Wednesday 31 January 2018

Russian fighter jet 'passes 5ft in front of US surveillance plane' over Black Sea

Russian fighter jet 'passes 5ft in front of US surveillance plane' over Black Sea

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Russian fighter jet 'passes 5ft in front of US surveillance plane' over Black SeaA Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a US surveillance plane over the Black Sea on Monday, prompting the American government to protest the manoeuvre as "an unsafe interaction". The US State Department said the Russian jet closed to within five feet and crossed directly in front of the EP-3 Aries II plane. The encounter, first reported by Russia's RIA news agency, cited the defence ministry as saying the US Navy aircraft, did not violate Russian air space. "This is but the latest example of Russian military activities disregarding international norms and agreements," said the State Department. "We call on Russia to cease these unsafe actions that increase the risk of miscalculation, danger to aircrew on both sides, and midair collisions." MT @USNavyEurope : #USNavy EP-3 Aries flying in international airspace over #BlackSea was intercepted by Russian Su-27. Interaction determined unsafe: Su-27 came within 5 feet & crossed thru EP-3’s flight path, causing EP-3 to fly thru Su-27 jet wash. [File Photo] pic.twitter.com/B25rRhpeyU— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) January 29, 2018 Moscow said that "all security precautions" had been observed during the encounter. "After the surveillance plane of the US Navy had changed its course to move away from the border, the Su-27 returned to its base," RIA quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.  Russian jets and Nato aircraft have frequently come close together over the Black Sea, the Baltic region, Syria and elsewhere. The Pentagon has warned of the dangers of such close encounters in the sky. A Russian Su-27 gets up and close and personal  Credit: US European Command Images released by US European Command last yearshow a Russian SU-27 flying close to the wing of a US RC-135U. The planes are so close that the Russian pilot can be seen in the cockpit.  




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Turpin children must be allowed to see parents in prison if they are to start new lives, says kidnap survivor

Turpin children must be allowed to see parents in prison if they are to start new lives, says kidnap survivor

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Turpin children must be allowed to see parents in prison if they are to start new lives, says kidnap survivorA woman who was kidnapped and locked in a cellar for eight years, has said that the 13 Turpin children must be allowed to see the parents who allegedly kept them captive. Ms Kampusch was 10-years-old when she was kidnapped from her home in the Austrian capital Vienna and taken to the nearby town of Strasshof an der Nordbahn by Wolfgang Priklopil. Taking advantage of an increasing amount of freedom he granted her, Ms Kampusch escaped in 2006, aged 18.




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House Republicans Vote To Release Classified Memo They Wrote Attacking Russia Probe

House Republicans Vote To Release Classified Memo They Wrote Attacking Russia Probe

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House Republicans Vote To Release Classified Memo They Wrote Attacking Russia ProbeWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in Congress advanced their monthslong assault on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election on Monday, voting along partisan lines to release a classified memo slamming officials from the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation who have investigated the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.




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What it's like to be young and in love in Southeast Asia

What it's like to be young and in love in Southeast Asia

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A new photography exhibition is casting light on youth culture across Southeast Asia. More than 150 images, tackling subjects such as online dating and mental health, capture the experiences of young people in a region undergoing unprecedented levels of change.

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What to watch for in Trump's first State of the Union

What to watch for in Trump's first State of the Union

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What to watch for in Trump's first State of the UnionThe big question looming over President Trump's first State of the Union speech is whether he will mention the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. But what he says will also give clues to his agenda for 2018 and his strategy for the midterm elections. Here's what to look for.




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Taiwan holds live-fire drills as tensions with China mount

Taiwan holds live-fire drills as tensions with China mount

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Taiwan holds live-fire drills as tensions with China mountTaiwanese troops Tuesday staged live-fire exercises simulating a response to an invasion, as China steppeds up pressure on the island's President Tsai Ing-wen and a row over airline routes escalated. The ministry did not specify that the annual drill simulated an invasion by China but said it was intended to "show determination to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait and national security". Tsai last month warned against what she called Beijing's "military expansion" -- the increase in Chinese air and naval drills around the island since she came to power in May 2016.




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U.N. employees in Gaza demonstrate against U.S. aid cut

U.N. employees in Gaza demonstrate against U.S. aid cut

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U.N. employees in Gaza demonstrate against U.S. aid cutBy Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Schools, clinics and food distribution centers in the Gaza Strip were closed most of Monday by a demonstration by thousands of employees of the United Nations agency that serves Palestinian refugees. Palestinians have been angered by a U.S. decision to cut aid to the United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA), saying it will cause worse hardship in Gaza. More than half the enclave's two million residents depend on support from UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies.




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Shaky start to Syria peace talks in Russia as opposition delegates refuse to leave Sochi airport

Shaky start to Syria peace talks in Russia as opposition delegates refuse to leave Sochi airport

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Shaky start to Syria peace talks in Russia as opposition delegates refuse to leave Sochi airportA Russian-organised peace conference aimed at ending the war in Syria had a shambolic start on Tuesday, after dozens of opposition delegates refused to leave the airport in Sochi and others backed out at the last minute. Moscow, a staunch Assad ally, is hosting what it has called a Syrian Congress of National Dialogue in the Black Sea resort that it hopes will launch negotiations on drafting a new constitution for Syria after almost seven years of war. But the conference, which is running in parallel to the United Nations-negotiated talks, looked in jeopardy after more than 70 rebel delegates refused to leave the airport until all logos and emblems representing the government were removed. A rebel source told the Telegraph Russia had promised to change or remove the symbol of the congress, which read “Peace to the People of Syria” but only featured the regime flag, only to be greeted by them at the arrivals gate. Sochi conference logo (w/only regime flag) causing problems. Apparently a group of opposition members refused to board one of the buses with it at the airport. They sat at the terminal until other transport was arranged. pic.twitter.com/hjSVlH0uR1— Neil Hauer (@NeilPHauer) January 30, 2018 The Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), the country's main opposition group, meanwhile said following two days of UN-led talks in Vienna last week that it would not attend the Sochi congress. Turkey, which backs the opposition and is co-sponsoring the talks with Iran, which supports Bashar al-Assad’s government, said it would represent the rebels. Lt. Col. Ahmad al-Saud of Idlib's Free Syrian Army claimed the opposition delegation was mistreated by Russian authorities at the airport, where he was detained for several hours Credit: Twitter/CombatChris1 Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, was heckled during his opening statement, with several delegates accusing Moscow of killing civilians in Syria with its air strikes. “In Russia, it's polite to say ‘please’ first,” Mr Lavrov responded, saying they would have a chance to speak later. The conference was initially billed as a two-day event but was cut down to one. Observers noted that much of Tuesday’s programme was taken up with a long lunch and dinner, leaving little time for discussion. Attendees shout slogans prior to a plenary session at the Congress of Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi  Credit: AFP Britain, the US and France did not send any official delegates because of what they say is the government's refusal to properly engage. Western powers support the UN process, which is now in its ninth round but has so far failed to make any major headway. The conference was also also boycotted by Kurdish delegates over Turkey’s offensive on the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin, a northern Syrian enclave on the border with Turkey. A few Kurdish officials attended in a personal capacity and reportedly met in private with Russian counterparts on the sidelines of the conference. The main aim of the Sochi talks is to establish a committee to create a post-war constitution for Syria with UN backing, according to a draft statement. However, any deal agreed without he Kurds, which control some 25 per cent of territory in Syria, will unlikely succeed.  The poor start is a blow to Russia, which has been positioning itself a Middle East peace broker and trying to consolidate influence in the region as the US increasingly takes a step back from the Syrian crisis under President Donald Trump. "The whole point of the congress was to have a serious negotiation with the Kurds, or at least the Higher Negotiating Committee (the most relevant opposition body)," Neil Hauer, s security analyst focused on Russia-Syria relations, told the Telegraph from Sochi.  "Neither of them are here, and as such there's not much that can be discussed. Nor will anything announced here have much legitimacy. It will be very difficult for the Russians to spin this as a win." The opposition has accused Russia of not being an honest broker after failing to uphold a deal made in previous round of talks in Kazakhstan. Both sides agreed to so-called de-escalation zones across Syria, which government forces have since violated. Hours before the the congress got underway, nearly a dozen civilians were killed in a pro-government air strike on the largest market in rebel-held Idlib province. The government is now focused on the northwestern province of Idlib, which is dominated by al-Qaeda-linked militants and home to more than 2.6 million people, nearly half of whom have fled from other areas. It appears to have stepped up its bombing campaign in Idlib in recent days. The Observatory reported 90 airstrikes in Idlib on Monday alone.




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China denies report it hacked African Union headquarters

China denies report it hacked African Union headquarters

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China denies report it hacked African Union headquartersBy Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - China and the African Union dismissed on Monday a report in French newspaper Le Monde that Beijing had bugged the regional bloc's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. An article published Friday in Le Monde, quoting anonymous AU sources, reported that data from computers in the Chinese-built building had been transferred nightly to Chinese servers for five years. After the massive hack was discovered a year ago, the building's IT system including servers was changed, according to Le Monde.




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Lockheed Martin Has Delivered 265 F-35s (And the Profits are Pouring In)

Lockheed Martin Has Delivered 265 F-35s (And the Profits are Pouring In)

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Lockheed Martin Has Delivered 265 F-35s (And the Profits are Pouring In)The future is looking bright for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is set for massive growth as the program finally reaches maturity and enters into full rate production. “Our F-35 program, during the fourth quarter we met our joint government and industry commitment by delivering the 66 aircraft in 2017,” Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin, told investors. Lockheed Martin expects that the program will continue to expand in 2018.




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Amazon, Berkshire, JP Morgan join forces to tackle health care

Amazon, Berkshire, JP Morgan join forces to tackle health care

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Amazon, Berkshire, JP Morgan join forces to tackle health careThree titans of American business announced Tuesday they are joining forces to tackle one of the most enduring problems in the country: quality affordable health care. Billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Jeff Bezos' retail behemoth Amazon will link with financial giant JP Morgan to create a nonprofit health care plan to "provide US employees and their families with simplified, high-quality and transparent health care at a reasonable cost," the companies said. "The ballooning costs of health care act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," Buffett said in a statement.




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Sources: Chiefs trading QB Smith to Redskins

Sources: Chiefs trading QB Smith to Redskins

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The Redskins will acquire Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, ESPN has confirmed. Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported that Smith would sign a 4-year extension with the Redskins, averaging $23.5 million per year with $71 million in guaranteed money.

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Tuesday 30 January 2018

US immigration deal may not get done

US immigration deal may not get done

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After months of rhetoric and negotiations on immigration with the parties barely any closer to each other, the reality is beginning to dawn that there may be no deal to be had.

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'Disgusting' photos show vendors bring shopping carts full of raw, unpackaged meat into grocery store

'Disgusting' photos show vendors bring shopping carts full of raw, unpackaged meat into grocery store

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'Disgusting' photos show vendors bring shopping carts full of raw, unpackaged meat into grocery storeA grocery store in San Jose, California, is under investigation after a customer snapped photos of a vendor bringing shopping carts full of unpackaged meat into the facility. The nauseating photos, shared on Facebook by Loretta Seto, allegedly show vendors transporting a massive haul of raw, uncovered meat slabs into 99 Ranch Market using Costco shopping carts. "Beware: Costco shopping carts," Seto wrote in her now-viral post.




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Puerto Rico Is A Man-Made Disaster

Puerto Rico Is A Man-Made Disaster

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Puerto Rico Is A Man-Made DisasterMonths after hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico, what should have been an example of how one of the most powerful nations in the world could rebuild a territory is instead an example of a man-made catastrophe now moving to the mainland.




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Are narcissism and racism linked? They may be, in Donald Trump.

Are narcissism and racism linked? They may be, in Donald Trump.

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Are narcissism and racism linked? They may be, in Donald Trump.Narcissists and racists “have vulnerable self-esteem issues, which makes them very susceptible to any form of criticism and makes them prone to counterattack impulsively. They are also prone to being denigrating and rageful toward others.” Does that sound like anyone you’ve heard of recently?




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Russian fighter jet 'passes 5ft in front of US surveillance plane' over Black Sea

Russian fighter jet 'passes 5ft in front of US surveillance plane' over Black Sea

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Russian fighter jet 'passes 5ft in front of US surveillance plane' over Black SeaA Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a US surveillance plane over the Black Sea on Monday, prompting the American government to protest the manoeuvre as "an unsafe interaction". The US State Department said the Russian jet closed to within five feet and crossed directly in front of the EP-3 Aries II plane. The encounter, first reported by Russia's RIA news agency, cited the defence ministry as saying the US Navy aircraft, did not violate Russian air space. "This is but the latest example of Russian military activities disregarding international norms and agreements," said the State Department. "We call on Russia to cease these unsafe actions that increase the risk of miscalculation, danger to aircrew on both sides, and midair collisions." MT @USNavyEurope : #USNavy EP-3 Aries flying in international airspace over #BlackSea was intercepted by Russian Su-27. Interaction determined unsafe: Su-27 came within 5 feet & crossed thru EP-3’s flight path, causing EP-3 to fly thru Su-27 jet wash. [File Photo] pic.twitter.com/B25rRhpeyU— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) January 29, 2018 Moscow said that "all security precautions" had been observed during the encounter. "After the surveillance plane of the US Navy had changed its course to move away from the border, the Su-27 returned to its base," RIA quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.  Russian jets and Nato aircraft have frequently come close together over the Black Sea, the Baltic region, Syria and elsewhere. The Pentagon has warned of the dangers of such close encounters in the sky. A Russian Su-27 gets up and close and personal  Credit: US European Command Images released by US European Command last yearshow a Russian SU-27 flying close to the wing of a US RC-135U. The planes are so close that the Russian pilot can be seen in the cockpit.  




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Thai activist flees royal insult charge for posting BBC article

Thai activist flees royal insult charge for posting BBC article

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Thai activist flees royal insult charge for posting BBC articleA Thai pro-democracy activist said on Sunday she had fled Thailand after learning she would be prosecuted for defaming the monarchy for sharing on Facebook a 2016 BBC article deemed offensive to Thailand's king. Chanoknan Ruamsap said in a post on her Facebook account on Sunday that she received a summons earlier this month to hear a royal insult charge under Article 112 for posting a profile of the king from the BBC's Thai-language service, which some deemed offensive. Reuters could not immediately reach the Thai authorities or the BBC for comment.




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Republicans Beg Supreme Court To Let Them Keep Using An Unconstitutional Map

Republicans Beg Supreme Court To Let Them Keep Using An Unconstitutional Map

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Republicans Beg Supreme Court To Let Them Keep Using An Unconstitutional MapRepublicans from Pennsylvania and six other states on Monday offered a slew of reasons why the U.S. Supreme Court should give the Keystone State permission not to comply with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s order to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2018 election.




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