| Israeli teen dies of wounds in West Bank attack, 2 wounded Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:44 AM PDT  An explosion Friday near a West Bank settlement that Israel said was a Palestinian attack killed a 17-year-old Israeli girl and wounded her brother and father, Israeli authorities said. Initially, three Israelis were reported wounded in the blast on Friday near the Dolev settlement, northwest of Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to the family and vowed to pursue the perpetrators and "strengthen" Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.
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| Doubling down on racist comments, council candidate says she opposes interracial marriage Posted: 24 Aug 2019 02:27 PM PDT  Marysville, Michigan mayor Dan Damman has called for city council candidate Jean Cramer to withdraw. She says she doesn't plan to.
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| Two NYC women plead guilty to plan to build bomb for attack on U.S. Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:59 AM PDT ![Two NYC women plead guilty to plan to build bomb for attack on U.S.]( "Two NYC women plead guilty to plan to build bomb for attack on U.S.") Two women inspired by radical Islam pleaded guilty in New York City on Friday to teaching and distributing information about the manufacture and use of an explosive, destructive device and weapon of mass destruction, federal prosecutors said. Asia Siddiqui and Noelle Velentzas, both U.S. citizens in their 30s from the borough of Queens, face up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement the defendants studied some of the most deadly attacks in U.S. history as a blueprint for their plans to kill American law enforcement and military personnel.
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| Revered as a saint by online extremists, how Christchurch shooter inspired copycat terrorists around the world Posted: 24 Aug 2019 01:22 PM PDT  "Brenton Tarrant was a catalyst for me personally. He showed me that it could be done. And that it needed to be done."Those were the words written by John Timothy Earnest shortly before he stormed a synagogue in Poway, California, and opened fire on the Jewish congregation.
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| Hong Kong protesters form human chains to call for democracy Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:34 PM PDT  Supporters of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement lined the streets and part of the city's harbor front Friday, inspired by a human chain in a historic Baltic states protest against Soviet control 30 years ago. It was the latest protest in a nearly 11-week-old movement that began with calls to scrap a now-suspended extradition bill and has widened to include demands for full democracy and an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality at protests. In a protest dubbed "The Baltic Way," nearly 2 million Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians formed a human chain more than 600 kilometers (370 miles) long on Aug. 23, 1989.
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| Divorcing Spouse Claims NASA Astronaut Committed Crime in Space: Report Posted: 24 Aug 2019 11:54 AM PDT  NASA astronaut Anne McClain's former partner has accused her of committing identity theft from the International Space Station, according to a report.
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| Fear grips Bangladesh camp as 2 Rohingya refugees killed Posted: 24 Aug 2019 08:56 AM PDT  Bangladesh police said they had shot dead two Rohingya refugees during a gunfight in a refugee camp on Saturday after the pair were accused of killing a ruling party official. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. The incident comes two days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees, which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state.
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| Pompeo says Huawei CEO is not a bargaining chip in Trump-China trade war Posted: 23 Aug 2019 09:45 AM PDT  Mike Pompeo has rejected claims that detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is being used for leverage in the US-China trade war. Speaking with his Canadian counterpart, Chrystia Freeland, in Ottawa on Thursday, the US secretary of state appeared to rule out dropping the extradition request for Ms Meng to ease tensions with Beijing, insisting it is a legal matter. In December, US president Donald Trump implied he might intervene in the case to help secure a trade deal with China. "Whatever's good for this country, I would do," he said at the time. The US alleges Ms Meng – the Chinese technology company's chief financial officer and the daughter of its chief executive – helped Huawei circumvent sanctions on Iran. According to Vancouver court documents released this week, she told a Canadian border official that the company has an office in Iran. The US has charged Ms Meng, 47, with bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit both. She is currently on bail living under house arrest in one of her Vancouver mansions while her lawyers fight her extradition to the US. Asked on Thursday if she is a "bargaining chip" in US-China trade talks, Mr Pompeo replied simply: "No." Since Ms Meng's arrest in Vancouver airport on a US arrest warrant in December, ties between Ottawa and Beijing have fallen to a historically low ebb. Two Canadians, businessman Michael Svapor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig, were arrested and charged with espionage shortly afterwards in what is widely viewed as a reprisal by Beijing. "Our team is focussed on helping those two Canadians be released," Mr Pompeo said later ahead of a meeting with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Mr Trump spoke directly to Chinese president Xi Jinping about their "arbitrary detention" in June, he told journalists. Mr Pompeo, 55, also slapped down a question comparing their confinement with that of Ms Meng, accusing the journalist of taking "the Chinese line". Mr Pompeo was visiting Canada ahead of the G7 meeting in France, where relations with China will be discussed. On Friday, Beijing escalated the trade dispute, announcing fresh tariffs on US imports worth $75 billion (£61 billion).
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| Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain confirmed as 'superbugs' continue to worry experts Posted: 24 Aug 2019 09:34 AM PDT ![Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain confirmed as 'superbugs' continue to worry experts]( "Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain confirmed as 'superbugs' continue to worry experts") A strain of Salmonella found in beef and soft cheeses in the United States and Mexico has been found resistant to antibiotics, according to the CDC.
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| Joe Biden asks audience to imagine Barack Obama's assassination Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:45 PM PDT  Raw video: Speaking to supporters in New Hampshire, Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden recalls the political turmoil of 1968.
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| Britain sends another warship to boost presence in the Gulf Posted: 24 Aug 2019 10:39 AM PDT ![Britain sends another warship to boost presence in the Gulf]( "Britain sends another warship to boost presence in the Gulf") Britain is sending another warship to the Gulf to defend freedom of navigation, the defence minister said on Saturday, after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the region. Tensions have risen between Iran and Britain after Iranian commandos seized a British-flagged tanker last month.
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| Released from death row, then returned — forced to prove race discrimination a second time Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:01 PM PDT  Cases before N.C. Supreme Court show link between slavery, Jim Crow and modern death penalty is as connected as 'ropes of the lynch-man's noose'
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| Tear gas fired as Hong Kong police, protesters clash Posted: 24 Aug 2019 02:03 AM PDT  Hong Kong riot cops fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters who retaliated with a barrage of stones, bottles and bamboo poles on Saturday, as a standoff in a working-class neighbourhood descended into violence, breaking an uneasy peace that had lasted several days. Earlier thousands of demonstrators, many wearing hard hats and gas masks, marched through the industrial Kwun Tong area, where they were blocked by dozens of riot police with shields and batons outside a police station. Frontline protesters -- known as "braves" -- pulled together a barricade of traffic barriers and bamboo construction poles.
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| How Trump Fits Into the Long, Fraught History of the Relationship Between Israel and American Jews Posted: 24 Aug 2019 11:30 AM PDT  Daniel Gordis, author of 'We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel,' talks to TIME
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| Ex-wife, children of Atlanta surgeon Christopher Edwards found dead in apparent murder-suicide Posted: 23 Aug 2019 06:43 AM PDT  Authorities say they believe Marsha Edwards shot Christopher Edwards Jr. and Erin Edwards before turning the gun on herself.
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| Metal detectorist finds £10,000 gold ring in garage 40 years after discarding it as worthless Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:46 AM PDT  A metal detectorist who discarded a gold ring in his garage for 40 years after a museum told him it was worthless has discovered its real value is £10,000. Tom Clark, 81, dug up the buried treasure while scanning an area of farmland near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979, then put it inside a metal tin and forgot about it. But the retired leather craftsman came across the rare seal ring eight years ago while sorting through items from his mother's house after she passed away. He got the item valued and was astonished to discover that it was actually a 670-year-old medieval artefact dating back to 1350. It is due to be auctioned off in Derbyshire on Tuesday (Aug 27) and is expected to sell for between £8,500 and £10,000. The turn of events is similar to the plot of BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, when brothers Del and Rodney come across a watch in their garage which is then auctioned off for millions of pounds. Mr Clark said: "I had completely forgotten about it. At the time I'd only been metal detecting for 10 years and didn't realise the ring was anything special. It was all twisted and broken when I dug it up." He took the rare ring along with some others to a museum to have them valued at the time, but was told they were all fairly modern. "I put them all in a tin and left them in the garage at my mother's house," he said. "A few months ago, I was sorting through some stuff in my own garage that had come from my mother's house and there it was - the tin with the rings in it." Tom is auctioning off the ring, which is expected to make between £8,500 and £10,000 Credit: Hansons / SWNS/Hansons / SWNS Mr Clark, now a much more experienced collector, said he instantly knew it was a seal ring dating back to the 1300s and would have belonged to someone important given its decoration and quality. He added: "It's rare and elegant. I'd love to know who it belonged to." A Latin inscription on the ring translates as 'I hide the true message'. Mark Becher, Historica expert at auctioneer Hansons, said: "It's a fascinating piece of medieval jewellery and I'm delighted Tom rediscovered again after all these years."
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| Exclusive: As Amazon fires rage, Brazil tells diplomats to fix image Posted: 23 Aug 2019 09:13 AM PDT  Stung by a global outcry over deforestation and wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, Brazil has launched a diplomatic offensive to persuade the international community of its environmental credentials. President Jair Bolsonaro's administration has distributed a 12-page circular to its foreign embassies, outlining data and statistics that diplomats are meant to cite to defend the government's position on the crisis. The circular, reviewed by Reuters and reported here for the first time, attempts to address 59 areas where Brazil has come under fire, by citing various policies and data.
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| Police are trying to arrest their way out of a mass shooting epidemic, and experts warn that law enforcement can't shoulder the entire burden Posted: 24 Aug 2019 04:04 PM PDT  The arrests won't fully or permanently stop a person determined to inflict mass death — and the US is nowhere near close to tackling the root causes.
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| Gary Ray Bowles: Death row serial killer executed by lethal injection despite last-minute plea Posted: 23 Aug 2019 12:46 AM PDT  A serial killer who admitted killing six gay men in just eight-months in the US east coast has been executed.Gary Ray Bowles was given a lethal injection in Florida late Thursday after more than 20 years on death row.
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| Iceland Held Talks With U.S. Ambassador Over Pence Visit Posted: 24 Aug 2019 07:27 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Iceland' prime minister is open to a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence during his trip to the Nordic island, should the visit be extended.The option was discussed during a pre-scheduled meeting on Friday between Katrin Jakobsdottir and ambassador Jeffrey Gunter, a government spokesman told Bloomberg.Jakobsdottir, a left-of-center feminist and LGBT advocate, is due to attend a conference by Nordic trade union leaders in Sweden on Sept. 4. That's the same day in which Pence is due to arrive.Jakobsdottir's decision to not change her schedule to accommodate the vice president's visit has been criticized at home.Olafur Hardarson, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland, told local media Morgunbladid it would be "unusual" for the prime minister not to greet the American vice president.According to her spokeswoman, a final decision on whether the meeting can take place has not yet been made.The White House said Pence planned to discuss trade opportunities, the Arctic and NATO efforts to counter Russian aggression in the region.The scheduling snafu is the latest episode in a series of exchanges involving Donald Trump and the Nordics.Pence's visit would take place in the wake of a very public spat between the U.S. president and Denmark over its refusal to sell Greenland.Trump said Saturday he had held a "nice" conversation with Mette Frederiksen, with the exchange coming just days after labeling the Danish prime minister as "nasty."In 2017, Sweden reacted forcibly to Trump's portrayal of the Nordic nation as being in a state of chaos and overrun by crime after an influx of refugees.(Adds quote in fifth paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir in Reykjavik at rsigurdardot@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jonas Bergman at jbergman@bloomberg.net, Nick Rigillo, Andrew DavisFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| All the Best Le Creuset Deals During Williams Sonoma Warehouse Sale Posted: 23 Aug 2019 11:54 AM PDT |
| Extracted eggs may stop extinction of northern white rhino Posted: 23 Aug 2019 08:15 AM PDT  Wildlife experts and veterinarians said Friday there is hope to prevent the extinction of the northern white rhino because they successfully extracted eggs from the last two remaining females of the species. The eggs will be used to reproduce the species through a surrogate. The groundbreaking procedure was carried out Thursday on the northern white rhinos known as Najin and Fatu who cannot carry a pregnancy.
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| Joe Biden inspires no one – not even his own wife Posted: 23 Aug 2019 12:00 AM PDT  Can we stop pretending that Joe Biden is the inevitable 2020 candidate?'Joe Biden is Hillary Clinton 2.0.' Photograph: Charlie Neibergall/APMuch like Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden's Democratic primary campaign has thus far cloaked itself in an aura of inevitability. You might not like Joe Biden. He might say racist or sexist stuff from time to time. His gaffes might be occurring at an alarming rate. He might have uninspiring policy ideas. But he's going to win the primary anyway, so you better get used to him.That was the subtext, at least, and an explanation for how banal Biden's campaign has been so far. If victory is certain, why not hold the ball and milk the clock? Jill Biden, the former vice-president's wife, made the case bizarrely explicit on MSNBC earlier this week. "Your candidate might be better on, I don't know, health care, than Joe is," Biden said, "but you've got to look at who's going to win this election, and maybe you have to swallow a little bit and say, 'Okay, I personally like so-and-so better,' but your bottom line has to be that we have to beat Trump."To be sure, Joe Biden is leading among Democrats thus far. The RealClearPolitics average has him ahead of Bernie Sanders by around 12 points, and he has the support of major party funders. But less than a third of Democratic voters are planning to vote for Biden, down from more than 40% the week after his 25 April announcement. An Economist/YouGov poll from this week shows the race narrowing to within the margin of error – Biden at 22%, Sanders at 19%, and Elizabeth Warren at 18%.Biden's fundraising picture also looks less rosy than it did back in May. He's still the preferred choice of big party donors, but grassroots enthusiasm is receding. After raising an impressive $4.6m online on this first day of his campaign in April, things have slowed to a trickle. As Politico reports, Biden's median online daily fundraising by the end of June was just $67,000 a day, considerably below Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders.> The case for Biden's invincibility is baffling – he's been running for the Democratic nomination (and losing) since the 80sSanders is an especially important benchmark for Biden. They seem to be competing over much the same base – working class, diverse, not college educated – and either would benefit from the other's downfall. Despite a narrative earlier this summer of campaign dysfunction and imminent collapse, recent polls have showed that the Vermont senator in a steady position within striking distance of Biden. Sanders has a rabid base of volunteers, superior online fundraising infrastructure, and his existing support may even be undercounted by most polls.Yet the media narrative continues to paint Sanders as a fringe pariah and Biden as the inevitable 2020 candidate. It's reminiscent of the 2016 Republican primaries, in which Donald Trump was considered an unserious candidate whose support was continually underestimated. The serious commentators kept waiting for an establishment wave of moderate Republicans to make first Jeb Bush, then Marco Rubio, and then even Ted Cruz happen.The case for Biden's invincibility is especially baffling – he's been running for the Democratic nomination (and losing) since the 1980s. It simply boils down to Obama coalition supporters (particularly black and brown voters) going with the most familiar face to rid of Trump era upheavals.But electability is just one element of what voters are looking for, and Biden is running on nothing else. He has failed to adequately address his past positions in favor of Medicare and Social Security cuts, his engineering of loathed free trade deals, or his opposition to important desegregation measures.While other candidates are galvanizing people around Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and calls to redistribute wealth and power from the 1% to working Americans, Biden is offering nothing. Poke one hole in his electability bubble and his campaign looks ready to implode.This early in the race things are constantly changing – many people are still undecided and won't start paying attention until much later on – so we would do ourselves a lot of good not to live and die with every poll. However, if there is one lesson from the 2016 general election worth remembering it's this: most people might have not liked Donald Trump, but he gave those who did a real reason to turn out on Election Day. He was a candidate with very obvious convictions running against someone who seemed to focus group and triangulate her every position.Joe Biden is Hillary Clinton 2.0. Perhaps Trump's time in office has been enough of a disaster that idea-avoidance will work this time. But if voters want to be inspired, they'll turn elsewhere or just stay at home again. Who knows, Jill Biden might even join them. * Bhaskar Sunkara is the founding editor of Jacobin magazine and a Guardian US columnist. He is the author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality
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| UK Hong Kong consulate worker Simon Cheng freed after detention in mainland China Posted: 24 Aug 2019 07:15 AM PDT  A British consulate employee in Hong Kong has been freed by China after being detained for 15 days on the mainland amid rising tensions between the former British colony and Beijing. Simon Cheng, 28, a trade and investment officer at the Hong Kong consulate's Scottish Development International section, went missing on August 8 on his way back from a work trip in Shenzhen, a neighbouring Chinese city. It was not until after the UK expressed "extreme concern" about his disappearance that China's foreign ministry broke its silence, confirming Mr Cheng had been detained without releasing further details. On Saturday, his family announced that he had come back. "Simon has returned to Hong Kong; thanks you everyone for your support! Simon and his family wish to have some time to rest and recover, and will not take any interview," they said in a statement. An activist holds an illustration of Simon Cheng during a gathering outside the British Consulate-General building in Hong Kong Credit: AFP Chinese police in Shenzhen confirmed that Mr Cheng had been detained for violating public security management regulations, and was released after that period on Saturday. Police also said he had "confessed to the facts of his illegal activity," without saying what those activities were. Mr Cheng was not formally charged or tried in court, and his family rejected allegations in Chinese state media that he had been detained for visiting prostitutes. On Friday the UK issued a warning to all travellers to Hong Kong about increased scrutiny from mainland authorities at border crossings. The warning added that mobile phones and electronic devices were being checked by border patrol. Mr Cheng's mysterious disappearance highlights China's murky legal and judicial system – something that help kicked off mass protests early June in Hong Kong. Many fear freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong, guaranteed for at least 50 years under an agreement that became effective when the former British colony was returned to Beijing, are fast-disappearing under China's ruling Communist Party. Hong Kong crisis | Comment and analysis Millions first took to the streets against a now-suspended extradition proposal that would have sent people to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party control of the courts contributes to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. Forced confessions are also common with suspects paraded on state television. "What happened to Simong Cheng – this is a common tactic used by the central government to put pressure on people," said Kammy Yang, 50, an office clerk at a protest on Saturday. "Many Chinese activists were accused of prostitution or tax scams; this is their strategy in China, trying to suppress freedom." Thousands of protesters on Saturday engaged in a series of skirmishes, throwing projectiles from bricks to petrol bombs at police who responded with sprays of tear gas and rubber bullets. It was the first time tear gas had been deployed in 10 days, a period of relative calm as protesters recalibrated their approach in an otherwise tumultuous, violent summer. Demonstrators join hands to form a human chain during the Hong Kong Way event in the Central district of Hong Kong, China, on Friday Credit: Bloomberg "The reasons why protesters are building roadblocks, surrounding police stations, and throwing bricks – it's because the government doesn't respond to us," said Vaso Chan, 28, an office clerk. "It's not fun for any of us to come out during summer break." Protesters spray painted slogans like "Give me liberty or death," Chinazi," and "HK popo Gestapo," on sidewalks and highways. As the political movement has grown, so have protesters' demands, who are now calling for an independent inquiry into police handling of the protests, the resignation of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, and direct leadership elections. City leaders however have made no concessions, instead thrusting the police to the front lines to handle the situation, further angering protesters. Demonstrations are occurring nearly every day now in the financial hub, disrupting traffic and public transportation. On Saturday, several stations closed along a planned march route. But despite growing unrest, public support for the protesters has stayed strong, with marches and strikes planned through September. "No matter whether those protesters are peaceful protesters or protesters that are standing in the 'front lines', no matter what they do, we will support them," said Mr Chan.
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| A man was training to get a gun permit. The instructor accidentally shot him, police say Posted: 24 Aug 2019 11:27 AM PDT  The instructor, a Riverside County Sheriff's Department trainer, accidentally shot a student attending the class to get a concealed weapons permit.
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| A man with schizophrenia was found guilty of murdering a Saint Augustine's University student in 1979. 40 years later, a panel of judges decided he's innocent after all. Posted: 23 Aug 2019 08:05 AM PDT  Blackmon's lawyers argued he was tricked by police and prosecutors into falsely confessing to a crime he didn't commit.
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| Democratic presidential candidates have a new approach for tackling gun violence: Treat it as a public-health crisis Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:23 AM PDT  Candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker want to draw on tactics used by community-based organizations to fight gun violence.
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| Russian doctor has trace of radiation after explosion Posted: 23 Aug 2019 08:12 AM PDT  More than 100 Russian medical workers who helped treat victims of a recent mysterious explosion at a military testing range have undergone checks and one man has been found with a trace of radiation, officials said Friday. It was followed by a brief rise in radiation levels in nearby Severodvinsk, but the authorities insisted it didn't pose any danger. The Arkhangelsk regional administration said Friday that 110 medical workers have undergone checks that one man was found with a low amount of radioactive cesium-137 in his muscle tissue.
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| Democrats can’t just unwind Trump’s foreign policy Posted: 24 Aug 2019 03:36 AM PDT  Through executive orders, regulatory changes, political maneuvers and sometimes mere neglect, the president has overseen major, possibly permanent, shifts in U.S. foreign policy.
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| Cathay Pacific cabin crew union leader fired as Hong Kongers warn of spread of 'white terror' Posted: 23 Aug 2019 09:36 AM PDT  Cathay Pacific fired a cabin crew union leader on Friday, the latest casualty in a fast-spreading "white terror" as mass protests in Hong Kong continue into their third month. Rebecca Sy, head of the Cathay Dragon flight attendant's association, said she lost her job of 17 years, without explanation, after managers saw and confirmed her Facebook account, which included messages in favour of the protests. "All the employees are being frightened, not just cabin crews, but even the management," Ms Sy told reporters. "My colleagues are all terrified because of its white terror." "White terror" is a term used to describe a slew of events that create a climate of fear particularly as companies and employees worry of serious repercussions for voicing their views. Her departure follows a surprise resignation last week by CEO Rupert Hogg, reported first by Chinese state media, underlining the political nature of the decision. Cathay has borne the brunt of Beijing's anger as authorities look to punish companies with any link to the Hong Kong protests - a direct challenge to the power of the Communist Party. Rebecca Sy was dismissed from her position as flight attendant for Cathay Pacific's subsidiary Cathay Dragon Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/Getty Images In the crackdown, companies and employees could face serious repercussions for voicing their views. Hong Kong subway operator MTR has also come under fire for arranging additional trains to allow protesters to travel home, accused of "colluding with rioters" in Chinese state media. Beijing authorities have long put the squeeze on companies over political issues by encouraging its 1.4 billion citizens to snub various brands or by throwing up a number of regulatory roadblocks – a move that can have devastating consequences for even the biggest firms. Simon Cheng, 28, a British consular official in Hong Kong and permanent resident of the city has been detained for two weeks in mainland China for allegedly visiting prostitutes. Under Chinese law, Mr Cheng should have been released today after a 15-day administrative period but at time of publication he was still in detention. Hong Kong police said on Friday that they did not know Mr Cheng's whereabouts. Protests in Hong Kong first kicked off over an extradition proposal that would have exposed people to China's murky legal and judicial system, where authorities have also in the past detained foreigners to express political displeasure. Two Canadians - Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur - were detained in China last year during Beijing's diplomatic dispute with Ottawa over its arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. It is widely viewed that both men - who are still being held and have been charged with spying – are being used as political pawns. Hong Kong protests | Read more A number of multinationals operating in Hong Kong have sought to stress their political neutrality to avoid their businesses being targeted and to protect staff from arbitrary detention. Earlier this week, the world's "big four" accounting firms came under attack after an anonymous group claiming to be made up of their employees took out a full-page newspaper advertisement to express support for protests in Hong Kong and condemn the firms for remaining silent on the issue. Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and Pricewaterhouse Coopers all sought to distance themselves from the advertisement, saying it didn't represent the companies' views. But Chinese state media had already seized on the situation, calling for the firms to identify and sack the employees behind the ad. FinnAir has also issued a warning to staff to remember to "keep work and politics separate," reported the South China Morning Post, over concerns that any link to the protests might lead to a customer backlash or flight cancellations in China, its second-largest market for long-haul travel. "China is obviously putting pressure on companies to ensure that they all hold the same political views," said Keenan Chuk, 30, a finance manager who attended a lunchtime rally or accountants in Hong Kong's central business district Friday. "I am concerned that I will be fired," he said, adding that "we still have to fight for our rights." Even universities have warned students against discussing politics and participating in rallies. "In a modern society, education should be free from politics so as to alleviate the escalation of anxiety and avoid the divisive society caused by chaos," according to a statement from the City University of Hong Kong issued earlier this month. A woman said she experienced at a police station during her detention in Hong Kong Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Peter Some banks are also now taking precautionary measures, purchasing full page ads in newspapers to affirm their support for the government. Edwin, 26, an accountant who declined to give his last name, said senior partners in his firm had invited junior employees to lunch that day in an attempt to dissuade people from attending Friday's protest. But he participated in the demonstration anyway, turning up again in the evening to join a human chain meant to evoke the Baltic Way, when two million lined up across three countries to protest Soviet rule in 1989. "In the industry, we switch firms quite often," he shrugged. Hong Kong police came under renewed pressure on Friday when officers were accused of conducting an unnecessary strip search on a female protester. The alleged victim appeared at a press conference dressed in all black with a black face mask, cap and sunglasses. Facing the cameras in front of a "MeToo" sign, she claimed she was arrested weeks ago at a protest against the now-abandoned extradition bill and was admitted to hospital for injuries she suffered that night. By her account, one officer patted her thighs with a pen, instructing her to open her legs wider after ordering her to take off all her clothes in a police cell. The police said their body search procedures had not changed during the recent outbreak of citywide protests.
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| Britain will withhold $37 billion from EU in no-deal Brexit: Mail on Sunday Posted: 24 Aug 2019 02:14 PM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to tell European Union leaders he will withhold 30 billion pounds ($37 billion) from the Brexit divorce bill unless they agree to changes to the deal, the Mail on Sunday reported. If Britain leaves the bloc without a trade deal, lawyers have concluded the government's will only have to pay the EU 9 billion pounds, rather than 39 billion pounds, the newspaper reported.
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| Soyuz spacecraft carrying humanoid robot fails to dock with space station Posted: 24 Aug 2019 12:06 AM PDT  A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russia's first humanoid robot on Saturday failed to dock automatically with the international space station, Moscow news agencies reported. Live broadcast of the event on the Russian space agency Roscosmos was interrupted with the Soyuz spacecraft about 100 metres (109 yards) off the ISS. The life-size robot, named Fedor, was to spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts in the space station.
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| Sitting Pretty Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Catholic priest Joseph McLoone stole church money and spent it on himself, Grindr men, authorities say Posted: 23 Aug 2019 03:23 AM PDT  A Catholic priest in Pennsylvania was charged with theft after he stole nearly $100,000 from his parish over several years.
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| A youth sports organization is raffling off a semi-automatic weapon to help its cheerleading and football teams Posted: 23 Aug 2019 01:56 PM PDT  As a result of the controversy, the president of the organization said he is considering doing away with the rifle raffle for future fundraisers.
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| Trump orders US companies to leave China ‘immediately’ in extraordinary attack on Fed chief Posted: 23 Aug 2019 07:00 AM PDT  Donald Trump has issued an "order" to US companies to withdraw from China, as he suggested his own appointment as Federal Reserve chairman was a greater threat to the economy than Chinese leader Xi Jinping.The president told firms "to immediately start looking for an alternative" or make their products in America instead as he lashed out at the central bank's chair Jerome Powell.
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| Chinese ship inches closer to Vietnam coastline amid South China Sea tensions Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:35 PM PDT ![Chinese ship inches closer to Vietnam coastline amid South China Sea tensions]( "Chinese ship inches closer to Vietnam coastline amid South China Sea tensions") A Chinese survey vessel on Saturday extended its activities to an area closer to Vietnam's coastline, ship tracking data showed, after the United States and Australia expressed concern about China's actions in the disputed waterways. The Haiyang Dizhi 8 vessel first entered Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) early last month where it began a weeks-long seismic survey, triggering a tense standoff between military and coastguard vessels from Vietnam and China. The Chinese vessel continued to survey Vietnam's EEZ on Saturday under escort from at least four ships and was around 102 kilometres (63 miles) southeast of Vietnam's Phu Quy island and 185 kilometres (115 miles) from the beaches of the southern city of Phan Thiet, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks vessel movements.
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