China may restrict tech access in spiraling U.S. trade dispute

Abstract: BEIJING - China is creating a system to protect its technology, according to state media, as the U.S. restricts the access of Chinese companies to American technology in a spiraling trade dispute. The People’s Daily newspaper said Sunday that the system will build a strong firewall to strengthen the nation’s ability to innovate and to accelerate the development of key technologies. “China … will never allow certain countries to use China’s technology to contain China’s development and suppress Chinese enterprises,” the main paper of the ruling Communist Party said, without directly referring to the United States. No details have been released about what China is calling a national technological security management list. The plan was announced Saturday evening in a brief three-paragraph dispatch by the official Xinhua News Agency. The aim is to forestall and defuse national security risks more effectively, Xinhua said, adding that detailed measures would be unveiled in the near future. The initiative follows U.S. moves to restrict sales to Huawei Technologies and other Chinese tech firms on national security grounds. The U.S. Commerce Department last month added Huawei to its list of entities that are engaged in activities contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. As such, any sale of U.S. technology to Huawei will require Commerce Department approval. China responded by saying its Commerce Ministry would develop its own list of foreign entities that it regards as “unreliable.” This weekend’s announcement of plans for a technological security management list is clearly related to the unreliable entities list, the state-owned Global Times newspaper said in an editorial posted online Sunday. It said the act would provide a legal basis to manage technology exports and counter American supply cutoffs to some Chinese companies. “Since 2018, the U.S. has repeatedly drawn on its domestic law to exert pressure on Chinese high-tech enterprises,” the English-language editorial read in part. “China’s countermeasures against the U.S. require more legal weapons.” The two largest economies appear as far apart as ever in their dispute, though U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he held a constructive meeting Sunday with the head of China’s central bank. In a Twitter post, Mnuchin said he and Yi Gang, governor of the People’s Bank of China, had a “candid” discussion about trade issues. The post showed the two shaking hands and smiling. They met on the sidelines of the G-20 finance meeting in Fukuoka, Japan. Mnuchin earlier urged China to rejoin talks on the dispute that have stalled after 11 rounds of negotiations. He said no talks were scheduled, however, and that major progress on the stalemate would likely have to wait for a meeting of Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this month.

china
u.s .
trade
tech
tariffs
huawei
steve mnuchin
trade war


Trump takes to Twitter to accuse it of gagging conservatives

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter once again Sunday to accuse the messaging platform of gagging conservative voices — a “Giant Mistake!” that he said runs counter to freedom of expression. “Twitter should let the banned Conservative Voices back onto their platform, without restriction,” he wrote. “It’s called Freedom of Speech, remember. You are making a Giant Mistake!” Twitter, and other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, have recently moved to block personalities accused of inciting violence, and using the platforms to promote anti-Semitism, racism and conspiracy theories. The decisions were taken under pressure from critics who think the social networks are not acting quickly enough to remove shocking or problematic material. Those banished by one or more of the platforms include Alex Jones, a notorious purveyor of conspiracy theories toward whom Trump has expressed sympathy in the past, and Paul Nehlen, a white supremacist who ran unsuccessfully in Republican primaries for a U.S. congressional seat. It’s not the first time the U.S. president has accused Twitter, Facebook or Google of discriminating against right-wing users. The Republican billionaire, whose Twitter account is followed by nearly 61 million people, regularly attacks the high-tech giants as politically biased or, as he put it in a recent tweet, “sooo on the side of the Radical Left Democrats.”

twitter
facebook
instagram
donald trump
alex jones


Dollar firms above ¥108.60 in Tokyo

Abstract: The dollar firmed above ¥108.60 in Tokyo trading Monday, backed by higher stock prices and U.S. long-term interest rates. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥108.66-66, up from ¥108.46-46 at the same time on Friday. The euro was at $1.1293-1293, up from $1.1262-1262, and at ¥122.71-71, up from ¥122.15-16. After dipping below ¥108.40, the dollar topped ¥108.50 on real demand-backed buying around midmorning. The U.S. currency further strengthened against the yen in the afternoon, as investors cheered the Nikkei stock average’s advance and rises in U.S. long-term interest rates in off-hours trading, traders said. “Sentiment was brightened by a U.S. decision to indefinitely suspend plans to impose tariffs on Mexican goods,” said a trust bank official. The interest rates went up on activated selling of U.S. Treasuries that had been overly purchased, an official at a major securities firm said. But the dollar’s advance would be limited amid strong expectations for an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve, traders forecast, adding that more dismal U.S. economic indicators would boost the rate cut speculation.


Tokyo stocks rise further on Wall Street vigor, Mexico tariff suspension

Abstract: Stocks gained further ground on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Monday, following a continued surge on Wall Street on Friday and a U.S. decision to refrain from imposing punitive tariffs on all imports from Mexico. The 225-issue Nikkei average jumped 249.71 points, or 1.20 percent, to end at 21,134.42, after rising 110.67 points on Friday. The key market gauge closed above 21,000 for the first time since May 29. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished up 20.55 points, or 1.34 percent, at 1,552.94. The broader index gained 7.48 points the previous trading day. The market got off to a strong start, after the Dow Jones industrial average extended its rising streak to a fifth day on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday amid growing expectations for an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The rate cut hopes swelled in the wake of the Labor Department’s announcement of far weaker-than-expected growth in nonfarm payrolls in the United States in May, brokers said. Investors were also heartened by U.S. President Donald Trump saying on Twitter feed late Friday that plans to slap the tariff were “indefinitely suspended,” they said. After the initial spurt, however, the market lost steam and moved narrowly for the rest of the Monday session. “Investors stopped buying actively to see how U.S. and European stocks will move later,” said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co. But Tokyo stocks were able to maintain strength as they received continued support from players anticipating bullish U.S. and European markets, he added. Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co., pointed out that the market failed to stage a powerful rally because of persistent investor skepticism about the United States and China settling their trade row soon. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,783 to 294 on the TSE’s first section, while 64 issues were unchanged. Volume expanded to 1.163 billion shares from Friday’s 1.005 billion shares. Toray shop up 6.15 percent, after a media report that the textile-maker plans to seek by March next year health ministry approval for a “single-drop” blood test kit to detect cancer. Nissan, Mazda and other automakers rose as concerns over deterioration in their earnings receded thanks to the U.S. decision not to impose tariffs on goods from Mexico, their export base to the United States. Other winners included antenna-maker Denki Kogyo and oil company Idemitsu. On the other hand, travel agency H.I.S. tumbled 13.42 percent, due to lower-than-expected operating profit for the six months through April, brokers said. Among other losers were Aozora Bank and mobile phone carrier KDDI. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average gained 230 points to end at 21,150.


Isuzu seeks edge over Japanese competitors in Cambodia with new pickup truck model

Abstract: PHNOM PENH - Isuzu Motors Ltd. has launched a fuel-efficient model in its mainstay D-Max pickup truck series in Cambodia, as it aims to steal a march on competitors from its homeland. Shuichiro Mori, president of Tri Petch Isuzu Sales Cambodia Co., said Saturday as it unveiled the D-Max 1.9, the first sub-1900cc pickup in the Southeast Asian country. The new model is about 20 percent more fuel efficient than the D-Max 3.0 version sold in Cambodia, Mori said. “We want to start a new trend in the pickup segment by enhancing our lineup, as car purchasers become more aware of fuel economy and durability,” he added. Isuzu also launched a sports utility vehicle with a remodeled exterior in the MU-X series, alongside the smaller D-Max, as locals prefer multipurpose vehicles to sedans due to the underdeveloped roads there. The price of the D-Max 1.9 ranges from $33,000 (¥3.58 million) to $49,000, while the MU-X sells for $60,000 to $67,000, according to Mori. The Japanese automaker has so far marketed one model each in the D-Max and MU-X series. With the two new models, it aims to more than double its new vehicle sales in the country to 700 units this year. New vehicle sales in Cambodia surged 40 percent in 2018 from the previous year, to about 6,300 units, with pickups accounting for 30 to 40 percent, according to an industry estimate. Toyota Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. are among Japanese rivals also selling pickups in the country.


Employees sour on Tesla amid cost-cutting and layoffs

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - Tesla Inc’s rankings at two high-profile job websites have declined, suggesting that job dissatisfaction at the electric car company is intensifying amid layoffs, strategy shifts and executive turnover. Tesla placed 16th on LinkedIn’s annual “Top Companies 2019” list published in April, compiled from billions of actions taken by its over 600 million users that indicate job interest and demand. It held the fifth and sixth spots in 2018 and 2017, respectively. At jobs site Glassdoor, Tesla’s overall company rating fell to 3.2 out of 5 stars based on reviews written in the first quarter from a high of 3.6 in 2017, according to historical data compiled by Glassdoor at Reuters’ request. The average rating of the nearly 1 million employers reviewed on the site is 3.4. In the first quarter, Elon Musk’s CEO approval rating dropped to 52 percent from 90 percent in 2017. Tesla’s “recommend to a friend” rating fell to 49 percent in the first quarter from a high of 71 percent two years prior, the Glassdoor data showed. Similarly, Glassdoor ratings for culture and values, career opportunities, senior leadership and six-month positive business outlook all fell. Only “work-life balance” and “compensation and benefits” remained static. No metrics improved. The reviews are anonymous and Glassdoor says it does not verify identities or employment status. Told of the rankings, a Tesla spokeswoman said the company remains a highly sought after employer. Tesla received over half a million job applications in 2017 and again in 2018 and expects to exceed that figure in 2019, she said. Tesla also made the Forbes list of Most Innovative Companies last year. Employer branding specialist Universum ranked Tesla and sister company SpaceX as the most attractive employers for engineering students. As Musk prepares to talk up future growth at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, the carmaker is weathering a difficult period. Two years after the official launch of its Model 3 sedan, intended to catapult Musk’s company to volume car producer status, Tesla is still struggling to reach its targets. Tesla lost $700 million in the first quarter and saw a drop in vehicle deliveries, raising concerns about consumer demand and shipping logistics. Wall Street is also souring on Tesla, with the company’s shares falling 39 percent so far this year. Analysts have cut their ratings after the company announced lower deliveries and worries over the company’s direction. Of the two current and 16 former employees who spoke with Reuters since January, some praised Musk as a visionary but said his management style and the exodus of executives have left a void in leadership. Among recent executive departures, Tesla’s chief financial officer retired in January and the company’s top lawyer left in February after two months on the job. Both positions were filled. Tesla also lost its heads of communications and growth. Neither position has been filled. Tesla had 48,817 full-time employees at the end of 2018, according to SEC filings, after a 9 percent headcount reduction throughout the company announced in June 2018. Tesla announced it would lay off another 7 percent of its workforce in January. In a company-wide email last month, Musk said all expenses would be reviewed, including by him, adding that current spending could quickly eat up Tesla’s recent capital raise. Tesla declined to comment on whether Musk was signing off on each new hire. Tesla has 1,100 jobs posted on its website, down from 2,510 in January, according to statistics provided by job-post scraping site Thinknum. Many show vacancies since October. Tesla said job postings differ from jobs open, as one posting could represent multiple openings.


Revival of Fiat Chrysler merger plan may hinge on Renault cutting its stake in Nissan

Abstract: PARIS - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Renault SA are looking for ways to resuscitate their collapsed merger plan and secure the approval of the French carmaker’s alliance partner Nissan Motor Co., according to several sources close to the companies. Nissan is poised to urge Renault to significantly reduce its 43.4 percent stake in the Japanese company in return for supporting any FCA-Renault tie-up, two people with knowledge of its thinking also said. It is still far from clear whether any concerted effort to revive the complex and politically fraught deal can succeed. FCA Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew his $35 billion merger offer in the early hours of June 6 after the French government, Renault’s biggest shareholder, blocked a vote by its board and demanded more time to win Nissan’s backing. Nissan representatives had said they would abstain. The failure, which FCA and Renault blamed squarely on the French government, deprived both companies of an opportunity to create the world’s third-biggest carmaker with €5 billion (¥613.6 billion; $5.6 billion) in promised annual synergies. It also shone a harsh light on Renault’s relations with Nissan, which have gone from frayed to fried since the November arrest of former alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies. Italian-American FCA — whose brand stable encompasses Fiat runabouts, Jeep SUVs, RAM pickups and Maserati sports cars — has so far turned a deaf ear to suggestions by French officials that its merger proposal could be revisited. But since the breakdown, Elkann and his French counterpart, Jean-Dominique Senard, have had talks about reviving the plan that left the Renault chairman and his chief executive, Thierry Bollore, upbeat about that prospect, three alliance sources said. Renault and a spokesman for FCA declined to comment. Toby Myerson, one of Elkann’s senior advisers on the Renault merger bid, was expected at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama on Monday for exploratory discussions with top management, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa was likely to attend. Myerson did not respond to a message seeking comment. The meeting comes amid mounting strains that may preclude compromise, after Senard warned Saikawa that Renault is prepared to block key Nissan governance reforms in a dispute over board committees. Alternatively, the escalating tensions and negotiating positions could give way to a breakthrough, as FCA-Renault’s industrial logic and savings prove hard to ignore. Saikawa, who has argued consistently that alliance shareholdings need “rebalancing” to reflect Nissan’s superior size, would press for a substantial reduction to Renault’s stake as part of any agreement, according to the same people. Nissan’s 15 percent stake in Renault carries no voting rights. “If FCA are expecting some sort of negotiation, they must be anticipating that request,” said one. The FCA-Renault deal that Elkann whipped off the table — at least for now — would have seen both companies acquired by a listed Dutch holding company owned 50-50 by current FCA and Renault shareholders, after payment of a €2.5 billion special dividend to FCA shareholders. Paris had secured stronger job guarantees and terms including a cash payment to Renault shareholders, following public criticism that the bid undervalued Renault. For Nissan, however, the merger would “swap out one small 43 percent shareholder for a bigger 43 percent shareholder it doesn’t know,” said a source familiar with top management thinking. Nissan could back the FCA-Renault deal only with a “substantial reduction” in the French carmaker’s holding, they said. France may not automatically oppose a reduction to the Nissan holding if it secures Renault’s place at the heart of a consolidated group. The government has also said it could reduce its own 15 percent Renault holding, to the same end. “All options can be considered,” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Le Figaro after the deal collapsed, when asked about Japanese pressure for Renault to reduce its Nissan stake. But a senior ministry official declined to elaborate on that possibility. “The proposal is gone,” he said. FCA may also be prepared to compromise for a tie-up that promises to plug the technology gaps threatening its ability to keep pace with vehicle electrification and emissions compliance. It has few other potential partners, after talks with Peugeot maker PSA ended inconclusively earlier this year. Estimated FCA-PSA synergies were closer to €3 billion, according to one person briefed on the matter. FCA has already floated a call option that will allow Nissan to increase its 7.5% voting stake in the combined FCA-Renault, another person involved in the talks said. Nonetheless, anything beyond a token reduction of Renault’s Nissan stake would likely upset the deal valuations and prove unpalatable to its prospective merger partner. “It’s not something FCA would want to reduce,” the same person said. “It’s an intrinsic part of the value of Renault.” Elkann and Senard had planned to press ahead with a merger agreement and formal talks over Nissan’s abstention, in the belief that the deal economics would compel it to follow and cooperate, sources close to the Renault board have said. By blocking that strategy at the eleventh hour, the French state may have handed the Japanese company a new negotiating opportunity. One thing Renault and Nissan can agree on is that any window to revive the merger is likely to be short. “If there’s going to be a deal it will probably be in weeks rather than months,” one alliance executive said.

nissan
carmakers
renault
mergers
fiat chrysler


ANA and Japan's space agency to look into possibility of using satellite system to find optimal flight paths

Abstract: ANA Holdings Inc. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have joined forces to look into the feasibility of using a satellite system to find the best flight paths for airplanes by observing wind and other conditions, thus cutting fuel consumption and costs. The airline group and the space agency signed a contract in January and aim to conduct joint research with other parties, including Keio University, until next January. The project is based on a proposal by Ayako Matsumoto, a 35-year-old ANA employee who won the top award with the idea at the 2017 S-Booster space business contest organized by the Cabinet Office in cooperation with JAXA, the airline and other companies. Some 100,000 flights are operated daily around the world and if airlines are able to reduce aircraft fuel consumption by just 1 percent, it would be possible to save 3.65 million tons of fuel annually, according to Matsumoto. Saving fuel will allow airlines to not only cut costs but also curb greenhouse gas emissions, she said. Aircraft fuel consumption is significantly affected by wind direction and intensity, especially by jet streams, which are relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the Earth’s atmosphere. Aircraft carrying unnecessary fuel consume more due to the plane’s weight. Usually, airplanes fly on set routes in accordance with flight plans submitted beforehand. But over the last decade or so, All Nippon Airways Co. has switched flight paths of airplanes in service over the Pacific after takeoff to the most efficient ones based on up-to-date weather forecast data, following proposals by Japanese and U.S. aviation authorities. However, fuel-saving effects were limited because it is not possible to set fixed observation points over the ocean, unlike onshore, and only limited data on wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere is available. In search of solutions, Matsumoto turned to the possibility of a satellite equipped with the Doppler Lidar system, which JAXA and other entities have been studying. Such a system could measure the direction and speed of wind by emitting a laser beam into the air and receiving the light backscattered by tiny dust particles in the atmosphere. Matsumoto believes observed data will allow airlines to set up more efficient flight paths with more accurate and up-to-date weather information. “In addition to cutting fuel, the utilization of a satellite carrying a Doppler Lidar system could also improve prediction accuracy for air turbulence and the spread of volcanic ash,” she said. Currently, airlines develop flight paths using private-sector data based on information originally released by weather agencies and specifically catered to the needs of aircraft. The data is not updated in real time and actual conditions in the atmosphere can be different by the time flights take off, Matsumoto said.

jaxa
satellites
ana holdings inc .
flight routes


Fujifilm to resume sales of black-and-white film in Japan

Abstract: Fujifilm Corp. said Monday it will resume sales of black-and-white film this fall in Japan after a one-year hiatus, in response to calls from fans of monochrome photography. The company began selling monochrome photographic film in 1936 but ceased sales around October last year, citing declining demand, the widespread use of digital cameras as well as difficulties in obtaining materials for production. The company will resume sales to meet demand from young people as well as older photography enthusiasts who want to take monochrome pictures to post on social networking sites, it said. Fujifilm received numerous requests for black-and-white film to be sold again, including from young social media users attracted by the aesthetic qualities of monochrome photography. Since the termination of sales, some information has been posted online that describes how to use out-of-date film to produce unique, attractive pictures. The new product will be called “Neopan Acros 100II.” Its production has been made possible by the discovery and use of substitutes for materials that are hard to procure, Fujifilm said. Its price has yet to be set.

sales
marketing
fujifilm corp .
black-and-white film


Nissan slams Renault's decision to abstain on vote over corporate governance

Abstract: Nissan chief executive Hiroto Saikawa criticized the automaker’s French alliance partner, Renault, on Monday for trying to block changes to strengthen corporate governance following the arrest of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan received a letter from Renault saying it would abstain in voting on the governance measures at Nissan’s June 25 shareholders meeting, Saikawa said, apparently because its views weren’t adequately reflected. Renault declined to comment. The exact nature of Renault’s demand was unclear, but the company, which owns 43 percent of Nissan, may have wanted more representation on the committees being set up to strengthen corporate governance. Saikawa said the proposed changes have already been discussed by Nissan’s board, including members nominated by Renault. “Nissan finds Renault’s new stance on this matter most regrettable, as such a stance runs counter to the company’s efforts to improve its corporate governance,” he said. The proposal calls for three committees to add outside directors and oversee compensation and audit. Saikawa’s comments, which reflect differences with Renault, came after he expressed caution last week about a merger offer from Fiat Chrysler to Renault. Fiat Chrysler withdrew the offer in less than two weeks, noting Renault wasn’t able to quickly persuade Nissan. Separately, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Hiroshige Seko, minister for economy, trade and industry, exchanged views Monday about the Renault and Nissan alliance, and both nations reaffirmed their support for the alliance as “winning cooperation,” according to the Japanese government. Last week, Renault’s board launched legal proceedings against Ghosn. Renault said an internal audit with Nissan found $12.5 million in questionable personal expenses allegedly linked to Ghosn at their Dutch-based holding company. On Sunday, Ghosn’s French lawyers said he hasn’t received the audit but offered to provide explanations. Ghosn was arrested in November and again in April in Japan over allegations of financial misconduct. He says he is innocent. Analysts say it would be difficult and costly for Nissan to break away from Renault as the companies, partnering for two decades under Ghosn’s leadership, share auto parts, research and investments. But they also say Nissan has been hoping to get more say in the alliance because until recently it was more profitable than Renault. Nissan’s profits are tumbling, partly because of costs related to Ghosn’s arrest but also because of sales problems in the North American market.

nissan carmakers renault acquisitions mergers


Japanese car rental firm to install dashcams in all new vehicles in effort to deter dangerous driving

Abstract: Nippon Rent-A-Car Service Inc. said Monday it will start installing dashboard cameras in all new vehicles from July as part of its efforts to deter reckless driving. The company said it will be the first car rental outfit in Japan to install dashcams in all new vehicles, and it expects them to enhance its market appeal as well as help determine who is at fault in the event of an accident. All Nippon Rent-A-Car vehicles will be installed with a recording device by the spring of 2021, it said. The company said around 40 percent of the some 37,000 rental vehicles it has, including trucks, have dashcams installed as of April. Sales of dashcams have been rising steadily in Japan, growing 28 percent to 1.39 million units in 2018, according to market research firm GfK Japan.

cars
dashcam
car rental
nippon rent-a-car service


United Technologies and Raytheon poised for massive merger

Abstract: Raytheon and United Technologies, two major American aeronautics and defense groups, are poised to announce as early this week plans for a massive merger, according to U.S. media. The Wall Street Journal revealed on Saturday, citing an anonymous source, that talks have been underway between the two pillars of the aeronautics and defense industries worldwide. The merger, which would take place solely through an exchange of shares, would create an enterprise with a market value of $168 billion. Unless the negotiations break down, a deal is expected to be announced in the coming days, a source close to the matter told the Journal. Raytheon did not respond Sunday to queries from AFP. A spokeswoman for UTC, Michele Quintaglie, said she had no comment. Raytheon is best known for its Patriot air defense systems, which gained fame during the first Gulf War, and its Tomahawk cruise missiles, often the first weapons fired from U.S. Navy ships in recent conflicts. United Technologies is a big player in the aeronautics industry with its Pratt and Whitney engines, which are used in civil and military aircraft, including the F-35 multirole fighter, considered one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world. This merger “among equals,” according to the Journal, would be carried out at the same time as United Technologies spins off its nondefense and aerospace enterprises, including such holdings as Otis elevators and Carrier air-conditioning and building systems. Spinning off those assets, which employ about 500 people, should be completed by the end of the year, UTC indicated in its quarterly earnings report in April. According to the Journal, they would become independent, publicly traded companies by the first quarter of 2020. The UTC merger with Raytheon would transform the two companies into a single conglomerate with varied but well-established brands, each in the top tier of its specialty. The Journal said UTC’s CEO Gregory Hayes, the merger’s architect, will assume the leadership of the new group, while Raytheon’s CEO, Thomas Kennedy, will become chairman of the board. Hayes has led UTC since 2016 and oversaw the $23 billion acquisition of Rockwell Collins, another big name in the U.S. defense and aeronautics sector. Thanks in large part to Rockwell Collins, which became Collins Aerospace, UTC posted good results in the first quarter of 2019. Collins Aerospace makes parts for aircraft engines, internal and external lighting for aircraft, seats, brakes, landing gear and pneumatic, hydraulic and electrical equipment. It also offers maintenance services for aircraft. Rockwell Collins’ sales rose 71 percent to $6.51 billion in the first quarter of 2019. During his presentation of the quarterly results, Hayes expressed optimism about the outlook for the rest of the year, stressing that the mix of civil and defense products had put UTC in a strong position. A UTC-Raytheon merger would create one of the biggest defense groups in the world, even if its $168 billion market capitalization based on Friday’s share prices is reduced by the coming UTC spinoffs. Boeing was valued at $199 billion Friday, Lockheed Martin at $100 billion and Europe’s Airbus at €94 billion, or $104 billion. In 2018, Raytheon had sales of $27 billion and earnings of a little less than $3 billion. For its part, United Technologies posted sales of $66.5 last year, and earnings of $5.3 billion.

weapons
raytheon
arms-makers
united technologies
rockwell collins


Far-right rally in Germany's Chemnitz after knife attack

Abstract: BERLIN - Tensions rose again Sunday in the eastern German city of Chemnitz, which last year saw days of xenophobic mob violence, after a local far-right group protested against a Muslim community festival. Dozens of far-right protesters staged a rally, a day after an altercation in which an 18-year-old Syrian man allegedly injured the hand of a 41-year-old German man with a knife. Police said they were investigating on charges of dangerous assault. The altercation came after a Muslim community street festival was held Saturday in the city center, and the local far-right group Pro Chemnitz protested nearby with a BBQ event. An online video shows the extremist group grilling spit-roast pork while attendants yell “this is our city. Pro Chemnitz later claimed the injured man was one of its “comrades in arms” and posted “breaking news” about the incident on social media along with a generic picture of a bloodied knife. A local right-wing group then called for the demonstration Sunday, which was joined by some 50 people, according to local daily Freie Presse. About 60 demonstrators staged a counter-protest and 66 police kept watch, local authorities said, adding that no violence was reported. Chemnitz earned worldwide notoriety last year after a German man’s fatal stabbing sparked mass proteststhat saw neo-Nazis rampaging through the streets targeting people of foreign appearance. Defense lawyers for the Syrian man, Alaa Sheikhi, insist he is innocent in the manslaughter trial that is being held in another city of the ex-communist east, Dresden, for security reasons.

islam germany discrimination racism chemnitz


U.S.-Mexico immigration crackdown expected to boost need for people smugglers

Abstract: MEXICO CITY - The immigration agreement between Mexico and the United States that averted U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports has a clear beneficiary, experts say: human traffickers. Under the pact reached Friday night, Mexico will deploy its recently created National Guard along the border with Guatemala, as well as dismantle groups that smuggle people across borders. However, experts predict that as the National Guard presence increases on the southern border, the business of human trafficking will only grow. “There will be more mechanisms of control, there will be greater rigidity, and that will cause an increase in the cost of crossing, which will strengthen organized crime’s business of trafficking people,” said Javier Urbano, a researcher in international affairs at the Universidad Iberoamericana. “The greater the difficulty, the greater the cost and the greater the demand for traffickers,” he said. Mexican and American authorities reached the agreement late Friday in the face of a U.S. threat to levy five percent tariffs on all Mexican imports, beginning Monday and escalating to 25 percent by October. “What I see is extortion: there are no tariffs and Mexico accepts a series of things that have many complications for the country,” said Leticia Calderon, an expert on migration at the Mora Institute, a research center in Mexico City. Mexican activists and opposition politicians say the pact also implies the militarization of the southern border. Placing pressure on migrants is nothing new for the Mexican authorities. For months now, roundups and detentions of migrants have been constant in southern Mexico, despite the open-door rhetoric of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who assumed office in December. Arrests of foreigners in Mexican territory rose from 8,248 people in January to 23,679 in May. The great majority of those detained were Central Americans, according to the most recent government statistics. Deportations also have been spiraling upward, from 5,884 in January to 16,507 in May, most of them Salvadorans, Guatemalans or Hondurans. Luis Villagran, an activist who often accompanies the migrants on their journeys north, says those hard-line tactics have only driven up demand for traffickers. “What this close-minded migratory policy (means) … is a high number of Central Americans who are going with human traffickers,” he said. While many migrants attempt to cross into Mexico from the Guatemalan border, Villagran said another corridor is taking shape on Mexico’s southern border with Belize. “They charge $900 to pass them across, and there are no troops deployed there,” Villagran said. Urbano, the international relations specialist, said the arrests of migrants and the agreement reached Friday show the extent to which Mexico’s immigration policies are synchronized with those of the United States. “We have almost a sick dependence on the economy of the United States, and we live in synchronicity with that country’s security agenda,” he said. Despite the pressure tactics by the U.S. and Mexican governments, Villagran insists: “Migration will not stop.” Since last October, the number of Central Americans trying to reach the United States through Mexico has increased as they flee violence and poverty in their own countries. In addition to the Central Americans, there are migrants from Cuba and as far away as Eritrea or the Democratic Republic of Congo. To deal with the emergency, Lopez Obrador’s government is betting that a development plan for Central America can stem the flow of migrants. But the migrants are placing their own bets on reaching the United States, and quickly. “The fear is that they may close the border. But you know the immigrant will always get through. They can close the border, they can build 1,000 walls and a thousand more and they will still get in,” said Josue Arenal, a 57-year-old Honduran migrant at a shelter in the city of Tapachulas, in the southern state of Chiapas. “Donald Trump can do what he can, but he will never stop the migrants,” he added.

u.s .
immigration
rights
mexico
donald trump
andres manuel lopez obrador


Pope laments 'culture of insults' and decries church propaganda

Abstract: VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis on Sunday lamented what he called a “culture of insults” enabled by social media and warned against nationalism and other “exclusivist ideas” that he said contrast with a Christian mission to foster harmony. In his homily during Pentecost Mass Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, Francis also decried that “the more we use social media, the less social we are becoming.” “In today’s world, lack of harmony has led to stark divisions,” Francis said. “There are those who have too much and those who have nothing, those who want to live to a hundred and those who cannot even be born.” He warned of the temptation to cling to “our little group, to the things and people we like,” concluding that it’s only a “small step from a nest to a sect, even within the church.” The pope said that “nowadays it is fashionable to hurl adjectives and, sadly, even insults” in what’s tantamount to “a culture of insults.” He recommended responding “to malice with goodness, to shouting with silence, to gossip with prayer, to defeatism with encouragement.” He also warned against the Catholic church’s neglecting its mission to spread joy, instead becoming an organization with propaganda as its mission. The Vatican after Mass released a papal message about the church’s mission in the world. In it, Francis echoed a call a century ago by Pope Benedict XV, right after the devastation of World War I, for “an end to all forms of nationalism and ethnocentrism.” He also cited a reminder by that same pope that “the church’s universal mission requires setting aside exclusivist ideas of membership in one’s own country and ethnic group.” Said Francis as he defined the church’s mission today: “No one ought to remain closed in self-absorption.”

social media
vatican
catholic church
pope francis
propaganda


Four dead as Sudan police move to quell civil disobedience

Abstract: KHARTOUM - Four people were killed in Sudan on Sunday as protesters launched a civil disobedience campaign against the military after a bloody crackdown on a sit-in demonstration calling for civilian rule. The campaign got underway nearly a week after the assault on demonstrators at the sit-in outside army headquarters in central Khartoum, which followed talks breaking down between protest leaders and military rulers over who should lead a new governing body — a civilian or soldier. Following the call for the campaign of civil disobedience, protesters set about building roadblocks in Khartoum while markets and shops were closed in several other towns and cities. A doctors committee linked to the demonstrators said two people were killed on Sunday in unrest that rocked Khartoum and two others in its twin city of Omdurman, just across the Nile river. The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors blamed forces of the ruling military council and paramilitary “militias” for the four deaths, which it said took the overall toll to 118 since the June 3 crackdown to disperse the sit-in. The health ministry says 61 people died nationwide in the June 3 crackdown, 49 of them by “live ammunition” in Khartoum. In the capital’s northern Bahari district, people gathered tires, tree trunks and rocks to build new roadblocks as the campaign began Sunday. “Almost all internal roads of Bahari have roadblocks. Protesters are even stopping residents from going to work,” a witness told AFP. But riot police swiftly moved in, firing gunshots in the air and tear gas at demonstrators before clearing the makeshift barriers, he said. The Sudanese Professionals Association, which first launched protests against longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in December, said the campaign of civil disobedience would continue until the military rulers transfer power to a civilian government. In Bahari district, onlookers saw a police truck full of people in civilian clothing but it was not possible to confirm whether they were arrested demonstrators. “We blocked the streets to send a message to those trying to steal our revolution that they will fail,” said Emad Ibrahim, 25, a protester from Bahari. “It is a long road ahead for us, but after the sacrifice made by our brothers who have been killed, we believe that we will achieve our goal.” Several protesters said they faced difficulties but were still backing the campaign. “The roadblocks prevented me from reaching the market to buy vegetables,” said Hassan Abdelrahim, a vegetable vendor. “This will impact my income, but when I look at these youngsters who are on the streets since six months, I’m not angry even if I lose my income.” Khartoum residents have mostly remained indoors since Monday, when men in military fatigues raided the protest camp. Several vehicles of the feared Rapid Support Forces, blamed by witnesses for the killings, were seen Sunday moving across some parts of the capital loaded with machine guns. RSF members were also seen surrounding the main electricity station. Several airlines have scrapped their Sudan flights since the deadly raid and passengers were left waiting outside Khartoum airport’s departures terminal Sunday, although it was unclear whether any flights would take off. The downtown business district was largely shut and buses were not running in several areas, but private vehicles were ferrying passengers in some locations. In Omdurman, many shops and markets remained closed but people were seen buying staples in some grocery stores. “Troops were also seen removing roadblocks from some streets in Omdurman,” an onlooker said. In the central city of Al-Obeid, the main market was shut and several bank employees did not report to work, residents said. In the town of Madani, southeast of the capital, people were seen lining up outside closed bakeries while the main market was also shut. “I went to three bakeries and have been unable to buy bread,” a Madani resident told AFP by telephone, adding that protesters had built roadblocks on several streets making it difficult for vehicles to pass. It was the tripling of bread prices that first triggered protests against Bashir in December, which later turned into a nationwide movement against his iron-fisted rule. After the president was ousted in April, demonstrators remained camped out for weeks in Khartoum to pressure the ruling generals into transferring power. After several rounds of negotiations between protest leaders and the military, talks broke down in mid-May. Witnesses say the subsequent assault on the sit-in was led by the RSF, who have their origins in the notorious Janjaweed militia, accused of abuses in the Darfur conflict between 2003 and 2004. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed traveled to Sudan on Friday in a bid to revive negotiations, holding separate meetings with the two sides after which he called for a “quick” democratic transition.

protests
sudan
omar al-bashir
rsf
khartoum


Thousands pour into Colombia to buy food and medicine as Venezuela reopens border

Abstract: CUCUTA, COLOMBIA - Thousands of people crossed into Colombia on Saturday to buy food and medicine after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reopened a border between the countries that had been shut down for the past four months. Long lines of Venezuelans stood at two international bridges near the city of Cúcuta waiting to have their documents checked by Colombian officials, with some carrying children on their shoulders. Venezuelan border guards dressed in green uniforms helped control the crowd. The South American nation’s socialist government ordered the borders with Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Brazil and Colombia closed in February as the opposition tried to deliver food and medical supplies into the country. Most of the aid was provided by the United States, a key ally of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who declared himself to be Venezuela’s rightful president in January. But Maduro dismissed the aid as an infringement on Venezuela’s sovereignty and prohibited it from entering. In May, the government reopened borders with Aruba and Brazil, but the Simon Bolivar International Bridge and the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge with Colombia have remained closed up until now. With the reopening, a flood of people seized on the opportunity to enter into the neighboring country and secure items that are all but unattainable in Venezuela. The once-wealthy oil nation is now facing severe shortages of basic goods and hyperinflation that is expected to surpass 10 million percent this year, according to a recent IMF estimate. The chaos has been further aggravated by U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports and has forced an estimated 5,000 people to leave the country each day, according to the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees. The U.N. refugee agency said Friday that 4 million Venezuelans, or almost 15 percent of the population, have left the country. On Saturday, the UNHCR’s special envoy, Angelina Jolie, was visiting another part of the Colombia-Venezuela border to learn more about the conditions faced by migrants and refugees and raise awareness about their needs. The Hollywood actress met with aid workers and Venezuelans and toured a tent village built by UNHCR for vulnerable migrants. Following her visit, Jolie gave a brief statement in which she praised Colombia for receiving more than 1.3 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees, and urged the leaders of developed countries to do more to help displaced people around the world. “Looking across the word it seems that those who have the least, are those that often give the most” Jolie said. “Instead of focusing on how to address the gap in diplomacy and security and peace that is causing growing numbers of people to move, we hear increasing talk of what individual governments are not prepared to do.” Jolie said that UNHCR is struggling to fund services for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. In December, the agency launched a $738 million plan to assist displaced Venezuelans across the hemisphere, but it has only been able to raise a fifth of that money so far. Earlier on Saturday, Jolie met with Colombia President Ivan Duque, who has pledged to keep his country’s border with Venezuela open despite the large influx of migrants. Duque said that during the meeting with Jolie and UNHCR officials, both sides discussed steps that could be taken to facilitate the integration of Venezuelans in Colombia, including legislation to grant Colombian nationality to thousands of children of Venezuelan migrants who have been born in Colombia and are currently stateless. Duque said that granting these children citizenship would be a “humanitarian way to give them the opportunities and benefits” that will enable them to emerge out of poverty. Colombia’s National Civil Registry counts at least 3,290 children born since December 2017 who have been unable to obtain citizenship. Rights groups say the numbers could be as high as 25,000.

u.s .
medicine
venezuela
colombia
refugees
nicolas maduro
juan guaido


Tensions force evacuation of Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon

Abstract: DEIR AL-AHMAR, LEBANON - Dozens of Syrian refugees dismantled their tents, filled trucks with belongings and left a camp they lived in for years in eastern Lebanon on Sunday after local authorities ordered them to evacuate in the aftermath of a brawl with local firefighters. Lebanese officials say the decision to evacuate is to prevent revenge attacks and further tension after residents of the town threatened to storm the camp. A curfew on the Syrian refugees living in Deir al-Ahmar, estimated at 6,000, was put in place for two days and police patrolled the area. “This is to ensure their safety and to stop the bloodshed,” said Jean Fakhry, a Lebanese municipality official in Deir al-Ahmar told The Associated Press. The evacuation of more than 90 tents reflects the growing tension in Lebanon over hosting more than 1 million Syrian refugees since 2011. A country of nearly 5 million, Lebanon’s infrastructure and economy has been overwhelmed by the arrival of those fleeing the war next door. Mostly impoverished and dispossessed, many settled in the country’s east, living in squalid camps and struggling to work and survive in the area known for its harsh winters and sizzling summers. As Lebanon deals with an economic crunch, many Lebanese politicians and groups turned to Syrians, calling for them to go home saying the violence there is winding down. In the scorching sun of the early afternoon, Syrian men, women and children pulled down cloth and carpets covering the wooden structures that served as their temporary homes. They piled mattresses, pots and pans into trucks headed to a new location miles away. Local officials say 600 lived in the camps but U.N. estimates said it was closer to 400 people. It is at least the second time the refugees, most of them from Idlib province, had to pack their lives into boxes to find new, safer areas. Samar Awad, a 27-year old Syrian, said the camp’s residents are being sent to a new site with no electricity or water. She said it may be equally dangerous as their reputation as troublemakers will precede them. “We have been living here for seven years,” said Awad. “It has become like home, and more.” Awad hails from Saraqeb, a town in Idlib, the last area controlled by the opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Seasonal farmers from Syria, like Awad, used come to Lebanon even before the war. But after the violence, many of them stayed, overwhelming the local communities. Last week, a fire broke out on the hill overlooking the camp sparking panic. When firefighters arrived, residents pelted their vehicle with stones over what they said was the rescuers’ late arrival. A brawl ensued and a firefighter was injured and tents were damaged. The army arrived on the scene and arrested more than 30 Syrians. The camp residents fled and later, unknown assailants set three of the tents ablaze. The tensions led to the evacuation order and the lockdown on refugees in the area. “There was local anger and revolt,” Fakhry, the Lebanese official said. “We decided they should not come back to avoid another problem and bloodshed.” The U.N. refugee agency was on the scene Sunday as the Syrians prepared to leave. In a statement, the agency said all perpetrators should be prosecuted as an investigation is underway. “A collective punishment of Syrian refugees in Lebanon will further escalate the situation,” the UNHCR said. “All refugees in Lebanon should not be punished over one incident and outside the justice system.”

conflict
syria
lebanon
refugees
bashar assad
unhcr
idlib
deir al-ahmar


At least one dead as protesters burn tires and block roads in Haiti

Abstract: PORT-AU-PRINCE - Thousands of protesters denouncing corruption blocked roads and paralyzed much of the Haitian capital on Sunday as they demand the removal of President Jovenel Moise. At least one person was reported killed. Demonstrators burned tires and threw stones during the march in Port-au-Prince, where the scent of burning rubber filled the air. Many stores and gas stations were closed and travel between some cities was impeded as protesters blocked roadways with cars, stones and other large objects. Police erected barricades near the presidential palace and fired tear gas when protesters attempted to breach them. Journalists saw at least one person who had died following the crack of gunfire nearby. He was put on a motorcycle and carried to the Sam Ambulance service, where director-general Ralph Senecal said the man was shot in the chest and died by the time he reached the service. It was not immediately clear who fired the shot that killed him. The protesters were demanding further investigation into the fate of funds that resulted from subsidized oil shipments from Venezuela under the Petrocaribe program. A Senate investigation recently determined at least 14 former government officials allegedly misused $3.8 billion under the administration of former President Michel Martelly. Venezuela’s collapsing economy has forced the South American nation to halt or drastically curtail Petrocaribe shipments, leading to problems for power generation. Many Haitians now receive electricity for only a few hours a day. Protesters came from a wide cross section of society, including political parties, religious groups and community activists.

venezuela corruption haiti caribbean port-au-prince petrocaribe


Canadian leader Justin Trudeau to announce ban on some single-use plastics from 2021

Abstract: TORONTO - The Canadian government plans to announce it is moving to ban single-use plastics as early as 2021, a senior government official said late Sunday The official said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make the announcement Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of Monday’s news conference. The official said specific items to be banned will be determined based on a science-based review, but they are considering items such as water bottles, plastic bags and straws. The official said Trudeau’s government is looking at what the European Union did and drawing inspiration from their model. The European Union Parliament overwhelmingly voted in March to impose a wide-ranging ban on single-use plastics to counter pollution from discarded items that end up in waterways and fields. EU member states have given their support but need to vote on the measure for it to go into effect. The EU’s measure would affect a range of plastic products for which reasonable alternatives exist, from straws to earbuds, starting in 2021. Disposable utensils will not be completely off-limits, but the EU measure calls for them to be made of sustainable materials wherever possible. The approved EU legislation also sets a goal of having plastic bottles 90 percent recycled by 2025 and to cut litter from the 10 items that turn up in oceans most often in half. The EU estimated the changes will cost the bloc’s economy €259 million to €695 million ($291 million to $781 million) a year. The European Parliament has said that plastics production is 20 times higher now than it was during the 1960s. China’s decision to no longer import some of the EU’s waste helped spur the plastics ban. China banned the import of plastic waste last year, causing other Southeast Asian nations to become new destinations. The Philippines, one of two Southeast Asian countries that protested being treated like dump sites by wealthier nations, shipped 69 containers of what its officials called illegally transported garbage back to Canada in May.

canada
recycling
waste
plastic
plastic waste


Case opened: Democrats begin public airing of Mueller report

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says it’s “case closed.” But Democrats are just getting started with Robert Mueller. House Democrats have scheduled a series of hearings this coming week on the special counsel’s report as they intensify their focus on the Russia probe and pick up the pace on an investigative “path” — in the words of Speaker Nancy Pelosi — that some of them hope leads to impeachment of the president. In doing so, they are trying to draw the public’s attention on the allegations that Trump sought to obstruct a federal investigation and they want to highlight his campaign’s contacts with Russia in the 2016 election. And they will lay the groundwork for an appearance from Mueller himself, despite his stated desire to avoid the spotlight. The hearings will focus on the two main topics of Mueller’s report, obstruction of justice and Russian election interference. The House Judiciary Committee plans to cover the first topic at a Monday hearing on “presidential obstruction and other crimes.” The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday intends to review the counterintelligence implications of the Russian meddling. Mueller said there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction. On Tuesday, the House has scheduled a vote to authorize contempt cases against Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House. Barr defied a subpoena to provide an unredacted version of Mueller’s report, along with underlying evidence. McGahn, who is frequently referenced in the report, has defied subpoenas to provide documents and testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Language in the resolution would make it easier for committee chairmen to take the Trump administration to court. Those chairmen could take legal action to enforce subpoenas in the future without a vote of the full House, so long as the chairmen have approval from a five-person, bipartisan group where Democrats have the majority. With Trump pledging that “we’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Democratic leaders want to avoid repeated floor votes on contempt resolutions that detract from their legislative agenda. The procession of hearings and votes in the week ahead is partly designed to mollify anxious Democrats who have pushed Pelosi, D-Calif., to begin impeachment proceedings immediately . Pelosi has so far rejected that option , preferring a slower, more methodical approach to investigating the president, including the court fights and hearings. During a meeting with the House Judiciary Committee chairman, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and other committee heads last week, Pelosi made the case that she would rather see Trump voted out of office and “in prison” than merely impeached, according to a report in Politico. A person familiar with the exchange confirmed the account to The Associated Press. The latest approach appears to have temporarily satisfied the restless House Democrats. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who pleaded with Pelosi last month to start an inquiry, said the votes and hearings are going to be enough, for now, as they wait to see what happens in court. “I am very satisfied that things are moving in the right direction,” Raskin said. “And I think the American people are getting increasingly educated and engaged about the lawlessness of the president.” Rep. David Cicilline, a Judiciary Committee member who favors an impeachment inquiry, took pains to avoid separating himself from top Democrats such as Pelosi. “We should never proceed with impeachment for political reasons. We should never refuse to proceed with impeachment for political reasons,” Cicilline, D-R.I., said on “Fox News Sunday.” Educating the American public on what is in the Mueller report is a priority for Democrats, who believe Trump and his allies have created the public impression that the report said there was no obstruction of justice. Trump has made that assertion repeatedly, echoing Barr’s judgment that there was not enough evidence in the report to support a criminal obstruction charge. Mueller said in the report that he could not exonerate Trump on that point. The special counsel did not find evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia. But the report details multiple contacts between the two. California Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the goal of the Wednesday hearing will be to explain to the American people “the serious counterintelligence concerns raised by the Mueller report, examine the depth and breadth of the unethical and unpatriotic conduct it describes, and produce prescriptive remedies to ensure that this never happens again.” Republicans are poised to defend the president at the hearings and challenge Democrats on the decision not to open impeachment hearings. Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, sent Nadler a letter Friday calling the upcoming hearing a “mock impeachment hearing” and warning Democrats to be civil when speaking of the president. Collins said in the letter that outside of impeachment proceedings, “it is out of order for a member of Congress, in debate, to engage in personalities with the president or express an opinion, even a third party opinion, accusing the president of a crime. The rules are clear on this point.”

u.s .
congress
robert mueller
democrats
impeachment
donald trump
don mcgahn
russia probe
jerrold nadler
william barr


Iraq begins examining Yazidi mass graves remains

Abstract: BAGHDAD - Iraq will use DNA testing to identify the remains of 141 bodies found in mass graves believed to contain the Yazidi victims of Islamic State group massacres, the head of the country’s forensics administration said on Sunday. Zaid al-Yousef said Yazidi survivors helped to locate the 12 graves in the Sinjar region in north Iraq. Iraq is working to exhume remains from mass graves for forensic evidence of the IS group’s crimes when it ruled over parts of the country’s north from 2014 to 2017. It is supported by a special U.N. investigations team. The Sunni Muslim extremists did not tolerate other faiths and tried to exterminate the Yazidis, a religious minority with beliefs that distinguish them from Muslim and Christian worshippers in the region. IS followers said the Yazidis were “apostates” and killed hundreds of men while enslaving thousands of women and children. The U.N. called it a genocide. Yazidi groups say the process of exhuming graves and identifying victims is moving too slowly. “We feel there is some neglect of the issue,” said Ali Khedhir, the head of the Yazidi spiritual council office in the village of Lalesh, the spiritual home of the faith. Since the 2003 U.S. invasion, the Yazidis have suffered from discrimination and persecution by extremist movements among the Muslim Arab population in the ethnically mixed region. The Yazidis speak Kurdish but identify as their own ethnic community. Now the Yazidis believe their Arab neighbors participated in the massacres against their community, and Iraqi officials are afraid of stirring up tensions with their investigations of the graves, said Khedhir. Tens of thousands of Yazidis are still living in camps outside Sinjar. Widespread destruction of their homes and persistent insecurity have dissuaded them from returning to their villages. In March, Iraq and the U.N. began exhuming graves in the village of Kocho, where Islamic State militants are believed to have massacred hundreds of Yazidis in August 2014. Another 3,000 Yazidis are still missing after they were abducted from Sinjar by IS militants. The survivors are believed to be living among IS families held in detention by Syrian Kurdish forces in neighboring Syria. Al-Yousef, the director of Iraq’s Department of Forensic Medicine, told The Associated Press on Sunday it will take until August to identify the 141 bodies transferred to Baghdad from Sinjar for DNA testing. The investigation is being hampered by a lack of survivors and hesitation among relatives of the dead to come forward with DNA samples, said al-Yousef. Investigators require DNA samples from three relatives to identify each victim. The U.N. is searching for relatives of the deceased in other countries and seeking to obtain DNA samples to assist the investigation, he added. “The Yazidi investigation is the most difficult we have ever come across,” said al-Yousef.

conflict
u.s .
terrorism
u.n .
iraq
islamic state
yazidis
al-yousef


Russian reporter's lawyer protests alleged police violence

Abstract: MOSCOW - A lawyer for a Russian journalist detained on charges of drug dealing has filed a complaint that accuses police of using violence against the prominent reporter, a human rights group said Sunday. Police rebuffed claims that Ivan Golunov was beaten after his Thursday arrest; his lawyers said he may have suffered a concussion and rib fractures. Golunov, who has denied using or possessing drugs, was examined in a hospital Saturday and found to have abrasions on his back and a bruise around one eye. A court released him into house arrest later in the day. The complaint lawyer, Olga Dinze, lodged with Russia’s Investigative Committee alleges the journalist was subjected to “unmotivated physical violence” while in custody, Pavel Chikov, the head of human rights group Agora head, said Sunday in a post on the Telegram messaging service. The case has attracted wide attention in Russia and abroad, reflecting concerns Golunov might have been arrested because of his work. Topics he covered for the Meduza website include on unscrupulous lenders evicting people from their residences and an organization’s alleged attempts to take over the Russian funeral business. Protesters called for his release during rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg. A small group also demonstrated in New York City to show support for Golunov on Saturday, when the U.S. Embassy in Moscow argued for his release. “We join the Russian media community and call for the release of Ivan Golunov, and conducting a thorough and open investigation of this case,” the embassy tweeted. “Like any other journalist, Golunov should not be persecuted due to his professional activities.” Suspicions that Golunov may have been set up have been bolstered by an array of misinformation on the case. Russian state TV reported Sunday that authorities found Golunov intoxicated when they arrived at his home to arrest him. But it later said a medical report showed no evidence of his intoxication. When police announced the arrest Friday, they released photographs showing bags containing a white substance and big empty bottles suggestive of a makeshift drug lab. They later said the photos were published in error. On Sunday, state news channel Rossiya-24 broadcast a man it identified as a police official saying the images were from a separate investigation.

media
drugs
russia
rights
journalism
police
ivan golunov


Saudi youth, arrested at 13, faces possible execution

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - A young Saudi man, arrested when he was 13, could face execution for taking part in Shiite-led protests as a child, Amnesty International said. Murtaja Qureiris, now 18, is on trial for charges that include joining a “terror group” and “sowing sedition,” according to the rights group and CNN, which first reported details of his case in recent days. He was detained in September 2014 and held in solitary confinement for part of that time. As is typical with cases involving national security, Saudi Arabia has not commented nor made details of the case public. Concern, however, has grown after the kingdom as recently as April carried out a mass execution of 37 men, most of whom were Shiite. Among those executed was a young Shiite male arrested at age 16, according to Amnesty International. The rights group deemed the trial of some of those executed as “grossly unfair.” Qureiris is being charged with offenses that involve taking part in protests when he was as young as 10. Another charge relates to his participation at the age of 11 in an anti-government rally that erupted at funeral for his older brother, who was killed while protesting in 2011 during the height of Arab Spring revolts that were roiling other parts of the Middle East. Minority Shiite protesters in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province launched protests that year to demand equal rights and a greater share of the kingdom’s oil wealth, which is concentrated in the east. They complained of poor government services, as well as discrimination from the country’s government-backed ultraconservative Wahhabi clerics and their Sunni followers. In recent years, as tensions with Shiite-led Iran intensified, the government under King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also intensified a crackdown on government critics, particularly Saudi Shiites. Since 2014, more than 100 Saudi Shiites have been tried before Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism court on vague and wide-ranging charges arising from their opposition to the government, according to Amnesty International. In 2016, the kingdom’s highest profile Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, was executed, sparking protests from Pakistan to Iran and the ransacking of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Saudi-Iran ties have not recovered and the embassy remains shuttered. Details of Qureiris’ case emerged after CNN reported that Saudi prosecutors sought capital punishment against him back in 2018. Prosecutors argued that his “sowing of sedition” warranted the worst possible punishment, despite him not being charged with loss of life. He has, however, been charged with shooting at security forces and accompanying his brother on a motorcycle ride to a police station in the mostly Shiite town of Awamiya, where the brother allegedly threw a makeshift firebomb at the station. CNN said Qureiris, whose father and brother are detained, has denied the charges with activists saying his confessions were obtained under duress.


Seagull photobombs, stealing woman's lobster roll as she tries to take perfect pic

Abstract: NEW YORK - Alicia Jessop knew Friday was going to be a memorable day, but she didn’t realize it would be one she’d never forget. The 34-year-old Pepperdine University professor planned to finally visit New England, hitting some of the last seven states she’d never been to, and try her first-ever lobster roll. What she didn’t plan for was capturing a now-viral photo of the moment a seagull tried to snag her pricey sandwich as she was lining up the perfect shot. “I was really embarrassed. You hear stories of people taking crazy Instagram pictures and hurting themselves and I was like, ‘Oh my God, you are now that person. You just wasted $21.50 for a picture.'” Jessop started her lobster roll quest Friday afternoon, renting a car after wrapping up a work conference in Vermont and beginning her New England road trip. After a few Google and Yelp searches, she made her way to Fox’s Lobster House in York, Maine, buying her $21.50 lobster roll and walking over to the water to take a picture. “It was the most picturesque place,” Jessop said. “You’re standing on the seashore overlooking the lighthouse. I don’t really take a lot of food pictures, but I knew this needed to be documented.” She spent about 20 seconds framing her Instagram shot, maneuvering her hands holding the lobster roll in the perfect position so her phone could capture the sandwich and the Nubble Lighthouse in the background. Jessop said as she took the picture, she felt something rustle her hand. She immediately thought she dropped the lobster roll. “That’s when I realized the seagull had swooped in and I hadn’t even seen it coming,” she said. “It’s a really smart bird and it all happened so fast.” Before she had time to shoo the bird away, Jessop said it was already feasting on the lobster roll with “all of his friends.” As she walked back to the lobster shack to get another roll, she flipped through her camera roll and burst into laughter, realizing the only photo she had was the exact moment the seagull had swooped in to steal her sandwich. She posted the picture on Twitter, saying, “This is why we can’t have nice things.” Within a half an hour, thousands of people had liked her post, which now has more than 191,000 likes on Twitter. Jessop went back to Fox’s and paid for another $21.50 lobster roll, but this time sat in a different area to enjoy the sandwich, which she said “was an awesome treat and well worth the money.” She asked another customer to snap a photo of her so she had proof she actually ate a lobster roll. Aside from the funny story and laughter she personally got from her lobster roll mishap, Jessop said the experience has shown her “people just need a laugh.” She is also embracing the possibility of being known as the seagull picture woman for the rest of her life. “There’s a lot worse things I could be known for, and if that means I get free lobster rolls and bring a little bit of laughter into people’s lives, I think that’s a good thing,” she said.


Boris Johnson woos the hard-Brexit brigade as Michael Gove is eclipsed by cocaine woes

Abstract: LONDON - Boris Johnson, the front-runner to succeed Theresa May as U.K. prime minister, pledged a hard line on Brexit — including the option of leaving without a deal — as contenders to lead the Conservative Party sought support before the list of candidates is finalized Monday. Johnson, who also said he would scrap the Irish border backstop and withhold £39 billion ($50 billion) owed to the European Union until an agreement is reached, was helped by the discomfort of Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who saw his campaign submerged under revelations that he used cocaine decades ago. “Yes, it was a crime, it was a mistake, I deeply regret it,” Gove told the BBC as he tried to switch attention away from his past drug use toward his plans to cut sales taxes and renegotiate a deal with the EU. As justice secretary, “one of the things I said was that people should never be defined by the worst decision that they make, but should be given a chance to redeem themselves and to change,” Gove said. As his opponents fall away, Johnson’s pledge to leave the bloc with or without an agreement on Oct. 31 will be watched closely by markets that have in the past been spooked by the possibility of a no-deal divorce. The Bank of England published a worst-case scenario in November that saw the economy shrinking by 8%, property prices plunging almost a third and the pound losing a quarter of its value under a chaotic no-deal split. Johnson also unveiled his plan to slash income taxes for about 3 million Britons by raising the threshold at which they are subject to a higher rate. The plan, which he outlined in a story for Monday’s Telegraph newspaper, will cost £10 billion a year, which Johnson said would be covered by money set aside to prepare for leaving the EU without a deal. The tax cut will stimulate the economy after Brexit, he wrote. ‘Hard man’ Johnson’s Brexit vow, in an interview with the Sunday Times, brought him the endorsement of self-styled “Brexit hard man” Steve Baker, a key member of the anti-EU caucus of Tory MPs. Only Johnson could stop the Conservatives from losing votes to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party as they did in last month’s European elections, Baker said. “I am going to put my complete faith in Boris Johnson,” Baker wrote on Twitter. “Unless we deliver a Brexit worth having in the opinion of Brexit Party voters then we will suffer a Jeremy Corbyn government with all the horrors that would mean for our prosperity and our wellbeing.” Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, another contender, also warned against the dangers of a general election, but said the only way to avoid one is to exit the EU with a deal. Any prime minister who tries to leave without an agreement would find themselves forced to call a national vote, he said as he made a veiled attack on Johnson’s suitability for the top job. Split vote “What a wise prime minister will do is take decisions on the basis of the choices they have in front of them,” Hunt told Sky News. “What an unwise prime minister will do in this situation is something that precipitates a general election. If you say October 31 is a deadline come what may, and then Parliament blocks no deal, the only way you can deliver that promise is to have an election,” Hunt said. If an election is held before the U.K. leaves the EU, the center-right vote would be split between the Conservatives and the Brexit Party and the opposition Labour Party would “come through the middle” to win, Hunt said. Both Hunt and Gove refused to rule out extending Brexit beyond the end of October to allow an agreement to be reached. Hunt, who is pitching himself as an experienced negotiator who can find a way through the Brexit impasse, also said German Chancellor Angela Merkel told him when they met last week that the EU is open to new talks “if we take the right approach.” Take charge A common theme among the contenders was that future negotiations should be carried out by politicians rather than officials. Gove, Hunt and Johnson all said they would take charge of talks with the EU, sidelining the officials who led the talks under May. Johnson said withholding the £39 billion financial settlement will be a “great solvent and a great lubricant” in forcing the EU to offer a good deal to the U.K. But the experience of Greece, when it threatened to default on some €250 billion ($284 billion) of loans to the bloc’s crisis-fighting fund in an attempt to extract concessions from its European peers, shows the EU might not be that easily lubricated. Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who won the support of Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson, said if he succeeds May he will provide funding to Dublin to pay for solutions to the impasse over the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, which will remain in the EU. The border issue can be solved but “you need cooperation on both sides of the border to make it happen,” Javid told Sky News. It is “morally right” that the U.K. should pay for the alternative arrangements, he said. Javid, who also pledged to slow the pace of U.K. debt reduction to allow for more investment in education, refused to comment on Gove’s disclosure. Instead, he criticized drug use among people who, like the environment secretary, talk about their concern for the Earth. “There are people that you know, they have their organic food, they boast about buying fair trade, they talk about climate change and at the same time come Friday or Saturday night, they’re all doing Class A drugs and they should be thinking about the impact,” Javid said. “Anyone who takes drugs should be thinking about how they are not just hurting themselves, but how they are destroying so many countless lives on the way.”

drugs
eu
u.k .
boris johnson
brexit
theresa may
michael gove


Iran gears up for high-stakes diplomacy amid tension with U.S.

Abstract: ABU DHABI - As its nuclear deal with world powers unravels amid heightened tensions with the U.S., Iran will see a week of high-stakes diplomacy capped by the first visit of a Japanese prime minister to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Shinzo Abe will arrive on Wednesday in Iran after earlier meeting with President Donald Trump, whose maximalist approach toward the Islamic Republic has seen America re-impose sanctions once lifted by the 2015 accord and create far-reaching newer ones. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also will visit Tehran as well this week. What Abe will be able to accomplish remains unclear, as Iran already has warned Europe it will begin enrichment of uranium closer to weapons-grade levels by July 7 if it doesn’t come up with new terms to the deal. It also comes as Japan tries to negotiate its own trade deals with Trump, who has been quick to impose tariffs on other nations. But Abe, whose nation relies heavily on Mideast crude oil to power its economy, already has acknowledged the challenge. “Between Japan and the United States, there should be close collaboration so that this tension surrounding Iran should be mitigated and alleviated, and it shouldn’t culminate in armed conflict,” Abe said in a May news conference with Trump in Tokyo. The current crisis, which has seen the U.S. hurry an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers in the region, takes root in Trump’s decision last year to withdraw the U.S. from the nuclear deal. That accord saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions Trump, in withdrawing from the deal, pointed to the accord not limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program, nor addressing what American officials describe as Tehran’s malign influence across the wider Mideast. Those who struck the deal at the time described it as a building block toward further negotiations with Iran, whose Islamic government has had a tense relationship with America since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and subsequent hostage crisis. Some members of Trump’s administration, particularly National Security Adviser John Bolton, previously supported the overthrow of Iran’s government. Trump, however, has stressed that he wants to talk with Iran’s clerical rulers. “I’m not looking to hurt Iran at all. I’m looking to have Iran say, ‘No nuclear weapons,'” Trump said at the same Tokyo news conference. “We have enough problems in this world right now with nuclear weapons. No nuclear weapons for Iran. And I think we’ll make a deal.” The reaction has been mixed in Iran. Its rial currency is currently trading at 128,000 to $1. It had been 32,000 to the dollar at the time of the 2015 deal. Japan had once purchased Iranian oil, but it has now stopped over American sanctions. However, Mideast oil remains crucial to Japan and recent threats from Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth through which a third of all oil traded by sea passes, has raised concerns. Abe will arrive Wednesday to Tehran and will stay through Friday, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported on Sunday. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono is expected to travel to Tehran before Abe’s arrival to meet his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif. Zarif, speaking at a high school in Tehran on Sunday, welcomed Abe’s visit, but stressed Trump had engaged in an “economic war” against Iran through the imposition of sanctions. “We have said it clearly that economic war is not different from a (military) war at all. Mr. Trump has announced that he is pursuing an economic war,” Zarif said. An “economic war targets ordinary people and is in fact terrorism. This policy must stop.” Meanwhile, Iran on Sunday announced what it described as a new surface-to-air missile battery it called the Khordad 15. The system uses locally made missiles that resemble the HAWK missiles that the U.S. once sold to the shah and later delivered to the Islamic Republic in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal. The revealing of the missiles comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier ordered to the region, remains in the Arabian Sea. It has yet to transit the Strait of Hormuz to reach the Persian Gulf, likely to both protect a vessel already within range of airstrikes on Iran and not to provoke a response from Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which routinely harasses American naval ships. Ahead of Abe, German Foreign Minister Maas will visit Tehran on Monday. Germany is one of the signatories to the nuclear deal and has sought to keep Iran in the accord. Maas visited both Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital, Maas said it was important to stop any military confrontation in the Gulf. “We want to avoid any misunderstandings that would lead to automatic reactions that could lead to violence,” Maas said. “All those involved bear responsibility to absolutely avoid a spiral of escalation and this is a view I will also express very clearly tomorrow, on the opposite shores of the Gulf.” He also stressed that Germany would not accept “less-for-less” in any negotiations over saving Iran’s nuclear deal. However, his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said any new nuclear deal needed to include concerns like Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional influence. “Any attempt to make this agreement successful, we think, needs all countries of the region to be a part of it,” Sheikh Abdullah said. Maas quickly left after the news conference, not pausing to shake hands with Sheikh Abdullah and passing in front of him on his way out.

shinzo abe
u.s .
oil
iran
iran nuclear deal
japan
donald trump
john bolton


Sunday marks moment for 2020 prospects to show Iowa strength

Abstract: DES MOINES, IOWA - Nearly 20 Democratic presidential candidates are scheduled to gather in Iowa Sunday in what amounts to an early effort to demonstrate potential in the leadoff 2020 caucus state. It will be akin to an afternoon-long political talent show, when 18 of the 24 declared Democratic hopefuls take the stage for their strictly-enforced five-minute speeches to hundreds of party leaders at the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual summer fundraiser. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who leads in Iowa polls as he does nationally, is not scheduled to attend, giving the event the look of an audition for Biden’s would-be key challengers heading into the summer campaign season in Iowa. The event also comes in the wake of Biden’s reversal Thursday on a key abortion policy position. Biden now supports federal funding for abortion services after opposing it for decades. That, and other parts of the former Delaware senator’s long record, create an opportunity for the Sunday Democratic gathering’s many devout abortion-rights supporters to dial up their so-far more muted criticisms of Biden to an influential audience. Many of those attending have been traveling to Iowa for months and are hoping for a strong showing of supporters outside the convention center in Cedar Rapids, such as Sens. Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, in hopes of projecting momentum eight months ahead of the 2020 caucuses.

joe biden
cory booker
democrats
iowa
2020 u.s. presidential election


Venezuela says it's closing its consulates in Canada in response to Ottawa's move

Abstract: CARACAS - Venezuela has announced it will close its consulates in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, leaving only its embassy in Ottawa to handle its affairs in Canada. The Venezuelan foreign ministry, which announced the decision Saturday, said it was in response to Canada’s temporary closing of its embassy in Caracas. Canada is one of more than 50 countries, led by the United States, that recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president in the country’s political standoff. In a statement, it said the Canadian decision, “far from being an administrative matter, is a political decision that reflects the continued hostility of that government toward Venezuela.” Canada announced the temporary closing of its embassy in Caracas a week ago, blaming President Nicolas Maduro for refusing to accredit diplomats critical to its functioning. “The regime has taken steps to limit the ability of foreign embassies to function in Venezuela, particularly those advocating for the restoration of democracy,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said. Citing the principle of reciprocity, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said “it will temporarily stop providing services at its general consulates in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.” “All the functions of Venezuelan diplomacy in Canada will be concentrated at the headquarters of its embassy in Ottawa,” it said. The opposition-controlled National Assembly, which Guaido heads, declared Maduro a “usurper” after he assumed a second term in office in January following elections that were widely denounced as fraudulent. Guaido then invoked the constitution to declare himself president on an interim basis.

venezuela
canada
nicolas maduro
juan guaido


Senators hope to force vote on U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Opposition to President Donald Trump’s Saudi Arabia policy and use of executive power is building in Congress, where senators have introduced more legislation aimed at blocking the sale of weapons to the kingdom. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Democrat, and Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, a Republican, said in a statement Sunday they hope to force a vote on U.S. security assistance to Saudi Arabia, including arms sales, after a review of the kingdom’s human rights record. Anger has been mounting in Congress for months over the Trump administration’s close ties to the Saudis, fueled by high civilian casualties in the Saudi-led war in Yemen — a military campaign the U.S. is assisting — and the killing of U.S.-based columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. Tensions were further inflamed when Trump used an emergency declaration in May to sell the kingdom weapons that Congress had previously placed on hold. The bill the senators are introducing Monday draws on a provision in the Foreign Assistance Act that allows for congressional review. The act allows Congress to vote to request information about a country’s human rights practices. After receiving the information, Congress can then vote on ending or restricting security assistance. “Congress needs to change how we do business with the Kingdom. The process we are setting in motion will allow Congress to weigh in on the totality of our security relationship with Saudi Arabia, not just one arms sale, and restore Congress’s role in foreign policy making,” Murphy said in a statement. This move follows the introduction of 22 bipartisan resolutions on Wednesday that aim to block the $8.1 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that bypassed congressional review last month. “Our arms sales to Saudi Arabia demand Congressional oversight. This bipartisan resolution simply asks the Secretary of State to report on some basic questions before moving forward with them,” said Young, who like Murphy has long been an opponent of U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the sales were necessary to counter “the malign influence of the government of Iran throughout the Middle East region.” Citing unspecified intelligence, U.S. officials have said the threat from Iran has increased in recent weeks. Some of the weapons could be delivered to Saudi Arabia later this year, while other arms will not ship for another year or more. The sale includes precision guided munitions, other bombs and ammunition and aircraft maintenance support. It is unclear if Murphy and Young’s resolution would pass the Republican-controlled Senate before moving on to the House.

u.s .
congress
yemen
saudi arabia
iran
donald trump
mike pompeo
jamal khashoggi
chris murphy
todd young


Brexit backer Boris Johnson, vying to lead U.K., talks getting tough with EU

Abstract: LONDON - British politician Boris Johnson, a Brexit supporter who is the current favorite to be the U.K.’s next prime minister, has stepped up his bid for support by challenging the European Union on the terms of the country’s delayed departure. Johnson told the Sunday Times that if he succeeds Prime Minister Theresa May, he would refuse to pay a £39 billion ($50 billion) divorce bill unless the EU offered a better withdrawal agreement than the one currently on the table. Johnson quit as the foreign secretary in May’s Cabinet last July over her approach to Brexit. May resigned as prime minister Friday after lawmakers, including fellow Conservatives like Johnson, repeatedly voted down her deal with the EU. The race to replace May as Conservative Party leader — and in turn the head of Britain’s government — officially begins Monday. Nominations close in the afternoon, and the party expects to name its new leader in late July. Johnson, 54, who also served as London’s mayor, has emerged as the early front-runner in a crowded field. A hard-line Brexit advocate, he vows to take Britain out of the EU by the deadline that was pushed back to Oct. 31 from March 29 even if there is no deal with the EU on withdrawal terms in place. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Johnson described himself as the only contender who could triumph over the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party. He and other Conservatives vying to lead the party insist they could get better terms from EU leaders in Brussels than the ones May agreed to and was unable to push through Parliament. But EU officials have said they are not willing to change the terms of the deal reached with May. Political resistance and criticism over her handling of Brexit led to May’s decision to resign before she achieved her goal of seeing the U.K. out of the European Union. She is serving as a caretaker leader until a new prime minister is chosen and moves into 10 Downing Street. One of Johnson’s main rivals for the post, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, continued to be sidetracked Sunday by questions about his acknowledged cocaine use when he was a youthful journalist. He told the BBC on Sunday that he was “fortunate” not to have gone to prison. He said he was “very, very aware” of the damage drugs can cause.

eu
u.k .
boris johnson
brexit
theresa may
jeremy corbyn


Israeli Navy boards freighter from Turkey that was set ablaze and seizes stowaway

Abstract: The Israeli military says naval forces boarded a cargo ship off the coast that had been set on fire. The military says it was alerted early Sunday to an anchored ship off northern Israel whose hull was ablaze. At the request of the ship’s captain, Israeli forces boarded and searched the ship. Hours later, the military said it apprehended a hidden passenger and transferred him to police for questioning. Local media say the ship was making its way from Turkey to an Israeli port and that a stowaway tried to set the vessel ablaze, causing damage. The ship was said to have sailed under a Panamanian flag. The military says the incident is over and would provide no further details.


Syrian rebel town buries goalie who became 'singer of the revolution'

Abstract: AL-DANA, SYRIA - Thousands of people flocked to the funeral on Sunday of a Syrian soccer star turned fighter who became an icon of the revolt against President Bashar Assad. Abdelbasset al-Sarout, 27, died on Saturday from wounds he sustained in northwest Syria, where an army offensive has pounded the last major rebel bastion for weeks. Once a well-known goalkeeper from the city of Homs, Sarout gained a new kind of fame when the popular uprising against Assad’s rule erupted in 2011. He was dubbed the “singer of the revolution” for chanting ballads at rallies that eulogized slain activists and vilified the president. After Assad’s iron-fisted crackdown on the protests, Sarout took up arms and became a wanted man. His path mirrored the uprising’s spiral into an armed fight to the death between Damascus and the myriad militias and guerrilla bands that the conflict spawned. Sarout was moved from a hospital in Turkey, which backs the opposition, across the border on Sunday, with a convoy of cars and motorcycles following the coffin into Syria. People chanted, honked and waved rebel flags on the way to the funeral in the border town of al-Dana, where one of Sarout’s brothers is buried. Four of Sarout’s brothers and his father had already died fighting pro-government forces. Crowds stood on the roofs to watch Sarout’s body, wrapped in white, being carried through the town. Rebels from his faction, Jaish al-Izza, fired into the air. In the mosque, men including fighters in combat uniform knelt in front of his body to pray, some of them weeping. “We all know Sarout’s songs and golden vocals. Today is a big loss, a sad day for the Syrian revolution. We lost one of its icons,” said Ali al-Zajel, an activist at the funeral. With Russian and Iranian help, Assad’s military has reclaimed much of Syria by crushing opposition enclaves in recent years. Sarout was among hundreds of thousands of civilians and insurgents shuttled to the northwest under surrender deals as the army reconquered their hometowns. Sarout, who fought government forces in his home city, left under such a deal in 2014 after a bitter two-year siege. As rebel factions struggled with infighting and the growing influence of Muslim jihadis, Sarout was accused of switching his allegiance to Islamic State, which he denied in a video in 2015.


Another victim found from Hungary tourist boat disaster, bringing death toll to 20

Abstract: BUDAPEST - Another victim of the sinking of a sightseeing boat in Budapest has been found, Hungarian police said Sunday, bringing the death toll to 20 with eight people still missing. The woman’s body was “pulled from the Danube near Szazhalombatta” on Saturday, around 21 km (13 miles) south of Budapest, police said in a statement. She was identified as one of the South Koreans missing after the accident. The Mermaid tourist boat was carrying mostly South Korean tourists when it sank seconds after colliding with the bigger Viking Sigyn vessel on a busy stretch of the Danube River on May 29. “The authorities continue the search for seven missing South Korean passengers and the Hungarian captain of the boat on the whole southern section of the Danube,” police said. Only seven people are known to have survived the accident. Divers have been unable to enter the sunken boat due to the strong current in a river swollen after weeks of rain. A barge carrying a crane powerful enough to lift the Mermaid arrived in Budapest this week but experts say no attempt to raise the vessel is likely before Tuesday at the earliest. On Saturday Serbian authorities said they had deployed five rescue vessels and 30 police divers to search the Serbian stretch of the Danube for victims. “The local population has been informed of these searches so they can inform authorities if they find any bodies on the banks of the river,” the Serbian interior ministry said in a statement. On Thursday, Hungarian prosecutors said the captain of the Viking Sigyn was already under investigation over a separate accident in the Netherlands in April involving another Viking ship, the Idun. The 64-year-old Ukrainian, named as Yuriy C., was arrested after the crash in Budapest on suspicion of “endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths. Viking confirmed that he was on board the Idun at the time of the April collision but said he was “not serving as the ship’s captain at the time of the incident.”

hungary
south korea
tourism
budapest
marine accidents
mermaid