| Moscow election protest attracts huge crowd, spurs spinoffs Posted: 10 Aug 2019 11:15 AM PDT  Tens of thousands of people rallied Saturday against the exclusion of some city council candidates from Moscow's upcoming election, turning out for one of the Russian capital's biggest political protests in years. After the rally, which was officially sanctioned, hundreds of participants streamed to an area near the presidential administration building to continue with an unauthorized demonstration. The rally was the fourth consecutive weekend demonstration in Moscow over the local election.
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| Russia missile test blast kills five nuclear agency staff Posted: 10 Aug 2019 03:16 PM PDT  Russia's nuclear agency said Saturday an explosion during missile testing in the Arctic left five workers dead and involved radioactive isotopes after a nearby city recorded a spike in radiation levels. Rosatom said the force of the explosion on Thursday blew several of its staff from a testing platform into the sea. Russia's military did not initially say that the accident involved nuclear equipment, but stressed that radiation levels were normal afterwards.
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| Andrew Yang breaks down in tears over gun violence as 2020 Democrats in Iowa call for action after El Paso shooting Posted: 11 Aug 2019 07:33 AM PDT  A week after two mass shootings left more than 30 dead, the issue of gun violence was unavoidable for Democratic presidential candidates at the Iowa State Fair.As children zoomed down slides and munched on deep-fried Oreos, caucus goers still working out which Democratic candidates to support flocked to ask candidates how they might address the epidemic of shootings.Of the 14 candidates who attended a last-minute forum in downtown Des Moines on Saturday, it was Andrew Yang, a businessman and long-shot candidate, who stole the show.At the Everytown for Gun Safety forum, when asked by a woman named Stephanie, who lost her 4-year-old son to a stray bullet, how he would address the unintentional shootings of children in America. Mr Yang asked to give her a hug and broke down in tears."I have a six- and three-year-old boy, and I was imagining," Mr Yang began, before becoming too choked up to continue. "I was imagining it was one of them that got shot and the other saw," he eventually managed, before again choking up. "I'm so sorry."It's a feeling that runs raw with Iowa caucus goers, and has a renewed sense of urgency after the killings at a Walmart in Texas and a bar in Ohio last week.Heaven Chamberlain, a 23-year-old shift leader at a trampoline park in Des Moines who came to the Iowa State Fair to see as many candidates as she could, said she is among the generation of Americans who grew up with school lock downs for shootings.Now, Ms Chamberlain is worried about her two little sisters, who she thinks could be facing the prospect of gun violence at school any day."My sisters are afraid to go to school, because they're afraid that they won't come back," Ms Chamberlain said of her 10- and 11-year-old sisters. "Sorry, I always tear up when I think about them."For many who came to see the Democrats, the fixes for mass shootings seem like common sense. They would like a ban on the semi-automatic versions of military rifles sold freely in many states and are used in many of the mass shootings that have shocked the county. They would like universal background checks. They want action."That's the one thing I'm looking for in a candidate," Makayla Warrick, a 19-year-old college student who wants to become a teacher, said. Ms Warrick was waiting to ask a question of John Delaney, and said she's a Republican, but doesn't necessarily support Donald Trump. "Now it's coming to the point where I'm scared to go into some classrooms."Candidates, for their part, provided many answers. While congressman Beto O'Rourke stayed in his home town of El Paso to help his community, others forged ahead.Senator Cory Booker stopped during the annual Iowa Wing Ding – a Democratic fundraising dinner - on Friday night and dedicated his entire speech there to the issue.Kamala Harris promised to give Congress just 100 days to act, before she would take executive action on the issue. Joe Biden told a town hall he would push for background checks, and common-sense reforms.And many, like Elizabeth Warren, said that the shootings in recent years – in Parkland, Florida, Las Vegas, and these recent two, among others – had shifted the momentum in favour of gun control."We are going to make change. We are going to pass gun safety laws in this country," Ms Warren said.Darla Connell, a 73-year-old who drove two hours to see Mr Biden and Montana governor Steve Bullock on Thursday, said the shootings in Texas and Ohio showed just how fragile things are."That can happen anywhere," Ms Connell said. "And it could just as easily have happened to either the soapbox for Steve Bullock or Joe Biden. There's a big group of people here. And, god forbid it doesn't happen here at all. But it could."
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| UPDATE 4-Norway mosque shooter may have killed family member first -police Posted: 10 Aug 2019 09:08 AM PDT ![UPDATE 4-Norway mosque shooter may have killed family member first -police]( "UPDATE 4-Norway mosque shooter may have killed family member first -police") The man suspected of a shooting at a mosque in Norway may also have killed a relative before launching the attack, police said late on Saturday. "A young woman was found dead at the suspect's address," assistant chief of police Rune Skjold told a news conference, adding that the man was suspected of murder.
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| Police are investigating a social media threat of the 'biggest mass shooting in modern American history' targeting Walmart stores in Missouri Posted: 10 Aug 2019 11:33 AM PDT  The threat was posted this week to Reddit by someone claiming to have two AR-15 semi-automatic weapons and 22 pipe bombs.
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| Steve Scalise: Don’t blame Trump for mass shootings Posted: 11 Aug 2019 10:14 AM PDT  "The president's no more responsible for that shooting as your next guest, Bernie Sanders, is for my shooting," the Louisiana congressman said.
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| As Pakistan-India tensions flare, a child mistakes a bomb for a toy Posted: 11 Aug 2019 01:57 AM PDT  Deep in the mountains of the Neelum Valley, where a river separates Indian and Pakistani Kashmir, is the small village of Jabri, usually far enough away to avoid being hit by exchanges of fire between the countries' armies. "He found a bomb that looked like a toy and he brought it here," said Ali's uncle, Abdul Qayyum, pointing to their home. Pakistan's military said the device was a cluster bomb, a weapon that releases many smaller bomblets that can kill or wound people over a wider area.
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| Despite warning signs, why wasn't Jeffrey Epstein on suicide watch when he died? Posted: 10 Aug 2019 02:43 PM PDT  Jeffrey Epstein's apparent suicide has raised questions whether a New York jail followed proper procedures to ensure Epstein didn't kill himself.
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| Security officials: Yemeni separatists control city of Aden Posted: 10 Aug 2019 04:01 PM PDT ![Security officials: Yemeni separatists control city of Aden]( "Security officials: Yemeni separatists control city of Aden") Yemeni separatists have wrested control of the port city of Aden — and the grounds of the presidential palace — from forces loyal to the internationally backed government, security officials said Saturday. The separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates had been fighting as part of the Saudi-led coalition that supports the government but turned against those forces in clashes in the southern city. The latest development could further fracture the coalition that has battled Iran-aligned Houthi rebels since 2015 on behalf of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's government, which is largely confined to Aden.
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| Huawei launches first product with own operating system Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:12 PM PDT  Dongguan (China) (AFP) - Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which has been caught in the crossfires of the Washington-Beijing trade war, on Saturday unveiled a new smart television, the first product to use its own operating system.
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| Canada cable car cord severed in 'likely sabotage' Posted: 11 Aug 2019 09:34 AM PDT  Canadian police are investigating an apparent act of vandalism after a cord carrying cable cars was severed, sending all 30 of them crashing to the ground.The company said the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, north of Vancouver, was not operating at the time of the incident, and that no guests or staff members were injured.The attraction's manager told Canadian broadcaster CBC that maintenance on the line had been recently carried out "and it was a big, thick, beautiful healthy rope".The firm said the incident took place at around 04.30 local time (11.30 GMT).Police think an individual deliberately slashed the cables in the early hours of Saturday and say technical safety experts are now assessing the line."We believe the cables were cut and this was a deliberate act of vandalism," Squamish RCMP Inspector Kara Triance told CBC. "At this time, it's a crime scene."Inspector Triance said the person responsible placed themselves in "extreme jeopardy" if they had scaled a maintenance pole. She also noted the steel cable coming loose under tension would have been highly dangerous.Police are asking visitors to steer clear of the area – including away from nearby trails. They have also urged any hikers, climbers, or campers who were in the area to get in touch with them."We recognise the potential of what could have been and are thankful that no one was injured," police said in a statement.The Sea to Sky Gondola takes passengers to almost 3,000 feet above sea level, giving views of Howe Sound, a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, and surrounding waterfalls. Each of the gondola cars is able to hold eight passengersAdditional reporting by agencies
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| FBI Arrests Las Vegas Man Allegedly Planning Attack on Synagogue, LGBTQ Community Posted: 10 Aug 2019 01:39 PM PDT  Conor Climo, 23, was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly owning parts of an explosive device
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| The 7 Best GPS Apps for Tackling the Outdoors Posted: 11 Aug 2019 01:00 PM PDT |
| Some labor unions split with Biden on 'Medicare for All' Posted: 11 Aug 2019 03:56 AM PDT ![Some labor unions split with Biden on 'Medicare for All']( "Some labor unions split with Biden on 'Medicare for All'") Labor leaders dispute candidates' claims that single-payer will leave their members worse off.
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| Pakistan cuts last remaining transport link to India over Kashmir dispute Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:52 AM PDT ![Pakistan cuts last remaining transport link to India over Kashmir dispute]( "Pakistan cuts last remaining transport link to India over Kashmir dispute") ISLAMABAD/LAHORE (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Saturday it had canceled a bus linking Lahore with India's capital New Delhi, the last remaining public transport link between the neighbors divided by a dispute over the Kashmir region. Islamabad reacted with fury this week after India revoked the special status for the portion of Kashmir that it controls, calling the action illegal, a claim New Delhi denies. Pakistan has already cut two rail links, suspended bilateral trade and expelled India's ambassador, all part of what it called a diplomatic effort to protest against the decision.
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| 'Clearly wrong' to think he could get through to Trump on climate change, says Gore Posted: 11 Aug 2019 04:58 AM PDT  ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl sits down with former Vice President Al Gore to talk climate change, the 2020 field and President Donald Trump.
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| The Latest: Hong Kong police fire tear gas at protesters Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:03 AM PDT  Hong Kong police have fired tear gas at a crowd of some 1,000 protesters who blocked an intersection near a commuter rail station in the Tai Wai district of Kowloon. Some protesters have also blocked an entrance to a tunnel that carries traffic under the Hong Kong harbor. Earlier Saturday, protesters began two marches in defiance of a ban by police who have clashed with demonstrators over the past two months.
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| Fox News Host Confronts Kellyanne Conway on Trump’s Epstein Retweet Posted: 11 Aug 2019 01:14 PM PDT  Perhaps Kellyanne Conway thought she would have an easier time than usual on Fox News Sunday this week with regular host Chris Wallace on vacation. She was wrong. Right out of the gate, fill-in host Bill Hemmer confronted the White House counselor about President Trump's retweet of a conspiracy theory linking Bill Clinton to Jeffrey Epstein's prison suicide over the weekend. "I think the president just wants everything to be investigated," Conway said before alluding to the alleged connection between Clinton and Epstein revealed in unsealed court documents the day before Epstein took his life."There's always this rush to we need transparency, we need accountability, when it involved fictional accusations like 'collusion' with Russia to swing an election," she continued, attempting the claim political bias in the case. "This seems to be very concrete in that Jeffrey Epstein has done some very bad things over a number of years. So let's continue to investigate that." CNN's Christiane Amanpour Relentlessly Grills Kellyanne Conway on Trump's Role in ShootingsHemmer could have moved on, but he didn't. "Back on the retweet quickly, it's clear what he was trying to say, wasn't it?" While CNN's Jake Tapper pointedly refused to show the tweet in question on screen, Fox put it up for its audience to see in full. "I think the president just wants everything to be investigated," Conway repeated, before pivoting to attack the media for highlighting Trump's connection to Epstein. "Trying to connect the president to this monster from years ago where they're seen dancing in a video versus other people who were actively flying around with this monster, on his island, which was known as pedophilia island, perhaps there's a public interest in knowing more about that." "But again, this is all speculative and it's not for me to go further than where the DOJ and FBI are right now," she added. But she apparently has no problem with her boss amplifying the wild "speculation" of others on Twitter. Trump Spokesperson Hogan Gidley Attacks Obama for Condemning RacismRead 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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| The Noisiest Cars That Car and Driver Has Ever Tested Posted: 10 Aug 2019 06:04 AM PDT |
| Former Billionaire Eike Batista Released From Prison in Brazil Posted: 11 Aug 2019 08:14 AM PDT ![Former Billionaire Eike Batista Released From Prison in Brazil]( "Former Billionaire Eike Batista Released From Prison in Brazil") (Bloomberg) -- Eike Batista, once Brazil's richest man, was released from jail Saturday, as an appeals judge revoked a temporary arrest order that expired on Monday.He had been detained last week as part of the ongoing corruption probe known as Carwash. His detention was ordered amid worries Batista might hinder the investigation into financial markets and privileged information.The appeal justice cut short the arrest, ruling his detention can't be used as a tool to constrain the defense. Batista spent the night at his home, according to the press office of Rio de Janeiro's State penitentiary administration secretary.Batista was already serving a 30-year sentence and under house arrest after being convicted last year of paying $16.6 million to get government contracts. His detention on Thursday included a freeze on 1.6 billion reais ($410 million) held by Batista and two of his sons, federal prosecutors from Rio said in a statement.Brazil's Carwash probe started in 2014 and has resulted in convictions of high-profile politicians and business leaders including former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The investigation raised awareness of endemic corruption and contributed to the election of President Jair Bolsonaro, who campaigned on a law and order platform.Batista's commodities and logistics empire raised his personal fortune to more than $30 billion at the start of the decade, turning him into one of the world's wealthiest people. Those riches evaporated after his group of startups went bust under a mountain of debt and insider-trading investigations.He gained the rare distinction of "negative billionaire" in 2015 when his net worth sank to more than $1 billion in debt.To contact the reporter on this story: Mario Sergio Lima in Brasilia Newsroom at mlima11@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Ian Fisher, Kevin MillerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'She should be shot': Ohio man charged after Facebook threat against Ocasio-Cortez Posted: 10 Aug 2019 09:04 AM PDT  "She should be shot," the man had written on Facebook, along with a link to a story about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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| 'I Was Scared to Death': Former Neighbor of Escaped Tennessee Inmate Speaks Out Posted: 10 Aug 2019 07:21 PM PDT  Curtis Ray Watson's lengthy criminal history in Tennessee reveals run-ins with the law that began with a conviction for driving under the influence in 1999.
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| TX Man And His 1993 Ford Mustang GT Reunited After 17 Years Posted: 10 Aug 2019 06:23 PM PDT  Ford and Hennessey Performance teamed up for the restoration.We've all probably had that one car we sold off that we wish we never would have sold, but Wesley Ryan had no choice other than to sell his 1993 Ford Mustang GT for financial reasons after his was diagnosed with cancer. That was 17 years ago. Late last year, his son and daughter had reacquired the car after find it for sale on Craigslist – it was actually his original car and the title was still in his name! Apparently the years were not kind to the car, and it was in need of some repairs, but with this kind of a story, Ford Motor Company and Hennessey Performance teamed up to give this Mustang the ultimate homecoming. Ford donated parts such as a new engine and transmission, while Hennessey put in the hard work of restoring the car, which according to mySA.com would have cost around $200,000 for the 500 to 600 man-hours of labor.The fully restored Mustang was finally reunited with its new owner this past week at Ford's world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan with Ford executive Henry Ford III and Hennessey Performance founder and CEO, John Hennessey, on hand for the unveiling. It was definitely an emotional reunion for Ryan, whose wife and children were by his side when the black cover was removed and the restored Fox body was finally revealed. After nine months of work, the 26-year-old Mustang looked like new!Ryan's family made the initial surprise, and Ford and Hennessey came through on the car's incredible restoration. The whole story definitely shows how emotional cars can make us and how close knit the automotive community really is.We're not crying, you're crying! Source: Hennessey via mySA.com Read More... * 2015 Ford Mustang GT Hennessey Is A Supercharged Powerhouse * Mystery Surrounds Stolen 1991 Ford Mustang GT Barn Find
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| Muslim pilgrims converge on Jamarat for ritual stoning of the devil Posted: 11 Aug 2019 03:41 AM PDT  Muslims from around the world hurled pebbles at a giant wall in a symbolic stoning of the devil on Sunday, the start of the riskiest part of the annual haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, where hundreds died in a crush four years ago. The kingdom stakes its reputation on its guardianship of Islam's holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, and organizing the world's largest annual Muslim gathering which retraces the route Prophet Mohammad took 14 centuries ago. Nearly 2-1/2 million pilgrims, mostly from abroad, have arrived for the five-day ritual, a religious duty once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.
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| South Korean cosmetics firm boss quits over YouTube praising Japan Posted: 11 Aug 2019 02:33 AM PDT  The head of a major South Korean cosmetics firm resigned Sunday after facing heavy backlash for forcing his staff to watch a YouTube video praising Japan during a raging trade war between the two nations. The clip, played at a monthly meeting of some 700 employees of Kolmar Korea last week, slams President Moon Jae-in's response to Japan's trade regulations and praises Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for "not punching Moon in the face". The video also refers to Venezuela's crippling economy, where "women are going into prostitution for mere seven dollars", and adds that South Korea is not far from meeting a similar fate.
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| Background Checks Won't Stop Many Mass Shootings. We Need Them Anyway, Experts Say Posted: 10 Aug 2019 01:30 PM PDT  Many public health experts agree background checks are a crucial part of efforts to limit gun deaths
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| Trump administration officials defend Mississippi immigration raids Posted: 11 Aug 2019 09:26 AM PDT  "Something like this has been planned for over a year," acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said.
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| Nigerian, South African Presidents to Meet in October for Talks Posted: 11 Aug 2019 03:04 AM PDT ![Nigerian, South African Presidents to Meet in October for Talks]( "Nigerian, South African Presidents to Meet in October for Talks") (Bloomberg) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will meet with South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa in October for talks on trade and the security of citizens, Nigeria's presidency said.Buhari accepted an invitation to visit the South African leader to discuss "recurrent issues concerning well-being of the Nigerian community in South Africa, and the need to promote trade and investment," Garba Shehu, a Nigerian government spokesman, said in an emailed statement. A specific date wasn't given.Dozens of Nigerian have been killed in South Africa in anti-immigrant attacks, drawing outrage from the Nigerian Parliament in Abuja.A bi-lateral commission will also be inaugurated during the visit tasked with implementing cooperation agreements on energy, transport and security made in 2016 during a state visit to Nigeria by former South African President Jacob Zuma: ShehuNOTE: Nigeria and South Africa vie as the continent's biggest economies, with trade between the two nations doubling to $4.5 billion in 2018 from the previous year, according to Bloomberg estimatesTo contact the reporter on this story: Elisha Bala-Gbogbo in Abuja at ebalagbogbo@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Osae-Brown at aosaebrown2@bloomberg.net, John Deane, Andrew DavisFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Jeffrey Epstein's cause of death is 'pending further information': What we know about his apparent suicide Posted: 11 Aug 2019 04:21 PM PDT  The FBI and U.S. Inspector General's office will investigate the circumstances of Jeffrey Epsteiin's apparent suicide while in federal custody, officials said
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| The Polish village where no boys have been born for almost a decade Posted: 10 Aug 2019 08:35 AM PDT  It was during a competition for junior firefighters that somebody first noticed something unusual about the small Polish village of Miejsce Odrzanskie. Every single one of the uniformed children showing off their skills was a girl. The reason is as simple as it is surprising. No boys have been born in Miejsce Odrzanskie for almost a decade, while the village's women in the rural backwater of 300 souls have given birth to 12 girls. The boy shortage is so acute that the mayor has offered a cash reward for the first family to produce a son. The world's media have descended on the village in the fields of south-west Poland not far from the Czech border to investigate the phenomenom. "Of course the media attention was a surprise for us, for the residents and the area," Rajmund Frischko, the local mayor who offered the reward—and the father of two daughters—told The Telegraph. "There has been so much talk about us in the media that for a minute there I was considering naming a street after the next boy born here," he said. "He will definitely get a very nice gift. And we will plant an oak and name it after him." "The situation was that the girls were growing up, and the kids were around us, so we didn't pay much attention to it. Until, that is, someone noticed during a competition for volunteer firefighters that the team consisted of just girls," he said. The all-girl young volunteer firefighters team in the village of Miejsce Odrzanskie, Poland, Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine The mayor said doctors from across Poland has been calling him with tips on how to encourage the birth of a boy. One retired doctor had told him that the sex of a baby depended on the mother's diet, which must be rich in calcium to guarantee a son. "There is always the tried way of the Polish highlanders: If you want a boy, keep an axe under your marital bed," he joked. "We treat the whole affair as something as a curiosity," said Krystyna Zydziak, the head of the village and the mother of two daughters. "I always say that nature can find ways to balance things. There may be more girls born here but somewhere else in the world more boys are probably being born." Krystyna Zydziak of Miejsce Odrzanskie Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine The lack of male births over the past few years compared to the dozen or so female births has fuelled worries about the future of the village. Miejsce Odrzanskie, like many Polish villages, has been fighting a losing battle to retain its population as people leave the fields for Poland's flourishing cities. Without men going into farming, people fear, that struggle could get harder. Ms Zydziak, said that everyone in the village had family living and working elsewhere in the EU. "Some villagers are concerned who will fill the farming jobs in the future," she said. The Facebook page of the local volunteer fire brigade, a centre of community life in the village, has taken to listing all the stories now featuring the village, along with numerous pictures of happy, if somewhat bemused, villagers being interviewed for television cameras. The all-girl young volunteer firefighters team. Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine Malwina Kicler, 10, has been a volunteer firefighter for three years. The lack of boys has not stopped her crew from scooping up trophies in major competitions across Poland in the six years since the tram was founded. "Boys are noisy and naughty," she told the New York Times. "At least now we have peace and quiet. You can always meet them somewhere else." The comments below the links to the stories range from the baffled to proud "Go girls!" posts. One joked that perhaps the lack of boys was due to a particularly libidinous postman delivering more than letters to the village's womenfolk. Malwina Kicler, center, and Liliana Kicler, left, of the village of Miejsce Odrzanskie, Poland, Credit: Kasia Strek/NYTNS / Redux / eyevine Scientists have stressed that people should not jump to conclusions as to why so many girls are being born in the village. "You have to go deep into the history and check the birth statistics," said Professor Rafal Ploski, head of the genetics department at Warsaw's Medical University. "They you have to check to see if the girls' parents are not related to each other, even to a very distant extent. Then you have to conduct detailed interviews with the parents and the children, and check the environmental conditions. Only then can a trail appear." Not everyone sees the dearth of boys as a problem. One villager, perhaps making a veiled reference to Poland's war-scarred history said that the string of daughters was a good omen. "They once said that 'when boys are born there will be war, when girls are born there will be peace' so thank God it is as it is," she said.
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| Goldman Sachs economists say fears rise that U.S.-China trade war leading to recession Posted: 11 Aug 2019 12:53 PM PDT  "We expect tariffs targeting the remaining $300bn of US imports from China to go into effect," the bank said in a note sent to clients. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Aug. 1 that he would impose a 10% tariff on a final $300 billion worth of Chinese imports on Sept. 1, prompting China to halt purchases of U.S. agricultural products. China denies that it has manipulated the yuan for competitive gain.
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| Overwhelming support for gun restrictions in the suburbs is good news for Democrats, but real gun reform is unlikely with a GOP Senate Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:57 AM PDT  In a poll conducted after the El Paso and Dayton shootings, 71% of suburban voters and 64% of Republican women backed banning assault-style weapons.
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| Some 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims scale Mount Arafat Posted: 10 Aug 2019 04:19 PM PDT  Nearly 2.5 million Muslim hajj pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia Saturday marshalled by tens of thousands of stewards in a bid to prevent any repetition of previous years' deadly stampedes. Raising their palms skywards, the pilgrims set off on the climb to the summit where they held prayers to atone for their sins in a ritual that is regarded as the high point of the annual hajj.
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| Versace apologies in flap over T-shirts sold in China Posted: 11 Aug 2019 10:39 AM PDT  Italian fashion house Versace apologized Sunday in China for selling T-shirts that it said attached incorrect country names to cities, after being attacked on social media for challenging China's territorial integrity. Versace did not identify the T-shirt in its own post on Weibo, a popular Chinese social media site, but the Global Times newspaper said the item mislabeled Hong Kong and Macao as countries. Both are former European colonies that were returned to China in the late 1990s.
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| Russia honors 'national heroes' killed in mysterious rocket blast Posted: 11 Aug 2019 12:20 PM PDT ![Russia honors 'national heroes' killed in mysterious rocket blast]( "Russia honors 'national heroes' killed in mysterious rocket blast") Russia has bestowed posthumous awards on five nuclear experts and "national heroes" who died in a mysterious explosion at sea during a rocket engine test, authorities said on Sunday. Officials have been drip-feeding information about the blast on a platform in the White Sea off northern Russia that caused a radiation spike in a nearby city. U.S.-based nuclear experts said they suspected the explosion occurred during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile vaunted by President Vladimir Putin last year.
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| Bernie Sanders calls out Republican ‘hypocrisy’ over reproductive rights, vowing to codify Roe v Wade in Iowa Posted: 11 Aug 2019 06:32 AM PDT  Bernie Sanders says he is tired of Republican "hypocrisy", in which members of the party claim to abhor government meddling in the lives of Americans, but insist upon legislating what women can and cannot do with their bodies.The presidential candidate laid into the Republicans during a speech in Des Moines on Saturday night, where he was greeted by dozens of Iowa caucus goers and members of NARAL, a pro-choice advocacy group that holds forums for presidential candidates.And, the Vermont senator said that Democrats must go on the "offensive" in fighting for abortion rights, to counteract what he described as a well-funded attack determined to undermine Roe v Wade, the US Supreme Court case that established women's right to have an abortion."How hypocritical can they be?" Mr Sanders asked those inside of the Hilton Embassy ballroom just a short drive from the Iowa State Fair."Right now, all across the country, there is a well-funded and extreme attack on the right of women to control their own body and their own future, and we've seen that right here in Iowa," he said. "We are here today to say as loudly and clearly as we can that we will not go backwards. We absolutely must stand up to these attacks together."Mr Sanders' speech came just a day before he was set to take part in that fair's annual "Political Soapbox", where candidates seeking the support of Iowa flock to make their cases from a slightly raised stage, surrounded by hay.And Mr Sanders took to the stage after most of the other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, who number almost two dozen.Earlier on Saturday, for instance, Elizabeth Warren delighted fairgoers with her calls for "big systemic change" to the American political system, drawing what to that point had been the largest showing of the whole affair — much larger than the turnout for Joe Biden on Thursday, and noticeably bigger than the crowd Kamala Harris had attracted earlier in the day.In the Hilton ballroom in downtown Des Moines, supporters who listened to Mr Sanders promise to codify Roe, and to repeal the Hyde Amendment, said its his consistency that stands out to them — and why they could consider supporting him against those other candidates.To prove the point, one speaker who held the mic before Mr Sanders even recited a 1993 quote of his, arguing for women's rights.Pierse Coen, 19, a college student from Nebraska, said Mr Sanders calling out Republicans on such an important issue is necessary, given the stakes."I think it's important that he calls Republicans out for their hypocrisy," she said, noting she would expect a similar sort of a check on Democrats.And, she said his experience speaks for itself: "I like his consistency. He doesn't waver. He just stays strong."Makayla Meyer, 15, a Des Moines high school student, said she is attracted to Mr Sanders' unapologetic push for his values."There's a lot of people who say America can't be a socialist government, but Bernie stands by who he is," she said.Jake Atkinson, 23, a recent university graduate who was visiting from London, said that the anger he sees in Mr Sanders can speak to people on a broad range of issues, helping people connect them and understand the bigger picture — and thinks that's how the Democrats can win the next presidential election."He really nails the intersectionality of all the issues, and how they're all related," Mr Atkinson said. "I think that's how we beat Republicans in 2020."
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| Steve Bannon: The Democrats number one focus right now is to defeat Donald Trump Posted: 10 Aug 2019 09:26 PM PDT  Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon weighs in on the future of border security and the field of 2020 Democrats.
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| Inside the El Paso shooting: A store manager, a frantic father, grateful survivors Posted: 10 Aug 2019 11:24 AM PDT  Here is how the shooting at an El Paso Walmart unfolded through the eyes of those who were there.
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| I was thrilled to be a Boy Scout, then for months I was sexually abused by my scoutmaster Posted: 11 Aug 2019 04:00 AM PDT  As a child, I thought being a Boy Scout made me part of something important. Then an adult I thought I could trust pulled me into something traumatic.
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| Trump amplifies Epstein conspiracy theories on social media Posted: 10 Aug 2019 05:18 PM PDT  Epstein was reported dead Saturday morning in an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
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| Another 81 migrants rescued by charity ship off Libya Posted: 11 Aug 2019 12:42 PM PDT  French charities SOS Mediterranean and MSF rescued another 81 migrants off the coast of Libya on Sunday, who joined 130 others aboard the ship the Ocean Viking, an AFP reporter said. The young men, mostly Sudanese, who had left Libya late Saturday in a blue rubber dinghy, clapped and cheered as the ship came into view. The ship, jointly operated by SOS Mediterranean and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has been patrolling international waters some 50 nautical miles off the coast of Tripoli.
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| A best-selling cookbook with 500 Instant Pot recipes is down to $4 on Amazon Posted: 10 Aug 2019 07:33 AM PDT  If you think you love your Instant Pot now, just wait until you get your hands on our favorite Instant Pot cookbook. This fantastic recipe book is packed full of hundreds of delicious dishes that are designed specifically for your multi-use cooker. It's called Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 500 Everyday Recipes for Beginners and Advanced Users, and it's down to just $3.99 right now on Amazon for the Kindle version. Remember, Kindle eBooks work on Kindle eReaders or any Android or iOS device thanks to the Kindle app. Get your copy now while it's on sale!Here's more from the product page:> Enjoy these 500 Recipes for Any Budget. > Recipes are listed step by step in a clear and understandable manner. > With this cookbook, you will cook better, tastier and faster meals for yourself and your family.> > In this cookbook, you will discover…> > * Amazing meals the whole family will love.> * Recipes for vegetarians anyone will enjoy.> * Most recipes made for anyone with a busy lifestyle.> * Detailed ingredient lists and precise cooking times so each dish turns out perfect.> * Easy-to-follow instructions on making each dish in an Instant Pot.> * Helpful tips and tricks on how to make each meal one your whole family will request time and time again.> * Plus much more helpful information.> > > Eating is meant to be a shared experience and is a great time for family members to catch up with each other's day. A good meal gets them to the dinner table every time.
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| CORRECTED-Ukraine searches vessel over fuel delivery to Crimea Posted: 11 Aug 2019 01:23 AM PDT ![CORRECTED-Ukraine searches vessel over fuel delivery to Crimea]( "CORRECTED-Ukraine searches vessel over fuel delivery to Crimea") Ukrainian prosecutors said they had searched a vessel in the Black Sea port of Kherson on Saturday as part of an investigation into a suspected illegal delivery of fuel to the Russian navy in annexed Crimea in 2015. Relations between Kiev and Moscow deteriorated after Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and its backing for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian law stipulates that it is illegal to enter Crimean waters without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities.
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| Venezuela: New US sanctions pressure Maduro but ‘risk exacerbating humanitarian crisis and torpedoing negotiations’ Posted: 11 Aug 2019 01:59 AM PDT  When Juan Guaidó raised his nation's tricolour flag in January and swore himself in as interim president to the rapturous cheers of thousands in Caracas, many hoped – and believed - President Nicolas Maduro was finally on his way out.A long-fractured opposition had reorganised, mass protests returned to the capital, and within minutes the US - followed by 50 other nations - officially recognised the National Assembly head as the country's legitimate leader.The successor of Hugo Chavez's failed socialist project, Maduro had long been in the White House's diplomatic crosshairs. The country's economy was now collapsing and an international consensus was forming that his latest elections were fraudulent. "Both the Venezuelan opposition and the US government thought this was going to be a quick win," says David Smilde, a Venezuela expert and senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America. But seven months on, political change has proved more elusive: despite the US' best efforts to pressure Maduro with bellicose rhetoric and waves of economic sanctions, the embattled leader holds on to power."They completely underestimated the sociology of authoritarian governments, which are often more resilient than you think," Smilde says.Last week, the US took centre stage at a Lima Group meeting to announce its latest efforts to turn the screw on Maduro. In the company of 14 other nations allied in seeking a resolution to the Venezuela crisis, it spelled out its boldest, most sweeping economic sanctions on the country to date.The executive order froze Venezuela's assets in the United States, banned entry to Venezuelan citizens aiding the dictator, and pledged to sanction foreign companies – or governments - dealing with Maduro's government.Guaidó swiftly welcomed the news. The wiry leader stressed to reporters in Caracas that the "sanctions are against Maduro, not the Venezuelan people"; items that alleviate human suffering – clothes, food and medicine – are exempt.The measures would "protect Venezuelans" from the government plundering the nation's assets, he tweeted.Predictably, Venezuela's foreign office blasted the sanctions, describing the order as "economic terrorism against the Venezuelan people" and the formalisation of "a criminal economic, financial, and commercial blockade that has already started."While the US has already imposed targeted sanctions on individuals (figures close to Maduro), specific companies, and industries, the latest measures cast the net wider. For the first time they include secondary sanctions (targeting those outside the US), threatening to cut off foreign businesses with America and its financial system should they not comply."Do you want to do business in Venezuela, or do you want to do business with the United States?," US national security adviser, John Bolton said to reporters in a message to foreign businesses around the world. "That includes any foreign entity, government, corporation, person, who contributes to keeping the Maduro regime in power".Although both the US and Guaido deny that the measures are an embargo, experts in international law, international relations, and NGOs operating in the country told The Independent they will still exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis - and hinder efforts to restore democracy.> The new US sanctions worsen the suffering of Venezuelans, they should be personally targeting members of the stateRodolfo Montes de Oca, Venezuelan human rights lawyer "Although it is not technically an embargo … the order will have a chilling effect on any transactions with Venezuelans," predicts Mary Ellen O'Connell, international law expert at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. The academic adds that the move is "unlawful", violating World Trade Organisation Standards. Mismanagement of the most oil-rich nation in the world - and once the wealthiest of Latin American nations - has caused widespread food and medicine shortages, a spike in crime, and rampant hyperinflation, predicted by the IMF to reach 10 million per cent.Over four million have fled the crisis, according to the UN Agency for Refugees, and nine out of 10 Venezuelans now say they go hungry, according to local polls.The new sanctions are, according to the US, intended to alleviate that suffering by strangling Maduro's finances and forcing him out of power. But some fear that the Venezuelan people will hurt more than its leaders."The new US sanctions worsen the suffering of Venezuelans, they should be personally targeting members of the state," says Rodolfo Montes de Oca, lawyer at leading Venezuelan human rights organisation, PROVEA.As many as 40,000 people have already died in Venezuela as a result of US sanctions since 2017 that made it harder for ordinary citizens to access food, medicine and medical equipment, according to a report released by the Washington-based think tank, the Centre for Economic and Policy Research.Bolton boasted that Venezuela now joins Cuba, Iran, Syria and North Korea in the "club of rogue states" exiled from the US market.Academics researching the impact of US sanctions on those countries say none offer a positive case study in restoring democracy; more likely, they weaken resistance to authoritarian governments as local populations are ground down by suffering."This tends to hurt ordinary people far more than it hurts governments, as governments have control of hard currency,'' says Barbara Slavin, an Iran expert at the Atlantic Council think tank."This is cruel and counterproductive. The sanctions look tough but how is this tough if it's killing innocent people?"Several NGOs told The Independent that they are already facing banking difficulties due to over compliance with previous sanctions. As Slavin says, financial institutions commonly avoid working with organisations - even if exempt - due to fear of draconian measures from the US.More salient than the potential exacerbation of the already grave humanitarian crisis, Smilde says, is that the announcement could have torpedoed ongoing talks between Maduro and Guaido.As the crisis drags on but Guaido's opposition loses momentum, international observers have increasingly looked to ongoing negotiations in Barbados, now in their third round, as the most likely peaceful way out. Late on Wednesday, the government announced in an official statement that it would not be sending delegations this week "due to the grave and brutal aggression" being "carried out by the Trump administration against Venezuela". It is not known if they will return to the table."The ramping up of sanctions by the US provided the perfect excuse for Nicolas Maduro to withdraw from this round of negotiations," Smilde says."The only viable way the opposition has of translating its popularity and legitimacy into power is through some sort of political settlement".
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| El Paso crowd decries racism week after mass shooting Posted: 10 Aug 2019 11:21 AM PDT  More than 100 people marched through the Texas border city of El Paso on Saturday, denouncing racism and calling for stronger gun laws one week after 22 people were killed in a mass shooting that authorities say was carried out by a man targeting Mexicans. Chanting "gun reform now," '' El Paso strong" and "aquí estamos y no nos vamos" — Spanish for "here we are and we are not leaving" — the marchers included Hispanic, white and black people dressed in white to symbolize peace and carrying 22 white wooden crosses to represent the victims of the shooting at an El Paso Walmart. The man charged in with capital murder in the attack, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius told investigators he targeted Mexicans at the store with an AK-47 rifle, an El Paso detective said in an arrest affidavit.
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| How to Save Money When Buying Replacement Tires Posted: 11 Aug 2019 03:03 AM PDT  Nearly 2 out of 3 car owners are turning to alternative tire brands and models when buying replacement tires for their car, SUV, or pickup truck. In addition to replacing tires out of necessity, ...
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