| Iraq blames 'malicious' hands as toll from unrest tops 100 Posted: 06 Oct 2019 01:40 PM PDT  Twelve anti-government demonstrators were killed Sunday in ongoing protests in the capital Baghdad, the latest fatalities in six days of clashes that have left more than 100 dead and thousands wounded. Iraq's government has scrambled to contain the popular anger that has racked Baghdad and a number of southern cities since Tuesday. In the first official statement from the government accounting for the violence, Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan said Sunday that 104 people had been killed in the six days of unrest, including eight members of the security forces, and more than 6,000 wounded.
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| Spanish police arrest drug traffickers who saved their lives in high speed boat chase Posted: 05 Oct 2019 04:53 AM PDT ![Spanish police arrest drug traffickers who saved their lives in high speed boat chase]( "Spanish police arrest drug traffickers who saved their lives in high speed boat chase") Spanish police arrested four drug traffickers who stopped to save their lives after the officers were thrown overboard during a high speed boat chase off the coast of Malaga on Friday. The three police officers fell into the sea following a collision with the trafficking boat during the chase, a Guardia Civil statement said. A police helicopter hovering overhead appealed to the speedboat via megaphone to stop and help the officers after their boat "span out of control", and the traffickers did so, pulling the agents to safety unharmed. However, when police found three tonnes of hashish in the waters nearby, the rescue did not appear to work in the traffickers' favour. The four on board were arrested regardless. "They were arrested for drug trafficking," a police statement said, indicating that more than 80 bundles of hash had been recovered from the sea. In a video posted by the Guardia Civil, the boats can be seen zooming across the open ocean before the semi-inflatable trafficking boat turns into the path of the police vessel, forcing it to turn sharply, throwing the three officers overboard. The video taken from the police helicopter then shows the officers bobbing around in the water below, before a wide shot shows the drug bundles floating nearby. High speed chases are not unusual off the coast of Malaga and the Costa del Sol, a known drug smuggling route from Africa to Europe. Morocco, just across the water, is the world's largest exporter of cannabis resin or hashish, according to the United Nations. A dramatic chase at the end of last year saw police ram a suspected drug boat in the open water, before officers from the chasing helicopter managed to intercept the fleeing suspects on land. The Spanish government has even moved to ban the high-speed semi-inflatable boats, known as RIBs, that are commonly used by traffickers to bring both drugs and more recently migrants from North Africa to Spain.
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| Second whistleblower in Trump-Ukraine scandal comes forward: lawyer Posted: 06 Oct 2019 05:57 AM PDT  A second whistleblower has come forward with first-hand knowledge of President Donald Trump's attempts to get the Ukrainian president to investigate a political rival, lawyers for the official said on Sunday. Lawyer Mark Zaid said the person, also an intelligence official, has direct knowledge of some of the allegations involving the initial whistleblower complaint, which triggered impeachment proceedings against the Republican president. The emergence of a second protected witness complicates efforts by Trump and his Republican supporters to dismiss the complaint as politically motivated hearsay and may strengthen the Democrats' case against him.
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| Teachers suspended after unsupervised toddlers escape preschool, wander into traffic Posted: 06 Oct 2019 12:08 PM PDT  A woman reported seeing a group of toddlers wandering the streets near Little Sunshine's Playhouse & Preschool in Gilbert, Arizona, on Friday morning.
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| The number of migrants arrested at the US-Mexico border is the highest it's been since 2007, new federal data shows Posted: 05 Oct 2019 07:10 AM PDT  New federal data shows about 851,000 migrants were arrested by border patrol along the US-Mexico border in fiscal 2019, the highest number since 2007.
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| Thousands of Hong Kong Protesters Ignore Mask Ban as Violence Resumes Posted: 06 Oct 2019 06:45 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Violence escalated in Hong Kong as protesters set fires and vandalized train stations and banks, pushing back against government efforts to quell demonstrations when it invoked a colonial-era emergency law.Some rail services were suspended and businesses shuttered early on Sunday as demonstrators lobbed petrol bombs and bricks, spray-painted retail outlets and public property and destroyed banking facilities across the city. Video footage showed a bloodied man laying on a road after he was dragged out of the taxi he was driving and stomped on by a group of protesters after the vehicle hit some of them.The protests followed warnings from opposition leaders that Chief Executive Carrie Lam's decision to invoke a colonial-era emergency law to impose a ban on protesters wearing face masks would only further anger critics. A 14-year-old boy was shot and injured Friday night, the second shooting of the week, during a scuffle between a plain-clothes police officer and demonstrators who had attacked his car.Here's the latest (all times local):Rail service halted (8:36 p.m.)MTR Corp., operator of the city's rail network, suspended the service of all trains except the line to the airport, saying on its website that "it was no longer in a position to provide safe and reliable service to passengers." PLA barracks (7:45 p.m.)Protesters gathered outside the People's Liberation Army barracks in Kowloon Tong, the South China Morning Post reported. Uniformed men inside the compound watched the demonstrators from a rooftop, flashing torchlights at them and raising a yellow flag to warn them to leave, according to the report.The office of lawmakers Priscilla Leung and Lo Wai-kwok in Cheung Sha Wan was attacked and a nearby restaurant vandalized and damaged, the South China Morning Post reported.Protesters arrested (7 p.m.)Video footage showed police arresting a group of protesters. There had been little information on how authorities would implement the ban on face masks at protests, and what criteria they would apply in deciding on arrests of those who used them. The city's Executive Council approved the ban on face coverings at protests and public assemblies.Tear gas fired (5 p.m.)Police deployed multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse protesters outside Swire Properties' Pacific Place shopping mall and office complex in Admiralty, but demonstrators re-gathered and remained in the area blocking one of the main roads leading into the Central business district.Tear gas was also fired by officers in Wan Chai where demonstrators had gathered in a park, while a police water cannon left Central heading in the direction of Admiralty.In the nearby Legislative Council building, a "red alert" was issued at 4:25 p.m. local time, calling on all personnel to leave the building immediately because of safety concerns.Thousands take to streets (2:30 p.m.)In Tsim Sha Tsui, hundreds of people, wearing masks and dressed in black, occupied the normally busy Salisbury Road before marching toward the Mong Kok district.One of the demonstrators, a 40-year-old real estate worker who gave his name as Danny, said: "We want to explain to the government that wearing a mask is our right and we want to keep doing it this way."He said he believed the emergency law could be broadened to enforce harsher measures, so we want our opinions heard, to make it clear that "this emergency law is not correct; it's an outdated law."A protester in Causeway Bay, I.C. Chan, 25, who works in the medical industry, said it didn't matter that Sunday's march was unauthorized because the police decision to approve or not was made by an "unauthorized organization.""I have no idea how it's going to end but I'm doing whatever I can," he said. Chan said he doesn't believe destruction of property is acceptable in a functioning society but felt that Hong Kong wasn't functioning. "People can't contain their anger as there's no other way to vent."Protesters ignore rain, ban (2 p.m.)Hundreds of protesters blocked roads in Causeway Bay and across the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui as people started gathering for rallies. The demonstrators left Causeway Bay and marched toward Central, while a smaller group in Tsim Sha Tsui disrupted traffic at a busy intersection near the popular waterfront area.Court rejects injunction (1:30 p.m.)The High Court denied an application for an interim injunction by all 24 pro-democracylawmakers on the ban of wearing of face masks during protests, Radio Television Hong Kongreported. The court adjourned a hearing on the lawmakers' application for a judicial review of the government measure to later this month, it said.Court challenge (10 a.m.)All 24 of Hong Kong's pan-democratic lawmakers filed an application in the High Court for an interim injunction to suspend the ban on wearing masks during protests, RTHK reported. The submission was scheduled to be heard Sunday morning.The lawmakers have also lodged a judicial review to challenge the ban, according to the report.Legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok said before the hearing that the application involved a fight between the rule of law and authoritarianism, and was "one of the most important constitutional cases in the history of Hong Kong."Train services resume (7 a.m.)MTR said it plans to resume part of its service Sunday. Some stations, including Admiralty, Mong Kok, and Causeway Bay, will remain closed as staff needed time to repair damaged facilities. Train services at other stops will end earlier at 9 p.m. to allow time for repairs. The express train connecting the city center to the airport will also run normally through 1 p.m., when the service will be limited to just the airport and the Hong Kong station, without stopping at other sites following a government request, it said.More than 10% of ATMs down (11:15 p.m.)More than a 10th of the city's 3,300 ATMs were damaged and couldn't function normally, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said. Among those that functioned normally, 5% couldn't provide withdrawal services, it added. Banks are coordinating with delivery service providers over the supply of banknotes.Protester who was shot is arrested (9:30 p.m.)The 14-year-old boy who was shot in the leg after a scuffle with an off-duty police officer was arrested, police said in a statement. The boy was operated on at a hospital and was in stable condition, the South China Morning Post reported.Police confront protesters (8:30 p.m.)Police said they had moved in to disperse protesters in the Wong Tai Sin and Yuen Long districts who were blocking roads and paralyzing traffic. The police said in a statement that they were "deploying appropriate" force in the area.HKMA dismisses speculation (6:20 p.m.)The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the city's de facto central bank, dismissed speculation in social media on Saturday, which it described as a "malicious attempt to cause panic among the public."The city has a "robust and sound" banking system with ample liquidity, the HKMA said in a statement. It's well positioned to withstand any market volatilities and has sufficient supply of banknotes to meet the needs of the public, it said.Police detain two (5:15 p.m.)Police detained two people with face masks in a square in Central, RTHK reported. At least one other person was arrested after a peaceful procession by demonstrators. Riot police started appearing on the streets after marchers split up when they reached Chater Garden, their destination in Central. Some linked up in a human chain while others sang and chanted slogans in parks and squares.Bank group apologizes (5 p.m.)The Hong Kong Association of Banks said some banks had shut branches and suspended services to repair damage, and to ensure the safety of customers and staff.The association expressed regret over the situation and apologized for the inconvenience. It said in a statement that it condemns the violent acts across the city and and hopes social order will be restored quickly "following the introduction of the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation."Train services suspended (3:15 p.m.)The city's train services will be suspended for the rest of Saturday, with the exception of the Airport Express, according to operator MTR. Train services had been halted Friday night. This was the first time the service has been shut down since 2007, when the company merged with Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation, MTR said.Masked marchers (2 p.m)Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters defied the ban on masks as they marched from Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, to Central. Fewer people took part in the procession than recent demonstrations after one of the most violent weeks since the unrest began in June.'Everyone is scared': Lam (1 p.m.)Hong Kong leader Lam said "everyone is worried and scared" after Friday's clashes, which was "a very dark day." The chief executive said in a recorded televised address that the city was experiencing unprecedented violence and that she cannot allow a small minority to destroy people's freedoms.The government will "curb the violence with the greatest determination," she said, calling on people to support it and to condemn the violence.Banks, stores shut (7 a.m.)The ParknShop supermarket and Watsons retail chains, as well as some of China's biggest state-owned lenders shut almost all their locations for the day. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. and China Construction Bank Corp. closed their branches in Hong Kong, while Bank of China (Hong Kong) Ltd. said it would only keep one open. Even 7-Eleven, known to be open around the clock, announced on its website that all stores will close at 5 p.m., as did the Wellcome supermarket chain.One person shot (2:45 a.m.)A plain-clothes policeman fired a shot that injured a person at about 9 p.m. on Friday after the officer was attacked and beaten by protesters, Yolanda Yu, a police senior superintendent, said a press conference early Saturday morning. The incident is being investigated, she said, defending the right of the officer to discharge his weapon as his life "was threatened."The police haven't been in contact with the injured person, who's undergoing surgery at a local hospital. While she didn't link the case to the earlier injury sustained by a 14-year-old, Yu said she believes it's related to the open-fire incident in the Yuen Long district.Injured 14-year-old, officer assaulted: (Saturday 12:18 a.m.)A 14-year-old who was sent to hospital is in a serious condition after this evening's protests, according to a spokesman for Hong Kong's Hospital Authority. The spokesman couldn't specify how the patient was injured.At around 9 p.m., a large group of "rioters" attacked a plainclothes police officer, according to a government statement. The officer was assaulted after he fell to the ground, firing his gun to warn off his assailants. Another subsequently hurled a petrol bomb at him, setting his body briefly on fire. The officer dropped his gun while escaping and a second petrol bomb was thrown at him as he called for back up, according to the statement.Court denies interim injunction: (11:38 p.m.)After listening to arguments for two hours, a court decided against granting a temporary suspension of the anti-mask law after pro-democracy activists brought a late Friday injunction application. The ban will come into effect at midnight.\--With assistance from Fion Li, Crystal Tse, Divya Balji, Annie Lee and Natalie Lung.To contact the reporters on this story: Aaron Mc Nicholas in Hong Kong at amcnicholas2@bloomberg.net;Alfred Liu in Hong Kong at aliu226@bloomberg.net;Dominic Lau in Hong Kong at dlau92@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, ;Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Stanley James, Linus ChuaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US senator barred from Kashmir as lockdown enters 3rd month Posted: 05 Oct 2019 05:44 PM PDT  A U.S. senator and a well-known Indian activist were barred from visiting Indian-administered Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan territory where at least 10 people were injured Saturday in a grenade blast as a government security and communications lockdown entered a third month. Since removing several constitutional provisions in August that gave the state of Jammu and Kashmir semi-autonomy, Indian authorities have flooded the Kashmir Valley, the heart of a decades-old armed insurgency, with thousands of additional troops. Ram Madhav, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said leaders under house arrest in Kashmir would be released soon, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
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| Six elephants die while trying to save each other in 'Hell's Abyss' Thai waterfall Posted: 05 Oct 2019 10:45 AM PDT  Six wild elephants drowned after slipping off a waterfall in northeast Thailand, authorities said on Saturday, with two others saved after they became stranded while apparently trying to rescue one of those that fell into the current. Officials in the northeastern Khao Yai national park were alerted to elephants "crying" for help at 3am, the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in a statement. Hours later, they found six bodies at the bottom of the gushing Haew Narok ("Hell's Abyss") waterfall. Two of the elephants had apparently attempted to save one of those that fell, but they found themselves trapped on a thin, slippery sliver of rock above the churning waters. Video showed another of the hulking animals struggling desperately to get back up to where the pair stood. Park officials tossed food laced with nutritional supplements in an attempt to boost their energy and give them the strength to climb back up into the forest. They later said the two had been rescued but were extremely distressed. Parks department spokesperson Sompoch Maneerat said it was unclear what caused the accident. "No one knows for sure the real cause of why they fell, but there was heavy rain there last night," he told AFP. The waterfall was closed to tourists as the rescue took place. Elephants are Thailand's national animal and live in the wild in parts of the country, but their numbers have dwindled to only a few thousand. Deforestation has pushed the wild population into closer contact with humans in recent decades and away from their natural habitats.
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| Five murdered in Austrian ski town of Kitzbuehel: police Posted: 06 Oct 2019 04:26 AM PDT  Austrian police are investigating the suspected murder of five people in the ski town of Kitzbuehel, police said on Sunday. The suspected perpetrator had been detained, Austrian press agency APA reported, citing police. The police spokesman declined comment to Reuters on the local media reports.
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| Recall alert: 1.1 million pocketknives recalled for posing 'laceration hazard' Posted: 05 Oct 2019 04:58 AM PDT  About 1.1 million Gordon Folding Knives are being recalled for "posing a laceration hazard." The knives were sold at Harbor Freight Tools stores.
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| Trump impeachment: Second whistleblower comes forward ‘with first-hand knowledge’ of corruption allegations Posted: 06 Oct 2019 05:35 AM PDT  A second whistleblower has come forward "with first-hand knowledge" of explosive allegations against Donald Trump that triggered an impeachment inquiry.In what could be a damaging blow to the president's repeated denials of wrongdoing over his phone call with Ukraine's leader, the official is said to have already been interviewed by Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the US Intelligence Community.
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| Nazi Germany Had A Plan To Win World War II: Kill These 3 People Posted: 05 Oct 2019 07:22 PM PDT  A wild plan.
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| Ohio University suspended all 15 fraternities on-campus after National Hazing Prevention Week was followed by 7 hazing allegations Posted: 06 Oct 2019 02:49 PM PDT  After OU sororities and fraternities held National Hazing Prevention Week events, 7 allegations against separate fraternities were brought forward.
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| Johnson to Challenge the Queen to Fire Him, Sunday Times Reports Posted: 05 Oct 2019 05:17 PM PDT ![Johnson to Challenge the Queen to Fire Him, Sunday Times Reports]( "Johnson to Challenge the Queen to Fire Him, Sunday Times Reports") (Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is prepared to challenge Queen Elizabeth II to dismiss him rather than resign as he attempts to push through Brexit by the Oct. 31 deadline, the Sunday Times reported, citing senior aides.Johnson would not step aside if his Brexit proposals were rejected by the European Union, and even if members of the U.K. Parliament declare no confidence in his government and agree to a caretaker prime minister to replace him, according to the report.Failure to reach a deal would set the U.K. on a course for constitutional showdown with few precedents: Johnson has promised to pull the country out of the EU on Oct. 31 whether the talks succeed, while Parliament has already legislated to prevent him from taking U.K. out of the European bloc without a withdrawal agreement."Unless the police turn up at the doors of 10 Downing Street with a warrant for the prime minister's arrest, he won't be leaving," one senior Conservative said in the report.The last time a British monarch fired a prime minister was in 1834, it said.To contact the reporter on this story: Dominic Lau in Hong Kong at dlau92@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Linus Chua, Naoto HosodaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Protesters in Ukraine rally against election in rebel east Posted: 06 Oct 2019 11:05 AM PDT  Thousands rallied in Ukraine's capital Sunday against the president's plan to hold a local election in the country's rebel-held east, a move seen by some as a major concession to Russia. Ukraine, Russia and Russia-backed separatists on Tuesday signed a tentative agreement on guidelines for holding a local election in eastern Ukraine, where a five-year conflict between the rebels and Ukrainian troops has killed more than 13,000 people. France and Germany, which help broker the talks, hailed the agreement.
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| FEATURE-What's in a name? India's citizenship drive hits women hardest Posted: 05 Oct 2019 04:01 PM PDT ![FEATURE-What's in a name? India's citizenship drive hits women hardest]( "FEATURE-What's in a name? India's citizenship drive hits women hardest") Abanti Deka had no idea when she married her husband that taking his name would jeopardise her Indian citizenship. When the register was published at the end of August, the names of nearly 2 million of the state's about 33 million people were missing, plunging them into a bureaucratic nightmare that human rights experts fear could render some stateless. Abanti was one of the unlucky ones.
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| Fringe group claims it planned 'eat the babies' stunt at AOC town hall Posted: 04 Oct 2019 06:37 PM PDT  The woman is from LaRouchePAC, who claimed responsibility for the outburst on twitter.
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| Jewish death row inmate wins appeal days before execution after judge’s ‘regular racism and antisemitism’ revealed Posted: 06 Oct 2019 03:54 AM PDT  For more than 15 years on death row, Randy Halprin filed challenge after challenge to his sentence. The denials began to stack up.Finally, on Friday, one of his appeals persuaded Texas' highest court to stay his execution, which had been scheduled for 10 October.
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| Is Iran's Regime Really Be About To Collapse? Posted: 05 Oct 2019 06:00 PM PDT  The signs point to no, but it could happen.
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| Increased intrigue for Mormon conference in Utah Posted: 05 Oct 2019 09:41 AM PDT  The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has rolled out a number of policy changes during his first two years at the helm of the faith, leading to increased anticipation for what he may announce at this weekend's church conference in Salt Lake City.
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| Climate activists occupy Paris mall as global Extinction Rebellion protests begin Posted: 05 Oct 2019 04:53 PM PDT  Hundreds of climate activists barricaded themselves into a Paris shopping centre on Saturday as security forces tried to remove them, ahead of a planned series of protests around the world by the Extinction Rebellion movement. Campaigners faced off against police and some inconvenienced shoppers as they occupied part of the Italie 2 mall in southeast Paris. The protest comes ahead of planned disruption to 60 cities around the world from Monday in a fortnight of civil disobedience, from Extinction Rebellion (XR), which is warning of an environmental "apocalypse".
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| 2nd whistleblower adds to impeachment peril at White House Posted: 06 Oct 2019 01:44 PM PDT  A second whistleblower has come forward with information about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, adding to the impeachment peril engulfing the White House and potentially providing new leads to Democrats in their unfurling investigation of Trump's conduct. Attorney Mark Zaid, who represents both whistleblowers, said the second person has spoken to the intelligence community's internal watchdog and can corroborate information in the original whistleblower complaint.
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| Germany could face refugee influx bigger than 2015 if EU does not agree quota system, interior minister warns Posted: 06 Oct 2019 08:48 AM PDT  Germany's interior minister warned on Sunday that the country could soon face a refugee influx bigger than the one it dealt with in 2015, as he sought support for his plans for an EU quota system for rescued migrants. "We need to do more to help our European partners with controls at the EU's external borders. We've left them alone for too long," Horst Seehofer told Bild newspaper. "If we don't do this, we'll experience a wave of refugees like in 2015 - or perhaps an even larger one." Mr Seehofer, a member of the conservative CSU party, was one of the most critical voices in the German government towards Angela Merkel's decision to open the country's borders in 2015. But his new plan has surprised many by committing Germany to taking in a quarter of the asylum seekers that arrive in the EU via the sea crossing from North Africa to Italy. He has not committed to accept any of those entering the EU via Greece or Spain. In a trip to Turkey and Greece which was spurred by a sharp rise in migrant crossings in the Aegean over the past year, the veteran politician said he would push for increased EU funds to be assigned to Turkey, while offering more technical support for Greece's coast guard. An agreement signed with Ankara in 2016 was key in turning the tide on a surge of migration which saw over a million asylum seekers arrive in Germany. Ever since the crisis peaked in 2015 Berlin has been pushing in Brussels for a binding quota system, but these efforts have foundered in the face of resistance from eastern Europe. Mr Seehofer's quota proposals have proven unpopular inside his own party. Ralph Brinkhaus, CDU/CSU faction leader in the Bundestag, suggested over the weekend that the plan would encourage smugglers to increase their activities. "This is the interior minister's initiative, it does not come from the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag. We will have to take a very close look at his plans," Mr Brinkhaus said.
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| Former U.S. President Carter falls, requires stitches Posted: 06 Oct 2019 03:01 PM PDT  Carter's fall on Sunday required stitches above his brow, said spokeswoman Deanna Congileo in a statement emailed to reporters. "He said he feels fine and wanted everyone to know that he and Mrs. Carter are eager to be at a Habitat for Humanity's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Nashville, Tennessee," Congileo said. Carter, a Democrat who was governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975, was elected president in 1976 and served one term in the White House.
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| 4 dead, 5 others injured in shooting at Kansas City bar; manhunt underway for 2 gunmen Posted: 06 Oct 2019 03:44 PM PDT  Four people were killed and five others injured in a shooting early Sunday at a bar in Kansas City, Kansas, police said.
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| India clampdown hits Kashmir's Silicon Valley Posted: 04 Oct 2019 11:31 PM PDT  The coffee machines have been cold, computer screens blank and work stations empty for two months in Kashmir's Silicon Valley as an Indian communications blockade on the troubled region takes a growing toll on business. The dozen software development companies in the Rangreth industrial estate on the edge of Srinagar bring tens of millions of dollars of crucial revenue into the region each year. Pakistan also claims Kashmir which the two neighbours divided when they became independent in 1947 and have squabbled over ever since.
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| Israel Working on Non-Aggression Pacts With Gulf States Posted: 06 Oct 2019 05:31 AM PDT ![Israel Working on Non-Aggression Pacts With Gulf States]( "Israel Working on Non-Aggression Pacts With Gulf States") (Bloomberg) -- Israel is working on an "historic" non-aggression pact with Arab Gulf states, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday.Such an agreement would make it possible to cooperate on civilian matters, Katz said on Twitter, confirming an earlier report by Israeli media. He said he'd presented a plan to Arab foreign ministers and to U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt at his recent visit to the United Nations."I will continue to work to strengthen Israel's standing in the region and around the world," Katz said. While Israel has formal peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, most Arab countries have resisted establishing ties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to leverage a shared fear of Iran to gradually improve relations with the Gulf, and U.S. President Donald Trump has promoted this rapprochement.Netanyahu made a surprise visit to Oman a year ago to meet with the country's foreign minister, and several Israeli ministers have since attended conferences in the region. Israel said in April that it will take part in next year's World Expo in Dubai.Katz said in a speech to the UN in late September that Israel is seeking to normalize ties with the Arab Gulf states "as we did with Egypt and Jordan." He named technology, agriculture and water as areas in which these countries could benefit from relations with Israel. (Updates with comment in third paragraph, background from fourth.)To contact the reporter on this story: Alisa Odenheimer in Jerusalem at aodenheimer@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, Ian Fisher, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Pope urges compassion in elevating 13 likeminded cardinals Posted: 05 Oct 2019 11:19 AM PDT  Pope Francis added 13 new cardinals to the top of the Catholic hierarchy on Saturday, telling them they must show God's compassion to those who suffer to be faithful to their ministry. Francis presided over the ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, elevating churchmen who share his pastoral concerns at a time when his pontificate is under fire from conservatives within the College of Cardinals itself. Among the 13 are 10 cardinals who are under age 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave, increasing the likelihood that a future pope might end up looking an awful lot like the current one.
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| Erratic Trump struggles to control message as impeachment threat grows Posted: 06 Oct 2019 02:29 PM PDT  Republican defenders mostly silent, with two vivid exceptions, as at least one additional whistleblower steps forward Trump's course of self-defense, meanwhile, appeared to be increasingly erratic. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesAs Donald Trump strived to enforce message discipline among Republicans in the face of a building threat that he will be impeached, new forces beyond the US president's control appeared likely to accelerate the congressional impeachment inquiry further in the coming week.At least one additional whistleblower has stepped forward to describe an alleged scheme by Trump to extort Ukraine for dirt on Democratic 2020 presidential rival Joe Biden, the individual's lawyer announced.Congress is preparing to take testimony on Tuesday from a major figure in the Ukraine scandal, Gordon Sondland, a wealthy hotelier and major Trump donor who was made US ambassador to the European Union.Similar testimony last week by former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker led to the disclosure of a damaging series of text messages further implicating Trump in the scandal.And Trump's would-be defenders in the Republican ranks, with the notable exception of two figures who themselves are deeply implicated in the Ukraine affair – secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani – have fallen mostly silent. No Trump defender from the White House appeared on the US Sunday morning news shows, nor did any members of the congressional Republican political leadership.Trump's course of self-defense, meanwhile, appeared to be increasingly erratic. The president told House Republicans that his reportedly outgoing energy secretary, Rick Perry, was the secret Machiavelli behind a phone call Trump held with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, central to the scandal, Axios reported."Not a lot of people know this but, I didn't even want to make the call," Trump was quoted as saying. "The only reason I made the call was because Rick asked me to."Article 1 of the United States constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power to initiate impeachment and the Senate the sole power to try impeachments of the president. A president can be impeached if they are judged to have committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" – although the constitution does not specify what "high crimes and misdemeanors" are.The process starts with the House of Representatives passing articles of impeachment. A simple majority of members need to vote in favour of impeachment for it to pass to the next stage. Democrats currently control the house, with 235 representatives.The chief justice of the US supreme court then presides over the proceedings in the Senate, where the president is tried, with senators acting as the jury. For the president to be found guilty two-thirds of senators must vote to convict. Republicans currently control the Senate, with 53 of the 100 senators.Two presidents have previously been impeached, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Andrew Johnson in 1868, though neither was removed from office as a result. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before there was a formal vote to impeach him.Martin BelamA spokesperson said that Perry had urged Trump to speak with Ukraine about natural gas but not about Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, or a conspiracy theory about Ukrainian election tampering, which were the topics Trump raised on the July call."Lesson to all of you Trump aides," tweeted Neera Tanden, president of the liberal Center for American Progress, "he's taking you all down with him so you might as well get off the boat while you can."After a week in which his campaign seemed to dither over Trump's constant attacks, Biden published a pugilistic op-ed in the Washington Post declaring "enough is enough". "You won't destroy me, and you won't destroy my family," the piece concluded. "And come November 2020, I intend to beat you like a drum."On Sunday afternoon, Biden criticized Trump on Twitter.> In my experience, asking a foreign government to manufacture lies about your domestic political opponent is not "done all the time." https://t.co/w8K8C17yUj> > — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 6, 2019News of at least one more whistleblower with direct knowledge of Trump administration interactions with Ukraine emerged Sunday. "I can confirm that my firm and my team represent multiple whistleblowers in connection to the underlying 12 August disclosure to the Intelligence Community Inspector General," tweeted Andrew Bakaj. "No further comment at this time."Trump spent Sunday morning tweeting outrage at Democrats and at Mitt Romney, who has been the only GOP senator to condemn Trump's Ukraine dealings in strong, clear terms.At the weekend, Maine Republican senator Susan Collins said of Trump's comments last week saying China should investigate the Bidens, that: "I thought the president made a big mistake by asking China to get involved in investigating a political opponent. It's completely inappropriate."But the efficacy of Trump's efforts to keep Republicans onside in his defense was also visible at the weekend, with Pompeo telling reporters in Athens that it was the government's "duty" to investigate a conservative conspiracy theory placing Ukraine instead of Russia at the heart of 2016 election tampering. That conspiracy theory has been debunked thoroughly.Another Republican senator, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, scrambled on Sunday to make amends for his admission on Friday that he had heard the state department was trying to put together a deal in which military aid for Ukraine would be tied to Zelenskiy's cooperation in Trump's alleged conspiracy against Biden.Johnson used an appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press to become adamant about how Trump had personally told him there was no such linkage, and then, to the intense frustration of host Chuck Todd, Johnson peddled the Ukraine election tampering conspiracy. "What happened in 2016?" said Johnson. "Who set him up? Did things spring from Ukraine?"But Colin Powell, the former secretary of state under George W Bush, called the whistleblower a "patriot" in an appearance on CNN."The Republican party has got to get a grip on itself," Powell said. "Republican leaders and members of the Congress … are holding back because they're terrified of what will happen [to] any one of them if they speak out."Meanwhile the former Republican congressman Joe Walsh, who has mounted a primary run against Trump, accused Trump of betrayal."This president deserves to be impeached," Walsh said on CNN's State of the Union. "This president betrayed his country again this week … He stood on the White House lawn and told two foreign governments to interfere in our election. Donald Trump is a traitor."Minnesota senator and Democratic 2020 election candidate Amy Klobuchar amplified that message, comparing the Ukraine scandal to Watergate."This is impeachable," Klobuchar told CNN. "He's acting like a global gangster, going to one leader after another trying to get dirt on his political opponent. I consider that a violation of our laws."
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| UAW official who is charged in corruption probe placed on leave Posted: 05 Oct 2019 05:58 PM PDT ![UAW official who is charged in corruption probe placed on leave]( "UAW official who is charged in corruption probe placed on leave") Vance Pearson, who heads a 17-state UAW region and is charged with embezzling union money, wire fraud and money laundering, began the leave on Friday.
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| Flight delayed after a passenger boards without ticket Posted: 06 Oct 2019 01:39 PM PDT  A passenger was able to board a flight at Orlando International Airport on Saturday apparently without a ticket. Delta Air Lines has confirmed that the person was removed from flight 1516 to Atlanta, because she did not have a ticket. All passengers aboard the flight as well as their luggage were then re-screened by security personnel.
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| When India's Aircraft Carrier Caught Fire, China Thought It Knew Why Posted: 05 Oct 2019 11:45 PM PDT  Terse words between rivals.
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| For US banks skittish about marijuana, a proposal to ease worries Posted: 05 Oct 2019 06:15 PM PDT  Most US banks shun people like Hope Wiseman, who runs a dispensary that sells marijuana for medical use. Wiseman, who operates a dispensary called Mary and Main, in Capitol Heights, Maryland, just outside Washington, serves patients who suffer from migraine headaches, chronic illnesses or depression. Marijuana for medical use is legal in 33 states and the US capital of Washington, 12 of which have also legalized it for recreational use.
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| Chinese military issues warning to Hong Kong protesters amid clashes as tens of thousands defy face mask ban Posted: 06 Oct 2019 04:37 AM PDT  The Chinese military issued an unprecedented warning amid another night of chaos and violence in Hong Kong on Sunday, as masked protesters risked tear gas and arrest to march in defiance of an emergency ban on face coverings. As the initially peaceful mass protest on Hong Kong island and in Kowloon spiralled into violent clashes with riot police, the Chinese People's Liberation Army warned protesters they could be arrested for targeting its barracks with laser lights. The warning, the first of its kind during four months of escalating unrest in the global financial hub, was displayed on a yellow flag as hundreds of demonstrators shone laser pens at troops in fatigues. The soldiers responded with spotlights as they filmed the scene. The nearby Kowloon Tong metro station was trashed, its windows smashed into tiny pieces. The entire mass transit rail system, which has been targeted by protesters who believe it has colluded with the government and police against them, was suspended on Sunday evening. Wildcat protests sprang up and disappeared quickly around the city as bands of protesters played a game of cat and mouse with the riot police. The most radical among them threw Molotov cocktails at advancing officers, who responded with tear gas and arrests. A journalist was struck on the head, briefly setting his helmet on fire. An emergency law has criminalised protesters wearing face masks Credit: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images In one isolated moment of brutality, a taxi driver was badly beaten by protesters after he drove into them. It is not clear what sparked the incident. The day had started out peacefully as tens of thousands of protesters - including families with children and elderly people - attended two large unsanctioned rallies. It was a sign of the widespread public anger at a move by Carrie Lam, the city's chief executive, to use a sweeping Emergency Regulations Ordinance to enforce a face mask ban that many believe impairs their freedoms. "We are suppressed by the strong government. They suppress us through a law to threaten the people to stay at home. That's why we have to come out to voice our opinions," said a woman called Mrs Mak, as she sheltered under her husband's umbrella. "I have to come out to fight for the youngsters, because I am nearly 60. I come out because I have to support them. The future belongs to them. I want the government to hear what people are saying," she said. The crowd was visibly nervous, at times stopping and running backwards, after months of angry confrontations between police and protesters that have resulted in over 2,000 arrests, two live shootings and the firing over more than 4,000 tear gas canisters. Some protesters lit fires to block traffic in the city centre Credit: Vincent Thian/AP By mid-afternoon the police had launched tear gas at protesters erecting barricades along major routes, before pushing demonstrators back and making multiple arrests in the shopping district of Causeway Bay. Ms Lam had justified the ban as necessary to end the turmoil that began with a controversial mainland extradition bill but has since spiralled into a wider call for democratic rights. However, many in Hong Kong believe the move has only fuelled mounting public anger. On Sunday morning a group of pro-democracy lawmakers failed in a high court bid to seek an emergency injunction against the ban, arguing that emergency powers bypassed the legislature and contravened the city's mini-constitution. Sharron Fast, a law expert at the University of Hong Kong, warned that the use of the emergency regulation had given the chief executive an "unlimited amount of power, in which she alone can enact laws". She added that Ms Lam could use it to enact more draconian measures including censorship laws. Protesters who marched in torrential rain voiced their anger that the mask ban would not also be applied to the police. Demonstrators have included an independent investigation into police brutality as one of their key demands. Ms Fast said that granting that demand could help to calm the situation. "I think it is still not too little too late. It would take some time, but it would have a pacifying effect."
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| APNewsBreak: Evers issuing 1st Wisconsin pardons in 9 years Posted: 06 Oct 2019 04:03 PM PDT  Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will issue Wisconsin's first pardons in nine years, invoking his constitutional power to grant clemency to four people. Evers plans to issue the pardons Monday, the first he's making as governor after he re-started the pardons board in June. Evers' predecessor, Republican Scott Walker, never issued a single pardon over his eight years as governor.
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| 'Republicans in Congress believe he is wildly unfit to be president': Trump impeachment would be supported by GOP in secret ballot, House expert says Posted: 06 Oct 2019 07:56 AM PDT  A secret ballot vote on impeaching Donald Trump would garner "significant Republican support" in Congress, according to an expert in congressional politics.David Wasserman, who works for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said he has had private conversations with Republican congressmen who believe Mr Trump is "wildly unfit to be president".
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| Judge shoots himself in court in Thailand Posted: 05 Oct 2019 08:28 AM PDT ![Judge shoots himself in court in Thailand]( "Judge shoots himself in court in Thailand") A judge in southern Thailand shot himself in court after delivering a not guilty verdict in the case of five Muslim suspects charged with murder in the predominantly Buddhist country's restive south. Khanakorn Pianchana shot himself in the chest after acquitting the suspects charged with murder, illegal association and gun-related offences on Friday afternoon because of insufficient evidence. On Saturday, people laid flowers in front of the court in Yala, one of the three Muslim-majority southern provinces at the heart of the insurgency that has claimed more than 7,000 lives since 2004.
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| A 97-year-old California woman with dementia went missing. Four 'junior detectives' helped police find her Posted: 06 Oct 2019 05:29 PM PDT  Police in California are thanking a group of "junior detectives" who recently helped locate a missing 97-year-old woman with dementia.
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