Monday 30 April 2018

Syrian army tightens noose around Palestinian camp

Syrian army tightens noose around Palestinian camp

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Syrian army tightens noose around Palestinian campBy Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian troops on Sunday tightened the noose around a Palestinian refugee camp held by Islamic State militants in southern Damascus where hundreds of civilians face an uncertain future, state media, witnesses and residents said. Nearly two weeks into a campaign to capture the last area near the capital outside government control that has left many parts of the once teeming Yarmouk camp in ruins, state media announced al Qadm neighborhood next to the camp was retaken. Opposition sources said the army was now engaged in fierce fighting with militants on the outskirts of Yarmouk camp where an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 militants are now encircled.




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Confident Pompeo makes Middle East diplomatic debut

Confident Pompeo makes Middle East diplomatic debut

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Confident Pompeo makes Middle East diplomatic debutWashington's newly appointed secretary of state landed in Riyadh Saturday on a tour of America's key Middle East allies, after vowing to bring some "swagger" back to US diplomacy. Mike Pompeo touched down in Saudi Arabia shortly after authorities in the kingdom said they had intercepted four missiles fired at the south of the country by Yemeni rebels, underlining the tensions in the region. The Saudi capital is the first stop on a three-day trip that will also take him to Israel and Jordan to update friends on President Donald Trump's plans for the Iran nuclear deal.




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Detractors deride Duterte for asking Filipinos to leave Kuwait

Detractors deride Duterte for asking Filipinos to leave Kuwait

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Detractors deride Duterte for asking Filipinos to leave KuwaitBy Neil Jerome Morales MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine labor group and a senator accused President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday of gambling with the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Filipinos in Kuwait, after he asked them to come home amid a diplomatic dispute over reported labor abuse. The Philippines and the Gulf Arab state are embroiled in a row over what Duterte says is a pattern of mistreatment of domestic workers by Kuwaiti employers. The Philippine ambassador has been asked to leave following attempts by embassy workers to "rescue" distressed workers there, which Kuwait says is a breach of its sovereignty.




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Kim Jong-un: North Korea to allow foreign experts to witness nuclear site closure in May

Kim Jong-un: North Korea to allow foreign experts to witness nuclear site closure in May

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Kim Jong-un: North Korea to allow foreign experts to witness nuclear site closure in MayNorth Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has said that he will dismantle his country’s main nuclear testing site in May, and that South Korean and US experts and journalists will be allowed to view the process. The dictator’s pledge was made to Moon Jae-in, South Korea’s prime minister,  during their historic talks on Friday, according to Mr Moon’s spokesman, Yoon Young-chan. As well as promising to close the Punggye-ri bomb testing site Kim said he would change North Korea’s time zone by half an hour, reverting it to match South Korea’s. Kim and Mr Moon, meeting in a ‘truce village’ between their countries’ borders on Friday, pledged to work towards the “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsular. The meeting, which some analysts have criticised for not producing firm plans for denuclearisation, came ahead of Kim’s scheduled talk with Donald Trump, expected within the next few weeks. According to a team of Chinese geologists the Punggye-ri site may not be usable anyway, having reportedly suffered a land collapse following North Korea’s sixth nuclear bomb test in September last year. However, according to Mr Yoon, Kim said the site has new tunnels that are bigger than its earlier-built facilities. On Sunday Mr Yoon quoted Kim as saying: “Once we start talking, the United States will know that I am not a person to launch nuclear weapons at South Korea, the Pacific or the United States … If we maintain frequent meetings and build trust with the United States and receive promises for an end to the war and a non-aggression treaty, then why would ee need to live in difficulty by keeping our nuclear weapons?” Rocket man: How Kim Jong-un emerged from his father's shadow to silence the doubters Analysts have cast doubt over the meaningfulness of Kim’s pledge. Before Friday’s talks Jeffrey Lewis, director East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said that Kim did not need the Punggye-ri site and could “shift big tests to neighbouring mountains”. Mr Yoon suggested that Kim’s decision to alter North Korea’s time zone was made when he saw two wall clocks in a summit room showing different times for the two countries, finding it “heartbreaking”. Korean detente How did we get here? In August 2015 North Korea announced a new ‘Pyongyang time’ zone for the country, which was half an hour before Japan and South Korea’s time zone. The move was made to symbolically distance North Korea from Japan, which occupied the country from 1910 until 1945. Professor Tong Zhu, fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at Beijing’s Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, told The Telegraph that such gestures would not make North Korea’s full denuclearisation more likely. “There is no way that North Korea is going to give up its nuclear deterrent capability,” he said. He added: “North Korea worked so hard to obtain that capability in the first place. Its primary objective is to keep its nuclear capabilities, then the next priority is to address all the negative consequences resulting from its nuclear development. And then to develop a normal relationship with the rest of the international community.”




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The Great Game in Asia: How China Sees Taiwan

The Great Game in Asia: How China Sees Taiwan

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The Great Game in Asia: How China Sees TaiwanFor the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan represents the final obstacle to truly concluding the Chinese Civil War. In the wake of China’s live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait, along with the largest naval drills in history of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) status and meaning to the U.S.-China relationship is more prominent than ever.




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Great Barrier Reef given £275million investment as damage spreads

Great Barrier Reef given £275million investment as damage spreads

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Great Barrier Reef given £275million investment as damage spreadsAustralia on Sunday pledged a major cash injection to restore and protect the Great Barrier Reef in what it said would be a game-changer for the embattled natural wonder. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said more than A$500 million (£275 million) will go towards improving water quality, tackling predators, and expanding restoration efforts. The World Heritage-listed site, which attracts millions of tourists, is reeling from significant bouts of coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. The reef is also under threat from the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which has proliferated due to pollution and agricultural runoff. Mr Turnbull said it was the "largest ever single investment - to protect the reef, secure its viability and the 64,000 jobs that rely on the reef." "We want to ensure the reef's future for the benefit of all Australians, particularly those whose livelihood depends on the reef," he added. The reef is a critical national asset, contributing A$6.4 billion (£3.5 billion) a year to the Australian economy. A mass bleaching event of coral in the Great Barrier Reef happened during an extended heatwave in 2016 Credit: GREG TORDA/AFP/Getty Images Canberra has previously committed more than Aus$2 billion to protect the site over the next decade, but has been criticised for backing a huge coal project by Indian mining giant Adani nearby. With its heavy use of coal-fired power and relatively small population, Australia is considered one of the world's worst per-capita greenhouse gas polluters. Canberra insists it is taking strong action to address the global threat of climate change, having set an ambitious target to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Coral reefs | The main dangers Mr Turnbull said part of the money will be used to mitigate the impacts of climate change, but gave no details. The bulk of the new funding - just over A$200 million - was earmarked to improve water quality by changing farming practices and adopting new technologies and land management. "The money will go towards improving water quality, working with farmers to prevent sediment, nitrogen and pesticide runoff into the reef," said Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg. "It will ensure that we tackle the crown-of-thorns... and use the best available science to ensure our coral is resilient to heat and light stress."




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U.S. concerned by 'destabilizing and malign activities' of Iran: Pompeo

U.S. concerned by 'destabilizing and malign activities' of Iran: Pompeo

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U.S. concerned by 'destabilizing and malign activities' of Iran: PompeoBy Lesley Wroughton and Ori Lewis TEL AVIV (Reuters) - The United States is deeply concerned by Iran's "destabilizing and malign activities", new Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. The former CIA director was speaking on a flying visit to the region, where he had earlier in the day met with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh and stressed the need for unity among Gulf allies as Washington aims to muster support for new sanctions against Iran to curb its missile program. The whirlwind trip to NATO in Brussels and to Middle East allies came only hours after Pompeo was confirmed as Trump's top diplomat.




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Madagascar's president rules out resignation despite protests

Madagascar's president rules out resignation despite protests

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Madagascar's president rules out resignation despite protestsMadagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on Sunday refused to yield to opposition demands that he resign from office, following eight days of anti-government protests in the capital. The opposition accuses the government of trying to elbow them out of the race through new electoral laws they claim benefit the incumbent. The protests erupted last week and on the first day two people were killed and at least 16 people wounded, with the police accused of firing real bullets at the crowd.




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Lynching memorial leaves some quietly seething: 'Let sleeping dogs lie'

Lynching memorial leaves some quietly seething: 'Let sleeping dogs lie'

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Lynching memorial leaves some quietly seething: 'Let sleeping dogs lie'One mile away, another historical monument tells a very different tale about the American south: the First White House of the Confederacy celebrates the life of “renowned American patriot” Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederate states, while making virtually no mention of the hundreds of black people he and his family enslaved. The contradictions of Montgomery’s historical narratives were on full display this week as thousands of tourists and progressive activists flocked to the city to mark the opening of the country’s first memorial to lynching victims – while some locals quietly seethed, saying they resented the new museum for dredging up the past and feared it would incite anger and backlash within black communities. “It’s going to cause an uproar and open old wounds,” said Mikki Keenan, a 58-year-old longtime Montgomery resident, who was eating lunch at a southern country-style restaurant a mile from the memorial.




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'My gladiator lay down his shield': Toddler Alfie Evans dies in Britain

'My gladiator lay down his shield': Toddler Alfie Evans dies in Britain

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'My gladiator lay down his shield': Toddler Alfie Evans dies in BritainAlfie Evans, the 23-month-old British toddler whose grave illness drew international attention, died early on Saturday, his family said. Alfie had a rare, degenerative disease and had been in a semi-vegetative state for more than a year. After a series of court cases, doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool removed his life support on Monday, against his parents wishes.




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Saudi Aramco appoints first woman to board of directors

Saudi Aramco appoints first woman to board of directors

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Saudi Aramco appoints first woman to board of directorsSaudi national oil giant Aramco said Sunday that five new members had been appointed to its board of directors, including the first woman in the firm's history. Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, 60, is the former head of US oil company Sunoco Inc. and has been director of oil services company Baker Hughes since July last year. Other newly-appointed Aramco board members include Minister of Finance Mohammed al-Jadaan, while Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh was retained as the company's chairman, state-owned Aramco said in a statement.




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Russian Twitter 'bots' attempted to influence election by supporting Jeremy Corbyn, investigation finds

Russian Twitter 'bots' attempted to influence election by supporting Jeremy Corbyn, investigation finds

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Russian Twitter 'bots' attempted to influence election by supporting Jeremy Corbyn, investigation findsRussia attempted to influence the results of the general election by promoting the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn,  it has been claimed.  6,500 Russian Twitter accounts, many of which are run by internet robots known as "bots", supported Labour in the run up to last year's election, an investigation by The Sunday Times has found. The social media accounts, most of which were created in the weeks before polling day, denigrated the Conservatives and promoted Labour during key points of the campaign, according to reports.  The Twitter accounts helped Corbyn turn the Manchester Arena bombing into a campaigning point by amplifying tweets criticising May for cutting police numbers as Home Secretary, it was claimed.  Matt Hancock, the digital and culture secretary, said the revelations are "extremely concerning" and urged Twitter to act to prevent it from happening again.  Most of the social media accounts were created in the weeks before polling day, it was reported "It is absolutely unacceptable for any nation to attempt to interfere in the democratic elections of another country," he told The Sunday Times. "The social media companies need to act to safeguard our democratic discourse and reveal what they know." A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Russian Government made clear its support for the Conservative Party in the 2017 UK General Election, with the Russian Embassy in London promoting their ideological “convergence” and Theresa May’s “strong and stable” slogan on Twitter. “Labour’s proposed crackdown on tax dodging, failed privatisation and corrupt oligarchs is opposed by both May and Putin’s conservative philosophy and their super-rich supporters.  “The Labour Party’s people-powered election campaign attracted huge levels of public support online. We were not aware of any from automated bots, categorically did not pay for any and are not aware of any of our supporters doing so.”




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Northrop Grumman Has a Smart Strategy for Business Success

Northrop Grumman Has a Smart Strategy for Business Success

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Northrop Grumman Has a Smart Strategy for Business SuccessNorthrop Grumman is only bidding on projects that the company believes will generate the best financial returns on its investments. Continuing a recent trend amongst major defense companies, Northrop Grumman is only bidding on projects that the company believes will generate the best financial returns on its investments. The company even ruled out bidding on certain programs where it is the incumbent, such as a new replacement electro-optical distributed aperture system (DAS)—the contract for which ended up going to Raytheon.




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Sunday 29 April 2018

Pompeo briefs Saudi, Israel on Trump plans for Iran deal

Pompeo briefs Saudi, Israel on Trump plans for Iran deal

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Pompeo briefs Saudi, Israel on Trump plans for Iran dealWashington's new chief diplomat was to meet Saudi and Israeli leaders on Sunday to rally coordinated opposition to Tehran and brief them on President Donald Trump's threat to end the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh on Saturday shortly after Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles across the kingdom's border. US officials travelling with Pompeo told reporters the Huthi missiles had been supplied by Iran, and cited the attacks as evidence that regional powers should work together.




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Russian lawyer from Trump Tower meeting claims to be an 'informant'

Russian lawyer from Trump Tower meeting claims to be an 'informant'

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Russian lawyer from Trump Tower meeting claims to be an 'informant'The Russian lawyer who attended at a controversial meeting with Trump campaign members has reportedly called herself “an informant” who is in communication with Russia's chief prosecutor. Attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya was one of eight people present at the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting, which was organised after an intermediary promised to give Donald Trump Jr incriminating information about his father’s election rival, Hillary Clinton. Ms Veselnitskaya has previously claimed that she was acting independently during the meeting with Trump campaign officials.




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Tesla owner who turned on car's autopilot then sat in passenger seat while travelling on the M1 banned from driving

Tesla owner who turned on car's autopilot then sat in passenger seat while travelling on the M1 banned from driving

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Tesla owner who turned on car's autopilot then sat in passenger seat while travelling on the M1 banned from drivingA man who switched on his car's autopilot before moving to the passenger seat while travelling along a motorway has been banned from driving for 18 months. Bhavesh Patel, aged 39, of Alfreton Road, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, April 20. The court heard that at 7.40pm on May 21, 2017, Patel was driving his white Tesla S 60 along the northbound carriageway of the M1, between junctions 8 and 9 near Hemel Hempstead. While the £70,000 car was in motion, he chose to switch on the supercar's autopilot function before moving across to the passenger seat and leaving the steering wheel and foot controls completely unmanned. A witness noticed Patel, who had owned the car for a maximum of five months at the time of the incident, sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Tesla founder Elon Musk Credit: Joe Skipper/Reuters No one could be seen in the driver's seat and Patel appeared to have his hands behind his head. The witness, who was a passenger in another car, filmed Patel as the car drove past. Witness accounts stated that traffic was heavy due to congestion and it has been estimated that the vehicle was travelling at approximately 40mph at the time. Footage of the incident was first posted on social media before it was reported to police and a Notice of Intended Prosecution was then sent to Patel in the post. He was later interviewed by officers at Stevenage Police Station, where he admitted that he knew what he had done was 'silly', but that the car was capable of something 'amazing' and that he was just the 'unlucky one who got caught'. As part of the investigation, officers obtained a statement from a Tesla engineer who described autopilot as a 'suite of driver assistance features'. Tesla Model 3 puff They stated that these are hands-on features intended to provide assistance to a 'fully-attentive driver'. Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) assists with acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle whilst Autosteer provides assistance with steering of the vehicle. Further literature provided by Tesla states that drivers should 'never depend on TACC to adequately slow down model S, always watch the road in front of you and be prepared to take corrective action at all times. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death'. Investigating officer PC Kirk Caldicutt, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: "What Patel did was grossly irresponsible and could have easily ended in tragedy. He not only endangered his own life but the lives of other innocent people using the motorway on that day. History of Tesla "This case should serve as an example to all drivers who have access to autopilot controls and have thought about attempting something similar. I want to stress that they are in no way a substitute for a competent motorist in the driving seat who can react appropriately to the road ahead. "I hope Patel uses his disqualification period to reflect on why he chose to make such a reckless decision on that day." In addition to his 18-month disqualification, Patel was given 100 hours unpaid work, ordered to carry out 10 days rehabilitation and pay £1,800 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.




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