| Dorian isn't moving because the upper atmosphere is too calm Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:12 PM PDT  Powerful Hurricane Dorian has been going nowhere because nothing high up is making it budge. While this has been horrible for the Bahamas, where the storm's pounding has been relentless, it may help spare Florida a bit, meteorologists said. After reaching record-tying wind speeds on landfall in the Bahamas, the storm just stalled.
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| US police fire pepper spray after pro-Trump 'Straight Pride' parade Posted: 01 Sep 2019 07:42 AM PDT  US police fired pepper spray Saturday after counter-demonstrators accused them of protecting "Straight Pride" advocates who support President Donald Trump, and refused to let officers re-open a road. The unrest came after the counter-protesters and "Straight Pride" group -- considered homophobic extremists by their opponents -- staged dueling rallies in Boston. Officers fired pepper spray and made several arrests.
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| Bolsonaro ambassador threatens to choke Macron and insults wife Brigitte amid Amazon fires row: 'He sleeps with a dragon' Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:56 AM PDT  Brazil's tourism ambassador has threatened to choke Emmanuel Macron and called his wife Brigitte "ugly" amid a continuing war of words between the French president and the Brazilian government over the fires in the Amazon rainforest.In a video posted on social media, Renzo Gracie accused Mr Macron, who has criticised Brazil's response to the devastating blazes, of "talking rubbish" about his country.
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| Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam recorded saying she 'would resign if she could' Posted: 02 Sep 2019 09:54 AM PDT  Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam has said she "would resign if she could", according to an audio recording of a speech she gave to a group of businesspeople last week. In often anguished remarks, she apologised for igniting the "unforgivable chaos" in the city and said her room to respond was "very limited" as the Chinese government now considers the protest movement a national security issue. "If I have a choice," she said, "the first thing is to quit, having made a deep apology." The audio recording of the speech, given in English, was obtained by Reuters and gives the clearest indication yet of the weakness of the Hong Kong government in relation to Beijing, which has not faced a political crisis this severe since the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Ms Lam has long denied being a puppet of the Chinese government but reports have consistently made clear that the Communist Party is effectively calling the shots on how to handle the crisis. However, Ms Lam was adamant the Chinese military will not intervene. She said there was "absolutely no plan" to deploy the People's Liberation Army and that China has imposed no deadline on ending the unrest, preferring to ride out any economic cost. The chief executive, who was chosen as city leader in 2017, spoke of her sadness at being unable to walk the city or visit hair salons such is the anger at her government. However, she was bitterly self-critical about the decision to try and pass the extradition bill that kicked off the protests, saying the decision was nothing to do with Beijing. "This is not something instructed, coerced by the central government," she said, adding "this has proven to be very unwise given the circumstances. And this huge degree of fear and anxiety amongst people of Hong Kong vis-à-vis the mainland of China, which we were not sensitive enough to feel and grasp." Students gather under umbrellas on the University Mall at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) during a class boycott rally in Hong Kong Credit: Bloomberg Often criticised as inflexible and unempathetic in her public appearances, Ms Lam choked up several times during the meeting, which was one of several behind-closed-doors encounters she has arranged with citizens from "all walks of life". In the 24-minute recording, she says that for ""for a chief executive to have caused this huge havoc to Hong Kong is unforgivable." Meanwhile yesterday/Monday thousands of secondary school and university students protested on the day they were due back in class, announcing a two-week boycott. Co-organized by two student groups and the pro-democracy party Demosisto, one organizer said over 4,000 secondary school students from over 230 schools joined the rally. "I am more worried about Hong Kong than ourselves at this moment, maybe in the next five years we will be studying in the university or working, but what is happening now will affect the whole Hong Kong society, and other countries as well," said one student, 17, in a school uniform. Across the harbour thousands of students from 10 universities gathered at the Chinese University in black t-shirts, some holding signs saying "boycott for freedom". In a press conference on Monday, Hong Kong police said they had arrested 159 people over the weekend, including one 13-year-old found with petrol bombs. China's foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuan, yesterday said the demonstrations in Hong Kong had "completely exceeded the scope of freedom of assembly".
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| 'We are heartbroken': Death toll rises to seven in Texas shooting; gunman identified Posted: 01 Sep 2019 08:16 PM PDT  The death toll rose to seven after a gunman's rampage that left 22 injured following what began as a routine traffic stop in Odessa, Texas.
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| UPDATE 1-China lodges tariff case at WTO against the U.S. Posted: 02 Sep 2019 07:27 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-China lodges tariff case at WTO against the U.S.]( "UPDATE 1-China lodges tariff case at WTO against the U.S.") HONG KONG/GENEVA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - China has lodged a complaint against the United States at the World Trade Organization over U.S. import duties, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Monday. The United States began imposing 15% tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods on Sunday and China began imposing new duties on U.S. crude oil, the latest escalation in their trade war. China did not release details of its legal case but said the U.S. tariffs affected $300 billion of Chinese exports.
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| Kevin Hart Could Require Back Surgery After Malibu Horror Crash, But Docs Are Optimistic Posted: 02 Sep 2019 05:20 AM PDT  Instagram / KevinHart4realComedian Kevin Hart is being assessed to see if he will require back surgery following his dramatic crash in the Malibu hills in the early hours of Sunday morning. Hart, miraculously, walked away from the crash, and was able to go back home before checking himself into an L.A.-area hospital, where he is now under observation. The other two passengers in the car appear to have also had lucky escapes, despite being trapped in the vehicle for some time: Hart's friend Jared Black (who was driving) and personal trainer Rebecca Broxterman are both expected to make full recoveries.Hart could, however, need surgery for major back injuries he suffered in the crash, which saw his vintage Plymouth Barracuda veer off a Mulholland Highway canyon, crashing to the ground ten feet below. Pictures showed the roof of the car completely sheared off. Doctors are optimistic that Hart will make a full recovery as he has not suffered "a spinal cord injury," The Blast reports, adding that he is "able to walk and move his extremities."Hart was a passenger in the vintage muscle car, which he bought in July to mark his 40th birthday, when it went off the road and rolled down an embankment.California Highway Patrol officers said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision, which happened at around around 12:45 a.m. Sunday.The car was turning when the driver "immediately lost control of the vehicle, and the Plymouth left the road and rolled over down the northern embankment," TMZ said, quoting cops.Just hours before the crash, Hart had posted a video on Instagram of himself sitting in the car. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| 34 Feared Dead After Dive Boat Catches Fire Off California Coast Posted: 02 Sep 2019 06:21 AM PDT  The vessel was reportedly on fire near Santa Cruz island
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| Iranian tanker blacklisted by US off Lebanon, Syria coasts Posted: 02 Sep 2019 08:43 AM PDT  The Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 blacklisted by the United States has been off the coast of Lebanon and Syria for the past 24 hours, maritime monitors said on Monday. The vessel has been zigzagging in the eastern Mediterranean since it was released from the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on August 18, after being held for six weeks on suspicion it was delivering oil for Tehran's ally Damascus. "The Adrian Darya 1 has stopped just 45 nautical miles (83km/52 miles) west of Tripoli, Lebanon, in international waters," TankerTrackers, a maritime traffic monitoring website said.
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| Dorian triggers massive flooding in Bahamas; at least 5 dead Posted: 02 Sep 2019 05:00 PM PDT  Hurricane Dorian unleashed massive flooding across the Bahamas on Monday, pummeling the islands with so much wind and water that authorities urged people to find floatation devices and grab hammers to break out of their attics if necessary. "We are in the midst of a historic tragedy," Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said in announcing the fatalities. The fearsome Category 4 storm slowed almost to a standstill as it shredded roofs, hurled cars and forced even rescue crews to take shelter until the onslaught passed.
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| ‘Time Is Running Out’: The 2020 Democratic Race Is About to Get Serious Posted: 02 Sep 2019 03:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The unofficial end of summer kicks off a more intense phase of a Democratic presidential race that has been led by moderate Joe Biden, with progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in a battle for second as the rest of the sprawling field struggles to break through."There's a real sense that time is running out after Labor Day," said Alex Conant, a public relations consultant who was a top aide on the 2016 presidential campaign of Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican. "Voters become more engaged. Before Labor Day most voters are content to watch the show. After Labor Day they start picking a team."He added, "Especially if you're a second- or third-tier candidate who's been waiting to make a move, the time is now."Democrats have essentially culled the field to a four-person race with a few wild cards showing signs of life and others hanging by a thread. Party members are eager to nominate a candidate they believe can beat President Donald Trump, keeping Biden atop polls even amid concerns about his age and propensity for gaffes. Sanders and Warren are behind, splitting Democrats hungry for swift and far-reaching progressive change, while Kamala Harris has settled into a distant fourth place.No one else is polling above 10% in a field that has in recent weeks dwindled from 24 to 19.At the same time, the economy remains strong but shows signs of sputtering that make Trump allies nervous.The upcoming debate Sept. 12 in Houston will be the first time all the front-runners are on the stage together. Many are anticipating a confrontation between Biden and Warren, who've never shared the podium but have a contentious history and represent a stark choice between the moderate and liberal wings of the party.Over the summer, Warren was the only top-tier candidate who avoided any clashes with her main rivals, steering clear of the fights over Medicare for All and 1970s segregation that saw Biden, Sanders and Harris all squabbling.Can Biden's Lead Hold?So far, Biden's resilient lead has defied critics who suggested that the third-time presidential candidate was on track for another flameout. Unlike during his previous campaigns, defeating Trump is the overarching goal for many Democrats and Biden benefits from a perception that he's best-positioned to recapture the swing states that Democrats lost in 2016.Voters "kind of know he's the guy who can win important swing voters," said John Anzalone, Biden's pollster and adviser. "They feel like there's too much risk in some of the candidates who might be considered more left."Some Democrats roll their eyes at Biden's "electability" argument, saying the lack of intensity behind his campaign risks the party being unable to galvanize voters behind a fresh vision."Oh, Democrats. It's so painful. We're so inside our own heads," said Rebecca Katz, a progressive strategist. "Democrats are so desperate to win that we don't even trust our own judgment. Maybe instead of making some giant calculation of who could win what vote, vote for the person who inspires you."After Harris, there's Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who has raked in vast sums of money but remains stuck in fifth. Five other candidates will complete at the Houston debate but they're all placing under 3% in the polls.Another candidate could yet vault into the top tier. Lower-polling candidates on the September debate stage – including Cory Booker, Julian Castro and Beto O'Rourke – are better positioned to create or take advantage of an opportunity.Several candidates who might have been formidable in a different climate have already dropped out, including Washington Governor Jay Inslee and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.No Repeat of 2016The Democratic National Committee has eagerly tried to prevent the perception that it's putting its thumb on the scale like it did for Hillary Clinton in 2016. But that hasn't stopped some struggling candidates from grumbling about its rules."I feel very excited about where we are now. We've got a deep field, we are talking about the issues and that's what we're supposed to be doing," DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in an interview. "The energy is everywhere."Henry Singleton, an NAACP member from New York City said Harris is "a force" but he worries she'd suffer the same fate as Clinton did in 2016."Our people are very comfortable with him, with his demeanor," Singleton said of Biden. He just has a flair. And I think he would be the one to really, really go after Donald Trump in the debates."Democrats could come to demand more of Biden as a growing number of polls show other Democrats could beat Trump.In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 54% of registered voters said they'd vote for Biden, while 38% said they would vote for Trump. But Sanders would also win the popular vote, 53% to 39%; as would Warren at 52% to 40%, Harris at 51% to 40%, and Buttigieg at 49% to 40%."One of the overwhelming things I hear about Joe Biden is that he definitely acts and talks his age — which isn't necessarily a bad thing for some voters, but for other voters, especially for younger voters, is not appealing," said Bryce Smith, the chairman of the Dallas County Democratic Party in Iowa, just outside Des Moines."He might have some really good ideas," he said, "but the way he talks about them may not be as motivating or energizing as Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders who are similar in age."\--With assistance from Emma Kinery.To contact the reporters on this story: Sahil Kapur in Washington at skapur39@bloomberg.net;Jennifer Epstein in Washington at jepstein32@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Afghan killer sparks far-right criticism in France Posted: 01 Sep 2019 10:04 AM PDT  Jacquet said the knifeman had been first registered in France in 2009 as a minor, but travelled to Germany, Norway, Britain and Italy before returning to France in 2016 where he was granted temporary residency rights. France has been the victim of a string of Islamist-inspired terror attacks since 2015 that have cost hundreds of lives.
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| Residents, protesters converge on Mong Kok Police Station to vent anger at Hong Kong officers Posted: 02 Sep 2019 07:32 AM PDT  The tense scene followed a stand-off earlier near Tamar Park in Admiralty.
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| Ten children wounded after shooting at high school football match Posted: 02 Sep 2019 03:02 AM PDT  A shooting at a high school football game in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday night wounded at least 10 people, police said.The city's police chief, Lawrence Battiste, said at a news conference Friday that the victims were between 15 and 18 years old, according to local station WKRG 5. Their conditions were not immediately available.
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| Photos of Volvo Truck with Banksy's Artwork Posted: 02 Sep 2019 11:15 AM PDT |
| Seventh illegal immigrant accused of sex crimes in Maryland county in 5 weeks Posted: 02 Sep 2019 03:48 AM PDT  A seventh suspect in the U.S. illegally has been accused of sexual assault in Maryland's sanctuary Montgomery County. Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins sounds off..
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| ‘We are one’: Community vows to heal as police investigate motive for West Texas shootings Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:57 PM PDT  The West Texas rampage left seven people dead and 25 people injured, including a 17-month-old girl who suffered major facial injuries but survived.
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| Police detain Russian opposition activist after Moscow protest Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:25 PM PDT ![Police detain Russian opposition activist after Moscow protest]( "Police detain Russian opposition activist after Moscow protest") Russian opposition activist Lyubov Sobol, an ally of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, was detained by police on Monday after a weekend protest in Moscow, Navalny's spokeswoman said on Twitter. A few thousand Russians took to the streets of Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections to the capital's city legislature on Sept. 8, defying a ban enforced by detentions during previous protests. Protesters have been calling for the release of activists detained in earlier rallies, and Sobol on Saturday described the arrests as "mayhem," blaming it on the city government.
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| Hurricane Dorian wreaks havoc in the Bahamas with 'catastrophic' winds reaching 225 miles per hour Posted: 01 Sep 2019 11:58 PM PDT  Hurricane Dorian became the strongest storm on modern record to strike the northern Bahamas as "catastrophic winds and storm surge" thrashed the Abaco Islands on Sunday. The storm strengthened to a Category 5 shortly before it made landfall, causing residents to scramble to find shelter amid torrential rains and peak winds of 225 miles per hour. Federal forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said the core of the storm was slowing as it swept through the Bahamas, with Dorian expected to soon hit Grand Bahama Island. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis of the Bahamas, who warned that 73,000 residents and 21,000 homes could be affected, urged people in Grand Bahama Island to move to safer ground in Freeport. "As a physician, I have been trained to withstand many things — but never anything like this," Dr Minnis said at a news conference. "This is a deadly storm and a monster storm." The storm is now expected to bring severe winds, coastal flooding and further rain to the southeast coast of the US. A hurricane warning is in place from West Palm Beach to Titusville. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for parts of coastal Florida in preparation for Hurricane Dorian Credit: AP In an earlier update, forecasters had warned the storm had become extremely intense, and advised people to remain alert even though Hurricane Dorian is not predicted to make landfall in the US. "A small deviation to the left of the track could bring the intense core of the hurricane and its dangerous winds closer to or onto the coast," forecasters at the NHC announced. The NHC said on Sunday night that maximum sustained winds around the eye of the storm had begun to exceed 220 miles per hour - three times the wind speed to qualify as a hurricane. Officials at the NHC added those winds extended 45 miles outward from the middle of the storm, with tropical storm-force winds as much as 140 miles beyond Hurricane Dorian's eye. The storm has become one of the most intense in the Atlantic in the last century. Hurricane Dorian is bearing down on the Bahamas Credit: HO/AFP Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for parts of coastal Florida in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, including the site of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Estate. Little over an hour after the storm made landfall and began wreaking havoc in the northern Bahamas, Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced the evacuation of some coastal communities. Amid the evacuation orders, toll charges have been suspended to allow people to make their escape, while several airlines have capped fares for flights out of Florida. Hurricane Dorian made landfall twice in the Bahamas' Abaco Islands early on Sunday afternoon with winds of 185 miles per hour that toppled overhead power lines and tore roofs off houses. Dr Minnis broke down in tears as he addressed a news conference, calling it "probably the most sad and worst day of my life," the Nassau Guardian reported. INSIDE THE EYE OF HURRICANE DORIAN - Views of the "stadium effect" eyewall from NOAA42 "Kermit" inside the eye of Hurricane Dorian earlier today. Forecasts and advisories at https://t.co/3phpgKMZaS, preparation tips at https://t.co/ZUC1oGAvw6FlyNOAA (credit Ian Sears, NOAA) pic.twitter.com/gu8rCmVAbO— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) September 1, 2019 The Abaco Islands were reported to be under water as forecasters warned it was facing a towering 18 to 23 feet storm surge. Winds were gusting over 220 mph, the NHC said. Around 28,000 Britons people visit the Bahamas annually and the islands have enjoyed a bumper year for tourism. According to the latest projections Dorian, which on Sunday morning was around 225 miles off West Palm Beach, Florida, will batter the Bahamas for up to 24 hours before turning north. Both the European and US models show the hurricane turning north on Monday night with winds still at 140 miles per hour, but remaining offshore. Hurricane Dorian By the early hours of Thursday morning, with the wind having dropped to around 100 mph, Dorian is expected to be off the shore of Georgia, before reaching North Carolina on Friday. Even though the centre of the hurricane is now projected to remain off the US mainland, the states of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina are still bracing themselves for heavy rainfall and storm damage. "This storm has been particularly difficult, a lot of uncertainty," Peter Gaynor, acting administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told NBC's Meet the Press. "The time now is for residents to really prepare. It is going to impact Florida, it is going to impact Georgia, it is going to impact the Carolinas and now is the time to make those preparations." Mr Gaynor warned that people should not become complacent even though the projections suggested the hurricane would stay offshore. "I think the mistake most people make is they follow that thin black line and think that is the exact location they think the storm will be in. "Your really have to look at the 'cone of uncertainty'. If you look at that it really covers the majority of Florida and as you go north great parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. "We are not out of this just yet."
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| Do I stay or do I go? For Joe Manchin, a big decision awaits Posted: 01 Sep 2019 05:38 AM PDT  Joe Manchin is once again at a career crossroads that says as much about the West Virginia politician as it does the state of American politics. The Democrat says he'll decide right after Labor Day whether to stick with being in the U.S. Senate, where he was just reelected for a six-year term, or make a run for West Virginia governor in 2020. In some ways, it's almost a risk-free political choice because Manchin can try to return to the governor's office, the job he had before joining the Senate, without forfeiting his Senate seat or complicating his party's drive to control Congress.
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| ICC prosecutor ordered to reopen Gaza flotilla case Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:17 AM PDT  The International Criminal Court on Monday ordered the tribunal's prosecutor for a second time to reconsider whether to press charges over a deadly Israeli raid on a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza in 2010. In the latest step in a long-running legal battle at the court in The Hague, appeals judges told prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to decide by December whether to reopen the case. Nine Turkish citizens died in May 2010 when Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara, among eight ships trying to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
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| Authorities identify gunman in deadly Odessa shooting Posted: 02 Sep 2019 01:32 AM PDT  Odessa police identified the gunman who opened fire at random as Seth Aaron Ator.
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| We need Unions for All. It's a bold agenda for helping everyone get ahead in our economy. Posted: 02 Sep 2019 05:43 AM PDT  We need serious plans to empower all workers to form unions, no matter what job they do. 'Unions for All' is our litmus test for 2020 candidates.
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| Russia’s Deputy Premier Rips New Space Center Posted: 02 Sep 2019 06:12 AM PDT ![Russia's Deputy Premier Rips New Space Center]( "Russia's Deputy Premier Rips New Space Center") (Bloomberg) -- A series of corruption scandals, cost overruns and mishaps at Russia's new Vostochny Cosmodrome have brought long-simmering questions about the leadership of the country's space agency into public view."The situation is unacceptable for everyone, including the construction of the first stage and the second stage" of the space center, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told Vedomosti newspaper in an interview published Monday, adding that the Defense Ministry may take over part of the work.Borisov, formerly a powerful and secretive official responsible for procurement at the Defense Ministry, became deputy prime minister last year in place of Dmitry Rogozin, who was appointed to head Roscosmos by President Vladimir Putin. While Russia views the cosmodrome as a national security priority, with its current Soviet-era launch base located at Baikonur in neighboring Kazakhstan, the $3 billion project has been plagued by controversy.Rogozin, who's frequently highlighted the threat posed by Elon Musk's SpaceX venture to Russia's launch industry, quickly took to Twitter to defend himself. "It's always been this way: some build, while others criticize," Rogozin wrote. "It's part of the business."Splits within the Kremlin elite have become more visible since Putin's re-election last year to what may be his final presidential term under Russia's constitution, amid jostling by rival factions. Last month, for example, Rostec State Corp. chief Sergey Chemezov, a longtime Putin ally and fellow spy, contradicted the official line that recent Moscow election protests should be put down forcefully, warning instead that the country risked stagnation without a healthy opposition.Putin ordered Russia's Investigative Committee to examine construction at Vostochny during a visit to the space center after a planned first rocket launch was delayed in 2015. Months earlier, workers who hadn't been paid for months went on hunger strike and appealed to Putin for help by painting a message on the roof of their barracks.The Prosecutor General's Office has opened a series of criminal cases after uncovering 10 billion rubles ($150 million) in losses during construction at Vostochny. In one sparkling example of corruption, a contractor accused of stealing 4 million rubles was detained in Minsk, Belarus, while driving a Mercedes covered in Swarovski crystals.While the space center went into operation in 2016, officials uncovered a critical defect on one of Vostochny's launchpads as recently as last November, RBC news website reported. In 2017, a satellite launch failed after the rocket was programmed with coordinates for takeoff from another launch pad.Alexei Kudrin, the head of Russia's Audit Chamber, told lawmakers last year that he had found 760 billion rubles ($11.4 billion) of financial violations in Roscosmos's books, including several billion that had been "basically stolen," describing the space agency as "the champion in terms of the scale of such violations." Roscosmos said the criticism related to a 2017 audit, before Rogozin's appointment.Rogozin, who was responsible as deputy premier for the space industry, threatened in 2015 to "rip off the heads" of construction staff involved in corruption after Vostochny risked having its electricity cut off over unpaid bills, according to the Interfax news service.\--With assistance from Ilya Arkhipov and Stepan Kravchenko.To contact the reporter on this story: Jake Rudnitsky in Moscow at jrudnitsky@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Torrey Clark at tclark8@bloomberg.net, Tony Halpin, Paul AbelskyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Indian moon mission's landing module separates from orbiter Posted: 02 Sep 2019 01:53 AM PDT ![Indian moon mission's landing module separates from orbiter]( "Indian moon mission's landing module separates from orbiter") The landing module of India's unmanned moon mission separated from the orbiter on Monday ahead of its planned touchdown on the moon's south polar region this weekend, the space agency said. All the systems of orbiter and the lander are "healthy," the Indian Space Research Organization said in a statement. Monday's maneuver removed the lander from the orbiter's top, where it had been sitting since the mission took off from southern India on July 22.
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| Lebanon-Israel border quiet after Hezbollah clash Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:26 AM PDT  MAROUN AL-RAS, Lebanon (Reuters) - The Lebanon-Israel border area was quiet on Monday, after Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and the Israeli army exchanged cross-border fire on Sunday. Israel's military said anti-tank missiles from Lebanon targeted an army base and vehicles. It responded with fire into southern Lebanon, after a week of growing tension raised fears of a new war with long-time enemy Hezbollah.
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| As many evacuate for Dorian, a 'hurricane bar' caters to those who stay Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:00 PM PDT  The Hunkerdown Hideaway calls itself "the hurricane bar." There locals who aren't evacuating have gathered during major storms for years.
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| Which of These Doomsday Scenarios Is Most Likely to Kill Us All? Posted: 02 Sep 2019 06:00 AM PDT |
| Dorian kills five in Bahamas, US evacuates coast Posted: 02 Sep 2019 05:12 PM PDT  Monster storm Dorian hovered over the Bahamas Monday as surging seawaters and ferocious winds sowed chaos in low-lying island communities, killing at least five people and spurring mass evacuations on the US east coast. Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis termed the hurricane a "historic tragedy" for the archipelago. "Thus far, the Royal Bahamas Police Force has confirmed that there are five deaths in Abaco," Minnis told a news conference, referring to the islands where Dorian made landfall as a Category 5 storm on Sunday, packing blistering winds of 290 kilometers per hour (185 miles per hour).
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| National Weather Service appears to correct Trump on Hurricane Dorian hitting Alabama Posted: 01 Sep 2019 11:12 AM PDT ![National Weather Service appears to correct Trump on Hurricane Dorian hitting Alabama]( "National Weather Service appears to correct Trump on Hurricane Dorian hitting Alabama") "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from Dorian.," wrote the NWS. "We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane Dorian will be felt across Alabama."
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| Brother of British woman killed by expat husband pleads with UAE judge for murder sentence Posted: 02 Sep 2019 10:26 AM PDT  The family of a murdered British woman has said Dubai will set a "dangerous" precedent if it releases her husband from prison this week, two years after he bludgeoned her to death with a hammer. Francis Matthew, 62, will fight his murder conviction on Wednesday on the grounds that his wife, Jane, provoked him during an argument at their Dubai family home. Two years into a potential 15 year sentence, his lawyers will claim she called him a "loser", which provoked the attack. Mrs Matthew's family criticised the proceedings, describing Dubai's legal system as "biased" and saying the defence was trying to "blame Jane for her own death". "The Dubai system is truly biased against Jane," said Peter Manning, brother of Mrs Matthew. In a letter seen by The Telegraph and sent to Dubai's Court of Cassation, the emirate's highest judicial body, Mr Manning said releasing Mr Matthew early would deny his sister justice. Francis was editor-at-large of Gulf News when he killed his wife, Jane, following an argument Credit: Telegraph "To excuse this crime in some way as being Jane's fault sends a clear message to husbands across the United Arab Emirates: you can kill your wife, even with a hammer, and all you have to do to escape justice is claim she 'demeaned you'," wrote Mr Manning. "This denies Jane her human right to life." He added, "It is very dangerous and completely opposite to the UAE's aim of being a modern, gender equal nation." Mr Matthew, a former Economist journalist and editor of Gulf News, hit his wife with a hammer in the early hours of the morning in June 2017 following an argument. Mr Matthew's original conviction of assault that led to death in March 2018 was upgraded to murder on appeal and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Court of Cassation overturned the conviction and a panel of judges will review the case this week. His defence will argue that he is guilty of "physical assault that led to death". If the court agrees, he could walk free with time served. Francis is appealing for a lighter conviction, arguing that Jane provoked him by calling him a 'loser' Credit: Telegraph Mrs Matthew's family said her husband picked up a hammer in his kitchen and walked to the bedroom, where Mrs Matthew was lying in bed before attacking her with intent. After killing her, he showered and went to work as editor before staging a break-in on his return that evening. "As Jane's brother I am in no doubt that this was pre-meditated murder and I confirm that I wish to see Mr Matthew convicted of pre-meditated murder and jailed appropriately," said Mr Manning. "My father and I have been frustrated with the way the Court of First Instance allowed the defence to blame Jane for her own death." It is not clear what impact the letter will have and Dubai is yet to acknowledge it."If the court was open to justice they should be less willing to erect barriers to my letter," said Mr Manning. The Foreign Office said it is supporting Mrs Matthew's family and is in touch with the relevant local authorities.
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| Amazon fires: Almost 4,000 new blazes started across Brazil in 48 hours after ban on burning forest land Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:30 AM PDT  Almost 4,000 new forest fires were started in Brazil in the two days after the government banned deliberate burning of the Amazon, officials have revealed.Some 3,859 outbreaks were recorded by the country's National Space Research Institute (Inpe) in the 48 hours following the 60-day prohibition on setting trees alight.
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| Kenya park suspends gorge visits after flash flood kills 7 Posted: 02 Sep 2019 10:45 AM PDT  Authorities called off search and rescue operations after seven bodies were recovered from a flash flood that killed at least six tourists and their driver visiting the gorges of the famous Hell's Gate National park. Five Kenyans of Indian descent, an Indian national and their Kenyan driver died in the Sunday evening tragedy, said Paul Udoto, spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Service. The park was also closed, authorities said.
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| Hong Kong police target commuters with batons Posted: 01 Sep 2019 02:04 AM PDT ![Hong Kong police target commuters with batons]( "Hong Kong police target commuters with batons")
Local television footage showed police using batons and pepper spray at the Prince Edward MTR station before making arrests. Some suspects were seen being beaten as they cowered on the floor. Hong Kong's MTR network has been the source of numerous controversies since the night of July 21, when more than 100 white-shirted men stormed Yuen Long station hours after protesters had marched through central Hong Kong and defaced China's Liaison Office. Chinese state media has also alleged that the MTR corporation facilitates protesters by providing convenient transportation before and after violent clashes with the police. Police said they arrested 40 people inside the metro station on suspicion of obstructing officers, unlawful assembly and criminal damage. Three stations stayed shut on Sunday (September 1).
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| View Photos of the Bugatti Chiron goes 304 MPH, Sets World Record Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:30 AM PDT |
| U.S. to withdraw 5,000 troops from Afghanistan, close bases: U.S. negotiator Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:04 AM PDT  The United States would withdraw almost 5,000 troops from Afghanistan and close five bases within 135 days under a draft peace accord agreed with the Taliban, the chief U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Monday. The deal, reached after months of negotiations with representatives from the insurgent movement, must still be approved by U.S. President Donald Trump before it can be signed, Khalilzad said in an interview with Tolo News television. In exchange for the phased withdrawal, the Taliban would commit not to allow Afghanistan to be used by militant groups such as al Qaeda or Islamic State as a base for attacks on the United States and its allies.
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| Hurricane Dorian has struck the Bahamas, with Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas in its path. Here is where and when it's due to strike next. Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:24 AM PDT  Hurricane Dorian's path is nearing Florida, where it is no longer projected to make landfall, but still cause 'devastating hurricane-force winds.'
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| 15 years on, relatives of Beslan massacre victims demand answers Posted: 01 Sep 2019 09:39 AM PDT  Relatives of victims of the Beslan massacre on Sunday said they were still waiting for answers, 15 years after the tragedy that left over 330 dead including 186 children. Sunday marks the anniversary of the school siege in the town of Beslan in the Russian Caucasus when Chechen militants stormed the school, herding over 1,100 people into a gymnasium and rigging the building with explosives. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 that Russia's handling of the siege had "serious failings" in terms of its failure to prevent the attack and its use of excessive lethal force and called on Moscow to take measures to establish the truth.
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| 'Categorically evil' killer of Australian comedian Eurydice Dixon sentenced to 35 years Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:25 AM PDT  A sexual deviant who stalked, raped and murdered a talented young Australian comedian as she walked home at night has been jailed for at least 35 years for a crime described by a judge as "totally and categorically evil." Eurydice Dixon, 22, was strangled after performing comedy in central Melbourne in June 2018. The Victorian Supreme Court was told her attacker, 20-year old Jaymes Todd, had fantasies of violent sexual encounters and killings in the year before the murder of Ms Dixon. He had watched violent pornography before and after the assault, was addicted to a fantasy of "coercive rape" and had scoured the internet for "snuff films". Justice Stephen Kaye said Todd's actions were "perverted and depraved" and "craven and sadistic" as he delivered his sentencing remarks that took almost two hours. The killer turned himself in to police after a friend saw him on security footage issued by detectives, but gave three different versions of what happened during interviews. "You spun a farrago of lies to evade responsibility for what you have done," said Justice Kaye. "There was no evidence that your vicious act … troubled your conscience. The sheer terror that Eurydice must have experienced … is unimaginable." The body of Eurydice Dixon was found on a Melbourne football field Credit: Facebook "In a most callous and cowardly manner, you set upon her, sexually assaulting and humiliating her, before cruelly strangling her to death," the judge added. Todd lived with his parents in a home "of rotting refuse, vermin and complete squalor" that would have affected his emotional state, the court was told. He had spent the afternoon before the killing drinking and smoking drugs. His victim's father, Jeremy Dixon, said her death was "a terrible tragedy all round." "What I wish for Jaymes Todd and what I believe Eurydice would wish, is that he gets better, and … realises what he's done," he said outside the court. "Eurydice herself should be remembered, as her friends will remember her, for her wit and her courage and for her kindness, not for her death." The murder Eurydice Dixon prompted a wider debate in Australia about safety for women. Official statistics have shown that one in five women have experienced sexual violence or threats since the age of 15.
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| Trump Stumped by Category 5 Storm Bearing Down on East Coast Posted: 01 Sep 2019 12:21 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump expressed surprise as Hurricane Dorian slammed the Bahamas on Sunday and headed for the U.S. East Coast, hours after being updated to a Category Five storm."I'm not sure that I've ever even heard of a Category Five," Trump said during a televised briefing at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington."I've seen some Category Fours, you don't even see them that much," he said. "But a Category Five is something that, I don't know that I've ever even heard the term, other than I know it's there. That's the ultimate and that's what we have, unfortunately."Three Category 5 hurricanes have hit the mainland U.S. or U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, since Trump was inaugurated: Irma and Maria in 2017, and Michael in 2018. Between them, the storms caused about $165 billion in damage.Trump made a similar comment in 2017, saying of Hurricane Irma at the White House Historical Association dinner that "I never even knew a Category 5 existed."'Catastrophic Damage'Since 2000 there have been more than a dozen of powerful storms measuring the highest on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The National Hurricane Center says storms of that magnitude cause "catastrophic damage" and render the affected area uninhabitable for weeks or months.While at FEMA Trump toured the agency's national response coordination center and commended the efforts of Federal and state personnel, the U.S. military and others for their work on preparedness for Dorian.The president returned to Washington on Sunday from Camp David, Maryland, where he'd been for two nights after canceling a trip to Poland so he could better monitor preparations for the hurricane. Vice President Mike Pence went to Poland in Trump's place.Trump spent several hours Saturday at his private golf club in Northern Virginia, flying in by helicopter from the rustic presidential retreat. While there he received hourly updates on the approach of Dorian, according to the White House. He also had a briefing on the storm late Saturday afternoon.The White House doesn't routinely confirm Trump's golf games although it sometimes releases the names of his playing partners. Photos of Trump golfing will appear on social media from time to time. The presidential press pool, which wasn't at Camp David, spent much of Saturday at a location near the golf club.Other tweets by Trump on Sunday include one about actress Debra Messing, who recently has said those in Hollywood who attend the president's fundraisers should be named.(Updates with 2017 comment in fifth paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Ros Krasny in Washington at rkrasny1@bloomberg.net;Josh Wingrove in Washington at jwingrove4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Matthew G. Miller at mmiller144@bloomberg.net, Ian FisherFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The CAR Murders: A Critical Cold Case in the New Cold War Points to ‘Putin’s Chef’ Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:23 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyST. PETERSBURG, Russia–It's been more than a year now since someone murdered three Russian journalists on a dark road in a remote corner of the Central African Republic.Within days of the killings on the night of July 30-31, 2018, as The Daily Beast reported at the time, there were suspicions the journalists had been set up. Since then, the official investigations have gone nowhere or been diverted down blind alleys, and if the Kremlin and its front men have their way—which they normally do in the Central African Republic—the case will go completely cold. But the families of the victims, their colleagues, and the exiled Russian tycoon who sent the journalists on their fatal mission in the first place say they are determined to see justice done. Their investigations have peeled back layer after layer of an ostensibly private "company" noteworthy for conspiracy and corruption, which Russian President Vladimir Putin evidently employs to extend his influence around the world.Russian Journalists Murdered in Africa May Have Been Set UpAmericans concerned about the ruthlessness of Moscow's operations to subvert or dominate other countries should take note as evidence mounts that some of the central figures in the cyberattacks on the U.S. presidential election in 2016 may also be implicated in the Africa homicides. The victims were Orkhan Dzhemal, 51, a famous Russian war correspondent; Alexander Rastorguyev, 47, a film director; and Kirill Radchenko, 33, a cameraman. They had traveled to Africa to make a documentary about the "Wagner Group," a highly secretive private military contractor allegedly created by the infamous Russian billionaire and Putin crony, Yevgeny Prigozhin.He is the same figure named in a detailed indictment by the Mueller probe in February 2018 and in the subsequent Mueller Report released this year as the money man behind the Internet Research Agency, a troll factory here in St. Petersburg that set out to defeat Hillary Clinton, then help elect Donald Trump in 2016. (Prigozhin told a Russian state news agency that he was not upset about his indictment. "Americans see what they want to see," he said.) But the troll factory is just one of many operations that are part of what his underlings refer to as "The Company."Prigozhin, often given the anodyne sobriquet "Putin's chef," initially built his fortune on huge Russian government catering contracts, but the tentacles of his organization are spread far and wide, and in some surprising places. He even has a firm that makes candy, and there are many here who would tell you the sweets have a sinister background. "These are bloody chocolates, produced by the same people who attack and kill journalists," claims Yegor Alekseyev, a blogger from St. Petersburg. "Two men broke my nose and smashed my teeth in 2016 after I published stories about Prigozhin's 'troll factory.' These are dangerous people backed up by the [Russian government's] special services."In 2014, when Putin made his move to take the Crimean peninsula away from Ukraine and launch covertly a separatist revolution in the east of that country that has now cost more than 13,000 lives, combatants linked to a mysterious organization of mercenaries started showing up. Many of its recruits appeared to have come from Russian military intelligence, the GRU, especially the special forces component known as Spetsnaz. They answered to a former officer named Dmitry Utkin, nicknamed "Wagner." These operatives also surfaced in Syria, in Sudan, and in the Central African Republic. Their objective was not only to extend Russian influence, but to take control of industries and especially natural resources, further enriching their backer, who was soon reported to be Prigozhin. He has issued pro forma denials, but evidence of Prigozhin's ties to the group has continued to mount, especially in the private investigations of those trying to get to the bottom of the Central African murders. * * *DUELING INVESTIGATIONS* * *Mikhail Khodorkovsky was once reputedly the richest man in Russia–an oligarch so wealthy and powerful that Putin felt threatened, and finally managed to put him away in prison for almost a decade. When Khodorkovsky was released in 2013, he went to Britain and has since worked as one of Putin's most active opponents in exile.It was Khodorkovsky who funded the fatal trip to the Central African Republic by Dzhemal, Rastorguyev, and Radchenko to report on the Wagner Group's activities, and it is Khodorkovsky who has underwritten the most exhaustive investigation of their murder. "Somebody has to put evidence together for the day Putin's crooks end up in court," Khodorkovsky told The Daily Beast last year. He hired journalists, military experts, private detectives and others to delve into the killings, and issued a "final report" under the auspices of his Dossier Center on the anniversary of the murders.The picture that emerges over the course of almost 80 pages is highly detailed and deeply disturbing. For starters, the Dossier investigators addressed the official version put forth by Russian authorities and the CAR security forces, many of them trained and funded by the Kremlin directly and also by Wagner personnel. Their claim is that the Russian documentary makers were ambushed on a back road at night by bandits wearing turbans and speaking Arabic who shot all three of them dead. The killers let the local driver, named as Bienvenue Douvokama, escape in his car and the sketchy account of the attack came from Douvokama. When the official version failed to satisfy the victims' families, friends, or colleagues in the independent press, a Prigozhin-backed news agency, RIA FAN, conducted its own investigation of the murder and named Dominique Christophe Raineteau as the mastermind, claiming that he was a French mercenary or agent in league with terrorists."We have our vision of what happened in CAR," RIA FAN editor Yevgeny Zubarev wrote in an email to The Daily Beast. "It was a planned provocation but you are never going to publish our conclusions… Your publication is neither going to mention in a negative light Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the main suspect of this crime; nor the Western (French) special services, the possible accomplices," wrote Zubarev.Actually, the RIA FAN conclusions are quite interesting, because they do not agree at all with the official government versions blaming unknown Arabic-speaking thieves. The general thrust of the RIA FAN report is that the Russian journalists were killed in order to embarrass Russia (if not indeed to blame Prigozhin and Putin). The agent who organized the murders, according to RIA FAN, was Raineteau, a French mercenary who is protected by the French secret services, and Khodorkovsky himself, who supposedly paid Raineteau to set up the team Khodorkovsky had sent. RIA FAN notes the extensive French-Russian rivalry for resources and dominance in Africa as the motive for the French plot, and says Khodorkovsky's motive is to "discredit any activity of Russia abroad, particularly in Africa and the revenge directed at the Russian Federation."All of this makes for a fascinating narrative of conspiracy, and is typical of disinformation that tries to ascribe presumed motives—"who benefits from the crime"—as proof when it is really self-serving conjecture. There is some hearsay in the RIA FAN report, but the documentary evidence linking Raineteau to the killing is virtually nonexistent, while the account compiled by Khodorkovsky's investigators appears to be based largely on minute examination of phone records and emails (albeit without any explanation of how they were obtained). The narrative developed by the investigators for Khodorkovsky's Dossier Centre goes roughly like this:The three journalists made a critical mistake when they were looking for a "fixer" to set up appointments, transportation, lodging, translation and the like while they were in the CAR. Even though they were investigating one Prigozhin operation, Wagner, they asked a journalist working for another Prigozhin company, RIA FAN, for help. This may not be quite as unusual as it sounds, because journalists working for conflicting media often believe they have more common bonds as professionals in the field than as servants for their bosses in the home offices. That may have been the case where the request for advice from FAN journalist Kirill Romanovsky was concerned.He in turn suggested they contact by text message a Dutch man with experience in the CAR as a United Nations employee or contractor who went by the name of "Martin."The RIA FAN report would later suggest Martin was none other than the mysterious French operative Raineteau. But the Dossier Centre investigation concludes "with a high degree of probability that the fixer 'Martin'… never existed." Rather, "he was invented by the coordinators of a thoroughly planned operation.""Martin" did not show up at the airport as expected, when the crew arrived, and they never once laid eyes on him or, for that matter, spoke to him on the phone. Everything was handled by text messages, including Martin's claim that he was 376 kilometers from the CAR capital Bangui in the town of Bambari, where they were headed initially the day they were killed. According to the Dossier Centre report, cell phone records show "Martin," or at least that phone, never left the capital.The Dossier Centre investigation notes that the local driver the crew hired, Bienvenue Douvokama, is believed to be an agent or informer for the local gendarmerie, and was in "constant operational contact with gendarme Emmanuel Kotofio" who "tracked the journalists' movements and was in their immediate vicinity." (Kotofio is quoted by RIA FAN saying he and Douvokama are old friends and just like to shoot the breeze.)Kotofio, in turn, "maintained contact with a man identified by the Dossier Centre as an 'instructor in surveillance, counter-surveillance, recruitment and intelligence work'" from another Prigozhin company, M-Finans, run by one Aleksandr Sotov, who then reported to Valery Zakharov, a Russian adviser to the president of the CAR and head of a team of instructors in Prigozhin's "Company."On the fatal night of July 30, according to the Dossier Centre, Kotofio the gendarme passed through a military checkpoint at the town of Sibut, on the same road the journalists would take only minutes later. With Kotofio were three Caucasians, "presumably Russians," according to the Dossier Centre report. Kotofio drove back to the checkpoint later at 8 p.m. The journalists' driver reported their murder about 45 minutes later at a village near the scene.The following day, according to the Dossier Centre, a "disinformation campaign" began to confuse and impede any outside investigation.According to emails obtained by the Dossier Centre, which cannot be independently verified, Prigozhin is personally involved in running the Company's projects in the Central African Republic.* * *THE PAIN OF THE FAMILIES* * * The Kremlin remains deaf to the victims' families' demands to question Prigozhin and his men on the ground, including commanders of the Russian militia working for CAR's leadership. Alexander Radchenko's, the father of the cameraman, says it is easy for him to connect the dots identifying the main suspects. Since July 30, 2018, the day his son's body was found in CAR, Radchenko has been analyzing reports by private investigators and journalists, and read and watched interviews with Moscow's key man in CAR, Valery Zakharov, a former Russian military intelligence officer, who is now the country's main security adviser. "The investigators–along with Russian diplomats, FSB, GRU–back up the Russian military instructors working in CAR instead of questioning the main guy, Zakharov,and his bosses," Radchenko told The Daily Beast on Tuesday.The heartbroken father has written more than 30 petitions to Russian state detectives investigating the criminal case. Some of his requests ostensibly were taken into consideration, but most of them were ignored. Radchenko told The Daily Beast that in his opinion the murder was "undoubtedly a set up." Over the last six months, the father says, he has seen enough evidence collected by independent reporters to conclude that "Yevgeny Prigozhin, Valery Zakharov and his aide Alexander Sotov are the principal suspects to be questioned about the murder of my son." But Radchenko sounds hopeless: "Every time I ask the state detective on this case, Igor Zolotov, to call them for questioning, he seems too shy and tells me: 'We should not bother such important men, they must be busy.'"Putin's Man in the Central African Republic: Is Valery Zakharov at the Heart of Russian Skulduggery? Khodorkovsky's team has tried to fill that investigative gap. "We have done our part of the job, presented mobile phone billing to demonstrate that Zakharov, his aid Alexander Sotov, the gendarme they trained and the crew called each other dozens of times during the two days before the murder," Maxim Dbar, Khodorkovsly's spokesman, told The Daily Beast. "We have no authority to question the key suspects."Irina Gordiyenko, a reporter for independent Novaya Gazeta, especially wants to know who killed Orkhan Dzhemal, the father of her son. "I want to ask both Zakharov and Sotov about the billing data, what sort of actions they coordinated from the moment of the journalists' arrival in CAR," Gordiyenko said in a recent interview with The Daily Beast. "I have questions for Zakharov about CAR gendarmes being trained in Russia. I want to ask the Russian MID [ministry of foreign affairs] why the journalists' belongings have not been moved to Russia, why our diplomats consult with Prigozhin's Wagner about the official version of the murder to give to the public."Somebody shot Rostorguyev from a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle. Two bullets hit the journalist's heart. "Only a professional could fire so accurately in the dark," Gordiyenko added her doubts. The United States imposed sanctions against billionaire Prigozhin and his Concord holding company in 2016 for constructing a military base for Russian forces near Ukraine. But neither the sanctions, nor the links to the CAR murder that shook the entire country, has slowed the growth of Prigozhin's business empire. Concord keeps working on immense state contracts, his Zinger Development group is planning to build an artificial island in the Gulf of Finland, and foreign tourists keep buying his chocolates at Eliseyev Emporium, a historic architectural landmark on Nevsky Prospect. Jessica from Vermont was purchasing Marzipans shaped as carrots, half a pound of Lukum and chocolates with lime taste. "I am not sure I know who Prigozhin is, I am sorry," the tourist told The Daily Beast.Prigozhin has access to the highest offices in the Kremlin and cooperates closely with the defense ministries of both Russia and the CAR. The power is on his side. "The murder of the three journalists is not going to be investigated, at least there will never be public knowledge of who ordered the killing," a political analyst close to the Kremlin, Sergei Markov, told The Daily Beast. "Prigozhin has created private military forces to help Russia, he is fighting the war against Russia's enemies that are constantly undermining our power, so of course Moscow will not go against him to support the dossier created by Putin's enemy, Khodorkovsky." In the eyes of much of the world, however, Putin's name will be linked forever to the murder of the three journalists just as it is linked to the killing of journalists Anna Politkovskaya or Natalia Estemirova.Dzhamal, Rastorguyev, and Radchenko were—and remain—important symbols for Russians who still believe the search for solid facts and the truth is the only way to combat corruption and the disinformation used to disguise it, even if the quest costs you your life.Anna Nemtsova reported from St. Petersburg, Christopher Dickey from Paris.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| The Latest: Iran, France race to save nuclear deal Posted: 02 Sep 2019 08:12 AM PDT  French and Iranian experts were huddling in Paris as the clock ticks on an end-of-the-week deadline for Europe to come up with a way for Iran to sell its oil despite U.S. sanctions — or face a new scaling back of the 2015 nuclear accord. A visit on Monday by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and a team of economists was wrapped in discretion. The meeting coincided with a Moscow visit by Iran's foreign minister, who made an exceptional appearance in Biarritz last week on the sidelines of the G-7 summit.
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| Here's What A $9,500 GMC Typhoon Looks Like Posted: 02 Sep 2019 06:51 AM PDT ![Here's What A $9,500 GMC Typhoon Looks Like]( "Here's What A $9,500 GMC Typhoon Looks Like") Spoiler alert: it's in great shape!Despite being known for auctions of seven- and eight-figure price tags for cars, the 2019 Monterey Car Week, surprisingly, had no shortage of cars exchanging hands for four-figure amounts. The same can be said for this rare teal 1992 GMC Typhoon, although you weren't going to find this high-performance SUV crossing any auction blocks.Before heading to the Pebble Beach festivities, Tyler Hoover, of the Hoovie's Garage YouTube channel, bought the teal Typhoon from another YouTuber for the amazingly low sum of just $9,500. While it's not impossible to find a Typhoon in this type of price range, said examples are usually abused or modified and they are definitely not one of the Typhoon's rare colors as this one is. Unlike the Syclone pickup truck, the Typhoon was available in colors other than black, although black was, by far, the most popular color for this SUV.Teal with gray cladding was one of nine color combinations available on the Typhoon for the 1992 model year, and the video says that of the almost 2,500 Typhoons made that year, just 135 had this paint color. This model looks absolutely amazing, and it even still has the factory wheels. It's a really clean and straight truck considering the years and the price. Only available for the 1992 and 1993 model years, the GMC Typhoon – along with the 1991 Syclone – was one of the fastest vehicles of the era, and it was famous for having quicker acceleration than a Ferrari 348 or Corvette. That's thanks to the turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 and the standard all-wheel drive system allowing this compact SUV to rocket off the line.It's safe to assume that some of the low price can be accounted to a little exposure on the seller's behalf, but this is still a great deal for one of GM's greatest vehicles of the '90s. Read More... * A Storm Is Brewing Thanks To A 1993 GMC Typhoon * Another 1991 GMC Syclone Is Ready For A New Owner
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| Pakistan grants India access to alleged spy on death row Posted: 02 Sep 2019 07:55 AM PDT  Pakistan granted consular access to an alleged Indian spy on death row Monday, sparking claims from New Delhi that the prisoner was under "extreme pressure" and unable to speak freely during the meeting. The consular visit comes weeks after the International Court of Justice in July ordered Islamabad to provide the prisoner and alleged spy -- Kulbhushan Jadhav -- with consular access but rejected India's demand he be freed. "While we await a comprehensive report, it was clear that Shri Jadhav appeared to be under extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative to bolster Pakistan's untenable claims," said India's foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar in a statement.
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| Italian police seize German rescue ship, say migrants to disembark Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:55 AM PDT ![Italian police seize German rescue ship, say migrants to disembark]( "Italian police seize German rescue ship, say migrants to disembark") Italian police on Monday seized a German migrant rescue ship that had been stranded at sea for a week with more than 100 migrants aboard, and will disembark the migrants soon, a police spokesman said. The ship's captain had earlier set course for the port of Pozzallo, on the island of Sicily, sparking a new standoff between rescuers and Italy's interior minister just as he looks set to lose his job. Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League, signed a decree last week banning the Eleonore from entering Italian waters as part of his closed-door policy on migrants arriving by boat from north Africa.
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| 4th time in 4 years: It's hurricane evacuation time in US Posted: 02 Sep 2019 02:25 PM PDT  It's become a hurricane-season ritual in the Southeast: When a storm threatens, coastal residents board up homes, load up SUVs and fill highways where the traffic lanes are reversed to offer a speedy escape inland. For some people, Hurricane Dorian is the fourth storm they have had to flee in four years. Forecasters are not sure if the core of the powerful system will ever strike the U.S. It is predicted to stay offshore as it spins north, paralleling the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
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| Ceasefire in Syria at risk of collapse after US airstrike Posted: 01 Sep 2019 08:57 AM PDT  The tentative ceasefire in northwestern ceasefire in Syria, the second in a month, threatened to unravel on Sunday after the US launched an airstrike targeting al-Qaeda figures near the city of Idlib. At least 40 people were killed after a missile struck a meeting of al-Qaeda leaders at a base near Idlib on Saturday, just hours after a Russia-brokered ceasefire ended months of bombardment of Syria's last significant anti-regime holdout. A spokesman for US Central Command said: "This operation targeted Al-Qaeda in Syria leaders responsible for attacks targeting US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians," They added that the facility's removal will "further degrade their ability to conduct further attacks and destabilise the region." "Northwest Syria remains a safe haven where AQ-S [Al-Qaeda in Syria] leaders actively coordinate terrorist activities throughout the region and in the West," it said. But Russia, one of the key power brokers in Syria, accused the US of "endangering" a hard-won ceasefire scarcely a day old. Citing the Russian defence ministry, TASS news agency said the US had not warned Russia or Turkey of the strikes. Idlib is the last bastion for Syria's armed resistance, and over recent years, those who could not be bought in surrender deals, or those whom the Assad government has no interest in allowing into government-controlled areas, have been corralled into Syria's northwest corner. Members of al-Qaeda's Syrian offshoot, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, their allies and other anti-government groups, along with civilians including women and children, are among those slowly being swept north. Whether al-Qaeda or other groups retaliate to the strike will determine the strike's longevity, and the length of respite granted to Idlib's 3 million inhabitants. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, says more than 950 civilians have been killed in Idlib since the end of April. The UN says more than 400,000 people have fled, but activists say the actual number of people on the move is far higher, but few have anywhere left to go.
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