| CORRECTED-Germany must up defence spending, relying on U.S. "offensive" - U.S. envoy Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:09 AM PDT ![CORRECTED-Germany must up defence spending, relying on U.S. "offensive" - U.S. envoy]( "CORRECTED-Germany must up defence spending, relying on U.S. \"offensive\" - U.S. envoy") Germany's reluctance to spend more on defence and its continued reliance on U.S. troops for protection is offensive, Richard Grenell, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany said on Friday. Grenell's comments signal U.S. President Donald Trump's impatience with Germany's failure to raise defence spending to 2% of economic output as mandated by the NATO military alliance. "It is offensive to assume that the U.S. taxpayers continue to pay for more than 50,000 Americans in Germany but the Germans get to spend their (budget) surplus on domestic programmes," Grenell told the dpa news agency.
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| Outcry as Jeffrey Epstein found dead in jail, FBI investigates Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:13 PM PDT  US financier Jeffrey Epstein, awaiting trial on charges he trafficked underage girls for sex, was found dead in jail Saturday of an apparent suicide, triggering outcry over how the high-profile detainee could die in custody. The government and FBI immediately launched probes as politicians, law enforcement officials and alleged victims expressed shock that Epstein could take his own life, when a recent reported suicide attempt meant he should have been under close watch. Epstein, a convicted pedophile who befriended numerous politicians and celebrities over the years, was found unresponsive in his cell around 6:30 am (1030 GMT) at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York from "an apparent suicide," the US Department of Justice said.
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| Elon Musk Says He Supports 2020 White House Hopeful Andrew Yang Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:33 PM PDT ![Elon Musk Says He Supports 2020 White House Hopeful Andrew Yang]( "Elon Musk Says He Supports 2020 White House Hopeful Andrew Yang") (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk supports Andrew Yang, the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer said in a tweet that could give the tech entrepreneur's 2020 White House bid a boost.Musk, who often interacts with some of his almost 28 million followers on Twitter, made the declaration while responding to political commentator Dan Carlin, who uses the handle @HardcoreHistory. Carlin's tweet had cited Yang's earlier tweet on leadership.Musk said in a separate tweet that universal basic income, an idea Yang supports, is "obviously needed."The CEO jokingly added that Yang would be the first "openly goth" U.S. president. Yang told Jezebel in April he wanted to be America's first ex-goth president. The comments came after Yang tweeted some pictures of his younger self and revealed his favorite bands were The Smiths and The Cure.Yang has qualified for the next round of presidential primary debates to be held next month in Houston, the ninth Democrat to do so."The country heard my message and is ready to talk about real solutions to gun violence, the new realities of the American economy, and how we measure our health and success as a nation," Yang said in a statement on Thursday. "I'm excited to have those conversations in Houston and throughout the 2020 election."To contact the reporter on this story: Maria Jose Valero in New York at mvalero3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Polina Noskova at pnoskova@bloomberg.net, Virginia Van Natta, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| A Russian military ammo depot that blew up earlier this week just exploded again Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:16 PM PDT  The ammo depot, believed to house tens of thousands of artillery shells, exploded on Monday. It just exploded again, injuring at least ten more people.
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| Elderly couple found dead from murder-suicide after they couldn’t afford wife’s healthcare: ‘We will be in the front bedroom’ Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:23 AM PDT  A man in Washington state has killed both himself and his wife after raising fears about struggling to pay medical expenses for her ongoing health conditions.The couple were identified by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner as Brian S Jones, 77, and Patricia Whitney-Jones, 76.Mr Jones, who lived near the city of Ferndale, called emergency services on Wednesday morning and said he was going to shoot himself, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. He said he had prepared a note for the sheriff which contained information and instructions. In spite of the operator's efforts to keep him on the line, Mr Jones is then said to have told the operator, "we will be in the front bedroom", before disconnecting the call.Police arrived around 15 minutes later and set up a perimeter around the house and attempted to intervene for about an hour with a crisis negotiator and loud hailer.But it was too late, as officials then used a robot-mounted camera to look inside the home and found the bodies of the married couple. Authorities said they believe Mr Jones shot his wife and then himself. They were found lying together.A statement from Whatcom Sheriff Bill Elfo said state officials are investigating the incident which is deemed to be a murder-suicide.According to the sheriff, Mr Jones told the operator: "I am going to shoot myself".Several notes were left in the home "citing severe ongoing medical problems with the wife and expressing concerns that the couple did not have sufficient resources to pay for medical care", according to the sheriff's statement."It is very tragic that one of our senior citizens would find himself in such desperate circumstances where he felt murder and suicide were the only option. Help is always available with a call to 911," Mr Elfo said in the post.Numerous firearms were seized and two dogs found in the house were taken to an animal shelter.Sherrie Schulteis, a neighbour of the couple, said she often spoke to Mr Jones and watched out for each other's homes but was totally unaware about the extent to which he was struggling mentally and financially."[Mr Jones and I] were always waving and talking about our yards or our flowers," she told The Lynden Tribune. "It's a little tiny community where we all know each other, but we don't really know each other."
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| Five years after Brown's death and Ferguson protests, America must commit to doing better Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:22 AM PDT  More than 1,000 blacks have died at the hands of police since 2014. Protests, push for accountability show a nation still striving for change.
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| Some signs of normality return to Kashmir, but India's clampdown still strict Posted: 10 Aug 2019 09:30 AM PDT ![Some signs of normality return to Kashmir, but India's clampdown still strict]( "Some signs of normality return to Kashmir, but India's clampdown still strict") For the first time in six days, India eased travel restrictions in some parts of Srinagar on Saturday, and people flooded the streets of Kashmir's summer capital to buy provisions ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha on Monday. Seeking to tighten its grip on the region also claimed by neighbouring Pakistan, New Delhi on Monday scrapped the state's right to frame its own laws and allowed non-residents to buy property there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government also locked down the revolt-torn region, cutting off communications, detaining more than 500 political leaders and activists, and putting a 'virtual curfew' into force with numerous police and army roadblocks stopping movement by many residents.
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| Fox News Reporter Publicly Rebukes Tucker Carlson: ‘White Supremacy Is Real’ Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:35 AM PDT  Chip SomodevillaThree days after Fox News host Tucker Carlson declared on-air that white supremacy is a "hoax," his colleague, Fox News reporter Cristina Corbin, tweeted out a rebuke of the primetime star's comments, noting that his views do not represent hers."White supremacy is real, as evidenced by fact," she wrote on Friday. "Claims that it is a 'hoax' do not represent my views."Corbin is currently listed on Fox News' website as "an investigative reporter and producer based in New York." Her bio page was still active as of this article's publication. Her most recent article with Fox News, a report on Canadian murder suspects, was published on July 31.Corbin's public pushback on Carlson is reminiscent of another recent episode in which a lower-level Fox News employee publicly took a stand against a right-wing host on the network. In March, after weekend host Jeanine Pirro drew outrage for suggesting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) didn't believe in the Constitution because she wears a hijab, several Fox employees publicly blasted the pro-Trump host. Pirro would eventually be suspended for two weeks for her on-air comments.During his Tuesday night broadcast, Carlson dismissed the notion that white supremacy is an "real problem in America," calling concerns about it a "hoax" and a "conspiracy theory" despite this past weekend's mass shooting in El Paso before which the shooter allegedly posted a white-supremacist manifesto targeting Hispanic immigrants. Carlson's remarks were swiftly met with outrage and backlash, prompting renewed calls for advertisers to drop his show and for Fox News to fire the conservative host.The network has yet to give any official comment or statement on Carlson's inflammatory remarks. The primetime host, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that he will be on vacation until Aug. 19. Fox News quickly noted that Carlson's break was pre-planned, though—perhaps coincidentally—there has long been a pattern of other Fox hosts taking "pre-planned" vacations following controversy over their on-air comments. Fox News did not immediately respond to request for comment on Corbin's tweet about Carlson.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.
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| 8 things science has shown to be strongly linked with more gun violence — and 2 things that are not Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:19 AM PDT  Mental illness and video games are not linked to gun violence. But domestic abuse and access to guns are.
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| Against Universal Background Checks Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:34 PM PDT  Mitch McConnell has confirmed that when the Senate reconvenes in September to discuss new federal gun-control measures, "universal background checks" will "lead the discussion." If that is the case, the Senate should listen carefully to the proposals on offer, and then politely decline to assent.Absent further examination, "universal background checks" appear to represent the inoffensive extension of an already existing principle. At present, the federal government mandates that an instant background check be run prior to the completion of all commercial and interstate firearms transactions. This being so, the argument runs, there can be nothing wrong with Washington extending that rule to private transfers, to non-commercial transfers, and to purely intrastate transfers.But there can, and there is. The idea is unconstitutional. It requires the establishment of a de facto federal gun registry — long a no-no in American politics. It would considerably inconvenience law-abiding gun owners while doing nothing to prevent the problem, mass shootings, to which it is being touted as a response. And, as even friendly studies from Washington and Colorado have shown, it doesn't work.Upholding the Constitution is a task that falls to all of government's branches, not solely to the Supreme Court. One cannot uphold the Constitution and pass "universal background checks." By explicit design, the federal government is prohibited from acting outside of the limited set of powers that the Constitution has granted to it. None of those powers permit it to superintend private firearms transactions that take place between two residents of a single state. Because it limits its remit to the regulation of federally licensed businesses and of commerce between the states, the existing background-check system does not fall afoul of the limits that have been placed on Washington. Because they explode that remit, universal background checks absolutely do. If the federal government is able to control what two citizens of a state do with their already-manufactured and already-purchased property, the federal government's power has no boundaries. Every election season, Republicans tell us that if they are awarded a majority they will keep the Leviathan at bay. This is a chance for them to prove it.Equally problematic is that universal background checks require the creation of a national gun registry that can be used to check compliance. Indeed, without such a registry, the system is rendered useless because there is no way for the government to prove whether a transaction has been made in compliance with the law or outside of it. Apologists for the idea like to dissemble on this question by insisting that the records would be kept by third parties or that they would be decentralized. But this, of course, is to miss the point. If the government has access to information about who owns which guns, and where, then it has access to a registry. As they have in the past, Americans should resist this development robustly, for the history of gun registries in America is the history of private citizens handing over great gobs of information to the government for no discernible reward. A government that knows where all the guns are is a government that can stage a confiscation drive — or, in the Orwellian parlance of modern gun-controllers, a "mandatory buyback" drive. Those who doubt this need look no further than to Venezuela.And then there is the rather inconvenient fact that universal background checks do not actually work. After Washington, Colorado, and Delaware passed laws mandating that all intrastate transfers involve a background check, boosters of the idea hoped to see results that they could pitch nationally. But they got no such thing. Per research conducted by self-professed gun-control advocate Garen Wintemute (and others), the imposition of laws requiring more background checks be conducted resulted in no more background checks being conducted in two of the three states (Washington and Colorado), and in a small rise in Delaware. "These aren't the results I hoped to see," Wintemute conceded. "I hoped to see an effect. But it's much more important to see what's actually happened." Indeed it is. Which, in turn, raises a question: Why would we extend the federal government beyond its established legal role, institute an invasive national gun registry, make it more difficult for peaceful Americans to remain in compliance with the law, and increase the number of people in prison for arcane malum prohibitum infractions in pursuit of a policy that doesn't help?
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| Man jailed for saying AOC ‘should be shot’ tells police he’s ‘very proud’ he did it Posted: 10 Aug 2019 03:44 AM PDT An Ohio man charged after writing on Facebook that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "should be shot" told police he was "very proud" that he did it.Timothy James Ireland, 41, was indicted in Toledo for making interstate threats against AOC in addition to separate counts of being a felon and fugitive in possession of a firearm, the US attorney's office in Ohio announced on Friday.Officials say a concerned citizen reached out to U.S. Capitol Police on July 23 to warn of the threatening Facebook post, which they later confirmed was written by Ireland."She should be shot. Can't fire me, my employer would load the gun for me," Ireland wrote, according to police.The statement was apparently posted to Facebook along with a news story about the Democrat congresswoman, leading Capitol Police to call Ireland on August 2 after finding his phone number in public records.The man took full responsibility for the statement while speaking with police, adding he was "very proud" of his work, according to a criminal complaint.Ireland also admitted to having firearms that he "always carries concealed," police say.An FBI criminal history check revealed Ireland had two outstanding warrants, one for violating probation in a felony case in Florida and the other related to a failure to appear for a possession of marijuana charge in Cook County, Georgia.Ireland was also convicted in 1996 on four felony counts of dealing in stolen property in Sarasota County, according to the criminal complaint.The man was present when police raided his Toledo home five days after the phone call, the complaint read. He was detained for the active warrants and admitted to having ammunition inside his house.Investigators say they found three rounds of .32-caliber ammunition, and four rounds belonging to a .45-caliber weapon, stashed in kitchen drawers."There is absolutely no place in the marketplace of ideas for threats of violence against any person, especially those who are elected to represent the American people," US Attorney Justin Herdman said in a release."Disagreement on political issues cannot lead to acts of violence, and if it does, we will seek federal prison time."A spokesman for the Department of Justice said Ireland waived his hearing and will remain in custody at least until a bond hearing next week.Last month a police officer in the US state of Louisiana also took to Facebook to say AOC should be shot, suggesting that she "needs a round – and I don't mean the kind she used to serve".Charlie Rispoli, a 14-year veteran of the police department in Gretna, went on to call her "this vile idiot". He was sacked.His comments came after Donald Trump lashed out at 'The Squad', a group of four congresswoman including AOC, in a roundly condemned racist attack where he told them to "go back" to their countries \- despite them having lived in the US for decades.The Washington Post
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| See the 2020 Chevy Corvette in Every Color Available Posted: 09 Aug 2019 08:42 AM PDT |
| Family sues Glenview nursing home over video of aides taunting woman, 91, with dementia; aides charged and fired Posted: 10 Aug 2019 07:23 AM PDT  Two nursing home aides in north suburban Glenview have been fired and charged after a Snapchat video showed them taunting a 91-year-old woman with dementia. Her family is now taking legal action.
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| Biden Says He Was Vice President During Parkland Shooting Posted: 10 Aug 2019 03:53 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden said he was vice president when the deadly high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, took place. Except, it happened in 2018, more than a year after he left office -- the latest gaffe by the Democratic presidential front-runner.Biden told reporters in Iowa on Saturday that "those kids in Parkland came up to see me when I was vice president." But when they visited Capitol Hill to talk with members of Congress, lawmakers were "basically cowering, not wanting to see them. They did not want to face it on camera."The former vice president was making a point about the changing conversation around gun violence in this country, and how as more and more ordinary people are touched by mass shootings, they are more likely to call for action.An official with the Biden campaign said the former vice president was thinking of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, when he misspoke. That attack, in which 20 children between six and seven years old were killed along with six staff members, was in December 2012.Survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, made national headlines for their demonstrations and calls for action, including visits by some students to the nation's capital. The shooting, the deadliest high school killing spree in U.S. history, occurred on Feb. 14, 2018, and left 17 dead and injured more than a dozen others. The assailant was an expelled student.Biden, along with former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who was shot in the head during an event with constituents in Tucson in 2011, met with Stoneman students in Washington days after the 2018 incident.The statement was the latest in a string of gaffes that have plagued Biden on the campaign trail. On Thursday, Biden, 76, told a group of Asian and Hispanic voters that "poor kids are just as bright" as white children. And last week he referred to mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, as having taken place in Houston and Michigan.In both cases he quickly caught himself. And on Saturday Biden told reporters he misspoke on his "poor kids" comment but said that overall, people understood the point he was trying to make."I don't think anybody thinks I meant anything other than what I said I meant," Biden said.President Donald Trump, who's spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, was quick to seize on Biden's blunder. He said on Twitter that the former vice president "doesn't have a clue." (Updates with Trump tweet in final paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Emma Kinery in Washington at ekinery@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, Ian FisherFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| ICE used ankle monitors, informants to plan immigration raids where 680 people were arrested Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:16 PM PDT  On Wednesday, hundreds of immigration officials descended on seven Mississippi plants owned by four companies. Here's how ICE planned the operation.
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| 'Hunt' movie canceled: Universal Pictures shelves controversial thriller in wake of shootings Posted: 10 Aug 2019 03:29 PM PDT  Universal Pictures has canceled the planned September release of its controversial social thriller "The Hunt" in the wake of recent mass shootings and criticism from President Donald Trump.
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| The Latest: Israel says suspects in soldier's death arrested Posted: 10 Aug 2019 10:55 AM PDT ![The Latest: Israel says suspects in soldier's death arrested]( "The Latest: Israel says suspects in soldier's death arrested") The Israeli military says it has arrested Palestinians suspected of involvement in the killing of an off-duty Israeli soldier in the West Bank this week. Israel's Channel 13 TV reported that the suspects were two brothers from Hebron. A Hamas spokesman says four Palestinian militants who were killed crossing the Gaza perimeter fence were engaging in "an individual act," stressing that the operation was not planned by Hamas.
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| Pakistan court remands opposition leader to custody on graft charges Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:37 AM PDT  Some supporters of Pakistan's largest opposition party threw punches on Friday in clashes with police as a top leader, Maryam Nawaz, was remanded to custody on corruption charges filed by a national anti-graft agency. Maryam, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and a scion of the family that dominated politics for three decades, was arrested over fraud accusations at a sugar mill her family runs, one of several cases it says are politically motivated. "I knew that it would be a tough situation for me to launch a political struggle but I will not budge," Maryam told reporters shortly before she appeared in court in the city of Lahore, to be denied bail and remanded until August 21.
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| Man believes Trump 'ordered him' to attack child for ‘disrespecting’ national anthem by keeping hat on, lawyer says Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:25 AM PDT A man suspected of attacking a child who was wearing a hat during the US National Anthem believed he was encouraged by Donald Trump to carry out the assault, according to his lawyer. Curt Brockway, a 39-year-old US Army veteran who was charged on Monday in the assault, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a vehicle crash in 2000 that has affected his decision making, attorney Lance Jasper told the Missoulian. The lawyer said he will seek a mental health evaluation for Mr Brockway, who seemingly became caught up in the heightened animosity and rhetoric gripping the nation, and convinced himself that he was following the president's orders."His commander in chief is telling people that if they kneel, they should be fired, or if they burn a flag, they should be punished," Mr Jasper said.He added that Mr Brockway "certainly didn't understand it was a crime."Mr Brockway told a sheriff's deputy that he asked the boy to remove his hat out of respect for the national anthem before the start of the county rodeo, Mineral County Attorney Ellen Donohue wrote in the document describing the attack.The boy reportedly cursed at Mr Brockway in response, and the man grabbed him by the throat, "lifted him into the air and slammed the boy into the ground," Ms Donohue wrote.Mr Jasper's comments arrived as prosecutors formally charged Mr Brockway with assault on a minor, a felony that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $50,000 (£41,183) fine upon conviction.Prosecutors said the boy was airlifted to a hospital for a possible concussion and skull fracture. His condition was not immediately known.Conduct during the playing of the national anthem has been an issue in recent years, with some NFL players kneeling to protest police brutality. Mr Trump once called for NFL owners to fire players who kneel or engage in other acts of protest during the anthem."Trump never necessarily says go hurt somebody, but the message is absolutely clear," Mr Jasper said. "I am certain of the fact that (Brockway) was doing what he believed he was told to do, essentially, by the president. ... Everyone should learn to dial it down a little bit, from the president to Mineral County."The Associated Press contributed to this report
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| Police identify armed man arrested at Missouri Walmart Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT  Five days after 22 people were killed at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, panicked shoppers fled a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri, after a man carrying a rifle and wearing body armor walked around the store before being stopped by an off-duty firefighter. Police on Friday identified the man as 20-year-old Dmitriy Andreychenko, who lived in the Springfield area. Andreychenko was being held in the Greene County jail on suspicion of first-degree making a terrorist threat.
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| White people, what are we going to do to stop white nationalism?: Readers sound off Posted: 10 Aug 2019 04:00 AM PDT  From white supremacy to gun violence and possible reform to Toni Morrison's death and legacy, readers sound off on recent headlines.
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| Two Armies Face Off Online as Kashmir Wakes to a New Reality Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:19 AM PDT ![Two Armies Face Off Online as Kashmir Wakes to a New Reality]( "Two Armies Face Off Online as Kashmir Wakes to a New Reality") (Bloomberg) -- India and Pakistan's military are in open conflict on Twitter, trading accusations and threats over the disputed state of Kashmir.For now, the conflict is staying online. But the possibility of it spilling across the defacto border that divides the Indian- and Pakistan-controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir, or erupting on the streets of the summer capital, Srinagar, remains a dangerous prospect.The rival nations have been at loggerheads for the past week after India scrapped a measure that granted autonomy to the restive Kashmir region. Islamabad has downgraded diplomatic ties and cut trade relations."Lately Pakistan has been openly threatening about certain incidents in Kashmir," India's Chinar Corps, stationed in Srinagar, tweeted Friday. "Notwithstanding we'll take care of all of them; let anyone come & try & disrupt the peace in valley, we will have him eliminated!"Pakistan responded. "Usual blatant lies," tweeted Pakistan Armed Forces spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor. "Should there be an attempt by Indian Army to undertake any misadventure, Pakistan's response shall be even stronger than that of 27 Feb 2019," he said referring to a recent military conflict between the two countries.Meanwhile, the hashtag SaveKashmirFromModi was trending in India on Friday.But behind the online posturing are nuclear-armed adversaries who've fought three wars since the British left the subcontinent in 1947 -- two of them over Kashmir -- which is claimed in full and ruled in part by both. Artillery and small-weapons fire are exchanged often and cross-border infiltrations are reported regularly but so far, the threat of a nuclear conflict has prevented the situation from spiraling out of control.Increased ThreatsPrime Minister Narendra Modi shocked the nation on Monday when his government took just a few hours to end seven-decades of autonomy in Kashmir by diluting Article 370 of the constitution.Since then, India's paramilitary troops have locked down the region, which for the last five days has been under an Internet and phone blackout and a strict curfew, its citizens shut out from the world and the fierce debate over Modi's decision."A new era has been started in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," Modi said on Thursday night in an address to the nation, referring to the Himalayan regions in northern India. "Article 370 did not give the people anything apart from separatism and terrorism and kept them from progress -- it was being used as a weapon by Pakistan."At the same time, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of violence when the now five-day long curfew is lifted. "I am saying it today, they will blame us," Khan told a special sitting of his parliament. "They will do one more thing, I fear they will do ethnic cleansing in Kashmir."Observers say Modi's actions have increased the risk of conflict.Kashmiris have been placed in a very difficult situation, said Mahmud Durrani, former Pakistan general, national security adviser and ambassador to the U.S."This is like cutting their jugular vein," Durrani said. "There is going to be a very obvious reaction in the valley. They may be able to suppress it for a month, two months or four months but there will be definite reaction to it."Still, he said Pakistan's options were very limited, with diplomatic protests unlikely to have any impact on India. In the meantime, Durrani warned, "we must be careful about the boost that these jihadis will get all over India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Terrorists and religious fanatics will draw mileage from this and they will become stronger."Analysts shared similar concerns."We expect more decisions driven by Modi's Hindu nationalist policy platform during his second term, risking intensified sectarian violence and civil unrest in the country," Marthe Hinojales, Asia politics analyst at Verisk Maplecroft said in note. "This dynamic suggests a continuing fragile bilateral relationship."This is the second time the neighbors have clashed on Kashmir this year. After an attack killed 40 Indian security personnel, India responded with its first airstrikes on Pakistani soil since 1971, which led to an aerial dogfight. Khan said in an Aug. 6 parliament session called to discuss India's move that any possible violence in response would be again blamed on Pakistan. The South Asian nation has denied involvement in the February attacks as well as accusations it harbors militants who engage in cross-border attacks.Economic PressuresBeyond long-standing territorial disputes, Pakistan is facing a whole other set of pressures.It just took a $6 billion International Monetary Fund loan to avert an economic crisis and it's seeking China's help to avoiding tough financial sanctions, amid signs it is running out of time to meet global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.Pakistan has been on the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force "grey" monitoring list since last year, after a campaign by the U.S. and European nations to get the country to do more to combat militancy and close financing loopholes to terrorist groups.Given Islamabad's financial challenges, it's unlikely to opt for a war over Kashmir, said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi."There is no immediate intent on part of Pakistan to escalate to that level," said Sahni, adding it may intensify the efforts of militant groups to infiltrate India. "In terms of a credible calculus of risks this does not seems to be one of the options the Pakistanis are currently considering."Within the Indian side of Kashmir, there will be protests and efforts to engineer terrorist attacks, said Sahni. "But with the kind of saturation of India's security forces, I don't think this is going to grow into anything large scale.''\--With assistance from Ismail Dilawar.To contact the reporters on this story: Faseeh Mangi in Karachi at fmangi@bloomberg.net;Bibhudatta Pradhan in New Delhi at bpradhan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Unni KrishnanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US military says service member dead in Iraq mission Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:55 PM PDT  The US military said Saturday that an American service member died during an operation alongside Iraqi security personnel in Nineveh province. "One US service member died today during an Iraqi Security Force mission in... Iraq, while advising and accompanying the ISF during a planned operation," US Central Command said in a statement. Iraq's government in late 2017 declared victory against IS, which seized vast swathes of the country including the key northern city of Mosul in a lightning 2014 offensive.
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| Here's the Story Behind That Controversial 'Backless Seats' Photo Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:50 PM PDT  EasyJet told TIME that the flight departed with five spare seats
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| Straight Pride parade ‘dog whistling to white supremacy’ says gay son of organiser Posted: 09 Aug 2019 01:37 AM PDT  The gay son of a "straight pride" parade organiser has said the event is "dog whistling to white supremacy"."This isn't 'straight pride'. This is hate pride," said Matthew Mason.Mylinda Mason, the 28-year-old's mother, is helping to organise the event, which is scheduled to be held in Modesto, California on 24 August, according to Fox 40.The National Straight Pride Coalition (NSPC) refers to the parade as one of its "war events".The organisation states that its purpose is to "defend" children from "the inherent malevolence of the homosexual movement towards our founding principles"."This is the woman who raised me actively working against my rights as a human being, who I am as a person," Mr Mason said."I am afraid of violence happening. I don't want anyone in my community to be hurt."The NSPC claims to defend Caucasians, western civilisation, nationalism and Christianity, which it suggests are all under attack."It is again white Caucasians who did come to this country to start liberty and gave us the greatest Constitution in the world," Mylinda Mason said.Mr Mason appeared before Modesto's city council on Wednesday to formally oppose the right-wing group's request for a parade permit.He also organised a vigil to demonstrate against the event.More than 100 people protested against the parade outside Modesto's town hall during Wednesday's council meeting.Don Grundmann, the NSPC's founder, criticised Mr Mason during proceedings, which became heated."I want to thank Mr Mathew Mason for organising a candlelight vigil against our event because it shows you exactly what we're dealing with," said Mr Grundmann, according to CBS local."A one way street for tolerance in this nation."The audience booed him, leading Mr Grundmann to engage in a shouting match with some members.The council will decide whether or not to issue a permit at the end of the week.Mr Mason denounced both his mother and Mr Grundmann during Wednesday's meeting, claiming he had "personally heard" his mother "use hateful, harmful rhetoric when describing the LGBTQ+ community and non-Christian religious communities, according to SFGate.The 28-year-old said he was estranged from his mother because he was gay."This is not a positive message and this community is committed to positivity, to love, to inclusion and to diversity," he said of the NSPC's beliefs."And this message is none of that."
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| VIDEO: Danny Trejo rushes in to rescue child in Sylmar car crash Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:19 AM PDT  New surveillance video shows actor Danny Trejo rushing in to help a child after a car crash in Sylmar.
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| These 6 Brands Are Making the Coolest Pet Gear Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT |
| Tens of thousands rally in Moscow in growing election protest Posted: 10 Aug 2019 11:56 AM PDT  Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Moscow Saturday to protest the refusal of authorities to allow a slate of independent candidates on the fall city council elections.
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| Trump announces that the US won't be doing business with Huawei Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:51 AM PDT  The US won't be doing business with Huawei in the wake of China's refusal to buy US agricultural goods.
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| Southern separatists overrun barracks in Yemen's Aden Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:22 PM PDT  Southern separatists gained ground across Yemen's second city Aden on Saturday and surrounded the presidential palace as they fought fierce battles with loyalist forces, military and security sources said. Deadly fighting raging in Aden since Wednesday is pitting unionist forces loyal to the internationally recognised government against a force that supports it but is dominated by fighters seeking renewed independence for the south. The force, known as the Security Belt, overran three military barracks belonging to unionist forces and were surrounding the presidential palace, sources close to the Security Belt said.
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| Mexico detains migrant children in cramped holding center despite court ruling Posted: 09 Aug 2019 01:40 PM PDT ![Mexico detains migrant children in cramped holding center despite court ruling]( "Mexico detains migrant children in cramped holding center despite court ruling") Overcrowding, prison-like conditions, bed bugs and illness are among the complaints of migrants in a Mexico City detention center that holds dozens of minors two months after a court ruled it was unconstitutional. Under the threat of economic sanctions from U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico has stepped up migrant detentions this year to stem a surge in asylum-seekers from Central America. Known as Las Agujas, the Mexico City holding center enclosed by spike-topped walls in the eastern district of Iztapalapa held about 108 minors as of this week, some of whom are unaccompanied, said Jesus Quintana, who monitors the station for the Mexican human rights ombudsman's office (CNDH).
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| Explosion at interracial couple's home treated as hate crime after swastika painted on garage Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:14 PM PDT  An explosion which destroyed the home of an interracial couple after a swastika and a racial slur were found painted on the garage, is being investigated by the FBI.The suspected arson attack on the house of Brad and Angela Frase in the township of Sterling in Wayne County, Ohio, as a hate crime, investigators said. Police were called to the scene by a neighbour who reported a blast and fire at the building in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames but the house – which was not occupied at the time – was severely damaged."What makes this case worse is that it appears that this case was racially motivated," said captain Doug Hunter, of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. "The couple that lived in the home – a white man and a black woman – lived there for many years without any type of problems but when the fire was set the perpetrators felt the need to write racial slurs on a nearby garage."A video taken by police at the scene showed an attempt at the n-word and a swastika daubed on a garage next to the smoking remains of the house.Racial slurs were also found painted on several vehicles parked nearby, according to the Ohio fire marshal.Ms Frase told the local ABC 5 News channel that she hoped the people responsible were caught."It's sickening to do this to somebody's home and not even know if they're home or not," she said. "We could've been in there."Ms Frase and her husband were not living at the house at the time because repairs were being carried out following an electrical fire a month earlier.The day before the explosion, the repair company alerted the gas company to the smell of natural gas inside the property.Engineers discovered one of the burners on a stove had been left on but the pilot light was not lit, and the meter was removed to prevent further leaks.A $5,000 (£4,100) reward is being offered for information about the attack."We are going to spare no expense when it comes to calling in resources to track down individuals that are accountable for this crime," said captain Doug Hunter. "It is totally out of character for Wayne County to have racial crimes like this, yes they have happened in the past but only a couple of times as far as I am aware."
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| Scandal-ridden NRA head LaPierre digs in against gun control Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:34 AM PDT  In the aftermath of the back-to-back shooting massacres in Texas and Ohio , the debate over gun control has returned to the National Rifle Association and its immense power to stymie any significant legislation on the issue. The man largely responsible for the NRA's uncompromising stance is its decades-long CEO, Wayne LaPierre, who has been engulfed in turmoil and legal issues as he orchestrates the group's latest effort to push back against gun control measures. Law enforcement authorities are investigating the NRA's finances, and the gun group has ousted top officials and traded lawsuits with the longtime marketing firm credited with helping to shape LaPierre's and the NRA's image.
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| A lioness at a German zoo ate her 2 cubs just days after they were born, and zookeepers are shocked Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:21 AM PDT  Kigali the lioness gave birth to her first cubs on Friday and initially seemed to be taking good care of them, the zoo said.
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| Man who alleged police locked him in closet awarded $50M Posted: 10 Aug 2019 12:50 PM PDT ![Man who alleged police locked him in closet awarded $50M]( "Man who alleged police locked him in closet awarded $50M") A jury in Cleveland on Friday awarded $50 million to a man who claimed police beat him while he was handcuffed and locked him in a storage closet for four days with no toilet and nothing to eat or drink but a carton of milk. A different Cuyahoga County jury awarded Black $22 million in June 2016 during a three-day trial where no attorneys representing East Cleveland attended. The city subsequently appealed, and the lawsuit was sent back to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for another trial.
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| It's about time Peter Strzok sued. Firing him from the FBI was abusive Trump hypocrisy. Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:15 AM PDT  In Donald Trump's administration, speech is only free when it cuts in his favor. The price tag for unflattering speech is your career and reputation.
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