day. Basel is Europe’s pharmaceutical capital and birthplace of tennis champ Roger Federer. This city on the Rhine River is a vibrant cultural hub, where its 175,000 people can enjoy 40 world-class museums and numerous art galleries. “Basel's residents are known for their ability to enjoy life,” said Anneke Geyer from Basel’s tourism office, She said the city is dedicated to “an ambitious energy and climate policy,” as its core value. For example, residents are urged to reduce their use of electricity and encouraged to take public transportation instead of private cars. Zurich, Switzerland's largest city with 1.2 million people, is renowned as a global center for banking and finance, The city "enjoys a very high standard of living and lies in an unspoiled natural environment with lakes and mountains,” Mayor Corine Mauch wrote on the city’s website. “Living and working here is a sheer privilege,” she added.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/23/trumps-not-only-u-s-president-congratulate-putin-election-win-obama-did-2012/452901002/

Trump's not the only U.S. president to call Putin on election win. Obama did it in 2012.

Trump's not the only U.S. president to call Putin on election win. Obama did it in 2012. President Trump is not the only U.S. president to congratulate Russia's Vladimir Putin after an election win. Trump was harshly criticized this week by Republicans such as Sen. John McCain for his call to Putin on Tuesday over the Russian leader's victory in an election many deemed unfair. "An American president does not lead the free world by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections," said McCain, R-Ariz., who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. However, former president Barack Obama also wished Putin well after the Russian election on March 4, 2012. Obama called Putin five days after the vote, “to congratulate him on his recent victory,” according to an official readout of the call. More:Putin elected as Russia's president for another six-year term More:What you didn't know about Russian President Putin That call also came after the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported problems with the election. Apart from an uneven media playing field, the vote count lacked transparency, which contributed to allegations of widespread fraud leveled by Putin’s political opponents, according to the OSCE report. Former president George W. Bush also called Dmitry Medvedev in 2008, after the newly elected Russian president succeeded Putin. Medvedev then named Putin as his prime minister. Russian media reported that Bush congratulated Medvedev, but the White House did not confirm their accounts. The Bush White House had expressed concerns about that vote even before it occurred. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said at the time that Bush “did what he routinely does with lots of presidents-elect around the world, which is call to say: ‘Thank you for taking my call and I look forward to working with you,’” according to Reuters. The most recent Russian election was marred by “a lack of genuine competition” and a media environment that created “an uneven playing field,” according to the OSCE, which monitored the vote. Election monitors also reported “irregularities” that included “secrecy and procedural shortcomings that reduced transparency of counting,” and that popular would-be challengers were barred from running altogether. At the State Department this week, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was "no surprise" that Putin was re-elected, adding that some people were paid to turn out to vote and opposition leaders were intimidated or jailed. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential campaign and whether Trump’s campaign staff colluded with Russian efforts to influence the U.S. vote. McCain said Trump’s call was an insult to “every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country's future.” Trump defended himself on Twitter, saying "Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing," and that Russia can help the U.S. with North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, the Islamic State, Iran and to prevent a looming arms race.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/24/france-isis-attack-hostage-police-officer/455358002/

French police officer who swapped places with hostage during attack dies, official says

French police officer who swapped places with hostage during attack dies, official says TREBES, France — A French police officer who offered himself up to an Islamic extremist gunman in exchange for a hostage died of his injuries, raising the death toll in the attack to four, and the officer was honored Saturday as a national hero of “exceptional courage and selflessness.” Col. Arnaud Beltrame was among the first officers to respond to the attack on the supermarket in the south of France on Friday. Beltrame, who first took his place among the elite police special forces in 2003 and served in Iraq in 2005, had organized a training session in the Aude region in December for just such a hostage situation. At the time, he armed his officers with paintball guns, according to Depeche du Midi, the local newspaper. “We want to be as close to real conditions as possible,” he said then. But when he went inside the supermarket on Friday, he had given up his own weapon and volunteered himself in exchange for a female hostage. Unbeknownst to the Morocco-born captor, he left his cellphone on so police outside could hear what was happening in the store. They stormed the building when they heard gunshots, officials said. Beltrame was fatally wounded. His death raises the toll to four. The gunman was also killed, and 15 people were injured in the attack Related:French police kill gunman in supermarket siege that left 2 hostages dead “Arnaud Beltrame died in the service of the nation to which he had already given so much,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement. “In giving his life to end the deadly plan of a jihadi terrorist, he fell as a hero.” According to the statement, Beltrame joined the elite police special forces in 2003 and deployed to Iraq in 2005. He served as a member of the presidential guard and in 2012 earned one of France’s highest honors, the Order of Merit. He was married with no children. Macron has said investigators will focus on establishing how the gunman, identified by prosecutors as Morocco-born Redouane Lakdim, got his weapon and how he became radicalized. President Trump added his condolences to the victims of the attack in a tweet Saturday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the horrible attack in France yesterday, and we grieve the nation’s loss," Trump said. "We also condemn the violent actions of the attacker and anyone who would provide him support." On Friday night, authorities searched a car and the apartment complex in central Carcassonne where Lakdim was believed to live. Lakdim was known to police for petty crime and drug dealing. But he was also under surveillance and since 2014 was on the so-called Fiche S list, a government register of individuals suspected of being radicalized but who have yet to perform acts of terrorism. Despite this, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said there was “no warning sign” that Lakdim would carry out an attack. A woman close to Lakdim was taken into custody over alleged links with a terrorist enterprise, Molins said. He didn’t identify her. The four-hour drama began at 10:13 a.m. when Lakdim hijacked a car near Carcassonne, killing one person in the car and wounding the other, the prosecutor said. Lakdim then fired six shots at police officers who were on their way back from jogging near Carcassonne, said Yves Lefebvre, secretary general of SGP Police-FO police union. The police were wearing athletic clothes with police insignia. One officer was hit in the shoulder, but the injury wasn’t serious, Lefebvre said. Lakdim then went to a Super U supermarket in nearby Trebes, 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Toulouse, shooting and killing two people in the market and taking an unknown number of hostages. Special police units converged on the scene while authorities blocked roads and urged residents to stay away. He shouted “Allahu akbar!” – the Arabic phrase for God is great – and said he was a “soldier of the Islamic State” as he entered the Super U, where about 50 people were inside, Molins said. “We heard an explosion – well, several explosions,” shopper Christian Guibbert told reporters. “I went to see what was happening and I saw a man lying on the floor and another person, very agitated, who had a gun in one hand and a knife in the other.” During the standoff, Lakdim requested the release of Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving assailant of the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. The interior minister suggested, however, that Abdeslam’s release wasn’t a key motive for the attack. The ISIS-linked Aamaq news agency said the attacker was responding to the group’s calls to target countries in the U.S.-led coalition carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq since 2014. France has been repeatedly targeted because of its participation. France has been on high alert since a series of extremist attacks in 2015 and 2016 that killed more than 200 people. One of those attacks, against a kosher supermarket in Paris, seemed to foreshadow this week’s deadly assault in the south.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/26/ex-russian-spy-sergei-skripal-what-we-know-his-poisoning/457823002/

U.S. expels 60 Russian diplomats after Sergei Skripal poisoning: What we know

U.S. expels 60 Russian diplomats after Sergei Skripal poisoning: What we know President Trump expelled dozens of Russian intelligence officers on Monday over the nerve-agent poisoning in Britain of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He also ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. The White House said in a statement that was "due to its proximity to one of our submarine bases and Boeing." "Today’s actions make the United States safer by reducing Russia’s ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America’s national security," the statement continued. "With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences." The British case has drawn comparisons to the 2006 poisoning death in London of another former Russian agent, Alexander Litvinenko. An official British inquiry concluded in 2016 that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved Litvinenko's assassination. Here are some of the key developments. WHAT'S THE FALLOUT SO FAR? European Union chief Donald Tusk said Monday that 14 member-nations of the political bloc would expel Russian diplomatic staff over the Skripals' poisoning. Among them: Poland, Germany, France and Lithuania. British Prime Minister Theresa May has already concluded that Russia is "culpable" of the Skripals’ attempted murder. She previously expelled 23 Russian diplomats, suspended high-level contacts with Moscow and took new measures against "hostile state activity." In response to Britain's move, Russia announced that it was expelling 23 British diplomats, shutting the British consulate in St. Petersburg and closing the cultural organization the British Council. Russian news agencies reported that Moscow would expel 60 U.S. diplomatic staff in reaction to Trump's move Monday. WHAT HAS THE PROBE REVEALED? Counterterrorism agents are trying to discover the source of the nerve agent used, which they have identified as Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. May has said it’s highly likely it came from Russia, which Moscow vehemently denies. Russia has asked to examine the British evidence. Novichok is not the same nerve agent used to kill the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Malaysia last year. That was called VX. More:U.S. says N. Korea used nerve agent to assassinate Kim Jong Un's half-brother WHO IS SERGEI SKRIPAL? He is a former Russian double-agent convicted of passing identities of Russian agents working undercover in Europe to MI6, the British foreign intelligence service. Russia jailed Skripal for treason in 2006 after he confessed to working for MI6 and supplying information about Russian agents. Skripal admitted selling the names, addresses and code names of dozens of Russian agents to MI6 over 10 years. Russia freed him in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap and he moved to Britain. British media have reported that Yulia Skripal, who lives in Russia, was visiting her father and may have simply been in the wrong place when he was attacked. It is not clear why he would be a target or who might want him or his daughter dead. IS RUSSIA INVOLVED? A number of outspoken critics of Putin have been killed or died in mysterious circumstances, including journalists, opposition politicians and exiled tycoons. More:Meet one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's top enemies. He's a guy from Chicago Skripal does not seem to fit this profile. Litvinenko, for example, was an outspoken Putin critic who sought asylum in Britain after he assisted British intelligence and Spanish corruption investigators. Investigators traced his poisoning to two Russians accused of pouring a radioactive substance into his tea in a posh hotel in Mayfair, an affluent London neighborhood. The Kremlin adamantly denies the accusation that it was involved in his death. Putin's spokesman, Dimitry Peskov, told reporters this month that Skripal's case was a "tragic situation but we don't have information on what could have led to this." He said Britain had not requested Russia's help, but "Moscow is always ready to cooperate." Bill Browder, an American-born businessman who has clashed with Putin for years and become one of his most high-profile public enemies, told USA TODAY that he believes the Skripals' attack was ordered by Russia to "send a message ... that if you are disloyal and betray the country it doesn't matter when you did it, and it doesn't matter where you flee to, we'll come and get you and kill your family, too." More:Ex-double agent poisoned. Now, Russia and U.K. are battling. Here's how we got here

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/27/2-500-year-old-mummy-found-what-thought-empty-egyptian-coffin/461331002/

2,500-year-old mummy found in what was thought to be an empty Egyptian coffin

2,500-year-old mummy found in what was thought to be an empty Egyptian coffin Scientists in Australia have discovered the remains of a mummy in a 2,500-year-old coffin that was previously classified as empty. The coffin, acquired by the University of Sydney 150 years ago, was left untouched in its Nicholson Museum and was never studied. But when researchers removed the lid to the coffin late last year, they discovered the tattered remains of a mummy. "The records previously said the coffin was empty or with debris...There is a lot more to it than previously thought," said Jamie Fraser, the lead investigator and senior curator at the museum. The sarcophagus was one of four ancient and intricately designed Egyptian coffins — three of them with full-bodied mummies — acquired around 1860 by Charles Nicholson, a former chancellor of Sydney University. Coffin's original occupant Fraser said initial study shows the remains are of a single human, an adult probably around the age of 30. Hieroglyphs show the original occupant of the coffin that dates back to 600 BC was a priestess called Mer-Neith-it-es. Egypt was then ruled by native Egyptians. "We know from the hieroglyphs that Mer-Neith-it-es worked in the Temple of Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess," Fraser said. "There are some clues in hieroglyphs and the way the mummification has been done and the style of the coffin that tell us about how this Temple of Sekhmet may have worked," he said. Detailed computed tomography (CT) scans and a laser scan for 3D modeling purposes were finished last week. The examination has so far been able to locate several bones, bandages, resin fragments, and more than 7,000 glass beads from a funeral shawl. Rare research opportunity The mummy was "heavily disturbed" and likely robbed for jewels and amulets by tomb raiders. The discovery offers scientists a rare opportunity to test the corpse that could help unlock mysteries around ancient Egypt. "We can start asking some intimate questions that those bones will hold around pathology, about diet, about diseases, about the lifestyle of that person how they lived and died," Fraser said. Whole mummies offer few scientific benefits as they are typically left intact. This article was originally published on DW.com. Its content is separate from USA TODAY.

7db8c2815de59820105f16b695986710

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/27/schoolgirl-kidnapped-boko-haram-still-held-christian/460554002/

Schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram refuses to convert to Islam, family says

Schoolgirl kidnapped by Boko Haram refuses to convert to Islam, family says ABUJA, Nigeria — Leah Sharibu likes biology, hanging out with friends and wants to be a doctor. The 15-year-old who was among the group of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram last month is the only one still being held by the militants — because she refused to convert to Islam. “My daughter is alive, but they wouldn't release her because she is a Christian,” her father Nathan Sharibu said Monday. “They told her they would release her if she converted, but she said she will never become a Muslim. I am very sad, but I am also overjoyed because my daughter did not denounce Christ.” A growing backlash against the Nigerian government and Boko Haram to release the girl has spawned threats of court action and a hashtag that's gone viral — #DapchiGirls. Boko Haram kidnapped 110 girls on Feb. 19 when the militants raided the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi and held them hostage. Most were released last week. They were dropped off in the middle of the night under an agreement with the government that included withdrawing Nigerian soldiers. But five girls had died during the assault, the released schoolgirls said. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is under fire for the kidnapping after he had been saying for months that Boko Haram had been defeated. He said he would redouble the government's efforts to bring back the missing teen. "Leah Sharibu will not be abandoned," he said. Boko Haram loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden." Olapade Agoro, chairman of an opposition party, the National Action Council, threatened to take Buhari to the International Criminal Court in The Hague if the government doesn't secure her release. He said the government's negotiations favored Muslims, and Leah was the only Christian student abducted. “President Buhari should engage his negotiating machinery to get Leah released unconditionally … since it is obvious that the federal government negotiated to get the other Dapchi students released," Agoro said. He also offered to switch places with the young girl. “It is unfortunate that Leah is being subjected to further physical and psychological trauma because she insisted on holding on to her religious faith," Agoro said. “It has now become a crime to be a Christian in Nigeria.” More:Boko Haram returns 104 of 110 kidnapped schoolgirls, Nigeria says More:Nearly 100 Nigerian girls still missing days after suspected Boko Haram attack, parents say More:In Nigeria, militants use dozens of children as human bombs The kidnapping was reminiscent of four years ago when nearly 300 girls were taken from their school in nearby Chibok, sparking the worldwide #Bringbackourgirls campaign that attracted celebrities and former first lady Michele Obama to speak out. Although most of those schoolgirls have rejoined their families, 113 are still missing. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign said it will sue the government for more information about the Chibook girls and for the Dapchi kidnapping. Leah's mother, Rebecca Sharibu, cried as she talked about her daughter. “My heart was broken when I searched through the released girls and could not set my eyes on my dear daughter, Leah,” she said last week, sitting in her small home in Dapchi. “What her schoolmates told me was that my daughter was told she must recite the Kalima Shahada (the Islamic profession of faith). And she said she does not know how to recite it, that she was not brought up as a Muslim," her mother said later in a phone interview. "She had already boarded alongside others who were ready to come home. They said my daughter would only be brought back home the day she knows how to recite Kalima Shahada," Rebecca Sharibu added. Still waiting for word on Monday, her parents described Leah, the elder of two children, as a happy child who loves bright colors and adores reading and chemistry. She also likes to help with chores. “If Leah were home, she and her little brother would attend to everything in this home. She would not let me do anything," her mother said. But she wants answers now, as well as her daughter. “Since we were told that the negotiation was done for all the schoolgirls, why did the government accept that only my daughter be left behind when others’ were freed and even brought home," she asked. "If they (government officials) negotiated as if they loved all the girls as their own, then they should do everything to help release my own girl." Bhatti reported from Berlin.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/29/french-pm-edouard-philippe-leads-funerals-trebes-attack/468661002/

French PM Edouard Philippe leads funerals for 4 victims of Trebes extremist attack

French PM Edouard Philippe leads funerals for 4 victims of Trebes extremist attack PARIS – French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and senior figures of the French government attended the funerals in southern France Thursday for the four victims of last week’s extremist gun rampage. The ceremonies took place Thursday in the quiet Aude region that was the site of a deadly carjacking, gun spree and supermarket hostage-taking. Philippe spoke to family of the victims and local residents in Trebes as the funeral convoys of Herve Sosna, Christian Medves and Jean Mazieres arrived – and their coffins were put on display in a large square. Mazieres, 60, was killed by attacker Redouane Lakdim during the carjacking; Medves, 50, was shot in the supermarket, where he worked as a butcher; construction worker Sosna, 65, was a customer in the supermarket. A private religious ceremony took place afterward for slain gendarme Arnaud Beltrame in nearby Carcassonne, and it will be followed by a burial later in the cemetery of Ferrals-les-Corbieres. On Wednesday, France held a national homage to Beltrame, a colonel, who was given a posthumous Legion of Honor for his heroism in swapping himself for a hostage and potentially preventing further killings.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/29/german-police-officer-helps-boyfriend-end-relationship/468623002/

Police officer helps clueless man break up with his girlfriend

Police officer helps clueless man break up with his girlfriend A 34-year-old man took the motto "The police, your friend and helper" to heart when he walked into a police station in Ludwigshafen, a city on the Rhine River 50 miles south of Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday. His problem was a personal one: He wanted to break up with his girlfriend but did not know how. He just did not understand her anymore, he said. One of the female officers took him aside and proposed several alternative scenarios. The police force did not describe what options had been suggested to the man, but were very clear that the actual breaking-up was a job he would have to do himself. "We are willing to advise, but we can not close the deal," the police reported afterward. "We help everyone, and we always have an open ear for citizens' concerns." Whether the man took the advice is not yet known. This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/29/italian-court-acquits-man-stealing-eggplant/468747002/

Italian court acquits man of stealing eggplant after 9-year legal battle

Italian court acquits man of stealing eggplant after 9-year legal battle An Italian man has been acquitted of stealing an eggplant in a case that has rumbled on for nine years and cost thousands of dollars of public money. Police caught the man trying to leave a field with the fruit near the southern city of Lecce, in Italy’s Puglia region in 2009, the AFP news agency reported. The man, who was 49 years old at the time, told police he was unemployed and needed to feed his child, but a court sentenced him to five months in jail and fined him about $600, the news agency reported. He appealed and his sentence was reduced to two months in jail and a $150 fine. The man’s lawyer, however, took the case to Italy’s top appeals court, which acquitted him, AFP reported this week. The court’s ruling said the man “was definitely acting to satisfy the hunger of his family” and “there are grounds for justification," Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported. The court said about $9,000 out of the total that taxpayers have spent on the case would go toward the man's legal fees, according to La Repubblica.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/29/united-states-russia-cold-war-putin-trump/467806002/

Another Cold War? Tensions between U.S. and Russia may be higher now

Another Cold War? Tensions between U.S. and Russia may be higher now Is a second Cold War brewing? Not so fast. President Trump’s expulsion this week of 60 Russian diplomats over the poisoning of a Russian double agent in Britain eclipsed the 55 diplomats then-President Ronald Reagan expelled in 1986 during the height of the Cold War. Measures to remove Russian diplomats by Western countries, and Moscow's retaliatory expulsions of the same number on Thursday, were a throwback. But much has changed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Russians have new tools at their disposal. The rules of engagement for both countries are less clear. And the United States and its allies are much stronger now. The differences make the tensions between Russia and the U.S. possibly more volatile, but they also create opportunities for the West. Here are a few ways what’s happening now is not like the Cold War: New ways of hacking Russia uses propaganda and other techniques to destabilize its adversaries like during the Cold War. But now Russia is using cyber tools, hacking and social media to do so more effectively. Russian hackers worked in conjunction with a revamped propaganda apparatus, through state-owned media such as RT and Sputnik and with an army of human-operated and automated fake social media accounts to influence elections in the U.S., Spain, Britain and elsewhere across Europe. America still has its old Cold War news organizations such as Voice of American and Radio Free Europe, created in the 1940s to counter Nazi and Soviet propaganda . But Trump and Congress have not funded any one U.S. agency to counter Russia’s new efforts. U.S. intelligence agencies believe Russian meddling will continue as the 2018 U.S. midterm elections approach. 'Russia much more dependent on trade' Russia’s economy is now more integrated with the West. During the Cold War, there was limited trade between the Eastern Bloc and Western Europe. Now Russia is a major supplier of oil and gas to much of Eastern and Western Europe. The Soviet Union’s economy from 1960 to 1975 was between 49% and 57% of the U.S. total, according to a 1999 report by the CIA. Now, Russia’s $1.2 trillion economy is minuscule compared to the U.S.’ $18.6 trillion and the combined $17.1 trillion economy of the European Union. ”Russia is much more dependent on trade than the Soviet Union was,” said Alina Polyakova, a Russia analyst at the Brookings Institution. “This gives the West more leverage over Russia than over the Soviet Union.” Western sanctions over Russia’s 2014 seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and its support for separatist forces who seized territory in eastern Ukraine have hurt the Russian economy but caused only negligible impact in Europe, Polyakova said. And unlike the days when senior Soviet apparatchiks were confined to vacationing in dachas on the Black Sea, the senior officials and businessmen who are close to Putin have assets in the West and like to vacation and educate their children in places like France, London and Aspen, Colo. That means the U.S. and its allies have more ways to isolate and hurt them, Polyakova said. Russia is smaller geographically and weaker both diplomatically and militarily compared to the U.S. than the Soviet Union was. Many of the countries it relied on as buffer states and as markets during the Cold War peeled off after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and either joined NATO or the European Union or both. That process continues, with three former Soviet republics, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, entering into association agreements with the E.U. in 2016 and 2017. 'No clear rules' Unlike during the Cold War when U.S. and Soviet pilots generally would keep a respectful distance to avoid sparking a nuclear confrontation, Russian military pilots now routinely buzz U.S. warships and planes flashing their array of missiles. •In diplomatic tiffs during the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviets responded to each other in a measured fashion. When Reagan expelled 55 diplomats, the Soviets did not expel any Americans, but ordered 260 Soviet employees of the U.S. Embassy in Washington to stay home, forcing State Department officials to wash and drive their own cars and cook their own food at the embassy. Later that year, the two superpowers each expelled another five diplomats. When Obama ejected 35 diplomats in 2016 in response to Russia’s interference in the U.S. election, Putin responded by ordering 755 U.S. diplomats out of Russia. “Now the Russians seem to overcompensate with their retaliation,” Polyakova said. “There’s no clear set of rules anymore.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/31/mexico-tourist-fears-violence-cancun-los-cabos/471115002/

Violence in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos threaten Mexico's tourism industry

Violence in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos threaten Mexico's tourism industry PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Tourists taking the ferry from this tourist town to the island of Cozumel now walk down a wharf lined with police, heavily armed soldiers and bomb-sniffing dogs. Those safeguards came after a Feb. 21 explosion ripped through one of the ferries, injuring 24 people, including five Americans. Explosives were later found on another ferry owned by the same company. “It’s something that makes you feel safer,” Roberto Cintrón, president of the Cancún hotel owners’ association, said about the soldiers and security after a recent ferry ride to Cozumel. “It’s the complete opposite situation of the insecurity many people think of.” Numerous reports about crime and tourist tragedies have made recent headlines as the violence plaguing this country erupts in cities popular with foreign visitors. Incidents causing concern in Cancún and outlying Quintana Roo state range from bars allegedly serving adulterated liquor to unsuspecting tourists to police targeting visitors in rental cars for bribes. A vacationing Iowa family of four was found dead March 23 in a condo in Tulum on the Caribbean coast. Authorities suspect the cause was a gas leak from a faulty water heater Violence in resort cities such as Cancún, Playa del Carmen (in Quintana Roo state) and Los Cabos resembles the rest of the country, but it threatens Mexico’s lucrative tourism industry. “The common thread in Los Cabos and Quintana Roo is the public security system had been totally dismantled,” said Francisco Rivas, director of the National Citizen Observatory, which monitors security issues in Mexico. “There were prosecutor's offices that didn't investigate and police that couldn't prevent or react to crime.” Analysts offer a variety of explanations for the rising crime across Mexico, from drug cartels to the U.S. opioid crisis prompting cartels to switch from growing marijuana to producing heroin. Mexico had the most murders on record in 2017, with 29,158 homicides. The homicide rate in the first two months of 2018 was already up 21% over the same period last year. The U.S. State Department in January issued a strict travel advisory for five Mexican states, including Guerrero, home to Acapulco and Ixtapa. The “do not travel to” advisory put the states of Sinaloa, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Tamaulipas (on the Texas border) on the same level as war-torn countries like Syria. Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat said the advisory was based on crime statistics and atrocities “not related to incidents that directly affected foreign visitors.” The secretariat noted the list did not include Mexico's five biggest tourist destinations: Cancún, the Mayan Riviera, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta-Riviera Nayarit and Mexico City. The U.S. government closed its consular agency here in Playa del Carmen in early March, citing a security threat after the ferry explosion, but service has since resumed. Mexican authorities said the explosion was unrelated to organized crime. Cintrón, the hotelier, said violence strikes overwhelmingly in areas not visited by tourists. Hotel occupancy hovers at 83%, roughly the same as the same time last year, he said. “This is not happening in tourist areas,” Cintrón said. “There have been cases, we can’t deny that” in the tourist areas, he added, “But it’s something very targeted” and not putting tourists at risk. Mexico welcomed nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2017, and tourism accounts for 8% of the country’s GDP. Tourist hotspots also attract millions of Mexicans seeking jobs. “There’s lots of work here ...… and it pays better,” said Fabiola López, a waitress who moved to Playa del Carmen from Chiapas, Mexico’s poorest state. “I was able to buy a house.” Tourists often ask about security, said Israel Uribe, a concierge in Playa del Carmen. After a shootout on the tourist strip here in early 2017, his bosses instructed him, “Don’t say anything” when asked about security. Some in this region support the U.S. tourist advisory, saying that's the only way the Mexican government will take security issues seriously. “This is something that will open our government’s eyes, that the threat here is real," said Daniel Villaseñor Pérez, a lawyer and community activist in Cancún.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/06/united-states-imposes-new-sanctions-russia/490814002/

U.S. imposes new sanctions on 7 Russian oligarchs and 17 government officials

U.S. imposes new sanctions on 7 Russian oligarchs and 17 government officials The Trump administration imposed new sanctions Friday on 38 individuals and companies close to Russian President Vladimir Putin — including seven Russian oligarchs and 17 government officials — in response to the Kremlin's worldwide pattern of "malign activities," according to senior administration officials. The seven oligarchs include Oleg Deripaska, an aluminum magnate who had past business dealings with Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, who has been indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on money-laundering charges. Many of the targets are individuals and businesses with ties to Russia’s energy sector, including those linked to state-owned Gazprom. The senior administration officials said the goal was to hit those who have benefited financially from Putin’s position of power. "Actions have consequences," said the officials, who weren’t authorized to comment by name and briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. "Today's announcement is a result of decisions that the Russian government have made in choosing a path of confrontation." The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted individuals or firms have in U.S. jurisdictions and prohibits Americans from doing business with them. The officials said, however, the administration would provide guidance to Americans who may currently have business with them about how to wind down that business and avoid violating the sanctions. Also on the list: • Vladimir Bogdanov, director general of Surgutneftegaz, a Russia-based oil company. • Suleiman Kerimov, a member of the Russian Federal Council, who was detained in France in 2017 for allegedly trying to bring in hundreds of millions of euros in suitcases. • Igor Rotenberg, an oil, gas and drilling magnate. • Kirill Shamalov, purported husband of Putin's daughter, and an oil and gas baron. • Andrei Skoch, deputy of the Russian state Duma, or parliament, who, the officials said, has "longstanding ties to Russian organized criminal groups." • Viktor Vekselberg, an energy sector baron, founder and chairman of the Renova Group, comprised of asset management companies and individual funds. Top executives of the company were arrested in 2016 for allegedly bribing officials connected to a power generation project in Russia. These Russian billionaires, known as oligarchs, got rich buying state-owned enterprises in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union or later under Putin’s rule. The United States is going after them in a bid to shatter their support for the Russian leader. The senior officials said the new measures, which have been in the works since the past administration, were not in response to any special event or issue "but the totality of the Russian governments increasingly brazen pattern of malign activity across the world." The officials singled out acts such as the annexation of Crimea, the supplying of weapons to the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad and the meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections as well as money laundering. Among the firms sanctioned is Rosoboroneksport, a state-owned Russian weapons trading company. Officials said the firm has longstanding and ongoing ties to the Syrian government, with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons sales over more than a decade. Among the government officials on the list are Vladimir Kolokoltsev, minister of Internal Affairs and General Police of the Russian Federation; Alexey Dyumin, governor of Russia's Tula region, who previously headed the Special Operations Forces; and Mikehail Fradkov, president of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, a major research and analytical center established by the President of the Russian Federation. Also included are Timur Valiulin, the head of the General Administration for Combating Extremism within Russia’s Ministry of Interior; Evgeniy Shkolov, a Putin aide; and Konstantin Kosachev; chairperson of the Council of the Federation Committee on Foreign Affairs. The sanctions also singled out oligarch-owned companies like B-Finance Ltd. — based in the British Virgin Islands and owned or controlled directly or indirectly by Deripaska — Renova Group, and energy companies like GAZ Group and Gazprom Burenie. The senior Trump administration officials said the individuals and entities on the list have "disproportionally benefited by bad decisions by the Kremlin on their behalf." What’s Putin’s relationship to the oligarchs? Putin needs their loyalty and gives them financial benefits in return, said Alina Polyakova, an analyst at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. “Personal sanctions try to put a crack in that web of loyalty,” Polyakova said. They send a message: “You’re rich because of Putin, but you’re going to get hurt because of Putin, too.” Putin initially waged war against some of these super wealthy men who sought to challenge his authority. Others became rich under Putin because of their association with him and their support for his regime, Polyakova said. “These are the people we should be targeting,” she said. Putin, as an authoritarian leader, needs popular support and to “ensure loyalty, first by making sure his loyalists and cronies can profit, and then those profits depend on their loyalty to him.” Why impose sanctions now? The sanctions were authorized by a law Congress overwhelmingly passed last summer, which sought to punish Russia for its cyberattacks on the United States during the 2016 presidential campaign. Congress targeted Russia’s oil industry, financial institutions and people and government-owned businesses. Congress required the administration to identify “the most significant senior foreign political figure and oligarchs” in Russia, plus their net worth. The classified report, issued in February, assessed the relationship between those people and Putin or other members of the Russian elite, and identified their involvement in corruption. It also included their sources of income and that for their family members, including spouses, children, parents and siblings, as well as their assets, including non-Russian business affiliations. What impact could sanctions have? The sanctions are meant to deter Russia from its aggressive campaign to weaken the West. Outgoing national security advisor H.R. McMaster described Russia’s motives during his last speech Tuesday at the Atlantic Council in Washington. He said the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania "have all been targeted by Russia’s so-called hybrid warfare, a pernicious form of aggression that combines political, economic, informational and cyber-assaults against sovereign nations.” U.S. intelligence agencies and think tanks say Russia also meddled in the 2016 U.S. president election as well as national elections last year in Europe. Putin is wrong if he thinks he will prevail, McMaster said. “Perhaps he believes that our free nations are weak and will not respond to his provocations. He is wrong.” The message the U.S. wants to send with these sanctions is that “Putin cannot protect his own people,” said Daniel Fried of the Atlantic Council think tank. The sanctions demonstrate to Putin’s circle of supporters, “that when Putin attacks the West that doesn’t go cost free,” said Fried, a recently retired chief of sanctions policy at the State Department. Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement in former president Barack Obama's National Security Council, said new sanctions on Putin's inner circle will not have the desired impact. "We tried this," Bruen said, referring to sanctions on Putin's inner circle for Russia's seizure and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula. Russia has proven it can survive economic sanctions aimed at individuals, which so far are the only tool the West has been willing to use, Bruen said. Instead, the U.S. should launch an aggressive information campaign to damage Putin's popular support — to show the Russian people how Putin's corruption and mismanagement is hurting them and making them unsafe, he said. "We need to show we have the capacity to hit Putin where it hurts," he said. "Puncture this inflated propagandized public image that he has. Show who and what he is." What kind of relationship do the oligarchs have with the West? By supporting Putin, the oligarchs help divide the West and undermine its institutions, often through shell companies and bank accounts in the names of relatives or friends, Polyakova said. “Yet they want to hide their money and live in the West and vacation in the West and send their kids in Western schools,” she said. They hoard their money in the West because it’s safer there, in case Putin decides to rein them in, she said.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/07/vatican-arrests-diplomat-accused-viewing-child-porn/495849002/

Vatican arrests diplomat accused of viewing child porn

Vatican arrests diplomat accused of viewing child porn The Vatican arrested a diplomat Saturday who was recalled from his Washington, D.C., post last year while under investigation for possessing child pornography in the United States and Canada. A statement from the Vatican identified the accused man as Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella, a high-ranking priest in the Vatican's diplomatic corps. He was arrested after a warrant was issued by the Vatican's chief magistrate at the conclusion of an investigation, according to the statement. Capella was being held in a cell in the police barracks inside the Vatican. If indicted and convicted in a Vatican trial, he faces up to 12 years in prison. Canadian police in Windsor, Ontario, said Capella allegedly uploaded child porn from a social networking site while visiting a "place of worship" during the 2016 Christmas holiday from Dec. 24-27. The Windsor police accused Capella of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography. Capella was recalled from the U.S. by the Vatican last fall. The Vatican recalled him after the State Department notified it on Aug. 21 of "possible violation of laws relating to child pornography images" by one of its diplomats in Washington. The State Department had asked the Vatican to waive Capella's diplomatic immunity so that he could be prosecuted in the U.S., but the Vatican refused. Capella served on the Italy desk in the Vatican’s secretariat of state. He was part of the official delegation that negotiated a tax treaty with Italy and also served in Hong Kong before being sent to the U.S. Embassy last year. He entered the diplomatic corps in 2004. Pope Francis has declared a "zero tolerance" policy for child abuse after the high-profile sex abuse cases that have plagued the Catholic Church.

9eafde1f1546a99c79024a31b4d66fed

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/09/syria-conflict-explained-bashar-assad/498756002/

Syria conflict explained: How did we end up here?

Syria conflict explained: How did we end up here? President Donald Trump reversed previous U.S. policy on Wednesday and plans to withdraw all American troops from Syria. The conflict that began as a peaceful uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime escalated into a full-scale civil war that is now one of this century's deadliest. Along the way, the Syrian conflict allowed Islamic State extremists to flourish, created the world's worst refugee crisis since World War II and exacerbated an international power struggle. After nearly eight years of relentless bloodshed, here is a recap of the crisis: Why did the civil war start? Economic problems and a lack of freedom caused resentment toward Assad's authoritarian rule. His forces responded to protesters in 2011 by killing hundreds of them and imprisoning many more as other pro-democracy uprisings known as the Arab Spring were taking place across the Middle East. As public anger intensified, the growing chaos attracted extremist fighters throughout the region, including remnants of al-Qaeda in Iraq and an offshoot that became the Islamic State, or ISIS. Eventually, a full Syrian rebellion was mounted against Assad's regime. Some of these rebel groups started fighting each other as well as Assad's military forces because of sectarian divisions, complicating the situation. How many have been killed? According to the U.N., between 400,000 and 600,000 Syrians have been killed and more than half of the country's 20 million, pre-war population has been displaced. About 5.5 million Syrians have fled abroad — 95 percent of them in just five countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt), according to humanitarian groups. How has the war impacted the country's infrastructure? About a third of Syria's housing and half of its educational and medical facilities have been destroyed, according to a 2017 World Bank report. Of Syria's estimated 10 million children, 8.6 million are in dire need of assistance, up from about a half-million after the first year of war. Nearly 6 million children are displaced or living as refugees, and about 2.5 million are out of school. What is the U.S. involvement in Syria? The United States has about 2,000 troops on the ground in Syria, based mostly in northeast Syria. Their mission has been straightforward: to support local militias fighting the Islamic State. The troops serve as advisers and provide other support, including air power. The U.S. troops are not in conflict with Assad's armed forces or their Iranian and Russian backers. The U.S. is backing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict but is attempting to fight the Islamic State without taking sides in the civil war. While Trump claimed victory Wednesday over the Islamic State group his assessment differs from a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Washington-based think tank estimates that ISIS is far from obliterated and may still possess between 20,000 to 30,000 militants in Iraq and Syria. Why is Russia involved? The conflict has turned into a proxy war. The United States started arming and providing military air cover in 2014 for anti-Assad rebel groups who were also waging war against ISIS. Washington also began working with Syrian Kurds, one of the strongest partners in the fight against ISIS. After that support appeared to turn the tide against Assad, Russia — a longtime Syrian ally — entered the conflict in 2015 to shore up Assad's struggling regime. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to assert his country's power on the world stage. What support is Iran providing? Iran provided much-needed ground troops for the Assad regime, funneling money and fighters through the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group to further establish a strong presence in the region. Israel has been indirectly involved as it fears Iran could use Syrian territory to stage attacks on Israel or transfer weapons to Hezbollah. Iran is Israel’s arch-enemy and has sworn to destroy the country. What is Turkey's interest in the conflict? Turkey, Syria's northern neighbor, extended its ground operations into Syria, fearing the conflict could embolden Turkey's large population of Kurds to demand independence. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that his country would soon launch a new operation against Syrian Kurdish militia fighters in northern Syria. What happens next? Over the years, there have been various peace talks and United Nations resolutions calling for cease-fires to allow aid to reach areas where civilians were trapped. The cease-fires did not last or were violated. In recent months, Iran, Russia and Turkey have taken the lead on peace talks. They want to draft a new constitution for Syria and for elections to be held. But peace talks have consistently stumbled on a major sticking point: the fate of Assad. Mara Karlin, an intelligence and security expert at the Brookings Institution think tank, wrote in a February blog post, that "the fundamental debate for Washington going forward must focus on whether counterterrorism or broader geopolitical affairs should be the priority in Syria." She noted that her congressional testimony in 2012 about Syria is still relevant. The Syrian conflict "will not end with Bashar Assad voluntarily stepping aside, or choosing exile. It will not end with him making sufficient reforms to enable a transparent and free Syrian state. Let me be clear: continued oppression and violence in Syria will continue," she wrote in 2012. Contributing: Alan Gomez

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/13/russia-pledged-counter-any-u-s-missile-strike-syria/516756002/

Russian President Vladimir Putin: Missile strikes on Syria 'act of aggression'

Russian President Vladimir Putin: Missile strikes on Syria 'act of aggression' Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will call for an emergency meeting of the United Nations' Security Council following the coordinated missile strikes by the U.S., France and the U.K. against Syria. Calling the airstrikes an “act of aggression," the Russian leader said Saturday that strikes had a “destructive for the entire system of international relations" and will exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria, according to a statement posted to the Kremlin's web site. Putin also reaffirmed Russia’s view that the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma that prompted the strike was a fake. Syria's President Bashar Assad announced after a U.S. military strike that his country would respond, while Russia's ambassador to Washington warned of unspecified "consequences." "Good souls will not be humiliated," Assad said on his official Twitter account. President Trump on Friday announced that a series of strikes were launched by the U.S., France and Britain on Assad's chemical weapons facilities in Syria. Trump said the attack would be sustained to ensure that Syria does not use chemical weapons to attack civilians. After the Pentagon said the strikes were over, Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov issued a statement on Twitter accusing the allies of "a pre-designed scenario" against Russia and Syria. "Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences," Antonov said. "All responsibility for them rests with Washington, London and Paris." He added: "Insulting the president of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible. The U.S. — the possessor of the biggest arsenal of chemical weapons — has no moral right to blame other countries." The Russian military said Saturday that Syria’s Soviet-made air defense systems downed 71 out of 103 cruise missiles launched by the United States and its allies, according to Tass, Russia's government news site. Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military’s General Staff said the strikes have not caused any casualties and Syrian military facilities targeted by the U.S., Britain and France have suffered only minor damage. Russia's Defense Ministry said the allied missiles struck outside of Russia's area of responsibility in Syria, so Russian air defense systems did not respond, Russia's RIA Novosti reorted. Russian military and diplomatic officials warned before Trump ordered the military strike on Syria that they would counter any attack on Syrian forces in retaliation for an alleged chemical attack on April 7. Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon on Tuesday had told Lebanon's Al Manar TV that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, Reuters reported. Russian Ambassador to Beirut Alexander Zasypkin cited orders by Putin. "If there is a U.S. missile attack, we — in line with both Putin and Russia's chief of staff's remarks — will shoot down U.S. rockets and even the sources that launched the missiles," Zasypkin told al Manar. Russian submarines On Friday, before Trump’s announcement, Tass reported that the Russian Navy was monitoring U.S. and NATO ships in the eastern Mediterranean. Warships and submarines of the Russian naval task force were keeping track at a close distance of U.S. and NATO assault ships and submarines in the area, Tass said, citing military and diplomatic sources. The Russian navy ships were ordered to monitor the underwater, surface and air situation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, including approaches and maneuvering of foreign ships in the area near Syria’s Tartus, a port city where Russia has its only foreign base outside of Europe. Russia in the past week also sought to counter U.S. diplomatic efforts to marshal international support for its condemnation of the Syrian government led by Assad. Russia's diplomats and military officers issued numerous contradictory statements about the chemical attack, saying it didn't happen, that it launched by Syrian rebels on themselves, and that British intelligence ordered it as a provocation. Iran's Fars News Agency reported Friday that Russian fighter jets were patrolling Syrian air space to defend against any attackers. The Russian aircraft were scrambled in response to reports of seven U.S. spy planes near the coastal regions of Tartus and Lattakia. The U.S. aircraft were reported flying along the coast near Russia's Humeimim Military Airport in the southwestern Lattakia province, Fars reported. More:Russia just blamed Britain for Syria chemical attack. Here’s who else Moscow blames More:U.S. attack on Syria creates Cold-War style tension with Russia More:Analysis: Trump's strike on Syria has fire and fury — but not the element of surprise Contributing: The Associated Press

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/15/nikki-haley-says-russia-face-new-sanctions-over-syria/518573002/

Mission accomplished? What's next for battered Syria after U.S. strikes

Mission accomplished? What's next for battered Syria after U.S. strikes The military strike in Syria that drew a gleeful "Mission Accomplished" from President Trump on Twitter is not exacting the same elation from some Middle East experts who see a long, hard climb to peace in the war-weary Muslim nation. The strike on President Bashar Assad's chemical weapons facilities was the price Syria paid for using chemical weapons on its citizens. Now Russia will pay an economic price for backing Assad in the form of more economic sanctions, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Sunday. Charles Glass, author of Syria Burning, says there is a good chance bombings will extend the war. And he doubts that sanctions against Russia will move the needle. "More bombings and the continued presence of 2,000 U.S. troops in northeast Syria ... would undoubtedly prolong the war and the suffering of Syria's people," Glass told USA TODAY. "Better than a military strike would be serious discussions between the U.S. and Russia on ending the conflict." Glass notes that Syria was Russia's only Arab ally when the bloody Syrian civil war began seven years ago. The U.S., he said, didn't want to oust Assad because he was a dictator — most U.S. allies in the region are led by dictators. The U.S. goal was to break the Syrian alliance with Iran and Russia, Glass said. "All (the U.S.) has achieved by arming the mainly jihadist opposition is the increase of Assad's dependence on Iran and Russia," Glass said. "The strategy failed. It must be time for a new one." More:Trump won't back down from saying 'Mission Accomplished' in Syria More:5 takeaways on President Trump's Syria attack James Piazza, a Penn State professor and Middle East expert, said he suspects the missile attacks will have a "negligible" effect on Syria's chemical weapons abilities. "The last time the United States launched a missile attack against the Shayrat airfields (in April 2017), it really did not put a dent into Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal or air forces," Piazza said. Piazza foresees limited sanctions on Russia, and he said Assad is unlikely to change his behavior with pressure from President Vladimir Putin. Haley told CBS' Face the Nation that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will announce details of the sanctions Monday. "They will go directly to any sort of companies that were dealing with equipment related to Assad and chemical weapons use," Haley said. "We wanted their friends Iran and Russia to know that we meant business and that they were going to be feeling the pain from this as well." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Sunday that the sanctions are being imposed "without any link to any realities." Trump also announced sanctions against Russia in August, accusing Putin's government of tampering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The legislation also called Putin out on human rights abuses. "Now they punish us for the mere fact of being in the global arena," Zakharova said. The military strikes in Syria Friday night were carried out by the U.S., France and Britain. More than 100 precision missiles targeted a scientific research center near Damascus, a chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs and a storage facility and command post near Homs. French President Emmanuel Macron said he had persuaded Trump to commit long-term to Syria. Haley stressed the U.S. was "not looking for war" and "not looking to kill people." "This was very strong attack on the chemical weapons program," she said. Piazza said further, limited airstrikes are possible in Syria. But he said neither Trump nor the American people appear to have an appetite for a more involved military campaign in Syria. The White House, mired in controversies, is not likely to pursue Assad too aggressively, Piazza said. "I suspect he continues to brutally defeat the rebels and the people living in rebel areas and reasserts control over Syria," Piazza said. "With support from Russia and Iran." Putin, in a phone call Sunday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, described the U.S. strike as a violation of international law. Putin said such actions will inevitably lead to "chaos" in international relations, according to a readout released by the Kremlin. Assad, Putin, Rouhani and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah have accused the West of using the strikes to sabotage an international inquiry into the chemical weapons claims. They also called the attack an impediment to peace. Haley said the United Nations would continue to work on a diplomatic solution but added that Assad was "not worthy" of direct talks with the U.S. She said the time had come for Russia and Iran to bring peace to the beleaguered nation. "It's not moving near as fast as any of us want it to move, but this is a political process that needs to happen," she said.

fe76379f9a1ab2b5a1e31d8d623986b5

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/16/amateur-archaeologist-finds-bluetooth-treasure/519816002/

Amateur archaeologist and 13-year-old find 'Bluetooth' treasure on German Baltic Sea island

Amateur archaeologist and 13-year-old find 'Bluetooth' treasure on German Baltic Sea island When amateur archaeologist Rene Schön and his 13-year-old sidekick Luca Malaschnitschenko found a shiny piece of metal on a treasure hunt near Schaprode on the German Baltic Sea island of Rügen three months ago, they initially thought they had merely spotted a piece of tinfoil. But it turned out to be part of the most significant single find of coins and ornaments linked to King Harald Bluetooth (910 – 987). He not only brought Christianity to Denmark in the 10th century, but was also the inspiration for today's Bluetooth technology. "It was the find of my life," said Schön, who had to keep his discovery under wraps until now. At the weekend, he and Malaschnitschko joined professional archaeologists to dig up an area covering 400 square meters (4,300 square feet), unearthing braided necklaces, pearls, brooches, a Thor's hammer, rings and up to 600 chipped coins. More than 100 pieces date back to Bluetooth's reign. Schön's find was not entirely down to luck, perhaps, as in the 1870s, pieces of gold jewelry believed to be linked to Bluetooth were found on the island of Hiddensee, which is next to Rügen. Harald Gormsson, who was known as Bluetooth because he had one strongly discolored tooth, reigned over what is now Denmark, northern Germany, southern Sweden and parts of Norway from 958 to 986. The find suggests that the treasure may have been buried in the late 980s, when Bluetooth fled to Pomerania — an area that today straddles parts of northeast Germany and western Poland — after losing a battle against his son, Sweyn Forkbeard. He died a year later. Bluetooth was said to be a good networker and communicator, which is why he shot to posthumous fame by serving as a project name for the wireless technology, which eventually stuck. This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/17/report-north-and-south-korea-set-announce-official-end-war/523804002/

Could North Korea and South Korea finally end their war? Reports say yes

Could North Korea and South Korea finally end their war? Reports say yes Could the rival Koreas declare peace soon to their nearly 70-year confrontation? North and South Korea are reportedly set to announce an official end to the 1950-1953 Korean War that technically finished with a truce — and not a peace treaty, according to South Korea's daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo. The newspaper, citing an unnamed South Korean official, reports that lawmakers from North and South Korea are negotiating a joint statement that could focus on a path to the end of the war. The move comes ahead of next week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon said Tuesday that the denuclearization of North Korea is the most pressing task facing the South and vowed to establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap news agency. More:Trump meets anxious Abe at Mar-a-Lago, with North Korea and trade on the agenda More:Trump claims progress with North Korea, still plans to meet with Kim Jong Un "The complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the most urgent task that lies before us and a task we must complete peacefully," Moon said while attending a Buddhist service. The April 27 summit between Moon and Kim is scheduled to take place in the border village of Panmunjom. That summit is expected to be followed by a historic meeting between Kim and President Trump — the first meeting between two sitting leaders of North Korea and the United States.

df41403e799cda28524cb983b54fbeb7

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/18/south-korea-north-korea-peace-talks/527214002/

South Korea says it's ready for peace if North Korea denuclearizes

South Korea says it's ready for peace if North Korea denuclearizes SEOUL — South Korea would consider negotiating an end to the decades-old Korean War if North Korea commits to denuclearization, a Seoul official said Wednesday. South Korea’s national security adviser Chung Eui-yong told reporters the neighboring countries — still technically at war, as the 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice agreement — have made progress in solving "the North Korean nuclear issue" and that the efforts may "achieve the goal of a peace settlement on the Korean peninsula." Chung's remarks came as preparations continued for an inter-Korean summit meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scheduled for April 27. The meeting is only the third time that the leaders of the two Koreas will meet. It will be held in the village of Panmunjom, which is located in the demilitarized zone that has divided the peninsula since 1953. Chung said that Seoul and Washington have held in-depth discussions about how to establish a "peace system" on the Korean peninsula, including the possibility of future three-way talks between the United States and the two Koreas. "(We discussed) how we can guarantee the bright future of North Korea if North Korea makes the right choice," Chung said. More:Could North Korea and South Korea finally end their war? Reports say yes Related:Mike Pompeo made top-secret visit to North Korea, report says Chung did not specify whether this process would include the signing of a formal peace treaty. But South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed official from the president’s office, reported that South Korea and the U.S. are reviewing that possibility. One potential complication to a peace treaty is that South Korea was not party to the original armistice agreement, which was signed by the U.S., North Korea and China. That is because at the time, South Korean forces were under wartime operational control of the U.S. — a status that remains in effect today. In recent months, North Korea has signaled willingness to discuss denuclearization. During a meeting with Chung in Pyongyang on March 5, Kim said that North Korea was ready to give up its nuclear weapons if military threats against the country were resolved and it received a security guarantee. On Tuesday, President Trump said that the two Koreas "have his blessing" to discuss officially ending the war. He made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump said that his administration has been engaging with North Korea ahead of his own potential meeting with Kim. Trump previously agreed to meet with the North Korean dictator, with a summit currently planned to take place in May or early June. "We have also started talking to North Korea directly, at extremely high levels," Trump said. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that CIA Director Mike Pompeo secretly traveled to North Korea over Easter weekend to meet with Kim.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/19/britain-plans-ban-plastic-straws-cotton-swabs/532028002/

Britain lays out plans to ban plastic straws, cotton swabs

Britain lays out plans to ban plastic straws, cotton swabs LONDON — The United Kingdom announced plans Thursday to ban the sale of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton swabs as the global war against plastic pollution gains momentum. Up to 1 million birds and 100,000 sea mammals die every year from ingesting some of the more than 150 million tons of plastic in the world’s oceans, advocates say. According to the British government, 8.5 billion plastic straws are thrown away every year in the U.K. The proposed ban came as British Prime Minister Theresa May hosts Commonwealth leaders from around the world at a summit in London. The Commonwealth is an association of 53 countries, most former British colonies, including Canada, Jamaica, Nigeria, India and Australia. The proposals, part of Britain's 25-year plan to help preserve the environment, are subject to a governmental review, which will begin later in the year, officials said. Britain is calling on other Commonwealth countries “to join in the fight” against plastic pollution, a government statement said. More: This enzyme eats plastic and could revolutionize recycling, scientists say More: That bottled water you paid $3 for may contain tiny particles of plastic May described plastic waste as “one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world,” and said Britons “have shown passion and energy” in embracing a 7-cent charge for plastic bags and a ban on micro-beads that were introduced in the past few years. "The Commonwealth is a unique organization, with a huge diversity of wildlife, environments and coastlines," May said. "Together we can effect real change so that future generations can enjoy a natural environment that is healthier than we currently find it." Britain also announced a $90 million research fund to help Commonwealth member nations stop plastic from entering the oceans. The government said it would work with industries to find alternatives to plastic for use in Britain.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/19/cuba-president-raul-castro-miguel-diaz-canel/530101002/

Raúl Castro hands over Cuba presidency to Miguel Diaz-Canel

Raúl Castro hands over Cuba presidency to Miguel Diaz-Canel After six decades of rule by Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl, Cuba turned a new page Thursday when it named Communist Party loyalist Miguel Díaz-Canel president. Cuba's National Assembly concluded a two-day session, at which Raúl Castro stepped down after 10 years in the presidency and endorsed the election of Díaz-Canel, his handpicked successor. Castro will remain head of the Communist Party. Cuban state TV showed the two men embracing after the historic vote as hundreds of National Assembly delegates cheered. Addressing the crowd, Díaz-Canel vowed to fight any attempts at subversion by capitalist forces, to defend the regime established by his predecessors and to continue "perfecting" the socialist model he inherited. "The revolution continues," he said. Though largely unrecognizable outside Cuba, Díaz-Canel is well-known inside the regime after spending years rising through the ranks of the Communist Party and convincing Castro he could be trusted to carry on the nation's revolutionary ideals. Díaz-Canel, 57, represents a symbolic change for a regime that has been dominated by the guerrilla fighters who overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and rode into Havana on New Year's Day 1959. Díaz-Canel used a large portion of his acceptance speech to praise the Castro brothers, focusing on Raúl, who sat in the front row, watching and nodding. Díaz-Canel called the younger Castro the "best disciple of Fidel" and listed his accomplishments, from military successes during the revolution through his time as president after Fidel Castro stepped down because of illness. He even complimented Castro for re-establishing diplomatic relations with the United States. He made clear that Raúl Castro would still guide the Cuban government in the years to some. "I confirm to this assembly that Raúl Castro, as first secretary of the Communist Party, will lead the decisions about the future of the country," Díaz-Canel said. Castro spoke next, providing the first glimpse into his thinking about his own future and that of the Cuban regime. He expects Díaz-Canel to serve two five-year terms as president. He said he would hand over control of the Communist Party to Díaz-Canel in 2021. "From that point on, I will be just another soldier defending this revolution," he said. More:Trump's Cuba rollback leaves U.S. out in the cold for island's future More:Cuba's next president: Who is Miguel Díaz-Canel? More:Raúl Castro: 5 things to know about departing Cuba president Thursday's succession coincided with the 50th anniversary of the failed, U.S.-supported Bay of Pigs invasion and came during a downturn in U.S.-Cuban relations. President Trump ordered most American diplomats out of Cuba after a series of unexplained "health attacks" against personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. That move narrowed what had been a rare opening between the Cold War foes, a detente brokered between Presidents Barack Obama and Raúl Castro that led to Americans flooding the island to visit and more business opportunities between the countries. Díaz-Canel is responsible for resolving Cuba's anemic economy and restless population by depending more on countries such as Russia, China, Iran and Venezuela. In the months leading up to the ascension of Díaz-Canel, Cuban state media cautiously introduced him to the outside world. The former engineering professor shot up through Cuba's leadership, first as a local party official and later as the country's education minister. He was tapped by Castro to become first vice president in 2013. More:Think you can do business in post-Castro Cuba? Sorry, but it'll still be tricky More:Cuba, once bustling with heavy-spending Americans, sees steep decline in U.S. travelers Díaz-Canel becomes the first leader of Cuba born after Fidel Castro and his band of bearded guerrillas took control of the island in 1959. State media portrayed Díaz-Canel as a man in touch with the generation of Cubans who knew of the revolution only through black-and-white TV footage and history lessons in school. He is said to be a fan of the Rolling Stones, who were once banned in Cuba but allowed to perform in Havana in 2016 as a sign of the changing times. Cuban media said he's the first high-ranking official to attend government meetings with a laptop and is often seen checking his iPad, a rarity in a country with little Internet penetration and limited personal technology.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/23/van-slams-into-pedestrians-toronto-driver-custody/543081002/

Police: 10 dead, 15 injured when van slams into pedestrians in Toronto

Police: 10 dead, 15 injured when van slams into pedestrians in Toronto TORONTO — A white van jumped a curb and slammed into pedestrians Monday on a crowded street, killing at least 10 people, injuring 15 and leaving witnesses stunned by the carnage. The driver was arrested near the scene, Toronto police said. Details remain sketchy and police said a cause or motive for the 1:30 p.m. incident is uncertain. Canada's minister of public safety, Ralph Goodale, said it's too soon to say whether the crash is a case of international terrorism, and the nation has not changed its terrorism alert level. But Toronto's police chief, Mark Saunders, said the driver — who he identified as Alek Minassian — appeared to intentionally target pedestrians. "The actions definitely looked deliberate," Saunders told reporters at an evening press briefing. "It looks intentional." Saunders said the investigation is still in the early stages and nothing has been ruled out. “We’re working collaboratively not just on a local level but on a federal and provincial level,” he said. “We’re looking strongly at the exact motive.” Minassian, 25, is a resident of the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill. He had not been known to police previously, Saunders said. A witness, Phil Zullo, told Canadian Press that he saw police arresting a man who had been driving a Ryder rental truck and saw people "strewn all over the road" along a busy section of Yonge Street and Finch Avenue. "It must have seen about five, six people being resuscitated by bystanders and by ambulance drivers," Zullo said. "It was awful. Brutal." Ali Shaker, who was driving near the van, told Canadian broadcast outlet CP24 that the driver appeared to be moving deliberately through the crowd at more than 30 mph. “He just went on the sidewalk,” a distraught Shaker said. “He just started hitting everybody, man. He hit every single person on the sidewalk. Anybody in his way he would hit.” Another witness, Ham Yu-Jin, told The Toronto Star, “I was in my car and I saw a white van going on the sidewalk. ... I heard a big bang and the van hit a bus shelter and hit people. I turned my car on and chased the van. I’m so lucky, I could have been hit.” Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, the hospital where some of the injured people were taken, said that eight people were being treated there and that precautions were being taken to protect them. "Sunnybrook’s Emergency Department has been locked down as an added precaution and access to the ... campus is being controlled," the hospital said in a statement. Five victims are in critical condition, two are in serious condition, and another is fair, the hospital tweeted Monday night. The incident occurred as Cabinet ministers from the major industrial countries were gathered in Canada to discuss a range of international issues in the run-up to the G7 meeting near Quebec City in June. "At this point it's too early to tell what, if any, motive there was," Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray said. Police said the crash occurred in the Lastman Square area, not far from the city center. Nearby streets were closed and the closest subway stop was shut down. Mayor John Tory and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they were monitoring the investigation and hoped to learn more soon. "Our hearts go out to anyone affected," Trudeau said. Tory said his "thoughts are with those affected by this incident" and said the tragedy happened as people were out enjoying beautiful weather. “There were a lot of pedestrians out ... enjoying the sunny afternoon,” the mayor said. Contributing: John Bacon; Associated Press

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/25/arctic-ice-choked-record-amount-microplastic-cigarette-butts-packing-material/549115002/

Arctic ice choked with record amount of plastic from cigarette butts to packing material

Arctic ice choked with record amount of plastic from cigarette butts to packing material If you are wondering what happens to all those cigarette butts flicked on sidewalks and plastic packing peanuts blowing down the street, researchers have found an alarming amount of particles from them deep in the ice of the Arctic Ocean. The record amount of microplastic appears to be courtesy of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and increased fishing and shipping in the Arctic, researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute of the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research report. The study raises concerns about the impact on human and sea life. Ice samples from five regions across the Arctic Ocean contained up to 12,000 of the tiny particles per liter of sea ice, researchers say. More than half the particles trapped in the ice were less than 1/500th of an inch wide — less than one-tenth the thickness of a credit card. “They could easily be ingested by arctic microorganisms,” said biologist and report author Ilka Peeken. “No one can say for certain how harmful these tiny plastic particles are for marine life, or ultimately also for human beings.” More:World's largest collection of ocean garbage is twice the size of Texas Microplastic refers to plastic particles, fibers, pellets and other fragments with a length, width or diameter ranging from microscopic to two-tenths of an inch. The types of plastic showed a "unique footprint" in the ice allowing the researchers to trace them back to possible sources. Some can be traced to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic, floating trash halfway between Hawaii and California, that has grown to more than 600,000 square miles, the report says. Researchers determined that ice floes contain particularly high concentrations of polyethylene, used primarily in packaging material. "We assume that these fragments represent remains of the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch and are pushed along the Bering Strait and into the Arctic Ocean by the Pacific inflow," the study says. A high percentage of paint and nylon particles pointed to the intensified shipping and fishing activities in some parts of the Arctic, the study says. The researcher team gathered the ice samples during three expeditions in 2014 and 2015. The study was released in the journal Nature Communications.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/26/gorillas-more-plentiful-africa-than-thought-population-dropping/553379002/

Gorillas more plentiful in Africa than thought, but population is still dropping

Gorillas more plentiful in Africa than thought, but population is still dropping There's both good and bad news about our ape relatives in western Africa: A massive, decade-long study of western equatorial Africa’s apes found there are 33% more gorillas and 10% more chimpanzees than previously had been thought. The bad news: the vast majority of these great apes — 80% — exist outside protected areas, and gorilla populations are declining by 2.7% annually. This decline is why gorillas continue to be listed as "critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's list of threatened species. The study found more than 360,000 western lowland gorillas and nearly 130,000 central chimpanzees live in the region, both of which were higher than previously believed. “It’s great news that the forests of western equatorial Africa still contain hundreds of thousands of gorillas and chimpanzees, but we’re also concerned that so many of these primates are outside of protected areas and vulnerable to poachers, disease, and habitat degradation and loss,” said study lead author Samantha Strindberg of the Wildlife Conservation Society. The main factors responsible for the decline of gorillas and chimpanzees are illegal hunting, disease and habitat degradation, the study found. "All great apes are protected by national laws and international conventions; thus, it is illegal to kill, capture, or trade in live individuals or their body parts wherever they occur," the study said. "Despite this legal protection, the combination of poaching with Ebola virus disease has been catastrophic for gorillas and chimpanzees. "Another emerging threat is industrial-scale forest conversion for agricultural plantations, especially oil palm plantations." This deprives the apes of their natural habitat. "Our study underscores the huge importance of intact forests to gorillas and chimpanzees, and of preventing illegal felling of good quality forests," said study co-author Fiona Maisels, also of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Most of the great apes in the study lived in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. Smaller populations also exist in Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, Cameroon and Angola. As for what to do about the declining populations, study co-author Hjalmar Kühl of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said “protecting our gorillas and chimpanzees will require a major increase in political will at all levels — national, regional and global." Another expert, study co-author Liz Williamson of the University of Stirling in Scotland, said that “a combination of responsible industrial practices, conservation policies, and a network of well-managed parks and corridors would provide wildlife managers with a winning formula for conserving great apes in Central Africa. Our study has revealed that it is not too late to secure a future for gorillas and chimpanzees.” The study was published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/05/opposition-leader-among-hundreds-arrested-russia-anti-putin-protests/583427002/

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny among more than 1,600 arrested in Russia in anti-Putin protests

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny among more than 1,600 arrested in Russia in anti-Putin protests More than 1,600 people — including prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny — were arrested Saturday in Russia during a day of nationwide protests of the upcoming inauguration of Vladimir Putin for a new six-year term as president, according to a group that monitors political repression. Navalny, a long-time Putin nemesis and anti-corruption campaigner, organized the nationwide rallies under the slogan "He is not our czar" in response to the president's re-election in March. In Moscow, where thousands crowded into Moscow Pushkin Square, police in riot gear waded into the crowd and were seen grabbing some demonstrators and leading them away, but there were no immediate moves to disperse the crowd. A helicopter hovered overhead to monitor the crowd. “Let my son go!” Iraida Nikolaeva screamed, running after police in Moscow when they detained her son. “He did not do anything! Are you a human or not? Do you live in Russia or not?” Police seized Navalny by the arms and legs and carried the thrashing activist from the square. He was to be charged with disobeying police, an offense that carries a sentence of up to 15 days, news reports said. In St. Petersburg, police blocked off a large section of the main avenue and arrested demonstrators taking part in the rally. Video posted on Navalny's YouTube channel showed the wide Nevsky Prospekt avenue blocked off around Gostiny Dvor, the sprawling trade complex that is one of the city’s landmarks. A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 had earlier begun marching down Nevsky. OVD-Info, which tracks political repressions, said 704 people were arrested in Moscow and 229 in St. Petersburg., The OVD-Info group said 97 people were detained in Chelyabinsk and 75 in Yakutsk, in the far northeast, although all have been released. Contributing: Associated Press

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/06/north-korea-us-ruining-good-mood-summit/584528002/

North Korea: Trump ruining good mood ahead of summit

North Korea: Trump ruining good mood ahead of summit North Korea warned the United States on Sunday not to misread peace overtures as a sign of weakness, accusing the Trump administration of deliberately provoking Pyongyang with tough talk and a show of military strength. "It would not be conducive to addressing the issue if the U.S. miscalculates the peace-loving intention of the DPRK (North Korea) as a sign of 'weakness' and continues to pursue its pressure and military threats," a spokesman for the North Korean foreign ministry told the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The criticism came weeks before a much-anticipated summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It also came after last month's historic meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. At that meeting, Kim pledged to work toward denuclearizing the peninsula and to dismantle his nuclear missile testing site. He also agreed to move his nation's clocks forward by 30 minutes to correspond to South Korea's time zone, an action that took place Saturday. Despite the gains, the North Korean spokesman on Sunday accused the Trump administration of misleading the public by claiming Pyongyang is motivated by fear of U.S. military strength and concerns about aggressive economic sanctions put in place because of the North's nuclear and missile programs. Movement of U.S. military assets into the region and talk of human rights violations also have hurt the process, the spokesman said. South Korea's Yonhap news agency suggested the military assets include eight U.S. F-22 stealth fighter jets recently sent to participate in the annual joint South Korea-U.S. air training. "This act cannot be construed otherwise than a dangerous attempt to ruin the hard-won atmosphere of dialogue and bring the situation back to square one," the spokesman said. More:North Korea adjusts time zone to match South Korea in latest step toward unity More:Giuliani backtracks on imminent release of Americans by North Korea A thaw in relations between the two nations in recent weeks drew international optimism that a deal to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula could be struck. The relative warmth between the two leaders even prompted talk that three Americans held by North Korea might soon be released. Last week, Trump tweeted that the Obama administration had "long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!" Even amid the excitement, many experts had warned that much work remained before real diplomatic progress could take shape. Jay Lefkowitz, who served as President George W. Bush's special envoy on human rights in North Korea, acknowledged that the release of the prisoners could be seen as a "confidence-building measure" heading into the summit. "That said, with hundreds of thousands of political prisoners held in brutal prison camps across North Korea, it’s much too early to have any confidence that the upcoming talks will lead to a radical transformation in North Korea or to a genuine warming of its relations with the United States," Lefkowitz told USA TODAY. Still, Moon and Kim have agreed to work on a plan to formally end the Korean War that was halted by a temporary armistice in 1953. Kim has said a formal end to the hostilities, along with a pledge from the U.S. not to attack his nation, would essentially eliminate Pyongyang's need for a nuclear arsenal. "The U.S. is misleading the public opinion, arguing as if the DPRK's clarification of its intention for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula ... is the result of so-called sanctions and pressure," the spokesman said Sunday. Life in North Korea: What you are allowed to see

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/07/mali-isis-islamic-state-militias-violence/546985002/

Mali ripe territory for ISIS, local militias — and they often clash

Mali ripe territory for ISIS, local militias — and they often clash BAMAKO, Mali — A militia in Mali claims it found the vehicle used by four American soldiers killed in an ambush by Islamist militants in neighboring Niger last fall. The discovery indicates how fighters linked to the Islamic State likely traveled between the two countries. As the militia of ethnic Tuareg soldiers discuss how to return the vehicle to U.S. authorities, the Islamic State is pushing deeper into this poor, West African country and raising fears of more violence. Mali's minister of foreign affairs, Tiéman Hubert Coulibaly, said he was concerned that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, would redeploy to Africa as the U.S-led coalition quashes the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria. "The current momentum in the Middle East can have consequences for the stability of Mali" and the surrounding region here, Coulibaly said. Mali already has an active chapter of al-Qaeda, which drove a car bomb into a military base near Timbuktu on April 14, killing a United Nations peacekeeper and wounding seven French soldiers. "Three days don’t go by without hearing the news of an assassination by the terrorists,” said Hamady Touré, a commercial spice salesman. “The worst thing is that vehicles carrying civilians drive on explosive devices that the terrorists place.” Those concerns mount despite an international response to the terrorist threat in Mali. The U.N. sent 15,000 peacekeepers to Mali five years ago. France has 4,000 troops in this former French colony. Five nearby countries — Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger — created a joint force of 5,000 troops to secure their borders against militants. The Tuareg militia that claims it found the Americans’ four-wheel-drive Toyota in March also said it is an important defense against ISIS. “The main target of these armed terrorists is none other than the local authorities and religious leaders,” said Fahad Almahmoud, a Tuareg militia spokesman. The Tuareg soldiers are now allies of Mali’s government, but until three years ago they fought against the regime for an independent country. Tiébilé Dramé, an opposition politician, said the government shouldn’t depend on militias and needs to do more. He said more terrorists appear to be moving into Mali despite the international help, so ordinary citizens see little reason to believe in their leaders. "The fault is the current governance is bad,” Dramé said. “More than 500 schools are closed in the center of the country because of poor security.” Mali's security situation has been precarious the past several years. In November 2015, heavily armed gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the Mali capital, killing 20 people. A year ago, several local extremist groups announced they had banded into a bigger organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. A U.N. report in March said the militias here have too much power. The report said the Tuaregs and another militia allied with the Malian government conducted extra-judicial executions, made illegal arrests, recruited child soldiers and had other human rights violations in northern Mali. “It is necessary that both the government and the armed groups investigate serious violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law," said Mongi Hamdi, a U.N. special representative in Mali when the report was published. “This is in the interest of victims’ rights and for the reconciliation and establishment of a lasting peace in Mali.” In the south, Mali's army and the Dozo — traditional armed hunters who act as an independent defense force — have been accused of similar abuses against the Fulani ethnic community, a Muslim group often loyal to extremists. "The Malian army is making summary executions of civilians suspected of terrorism,” said Nouhoum Cissé, a member of a Fulani defense organization. When a Fulani appears in the central part of the country, "you can be suspected of terrorism,” he said. Malians and Fulanis lived together in harmony for centuries but are now poised to kill each other, Cissé said. He said terror attacks have also driven the indigenous Dogon people to create self-defense militias. Dogon and Fulani groups have clashed as a result. “The question is who benefits from this situation. It does not benefit the Dogon. It does not benefit the Fulani,” Cissé said. “Those who benefit are the terrorist groups.” More:Mali resort attacked by gunmen; at least 2 dead

2bad4b57976ace874815f03380aec464

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/07/president-donald-trump-meet-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-coming-weeks-what-we-know/586860002/

Trump-North Korea summit: Details get more complicated by the day

Trump-North Korea summit: Details get more complicated by the day The White House called Wednesday's release of three American detainees by North Korea a "gesture of goodwill" ahead of a planned historic summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un. "President Trump appreciates leader Kim Jong Un’s action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Details trickle out almost daily about their meeting, which could take place in late May or early June. Here’s what we know so far: 3 American detainees released Trump announced Wednesday that three U.S. citizens who were being held by North Korea had been released during a visit to North Korea by secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting," Trump said on Twitter. "They seem to be in good health." The three men — Kim Hak-Song, also known as Jin Xue Song; Tony Kim, also known as Kim Sang-Duk; and Kim Dong-Chul — were seized from 2015 to 2017 and accused of a variety of anti-state offenses. • Kim Dong-Chul of Fairfax, Va., was arrested in October 2015 and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in April 2016 on charges of spying and other offenses. A month before his trial, he supposedly apologized for trying to steal military secrets for South Koreans. He had been living in Rason, North Korea, in a special economic zone where he ran a trading and hotel services company. • Tony Kim was detained at the Pyongyang airport in April 2017 as he was set to depart the country. He subsequently was accused of "hostile acts." Kim had spent a month teaching accounting at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology and most recently had been living in North Korea with his wife, still believed to be there. He supposedly had been volunteering at an orphanage. The university is funded largely by evangelical Christians from the United States and China. • Kim Hak-Song was accused of "hostile acts" in May 2017. He had been doing agricultural development work at the research farm of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology and was living in Pyongyang. Kim is an ethnic Korean born in China. He studied in California and became a U.S. citizen in the 2000s but never forgot his roots. "He was a very diligent, hardworking man determined to help people in North Korea," his friend David Kim told CNN. Place and date are set. Won't be held at DMZ. Trump on Wednesday ruled out meeting Kim on the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, and said final details will be disclosed later this week. "We're going to announce that in three days ... within three days," Trump told reporters before a Cabinet meeting. "Working arrangements." Asked about the DMZ, Trump replied: "It will not be there." Pompeo said after a 13-hour visit to Pyongyang that the time and place have been set for a one-to-two day meeting between Trump and Kim, though he did not say when or where. "It will be a single day, but in the event that there is more to discuss, there’ll be an opportunity for it to extend into the second day as well," Pompeo told reporters after landing with the detainnes at Yokota Air Base in Japan. What will happen to U.S. troops at South Korea border? One contentious issue is whether the U.S. would pull troops from South Korea as part of an agreement with North Korea to end its nuclear program. The White House denies specific plans, but The New York Times reported last week that Trump ordered the Pentagon to consider reducing U.S. presence in South Korea. Trump and national security adviser John Bolton denied the report. Trump said a troop withdrawal “is not on the table” and said “we haven’t been asked to.” He added that “at some point in the future I would like to save the money" from keeping U.S. troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on April 28 — a day after Kim met with South Korean President Moon Jae-In — that the presence of U.S. troops there is part of the negotiations to be held with allies South Korea and Japan and with North Korea. North-South Korea peace talks far from over The historic summit between Kim and Moon on April 27 produced first-ever photos of leaders from North and South Korea holding hands, smiling and crossing back and forth over the border that separates the two countries that have been at war since 1950. Kim and Moon pledged to discuss a formal peace agreement to end the Korean War, which halted in 1953 with an armistice. They also agreed to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and to dismantle a North Korean nuclear missile testing site, but details have yet to be worked out. The two countries issued a joint statement that they want to decide their future “on their own accord,” meaning without interference from China or the United States. But the two superpowers would have to participate in any peace negotiation because they also signed the 1953 armistice. South Korea was not a signatory. North Korea says Trump is ruining the mood North Korea warned the United States on Sunday not to misread peace overtures as a sign of weakness, accusing the Trump administration of deliberately provoking Pyongyang with tough talk and a show of military strength. Moving U.S. military assets into the region and talking about human rights violations also have hurt the process, the North Korean foreign ministry told the state-run Korean Central News Agency. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the military assets include eight U.S. F-22 stealth fighter jets recently sent to participate in the annual joint South Korea-U.S. air training. "This act cannot be construed otherwise than a dangerous attempt to ruin the hard-won atmosphere of dialogue and bring the situation back to square one," North Korea said. Trump: 'Maximum pressure' to continue The White House has said its pressure campaign on North Korea will continue until the North dismantles its nuclear program. In a phone call following the North-South summit, Trump and Moon agreed “the unprecedented pressure applied by the United States, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the international community through the global Maximum Pressure Campaign has led to this significant moment,” according to an official readout of the call. Could Japanese citizens be returned from North Korea, too? Japan, which has not been party to the recent bilateral talks with the North, is relying so far on Trump to push for the return of 12 of its citizens that were confirmed to be in North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised the issue with Trump during their summit at Mar-a-Lago in April. The North allowed five people to return home in 2002, but claimed that others had died or committed suicide. That number is far smaller than the 883 missing Japanese citizens that the North is suspected of holding since the 1940s, according to the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea, a group based in Tokyo. Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s minister for the abduction issue, told USA TODAY in Washington Friday that Japan is prepared to deal directly with the North, to normalize relations and provide financial assistance, but that outcome depends on the return of all abductees. Family members of Megumi Yakota, who was abducted by North Korean agents at age 13 in 1977, are monitoring preparations for the Trump-Kim summit very closely, Kato said. "Forty years have passed for her family, and her parents have aged." Kato said. "They consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and their hopes are high."

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/05/07/vladimir-putin-sworn-fourth-term-russian-president/585546002/

Vladimir Putin sworn in for a fourth term as Russian president

Vladimir Putin sworn in for a fourth term as Russian president MOSCOW – Vladimir Putin took the oath of office for his fourth term as Russian president on Monday, promising to pursue an economic agenda that would boost living standards across the country. In a ceremony in an ornate Kremlin hall in Moscow, Putin said improving Russia’s economy following a recession partly linked to international sanctions would be a primary goal of his next six-year term. “Now, we must use all existing possibilities, first of all for resolving internal urgent tasks of development, for economic and technological breakthroughs, for raising competitiveness in those spheres that determine the future,” he told thousands of guests standing in the elaborate Andreevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace and two adjacent halls. “A new quality of life, well-being, security and people’s health – that’s what’s primary today,” he said. Although Putin has restored Russia’s prominence on the world stage through military actions, he has been criticized for inadequate efforts to diversify Russia’s economy away from its dependence on oil and gas exports and to develop the country’s manufacturing sector. “Russia should be modern and dynamic, it should be ready to accept the call of the times,” he said. More:Opposition leader Alexei Navalny among more than 1,600 arrested in Russia in anti-Putin protests In his speech, he made only brief reference to Russia’s international role, saying “Russia is a strong, active, influential participant in international life. The security and defense capability of the country is reliably ensured. We will give these matters the necessary constant attention.” He acknowledged that the challenges facing Russia were formidable “but we all remember well that, for more than a thousand years of history, Russia has often faced epochs of turmoil and trials, and has always revived as a Phoenix, reached heights that others could not.” Putin held onto the presidency in March’s election when he tallied 77 percent of the vote. Putin has effectively been the leader of Russia for all of the 21st century. He stepped down from the presidency in 2008 because of term limits, but was named prime minister and continued to steer the country until he returned as president in 2012. The ceremony Monday was covered in assiduous detail on state television, showing Putin working at his desk in his shirt sleeves, then donning a suit coat to begin a long walk through the corridors of the Kremlin’s Senate building, then boarding a limousine for a short drive to the Grand Kremlin Palace. Thousands of guests stood in the three halls for the inauguration. One of the most prominent was former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is now chairman of Russia’s state oil company Rosneft and one of the most prominent Western voices arguing for an end to sanctions against Russia. Schroeder stood with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Putin prominently shook hands with him after the speech.