2019年9月19日星期四

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Death of troubled officer whose gun wasn't taken away marks record number of suicides in NYPD

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:53 AM PDT

Death of troubled officer whose gun wasn't taken away marks record number of suicides in NYPDA police officer's recent death has disturbingly highlighted the record number of suicides among members of the New York Police Department this year.


PHOTOS: Rescued sea otter pups being named in a digital contest

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:44 AM PDT

PHOTOS: Rescued sea otter pups being named in a digital contestHeading into Sea Otter Awareness Week, people across the country will have a say in how two rescued southern sea otter pups at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium get names. The aquarium will host a digital naming contest focused on building affinity and understanding around sea otters and inspiring voters to also make their voices heard in support of conservation legislation and protections that are critical for vulnerable species.


How Iran Would Unleash an 'All Out War': Lots of Missiles

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:19 AM PDT

How Iran Would Unleash an 'All Out War': Lots of MissilesIf Trump decides to strike here is how Tehran could respond.


South Korea police say they may have found serial killer

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:10 AM PDT

South Korea police say they may have found serial killerSouth Korean police said Thursday that they have found a suspect thought to be an infamous serial killer wanted for the slaying of nine women some 30 years ago. Senior police officer Ban Gi-soo said police have continued their investigation into the 1986-1991 slayings even after the statute of limitations expired 13 years ago in order to find the truth. Ban said the technological improvement of DNA analysis allowed authorities to extract DNA samples from evidence that wasn't possible at the time of the cases.


Women’s March Dismisses New Board Member amid Backlash over Statements Comparing ISIS to U.S. Military

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:23 AM PDT

Women's March Dismisses New Board Member amid Backlash over Statements Comparing ISIS to U.S. MilitaryZahra Billoo, who joined the board of the Women's March just several days ago, announced on her Twitter feed Thursday morning that she has been voted off the board.Billoo has a history of controversial statements on Twitter, in which she has compared the U.S. and Israeli militaries to ISIS and Nazis, once even asserting that the FBI recruits "mentally ill" people to join ISIS.The Women's March has not released a statement explaining the justification for her dismissal as of this writing.However, Billoo asserted in a tweet thread that she was voted out as a result of an "Islamophobic smear campaign led by the usual antagonists, who have long targeted me, my colleagues, and anyone else who dares speak out in defense of Palestinian human rights and the right to self determination."Addressing the controversy over her tweets, she wrote "In looking at the tweets in question, I acknowledge that I wrote passionately. While I may have phrased some of my content differently today, I stand by my words."> In looking at the tweets in question, I acknowledge that I wrote passionately. While I may have phrased some of my content differently today, I stand by my words. 15/> > -- Zahra Billoo (@ZahraBilloo) September 19, 2019Billoo stated on Facebook in 2017 that she would not go to see the movie "Wonder Woman" because of the participation of actress Gal Gadot, who served in the Israeli Defense Forces. She justified her stance by saying she would similarly not see a movie in which the lead actress was proud of being a member of ISIS, al-Qaeda, or the U.S. military.In a 2014 post on Twitter, Billoo said she was opposed to "all terrorism, including all that regularly committed by the US military and Al Qaeda, the Israeli Defense Forces and ISIS."Billoo and other new members were hired to replace three former Women's March leaders dogged by allegations of anti-Semitism. Two of these members, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour, have drawn fire for their support of Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam.


Trump Pushes Baseless Smear That Ilhan Omar ‘Partied’ on 9/11

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 09:54 AM PDT

Trump Pushes Baseless Smear That Ilhan Omar 'Partied' on 9/11REUTERSPresident Donald Trump on Wednesday used his Twitter account to boost a baseless smear claiming that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) danced at an event last week on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, a claim that's based on footage that wasn't actually taken from that day.Trump's tweet circulated a video from conservative personality Terrence Williams, in which Williams declared that Omar "partied on the anniversary of 9/11." In his video, Williams comments on footage of the Muslim congresswoman dancing and fumes that she's disrespecting the memory of the Sept. 11 attacks.But the footage of Omar dancing actually came from a Sept. 13 event hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus and wasn't taken on the 11th, as Williams and Trump wrongly claimed. Trump, however, used Williams' video to declare that Omar would help Republicans win Minnesota. "Ilhan Omar, a member of AOC Plus 3, will win us the Great State of Minnesota," the president tweeted. "The new face of the Democrat Party!" Williams' original tweet was deleted from Twitter at some point on Wednesday. Twitter confirmed to The Daily Beast that the video post was not removed by the social media site's administrators but was instead deleted by Williams or someone with access to his Twitter account.Williams did not respond to a request for comment.Omar blasted Trump's smear on Wednesday, tweeting that he has put her life in danger."The President of the United States is continuing to spread lies that put my life at risk," she wrote. "What is Twitter doing to combat this misinformation?"Trump has frequently targeted Omar with smears, inspiring death threats against the Somali-American lawmaker. In July, Trump suggested that Omar had married her own brother to commit immigration fraud—a baseless claim that's become increasingly popular on the right, despite being based entirely on a single, anonymous message-board post. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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.


All the National Coffee Day deals and freebies you should take advantage of

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:59 AM PDT

All the National Coffee Day deals and freebies you should take advantage ofNational Coffee Day takes place on Sept. 29 and luckily for customers, there are tons of deals and even free cups of coffee to be had.


Man who allegedly changed adopted daughter's age then abandoned her turns himself in

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:14 AM PDT

Man who allegedly changed adopted daughter's age then abandoned her turns himself inAn Indiana couple has been charged with neglect after allegedly changing their daughter's age from 11 to 22, moving to Canada and leaving her behind.


Possible sighting of Loch Ness monster may back up scientists' theory

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:56 AM PDT

Possible sighting of Loch Ness monster may back up scientists' theoryCould the mystery of the Loch Ness monster finally be solved?


Earth to 2020 Democrats. The Syrian civil war was not caused by climate change.

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 02:00 AM PDT

Earth to 2020 Democrats. The Syrian civil war was not caused by climate change.This is a sad excuse for real discussion on climate change and international conflict, two very separate issues.


Netanyahu, Gantz in standoff over Israeli unity government

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:02 AM PDT

Netanyahu, Gantz in standoff over Israeli unity governmentIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz were in a standoff over calls for a unity government on Thursday as election results put the premier's long tenure at risk. In a major development following Tuesday's polls, Netanyahu said he preferred to form a right-wing coalition, but that the results showed it was not possible.


Guatemala joins ranks of cocaine producers as plantations and labs emerge

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:41 AM PDT

Guatemala joins ranks of cocaine producers as plantations and labs emergeGuatemala is no longer just a transit point for traffickers seeking to smuggle cocaine north towards the United States, authorities said on Thursday after security officials discovered several coca plantations and processing laboratories. The finds underscored concerns that cocaine production is moving beyond Andean nations, where the leaf has traditionally been grown, and closer to its main market, the United States. The discoveries of coca plantations and laboratories in different locations prompted Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart to admit Guatemala was now a cocaine-producing nation.


Makeup guru Bobbi Brown reveals her top six favorite products from Walmart

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 12:50 PM PDT

Makeup guru Bobbi Brown reveals her top six favorite products from WalmartIf we're going to take beauty advice from anybody, it's going to be Bobbi Brown. 


How to make ratatouille, a vegetable dish that's both hearty and healthy

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 11:59 AM PDT

How to make ratatouille, a vegetable dish that's both hearty and healthyThis fall ratatouille recipe works perfectly as a side dish or a delicious vegetarian main. The different colored veggies looks great on the table, too.


Jerry becomes a hurricane en route to Puerto Rico; Humberto knocks out power in Bermuda

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:39 AM PDT

Jerry becomes a hurricane en route to Puerto Rico; Humberto knocks out power in BermudaTropical Storm Jerry strengthens into a hurricane. Meanwhile, there's power outages in Bermuda thanks to Humberto.


California’s Ban on School Suspensions Invites Another Parkland

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 03:30 AM PDT

California's Ban on School Suspensions Invites Another ParklandMy daughter Meadow was murdered in the Parkland school shooting in Florida last year. It was the most avoidable mass murder in American history. And last week, Governor Gavin Newsom just forced into every school in California the policies that made it inevitable.The Parkland shooter was a known-wolf. Before the massacre was over, students knew who did it. He was considered so dangerous when he attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that school administrators banned him from bringing a backpack and frisked him every day for fear that he'd bring a deadly weapon.Even though security staff brought him to the principal's office all the time, his disciplinary record looked pretty clean on paper. If he had been arrested at school for his crimes, maybe the FBI could have followed through on tips that he would shoot up the school. And if he'd been disciplined for his sub-criminal misbehavior, maybe school administrators could have made a strong case for sending him back to a specialized school for disturbed students, where he so badly needed to be.But the Broward County school district had embarked on a quest to fight the "school-to-prison pipeline" by lowering suspensions, expulsions, and arrests. And school principals responded by systematically sweeping disturbing behavior under the rug. If one individual in the Broward school district made one responsible decision about the killer, the tragedy could have been averted. But you can't even call what happened a "failure," because each obviously irresponsible decision makes perfect sense given the policies.The state of California has just lurched far harder on leniency than Broward, by banning suspensions and expulsions for nonviolent offenses.Don't you dare think that in practice this leniency won't extend to violence, though. In Broward, 52 percent of teachers fear for their safety. Twenty-four percent have been threatened. Thirteen percent have been assaulted. And only 39 percent think that a student would be suspended if he assaulted them.Beyond leading to an increase in school violence and risk of deadly catastrophe, these leniency policies are profoundly bad for learning and for character. We know what happens when schools ban suspension.In Philadelphia, math proficiency declined by three percentage points, and reading proficiency by seven. Truancy skyrocketed from about 25 percent to over 40 percent, perhaps because even as suspensions for nonviolent offenses fell, suspensions for serious offenses rose.Education researcher Dominic Zarecki studied the effects of suspension bans in several California districts: Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and Pasadena. The harm to math achievement was large enough to take a student from the 50th percentile to the 39th percentile after three years.Anti-discipline advocates claim that suspensions can be replaced by "restorative justice" and "healing circles." In reality, that does further damage. A gold-standard study from the RAND corporation found that in Pittsburgh, "restorative justice" harmed academic achievement among black students.Anti-discipline advocates claim that they are fighting the "school-to-prison pipeline." In reality, their policies increase the flow. The idea that not holding kids accountable for their actions will make them more law-abiding as adults is idiotic. If we tell juveniles there are no consequences for misbehavior, we set them up for failure in the workplace. And we put them at risk for a hard reckoning when they find that behavior that didn't even get them suspended in school gets them a felony charge when they hit age 18.For evidence, look no further than Los Angeles. As the school board banned suspensions, referrals to law enforcement increased 145 percent. And last year, threats of violence in Los Angeles schools increased by 70 percent.I sent my daughter to public school thinking she was safe. I had no idea there was a kid there so dangerous that they frisked him every day. I had no idea that the school was systematically covering up threats and violence. I didn't know.I can't let any other parent make that excuse. That's why I wrote a book to tell the true story of Parkland. I don't expect that this article or that book, or that anything, really, will convince the Democratic politicians who run California to think twice about this terrible mistake. My whole life's mission now is to inform parents.Chances are, your kid won't get murdered at school. But you have to know about the type of environment you're putting your child in. Public school in California is now a place where disruption, threats, and even violence can't even be punished.My advice to California parents: Stretch your wallet to send them to private school. Or keep them in public school and roll the dice.


After hours of questioning Lewandowski, Democrats finally land punches

Posted: 17 Sep 2019 08:24 PM PDT

After hours of questioning Lewandowski, Democrats finally land punchesWhen Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee turned to criminal defense lawyer Barry Berke to question Corey Lewandowski, the tenor of Tuesday's hearing abruptly changed.


Area 51: Ultimate Proving Ground For America's Top Secret Spy Planes?

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:46 AM PDT

Area 51: Ultimate Proving Ground For America's Top Secret Spy Planes?Though the CIA only obliquely admitted to the site's existence in 2013, we actually know a fair bit about how Area 51 came to be—and even how it first became a subject of juicy UFO stories.


Officer who guarded El Chapo's wife arrested in drug sting

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 04:14 PM PDT

Officer who guarded El Chapo's wife arrested in drug stingA New York City police officer who moonlighted as a bodyguard for the wife of convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was arrested in a drug sting Wednesday after prosecutors say he transported cocaine for an undercover officer posing as a drug dealer. Ishmael Bailey, 36, cried as he was arraigned Wednesday night.


Russia detains shaman on mission to 'banish Putin'

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:26 AM PDT

Russia detains shaman on mission to 'banish Putin'Russian police on Thursday said they had detained a Siberian shaman trekking towards Moscow on a mission to expel "demon" President Vladimir Putin, picking up a crowd of supporters on the way. Police in the eastern Siberian region of Buryatia told Interfax they had detained Alexander Gabyshev, the shaman, on a highway near Lake Baikal and would put him on a flight back to his home region where he is "wanted for committing a crime". Gabyshev's eccentric bid to walk from his home city of Yakutsk to Moscow, a distance of over 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles), has seen a group of followers join him on the way.


Single 25-year-old mother of 3 diagnosed with terminal cancer: 'I'm scared of leaving them behind'

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:51 PM PDT

Single 25-year-old mother of 3 diagnosed with terminal cancer: 'I'm scared of leaving them behind'A single mother of three who had gone cancer-free for months has now been diagnosed with terminal cancer.


Boris Johnson’s Brexit Gamble Might Take the U.K. Back to Square One

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 03:24 AM PDT

Boris Johnson's Brexit Gamble Might Take the U.K. Back to Square OnePrime Minister Boris Johnson learned that he cannot leave the E.U. without a deal because of British Parliament, writes Ian Bremmer.


Injured crewman sues California dive boat owner after 34 diein fiery tragedy

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:44 PM PDT

Injured crewman sues California dive boat owner after 34 diein fiery tragedyRyan Sims filed the suit last week in Ventura County Superior Court saying the Conception dive boat was unseaworthy and operated in an unsafe manner.


Teens are pledging not to have kids until the government takes climate change seriously

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 01:51 PM PDT

Teens are pledging not to have kids until the government takes climate change seriouslyEmma Lim, an 18-year-old student at McGill University in Montreal, recently launched a climate-change movement called "NoFutureNoChildren."


U.S. building coalition after Saudi oil attack, Iran warns against war

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:35 AM PDT

U.S. building coalition after Saudi oil attack, Iran warns against warThe United States said on Thursday it was building a coalition to deter Iranian threats following a weekend attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Iran has warned U.S. President Donald Trump against being dragged into a war in the Middle East and said it would meet any offensive action with a crushing response. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Trump, who has ordered more sanctions on Iran, wants a peaceful solution to the crisis.


Dascha Polanco dishes on her journey to body positivity

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 06:14 PM PDT

Dascha Polanco dishes on her journey to body positivityDascha Polanco, star of 'Orange is the New Black' and the upcoming musical 'In The Heights,' sat with AOL to share her struggles as a Latina in Hollywood.


Here's Why Russia Has Detained 161 North Korean Sailors

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 02:31 AM PDT

Here's Why Russia Has Detained 161 North Korean SailorsIs a crisis brewing over illegal fishing?


Missing Magnolia teen found safe in Dobbin, Texas

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:22 PM PDT

Missing Magnolia teen found safe in Dobbin, TexasThe Montgomery County Sheriff's Office confirmed that she was not abducted, but ran away.


'Serial killer' charged with killing four women and leaving their bodies in abandoned houses

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:53 AM PDT

'Serial killer' charged with killing four women and leaving their bodies in abandoned housesA suspected serial killer has been charged with murdering four women and leaving their bodies in abandoned houses in Detroit.Police had arrested Deangelo Martin in June for allegedly stabbing and sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman, who managed to escape, the previous month.


Parents of Israeli held in Gaza plead for news, action five years on

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:14 PM PDT

Parents of Israeli held in Gaza plead for news, action five years onThe parents of an Israeli man believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza since 2014 travelled to Geneva this week to demand international action to help bring him home. Avera Mengistu, a 33-year-old Israeli of Ethiopian descent, is depressed and suffering from mental problems since the death of his older brother when he crossed into Gaza five years ago. Israel's defence ministry determined he was being held by Hamas, but the Islamist movement governing Gaza has to date provided no information about his whereabouts or condition.


See Photos of the 2020 BMW Z4 M40i

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:59 AM PDT

See Photos of the 2020 BMW Z4 M40i


Marianne Williamson wants a national mandatory service for people ages 18-26 to combat climate change

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:22 PM PDT

Marianne Williamson wants a national mandatory service for people ages 18-26 to combat climate changeAt a presidential climate forum hosted by MSNBC, Marianne Williamson said Americans need a "World War II" level of mobilization against climate change.


A tropical storm is striking Texas with flash floods 'worse than Harvey' rising up to 35 inches

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:03 AM PDT

A tropical storm is striking Texas with flash floods 'worse than Harvey' rising up to 35 inchesTropical Depression Imelda may drop up to 35 inches of rain onto southeastern Texas, the same region devastated by Hurricane Harvey.


Trump wants you to think he's racist so you won't notice he's corrupt and killing jobs

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 03:06 PM PDT

Trump wants you to think he's racist so you won't notice he's corrupt and killing jobs'Who is the real racist, the person warning about illegal immigrants or the person saying that's racist?' When that's the debate, Donald Trump wins.


This Plane Landed on a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier. The Pilot Wasn't American.

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:40 AM PDT

This Plane Landed on a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier. The Pilot Wasn't American.It might have a little to do with Russia.


This Activist Invited ICE to a Community Meeting. Days Later They Arrested Him.

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:51 AM PDT

This Activist Invited ICE to a Community Meeting. Days Later They Arrested Him.Smith Collection/Gado/GettyWhen Houston immigration activist Roland Gramajo Reyes invited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to a public meeting for people worried about being arrested due to their immigration status, he didn't think he'd end up behind bars.He was wrong. Gramajo's longtime advocacy on behalf of Houston's immigrant and Latino communities, family, attorney, and allies said, make them seriously doubt that the timing of his apprehension was an accident.Now, Gramajo, 40, is caught in a tug-of-war between law enforcement agencies seeking to either deport him after 25 cumulative years in the United States, or to first incarcerate him for improper entry into the United States, a charge that could land him in prison.Handout"His bond was denied Monday by a federal judge, so he will remain in detention while his illegal reentry charges are resolved," Raed Gonzalez, Gramajo's attorney, told The Daily Beast. "We are trying to reopen his immigration case… Many hurdles await us, but we are trying our best."Gramajo, a father of five and grandfather of two, was born in Retalhuleu, Guatemala in 1979, and first moved to Houston at age 15. Since then, he has made the improvement of the Guatemalan community and his adopted hometown his life's mission.He founded the Centro Organizativo Guatemalteco, which raises funds for humanitarian causes in Guatemala, as well as the Southwest American Systems Chamber of Commerce, which helps minority children participate in sports and beauty pageants. After Hurricane Harvey devastated the city in 2017, he took weeks off work to organize community efforts in helping those affected by the storm's flooding that caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. For his work, Gramajo has received commendations from a host of state and local organizations, including the Alief Independent School District, Houston Community College, the Golden Eagle Society, and the Houston City Council.Only days before his apprehension by ICE, Gramajo had organized a "know your rights" seminar for undocumented immigrants and their families in the city—the seminar to which he had invited immigration agents to participate. That invitation, Gramajo's defenders believe, may have unintentionally goaded ICE into looking into Gramajo's immigration status, a charge ICE has called "baseless.""To be abundantly clear, ICE personnel did not attend this Immigration Forum in any capacity—official or unofficial," the agency released in a statement last week, saying that Gramajo became a target after ICE received an anonymous tip about his status. "To portray him in one-sided media reports… as a victim of some 'covert' law enforcement operation is an insulting affront to public safety.""We're not gonna be able to comment any further on the anonymous tip" that led to Gramajo's apprehension, ICE spokesperson Tim Oberle told The Daily Beast when asked about the timing of the tip that lead to his arrest, "because it's anonymous, obviously."At the heart of ICE's deportation case is Gramajo's 1998 guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of burglary of a vehicle, for which he was sentenced to 20 days in prison. Gramajo's family told reporters in Houston that the charge was the result of a practical joke that he had played on a friend, the vehicle's owner.After his plea, immigration authorities commenced deportation proceedings against Gramajo, culminating in his deportation to Guatemala in summer 2004. Gramajo returned months later to be with his family in Houston—including his wife and children—and has remained ever since.It's that 2004 illegal entry for which Gramajo will stand trial. If he is found guilty, he could face a six-month prison sentence before his potential deportation."My sons, they are texting me asking how is their father, and that's what hurts the most," Magaly Quicano, Gramajo's wife, told reporters in Houston last week. "I've been praying, praying praying that he will win this immigration battle."Gramajo's defenders, who count members of Houston's political establishment among their members, told The Daily Beast that the potential deportation of the father of five is disgraceful."The prospect of deporting Mr. Gramajo is outrageous," Mayor pro tem Ellen Cohen, a member of the Houston City Council, told The Daily Beast. Last year, the city council commended Gramajo as "dedicated to serving and inspiring the community," and whose "qualities represent a true leader with an exceptional drive to improve the quality of life" throughout the city."His so-called 'crime' of coming back to this country—his country—after his 2004 deportation is a result of unjust laws. If I were in his shoes, I would have tried to find a way back to my spouse and children too," Cohen added, noting that she has called upon ICE to immediately release him. "He is an asset to Houston and there is no legitimate public safety-related reason to deport him again. If ICE's concern is public safety, they should be focusing their limited resources on those who are bringing violence, drugs, and human trafficking in to our communities."Houston City Council member Steve Le, who brought forth a successful proposal last year to name May 17, 2018 as "Roland Omar Gramajo Reyes Day" in the city, called Gramajo "a good person and community leader" whose presence in the city makes it a better place to live. "Our office appreciates everything he has done for the community and recognized him with a Mayoral Proclamation for his achievements," Le told The Daily Beast. "We were surprised by his arrest and hope the court will take into account all the great contributions he has made when determining his sentencing. We look forward to a favorable outcome for his family and our community."But after a judge denied his bond in a hearing on Monday, Gramajo will remain in federal detention until trial. Even if he wins his criminal case, his presence in the United States is far from assured—if deported, Gramajo will be barred from entering the United States for 20 years."I don't know what the verdict will be, but I leave everything in the hands of God and wait," Quicano said tearfully. "No more."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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.


Lebanon concludes Israeli drones were on attack mission

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:35 AM PDT

Lebanon concludes Israeli drones were on attack missionA Lebanese government investigation concluded that two Israeli drones were on an attack mission when they crashed in the capital last month, one of them armed with 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) of explosives, Lebanon's defense minister said Thursday. Elias Bou Saab said investigations show the drones came from over the Mediterranean Sea on Aug. 25, with one drone crashing on the roof of the militant group Hezbollah's media office in southern Beirut, while the other exploded and crashed into a nearby plot of land 42 minutes later. Speaking at a press conference in Beirut to present the findings of the investigation, Bou Saab said it was "the most dangerous act of aggression by Israel" since the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.


The U.S. May Strike a Fatal Blow to the WTO Sooner Than Expected

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:57 AM PDT

The U.S. May Strike a Fatal Blow to the WTO Sooner Than Expected(Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. A U.S. lawyer who is one of the last remaining members of an international panel that rules on trade disputes may resign in December, a move that would cripple the global conflict settlement system.The voluntary departure of Thomas Graham, who has served on the World Trade Organization panel since 2011, would accelerate the appellate body's looming demise and force countries to fundamentally rethink their reliance on the WTO to settle the surging number of trade disputes.While Graham's term ends on Dec. 10, panel members in the past have stayed on to finish WTO cases they're involved in. If he resigns, the seven-member body would no longer have a quorum to rule on pending WTO appeal cases."I have not yet decided, and I am watching developments closely," Graham said in an interview at WTO headquarters in Geneva.Legal LimboPresident Donald Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and other U.S. critics argue that the WTO dispute settlement system threatens America's sovereign rights. In response, the European Union, Canada and other member countries are discussing ways to reform the appellate body to address U.S. criticism that it has strayed from its mandate.The Trump administration, which has threatened to leave the WTO, has refused to consider nominees to replace the four vacancies on the panel. The U.S. says panel members have overstepped their mandate by failing to meet its 90-day deadline to decide on appeals; permitting panel members to serve beyond their terms; and by issuing opinions on matters not necessary to resolve a dispute.Graham's departure would throw all pending and future appeals into legal limbo since there wouldn't be enough appellate members to resolve disputes. That would essentially allow for any member to veto a claim against them."I can't see the U.S. objecting to his resignation," Scott Miller, a senior adviser at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an interview. "Tactically, the U.S. is getting what it wanted by disabling the appellate body."About a dozen appeal cases are pending, including a dispute over EU restrictions on Russian natural-gas imports and a pair of U.S.-Canadian disputes over paper and softwood lumber.It's possible that the appellate body may issue a final ruling on any of these cases before the Dec. 10 deadline. It is also likely that WTO members will ask the appellate body to include a tranche of new appeals to their portfolio between now and Dec. 10.To contact the reporter on this story: Bryce Baschuk in Geneva at bbaschuk2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Murray at brmurray@bloomberg.net, Tony Czuczka, Richard BravoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


Two key hearings on Capitol Hill could shed light on the origins of the Russia investigation

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 08:27 AM PDT

Two key hearings on Capitol Hill could shed light on the origins of the Russia investigationHouse Judiciary Committee holds hearing on alleged surveillance abuse as Justice Department watchdog Michael E. Horowitz is set to testify before the oversight panel; chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reports from Washington.


Chicken plants lured them. Feds jailed them. How Mississippi's immigration crisis unfolded

Posted: 18 Sep 2019 11:59 AM PDT

Chicken plants lured them. Feds jailed them. How Mississippi's immigration crisis unfoldedUndocumented immigrants helped build poultry into Mississippi's richest agricultural commodity.


A black Charlottesville city council candidate dropped out of the race after receiving violent threats from a white supremacist, prosecutors say

Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:15 AM PDT

A black Charlottesville city council candidate dropped out of the race after receiving violent threats from a white supremacist, prosecutors sayA federal indictment accuses Daniel McMahon, 31, of using social media "to threaten and intimidate a potential candidate."


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