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Get the biggest daily news stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Spanish police have arrested a man after he attempted to enter a popular tourist landmark with a suitcase filled with ammunition. The major security alert took place Barcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica earlier on Sunday. The incident comes just days after police stepped up security in the city amidst fears that a Christmas attack was being planned. The Mossos d'Esquadra have arrested a French citizen as he tried to enter the temple with five magazines for a nine-millimetre gun in a suitcase or backpack. Security officers stopped him as he went through metal detectors. It is understood no gun was found though there are reports a weapon was discovered in a nearby car. (Image: REUTERS) The man is claiming he was invited to a private mass after going out for shooting practice and had "forgotten" he was still carrying ammunition. He says he is a French soldier but this has yet to be verified. Officers with the Catalan police have arrested him for illegal possession of arms. Spanish newspapers say the ammunition was detected inside a suitcase when the detainee crossed the security arch that protects the monument. The Mossos d'Esquadra have initiated an investigation to clarify the facts. Police sources say the detainee is collaborating and that they do not believe that he intended to carry out an attack on the Sagrada Familia This incident comes after the Catalan police reinforced surveillance and spot checks in crowded areas of Barcelona for fear of a possible terrorist threat during the Christmas holidays. The security forces maintain the anti-terrorist alert at level 4 out of 5.[SEP]BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Latest on Spanish Cabinet meeting being held in Barcelona (all times local): Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Spanish Cabinet members have arrived in a central Barcelona palace for a weekly Cabinet meeting that has been moved to the Catalan capital despite separatists’ protests against it. Sanchez’s Socialist administration planned the meeting to convey an image of normalcy, but tension remains high in Catalonia despite progress in talks on Thursday with the pro-secession president of the northeastern region. Some scuffles have broken out on Friday in central Barcelona between pro-independence protesters trying to reach the venue of the Cabinet meeting and police trying to stop them. The regional Mossos d’Esquadra police force says that one protester has been arrested for public disorder near the headquarters of Spain’s National Police in a downtown avenue. The meeting normally takes place in Madrid, but Sanchez has vowed to take it to other Spanish cities as a gesture of commitment to decentralization. Catalan authorities say protesters angry about Spain’s Cabinet holding a meeting in Barcelona have blocked a major highway and dozens of roads, disrupting traffic to and from the city. Pro-independence protesters called the protests to show their disgust at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s decision to lead the weekly Cabinet meeting in Barcelona. Security in the prosperous northeastern region, normally in the hands of the Catalan police, has been reinforced with hundreds of anti-riot officers from Spain’s national police force. Sanchez has agreed with the pro-secession leader of the region, Quim Torra, to work on finding a solution to the political crisis that has festered since Catalonia’s failed secession attempt last year. Their meeting on Thursday was only the second since both took power earlier this year. Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]A Frenchman has been arrested after sparking a terror scare at Barcelona's Sagrada Familia when he was caught carrying five handgun magazines for a 9mm pistol. A small dagger and a 'semiautomatic knife' are also thought to have been discovered in a rucksack he was carrying when he tried to get into the city centre temple. Police are said to have found a weapon with its series number erased in his car, which was parked nearby. The man, understood to be a soldier, was being held this morning in police cells ahead of a behind-closed-doors court appearance. The arrest happened just before 5.30pm yesterday. Sagrada Familia security guards alerted cops after detecting the munition in a rucksack as the Frenchman passed through a metal detector on his way into the Gaudi-designed temple, one of the intended targets of the terrorists behind the August 17 2017 Las Ramblas massacre. Local reports said Spanish authorities had confirmed he was a soldier after he claimed he had been doing shooting practice in the south of France and left the magazines in his rucksack by mistake. The detainee, who was with his girlfriend, is said to have cooperated fully with police. A spokesman for the regional Mossos d'Esquadra said he was unable to confirm reports the Frenchman was a soldier or the possibility he was planning a terror attack had been ruled out because the investigation 'remained open.' He said: 'The investigation remains open. All I can confirm at this stage is a man has been arrested in the vicinity of the Sagrada Familia. 'He is currently in police custody. He can be held for up to 72 hours so he could go before a judge today or tomorrow. 'He was arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons.' Last week it emerged police in Barcelona had been warned a Moroccan man could carry out a terror attack on Christmas Day. Officers were told the Casablanca-born terrorist may try to commit a spectacular massacre in the Catalan capital using a coach or similar type of vehicle. The terror warning was highlighted by several Spanish papers on Christmas Eve who said they had seen an internal alert sent to regional Mossos d'Esquadra officers. The revelation surfaced after the US state department tweeted: 'Spain. Exercise heightened caution around areas of vehicle movement including buses in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona during Christmas and New Year. 'Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, and other public areas.' Catalan Interior Minister Miquel Buch later confirmed the existence of the terror alert. He said in a radio interview: 'It's one more of those we receive. No doubt this case is a little different because of the US State Department tweet. 'All are investigated and worked on thoroughly. This is one more.' Moroccan Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, used a rented van to mow down and kill 15 people including British-born Julian Cadman, seven, in Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas on August 17 2017. More than 130 people were injured. Police shot dead Younes in vineyards in Subirats an hour's drive west of Barcelona after he went on the run following the Barcelona massacre. He was later buried in an unmarked grave in a funeral held in secret in his homeland. The terrorists behind the deadly Barcelona attack, and another hours later in nearby Cambrils, had planned to use butane gas cylinders to blow up iconic landmarks including the Sagrada Familia. More than 20 butane gas canisters were found intact in the wreckage of their bomb factory. Traces of triacetone triperoxide, a peroxide-based explosive known as TATP or the Mother of Satan which police believe the terror gang were going to use to detonate the gas, were also discovered.[SEP]Barcelona news LIVE updates: All the latest news and gossip from the Nou Camp Kosmos, founded by Pique, who is also the CEO and president of the firm, is most famous for its takeover of tennis's Davis Cup, injecting $3 billion dollars into the competition over the next 25 years. FC Andorra, founded in 1942, play in the First Regional Catalan Division and spent 14 seasons in Spain's regionalised third tier, Segunda Division B. "The General Assembly of FC Andorra has unanimously approved the transmission of its assets in favour of an Andorran company jointly managed by different investors, including Kosmos," said the company's statement. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has expanded his business empire by taking over tiny Spanish lower-league soccer club FC Andorra. Barcelona news LIVE updates: All the latest news and gossip from the Nou Camp Barcelona have denied the existence of any agreement with PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot and insist they have not broken the rules over his potential recruitment. Barcelona, along with several Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Arsenal, have been linked with the 23-year-old, whose contract expires in June. Reports in France and Spain claim Barca are preparing to offer Rabiot a five-year deal when the transfer window opens on January 1. But Catalan club said in a statement today that they had made contact with PSG's management "last August and then a week ago" to express their interest in Rabiot, but had not spoken to the player. "In response to the news that has appeared in France, Barcelona state that there has been no breach of regulations regarding the signing of PSG players," the statement read. "The only contact was made last August and then a week ago. In both case, the contact was made with the sporting managers of PSG in order to express Barcelona's interest in the player Adrien Rabiot. "Barcelona always want to work with the highest level of transparency with PSG and any other club. Barcelona deny the existence of any type of agreement with PSG players Adrien Rabiot."[SEP]Barcelona are entering a period dreaded by most fans. Many of the ‘core’ players have left the club while many are entering their twilight years. As a result, the Blaugrana are looking to bring in fresh blood who will form the ‘new’ Barcelona. However, their approach for one of the key targets has landed the player in trouble, who has been banned from entering his own dressing room. Adrien Rabiot is in the final few months of his PSG contract. The French midfielder turned down an extension earlier, signalling an end to his PSG career. As a result, the Paris-based club is likely to sell him off in January, rather than lose the youngster on a free transfer next summer. Due to his decision not to renew his contract, PSG sporting director Antero Henrique has given strict instructions to coach Thomas Tuchel, that Rabiot should not play another minute for the Parisian club. Subsequently, Tuchel has decided to ban the 23-year-old from entering the team dressing room entirely on match-days. The reports, which are put forward by Calciomercato via Paris United, also state that the Frenchman is being completely ignored by the club hierarchy bar the assistant manager, Zoumana Camara. Barcelona have since offered Rabiot an escape from his French nightmare in January by demanding that he reduces his signing-on fee from 10 Million to 5 Million.[SEP]Barcelona have denied the existence of any agreement with Paris St Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot and insist they have not broken the rules over his potential recruitment. LaLiga’s table-toppers, along with several Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Arsenal, have been linked with the 23-year-old six-time France international, whose contract with PSG ends in June. Reports in France and Spain claim Barca are preparing to offer Rabiot a five-year deal when the transfer window opens on January 1. The Catalan club said in a statement on Sunday they had made contact with PSG’s management “last August and then a week ago” to express their interest in Rabiot, but had not spoken to the player. “In response to the news that has appeared in France, Barcelona state that there has been no breach of regulations regarding the signing of PSG players,” the statement read. “The only contact was made last August and then a week ago. In both case, the contact was made with the sporting managers of PSG in order to express Barcelona’s interest in the player Adrien Rabiot. “Barcelona always want to work with the highest level of transparency with PSG and any other club. “Barcelona deny the existence of any type of agreement with PSG players Adrien Rabiot.” Rabiot graduated from the PSG academy and, having made his senior debut for the Parisians in 2012, has appeared over 200 times for the Ligue 1 club, winning the French title four times.[SEP]Barcelona superstar Gerard Pique could be set to announce his retirement in 2020 if reports are to be believed. According to Mundo Deportivo, Pique plans on retiring in a year’s time so that he can focus on running for the role of Barcelona President, which will be vacant in 2021. The defender has been an integral part of the Barcelona side ever since signing from Manchester United way back in 2008. In his time in Spain, Pique has won three Champions Leagues as well as a whopping seven LaLiga crowns, making him one of the most decorated Barcelona players of all time. Of late, the 31-year-old has involved himself – via his investment group Kosmos – in various ventures. He was recently linked with the takeover of a Spanish club FC Andorra, with talks still ongoing. Pique has a vested interest in the Barcelona President’s job, having expressed his desire to take up the role a couple of years ago when he said, “Yes, when I say things I mean them. I want to be president of Barca. It’s a step I’d like to take when I retire. “As a president I could do really well for this club, because it’s what I am passionate about. My playing career will [one day] come to an end and the step I’d like to take is to become Barcelona president.”[SEP]BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona has acquired Colombia center back Jeison Murillo on loan from Valencia to help patch up its injury-hit defense. Murillo, 26, will join the club after passing a medical exam, Barcelona says. The loan, for the remainder of the season, gives Barcelona the option to buy Murillo for 25 million euros (28.6 million dollars). He has only played three matches for Valencia this season and played for Inter Milan for two years before leaving at the start of last season. Barcelona is without injured defenders Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen, with Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet its only available center backs. Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s prime minister and the leader of Catalonia emerged from a meeting Thursday with an agreement to find a solution to the political crisis that has festered since the region’s failed secession attempt last year. Following the talks in the Catalan city of Barcelona between Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez and Catalan head Quim Torra, their governments issued a joint statement calling for dialogue to settle the fight. The statement said the central and regional governments recognize there is a conflict over Catalonia’s future. But, it added, “Despite the notable differences about its origin, nature and ways of resolution, they share, above all, the commitment for effective dialogue that is linked to a political proposal that has the backing of large part of Catalan society.” The two sides also agreed to have members of their governments meet again in January. The Spanish and Catalan governments have been at odds since the Catalan Parliament issued an ineffective declaration of independence last year, which was ruled unconstitutional by the courts and led to a temporary takeover of regional affairs by Spanish authorities. Several leaders of the secession movement were jailed. Sanchez and Torra sat down for the first time last July in an initial step by the Spanish prime minister to mend relations with Catalonia’s separatist leaders since they both took power earlier this year. Their second meeting took place in Barcelona’s Palau de Pedralbes, a former palace surrounded by walled gardens that once housed Spanish royalty. Torra shook hands with Sanchez on his arrival and they spoke briefly as they walked into the building, which belongs to the regional government. “We all must open a new chapter, a chapter in which confrontation becomes concord,” Sanchez told a Catalan business forum at a nearby hotel shortly after seeing Torra. “Against the polarization of society, cohesion. Against posturing and noise, dialogue, dialogue and dialogue,” Sanchez said. Torra also attended the forum and said that “both governments share the idea of finding a democratic solution.” Despite the willingness shown by both sides to talk, neither hid how far apart they still are on agreeing to the way to resolve Spain’s worst political crisis in nearly three decades. Catalan government spokeswoman Elsa Artadi told reporters after the meeting that Torra’s position remains that a legal binding referendum on independence is the answer. Spain’s minister of territorial affairs, Meritxell Batet, said the federal government has not budged from its position that such a referendum by a Spanish region is unconstitutional. “We are convinced that we can continue forward toward a political solution within the constitution,” Batet said. “The crisis we are going through won’t be solved in a short period of time.” The sit-down with Torra comes with Sanchez struggling to keep his minority government afloat. His Socialist Party was dealt a huge setback in regional elections earlier this month in southern Spain when opposition parties campaigned against his maneuvers in Catalonia. Right-wing parties have launched fierce attacks criticizing Sanchez of wanting to appease Catalonia’s separatists in exchange for their support for his national budget. “We have a president who in order to stay in power is capable of siding with those who want to break Spain apart,” Pablo Casado, leader of the conservative Popular Party, said after Sanchez saw Torra. Torra is also having trouble within the separatist camp, which is divided into moderates and diehards who want independence now. Polls and election results show that roughly half of Catalonia’s 7.4 million residents want to remain a part of Spain. Due to forecasts of protests by radical separatists, security in the prosperous northeastern region, normally in the hands of the Catalan police, was reinforced with hundreds of anti-riot national police officers. But only around 100 protestors gathered outside the hotel hosting the forum where Sanchez and Torra spoke to demand independence for the region. Worker and student groups also called strikes for Friday, when Sanchez has decided to hold his weekly meeting of the Spanish Cabinet in central Barcelona. Hours before Thursday’s meeting, four imprisoned Catalan separatist leaders said they were abandoning the prison hunger strike they started at the beginning of the month to call attention to what they consider unfair treatment by Spain’s judiciary. Activist-turned-politician Jordi Sanchez and former Catalan Cabinet member Jordi Turull went without food for 19 days, while ex-regional ministers Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn abstained for 17. Meanwhile, former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont announced in Geneva that he and five allies were filing a complaint with the U.N.’s Human Rights Committee contending Spain violated their democratic rights as elected officials. Puigdemont, Torra’s predecessor, has fought off extradition to Spain since fleeing to Belgium shortly after the secession attempt in 2017. He faces immediate arrest if he returns to Spain. Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson reported this story in Barcelona and AP writer Aritz Parra reported from Madrid. AP writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report. Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]Barcelona say only contact over Adrien Rabiot has been with PSG Barcelona have issued a statement denying they have breached any rules regarding the possible signing of PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Rabiot's current contract expires in the summer - meaning he can negotiate a move to a non-French club for next season once the January transfer window has opened. The 23-year-old has been linked with Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool, but reports have emerged suggesting he has an agreement in place with Spanish champions Barcelona. However, Barca released a statement on Sunday which said: "FC Barcelona wish to address stories published in France regarding the signing of players from Paris Saint-Germain, and make clear that they have not breached any rule in this regard. "The only contact made was during the month of August and one week ago. "In both cases, this contact was made with PSG's sporting management, to show FC Barcelona's interest in player Adrien Rabiot. "FC Barcelona have always wanted to work with the utmost transparency in their dealings with PSG and with any other club. "FC Barcelona refute the existence of any type of agreement with PSG player Adrien Rabiot."

A French man is detained in Barcelona, Spain, upon entering the Sagrada Familia with a suitcase containing ammunition. The Catalan police do not consider it an act of terrorism.

Most of the dead were ruling party activists, while others were workers of opposition BNP and its allies Voting in a tense election to choose a new government in Bangladesh ended on Sunday with at least 17 people killed in poll-related violence amid allegations of manipulation by the ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to the Election Commission, 1,848 candidates are contesting for 299 out of 300 Parliament seats. The polls are being held at 40,183 polling stations. Voting was suspended in one seat due to the death of a candidate. While Hasina is seeking re-election for a fourth term as the prime minister, her chief rival, ex-premier and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khalida Zia, faces an uncertain future in a Dhaka jail. The EC officials said they have received over a hundred complaints from candidates throughout the country amid reports of violence. At least 17 people, including a member of a security agency, have been killed in eight districts in poll-related violence, with dozens injured. "I'm always confident about our victory in the elections... I trust my people and I know that they will choose us so that they can get a better life in future," Sheikh Hasina said. At least 10 candidates announced to stay off the polls alleging that their agents were ousted from polling centres by the ruling party workers and that its supporters are facing violence. EVMs a first in general elections Bangladesh deployed electronic voting machines for the first time in a general election, though only on a limited scale, a move which received mixed responses from the voters amid reports of glitches in some booths. Six of the 299 constituencies saw the use of EVMs. Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever[SEP]Dhaka, Bangladesh - Vote counting was under way on Sunday after Bangladeshis cast their ballots in general elections marred by deadly violence and accusations of irregularities. At least 17 people were killed in election-related violence in various parts of the South Asian country, a police spokesperson said. But the capital, Dhaka remained relatively calm. The Daily Star, the leading English-language newspaper, said the deaths occurred mostly because of clashes between supporters of the ruling Awami League and the opposition Jatiya Oikya Front. Two people were killed during attacks in south-eastern Chittagong and western Rajshahi, the paper reported. One man who tried to steal a ballot box was shot dead by the police in central Cumilla, while another was killed in a fight in the same district, the paper said. One death was reported in each of the following districts; Dinajpur, Rangamati, Cox's Bazar, Bogura, Gazipur, and Sylhet. The Daily Star said a member of a law enforcement agency was killed in south-eastern Noakhali. Mobile internet was shut down and more than 600,000 security personnel were deployed across the country in a bid to check violence following a bloody campaign. But fears of violence kept voters away from the polling stations, according to local media. About 104 million people were registered to vote in the country's 11th general election. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League hopes to win the vote on the back of rapid economic development during her 10-year rule. The opposition Jatiya Oikya Front has accused Hasina's Awami League of vote rigging. "We are getting disturbing reports outside Dhaka that overnight votes have been cast illegally," said Kamal Hossain, who leads the alliance. More than 40 opposition candidates pulled out of the election after polls opened, citing vote rigging and ballot stuffing, according to the Daily Star. Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, the joint general-secretary of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), the main party in the opposition alliance, called the election a "mockery". But Mahbubul Alam Hanif, joint general-secretary of the ruling party, said he was satisfied with Sunday's vote. "We are happy with the way the vote turned out. I believe Awami League will gain an absolute victory," he said. The elections commission, which has yet to announce the voter turnout rate, said it would investigate allegations of vote rigging. "Allegations are coming from across the country and those are under investigation," SM Asaduzzaman, the spokesman of the elections commission said. "If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules." Abdul Malik, secretary at the Ministry of Information, said the election was held "peacefully and successfully". He added: "Results will be announced in collaboration with the election commission." The Awami League needs 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament to form a government. If Hasina's party wins, she will be taking office for a record fourth time. The opposition claimed thousands of its activists were arrested in the lead up to the polls.[SEP]Image copyright Reuters Image caption Voters wait to cast their ballots in Dhaka - elsewhere turnout was reported to be thin At least 17 people have been killed in clashes between ruling party supporters and the opposition as Bangladesh holds a general election. Polls have closed and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the overwhelming favourite to win a third term. But the Bangladesh Election Commission told Reuters it had heard vote-rigging allegations from "across the country" and would investigate. Ms Hasina's main rival is serving a jail term for corruption. The build-up to the poll was marred by violence and accusations of a crackdown against the opposition. Some 600,000 security personnel were deployed to prevent clashes. The authorities ordered high-speed internet be shut down until after the vote to prevent the spread of "rumours" that might spark unrest. How did voting go? Minutes before polls opened, a BBC correspondent saw filled ballot boxes at a polling centre in the port city of Chittagong. The presiding officer declined to comment. Only ruling party polling agents were present at that and several other polling centres in the second largest city of the country. At least 28 candidates from the main opposition alliance withdrew before polling closed, alleging vote rigging and intimidation. More than 100 million people were eligible to vote but reports suggest turnout has been low. The governing Awami League (AL) said that, despite sporadic incidents, voting was held in a festive atmosphere. The BBC's South Asia regional editor, Anbarasan Ethirajan, says that if the opposition claim of widespread vote rigging is proven, it could question the legitimacy of the new government. Why is this election important? Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation of more than 160 million people and faces issues ranging from possibly devastating climate change, Islamist militancy, endemic poverty and corruption. The country has recently been in the international spotlight as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled there from neighbouring Myanmar. Image copyright Reuters Image caption PM Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, casts her ballot on Sunday The lead-up to the election saw violence between rival supporters and a crackdown on dissent by a government that critics say has only grown more authoritarian during its 10 years in power. Activists, observers and the opposition party warned that the vote would not be fair. The governing party has accused the opposition of peddling false claims. Ms Hasina told the BBC on Friday: "On the one hand, they are placing allegations, on the other hand, they are attacking our party workers, leaders. That is the tragedy in this country." 'Too scared to speak out' Yogita Limaye, BBC News, Dhaka As we went from polling booth to polling booth, one pattern became clear. People who were supporters of Prime Minister Hasina's party were vocal, and happy to answer our questions on camera, about what issues they'd voted on. The others were mostly too scared to speak out. One man told us that several members of his extended family found that their votes had already been cast when they went to the polling booth. He said he didn't think it was a fair election but didn't want to be identified It wasn't hard to see why he felt intimidated. Outside every polling booth we went to, there were dozens of workers from the prime minister's party, listening intently when anyone was interviewed. No-one from the opposition parties was visible. While the election commission has said it will investigate claims of vote-rigging, the organisation has itself been accused of bias by the opposition. So far, the prime minister has not responded to these latest allegations but two days ago rejected claims the election was unfair. It is widely anticipated that her party will win the polls, but it will be a controversial victory. Who are the contenders? Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has run Bangladesh since 2009. Her long-term rival, Khaleda Zia, was sent to prison on corruption charges earlier this year and barred from competing in the vote, in a case which she claimed was politically motivated. Image copyright AFP Image caption Security was boosted for the poll amid fears of unrest In Ms Zia's absence, Kamal Hossain, who was previously both an AL minister and Hasina ally, leads the main opposition grouping, the Jatiya Oikya Front, which includes Ms Zia's Bangladesh National Party (BNP). However, the 81-year-old lawyer, who drew up the country's constitution, is not standing in the election, raising questions as to who would take power should the opposition win. The BNP boycotted the last vote in 2014, making Sunday's poll the first to involve all the major parties in 10 years.[SEP]Seventeen people were killed as violence kept many voters away from the polls STRINGER/REUTERS Violence and accusations of vote-tampering marred the election in Bangladesh yesterday, as its Election Commission announced that the prime minister had won a third consecutive term. Seventeen people were killed in protests as the vote counting got under way, amid clashes between supporters of the ruling Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, 71, and activists from the opposition Jatiya Oikya Front, the police said. Two people were killed in southeastern Chittagong and western Rajshahi, The Daily Star reported. A man who tried to steal a ballot box was shot dead by the police in Comilla and a police officer was killed in southeastern Noakhali. Mobile data was suspended and more than 600,000 troops were deployed to help to prevent further trouble after a turbulent election…[SEP]Counting has got under way in Bangladesh after parliamentary elections marred by deadly clashes. The poll is being seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, amid complaints from ruling party and opposition activists of attacks on supporters and candidates. Ms Hasina’s main rival is former prime minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, whom a court deemed ineligible for the race for office because she is in prison for corruption. The two women have been in and out of power — and prison — for decades. In Ms Zia’s absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Ms Hasina’s Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by the arrests and jailing of what the opposition says are thousands of Hasina opponents, including six candidates for Parliament. At least a dozen people were killed in campaign-related clashes. Local media said up to 16 people had been killed on Sunday in clashes between opponents and police in six districts across the country. “Hasina’s use of the state machinery to subjugate the opposition virtually ensures her electoral victory,” said Sasha Riser-Kositsky, a South Asia analyst for New York-based Eurasia Group. Both sides are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Ms Zia and the BNP boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million people was only 22%. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League’s landslide victory was met by violence that left at least 22 people dead. This election, some 104 million people are eligible to vote, including many first-time voters. While rights groups sound the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh’s democracy, Ms Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbours Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters “will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country,” Ms Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term, said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Walking with a cane, Mr Hossain cast his vote near his home in Dhaka, saying that he was receiving complaints about vote-tampering and intimidation from various parts of the country. The Associated Press received more than 50 calls on Sunday from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside the polling booths. Ms Hasina has expressed great confidence in the outcome, already inviting foreign journalists and election observers to her official residence on Monday, by which time the results are expected to be known. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, have been deployed across the country in a bid to contain violence in Bangladesh’s 11th general elections. Bangladesh’s telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from being organised. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many residents of Dhaka had left days earlier to vote in their home towns.[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The Latest on parliamentary elections in Bangladesh (all times local): News reports in Bangladesh say there have been deadly clashes related to the country's general election. Local media including the country's leading Bengali-language daily, Prothom Alo, say up to 10 people were killed in clashes between rival partisans and police in six districts across the country as voting took place Sunday. Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Meanwhile, The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. The AP could not independently verify the complaints. The election is seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. The polls Sunday in the South Asian nation are seen as a referendum on what critics call 71-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. Hasina's main rival is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who's in prison for corruption. In Zia's absence, the opposition is led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by allegations from the opposition of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina opponents. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures.[SEP]Around 40,000 polling stations in 299 constituencies opened at 8 am on Sunday in Bangladesh for around 104 million eligible voters following the death of two people in clashes amid a large deployment of security forces. A member of the ruling Awami League party died in a clash with supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami, Patiya Police Chief Niamat Ullah told EFE.[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — People in Bangladesh voted Sunday in parliamentary elections seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, amid complaints from both ruling party and opposition… DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — People in Bangladesh voted Sunday in parliamentary elections seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, amid complaints from both ruling party and opposition activists of attacks on supporters and candidates. Up to 10 people were reportedly killed in election-related violence. Hasina’s main rival is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who a court deemed ineligible to run for office because she is in prison for corruption. Zia and Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term, have been in and out of power — and prison — for decades. In Zia’s absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina’s Awami League party. The Associated Press received more than 50 calls Sunday from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. “Some stray incidents have happened. We have asked our officials to deal with them,” K.M. Nurul Huda, Bangladesh’s chief election commissioner, said as he cast his vote in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital. The election campaign was marred by the arrests and jailing of what the opposition says are thousands of Hasina opponents, including six candidates for Parliament. At least a dozen people were killed in campaign-related clashes. “Hasina’s use of the state machinery to subjugate the opposition virtually ensures her electoral victory,” said Sasha Riser-Kositsky, a South Asia analyst for the New York-based Eurasia Group. Both sides were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million people was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League’s landslide victory was met by violence that left at least 22 people dead. In this election, some 104 million people in the Muslim-majority country were eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters. Local media including the country’s leading Bengali-language daily, Prothom Alo, said up to 10 people had been killed Sunday in clashes between rival partisans and police in six districts across the country. Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh’s democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters “will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country,” Hasina said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Walking with a cane, Hossain, the opposition leader, cast his vote near his home in Dhaka, saying that he was receiving complaints about vote-tampering and intimidation from various parts of the country. The more than 40,000 polling stations nationwide closed at 4 p.m., as the Islamic call to prayer came over loudspeakers. At a polling station in the ancient city of Panam Nagar, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Dhaka, the counting of the roughly 1,600 votes cast there began immediately after voting ended. Plastic bins full of paper ballots were dumped onto a sheet on the floor, where 10 people sat in a circle to organize and count the votes. One of the voters there, Haji Abdul Malek Mia, a 74-year-old father of five sons, said he wanted to see someone in power who would offer development. “Whoever is doing development, he should be there,” he said. Hasina has expressed great confidence in the outcome, already inviting foreign journalists and election observers to her official residence on Monday, by which time the results are expected to be known. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, were deployed across the country in a bid to contain violence in Bangladesh’s 11th general election. The country’s telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from organizing. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many Dhaka residents had left days earlier to vote in their hometowns. At one polling station, Istiaq Ahmed, a doctor in Dhaka, said it was critical that people “select the right government to maintain the development and enrich our country further.” Another voter, Sultana Rajia Rotna, said she went out to cast her ballot after hearing that the streets of Dhaka were peaceful. “I think the country has already developed much and it will be developed more,” she said in Bengali. “That’s why I’m here casting my vote.” Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]The alliance dominated by Hasina's Awami League won 287 of the 298 seats for which results have been declared in the 300-member legislature, according to the commission cited by the local TV channel, NTV. Meanwhile, over 40 opposition politicians withdrew from the parliamentary election citing widespread electoral fraud, local media reported. Bangladeshi citizens elected 300 members of the country's unicameral legislature earlier on Sunday. The polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. local time (2:00 GMT) and closed at 4:00 p.m. local time. A total of 47 politicians announced withdrawal of their candidacies from the general election, including at least 42 politicians from the opposition Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front), the Daily Star newspaper reported. Kamal Hossain, the leader of the Jatiya Oikya Front alliance, in turn, said that the Bangladeshi opposition did not recognize the election's results and requested the holding of another election. READ MORE: 3G, 4G Restored in Bangladesh After 10-Hour Blackout Ahead of Election — Reports "We have gotten similar reports of voter fraud from almost all centres… We reject the results and demand a new election under a neutral government," Hossain said as quoted by Bangladesh's Bdnews24 news portal. At least 17 people were killed and over 60 others were injured in clashes during the parliamentary election in the country on Sunday. The clashes between representatives of various political forces were recorded in the Bangladeshi cities of Chittagong, Comilla, Dinajpur, Rajshahi and Rangamati. As many as nine people have been detained in connection with clashes. The definitive results are expected to be made public on Monday.[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The Latest on parliamentary elections in Bangladesh (all times local): Officials say voting ended at 4 p.m. Sunday in 299 out of the 300 parliamentary seats. They say they'll continue to allow those who were waiting in line to cast their ballots. The election in one constituency was postponed after a candidate died of natural causes. The election is seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. News reports in Bangladesh say there have been deadly clashes related to the country's general election. Local media including the country's leading Bengali-language daily, Prothom Alo, say up to 10 people were killed in clashes between rival partisans and police in six districts across the country as voting took place Sunday. Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Meanwhile, The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. The AP could not independently verify the complaints. The election is seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. The polls Sunday in the South Asian nation are seen as a referendum on what critics call 71-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. Hasina's main rival is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who's in prison for corruption. In Zia's absence, the opposition is led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by allegations from the opposition of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina opponents. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures.

Voters in Bangladesh head to the polls to elect 299 representatives to parliament. Seventeen people were killed in deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the country's ruling party.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — An election official says Bangladesh's ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won Sunday's election with 288 seats giving it enough to form the government. Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed finished delivering the results of the voting early Monday. Ahmed said the ruling Awami League-led alliance won 288 seats while Jatiya Party led by former president H.M.Ershad had 20 seats. An opposition alliance led by prominent lawyer Kamal Hossain had only seven and others got three out of 300 seats. Election to one seat was not held Sunday and results for another seat were halted by the commission. The results mean Hasina will form the government for the third consecutive time, even as the opposition claims her leadership has become increasingly authoritarian. The opposition has rejected the election results, with Hossain calling the election farcical and demanding that a new election be held under the authority of a "nonpartisan government." More than a dozen people were killed in election-related violence on Sunday and the campaign preceding the vote had been dogged by allegations of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina's opponents. Hossain said a few hours after voting ended that about 100 candidates from the alliance had withdrawn from their races during the day. He said the alliance would hold a meeting Monday to decide its next course. "We call upon the Election Commission to declare this election void and demand a fresh election under a nonpartisan government," Hossain told reporters at a nationally broadcast news conference. Calls to several Hasina aides seeking comment were not immediately returned. Hasina's main rival for decades has been former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who a court deemed ineligible to run for office because she is in prison for corruption. In Zia's absence, opposition parties formed a coalition led by Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. The secretary general of Zia's party, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, won a seat in a twist victory. Alamgir is a fierce critic of Hasina and he spearheaded the formation of the opposition alliance with Hossain at the helm. Alamgir had said Sunday he was rejecting any outcome, but it was unknown after his win was declared what he would do now. In the run-up to the election, activists from both the ruling party and the opposition complained of attacks on supporters and candidates. Bangladesh's leading English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, had said Sunday 16 people were killed in 13 districts in election-related violence. The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. Hasina has expressed confidence in the outcome, inviting election observers and foreign journalists to her official residence on Monday, when the results were expected to be known. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters "will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country," Hasina said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. On Sunday, some 104 million people in the Muslim-majority country were eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters, in Bangladesh's 11th general election since independence from Pakistan. Both sides were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League's landslide victory was met with violence that left at least 22 people dead. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, were deployed to contain violence. The country's telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from organizing. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many Dhaka residents had left days earlier to vote in their hometowns.[SEP]Ten people were reportedly killed in clashes as people in Bangladesh voted in parliamentary elections. Ten people were reportedly killed in clashes as people in Bangladesh voted in parliamentary elections. The poll is being seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, amid complaints from ruling party and opposition activists of attacks on supporters and candidates. Ms Hasina’s main rival is former prime minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, whom a court deemed ineligible for the race for office because she is in prison for corruption. The two women have been in and out of power — and prison — for decades. In Ms Zia’s absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Ms Hasina’s Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by the arrests and jailing of what the opposition says are thousands of Hasina opponents, including six candidates for Parliament. At least a dozen people were killed in campaign-related clashes. Local media said up to 10 people had been killed on Sunday in clashes between opponents and police in six districts across the country. “Hasina’s use of the state machinery to subjugate the opposition virtually ensures her electoral victory,” said Sasha Riser-Kositsky, a South Asia analyst for New York-based Eurasia Group. Both sides are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Ms Zia and the BNP boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million people was only 22%. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League’s landslide victory was met by violence that left at least 22 people dead. This election, some 104 million people are eligible to vote, including many first-time voters. While rights groups sound the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh’s democracy, Ms Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbours Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters “will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country,” Ms Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term, said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Walking with a cane, Mr Hossain cast his vote near his home in Dhaka, saying that he was receiving complaints about vote-tampering and intimidation from various parts of the country. The Associated Press received more than 50 calls on Sunday from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside the polling booths. Ms Hasina has expressed great confidence in the outcome, already inviting foreign journalists and election observers to her official residence on Monday, by which time the results are expected to be known. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, have been deployed across the country in a bid to contain violence in Bangladesh’s 11th general elections. Bangladesh’s telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from being organised. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many residents of Dhaka had left days earlier to vote in their home towns.[SEP]Bangladesh's ruling alliance won virtually every parliamentary seat in the country's general election, according to official results released on Monday, giving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a third straight term despite allegations of intimidation and the opposition disputing the outcome. The coalition led by Hasina's Awami League party won 288 out of 300 seats – 96% – in Sunday's polls, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said. The opposition alliance led by prominent lawyer Kamal Hossain won only seven seats. The opposition rejected the outcome, with Hossain calling the election "farcical" and demanding a new election be held under the authority of a "nonpartisan government". But Chief Election Commissioner K.M. Nurul Huda ruled out any revote, saying there were no reports of large irregularities. "There is no scope to hold the election again," Huda said. He said the turnout in Sunday's vote was 80%. Hasina's main rival for decades has been former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, whom a court deemed ineligible to run for office because she is in prison for alleged corruption. In Zia's absence, opposition parties formed a coalition led by Hossain, an 82-year-old former member of Hasina's Awami League. Hasina met political leaders and senior military and civil officials at her office on Monday, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported. It said Indian Prime Minister Naredra Modi telephoned her and promised to continue to support Bangladesh under her leadership. Hasina said the victory was "nothing for her personal gain, rather it is a great responsibility toward the country and people". The opposition says Hasina's leadership has become increasingly authoritarian. More than a dozen people were killed in election-related violence on Sunday, and the election campaign was dogged by allegations of the arrest and jailing of thousands of Hasina's opponents. Hossain said late on Sunday that about 100 candidates from the alliance had withdrawn from their races during the day. He said the alliance would meet Monday to decide its next step. "We call upon the Election Commission to declare this election void and demand a fresh election under a nonpartisan government," Hossain said. Calls to several Hasina aides seeking comment were not immediately returned. Bangladesh's leading newspapers ran banner headlines, some in red, while television stations aired round-the-clock analysis. A headline in the country's leading English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, read, "Hat-trick for Hasina, BNP found missing in polling; atmosphere festive, tuned only to ruling party", referring to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. In an editorial, the newspaper said "this was a one-sided election". "The blatant and starkest manifestation of an uneven state of affairs was the absence of polling agents of the opposition ... in most, if not almost all, of the polling centers in the country," it said. The secretary general of Zia's party, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, won a seat in a twist victory. Alamgir is a fierce critic of Hasina and spearheaded the formation of the opposition alliance with Hossain at the helm. Alamgir said on Sunday he was rejecting any outcome, but it was unknown after his win was declared what he would do now. In the run-up to the election, activists from both the ruling party and the opposition complained of attacks on supporters and candidates. The Daily Star said 16 people were killed in 13 districts in election-related violence on Sunday. The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and of being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. While rights groups have sounded alarms about an erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbours Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters "will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country", Hasina said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Some 104 million people in the Muslim-majority country were eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters, in Bangladesh's 11th general election since independence from Pakistan. Both sides were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the BNP boycotted and voter turnout was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League's landslide victory was met with violence that left at least 22 people dead. About 600 000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, were deployed to counter violence. The telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent the organizing of protests. KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.[SEP]Previous elections had been marred by low turnout, but there were queues at polling stations this morning INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP At least a dozen people have been killed as Bangladeshis vote in parliamentary elections largely seen as a referendum on the prime minister’s performance. Sheikh Hasina is seeking a third consecutive term but faces opposition from another former prime minister Khaleda Zia, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who has been ruled ineligible to run because she is in prison for corruption. In her absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina’s Awami League party. Both sides have made complaints about attacks on supporters and candidates as people took to the polls. Prothom Alo, the country’s leading Bengali-language newspaper, claimed up to ten people had been killed in clashes between rival groups and…[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — An election official says Bangladesh's ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won Sunday's election with 288 seats giving it enough to form the government. Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed finished delivering the results of the voting early Monday. Ahmed said the ruling Awami League-led alliance won 288 seats while Jatiya Party led by former president H.M.Ershad had 20 seats. An opposition alliance led by prominent lawyer Kamal Hossain had only 7 and others got 3 out of 300 seats. Election to one seat was not held Sunday and results for another seat were halted by the commission. The results mean Hasina will form the government for the third consecutive time, even as the opposition claims her leadership has become increasingly authoritarian. The opposition has rejected the election results, with Hossain calling the election farcical and demanding that a new election be held under the authority of a "nonpartisan government." More than a dozen people were killed in election-related violence on Sunday and the campaign preceding the vote had been dogged by allegations of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina's opponents. Hossain said a few hours after voting ended that about 100 candidates from the alliance had withdrawn from their races during the day. He said the alliance would hold a meeting Monday to decide its next course. "We call upon the Election Commission to declare this election void and demand a fresh election under a nonpartisan government," Hossain told reporters at a nationally broadcast news conference. Calls to several Hasina aides seeking comment were not immediately returned. Bangladesh's leading English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, said 16 people were killed in 13 districts in election-related violence. In the run-up to the election, activists from both the ruling party and the opposition complained of attacks on supporters and candidates. On Sunday, The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. Hasina has expressed confidence in the outcome, inviting election observers and foreign journalists to her official residence on Monday, when the results were expected to be known. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters "will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country," Hasina said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Hasina's main rival for decades has been former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who a court deemed ineligible to run for office because she is in prison for corruption. In Zia's absence, opposition parties formed a coalition led by Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. Both sides were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League's landslide victory was met with violence that left at least 22 people dead. On Sunday, some 104 million people in the Muslim-majority country were eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, were deployed to contain violence in Bangladesh's 11th general election. The country's telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from organizing. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many Dhaka residents had left days earlier to vote in their hometowns.[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Voting began Sunday in Bangladesh's contentious parliamentary elections, seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian rule. Hasina's main rival is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, deemed ineligible by a court from running for office because she is in prison for corruption. The two women have been in and out of power — and prison — for decades. In Zia's absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by allegations from the opposition of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina opponents. At least a dozen people were killed in campaign-related clashes. Both sides are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the BNP boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million people was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League's landslide victory was met by violence that left at least 22 people dead. This time, some 106 million people are eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters. While rights groups sound the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures.[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — An election official says Bangladesh's ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won Sunday's election with 288 seats giving it enough to form the government. Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed finished delivering the results of the voting early Monday. Ahmed said the ruling Awami League-led alliance won 288 seats while Jatiya Party led by former president H.M.Ershad had 20 seats. An opposition alliance led by prominent lawyer Kamal Hossain had only 7 and others got 3 out of 300 seats. Election to one seat was not held Sunday and results for another seat were halted by the commission. The results mean Hasina will form the government for the third consecutive time, even as the opposition claims her leadership has become increasingly authoritarian. The opposition has rejected the election results, with Hossain calling the election farcical and demanding that a new election be held under the authority of a "nonpartisan government." More than a dozen people were killed in election-related violence on Sunday and the campaign preceding the vote had been dogged by allegations of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina's opponents. Hossain said a few hours after voting ended that about 100 candidates from the alliance had withdrawn from their races during the day. He said the alliance would hold a meeting Monday to decide its next course. "We call upon the Election Commission to declare this election void and demand a fresh election under a nonpartisan government," Hossain told reporters at a nationally broadcast news conference. Calls to several Hasina aides seeking comment were not immediately returned. Bangladesh's leading English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, said 16 people were killed in 13 districts in election-related violence. In the run-up to the election, activists from both the ruling party and the opposition complained of attacks on supporters and candidates. On Sunday, The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. Hasina has expressed confidence in the outcome, inviting election observers and foreign journalists to her official residence on Monday, when the results were expected to be known. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters "will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country," Hasina said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Hasina's main rival for decades has been former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who a court deemed ineligible to run for office because she is in prison for corruption. In Zia's absence, opposition parties formed a coalition led by Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. Both sides were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League's landslide victory was met with violence that left at least 22 people dead. On Sunday, some 104 million people in the Muslim-majority country were eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, were deployed to contain violence in Bangladesh's 11th general election. The country's telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from organizing. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many Dhaka residents had left days earlier to vote in their hometowns.[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - The Latest on parliamentary elections in Bangladesh (all times local): News reports in Bangladesh say there have been deadly clashes related to the country's general election. Local media including the country's leading Bengali-language daily, Prothom Alo, say up to 10 people were killed in clashes between rival partisans and police in six districts across the country as voting took place Sunday. Police officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Meanwhile, The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. The AP could not independently verify the complaints. The election is seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. Bangladeshi police personnel seal the voting material at a distribution center before being transported to polling stations on the eve of the general elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. As Bangladeshis get set for Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) The polls Sunday in the South Asian nation are seen as a referendum on what critics call 71-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian tendencies. Hasina's main rival is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who's in prison for corruption. In Zia's absence, the opposition is led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by allegations from the opposition of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina opponents. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures. Bangladeshi polling officials accompanied by police personnel wait inside a bus before leaving for a polling station on the eve of the general elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. As Bangladeshis get set for Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Bangladeshi polling officials check the voting material at a distribution center before being transported to polling stations on the eve of the general elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. As Bangladeshis get set for Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)[SEP]DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — An election official says Bangladesh’s ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won Sunday’s election with 288 seats giving it enough to form the government. Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed finished delivering the results of the voting early Monday. Ahmed said the ruling Awami League-led alliance won 288 seats while Jatiya Party led by former president H.M.Ershad had 20 seats. An opposition alliance led by prominent lawyer Kamal Hossain had only 7 and others got 3 out of 300 seats. Election to one seat was not held Sunday and results for another seat were halted by the commission. The results mean Hasina will form the government for the third consecutive time, even as the opposition claims her leadership has become increasingly authoritarian. The opposition has rejected the election results, with Hossain calling the election farcical and demanding that a new election be held under the authority of a “nonpartisan government.” More than a dozen people were killed in election-related violence on Sunday and the campaign preceding the vote had been dogged by allegations of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina’s opponents. Hossain said a few hours after voting ended that about 100 candidates from the alliance had withdrawn from their races during the day. He said the alliance would hold a meeting Monday to decide its next course. “We call upon the Election Commission to declare this election void and demand a fresh election under a nonpartisan government,” Hossain told reporters at a nationally broadcast news conference. Calls to several Hasina aides seeking comment were not immediately returned. Bangladesh’s leading English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, said 16 people were killed in 13 districts in election-related violence. In the run-up to the election, activists from both the ruling party and the opposition complained of attacks on supporters and candidates. On Sunday, The Associated Press received more than 50 calls from people across the country who identified themselves as opposition supporters complaining of intimidation and threats, and being forced to vote in front of ruling party men inside polling booths. Hasina has expressed confidence in the outcome, inviting election observers and foreign journalists to her official residence on Monday, when the results were expected to be known. While rights groups have sounded the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh’s democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures. Voters “will give us another opportunity to serve them so that we can maintain our upward trend of development, and take Bangladesh forward as a developing country,” Hasina said after casting her ballot along with her daughter and sister in Dhaka. Hasina’s main rival for decades has been former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who a court deemed ineligible to run for office because she is in prison for corruption. In Zia’s absence, opposition parties formed a coalition led by Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina’s Awami League party. Both sides were hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League’s landslide victory was met with violence that left at least 22 people dead. On Sunday, some 104 million people in the Muslim-majority country were eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters. About 600,000 security officials, including army and paramilitary forces, were deployed to contain violence in Bangladesh’s 11th general election. The country’s telecommunications regulator shut down mobile internet services nationwide to prevent possible protests from organizing. The normally traffic-clogged streets of the capital were largely empty because of a ban on vehicles for everyone except election observers and journalists. Many Dhaka residents had left days earlier to vote in their hometowns.[SEP]Voting began Sunday in Bangladesh's contentious parliamentary elections, seen as a referendum on what critics call Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's increasingly authoritarian rule. Hasina's main rival is former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, deemed ineligible by a court from running for office because she is in prison for corruption. The two women have been in and out of power — and prison — for decades. In Zia's absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Hasina's Awami League party. The election campaign has been marred by allegations from the opposition of arrests and jailing of thousands of Hasina opponents. At least a dozen people were killed in campaign-related clashes. Both sides are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2014, when Zia and the BNP boycotted elections and voter turnout in the South Asian nation of 160 million people was only 22 percent. More than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were uncontested. The Awami League's landslide victory was met by violence that left at least 22 people dead. This time, some 106 million people are eligible to vote, including many young, first-time voters. While rights groups sound the alarms about the erosion of Bangladesh's democracy, Hasina has promoted a different narrative, highlighting an ambitious economic agenda that has propelled Bangladesh past larger neighbors Pakistan and India by some development measures.

The Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina is declared as the winner of the election with Hasina to serve her third consecutive term as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption What you need to know about the election Sunday's vote for a new president in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been hit by a series of delays that have left people frustrated. The failure of new electronic voting machines in some polling stations was one of the challenges. Polls have now closed in an election that is expected to bring the country's first peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960. President Joseph Kabila is stepping down after 17 years in power. The final result is expected be announced in a week's time. The election should have taken place two years ago but was repeatedly postponed because of logistical problems, officials said. The run-up to the poll had been hit by violence and controversy over the decision to exclude some 1.26 million out of an electorate of nearly 40 million from voting. Image copyright AFP Image caption Queues formed nationwide, including here at Sake in North Kivu Polls officially closed at 17:00 (16:00 GMT), but people still in the queue at that time were allowed to vote. How did the day go? Things started slowly in the capital, Kinshasa, because of heavy rain. There have been delays in a number of areas because of problems with the electronic voting machines, which are being used for the first time. There was frustration in Limete, a district of Kinshasa, as the electoral register had not been delivered and people were unable to vote. Those waiting then booed the head of the electoral commission (Ceni), Corneille Nangaa, who had come to the scene. Image copyright AFP Image caption Voters made a choice on a touch-screen computer and the ballot paper was then printed One voter there, Fidele Imani, told the BBC he felt positive after voting. "We have been waiting for two years and I'm happy to vote today," he said. "We want change here, we need peace and security and people need more employment opportunities." There were isolated incidents of violence. A police officer and a civilian were killed in Walungu, South Kivu province, in an altercation at a polling station, a UN official told the BBC. Voters eventually see 'historic day' Louise Dewast, BBC News, Kinshasa Image copyright Reuters I visited two polling stations throughout the day. At the first location, one electronic voting machine broke down, causing delays, but generally the mood was calm. I arrived at the second location six hours after polling stations were meant to have opened - but no one could vote because electoral rolls hadn't arrived. At least 200 people were waiting, angry at the situation. Finally the electoral roll arrived and voting started. Similar issues were reported by observers in several other locations. Despite a chaotic electoral process, in general voters seemed motivated and glad this historic day finally took place. Who's running for president? Image copyright AFP/Reuters Image caption Opposition candidates Martin Fayulu (L) and Felix Tshisekedi (R) face Emmanuel Shadary (C), the former interior minister There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners: Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary , a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist, who was hit by European Union sanctions for his role in the violent suppression of opposition protests in 2017 , a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist, who was hit by European Union sanctions for his role in the violent suppression of opposition protests in 2017 Martin Fayulu , a former oil executive who has promised "a dignified and prosperous Congo", but who poor Congolese feel may not advance their cause , a former oil executive who has promised "a dignified and prosperous Congo", but who poor Congolese feel may not advance their cause Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the son of a late veteran opposition leader who has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority Regional observers monitored the vote but international observers, who had concluded previous elections in the country had lacked credibility, have not been invited. 'Citizen votes' This week, voting in three districts was postponed until March, with the electoral commission blaming insecurity and an Ebola virus outbreak. The decision in effect cancelled over one million votes, as the new president is due to be sworn in by mid-January regardless. But some activists in places where polling has been cancelled have organised their own election, dubbed "citizen votes", the BBC's Gaius Kowene reports from the main eastern city of Goma. Image copyright AFP Image caption Activists used materials from a previous election to set up their own vote They are using ballot boxes from the 2011 elections and printed their own voting papers. "We want to show the Ceni that if they fail to organise elections here because of Ebola, we can do it," organiser Katembo Malikidogo told the BBC. More on the key presidential hopefuls What's the context for these elections? The current president took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001, but he was barred from running for another term under the constitution. He was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. Image copyright AFP Image caption President Joseph Kabila is stepping down after 17 years in power The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. Then last week, the election was delayed again. Speaking at a polling station, the president tried to address concerns about the voting, saying: "It's clear that the elections are free and fair."[SEP]Lengthy voting delays and four deaths were reported across Congo on Sunday, marring the presidential election the country hoped would be its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960. Election observers reported multiple problems around the vast Central African nation, which is choosing a successor to President Joseph Kabila after his 17 years in power. The election had been delayed since late 2016, prompting the opposition to charge that Mr Kabila was trying to stay on past his mandate. Among some 21 candidates, top opposition leaders Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi are challenging Mr Kabila's preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who is under European Union sanctions for a crackdown on people protesting delays to the election.[SEP]Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is a lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He served as an election monitor with the Carter Center in Congo in 2006 and 2011. As the sun sets on yet another turbulent year marked by widespread violence and uncertainty, the Congolese people are looking to the new year with trepidation. The source of their anxiety is none other than President Joseph Kabila, the 47-year-old who has overstayed his two constitutionally-mandated five-year terms, the last of which expired in 2016. Kabila, who has fostered this crisis, should be held personally responsible for further election-related deaths by his security forces and any further breaches of the rights to expression, information, assembly or association. He should not be allowed to hold Congo and the region hostage to his whims. For the past seven years, Kabila has used every trick in the dictator’s toolkit to stay in power. He has sought to emulate his peers in Congo Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda who have managed to adjust the law, either via referendum or other means, and cling to power. Congo, however, is unique. The country boasts a strong civil society, a vibrant press, a committed youth movement and a politically astute electorate. In every electoral cycle, the population has voted out of office the vast majority of members of parliament. And, as an institution, the Congolese parliament has been known for its independent streak since the beginning of the republic. Ignoring this reality, Kabila attempted to change the constitution and lift term limits. But his efforts, which met with strong popular resistance, failed. He bribed his followers in the National Assembly to pass legislation that would tie the election to a national census, which could take years, delay the poll and keep him in office. But the population took to the streets in protest, and the Senate defeated the initiative. Kabila then reconfigured the Constitutional Court and appointed judges he could control, to little avail. So he refused to fund and hold the election, a position that changed only when Nikki Haley, the United States' ambassador to the United Nations, met with him in Kinshasa in October 2017. She insisted that a date be set and agreed upon: Dec. 23, 2018. Since then Kabila has done everything he can to derail the electoral process. His minister of justice and the court invalidated two prominent candidates, Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moïse Katumbi, under questionable charges. Security forces have been deployed regularly to disrupt opposition candidate Martin Fayulu’s rallies and have killed several civilians at these events. The government has denied opposition candidates access to the national radio and television stations. To protect his hold on power, Kabila is resorting to violence. He spares no means to crush those who stand in his way. He responds to peaceful protests with disproportionate force. His security forces kill unarmed civilians with total impunity. The fields of Congo are full of mass graves from Kongo Central to Kinshasa to Kasai. Disappearances are commonplace, and prisons overflow with disillusioned young people who dared to protest for their right to education, employment and good health — their God-given right to a decent life. This situation is unacceptable. Donors should stop relying on Congo’s neighbors to solve Congo’s crisis. There are no general African solutions to Congo’s problems. The last time Africans intervened, they did so by launching a war on Congo that killed more than 6 million Congolese. African authoritarians have little incentive to help, since any democratic success in Congo threatens the status quo and internal dynamics in their own countries. Congo is too important to be relegated to the dysfunctional African Union or the disjointed Southern African Development Community. The time has come to push Kabila to step down. Only one country, the United States, can make a difference. The United States stands out for its commitment to democratic change in Congo. In recent years, Washington has dispatched some of its best envoys, including former senator Russ Feingold, former congressman Tom Perriello and former secretary of state John Kerry, to persuade Kabila to see reason. Haley is just the latest in this line of American officials who have stood with the Congolese people. There is only a Congolese solution to the crisis, but the United States can help to make it a reality. As attested by the vigorous campaign mounted by the opposition over the last few weeks, the people of Congo are fully committed to democracy and have little interest in the meaningless conflict that has already claimed millions of lives. The United States should do what it can to help the population realize their democratic aspirations. The Trump administration should start by imposing sanctions on Kabila, his family and close associates, under the Global Magnitsky Act of 2016. Kabila has come to believe he is untouchable. That must end. He must either resign or be forced out. A transitional government should be set up to organize the election within the next 90 days. The Post’s View: Why Congo’s election on Sunday will be a travesty Kambale Musavuli: While Kabila’s lobbyists cleanse his image abroad, his repression in Congo continues Max Boot: Democracy is in crisis around the world. Why? Salih Booker and Ari Rickman: The future is African — and the United States is not prepared Josh Rogin: China is challenging the U.S. in the Horn of Africa — and Washington is silent[SEP]Democratic Republic of the Congo: A family business The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Democratic Republic of the Congo: A family business A new report by political and security risk consultancy A2 Global Risk offers guidance to businesses and the risks they are likely to face after Kabila steps down December's presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ought to bring new hope, after autocratic Joseph Kabila in August finally agreed to stand down. But with leading opposition candidates barred and a Kabila loyalist lined up as successor, will it just bring more of the same? A new report by political and security risk consultancy A2 Global Risk offers guidance to businesses and the risks they are likely to face after Kabila steps down. Download the report: https://www.bit.ly/2R2kqs7 Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DCR) is rich in natural resources, including gold, copper and cobalt, little of that wealth reaches its ordinary people; 63 per cent of the population survive on less than USD1.9 per day. Instead, recent investigations have suggested, huge sums could have ended up in the coffers of President Joseph Kabila, his family and cronies. Analysis of public records suggests that public funds found their way into a complex network of entities controlled by Kabila, his family and allies. An assessment of interests held through Kabila's circle in countries such as Namibia also indicates this. A presidential election ought to present an opportunity for a fresh start after 17 years of Kabila as president. However, A2 Global Risk Senior Analyst and Sub-Saharan Africa analyst Olivier Milland, author of the report Business risks and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: What happens when Kabila steps down?, is less optimistic. 'The signs are that there will be little real change. The front man will change, but business will likely continue as before.' Indicators suggest that investment risk will remain high in the wake of the election, A2 Global assesses. These include: - The December election is unlikely to be free and fair, raising the potential for civil unrest and violence - Kabila has taken steps to ensure that a staunch supporter succeeds him, reducing the risk of possible prosecution after he steps down - Meanwhile, Kabila's immediate circle of relatives and friends dominates an opaque business community that is likely to maintain control of much of the wealth in the DRC in the medium term 'With so many vested interests intent in retaining the status quo, this leaves foreign businesses considering market entry in a difficult position 'On one hand, they could face unfair competition from companies with Kabila connections; while on the other they must ensure that dealings do not violate the multitude of national and extra-territorial anti-money-laundering regulations.' About A2 Global Risk is a full-service consultancy offering information services, protective security and logistics services. Founded in 2006, Allan & Associates has offices around the world, including London, Hong Kong and Shanghai. For more information call A2 Global Risk on: +44 (0) 203 102 4050 Email: a2global@a2globalrisk.com 26.09.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de 727545Â Â 26.09.2018Â[SEP]KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The crowd roared as the wife of Congo’s departing president pressed her palm to the forehead of the anointed successor and appeared to pray. A benediction for the man whom President Joseph Kabila has positioned to take over is likely not needed. As this huge Central African nation swings toward a Dec. 30 election that could be its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power, a vocal opposition fears that the long-delayed vote will be rigged in favor of Kabila’s ruling party. Kabila’s chosen candidate, Emanuel Ramazani Shadary, has not made waves in Congolese politics. That’s the point, critics say. They believe Shadary will just keep the presidential seat warm until 2023, when Kabila can return to office. Kabila supported those suspicions this month when his camp summoned foreign correspondents to the capital, Kinshasa, for rare interviews in which he cheerfully hinted he would be back in five years’ time. The constitution merely blocks three consecutive mandates, he said. “You should never rule out anything.” And with that, critics warn that Shadary will play Medvedev to Kabila’s Putin, president in name only while Kabila holds power behind the scenes in a country with mineral resources worth trillions of dollars and yet one of the least developed in the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided term limits in 2008 by putting forward an ally, Dmitry Medvedev, as president until he could return four years later. Kabila in his interview with The Associated Press only mentioned Shadary if asked about him. When Kabila announced months ago that he would step aside and named his preferred candidate, Shadary offered thanks to “almighty God for the grace he has shown us.” When Kabila’s wife blessed him in front of a campaign crowd earlier this month, he replied, “Amen.” The 58-year-old Shadary has been described as a loyalist, not only to Kabila but to his father, former President Laurent Kabila. Shadary on Twitter in recent months has posted as much about Joseph Kabila, “an exceptional man in Africa and around the world,” as about himself. “More soldier than general,” is how the International Crisis Group has described Shadary, pointing out that he does not have an independent power base. Months before he was announced in August as Kabila’s chosen successor, Shadary told Radio France International he was not a presidential candidate and in fact was going to run for re-election as a national deputy from Maniema province in the east. Shadary, the father of eight children and a Catholic, is a native of Kabambare in Maniema. He studied political science and rose through the ranks of Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy. He is a former interior minister, a role in which he directed the government’s response to months of deadly protests across the country over the delayed election, originally due in late 2016. In some of protesters’ most vivid confrontations with security forces, diplomats and others gathered at Kinshasa’s Catholic cathedral were tear-gassed, and altar boys were arrested. Pope Francis appealed for peace. For his “success in the political crisis,” his ruling party bio says, Shadary was named party secretary-general by Kabila early this year. He also gained the nickname “the man of difficult situations.” The European Union, however, sanctioned Shadary along with more than a dozen other Congolese officials, accusing him of obstructing Congo’s electoral process and directing the crackdown on protesters. As the election approached, Congo’s foreign minister this month asked the EU’s foreign policy chief to lift the “illegal” sanctions or at least suspend them for a “probationary period” as a compromise. But days later, the EU prolonged the sanctions on Shadary and others, saying travel bans and asset freezes would be renewed for a year. Annoyed, Kabila’s special adviser Kikaya Bin Karubi accused the EU of interfering in the election. Shadary faces the Dec. 30 vote as candidate for the recently formed Common Front for Congo coalition. Kabila is considered its moral authority. Shadary has two main challengers after opposition parties briefly managed to rally behind a single candidate and then broke apart. Martin Fayulu leads the remainder of that coalition. Felix Tshisekedi, head of Congo’s most prominent opposition party, joined forces with Vital Kamerhe, who finished third in the 2011 election and agreed to throw his party’s support behind him. Two other opposition candidates with strong followings, Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi, were blocked by Congolese authorities from running. Whoever receives the most votes wins, even without an absolute majority. Shadary has vowed to be an effective leader who will act against corruption in a country notorious for it. But his campaign is not convincing, said Al Kitenge, a Congolese economic analyst. “Shadary’s governance program … is not very ambitious, nor geared toward addressing the challenges of our country.” Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]A coalition group that backs the incumbent president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday claimed that elections took place peacefully despite the difficulties encountered amid a widespread Internet shutdown. The Common Front for Congo (FCC), a political coalition that supports DRC President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since January 2001, denied allegations that Sunday's vote was marred by violence and technical issues at polling places, while opposition leaders decried a widespread Internet shutdown across the country.[SEP](Bloomberg) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo started voting Sunday for a successor to long-serving President Joseph Kabila after a tense campaign the opposition said was marred by crackdowns and disruptions. Kabila’s handpicked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is running for the ruling coalition and faces strong challenges from opposition alliances headed by Felix Tshisekedi and Martin Fayulu. The current president, in power for almost 18 years, is barred by the constitution from running for a third term, having won elections in 2006 and 2011. Voters will also select national and provincial lawmakers. “This is going to be a historic vote,” Martin Mudiayi, a shop attendant, said as he waited for his turn to vote in a polling station in the eastern city of Goma. “The time has come for President Kabila and his group to step down and give a chance to a new leadership.” Congo, Africa’s biggest copper producer and a key source of minerals essential to the smartphone and electric-vehicle industries, could be on the verge of its first transition of power through the ballot box since independence in 1960. Despite the presence of more than 16,000 United Nations peacekeepers in the vast central African country, the government took the unusual step to refuse logistical support from the UN and financial assistance from international donors to organize the vote. It also barred some foreign observers. “We committed to financing our electoral process entirely ourselves for the very first time in our history,” Kabila said on state TV late Saturday. “For us, it’s an effort to shield our country from foreign interference liable to thwart the will of self-determination of our people.” The opposition accuses the electoral commission of preparing an election that’ll be neither free nor fair and the Congolese state of hampering their campaigns while aiding Shadary’s. At least seven of Fayulu and Tshisekedi’s supporters were killed and many more wounded by security forces from Dec. 9 to 13 as they gathered for rallies in various parts of the country, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said she was “deeply worried about the reports of excessive use of force, including live ammunition, by security forces against opposition rallies.” The electoral commission pushed back the polls, already two years late, by another seven days from Dec. 23, blaming a fire at one of its warehouses in the capital, Kinshasa, and also suspended campaigning three days early in the city as Fayulu was planning a mass meeting. The authority then postponed elections in three parts of the country until March, citing an Ebola outbreak, militia attacks and inter-communal violence. That effectively disenfranchised 1.2 million of Congo’s 40 million registered voters in regions known as strongholds of Kabila’s critics. Health Minister Oly Ilunga previously said the virus wouldn’t hinder elections. Tshisekedi, the leader of Congo’s largest opposition party, has teamed up with Vital Kamerhe, who heads another major party and came third in 2011’s election, while Fayulu is boosted by the support of heavyweights Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi. Two recent polls published by New York University’s Congo Research Group record Shadary as trailing the opposition by a large margin, with Tshisekedi topping a survey in October and Fayulu leading a second published Dec. 28. Provisional results of the presidential contest are due to be announced Jan. 6 and the final decision on Jan. 15. The next head of state is scheduled to be sworn in three days later. To contact the reporters on this story: William Clowes in Kinshasa at wclowes@bloomberg.net;Ignatius Ssuuna in Goma at issuuna@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Pauline Bax, Michael Gunn[SEP]KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The Latest on Congo's presidential election (all times local): Amid rainy weather, Congo's outgoing President Joseph Kabila and his chosen successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, have voted in the country's presidential election. After voting, Kabila urged others to vote: "My message today to my compatriots is to come and vote for their candidates and brave the rain." Shadary called for "peace and calm," adding "I am very confident in victory because the Congolese people will trust me, I campaigned all over the country." Polls opened and people began voting in Congo for the long-delayed presidential election, amid worries over the exclusion of three cities from the voting. "We declare the polling station open" said Francoise Ntadianga Tshiela, head of the the Gombe Institute voting center in the heart of Kinshasa, surrounded by embassies and government offices. Some unrest is feared in the election after a last-minute decision to bar an estimated 1 million people from voting because of a deadly Ebola virus outbreak in the east. The decision has been widely criticized as threatening the credibility of the election. Two main opposition candidates, Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, are challenging President Joseph Kabila's preferred successor, the European Union-sanctioned former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. AP writers Saleh Mwanimilongo and Mathilde Boussion contributed to this from Kinshasa, Congo.[SEP]People in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun voting in a presidential election that could bring the troubled country’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power. People in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun voting in a presidential election that could bring the troubled country’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power. Voters go to polls in DR Congo presidential election Some unrest is feared after a last-minute decision to bar an estimated one million people from voting because of a deadly Ebola virus outbreak in the country’s east. The decision has been widely criticised as threatening the credibility of the election. Two main opposition candidates, Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, are challenging President Joseph Kabila’s preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who is under sanctions from the European Union. Amid rainy weather in the capital, Kinshasa, Mr Kabila and Mr Shadary voted at the central Gombe Institute polling station. “My message today to my compatriots is to come and vote for their candidates and brave the rain,” said Mr Kabila. Mr Shadary called for “peace and calm”, adding: “I am very confident in victory because the Congolese people will trust me, I campaigned all over the country.” DR Congo’s 40 million registered voters are using electronic voting machines with touch screens for the first time amid opposition concerns that the results could be manipulated. Some observers have said voting materials did not reach some polling stations in time. At stake is a country rich in minerals including those crucial to the world’s smartphones and electric cars, and yet DR Congo remains desperately underdeveloped. Corruption and insecurity are widespread.[SEP]Voters in Democratic Republic of Congo stage protest election after being barred over Ebola outbreak They were barred from voting in Congo's presidential election, but they voted anyway. More than 10,000 people lined up in Beni to stage their own presidential election, after the electoral commission made the surprise decision to bar more than 1 million voters in Beni and Butembo last week — cities in eastern Congo affected by a deadly Ebola outbreak. The vast Central African nation is choosing a successor to President Joseph Kabila after his 17 years in power. Voting in the Ebola-affected cities of Beni and Butembo was delayed until March, long after Congo's new leader will be inaugurated in January. Protests followed the decision as people demanded to vote with the rest of the country and attacked Ebola facilities. The decision was widely criticised as threatening the credibility of the election and putting health workers in danger as people protest. People in Beni cast paper ballots and sang in Swahili saying "voting is our right and nobody can stop us", and vowed to deliver the results of their own election to the electoral commission. They washed their hands before voting as a protection against Ebola, which is spread via infected bodily fluids. The election had been delayed since late 2016, prompting the Opposition to assert that Mr Kabila was trying to stay on past his mandate. Lengthy voting delays were reported across Congo on Sunday, marring the presidential election the country hoped would be its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960. Among some 21 candidates, the top opposition leaders are Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, who are challenging Mr Kabila's preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. Mr Shadary is currently under European Union sanctions for human rights sanctions. Mr Tshisekedi said some polling stations in Kinshasa, the capital, had not even opened six hours after voting began. He accused Congo's Government of deliberately creating an election day mess to spark a court challenge that could allow Mr Kabila to extend his time in power. Two people have also reported to have been killed over alleged voting fraud in the eastern town of Walungu. A police officer shot and killed a young man at the polling place and the crowd then beat the officer to death, according to a politician and a witness. The voting machines that Congo was using for the first time posed a special problem: many of the country's 40 million voters have never used a computer, and electricity is limited. The Opposition also warned that the machines could be used to manipulate the vote. The Catholic church's election observer mission said it had received 544 reports of malfunctioning voting machines. It also reported 115 cases of election observers being kicked out of polling centres or not being allowed access, as well as 44 cases of vote-buying or corruption. Nearly 50 polling stations in Kinshasa were idle for hours because lists of registered voters had not been delivered — the sprawling city is an opposition stronghold. Another observer group, Symotel, reported a multitude of problems including the movement of polling stations to new locations at the last minute, which meant confused voters did not know where to go. "We knew there would be issues, but this is way beyond what we expected," a spokesperson for the group Luc Lutala said. Election day in the capital began with a heavy rainstorm that flooded some streets. A number of Congolese remained in line at poll-closing time, and by law would be able to vote. Although electoral officials had estimated that people could vote in under a minute, the process was taking several minutes or more per person. At stake is a country rich in minerals including those crucial to the world's smartphones and electric cars, and yet Congo remains desperately underdeveloped with widespread corruption and insecurity.

Voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo head to the polls to determine a successor to incumbent President Joseph Kabila. Elections are also held for the National Assembly and local councils.

(CNN) At least two people were killed in an explosion outside a busy shopping mall in the southern Philippines Monday. Cotabato City Police spokesman Christopher Lee told CNN there was a suspected "IED explosion" outside the South Seas Mall in Cotabato City on the island of Mindanao. Another 34 people were injured in the blast, three of whom were in critical condition, local police spokesman Chief Inspector Rowell Zafra said. Zafra added that a second, smaller improvised explosive device was discovered in the second-floor baggage area of the mall, and was detonated safely by authorities. A lockdown that was put in place for the city after the bomb exploded has since been lifted, but additional troops have been deployed across Cotabato in a push to increase security. Read More[SEP]PNP Cotabato Spokesperson Senior Inspector Roel Zafra says the explosion occured outside the South Seas Mall complex after an unidentified male person dropped a wrapped box MANILA, Philippines – A deadly explosion rocked a mall in Cotabato City and injured 11 people, some of whom were children, as residents were set to celebrate New Year’s Eve on Monday, December 31. In a text message to Rappler, Philippine National Police (PNP) Cotabato Spokesperson Senior Inspector Roel Zafra said the explosion occurred at about 1:49 pm along Magallanes St outside the South Seas Mall complex. Of the 11 injured, 8 were identified as Bai Sandra Ayunan, 16; Kutin Sedik, 65; Hamida Solaiman, 21; Joey Api, 31; Aida Dalandag, 58; Marissa Torres, 49; Tarhata Biruar, 43; and Norlyn Biruar, 4. Zafra said initial investigations revealed that an unidentified male dropped a wrapped box in the area. Seconds later, reports said the box exploded. In an initial police report, the PNP said the type of explosive is yet to be determined but that it was dropped in the mall’s baggage area. Cotabato city police Officer-In-Charge Senior Superintendent Rolly Octavio also said the motive behind the explosion was still being investigated. Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and the Explosive Ordnance Division were still processing the area. – Rappler.com[SEP]DAVAO CITY, Philippines — At least two individuals were killed and 34 others were wounded after an improvised explosive device went off on Monday afternoon in front of South Seas Mall in Cotabato City as holidays shoppers rush for New Year’s celebration. Cotabato City Police Office Spokesperson PCI Rowell Zafra identified the fatalities as Jonathan Tasic Toriviano, a driver of a Bangsamoro Transition Commission and a resident of Upi in Maguindanao and Mariam Ulama Kali, a resident of Poblacion 2, Cotabato City. Zafra said police are still conducting an investigation to identify the suspects behind Monday’s New Year’s Eve blast. “We are still conducting an investigation after the blast to identify the suspect and we are asking the public to stay at home for safety,” Zafra said. Another IED was also found inside a hair gel container in the 2nd floor of the malls’ baggage counter after an investigation was conducted by the EOD team and the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), according to Zafra. He added that the recovered second bomb would be directly subjected for distraction. The military has earlier claimed that the group could be the ISIS militants, saying the IED bore some signatures of the Daesh-related group. City Mayor Cynthia Guiani condemned the bombing incident as another terrorist act. “It is unimaginable how some people can start the New Year with an act of cruelty but no matter how you threaten us, the people of Cotabato City are resilient and we are stronger than how you think we are. We will stand up against terrorism. We will fight against evil,” Guaini said. For its part, Suara Bangsamoro said the incident was meant to destroy the peace in Cotabato City as the slated BOL plebiscite nears. “We cannot help but be indignant of the way that peace in Cotabato City has been tested, as people are preparing weeks before the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). a military take-over during plebiscite or election time is the least needed by the people and could change the real wishes of the people,” Jerome Aba said in a statement. Meanwhile, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) MILF chair Al Haj Ebrahim Murad perceived the blast incident as something that could derail the Bangsamoro peace process. “In the past, similar incidents have been resorted to in order to derail the Bangsamoro peace process. We must forge ahead with the same resolve as before so that we may finally achieve peace,” Murad said in a statement on Monday evening. Murad said the incident comes as they are preparing for the plebiscite on the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law ( BOL) on January 29. “We ask the authorities to examine all angles and make the result of the same public. We should not allow any party or group to make premature conclusions or draw insinuations so as to advance their own personal interest or political agenda,” Murad added. “It is precisely for the absence of security in our homeland that we exert our efforts for the passage of the BOL so that a government can be established that can really protect and promote the peace and security of the place and its peoples,” Murad stressed. ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, in a statement on Monday, also urged the authorities to conduct a thorough probe to give justice to the blast victims. “We urge investigators and all civilians to not be caught up in the chaos surrounding this terrorist act. We cannot afford to be divisive at this moment. Only by melding together can we bring about peace and justice,” Hataman said. “Evil acts like these will be punished in this world and the next, while all good deeds will be rewarded. Let us remember the good people of Cotabato for the sake of our community,” Hataman said. (davaotoday.com)[SEP]The bomb was allegedly planted on a motorcycle taxi parked outside the shopping mall in Cotabato City, where people were buying New Year gifts, according to the newspaper Mindanao Examiner. No terrorist group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Mayor Frances Cynthia Sayadi has reportedly labelled the blast a "terrorist act". READ MORE: US Agency Cancels Tsunami Threat After 7.2 Earthquake in Philippines Martial law was initially declared in Mindanao in May 2017 after the conflict broke out between the Philippine security forces and extremists affiliated with the Daesh* terrorist group, including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf jihadist groups. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/IS/ISIL) is a terrorist group banned in Russia.[SEP]Local media reports that an identified male was seen dropping a box outside the busy South Seas Mall shopping centre in the city, which is located in the Philippines' southern region of Mindanao. A spokesman for the Cotabato Philippine National Police (PNP) service, Senior Inspector Roel Zafra, said the explosion took place at 1.50pm local time on Magnalles Street. The explosion has rocked the city as it prepares for its New Year’s Eve celebrations. Two people have been pronounced dead, while another 32 injured people were rushed to a variety of hospitals, including the Cotabato Medical Specialist Hospital, Maternity Hospital and Cotabato Medical Center Hospital. Inspector Zafra said initial investigations have revealed that an unidentified male dropped a wrapped box in the area. Local reports state that seconds later, the box exploded. The PNP said the type of explosive is yet to be determined but that it was dropped in the mall’s baggage area. According to the Philippines News Agency (PNA), police are trying to determine "if the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device or illegal powerful firecrackers that accidentally went off in the area." Police Superintendent Romeo Galgo Jr. told PNA: "We saw several people wounded and being rushed to the hospital. "We are still conducting a post-blast investigation." Cotabato City Police Officer-In-Charge Senior Superintendent Rolly Octavio said the motive behind the explosion was still being investigated. Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and the Explosive Ordnance Division are still conducting investigations in the area. Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Cotabato Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi called the blast an "act against humanity." The Mayor said: "I strongly condemn the bombing incident that happened in front of South Seas Mall today, a day before the New Year, the took away several innocent lives and injured dozen others," she wrote. "This is not just another terroristic act but an act against humanity.[SEP]COTABATO, Philippines (AP) — Suspected Muslim militants remotely detonated a bomb near the entrance of a mall in the southern Philippines on Monday as people did last-minute shopping ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations, killing… COTABATO, Philippines (AP) — Suspected Muslim militants remotely detonated a bomb near the entrance of a mall in the southern Philippines on Monday as people did last-minute shopping ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations, killing at least two and wounding nearly 30, officials said. The bomb went off near a baggage counter at the entrance of the South Seas mall in Cotabato city, wounding shoppers, vendors and commuters. Authorities recovered another unexploded bomb nearby as government forces imposed a security lockdown in the city, military and police officials said. Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said by phone that an initial investigation showed the design of the bomb was similar to those used in the past by local Muslim militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Government forces launched an offensive against the militants belonging to a group called Daulah Islamiyah last week and at least seven of the militants died in the fighting, Sobejana said. “This is a part of the retaliation, but the problem is they’re victimizing innocent civilians,” he told reporters. Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr., the deputy police director of Cotabato, said witnesses saw a man leave a box in a crowded area near the mall’s entrance where vendors and shoppers were milling. The explosion shattered glass panels and scattered debris to the street fronting the mall. Two of the roughly 30 people hit by the blast died while being brought to a hospital, Sobejana said. Cotabato Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi condemned the bombing and called on residents to help fight terrorism. “This is not just another terroristic act but an act against humanity. I cannot fathom how such evil exists in this time of merry making,” she said. “It is unimaginable how some people can start the new year with an act of cruelty but no matter how you threaten us, the people of Cotabato are resilient. … We will stand up against terrorism,” she told reporters. The bombing, the latest in a number of attacks blamed on militants in the volatile region, occurred despite on-and-off military assaults against pockets of militant groups operating in the marshlands and hinterlands not far from Cotabato and outlying provinces. Hundreds of militants aligned with the Islamic State group laid siege in the southern Islamic city of Marawi in May last year, sparking five months of intense fighting and military airstrikes that left more than 1,100 mostly militants dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of villagers. President Rodrigo Duterte placed the southern third of the country under martial law to deal with the Marawi siege, the worst security crisis he has faced since taking office in mid-2016. The militants are opposed to a Muslim autonomy deal signed by the biggest Muslim rebel group and the government. There are concerns that radical groups may carry out bombings and other attacks to derail a Jan. 21 regional plebiscite aimed at obtaining public approval of a new law establishing a more powerful Muslim autonomous region in the south. Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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Sobejana said by phone that an initial investigation showed the design of the bomb was similar to those used in the past by local Muslim militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.[SEP]Suspected Muslim militants remotely detonated a bomb near the entrance of a mall in the southern Philippines on Monday as people did last-minute shopping ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations, killing at least two and wounding nearly 30, officials said. The bomb went off near the baggage counter at the entrance of the South Seas mall in Cotabato city, wounding shoppers, vendors and commuters. Authorities recovered another unexploded bomb nearby as government forces imposed a security lockdown in the city, military and police officials said. Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said by phone that an initial investigation showed the design of the bomb was similar to those used in the past by local Muslim militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Government forces launched an offensive against the militants belonging to a group called Daulah Islamiyah last week and at least seven of the militants died in the fighting, Sobejana said. "This is a part of the retaliation, but the problem is they're victimizing innocent civilians," he told reporters. Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr., the deputy police director of Cotabato, said witnesses saw a man leave a box in a crowded area near the mall's entrance where vendors and shoppers were milling. The explosion shattered glass panels and scattered debris to the street fronting the mall. Two of the roughly 30 people hit by the blast died while being brought to a hospital, Sobejana said. Cotabato Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi condemned the bombing and called on residents to help fight terrorism. "This is not just another terroristic act but an act against humanity. I cannot fathom how such evil exists in this time of merry making," she said. "It is unimaginable how some people can start the new year with an act of cruelty but no matter how you threaten us, the people of Cotabato are resilient. ... We will stand up against terrorism," she told reporters. The bombing, the latest in a number of attacks blamed on militants in the volatile region, occurred despite on-and-off military assaults against pockets of militant groups operating in the marshlands and hinterlands not far from Cotabato and outlying provinces. Hundreds of militants aligned with the Islamic State group laid siege in the southern Islamic city of Marawi in May last year, sparking five months of intense fighting and military airstrikes that left more than 1,100 mostly militants dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of villagers. President Rodrigo Duterte placed the southern third of the country under martial law to deal with the Marawi siege, the worst security crisis he has faced since taking office in mid-2016.[SEP]MANILA (Reuters) - A crude bomb, blamed by security forces on a small pro-Islamic State militant group, killed two people and wounded dozens on Monday in the southern Philippines, an army commander said. Islamist militants operate in the south of the largely Christian Asian country and some are known to have links with groups abroad, including al Qaeda and Islamic State. Major General Cirilito Sobejana, an army division commander, told Reuters the bomb bore a “Daesh-inspired signature”, referring to Islamic State by another name. The bomb went off at the entrance to a shopping mall in the city of Cotabato in the early afternoon. As well as the two people killed, 28 were wounded, he said. A second bomb was recovered in the same area, he said. Sobejana said he suspected the blast was retaliation for the killing by government troops of seven members of a small militant group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State.[SEP]At least two people have died and 21 were wounded in an explosion Monday at a shopping mall in Cotabato city, in Mindanao island, in the southern Philippines. The explosive was hidden in a box, and detonated at one of the entrances to the Southsea Mall, military sources told Philippines broadcaster.

A bomb explosion outside a busy shopping mall in the city of Cotabato, Philippines, kills 2 people and injures 34 others.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Manchester stabbing: Police restrain suspect The stabbing of three people - including a police officer - in Manchester is being treated as a terrorist investigation, police say. A man, aged 25, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack on New Year's Eve at the city's Victoria railway station. Two knives were recovered at the scene and a property is being searched in the Cheetham Hill area. The BBC understands the security services are assisting police. The three victims were taken to a nearby hospital with "serious" but not life-threatening injuries. A woman, aged in her 50s, suffered injuries to her face and stomach, while a man - also in his 50s - has injuries to his stomach. Image caption Police raided a house in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester The officer, a police sergeant in his 30s, sustained knife wounds to his shoulder during the attack, but has since been released from hospital. Manchester Victoria railway station has reopened after the stabbings. Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), told reporters at a briefing at force HQ the suspect lived in the Cheetham Hill area of the city. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins says the incident is being treated as "a terrorist investigation" Earlier, officers raided a newly built semi-detached house on Schoolside Close, a mile north of Manchester city centre. Resident Nousha Babaakachel, 40, said a Somali family lived at the address, a mother and father of five, in their 40s, who came to live in the street about 12 years ago from the Netherlands. She said two of the four sons were at university, one works at Manchester Airport and the youngest is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter. Both parents attend the local Khiza Mosque. 'Frenzied attack' At the briefing, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "I know that the events of last night will have affected many people and caused concern. "That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on 22 May 2017 makes it even more dreadful." Mr Jackson added that "given how frenzied the attack was" officers were considering the mental health of the arrested suspect. "There is wide reporting in the press about what the attacker allegedly said during the incident and because of this we want to be clear, we are treating this as a terrorism investigation," he said. He explained officers were "retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack", and said there was no information "to suggest at this time others are involved". Police recovered two knives at the scene but do not yet know if both were used in the attack. Emergency services praised Manchester Metrolink said services to the station were operating "to the normal pattern" but advised of "minor delays". Officers said counter terrorism police were leading the inquiry. Image copyright AFP Image caption The station was shut after the attack and police remain at the scene Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn both said the victims were in their thoughts, with Mrs May praising the "courageous response" of the emergency services, and Mr Corbyn highlighting their "bravery". The Home Secretary Sajid Javid said he wished those injured a "full recovery". ACC Sean O'Callaghan, from British Transport Police, said he was "incredibly proud" of the four officers who detained the suspect. They were "fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers," he said. BBC 5 live producer Sam Clack, who had been at the station at the time, said he saw a man stabbed on a tram platform at the station "feet from me". Mr Clack also said he heard the knifeman shouting "Allah" during the attack, along with a slogan criticising Western governments. Image copyright AFP Image caption A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder He added he was "close to jumping on the tracks" as the attacker had a "long kitchen knife". Greater Manchester Police, which declared the attack a "critical incident", said it understood that people would be worried but there was "no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time". The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said the attacks appeared to be an "isolated incident". Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham: Stabbings appear to be "an isolated incident" Mr Clack said he first "heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform". "It looked like they were having a fight, but the woman was screaming in this blood-curdling way. I saw police in high-vis come towards him. He came towards me. "I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12in blade. It was just fear, pure fear." Image copyright AFP Image caption Police said there was "no intelligence to suggest that there is any wider threat at this time" He said police used pepper spray and a Taser on the detained man, who he said had been "resisting arrest". He said he saw "six or seven" officers on top of the man, who he described as "very skittish". "He was very aggressive and very intent on causing more harm than he actually did," he said. "It was very, very scary." Image caption A man has been arrested and officers remain at the scene Police said the woman had injuries to her face and abdomen and the man had injuries to his abdomen. The New Year firework display in Albert Square went ahead. You may also like:[SEP]A man who was arrested after three people were stabbed at Manchester Victoria station has been detained under the Mental Health Act. Police said the 25-year-old suspect was being assessed by specialist medical staff over the New Year's Eve incident, which is being treated as terror related. It happened shortly before 9pm and two knives were later recovered from the scene, with a search also still being carried out at an address in the Cheetham Hill area. Police added there was "nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation". Earlier on Tuesday, police said they were keeping an open mind about the motive of the suspect, who has not yet been confirmed to be a British national. The three victims - a woman and a man in their 50s, and a British Transport Police (BTP) sergeant in his 30s - were taken to a nearby hospital in a "serious" condition but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The woman suffered injuries to her face and stomach and the man had wounds to his stomach, and both are still being treated in hospital. The BTP sergeant was also treated after he was stabbed in the shoulder, but has since been released. Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted on Tuesday: "My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night. I thank the emergency services for their courageous response." Also posting on Twitter, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "Thinking of those injured in Manchester last night, their families and loved ones. Thanks to our emergency services for their professionalism and bravery in dealing with this suspected terror attack." Great Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also paid tribute the heroism of the police and said the "vile attack" appeared to be an isolated incident. Sam Clack, a BBC producer who works in the city, was on a platform at the station when he witnessed the attack. He said: "I just heard this most blood curdling scream and looked down the platform. What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black. "It looked like they were having a fight, but she was screaming in this blood curdling way. I saw police in high-viz come towards him. He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear." Mr Clack said police officers used a Taser and pepper spray before "six or seven" of them jumped on the man. Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Great Manchester Police, called the incident a "horrific attack on people simply out to enjoy the New Year's Eve celebrations". He said British Transport Police officers had showed "incredible bravery" in tackling and detaining the suspect. The man is believed to have recently been living at the address being searched in Cheetham Hill. :: Anyone with pictures or video of the incident is asked to send it to fib@gmp.police.uk. Anyone with information can call 0161 8563400.[SEP]According to the Greater Manchester Police, the suspect is being held and assessed for mental health issues. On Monday evening, three people, a couple and a policeman, received stab wounds in a knife attack at Victoria station. The suspected attacker was detained minutes after the attack and is currently in custody in Manchester. The policeman was discharged from the hospital earlier on Tuesday, while the couple "are still being treated in hospital for their serious injuries," police said. UK police added that they were "currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living." READ MORE: Seventh Suspect Arrested in Connection with Manchester Arena Bombing Police also noted that the attack took place very close to the scene of the May 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, killed 23 people, including the attacker.[SEP]A 25-year-old man arrested last night after three people were stabbed at Manchester Victoria Station has been assessed by specialist medical staff and detained under the Mental Health Act, police have revealed. However, officers have said 'the counter terrorism investigation remains ongoing'. In a statement, Greater Manchester Police also said: "There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation." Meanwhile, police are continuing to search an address in Cheetham Hill. A man and a woman were seriously injured and a police officer suffered a stab wound to the shoulder during the attack on Monday night. The couple are expected to remain in hospital for some time, however their injuries are not thought to be life threatening. The BTP officer has since been released from hospital. The 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene. IN PICTURES: Three injured in knife attack at Victoria The full text of Greater Manchester Police's latest statement said: "The 25 year old man arrested last night (31 January 2018) following the incident at Manchester Victoria Station has been assessed by specialist medical staff and detained under the Mental Health Act. "The Counter Terrorism investigation remains ongoing. There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation. "The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues."[SEP]The Manchester Victoria stabbing suspect has been detained under the mental health act, police announced tonight. The 25-year-old was arrested after three people, including a British Transport Police officer, were injured in a frenzied knife attack at the train station on New Year's Eve. The man has since been assessed by specialist medical staff and detained under the Mental Health Act. "There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation. "The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues." Police confirmed in the early hours of this morning they were treating the attack as a terror probe. It came as screams were heard as a man allegedly knifed a couple and a British Transport Police (BTP) officer at the busy station just before 9pm last night. A Snapchat video appeared to show the suspect shouting "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is most great", as he was surrounded by police. Today, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) told a media briefing that senior officers were treating the incident as a 'terror investigation'. They are now working to get "the full facts of what happened". The force also said that officers were searching an address in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, in relation to the probe, where the suspect is believed to have most recently been living. “Just before 9pm the British Transport Police officers at Victoria Train Station responded to a man armed with a knife and swiftly detained him," Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters this morning. "The officers acted with incredible bravery in tackling the armed attacker at the busy Metrolink station and ensured he was immediately detained." He added: "We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester Police. "They were working throughout the night to piece together the details of what happened and to identify the man who was arrested. "This detailed work will continue and we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living. "Our work will continue to ensure we get to the full facts of what happened and why it took place." Police said the wounded couple were still being treated in hospital for their "serious" injuries following the "horrific" New Year's Eve attack. Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson told the briefing that the pair, in their 50s, suffered multiple stab wounds in the "frenzied" attack. The "brave" BTP officer, who is in his 30s and was stabbed in the shoulder, was also hospitalised but has since been released. Mr Jackson added: "We believe we have identified the man in custody. "In fact we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, we commenced that in the last 30 to 40 minutes. "We know the attacker arrived at the location and soon after he attacked two people, a man and a woman, who have suffered very serious injuries. Whilst serious thankfully these are not life threatening." The couple are expected to remain in hospital for some time, he said. He continued: "There is wide reporting in the press about what the attacker allegedly said during the incident and because of this we want to be clear, we are treating this as a terrorism investigation. "However it's really important to stress we are retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack. "We have nothing to suggest at this time others are involved." Ast Chf Const Jackson told the briefing that police recovered two knives but do not yet know if both were used in the attack. Witnesses had earlier described how "hero" officers ran through the station and hurled themselves at the suspect without hesitation. Police raced over as horrified commuters heard a "bloodcurdling scream" and a man was allegedly spotted with a 12-inch blade. Determined to protect the public, officers reportedly used a Taser and pepper spray before "six or seven" of them 'jumped' on the suspect. They are then said to have held him down on the ground. One shocked witness, called Bekky, told Mirror Online last night: "I’m in awe of the BTP, as soon as I heard the screaming they were running to the scene to protect everyone. Another witness described how police 'came towards' the suspect. "At one point one of the police officers fired the Taser but it missed him," recalled Sam Clack, who had been waiting for a tram home. "Then he got pepper sprayed and Tasered and he went to the ground." BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: "I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife. "They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers. "Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we're all relieved that this is not more serious. "It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery." GMP had earlier described the 'stabbed' couple's injuries. The force said the woman had suffered injuries to her face and abdomen, while the man sustained injuries to his abdomen. A spokesman added: "The police sergeant... was taken to hospital with a stab wound to his shoulder following the attack at the station. "Within minutes, a man was arrested near to Metrolink platforms A and B on suspicion of attempted murder." Victoria station is situated next to Manchester Arena, where suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people on May 22. Chf Const Hopkins said: "I know that the events last night will have affected many people and caused concern. "That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on 22 May 2017 makes it even more dreadful." GMP had earlier said there would be a greater police presence around the station today, but that there was no increased threat to people's safety.[SEP]The terror suspect who was arrested after a “frenzied” New Year’s Eve stabbing which left three people hurt has been detained under the Mental Health Act. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the 25 year-old, who is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, has been assessed by specialist medical staff. Police are searching his home. “There is nothing to suggest the involvement of other people in this attack, but confirming this remains a main priority for the investigation. “The search of the address in Cheetham Hill continues.” British Prime Minister Theresa May joined British Transport Police in commending the emergency services for containing the threat during the incident, which occurred at around 9pm on Monday at Manchester Victoria Station. Police at Victoria Station in Manchester following the incident (PA)[SEP]The suspect arrested over the stabbings at Manchester Victoria Station on New Year’s Eve has been detained under the Mental Health Act, police have confirmed. Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old man from Cheetham Hill, Manchester had been assessed by medical staff on Tuesday afternoon after being taken into custody yesterday evening. The man, who has yet to be identified, stabbed three people including a police officer in Manchester Victoria station on New Year's Eve while screaming 'Allahu Akbar'. Anti-terror officers raided his home in the city today and spoke to neighbours who said they believe the house was inhabited by a Somali couple. Neighbours also said the couple have four or five children, who reportedly moved with their parents to the UK from the Netherlands around 12 years ago. Footage of the aftermath of the 'frenzied' attack at Manchester's Victoria Station last night shows a man being pinned down by five police officers, with blood stains on the pavement. Another video shows the suspect shouting 'Allahu Akbar', meaning 'God is most great' in Arabic, as he was put in the back of a police van. He was also heard screaming: 'Long live the Caliphate', a reference to the enclave carved out by terror group ISIS. A witness said he also shouted: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of s*** is going to keep happening.' Nousha Babaakachel, a neighbour of the home raided, said a Somali family live at the address. She said the couple have two sons are at university, one working at Manchester Airport and the youngest son is back in Somalia. They also have a daughter. Witnesses to last night's events have praised the British Transport Police officer who was stabbed in the shoulder after 'bravely and immediately' confronting the attacker during a routine patrol. BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: 'I am incredibly proud of the four officers who were immediately on scene last night, detaining a man who was wielding a knife. 'They were fearless, running towards danger and preventing further harm coming to passengers. 'Unfortunately however, one of our police officers suffered a stab injury to their shoulder and we're all relieved that this is not more serious. It is good news that he has now been discharged from hospital, we are all wishing him a speedy recovery.' Prime Minister Theresa May said: 'My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night. I thank the emergency services for their courageous response.' Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted on Tuesday evening: 'Just had an update from @TerrorismPolice about last night's £ManchesterVictoria incident and their investigation. Can't praise police and emergency services response enough - swift and brave.' A witness told the Daily Mirror: 'As soon as I heard the screaming they were running to the scene to protect everyone. They are heroes.' Police said a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody as his home is searched. They could not confirm whether he had previously been flagged to them. Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said a couple in their 50s suffered multiple stab wounds in the 'frenzied' and 'random' attack around 9pm, during which the attacker wielded two knives. Mr Jackson said: 'We believe we have identified the man in custody. In fact we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester. 'We know the attacker arrived at the location and soon after he attacked two people, a man and a woman, who have suffered very serious injuries. Whilst serious, thankfully these are not life threatening.' The station where the attack unfolded is next to Manchester Arena, where suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people on May 22. The area was reopened after a cordon was lifted this morning. Witness Sam Clack, who came within touching distance of the attacker, said he heard the man shout 'Allah' as he launched the attack. Mr Clack, a BBC producer, was on a platform at Manchester Victoria railway station waiting for a tram home when he witnessed the attack. The 38-year-old said: 'I just heard this most blood-curdling scream and looked down the platform. What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black. 'It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood curdling way. I saw police in high-vis come towards him. 'He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good, 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear.' Mr Clack said police officers used a Taser and pepper spray before 'six or seven' officers jumped on the man and held him down. He said he heard the suspect saying: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries this sort of s*** is going to keep happening.' Mr Clack said it looked like both the man in his 60s and the woman with him had been stabbed, but both were conscious and were walked to a waiting ambulance. He said he also heard the knifeman shouting 'Allah' before and during the attack. Police appeared 'within seconds' and the knifeman backed down the platform towards where Mr Clack was standing alone. Mr Clack described how he feared the man would attack him. 'I just had a feeling in the pit of my stomach,' he said. 'Here's a man who's very agitated, angry, skittish. It appears he had already attacked someone. He had police coming towards him and he's coming towards me. 'I thought what I need to do is jump onto the tracks because next thing he's going to do is turn around and stab me. He's looking about, side to side and jumpy. 'At one point one of the police officers fired the Taser but it missed him. Then he got pepper sprayed and tasered and he want to the ground. 'The guy, his exact words were, he said: 'As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of s*** is going to keep happening'.' He added: 'It was scary. I have never been so scared in my life. Someone with a knife six to eight feet away, he had just stabbed someone. It was the proximity. 'It just highlights the fact that it can happen anywhere. It's just a guy with a knife on a platform. It can happen anywhere. Anyone can do it.' A police sergeant in his 30s injured in the attack has been released from hospital, while the other two victims are currently receiving treatment. A British Transport Police spokesperson said the woman has injuries to her face and abdomen and the man has injuries to his abdomen, while a BTP officer has a stab wound in his shoulder - all of which are described as 'serious but not life-threatening'. In footage posted on Snapchat reportedly showing the suspect being put in the back of a police van, he can be heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as he is led away by officers. Another eyewitness, named only as Rebecca, told Mirror Online: 'I heard the most bloodcurdling scream I've ever heard and turned to see everyone running towards me. 'Some guy told me to run. 'Keep running' was all he kept saying - 'just keep running'. I jumped off the tram track and started to run down the tram lines and hid behind some concrete slabs under one of the arches. The Metrolink has been cordoned off and the station is currently shut down while police investigate the scene. The attack took place just a few hundred meters away from the Manchester Arena, scene of the deadly bombing in May 2017 which killed 23 revellers at an Ariana Grande concert. British Transport Police said in a statement: 'Officers are attending Manchester Victoria station following reports of a man wielding a knife. We received the call at 8.52pm on Monday, 31 December. 'A man has been detained and two members of the public, a man and a woman have been taken to hospital with knife injuries. 'A BTP officer is also receiving treatment for a stab wound to the shoulder. British Transport Police remain at the scene along with colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service.' ISIS urge British extremists to carry out 'horror and misery' UK attack during festive season by Larisa Brown, Middle East Correspondent for the Daily Mail Islamic State jihadists yesterday used encrypted apps to urge extremists in Britain to carry out a knife attack in Westminster during the festive season. They told members of closed groups on the encrypted Telegram messaging app to bring 'horror and misery' to non-believers over the New Year, it can be revealed. One image circulated showed a crowd of people outside Big Ben watching fireworks with a man carrying a bloodied knife. There was also a splatter of blood over the image of Parliament. In Arabic and also translated in English, it read: 'Hunt them O Muwahid (a believer in Allah).' It had chilling echoes of the Westminster terror attack in March 2017 when Briton Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians before fatally stabbing an unarmed police officer. In a separate document posted on the app, known for its use by terrorists, IS extremists explained in graphic detail who to target with a knife. The terror manual suggested targeting a 'drunken kafir (non-believer)' or someone 'in an alley close a night club or another place of debauchery'. 'It may also help to carry a baton or some kind of concealable blunt object, such as a baseball bat, to strike the victim's head', it said. This would immobilise him 'before cutting his throat or stabbing him in other lethal areas to finish him off', it recommended. The call to inflict bloodshed in Europe has significantly increased in recent days, with the group appearing to have a 'new energy', according to intelligence experts. The documents were circulated in closed groups on Telegram and intercepted by cyber intelligence company Global Intelligence Insight. They said most of the accounts are managed by individuals with extensive operational experience, both in recruitment and radicalisation. 'According to our analysis we have been seeing a growing increase in the level of threat that has been used,' a spokesman for the company said. There were also threats against the US, France, Italy and Spain in numerous languages including in Arabic, English and Russian. Some of the Telegram groups have hundreds of members, others with just a few which are used for 'operational tasking'. They are also actively pushing and circulating old terror manuals from Rumiyah Magazine. These are urging extremists to inflict mass casualties with vans such as the one used in the London Bridge attack. Vasco Amador, CEO of GGII, who intercepted the terrorists communications, said: 'They are putting a lot of effort into increasing their online reach in order to stimulate terror attacks and recent trends in activity are greater than we have seen for some time. 'There are thousands of people interacting in theses communications channels all over the world and it is clear there are British supporters in there as well.' Philip Ingram MBE, a former Colonel in British military intelligence and chairman of GII, said there was a seeming 'new energy' in IS's online radicalisation efforts. He said: 'The volume of information that is circulating about how to carry out attacks, where to acquire weapons, how to manufacture explosives, how to maintain security, is huge. 'Extremist terrorism has not gone and the threats to Europe and the UK through 2019 will remain extremely high.' IS has nearly been defeated militarily in Syria and Iraq but many have fled to countries such as Afghanistan. There are fears battle-hardened jihadists could also try to return to the UK.[SEP]It’s time we realised that good mental health is as important as being physically fit. People suffering from depression and anxiety need to be heard. They need to be told that they’re loved. The year 2018 has been an eye opening year. The increasing number of suicide cases compelled people to have meaningful talks on the disease. Young people whose smiling faces hid inexplicable pain took their lives after struggling from depression. This year we need to take pledge to convince people who are struggling with mental health issues to seek help and live a life with good mental health.[SEP]Sir, – Mr John Farrelly, chief executive of the Mental Health Commission, is correct that more needs to be done to improve mental health services (“Legacy of disrespect lingers in our mental health services”, Opinion & Analysis, December 27th). There is a global dimension to this issue. The World Health Organisation reports that, despite depression being the world’s leading cause of disability and 800,000 people dying by suicide annually, most people affected by mental illness – 75 per cent in many low-income countries – do not get the treatment they need. In addition, people with mental illness are at increased risk of unemployment, homelessness and imprisonment in many countries, including Ireland. But there are reasons for optimism. Globally, suicide has fallen by 38 per cent since 1994 and many countries are stepping up to the challenge of mental illness in new and positive ways. In May 2018, India granted a legally binding right to mental health care to all of its 1.3 billion residents – one sixth of the planet’s population. Given the under-resourcing of services in India, the challenge is certainly great, but the vision is greater still. In Ireland, too, rates of suicide are falling and our 2006 mental health policy, A Vision for Change, is currently being updated. The Mental Health Act 2001 is also being revised, to place greater emphasis on human rights. In March 2018, we ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and we are introducing new mental capacity legislation to provide greater voice to people with disabilities, including those with long-term mental illness. Yes, we need to do much more, but there are signs of positive change. In the words of Martin Luther King, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. – Yours, etc,[SEP]A man with a 'long knife' has stabbed at least three people in a frenzied attack at Manchester's Victoria Station. British Transport Police (BTP) were called to the scene just before 9pm tonight as a man wielding a knife stabbed members of the public. Two members of the public, a man and a woman, and a BTP officer were taken to hospital with stab injuries. People travelling this evening feared it was a terror attack and were left shaken by the incident, reports our sister title the Daily Mirror . Sam Clack, a producer at the BBC, tweeted how he nearly jumped on the tracks to get away from the knifeman. He said: "Just been very close to the most terrifying thing. Man stabbed in Manchester Victoria station on tram platform. "Feet from me, I was close to jumping on the tracks as attacker had long kitchen knife. Totally shaken. This is seriously messed up." He described the incident as "so surreal and terrifying" and said "hope I never see anything like that again". BTP said in a statement: "Officers are attending Manchester Victoria station following reports of a man wielding a knife. "We received the call at 8.52pm on Monday, 31 December. "A man has been detained and two members of the public, a man and a woman have been taken to hospital with knife injuries. "A BTP officer is also receiving treatment for a stab wound to the shoulder. "British Transport Police remain at the scene along with colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service." BTP greater Manchester later added the station remains closed and officers are at the scene

Three people are injured after being stabbed in an attack at Manchester Victoria station. The attacker shouted "Allah" during the attack. The attack is being treated as a terror-related incident, police have confirmed, and due to concerns over his mental health, the suspect is being held under the Mental Health Act.

Fifty-six people have been killed in landslides and floods in the eastern Philippines and 11 are still missing. Fifty of the victims were killed in five provinces in the eastern region of Bicol, which bore the brunt of heavy rains brought by a tropical depression, authorities say. Most victims died in landslides, including a family of three asleep when their house was buried in Legazpi City, 336 kilometres southeast of Manila, police said on Sunday. Six people were drowned or were buried in landslides in the two provinces in the Eastern Visayas region, police said. READ MORE: * Family of four among the 28 dead after Typhoon Mangkhut lashes the Philippines * Vietnam evacuates thousands as Typhoon Tembin leaves more than 160 dead in Philippines * Storm in southern Philippines leaves at least 75 dead More than 22,000 people have been displaced in six provinces. A tropical depression weakened into a low pressure area after making landfall over the province of Eastern Smar on Saturday, and brought in heavy rains in the days before.[SEP]The storm struck the Philippines shortly after Christmas, with the number of fatalities expected to rise This article is more than 8 months old This article is more than 8 months old The death toll from a storm that struck the Philippines shortly after Christmas rose to 68 with the number of fatalities expected to climb even higher, civil defence officials said Monday. Fifty-seven people died in the mountainous Bicol region, southeast of Manila, while 11 were killed in the central island of Samar, mostly due to landslides and drownings, the officials said. “I am afraid this [death toll] will still go up because there are a lot of areas we still have to clear,” said Claudio Yucot, Bicol civil defence director. Philippines: five years after Typhoon Haiyan Read more The weather disturbance locally named Usman hit the country on Saturday. While it did not have powerful winds it brought heavy rains that caused floods and loosened the soil, triggering landslides in some areas. Many people failed to take necessary precautions because Usman was not strong enough to be rated as a typhoon under the government’s storm alert system, Yucot said. “People were overconfident because they were on [Christmas] vacation mode and there was no tropical cyclone warning,” he told AFP. Although Usman has since moved westward away from the country, many affected areas were still experiencing seasonal rains, hampering rescue and recovery efforts, he added. At least 17 people are still missing and more than 40,000 were displaced nationwide due to the storm, the civil defence office said. An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people and leaving millions in near-perpetual poverty. The most powerful was Super Typhoon Haiyan which left more than 7,360 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in 2013.[SEP]Manila - At least 22 people have died due to landslides and flooding triggered by a tropical cyclone that brought heavy rains to the central Philippines, a disaster agency official said on Sunday. The people, including a three-year-old boy, were reported dead as of Sunday morning, said disaster agency spokesman Edgar Posadas, after a tropical cyclone barrelled through the eastern Visayas and Bicol regions on Saturday. "The wind was not strong but it caused flooding and landslides," Posadas said. The number of casualties could rise as rescue and retrieval operations continue. Local media have reported dozens missing or trapped by the landslides. A regional office of the disaster agency said it was working to confirm the deaths of 38 people in the Bicol region, located south of the main island of Luzon. Thousands of passengers were stranded at seaports, airports and bus terminals as dozens of inter-island trips were cancelled. The tropical depression, which has since been downgraded to a low pressure area, left the Philippines on Sunday afternoon. About 20 tropical cyclones hit the Philippines every year.[SEP]The number of deaths continues to rise as search and retrieval operations are underway MANILA, Philippines – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) raised to 75 as of Tuesday, January 1, the number of fatalities of Tropical Depression Usman though it said they were still validating the deaths reported. NDRRMC Spokesperson Edgar Posadas said majority of the casualties were from the Bicol region which was hit badly by landslides. "The numbers when it comes to the reported deaths, these are still for verification and confirmation and therefore they are still unofficial as we are starting to get reports from the different regions," he said in an interview with ANC. He added there were also 16 people reported missing as of Tuesday. Data from NDRRMC showed the reported deaths come from Bicol region at 59, Eastern Visayas at 13, and 3 from other regions. As search and rescue operations continued, officials retrieved more bodies from areas in Albay and Camarines Sur, which were hit badly by landslides. The number of affected individuals also increased as there were 45,438 families or 191,597 persons affected as of Tuesday. The residents come from 457 barangays in Bicol region, Eastern Visayan, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa. Posadas said the NDRRMC recorded a total of 69 houses damaged so far. According to data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Usman, which later became a low pressure area, dumped large volumes of rainfall in parts of Luzon and the Visayas in just two days. (READ: How much rain did Tropical Depression Usman bring?) Daet, Camarines Norte; Legazpi City, Albay; and Catarman, Northern Samar, had the most rain from Friday, December 28, to Saturday, December 29. Heavy rains prompted local officials to declare a state of calamity in Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon. Usman left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday, December 30. – with reports from Sofia Tomacruz/Rappler.com[SEP]People affected by Tropical Depression Usman need your help and support. This page shows how you can help. MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Usman, which made landfall on Saturday, December 29, and weakened into a low pressure area, triggered flash floods and landslides in different parts of Luzon and Visayas. Authorities reported on Monday, December 31, that the death toll from Usman rose to 68. Of this number, 57 people died in the Bicol Region, while 11 died in Samar, mostly due to landslides and drownings. The Camarines Sur Chapter of the Philippine Red Cross is accepting donations in cash and in kind. You may bring or send donation to the Philippine Red Cross-Camarines Sur Chapter beside ABS-CBN, Panganiban Drive, Naga City. Look for Ms. Mygan Valenzuela or Mr. Kristofer Lancel Gevero. The group is accepting water, ready-to-eat food, blankets, tarpaulins, and other relief items. You may contact TAYO at 0927-665-4715 and drop your pledges at: Cash donations may also be made through bank deposit via the following details: The Caritas-Caceres (Social Action Commission) in Camarines Sur is accepting cash and in-kind donations to help families in need of food, clothes, blankets, and mats. You may drop them off at the Caritas-Caceres Development Center Zone 1, Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur. For coordination, you may contact Fr. Marc DP. Real via mobile +639772646884. – Rappler.com[SEP]Most of the fatalities are in Albay, which was hit by landslides MANILA, Philippines – Landslides and heavy rain triggered by Tropical Depresson Usman killed at least 35 people in the Bicol region as of Sunday, December 30, with majority of casualties coming from the two landslides which occurred in Albay. Below is the breakdown of the number of deaths according to the Philippine National Police (PNP): The PNP said 15 people remained missing in Albay, all of whom were being searched. The National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council warned Albay residents Saturday of possible flooding and landslide. (LOOK: Heavy rain due to Usman floods Libon town) According to PNP Bicol spokesperson Maria Calubaquib, a landslide occurred at about 9 pm on Saturday, December 29, in Barangay Sugod, Tiwi, Albay. Nine people died there. Residents said a barangay kagawad in Sugod went around to tell residents to evacuate before dark fell. However, because a landslide had never happened in the area before, some residents did not heed the advice, the residents said. Calubaquib said search and rescue operations were ongoing. Meanwhile, an earlier landslide late Friday night, December 28 also occurred in Barangay San Fernando, Legazpi City. It left 3 people dead. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) the low pressure area (LPA) which used to be Tropical Depression Usman and the tail-end of a cold front are still bringing rain on Sunday. PAGASA advised all areas affected by the LPA and the tail-end of a cold front to stay on alert for flash floods and landslides. The Department of Social Welfare and Development likewise remained on standby for response to residents affected by Usman. – with reports from Rambo Talabong, Sofia Tomacruz, Rhadyz Barcia, and Mavic Conde/Rappler.com[SEP]As search and retrieval operations continue, the number of deaths continues to rise MANILA, Philippines – The number of people killed by Tropical Depression Usman rose to 61 on Sunday night, December 30, following massive landslides and floods triggered by heavy rain. As of 8 pm on December 30, there were also 18 people recorded missing and 12 others who injured from the same regions. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the casualties come from Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas. They were also still validating reports. Landslides had occurred in Albay on Saturday, December 29 and Friday, December 28, which left at least 12 dead as of Sunday. Apart from this, landslides were also reported in Nato town, Camarines Sur. Ten bodies were recovered in the area. In an updated report from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Disaster Response and Management Bureau (DRMB), 3,488 families or 13,469 persons were moved to 112 evacuation centers. The residents were from Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas. Meanwhile, the DSWD report also said 189 families or 939 individuals decided to stay with relatives and friends but were still being served by the agency. So far, about P395,144 worth of aid has been provided by the DSWD to local government units. Emergency telecommunication equipment is also on standby if needed, the DSWD said. According to data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the low pressure area which used to be Tropical Depression Usman dumped large volumes of rainfall in parts of Luzon and the Visayas in just two days. (READ: How much rain did Tropical Depression Usman bring?) Daet, Camarines Norte; Legazpi City, Albay; and Catarman, Northern Samar, had the most rain from Friday, December 28, to Saturday, December 29. Heavy rains prompted local officials to declare a state of calamity in Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon. Usman left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Sunday, but the northeast monsoon or amihan is still affecting Luzon. – with reports from Sofia Tomacruz/Rappler.com[SEP]Scores of people have been killed after a powerful storm swept through the Philippines over the weekend. The tropical depression, locally named Usman, brought heavy rains on Saturday, causing catastrophic flooding and triggering deadly landslides, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management agency said Monday. In its latest official update, the agency said the death toll had climbed to 75 with a further 12 people injured. At least 16 others are still missing in the regions of Bicol and Eastern Visayas, officials said. The storm affected nearly 190,000 people, officials said, with dozens of areas facing power outages as a result of infrastructure damage. As many as 69 houses were damaged, with 41 of those totally destroyed. In the aftermath of Usman, several provinces declared a state of calamity, which allows authorities to access emergency funds and resources quickly, according to CNN Philippines. Thousands of travelers were left stranded at airports, seaports and bus terminals after several domestic flights and ferry services were canceled, Reuters reported. The national disaster agency said the weather system was “no longer affecting any part of the country” but forecast light rain for some areas. Tropical weather systems often slam through the Philippines. Typhoon Mangkhut, the strongest typhoon of 2018, battered the southeast Asian country in September, packing winds of up to 270 kph (165 mph) and wreaking devastation across the northern Philippines. More than 100 people were killed by Mangkhut before it barreled into Hong Kong and southern China. The worst storm to hit the Philippines in a generation occurred in 2013, when Super Typhoon Yolanda killed more than 6,000 people and displaced nearly 4 million others.[SEP]However, sons had no increased risk of depression. It is unclear why girls may be affected at this age by paternal postnatal depression, but the researchers suggested that depression in either parent can disrupt family life and cause higher levels of stress for the whole family, as well as affecting the way in which parents interact with their children. The specific aspects of a father-daughter relationship may explain why as girls go through adolescence, they have a higher risk of depression themselves if their fathers also suffered from depression. Co-author Professor Paul Ramchandani said, "Research from this study of families in Bristol has already shown that fathers can experience depression in the postnatal period as well as mothers. What is new in this paper is that we were able to follow up the young people from birth through to the age of 18, when they were interviewed about their own experience of depression." "We were also able to look at some of the ways in which depression in fathers might have affected children. It appears that depression in fathers is linked with an increased level of stress in the whole family, and that this might be one way in which offspring may be affected. "Whilst many children will not be affected by parental depression in this way, the findings of this study highlight the importance of providing appropriate help to fathers, as well as mothers, who may experience depression." The researchers also point out that almost one in 20 new fathers suffer depression in the weeks after their child is born.[SEP]Another tropical storm, this one called Usman has so far killed at least 22 people as it passed through several provinces. The storm has triggered floods and landslides forcing villagers to flee to safer areas. The death toll is expected to rise. More than 6,600 people have been stranded in various locations, while Cebu Air and national carrier Philippine Airlines have cancelled many flights from December 27 to 29. Authorities report that the storm has forced the evacuation of at least 17,000 people in the Bicol region in the southern areas of the main Luzon island. Three are reported dead in Albay province due to a landslide. Another seven more were killed in Masbate, most of them drowning. Six more deaths were reported from Sorsogon and Camarines Sur provinces. Civil defence officials report at least 16 people are reported bead in Bicol while six others were killed in Eastern Visayas. Government forecasters said Sunday that heavy rain would continue over the next 24 hours in the northern Philippines. About 20 cyclones pass through disaster-prone Philippines each year.

At least 69 people are reported dead from flooding caused by Tropical Depression Usman in the Philippines.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Magnitogorsk: Russian rescuers pull baby from rubble An 11-month-old boy rescued from the ruins of a collapsed apartment block in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk is said to be conscious but in an "extremely serious" condition. The country's health ministry says he has severe frostbite to his limbs, a head injury and multiple leg fractures. The boy, named Ivan, has been evacuated to Moscow for treatment. His mother also survived the suspected gas explosion, which killed at least 14 people. Twenty-seven people remain unaccounted for. Ivan was found after spending more than 30 hours in sub-zero temperatures in the rubble of the apartment block. How was Ivan found? He was found wrapped in a blanket and in his cot in the Urals region city, about 1,695km (1,053 miles) east of Moscow, where the daytime temperature is about -17C. One rescuer, Pyotr Gritsenko has described how the infant, whom he initially thought to be a girl, was found. "[We made sure there was] silence so we could hear if sounds were coming or not," he told Russian state TV channel Rossia 24. "One of the rescuers in our group, Andrei Valman, heard a child crying near the adjacent apartment block, near the part that was still standing. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rescuers searched for survivors after a gas explosion in a Russian apartment block "After that, we stopped all our equipment in order to make sure again, and listened. When we said 'Quiet!' the baby reacted and went quiet too. When we said 'Where are you?' she started to react again. "When we were certain, the head of our centre, who is more experienced, said 'This is where we'll work' and told us to start removing the rubble." Image copyright EPA/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL Image caption Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the city to assess the situation How did the explosion occur? The blast, at 06:02 local time is thought to have ripped through the first floor, which houses some offices, and the seven storeys above then collapsed. The building was home to 120 people, and 48 flats collapsed in the blast. Nearby flats were also damaged. Image copyright AFP Image caption The dangerously unstable building had to be secured before the rescue could continue "I woke up and felt myself falling," one witness told Russian television, according to news agency AFP. "The walls were gone. My mother was screaming and my son had been buried." Another witness spoke of a "wave of fire" which followed the explosion. A criminal investigation has been opened into the disaster. Wednesday has been declared a day of mourning in Magnitogorsk.[SEP]At least four people are dead and dozens missing after a suspected gas explosion ripped through an apartment building in southern Russia on Monday, state media reported. Russia’s emergencies ministry told Tass news agency that four people had been pulled alive from the partly collapsed block in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region near the border with Kazakhstan. Sixty-eight residents were still missing from the high-rise, home to some 120 people, Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Boris Dubrovsky said in a post on Telegram, according to Tass. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the scene of the deadly blast on Monday afternoon, as search and rescue efforts for people still trapped inside continued, state news channel Rossiya 24 reported. Over 400 emergency workers were sifting through the rubble. The local branch of Russia’s Federal Security Service said the blast was believed to have been caused by a gas explosion. Gas blasts have become a relatively common occurrence in Russia over recent years as the country struggles to cope with aging Soviet-era infrastructure and loose safety requirements, according to Reuters[SEP]Rescuers in the central Russian city of Magnitogorsk are searching for survivors after an explosion devastated a block of flats, killing at least three people. Officials in the city, in the Urals region, say a gas leak caused the blast. They say 79 people are missing. The building was home to 110 people, and 48 flats collapsed in the blast. It is a race against time to find survivors, as the temperature in the industrial city is -15C.[SEP]MOSCOW - Rescuers are searching for survivors in the central Russian city of Magnitogorsk, where an explosion devastated a block of flats, killing at least four people. Officials in the city, in the Urals region, say a gas leak caused the blast. About 40 people are missing. President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the city to assess the situation. The building was home to 120 people, and 48 flats collapsed in the blast. It is a race against time to find survivors, as the temperature in the industrial city is -17C. Few if any are expected to be pulled from the rubble. Russia’s Vesti news channel says officials have accounted for more than 50 of the block’s residents, including the victims. At least 16 survivors have been evacuated from the scene, including seven children. Four injured people are in hospital. The blast, at 06:02 local time (01:02 GMT) is thought to have ripped through the first floor, which houses some offices, and the seven storeys above then collapsed. Nearby flats were also damaged. The city is about 1,695km (1,053 miles) east of Moscow.[SEP]At least three people have died and nearly 80 others are missing after a Russian apartment block partially collapsed following a gas explosion. The blast took place in the city of Magnitogorsk, near to Russia's border with Kazakhstan, around 3am on Sunday. Seventy-nine people remain unaccounted for at this stage, believed to be trapped in the rubble, while three others have been confirmed dead. Rescue services at the scene are battling bone-chilling weather conditions, with temperatures as cold as -26C. Emergency service workers are trying to evacuate trapped residents. The cause of the gas explosion is not immediately known.[SEP]Four dead after gas explosion in Russia MOSCOW: Four people were killed and nearly 70 unaccounted for after a gas explosion tore through a residential building in Russia on Monday, leaving hundreds without a home in freezing temperatures on New Year´s Eve. A large section of the building collapsed after a gas explosion around 6am local time at the high-rise in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, nearly 1,700 kilometres east of Moscow in the Ural mountains. Four people were confirmed dead and another four, including two children, were hospitalised, officials said, citing the latest information. Sixteen people including seven children have been evacuated. The whereabouts of 28 people have been established but the fate of nearly 70 was unclear. National television said some 50 people could be trapped under the rubble. National television broadcast footage of rescue workers combing through mangled heaps of concrete and metal in temperatures of minus 18 Celsius. Temperatures in Magnitogorsk were expected to plunge to minus 23 Celsius on New Year´s night, the biggest holiday of the year in Russia.[SEP]Rescuers scrambled amid freezing temperatures to recover people trapped in the rubble of a Russian city apartment block that collapsed in a gas explosion on Monday, killing at least four people and leaving dozens missing, news agencies reported. MOSCOW: Rescuers scrambled amid freezing temperatures to recover people trapped in the rubble of a Russian city apartment block that collapsed in a gas explosion on Monday, killing at least four people and leaving dozens missing, news agencies reported. The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a nine-storey building in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Urals some 1,700 km (1,050 miles) east of Moscow, the emergencies ministry said. "Four people have been killed, five are in hospital ... and the fate of 35 is unknown," Russian news agencies quoted the emergencies ministry as saying. President Vladimir Putin flew into Magnitogorsk late on Monday afternoon, the Kremlin said, as rescue workers toiled in temperatures of - 22 Celsius (- 7.6 Fahrenheit) to locate people trapped in the debris. Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova told state television that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing as the day wore on. RIA news agency reported that the blast tore through the building at around 0600 a.m. (0100 GMT) when many residents were asleep. Monday was a public holiday in Russia. There have been several similar incidents in Russia in recent years due to ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations surrounding gas usage. In 2015, at least five people were killed when a gas explosion damaged an apartment building in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.[SEP]MOSCOW: Russian rescuers were on Monday searching for people still trapped under the rubble of a city apartment block that partly collapsed in a suspected gas blast, killing at least three, RIA said. Russia's emergencies ministry told the news agency that four people had been recovered alive from the nine-storey building in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city some 1,700 km (1,050 miles) east of Moscow in the southern Urals. News agency TASS said 79 people were unaccounted for, quoting Chelyabinsk regional Deputy Governor Oleg Klimov. The emergencies ministry said the blast, probably caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments. RIA said it ripped through the building at around 0600 a.m. (0100 GMT) when many residents were asleep. Monday is a public holiday in Russia. There have been several similar incidents in Russia in recent years due to ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations surrounding gas usage. In 2015, at least five people were killed when a gas explosion damaged an apartment building in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.[SEP]According to the Russian Emergency Service press service, ten people were rescued from under the rubble and two died after gas exploded in a block of flats in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk in the Ural Mountains. The explosion occurred at around 1:00 a.m. GMT on Monday. Sixteen people have been evacuated from the building. Health authorities told Sputnik that one person had been hospitalized. The governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Boris Dubrovsky, is on the way to the scene of the tragedy, his press office said.[SEP]At least four people were killed and dozens of others remained unaccounted for early Monday after a suspected gas explosion ripped through a 10-story residential building in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk. The apartment block partially collapsed after the blast, which occurred as many of the residents were sleeping at around 6 a.m. local time (8 p.m. ET Sunday). Rescuers were searching for people trapped under the rubble. The Russian Emergencies Ministry said 48 apartments were damaged after seven stories of a building collapsed. Just 52 people out of the 120 people who lived in the collapsed block had been accounted for, Russian news agency TASS reported on Monday, quoting regional Gov. Boris Dubrovsky. Local officials also warned that two adjacent buildings could be at risk of collapsing. Magnitogorsk is located 1,050 miles east of Moscow in the southern Urals.

An explosion caused by a gas leak devastated a block of flats in Magnitogorsk, Russia, killing 14 people while 27 others are missing.

Image copyright Getty Images Russia's FSB state security agency says it has arrested a US citizen "caught spying" in Moscow. It named him as Paul Whelan, saying he was arrested in Moscow on 28 December and charged with "espionage". The FSB gave no further details. The US state department says it has requested consular access for the man held in Moscow, Reuters news agency reports. The US has not confirmed his name, but says it has been officially notified about the arrest. If found guilty, he faces between 10 and 20 years in jail, Russia's Tass news agency reports. Spying accusations have been a persistent feature of Russia's relations with the US and UK this year. Associates of President Donald Trump are under investigation in connection with Robert Mueller's special counsel inquiry into possible Russian ties to the Trump presidential campaign. Earlier this month a Russian gun rights activist held in the US, Maria Butina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. US prosecutors say she acted as a Russian state agent, infiltrating conservative political groups. In March the UK and its Western allies expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats, in response to the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. The UK government accused the Russian state of carrying out the nerve agent attack. Russia denied this and retaliated by expelling dozens of Western diplomats.[SEP]Russia says it arrested a U.S. citizen spying in their country. But former CIA officers say that, far from a counterintelligence coup, the American’s detention is most likely payback for the U.S. arrest of confessed Russian agent Maria Butina. In a short statement Monday, Russia’s Tass news agency said authorities arrested American Paul Whelan “in Moscow while on a spy mission” and that he faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted. A State Department spokesperson said the department has been “formally notified of the detention” and has requested access to Whelan. "This wasn't planned yesterday. It was probably planned back after [Butina] was arrested," Dan Hoffman, a former Moscow station chief for the CIA, told The Daily Beast. “They want to deter future U.S. actions against other private citizens." Butina pleaded guilty last month to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent for Moscow and signed a broad cooperation agreement with the Justice Department. Prosecutors said she tried to build a backchannel between Kremlin officials and Republican operatives during the 2016 presidential campaign. Russian officials have lodged a number of protests with the State Department about the conditions of her detention (she’s spent weeks in solitary confinement), and President Vladimir Putin said his intelligence services had no association with her. If the Kremlin has detained Whelan as tit-for-tat in response to Butina’s arrest, then they could use her treatment to justify their treatment of Whelan. In September, the DOJ lawyers prosecuting Butina cited the Russian consulates’ interest in her case as reason to keep her in jail before her trial. “Since the detention hearing in this case, the actions of the Russian Federation and its officials toward the defendant have confirmed her relationship with, and value to, her own government,” they wrote. “To date, the Russian government has conducted six consular visits with the defendant.” DOJ lawyers also noted that Russia’s foreign minister had spoken twice to Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, about Butina’s case and that the Kremlin had issued more diplomatic notes on her behalf than for other Russians imprisoned in the U.S. Lawyers concluded that her flight risk was “not hypothetical.” Hoffman said the incident may serve a domestic purpose for the Kremlin. "Vladimir Putin is delivering a message to his own people: Russia is a besieged fortress, there's espionage everywhere—I'm the only one who can defend us,” Hoffman said. Indeed, a lawmaker from Russia’s Duma called for authorities to arrest Americans in retaliation. “ We would never leave a real intelligence officer vulnerable to arrest, and give Putin a weapon to trade for someone like Ames, Hanssen or Butina. ” — former CIA officer John Sipher John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served in Russia, said it’s “highly unlikely that [Whelan] is associated with U.S. intelligence” because of the risks involved. “From my experience we would almost never send someone to Russia without diplomatic immunity. Given the laxity of Russian laws and the aggressiveness of their espionage apparatus, we could not guarantee the safety of someone traveling under unofficial cover.” Russia’s definition of espionage is “extremely flexible and covers all sorts of things that we would not consider illegal in any way,” Sipher added. Russia has previously arrested U.S. citizens as leverage against the detention of Russian spies in America. For instance, in 1986 the KGB arrested reporter Nicholas Daniloff in the Soviet Union three days after the FBI arrested of Gennadi Zakharov, an alleged intelligence officer and employee of the Soviet U.N. mission in New York. Federal agents busted Zakharov after he allegedly handed over money to a Guyanese contact for classified U.S. Air Force documents. Daniloff wrote in a subsequent memoir that he knew immediately after the KGB planted maps marked “Secret” on him via a Russian friend that he would end up a hostage for Zakharov’s release. His thinking was prescient—the Reagan administration arranged a swap for him that shortly thereafter. Sipher said this is exactly the situation the U.S. would try to avoid. “We would never leave a real intelligence officer vulnerable to arrest, and give Putin a weapon to trade for someone like Ames, Hanssen or Butina,” he said. But while there's precedent, it's not how Russia usually handles spies, says former CIA Russia chief Steve Hall. “They pick up a foreign diplomat, and accuse them correctly or incorrectly of being an intelligence officer, sometimes detain them, but they are always released and usually declared persona non grata and thrown out of the country,” he said in an interview Monday. Sometimes, they accuse a foreign businessman or academic of spying or other malfeasance as a negotiating tactic to get sensitive information or a better business deal for the Russian government. But this came with a legal charge of espionage and incarceration. That’s why he thinks this is about revenge for the FBI arrest of Butina. “The Russians are huge on reciprocity. If you are going to do something to us, we’ll do it to you,” Hall said. “That’s my assessment of what’s happening in this case.” The arrest comes amid an intensifying spy war between Russia and the West following Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 election and its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Trump administration has sanctioned a number of personnel from Russia’s Main Intelligence Department (GRU) and Federal Security Service (FSB) for spreading disinformation during the 2016 election, hacking Democratic emails, and launching cyber attacks. After Russian GRU officers allegedly tried to assassinate a defector in England with a nerve agent , at least 20 Western countries expelled Russian diplomats in solidarity with the United Kingdom. Russia responded by booting 60 American diplomats and closing down a U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg.[SEP]An American has been arrested in Moscow on espionage charges that could result in 20 years in prison, Russian authorities said Monday. "On December 28, 2018 staff members of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained US citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow while on a spy mission," the FSB said in a statement. A criminal investigation has been launched, and the FSB said Whelan could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Russia's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was informed "in a timely manner of the detention." The U.S. State Department confirmed it had been notified of the arrest. "Russia’s obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access," the State Department said in a statement. "We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it." The department provided no further details, citing privacy considerations. More: Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiracy as agent of Russia in USA More: 'Does not fit any spy': What made accused Maria Butina different The Russian announcement came one day after President Vladimir Putin released a holiday greeting to President Donald Trump that stressed the importance of Russia-U.S. relations in "ensuring strategic stability and international security." The one-sentence message also "reaffirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the United States on the most extensive agenda." Earlier this month, Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent for the Kremlin without registering in the United States. Butina also agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. U.S.-Russian relations have been battered by controversy despite Trump's frequent praise of Putin. Scores of Russian diplomats were expelled this year in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain that was linked to the Kremlin. And special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election has brought scrutiny on communications between Trump's inner circle and Russian operatives. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Paul Whelan arrested in Moscow 'while on a spy mission,' Russian officials say[SEP]Russia’s security agency, FSB, on Monday said it has arrested an American citizen in Moscow accused of spying, AFP reported. The FSB in a statement said the American, identified as Paul Whelan, was arrested on Friday “while carrying out an act of espionage”. The statement said a criminal case has been registered under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code, which allows for sentences up to 20 years in prison. The arrest comes amid the conviction of Russian citizen Maria Butina in the United States for acting as a Russia state agency, infiltrating conservative political groups, BBC reported. In November, the US had said it planned to impose additional sanctions on Russia as it believes Moscow has failed to give reasonable assurances that it will not use chemical weapons. The US had threatened the sanctions after Russia allegedly used a nerve gas agent in an attempt to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied allegations that Moscow was responsible for the attack.[SEP]US citizen arrested in Russian on spying charges MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's domestic security agency says it has arrested a U.S. citizen on espionage charges. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, the top KGB successor agency, said that the American man detained in Moscow on Friday. The agency said in Monday's statement that he was caught "during an espionage operation," but didn't give any details. The state Tass news agency identified the detained man as Paul Whelan. Spying charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years in Russia. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow had no immediate comment. The arrest comes as Russia-U.S. ties have sunk to post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[SEP]MOSCOW - An American citizen has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of espionage, Russia’s domestic security service, the FSB, said on Monday. The agency identified the man as Paul Whelan. A criminal case has been opened against him. "On December 28, staff members of the Russian Federal Security Service detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow while on a spy mission," the FSB said in a statement on its website. No other details were given. By Russian law, foreigners found guilty of spying on Russia face between 10 and 20 years in prison. The arrest of the U.S. citizen comes as tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to escalate over a range of issues from election meddling to the crises in Syria and Ukraine. Earlier this month, Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring with a senior Russian official to infiltrate U.S. conservatives. Butina, 30, is the first Russian national to be convicted of seeking to influence U.S. policy in the run-up to the 2016 election by acting as a foreign agent. Shortly before her guilty plea, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Butina was not known to any of his spy agencies. The country's Foreign Ministry has gone to great lengths to paint Butina as a political prisoner, notably by launching a wide-ranging social media campaign. The State Department could not be immediately reached for comment.[SEP]An American has been arrested in Moscow on espionage charges that could result in 20 years in prison, Russian authorities said Monday. "On December 28, 2018 staff members of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained US citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow while on a spy mission," the FSB said in a statement. A criminal investigation has been launched, and the FSB said Whelan could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Russia's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was informed "in a timely manner of the detention." The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY. More: Maria Butina pleads guilty to conspiracy as agent of Russia in USA More: 'Does not fit any spy': What made accused Maria Butina different The Russian announcement came one day after President Vladimir Putin released a holiday greeting to President Donald Trump that stressed the importance of Russia-U.S. relations in "ensuring strategic stability and international security." The one-sentence message also "reaffirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the United States on the most extensive agenda." Earlier this month, Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent for the Kremlin without registering in the United States. Butina also agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. U.S.-Russian relations have been battered by controversy despite Trump's frequent praise of Putin. Scores of Russian diplomats were expelled this year in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain that was linked to the Kremlin. And special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election has brought scrutiny on communications between Trump's inner circle and Russian operatives.[SEP]A United States citizen has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of espionage, Russia's Federal Security Service announced Monday. The domestic security agency the detained individual as Paul Whelan. It said in a short statement that he was caught during a spying operation, without adding further details. A criminal investigation is underway, according to the security service. If convicted of espionage, Whelan faces up to 20 years in jail. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. The arrest comes days after Russian citizen Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a secret foreign agent in the United States. Butina will be sentenced in 2019. She is likely to face up to six months in prison and then be deported to Russia.[SEP]Russia's FSB state security agency says it has arrested a US citizen "caught spying" in Moscow. It named him as Paul Whelan, saying he was arrested in Moscow on 28 December and charged with "espionage". The FSB, Russia's main counter-espionage service, gave no further details. If found guilty, he faces between 10 and 20 years in jail, Russia's Tass news agency reports. There has been no US confirmation yet. Spying accusations have been a persistent feature of Russia's relations with the US and UK this year. Earlier this month a Russian gun rights activist held in the US, Maria Butina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. US prosecutors say she acted as a Russian state agent, infiltrating conservative political groups. In March the UK and its Western allies expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats, in response to the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. The UK government accused the Russian state of carrying out the nerve agent attack. Russia denied this and retaliated by expelling dozens of Western diplomats.[SEP]MOSCOW – An American citizen has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of espionage, Russia’s domestic security service, the FSB, said on Monday. The agency identified the man as Paul Whelan. A criminal case has been opened against him. The U.S. State Department said it had been notified of an American citizen’s detention by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs but could not confirm the name or provide more details, citing privacy considerations. The U.S. has asked for consular access. “We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it,” a State Department spokesman said. By Russian law, foreigners found guilty of spying on Russia face between 10 and 20 years in prison. “On December 28, staff members of the Russian Federal Security Service detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow while on a spy mission,” the FSB, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB service, said in a statement on its website. No other details were given. The arrest of the U.S. citizen comes as tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to escalate over a range of issues from election meddling to the crises in Syria and Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin, in his New Year’s greeting to President Donald Trump, said he was open to the pair meeting. Trump canceled a formal meeting with Putin at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires earlier this month over Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian naval vessels and crew. “Russia-U.S. relations are the most important factor behind ensuring strategic stability and international security,” Putin wrote to Trump on Sunday, in one of many messages to heads of state around the globe. Russia’s Foreign Ministry notified the U.S. Embassy in Moscow of Whelan’s arrest in compliance with procedure, Interfax news agency cited officials there as saying. The ministry said his full name was Paul Nicholas Whelan, state-run media reported. Earlier this month, Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring with a senior Russian official to infiltrate U.S. conservatives. Butina, 30, is the first Russian national to be convicted of seeking to influence U.S. policy in the run-up to the 2016 election by acting as a foreign agent. Shortly before Butina pleaded guilty, Putin said she was not known to any of his spy agencies. The country’s Foreign Ministry has gone to great lengths to paint Butina as a political prisoner, notably by launching a wide-ranging social media campaign.

Russia's FSB state security agency says it has arrested a U.S. citizen "caught spying" in Moscow. According to former CIA officials the arrest was done as a retaliation for the arrest of alleged Russian spy Maria Butina.

(CNN) Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren took a major step toward a presidential run on Monday, announcing in a video message and email to supporters that she is forming an exploratory committee ahead of an expected campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2020. With her announcement 13 months before the Iowa caucuses, Warren, who became a progressive star by taking on Wall Street after the 2007 financial crisis and, more recently, President Donald Trump, is the first Democrat with a national profile to take formal action ahead of an anticipated presidential campaign. "Corruption is poisoning our democracy," Warren says in the video as images of Republican leaders flash across the screen. "Politicians look the other way while big insurance companies deny patients life-saving coverage, while big banks rip off consumers and while big oil companies destroy this planet." The clip begins with the senator recalling a hardscrabble childhood in Oklahoma -- her mother got a minimum-wage job after her father suffered a heart attack. He would eventually work as a janitor. "He raised a daughter who got to be a public school teacher, a law professor and a senator. We got a real opportunity to build something," Warren says. "Working families today face a lot tougher path than my family did." In one of multiple nods in the video to racial inequality, she adds that "families of color face a path that is steeper and rockier, a path made even harder by the impact of generations of discrimination" -- an early acknowledgment of the political importance of appealing to and winning the support of minority voters. As she warns of a deepening crisis faced by the American middle class, Warren points a finger squarely at the Republican Party, using images of former presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, along with grinning cameos from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, departing House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump. Warren is a searing critic of the President, and Trump has responded by openly mocking her Native American heritage and referring to her as "Pocahontas." Her decision in October to respond to Trump and other critics by releasing the results of a DNA test aimed at proving her ancestry fell flat with many Democrats and overshadowed her midterm message. In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump skewered Warren over the test and said he would "love to run against her." Asked whether he thought Warren believed she could defeat him in 2020, Trump said, "I don't know. You would have to ask her psychiatrist." Warren's announcement also comes in the midst of a prolonged partial government shutdown over Trump's insistence on funding for a border wall, which has caused political chaos that has spooked investors and sparked turmoil in the stock market. This backdrop could prove to be a boon for Warren, who is widely expected to build a campaign centered around her signature economic populist message and anti-corruption platform. By launching an exploratory committee, Warren can begin raising money for the coming campaign. Despite swearing off corporate PAC money, she enters the 2020 cycle with $12.5 million left over from her 2018 Senate campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records. Warren can transfer that money into her presidential coffers. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Warren suggested she was unlikely to seek the assistance of a big-money outside group. "I don't think we ought to be running campaigns that are funded by billionaires, whether it goes through super PACS or their own money that they're spending," she said. "Democrats are the party of the people, and the way we make that clear is we join together and we fund our campaigns, we make our campaigns work through the people." Warren added, "I've already received donations from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. That's how you build a grassroots campaign, that's what I believe." A source close to Warren has said the timing of Monday's announcement -- on New Year's Eve, when most people aren't plugged into the news -- had more to do with a need to "build an apparatus" by "identifying and hiring staff" than influencing other contenders' plans. But some Democratic operatives are skeptical, and one fundraiser suggested the Warren team might be hoping that a hefty day-one haul, made public in early 2019, could cause potential rivals to reconsider their options. "It's a gamble that folks will give a ton of small money today," the Democrat said. Rufus Gifford, former President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign finance director, made the same point in a tweet. "Elizabeth Warren must think she can put up huge $$ numbers on her January report - scaring others out of the race," he wrote. "Only reason I can figure you'd launch a Presidential Campaign on New Year's Eve." Even before Monday's notifications went out, the work of building the infrastructure to support a presidential bid had been well underway. Since her re-election to the Senate in November, Warren has made hundreds of calls to political grassroots leaders in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the source said. She is expected to hit the campaign trail later this week if no votes are scheduled to end the government shutdown. Warren's staff members are also having discussions with operatives in those states and are in the process of searching for campaign office space in the Boston area, the expected location of her presidential campaign headquarters. Dan Geldon, Warren's longtime aide who served as her chief of staff in the Senate and was once the senator's student at Harvard Law School, is likely to serve a senior role in the eventual Warren campaign, the source said. More than a year out from the first round of voting and with months to go until the first debate, the coming Democratic primary is already shaping up to be one of the most fierce and feisty nominating contests in a generation. Warren's work to establish and defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, made her a star among progressives who first pushed for what would be a successful 2012 Senate run and then, with less luck, a presidential bid she ultimately passed up four years later. This time around, the large Democratic field is expected to include multiple candidates touting progressive platforms -- a reality that underscores her influence within the party but could also complicate her path to its nomination. Some two dozen candidates are said to have shown interest in a 2020 bid. Warren's national profile, which traces back to her work as a watchdog following the 2008 bank bailouts, immediately places her among the favorites, alongside former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and rising star Beto O'Rourke, the departing Texas congressman who just lost a bid for the US Senate. A CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom survey earlier this month of likely Iowa caucusgoers found Warren with 8% support, trailing Biden (32%), Sanders (19%) and O'Rourke (11%) -- numbers broadly consistent with other early national polling. Warren welcomed the coming fight during her remarks on Monday, and in particular, the potential for a crowded field of progressive hopefuls. "I think it's great that we have a strong and growing group of Democrats who are making these arguments, who are fighting these fights," she said. "That's how we build a movement -- we do it together." Warren's decision to more formally begin the process comes less than a month after the editorial board for her hometown newspaper, the Boston Globe, ruffled progressive feathers by suggesting she consider abandoning a potential run. "Warren missed her moment in 2016, and there's reason to be skeptical of her prospective candidacy in 2020," the board wrote in early December, citing a poll from September 2018 that put former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat who has since ruled out a presidential run this cycle, ahead of Warren. It also suggested she had become too much of a "divisive figure," an apparent reference to the heavily publicized DNA test. It confirmed Warren had distant Native American ancestry, but was met with backlash from some tribal leaders, activists and outspoken Democrats who fretted over whether Warren had played into Trump's hands. In a statement Monday, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel gave a preview of the attacks to come, dismissing Warren as "another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud." McDaniel also took a swipe at what she described as Warren's "phony claim to minority status." Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. was among the most outspoken critics and said in October that Warren had undermined "tribal interests." "Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong," Hoskin said in a statement. But any early missteps -- or even disappointing polling -- are unlikely to dampen excitement among the party's increasingly influential progressive bloc. "Elizabeth Warren, on a visceral level, is fighting for everyday people and against powerful interests," Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green said, "and that comes through with an authenticity this moment demands." Green, whose group has supported Warren for years while talking up "the Warren wing" of the Democratic party, also gave a hint of how his group and potentially others might seek to distinguish the Massachusetts senator from other leading contenders. "There are different theories on being effective, but she believes in picking issues that are super popular and forging coalitions to win on those issues," he said. "Others can be more of a loner, or willing to charge into battle first before having a fully baked plan."[SEP]Although U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has yet to officially enter the White House race, Massachusetts political observers cast the Democrat’s formation of an exploratory committee as the latest telltale sign that she’s running in 2020. Warren announced Monday that she will formally explore a presidential run -- a legal mechanism which will allow the 2020 contender to fundraise and secure support for a possible campaign before formally throwing her hat into the ring. Candy Glazer, the outgoing Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee chairwoman, said she was not surprised to see Warren announce the formation of an exploratory committee, arguing that it’s become standard protocol for many presidential contenders in recent election cycles. “I think the message is out. I think today is the informal drop. ... I think this is just symbolic: It’s turning to a new year, 2019. I think the timing is great," she said in an interview. “New Year’s Eve, it’s a new beginning, it’s a new candidacy. I actually think this is perfect. And why not be the first? Don’t be coy.” Contending that many people -- especially Massachusetts Democrats -- are “very happy today,” Glazer said she’s personally excited to see Warren focus on the White House. The Longmeadow Democrat, who stressed that she’s “on Team Warren 2020," argued that the senator has a special bond with Western Massachusetts -- the home of her 2012 state party convention nomination and a famous debate with Republican incumbent Scott Brown. “I think people are excited, she’s got a tremendous, tremendous base here -- that goes for the entire state, not just here in Western Massachusetts,” she said. “Although, I think here in Western Massachusetts we do have a very special bond with Elizabeth Warren -- she is here all the time. She’s had a very active district office here. She’s part of the community. ... I think a think a lot of people are very happy today.” Candy Glazer steps back from Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee, but not away from Western Massachusetts politics (photos) Glazer said she expects a formal campaign announcement to come “pretty soon.” Warren tweeted Monday that she’ll announce “a decision early in the new year.” Springfield-based political strategist Tony Cignoli agreed that rumored presidential candidates, like Warren, don’t go through the trouble of setting up exploratory committees and sending former staffers out to key primary states unless they’re serious about the White House. “This is more than an exploratory committee, she’s in and she’s running,” he said in an interview. “That’s why you do this early, you try to make it clear to the other candidates that you’re a significant player -- You’re in this to run and win.” Warren, who ended 2018 with more than $12 million in the bank, is expected to use the exploratory committee to ramp up her high-dollar fundraising as she mulls a possible presidential bid. The growing use of exploratory committees in recent cycles has allowed contenders to hire operatives and court donors outside the gaze of the Federal Election Commission and other potential challengers. Cignoli offered that while federal law bars candidates actively running for two different federal offices from transferring money between their separate campaign accounts, “there is so much that you can do with your exploratory (committee) that will benefit the campaign itself.” “Certainly it’s separate accounts, but the money, the time, the energy that you put into the exploratory it’s very much like being in the early stages of an actual, full-blown campaign,” he said. “Because what you’re doing already is hiring operatives; you’re putting people on the ground who are making phone calls to get you commitments from potential delegates, superdelegates from the activists who are out there in the key states. It allows you to do an awful lot of work that would just be early regular presidential work anyway. You differentiate the money, but it’s hard to differentiate the activity.” Cignoli further argued that exploratory committees offer potential candidates “a little bit more wiggle room as to where (their) money’s coming from, who it’s coming from.” “It allows you to keep a little bit close to the vest -- or secret -- who some of your support team is going to be,” he said. “The other thing that it does is it allows potential supporters to be with you who may not want other campaigns to know that they’re there.” Warren, whose campaign officials are expected to meet in Cambridge Tuesday, reported a cash balance of $12.5 million in wake of her 2018 U.S. Senate re-election -- a cycle in which the senator repeatedly raised an average of about $1 million per month. The senator’s ability to draw down large fundraising amounts could give her an edge over other Democrats who are reportedly eyeing 2020 runs. Such fundraising prowess will be needed to compete against President Donald Trump, who announced his re-election bid shortly after being sworn in to office. The Republican incumbent reported a $35 million cash balance for his 2020 re-election bid as of Sept. 30. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel argued that if Warren officially enters the 2020 fray, “Americans will see her for what she is: another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud." “Voters know President Trump’s agenda gets results and they will make their voices heard at the ballot box in 2020,” she said in a statement.[SEP]BOSTON (CBS/CNN) – Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced Monday she is launching an exploratory committee for president in 2020. Warren released a statement and a campaign-style video in an email to supporters formally declaring her intentions. The senior Democratic senator for Massachusetts has been considered a potential front-runner in the 2020 race for the White House. In September, Warren said publicly for the first time that she would “take a hard look at running for president.” “I’ll announce a plan early in the new year. But there’s one thing I do know: I can’t do this alone,” she said in the statement Monday. “I’ve spent my career standing up to big banks and powerful corporations, and I didn’t stop when I got to the United States Senate. I don’t have binders full of bankers and CEOs to call for ginormous checks to launch this committee – in fact, most of them aren’t going to like what I’m doing and will probably spend their money somewhere else. That’s ok by me.” Warren, 69, is the first U.S. Senator to take official steps to begin a 2020 presidential campaign. Her announcement signals she’s serious about running. Warren already has dozens of staffers on her team and about $12 million that she can transfer from her Senate campaign account. “It allows her now to essentially start raising money to pay for the dozens of staffers, to pay for travel to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, places we expect her to go in the coming days,” said CBS News political correspondent Ed O’Keefe. An Oklahoma native, Warren went on to become a Harvard Law professor and former President Barack Obama nominated her to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau she helped create in 2010. But Obama later withdrew his nomination of Warren, a fierce critic of Wall Street financial institutions, when it appeared she would not be able to win Senate confirmation to the post. In 2011, Warren decided to run for Senate in Massachusetts. She easily won the Democratic nomination and defeated Sen. Scott Brown in November 2012. She won re-election in 2018 with over 60 percent of the vote. Warren has traded insults with President Donald Trump since he was a candidate in the 2016 election. She has called the president sexist and a “thin-skinned, racist bully” while he has frequently labeled her “Pocahontas.” The derisive nickname references the controversy over Warren’s claims of Native American heritage. Warren has said that a great-great-great-grandmother was at least partially Native American. Critics have accused Warren of using claims about her ancestry to get ahead, but Harvard has denied that race was a factor in her hiring. In October, Warren released a DNA test reportedly showing that a Native American relative appears in her family tree 6 to 10 generations ago. So far, the test has not silenced critics and the Cherokee Nation has called using DNA tests to lay claim to Native American heritage “inappropriate and wrong.” In the Senate, Warren serves on the committees on banking, health, aging and the armed services. Below are more facts about Warren and a timeline of her life via CNN: Other Facts: She was a state high school champion in debate. Before the mid-1990s, Warren was a registered Republican. Warren is an expert on bankruptcy law and was an adviser to the National Bankruptcy Review Commission in the 1990s. Warren has co-authored two books with her daughter, Amelia Warren Tyagi, “The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke” and “All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan.” During Warren’s 2012 Senate race, a controversy erupted over Warren’s claims of Native American ancestry. Warren listed herself as a minority in a directory of law teachers from 1986-1995, based on, she says, stories of her family’s Cherokee heritage. Opponent Scott Brown claimed she did this to advance her career. According to Congressional disclosure reports, Warren’s net worth is between $3.7 million and $10 million. 1966-1968 – Warren attends George Washington University on a debate scholarship. She drops out after two years to get married. Early 1970s – After graduating from college, Warren works as a speech pathologist at a New Jersey elementary school. 1978-1983 – Assistant, and later associate professor at the University of Houston Law Center. 1983-1987 – Professor of law at the University of Texas Law School in Austin. 1987-1995 – Law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. 1989 – Warren, along with co-authors Teresa Sullivan and Jay Westbrook, publishes her first book, “As We Forgive Our Debtors: Bankruptcy and Consumer Credit in America.” 2007 – Warren writes an article outlining her idea for a federal agency designed to protect consumers from fraudulent or misleading financial products, like mortgages and credit cards. November 14, 2008 – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appoints Warren to a Congressional oversight panel overseeing the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program. September 17, 2010 – U.S. President Barack Obama appoints Warren as assistant to the president and special adviser to the Treasury secretary in order to launch the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. July 2011 – Due to opposition from Republicans and some Democrats, Obama declines to nominate Warren as permanent director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. August 1, 2011 – Warren steps down as a special adviser to Obama. November 6, 2012 – Wins the race for Senate in Massachusetts, defeating incumbent Scott Brown. December 15, 2014 – In an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Warren repeats four times that she is not running for president in 2016. June 2, 2015 – Warren writes a scathing letter to Mary Jo White, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), saying “I am disappointed by the significant gap between the promises you made during and shortly after your confirmation and your performance as SEC Chair.” In a statement released in 2013, Warren said that “the SEC needs to be a tough watchdog for the American people.” February 7, 2017 – During a debate on the nomination of Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General. Senate Republicans vote to rebuke Warren as she reads a letter that Coretta Scott King wrote in 1986 criticizing Sessions. April 18, 2017 – Her book “This Fight Is Our Fight” is published. June 5, 2017 – FCTRY, a Brooklyn-based product design company, starts a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of Elizabeth Warren action figures, and surpasses its goal within hours. FCTRY says it wants to partner with Emily’s List, a non-profit that promotes getting pro-choice, Democratic women elected to office. November 27, 2017 – At an event honoring Navajo code talkers, US President Donald Trump references Warren by the nickname he gave her, Pocahontas. In an interview with MSNBC Warren remarks, “It is deeply unfortunate that the President of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur. Donald Trump does this over and over thinking somehow he is going to shut me up with it. It hasn’t worked in the past, it isn’t going to work out in the future.” October 15, 2018 – Warren releases results of a DNA test showing she has distant Native American ancestry, with analysis performed by Carlos Bustamante, a professor of genetics at Stanford University and adviser to Ancestry and 23 and Me. November 6, 2018 – Is re-elected for a second term in the U.S. Senate.[SEP]WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced the formation of an exploratory committee for a presidential run, making her the highest profile Democrat to formally move toward a bid for the White House in 2020. "If we organize together, if we fight together, if we persist together, we can win. We can and we will" Warren told supporters in a video posted online Monday morning. Warren has long been viewed as a potential 2020 candidate. The former law professor is expected to be part of a large field of Democratic contenders that could include former Vice President Joe Biden, Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the 2016 Democratic primary.[SEP]On the last day of 2018, Trump responded to Elizabeth Warren's 2020 exploratory committee announcement by saying he'd like for her to run — but that doesn't mean his message was friendly. The president's words came shortly after the Massachusetts senator announced she'd be taking the necessary legal first step for any presidential candidate. The New York Times' Maggie Haberman tweeted a partial transcript of Trump's conversation with Fox News host Pete Hegseth, adding a caption that read, "If more evidence was needed that branding Jeb 'low-energy' is going to look quaint once 2020 gets started, here ya go" In the Fox interview, Trump said of Warren's exploratory committee announcement, Then, when asked whether he believed Warren could win if she ran for president, Trump replied, "Well, that I don't know, you'd have to ask her psychiatrist." To be clear, Elizabeth Warren has not confirmed that she's running for president yet. Rather, it's a first-step indication that she's very likely to run. As CBS News reports, Warren will now begin traveling to the early-voting primary and early caucus states, and her exploratory committee will allow her to raise money to travel to these states and hire staff around these efforts. In her video released on Monday, Warren said in part, "In our country if you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to take care of yourself and the people you love. That's a fundamental promise of America." If Warren does become the Democratic candidate for president, she and Trump will certainly have a long history leading up to their direct contention. POTUS has long challenged Warren's claims of Native American ancestry, repeatedly calling her "Pocahontas." In October, Trump tweeted, In contrast, Warren has called Trump an "insecure money grubber" running on a platform of "racism, sexism and xenophobia" in the past, per ABC. Later on Monday evening, Warren launched an Instagram livestream where she cracked a beer open and took questions from followers, per Fox News. Per the publication, Warren said, "I'm here in my kitchen, uh, and um, I thought maybe we'd just take some questions and I'd see what I can do." Warren then described her plans for the evening. She said, "For New Year's Eve we watch Casablanca, we get some good food ... and, um, we sit there upstairs and we watch Casablanca." Warren has not acknowledged Trump's referenced to her alleged psychiatry.[SEP]Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday she is filing paperwork to launch an exploratory committee for president, taking her first major step toward a 2020 run for the White House. “Today, I’m launching an exploratory committee for president,” Warren, 69, a Democrat, said in a video released to supporters. In her announcement, the liberal firebrand argued government "has been bought and paid for by a bunch of billionaires and giant corporations that think they get to dictate the rules that affect everyone," calling it "corruption, pure and simple." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "That’s not how government is supposed to work," Warren said. "You know it. I know it. And we know it is time to fight back." As for details about her campaign, Warren said she'll "announce a plan" early in the new year. At an afternoon news conference in Cambridge, Mass., Warren told reporters that she is "in this fight all the way." "Right now, Washington works great for the wealthy and the well-connected," she said. "It's just not working for anyone else. But I am optimistic. I believe in what we can do together ... and together, we're going to make change." The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, reacted to the announcement by saying, "Senator Warren couldn’t be more out of touch. Americans will see her for what she is: another extreme far-left obstructionist and a total fraud." Warren burst onto the national scene a decade ago during the financial crisis with calls for greater consumer protections. She quickly became one of the party's more prominent liberals even as she sometimes fought with Obama administration officials over their response to the market turmoil. Now, as a likely presidential contender, she is making an appeal to the party's base. Her video notes the economic challenges facing people of color along with images of a women's march and Warren's participation at an LGBT event. Warren is the most prominent Democrat yet to make a move toward a presidential bid and has long been a favorite target of President Trump. In October, Warren took the rare step of releasing DNA test results examining her possible Native American ancestry, in apparent response to persistent criticism from Trump and other Republicans. Warren for years has been accused of exaggerating her Native American heritage to help get a job as a Harvard law professor. The president, highlighting the controversy that has dogged her since her first campaign for the Senate, routinely uses the nickname “Pocahontas” for her. The results released by Warren revealed “strong evidence” that Warren had a Native American ancestor dating back six to 10 generations. But the test may have caused new issues with the Native American community. The Cherokee Nation responded to the results at the time by arguing that “a DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship.” "Current DNA tests do not even distinguish whether a person’s ancestors were indigenous to North or South America," Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a press release. The DNA test was widely seen as an effort to put the controversy behind her, ahead of an expected run for the White House. In mid-December, former Obama housing chief Julian Castro also announced a presidential exploratory committee, which legally allows potential candidates to begin raising money. Outgoing Maryland Rep. John Delaney is the only Democrat so far to have formally announced a presidential campaign. But that's likely to change quickly in the new year as other leading Democrats take steps toward White House runs. Warren enters a Democratic field that's shaping up as the most crowded in decades, with many of her Senate colleagues openly weighing their own campaigns, as well as governors, mayors and other prominent citizens. One of her most significant competitors could be Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who is eyeing another presidential run harnessing the same populist rhetoric. Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.[SEP]Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has long been rumored as a potential Democratic contender in the 2020 presidential election, has taken a major step in her political career by forming an exploratory committee for president. Warren made a splash Monday when she released a campaign-style video that slams the "corrupt" government, making an appeal to her party's base. "[The government] has been bought and paid for by a bunch of billionaires and giant corporations that think they get to dictate the rules that affect everyone," Warren tells supporters, adding, "that’s not how the government is supposed to work. You know it. I know it. And we know it is time to fight back." In the New Year, Warren vowed to announce a more detailed plan. Before she does, here's a look at five things you should know about the lawmaker. Warren began teaching at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts back in the early 1990s. She started as a visiting professor and eventually landed a role as the Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law, specializing in bankruptcy law. When Warren was hired at the Ivy League school, there were only 60 tenured female professors, according to The Daily Beast. According to Harvard, Warren has written more than 100 educational articles and ten books. She’s also been awarded several teaching awards — at least two from Harvard. “National Law Journal named her one of the Most Influential Lawyers of the Decade, TIME magazine has named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world three times, and she has been honored by the Massachusetts Women's Bar Association with the Lelia J. Robinson Award,” Harvard touts in a biography of Warren on its website. Running as a Democrat, Warren was open about her party switch during her 2012 Senate run in Massachusetts. In October 2011, she told The Daily Beast that she was registered Republican well into her 40s. “I was a Republican because I thought that those were the people who best supported markets. I think that is not true anymore,” Warren, now 69, told the publication. “I was a Republican at a time when I felt like there was a problem that the markets were under a lot more strain. It worried me whether or not the government played too activist a role.” Warren wouldn’t reveal who exactly she voted for during that time period, though she did hint that she mixed it up over the years. “There should be some Republicans and some Democrats,” she added. Warren has been a vocal critic of Wall Street — originally conceiving what became the government's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Former President Barack Obama appointed Warren to serve as assistant to the president and special advisor to the secretary of the treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in September 2010. "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will crack down on the abusive practices of unscrupulous mortgage lenders, reinforce the new credit card law we passed banning unfair rate hikes, and ensure that folks aren't unwittingly caught by overdraft fees when they sign up for a checking account. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be a watchdog for the American consumer, charged with enforcing the toughest financial protections in history. I am very grateful that Elizabeth has agreed to serve in this important role of getting the Consumer Financial Bureau up and running and making it as effective as possible," Obama said in an online statement at the time. Warren burst onto the national scene during the financial crisis with calls for greater consumer protections. She quickly became one of the party's more prominent liberals even as she sometimes fought with Obama administration officials over their response to the market turmoil. She was once named "Bostonion of the Year" In 2009, Warren was named "Bostonion of the Year" by the Boston Globe for her accomplishments as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel on the Troubled Asset Relief Program. "The great cause of her life has been defending middle-class Americans against what she calls the 'tricks and traps' the nation’s financial institutions devise to separate those citizens from their money," the Globe wrote in a December 2009 article. "She is equally scornful of how the credit card companies bury their real brigandage under a blizzard of sub-paragraphs and dependent clauses. And ever since last November, when Senate majority leader Harry Reid persuaded her to take charge of the Congressional Oversight Panel, and even though she is aware that the panel does not have any real enforcement powers, Warren has become a burr under the saddle of official Washington -- plain-spoken, invariably polite, intolerant of business-school persiflage ('That’s a word we don’t use enough!' she exclaims), and utterly contemptuous of conventional wisdom," the publication continued. She’s the first female senator from Massachusetts In 2012, Warren defeated incumbent Sen. Scott Brown, a Republican, to become the first female senator in Massachusetts' history. “I will always carry your stories with me in my heart,” Warren said in a victory speech at the time, according to the Boston Globe. “I won’t just be your senator. I will be your champion.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.[SEP]Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced Monday that she is taking formal steps to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. The Federal Election Commission filing allows Warren to create an exploratory committee to consider a 2020 campaign. That move allows her to take leftover cash from her 2018 Senate re-election campaign and use it toward a presidential run, NBC reported. Warren is the first of what are expected to be numerous Democratic candidates to take this step. Fellow Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey have been making visits to early primary states. Democratic Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke of Texas has said he will make a decision about the race in January. O’Rourke attracted widespread national attention in his November loss to Republican Tex Cruz. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who tops most polls of potential Democratic candidates, and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who challenged former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the 2016 nomination, are also major names in a field that can range from 10 to 25 candidates, depending on who makes the list. Polling that has been done to date shows Warren usually in receiving single-digit support while Biden, O’Rourke and Sanders usually trend toward the top. Her announcement drew some mockery from conservative critics. Warren called her campaign a battle against the “dark path” of special interests and said she would fight political corruption that “is poisoning our democracy.” “Our government is supposed to work for all of us, but instead, it has become a tool for the wealthy and well-connected,” she said in a video announcing her the exploratory committee. “If we organize together, if we fight together, if we persist together, we can win.” “America’s middle class is under attack,” she added in the video. “How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie, and they enlisted politicians to cut ’em a fatter slice.” Warren is a rabid critic of President Donald Trump, who has called Warren “Pohahontas” in reference to Warren’s claim to be descended from an ancestor who was part Cherokee. Warren released a DNA test that said it is possible she has a Cherokee ancestor, but that only brought controversy upon her. Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said Warren had undermined “tribal interests.” “Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong,” Hoskin said in a statement, according to CNN. Last month, the Boston Globe, Warren’s hometown newspaper, suggested in an editorial that Warren should sit out the 2020 campaign. “Warren missed her moment in 2016, and there’s reason to be skeptical of her prospective candidacy in 2020. While Warren won re-election, her margin of victory in November suggests there’s a ceiling on her popularity,” the Globe wrote in an editorial, noting that other candidates appear to have more enthusiasm behind them than does Warren. “While Warren is an effective and impactful senator with an important voice nationally, she has become a divisive figure. A unifying voice is what the country needs now after the polarizing politics of Donald Trump,” the Globe wrote. 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In a four-and-a-half minute video, Warren makes clear some of the very themes that catapulted her to national prominence will define her upcoming presidential run: economic equality, government accountability and reining in big corporations. “Corruption is poisoning our democracy,” Warren says in the video as images of Republican leaders flash across the screen. “Politicians look the other way while big insurance companies deny patients life-saving coverage, while big banks rip off consumers and while big oil companies destroy this planet.” The clip begins with the senator recalling a hardscrabble childhood in Oklahoma — her mother got a minimum-wage job after her father suffered a heart attack. He would eventually work as a janitor. “He raised a daughter who got to be a public school teacher, a law professor and a senator. We got a real opportunity to build something,” Warren says. “Working families today face a lot tougher path than my family did.” In one of multiple nods in the video to racial inequality, she adds that “families of color face a path that is steeper and rockier, a path made even harder by the impact of generations of discrimination” — an early acknowledgment of the political importance of appealing to and winning the support of minority voters. As she warns of a deepening crisis faced by the American middle class, Warren points a finger squarely at the Republican Party, using images of former presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, along with grinning cameos from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, departing House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump. Warren is a searing critic of the President, and Trump has responded by openly mocking her Native American heritage and referring to her as “Pocahontas.” Her decision in October to respond to Trump and other critics by releasing the results of a DNA test aimed at proving her ancestry fell flat with many Democrats and overshadowed her midterm message. The announcement also comes in the midst of a prolonged partial government shutdown over Trump’s insistence on funding for a border wall, which has caused political chaos that has spooked investors and sparked turmoil in the stock market. This backdrop could prove to be a boon for Warren, who is widely expected to build a campaign centered around her signature economic populist message and anti-corruption platform. By launching an exploratory committee, Warren can begin raising money for the coming campaign. She is unlikely to seek the assistance of a billionaire-funded super PAC, according to a source familiar with Warren’s thinking, because she believes grassroots support should be a defining factor in the coming primary. Warren has already sworn off corporate PAC money. Even before Monday’s notifications went out, the work of building the infrastructure to support a presidential bid had been well underway. Since her re-election to the Senate in November, Warren has made hundreds of calls to political grassroots leaders in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, the source said. Warren’s staff members are also having discussions with operatives in those states and are in the process of searching for campaign office space in the Boston area, the expected location of her presidential campaign headquarters. Dan Geldon, Warren’s longtime aide who served as her chief of staff in the Senate and was once the senator’s student at Harvard Law School, is likely to serve a senior role in the eventual Warren campaign, the source said. More than a year out from the first round of voting and with months to go until the first debate, the coming Democratic primary is already shaping up to be one of the most fierce and feisty nominating contests in a generation. Warren’s work to establish and defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, made her a star among progressives who first pushed for what would be a successful 2012 Senate run and then, with less luck, a presidential bid she ultimately passed up four years later. This time around, the large Democratic field is expected to include multiple candidates touting progressive platforms — a reality that underscores her influence within the party but could also complicate her path to its nomination. Some two dozen candidates are said to have shown interest in a 2020 bid. Warren’s national profile, which traces back to her work as a watchdog following the 2008 bank bailouts, immediately places her among the favorites, alongside former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and rising star Beto O’Rourke, the departing Texas congressman who just lost a bid for the US Senate. A CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom survey earlier this month of likely Iowa caucusgoers found Warren with 8% support, trailing Biden (32%), Sanders (19%) and O’Rourke (11%) — numbers broadly consistent with other early national polling. Her decision to more formally begin the process comes less than a month after the editorial board for her hometown newspaper, the Boston Globe, ruffled progressive feathers by suggesting she consider abandoning a potential run. “Warren missed her moment in 2016, and there’s reason to be skeptical of her prospective candidacy in 2020,” the board wrote in early December, citing a poll from September 2018 that put former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat who has since ruled out a presidential run this cycle, ahead of Warren. It also suggested she had become too much of a “divisive figure,” an apparent reference to the heavily publicized DNA test. It confirmed Warren had distant Native American ancestry, but was met with backlash from some tribal leaders, activists and outspoken Democrats who fretted over whether Warren had played into Trump’s hands. Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. was among the most outspoken critics and said Warren had undermined “tribal interests.” “Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong,” Hoskin said in a statement. But any early missteps — or even disappointing polling — are unlikely to dampen excitement among the party’s increasingly influential progressive bloc. “Elizabeth Warren, on a visceral level, is fighting for everyday people and against powerful interests,” Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green said, “and that comes through with an authenticity this moment demands.” Green, whose group has supported Warren for years while talking up “the Warren wing” of the Democratic party, also gave a hint of how his group and potentially others might seek to distinguish the Massachusetts senator from other leading contenders. “There are different theories on being effective, but she believes in picking issues that are super popular and forging coalitions to win on those issues,” he said. “Others can be more of a loner, or willing to charge into battle first before having a fully baked plan.”[SEP]Sen. Elizabeth Warren is officially in the hunt for the White House. The Massachusetts Democrat and former Harvard Law professor filed papers Monday creating an exploratory presidential committee, becoming the first major potential 2020 contender to do so in what’s anticipated to be a sprawling Democratic field. At the same time, her campaign blasted out an email to supporters that included a that delved into her hardscrabble roots in Oklahoma, her crusades as a consumer advocate and her battles as a Donald Trump antagonist. “America’s middle class is under attack,” Warren declares in the video announcement. “How did we get here? Billionaires and big corporations decided they wanted more of the pie, and they enlisted politicians to cut ’em a fatter slice.” Warren, whose 2017 Senate floor clash with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spawned the “nevertheless, she persisted” rallying cry, is expected to quickly follow up with a travel schedule that will take her to early presidential states including Iowa and New Hampshire. That travel will be subject to any necessary Senate action surrounding the ongoing government shutdown. The 69-year-old was just reelected to a second term in the Senate and is to be sworn in this week. She has assembled a staff of more than 70 people already, and the $12.5 million in her campaign account puts her on solid footing ahead of a likely campaign. Launching the exploratory committee gives Warren a legal mechanism to ramp up fundraising and officially lock down key operatives in early states whom her team has courted for weeks. If she fully takes the plunge, the senator is expected to make a more robust presidential campaign announcement at a later date. In her email to supporters, Warren portrayed herself as a fighter for the middle class standing up to “a bunch of billionaires and giant corporations” writing their own rules in Washington: “That’s not how government is supposed to work. You know it. I know it. And we know it is time to fight back.” Her video, which cuts in and out of the senator speaking directly to the camera, delivered a similar message of economic injustice as she traced her history as a consumer advocate who was of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The political world has readied for a glut of potential presidential contenders to begin announcing in early 2019, with eyes on top-tier candidates like Warren and Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand. Even a change to Warren’s Twitter handle on Saturday — from @elizabethforma to @ewarren — didn’t go unnoticed, prompting 2020 buzz online. With her move on Monday, Warren got a jump on like-minded Senate colleagues, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), with whom she’s expected to compete most closely for the progressive-minded supporters he attracted in his 2016 run. Like Sanders, Warren holds a massive email list and formidable ability to raise small-donor money online. She enters with arguably the most advanced campaign infrastructure of a crowded roster of potential candidates. Still, she also enters the fray at a time when the Democratic roster is expected to be the most diverse in its history, including Senate colleagues equally adept at mesmerizing crowds. In 2016, Warren refused the call of a “Ready for Warren” draft effort that tried to lure her into the Democratic primary. Now, she finds herself in a different moment, battling a caricature of a Massachusetts liberal amid unrelenting blowback from her decision last fall to release DNA results and answer questions about her Native American heritage. Even her largest home-state newspaper, the Boston Globe, declared recently she was too divisive, had missed her moment and should therefore sit out 2020. In a , 5 percent of those surveyed said Warren was their first choice to be the Democratic nominee in 2020. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sanders and outgoing Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke led the prospective field. Warren’s creation of an exploratory committee comes after months of careful deliberations and meticulous planning. For more than a year, the senator took a series of steps signaling her White House aspirations. She released 10 years of tax returns, introduced a major anti-corruption legislative package, published policy papers and delivered major speeches, including on foreign policy and race. In September, Warren told the media she would become more accessible in the Senate hallways, after years of avoiding impromptu gaggles with the national media. “When I first came here, I had never run for office before and never been a public official. I thought it was important for me to put my head down and learn how to do this job,” Warren said at the time . “But with Donald Trump attacking the free press, I started thinking again about my responsibilities to be more accessible to the press here in Washington.” Last month, locations in the Boston area. The senator herself placed dozens of calls to elected officials, candidates, labor leaders and others in early presidential states. Warren entered the Senate in 2013 amid fanfare, including immediate speculation about a future presidential run. Already a liberal icon, she became the state’s first female senator and raised nearly $40 million, a sum that at the time ranked her among the most prodigious Senate fundraisers in history. She had a major a breakout moment in 2017, when McConnell reprimanded her as she read a letter from civil rights icon Coretta Scott King. “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted,” McConnell said then. It became an instant meme for the left, symbolizing Democrats’ resistance to the Trump administration. Warren later off of the “she persisted” mantra, and more recently, geographically specific “Persist” groups backing Warren have sprung up on Facebook. Warren catapulted to the national stage with her 2003 book , immediately branding her an expert in pocketbook economics.

Joining several other Democrats in the race, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts announces the formation of a presidential exploratory committee for running in the 2020 presidential election.

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan — At least 27 members of security forces in northern Afghanistan were killed by the Taliban in a series of coordinated attacks on Tuesday, officials said, and dozens of others were wounded. The deadliest violence took place in Sar-i-Pul Province, where the Taliban attacked Afghan security forces in three areas, killing a total of 21 people, officials said. The officials did not provide a breakdown of casualties. Zabihullah Amani, the spokesman for the governor of Sar-i-Pul, said the Taliban had simultaneously attacked the center of Sayad District, security outposts along the highway linking Sar-i-Pul with Jowzjan, and a village with oil wells. “It was a very strong attack,” Mr. Amani said. “Two security outposts were captured by the Taliban; 25 members of security forces were also wounded during the clashes.”[SEP]MAZAR-I-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN—At least 27 members of security forces in northern Afghanistan were killed by the Taliban in a series of coordinated attacks on Tuesday, officials said, and dozens of others were wounded. The deadliest violence took place in Sar-i-Pul province, where the Taliban attacked Afghan security forces in three areas, killing a total of 21 people, officials said. The officials did not provide a breakdown of casualties. Zabihullah Amani, the spokesman for the governor of Sar-i-Pul, said the Taliban had simultaneously attacked the centre of Sayad District, security outposts along the highway linking Sar-i-Pul with Jowzjan, and a village with oil wells. “It was a very strong attack,” Amani said. “Two security outposts were captured by the Taliban; 25 members of security forces were also wounded during the clashes.” The Taliban’s main goal, he said, was to take control of the oil wells in the village of Qashqari. They did not succeed, he added. Insurgents attacked the centre of Sayad from three directions, said Hayatullah Sayadi, the district governor, killing seven local police officers and wounding eight others. Reinforcements, including the police and intelligence chiefs of the province, were called in to help, but they too were ambushed by the Taliban. It was not clear if there were any casualties in the subsequent ambush. Separately, in the northern province of Balkh, the Taliban struck a security outpost in the Chemtal District, killing six police officers and wounding seven others, said Rahmatullah Khan, a local police commander. “The Taliban seized all weapons and equipment in the outpost,” he said. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered half of the 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan home, even as the 17-year war continues to rage and the Taliban threaten much of the country. For many in the Afghan leadership, the news of the withdrawal was a betrayal. The timing is likely to complicate the American push for peace talks with the Taliban, which require maintaining pressure on the battlefield. After a series of meetings recently between American diplomats and the Taliban in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, talks between the Americans, the Taliban, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates officials and Pakistan are set to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks. The Taliban refused to sit down with the Afghan delegation at earlier meetings held in Moscow and the United Arabic Emirates, however, and they have said that they will not meet with the Afghan delegation in Saudi Arabia either. While it remains unclear if the recent meetings will result in negotiations that include Afghan officials, they do appear to have contributed to the Taliban’s growing public outreach efforts in the region: The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed on Tuesday that a delegation from the group had visited Tehran on Monday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and possible paths to peace and security in the region.[SEP]MAZAR-I-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN—At least 27 members of security forces in northern Afghanistan were killed by the Taliban in a series of coordinated attacks on Tuesday, officials said, and dozens of others were wounded. The deadliest violence took place in Sar-i-Pul province, where the Taliban attacked Afghan security forces in three areas, killing a total of 21 people, officials said. The officials did not provide a breakdown of casualties. Zabihullah Amani, the spokesman for the governor of Sar-i-Pul, said the Taliban had simultaneously attacked the centre of Sayad District, security outposts along the highway linking Sar-i-Pul with Jowzjan, and a village with oil wells. "It was a very strong attack," Amani said. "Two security outposts were captured by the Taliban; 25 members of security forces were also wounded during the clashes." The Taliban's main goal, he said, was to take control of the oil wells in the village of Qashqari. They did not succeed, he added. Insurgents attacked the centre of Sayad from three directions, said Hayatullah Sayadi, the district governor, killing seven local police officers and wounding eight others. Reinforcements, including the police and intelligence chiefs of the province, were called in to help, but they too were ambushed by the Taliban. It was not clear if there were any casualties in the subsequent ambush. Separately, in the northern province of Balkh, the Taliban struck a security outpost in the Chemtal District, killing six police officers and wounding seven others, said Rahmatullah Khan, a local police commander. "The Taliban seized all weapons and equipment in the outpost," he said. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered half of the 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan home, even as the 17-year war continues to rage and the Taliban threaten much of the country. For many in the Afghan leadership, the news of the withdrawal was a betrayal. The timing is likely to complicate the American push for peace talks with the Taliban, which require maintaining pressure on the battlefield.[SEP]At least 23 security personnel have been killed and dozens of others wounded in a series of attacks by the Taliban on security checkpoints in Afghanistan's northern Sar-e-Pul province, officials said on Tuesday. Fierce gun battles raged for several hours late on Monday in the centre of Sayyad district and outside the provincial capital, Sar-e-Pul, provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani said. A high-ranking provincial official with an Afghan spy agency, a local police commander, and an army company commander were among the dead provincial council member Mohammad Asif Sadiqi told dpa news agency. Sadiqi said at least 25 others were wounded in the attacks that began around 7pm local time (14.30 GMT) and continued for more than seven hours with Taliban fighters overrunning the posts. The fighters first stormed two security posts in the district centre, Sadiqi added, before a reinforcement convoy that was sent to assist with repelling the Taliban was also ambushed by the armed group. Taliban fighters have ramped up their attacks on Afghan security forces and government facilities in recent months, leaving troops thinly stretched throughout the country. Last Tuesday, at least 12 Afghan security forces were killed in Taliban attacks in the northern Faryab and eastern Nangarhar provinces. The Taliban has rejected Kabul's offer of talks this month in Saudi Arabia where the armed group, fighting to restore strict Islamic law in Afghanistan, will meet the United States officials to further peace efforts. Representatives from the Taliban, the US, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan met in December in the UAE for talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. But the Taliban has refused to hold formal talks with the Western-backed Afghan government. The armed group has insisted on first reaching an agreement with the US, which it sees as the main force in Afghanistan since US-led forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have intensified after Taliban representatives started meeting US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad earlier this year. Officials from the warring sides have met at least three times to discuss the withdrawal of international forces and a ceasefire in 2019. But the US has insisted that any final settlement must be led by the Afghans.[SEP]Taliban fighters killed more than 20 Afghan security forces in simultaneous raids on a provincial capital and district in northern Afghanistan, an official said on Tuesday, as the city braced for further violence. Hundreds of militants were outside Sar-e-Pul city, which provincial governor spokesman Zabihullah Amani said was at risk of falling to the Taliban if reinforcements were not sent. The Taliban have stepped up attacks on security forces across the country, slaughtering police and soldiers in record numbers, as the threat of a US drawdown complicates American-led efforts to end the 17-year conflict. “The enemy is still amassing forces outside the city,” Amani told AFP. “We have deployed all the forces available in the city, but no reinforcements have arrived from outside so far. The people inside the city are very worried.” Taliban fighters launched the attacks on Sar-e-Pul and neighbouring Sayad district on Monday night, which Amani said were aimed at seizing control of several oil wells on the outskirts of the city. At least 21 local forces, including police and intelligence, were killed and another 23 wounded in the attacks, Amani said. “They have attacked the city many times in the past, but this time the threat is more serious,” he said. A security official, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, put the death toll slightly lower at between 15 and 20 members of local forces. Kabul-based interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi confirmed there had been casualties, but would not provide details. He said reinforcements had been deployed to Sar-e-Pul and dismissed concerns that the provincial capital was at risk of falling to the insurgents. The Taliban confirmed the attacks, saying their fighters had captured three checkpoints and killed or wounded 50 members of the security forces. Afghanistan’s largest militant group made significant territorial gains in 2018, including overrunning Ghazni city, a few hours’ drive from Kabul, which they held for several days before being pushed back with help of US airpower. At the time, officials said Ghazni remained in government hands. But residents told AFP that the insurgents were in the streets, burning buildings and targeting civilians. The Taliban’s increased aggression on the battlefield coincided with a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing the group to the negotiating table. In recent days, Taliban representatives have met with Iran, as Tehran makes a more concerted and open push for peace ahead of a possible US drawdown. The Taliban delegation discussed with Iran “the post-occupation situation, restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region”, the militants said in a statement posted on social media and emailed to journalists on Tuesday. It signals a growing confidence among the Taliban that US troops will pull out of Afghanistan, after US officials last month told various media outlets that President Donald Trump had decided to slash the number of boots on the ground.[SEP]The Taliban militants have killed at least 21 Afghan security forces and wounded nearly two dozen others in a number of simultaneous attacks in the country’s north. Local officials said on Tuesday that the casualties took place when the militants carried out attacks on security outposts in Sayad district of the northern province of Sar-e Pul. Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said at least 21 local forces, including police and intelligence, were killed and another 23 wounded in the raids, which he said were aimed at seizing control of several oil wells on the outskirts of the provincial capital city of Sar-e Pul. Amani also said hundreds of militants were still outside Sar-e-Pul, warning that the city was at risk of falling to the Taliban if reinforcements were not sent. "The enemy is still amassing forces outside the city," he told AFP. "We have deployed all the forces available in the city, but no reinforcements have arrived from outside so far. The people inside the city are very worried. They have attacked the city many times in the past, but this time the threat is more serious.” The Taliban confirmed the attacks on the northern Afghan province, claiming that they had captured three checkpoints and killed or wounded 50 members of the security forces. The Taliban militants have in recent months stepped up attacks on security forces across Afghanistan, killing a large number of police forces as well as civilians. This comes as representatives from the Taliban, the US, and regional countries met for the fourth time earlier in December in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi for talks to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan. The militant group’s representatives, however, refused to talk to the Afghan negotiating team. Taliban leaders also announced on Sunday that the group’s representatives would meet US officials in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah for the fifth round of talks in January but not the representatives of the Afghan government. President Ashraf Ghani has said the talks should be “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned,” insisting on continued efforts to establish a direct line of diplomatic communication with the Taliban. The Taliban’s five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end with a US-led invasion in 2001; but 17 years on, the militant group continues to be active on much of Afghan soil. The Taliban have strengthened their grip over the past three years, with the government in Kabul controlling just 56 percent of the country, down from 72 percent in 2015, a recent US government report showed. Having failed to end the militancy campaign, Washington has over the past months stepped up its political efforts to secure a truce with Taliban. The Taliban and the Afghan government have previously said the presence of foreign troops is the biggest obstacle to peace in Afghanistan. Taliban militants have warned of stepping up their attacks until the US forces fully withdraw from Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the withdrawal of some 7,000 troops from Afghanistan. The figure accounts for about half of the total number of American boots on the ground in the country. But a later White House announcement has cast doubt on reports about Trump’s order. The Taliban have not formally responded to the partial US troop withdrawal. But a senior commander recently told media outlets that the group was “more than happy.” In a report published on Tuesday, diplomats from Afghanistan’s neighbors told Reuters that there were fears a US troop pullout could trigger hundreds of thousands of refugees to flee into their countries. “At this point, there is no clarity about the withdrawal, but we have to keep a clear action plan ready,” a senior Asian diplomat based in Kabul told Reuters. “The situation can turn from bad to worse very quickly.” Afghanistan shares a border with Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China, and is the world’s second-biggest source of refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Diplomats from the countries told Reuters they would increase border preparations in anticipation of refugees. This article has been adapted from its original source.[SEP]The Taliban has killed more than 20 pro-government forces and captured several security outposts in northern Afghanistan. The insurgents staged the deadly offensive to try to take control of oil fields in Sayyad district in Sar-e-Pol province, a local government spokesman told VOA Tuesday. Zabihullah Amani said that Afghan security forces, including police and intelligence operatives, deployed to the facility on the outskirts of the provincial capital, also called Sar-e-Pol, repulsed Monday night's attack by the Taliban. Amani added that at least 23 Afghan forces were also wounded in several hours of fierce clashes. Senior police commanders and officers of the intelligence agency were said to be among the dead. A Taliban spokesman claimed government forces lost more than 50 personnel and insurgents overran three security posts in the area. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claims made by either side and insurgent battlefield details are often inflated. Insurgents also attacked the Chimtal district in the province late Monday where Afghan officials said fierce battles raged into the next day, but gave not details of casualties. The Taliban has inflicted heavy casualties on embattled Afghan military and police forces during 2018 and captured more territory in the process. An insurgent report issued Monday claimed that the Taliban has brought 61 out of Afghanistan's 407 districts under its control in the previous year. The Afghan government has not offered any reaction to the militant claims The United States has recently stepped up diplomatic efforts to seek a political resolution to the Afghan war and held several rounds of talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Officials say the interaction is meant to persuade the Taliban to join a peace process with the Afghan government. But the insurgent group refuses to hold any intra-Afghan dialogue until the U.S. agrees on a date or timeline for pulling out all foreign forces from Afghanistan.[SEP]The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan special forces launched a new offensive against the Islamic State group in eastern Nangarhar province, killing 27 militants, officials said Tuesday. Meanwhile, Taliban attacks in northern Afghanistan killed 15 members of the country’s security forces. According to provincial council member Ajmal Omar, the special forces, backed by helicopter gunships, targeted IS in Achin district of Nangarhar on Monday. The province has been an IS stronghold and the site where the militant group’s regional branch first emerged a few years ago. The militants’ media arm, the Aamaq news agency, claimed IS repulsed a joint Afghan-U.S. operation in the area. Omar, who could not confirm whether U.S. troops took part in the operation, said two local IS leaders, Sediq Yar and Syed Omar, were among those killed. The remoteness of the area makes it impossible to independently investigate conflicting reports. In the north, the Taliban launched two blistering attacks on police outposts in Sar-e-Pul province on Monday night, killing 15 policemen and wounding 21, the latest in near-daily assaults by the insurgents against Afghanistan’s beleaguered security forces. Fierce gunbattles raged for several hours in Sayyad district and outside Sar-e-Pul, the provincial capital. In the attack on the outskirts of the city, heavy artillery fire by Afghan forces trying to repel the Taliban sent local residents fleeing for safety, said provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi claimed responsibility for both attacks in Sar-e-Pul province. The Taliban have been carrying out near-daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country’s 17-year war. The size and strength of the IS affiliate in Afghanistan, which emerged in 2013, is estimated at anywhere between several hundred and several thousand fighters. The group comprises mostly of disgruntled Taliban fighters and Uzbek militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, as well as Pakistani militants who were driven out of Pakistan’s tribal region along the border with Afghanistan. The relentless violence and deteriorating security battering Afghanistan comes as President Donald Trump is expected to order the withdrawal in the summer of 7,000 U.S. soldiers. There are currently about 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, mostly carrying out training and assisting the Afghan forces who took over the defense of their country in 2014. There are also 7,100 soldiers from other NATO and partnering countries still stationed in Afghanistan. Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says the Taliban launched two blistering attacks in northern Sar-e-Pul province, killing 15 members of the country’s security forces. In one attack, on the outskirts of the provincial… KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says the Taliban launched two blistering attacks in northern Sar-e-Pul province, killing 15 members of the country’s security forces. In one attack, on the outskirts of the provincial capital, heavy artillery fire by Afghan forces trying to repel the insurgents sent local residents fleeing for safety. Provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani says that along with 15 policemen killed, 21 were wounded in the two attacks, which took place late on Monday. He says fierce gunbattles raged for several hours in Sayyad district and outside Sar-e-Pul, the provincial capital. The Taliban have been carrying out near-daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country’s 17-year war. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]KABUL: As many as fifteen Afghan policemen were killed in two different attacks carried out by Taliban in northern Sar-e-Pul province of Afghanistan. An Afghan official told International news outlet, that Taliban launched two attacks, killing 15 members of Afghan police force. In one attack, on the outskirts of the provincial capital, heavy artillery fire by Afghan forces trying to repel the insurgents sent local residents fleeing for safety. Provincial council chief Mohammad Noor Rahmani said that along with 15 policemen killed, 21 were wounded in the two attacks, which took place late on Monday. He said fierce gunbattles raged for several hours in Sayyad district and outside Sar-e-Pul, the provincial capital. The Taliban have been carrying out near-daily attacks targeting Afghan forces despite stepped-up efforts by the United States to find a negotiated end to the country’s 17-year war.

The Taliban kills 27 members of the Afghan National Security Forces in a series of coordinated attacks in northern Afghanistan after refusing to discuss peace in the region with government officials.

QUETTA, Pakistan: Gunmen attacked a security forces' training base in the restive southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan on Tuesday, setting off a gunbattle in which at least four members of the security forces and four attackers were killed, officials said. The attackers apparently intended to hit a residential compound at a training centre of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Loralai district but were challenged at the entrance, according to a statement from Inter Services Public Relations, the main military communications unit. Advertisement Advertisement Four members of the security forces were killed and two wounded in an initial exchange of gunfire before the attackers were isolated in an adjacent compound. Four gunmen, including one who detonated a suicide vest, were subsequently killed. "The valiant and timely action of security forces denied the terrorists entry into residential area which would have resulted in more casualties," the ISPR statement said. The attack, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was the latest in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and poorest province which is at the centre of the strategic China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure development project. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan or TTP, which is separate from the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Balochistan is rife with ethnic, sectarian and separatist insurgencies, and a number of militant groups, including the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army, operate in the province. (Reporting by Gul Yousufzai in and Saud Mahsud in DERA ISMAIL KHAN; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)[SEP]QUETTA, Pakistan — Pakistan's military and a Taliban spokesman say four militants stormed a security forces facility in the southwestern town of Loralai, triggering a battle that left four security forces and the attackers dead. In a statement, the military said the "terrorists," who included a suicide bomber, failed Tuesday to enter a main residential area where families of the soldiers and security forces live. The assailants instead entered another compound near a security checkpoint, the statement said, where three of the assailants were shot and killed by troops and the fourth, the suicide bomber, detonated his explosives. Mohammad Khurasani, spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack without giving details.[SEP]QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s military and a Taliban spokesman say four militants stormed a security forces facility in the southwestern town of Loralai, triggering a battle that left four security forces and the attackers… QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan’s military and a Taliban spokesman say four militants stormed a security forces facility in the southwestern town of Loralai, triggering a battle that left four security forces and the attackers dead. In a statement, the military said the “terrorists,” who included a suicide bomber, failed Tuesday to enter a main residential area where families of the soldiers and security forces live. The assailants instead entered another compound near a security checkpoint, the statement said, where three of the assailants were shot and killed by troops and the fourth, the suicide bomber, detonated his explosives. Mohammad Khurasani, spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack without giving details. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]RAWALPINDI: The security forces foiled at bid to attack a compound of Frontier Corps (FC) and killed four terrorists in Loralai on Tuesday. Four security personnel were martyred and two others injured in the shootout, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. According to media wing of Pakistan Army, the militants tried to enter a residential and administration compound of a Frontier Corps training centre in district Loralai of Balochistan. However, the terrorists were denied entry in the compound after which they broke into a nearby checkpost, which was immediately cordoned off. Four security personnel including Subedar Major Munawar, Havildar Iqbal Khan, Havildar Bilal and Sepoy Naqshab were martyred in firing of the assailants. During clearance operation, the security personnel gunned down three terrorist while a suicide bomber blew himself up. The ISPR further stated, “The valiant and timely action of security forces denied entry of terrorists into residential area which would have resulted into more number of casualties.”[SEP]RAWALPINDI: Security forces on Tuesday foiled a major terror attack on the residential area of Frontier Corps (FC) training camp, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Four terrorists, including a suicide bomber was killed in the attack by the paramilitary personnel in Loralai area of Balochistan, said the Army’s media wing. According to details, the security officials intercepted the terrorists at the entrance of the residential area and gunned down three terrorists. While one of the terrorists blew himself up during the clearance operation. Four security personnel also embraced martyrdom and two others sustained bullet wounds in the terror attack, reads the statement. “The valiant and timely action of security forces denied entry of terrorists into residential area which would have resulted into more number of casualties,” said ISPR. Subedar Major Munawar, Havildar Iqbal Khan, Havildar Bilal and Sepoy Naqshab embraced martyrdom in the attack, said Army’s media wing. Earlier, two security personnel had been martyred, while three other sustained wounds as their convoy was attacked on October 25. According to reports, the convoy was ambushed in Washuk district of Balochistan, when it was on the way to Khuzdar.[SEP]At least four soldiers and an equal number of terrorists were killed in an attack by militants at a paramilitary training camp in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province. Army said that four terrorists tried to storm the Frontier Corps training center in Loralai area of the province but they were challenged by the troops. After failing to achieve the primary target, the terrorists resorted to indiscriminate fire and entered a compound close to the check-post, it said. Nobody took responsibility for the attack but Baloch nationalists and the Taliban militants often carry out such attacks.[SEP]At least four security personnel were martyred and two others wounded in an attack on a training camp of the Frontier Corps in Loralai, the ISPR said Tuesday. According to the army’s media wing, four terrorists, including a suicide bomber, were also killed in an operation by the security forces. The martyred personnel were identified as Subedar Major Munawwar, Hawaldar Iqbal Khan, Hawaldar Bilal and Sepoy Naqeeb. A man blew himself up during the clearance operation, the ISPR said, adding that the terrorists were stopped at the entrance of a residential area inside the training camp. The terrorists opened indiscriminate fire when they failed to enter the area.[SEP]Security forces gunned down four terrorists during an attack on a residential and administration compound of a Frontier Corps training centre in Balochistan’s Loralai, said an Inter-Services Public Relations press statement on Tuesday. Four soldiers also embraced martyrdom while two were injured in the operation. The army’s media wing said that terrorists were denied entry at the entrance of the compound, where they resorted to indiscriminate firing and broke into a nearby checkpost, which was immediately cordoned off. “The valiant and timely action of security forces denied entry of terrorists into residential area which would have resulted into more number of casualties,” stated the ISPR. The statement said that the initial exchange of fire claimed lives of four security forces personnel while two were injured. The names of the martyrs are Subedar Major Munawar, Havildar Iqbal Khan, Havildar Bilal and Sepoy Naqshab. In the operation, four terrorists were shot down including one suicide bomber who blew himself at the end of the clearance operation.[SEP]Four security personnel were martyred during an attempt by terrorists to storm the residential and administration compound inside a Frontier Corps (FC) training centre in Balochistan's Loralai district on Tuesday, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said. Also, four terrorists were killed in the clearance operation undertaken by security forces following the attack. According to the ISPR, the security personnel challenged the terrorists at the entry point of the "residential/administration compound of the training centre" and foiled their attempt to enter the facility. Having failed to enter the residential compound, the terrorists reportedly opened indiscriminate fire and entered a compound adjacent to the checkpost which was immediately cordoned off by security forces. The exchange of fire at the checkpost left four security personnel martyred and two others injured. An operation was launched to neutralise the terrorists inside the compound and the four militants were subsequently shot dead. One of the attackers was a suicide bomber who blew himself up during the final stage of the clearance operation, according to the military's media wing. "The valiant and timely action of security forces denied entry of terrorists into [the] residential area which would have resulted into more number of casualties," read the ISPR statement. The martyred security personnel were identified as Subedar Major Munawar, Havildar Iqbal Khan, Havildar Bilal and Sepoy Naqshab.[SEP]LORALAI: Four security officials were martyred and two others were wounded while staving off a terrorist attack on a training centre of a paramilitary force in central Balochistan on Tuesday. Four terrorists – including a suicide bomber – were also killed in the botched attack on the Frontier Corps training centre in Loralai district. The heavily armed terrorists attempted to storm the residential/administration compound at the training centre, according to the military’s media wing. However, the terrorists were challenged at the entry point and denied entry into the residential/administration compound, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. After failing to achieve their primary target, the terrorists resorted to indiscriminate fire and entered a compound adjacent to the check-post which was immediately cordoned off by the security forces. “The valiant and timely action of the security forces denied the terrorists entry into the residential area which would have resulted in more casualties,” the ISPR said. The terrorists were pinned down in the check-post by the security forces in the subsequent operation. “Four terrorists were shot down including one suicide bomber who blew himself during the final stage of the clearance operation,” the military’s media wing said. It added that four security forces personnel were martyred and two others were injured in the initial exchange of fire at the check post. The martyrs have been identified as Subedar Major Munawar, Havaldar Iqbal Khan, Havaldar Bilal and Sepoy Naqshab.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan gunmen attack a security base in the Loralai area of Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of four security guards and four terrorists, including a suicide bomber. Two guards were also injured in the attack.

Soldiers, police and residents are searching in the mud for possible victims of a landslide caused by torrential rain that killed at least nine Indonesian villagers and left 34 others missing. Tons of mud that rolled from the surrounding hills late on Monday buried 30 houses in Sirnaresmi village of West Java's Sukabumi district. Sixty people who were displaced have fled to a temporary shelter, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. He said more than 500 rescuers have retrieved eight bodies from mounds of mud and pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in the hospital. They are still searching for 34 villagers said to still be missing. Authorities struggled to get tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads as heavy rain was hampering search efforts, Nugroho said. Television footage showed hundreds of police, soldiers and residents digging through debris with their hands, shovels and hoes. "Lack of equipment, bad weather and blackout hampered our rescue efforts for those who are still missing and feared dead," Nugroho said. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers. The landslide occurred during New Year's Eve celebrations less than two weeks after a deadly volcano and tsunami disaster.[SEP]At least nine people were killed and 34 went missing after a landslide buried more than 30 houses in the western part of the Java island in Indonesia, authorities said on Tuesday. National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho tweeted that rescue operations were going on in the city of Sukabumi, where the landslide took place on Monday night.[SEP]Soldiers, police and residents fanned out across a damaged Indonesian village Tuesday, searching in the mud for possible victims of a landslide caused by torrential rain that killed at least nine people and left 34 others missing. Tons of mud that rolled from the surrounding hills late Monday buried 30 houses in Sirnaresmi village of West Java's Sukabumi district. Sixty people who were displaced have fled to a temporary shelter, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman. He said more than 500 rescuers have retrieved eight bodies from mounds of mud and pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in the hospital. They are still searching for 34 villagers said to still be missing. Authorities struggled to get tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads as heavy rain was hampering search efforts, Nugroho said. Television footage showed hundreds of police, soldiers and residents digging through debris with their hands, shovels and hoes. "Lack of equipment, bad weather and blackout hampered our rescue efforts for those who are still missing and feared dead," said Nugroho. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers. The landslide occurred during New Year's Eve celebrations less than two weeks after a deadly volcano and tsunami disaster. On Dec. 22, the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait erupted and partially collapsed into the sea, causing a tsunami that killed 437 people on Java and Sumatra islands. At least 16 people still missing and more than 33,700 residents were displaced. Rescuers are searching for survivors after a landslide triggered by heavy rain left at least five people dead and dozens missing in western Indonesia, an official said Tuesday. The landslide occurred shortly before sunset on Monday in West Java province. Search and rescue teams have found five people dead and are scouring the area for at least 38 missing people according to the national disaster agency. Pouring rain, electricity cuts and rough roads are preventing heavy machinery from accessing the area in Sukabumi regency, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. "Relief efforts have also been hampered by a lot of people who want to get to the disaster," he said. "The roads are narrow which has caused rescue teams, logistics and ambulances to be stuck in traffic jams." The search operation was halted overnight but continued Tuesday morning. Three people have been injured in the disaster and 61 others evacuated from the area, Nugroho said. Landslides are common in Indonesia, a vast tropical archipelago prone to natural disasters and torrential downpours. More than 20 people died in October when flash floods and landslides hit several provinces on Sumatra island, western Indonesia. In June 2016, nearly 50 people died when floods and landslides struck Banjarnegara regency, Central Java province.[SEP]JAKARTA, INDONESIA—Authorities say a landslide triggered by torrential rain has killed at least five people and left 38 others missing on Indonesia’s main island of Java. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said soldiers, police and volunteers fanned out Tuesday across a damaged village of Sirnaresmi in West Java’s Sukabumi district to search the dislodged earth for possible victims.[SEP]JAKARTA, Indonesia — Soldiers, police and residents fanned out across a damaged Indonesian village Tuesday, searching in the mud for possible victims of a landslide caused by torrential rain that killed at least nine people and left 34 others missing. Tons of mud that rolled from the surrounding hills late Monday buried 30 houses in Sirnaresmi village of West Java's Sukabumi district. Sixty people who were displaced have fled to a temporary shelter, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman. He said more than 500 rescuers have retrieved eight bodies from mounds of mud and pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in the hospital. They are still searching for 34 villagers said to still be missing. Authorities struggled to get tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads as heavy rain was hampering search efforts, Nugroho said. Television footage showed hundreds of police, soldiers and residents digging through debris with their hands, shovels and hoes. "Lack of equipment, bad weather and blackout hampered our rescue efforts for those who are still missing and feared dead," said Nugroho. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers. The landslide occurred during New Year's Eve celebrations less than two weeks after a deadly volcano and tsunami disaster. On Dec. 22, the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait erupted and partially collapsed into the sea, causing a tsunami that killed 437 people on Java and Sumatra islands. At least 16 people still missing and more than 33,700 residents were displaced.[SEP]Torrential rain has caused a landslide that buried dozens of homes in a village in West Java. Scores of people remain missing, and a young child is among those dead. At least 15 people have been killed and dozens more are missing after a landslide hit the Indonesian region of West Java on Monday. The tragedy took place in the village of Sirnaresmi in Sukabumi district shortly before sunset on New Year's Eve. Tons of mud that poured down from the surrounding hills buried 30 houses in the village. More than 500 rescuers were sent to the area and retrieved eight bodies and the injured from mounds of mud, including an infant who died in the hospital, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Sixty others were evacuated from the area, he added. Heavy rain, power cuts and rough roads hampered rescuers, and slowed down the movement of heavy machinery to the area. "The roads are narrow which has caused rescue teams, logistics and ambulances to be stuck in traffic jams," said Nugroho. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia. In October, more than 20 people died when flash floods and landslides hit several provinces in Sumatra. In June 2016, nearly 50 people died when floods and landslides struck Central Java.[SEP]At least two people are dead and 41 people are missing after a landslide hit the Indonesian region of West Java on Monday. Rescue teams are searching the village of Sirnaresmi in Sukabumi district. The village was hit by a landslide shortly before sunset on New Year's Eve. Rescuers were hampered by heavy rain, power cuts and rough roads, officials said. Read more: Ring of Fire: Five facts about the most earthquake prone region in the world In October, more than 20 people died when flash floods and landslides hit several provinces on Sumatra. In June 2016, nearly 50 people died when floods and landslides struck Central Java. Every day at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.[SEP]The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers recovered six more bodies buried under tons of mud from a landslide that crashed onto a hilly village on Indonesia’s main island of Java, bringing the death toll to 15, officials said Tuesday. The landslide that plunged down surrounding hills just before sunset Monday buried 30 houses in Sirnaresmi village in West Java’s Sukabumi district. Sixty people who lost their homes were forced to move to a temporary shelter, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Television video showed relatives wailing as they watched rescuers pull a mud-caked body from a devastated hamlet. It was placed in a blue bag and taken away for burial. Authorities struggled to bring tractors and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads after torrential rains sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets. Hundreds of police, soldiers and residents dug through the debris with their bare hands, shovels and hoes as heavy rain hindered their efforts. “Lack of equipment, bad weather and a blackout hampered our rescue efforts for those who are still missing and feared dead,” Nugroho said. Made Oka Astawa, head of the operations division at the National Search and Rescue Agency, said the six bodies were found under 4 meters (13 feet) of mud with the help of two excavators that managed to reach the devastated area. Astawa said rescuers also pulled out four injured people, including an infant who died in a hospital. Twenty villagers are still believed to be missing. He said the search effort was halted late Tuesday due to darkness and heavy rains that made the landslide areas unstable. The operation is to be resumed early Wednesday. Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains close to rivers. The landslide occurred during New Year’s Eve celebrations. On Dec. 22, the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait erupted and partially collapsed into the sea, causing a tsunami that killed at least 437 people on Java and Sumatra islands. At least 16 people are still missing and more than 33,700 residents were displaced. The Associated Press contributed to this report. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]Authorities today informed that minimum of nine people were killed and 34 went missing after a landslide buried more than 30 houses in Indonesia’s Java island. National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho tweeted that rescue operations were going on in Sukabumi city, where the landslide took place on Monday night, Efe news reported. Amid conditions made difficult by rain and mud, emergency teams were looking for survivors in the hilly area buried by the landslide. Floods and landslides affect Indonesia every year during the rainy season, which lasts from December to February.[SEP]JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Authorities say a landslide triggered by torrential rain has killed at least five people and left 38 others missing on Indonesia's main island of Java. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said soldiers, police and volunteers fanned out Tuesday across a damaged village of Sirnaresmi in West Java's Sukabumi district to search the dislodged earth for possible victims. The mud that rolled from the surrounding hills late Monday buried 30 houses, leaving 61 people displaced. Nugroho said the rescuers have retrieved five bodies and pulled three injured people from the mud and rushed them to a hospital. Seasonal rains in recent days have caused dozens of landslides and widespread flooding across Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains near rivers.

At least nine people are killed and 34 others are missing after a landslide strikes a village in Sukabumi, West Java, in Indonesia.

TOKYO – Police said a car slammed into pedestrians on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people. Police took into custody a man in his 20s but did not further identify him. They say he is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the car through the street. READ MORE: 3 injured after New Year’s Eve stabbing at Manchester, U.K. train station NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene. The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans, that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku.[SEP]Policemen stand next to a car which plowed into pedestrians on New Year day in Tokyo, Japan, January 1, 2019. TOKYO - At least eight people were injured, one seriously, when a vehicle plowed into crowds celebrating New Year's Day in Tokyo early on Tuesday. A police spokesman said the driver had been detained and national broadcaster NHK said the man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was identified as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, 21, from Osaka, a major city about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, NHK said. NHK said the suspect had initially described the incident as an "act of terror" but later said the attack was in retaliation for capital punishment. The incident happened shortly after midnight local time on Monday in the popular tourist area of Harajuku, near Meiji Shrine, in central Tokyo. "I can't believe it, this is a place I'm familiar with, so it's very shocking," said Tatsuhiro Yaegashi, a 27-year-old worker in the area. The street was closed to vehicles at the time of the incident to accommodate the large number of pedestrians making their way to the shrine for New Year's prayers. TV pictures of the scene on Tuesday showed a gray coloured light vehicle used in the attack, positioned across the street. The front of the vehicle was badly damaged and dozens of police and rescue officials were at the scene. The suspect fled from the scene and assaulted a passerby before he was captured 20 minutes later, NHK said. About 20 liters of kerosene were found in the vehicle. "I learned about the incident later. But I shudder to think. If the incident had happened five minutes later, I would've been involved," a woman who walked past the scene shortly after the incident told NHK. In a similar attack in 2008, a man who said he was tired of life drove a rental truck into a crowd of pedestrians in Tokyo before jumping out and stabbing several people. At least seven people were killed and a dozen injured.[SEP]At least nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car plowed into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve in a central part of Tokyo, according to police. The incident occurred on the well-known Takeshita Street in the shopping and tourist district of Harajuku, which runs parallel to the famous Meiji shrine. The road was closed to facilitate access to the shrine, which is a popular destination for people on New Year’s Eve. Tokyo Metropolitan Police told CNN that they have opened an investigation into the incident, which occurred at around 10 minutes past midnight on January 1st. One person, a 21-year-old man, has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder, according to police. The injured ranged in age from teenagers to those in their 50s. One male university student remains in critical condition. The suspect, named as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, initially told police that he had conducted a terrorist act, later saying he had deliberately driven the car down the narrow street to protest his opposition to the death penalty, telling police he “would not make any excuse” for his actions. The car barreled down the narrow street, which was packed with pedestrians, slamming into a number of them, police said.[SEP]Tokyo -- A minivan slammed into pedestrians early Tuesday on a street where people had gathered for New Year's festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people, police said. The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on customary condition of anonymity. He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street. NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene. A ninth person was injured after Kusakabe got out of the car and punched him, police said. His condition was not immediately known. A large tank filled with kerosene was found in the car, police said. The suspect appeared to have planned to set his car on fire, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. Police declined to comment on the reports, saying such possible motives were still under investigation. Investigative sources told the Japan Times that the man said he rammed his vehicle into the crowd "in retaliation for an execution." It was not immediately clear what he was referring to. The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a road well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shibuya ward. Every New Year's Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night, for people welcoming the new year with a shrine visit. Japan is a relatively crime free nation with strict gun-control laws. In 2008, a man drove his car into a crowd in the popular Akihabara electronic-shopping district, got off and went on a stabbing spree with a knife. Seven people were killed.[SEP]A car has rammed pedestrians on a busy Tokyo street that was closed to traffic for New Year festivities. A 21-year-old man initially confessed to a terrorist act but later recanted, leaving investigators puzzled about his motives. The car, which was driving in a wrong lane, bulldozed into revelers in Japan’s capital city as it swerved into a shopping street bustling with people just after midnight, NHK reported. The ramming is believed to have been intentional, as the street had been closed to traffic due to the New Year celebrations. Hundreds of people were heading to a nearby shrine to pray for good luck in the new year. Eight people were injured in the incident, including one male university student who was taken to hospital in critical condition. Teenagers and adults in their 50s are among the victims. The driver was identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe. He initially attempted to flee the scene on foot but was located and apprehended by police some 20 minutes after the incident. Kusakabe repeatedly changed his story when questioned about his motives. Initially, the 21-year-old claimed that he had carried out a terrorist attack. However, he then backtracked on that, saying instead that he had attempted a murder. Shortly after, Kusakabe again changed his tune, claiming that he rammed the people in response to executions. It is unclear if he was referring to the system of capital punishment that exists in Japan, or to specific executions. Japan executed 15 people in 2018, its highest number in one year since 2008. Death penalties are carried out with no advance warning to an inmate, his or her family or their legal representative. Earlier this year, Japan executed 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect that had carried out a sarin chemical attack on Tokyo subway in 1995. Their deaths rekindled the debate on capital punishment, with the US and Japan being the only countries among the G7 group that still have recourse to it. Last week, Japan executed two prisoners who had been on death row since 2004, charged with robbery and murder.[SEP]At least nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car deliberately plowed into crowds celebrating the New Year in central Tokyo in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The incident occurred on the well-known Takeshita Street in the shopping and tourist district of Harajuku, which runs parallel to the famous Meiji shrine. The narrow, iconic street is known worldwide as a hub of Japanese youth culture and fashion, and the area famous for its “Harajuku girls,” who dress in outlandish, striking costumes. The road was closed to traffic over the New Year, largely because of its proximity to the Meiji Shrine, which is a popular destination for people on New Year’s Eve — many Japanese visit local or famous shrines over the new year period to pray for good fortune in the coming year. Images showed crowds flocking to the shrine on New Year’s Day, despite the incident just hours earlier. The car barreled down the narrow street, which was packed with pedestrians, at around 12.10 a.m., on New Year’s day, police said. One of the injured was reportedly attacked by the suspect after he had exited the vehicle after it had come to a stop. One eyewitness told local media that he saw “people collapsed one after another and being helped.” Media also reported that the driver eluded arrest for around 20 minutes before police caught him. Tokyo Metropolitan Police told CNN that they have opened an investigation into the incident. One person, a 21-year-old man, has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder, according to police. The injured ranged in age from teenagers to those in their 50s. One male university student remains in critical condition. The suspect, named as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, initially told police that he had conducted a terrorist act, later saying he had deliberately driven the car down the narrow street to protest his opposition to the death penalty, telling police he “would not make any excuse” for his actions. CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported, citing police, that a large amount of kerosene was discovered in the suspect’s car. Traces of the liquid were also found on his clothes. The suspect reportedly told police that he had acted in “retaliation for the execution of Aum cult members.” The remaining members of the doomsday cult, which was found to be responsible for a 1995 sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway, were executed in July.[SEP]A car has rammed pedestrians on a busy Tokyo street that was closed to traffic for New Year festivities.The car, which was driving in a wrong lane, bulldozed into revelers in Japan's capital city as it swerved into a shopping street bustling with people just after midnight, NHK reported. Hundreds of people were heading to a nearby shrine to pray for good luck in the new year.Eight people were injured in the incident, including one male university student who was taken to hospital in critical condition. Teenagers and adults in their 50s are among the victims.The driver was identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe.Kusakabe repeatedly changed his story when questioned about his motives. Initially, the 21-year-old claimed that he had carried out a terrorist attack. However, he then backtracked on that, saying instead that he had attempted a murder. Shortly after, Kusakabe again changed his tune, claiming that he rammed the people in response to executions. It is unclear if he was referring to the system of capital punishment that exists in Japan, or to specific executions.Japan executed 15 people in 2018, its highest number in one year since 2008. Death penalties are carried out with no advance warning to an inmate, his or her family or their legal representative. Earlier this year, Japan executed 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect that had carried out a sarin chemical attack on Tokyo subway in 1995.Last week, Japan executed two prisoners who had been on death row since 2004, charged with robbery and murder.[SEP]TOKYO (AP) — A minivan slammed into pedestrians early Tuesday on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people, police said. The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was… TOKYO (AP) — A minivan slammed into pedestrians early Tuesday on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people, police said. The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on customary condition of anonymity. He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street. NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene. A ninth person was injured after Kusakabe got out of the car and punched him, police said. His condition was not immediately known. A large tank filled with kerosene was found in the car, police said. The suspect appeared to have planned to set his car on fire, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. Police declined to comment on the reports, saying such possible motives were still under investigation. The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a road well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shibuya ward. Every New Year’s Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night, for people welcoming the new year with a shrine visit. Japan is a relatively crime free nation with strict gun-control laws. In 2008, a man drove his car into a crowd in the popular Akihabara electronic-shopping district, got off and went on a stabbing spree with a knife. Seven people were killed. Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]Nine people were hurt, one seriously, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve along a famous Tokyo street, police and media said Tuesday. With an “intent to murder”, 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo’s fashion district of Harajuku at 12.10am, a police spokesman said. According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in “retribution for the death penalty” without giving more precise details. NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. “It is a shock. Really scary, isn’t it?” one bystander told NHK. Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang Chi-wai says policeman’s car was ‘totally out of control’ in Japan Christmas Day crash, reveals his ribs fractured Police immediately cordoned off the street, which was packed with people celebrating the New Year. One college student suffered serious injuries during the attack and was undergoing surgery, the police spokesman said. Kusakabe was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. According to local media, Kusakabe hit a total of eight people and assaulted another on the street, which was closed to car traffic at the time as revellers packed the area to celebrate New Year. Takeshita Street is packed with small shops and is considered the centre of youth culture and fashion in Japan, attracting tens of thousands of international tourists every day. Unlike in other major cities, New Year in Tokyo is a relatively muted affair. There is no major fireworks display and no central point where drunken revellers gather to see in the New Year. Instead, Japanese people tend to see in the New Year with families and quietly go to the shrine to pray for good fortune in the year to come.[SEP]At least nine people were hurt shortly after midnight on Tuesday when a man rammed his car into pedestrians on a Tokyo street in what he claimed was an act of terrorism, local media reported. The suspect, 21, Kazuhiro Kusakabe, was arrested and being questioned, Tokyo Metropolitan Police said on customary condition of anonymity. He is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the small vehicle through the street. NHK TV footage showed a small van with the entire front end smashed and officers and ambulance workers rushing to the scene. According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details. NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. A ninth person was injured after Kusakabe got out of the car and punched him, police said. His condition was not immediately known. A large tank filled with kerosene was found in the car, police said. The suspect appeared to have planned to set his car on fire, Mainichi newspaper and other Japanese media reported. Police declined to comment on the reports, saying such possible motives were still under investigation. The crash occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Dori, a road well known to tourists and pop culture and fashion fans that runs right by Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shibuya ward. Every New Year's Eve, the train line that includes Harajuku station runs all night, for people welcoming the new year with a shrine visit. Japan is a relatively crime free nation with strict gun-control laws. In 2008, a man drove his car into a crowd in the popular Akihabara electronic-shopping district, got off and went on a stabbing spree with a knife. Seven people were killed.

A car plows into New Year's celebrators in Tokyo, Japan, injuring eight. A ninth person was assaulted by the driver after he got out of the vehicle. Police believe the incident to be intentional.

A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.[SEP]A man injured four people in Germany after driving into a group celebrating the new year, in what police described as an anti-migrant attack Tuesday. “The authorities think that this is a targeted attack, motivated by the driver’s hostility to foreigners,” said the Essen prosecutors office and Muenster police. They also said they thought the 50-year-old suspect has mental health issues. The incident took place a little after midnight in the town of Bottrop, about 12 kilometres (eight miles) north of Essen in Germany’s west. The driver first tried to run over a person, but they managed to get out of the way. He then drove into a group setting off fireworks in the street, as many people do when celebrating the new year in Germany. Four people were injured, some of the seriously, said police, adding that they were of Afghan and Syrian origin. A little later, the driver attempted another attack in a town close to Essen, without managing to injure anyone. He made “remarks hostile to foreigners” while being arrested by police, said officials.[SEP]A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.[SEP]Car Attacks In Japan And Germany Mar New Year's Celebrations A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.[SEP]A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.[SEP]A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.[SEP]A man injured four people in Germany after driving into a group celebrating the new year, in what police described on Tuesday as an anti-migrant attack. "The authorities think that this is a targeted attack, motivated by the driver's hostility to foreigners," said the Essen prosecutors office and Muenster police. They also said they thought the 50-year-old suspect has mental health issues. The man "clearly intended to kill foreigners," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul. The incident took place a little after midnight in the town of Bottrop, about 12 kilometres (eight miles) north of Essen in Germany's west. The driver first tried to run over a person, but they managed to get out of the way. He then drove into a group setting off fireworks in the street, as many people do when celebrating the new year in Germany. Four people were injured, some of them seriously, said police, adding that they were of Afghan and Syrian origin. The interior ministry said a woman was among the seriously wounded. A little later, the driver attempted another attack in a town close to Essen, without managing to injure anyone. He made "remarks hostile to foreigners" while being arrested by police, officials said. There was a similar incident in Japan, where a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street, injuring nine people. According to national broadcaster NHK, the man told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details.[SEP]A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.[SEP]A man injured four people in Germany after driving into a group celebrating the new year, in what police described on Tuesday as an anti-migrant attack. "The authorities think that this is a targeted attack, motivated by the driver's hostility to foreigners," said the Essen prosecutors office and Muenster police. They also said they thought the 50-year-old suspect has mental health issues. The man "clearly intended to kill foreigners," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul. The incident took place a little after midnight in the town of Bottrop, about 12 kilometres (eight miles) north of Essen in Germany's west. The driver first tried to run over a person, but they managed to get out of the way. He then drove into a group setting off fireworks in the street, as many people do when celebrating the new year in Germany. Four people were injured, some of them seriously, said police, adding that they were of Afghan and Syrian origin. The interior ministry said a woman was among the seriously wounded. A little later, the driver attempted another attack in a town close to Essen, without managing to injure anyone. He made "remarks hostile to foreigners" while being arrested by police, officials said. There was a similar incident in Japan, where a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street, injuring nine people. According to national broadcaster NHK, the man told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details.[SEP]Car Attacks In Japan And Germany Mar New Year's Celebrations A dozen people have been injured in two separate car attacks, after authorities say motorists deliberately plowed through New Year's crowds celebrating in Germany and Japan just after the clock struck midnight. In Western Germany, Münster Police say a 50-year-old man apparently set out on a rampage to kill foreigners in the first hour of 2019 in the city of Bottrop. First he drove into a group of people who managed to leap out of the way, police said. He then headed toward the city center where he slammed his silver Mercedes into another group, injuring at least four. Syrian and Afghan nationals were among those seriously injured. Next, the man drove to the nearby city of Essen where he tried and failed to hit people waiting at a bus stop, according to authorities. He was then placed under arrest, when police said he made "xenophobic remarks." Police said there are also signs the unidentified man is suffering from a mental illness. And in Tokyo a 21-year-old man is under arrest after authorities say he deliberately slammed into revelers gathered in a bustling downtown district early Tuesday, hitting eight. A ninth person was hurt after the driver jumped out of his vehicle and punched him, reports The Associated Press. The man fled on foot, but police found him shortly after in a park, according to The Japan Times. The newspaper reports the man told authorities that he had perpetrated the act "in retaliation for an execution." It would not be the first time a vehicle was weaponized in Tokyo. In 2008, a man killed several people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians, before jumping out and stabbing people with a knife, Reuters reports. Germany has also seen recent vehicle attacks. In April, a van driver killed two and injured twenty after accelerating into a crowd in Münster, police said. And in 2016 in Berlin, 12 were killed and dozens were injured when a driver barreled his truck into a Christmas Market. The worst such incident on record occurred in Nice, France, on Bastille Day, 2016, when a truck driver mowed down scores of people, killing more than 80.

Five people are injured after a man intentionally drives a car into multiple crowds of people in the cities of Bottrop and Essen, Germany. Police say the incident appears to be a xenophobic, far-right attack.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Fulani are semi-nomadic herders Armed men believed to be traditional hunters have killed at least 37 people in an attack on a village in central Mali, the country's government says. Many homes were burned in Koulogon village, in the central Mopti region, officials added. The government has launched an investigation into the attack. Last year, hundreds of people died in clashes between Dogon hunters and members of the largely nomadic Fula ethnic group. The raid on Koulogon happened at about 05:00 GMT on Tuesday, a government statement said. Fulani villager Allaye Yattara told AFP news agency he was outside the village with cattle when he heard shots. "Our village chief Moussa Diallo was killed, along with members of his family, including a young girl," he said. Clashes between Dogon hunters and semi-nomadic Fulani herders are often over access to land and water. The Dogon also accuse Fulanis of ties to jihadist groups. The Fulanis claim that Mali's military has armed the hunters to attack them. France helped Malian forces stave off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the troubled north in 2012.[SEP]BAMAKO: Armed men killed 37 civilians on Tuesday in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year, the government said in a statement. The government said the attackers, who were dressed as traditional Donzo hunters, raided the village of Koulogon in the central Mopti region around 5 a.m. (0500 GMT) and that some of the victims were children.[SEP]Nairobi - At least 37 people have been killed in an attack on a village in central Mali, the government confirmed late Tuesday. Children and old people are said to be among the victims of the attack on the village of Koulogon in the Mopti region, Malian Communications Minister Arouna Modibo Toure said on Twitter. He expressed his condolences to the families affected. The government said many people had been injured in the attack and houses burnt down. Armed men reportedly made off with livestock from the village, according to RFI. Soldiers were sent to the region to provide security, the government said. The exact background of the attack was initially unclear. The attackers had worn traditional Dozo clothes, the government statement said. The area has seen tensions between shepherds of the Fulani people and traditional Dozo hunters. Tensions between rival ethnic groups often spurred on by broader instability in the country, is common the West African state. Several Sunni terrorist groups are also active in northern and central Mali, many of which have sworn allegiance to al-Qaeda. In Mali, a 15,500-strong UN force is stationed to stabilize the state and monitor a 2015 national peace agreement. Among the troops are some 1 000 German soldiers: For the Bundeswehr, it is after Afghanistan the second largest foreign mission, and is considered its most dangerous.[SEP]Armed men killed 37 Fulani civilians on Tuesday in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year, the government has said. Violence between Fulani and rival communities has compounded an already dire security situation in Mali’s semi-arid and desert regions, which are used as a base by jihadist groups with ties to al-Qaida and Islamic State. The government said the attackers, who were dressed as traditional Donzo hunters, had raided the village of Koulogon in the central Mopti region and that some of the victims were children. Moulage Guindo, the mayor of Bankass, the nearest town, said the attack occurred at around the time of the first call to prayer of the new year and targeted the Fulani part of Koulogon. He said another part of Koulogon less than half a mile away was mostly inhabited by Dogon, an ethnic group to which the Donzos are linked. Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely allied Islamists took over its north in 2012, prompting French forces to intervene to push them back the following year. Islamists have since regained a foothold in the north and centre, tapping into ethnic rivalries to recruit new members.[SEP]By The Associated Press BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s government said that armed men attacked a central village, killing 37 civilians, in what appeared to be ethnic violence. State television broadcast a government announcement that men dressed as Dozo… BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s government said that armed men attacked a central village, killing 37 civilians, in what appeared to be ethnic violence. The Fulani Association head Tabital Pulaaku said those killed were from the Fulani ethnic group and included the village chief. The violence highlights the continuing tensions in central Mali between the Fulani, who are accused of being linked to al-Qaida, and the Dozo militia. Mali’s government has started a disarmament campaign to take weapons from the rival groups. This attack is expected to make local groups unhappy to give up their arms. Several human rights groups have reported several hundred civilians killed in central Mali because of attacks by armed groups. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]BAMAKO, MALI— Mali’s government said that armed men attacked a central village, killing 37 civilians, in what appeared to be ethnic violence. The Fulani Association head Tabital Pulaaku said those killed were from the Fulani ethnic group and included the village chief. The violence highlights the continuing tensions in central Mali between the Fulani, who are accused of being linked to al-Qaida, and the Dozo militia. Mali’s government has started a disarmament campaign to take weapons from the rival groups. This attack is expected to make local groups unhappy to give up their arms.[SEP]Seven people were arrested in central Mali Wednesday, the day after 37 civilians were killed when armed men attacked a village in the region in the latest clash between warring communities, the government said. Following the New Year’s Day massacre in the village of Koulogon, in the central Mopti region, “Mali army forces were rushed to the scene”, the civil protection ministry said in a statement, adding they “arrested seven suspects” without giving details on those detained. Tuesday’s attackers were believed to be traditional Dogon hunters who targeted the village of Fulani herders. The same Mali army mission also went into Bobosso village, near the Burkina Faso border, following arson attacks, killing one suspect and detaining 24 others, the ministry said. France helped Malian forces stave off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the troubled north in 2012, but since the death in November of Fulani jihadist figure Amadou Koufa, inter-group conflict has increased. The violence is fuelled by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water. The UN recorded more than 500 civilian deaths in the area in 2018. “Large-scale operations” are in preparation with the ministry of defence to deal with the intercommunal violence, the civil defence ministry said in its statement.[SEP]Bamako, Mali | AFP | Thirty-seven civilians were killed when armed men believed to be traditional Dogon hunters attacked a village of Fulani herders in central Mali Tuesday in the latest clash between the warring communities, the government said. The attack on Koulogon village near Bankass in the Mopti region was carried out by “armed men dressed like traditional dozo hunters” allied to the Dogon ethnic group, said an official statement. “In addition to the 37 recorded deaths, all civilians, the casualty toll includes several wounded and many burned homes”, it added. Earlier, a security source and a man who said he had witnessed the attack also blamed the Dogon, and put the number of dead at 33. Allaye Yattara, a Fulani, told AFP: “Our village chief Moussa Diallo was killed in the attack along with old women, (and) a girl, all members of his family.” France helped Malian forces stave off a jihadist insurgency that took control of large parts of the troubled north in 2012, but since the death in November of Fulani jihadist figure Amadou Koufa, inter-group conflict has increased. The violence is fuelled by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water. The UN recorded more than 500 civilian deaths in the area in 2018. In June, 24 members of the Fulani community were killed in an attack a UN probe blamed on the Dogon.[SEP]BAMAKO, Mali — Mali’s government said that armed men attacked a central village, killing 37 civilians, in what appeared to be ethnic violence. The Fulani Association head Tabital Pulaaku said those killed were from the Fulani ethnic group and included the village chief. The violence highlights the continuing tensions in central Mali between the Fulani, who are accused of being linked to al-Qaida, and the Dozo militia. Mali’s government has started a disarmament campaign to take weapons from the rival groups. This attack is expected to make local groups unhappy to give up their arms. Several human rights groups have reported several hundred civilians killed in central Mali because of attacks by armed groups. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely allied Islamists took over its north in 2012 BAMAKO, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Armed men killed 37 Fulani civilians on Tuesday in central Mali, where ethnic violence cost hundreds of lives last year, the government said.

Armed men believed to be traditional hunters have killed at least 37 people in an attack on a village in central Mali.

A man has opened fire after he felt disrespected by his in-laws at a New Year’s Eve party in southern Thailand, killing six people before turning the gun on himself, local officials say. The mass shooting happened about 10 minutes after midnight when the family was attending a New Year’s Eve party in Phato District, which is located in Chumphon Province in southern Thailand. Police told the AFP news agency that the suspect, Sucheep Sornsung, became angry because he did not feel welcomed by his wife’s family. He took out his pistol when they were sitting at a table and opened fire. Sucheep shot and killed 6 people, including his 9-year-old son, his 6-year-old daughter, and 4 adults between the ages of 47 and 71. He then committed suicide by turning the gun on himself.[SEP]Seven people, including the gunman, were left dead after a mass shooting in the southern Thai province of Chumphon, AFP reports citing local police. The horrific incident occurred 10 minutes after midnight, when a “heavily” drunk man, identified as Sucheep Sornsung, opened fire on his family members apparently after feeling slighted by his in-laws during the New Year’s party. “All of the victims were his family members including his nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter,” a police official said. The perpetrator killed himself after the rampage, it is reported.[SEP]BANGKOK: A Thai man shot and killed six family members, including his two young children, before killing himself after a New Year’s party, the police said on Tuesday. Sucheep Sornsung, 41, came home from the party and started to quarrel with his family before the shootings, the police said. The incident took place in southern Chumphon province. The victims included his 6-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old, as well as two men and two women aged between 47 and 71, who were family members of Sucheep’s wife, who survived. One man was injured and survived the shooting. “The (suspect) went to a party with his friends then came home to see his wife’s family and they started arguing before he used his gun to shoot them,” Police Major General Saharat Saksilapachai, commander of Chumphon provincial police, told Reuters. “According to witnesses, the man did not drink a lot and we suspect that his rage came from old problems with his wife’s family,” Saharat said. The police said Sucheep had a drug-related criminal record and had previously been jailed but there was no history of violence against his family. Thailand has a high rate of gun ownership and gun-related death, but mass shootings are rare. According to 2016 data from the University of Washington, Thailand had the highest reported rate of gun-related deaths out of 10 countries in Asia. It was about 50 percent higher than the Philippines, which was second on the list. According to Thailand’s Interior Ministry, there are more than 6 million registered firearms in the country of 69 million people. But there are also many unregistered guns in circulation.[SEP]BANGKOK: A Thai man who felt slighted by his in-laws shot dead six family members including his two young children at a New Year's Eve party before turning the gun on himself, police said on Tuesday (Jan 1) The mass shooting took place 10 minutes after midnight as Sucheep Sornsung joined his wife's family to ring in the New Year in the southern province of Chumphon. Sucheep was "heavily" drunk when he pulled out his pistol at the table in the beauty parlour where the party was being hosted in Phato district, police said. "All of the victims were his family members including his nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter," Lieutenant Colonel Larp Kampapan of Phato police told AFP. "They were shot either in the head or the torso ... he was angry that as the son-in-law he was not being made welcome by his wife's family." The gunman then turned the weapon on himself. The other four victims were two men and two women aged between 47 and 71.[SEP]The mass shooting takes place 10 minutes after midnight as Sucheep Sornsung joined his wife's family to ring in the New Year in the southern province of Chumphon BANGKOK, Thailand – A Thai man who felt slighted by his in-laws shot dead 6 family members including his two young children at a New Year's Eve party before turning the gun on himself, police said Tuesday, January 1. The mass shooting took place 10 minutes after midnight as Sucheep Sornsung joined his wife's family to ring in the New Year in the southern province of Chumphon. Sucheep was "heavily" drunk when he pulled out his pistol at the table in the beauty parlor where the party was being hosted in Phato district, police said. "All of the victims were his family members including his 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter," Lieutenant Colonel Larp Kampapan of Phato police told Agence France-Presse. "They were shot either in the head or the torso... he was angry that as the son-in-law he was not being made welcome by his wife's family." The gunman then turned the weapon on himself. The other 4 victims were two men and two women aged between 47 and 71. Thailand has high rates of gun ownership and petty personal disputes, romantic and business rivalries are often resolved with bullets. – Rappler.com[SEP]A Thai man who felt slighted by his in-laws shot dead six family members including his two young children at a New Year’s Eve party before turning the gun on himself, police said on Tuesday. The mass shooting took place 10 minutes after midnight as Sucheep Sornsung joined his wife’s family to ring in the New Year in the southern province of Chumphon. Sucheep was “heavily” drunk when he pulled out his pistol at the table in the beauty parlour where the party was being hosted in Phato district, police said. Holiday carnage returns to Thailand’s roads as 182 people die in just three days “All of the victims were his family members including his nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter,” said Lieutenant Colonel Larp Kampapan of Phato police. “They were shot either in the head or the torso … he was angry that as the son-in-law, he was not being made welcome by his wife’s family.” The gunman then turned the weapon on himself. The other four victims were two men and two women aged between 47 and 71. Thailand has high rates of gun ownership and petty personal disputes, romantic and business rivalries are often resolved with bullets.

A Thai man kills six members of his family before killing himself in a drunken shooting spree.

At one of Robert Mugabe's farms, workers said they are pained by the death of their boss and worried about their future - and some say they are hoping...[SEP]Two women have become the first couple to take advantage of marriage equality in Austria, exchanging their vows shortly after midnight on 1 January. Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier were wed in the southern town of Velden just five minutes into 2019, when same-sex marriage officially became legal, reports ORF. Austria’s Constitutional Court overturned the ban on same-sex marriage on 4 December, 2017 after a complaint was brought before the court by a lesbian couple and four other couples, but the change didn’t take full effect until the beginning of this year. The current government of Austria, a conservative coalition of the Austrian People’s Party and the Freedom Party of Austria, strongly oppose marriage equality but said they would respect the court’s decision, according to The Associated Press. The unnamed lesbian plaintiffs in the case were allowed to tie the knot in October of last year, but Kopaunik and Paier are the first to do so since marriage equality was extended to the entire nation. “Getting married was only a matter of time for us, or rather a matter of legal regulation,” Kopaunik told ORF. “Now everyone has the chance to decide for themselves, if they want a “marriage for all” or a legal partnership, but that was not the case before.” In 2009 Austria granted same-sex couples the right to enter into legal civil partnerships, but the 2017 ruling has allowed all couples the choice of civil union or marriage regardless of sexuality. The newlyweds, who were reportedly engaged for four years prior to the ceremony, have chosen to take Nicole’s surname as their new family name. The Kopauniks were supported by the Velden community in their bid to marry, with wedding planners and the local government helping to clear any obstacles that stood in their way. Mayor Ferdinand Vouk thanked church officials and wedding registrar Klaus Gottwald for things going so smoothly, describing Velden playing host to the wedding as a “great pleasure and honour”.[SEP]BERLIN: Two Austrian women are the first same-sex couple to officially tie the knot in the predominantly Catholic country, following years of legal challenges from gay rights groups. Public broadcaster ORF reported Tuesday that Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier wed in a ceremony in Velden, southern Austria, shortly after midnight Tuesday. The couple, both 37, had reportedly been engaged for four years. Austria's constitutional court ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples should have the right to marry from January 1, 2019. Previously, same-sex couples could only enter into a registered partnership that granted fewer rights than marriage. Austria's current governing parties, the People's Party and the Freedom Party, had strongly opposed granting same-sex couples the right to marry, but said they would respect the court's ruling.[SEP]By The Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Two Austrian women are the first same-sex couple to officially tie the knot in the predominantly Catholic country, following years of legal challenges from gay rights groups. Public broadcaster ORF reported Tuesday… BERLIN (AP) — Two Austrian women are the first same-sex couple to officially tie the knot in the predominantly Catholic country, following years of legal challenges from gay rights groups. Public broadcaster ORF reported Tuesday that Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier wed in a ceremony in Velden, southern Austria, shortly after midnight Tuesday. The couple, both 37, had reportedly been engaged for four years. Austria’s constitutional court ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples should have the right to marry from Jan. 1, 2019. Previously, same-sex couples could only enter into a registered partnership that granted fewer rights than marriage. Austria’s current governing parties, the People’s Party and the Freedom Party, had strongly opposed granting same-sex couples the right to marry, but said they would respect the court’s ruling. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]Haaretz In 2017, Austria’s constitutional court made a ruling that same-sex couples would be granted the right to marry on Jan....[SEP]Austria’s defence minister has said his nation will not be involved in the developing pan-European army, a pet project of leading globalists like Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron, saying the continent should concentrate on cooperation, not integration. The comments from populist-right Freedom Party defence minister Mario Kunasek comes just weeks after French president Macron caused concerns among NATO allies by calling for a EU army to protect the continent from the United States, among other identified threats. Speaking with the Austria Press Agency about achievements made by Austria during its now-completed possession of the rotating EU presidency and the future of European defence, Kunasek said Austria could not be part of a single EU army with a “command, a uniform, a leadership.” Indeed, if the EU pushed through a single army regardless Austria would not “play” along, Kunasek saying the nation “will not be there.” Europe needs “security and defence policy worthy of the name. But that is not comparable to a EU army… What we do not need is a large, closed formation of an army, but more cooperation,” said Kunasek. Instead of integrating European armed forces into a single body, European leaders should look to cooperate more and utilise what strong defence structures already exist — such as NATO. The minister said: “We all say yes to good, common structures, joint missions, joint exercises, cooperation and joint financing fund, but no to an EU army, as the citizen may imagine.” “Many EU countries are NATO members. It would be illogical to build duplication. There will be strong cooperation with NATO in the future, but if we are serious about the EU, we need to think about common defence.” The creation of a pan-European army was once dismissed as a febrile nightmare of British Eurosceptics, who heralded its coming as a clear sign of European integration that was working to subordinate the nations of Europe to a single federal superstate. Former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg dismissed warnings of a single EU army by Brexit leader Nigel Farage as “a dangerous fantasy” during a debate in April 2014. Fast-forward to 2017, over a year after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, and member states signed up to a European Defence Union. In November 2017, the unified EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said the bloc was working at “full speed” to create a “continental scale” defence force. Globalist leaders Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel both turned up the rhetoric on creating an EU army in 2018. Germany called on France to give up their permanent seat on the UN security council — even as they campaigned to get their own seat — so EU headquarters Brussels could have it instead. Meanwhile, France’s Macron used an event commemorating the centenary of the end of the Great War to herald a Franco-German alliance that would in his opinion prevent the world descending into “chaos”. U.S. President Donald Trump reacted poorly to Macron’s plans, however, calling “insulting” Macron’s assertion that Europe needed a single army to defend itself from the United States. Oliver JJ Lane is the editor of Breitbart London — Follow him on Twitter and Facebook[SEP]Child marriage in developing countries remains pervasive. It means two children are forced to marry each other with the consent of the two families. The children are forced into the institution of marriage without knowing the real meaning of marriage and its significance. A child marriage is one in which the girl is below the age of eighteen and the boy is below the age of twenty-one year’s. Social reason to initiate child marriages is that the elders wanted to see the faces of their grandchildren or in some cases to protect girls from rapes and abduction. The problem of child marriage is at times justified on the basis of religious fatwas. Early childhood is lost forever due to such marriages and freedom to play and learn is also snatched in the process. The media also needs to adopt a more proactive role in generating awareness towards this heinous ritual. We have been focusing on peace, right to education and child marriage projects. We have organised three National Youth Peace Summits in Pakistan to involve youth in the decision-making process. We also work to address violence against Child Marriages and Gender-based discrimination. NADIA TALAT University of Central Punjab[SEP]WINDHOEK – Legal aid or legal representation is a welfare provision by the state to people who could otherwise not afford counsel from the legal system. Legal aid also helps to ensure that welfare provisions are enforced by providing people entitled to welfare provisions, such as access to legal advice and the courts. This is a foundation for equal access and enjoyment of right to a fair trial as it safeguards the fundamental fairness and public trust in the criminal justice process. Established under the Legal Aid, Act 29 of 1990 in the Ministry of Justice, the Namibian government ensured that this statutory service lived up to its mandate of providing legal aid at state expense to indigent persons (i.e. those with inadequate means) to afford legal services of private legal practitioners to represent them in proceedings before the courts. According to Moses Ndjarakana, Director in the Legal Aid Directorate that is administering the Legal Aid scheme in the ministry, the objective of the scheme is to ensure access to justice by providing equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial. “Legal aid is essential to ensure equal rights for justice for all, especially for people with inadequate income also referred to as indigents. Applications for legal aid are considered through a means test and the merits of a case,” stressed Ndjarakana. He further added that the process requires a legal practitioner to be instructed by the Directorate to carry out the mandate of legally-aided persons as per Article 12 and 95 of the Namibian Constitution as well as Legal Aid Act 29 of 1990, as amended. “All clerks at magistrate’s offices, police and prison Warders, assists in completion of legal aid applications. The legal aid application forms are available at all magistrate offices countrywide and completed application forms should be submitted at the nearest magistrate office,” he explained. Through this initiative, the Namibian government guarantees the right to fair trial in its national legal systems which ensures that justice is equally accessible to all Namibians regardless of their economic status Access to legal aid service ensure effective legal counsel, and so, the accused’s right to a fair trial. Without access to legal aid, the right to counsel becomes meaningless for many accused persons, as it may prevent them from accessing a lawyer to defend themselves against the charges they face. Consequently, Legal aid services assured to support the most vulnerable in our country. The statistics for Legal Aid from the year 2013-2018 availed by the Ministry of Justice are indicating that a total number of 42 156 applications were received by the directorate, whilst 28 083 applications which is 67 percent of total applications were granted the legal Aid services at the cost of government from various towns across Namibia. The few remaining of 9 640 applications which is 23 percent of the total were regrettably declined, with 4 433 applications which are equal to 10 percent pending and in these financial years the statistics are revealing that 1 234 applications are concluded. This service continues providing legal representation, at state expense to persons whose means are inadequate to enable them to engage practitioners to assist and represent them. More specifically, for citizens who do not have sufficient financial means, the provision of legal aid by governments will increase the likelihood, within court proceedings, of being assisted by legal professionals for free (or at a lower cost) or of receiving financial aid. Based on the regulations made under the Legal Aid Act, 1990, it provides for a means test to be used to determine eligibility of the service. Simon Idipo, public relations officer at the Ministry of Justice, added that any person in Namibia have the rights to apply for legal aid in a civil or criminal case; however, the Director of Legal Aid has the discretion to grant or decline such an application. “It is important that, any person(s) find themselves in the wrong side of the law, thus have the right to a fair trial despite of their financial means,” said Idipo. Idipo further emphasised there is no timeframe when one should apply, but it is always advisable to apply as soon as one is aware of the need for legal representation. “The lawyers who represent people in legal aid cases do not work for free; they are either government employees, or private legal practitioners who are paid out of government funds. Therefore, Legal Aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to counsel and the right to a fair trial,” concluded Idipo. With the government determined to bring services closer to all its citizens, legal aid lawyers are employed by government and assigned to 26 magistrate courts in the country with plans underway to have legal aid lawyers at more magistrate courts. To access this service; there is a prescribed form that the applicant should complete and hand it to the Director of Legal Aid for consideration. It takes a maximum of ten (10) working days from the date the application is received for the applicant to get his/her response, provided all the requisite information is provided to the director of Legal Aid at the ministry. One can obtain legal aid application forms as well as the checklist from any magistrates court in the country, most police stations, at correctional facilities as well as at the Directorate of Legal Aid that is housed in Kisting House no 10565 at the Corner of Mungunda and Richard Kamuhuka Street, Katutura, Windhoek. The application form is also available on the Ministry of Justice’ website: http://www.moj.gov.na/contact-us . * Johannes Hangula and Josefina Nghituwamata are Senior Information Officers in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Directorate of Print Media Affairs: Media Liaison Services.

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Austria.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Intersex people can register themselves as such on birth certificates, passports and other official documents Intersex people in Germany can now legally identify themselves as such under a new law adopted in December. People who do not fit the biological definition of male or female can now choose the category "diverse" on official documents. Those choosing the option will need a doctor's certificate to register. Intersex people are born with both male and female sex characteristics, which can appear at birth or later in life. Other countries have approved laws in recent years to help recognise intersex people. Austria's constitutional court made a similar ruling to Germany's in June, while Australia, New Zealand, Malta, India and Canada have all passed measures to redress issues facing intersex citizens. The UN says up to 1.7% of the world's population are born with intersex traits - about the same number of people with red hair. This is separate from a person's gender identity or sexual orientation. But many face stigma, legal discrimination or even forced surgery because of these characteristics. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jeanette was 50 when she discovered the truth about her own body Germany previously allowed intersex people to opt out of choosing either male or female as a gender in 2013. But in 2017 the country's top court ruled it was discrimination to deny people a gender, after a person registered as female had a chromosome test confirming they were neither sex. Germany's parliament approved the law change last month, to come into effect on 1 January.[SEP]Intersex people in Germany can now legally identify themselves as a third gender, under a new law adopted in December. People who do not fit the biological definition of male or female can now choose the category "diverse" on official documents. Those choosing the option will need a doctor's certificate to register. Intersex people are born with both male and female sex characteristics, which can appear at birth or later in life. Other countries have approved laws in recent years to help recognise intersex people. Austria's constitutional court made a similar ruling to Germany's in June, while Australia, New Zealand, Malta, India and Canada have all passed measures to redress issues facing intersex citizens. The UN says up to 1.7% of the world's population are born with intersex traits - about the same number of people with red hair. • Should there be a third gender option on passports? This is separate from a person's gender identity or sexual orientation. But many face stigma, legal discrimination or even forced surgery because of these characteristics. Germany previously allowed intersex people to opt out of choosing either male or female as a gender in 2013. But in 2017 the country's top court ruled it was discrimination to deny people a gender, after a person registered as female had a chromosome test confirming they were neither sex. Germany's parliament approved the law change last month, to come into effect on 1 January. BBC Europe regional editor Danny Aeberhard says some people believe it is a step too far, while gender activists think the need for a doctor's certificate will make proof harder for intersex people without physical characteristics. • The third gender of southern Mexico • 'Now I have a new penis, I hope I will find love'[SEP]New York City residents who do not identify as male or female can now opt for a third gender on their birth certificates. Under new rules that came into effect on New Year's Day, New Yorkers can choose 'X' instead of the traditional male or female. The new law was approved by the New York City Council and Board of Health last September. The revision also makes it easier for transgender people to change their gender as it removes the requirement for a doctor's note or health care provider's affidavit. New York City's Democrat mayor Bill de Blasio said at the time that the change would 'allow transgender and gender non­conforming New Yorkers to live with the dignity and respect they deserve'. Residents of New Jersey, California, Washington, and Oregon can already choose 'X' on their birth certificates, while Washington DC permits the designation on driver's licenses. The change came into effect on the same day as Germany introduced a new 'diverse' option for intersex people. The new law, passed last month, requires that people who want to identify as 'diverse' on official documents provide a doctor's certificate. Until now, people who did not identify as male or female had to leave the gender category blank. The law was changed after Germany's Federal Constitutional Court told the government it must either introduce a third gender category option or drop gender entries from official documents altogether. Intersex people are born with sexual characteristics that are not typically male or female. According to the UN, up to 1.7 per cent of the world's population may be intersex.[SEP]In 2013, an intersex person in Germany launched a legal challenge to be allowed to change their gender in the country's birth registry. A little more than five years later, Germany's third gender law is going into effect, making it the first country in the European Union to offer a "third gender" option on birth certificates. According to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, roughly 80,000 people in Germany are intersex. Starting this year, they — along with parents of intersex babies — will be able to select a "divers" classification on birth certificates. Since 2013, parents of intersex children have had the option to leave the gender box on birth certificates blank. This will remain an option under Germany's new law, CNN reported, but the country's top court ruled last year that this was not enough. In November 2017, Germany's constitutional court ruled that lawmakers must recognize a third sex from birth, arguing that providing only the binary "male" and "female" options is unconstitutional. Lawmakers subsequently had until the end of 2018 to decide on what a third option would be, and to implement the necessary changes. As Business Insider pointed out, this ruling primarily affects intersex people in Germany — and not transgender people — because it is allowing people to select a nonbinary sex classification, rather than gender. As a result, LGBTQ rights advocates have called on Germany's new law to be more inclusive, according to CNN. According to VICE, Germany's third gender law currently requires physicians to certify "gender variations" in order for a person to change their gender classification in the birth registry. Activists have called for this medical approval clause to be removed for several reasons. Intersex people have historically been subject to unnecessary and traumatic medical interventions, and requiring medical approval also prevents the third gender law from being more inclusive of transgender and nonbinary people who don't identify as men or women. Advocates are nonetheless hopeful that the new law will create more visibility outside the gender binary and that it will serve as a first step to more inclusive gender laws, CNN reported. German advocacy group Dritte Option — translated as "Third Option" — has campaigned for a third gender option to be introduced on birth certificates, passports, and other official documents for years. According to Dritte Option's website, they supported this initiative "to create space and visibility for all genders." Although Germany is the only country in the European Union to implement such a law so far, other European countries — Denmark, Malta, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, and Norway — currently offer transgender individuals the option to retroactively change their gender markers on their birth certificates, although they do not have a third gender option on other official documents. Countries outside Europe, however — such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, and Nepal — already have legislation in place similar to Germany's new gender law. Advocates have heralded Germany's new law as progress, but are urging the country to go further by abolishing gender registration altogether, in order to be more inclusive of all genders and gender identities. They see the new law, which went into effect on Tuesday, as a first step toward that goal.[SEP]NEW YORK (AP) — New York City residents have a new option for denoting gender on their birth certificates: gender “X.” A law allowing the choice of “X″ takes effect Tuesday. The measure passed earlier this year. It allows people to change their birth certificates to “X″ by attesting that it reflects their “true gender identity.” Parents also can choose “X″ for newborns. New York City is joining California, Oregon, Washington state in allowing an undesignated gender option on birth certificates. A similar provision takes effect in New Jersey in February. In 2014, New York City eliminated a policy that allowed birth certificate gender changes only if people underwent gender reassignment surgery. Instead, the city required an attestation from a medical or mental health professional. The new law nixes that requirement[SEP]A German law allowing intersex people to register a third gender on official documents has now gone into effect with the beginning of the new year. Approved by parliament on 14 December, the law extends legal recognition to intersex individuals on documents such as birth certificates, making Germany the first country in the European Union to do so, reports CNN. Germans have had the ability to leave the gender field blank on birth certificates since 2013, but they now have the option of identifying themselves as ‘divers’ (miscellaneous) rather than just male or female. The new legislation came after a 2017 ruling that not allowing an intersex person named Vanja to change the gender marker on their birth certificate was unconstitutional “I asked myself so many times what it means to be intersex; I often was upset when I had to decide which box to tick — male or female. I felt (like I was) being pushed into the corner, that I had to adjust non-voluntarily,” Vanja told CNN. They plan to change their gender marker to ‘divers’ to celebrate the new law, saying they believe it will give them “a new feeling of peace”, but acknowledged that it was just one small step towards further intersex acceptance. “Societal acceptance cannot be mandated by a court ruling, but it is a step in the right direction.” The legislation has drawn criticism for requiring applicants who wish to be identified as ‘divers’ to undergo invasive medical examinations to prove they’re intersex. Senior lecturer at London’s The City Law School, Grietje Baars, told CNN that subjecting intersex individuals to unnecessary medical examinations could potentially inflict further trauma on people who often have a history of “traumatic medical interference with their genitalia”. Baars also believes it reinforces outdated views on gender being a biological trait. “You can not simply decide gender by looking at people’s genitalia,” they said. Baars stated that the German government should have abolished the gender field altogether. “It’s like abolishing registering your religion or race on your ID or documents — it does not mean you can no longer be Catholic or black … those things are not the same. I am just saying that it is no business of the state to register and categorise people in that manner,” they said. Criticism has also been aimed at the fact the legislation is limited only to intersex individuals, rather than anyone who doesn’t identify as male or female, such as trans or gender diverse people. Speaking to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, a spokesman for the Lesbian and Gay Federation said, “For trans people, nothing has changed regarding the obstacles they face to change their registered name and gender.” In Australia, gender recognition on official documents is generally the responsibility of state governments. Australian passports allow the use of ‘X’ as a gender marker in situations where someone doesn’t identify as male or female, whereas driver’s licences in many states leave off gender altogether In the Northern Territory it’s now possible to amend your birth certificate to reflect if you are intersex or gender diverse, while Tasmania’s lower house recently passed legislation which could give parents the option of leaving gender markers off of birth certificates. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and federal Liberal MP Stuart Robert have both been vocally critical of the proposed changes in Tasmania, although their arguments have little to do with the contents of the actual legislation.[SEP]People in Germany can now legally identify themselves as a third gender if they do not fit biologically as either male or female. The third option, divers – which roughly translates to various or miscellaneous – is included on official documents as of today, January 1. It means intersex people will be able to register themselves as ‘various’ on driving licenses, passports and birth certificates. Until now, their only option was to leave the gender entry blank. The German government voted to introduce the third category in August, with both chambers of parliament approving the new law. Last month, the Bundesrat upper house gave their backing to the third gender option. The ruling will apply to babies born as intersex, with parents needing a doctor’s certificate to mark their child under the new category. Adults registered as male or female will also need a medical certificate to change their gender marker. The law change makes Germany the first EU country to allow parents to designate their intersex children as third gender. But LGBT campaigners say the measure does not go far enough, as it requires a doctor’s certificate ‘proving’ a person is intersex. They want new laws to make it easier for people who do not identify with the gender they were born with to change it on official documents. Germany’s Association of Lesbians and Gays said: ‘If people feel seriously and sustainably not male or female, the law must allow them to legally register their status as they define it.’ It said lawmakers should make the third category open to any individuals who need it and want it without requiring medical statements. Third Option – the campaign group that called for the change – said in a statement that the law ‘excludes many people who have been waiting’ for it, including trans people. The introduction of the new category came after the Federal Constitutional Court called on lawmakers to enact legislation to either introduce a third category or dispense with gender altogether in official documents. The ruling followed a court appeal brought by an intersex adult and said that courts and state authorities should no longer compel intersex people to choose between identifying as male or female. Intersex people are born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies. This can mean being born with both male and female genitalia, or have both XX and XY chromosomes in their cells. For some intersex people, their condition is discovered at birth, but for others it is not discovered until puberty or when the person faces fertility issues as an adult.[SEP]New York City residents are about to have new option for denoting gender on their birth certificates: gender “X.” A law allowing the choice of “X” takes effect Tuesday. The measure passed earlier this year. It allows people to change their birth certificates to “X” by attesting that it reflects their “true gender identity.” Parents also can choose “X” for newborns. New York City is joining California, Oregon, Washington state in allowing an undesignated gender option on birth certificates. A similar provision takes effect in New Jersey in February.- READ MORE[SEP]By the time Lynn D. turned 2, he had already undergone seven surgeries. His childhood memories — in the German states of Bavaria and Hesse — were shaped by monthly visits to the doctor, where he says up to 50 researchers would observe examinations of his naked body. When he reached puberty, Lynn was given growth blockers and high doses of hormones; as a teenager, he started self-harming, developed post-traumatic stress disorder and became suicidal. Lynn, 34 — who has asked CNN to identify him by his preferred name — was born with both male and female sex organs. His doctors and parents decided shortly after he was born that his sex would be female, so his penis and testicles were surgically removed. His ovaries were also removed. Doctors had told Lynn’s parents the surgeries were preventative, citing concerns that he could develop cancer, but Lynn says there was no medical reason for him to be operated on and that the surgeries were carried out with a “dubious motivation.” “The doctors advised my parents not to tell me about my sex and simply raise me as a girl,” Lynn told CNN. “And of course, it didn’t work — because I’m not a girl.” Lynn is intersex, an umbrella term used to describe a variety of conditions in which a person is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit into binary definitions of female or male. “I was labeled a girl; I wanted to be a girl and fit in — but it did not work. I got along better with boys so I thought, ‘I’m a boy’. But then I realized that I’m not a boy either … boys also started to marginalize me. I did not have a good connection with my body and nobody helped me to establish a good connection with my body,” Lynn said. Lynn only learned that he was intersex during a therapy session at the age of 20. It was a revelation for Lynn, who had struggled to fit in with his peers for so many years. While it helped him to move forward with his relationship with his own body, Lynn says it damaged his relationship with his parents. “My body was changed so much to fit in — whether it happened consciously or unconsciously. The whole experience broke my relationship with my parents. We still have not gotten over this yet,” Lynn said. When he first learned he was intersex, Lynn said, “it felt like as if someone said I am an alien, you are from someplace else. You are a mutant.” “It took me a while to come to terms with my diagnosis and for me to (come to) grips with it. But then I understood — everything made sense to me. I no longer felt restless. Suddenly I understood who I was.” More than a decade later, Lynn said he has evolved into an “enormously happy” person, someone who is in a loving relationship with a woman, and who is fulfilled by a career in engineering and gigging in a punk band. While Lynn said he accepts being called “him” for now, he wishes that there was a specific German pronoun to describe intersex people, and hopes that society will one day understand what it means to live outside of binary definitions of sex and gender — and to accept intersex people for who they are. A change to the German constitution could be the first step toward that recognition. On January 1, Germany will become the first country in the European Union to offer a “third gender” option on birth certificates. Intersex people — and parents of intersex babies — will be able to register as “divers,” or miscellaneous, on birth certificates, instead of having to choose between male or female. The law, passed in Germany’s Bundestag earlier this month, was hailed as a “small revolution” by some intersex activists. It came after the 2017 constitutional court ruling in favor of an intersex person’s right to change their birth certificate from female to “divers.” The court ruled that Vanja — an intersex person who goes by a one-name pseudonym and uses the gender-neutral pronouns “they” and “them” — had their “right to positive gender recognition” violated and found that the current law was unconstitutional. Vanja, whose case was supported by advocacy group, “Dritte Option” or, the Third Option, told CNN that having to decide between being a woman or a man on official documents left them feeling “left out and overlooked.” While Vanja’s official identification documents said they were female, this led to “a lot of irritations with people” because they presented — or physically appeared in society — as male. Vanja initially considered changing their documents to male, but eventually decided that decision would devalue their identity, which is intersex. “I thought to myself, if I am going at lengths to change something within the red tape system in Germany, I want to have something that suits me,” they said. Vanja plans to celebrate the new law by changing their birth certificate category to “divers” in the new year, calling it both a personal and a practical step. “I asked myself so many times what it means to be intersex; I often was upset when I had to decide which box to tick — male or female. I felt (like I was) being pushed into the corner, that I had to adjust non-voluntarily. I think it will give me a new feeling of peace,” Vanja said, adding that they hope other countries in Europe will follow suit. But, like many in the intersex community, Vanja believes the law is just a stepping stone. “Societal acceptance cannot be mandated by a court ruling, but it is a step in the right direction,” Vanja said. Lynn agrees. While he also plans to register as intersex — and to officially change his name to Lynn — he said there are still many steps that need to be taken for intersex people to be “fully integrated into society.” Still, he is hopeful the new law will help to bring attention to the medical treatment of intersex people and open conversations for change. Infants born with visible variations in their sexual characteristics, like Lynn, often undergo painful and irreversible surgery to give them the appearance of a conventional male or female gender, according to an Amnesty International report published last year. The surgeries stem from a theory popularized in the United States in the 1960s by the psychologist John Money, who believed that an intersex person’s make-up was a product of abnormal processes. Money believed that intersex people ought to become either male or female and as a result, were in need of medical treatment. Although that theory is no longer widely accepted in the medical community, its “echoes can still be found within the medical establishment today,” according to the Amnesty report, citing interviews with medical professionals across Denmark, Germany and the UK. Those surgeries stripped Lynn of his bodily autonomy and left him with painful scars. “When they (doctors and parents) talked about my body, I had to go out and leave the room. In hindsight, it was a practice I would now compare with a ritualized, sexualized violence. It was massively traumatizing,” Lynn says of his childhood visits to the doctor. A group of United Nations and international human rights experts called for “an urgent end to human rights violations against intersex children and adults” in 2016, calling on governments to ban harmful medical practices and protect intersex people from discrimination. Between 0.5% and 1.7% of the global population are born with intersex traits, and are at risk of human rights violations that include surgery, discrimination and torture, according to the UN. In July, a group of European medical experts published a set of new guidelines that urge doctors to defer medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children until they are old enough to consent. The European consensus said: “For sensitive and/or irreversible procedures, such as genital surgery, we advise that the intervention be postponed until the individual is old enough to be actively involved in the decision whenever possible.” Grietje Baars, a senior lecturer at The City Law School in London, told CNN that while the new law demonstrates a “greater recognition of life beyond the binary,” the “third gender” option doesn’t go far enough to fully recognize gender diversity. Under the new law, people wanting to change their birth certificate to read “divers” will only be able to do so with a medical certificate to prove it. Baars — who also goes by the gender-neutral pronouns, “they” and “them” — says that requirement could subject intersex people, who often have a history of “traumatic medical interference with their genitalia” to additional trauma. Plus, Baars says, the medical requirement reinforces an antiquated definition of gender based solely on biology. “You can not simply decide gender by looking at people’s genitalia,” they said, adding that it might be time to remove gender from official documents altogether. While Baars understands that this might sound radical, they argue that “abolishing gender registration does not mean abolishing gender as such.” “It’s like abolishing registering your religion or race on your ID or documents — it does not mean you can no longer be Catholic or black … those things are not the same. I am just saying that it is no business of the state to register and categorize people in that manner,” they said. Although German law has allowed parents to leave the gender box blank on birth certificates since 2013 — and this will still be an option under the new legislation — some experts say parents will still be inclined to choose a more traditional approach, noting that in the two years after the blank box option came into effect, only 12 children were registered without a sex marker in the birth registry. Anike Krämer, a Ph.D. candidate in gender studies at Germany’s Ruhr-University Bochum, told CNN that she believes that parents of intersex children will have “difficulties” with the choices presented with the new law. “The structure we have right now simply does not allow for parents to embrace this new law. The medical advice is still very conservative and advises to go with the binary system,” Krämer said. Under German law, parents can not generally consent to “feminizing,” “masculinizing” or “disambiguation” surgeries, unless it is deemed medically necessary or life threatening, according to the German Inter-ministerial Working Group, IMAG. However, the law currently does not ban these surgeries for children too young to consent, and leaves the often ambiguous question of what is deemed surgically necessary up to medical professionals who might continue to characterize intersex people’s bodily traits as disorders. Krämer says that parents are more concerned with the every day questions their children will face in society: “How do I call my child; which pronoun should I use, what do I tell my neighbor, how do I educate my intersex child? “Sociologically speaking, parents lack options for action. Apart from medical consultations they often lack alternatives. If there are true alternatives in place — to address the parents’ questions, fears, difficulties and options, to speak with other intersex individuals or other parents of intersex individuals — then that would make it easier for parents to perhaps choose the third option at the registry entry.” “But Germany is not that far yet,” Krämer said, adding that the law’s medical requirements “misses a chance to create a wider law for more people,” and sidelines other individuals who are not intersex but do not identify as only male or female, such as members of the trans community. And she is not alone. Markus Ulrich, spokesman for the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany, told CNN that the law “does not go far enough to protect people of non-binary identities.” Ulrich said that while the law was “a huge step forward in acknowledging more rights and … visibility for people beyond ‘man and woman,'” the government effectively ignored an alternative option proposed by the constitutional court last year to abolish gender registration all together — a more inclusive option for people whose birth sex doesn’t fit their gender identity. A handful of German politicians, including members of the Green Party and the Social Democratic Party, have also criticized the law’s medical certificate stipulation, pointing to other countries that allow people who don’t identify in binary terms to change their official documents to match their gender identity. In 2014, the Australian High Court ruled that the government should legally recognize a third gender. And in 2017, California became the second US state (after New York) to allow residents who don’t identify as male or female to change their birth certificates to match their gender identity. Several other countries have provided gender-neutral options on passports and official documents such as the census or ID cards, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, India, Malta, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan. While intersex, trans and other human rights advocates continue to call for Germany’s new law to be made more inclusive, Lynn hopes that at least this first step will help society to understand intersex people better — and to not be afraid. “We are all normal people and want to live our lives like others,” he said.[SEP]To all trans and non-binary New Yorkers: We see you, hear you and respect you. Starting in 2019, all New Yorkers will be able to change their gender on their birth certificate to M, F or X — without a doctor's note. pic.twitter.com/we4TbCVdhJ — NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) December 29, 2018 New York City residents have a new option for denoting gender on their birth certificates: gender "X."A law allowing the choice of "X'' took effect Tuesday. The measure passed earlier this year.It allows people to change their birth certificates to "X'' by attesting that it reflects their "true gender identity." Parents also can choose "X'' for newborns.New York City is joining California, Oregon, Washington state in allowing an undesignated gender option on birth certificates. A similar provision takes effect in New Jersey in February.In 2014, New York City eliminated a policy that allowed birth certificate gender changes only if people underwent gender reassignment surgery.Instead, the city required an attestation from a medical or mental health professional. The new law nixes that requirement.

A law recognising a third gender that can be administered for intersex people takes effect in Germany.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption President Bolsonaro calls for an end of corruption in his inauguration speech Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has used his inaugural speech to promise to build a "society without discrimination or division". The former army captain told Congress he wanted a "national pact" to free Brazil of corruption, crime and economic mismanagement. In a swipe at the left, he vowed to free Brazil of "ideology". He is seen as a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many. Mr Bolsonaro, 63, won the presidential election by a wide margin against Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers' Party on 28 October. He was propelled to victory by campaign promises to curb Brazil's rampant corruption and crime. US President Donald Trump commended him for his speech on Tuesday, saying the US was "with" him. Among the foreign guests at the inauguration were US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. 'Bromance with Trump' Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Bolsonaro arrived at Congress with his wife Michelle Analysis by Katy Watson, BBC News, Brasilia Jair Bolsonaro may have struck a more presidential tone in today's speeches compared with the fiery rhetoric used during his campaign, but he made it clear his values remained the same - family, conservatism and God. And despite having won the elections, he's not given up his criticism of Brazil's leftist politics that he feels have ruined the country. The rhetoric he used was familiar - that from today Brazilians are now freed from socialism - and it strikes a chord with millions fed up with corruption scandals that have embroiled Brazilian politics in recent years. With Donald Trump and the so-called "Trump of the Tropics" exchanging tweets about their mutual support for each other and commitment to work together, the bromance with one of the world's most powerful presidents has begun. It's a relationship that everyone will be watching very closely. What exactly did Bolsonaro promise? "Brazil will return to being a country free of ideological constrictions," he told Congress in the capital, Brasilia. "I will divide power in a progressive, conscientious and responsible way." Image copyright Reuters Image caption Guards were on duty in ceremonial dress at the Congress for the inauguration His administration, he said, was "committed to those Brazilians who want good schools to prepare their kids for the job market and not for political militancy". Pledging support for the military and police, he said: "The national motto is order and progress. No society can develop without respecting these." On the economy, he promised to "create a new virtuous cycle to open markets" and "carry out important structural reforms" to tackle the public deficit. In an apparent reference to gun control, he said: "Good citizens deserve the means to defend themselves." On Saturday, he tweeted that he would issue a decree to allow citizens who did not have a criminal record to own guns. Image copyright EPA Image caption A giant figure of Mr Bolsonaro was erected for the inauguration in Brasilia After being sworn in in front of Congress, Mr Bolsonaro went on to the Planalto Palace where the outgoing President, Michel Temer, handed over the presidential sash. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Jair Bolsonaro gestures after receiving the presidential sash Speaking afterwards, he said Brazil would "start to free itself of socialism" and "political correctness". On a day filled with pageant, he travelled around Brasilia in an open-top vintage Rolls Royce escorted by cavalry on white horses and jogging security guards, as crowds of supporters cheered. "I came here just for the inauguration," supporter Antonio Vendramin told AFP. "I made a lot of money and saved money to buy the ticket, to be able to buy the plane ticket because it's a long way to come by car but we managed to make it all the way to be here on this day for President Bolsonaro's inauguration. We're full of pride." Who is Bolsonaro? Despite portraying himself as a political outsider during his campaign, Mr Bolsonaro served seven terms in Brazil's lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, before being elected president. He has been a member of several political parties but is currently in the Social Liberal Party (PSL), which has grown from having a tiny presence in Congress to becoming the party with the second largest number of deputies in the lower house. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Firefighters kept Bolsonaro followers cool outside the presidential palace in Brasilia Before becoming a politician, Mr Bolsonaro served in Brazil's military, where he was a paratrooper and rose to the rank of captain. During the election race in September, he was stabbed at a rally and seriously injured, taking more than a month to recover. Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Bolsonaro has chosen ex-military officers for many key government posts During his time as a lawmaker, Mr Bolsonaro represented the interests of the armed forces and since his election he has named seven former military men to head key ministries. He has also expressed nostalgia for the time when Brazil was under military rule and the hard-line policies enforced during the period, which saw thousands jailed and tortured. Why did his election cause such a stir? Brazil only returned to democracy in 1985 after more than 20 years under military rule, and some critics see his election as a threat to the country's democracy. Previous comments he has made endorsing the use of torture and disparaging women, gay people and Afro-Brazilians have left many Brazilians worried. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why are same-sex couples in Brazil rushing to get married? The election campaign which brought him to power has left the country deeply divided into those who see him as the man to put Brazil on to the right track after massive corruption scandals, and those who fear he could lead Brazil into an authoritarian future. What are his key policies? Mr Bolsonaro's promise to drive down crime and stamp out corruption comes after scores of top businessmen and high-ranking politicians, including former left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, were jailed. Days after being elected, he picked Brazil's most famous anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, as his minister of justice. Mr Moro was the key force behind the massive "Car Wash" corruption investigation. There was concern among environmentalists when Mr Bolsonaro suggested during the election campaign that the ministry of agriculture might be merged with that of the environment. But he has backtracked on that and also revoked a pledge to quit the Paris climate accord, which sets targets for cutting greenhouse gases. How will Brazil's international relations be affected? Mr Bolsonaro has been very clear about who he considers to be his international allies and those he views as foes. Mr Trump is "an example" to him, and Mr Bolsonaro has promised to follow the US lead and relocate Brazil's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Bolsonaro visited a synagogue with Benjamin Netanyahu in Rio Mr Bolsonaro has accused Cuba of holding back some of the salaries paid to Cuban doctors working in Brazil, prompting Cuba to pull out its doctors in retaliation.[SEP]Jair Bolsonaro, Michelle Bolsonaro, Hamilton Mourao and Paula Mourao are welcomed by Michel Temer (front left) and his wife, Marcela Temer, at the Planalto after the swearing-in ceremony at the National Congress[SEP]The inauguration of former army Captain turned congressman Jair Bolsonaro was held today in Brazil; delivering the first nationalist outlook to the office of the presidency in decades. President Jair Bolsonaro and First-Lady of Brazil Michelle Bolsonaro both delivered speeches during the inauguration ceremony, with the first lady also using sign language (her father is deaf). President Bolsonaro now takes the reins of Latin America’s largest and most populous nation after decades of corruption carried out by Brazil’s far-left politicians. Many will remember a failed assassination attempt on candidate Bolsonaro by opposition from the socialist workers party only a few weeks before the election. Bolsonaro has vowed to end business-as-usual governing which led to rampant corruption. Many people within the far-left ridiculed Bolsonaro while he was a congressman and stated his Brazil-First outlook was too nationalistic amid a world now driven by global influence. The marginalization by those voices failed and now President Bolsonaro will likely chart a different course. (Sound familiar?) There are many similarities in national outlook between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Bolsonaro especially regarding economics and trade. Additionally, following a similar decision by President Trump, Brazil will now move their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem. Overall the U.S. Brazil relationship could make for an interesting alignment in South/Latin America; this relationship will become particularly important around the geopolitical strategy and influence of China in the region. The 63-year-old President campaigned heavily on an anti-corruption, Brazil-first, nationalist agenda and promised to support gun ownership rights for law-abiding people within Brazil. Both Trump and Bolsonaro are opposed by the same groups.[SEP]RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s attorney general has accused President Michele Temer of sitting at the center of “an institutionalized system of corruption” and has asked the courts to charge him with crimes as… RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s attorney general has accused President Michele Temer of sitting at the center of “an institutionalized system of corruption” and has asked the courts to charge him with crimes as soon as he leaves office at the year’s end. Attorney General Raquel Dodge filed a request late Wednesday asking the Supreme Court to assign the case to a lower court after Temer loses his limited protections from prosecution. “The evidence we have collected in our investigations points to an ongoing pernicious scheme based on trading favors, with Michele Temer at the center creating an institutionalized system of corruption,” Dodge said. The case focused on Grupo Rodrimar, a company accused of funneling bribes through companies associated with the president. Prosecutors say one of the companies, Argeplan, paid for renovations of Temer’s residence in 2000 and again for his daughter Maristela’s house in 2014. Argeplan paid contractors in cash much of the $330,000 spent on Maristela’s home according to Dodge. Temer issued a statement denying the allegations, saying he would “establish through the courts that there was no irregularity in my actions involving the ports and there were no improper benefits to any company.” The petition listed five other individuals that the attorney general said took part in the scheme and asked that they be fined US$8.5 million. Brazilian law protects sitting presidents against prosecutions by requiring a vote of Congress to authorize charges against a sitting president are pursued. On two earlier occasions, lawmakers refused to authorize prosecution of Temer on other cases. But with Temer set to leave office in less than two weeks, Dodge asked the Supreme Court to assign the complaint to a lower court as of Jan. 1, the first day of the new government. There is also a chance prosecutors could revive the earlier attempts at prosecution that were blocked by Congress. Temer assumed Brazil’s presidential office in August 2016 after President Dilma Rousseff was impeached and removed on charges of criminal, administrative misconduct. The incoming administration also ran into corruption controversies even before taking office. A Sao Paulo court this week convicted President-elect Jair Bolsonaro’s nominee for environment minister of fraud when he served as Sao Paulo state’s environment minister between 2016 and 2018. The court ruling published Wednesday said he modified an environmental protection plan for the Tiete River area to favor mining interests. The court suspended his political rights for three years and imposed a fine, though it can be appealed. Salles told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that he had received no personal benefit from modifying the decree, saying “There was no damage and there was nothing serious.” Scores of senior Brazilian businesspeople and politicians, including former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, have been arrested in a series of sweeping investigations into bribery and other corruption. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]After being sworn in in front of the Congress, Bolsonaro went on to the Planalto Palace where the outgoing President, Michel Temer, handed over the presidential sash.[SEP]Brazil: Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as Brazil`s new President and he promised to build a "society without discrimination or division". The 63-year-old former army captain in his inaugural speech on Tuesday talked about a "national pact" to free Brazil of corruption, crime and economic mismanagement, the BBC reported on Wednesday. After being sworn in front of the Congress, Bolsonaro went on to the Planalto Palace where the outgoing President, Michel Temer, handed over the presidential sash. Speaking afterwards, he said Brazil would "start to free itself of socialism" and "political correctness". US President Donald Trump commended him for his speech, saying the US was "with" him. Among the foreign guests at the inauguration were US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Bolsonaro won the presidential election by a wide margin against Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers Party on October 28, 2018. Despite portraying himself as a political outsider during his campaign, Bolsonaro served seven terms in Brazil`s lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, before being elected President. He has been a member of several political parties but is currently in the Social Liberal Party.[SEP]President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed on behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Jair Bolsonaro, on the occasion of his Presidential inauguration on 1 January 2019, as he assumes his role and official duties as the 38th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil. It […] President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed on behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Jair B... Source : http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...[SEP]President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed on behalf of the government and people of South Africa, his sincere greetings and best wishes to the new President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was inaugurated on 1 January 2019 and takes office as the 38th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil. “It is President Ramaphosa’s firm belief that this occasion will mark the beginning of a revitalised, excellent and strategic relations that Brazil and South Africa enjoy,” said Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko. The special bond between the two nations has continued to grow over many years and through many shared commitments and common experiences, more particularly the concerted and continuous efforts to comprehensively deepen South-South Cooperation within the ambit of not only India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), but also the BRICS formation. “The government and the people of South Africa are ready to expand on the already fruitful bilateral relations aimed at advancing cooperation in all areas and to further expand on the relationship between the two fraternal countries to achieve common objectives. “The South African government looks forward to working together with the new government of the Federative Republic of Brazil under the leadership of President Jair Bolsonaro,” said Diko. – SAnews.gov.za[SEP]Bolsonaro sworn in as Brazil’s new president BRASÍLIA: Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician vowing a crackdown on crime and corruption, was sworn in Tuesday as Brazil's new president in front of Congress in Brasilia. The former paratrooper and deputy for the past 27 years pledged to uphold the constitution as he embarked on his four-year mandate at the helm of Latin America's biggest economy. Brazil entered a new chapter in its history, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. The former paratrooper and longtime lawmaker was starting his four-year mandate on January 1 as required by the constitution, after a night of New Year's celebrations across the country. He was taking office with a sky-high approval rating, fueled by public expectations that he will be a new broom sweeping away chronic crime and corruption, and boosting an economy still limping after a record recession. "I will bring in politics completely different from that which brought corruption and inefficiency to Brazil," he said late Monday in an interview with Record TV. The 63-year-old comfortably won an October election against Fernando Haddad, a candidate from the leftwing Workers Party that was in power between 2003 and 2016 but is now reviled after a series of graft scandals. The Workers Party icon, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is serving prison time for corruption. And his chosen successor Dilma Rousseff was impeached for cooking the government's books. In a ceremony marked by pomp and high security, Bolsonaro will formally take over from center-right Michel Temer, who succeeded Rousseff but made little headway with needed fiscal reform and ended up Brazil's most unpopular leader ever. Bolsonaro voters hope their man will do better. He has promised to govern for all of the country's 210 million Brazilians, and campaigned on vows to eradicate graft, crack down on crime, open up Brazil's protectionist economy to the free market, and put business interests ahead of environmental protection. In his interview, he said "we will debureaucratize to the maximum possible" and "clean out" the government so its "weight" is cut back. But there has been no sign of him dropping the bluff, shoot-from-the-lip style that has earned him comparisons with US President Donald Trump, whom he admires.[SEP]Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro announced he would immediately ease gun laws and fight “the Marxist trash” he says is being taught in Brazil’s classrooms. The former paratrooper plans to make it easier for adults over 25 to own firearms as long as they don’t have a criminal record. “One of the goals to take Brazil from the worst positions in the world’s education rankings is to combat the Marxist trash that has settled in educational institutions,” he tweeted, translated from Portuguese. “Together with the Minister of Education and others involved we will evolve into forming citizens and no more political militants.” Bolsonaro wants more law-abiding gun owners to discourage crime in Brazil, which has seen nearly 64,000 murders last year alone. “The announcements underlined Bolsonaro’s desire to break with decades of center-left rule in Brazil, as he prepares to take over from President Michel Temer, a center-right caretaker figure who served the past two years and finished with historic unpopularity,” reported France24.

Jair Bolsonaro is inaugurated as the 38th president of Brazil, succeeding Michel Temer.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan took up the reins of the US armed forces Tuesday by praising his predecessor, newly ousted Jim Mattis, and seeking to reassure the country that it remains safe. “Under the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense remains focused on safeguarding our nation,” Shanahan said in a statement released on New Year’s Day. “We have deep respect for Secretary Mattis’ lifetime of service, and it has been a privilege to serve as his deputy secretary,” he continued. “As acting secretary of defense, I now look forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision alongside strong leaders including the service secretaries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and senior personnel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.” On Dec. 20, a day after Trump abruptly called for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, Mattis announced he would step down – writing a two-page letter of resignation in which he rebuked the president’s defense and foreign policies. The retired four-star Marine general initially planned to resign at the end of February to allow Trump time to find a replacement, but the president later announced that Mattis would leave on Jan. 1 instead. Trump then named Shanahan, a former Boeing executive with scant government and foreign policy experience, as the acting defense secretary. In his farewell memo Monday, Mattis encouraged all Defense Department employees to “keep the faith and hold fast.” “Our Department’s leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands,” wrote Mattis, who had been widely regarded as a moderating force against the president’s volatility. In his statement Tuesday, Shanahan added: “The Department of Defense continues to be one of our nation’s bedrock institutions. Our foundational strength lies in the remarkable men and women who volunteer to serve our country and protect our freedoms, while making immense personal sacrifice. “It is an honor to work with such a dedicated team committed to the greatness of our nation.”[SEP]In his first statement to the forces, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan says he looks forward to working with President Trump; Lucas Tomlinson reports from the Pentagon. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com[SEP]WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump, who aides said has been frustrated by news coverage of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’s scathing resignation letter, abruptly announced Sunday that he was removing Mattis two months before his planned departure and installing Patrick Shanahan as acting defense secretary. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who has been Mattis’ deputy at the Pentagon, will assume the top job on an acting capacity beginning Jan. 1, Trump said. Mattis resigned in protest last week after Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria over the strong objections of Mattis and others on the national security team. Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group, also resigned in protect over Trump’s Syria decision. In his Thursday resignation letter, Mattis delivered a sharp rebuke of Trump’s worldview and cast the president’s foreign policy positions as a threat to the nation. Mattis said in the letter that he would resign his post on Feb. 28, to allow for a smooth transition to the next defense secretary. But Trump decided to hasten the process, announcing Sunday on Twitter that Shanahan would replace Mattis imminently. “I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019,” Trump wrote. “Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!” The announcement appeared to catch Pentagon officials off guard. Shanahan was traveling away from Washington when Trump tweeted his decision, and a spokesman for Shanahan declined to comment. Another defense official, who is close to Mattis and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said, “I think it’s fair to say that there is a lot of uncertainty about this week. I think all of this is coming down in the last hour.” Army Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, issued a statement Sunday that did not directly address the personnel changes. “The secretary of defense serves at the pleasure of the president,” the statement read. “The department remains focused on national security.” Trump initially praised Mattis for serving as defense secretary “with distinction” and achieving “tremendous progress.” But as he consumed media coverage in the hours and days that followed Mattis’ resignation, Trump vented to advisers about the narrative that took hold of the revered four-star Marine Corps general and military intellectual walking out on Trump because he believed the president’s erratic decisions were threatening the world order. Although Mattis’ letter initially annoyed the president, the coverage of it was even more difficult to stomach, according to a senior administration official. Trump told aides that he especially resented the narrative of Mattis as a manager of Trump who served as a human guardrail against the president’s impulses, the official said. In recent days, Trump went so far as to tell White house aides that he does not need Mattis and that his defense secretary was not as important a figure as others believed, the official said. Trump was not shy about sharing his frustrations publicly. On Saturday, he complained on Twitter that he was not getting enough credit for the Syria withdrawal: “If anybody but your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, announced that, after decimating ISIS in Syria, we were going to bring our troops back home (happy & healthy), that person would be the most popular hero in America. With me, hit hard instead by the Fake News Media. Crazy!” Then the president took a shot directly at Mattis, with a bit of revisionist history. When he picked Mattis to be defense secretary before the start of his presidency, Trump showered praise on him, reveling in the general’s battlefield valor, calling him by his nickname “Mad Dog” and comparing him to the decorated World War II Army general George Patton. “He is one of the most effective generals that we’ve had in many, many decades, an extraordinary leader of our time who has committed his life to his love for our country,” Trump said in a Dec. 6, 2016, speech announcing the nomination. “General Mattis is the living embodiment of the Marine Corps motto, ‘semper fidelis,’ always faithful. And the American people are fortunate that man of this character and integrity will now be the civilian leader atop the Department of Defense under his leadership.” But on Saturday night, Trump wrote on Twitter, “When President Obama ingloriously fired Jim Mattis, I gave him a second chance. Some thought I shouldn’t, I thought I should. Interesting relationship-but I also gave all of the resources that he never really had. Allies are very important-but not when they take advantage of U.S.” Trump also lashed out at McGurk’s resignation, casting the top diplomat as a bit player. The president wrote in a Saturday night tweet, “Brett McGurk, who I do not know, was appointed by President Obama in 2015. Was supposed to leave in February but he just resigned prior to leaving. Grandstander? The Fake News is making such a big deal about this nothing event!” In replacing Mattis, at least temporarily, Trump has picked Shanahan, who made his name as an executive at Boeing, where he worked for decades, dealing at times with the aviation behemoth’s commercial aircraft and missile defense programs. Since his arrival at the Pentagon, Shanahan has emphasized making the department more efficient and business-friendly and has won plaudits at the White House by pushing through Trump’s vision for a space force, against the wishes of many of the building’s leaders and uniformed brass. Shanahan also has overseen the Pentagon’s audit, its development of a new missile defense policy that still hasn’t been released and a fledgling effort to reduce waste in military expenditures. Shanahan lacks the kind of foreign policy experience that has become customary among defense secretaries, putting someone atop the Pentagon who lacks the deeply seated views on matters such as withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan that Mattis held. If Shanahan stays on as a permanent defense secretary, he is unlikely to push strongly held views on those conflict - and, when paired with the incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, could usher in a shift in power further toward the military brass. --- The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey, Paul Sonne and Missy Ryan contributed to this report.[SEP]Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Tells Department To Defend The Constitution In Farewell On his final day, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sent a farewell letter to the Defense Department's troops and civilians. He expressed confidence the department's workforce will remain "undistracted."[SEP]Retired Gen. Jim Mattis, the outgoing Secretary of Defense, told staff at the Department of Defense to “keep the faith in our country” in a farewell message sent on Monday. The short letter came on Mattis’ last day as Secretary of Defense, after he was forced out of the post following a clash with President Donald Trump over the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. On February 1, 1865, President Lincoln sent to General Ulysses S. Grant a one sentence telegram. It read: “Let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder, or delay your military movements, or plans.” Our Department’s leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands. I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life. Our Department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult. So keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes. It has been my high honor to serve at your side. May God hold you safe on the air, on land, and at sea. One day after President Trump unexpectedly announced U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Syria, Mattis announced he would be resigning. His resignation letter was seen as a rebuke of Trump’s military policy, including his rhetorical attacks on NATO and other longtime U.S. allies. It ended with, “you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.” Mattis was originally meant to leave his post at the end of February, in an effort to ensure a smooth handoff of control of the Pentagon. However, on Dec. 23, Trump abruptly moved Mattis’ resignation date forward to Jan. 1, 2019. Mattis is scheduled to transfer responsibility to his deputy, Patrick Shanahan, on Monday evening.[SEP]With Mattis Out, How Will The Pentagon Transition Under Shanahan? Steve Inskeep talks with Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies about acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who takes over from Jim Mattis on Jan. 1.[SEP]Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis issued a farewell letter Monday morning to all Department of Defense employees as his time in the Department draws to an end. In the letter, Mattis, who will turn defense secretary duties over to current Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan before ringing in the new year, instructs DoD personnel to "keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes.” The highly respected former Marine Corps general announced his resignation as secretary of defense Dec. 20, a noteworthy decision in that it came just one day after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces to be pulled out of Syria. In his resignation letter, Mattis wrote that America must maintain “strong alliances” and show “respect to those allies," before citing the “Defeat-ISIS coalition of 74 nations” as proof of what such alliances can accomplish. Mattis intended to stay on until Feb. 28 to allow the president ample time to find “a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours," he wrote, but just days after the resignation letter was circulated, President Trump announced he was pushing Mattis out early, with Shanahan assuming acting secretary duties Jan. 1. “Let nothing which is transpiring, change, hinder, or delay your military movements, or plans," he wrote, quoting a telegram President Abraham Lincoln sent to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in February 1865. “Our Department’s leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands," he continued. “I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life. Our Department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult.” Mattis has been highly regarded by both Republicans and Democrats as secretary of defense, but no demographic has held CHAOS in as favorable a light as the military, a group he addressed in his final sign-off. “It has been my high honor to serve at your side," he wrote. "May God hold you safe in the air, on land, and at sea.”[SEP]President Donald Trump criticized former defense secretary Jim Mattis' performance on Wednesday, as acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan stepped into his new job and the U.S. military sought to make sense of the president's murky plans for the war in Syria. Trump questioned how well Mattis had served as Pentagon chief, and pointed out that the retired Marine general had been removed early by the Obama administration from his last position as chief of U.S. Central Command over policy disagreements. "What's he done for me? How had he done in Afghanistan? Not too good," Trump said. "As you know President Obama fired him, and essentially so did I." Trump's comments came as the Pentagon attempted to show stability in the wake of Mattis' departure, who is beloved by many in Trump's political base. Mattis resigned Dec. 20 citing policy disagreements with the president, but had said he would stay on through the end of February. Days later, Trump forced him out. The comments came as the Pentagon attempted to show stability in the wake of Mattis' departure, and were aimed at a figure who is beloved by many in the military and Trump's political base. The defense secretary resigned Dec. 20 while citing policy disagreements with the president, and was forced out by Trump before the end of the year rather than staying through the end of February, as Mattis had planned. Shanahan said Wednesday in a statement that he has tapped David Norquist, an undersecretary of defense who serves as comptroller, to perform the duties of the deputy defense secretary while Shanahan moves up from that position to serve as acting defense secretary. Norquist has served since June 2017 as the Defense Department's chief financial officer, and has "insight into virtually every tenet of this department," Shanahan said. Shanahan took over for Mattis on New Year's Day after Trump removed Mattis from his position in an abrupt Dec. 23 decision. Mattis had submitted his resignation letter to Trump three days earlier citing disagreements over policy decisions three days earlier, but planned to stay as Pentagon chief through the end of February to provide continuity during transition to a new leader. A U.S. official said Shanahan has met with senior civilian and military officials at the Pentagon and instructed them to continue their focus on the priorities identified in the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy, particularly competition with China. He was expected to speak with congressional leaders and officials from allied countries later in the day. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the transition, said Shanahan's tenure as deputy Pentagon chief had prepared him for his new role and enabled him to "hit the ground running." With Mattis gone, another planned move - bringing in Marine Maj. Gen. Burke Whitman to serve as a new senior spokesman - will not happen. Whitman was expected to brief the media in 2019 alongside chief Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, who abruptly resigned on New Year's Eve as Mattis left the Pentagon. White is under investigation by the Defense Department inspector general amid accusations that she had subordinate staff members carry out menial tasks for her in violation of Pentagon rules. The changes came as the Pentagon grapples with Trump's desire to withdrawal all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria and cut down the 14,000 that are in Afghanistan. Trump issued withdrawal orders for Syria on Dec. 19, and also directed the Pentagon to draw up plans to roughly reduce the number of service members in Afghanistan by half, U.S. officials have said. Trump initially wanted all of the U.S. troops out of Syria within 30 days, triggering Mattis' resignation and concerns from Republicans and Democrats that the decision would create new chaos in the region. The president, in a video posted on his Twitter account Dec. 19, said that U.S. troops were "all coming back" from Syria, "and they're coming back now." The president has since softened on that approach, saying in a tweet Monday that U.S. officials are "slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families," while service members who remain deployed in Syria continue to fight remnants of the Islamic State. Trump has agreed to give the military about four months to completely depart from Syria, according to three U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal policy discussions. That development was first first reported by the New York Times. But U.S. officials suggested Wednesday that the plan remains unclear. While Trump agreed to a 120-day timeline, military officials have cautioned that an additional month or two would allow for a smoother transition and hope to persuade the president to allow for a longer delay, the officials said. Officials at the State Department, meanwhile, have struggled to explain the U.S. strategy in Syria to key foreign partners invested in the conflict, given the possibility that Trump's advisers might persuade him to back off his initial withdrawal plan. Trump has expressed exasperation at the criticism he has received for his plans to withdraw from the conflicts, which he says are costly and unpopular. "I am the only person in America who could say that, 'I'm bringing our great troops back home, with victory,' and get BAD press," Trump tweeted Monday. Pentagon officials, who rarely discuss troop movements before they occur, have declined to say how long a withdrawal will take. "We are focused on a deliberate and controlled withdrawal of forces, taking all measures possible to ensure our troops' safety as they continue in their mission of an enduring defeat of ISIS," said Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman. "Out of concern for operational security, we are not going to discuss operational details." In the Pentagon's history, there have been two previous acting defense secretaries: William P. Clements Jr. and William Howard Taft IV. Clements held the post for 39 days in 1973 after President Nixon appointed Defense Secretary Elliot Richardson as attorney general, and Taft led the Pentagon for 60 days as the Senate rejected President George H.W. Bush's first Pentagon chief nominee, John Tower, amid allegations of womanizing and alcohol abuse.[SEP]By The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Jim Mattis says Trump deserves a defense secretary ‘whose views are better aligned with yours,’ says he’s stepping down. WASHINGTON (AP) — Jim Mattis says Trump deserves a defense secretary ‘whose views are better aligned with yours,’ says he’s stepping down. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]Defense Secretary James Mattis is signing off at midnight Monday, as he hands the reins over to Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. Mattis is leaving his post early than first announced, after Mr. Trump moved up his departure date. Mattis had opposed a quick withdrawal from Syria, and his resignation letter stirred concern about national security even among the president's staunchest allies, like Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Mattis' replacement is a former defense contractor with no military experience. Here is what Mattis wrote to the Pentagon in his farewell letter, obtained by CBS News correspondent David Martin: The announcement that Mattis would leave the administration — followed by a string of other top departures — took Washington by surprise earlier this month. In his resignation letter, Mattis cited differences with the president, in what many interpreted as a stern rebuke from a quiet and reserved retired Marine general who avoided the spotlight. "You have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours," Mattis wrote in his resignation letter.

Patrick M. Shanahan becomes the acting United States secretary of defense following the resignation of Jim Mattis.

As the partial government shutdown continues into its second week, President Trump has invited a bipartisan group of top lawmakers to the White House for talks, two congressional sources say. The meeting, described as a "briefing" on "border security," would take place Wednesday, a day before Democrats are set to take over the House, the sources tell NPR's Scott Detrow. The White House has not responded to questions about the invitation, which was first reported by Politico. But President Trump hinted at the talks in a New Year's Day tweet. "Border Security and the Wall 'thing' and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?" Trump asked. Replying to Trump's tweet, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is set to take over as speaker, wrote that the president "has given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly & quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible #TrumpShutdown." Trump has insisted on $5.7 billion for a southern border wall, but Democratic congressional leaders have stood firm against the funding. The House is expected to vote on a funding bill to end the partial government shutdown on Thursday. That's the first day of the new Congress, when Democrats will take control of the chamber and are expected to elect Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as speaker. According to a Democratic leadership aide, the legislation will include the full-year appropriations for six of the seven outstanding funding bills. And it would provide stopgap funding until Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the fight over border wall funding is contained. About 800,000 federal employees are furloughed during the partial shutdown or are working without pay. On Friday, Trump issued an executive order freezing the salary rates for civilian federal workers.[SEP]WASHINGTON: Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to vote on Thursday on a funding package to end the 10-day-old partial U.S. government shutdown, without providing the $5 billion President Donald Trump has demanded for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The planned vote sets up a Democratic showdown with Trump’s fellow Republicans on an issue dear to the president on the first day of divided government in Washington since he took office in January 2017 with a Congress led by his own party. Democrats formally take control of the House from the Republicans after winning a majority of seats in November’s congressional elections. The two-part Democratic package filed on Monday in the House includes a bill to keep funding for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 with no new wall funding, as well as a bundle of six measures worth nearly $265 billion combined that would fund the other shuttered agencies through the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year. The two parts will be voted on separately on the House floor on Thursday, said Democrats, who will hold a 36-seat majority. If approved in the House, the funding package would go to the Republican-led Senate. Its prospects there appear unpromising, although Trump’s unpredictability makes it hard to gauge how the shutdown showdown will play out. “It’s simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won’t sign,” said a spokesman for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The Democratic legislation will mark the first major battle pitting the incoming Democratic House majority led by Nancy Pelosi against Trump and McConnell. Democrats oppose Trump’s demand for wall funding, with Pelosi calling the wall immoral, ineffective and expensive. Democrats hope their two-pronged funding approach will put Senate Republicans in a tough position. If they reject funding for departments unconnected to border security, Republicans could be seen as holding those agencies and their roughly 800,000 affected workers hostage to Trump’s wall demand. “Then they are complicit with President Trump in continuing the Trump shutdown and in holding the health and safety of the American people and workers’ paychecks hostage over the wall,” Pelosi and Schumer said in their statement. Non-border-related agencies include the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Justice. Democrats said the entire package is based on legislation that has already been passed by either the Senate or Senate committees. The shutdown, which began on Dec. 22 and has idled roughly a quarter of the federal government, was precipitated by Trump’s demand, under pressure from conservative commentators, that Congress approve $5 billion to help fund a wall that was a promise made in his 2016 election campaign, although he said at the time it would be paid for by Mexico. Trump has called the wall crucial to combating illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The Senate on Dec. 21 failed to muster the votes needed to pass Republican-backed House legislation that included Trump’s wall funding. Passage in the Senate would need at least some Democratic support to reach the 60-vote threshold required. A central issue in finding a resolution could be the definition of what constitutes a wall, including the idea of steel slats and other types of barriers versus a concrete structure. Trump on Twitter criticized Democratic opposition to the wall project, which carries a total estimated price tag of $23 billion. He also seemed to contradict comments made by outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. In a Los Angeles Times interview published on Sunday, Kelly said: “To be honest, it’s not a wall.” “The president still says ‘wall’ – oftentimes frankly he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing,’ now he’s tended toward steel slats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it,” Kelly added. Trump wrote on Twitter that border security could not exist “without a strong and powerful Wall.” Trump, who canceled his vacation in Florida and has stayed at the White House during the holiday government shutdown while first lady Melania and their son Barron were at Trump’s private estate Mar-a-Lago in Florida for New Year’s Eve, said Democrats could have come over for talks anytime. “I’m in Washington. I’m ready, willing and able,” Trump told Fox News. White House officials did not reply to an email asking whether the president had been in touch directly with Democratic leaders to set up a round of talks. Pelosi has not heard formally from the White House since Dec. 11, when she and Schumer had a contentious Oval Office meeting with the president, Democratic aides said. Schumer has not heard from the White House since he met with Vice President Mike Pence and incoming White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Dec. 22, Democratic aides said.[SEP]WASHINGTON — The Latest on a partial government shutdown over money for President Donald Trump’s border wall (all times local): President Donald Trump says the southern border is “like a sieve,” and he’s lamenting how U.S. authorities fired tear gas into Mexico during the first hours of the new year to repel about 150 migrants trying to breach the border fence in Tijuana. Trump spoke during a White House meeting with his Cabinet as the partial government shutdown continues into its 12th day. Congress and the president are at an impasse over funding for Trump’s pet project, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump says a complete wall is needed. Trump says people then couldn’t enter unless they were a “champion pole vaulter.” Trump’s statement on crossings contradicts the Department of Homeland Security. In 2000, about 1.6 million people were apprehended crossing illegally. In FY 2017, there were about 310,000. Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are expected to attend a briefing on border security at the White House as the government remains partially shut down and President Donald Trump asks in a tweet, “Let’s make a deal?” The shutdown began Dec. 22. Funding for Trump’s pet project, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been the sticking point in passing budgets. The briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, the day before Democrats assume control of the House. Pelosi has said that Democrats will pass legislation to reopen government but not provide funding for a wall. The White House is calling the Democratic plan a “non-starter,” saying it fails to secure the border and puts the needs of other countries above the needs of its own citizens. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]Three confidants of President Donald Trump, including his departing chief of staff, are indicating that the president’s signature campaign pledge to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border would not be fulfilled as advertised. But the president disagrees. Trump sparked fervent chants of “Build that wall!” at rallies before and after his election and more recently cited a lack of funding for a border wall as the reason for partially shutting down the government. At times the president has also waved off the idea that the wall could be any kind of barrier. However, White House chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of “a solid concrete wall early on in the administration.” “To be honest, it’s not a wall,” Kelly said, adding that the mix of technological enhancements and “steel slat” barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals. Along the same lines, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway called discussion of the apparent contradiction “a silly semantic argument.” “There may be a wall in some places, there may be steel slats, there may be technological enhancements,” Conway told “Fox News Sunday.” ”But only saying ‘wall or no wall’ is being very disingenuous and turning a complete blind eye to what is a crisis at the border.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who is close to the president, emerged from a Sunday lunch at the White House to tell reporters that “the wall has become a metaphor for border security” and referred to “a physical barrier along the border.” Though, Trump tweeted Monday morning that he has not abandoned his plans for an all-concrete wall. “An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media,” Trump tweeted early Monday. “Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!” Graham said Trump was “open-minded” about a broader immigration agreement, saying the budget impasse presented an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of “Dreamers” — young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children— broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham said he hoped to end the shutdown by offering Democrats incentives to get them to vote for wall funding and told CNN before his lunch with Trump that “there will never be a deal without wall funding.” Graham proposed to help two groups of immigrants get approval to continue living in the U.S: about 700,000 young “Dreamers” brought into the U.S. illegally as children and about 400,000 people receiving temporary protected status because they are from countries struggling with natural disasters or armed conflicts. He also said the compromise should include changes in federal law to discourage people from trying to enter the U.S. illegally. “Democrats have a chance here to work with me and others, including the president, to bring legal status to people who have very uncertain lives,” Graham said. The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking the president’s priority, and with neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. In August 2015 during his presidential campaign, Trump made his expectations for the border explicitly clear, as he parried criticism from rival Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor. “Jeb Bush just talked about my border proposal to build a ‘fence,'” he tweeted. “It’s not a fence, Jeb, it’s a WALL, and there’s a BIG difference!” Trump suggested as much again in a tweet on Sunday: “President and Mrs. Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their D.C. mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version!” Aside from what constitutes a wall, neither side appeared ready to budge off its negotiating position. The two sides have had little direct contact during the stalemate, and Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington until Thursday, to keep Congress in session. Talks have been at a stalemate for more than a week, after Democrats said the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Vice President Mike Pence that it wasn’t acceptable, nor was it guaranteed that Trump, under intense pressure from his conservative base to fulfill his signature campaign promise, would settle for that amount. Conway claimed Sunday that “the president has already compromised” by dropping his request for the wall from $25 billion, and she called on Democrats to return to the negotiating table. “It is with them,” she said, explaining why Trump was not reaching out to Democrats. Democrats maintain that they have already presented the White House with three options to end the shutdown, none of which fund the wall, and insist that it’s Trump’s move. “At this point, it’s clear the White House doesn’t know what they want when it comes to border security,” said Justin Goodman, Schumer’s spokesman. “While one White House official says they’re willing to compromise, another says the president is holding firm at no less than $5 billion for the wall. Meanwhile, the president tweets blaming everyone but himself for a shutdown he called for more than 25 times.” After canceling a vacation to his private Florida club, Trump spent the weekend at the White House. He has remained out of the public eye since returning early Thursday from a 29-hour trip to visit U.S. troops in Iraq, instead taking to Twitter to attack Democrats. He also moved to defend himself from criticism that he couldn’t deliver on the wall while the GOP controlled both the House and Senate. “For those that naively ask why didn’t the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us “NONE” for Border Security!,” he tweeted. “Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown.” Trump tweeted again Monday morning about needing the Democrats to come to the table. “I campaigned on Border Security, which you cannot have without a strong and powerful Wall,” he tweeted. “Our Southern Border has long been an “Open Wound,” where drugs, criminals (including human traffickers) and illegals would pour into our Country. Dems should get back here an fix!” Democrats have vowed to pass legislation restoring the government as soon as they take control of the House on Thursday, but that won’t accomplish anything unless Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate go along with it. The shutdown has forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors to stay home or work without pay. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Editor’s note: What are your thoughts on the border wall, and do you care if it’s a wall or a fence? Share your thoughts below.[SEP]As the partial government shutdown continues into its second week, President Trump has invited a bipartisan group of top lawmakers to the White House for talks, two congressional sources say. The meeting, described as a "briefing" on "border security," would take place Wednesday, a day before Democrats are set to take over the House, the sources tell NPR's Scott Detrow. The White House has not responded to questions about the invitation, which was first reported by Politico. But President Trump hinted at the talks in a New Year's Day tweet. "Border Security and the Wall 'thing' and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?" Trump asked. Replying to Trump's tweet, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is set to take over as speaker, wrote that the president "has given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly & quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible #TrumpShutdown." Trump has insisted on $5.7 billion for a southern border wall, but Democratic congressional leaders have stood firm against the funding. The House is expected to vote on a funding bill to end the partial government shutdown on Thursday. That's the first day of the new Congress, when Democrats will take control of the chamber and are expected to elect Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as speaker. According to a Democratic leadership aide, the legislation will include the full-year appropriations for six of the seven outstanding funding bills. And it would provide stopgap funding until Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the fight over border wall funding is contained. About 800,000 federal employees are furloughed during the partial shutdown or are working without pay. On Friday, Trump issued an executive order freezing the salary rates for civilian federal workers.[SEP]The Latest: Trump again calls for complete wall at border WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on a partial government shutdown over money for President Donald Trump's border wall (all times local): President Donald Trump says the southern border is "like a sieve," and he's lamenting how U.S. authorities fired tear gas into Mexico during the first hours of the new year to repel about 150 migrants trying to breach the border fence in Tijuana. Trump spoke during a White House meeting with his Cabinet as the partial government shutdown continues into its 12th day. Congress and the president are at an impasse over funding for Trump's pet project, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump says a complete wall is needed. Trump says people then couldn't enter unless they were a "champion pole vaulter." Trump's statement on crossings contradicts the Department of Homeland Security. In 2000, about 1.6 million people were apprehended crossing illegally. In FY 2017, there were about 310,000. Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are expected to attend a briefing on border security at the White House as the government remains partially shut down and President Donald Trump asks in a tweet, "Let's make a deal?" The shutdown began Dec. 22. Funding for Trump's pet project, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been the sticking point in passing budgets. The briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, the day before Democrats assume control of the House. Pelosi has said that Democrats will pass legislation to reopen government but not provide funding for a wall. The White House is calling the Democratic plan a "non-starter," saying it fails to secure the border and puts the needs of other countries above the needs of its own citizens.[SEP]President Trump invited top lawmakers to the White House for talks as the partial government shutdown continued. Trump last met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (at right) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Dec. 11. Mark Wilson Updated at 11:51 a.m. ET Wednesday As the partial government shutdown continues into its second week, President Trump has invited a bipartisan group of top lawmakers to the White House for talks. "The President has invited Republican and Democrat leaders in Congress to the White House for a border security briefing from senior Department of Homeland Security officials on Wednesday, and he remains committed to reaching an agreement that both reopens the government and keeps Americans safe," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Tuesday. Trump's 3 p.m. ET meeting with the top eight Republican and Democratic congressional leaders is set a day before Democrats take over the House. President Trump hinted at the talks in a tweet earlier Tuesday. "Border Security and the Wall 'thing' and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?" Trump asked. Replying to Trump's tweet, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is set to take over as speaker, wrote that the president "has given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly & quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible #TrumpShutdown." Trump has insisted on $5.7 billion for a southern border wall, but Democratic congressional leaders have stood firm against the funding. The House is expected to vote on a funding bill to end the partial government shutdown on Thursday. That's the first day of the new Congress, when Democrats will take control of the chamber and are expected to elect Pelosi as speaker. According to Pelosi, the legislation will include the full-year appropriations for six of the seven outstanding funding bills. And it would provide stopgap funding until Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the fight over border wall funding is contained. "It is important to note that these bills contain no new wall funding," Pelosi said in a letter Tuesday to Democratic House members. Sanders said the Democrats "so far have refused to compromise" and called Pelosi's plan a "non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime." About 800,000 federal employees are furloughed during the partial shutdown or are working without pay. On Friday, Trump issued an executive order freezing the salary rates for civilian federal workers. NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.[SEP]Donald Trump and top congressional leaders failed to resolve a partial government shutdown that has stretched well into a second week as the president refused to back off from his demands for billions of dollars for a long-promised wall along the southern US border with Mexico. Democratic and Republican leaders from both chambers were invited to the the White House’s Situation Room, the inner sanctum for classified meetings, on Wednesday for a “border security briefing”. During the meeting Trump asked Department of Homeland Security officials to “make a plea” for his wall. At a cabinet meeting prior to the briefing, Trump warned that parts of the government would could remain closed for a “a long time” without a deal. “We’re asking the President to open up government,” Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to assume the speakership of the House of Representatives on Thursday, said after the briefing with the president. “We are giving him a Republican path to do that. Why would he not do it?” The shutdown was triggered by Trump’s demand that Congress allocate more than $5bn in taxpayer money to build a wall along the 2,000-mile border between the US and Mexico – a concession Democrats refuse to make. The shutdown, which entered its 12th day on Wednesday, has affected nearly 800,000 federal workers. The incoming House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, said Trump invited leaders back to the White House on Friday. Pelosi said the Democrats will still vote on Thursday, as Congress starts its new session with the Democratic party in the majority in the House after victories in the midterm elections last November. Democrats intend to introduce a pair of funding bills that would end the shutdown, but without money for a border wall. They bills would allocate $1.3bn for border security measures, such as increased surveillance and fencing. The White House has called such a legislative package a “non-starter”. The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation last month that would have funded the government through 8 February without money for a border wall. But Republican leaders in the House refused to hold a vote on the measure. “Our question to the president and to the Republicans is why don’t you accept what you have already done [in order] to open up government?” Pelosi said. On Capitol Hill after the briefing on Wednesday, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, told reporters that it could take “weeks” to break the stalemate and that Wednesday’s meeting did not produce “any particular progress”. “We are hopeful that somehow in the coming days or weeks we will be able to reach an agreement,” he added. The White House visit by Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was their first since their televised showdown with Trump in the Oval Office last month. Schumer said he implored Trump to reopen the government while they debated their differences over the border wall. “We asked him to give us one good reason – I asked him directly,” Schumer said. “He could not give a good answer.” He added: “To use the shutdown as hostage – which they had no argument against – is wrong.” Trump made his case for the wall during extensive comments to the press in which he made several false claims and mischaracterizations. At the start of his cabinet meeting, Trump said the border was “like a sieve” and insisted the US needed a “physical barrier” to deter illegal border crossers.[SEP]It's officially a new year, but unfortunately not much has changed since December 2018. The partial government shutdown, which kicked off onDec. 22, 2018, is still underway, and at this point most people want it to be over. So, in order to possibly find a solution to this, a compromise must be made. However, Donald Trump's meeting with congressional leaders about the shutdown is happening in a... pretty loaded place. Who knows how this will pan out. On Wednesday, Jan. 2, The Hill reported that President Trump plans to hold a shutdown meeting with leaders from Capitol Hill the same day in the Situation Room. Elite Daily reached out to the White House for comment about this report, but did not hear back in time for publication. During the meeting, Trump will reportedly discuss his concerns about the southern border and the importance of border security. Trump's insistence on receiving $5 billion to fund a U.S.-Mexico border wall has been one of the main reasons behind the partial government shutdown, as he and House members have yet to come to an agreement on the funds. So, as we enter day 11 of the shutdown, it's reassuring to see that a meeting is in the works. However, the fact that it's taking place in the White House's Situation Room is a bit unnerving. How so? Well, the Trump administration definitely hasn't had the best luck in past Situation Room meetings, especially after former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman recorded (and released) alleged audio of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly firing her in that very room in August 2018. On the other hand, Trump holding the meeting in the Situation Room means that there probably won't be a do-over of the infamous Oval Office meeting between him, Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Vice President Mike Pence. In case you missed it, the meeting was basically a televised sparring match between Trump and the Democratic leaders over the border wall, in which all three argued relentlessly and no solution was found. For those of you wondering: what is the Situation Room? Here's a quick rundown. Basically, this space is one of the most important conference rooms within the White House, and only the uppermost important topics are discussed and seen between those walls. Before entering the room, everyone has to forfeit their phones to ensure top security, which is why Omarosa sneaking in a recorder was such a huge deal. So, the fact that Trump plans to hold a meeting to discuss the shutdown in a no-tech-allowed room might actually be a solid plan. (As long as everyone follows the rules, that is.) At first, some might have thought this partial government shutdown was a temporary problem that would be fixed right away. However, as the government continues to be shut down nearly two weeks later, clearly this problem isn't going to be resolved as easily as we'd hoped. So, Trump will meet with both Democrats and Republicans to discuss future possibilities. Those leaders who have reportedly RSVP'd "yes" to the meeting include top Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, as well as GOP members Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, just to name a few. However, if Trump and these congressional leaders can't come to a decision soon, then Democrats might be taking matters into their own hands, as Democrats plan to vote to reopen the government when they take over the House on Jan. 3. So, even if this conversation with Trump doesn't go over well, there's good chance that there might be a Plan B. However, the likelihood that this plan is able to pass through the Republican-controlled Senate or get approved by Trump is still highly unlikely. As 2019 continues to move along, let's hope some bipartisan change will actually be made. In the meantime, if I were the Trump administration, I would be banning phones as if it was a Dave Chapelle show. Better safe than viral.[SEP]WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the House of Representatives are planning a vote on Thursday on a funding package to end the 10-day-old partial U.S. government shutdown without providing the $5 billion President Donald Trump has demanded for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The planned vote sets up a Democratic showdown with Trump’s fellow Republicans on an issue dear to the president on the first day of divided government in Washington since he took office in January 2017 with a Congress led by his own party. Democrats will formally take control of the House from the Republicans on Thursday after winning a majority of seats in November’s congressional elections. The two-part package will include a bill to keep funding for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Feb. 8 with $1.3 billion for border security, as well as measures to fund other shuttered agencies through the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year, Democratic congressional aides said on Monday. If approved in the House, the government funding package would go next to the Republican-led Senate. Its Senate prospects appear unpromising though Trump’s unpredictability makes it hard to gauge how the shutdown showdown will play out. The Democratic legislation will mark the first major battle pitting the incoming Democratic House majority led by Nancy Pelosi against Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said his chamber will not consider any legislation Trump would not support. Democrats oppose Trump’s demand for wall funding, with Pelosi calling the wall immoral, ineffective and expensive. Democrats expect their two-pronged funding approach could put Trump and his Republican allies in a tough position. If they reject funding bills for departments unconnected to border security, Republicans could be seen as holding those agencies and their roughly 800,000 affected workers hostage to Trump’s wall demand. Those include the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Justice. The homeland security piece of the Democratic package is based on a measure that has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support. The partial government shutdown, which began on Dec. 22 and has idled roughly a quarter of the federal government, was precipitated by Trump’s demand, under pressure from conservative commentators, that Congress approve $5 billion to help fund a wall that was a promise made in his 2016 election campaign, though he said at the time it would be paid for by Mexico. Trump has called the wall crucial to combating illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The Senate on Dec. 21 failed to muster the votes needed to pass Republican-backed House legislation that included Trump’s wall funding. A central issue in finding a resolution could be the definition of what constitutes a wall including the idea of steel slats and other types of barriers versus a concrete structure. Trump on Twitter criticized Democratic opposition to the wall project, which carries a total estimated price tag of $23 billion. He also seemed to contradict comments about the administration’s position on the wall made by outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published on Sunday, Kelly said, “To be honest, it’s not a wall.” “The president still says ‘wall’ - oftentimes frankly he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing,’ now he’s tended towards steel slats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it,” Kelly added. Trump said in a Twitter post that border security cannot exist “without a strong and powerful Wall.” “An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media,” Trump wrote. “Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!” Some policy analysts were optimistic the shutdown could be near an end. “We attach high (75 percent) odds on the White House and new Congress resolving differences to the government shutdown next week,” said Charles Gabriel, an analyst at policy research and strategy firm Capital Alpha Partners. A senior Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Senate Democrats support the House legislative plan and that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has been in constant contact with Pelosi about it. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally on some issues, met with the president on Sunday and told reporters afterward he was optimistic that Republicans, Democrats and Trump could reach a deal to end the shutdown that includes wall funding and legal status for some illegal immigrants. But Graham said there would never be a government spending deal that did not include money for a wall or other physical barriers on the southern border.

U.S. President Donald Trump requests a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers to discuss the wall as a partial government shutdown enters its second week.

LAUREL, Md. — Thirty-three minutes into the new year, scientists, engineers and well-wishers here at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory celebrated the moment that NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made its closest approach to a small, icy world nicknamed Ultima Thule. Almost 10 hours later, the New Horizons team finally received confirmation that the spacecraft had executed its planned observations flawlessly . In the days and months to come, the mission’s scientists expect to receive pictures of Ultima Thule and scientific data that could lead to discoveries about the origins of the sun and the planets. [See the latest pictures of Ultima Thule here when they’re released.] That is the latest triumph in a journey that started in 2006, when the spacecraft launched on a mission to explore Pluto. Thirteen years and more than four billion miles later, New Horizons has provided humanity’s first glimpse of a distant fragment that could be unchanged from the solar system’s earliest days. Ultima Thule, the name that the mission team selected for the object from more than 34,000 suggestions from the public, means “beyond the borders of the known world.” (Thule is pronounced “TOO-lee.”)[SEP]NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft ushered in the New Year with a historic flyby of Ultima Thule — the most distant object ever visited by a space probe — gathering data that may unveil new insights into the formative years of our solar system. According to mission details published by NASA, New Horizons was scheduled to complete the flyby at around 11 am IST Tuesday. However, the official confirmation is still awaited, as it will take hours for the spacecraft to communicate with Earth and beam back the first images of the unexplored object. Ultima Thule — which means “beyond the known world” — is located in the Kuiper belt in the outermost regions of the solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune. The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Ultima Thule at a distance of 3,500 km. At the time, Ultima Thule was at a distance of almost 6.5 billion kilometres from the Sun, making this the most distant planetary flyby attempted, and the first time that a Solar System object of this type has been seen close-up, NASA said in a statement. “Ultima is 100 times smaller than Pluto, but its scientific value is incalculable. From everything we know, it was formed 4.5 or 4.6 billion years ago, 4 billion miles from the Sun,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in the US. “It’s been stored at that enormous distance from the Sun, at a temperature of nearly absolute zero, ever since, so it likely represents the best sample of the ancient solar nebula ever studied. Nothing like it has ever been explored,” Stern said in a statement. Read Also| Environment ministry framed key policies, dealt with controversies in 2018 “Its geology and composition should teach us a lot about how these building blocks of small planets like Pluto were formed. The New Horizons mission team is excited too, and we can’t wait to see what we will find!” he said. The New Horizons team used the Hubble Space Telescope to search for the next Kuiper Belt object to fly by after Pluto. Using observations made with Hubble on in 2014, the science team discovered an object that New Horizons could reach with its available fuel. The object was subsequently designated 2014 MU69, given the minor planet number 485968, and based on public votes, nicknamed “Ultima Thule”. Ultima Thule measures approximately 30 km in diameter, and is irregularly shaped. In July 2017, Ultima Thule passed in front of a star as seen from Earth , allowing astronomers to determine that its shape is most likely a contact binary (two bodies that are touching) or a close binary system (two objects that are orbiting each other). The New Horizons is expected to send back the first images of the object to the mission team after 8 pm IST Tuesday. Based on observations of similar-sized solar system objects, it will almost certainly display impact craters. The lighting environment at its surface is very dim, as it receives only about 0.05 per cent of the light from the Sun that Earth does. We do know that Ultima Thule has a reddish colour, probably caused by exposure of hydrocarbons to sunlight over billions of years. The flyby will also reveal whether it has any moons, or even a ring system. Ultima Thule belongs to a class of Kuiper belt objects called the “cold classicals”, which have nearly circular orbits with low inclinations to the solar plane, and which have not been perturbed since their formation perhaps 4.6 billion years ago. Ultima Thule will therefore be the most primitive planetary object yet explored, and will reveal to us what conditions were like in this distant part of the Solar System as it condensed from the solar nebula.[SEP]NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft Conducts Farthest-Ever Fly-By Of An Object NASA's New Horizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft Tuesday. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with planetary scientist Heidi Hammel about what data from the fly by shows. While you were ringing in the new year, a spacecraft about the size of a grand piano made history. NASA's New Horizons passed by Ultima Thule. It's the most distant object we've ever visited, over 4 billion miles away, far enough that it took several hours for the good news to reach Mission Control this morning. CORNISH: Joining me now from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Columbia, Md., is Dr. Heidi Hammel. Welcome to the program. HEIDI HAMMEL: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. CORNISH: So Ultima Thule sounds like the name of a comic book supervillain. CORNISH: (Laughter) It's actually an oddly shaped icy rock. Right? It looks like a giant space peanut. Why did we want to visit this object that is billions of miles away? HAMMEL: Well, we think that Ultima Thule is a remnant of the formation of our solar system, an object that is pristine and unprocessed. And so if we can visit this object - but we have visited - we have visited this object, and what we will learn from this is the chemical composition of the very earliest building blocks of our solar system. CORNISH: (Laughter) And I know you're still gathering and analyzing the data. So what do you look for now as you're doing analysis? HAMMEL: So we have only gotten the very preliminary data. Over the next weeks and months, we will be getting much higher-resolution images and color information. And that will allow us to study the properties of this object to figure out what's happening on its surface, what is its geologic structure, what is it made of exactly. CORNISH: Now, I understand New Horizons was the same craft that took those amazingly clear pictures of Pluto back in 2015. Can we expect the same kind of high-quality images of Ultima Thule that we saw of Pluto? HAMMEL: Now, this object, Ultima Thule, is much, much smaller than Pluto, so we don't have nearly as much data. But because it was so small, we were able to fly a little bit closer. So we will definitely get some really spectacular, beautiful images. It's going to be very interesting to see. We've never seen an object like this before, so we really have very little idea of what to expect. It's pure discovery, is what's happening here. CORNISH: How exciting is this for someone like you who've been - who's been doing this research for so long? HAMMEL: Oh, every spacecraft encounter we have like this is just as exciting as the previous one. I don't think we ever lose that joy, that excitement that so many people who are here have come just to be here, (laughter) to be with all of our colleagues and friends. It's almost like a grand reunion party. And we can't get enough. It's just such a wonderful and exciting feeling to know that we and our colleagues at NASA and the Applied Physics Lab are helping to expand the boundaries of human knowledge. I mean, boy, if you could put that in a bottle and sell it, (laughter) you'd be a millionaire. CORNISH: What a fun way to start the new year. Dr. Heidi Hammel, thank you so much. HAMMEL: Thank you. It's been a pleasure. CORNISH: Dr. Heidi Hammel. She joined me from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Columbia, Md.[SEP]As people are ringing in the new year on Earth, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will be conducting a flyby of Ultima Thule, a Kuiper Belt object more than 4 billion miles away. The object is so old and pristine that it’s essentially like going back in time to the beginning of our solar system. The flyby is expected to happen at 12:33 a.m. ET on January 1. It will be the first exploration of a small Kuiper Belt object up close — and the most primitive world ever observed by a spacecraft. Ultima Thule orbits a billion miles beyond Pluto and is probably a bit of a time capsule from the early solar system. New Horizons is moving through space at 31,500 miles per hour, and it has one chance to get it right as it zips past the object. The Kuiper Belt is the edge of our solar system, part of the original disk from which the sun and planets formed. The craft is now so far from Earth that it takes six hours and eight minutes to receive a command sent from Earth. If New Horizons sounds familiar, it’s because this is the spacecraft that conducted a historic flyby of Pluto in 2015, sending back unprecedented images of the dwarf planet and revealing new details about Pluto and its moons. The New Horizons mission was extended in 2016 to visit this Kuiper Belt object. The mission was launched in 2006 and took a 9½-year journey through space before reaching Pluto. New Horizons will fly three times closer to Ultima than it did by Pluto, coming within 2,200 miles of it and providing a better look at the surface. After the quick flyby, New Horizons will continue on through the Kuiper Belt with other planned observations of more objects, but the mission scientists said this is the highlight. The object was previously known as 2014 MU69. The name Ultima Thule was chosen through a nickname campaign hosted by the New Horizons team. Thule was a mythical island on medieval maps, thought to be the most northern point on Earth. Ultima Thule essentially means “beyond Thule,” which suggests something that lies beyond what is known. It’s fitting, considering New Horizons’ pioneering journey. “MU69 is humanity’s next Ultima Thule,” Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute, said in a statement. “Our spacecraft is heading beyond the limits of the known worlds, to what will be this mission’s next achievement. Since this will be the farthest exploration of any object in space in history, I like to call our flyby target Ultima, for short, symbolizing this ultimate exploration by NASA and our team.” Once the flyby happens and mission scientists understand more about just what Ultima Thule is, NASA will choose a formal name to submit to the International Astronomical Union. And even though missions have flown through the Kuiper Belt, considered the third zone of the solar system, they weren’t able to explore it because scientists didn’t even know about it until the 1990s. “The Voyagers and Pioneers flew through the Kuiper Belt at a time when we didn’t know this region existed,” Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said in a statement. “New Horizons is on the hunt to understand these objects, and we invite everyone to ring in the next year with the excitement of exploring the unknown.” The Kuiper Belt is full of small, icy bodies and worlds, and we don’t know much about Ultima Thule. It was discovered in 2014 by the Hubble Space Telescope. In 2017, scientists determined that it isn’t spherical, but more elongated. Ultima could even be two objects, but only the flyby will tell for sure. Based on its circular orbit, as opposed to the elliptical orbits of the planets, Ultima Thule formed 4 billion miles away in the middle of the Kuiper Belt. Temperatures here are close to absolute zero because the region is so far from the sun. Ultima is 100 times smaller than Pluto, and Pluto is about the size of the United States. And rather than being like Pluto or the large planets in our solar system, Ultima Thule is a surviving planetary building block, primitive and pristine. It was never perturbed or moved, and it formed in an area where ice is as strong and hard as rock, so it never melted or formed a core. This will provide insight about what it was like as our solar system was forming 4.5 billion years ago and how small planets like Pluto formed. The New Horizons mission was extended to observe Kuiper Belt objects after its Pluto flyby, with more than two dozen Kuiper Belt objects on the list. It will also measure the Kuiper Belt’s environment. So what can we expect? As early as January 1, images and data will be sent back to Earth from New Horizons and its suite of instruments and cameras about seven hours after that closest approach. After a “health status check” on the spacecraft, more images will start to appear January 2 and in the first week of the new year, which will tell whether Ultima Thule is sporting any rings, satellites or an atmosphere. And we can learn its composition. “The Ultima Thule flyby is going to be fast, it’s going to be challenging, and it’s going to yield new knowledge,” Stern wrote on the New Horizons blog. “Being the most distant exploration of anything in history, it’s also going to be historic.”[SEP]The ancient Greeks and Romans used the name Ultima Thule to refer to a distant place lurking just beyond the borders of the known world. But now it’s probably more famous as the moniker of a faraway object orbiting at the furthest frontier of our solar system in a region called the Kuiper Belt. On New Year’s Day, Nasa’s New Horizons probe performed a flyby of this remote mini-world, making it the most distant rock ever explored by humanity. Engineers celebrated after receiving confirmation that the probe had successfully performed its manoeuvres and sped past Ultima Thule, yet one key mystery about the space rock remained unanswered for several hours yesterday. It was initially believed that Ultima Thule was a ‘binary’ minor planet which consisted of two bodies locked in orbit around each other. Analysis of the pics snapped by New Horizons suggest this isn’t the case. ‘The Kuiper Belt object may have a shape similar to a bowling pin, spinning end over end, with dimensions of approximately 20 by 10 miles,’ Nasa wrote. However, Nasa did also suggest that it could still be ‘two objects orbiting each other’, so this particular case hasn’t been cracked entirely. One ‘mystery’ Nasa has solved is the question of why its brightness doesn’t appear to vary as it rotates. It would appear this effect is caused by the spinning motion of Ultima Thule ‘Flyby data has already solved one of Ultima’s mysteries, showing that the Kuiper Belt object is spinning like a propeller with the axis pointing approximately toward New Horizons,’ Nasa added. ‘This explains why, in earlier images taken before Ultima was resolved, its brightness didn’t appear to vary as it rotated. The team has still not determined the rotation period.’ On Twitter, Nasa fans had a few other ideas about what Thule looks like. The space object is actually called (486958) 2014 MU69 and is believed to have formed more than four billion years ago during the very beginning of our solar system’s history, so is a relic of a bygone age which could help scientist unravel the mystery of how all the planets formed. ‘Ultima was formed in the middle of the Kuiper Belt, where temperatures are close to absolute zero,’ wrote Nasa’s Alan Stern, New Horizons’ principal investigator. ‘Because of where it was formed and the fact that Ultima is not large enough to have a geologic engine like Pluto and larger planets, we expect that Ultima is the most well-preserved sample of a planetary building block ever explored. ‘In effect, Ultima should be a valuable window into the early stages of planet formation and what the solar system was like over 4.5 billion years ago.’ The New Horizons probe reached the closest point of its flyby at 05:33 British time on New Year’s Day, passing Thule at more than 30,000 miles per hour and coming within 2,200 miles of the surface of the 19 mile-wide object. Jim Bridenstine, a Nasa administrator, said: ‘Today New Horizons flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft and became the first to directly explore an object that holds remnants from the birth of our solar system. ‘This is what leadership in space exploration is all about.’ Ultima Thule is more than four billion miles from Earth.[SEP]Nasa made history early this morning during a close encounter with a tiny and enigmatic ‘minor planet’ lurking at the frozen far reaches of our solar system. Its New Horizons probe sped past a strange object called Ultima Thule at about 5.30am, snapping pictures as it zoomed by at high speed. The first images will be published later today and are expected to solve a key question about the far-off object, which is floating in a cloud of comets, asteroids and dwarf planets called the Kuiper Belt. The flyby comes three-and-a-half years after New Horizons swung past Pluto and beamed back the first ever close-up images of the dwarf planet. MORE: Alien ‘artefacts’ made by civilisations from Mars or Venus could be hidden on Earth, Nasa study suggests MORE: Humanity could build a space station inside an asteroid to found a manned ‘colony’ in the heavens, scientists reveal Ultima Thule is more than four million miles from Earth, making it the farthest ever object ever explored by humanity. The probe reached the closest point of its flyby at 05:33 British time on New Year’s Day, passing Thule at more than 30,000 miles per hour and coming within 2,200 miles of the surface of the 19 mile-wide object. To the ancient Roman and Greeks, Ultima Thule was originally the most northerly part of the Earth, but the name was used to refer to anywhere which was outside the known world. The space object is actually called (486958) 2014 MU69 and is believed to have formed more than four billion years ago during the very beginning of our solar system’s history, so is a relic of a bygone age which could help scientist unravel the mystery of how all the planets formed. ‘Ultima was formed in the middle of the Kuiper Belt, where temperatures are close to absolute zero,’ Stern wrote. ‘Because of where it was formed and the fact that Ultima is not large enough to have a geologic engine like Pluto and larger planets, we expect that Ultima is the most well-preserved sample of a planetary building block ever explored. ‘In effect, Ultima should be a valuable window into the early stages of planet formation and what the solar system was like over 4.5 billion years ago.’ In 2015, New Horizons sped past Pluto and sent back the most detailed photographs of the icy dwarf planet humanity has ever seen. Now it hopes to solve the mystery surrounding Ultima Thule, which is believed to be a binary system but could be something much stranger. Scientists are already split on whether it’s elongated or even two objects – but it might be even weirder than expected. ‘An even more bizarre scenario is one in which Ultima is surrounded by many tiny tumbling moons,’ said University of Virginia’s Anne Verbiscer, a New Horizons assistant project scientist. Nasa will reveal its early findings at a press conference held at 2.45pm UK time.[SEP]After the New Horizons mission zoomed by the then-unknown Ultima Thule object in the outer Solar System early on New Year's Day, the spacecraft began returning data to Earth via a deep-space network. Although only about 1 percent of that data is now on the ground, scientists were able to share some top-line findings on Wednesday. What they have found at a distance of 44 astronomical units (AU) from Earth, or 44 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun, is something of a wonderland. The Ultima Thule object, formally named 2014 MU69, is a 33km-long contact binary that somewhat resembles a snowman. Each of the two components is nearly spherical, coming together at a "neck," and this has proved important to confirming scientific ideas for how the planets and moons of the Solar System formed. Overall, the object has a reddish hue, similar to the north pole of Pluto's moon Charon. With Ultima Thule, the astronomers behind the New Horizons mission say they have uncovered a pristine planetesimal—a small object that served as a building block for larger objects in the Solar System. In the early years of the Solar System, some 4.5 billion years ago, a large, congested disk of these planetesimals came together to form the planets and moons we now recognize in the inner Solar System. But in the outer Solar System (and particularly the Kuiper Belt that lies beyond the orbit of Neptune), there were fewer of these planetesimals to spread around a much larger area. So some of them, like Ultima Thule, are relics of the Solar System's first few million years. "This may be the most primitive object seen by any spacecraft, and oldest that can be seen anywhere in the Solar System," said Jeff Moore, who leads the geology team for the New Horizons spacecraft, during a news conference on Wednesday. Based on the shape and appearance of Ultima Thule, scientists believe it formed from the very slow accretion of two bodies. Over the millennia, the bodies spiraled glacially inward, perhaps at a rate of just 2-3km per hour with respect to one another. They are bound by gravity. The data revealed Wednesday is pretty remarkable considering that Ultima Thule was not even discovered until the summer of 2014 and that scientists had to photograph the object while traveling by it at a rate of 51,500km/hour. It is only about the size of Washington, DC, illuminated by sunshine that is 1,900 times fainter than on the surface of Earth, and has the reflectivity of potting soil. "What this spacecraft and team have done is unprecedented," said Alan Stern, the mission's principal investigator. And New Horizons is not finished. More data is now coming down that will detail Ultima Thule's composition, and more and better images are on the way. The best photographs released so far have had a resolution of about 140 meters per pixel and were taken from 50,000km away. Astronomers hope to get images with a resolution of up to 35m per pixel, Stern said. He is also hopeful that the spacecraft will win additional funding for a third flyby—it has already captured extraordinary data about Pluto and, now, Ultima Thule. New Horizons has power and fuel for another 15 to 20 years, he said. The Kuiper Belt extends out to about 70 AU, and at its present rate, New Horizons will spend about another decade in it. This will offer plenty of time to discover an additional object of interest along or near New Horizons' path, Stern said. The mission team will submit a bid to to NASA next year, and if the space agency approves, the astronomers will work with telescope observing teams to find another Kuiper Belt Object of note. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory designed, built, and operates the New Horizons spacecraft, and it manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.[SEP]What have you heard or read about NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft? What do you know about Ultima Thule? Read the timeline about New Horizons and its explorations. You might also watch the music video created by Brian May, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen but also an astrophysicist working with the mission’s science team. Why do you think the flyby of Ultima Thule is newsworthy? Now, read the article, “NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft Is Triumphant in Encounter With the Most Distant Object Ever Visited,” and answer the following questions: 1. When did NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft fly near Ultima Thule? How long did it take for the message about the flyby being complete to reach Earth? 2. What does the New Horizons team hope to learn about Ultima Thule and the solar system?[SEP]Just over a day after NASA's New Horizons spacecraft zipped by Ultima Thule, scientists are ready to reveal their preliminary findings of the distant object. Ultima Thule, or more formally 2014 MU69, is a member of the Kuiper Belt, a ring-shaped region of icy objects orbiting the sun. The area begins just beyond the orbit of Neptune, more than 4.4 billion kilometres away, and is believed to extend to about eight billion kilometres from sun. On Facebook, Stern posted: "Planetary science fans — I think you definitely want to tune in to our press conference about Ultima Thule today, 2 pm Eastern. Just one thing, before you do, fasten your seat belts!" Data from the New Horizons flyby of Ultima Thule will be coming in for about two years. Wednesday's findings will be the first data analyzed by the team. "This mission has always been about delayed gratification," said New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute​ in a news conference on Tuesday. "It took us 12 years to sell it. It took us five years to build it. It took us nine years just to get to the first target." Next week, the spacecraft will be unable to transmit any data due to radio interference from the sun. Stern said the spacecraft will once again begin transmitting in mid-January. The main priorities for the research is mapping Ultima Thule's surface, as well as looking for any potential moons and rings. The first images returned from New Horizons have been pixelated and difficult to make out. So far, it appears that Ultima Thule is an irregularly shaped object that is rotating on an axis, or perhaps two objects in close orbit with one another. New Horizons was launched in 2006 on a mission to fly by Pluto. In 2015, the spacecraft passed the planet providing the first images of a world once considered our ninth planet.[SEP]The New Horizons probe has just sent back its first real shots of Ultima Thule, a 21-mile-long rock or planetesimal deep in the reaches of the solar system — and now the most distant object ever visited up close by mankind. The principal investigator of the mission, Alan Stern, called the accomplishment “a technical success beyond anything ever attempted before in spaceflight.” Ultima Thule is, as early occultation studies suggested with remarkable success, what’s called a contact binary object, composed of two individual objects fused together likely through impact billions of years ago — and it’s the first ever photographed up close. This is like candy for planet scientists: learning about the creation and characteristics of this interesting type of object is a chance decades — nay, centuries — in expectation. “We think what we’re looking at is perhaps the most primitive object that has yet been seen by any spacecraft, and may represent a class of objects that are the oldest and most primitive objects that can be seen anywhere in the solar system,” said NASA Ames’s Jeff Moore, geology and geophysics lead on New Horizons. It’s formed of two lobes, the larger and smaller of which are named Ultima and Thule respectively, which likely accreted individually in the earliest days of the solar system, then entered each other’s influence and eventually encountered one another, fusing. But Ultima Thule was chosen as the next target just before New Horizons buzzed Pluto not because it’s particularly interesting in itself, but because every object out there is interesting — we’ve never been up close to one! Instead, this particular rock, called MU69 when it was first identified by the Hubble during a frantic two-week search, happened to be something that the probe could swing by with minimal fuel expenditure. “As the principal investigator I’ll say I’m surprised that, more or less picking one Kuiper Belt object out of the hat, we were able to get such a winner as this, that’s going to revolutionize our knowledge of planetary science,” Stern said. Once it was decided — though at the time, the team had no idea how compelling MU69 would turn out to be — New Horizons altered its course to come within a few thousand miles of the object, close enough to get detailed imagery. Until today we’ve only had pictures taken from very far away with the probe’s Long Distance Reconnaissance Imager, or LORRI, which produced tiny monochrome shots a few pixels across: Great for mission control, but not for the front page. But remember that the probe was perhaps half a million miles away when it took the above images (on December 31), plus it was traveling at a relative speed of about 32,000 miles per hour. And of course there’s no good Wi-Fi out in the Kuiper belt — the data has to be painstakingly relayed back through the Deep Space Network. The image at above was taken while the probe was much closer — about 50,000 kilometers. LORRI still produces the best details, but at that range the team can bring Ralph into play, which added the color you see. Ralph is a set of multispectral imagers covering a variety of wavelengths and resolutions. These more-detailed images necessarily require more data to be sent home, and often need to be interpreted or tweaked by the science team in order to create a reasonable representation of what a human might see if we happened to be rolling past Ultima Thule. The object is “about as reflective as garden variety dirt,” and of a reddish tint the team thinks may be the result of exposed volatile substances. There’s tons of variation and terrain on the surface, which we’ll get much better imagery of in time. These are just the initial shots, and New Horizons will be sending its data back for more than a year. It was enough, however, to make some rather potato-like rough models of the object: These shots are “just the tip of the iceberg,” Stern said. “We have far less than one percent of the data.” “The current best picture that we have I believe has 20,000 or 28,000 pixels on the target, which way beats the six pixels we showed you last time,” he continued. “But ultimately if everything worked just right… the highest resolution image set that we took, it’ll have 35 meter resolution — it’ll ultimately be a megapixel image. It’s just going to get better and better.” The team will continue to receive and collate data and will surely hold more press conferences as they learn more, and even more detailed imagery arrives. The New Horizons probe itself — still hurtling outwards at 32,000 MPH — could continue to operate for another 15 or 20 years, and has fuel to change its course to perhaps find another target, but that’s all a matter of speculation for now. Stay tuned over the next year, the team suggested, but for now they’re focused on the data from Ultima Thule.

New Horizons makes a flyby of Kuiper belt object 2014 MU69, nicknamed Ultima Thule, at 05:33 UTC, becoming the farthest object in the solar system visited by a spacecraft. It is a contact binary.

Global financial markets felt the shockwaves as Apple shares logged their biggest intra-day percentage fall in six years, sending the company's stock market value to under $700 billion (554 billion pounds), well below its $1.1 trillion October peak. After Apple's first revenue warning in nearly 12 years, investors also dumped chipmakers and tech stocks and flocked to perceived safe havens like U.S. Treasuries and the Japanese yen. [MKTS/GLOB] Developments in a patent dispute between Apple and Qualcomm in Germany also rattled investors. A senior White House economic adviser said he expected trade uncertainty to hit earnings at many U.S. companies, but that sales at Apple and others with large exposure to China would recover once Washington and Beijing strike a trade deal. "That is having an impact on earnings and it's not going to be just Apple," White House Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Kevin Hassett said in an interview with CNN. "I think there are a heck of a lot of U.S. companies that have a lot of sales in China that are basically going to be watching their earnings be downgraded next year." Economic deceleration in China had caught Apple off guard and trade tensions between Washington and Beijing were starting to hurt consumer spending on smartphones in China, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said on Wednesday. Cook in November had cited slowing growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and Russia when Apple gave first-quarter sales estimates that were lower than expected. But he said then that he "would not put China in that category" of countries with troubled growth. The China slowdown comes as Apple faces other obstacles in some of its biggest markets. Qualcomm Inc said it had posted security bonds to enforce a court order banning sale of some iPhone models in Germany, meaning Apple would likely have to pull iPhone 7 and 8 models from its 15 stores in the country. The German case, part of a global patent spat between the two companies, is Qualcomm's third major effort to secure a ban on iPhones over patent-infringement allegations after similar moves in the United States and China. Wall Street analysts scrambled to cut their price targets on Apple, with at least 27 lowering their estimates. The current median price target is $186. Shares of U.S.-based Apple suppliers and chipmakers including Cirrus Logic Inc, Skyworks Solutions Inc, Analog Devices, Broadcom Inc, NXP Semiconductors NV and Micron Technology Inc all tumbled. Many analysts and investors had worried about a slowdown in iPhone sales since the company said in November it would stop disclosing unit sales data for its phones and other hardware products. Apple's latest comments fuelled worries that its relatively high-priced devices may be falling out of favour in China, where rivals such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] offer cheaper options. Peter Richardson, a research director at Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, said it was difficult to see a catalyst that would help Apple recover lost ground in China. "Until it changes this pricing strategy, it is unlikely to see market share growth and will most likely see a gradual contraction as iPhone users upgrade at slower rates," said Richardson. Apple on Wednesday lowered its revenue forecast to $84 billion for its first quarter ended Dec. 29, below analysts' estimate of $88.05 billion. Apple originally forecast revenue of between $89 billion and $93 billion. Apple shares were down 9.8 percent at $142.40. The stock has fallen about 30 percent since Cook said in November that the company may miss its holiday quarter sales estimate.[SEP]Apple Inc on Wednesday cut its sales forecast for its latest quarter, with Chief Executive Tim Cook blaming slowing iPhone sales in China, whose economy has been dragged down by uncertainty around U.S.-China trade relations. REUTERS: Apple Inc on Wednesday took the rare step of cutting its quarterly sales forecast, with Chief Executive Tim Cook blaming slowing iPhone sales in China, whose economy has been dragged down by uncertainty around U.S.-China trade relations. The news sent Apple shares tumbling in after-hours trade and triggered a broader selloff in the stock market. The revenue cut for the just-ended quarter raises questions about whether Apple, the face of American business in many parts of the world, is being punished by Chinese officials or consumers in favour of local rivals such as Huawei Technology Cos Ltd, whose pricey smart phones compete with the iPhone and which has been under discussion by the Trump administration for a possible sales ban over suggestions that its telecommunications equipment could be used to spy on Americans. Cook told CNBC that Apple products have not been targeted by the Chinese government, though some consumers may have elected not to buy an iPhone or other Apple device because it is an American company. “The much larger issue is the slowing of the (Chinese) economy, and then the trade tension that has further pressured it,” Cook said. Some analysts, however, questioned the impact of Apple's own actions, such as its unyielding pursuit of high selling prices for its products. Apple on Wednesday lowered its forecast to US$84 billion in revenue for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 29, below analysts' estimate of US$91.5 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Apple originally forecast revenue of between US$89 billion and US$93 billion. "While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China," Cook said in a letter to investors. "In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad." Wednesday was the first time that Apple issued a warning on its revenue guidance ahead of releasing quarterly results since the iPhone was launched in 2007. Apple shares skidded 7.7 percent in after-hours trade, dragging the company's market value below US$700 billion. In the broader market, the S&P 500 futures fell 1.5 percent. In the U.S. government bond market, a typical safe-haven, the yield on the benchmark 10- year, which moves inversely to the bond's price, sank to an 11-month low. Apple's move was not entirely a surprise. In November, the Cupertino, California-based company said it would quit disclosing unit sales data for iPhones and other hardware items, leading many analysts to worry that a drop in iPhone sales was coming. And after several component makers in November forecast weaker-than-expected sales, some market watchers called the peak for iPhones in several key markets. In November, Cook cited slowing growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and Russia for a lower-than-anticipated sales estimates for the company's fiscal first quarter. But Cook specifically said he "would not put China in that category" of countries with troubled growth. That all came before the damage to the Chinese economy from trade tensions with the United States and long-simmering structural issues became evident. Apple is now the highest-profile multinational corporation to warn that the economic slowdown in China could hurt its business. Automakers such as Ford Motor Co , Hyundai Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co all previously said they planned to cut production in the country. But Apple has held firm on its premium pricing strategy in China despite the risk of a slower economy. "The question for investors will be the extent to which Apple’s aggressive pricing has exacerbated this situation and what this means for the company’s longer-term pricing power within its iPhone franchise," James Cordwell, an analyst at Atlantic Equities, told Reuters. In the latest fiscal year, ended Sept. 29, unit sales of the iPhone were essentially flat from the prior year, while iPhone revenue expanded 18 percent to US$166.7 billion. That growth came entirely from higher prices. Hal Eddins, chief economist at Apple shareholder Capital Investment Counsel, said Cook's comments on the impact of the U.S. trade tensions with China "might be a dig at (U.S. President Donald) Trump, but mostly he may be using the trade turmoil as an excuse for some missteps they’ve made over the last year." But some investors were heartened by Apple's plans on using its cash pile. In his letter, Cook said Apple has US$130 billion in net cash and that it intends to continue its efforts to reduce that cash balance to net zero, which the company has so far accomplished through dividend increases and share buybacks. "We would anticipate the company increasing share buybacks on the weakness to return capital to shareholders at discount prices," said Trip Miller, managing partner at Apple shareholder Gullane Capital Partners.[SEP]When Apple issues a profit warning, you know something’s up. The tech company did just that on Wednesday, with CEO Tim Cook citing a slew of factors weighing heavily on its business during the holiday quarter and heading into 2019. The bottom line is that Apple is currently selling fewer phones than it expected, prompting the company to revise down its sales forecasts for the final three months of 2018. In a letter to investors that spooked the market and wiped $55 billion off the value of the tech colossus, Cook suggested the company may have missed as much as $9 billion in sales for the quarter. This, he said, was the result of pressure on the global economy and Apple’s failure to “foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China. ” The CEO said, “In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad.” It was Cook’s view that “the economic environment in China has been further impacted by rising trade tensions with the United States,” a reference to the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China. He continued: “As the climate of mounting uncertainty weighed on financial markets, the effects appeared to reach consumers as well, with traffic to our retail stores and our channel partners in China declining as the quarter progressed,” adding that market data revealed the contraction in China’s smartphone market has been “particularly sharp.” Weaker-than-expected demand for iPhone upgrades in developing markets was also cited as a factor, as was a strong U.S. dollar and an earlier launch timing of the iPhone XS and XS Max compared to the iPhone X. Cook’s letter also pointed to “customers taking advantage of significantly reduced pricing for iPhone battery replacements,” a service that Apple launched in 2018 but which ended on December 31. Interestingly, in his letter Cook declined to mention the rise of Chinese rivals as a reason for the squeeze on iPhone sales. Huawei, for example, sold 200 million phones (includes sister brand Honor) in 2018, making it the world’s second biggest smartphone manufacturer after Samsung. Apple sits in third spot. Keen not to leave investors feeling too gloomy, the CEO said that despite the current difficulties, Apple’s business in China “has a bright future,” insisting that the company’s products “enjoy a strong following among customers, with a very high level of engagement and satisfaction.” Apple’s profit warning is the first from the company in 16 years, and its first since the launch of the iPhone in 2007. But the with sales of $84 billion still expected — revised down from between $89 billion and $94 billion — few will view the current situation as a crisis for the tech firm. In any case, its current struggles reflect the growing challenge faced by smartphone makers around the world after reports toward the end of 2018 highlighted a 6 percent drop in handset sales globally, with China again cited as one of the primary factors in the fall.[SEP](Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) shares plunged 10 percent on Thursday after the iPhone maker blamed weak China demand for a holiday-quarter revenue shortfall, with many investors worried the rare stumble was a harbinger for slowing global growth. Global financial markets felt the shockwaves as Apple shares logged their biggest intra-day percentage fall in six years, sending the company’s stock market value to under $700 billion, well below its $1.1 trillion October peak. After Apple’s first revenue warning in nearly 12 years, investors also dumped chipmakers and tech stocks and flocked to perceived safe havens like U.S. Treasuries and the Japanese yen. [MKTS/GLOB] Developments in a patent dispute between Apple and Qualcomm in Germany also rattled investors. A senior White House economic adviser said he expected trade uncertainty to hit earnings at many U.S. companies, but that sales at Apple and others with large exposure to China would recover once Washington and Beijing strike a trade deal. “That is having an impact on earnings and it’s not going to be just Apple,” White House Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Kevin Hassett said in an interview with CNN. “I think there are a heck of a lot of U.S. companies that have a lot of sales in China that are basically going to be watching their earnings be downgraded next year.” Economic deceleration in China had caught Apple off guard and trade tensions between Washington and Beijing were starting to hurt consumer spending on smartphones in China, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said on Wednesday. Cook in November had cited slowing growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and Russia when Apple gave first-quarter sales estimates that were lower than expected. But he said then that he “would not put China in that category” of countries with troubled growth. The China slowdown comes as Apple faces other obstacles in some of its biggest markets. Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) said it had posted security bonds to enforce a court order banning sale of some iPhone models in Germany, meaning Apple would likely have to pull iPhone 7 and 8 models from its 15 stores in the country. The German case, part of a global patent spat between the two companies, is Qualcomm’s third major effort to secure a ban on iPhones over patent-infringement allegations after similar moves in the United States and China. Wall Street analysts scrambled to cut their price targets on Apple, with at least 27 lowering their estimates. The current median price target is $186. Shares of U.S.-based Apple suppliers and chipmakers including Cirrus Logic Inc (CRUS.O), Skyworks Solutions Inc (SWKS.O), Analog Devices (ADI.O), Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O), NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI.O) and Micron Technology Inc (MU.O) all tumbled. Many analysts and investors had worried about a slowdown in iPhone sales since the company said in November it would stop disclosing unit sales data for its phones and other hardware products. Apple’s latest comments fuelled worries that its relatively high-priced devices may be falling out of favour in China, where rivals such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] offer cheaper options. Peter Richardson, a research director at Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research, said it was difficult to see a catalyst that would help Apple recover lost ground in China. “Until it changes this pricing strategy, it is unlikely to see market share growth and will most likely see a gradual contraction as iPhone users upgrade at slower rates,” said Richardson. Apple on Wednesday lowered its revenue forecast to $84 billion for its first quarter ended Dec. 29, below analysts’ estimate of $88.05 billion. Apple originally forecast revenue of between $89 billion and $93 billion. Apple shares were down 9.8 percent at $142.40. The stock has fallen about 30 percent since Cook said in November that the company may miss its holiday quarter sales estimate.[SEP]Apple on Wednesday lowered quarterly sales estimates for the first-time in more than 15 years, blaming an unexpectedly deep slowdown in China and President Donald Trump's trade war for the shortfall. The announcement suggested not just significant business challenges emerging for Apple, which briefly became the most valuable U.S. company in history last year, but deeper concern about how the trade war might be contributing to a global economic slowdown led by China. Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a letter to investors that Apple "did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deterioration" in Greater China, an area that includes China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Along with slowed growth there in the second half of last year, Cook said that the "economic environment in China has been further impacted by rising trade tensions with the United States." The announcement seems likely to fuel further volatility in the U.S. stock market, where U.S. technology stocks have driven a major correction in recent months. The news Wednesday sent Apple's stock - as well as the broader market - plunging in after-hours trading. It also comes as the Trump administration and the Chinese are trying - without success - to resolve a simmering trade conflict that has already put nearly half of all Chinese exports to the United States under tariff. Apple is perhaps the most prominent U.S. company to cite the trade war as a factor dragging down its business. But a variety of other issues could also be at play that raise questions about the long-term challenges facing the iPhone, Apple's flagship product. Consumers may be holding on to the devices longer in China and other markets, while Chinese consumers may also be gravitating toward cheaper alternatives made by Chinese companies such as Huawei. Greater China accounted for one fifth of Apple's roughly $265 billion in global sales in the last fiscal year. That makes Greater China the third-largest market for Apple, although Cook at one point in 2013 said he expected it to "become our first." "Apple is in a lot of trouble," said Shaun Rein, managing director at the China Market Research Group in Shanghai. Along with being the world's most populous country, China also serves as a key hub in the tech giant's supply chain - a place where iPhones are assembled. Many signs have been pointing to the slowing of China's economy. The International Monetary Fund predicts China's economy will grow at 6.2 percent next year, down from 6.9 percent in 2017, but some analysts say the decline will be even more dramatic. Apple's warning suggests one way that the slowdown could reach the United States. China has the second-largest economy in the world and is the third-largest buyer of U.S. exports after Mexico and Canada, meaning that what happens can quickly affect U.S. growth and employment. "There's massive uncertainty because of the trade war. We're seeing the weakest retail sales in years," Rein said of China's economy. A number of other prominent companies, including Ford, Walmart, United Technologies and Honeywell, have cited the trade war as hitting their businesses. But while most of these companies have been hurt because they have to pay more to import products, Apple's situation is more complex. Cook personally lobbied Trump for months to spare his company from tariffs targeting products imported from China and expressed optimism that the trade war's impacts would prove modest. But it is feeling the effects now because the trade war has slowed China's economy so much that Chinese consumers are buying fewer smartphones. "Trump really does think tariffs are a good thing, and that's scary for the economy," said Phil Levy, a former economist in the George W. Bush administration. "Companies thought tariffs would just be temporary. Now it's dawning on them that's not the case and they have to react." Trump has previously threatened to place hefty tariffs on all Chinese products coming into the country - including iPhones - if Beijing doesn't make a deal by early March. With Apple's stock falling more than 7 percent in after-hours trading, investors Thursday will likely be asking if this is a preview of what other technology, retail, auto and manufacturing companies are facing. Apple is no longer the most valuable company in the United States. It now trails Microsoft and Amazon. Some analysts say Apple is getting hurt in China as consumers there prefer to buy Huawei phones, a top Chinese brand. The company lowered its revenue guidance to $84 billion, compared with its previous revenue estimate of between $89 billion and $93 billion. The news halted trading of Apple's stock late Wednesday and comes as Apple is set to unveil final earnings at the end of January. Apple's revision to its revenue estimates is "probably the most significant one they've ever done," said Ben Bajarin, a tech analyst at Creative Strategies, who said Apple last made such an adjustment in 2002 in the early days of the iPod music player. Along with its troubles in China, Bajarin said Apple's new miss also reflected a change in how consumers are purchasing the company's devices around the world. Consumers aren't springing to buy Apple's newer, faster, pricier iPhones as soon as they hit the market, he said. "It's happening in every major market, not just the U.S. They're being hit by consumers holding on to these devices and not feeling the need to upgrade," Bajarin said.[SEP]Apple Inc on Wednesday cut its sales forecast for its latest quarter, with Chief Executive Tim Cook blaming slowing iPhone sales in China, whose economy has been dragged down by uncertainty around U.S.-China trade relations. REUTERS: Apple Inc on Wednesday took the rare step of cutting its quarterly sales forecast, with Chief Executive Tim Cook blaming slowing iPhone sales in China, whose economy has been dragged down by uncertainty around U.S.-China trade relations. The news sent Apple shares tumbling in after-hours trade and triggered a broader selloff in the stock market. The revenue cut for the just-ended quarter raises questions about whether Apple, the face of American business in many parts of the world, is being punished by Chinese officials or consumers in favour of local rivals such as Huawei Technology Cos Ltd, whose pricey smart phones compete with the iPhone and which has been under discussion by the Trump administration for a possible sales ban over suggestions that its telecommunications equipment could be used to spy on Americans. Cook told CNBC that Apple products have not been targeted by the Chinese government, though some consumers may have elected not to buy an iPhone or other Apple device because it is an American company. “The much larger issue is the slowing of the (Chinese) economy, and then the trade tension that has further pressured it,” Cook said. Some analysts, however, questioned the impact of Apple's own actions, such as its unyielding pursuit of high selling prices for its products. Apple on Wednesday lowered its forecast to US$84 billion in revenue for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 29, below analysts' estimate of US$91.5 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Apple originally forecast revenue of between US$89 billion and US$93 billion. "While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China," Cook said in a letter to investors. "In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad." Wednesday was the first time that Apple issued a warning on its revenue guidance ahead of releasing quarterly results since the iPhone was launched in 2007. Apple shares skidded 7.7 percent in after-hours trade, dragging the company's market value below US$700 billion. In the broader market, the S&P 500 futures fell 1.5 percent. In the U.S. government bond market, a typical safe-haven, the yield on the benchmark 10- year, which moves inversely to the bond's price, sank to an 11-month low. Apple's move was not entirely a surprise. In November, the Cupertino, California-based company said it would quit disclosing unit sales data for iPhones and other hardware items, leading many analysts to worry that a drop in iPhone sales was coming. And after several component makers in November forecast weaker-than-expected sales, some market watchers called the peak for iPhones in several key markets. In November, Cook cited slowing growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and Russia for a lower-than-anticipated sales estimates for the company's fiscal first quarter. But Cook specifically said he "would not put China in that category" of countries with troubled growth. That all came before the damage to the Chinese economy from trade tensions with the United States and long-simmering structural issues became evident. Apple is now the highest-profile multinational corporation to warn that the economic slowdown in China could hurt its business. Automakers such as Ford Motor Co , Hyundai Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co all previously said they planned to cut production in the country. But Apple has held firm on its premium pricing strategy in China despite the risk of a slower economy. "The question for investors will be the extent to which Apple’s aggressive pricing has exacerbated this situation and what this means for the company’s longer-term pricing power within its iPhone franchise," James Cordwell, an analyst at Atlantic Equities, told Reuters. In the latest fiscal year, ended Sept. 29, unit sales of the iPhone were essentially flat from the prior year, while iPhone revenue expanded 18 percent to US$166.7 billion. That growth came entirely from higher prices. Hal Eddins, chief economist at Apple shareholder Capital Investment Counsel, said Cook's comments on the impact of the U.S. trade tensions with China "might be a dig at (U.S. President Donald) Trump, but mostly he may be using the trade turmoil as an excuse for some missteps they’ve made over the last year." But some investors were heartened by Apple's plans on using its cash pile. In his letter, Cook said Apple has US$130 billion in net cash and that it intends to continue its efforts to reduce that cash balance to net zero, which the company has so far accomplished through dividend increases and share buybacks. "We would anticipate the company increasing share buybacks on the weakness to return capital to shareholders at discount prices," said Trip Miller, managing partner at Apple shareholder Gullane Capital Partners.[SEP]SAN FRANCISCO — Apple warns that disappointing iPhone sales will cause a significant drop in its revenue over the crucial holiday season compared to earlier projections. CEO Tim Cook made the announcement after the market closed Wednesday. It embodies some of the worst fears of investors, who have been dumping Apple shares amid signs that the latest iPhone models weren’t living up to expectations. • China has banned sales of Apple iPhones 6 through X in Qualcomm patent dispute • Apple is considering moving iPhone production out of China if tariffs hit 25% • Apple to build new $1-billion campus in Austin, Texas Cook cited China as Apple’s biggest weak spot, but also said that consumers weren’t upgrading to the latest iPhones models as eagerly as anticipated. As a result, Apple now expects revenue of US$84 billion for the fiscal quarter running from October through December. Management had previously predicted revenue ranging from US$89 billion to US$93 billion.[SEP]Apple Inc on Wednesday cut the revenue forecast for its latest quarter, citing fewer iPhone upgrades and weak sales in China, and its shares tumbled in after-hours trade. The company forecast $84 billion in revenue for its fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 29, which is below analysts` estimate of $91.5 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Apple originally forecast revenue of between $89 billion and $93 billion. "While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China," Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in a letter to investors. "In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad." Wednesday was the first time that Apple issued a warning on its revenue guidance ahead of releasing quarterly results since the iPhone was launched in 2007. Apple shares, which had been halted ahead of the announcement, skidded 7.7 percent in after-hours trade, dragging the company`s market value below $700 billion. A slew of brokerages reduced their first-quarter production estimates for iPhones after several component makers in November forecast weaker-than-expected sales, leading some market watchers to call the peak for iPhones in several key markets. On Apple's earnings call in November, Cook cited slowing growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and Russia for the lower-than-anticipated sales estimates for the company`s fiscal first quarter. But Cook specifically said he "would not put China in that category" of countries with troubled growth. That all came before the damage to the Chinese economy from trade tensions with the United States became clear. On Wednesday, China`s central bank magazine said the country`s economic growth could fall below 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter as companies face increased difficulties there. Apple has held firm on its premium pricing strategy in China despite the risk of a slower economy, a factor that has been exacerbated by the strong US dollar. Apple tends to set its prices in US dollars and charge a broadly equivalent amount in local currencies. "The question for investors will be the extent to which Apple’s aggressive pricing has exacerbated this situation and what this means for the company’s longer-term pricing power within its iPhone franchise," James Cordwell, an analyst at Atlantic Equities, told Reuters.[SEP]Apple chief Tim Cook slashed the tech giant’s projections for Q1 2019 revenue in a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, blaming the cutback on a myriad of issues, including underwhelming iPhone sales in China. Cook said Apple has lowered its revenue guidance to $84 billion for the upcoming quarter — a healthy decrease from the $89 billion to $93 billion the company had originally anticipated. “Lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline,” Cook wrote. Also Read: Here Are the Top Podcasts of 2018 on Apple Podcasts Cook added while iPhone sales have dropped, its other categories, including Services and Mac sales, have increased about 19 percent year-over-year. China was a primary focus for Cook in his letter, with the chief executive pointing to “rising trade tensions with the United States,” as well as the country’s overall economic downturn during the second half of 2018. “As the climate of mounting uncertainty weighed on financial markets, the effects appeared to reach consumers as well, with traffic to our retail stores and our channel partners in China declining as the quarter progressed,” Cook added. “And market data has shown that the contraction in Greater China’s smartphone market has been particularly sharp.” Cook also warned new iPhone upgrades were “not as strong” as Apple expected in several countries. Apple’s stock — which had already suffered a brutal stretch to close 2018 — fell nearly 7 percent in after-hours trading to $147 per share. Read original story Apple Chief Tim Cook Blames Trade Tensions With China, Weak iPhone Sales for Lowered Revenue Projection At TheWrap[SEP]Apple CEO Tim Cook published a letter to investors today warning of weaker than expected first-quarter earnings, citing “fewer iPhone upgrades than we had anticipated.” The weakened demand came primarily from China, although Cook notes that “in some developed markets, iPhone upgrades also were not as strong as we thought they would be.” People just aren’t buying as many new iPhones as Apple hoped In his letter, Cook offers several explanations for the lower earnings guidance: earlier launch timing of the iPhone XS and XS Max compared to the iPhone X, the strength of the US dollar, supply constraints due to the number of new products Apple released in the fall, and overall economic weakness in some markets. But the core issue remains simple: people just aren’t buying as many new iPhones as Apple hoped. EXCLUSIVE: After cutting Q1 expectations, Apple CEO Tim Cook tells CNBC that the shortfall is primarily in Greater China as trade tensions put pressure on the Chinese economy https://t.co/iOf79ebo17 pic.twitter.com/Lm7Wyp1VOX — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 2, 2019 Per Cook’s letter, “Lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline.” Cook notes that other divisions of Apple have actually risen by almost 19 percent year over year, but the truth remains that the iPhone has long been Apple’s core business, and if Apple can’t sell enough of them, the whole company struggles. In an interview with CNBC, Cook elaborates on the shortfall, pointing out that “the trade tensions between the United States and China put additional pressure on their economy,” which resulted in fewer customers. But Cook also mentioned fewer carrier subsidiaries on new iPhones, as well as the dramatically lowered battery replacement price for older models (due to Apple’s iPhone slowdown drama from late 2017), as contributing factors. All in all, Apple’s revised Q1 guidance forecast is dropping by up to $9 billion in revenue compared to its original estimate. Apple’s stock dropped by nearly 10 percent once trading resumed.

American electronics maker Apple warns that iPhone sales are slowing significantly and the product is in weak demand, blaming trade tensions with China. The company says that it has lowered its expected fiscal earnings for the first quarter as a result, citing disappointing holiday sales figures, and that it could lose $9 billion due to the decline.

Image copyright EPA Image caption One of the freight train's trailers was seen badly damaged by the collision Eight people are now confirmed dead after Wednesday's train crash in Denmark, making it the country's worst rail accident in decades. Police added two to the death toll on Thursday, and there are also more than a dozen injured. The commuter train is believed to have been hit by a trailer from a passing freight train during a heavy storm. Both trains were crossing the Great Belt Bridge at the time, which connects Denmark's two biggest islands. Five women and three men were killed, all adults, police said, a number matching the eight people reported missing by their relatives yesterday. Police said they were close to identifying four of the deceased, but that DNA and dental record testing would have to be carried out on some bodies due to the extent of their injuries. Investigators said they were also sure there no further fatalities to come. Initially, the rail network operator said some sort of "debris" had hit the train. But Danish media now report that the suspected cause is a truck trailer which moved from its resting place on a freight car during high winds. Image copyright EPA Image caption One freight car is seen vacant in this photo, with reports suggesting its contents may have fallen off in high winds Police have yet to make any formal announcement about the cause. The accident happened at about 07:35 local time (06:35 GMT) on Wednesday, on the commuter train from Odense to the capital, Copenhagen. Passenger Jim Nielson told CNN he was on his way to the airport after the Christmas holiday, travelling on the train's second coach. "There was a cargo train coming from Zealand, the opposite direction. It was shaking due to the strong wind," he said. "One of the containers was blown off the cargo train into the rails, because of the wind. Our driver tried to stop the train, pulling the brake. But the train continued to drive a bit, and crashed into the container blown off from the cargo," he said. There were 131 passengers and three crew members on board at the time of the accident. The Great Belt Bridge is an important link in Denmark's transport network, linking the island of Zealand, where the capital city lies, with Funen to the west.[SEP]fottodk/iStock(LONDON) — Six people have died and 16 more were injured in Denmark after debris detached from a cargo train and hit a passenger express train on the Great Belt Bridge, authorities said Wednesday. The trains were on parallel tracks but traveling in opposite directions, Deutsche Bahn, the cargo train operator, told ABC News. The accident took place around 7:35 a.m. local time. The area was experiencing high winds and powerful waves caused by Storm Alfrida. There were 131 passengers and three crew members on board the train. The Great Belt Bridge connects the western island of Funen with the island of Zealand to the east. The bridge has now reopened for road traffic in both directions but remains closed to trains, police said in a tweet. Commuters have been advised to not slow down or take any pictures or video of the accident site in order to “have respect for the dead and injured.” The Denmark Accident Investigation unit and Funen police have launched a joint investigation into the accident. The express commuter train departed from Aarhus at 5:19 a.m. local time and was headed for Copenhagen. The cargo train involved in the incident was shipping goods for the beer company Carlsberg. Kasper Elbjorn, a spokesman for Carlsberg, told ABC News the company would be doing “everything to help.” “Deutsche Bahn Cargo, the shipper of our goods has unfortunately confirmed to us that cargo train carrying our goods was involved in the accident,” Elbjorn said. “We are deeply concerned about the accident. Our compassion goes to all involved.” Jan Wildau, a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn Cargo Scandinavia, told ABC News that it would be fully cooperating with the investigation. The cargo train had been traveling to the Carlsberg Brewery in Frederecia, he said. The train had received the green light to cross the bridge from Banedanmark, the company in charge of train traffic control, he added. Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said his thoughts were with the victims and their families and he thanked the authorities for their response to the accident. “The morning’s tragic accident on the Great Belt Bridge with many fatalities and wounded has shaken us all together,” Rasmussen said in a statement. “Ordinary Danes on their way to work or home from Christmas holidays have broken their lives.” The prime minister of neighboring Sweden also expressed his condolences for the victims. “Terrible train accident on Great Belt Bridge in Denmark as a result of the Storm Alfrida,” Stefan Löfven said in a tweet. “Our thoughts are with the injured and with the families and relatives of the dead. I have also said this in the morning to my fellow prime Minister, Mr Lars Løkke Rasmussen.”[SEP]Six people have died and 16 more were injured in Denmark after debris detached from a cargo train and hit a passenger express train on the Great Belt Bridge.[SEP]Six people were killed and 16 others injured on Wednesday morning after a train accident on a bridge linking the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen. According to Danish media reports cited by Agence France-Presse news agency, the roof of a cargo train blew off in heavy winds and hit a passenger train crossing the Great Belt Bridge in the opposite direction, towards Copenhagen, prompting it to brake suddenly. Other outlets described the object as a "tarpaulin." A police spokeswoman said the passenger train "hit an unknown object," but did not further comment. There were at least 131 passengers and three employees on board the train when the accident happened at around 7:30 a.m. CET (0630 UTC), reported the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). "There was a loud crash and the windows started smashing onto our heads. We flew down onto the floor, and then the train stopped," passenger Heidi Langberg Zumbusch told DR. Photos published by TV 2 News showed damage to the interior of the passenger train. A severe storm in Denmark initially made it difficult for emergency services to reach the train. The bridge, linking Denmark's two major islands, was closed to traffic, and it was unclear when it would reopen. There were several helicopters at the scene of the accident, reported Denmark's TV 2. Police and the Danish Accident Investigation Board are investigating the incident. A crisis center has been opened in the nearby city of Nyborg to care for injured passengers. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.[SEP]At least six people have died after a train crash on a bridge in Denmark. The tragedy happened at around 7.30am on the Great Belt Bridge in Nyborg, Danish media states. The train was hit by an object - said to be a tarpaulin - from a passing freight train, forcing it to brake suddenly. A huge emergency operation is underway, with the local hospital in Odense launching a crisis response. According to broadcaster DR there were 131 passengers and three staff members onboard. Were you on the train? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk Rail operator DSB is currently unable to confirm how many people were injured on the train, which was bound for the island of Funen in the south of the country. The Great Belt Bridge - which links the islands of Zealand and Funen - has been closed, and it is unclear when it will reopen. It transports tens of thousands of people each day. It is thought the object struck the train during a heavy storm. A shelter has been set up in nearby Nyborg for people injured in the collision. Pictures from the scene show a train bearing the Carlsberg logo which appears to be badly damaged. One passenger on the train, Simon Voldsgaard Tøndering, told DR that people on board had been evacuated. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story here at Mirror.co.uk . For the latest news and breaking news visit Mirror.co.uk/news . Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @DailyMirror - the official Daily Mirror & Mirror Online Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/dailymirror - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Mirror Online.[SEP]COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Six people were killed in a rail accident on a bridge linking Denmark’s two main islands on Wednesday when a train was hit by debris from a passing freight train, officials said. Police said 16 people were injured. The train heading towards the capital with 131 passengers on board when it was hit by what could have been tarpaulin, said Banedanmark, which maintains and controls traffic on the railway network. “There was a very, very loud bang and then the train stopped,” a witness who had been onboard the train with his daughter told broadcaster TV2. The accident happened shortly before 7.35 a.m. (0635 GMT), police said in a statement, adding that police and emergency workers were at the scene. A Carlsberg spokesman said a freight train operated by DB Cargo, the logistics arm of the German railway company Deutsche Bahn, carrying goods for Carlsberg between its Fredericia brewery and Copenhagen, had been involved in the accident. A severe storm made it difficult for emergency services to reach the train which had stopped on the Great Belt fixed link between Zealand and Funen, Denmark’s two major islands. An emergency centre was established in the town of Nyborg at the western end of the bridge. Fatal accidents are rare on the country’s highly developed rail network. “Terrible train accident on the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark as a result of the storm Alfrida. Our thoughts are with the injured and with the families and relatives of the dead,” Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said in a tweet. The bridge was closed for both trains and vehicles towards the island of Funen, while car traffic towards Zealand had opened again. The 18-kilometre long bridge across the Great Belt carries around 21,000 train passengers every day and more than 27,000 vehicles crosses the bridge each day. The bridge is part of infrastructure that links Denmark and Sweden to Germany.[SEP]Six people were killed and several others injured on Wednesday morning after a train accident on a bridge linking the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, according to Danish rail operator DSB. Police told a news conference it could not confirm the death toll or disclose how many people were injured. Danish media reported that a tarpaulin on a freight train hit a passenger train heading in the opposite direction on the Great Belt Bridge towards Copenhagen, prompting it to brake suddenly. There were at least 131 passengers and three employees on board the train when the accident happened at around 7:30 a.m. CET (0630 UTC), reported the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Photos published by TV 2 News showed damage to the interior of the passenger train. A severe storm in Denmark was making it difficult for emergency services to reach the train, which has closed the bridge linking Denmark's two major islands. There were several helicopters at the scene of the accident, reported Denmark's TV 2. A crisis center has been opened in the nearby city of Nyborg to care for injured passengers. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.[SEP]Six people have died and 16 others were injured in a train accident on a bridge linking two islands in Denmark on Wednesday, police said. The accident involving a freight train and a passenger train took place at 7.35 am local time on the lower section of the Great Belt Bridge between the islands of Zealand and Funen. All the injured, none of whom were in life-threatening condition, have been taken to the Odense Hospital for treatment, a police spokesperson told reporters. The passenger train had been traveling to the Danish capital Copenhagen and the cargo train had been bound for the island of Funen, in the opposite direction. Funen police chief Lars Braemhoj said the cause of the accident was not yet known but confirmed that goods had fallen onto the tracks and the passenger train had driven into them, causing "considerable" damage. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement the accident had "shaken us all" and that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. Danish train operator DSB, which earlier told local media that six people had died, said 134 people had been on board the train from Copenhagen. Those who were not injured were taken to a sports center in Nyborg on Funen island. Car traffic on the top section of the bridge has since resumed, according to police, after it all traffic across the bridge was halted in light of the serious incident. The clean-up operation was ongoing at the scene, with police urging motorists not to stop and take photographs.[SEP]COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Six people were killed in a train accident on a bridge linking two of Denmark’s main islands on Wednesday, train operator DSB said. The passenger train was heading towards the capital when it was hit by objects or tarpaulin from a freight train, according to Banedanmark, which is responsible for maintenance and traffic control of the railway network. A severe storm made it difficult for emergency services to reach the train which had stopped on the Great Belt fixed link between Zealand and Funen, Denmark’s two major islands. Police told a press conference it could not confirm the death toll or disclose how many people were injured. An emergency center was established in the town of Nyborg at the western end of the bridge. Fatal accidents are rare on the country’s highly developed rail network. The bridge was closed for both trains and vehicles towards the island of Funen, while car traffic towards Zealand had opened again. The 18-kilometer long bridge across the Great Belt carries around 21,000 train passengers every day and more than 27,000 vehicles crosses the bridge each day. The bridge is part of infrastructure that links Denmark and Sweden to Germany.[SEP]COPENHAGEN: Six people were killed when a passenger train hit a freight trailer that had blown off a wagon coming the other way on a bridge linking Denmark's two main islands on Wednesday, officials said. The train with 131 passengers on board was heading towards the capital, Copenhagen, when it hit the trailer. Apart from the dead, 16 people were injured but were not in critical condition, police said. The accident happened shortly before 7.35 a.m. (0635 GMT) during a severe storm that hampered the rescue operation on the 18-km (11-mile) Great Belt Bridge between Zealand and Funen, Denmark's two major islands. "This morning's tragic accident on the Great Belt Bridge with many killed and wounded has shaken us all," Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen tweeted. "Ordinary Danes on their way to work or on the way home from Christmas holidays have had their lives shattered." A preliminary investigation by the Danish Accident Investigation Board showed a trailer had blown off a freight wagon onto the oncoming tracks, a spokesman said. "There was a very, very loud bang and then the train stopped," a witness who had been onboard the train with his daughter told broadcaster TV2. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven blamed the weather. "Terrible train accident on the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark as a result of the storm Alfrida. Our thoughts are with the injured and with the families and relatives of the dead," he tweeted. TV footage showed a severely damaged freight trailer adorned with the logo of Danish beer maker Carlsberg. Crates of beer could be seen inside. A train operated by DB Cargo, the logistics arm of Germany's Deutsche Bahn which carries goods from Carlsberg's Fredericia brewery to Copenhagen, was involved in the accident, a Carlsberg spokesman said. DB Cargo was on site and "doing its utmost to support the investigation", Deutsche Bahn said in a statement. A spokesman said the trailers were fastened to the railcars with metal rods, a system in use across Europe. The bridge remained closed for trains while car traffic in both directions resumed. Danish rail operator Banedanmark said it did not expect rail traffic by to resume before Thursday. The Great Belt, part of a route that links Denmark and Sweden to Germany, carries around 21,000 train passengers and more than 27,000 vehicles each day.

An express train crashes into an object dropped from a cargo train on the Great Belt Bridge between Funen and Zealand in Denmark, killing at least eight people and leaving several injured.

Image: Terje Bendiksby / AFP Police in northern Norway on Monday announced the names of three Finns and one Swede who died under an avalanche on 2 January. They also released photos of the three Finnish men, with permission from their families. The Finnish victims were Mikael Sten (29), Niklas Nyman (36) and André Stenfors (32). The Swedish victim was Disa Bäckström, 29. The Finns were from Swedish-speaking areas of Ostrobothnia, on the west coast. Story continues after photo Image: Politiet.no / Yle Uutisgrafiikka The four have been missing since last Wednesday, when there was a large avalanche close to the summit of Blåbærfjellet mountain, a 1442m peak in the Tamok valley. On Friday, a helicopter detected signals from two transmitters under the avalanche. Rescuers saw ski tracks heading into, but not back out of the avalanche area. Search efforts have been hampered by difficult, windy weather and avalanche risk, which continued on Monday.[SEP]Four tourists from Sweden and Finland are still missing, a day after they were feared to have been swept away by an avalanche in Arctic Norway, police have said. The avalanche occurred on Wednesday in the northern Norwegian region of Troms. Three Finns and a Swede were skiing in the area and were reported to police as missing at around 1500 GMT, police said. Weather conditions did not allow rescue crew to continue their work on Thursday, although the searches were not called off. “The snow mass is huge. There is a high risk of triggering a new avalanche ... and there is a small storm in the area,” Troms police chief Astrid Elisabeth Nilsen told a news conference. Ski tracks were spotted going into the avalanche but not coming out. “Police assume that the four were taken by the avalanche,” Troms police said in a statement earlier on Thursday.[SEP]Weather stops rescuers from continuing search for tourists from Sweden and FinlandFour tourists from Sweden and Finland are still missing, a day after they were feared to have been swept away by an avalanche in Arctic Norway, police have said.The avalanche occurred on Wednesday in the northern Norwegian region of Troms. Three Finns and a Swede were skiing in the area and were reported to police as missing at around 1500 GMT, police said.Weather conditions did not allow rescue crew to continue their work on Thursday, although the searches were not called off.Ski tracks were spotted going into the avalanche but not coming out."Police assume that the four were taken by the avalanche," Troms police said in a statement earlier on Thursday.Source: Reuters[SEP]COPENHAGEN — Norwegian officials say four people from Sweden and Finland are missing after an avalanche in northern Norway but strong winds, heavy snowfall and poor visibility are hampering rescue efforts. A woman from Sweden and three men from Finland were last heard from on Wednesday afternoon. A search-and-rescue operation was launched after a 300-meter (990-foot) wide avalanche was reported in the Tamok valley, near the northern city of Tromsoe, where the party had gone skiing. Police spokesman Morten Pettersen says "there was little chance to get a helicopter into the area." He told a news conference Thursday in Tromsoe that "we cannot take that risk." Baard Rannestad of the University Hospital of North Norway told reporters at the news conference that the skiers' "chances to survive diminish with every passing minute."[SEP]COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norwegian officials say four people from Sweden and Finland are missing after an avalanche in northern Norway but strong winds, heavy snowfall and poor visibility are hampering rescue efforts. A woman… COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norwegian officials say four people from Sweden and Finland are missing after an avalanche in northern Norway but strong winds, heavy snowfall and poor visibility are hampering rescue efforts. A woman from Sweden and three men from Finland were last heard from on Wednesday afternoon. A search-and-rescue operation was launched after a 300-meter (990-foot) wide avalanche was reported in the Tamok valley, near the northern city of Tromsoe, where the party had gone skiing. Police spokesman Morten Pettersen says “there was little chance to get a helicopter into the area.” He told a news conference Thursday in Tromsoe that “we cannot take that risk.” Baard Rannestad of the University Hospital of North Norway told reporters at the news conference that the skiers’ “chances to survive diminish with every passing minute.” Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]A major avalanche has been observed in the area of Blåbærfjellet in Troms where four persons are missing. The police fear they are buried in it. “It is 300 metres wide and estimated at 500–600 metres in length. We do not know for sure, but we fear that the four are buried in the avalanche. They should have returned a long time ago,” Effort Leader in the police, John-Kåre Granheim, tells NRK. The rescue crews will have an assessment meeting at 9 pm to determine how they will continue the search operation. “The avalanche is at the peak of the mountain and therefore high up. If we send in crews or not, depends on how easy the helicopter can access the spot. Avalanche danger and weather conditions hinder us,” Operations Manager in the Troms Police District, Morten Augensen, tells NTB. “We fear that the missing persons have been buried by the avalanche, but we hope that that is not the case,” he adds. Due to the avalanche danger, ground crews are not deployed in the search at Blåbærfjellet in Tamokdalen. “The Red Cross, Norwegian People’s Aid and Norwegian Rescue Dogs are present in the area,” Troms Police District informs. The area is located in Inner Troms, where there was considerable avalanche risk on Wednesday, according to the hazard warning from Varsom.no. The missing persons are a Swedish woman and three Finnish men, the police tell the Swedish news agency TT. They had been on a top tour in the area. “We have at present between 30 and 50 personnel working flat out in the area. There will be crews on duty on a continuous basis,” Augensen informs NTB at 7.45 pm on Wednesday. The search is concentrated around the areas where there have been several avalanches. A Sea King helicopter continues with further searches in the area throughout the evening, the police state. An ambulance helicopter from the University Hospital of Northern Norway also assists, and transports rescue crews to the area. “The conditions are dangerous in the mountain. There is a large danger of avalanches and a shitload of snow,“ Augesen explains. There are reportedly no cabins in the mountain area that the missing hikers may have sought shelter in. The four were last observed around 2 pm. After a few hours, the fifth person in the hiking group became worried – and notified the police.[SEP]A group of four Swedes are missing on Blåbærfjellet (Blueberry Mountain) in Troms. It has been several smaller avalanches in the area recently. It is uncertain whether the group is buried by an avalanche. The Swedish hiking group was last observed around 2 pm. After a few hours, a fifth member of the group became worried and notified the police. “He reports that it is dark in the mountain and that there have been several smaller avalanches in the area,” Operations Manager in the Troms Police District, Morten Augensen, tells NTB. The hiking group consists of four persons from Sweden who have returned from a top tour to Blåbærtinden (the peak). The police and ambulance helicopters are on their way to the area. Volunteer rescue teams are notified, Troms Police District Tweets just before 5 pm on Wednesday. “We hope that everything is well with them, but want to check out the area to be on the safe side,” Augesen informs. Blåbærfjellet is located in Inner Troms, where there is considerable avalanche risk on Wednesday, according to Varsom.no.[SEP]Jammu: An Indian soldier was killed and another injured in an avalanche in the forward area of Jammu and Kashmir`s Poonch district on Thursday. Police sources said the avalanche hit an Army post around 4 a.m. along the Line of Control (LoC). "Two soldiers were trapped under the avalanche. A rescue operation was immediately started and both were taken out of the debris. "One of the soldiers identified as Lance Naik Sapan Mehra has succumbed to his injuries while the other has been shifted to a hospital for treatment," an official said.[SEP]A soldier was killed and another injured in an avalanche in the forward area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday. “Two soldiers were trapped under the avalanche. A rescue operation was immediately started and both were taken out of the debris. “One of the soldiers identified as Lance Naik Sapan Mehra has succumbed to his injuries while the other has been shifted to a hospital for treatment,” an official told IANS. In one of the worst tragedies in Siachen, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and nine other jawans of Madras Regiment were buried after their post was hit by an avalanche in February 2016 at an altitude of 19,600 feet close to the Line of Control (LoC). Lance Naik Hanaman Thappa, who was buried under 25 feet of snow, was miraculously found alive in a critical condition after six days of rescue efforts.

Four skiers—three Finnish men and a Swedish woman—are killed in an avalanche near the Blåbærfjellet mountain in Troms, Norway.

Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi told NBC's "Today" show in an interview set to air Thursday that she will not provide President Donald Trump with the border wall funding he has demanded and shut down the government over. Asked by NBC's Savannah Guthrie if she was willing to give up any money specifically for the border wall, Pelosi said "no." "We can go through the back and forth," Pelosi said in a clip that aired on MSNBC on Wednesday. "No. How many more times can we say no? Nothing for the wall." Pelosi's comments come one day before she is set to take over the House speakership on Thursday. The government shutdown has now stretched into its second week, with hundreds of thousands of government workers furloughed from their jobs. Read more on this story on NBCNews.com, and watch the interview on NBC Nightly News tonight and "Today" on Thursday morning.[SEP]President Donald Trump gave a preview of his border wall plans on Monday, saying that the choice of materials is being shaped by input from the Border Patrol. During his 2016 campaign for the White House, Trump often spoke of his vision of a 30-foot concrete barrier that would reduce illegal immigration across America’s Southern Border. On Monday, he said that his initial vision has evolved thanks to the help of those who guard the border. He also responded to media coverage of a Los Angeles Times interview with outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly that was published Sunday where Kelly downplayed the idea of a solid concrete “wall” on the border of the United States and Mexico. “An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media. Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!” Trump tweeted. The composition of the border wall became a media tempest after Kelly said that the massive, concrete, sea-to-sea barrier often envisioned by Trump supporters is not in the cards. “To be honest, it’s not a wall,” Kelly told the Los Angeles Times. Kelly, who served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security at the start of the Trump administration, said Border Patrol agents told him a variety of approaches were needed across the vastly different terrain of the border. “They said, ‘Well we need a physical barrier in certain places, we need technology across the board, and we need more people,’” he said. “The president still says ‘wall’ — oftentimes, frankly, he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing,’ now he’s tended toward steel slats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it.” Although Kelly and Trump might use different words, in the interview, Kelly said that the purpose remained the same. “We do have an immigration problem,” he said. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that while “wall” remains the administration’s word of choice to describe the final product, there has been no secret that Trump’s expectation is more nuanced than massive slabs of concrete end to end. The interview is here. The “wall” discussion starts about the 5-minute mark. “I think many people who don’t want to fess up to border security and get Congress to do its job and close the loopholes insist it’s a wall, wall, wall,” she told CNN. “The president has said, he said last week, and he tweeted out pictures of steel slats. Things are already happening in California in terms of that.” Conway said the goal is to get the job done. “It really depends on what Customs and Border Patrol says they need. And they have said they need barriers. The president says a wall — barriers, the president says they need steel slats. They need technological enhancements,” she said. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]Likely next House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiUS conservative leader: China is more 'fragile than we realize' Ten notable Democrats who do not favor impeachment Majority fear mass shooting in their community: poll MORE (D-Calif.) reaffirmed that Democrats will not give in to President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump awards Medal of Valor, civilian honors to responders in Dayton and El Paso shootings Texas Democrats unveil 'path to victory' plan for 2020 The Hill's 12:30 Report: Congress returns with gun violence, funding atop agenda MORE’s demand for $5 billion for a border wall as part of any legislation to end a partial government shutdown. “Nothing for the wall,” she said in an interview for NBC’s “Today” show set to air Thursday morning. "Are you willing to come up and give him some of this money for the wall?" -@SavannahGuthrie "No." -@NancyPelosi "Because apparently that's the sticking point." -Guthrie "No, no. Nothing for the wall." -Pelosi Full exclusive interview tomorrow on TODAY pic.twitter.com/6zHKXJjPbb — TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 2, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT Democrats, who will officially take the House majority on Thursday, have repeatedly said they will not include any funding for a border wall as part of a spending bill to end the shutdown, which entered its 12th day Wednesday. Pelosi and other congressional leaders huddled with the president at the White House Wednesday for an ultimately fruitless negotiation to try to bridge the differences between the two ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. However, Trump has shown no signs of letting up on his desire to attain funding for his signature campaign promise, saying at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, “The United States needs a physical barrier. It needs a wall,” adding that parts of the government will remain closed for “as long as it takes.” Democrats plan to vote on legislation Thursday that would end the shutdown, but without border wall money. “We are asking the president to open up the government,” Pelosi said outside the White House following Wednesday’s meeting. “We are giving him a Republican path to do that. Why would he not do it?” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has already said the bill is a “non-starter,” and Trump invited congressional leaders to return to the White House on Friday to continue negotiations. The White House last week proposed roughly $2.1 billion in wall funding plus hundreds of millions more for general border security, but Democratic leaders did not respond to the proposal. However, Trump said Wednesday he would reject that amount regardless of what Democrats decide, sticking to his demand for $5 billion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMajority fear mass shooting in their community: poll Top Democrats press Trump on background checks legislation The Hill's Morning Report - Congress returns: What to expect MORE (R-Ky.) has said he would not bring any spending bill to the floor that Trump himself has not publicly endorsed. Congressional Republicans have become increasingly wary of voting on any stopgap legislation after Trump signaled last month he would sign a Senate-passed bill that did not include border funding, only to say he would not sign it after facing backlash from conservative allies in the media and on Capitol Hill. The shutdown has resulted in the furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal employees and the shuttering of several government agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Agriculture, Treasury, Commerce, Justice, Interior and State, among others.[SEP]As the partial government shutdown continues into its second week, President Trump has invited a bipartisan group of top lawmakers to the White House for talks, two congressional sources say. The meeting, described as a "briefing" on "border security," would take place Wednesday, a day before Democrats are set to take over the House, the sources tell NPR's Scott Detrow. The White House has not responded to questions about the invitation, which was first reported by Politico. But President Trump hinted at the talks in a New Year's Day tweet. "Border Security and the Wall 'thing' and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?" Trump asked. Replying to Trump's tweet, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is set to take over as speaker, wrote that the president "has given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly & quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible #TrumpShutdown." Trump has insisted on $5.7 billion for a southern border wall, but Democratic congressional leaders have stood firm against the funding. The House is expected to vote on a funding bill to end the partial government shutdown on Thursday. That's the first day of the new Congress, when Democrats will take control of the chamber and are expected to elect Pelosi as speaker. According to Pelosi, the legislation will include the full-year appropriations for six of the seven outstanding funding bills. And it would provide stopgap funding until Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the fight over border wall funding is contained. "It is important to note that these bills contain no new wall funding," Pelosi said in a letter Tuesday to Democratic House members. About 800,000 federal employees are furloughed during the partial shutdown or are working without pay. On Friday, Trump issued an executive order freezing the salary rates for civilian federal workers.[SEP]Likely incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Democrats will not give President Donald Trump funding for his desired wall along the US southern border. "No, no," Pelosi says in a tweeted clip from an interview with the "TODAY" show. "Nothing for the wall." Pelosi was responding to a question from anchor Savannah Guthrie, who asked if Democrats were "willing to come up and give him some of this money for the wall?" "Because apparently that's the sticking point," Guthrie says. Pelosi said Democrats would give money for "border security" but not a wall. The interview will air on Thursday — which is both day 13 of a partial government shutdown that has centered around funding for the wall, and the day that the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives. The partial government shutdown began after no deal was reached by the end of December 21. President Trump said he would not sign a stopgap continuing resolution to fund part of the government until February 8. The Senate passed the stopgap bill with the understanding that the president would sign it, however, after criticism from those on his base, Trump changed course. House Republicans — before giving up their majority — passed a spending bill with $5.7 billion for the wall. That bill, however, does not have the 60 votes in the Senate needed to pass. Read more: Trump rants about the government shutdown, stock market 'glitches,' Tom Cruise, and more during wild Cabinet meeting As Business Insider's Bob Bryan reported, around 75% of the government was funded through a series of bills passed prior to the wall-related impasse (five of 12 were passed). However, nine federal agencies were not funded, impacting roughly 800,000 federal workers; 420,000 must work without pay, while the rest are furloughed until the shutdown is over. The shutdown, which was the third of 2018 (and spilled over into 2019), is affecting national monuments in Washington, DC and national parks around the country. On Wednesday, Trump met with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, but no deal was made. On January 3, the Democrats take control of the House, and on Monday they unveiled bills that would open the government but not provide funding for the border wall. Trump asked leaders to meet again on Friday.[SEP]Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi told NBC's "Today" show in an interview set to air Thursday that she will not provide President Donald Trump with the border wall funding he has demanded and shut down the government over. Asked by NBC's Savannah Guthrie if she was willing to give up any money specifically for the border wall, Pelosi said "no." "We can go through the back and forth," Pelosi said in a clip that aired on MSNBC on Wednesday. "No. How many more times can we say no? Nothing for the wall." Pelosi added that the shutdown has "nothing to do with" Democrats, saying Trump is holding the federal government hostage so that he can fulfill his campaign promise to build a border wall — one she noted he pledged Mexico would fund. "That is so ridiculous: A. Mexico's not paying for it...and B. We have better use of funds to protect our border," Pelosi said. "The president knows that." Her comments come one day before she is set to take over the House speakership on Thursday. The government shutdown has now stretched into its second week, with hundreds of thousands of government workers furloughed from their jobs. Earlier Wednesday, Trump said at a Cabinet meeting that the shutdown will last "as long as it takes," adding that it "could be a long time, or it could be quickly." Congress was unable to agree on a spending measure to keep the government open last month once the president insisted he would not sign such legislation unless it included $5 billion in funding for a massive wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. House Democrats will quickly move to pass short-term spending legislation upon taking control on Thursday, although it is unlikely that measure would pass the Senate and be signed by Trump. Read more on this story on NBCNews.com, and watch the interview on NBC Nightly News tonight and "Today" on Thursday morning.[SEP]As the partial government shutdown continues into its second week, President Trump has invited a bipartisan group of top lawmakers to the White House for talks, two congressional sources say. The meeting, described as a "briefing" on "border security," would take place Wednesday, a day before Democrats are set to take over the House, the sources tell NPR's Scott Detrow. The White House has not responded to questions about the invitation, which was first reported by Politico. But President Trump hinted at the talks in a New Year's Day tweet. "Border Security and the Wall 'thing' and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?" Trump asked. Replying to Trump's tweet, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is set to take over as speaker, wrote that the president "has given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly & quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible #TrumpShutdown." Trump has insisted on $5.7 billion for a southern border wall, but Democratic congressional leaders have stood firm against the funding. The House is expected to vote on a funding bill to end the partial government shutdown on Thursday. That's the first day of the new Congress, when Democrats will take control of the chamber and are expected to elect Pelosi as speaker. According to Pelosi, the legislation will include the full-year appropriations for six of the seven outstanding funding bills. And it would provide stopgap funding until Feb. 8 for the Department of Homeland Security, which is where the fight over border wall funding is contained. "It is important to note that these bills contain no new wall funding," Pelosi said in a letter Tuesday to Democratic House members. About 800,000 federal employees are furloughed during the partial shutdown or are working without pay. On Friday, Trump issued an executive order freezing the salary rates for civilian federal workers.[SEP]Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi told NBC’s “Today” that Democrats will wait and see what comes out of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report before deciding whether to impeach President Donald Trump. Pelosi said in the exclusive interview, which aired Thursday, that impeachment "would be” very divisive, adding: “We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason.” Soon to regain control of the House, Democrats will be able to pass articles of impeachment against the president, where they would then advance to the Senate for a trial. But with the Senate having a slight GOP majority, it’s unlikely that Trump would face a conviction and removal from office. Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian officials. Already, Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and former attorney Michael Cohen have entered guilty pleas to charges stemming from the investigation. Asked by “Today’s” Savannah Guthrie about the Department of Justice’s guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted, Pelosi said that was not settled law. She added that “everything indicates” a “president can be indicted after he is no longer president of the United States.” On negotiating with Trump, Pelosi said “you have to ... stipulate to some fact.” “It’s hard to do that with the president because he resists science, evidence, data, truth,” Pelosi said. “It’s hard to pin the president down on the facts.” But she believes Democrats and the president can work together in a positive way “now that the president is more acclimated to the fact that he's dealing with a Democratic majority in the Congress of the United States.”[SEP]President Donald Trump gave a preview of his border wall plans on Monday, saying that the choice of materials is being shaped by input from the Border Patrol. During his 2016 campaign for the White House, Trump often spoke of his vision of a 30-foot concrete barrier that would reduce illegal immigration across America’s Southern Border. On Monday, he said that his initial vision has evolved thanks to the help of those who guard the border. He also responded to media coverage of a Los Angeles Times interview with outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly that was published Sunday where Kelly downplayed the idea of a solid concrete “wall” on the border of the United States and Mexico. “An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media. Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!” Trump tweeted. The composition of the border wall became a media tempest after Kelly said that the massive, concrete, sea-to-sea barrier often envisioned by Trump supporters is not in the cards. “To be honest, it’s not a wall,” Kelly told the Los Angeles Times. Kelly, who served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security at the start of the Trump administration, said Border Patrol agents told him a variety of approaches were needed across the vastly different terrain of the border. “They said, ‘Well we need a physical barrier in certain places, we need technology across the board, and we need more people,’” he said. “The president still says ‘wall’ — oftentimes, frankly, he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing,’ now he’s tended toward steel slats. But we left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it.” Although Kelly and Trump might use different words, in the interview, Kelly said that the purpose remained the same. “We do have an immigration problem,” he said. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that while “wall” remains the administration’s word of choice to describe the final product, there has been no secret that Trump’s expectation is more nuanced than massive slabs of concrete end to end. The interview is here. The “wall” discussion starts about the 5-minute mark. “I think many people who don’t want to fess up to border security and get Congress to do its job and close the loopholes insist it’s a wall, wall, wall,” she told CNN. “The president has said, he said last week, and he tweeted out pictures of steel slats. Things are already happening in California in terms of that.” Conway said the goal is to get the job done. “It really depends on what Customs and Border Patrol says they need. And they have said they need barriers. The president says a wall — barriers, the president says they need steel slats. They need technological enhancements,” she said. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]By ZEKE MILLER and LISA MASCARO, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump invited congressional leaders from each chamber to a White House briefing on border security Wednesday as the partial government shutdown wore on over funding for a border wall, with Trump tweeting: “Let’s make a deal?” The briefing would happen the day before the Democrats take control of the House, but the exact agenda wasn’t immediately clear, according to a person with knowledge of the briefing who was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The invite comes after House Democrats released their plan to re-open the government without approving money for a border wall — unveiling two bills to fund shuttered government agencies and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job. They planned to pass them as soon as the new Congress convened Thursday. Trump spent the weekend saying that Democrats should return to Washington to negotiate, firing off Twitter taunts. He then revised his aides’ comments to state that he really still wants to build a border wall. And last week, he blamed House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi for the impasse that led to the shutdown. On Tuesday morning, after tweeting a New Year’s message to “EVERYONE INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA,” Trump tweeted, “The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security.” But he seemed to shift tactics later in the day, appealing to Pelosi, who is expected to take over as speaker when the new Congress convenes. “Border Security and the Wall ‘thing’ and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let’s make a deal?” he tweeted. Whether the Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, would consider the Democratic bills — or if Trump would sign either into law — was unclear. McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart said Senate Republicans would not take action without Trump’s backing. “It’s simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won’t sign,” Stewart said. Even if only symbolic, the passage of the bills in the House would put fresh pressure on the president. At the same time, administration officials said Trump was in no rush for a resolution to the impasse. Trump believes he has public opinion on his side and, at very least, his base of supporters behind him, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. White House officials, including the departing chief of staff, had indicated that Trump’s signature campaign pledge to build the wall would not be fulfilled as advertised. Chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Sunday that Trump abandoned the notion of “a solid concrete wall early on in the administration.” The Democratic package to end the shutdown would include one bill to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels — with $1.3 billion for border security, far less than the $5 billion Trump has said he wants for the wall — through Feb. 8 as talks continued. It would also include another measure to fund the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by the partial shutdown. It would provide money through the remainder of the fiscal year, to Sept. 30. Democrats under Pelosi were all but certain to swiftly approve the package in two separate votes Thursday. They would take place after the election of a new House speaker, a contest Pelosi was expected to win as leader of the new House majority. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the House proposal. Republican senators left for the holidays refusing to vote on any bills until all sides, including Trump, were in agreement. The lawmakers were frustrated that Trump had dismissed their earlier legislation. The president has not said he would veto the Democratic legislation, if the bills were to land on his desk. But a prolonged crisis could hobble House Democrats’ ability to proceed with their agenda, which included investigations of the president and oversight of his administration, including Russian interference in the election. At least one Republican, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, encouraged Trump to use the budget impasse as an opportunity to address issues beyond the border wall. But a previous attempt to reach a compromise that addressed the status of “Dreamers” — young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children — broke down last year as a result of escalating White House demands. Graham said Trump was “open minded” about his proposal The partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday. Democrats have remained committed to blocking any funding for the wall. With neither side engaging in substantive negotiation, the effect of the partial shutdown was set to spread and to extend into the new year. ___ Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

President Trump and congressional leaders fail to resolve their political differences over federal funding for the border barrier, with Pelosi stating that the president will receive "nothing for the wall" from her party.

RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued an executive order on Wednesday making the Agriculture Ministry responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists. FILE PHOTO: Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro gestures after receiving the presidential sash from outgoing President Michel Temer at the Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes/File Photo The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, strips power over land claim decisions from indigenous affairs agency FUNAI. It says the Agriculture Ministry will now be responsible for “identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people.” The move stoked concern among environmentalists and rights groups that the far-right president, who took office on Tuesday, will open up the vast Amazon rainforest and other ecologically sensitive areas of Brazil to greater commercial exploitation. The executive order also moves the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Environment Ministry, under Agriculture Ministry control. Additionally, the decree states that the Agriculture Ministry will be in charge of the management of public forests. Bolsonaro, who enjoys strong support from Brazil’s powerful agribusiness sector, said during his campaign he was considering such a move, arguing that protected lands should be opened to commercial activities. Brazil’s 900,000 indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of the population, but live on lands that stretch for 106.7 million hectares (264 million acres), or 12.5 pct of the national territory. “Less than a million people live in these isolated places in Brazil, where they are exploited and manipulated by NGOs,” Bolsonaro tweeted, referring to non-profit groups. “Let us together integrate these citizens and value all Brazilians.” Critics say Bolsonaro’s plan to open indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society. Environmentalists say the native peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest and is vital for climate stability. Adding to the gloom for NGOs, Bolsonaro also signed an executive order to give his government potentially far-reaching and restrictive powers over non-governmental organizations working in Brazil. The temporary decree mandates that the office of the Government Secretary, Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz, “supervise, coordinate, monitor and accompany the activities and actions of international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the national territory.” GOOD NEWS FOR FARM LOBBY After she was sworn in on Wednesday, new Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias defended the farm sector from accusations it has grown at the expense of the environment, adding that the strength of Brazil’s farmers had generated “unfounded accusations” from unnamed international groups. Dias used to be the head of the farm caucus in Brazil’s Congress, which has long pushed for an end to land measures that it argues hold back the agricultural sector. “Brazil is a country with extremely advanced environmental legislation and is more than able to preserve its native forests,” Dias said. “Our country is a model to be followed, never a transgressor to be punished.” In comments to reporters after her speech, she said that decisions over land rights disputes were a new responsibility for the Agriculture Ministry. However, she indicated that in practice, the demarcation of land limits would fall to a council of ministries, without giving further details. Bartolomeu Braz, the president of the national chapter of Aprosoja, a major grain growers association, cheered Wednesday’s move to transfer indigenous land demarcation to the Agriculture Ministry. “The new rules will be interesting to the farmers and the Indians, some of whom are already producing soybeans. The Indians want to be productive too,” he added. ENVIRONMENTAL FEARS Three-time presidential candidate and former Environment Minister Marina Silva, who was beaten by Bolsonaro in October’s election, reacted with horror to the move. “Bolsonaro has begun his government in the worst possible way,” she wrote on Twitter. Dinamã Tuxá, a member of Brazil’s Association of Indigenous Peoples, said many isolated communities viewed Bolsonaro’s administration with fear. “We are very afraid because Bolsonaro is attacking indigenous policies, rolling back environmental protections, authorizing the invasion of indigenous territories and endorsing violence against indigenous peoples,” said Tuxá. Under the new plan, the indigenous affairs agency FUNAI will be moved into a new ministry for family, women and human rights. Slideshow (2 Images) A former army captain and longtime member of Congress, Bolsonaro said at his inauguration on Tuesday that he had freed the country from “socialism and political correctness.” An admirer of Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has suggested he will follow the U.S. president’s lead and pull out of the Paris climate change accord. In addition to the indigenous lands decree, the new administration issued decrees affecting the economy and society on Wednesday, while forging closer ties with the United States.[SEP]Brazil's newly inaugurated president issued an executive order on Wednesday making the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for deciding on lands claimed by Indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists. During his presidential campaign, far-right Jair Bolsonaro said he was considering placing Indigenous affairs under the Ministry of Agriculture, alleging lands should be opened to commercial activities that are currently banned. Bolsonaro has now decided to move Indigenous affairs agency FUNAI into a new ministry for family, women and human rights. As a result, key decisions on land claims will be in the hands of an Ministry of Agriculture with deep ties to Brazil's powerful farm sector. Critics say Bolsonaro's plan to open Indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society. Environmentalists say the local Indigenous peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, which is vital for climate stability. A former army captain, Bolsonaro took office in Brazil on Tuesday saying he had freed the country from "socialism and political correctness." His supporters hope he will cut through red tape to kick-start the economy, tackle violent drug gangs and run a graft-free government. Others fear he will unleash bloodshed by making guns more readily available and roll back social victories for minorities.[SEP]SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued an executive order on Wednesday making the Agriculture Ministry responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists. The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, strips power over land claim decisions from indigenous affairs agency FUNAI. It hands it to the Agriculture Ministry, which will now be responsible for “identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people.” The move is likely to stoke concern among environmentalists and rights groups that the far-right new president, who took office on Tuesday, will open up the vast Amazon rainforest and other ecologically sensitive areas of Brazil to greater commercial exploitation. The executive order also moves the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Environment Ministry, under the control of the Agriculture Ministry. Additionally, the decree states that the Agriculture Ministry will be in charge of the management of public forests. Bolsonaro, who enjoys strong support from Brazil’s powerful agribusiness sector, said during his campaign he was considering such a move, arguing that currently protected lands should be opened to commercial activities. Brazil’s 900,000 indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of the population, but live on lands that stretch for 106.7 million hectares (264 million acres), or 12.5 pct of the national territory. Tereza Cristina Dias, Bolsonaro’s new agriculture minister, used to be the head of the farm caucus in Brazil’s Congress, which has long pushed for an end to land measures that it argues hold back the agricultural sector. Bartolomeu Braz, the president of the national chapter of Aprosoja, a major grain growers association, cheered Wednesday’s move. “We support the initiative of transferring to the agriculture ministry the responsibility of demarcating indigenous land,” he said. “The new rules will be interesting to the farmers and the Indians, some of whom are already producing soybeans. The Indians want to be productive too,” he added. Critics say Bolsonaro’s plan to open indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society. Environmentalists say the native peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest and is vital for climate stability. “We are very afraid because Bolsonaro is attacking indigenous policies, rolling back environmental protections, authorizing the invasion of indigenous territories and endorsing violence against indigenous peoples,” said Dinamã Tuxá, a member of Brazil’s Association of Indigenous Peoples. A former army captain and longtime member of Congress, Bolsonaro said at his inauguration on Tuesday that he had freed the country from “socialism and political correctness.” A strong admirer of Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has suggested he will follow the U.S. president’s lead and pull out of the Paris climate change accord. His supporters hope he will cut through red tape to kick-start the economy, tackle violent drug gangs and run a graft-free government. Others fear he will unleash bloodshed by making guns more readily available and roll back social gains for minorities. Under the new plan, the indigenous affairs agency FUNAI will be moved into a new ministry for family, women and human rights. During her inauguration as agriculture minister on Wednesday, Dias did not mention the executive order, but sought to defend the farm sector from accusations it has grown at the expense of the environment, saying Brazil has some of the world’s toughest environmental laws. She also promised a streamlining of bureaucracy and increased rule of law in the agricultural sector.[SEP]SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil’s newly inaugurated President Jair Bolsonaro has issued an executive order saying that the ministry of agriculture will be responsible for indigenous land in a victory for agribusiness that is likely to enrage environmentalists, according to the official gazette on Wednesday. During his presidential campaign, Bolsonaro had said that he was considering placing indigenous affairs under the ministry of agriculture, alleging lands should be opened to commercial activities that are currently banned. A former army captain, Bolsonaro took office in Brazil on Tuesday saying he had freed the country from “socialism and political correctness.”[SEP]SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued an executive order on Wednesday making the Agriculture Ministry responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists. The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, strips power over land claim decisions from indigenous affairs agency FUNAI. It says the Agriculture Ministry will now be responsible for “identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people.” The move stoked concern among environmentalists and rights groups that the far-right new president, who took office on Tuesday, will open up the vast Amazon rainforest and other ecologically sensitive areas of Brazil to greater commercial exploitation. The executive order also moves the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Environment Ministry, under Agriculture Ministry control. Additionally, the decree states that the Agriculture Ministry will be in charge of the management of public forests. Bolsonaro, who enjoys strong support from Brazil’s powerful agribusiness sector, said during his campaign he was considering such a move, arguing that protected lands should be opened to commercial activities. Brazil’s 900,000 indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of the population, but live on lands that stretch for 106.7 million hectares (264 million acres), or 12.5 pct of the national territory. “Less than a million people live in these isolated places in Brazil, where they are exploited and manipulated by NGOs,” Bolsonaro tweeted, referring to non-profit groups. “Let us together integrate these citizens and value all Brazilians.” New Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias used to be the head of the farm caucus in Brazil’s Congress, which has long pushed for an end to land measures that it argues hold back the agricultural sector. After she was sworn in on Wednesday, Dias defended the sector from accusations it has grown at the expense of the environment, adding that the strength of Brazil’s farmers had generated “unfounded accusations” from unnamed international groups. “Brazil is a country with extremely advanced environmental legislation and is more than able to preserve its native forests,” Dias said. “Our country is a model to be followed, never a transgressor to be punished.” Bartolomeu Braz, the president of the national chapter of Aprosoja, a major grain growers association, cheered Wednesday’s move. “We support the initiative of transferring to the agriculture ministry the responsibility of demarcating indigenous land,” he said. “The new rules will be interesting to the farmers and the Indians, some of whom are already producing soybeans. The Indians want to be productive too,” he added. Critics say Bolsonaro’s plan to open indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society. Environmentalists say the native peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest and is vital for climate stability. Three-time presidential candidate and former Environment Minister Marina Silva, who was beaten by Bolsonaro in October’s election, reacted with horror at the move. “Bolsonaro has begun his government in the worst possible way,” she wrote on Twitter. Dinamã Tuxá, a member of Brazil’s Association of Indigenous Peoples, said many isolated communities viewed Bolsonaro’s administration with fear. “We are very afraid because Bolsonaro is attacking indigenous policies, rolling back environmental protections, authorizing the invasion of indigenous territories and endorsing violence against indigenous peoples,” said Tuxá. Under the new plan, the indigenous affairs agency FUNAI will be moved into a new ministry for family, women and human rights. A former army captain and longtime member of Congress, Bolsonaro said at his inauguration on Tuesday that he had freed the country from “socialism and political correctness.” An admirer of Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has suggested he will follow the U.S. president’s lead and pull out of the Paris climate change accord. His supporters hope he will slash red tape to kick-start the economy, tackle violent gangs and run a graft-free government. Others fear he will unleash bloodshed by making guns more readily available and roll back social gains for minorities.[SEP]Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has decreed the FUNAI agency in charge of indigenous affairs will no longer have a say over creating and defining the boundaries of lands occupied by indigenous people (AFP Photo/CARL DE SOUZA) Brasília (AFP) - Brazil's new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has stripped an agency of the responsibility to demarcate indigenous lands in a move that has unsettled native rights groups and even some farm businesses that will benefit. The decree published late Tuesday marked Bolsonaro's first order since taking office earlier that same day. It stipulates that the FUNAI agency in charge of indigenous affairs will no longer have a say over creating and defining the boundaries of lands occupied by indigenous people in Brazil. Instead, the agriculture ministry will take over those functions. Bolsonaro has said he intends to loosen regulations holding back farming and mining interests in Brazil, including those relating to nature preservation and indigenous land. Part of his proposed reform is to bring FUNAI under the ministry in charge of human rights, instead of the justice ministry where it is currently placed. He had planned to merge to merge the agriculture and environment ministries but backtracked when that provoked an outcry. Bolsonaro, a far-right veteran lawmaker, won election in October by promising a pro-business, anti-crime agenda. To pass legislation, he will rely on lobbies in Congress representing the interests of agribusiness and a burgeoning evangelical movement, instead of reaching out to the leaders of other parties. "You see? The dismantlement has already started. FUNAI is no longer responsible for the identification, delimitation and demarcation of indigenous lands," a far-left indigenous leader, Sonia Guajajara, tweeted. Agribusiness lobbyists also expressed concern, fearing that trade sanctions could end up being slapped on Brazilian agricultural exports by countries in favor of nature preservation.[SEP]Brazil's new president is making it all but impossible for lands of indigenous tribes to be identified and demarcated. President Jair Bolsonaro issued an inauguration day executive order to transfer those responsibilities to Brazil's Agriculture Ministry. The Justice Ministry demarcated the lands of indigenous tribes previously, but far-right leader Bolsonaro made it a campaign promise to change that. His agriculture minister, Tereza Cristina, is part of the agribusiness caucus in Brazil's lower house and an adversary of requests from native tribes. Indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara says the presidential order aims to dismantle protections for Brazilian tribes. Bolsonaro said during the campaign he wanted to annul demarcation decisions made by previous administrations. His order also affects the lands of quilombolas, as descendants of former slaves are known.[SEP]SAO PAULO — Brazil’s new president is making it all but impossible for lands of indigenous tribes to be identified and demarcated. President Jair Bolsonaro issued an inauguration day executive order late Tuesday to transfer those responsibilities to the Agriculture Ministry. The new agriculture minister, Tereza Cristina, is part of the agribusiness caucus in Brazil’s lower house and an adversary of requests from native communities. Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain and longtime congressman, said during his presidential campaign that he would stop making what he calls concessions to native Brazilians. His executive order also affects the lands of “quilombolas,” as descendants of former slaves are known. “Less than one million people live in those places isolated from the real Brazil,” Bolsonaro tweeted Wednesday. “They are explored and manipulated by nonprofits. Together we will integrate those citizens and give value to all Brazilians.” The agriculture minister did not mention indigenous tribes in her first speech on the job Wednesday, which she used to criticize those that in her view consider the Latin American nation “a transgressor to be incriminated” when it comes to climate change. “Unfounded accusations come from all sides, including international organizations,” said Cristina, one of the two women in Bolsonaro’s 22-member Cabinet. The Justice Ministry previously handled demarcation of indigenous lands, through the FUNAI agency, which also oversees other initiatives for indigenous communities such as health care, housing and language preservation. Bolsonaro’s order is raising uncertainties about FUNAI by shifting it to a new ministry for family, women and human rights that is headed by an ultraconservative evangelical pastor. Indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara said the presidential order aims to dismantle protections for Brazil’s indigenous communities. “Does anyone still doubt his promises to exclude us during the campaign?” she asked on Twitter. The new president said last year he also wants to annul demarcation decisions made by previous administrations, but legal experts say recent Brazilian Supreme Court rulings could block such move. Bolsonaro, a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. Pompeo told him that Trump is “very pleased with the relationship that our two countries are on the precipice of beginning to develop.” “He’s also confident that it (the relationship between the U.S. and Brazil) will benefit the world and the set of shared values that we believe we can together advance,” Pompeo said before leaving Brasilia for Colombia. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]SAO PAULO (AP) — Newly installed President Jair Bolsonaro targeted Brazil’s indigenous groups, descendants of slaves and the LGBT community with executive orders in the first hours of his administration, moving quickly after a campaign… SAO PAULO (AP) — Newly installed President Jair Bolsonaro targeted Brazil’s indigenous groups, descendants of slaves and the LGBT community with executive orders in the first hours of his administration, moving quickly after a campaign in which the far-right leader said he would radically overhaul many aspects of life in Latin America’s largest nation. Sao Paulo’s stock market, meanwhile, jumped 3.56 percent to a record closing of 91,012 points as new Cabinet ministers reinforced the intent to privatize state-owned companies and a Brazilian arms maker benefited from Bolsonaro’s plans to loosen gun controls. Similar spikes in stock prices also occurred during the presidential campaign. One of the orders issued late Tuesday, hours after Bolsonaro’s inauguration, likely will make it all but impossible for new lands to be identified and demarcated for indigenous communities. Areas set aside for “Quilombolas,” as descendants of former slaves are known, are also affected by the decision. Another order removed the concerns of the LGBT community from consideration by the new human rights ministry. In a move favorable to his allies in agribusiness, which have criticized giving large swaths of lands to the indigenous, Bolsonaro transferred the responsibilities for delineating indigenous territories from the Justice Ministry to the Agriculture Ministry. The new agriculture minister, Tereza Cristina, is part of the agribusiness caucus in Brazil’s lower house and has opposed requests from native communities. Bolsonaro, a former army captain and longtime congressman, said during his presidential campaign that he would stop making what he calls concessions to native Brazilians and Quilombolas. “Less than one million people live in those places isolated from the real Brazil,” he tweeted Wednesday. “They are explored and manipulated by nonprofits. Together we will integrate those citizens and give value to all Brazilians.” The Justice Ministry previously handled demarcation of indigenous lands through the FUNAI agency, which also oversees other initiatives for indigenous groups such as health care, housing and language preservation. Bolsonaro’s order is raising uncertainties about FUNAI by shifting it to a new ministry for family, women and human rights that is headed by an ultraconservative evangelical pastor. Observatorio do Clima, a network of 45 Brazilian civil society groups, criticized the executive orders, calling them “only the first step on meeting Bolsonaro’s campaign promises of dismantling environmental governance, stripping indigenous peoples of their rights and opening up indigenous lands for business.” “The attack on FUNAI goes beyond the wildest dreams of the rural caucus, who had tried for years to pass a constitutional amendment transferring the demarcation of indigenous lands from the president to Congress,” the nonprofit said. “Bolsonaro solved the problem by transferring them directly to farmers.” The far-right leader said last year that he also wants to annul land demarcation decisions made by previous administrations, but legal experts say recent Brazilian Supreme Court rulings could block such move. New Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta also suggested on Wednesday that there will be spending cuts in health care for the indigenous. “We have figures for the general public that are much below what is spent on health care for the indigenous,” he said, without providing details. In removing LGBT concerns from the responsibilities of the human rights ministry, Bolsonaro did not name any agency to consider such issues. He has strongly criticized what he calls “gender-based ideology,” saying it is a threat to Brazil’s Christian values. Damares Alves, the new human rights minister, did not discuss the LGBT order in her first address on the job, but the evangelical pastor has insisted over the years that “the Brazilian family is being threatened” by diversity policies. On Wednesday, she said: “The state is lay, but this minister is terribly Christian.” Under the new administration, Alves added, “Girls will be princesses and boys will be princes. There will be no more ideological indoctrination of children and teenagers in Brazil.” LGBT activist Symmy Larrat said she doesn’t’ expect reasonable treatment from the Bolsonaro administration. “The human rights ministry discussed our concerns at a body called secretariat of promotion and defense of human rights. That body just disappeared, just like that. We don’t see any signs there will be any other government infrastructure to handle LGBT issues,” she said. The newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported that Bolsonaro will later announce the closing of an agency within the Education Ministry that has been aimed at promoting diversity in public schools and universities. New Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo indirectly criticized the LGBT community as being “those that say they are not men and women.” Also on Wednesday, the Brazilian Press Association criticized restrictions on journalists at Bolsonaro’s inauguration. Reporters had to arrive seven hours before the events began and were forbidden to move freely in Congress and the presidential palace. Food was seized and access to bathrooms and water was limited. “What was seen in different scenarios of Brasilia is incompatible with a democratic regime,” the association said in a statement. “Respect to the press is one of the main indicators of nations that consider themselves civilized.” Bolsonaro’s first day in office sparked a wave of optimism in Brazil’s financial market. Stocks of Brazil’s electric-company Eletrobras soared more than 20 percent. Arms maker Taurus, one of the main allies of the new president, jumped more than 47 percent. Bolsonaro, a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss joint efforts regarding the leftist administrations in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Pompeo told him that Trump is “very pleased with the relationship that our two countries are on the precipice of beginning to develop.” “He’s also confident that it (the relationship between the U.S. and Brazil) will benefit the world and the set of shared values that we believe we can together advance,” Pompeo said before leaving Brasilia for Colombia. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. 2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. Brazil's newly inaugurated president issued an executive order on Wednesday making the ministry of agriculture responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists. SAO PAULO: Brazil's newly inaugurated president issued an executive order on Wednesday making the ministry of agriculture responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists. During his presidential campaign, far-right Jair Bolsonaro said he was considering placing indigenous affairs under the ministry of agriculture, alleging lands should be opened to commercial activities that are currently banned. Bolsonaro has now decided to move indigenous affairs agency FUNAI into a new ministry for family, women and human rights, and so the key decision on land claims will be in the hands of an agriculture ministry with deep ties to Brazil's powerful farm sector. Critics say Bolsonaro's plan to open indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society. Environmentalists say the native peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest that is vital for climate stability. A former army captain, Bolsonaro took office in Brazil on Tuesday saying he had freed the country from "socialism and political correctness." His supporters hope he will cut through red tape to kick-start the economy, tackle violent drug gangs and run a graft-free government. Others fear he will unleash bloodshed by making guns more readily available and roll back social victories for minorities.

President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro issues a decree to place the responsibility for "identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people" on the Ministry of Agriculture, instead of the indigenous peoples affairs agency, FUNAI. The management of public forests also goes to the agriculture ministry. The move is seen as a big win for the industrial agribusiness lobby.

Deir Ezzor, SANA-Eleven civilians from one family were killed on Thursday in an aggression by US-led coalition on residential houses in al-Sha’afa town in Deir Ezzor countryside. Civil sources told SANA reporter that warplanes of the US-led coalition launched an aggression on al-Sha’afa town, under the pretext of combating Deash terrorists, killing 11 citizens from one family. Today’s massacre adds to tens of previous massacres perpetrated by the said coalition on Deir Ezzor countryside. In addition to the martyrs, the aggression caused huge damage in the houses and properties. Mazen[SEP][SEP]The coalition's activities in Syria are not authorized by the Syrian government, nor by the UN Security Council.The Thursday airstrike by the US-led coalition on Syria's eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, Syrian state broadcaster Al Ikhbariya reported. The coalition has pounded the town of Sha'afa.In November, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the US-led coalition had used internationally prohibited cluster bombs in airstrikes on Hajin and Sha'afa. Previously, multiple Syrian media reports alleged that toxic white phosphorus munitions had also been used in the coalition's repeated attacks in the region.The US Defense Department has dismissed the allegations as false, maintaining that the coalition's airstrikes in Syria conform with the laws of armed conflict.The Syrian authorities have repeatedly urged the United Nations to take measures targeting the perpetrators of the attacks and put an end to the coalition's unauthorized presence in Syria.[SEP]The coalition's activities in Syria are not authorized by the Syrian government, nor by the UN Security Council. The Thursday airstrike by the US-led coalition on Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor killed 11 members of one family, Syrian state broadcaster Al Ikhbariya reported. The coalition has pounded the town of Sha'afa. The US Defense Department has dismissed the allegations as false, maintaining that the coalition’s airstrikes in Syria conform with the laws of armed conflict. READ MORE: Israel Wants to Intensify Intel, Ops Cooperation With US in Syria — Netanyahu The Syrian authorities have repeatedly urged the United Nations to take measures targeting the perpetrators of the attacks and put an end to the coalition's unauthorized presence in Syria.[SEP]Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Syrian officials said Thursday a U.S.-led coalition airstrike killed 11 civilians in the residential town of al-Sha'afa in the Deir Ezzor province. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said that the attack in al-Sha'afa damaged homes and other properties. "Civil sources told SANA reporter that warplanes of the US-led coalition launched an aggression on al-Sha'afa town, under the pretext of combating (Islamic State) terrorists, killing 11 citizens from one family," the agency said, calling the victims martyrs. "Today's massacre adds to tens of previous massacres perpetrated by the said coalition on Deir Ezzor countryside." The state-run Russian news agency TASS said there have been at least 1,139 civilians killed in Iraq and Syria as a result of strikes from the coalition since the summer of 2014, according to coalition data. The U.S.-led coalition has been fighting the Islamic State in the region and has frequently been at odds with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, particularly over Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians. The Moscow Times reported a Russian woman, 35, and child, 4, were among the dead, according to Chechnyan human rights council member Kheda Saratova Friday. "I urge everyone who is able to influence this situation to help stop the killing of innocent children," Saratova, state-run RIA Novosti said. Saratova said that 15 women had called for help returning their daughters and grandchildren from Syria. "These women essentially fell hostage to terrorists," Saratova said. "Now they're surrounded, killed by bombs and are pleading their relatives for help." In December, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing all U.S. troops, about 2,000, out of Syria and proclaimed ISIS had been defeated there. That spurred the resignation of his then-Defense Secretary James Mattis. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said last week, though, that Trump was slowing his withdrawal in the country.[SEP]Deir Ezzor, SANA- Ten civilians among them children were killed after the US-led coalition shelled al-Kishkiah town in Deir Ezzor , less than 24 hours after its massacre against civilians al-Sha’afa village. Local sources told SANA reporter that a house in al-Kishkiah was razed when warplanes of the US-led coalition launched an aggression on the town located on the left bank of the Euphrates River in the southeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor under the pretext of combating Daesh terrorists in Syria and Iraq, killing ten civilians , including four children.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state media say that a U.S.-led coalition aerial attack killed 11 civilians in Deir ez-Zor Governorate.

(Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N) said on Thursday it would buy Celgene Corp (CELG.O) for about $74 billion, combining two of the world’s largest cancer drug businesses in the biggest pharmaceutical deal ever. Both Bristol-Myers and Celgene face separate challenges, and some Wall Street analysts questioned whether the combination - which the companies said would create $2.5 billion in cost savings and significantly raise earnings - would solve them. Amid clinical setbacks and other missteps, Bristol-Myers shares fell 15.2 percent in 2018 while Celgene plunged nearly 40 percent last year. Bristol’s most important cancer immunotherapy and growth driver, Opdivo, has lost much of its luster as Merck & Co’s (MRK.N) rival drug Keytruda seized dominance in advanced lung cancer, the most lucrative oncology market. Meanwhile, Celgene has endured high-profile clinical failures and U.S. exclusivity on its flagship multiple myeloma drug, Revlimid, will start being phased out in 2022. On Thursday, Bristol’s stock ended another 13.3 percent lower at $45.12. “Doing this transaction clearly indicates that risk to Opdivo in lung cancer is obviously a concern,” SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst John Boris said in an interview. There is also shareholder concern that drugs in development would not have enough sales to offset major products losing exclusivity between 2022 and 2026. But cash flow from Revlimid buys Bristol-Myers time to pay down debt and position for another transaction, Boris said. Revlimid is expected to record nearly $10 billion in 2018 sales. Celgene shares were up 20.7 percent at $89.43. “Both of them were coming into this year kind of limping,” said Brad Loncar, who runs the Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF. The deal makes “the combined entity a lot stronger,” he added. Including debt, the deal is worth $95 billion, eclipsing Pfizer's $89 billion purchase of Warner-Lambert in 2000, according to Refinitiv. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2RsZ4XS) Some analysts, including Baird Equity’s Brian Skorney, said it raised the possibility of a new era of big drug deals, much like in 2009, when Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), Merck, and Roche Holding AG (ROG.S) all pulled off transformational acquisitions. The news pushed up shares of rivals Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O), Allergan Plc (AGN.N), Biogen Inc (BIIB.O) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (REGN.O). Bristol expects to achieve the $2.5 billion in cost savings by 2022, with 55 percent coming from cuts in sales, general and administrative expenses, 35 percent through reduction in research & development spending and 10 percent from manufacturing. It said the deal will add more than 40 percent to its earnings in the first year after the deal closes, expected in the third quarter of 2019. Under terms of the deal, Celgene shareholders will receive one Bristol-Myers Squibb share and $50 in cash for each share held, or $102.43 per share, a premium of 53.7 percent to Celgene’s Wednesday close. Celgene shareholders will also receive a so-called CVR payment, or contingent value right, of $9 if three treatments in development achieve timely approvals. Those are the high-profile multiple sclerosis drug ozanimod, lymphoma treatment liso-cel by Dec. 31, 2020 and a CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma known as bb2121 from a partnership with bluebird bio (BLUE.O) by March 31, 2021. FILE PHOTO: Logo of global biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb is pictured at building in Le Passage, near Agen, France March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau BLOOD CANCER DOMINANCE “What’s important to us is the sustainability of Celgene’s leadership position in hematology through their pipeline” even after Revlimid loses patent protection, Bristol-Myers Chief Executive Giovanni Caforio said in an interview. His company’s strength has primarily been in solid tumor cancers. The New York-based drugmaker said it expects six product launches over the next two years - five coming from Celgene’s pipeline. It also highlighted promising early clinical assets it would gain with the New Jersey-based biotech. Celgene brings experience with potentially revolutionary CAR-T therapies from its $9 billion purchase of Juno Therapeutics and the bluebird collaboration. The therapy takes immune cells from a patient, engineers them to better recognize and attack cancer and returns them to the patient. The deal could also provide a graceful exit for Celgene CEO Mark Alles, who has only committed to staying through the transition. His rocky tenure included management shakeups and the loss of more than half its market value since October 2017 as an expensive experimental Crohn’s disease drug touted as a future multibillion-dollar product failed and the expected approval of ozanimod was delayed. Alles, on a conference call, urged shareholders to support the deal. Jeremy Bryan, portfolio manager at Gradient Investments, which has small positions in both companies, said the Celgene purchase puts Bristol-Myers “on the clock” to do more deals. “When you have a significant amount of cash coming in in the next three years, it gives you the flexibility ... for deals if they are out there or to buy back significant amounts of stock,” Bryan said. Talks between Bristol and Celgene opened in September, with Bristol approaching Celgene, according to two sources familiar with the matter. FILE PHOTO: Logo of global biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb is pictured on the blouse of an employee in Le Passage, near Agen, France March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau Bristol has obtained fully committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding Inc and MUFG Bank Ltd. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is the lead financial adviser to Bristol-Myers, and Evercore and Dyal Co LLC are its financial advisers. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is its legal counsel. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as lead financial adviser and Citi is the financial adviser to Celgene. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is its legal counsel.[SEP]NEW YORK: New York-based pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb on Thursday (Jan 3) announced it would buy US biotech firm Celgene in a US$74 billion cash-and-stock deal, instantly creating a rival to the world's largest drug manufacturers. The merger plans underscored the companies' efforts to diversify in the field of cancer treatments, with investors in recent months questioning their growth prospects. In the deal, Bristol-Myers Squibb gains Celgene's blockbuster Revlimid treatment for multiple myeloma. The companies said the new entity would also offer nine products with more than US$1 billion in annual sales. Bristol-Myers Squibb Chairman and CEO Giovanni Caforio said in a statement the combined companies would also enjoy "a deep and broad pipeline that will drive sustainable growth." They also pointed to oncology, immunology, inflammation and cardiovascular disease as important growth areas. "We will also benefit from an expanded early- and late-stage pipeline that includes six expected near-term product launches," Caforio said in the statement. Other advantages of the deal include a number of new product launches expected in the next 12 months and extensive cost savings. Executives described company assets as "complementary" and with the potential to create "the preeminent global bio-pharmaceutical company," according to a conference call with analysts. The transaction follows other recent large pharma deals, including French company Sanofi's purchase of US hemophilia group Bioverativ for US$11.6 billion and Novartis' US$8.7 billion acquisition of rare-disease treatment company AveXis. Both companies had been the subject of merger speculation, with investors saying Bristol-Myers's big seller Opdivo, a cancer medication, had lost market share to rival Merck. Celgene meanwhile faced the prospect of mounting competition from copycat drugs as patents begin to expire. The company has said in securities filings that it expects competitors could market generic versions of its Revlimid cancer drug ahead of patent expirations, which Celgene has said will remain in force "at least through 2022." Revlimid accounted for US$8.2 billion in sales in 2017, nearly two-thirds of overall revenues of US$13 billion. Caforio told analysts the company "conducted extensive due diligence" on the intellectual property questions surrounding Revlimid and agreed with Celgene's views, adding that the company's forecasts on the drug were "more conservative" than those of analysts. A slide in an investor presentation Thursday had some generics hitting the Revlimid market in March 2022, with "full generic entry" in January 2026. Bristol-Myers's top two selling drugs last year globally were Opdivo and blood clot drug Eliquis, which together accounted for nearly half the company's 2017 revenues of US$20.8 billion. Bristol-Myers had 23,700 employees at the end of last year, while Celgene had 7,647. Caforio will continue to serve in his chief roles while two members of Celgene's board will hold spots on Bristol-Myers Squibb's board of directors. In remarks made before the announcement, Jeffries trading specialist Jared Holz told Bloomberg that Celgene had been "one of the most disappointing stories" among major healthcare firms, with some of its most promising drugs in development not due to be available before 2020. Under the deal, Bristol-Myers shareholders will own about 69 per cent of the new pharmaceutical giant, while Celgene Shareholders will receive one Bristol-Myers share and US$50 per share of Celgene. The companies expect to close the deal in the third quarter of this year, with earnings per share at Bristol-Myers Squibb swelling by 40 per cent in the first full year. Shares in New Jersey-based Celgene surged 25.1 per cent to US$83.36 in midday trading, while Bristol-Myers Squibb falling 11.8 per cent to US$45.88. Celgene in January of last year announced the acquisition of Seattle-based Juno Therapeutics, which developed treatments for lymphoma, and the blood disease biotech firm Impact Biomedicines, for a total of US$16 billion.[SEP]Bristol-Myers Squibb is spending $74 billion on fellow drugmaker Celgene in a deal aimed at stocking the combined company's development pipeline with cancer, immunology and cardiovascular treatments. Bristol would gain the cancer treatment Revlimid in the cash-and-stock deal announced Thursday, as well as inflammatory disease treatments and several products close to launching. The combined company will have nine products with more than $1 billion in annual sales. Bristol Chairman and CEO Giovanni Caforio said in a prepared statement that the combination will create a deep product portfolio that drives growth. It was a hard sell, however, in premarket trading Thursday. Shares of Bristol plunged more than 15 percent. Celgene soared 31 percent. Under terms of the deal, shareholders of Celgene Corp., based in Summit, N.J., will receive one share of Bristol-Myers Squibb plus $50 in cash for each share they own. They'll also receive one tradeable contingent value right for each Celgene share, allowing the holder to receive a payment when future regulatory milestones are hit. The cash-and-stock portion of the deal total $102.43, based on Wednesday's closing price of $52.43 for Bristol shares. That represents a premium of nearly 54 percent to Celgene's closing price of $66.64. Shareholders of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., based in New York City, would own about 69 percent of the company, with Celgene shareholders owning about 31 percent. Follow @ChiTribBusiness on Facebook and @ChiTribBiz on Twitter.[SEP]Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. agreed to buy rival Celgene Corp. in a deal valued at about $74 billion, combining two leading sellers of cancer drugs and potentially signaling the return of dealmaking to the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, the merged company will have nine products with more than $1 billion each in annual sales—most notably Celgene’s multiple myeloma drug Revlimid and Bristol’s lung-cancer treatment Opdivo.[SEP](Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said on Thursday it would buy Celgene Corp for about $74 billion, creating a major pharma company with several blockbuster cancer drugs as competition in the immunotherapy space heats up. Bristol-Myers pioneered immunotherapy with its Yervoy and later Opdivo, but has come under pressure as Merck & Co’s rival treatment Keytruda moved ahead in market share in lung cancer treatment, the most lucrative oncology market. The deal will create a company with nine treatments bringing in more than $1 billion in annual sales and a significant potential for growth in oncology, immunology and inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Talks opened in September, with Bristol-Myers approaching Celgene, according to a source familiar with the matter. BMO Capital Markets analyst Alex Arfaei said the deal addresses a priority for Bristol to diversify from immunotherapy, calling the acquisition opportunistic but expensive. “This proposed deal does not send a confident signal about Bristol’s independent growth prospects,” Arfaei said in a client note. Increasing competition for main cancer treatments of both companies and clinical setbacks last year have resulted in investor concern over their future prospects. Shares of Celgene have lost 38.6 percent of its value in 2018, while those of Bristol-Meyers have shed 15.2 percent. Last year, Celgene bought experimental cancer drug developer Juno Therapeutics for $9 billion, betting on its chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, known as CAR-T, in a bid to reduce reliance on its mainstay drug, Revlimid. Brad Loncar, chief executive officer of Loncar Investments, said both companies have made significant mistakes and poor investments in acquisitions and partnerships with smaller companies. “Both of them were coming into this year kind of limping. Merging together makes the combined entity a lot stronger,” said Loncar, whose firm runs the Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF. Celgene shareholders will receive one Bristol-Myers Squibb share and $50 in cash for each share held, or $102.43 per share, a premium of 53.7 percent to Celgene’s Wednesday close. Bristol-Myers shares fell 9.5 percent at $47.10, while Celgene shares rose 33.5 percent at $88.95 in premarket trading. Celgene shareholders will also receive one tradeable contingent value right for each share held, which will entitle them to receive a one-time potential payment of $9 in cash upon regulatory approval of ozanimod and liso-cel by Dec. 31, 2020 and bb2121 by March 31, 2021. Bristol-Myers said it expects to speed up a share repurchase program of up to about $5 billion, subject to the closing of the transaction, market conditions and board approval. The companies expect to close the deal in the third quarter of 2019. The cash portion will be funded through a combination of cash on hand and debt financing. The deal is expected to add more than 40 percent to Bristol-Myers’s earnings on a standalone basis in the first full year after the deal closes. Bristol-Myers has obtained fully committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding Inc and MUFG Bank Ltd. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is the lead financial adviser to Bristol-Myers, and Evercore and Dyal Co. LLC are its financial advisers. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is its legal counsel. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as lead financial adviser and Citi is the financial adviser to Celgene. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is its legal counsel.[SEP]Bristol-Myers Squibb agreed to acquire Celgene Corp. in a $74 billion deal that will unite two drugmakers battling for advantage in a crowded market for innovative cancer treatments. Both companies have faced investor wariness about their prospects in recent months. Bristol makes an immunotherapy drug called Opdivo that accounts for roughly a quarter of its sales but that has trailed a rival medication from Merck & Co. Celgene, meanwhile, has been looking for a follow-up for its blockbuster blood-cancer therapy Revlimid. The proposed union of the two companies represents a big bet that combined mass will help overcome the obstacles confronting their respective cornerstone products. If it is approved by shareholders and regulators, the cash-and-stock deal would rank as the largest pharmaceutical-company acquisition ever. Including net debt, the transaction values Celgene at $88.8 billion, surpassing Pfizer Inc.'s deal for Warner-Lambert. Under the proposed terms, Celgene shareholders will receive one Bristol-Myers Squibb share and $50 in cash for each Celgene share, according to a statement from the companies on Thursday. That would value Celgene at $102.43 a share, a 54 percent premium to the stock's closing price on Jan 2. The initial reaction of investors suggested wariness. Celgene shares soared by 29 percent, though were still trading well short of the proposed deal price, at roughly $86.20 at 9:38 a.m. in New York. Bristol shares fell 12 percent to $46.12. Shares of both companies had been beaten down last year. Bristol-Myers shares declined more than 15 percent in 2018, while Celgene shares sank 39 percent. The deal is New York-based Bristol's largest under Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Caforio, and comes after the drugmaker has suffered high-profile setbacks in immuno-oncology, its biggest line of business. Given Opdivo's large and growing share of its revenue, Bristol has been under pressure to diversify its portfolio. In a recent earnings call, Caforio said that the company would look to deals to diversify its pipeline. At various points in recent years as Bristol has stumbled with trial failures, its name has come up as a takeout target itself. In purchasing Celgene, Bristol will get control of one of the most successful cancer drugs of recent years, the top-selling blood-cancer therapy Revlimid, which costs more than $100,000 a year. It will also gain a promising experimental CAR-T therapy being developed by Juno Therapeutics, which Celgene acquired in a $9 billion takeover deal last year. Bristol has had talks with Celgene over the past two years, people familiar with the situation said. Caforio initiated more formal talks in September, the people said, and negotiations accelerated over the past few weeks. Recent declines in biotechnology stocks helped spur the deal on, the people said. Caforio said on a call with analysts on Thursday that the deal "is not about Revlimid" and that the two companies had been discussing a potential tie-up for some time. He said that the combined companies anticipate six product launches over the next 12 to 24 months. "There are concrete, short-term growth opportunities that this will deliver to Bristol-Myers," said Caforio. Despite Revlimid's success, Celgene shares have been hammered over the past year-and-a-half amid investor fear that the company lacks a potent successor to its biggest blockbuster. Revlimid is expected to face increased generic competition in coming years. Summit, New Jersey-based Celgene suffered a series of high profile setbacks including the failure of a once promising therapy in a late-stage clinical trial. The Food and Drug Administration also refused to review an experimental medicine that was expected to be a future growth driver. "The deal generates tremendous immediate-term value that we believe would have taken years for Celgene to achieve," said analysts at Leerink Partners in a note to investors. Celgene's problems aren't unique. Several larger biotechnology companies that have become reliant on huge-selling but older drugs saw their shares suffer in 2018, and some gained on speculation that they could be takeover targets or could find something to buy themselves. Shares of Gilead Sciences Inc., which has seen sales of its blockbuster antiviral medications flag over the past year, were up roughly 3.5 percent in premarket trading. News of the deal came ahead of next week’s JPMorgan Healthcare Conference, an annual industry confab in San Francisco that is frequently a catalyst for mergers and other transactions. Heading into that event, some analysts had grown concerned that a volatile U.S. stock market and a slowdown in activity last year could have a chilling effect on dealmaking.[SEP]Bristol-Myers Squibb is to buy US rival Celgene for about $74bn (£59bn), creating a major pharma company with several blockbuster cancer drugs as competition in the immunotherapy space heats up. Bristol-Myers pioneered immunotherapy with its Yervoy and later Opdivo, but has come under pressure as Merck’s rival treatment Keytruda moved ahead in market share in lung cancer treatment, the most lucrative oncology market. The deal will create a company with nine treatments bringing in more than $1bn in annual sales and a significant potential for growth in oncology, immunology and inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. Talks opened in September, with Bristol-Myers approaching Celgene, according to a source familiar with the matter. BMO Capital Markets analyst Alex Arfaei said the deal addresses a priority for Bristol-Myers to diversify from immunotherapy, calling the acquisition opportunistic but expensive. “This proposed deal does not send a confident signal about Bristol’s independent growth prospects,” Arfaei said in a client note. Increasing competition for main cancer treatments of both companies and clinical setbacks last year have resulted in investor concern over their future prospects. Celgene shares have lost nearly 40% in value in 2018, while those of Bristol-Meyers have shed just over 15%. Last year, Celgene bought experimental cancer drug developer Juno Therapeutics for $9bn, betting on its chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, known as CAR-T, in a bid to reduce reliance on its mainstay drug, Revlimid. Celgene shareholders will receive one Bristol-Myers Squibb share and $50 in cash for each share held, or $102.43 per share, a premium of 53.7% to Celgene’s Wednesday close. Bristol-Myers shares fell nearly 14% in early trading in New York on Thursday after the proposed deal was announced, while Celgene shares rose 26%. Bristol-Myers said it expects to speed up a share repurchase programme of up to about $5bn, subject to the closing of the transaction, market conditions and board approval. The companies expect to close the deal in the third quarter of 2019. The cash portion will be funded through a combination of cash on hand and debt financing. The deal is expected to add more than 40% to Bristol-Myers’s earnings on a standalone basis in the first full year after the deal closes.[SEP]FILE - In this June 15, 2005, file photo, a sign stands in front of a Bristol-Myers Squibb building in a Lawrence Township, N.J. Bristol-Myers Squibb is buying Celgene in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $74 billion. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) SUMMIT, N.J. (AP) — Bristol-Myers Squibb is spending $74 billion on fellow drugmaker Celgene in a deal aimed at stocking the combined company's development pipeline with cancer, immunology and cardiovascular treatments. Bristol would gain the cancer treatment Revlimid in the cash-and-stock deal announced Thursday, as well as inflammatory disease treatments and several products close to launching. The combined company will have nine products with more than $1 billion in annual sales. Bristol's product portfolio already includes Orencia, an injected drug for rheumatoid arthritis, and the cancer treatment Opdivo. Bristol Chairman and CEO Giovanni Caforio said in a prepared statement that the combination will create a deep product portfolio that drives growth. It was a hard sell, however, on Wall Street. Shares of Bristol ended Thursday down $6.90, or 13.3 percent, at $45.12, on a day when the Standard & Poor's 500 lost 2.5 percent. Celgene shares, however, soared $13.79, or 20.7 percent, to $80.43. Under terms of the deal, shareholders of Celgene Corp., based in Summit, New Jersey, will receive one share of Bristol-Myers Squibb plus $50 in cash for each share they own. They'll also receive one tradeable contingent value right for each Celgene share, allowing the holder to receive a $9 payment when future regulatory milestones are hit. The cash-and-stock portion of the deal totals $102.43, based on Wednesday's closing price of $52.43 for Bristol shares. That represents a premium of nearly 54 percent to Celgene's closing price of $66.64. Shareholders of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., based in New York, would own about 69 percent of the company, with Celgene shareholders owning about 31 percent.[SEP]Bristol-Myers Squibb agreed to acquire Celgene in a $74 billion cash-and-stock deal that unites two cancer-drug makers in one of the largest pharmaceutical-company mergers ever. Under the terms of the proposed deal, Celgene shareholders will receive one Bristol-Myers Squibb share and $50 in cash for each Celgene share held, according to a statement from the companies on Thursday. That would value Celgene at $102.43 a share, a 54% premium to the stock’s closing price on Jan 2. Celgene shares soared more than 30% to $87.20 in premarket trading in New York, while Bristol shares fell more than 16% to $44. The transaction would combine two companies that both have strong-selling cancer drugs but that have also faced investor skepticism about their growth prospects. Bristol-Myers (bmy) shares declined more than 15% in 2018, while Celgene shares (celg) sank more than 41%. The deal is Bristol’s largest under Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Caforio, and comes after the drugmaker has suffered some high-profile setbacks in immuno-oncology, its biggest line of business. Bristol has been under pressure to diversify its portfolio. It currently gets roughly a quarter of its sales from immune-harnessing cancer drug Opdivo, which faces competition from Merck’s rival immunotherapy drug Keytruda. In a recent earnings call, Caforio said the company would look to deals to diversify its pipeline. At various points in recent years as Bristol has stumbled with trial failures, its name has come up as a takeout target itself. In purchasing Celgene, Bristol will get control of one of the most successful cancer drugs of recent years, the top-selling blood-cancer therapy Revlimid, which costs more than $100,000 a year. It will also gain a promising experimental CAR-T therapy being developed by Juno Therapeutics, which Celgene acquired in a $9 billion takeover deal last year. Despite Revlimid’s success, Celgene shares have been hammered over the past year and a half amid investor fear that the company lacks a potent successor to its biggest blockbuster. Revlimid is expected to face increased generic competition in coming years. The Summit, New Jersey-based company suffered a series of high profile setbacks including the failure of a once promising therapy in a late-stage clinical trial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also refused to review an experimental medicine that was expected to be a future growth driver.[SEP]New York: New York-based pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. on Thursday announced it would buy US biotech firm Celgene Corp. in a $74 billion cash-and-stock deal, instantly creating a rival to the world’s largest drug makers. The merger plans underscored the companies’ efforts to diversify in the field of cancer treatments, with investors in recent months questioning their growth prospects. In the deal, Bristol-Meyers Squibb gains Celgene’s blockbuster Revlimid treatment for multiple myeloma. The companies said the new entity would also offer nine products with more than $1 billion in annual sales. Bristol-Myers Squibb chairman and chief executive, Giovanni Caforio, said that in a statement the combined companies would also enjoy “a deep and broad pipeline that will drive sustainable growth”. They also pointed to oncology, immunology, inflammation and cardiovascular disease as important growth areas. “We will also benefit from an expanded early- and late-stage pipeline that includes six expected near-term product launches,” Caforio said in the statement. Both companies had been the subject of merger speculation, with investors saying Bristol-Meyers’ big seller Opdivo, a cancer medication, had lost market share to rival Merck. Celgene meanwhile faced the prospect of mounting competition from copycat drugs as patents begin to expire, according to Bloomberg. Celgene’s Revlimid had sales expected to top $10 billion, according to the news agency. Caforio will continue to serve in his chief roles while two members of Celgene’s board will hold spots on Bristol-Myers Squibb’s board of directors. Speaking ahead of the announcement, Jeffries trading specialist Jared Holz told Bloomberg that Celgene had been “one of the most disappointing stories” among major healthcare firms, with some of its most promising drugs in development not due to be available before 2020. Under the deal, Bristol-Myers shareholders will own about 69% of the new pharmaceutical giant, while Celgene Shareholders will receive one Bristol-Meyers share and $50 per share of Celgene. The companies expect to close the deal in the third quarter of this year, with earnings per share at Bristol-Meyers Squibb swelling by 40% in the first full year. Shares in Bristol-Myers plunged more than 10% at the open on Wall Street while the New Jersey-based Celgene soared more than 30%. Bristol-Meyers is due to report fourth-quarter results later this month. Celgene in January of last year announced the acquisition of Seattle-based Juno Therapeutics, which developed treatments for lymphoma, and the blood disease biotech firm Impact Biomedicines, for a total of $16 billion.

Pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb proposes the takeover of cancer drug company Celgene for US$95 billion, including debt, the biggest biopharma deal ever.

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures tumbled on Thursday after Apple Inc (AAPL.O) stunned investors with a rare sales warning that inflamed fears that the Sino-U.S. trade war and a slowing China economy would eat into corporate profits more than expected. Apple’s shares sank 8.2 percent before the bell after the company slashed its holiday-quarter revenue forecast due to slowing iPhone sales in China, the first major warning with the U.S. earnings season around the corner. “This provides solid evidence of how slowing economic growth and a trade war make the best death cocktail for sentiment,” said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets UK Ltd in London. The warning from Apple, whose stock is a member of all the three major Wall Street indexes, rocked financial markets, as investors sought safety in bonds and less risky assets. At 7:49 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMc1 were down 324 points, or 1.39 percent. S&P 500 e-minis ESc1 were down 34.25 points, or 1.36 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQc1 were down 134 points, or 2.1 percent. Apple’s slide is a gloomy omen for Wall Street bulls hoping for an early gift in 2019 following December’s steep selloff, which President Donald Trump has called a “glitch”. Though the selloff has made stocks cheaper, with the S&P 500’s valuation now at 14 times expected earnings from 18 times a year earlier, earnings estimates have also been sharply cut. Analysts on average expect S&P 500 companies to increase their earnings per share by nearly 7 percent this year, down from a forecast of 10 percent at the start of October and far below their expectations of 24 percent EPS growth for 2018, according to Refinitiv’s IBES. Apple’s warning on China has the potential to weigh heavily on a wide variety of companies, ranging from its suppliers to companies that rely on China for a major portion of their sales. Chipmakers, which count both Apple and China as major customers, led the decliners in early premarket trading, with Intel Corp (INTC.O), Micron Technology Inc (MU.O) and Nvidia Corp NVDA falling between 2.3 percent and 4.6 percent. Trade bellwethers Boeing Co (BA.N) and Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) dropped over 2 percent. The United States and China are about one month into a 90-day tariff ceasefire to negotiate a deal. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the talks were going “very well” and that the stock market would rise once various trade deals are settled. Apple’s warning follows data earlier this week that showed a deceleration in factory activity in China and the euro zone, indicating the ongoing trade dispute was taking a toll on global manufacturing. The impact on U.S. activity will be clear later on Thursday. At 10 a.m. ET, the Institute of Supply Management is expected to report its index of national factory activity fell to a reading of 57.9 in December from 59.3 in November. Before that, at 8:15 a.m. ET, the ADP National Employment Report is expected to show private payrolls rose by 178,000 jobs in December. The report comes ahead of the more comprehensive nonfarm payrolls report on Friday. Among stocks, Celgene Corp (CELG.O) jumped 31.9 percent after Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N) offered to buy the drugmaker for about $74 billion in a cash-and-stock deal. Bristol-Myers fell 13.6 percent.[SEP]Apple is selling fewer iPhones and making less money. Blame China. "Apple CEO Tim Cook threw China under the proverbial bus," says Brendan Ahern, CIO of KraneShares in New York. "There is little evidence that China’s economic slowdown is the primary cause of Apple’s woes," he says, adding that Cook listed other factors for weaker sales, including a strong dollar and lackluster iWatch sales. "The reality is Apple’s phones are expensive relative to local brands and when combined with a lack of significant upgrades, iPhones are simply not resonating with Chinese consumers," he says. Newcomers Huawei and Xiaomi are gaining market share. Third quarter and year-to-date smartphone sales data from IDC show Apple has been in decline for years, losing to Samsung and local competitors. Here in the U.S., the only real competitor is Samsung. Plus phone carriers like Verizon have protected Apple by offering sweet deals to lure in customers. Apple's problems are not just because of China. Apple’s fourth quarter will show declines in the U.S. as well, likely leading to a ramp up of their share buyback program. But Tim Cook's China comments opened a Pandora's Box for China investors and has put the trade war back in focus. Many analysts believe that the tariffs imposed on over $250 billion worth of Chinese imports will start cutting into corporate profit margins in the first quarter. Some companies have already talked about this in third quarter earnings calls. With tax cut stimulus wearing thin, capital costs rising, and import costs going up, China is one of the biggest headwinds to the U.S. stock market. China is also slowing on account of economic reforms and the trade dispute with Washington. A weaker China is no longer a theory concocted by the China haters. Baidu CEO and billionaire Robin Li said "winter is coming" to the Chinese economy. The slowdown has led to hiring freezes and job cuts in the tech industry and work furloughs among state workers ahead of the Chinese New Year. Li commented on the slowdown in a letter to investors. He tried putting a positive spin on it, focusing on the long term. However, Li's comments plus Cook's comments on Apple sales equals a deteriorating China outlook. China's economy is massive. It's stock market is not a good indicator of economic strength. The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes are in bear territory, down over 30% in the last 12 months. Still, the Chinese economy is not heading for a recession. Industrial production growth fell to 5.4% annualized in November from 5.9% in October. Nomura Securities analysts in Hong Kong led by Ting Lu said Thursday that they expect it to hold steady in December due to the positive effects of front-loading exports and the less aggressive anti-pollution push. Nomura cut their fourth-quarter GDP growth forecast today to 6.4% from 6.5%. Even discounting those numbers by 50% still has China growing, though clearly not enough for a developing economy of that size. Retail sales growth is likely to have fallen a bit in December from the 8.1% mark in November. On trade, export and import growth might have picked up due to the trade truce as China buys more U.S. commodities. China’s non-manufacturing PMI is still solid, hitting 53.8 in December from November’s 53.4. The country is busy playing defense against Trump's trade war, and the cyclical slowdown. The central bank is allowing state banks to lower their reserve requirements to speed up lending to mid-sized and smaller businesses. Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post is full of headlines this week warning of pending disaster between Beijing and Washington, despite the 90-day trade truce initiated by Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Argentina in November. According to a Bloomberg report quoting two people familiar with the matter, a U.S. government delegation led by deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish will travel to Beijing on January 7 for face-to-face trade talks. The market will be hoping for some good news to come out of those meetings. The trade war may be part of Apple's problems. But for Washington, and for many China experts, the first shots of that trade war were started in Beijing over 17 years ago. "China has adopted an alternative path that simply seeks to treat its market in the way in which it wants regardless of the rules or commitments made and therefore impinges on the rights of China's trading partners regardless of the rights that they have," said Charlene Barshefsky in the South China Morning Post. Barshefsky was part of the Clinton-era team that brought China into the World Trade Organization in 2001. "This is a very disturbing outcome not in China's interests, as we see China's economy was slowing before all of this trade stuff happened."[SEP]NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday morning after Apple reported a slowdown in iPhone sales over the holidays in China, a hugely important market for the company. The rare warning of disappointing results from Apple sent a shudder through markets and reinforced fears among investors that the world's second-largest economy is weakening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points about an hour into trading. The broader S&P 500 index was down 2.4 percent. Apple's stock plunged 10 percent, erasing $67 billion in value. Other big exporters, including technology and machinery companies, also took big losses. Some of the worst drops were at chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. The U.S.-China trade dispute, nearly a year old, threatens to snarl their supply lines and reduce demand for their products. The losses deepened after a survey of U.S. manufacturers also showed signs of weakness. In a letter to shareholders Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand is waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That's $7 billion less than analysts expected. The S&P 500 dropped 60 points to 2,449. The Dow slid 642, or 2.7 percent, to 22,707. The Nasdaq, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 185 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,482. "For a while now there's been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK," said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. "Therefore, Apple's rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific?" Apple's warning couldn't have come at a worse time for stocks given the wipeout in late 2018. Many global indexes posted their worst year in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate increases. A weak report Thursday on U.S. manufacturing also weighed on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. U.S. government bond prices, gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities all rose as investors looked for safer places to put their money. Apple stock has slumped 38 percent since early October amid fears of a slowdown in China. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, a move many investors suspected was an attempt to hid disappointing news. Apple stock had fallen to $143.58 at mid-morning. Microsoft shed 1.6 percent to $99.46. In the chip industry, Intel fell 4.1 percent to $45.17, and Qualcomm lost 2.4 percent to $56.04, while Skyworks skidded 7.6 percent to $62.77. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.5 percent to $121.90, and Deere lost 2.5 percent to $144.93. Companies that make heavy machinery such as construction equipment are facing less demand as China's economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They are also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of import taxes. Bonds prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.58 percent from 2.66 percent late Wednesday, a large move. Markets overseas held up a bit better. Germany's DAX and the French CAC 40 both fell 1.2 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.2 percent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea's Kospi ended 0.8 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up 0.3 percent. Oil prices were little changed. U.S. crude stayed at $46.52 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 0.4 percent to $55.13 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 percent since early October, and investors' fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.46 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.1403 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2596 from $1.2690. Gold also rose, by 0.6 percent to $1,291 an ounce. Some experts believe that the market volatility could eventually lead to changes in the policies that are worrying investors. The Federal Reserve, for example, could slow the pace of its interest rate increases if markets continue to drop. And President Donald Trump could become more open to settling the trade dispute with China. "It is a well-known fact that Trump perceives the markets as a true barometer of his presidency," said Piotr Matys, a strategist at Rabobank International. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP[SEP]NEW YORK — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday after Apple sent a shudder through Wall Street with word that iPhone sales in China are falling. The rare warning of disappointing results from Apple reinforced investors’ fears that the world’s second-biggest economy is losing steam and that trade tensions between Washington and Beijing are making things worse. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged as much as 677 points about an hour into trading, then began climbing back, but was still down more than 550 points at midafternoon. The broader S&P 500 index was down 2 per cent. Apple stock plummeted 9.5 per cent, erasing $71 billion in value. Other big exporters, including technology and heavy-machinery companies, also took big losses. Some of the worst drops were at chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. “For a while now there’s been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK,” said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. “Therefore, Apple’s rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific.” Investors were also unsettled by a report Thursday that showed signs of weakness in U.S. manufacturing. The U.S.-China trade dispute threatens to snarl multinational companies’ supply lines and reduce demand for their products. Companies such as General Motors, Caterpillar and Daimler have all said recently that trade tensions, combined with slower growth in China, were damaging their businesses. “When the largest and second-largest economies in the world get into a trade dispute, the rest of the world’s going to feel the effects. That’s what we’re seeing now,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Cresset Wealth Advisors. In a letter to shareholders Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand is waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That’s $7 billion less than analysts expected. Apple’s warning couldn’t have come at a worse time for stocks given the wipeout in late 2018. Many global indexes posted their worst year in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate increases. As of 2 p.m., the S&P 500 was down 50 points to 2,459. The Dow had slid 571 points, or 2.5 per cent, to 22,774. The Nasdaq, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 170 points, or 2.6 per cent, to 6,495. U.S. government bond prices jumped, sending yields to their lowest level in almost a year, and gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities also rose as investors looked for safer places to put their money. A weak report Thursday on U.S. manufacturing also weighed on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. Apple stock has slumped 37.5 per cent since early October. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, a move many investors suspected was an attempt to hide bad news. Apple stock took its biggest loss in six years Thursday and was down to $142.94 in afternoon trading. Microsoft shed 3.1 per cent to $97.95. Among chip makers, Intel fell 4.5 per cent to $44.98. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.2 per cent to $122.35, and Deere lost 2.1 per cent to $145.03. Boeing, which sells many of its planes to China, declined 4.1 per cent to $310.58. Companies that make heavy machinery such as construction equipment are facing less demand as China’s economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They are also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of tariffs. Markets overseas also stumbled. Germany’s DAX dropped 1.5 per cent and the French CAC 40 fell 1.7 per cent, and Britain’s FTSE 100 gave up 0.6 per cent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea’s Kospi ended 0.8 per cent lower and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.3 per cent. Oil prices edged higher. U.S. crude rose 0.4 per cent to $46.71 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 1.1 per cent to $55.50 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 per cent since early October, and investors’ fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.84 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.403 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2638 from $1.2690. Gold climbed 0.8 per cent to $1,294.80 an ounce. Silver rose 0.9 per cent to $15.80 an ounce. Copper, which is used in construction and wiring, fell 2.1 per cent to $2.57 a pound. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP[SEP]The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal. NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday after Apple sent a shudder through Wall Street with word that iPhone sales in China are falling. The rare warning of disappointing results from Apple reinforced investors’ fears that the world’s second-biggest economy is losing steam and that trade tensions between Washington and Beijing are making things worse. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged as much as 677 points about an hour into trading, then began climbing back, but was still down more than 600 points at 3 p.m. The broader S&P 500 index was down 2.2 percent. Apple stock plummeted 9.7 percent, erasing $72 billion in value. Other big exporters, including technology and heavy-machinery companies, also took big losses. Some of the worst drops were at chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. “For a while now there’s been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK,” said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. “Therefore, Apple’s rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific.” Investors were also unsettled by a report Thursday that showed signs of weakness in U.S. manufacturing. The U.S.-China trade dispute threatens to snarl multinational companies’ supply lines and reduce demand for their products. Companies such as General Motors, Caterpillar and Daimler have all said recently that trade tensions, combined with slower growth in China, were damaging their businesses. “When the largest and second-largest economies in the world get into a trade dispute, the rest of the world’s going to feel the effects. That’s what we’re seeing now,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Cresset Wealth Advisors. In a letter to shareholders Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand is waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That’s $7 billion less than analysts expected. Cook’s comments echoed the concerns that have pushed investors to sell stocks over the last three months. Markets were wiped out in late 2018 and many global indexes posted their worst year in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate increases. The S&P 500 was down 54 points to 2,455. The Dow slid 602 points, or 2.6 percent, to 22,743. The Nasdaq, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 180 points, or 2.7 percent, to 6,485. U.S. government bond prices jumped, sending yields to their lowest level in almost a year, and gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities also rose as investors looked for safer places to put their money. A weak report Thursday on U.S. manufacturing also weighed on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. Apple’s stock has slumped 38 percent since early October. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, a move many investors suspected was an attempt to hide bad news. Apple took its biggest loss in six years Thursday and was down to $142.66 in afternoon trading. Microsoft shed 3.3 percent to $97.79. Among chip makers, Intel fell 4.8 percent to $44.80. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.8 percent to $121.64, and Deere lost 2.4 percent to $144.52. Boeing, which sells many of its planes to China, declined 3.9 percent to $311.02. Companies that make heavy machinery such as construction equipment are facing less demand as China’s economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They are also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of tariffs. Markets overseas also stumbled. Germany’s DAX dropped 1.5 percent and the French CAC 40 fell 1.7 percent, and Britain’s FTSE 100 gave up 0.6 percent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea’s Kospi ended 0.8 percent lower and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.3 percent. Oil prices edged higher. U.S. crude rose 1.2 percent to $47.09 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 1.9 percent to $55.95 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 percent since early October, and investors’ fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.78 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.1394 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2633 from $1.2690. Gold climbed 0.8 percent to $1,294.80 an ounce. Silver rose 0.9 percent to $15.80 an ounce. Copper, which is used in construction and wiring, fell 2.1 percent to $2.57 a pound. In other commodities trading, wholesale gasoline rose 1.8 percent to $1.35 a gallon and heating oil climbed 2.4 percent to $1.74 a gallon. Natural gas fell 0.4 percent to $2.95 per 1,000 cubic feet. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP The Associated Press contributed to this report. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday morning after Apple reported a slowdown in iPhone sales over the holidays in China, a hugely important market for the company. The rare warning of disappointing results from Apple sent a shudder through markets and reinforced fears among investors that the world's second-largest economy is weakening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points about an hour into trading. The broader S&P 500 index was down 2.4 percent. Apple's stock plunged 10 percent, erasing $67 billion in value. Other big exporters, including technology and machinery companies, also took big losses. Some of the worst drops were at chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. The U.S.-China trade dispute, nearly a year old, threatens to snarl their supply lines and reduce demand for their products. The losses deepened after a survey of U.S. manufacturers also showed signs of weakness. In a letter to shareholders Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand is waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That's $7 billion less than analysts expected. The S&P 500 dropped 60 points to 2,449. The Dow slid 642, or 2.7 percent, to 22,707. The Nasdaq, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 185 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,482. "For a while now there's been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK," said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. "Therefore, Apple's rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific?" Apple's warning couldn't have come at a worse time for stocks given the wipeout in late 2018. Many global indexes posted their worst year in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate increases. A weak report Thursday on U.S. manufacturing also weighed on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. U.S. government bond prices, gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities all rose as investors looked for safer places to put their money. Apple stock has slumped 38 percent since early October amid fears of a slowdown in China. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, a move many investors suspected was an attempt to hid disappointing news. Apple stock had fallen to $143.58 at mid-morning. Microsoft shed 1.6 percent to $99.46. In the chip industry, Intel fell 4.1 percent to $45.17, and Qualcomm lost 2.4 percent to $56.04, while Skyworks skidded 7.6 percent to $62.77. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.5 percent to $121.90, and Deere lost 2.5 percent to $144.93. Companies that make heavy machinery such as construction equipment are facing less demand as China's economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They are also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of import taxes. Bonds prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.58 percent from 2.66 percent late Wednesday, a large move. Markets overseas held up a bit better. Germany's DAX and the French CAC 40 both fell 1.2 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.2 percent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea's Kospi ended 0.8 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up 0.3 percent. Oil prices were little changed. U.S. crude stayed at $46.52 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 0.4 percent to $55.13 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 percent since early October, and investors' fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.46 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.1403 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2596 from $1.2690. Gold also rose, by 0.6 percent to $1,291 an ounce. Some experts believe that the market volatility could eventually lead to changes in the policies that are worrying investors. The Federal Reserve, for example, could slow the pace of its interest rate increases if markets continue to drop. And President Donald Trump could become more open to settling the trade dispute with China. "It is a well-known fact that Trump perceives the markets as a true barometer of his presidency," said Piotr Matys, a strategist at Rabobank International. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP[SEP]NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday morning after Apple reported a slowdown in iPhone sales over the holidays in China, a hugely important market for the company. The rare warning from Apple sent a shudder through markets and confirmed fears among investors that the world's second-largest economy was weakening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points about an hour into trading. Apple's stock plunged 10 percent, erasing $67 billion in value. Other big exporters including technology and machinery companies also took big losses. Some of the worst drops went to chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. The trade dispute, nearly a year old, threatens to snarl their supply lines and reduce demand for their products. Tariffs and other trade sanctions could add to their difficulties. The losses deepened after a survey of U.S. manufacturers also showed signs of weakness. The benchmark S&P 500 index was down 2.4 percent as of 10:45 a.m. In a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand was waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That's $7 billion less than analysts expected, according to FactSet. Apple's warning, its first since 2002, deepened concerns about the Chinese economy, which had been showing signs of stress. The S&P 500 dropped 60 points to 2,449. The Dow slid 642, or 2.7 percent to 22,707. The Nasdaq composite, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 185 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,482. "For a while now there's been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK," said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. "Therefore, Apple's rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific?" Apple's warning couldn't have come at a worse time for stock market investors given the wipeout in late 2018, when many global indexes posted their worst performances in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate hikes. A weak report on U.S. manufacturing was also weighing on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. In times of market stress and volatility, there are some assets that traditionally do well as investors perceive them as safer to hold. U.S. government bond prices, gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities all rose. Apple stock has slumped 38 percent since early October as investors feared a sales slowdown in China. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, and many investors felt that suggested the company was trying to hide signs that its sales were cooling off. Its stock fell to $143.58. Other major tech companies have also taken huge losses over the last three months as the market endured its worst slump in almost a decade. While stocks rebounded slightly at the end of 2018, Apple's troubles added to their losses Thursday. Microsoft shed 1.6 percent to $99.46. In the chip industry, Intel fell 4.1 percent to $45.17 and Qualcomm lost 2.4 percent to $56.04 while Skyworks skidded 7.6 percent to $62.77. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.5 percent to $121.90 and Deere lost 2.5 percent to $144.93. Companies that make heavy machines like construction equipment are facing less demand as China's economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They're also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of import taxes. Bonds prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.58 percent from 2.66 percent late Wednesday, a large move. Markets overseas held up a bit better. Germany's DAX and the French CAC 40 both fell 1.2 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.2 percent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea's Kospi ended 0.8 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up 0.3 percent. Oil prices were little changed. U.S. crude stayed at $46.52 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 0.4 percent to $55.13 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 percent since early October, and investors' fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.46 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.1403 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2596 from $1.2690. Gold also rose, by 0.6 percent to $1,291 an ounce. Some experts believe that the market volatility could eventually lead to changes in the policies that are concerning investors. The Fed, for example, could slow the pace of its interest rate increases if markets continue to drop. And U.S. President Donald Trump could become more open to settling the trade dispute with China. "It is a well-known fact that Trump perceives the markets as a true barometer of his presidency," said Piotr Matys, a strategist at Rabobank International. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP[SEP]NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday morning after Apple reported a slowdown in iPhone sales over the holidays in China, a hugely important market for the company. The rare warning of disappointing results from Apple sent a shudder through markets and reinforced fears among investors that the world's second-largest economy is weakening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points about an hour into trading. The broader S&P 500 index was down 2.4 percent. Apple's stock plunged 10 percent, erasing $67 billion in value. Other big exporters, including technology and machinery companies, also took big losses. Some of the worst drops were at chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. The U.S.-China trade dispute, nearly a year old, threatens to snarl their supply lines and reduce demand for their products. The losses deepened after a survey of U.S. manufacturers also showed signs of weakness. In a letter to shareholders Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand is waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That's $7 billion less than analysts expected. The S&P 500 dropped 60 points to 2,449. The Dow slid 642, or 2.7 percent, to 22,707. The Nasdaq, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 185 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,482. "For a while now there's been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK," said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. "Therefore, Apple's rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific?" Apple's warning couldn't have come at a worse time for stocks given the wipeout in late 2018. Many global indexes posted their worst year in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate increases. A weak report Thursday on U.S. manufacturing also weighed on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. U.S. government bond prices, gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities all rose as investors looked for safer places to put their money. Apple stock has slumped 38 percent since early October amid fears of a slowdown in China. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, a move many investors suspected was an attempt to hid disappointing news. Apple stock had fallen to $143.58 at mid-morning. Microsoft shed 1.6 percent to $99.46. In the chip industry, Intel fell 4.1 percent to $45.17, and Qualcomm lost 2.4 percent to $56.04, while Skyworks skidded 7.6 percent to $62.77. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.5 percent to $121.90, and Deere lost 2.5 percent to $144.93. Companies that make heavy machinery such as construction equipment are facing less demand as China's economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They are also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of import taxes. Bonds prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.58 percent from 2.66 percent late Wednesday, a large move. Markets overseas held up a bit better. Germany's DAX and the French CAC 40 both fell 1.2 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.2 percent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea's Kospi ended 0.8 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up 0.3 percent. Oil prices were little changed. U.S. crude stayed at $46.52 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 0.4 percent to $55.13 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 percent since early October, and investors' fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.46 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.1403 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2596 from $1.2690. Gold also rose, by 0.6 percent to $1,291 an ounce. Some experts believe that the market volatility could eventually lead to changes in the policies that are worrying investors. The Federal Reserve, for example, could slow the pace of its interest rate increases if markets continue to drop. And President Donald Trump could become more open to settling the trade dispute with China. "It is a well-known fact that Trump perceives the markets as a true barometer of his presidency," said Piotr Matys, a strategist at Rabobank International. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP[SEP](Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures tumbled on Thursday after Apple Inc (AAPL.O) stunned investors with a rare sales warning that inflamed fears that the Sino-U.S. trade war and a slowing China economy would eat into corporate profits more than expected. Apple’s shares sank 8.2 percent before the bell after the company slashed its holiday-quarter revenue forecast due to slowing iPhone sales in China, the first major warning with the U.S. earnings season around the corner. “This provides solid evidence of how slowing economic growth and a trade war make the best death cocktail for sentiment,” said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets UK Ltd in London. The warning from Apple, whose stock is a member of all the three major Wall Street indexes, rocked financial markets, as investors sought safety in bonds and less risky assets. At 7:49 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMc1 were down 324 points, or 1.39 percent. S&P 500 e-minis ESc1 were down 34.25 points, or 1.36 percent and Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQc1 were down 134 points, or 2.1 percent. Apple’s slide is a gloomy omen for Wall Street bulls hoping for an early gift in 2019 following December’s steep selloff, which President Donald Trump has called a “glitch”. Though the selloff has made stocks cheaper, with the S&P 500’s valuation now at 14 times expected earnings from 18 times a year earlier, earnings estimates have also been sharply cut. Analysts on average expect S&P 500 companies to increase their earnings per share by nearly 7 percent this year, down from a forecast of 10 percent at the start of October and far below their expectations of 24 percent EPS growth for 2018, according to Refinitiv’s IBES. Apple’s warning on China has the potential to weigh heavily on a wide variety of companies, ranging from its suppliers to companies that rely on China for a major portion of their sales. Chipmakers, which count both Apple and China as major customers, led the decliners in early premarket trading, with Intel Corp (INTC.O), Micron Technology Inc (MU.O) and Nvidia Corp NVDA falling between 2.3 percent and 4.6 percent. Trade bellwethers Boeing Co (BA.N) and Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) dropped over 2 percent. The United States and China are about one month into a 90-day tariff ceasefire to negotiate a deal. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the talks were going “very well” and that the stock market would rise once various trade deals are settled. Apple’s warning follows data earlier this week that showed a deceleration in factory activity in China and the euro zone, indicating the ongoing trade dispute was taking a toll on global manufacturing. The impact on U.S. activity will be clear later on Thursday. At 10 a.m. ET, the Institute of Supply Management is expected to report its index of national factory activity fell to a reading of 57.9 in December from 59.3 in November. Before that, at 8:15 a.m. ET, the ADP National Employment Report is expected to show private payrolls rose by 178,000 jobs in December. The report comes ahead of the more comprehensive nonfarm payrolls report on Friday. Among stocks, Celgene Corp (CELG.O) jumped 31.9 percent after Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N) offered to buy the drugmaker for about $74 billion in a cash-and-stock deal. Bristol-Myers fell 13.6 percent.[SEP]NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks went into a steep slide Thursday morning after Apple reported a slowdown in iPhone sales over the holidays in China, a hugely important market for the company. The rare warning of disappointing results from Apple sent a shudder through markets and reinforced fears among investors that the world's second-largest economy is weakening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points about an hour into trading. The broader S&P 500 index was down 2.4 percent. Apple's stock plunged 10 percent, erasing $67 billion in value. Other big exporters, including technology and machinery companies, also took big losses. Some of the worst drops were at chipmakers that make components used in smartphones and other gadgets. The U.S.-China trade dispute, nearly a year old, threatens to snarl their supply lines and reduce demand for their products. The losses deepened after a survey of U.S. manufacturers also showed signs of weakness. In a letter to shareholders Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand is waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter. Cook said Apple expects revenue of $84 billion for the quarter. That's $7 billion less than analysts expected. The S&P 500 dropped 60 points to 2,449. The Dow slid 642, or 2.7 percent, to 22,707. The Nasdaq, which has a high concentration of tech stocks, retreated 185 points, or 2.8 percent, to 6,482. "For a while now there's been an adage in the markets that as long as Apple was doing fine, everyone else would be OK," said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Markets.com. "Therefore, Apple's rare profit warning is a red flag for market watchers. The question is to what extent this is more Apple-specific?" Apple's warning couldn't have come at a worse time for stocks given the wipeout in late 2018. Many global indexes posted their worst year in a decade amid concerns about the global economy and the prospect of further U.S. interest rate increases. A weak report Thursday on U.S. manufacturing also weighed on the market. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of manufacturing fell to its lowest level in two years, and new orders have fallen sharply since November. Manufacturing is still growing, but at a slower pace than it has recently. U.S. government bond prices, gold and high-dividend stocks like utilities all rose as investors looked for safer places to put their money. Apple stock has slumped 38 percent since early October amid fears of a slowdown in China. The company also recently announced that it would stop disclosing how many iPhones it sold each quarter, a move many investors suspected was an attempt to hid disappointing news. Apple stock had fallen to $143.58 at mid-morning. Microsoft shed 1.6 percent to $99.46. In the chip industry, Intel fell 4.1 percent to $45.17, and Qualcomm lost 2.4 percent to $56.04, while Skyworks skidded 7.6 percent to $62.77. Among big industrial companies, Caterpillar gave up 3.5 percent to $121.90, and Deere lost 2.5 percent to $144.93. Companies that make heavy machinery such as construction equipment are facing less demand as China's economy, the largest in the world after the U.S., loses strength. They are also dealing with higher costs for metals as a result of import taxes. Bonds prices jumped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.58 percent from 2.66 percent late Wednesday, a large move. Markets overseas held up a bit better. Germany's DAX and the French CAC 40 both fell 1.2 percent, and Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.2 percent. In Asia, tech-related stocks suffered most. South Korea's Kospi ended 0.8 percent lower and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gave up 0.3 percent. Oil prices were little changed. U.S. crude stayed at $46.52 a barrel in New York and Brent crude rose 0.4 percent to $55.13 a barrel in London. Oil prices have nosedived almost 40 percent since early October, and investors' fears about falling demand in China and elsewhere were a key reason for the decline. The dollar weakened. It fell to 107.46 yen from 109.21 yen. The euro rose to $1.1403 from $1.344. The British pound fell to $1.2596 from $1.2690. Gold also rose, by 0.6 percent to $1,291 an ounce. Some experts believe that the market volatility could eventually lead to changes in the policies that are worrying investors. The Federal Reserve, for example, could slow the pace of its interest rate increases if markets continue to drop. And President Donald Trump could become more open to settling the trade dispute with China. "It is a well-known fact that Trump perceives the markets as a true barometer of his presidency," said Piotr Matys, a strategist at Rabobank International. Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London. AP Markets Writer Marley Jay can be reached at http://twitter.com/MarleyJayAP

The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops 660 points following a warning from Apple on weak demand and trade relations between the United States and China.

Thirty-nine people have been killed in an apartment building collapse this week in the industrial Russian city of Magnitogorsk as emergency workers wrapped up a search operation. The casualty count has progressively increased since the 10-story building fell on Dec. 31 in what the authorities described as a gas explosion. In a separate incident the next day that was also attributed to gas, a minibus explosion on the same street killed three unidentified people. As of Thursday evening, rescuers have recovered 39 bodies from the rubble and said there were no more to be found. news Baby Boy Found Alive After 35 Hours Under Rubble After Russia Blast Read more “The last body was retrieved half an hour ago. The search and rescue operation is complete,” Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Chupriyan was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. The ministry said at least six children were among the victims. Another six people were found alive, including an infant whose rescue was described as a New Year’s “miracle.” The governor of Chelyabinsk region, where Magnitogorsk is located 1,700 kilometers east of Moscow, pledged 1 million rubles ($14,400) to the relatives of each victim. Meanwhile, speculation has swirled around the successive explosions of the Soviet-era apartment block on Monday followed by the minibus on Tuesday. Footage shared by local media showed the minibus engulfed in a blaze accompanied by the sound of either explosives or gunshots. news 3 Killed in Magnitogorsk Minibus Blast After Deadly Apartment Explosion Read more[SEP]Magnitogorsk The death toll from a gas explosion in eastern Russia has risen to 39 after rescuers pulled two more bodies from under the rubble. The blast on the morning of New Year’s Eve caused the partial collapse of an apartment block in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, near the Kazakhstan border. Moscow said that the search-and-rescue operation was over. (Reuters) Bolsonaro may agree to host US military base Sao Paulo Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, said in a television interview that he was open to discussing the possibility of hosting a United States military base. Mr Bolsonaro, 63, a former army captain who was sworn into office on Tuesday, also said that Brazil should be worried about Russian ties to the “dictatorship” in Venezuela. (…[SEP]MOSCOW - Twenty-eight bodies have been recovered from the debris of an apartment block in Russia that partially collapsed in an apparent explosion, while 13 people remained unaccounted for, the regional emergencies ministry said on Wednesday. The blast initially thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk in the early hours on Monday, 1,700 km east of Moscow. A baby boy was found alive on Tuesday after 35 hours spent in freezing cold in the rubble, in what emergency officials described as a miracle. The emergencies ministry said more than 900 people were carrying out the search and rescue operation at the site. It said six people have been rescued. The reason behind the collapse of the apartment block is still being investigated, the Investigative Committee, which probes into major cries, said on its website. It said no trace of explosives materials had been found so far on the site. The initial reports put a possible gas leak behind the collapse. There have been several similar incidents in the country in recent years due to ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations about gas usage. In a separate incident in the same street late on Tuesday, three people died when a minibus became engulfed in flames, TASS news agency reported citing the local government office. Video footage purporting to show the incident, posted on social media sites, shows a burning vehicle and some bangs are heard. A police spokesman declined to comment when contacted by phone.[SEP]Moscow - Eighteen bodies have been recovered from the debris of an apartment block in Russia that partially collapsed in an apparent explosion, while 23 people remained unaccounted for, the regional emergencies ministry told Reuters on Wednesday. The blast, initially thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk in the early hours on Monday, 1 700 km (1 050 miles) east of Moscow. A baby boy was found alive on Tuesday after 35 hours spent in freezing cold in the rubble, in what emergency officials described as a miracle. The reason behind the collapse of the apartment block is still being investigated, the Investigative Committee, which probes into major cries, said on its website. It said no trace of explosives materials had been found so far on the site. The initial reports put a possible gas leak behind the collapse. There have been several similar incidents in the country in recent years due to ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations about gas usage.[SEP]Rescuers have retrieved another body from the collapsed residential building in Magnitogorsk, Russia, raising the death toll to 38, according to the Emergencies Ministry. The deceased was a woman, it said. Three people are still missing at this stage, and the search and rescue effort is in full swing. The house collapsed on December 31, with a gas leak being the likeliest cause of the tragedy.[SEP]MOSCOW (AFP) - The number of people confirmed dead in a New Year's Eve gas explosion that caused a Russian apartment block to partially collapse has risen to 37, officials said on Thursday (Jan 3), with four people still missing. Six children were among the dead, the Emergency Situations Ministry said in a statement, while six people had been rescued from the rubble of the building in the Ural mountains city of Magnitogorsk. The explosion tore through the 10-storey building in the industrial city nearly 1,700km east of Moscow in the early hours of Monday. Officials had given a toll of 28 dead as of late Wednesday. Rescuers have been braving freezing temperatures to search through mangled concrete and metal, but no survivors have been found since Tuesday, when a baby boy was pulled from the rubble. The Soviet-era apartment block was home to about 1,100 people and the explosion left dozens homeless over the New Year - the biggest holiday of the year in Russia.[SEP]The number of dead from a New Year's Eve gas explosion in a Russian apartment block jumped to 39 on Thursday as rescuers finished searching for bodies in the rubble of the partially collapsed building. Russian official Alexandre Tchouprian said that 38 of the 39 bodies had been identified and no more were expected to be found at the site in the Ural mountains city of Magnitogorsk. "The emergency services have nothing more to do here - the work is finished," Tchouprian was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. Nearly 900 people involved in rescue and recovery efforts braved temperatures as low as minus 27 degrees Celsius to search through mangled concrete and metal at the site. Six people including two children were rescued at the site, but no survivors have been found since Tuesday when a 10-month-old boy was retrieved in what officials described as a "New Year's miracle". The explosion tore through the 10-storey building in the industrial city nearly 1,700 kilometres east of Moscow in the early hours of Monday. The Soviet-era block was home to about 1,100 people and the explosion destroyed 35 apartments, leaving dozens homeless. A bridge had been built to reach higher areas and one of the building's walls was taken down as it was threatening to collapse on rescue workers. Financial help for victims On Thursday, residents of other parts of the building were to be allowed to enter their apartments, in half-hour stretches, to recover some belongings, the ministry said. All the survivors were in a stable condition, said the office of Chelyabinsk regional governor Boris Dubrovsky, who visited several of them in hospital on Thursday. The health ministry also said that Vanya, the baby boy rescued on Tuesday, was recovering in hospital. His condition was "stable, with some improvement", Russian news agencies quoted the ministry as saying. The boy was found in his cradle after rescuers heard him crying from under the rubble. He was brought to his mother, who had survived the blast, and then flown to Moscow for treatment. Dubrovsky's office said the governor had approved new financial assistance to the victims, including payments of one million rubles ($14,500, 12,700 euros) to the families of those killed and 400,000 rubles for those injured. Families who lost their apartments would receive payments of up 500,000 rubles, as well as being provided with new homes. Financial assistance was also to be provided to help pay for funerals, the first six of which were to be held on Friday, the governor's office said. The explosion, which officials have said was likely caused by a gas leak, happened as most of the building's residents were asleep. Witnesses described a "wave of fire" and said the blast was strong enough to shatter windows in nearby buildings. Investigators have launched a probe, but have said there is no reason to suspect foul play. Gas explosions are relatively common in Russia, where much of the infrastructure dates back to the Soviet era and safety requirements are often ignored. Located in the mineral-rich southern Urals, Magnitogorsk, with a population of more than 400,000, is home to one of Russia's largest steel producers.[SEP]MOSCOW: Russian rescuers on Tuesday pulled a baby girl alive from the ruins of an apartment block that collapsed in a gas explosion more than a day earlier, amid freezing temperatures. "The rescuers heard crying. The baby was saved by being in a cradle and warmly wrapped up," Chelyabinsk regional governor Boris Dubrovsky wrote on his Telegram channel. The baby girl aged 11 months was taken to hospital and is now being checked for fractures, a medic at the hospital where she is being treated told TASS news agency. "The little girl is conscious. The prognosis is positive." Part of the 10-storey appartment building collapsed following a gas explosion on Monday morning in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, nearly 1,700 kilometres (1,050 miles) east of Moscow in the Ural mountains. The baby was found after rescuers were forced to temporarily halt the search for dozens of missing people in the rubble for fear the rest of the block could come down. The child survived temperatures that fell overnight to around minus 27 degrees celsius (minus 16 degrees Fahrenheit), TASS reported. So far the incident has claimed at least seven lives and only six survivors have been found, including a 13-year-old boy. The Soviet-era appartment block was home to around 1,100 people. The blast completely destroyed 35 flats while 10 more were damaged. Residents left homeless were evacuated to a nearby school. Battling the freezing temperatures, rescuers had worked through the night combing through debris and trying to stabilise the remaining walls. But on Tuesday morning, the head of Russia's emergencies ministry, Yevgeny Zinichev, said the operations had to be temporarily halted. There is a "real threat of part of the building collapsing", Zinichev said. "It's impossible to continue working in such conditions." He added that efforts to stabilise the walls could take up to 24 hours, with emergency workers dismantling the building from the outside while hanging from cranes. After an all-night search, officials said Tuesday morning they had found seven bodies, all of them adults, while another 37 people remained unaccounted for. Day of mourning The regional governor Boris Dubrovsky announced a day of mourning on January 2, with flags lowered and entertainment events cancelled, as the disaster toll set a sombre mood in Russia where New Year's Eve celebrations are the biggest annual festivities. President Vladimir Putin on Monday rushed to the scene, where the blast left hundreds of residents homeless in freezing temperatures. "It is in the character of our people, despite New Year's festivities, to remember to think of the dead and wounded at this moment," a grim-looking Putin said. National television showed rescue workers searching through mangled heaps of concrete and metal. "I went out to have a cigarette at quarter-to-six," a local man told Russian television. "There was a blast and a wave of fire... then people started running out." Other witnesses said the explosion was strong enough to shatter the windows of nearby buildings. "I woke up and felt myself falling. The walls were gone. My mother was screaming and my son had been buried," said another witness. Located in the mineral-rich southern Urals region, Magnitogorsk, with a population of more than 400,000 people, is home to one of the country's largest steel producers. Investigators have opened a criminal probe into the accident, with the FSB security service confirming the blast was the result of a gas explosion. Such deadly gas explosions are relatively common in Russia where much of the infrastructure dates back to the Soviet era and safety requirements are often ignored.[SEP]Six more bodies have been pulled from the rubble after an explosion at a block of flats in southern Russia, bringing the death toll to 14, local authorities confirmed Wednesday. The Russian ministry of emergencies said the bodies, including a child, had been recovered from a section of the partially collapsed building in the city of Magnitogorsk.[SEP]Thirty-seven bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a Russian apartment building that partially collapsed this week after an apparent gas explosion, Russian news agencies are reporting. The blast early on December 31 damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, some 1700km east of Moscow. The death toll has progressively risen in the past few days as rescuers battle blisteringly cold temperatures to recover people trapped under the rubble. As of Thursday morning (local time), the bodies of 22 of the 37 dead had been identified, agencies cited the local branch of the emergencies ministries as saying. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, has said it is still investigating the exact cause of the blast. It said no traces of explosives had been found at the site. Initial reports attributed the blast to a gas explosion. Gas explosions are relatively common in Russia because of ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations surrounding gas use.

The death toll of an explosion caused by a gas leak that devastated a block of flats in Magnitogorsk, Russia, rises to 39. Rescuers end their search efforts at the collapse site as there are no more missing people.

ROME (Reuters) - Naples is ready to defy Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and let in a charity-run ship carrying 32 migrants that is blocked in the stormy Mediterranean, the city mayor said on Thursday. His offer adds to a growing challenge from opposition politicians to Salvini’s far-right League, which has vowed to bar migrants and make life difficult for those already here. Both Italy and Malta are refusing to let the Sea-Watch 3, a ship operated by a German non-governmental organization (NGO), dock and set down the migrants who were rescued off Libya on Dec. 22. Both countries say they have taken in too many migrants and accuse NGO rescue ships of acting as a taxi service for would-be refugees. Naples’ center-left mayor Luigi de Magistris said Salvini was playing politics with peoples’ lives. “To leave people and children in the middle of cold and stormy seas is a crime — not simply indecent, immoral and appalling,” de Magistris told Radio Crc. “I hope that this boat approaches the port of Naples because, unlike what the government says, we will launch a rescue operation and we will let it enter the port,” he said. “I will be the first to lead the rescue.” Naples is hundreds of miles to the north of the Sea-Watch 3 and there was no immediate response from the boat to the offer. Malta overnight allowed the boat into its waters to sail closer to land where the seas are less choppy, but is refusing to let it dock. Several local politicians from opposition parties have defied Salvini’s anti-migrant policies. On Wednesday, the mayor of the Sicilian capital Palermo, Leoluca Orlando, said he would join other cities in ignoring a new security law because it abolishes asylum protection for many migrants. Salvini on Thursday threatened mayors with legal action. “Anyone who helps clandestine migrants hates Italians. They will answer for their actions before the law and the history books. I will not back down,” Salvini tweeted. FILE PHOTO: A ferry boat sails in the port of Naples, Italy July 25, 2018. Picture taken July 25, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo “Italy’s ports are closed. We have taken in too many fake refugees. We have enriched too many people-smugglers. Left-wing mayors should think of the difficulties of their own citizens and not clandestine migrants.” On taking office last year, Salvini barred NGO boats and moved to help Libya prevent people leaving its shores. Some 12,977 migrants entered Italy in 2018 via boats from Libya, down 87.9 percent on 2017 and 92.85 percent on 2016, according to government data.[SEP]The Netherlands announced Wednesday it was prepared to welcome some of the 32 migrants waiting to disembark from a Dutch-flagged vessel in the Mediterranean, if other countries did the same. “The Netherlands has indicated a readiness to possibly take in a proportional number of migrants who are on board Sea-Watch 3, on condition that other European countries do the same,” said security and justice ministry spokesman Lennart Wegewijs. The Dutch had at first joined Italy, Malta and Spain in refusing to accept the migrants who were rescued on December 22 by Sea-Watch 3, which is operated by a German charity. “Negotiations coordinated by the European Commission are underway between the different European countries,” Wegewijs told AFP. “We are seeking a solution to this situation.” The 32 migrants who were plucked from a makeshift boat in international waters, include three young children, three unaccompanied adolescents and four women from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast. In Berlin, a government spokesman said Saturday that Germany would only accept some of the 32 if other European countries also agreed to do so. Spanish coastguards reported Wednesday they had rescued 325 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean over the first two days of the new year. The news comes just days after a charity rescue vessel carrying 311 mainly African migrants plucked off the coast of Libya docked in Spain, ending a traumatic journey which saw them spend Christmas at sea. With Italian ports closed to migrants by the Rome government since June, Spain has become a leading destination. A spokeswoman for Spain’s coastguards told AFP they had rescued 111 migrants on Tuesday. She added 214 more were saved on Wednesday, and coastguards were searching for another boat in distress. More than 1,300 migrants died trying to reach Italy or Malta via the central Mediterranean last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.[SEP]The Netherlands has announced it was prepared to welcome some of the 32 refugees and migrants waiting to disembark from a Dutch-flagged vessel in the Mediterranean, if other countries did the same. "The Netherlands has indicated a readiness to possibly take in a proportional number of migrants who are on board Sea-Watch 3, on condition that other European countries do the same," said Lennart Wegewijs, the security and justice ministry spokesman, on Wednesday. The Dutch had at first joined Italy, Malta and Spain in refusing to accept the refugees and migrants who were rescued on December 22 by Sea-Watch 3, which is operated by a German charity and have been stranded off Malta. Also on Wednesday, Malta's navy announced that it will allow two German NGO ships with refugees on board, including the Sea-Watch 3, to "take shelter" in Maltese waters due to the deteriorating conditions on board. The 32 refugees on the Sea-Watch 3 who were plucked from a makeshift boat in international waters, include three young children, three unaccompanied adolescents and four women from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast. The Sea-Eye, the second ship, has also been stranded in the Mediterranean with 17 refugees on board. A German government spokesman said on Saturday that Germany would only accept some of the refugees if other European countries also agreed to do so. The Sea-Watch NGO tweeted on Wednesday that a storm at sea is now returning, and the ship's passengers and crew need a safe harbour. The storm has forced the ship's crew to pack the migrants and refugees together in a small area below the deck. Separately, Spanish coastguards reported on Wednesday they had rescued 401 refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean over the first two days of the New Year. The news comes just days after a charity rescue vessel carrying 311 mainly African refugees plucked off the coast of Libya docked in Spain, ending a traumatic journey which saw them spend Christmas at sea. With Italian ports closed to refugees by the government in Rome since June, Spain has become a leading destination. More than 1,300 refugees and migrants died trying to reach Italy or Malta via the central Mediterranean last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.[SEP]The Netherlands announced Wednesday it was prepared to welcome some of the 32 migrants waiting to disembark from a Dutch-flagged vessel in the Mediterranean, if other countries did the same. "The Netherlands has indicated a readiness to possibly take in a proportional number of migrants who are on board Sea-Watch 3, on condition that other European countries do the same," said security and justice ministry spokesman Lennart Wegewijs. And late Wednesday, Malta's navy announced that authorities would allow two German NGO ships — the Sea-Watch 3 and Sea-Eye — carrying migrants to "take shelter" in Maltese waters due to the deteriorating conditions on board. The Dutch had at first joined Italy, Malta and Spain in refusing to accept the migrants who were rescued on December 22 by Sea-Watch 3, which is operated by a German charity. The 32 migrants on the Sea-Watch 3 who were plucked from a makeshift boat in international waters, include three young children, three unaccompanied adolescents and four women from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast. The Sea-Eye has been stranded in the Mediterranean with 17 migrants on board. In Berlin, a government spokesman said Saturday that Germany would only accept some of the migrants if other European countries also agreed to do so. Meanwhile Spanish coast guards reported Wednesday they had rescued 401 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean over the first two days of the new year. The news comes just days after a charity rescue vessel carrying 311 mainly African migrants plucked off the coast of Libya docked in Spain, ending a traumatic journey which saw them spend Christmas at sea. With Italian ports closed to migrants by the Rome government since June, Spain has become a leading destination. A spokeswoman for Spain's coastguards told AFP they had rescued 111 migrants on Tuesday. She added 290 more were saved on Wednesday, and coastguards were searching for another boat in distress. More than 1,300 migrants died trying to reach Italy or Malta via the central Mediterranean last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.[SEP]German migrant rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 sent a desperate plea on Wednesday for a harbor to dock in. Conditions aboard the ship have worsened after 12 days at sea and bad weather conditions on the Mediterranean, Sea-Watch said in a statement posted on Twitter. The Berlin-based NGO vessel rescued 32 migrants on December 22, including four women, three children and four unaccompanied minors, and has not been allowed to reach ports in Malta or Italy. Their extended stay on Mediterranean waters is slowly depleting the ship's resources and endangering everyone on board, Sea-Watch said. The crew has 'reached their limit' Due to a storm, the ship's crew retreated into cramped lower-deck quarters with all 32 migrants for safety. Coupled with inadequate food nutrition and dwindling water supplies, the migrants and several crew members have succumbed to severe seasickness. "For a malnourished, weakened person, the resulting dehydration may be life-threatening, especially when in conjuncture with hypothermia," the crew wrote. In particular, the three children on board, ages 1, 6 and 7 years old, were at the most risk, Sea-Watch said. Some of the migrants have also suffered from post-traumatic stress as a result of being packed into a small space inside the ship. The resulting group dynamic of "many unbalanced people in close proximity to each other" has had an effect on their mental state, the crew wrote. "We do not have the capacity or the resources to sustain this situation for much longer," Sea-Watch 3's medical team wrote in its "urgent request" letter, adding that the crew had reached their limit, having been on board the vessel for three weeks. The Sea-Watch has not yet been granted access to a port, but the crew said Malta had permitted them to approach their coast to shelter from the storm. The Maltese government also allowed another distressed German NGO vessel, the Sea-Eye, access to its waters. In a tweet, Maltese Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia provided a map of the area off the coast of Libya where both NGO boats had carried out their rescues. "Malta was neither the appropriate nor the competent search and rescue authority," he said. The Netherlands said on Wednesday that it was prepared to take in some of the 32 migrants. But the offer was only "on condition that other European countries do the same," security and justice ministry spokesman Lennart Wegewijs said. "Negotiations coordinated by the European Commission are underway between the different European countries," Wegewijs told AFP news agency. The ordeal of Sea-Watch 3 comes just days after a charity rescue vessel carrying 311 mainly migrants off the coast of Libya had been allowed to dock in Spain. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 1,300 migrants have died trying to reach Italy or Malta via the central Mediterranean last year. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.[SEP]The latest standoff involves 32 migrants who were rescued at sea on December 22 but have not yet been given permission to land anywhere. "It's now been 14 days left alone at sea. A new record of shame," the Mediterranea collective of aid groups and associations said on Twitter today, as it launched a mission to deliver aid to those stranded in stormy weather off the coast of Malta. Three children, aged one, six and seven, "are vomiting continuously, and are at risk of hypothermia and dehydration," said Alessandro Metz of Mediterranea, an initiative which aims to protect migrant rights at sea. "EU ministers continue to bargain over 32 human beings. We might look miserable, but they are pathetic," German charity Sea Watch said. Doctors Without Borders (MSF Sea) said there was "no justification for this degrading treatment". The Sea-Watch 3, a Dutch-flagged vessel which pulled the migrants to safety nearly two weeks ago, was on Wednesday given permission by Malta to shelter off its coast from the fierce winds -- but not to land. It is the latest of a string of incidents involving people rescued at sea but left stranded in the Mediterranean that has thrown a harsh spotlight on the ongoing deadlock within the European Union over sharing responsibility for migrants. Migrants have frequently been left in limbo aboard ships that rescued them since Italy's populist anti-immigration government began turning them away last summer. A help party including fresh crew members and German members of parliament sailed out to the vessel on Friday with supplies, including fresh water, for the people on board. Among them are three unaccompanied adolescents and four women from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast. As the help party arrived, "one of the migrants threw himself into thewater in an attempt to swim to Malta", said photographer Federico Scoppa, onboard. "After a few meters, he gave up because of the cold and the current, and was dragged back to the ship using a lifebuoy," Scoppa told AFP. The German NGO Sea-Eye also has a ship stranded in the Mediterranean with 17 migrants on board. Italy, Malta, Spain and the Netherlands initially refused to take them in, although Germany and the Netherlands later said they would take some of them - on the condition that other nations did the same. Several German and Italian cities have since offered to host them, with the mayor of Naples defying Italy's hardline interior minister by saying he would lead the operation to disembark them himself if they approached the coast. In a joint statement with Mediterranea, it said Friday's aid mission aimed to "put pressure on Berlin, which has yet to give a positive answer to the dozens of German cities willing to take in those rescued". It also urged "European countries, beginning with Italy and Malta, to offer a safe port, as required under international law." Since coming to power more than six months ago, the Italian government has been demanding greater solidarity from reluctant fellow EU states. But EU members have failed to agree on a permanent mechanism to relocate migrants who reach Europe's shores, even though arrivals have dropped sharply since a peak more than three years ago. Some 113,482 migrants crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe last year, according to the UN refugee agency, which said 2,262 people lost their lives or went missing making the perilous journey. READ ALSO: Salvini furious as Italian mayors defy new immigration rules[SEP]ABOARD SEA-WATCH 3, Mediterranean (Reuters) - After two weeks stranded at sea and battered by winter storms, migrants onboard a rescue ship are growing frustrated, supplies are dwindling and the crew are exhausted as European countries refuse to offer a safe port of call. The Sea-Watch 3, a vessel run by a German humanitarian group, plucked 32 people from an unsafe boat off the coast of Libya on Dec. 22, including three small children who are suffering from seasickness and four teenagers, who are traveling alone. The vessel is now in Maltese waters sheltering from high winds and rough seas. “We are here on this boat and we do not understand what is happening,” Bob Kiangala, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, told Reuters. “We are not fish, we are not sharks, we are human beings like everyone else. We made this crossing, we risked our lives to get to Europe, and now that we have arrived, Europe refuses, and we do not know why,” he said. Another German humanitarian group, Sea-Eye, is also in waters off Malta with 17 people rescued on Dec. 29 on board its ship. This week almost two dozen humanitarian groups, including Amnesty International and the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, called on the European Union to offer a safe port to both vessels. Until June last year, Italy took in almost all of the migrants rescued by humanitarian groups, but since then the new populist government’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has closed the ports to rescue ships. The mayor of Naples said on Thursday he was ready to let the ship dock at the town’s port, but ports and immigration are controlled by the central government. In recent months Spain and Malta have agreed to take in some rescued migrants, but often not before long negotiations with other EU countries. As a consequence, most humanitarian groups have abandoned sea rescue efforts. Crew members on the Sea-Watch 3 are in good spirits but tired, getting an average of about five hours sleep a night, and the migrants, many of whom endured months of abuse in Libya after making a dangerous desert crossing, are showing signs of stress and mental fatigue, Sea-Watch’s head of mission, Philipp Hahn, said. Sixteen-year-old Achuil Abdallah, who set off alone from his native South Sudan, said he is relieved to have escaped Libya and now is just hoping to reach dry land: “We all need help.”

The mayor of Naples offers to berth a NGO-operated ship with 32 migrants who were rescued on 22 December in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Libya.

Containers with items including flat-screen televisions have washed up on Dutch islands in the North Sea. Dozens of containers with items including flat-screen televisions have washed up on Dutch islands in the North Sea after a ship lost part of its cargo in heavy seas, bringing a windfall for local treasure hunters. The Dutch Coast Guard said up to 270 containers had fallen off the Panamanian-flagged MSC ZOE, one of the world's biggest container ships, in rough weather near the German island of Borkum and floated southwest toward Dutch waters. Containers broke open on the shores of the Dutch islands of Terschelling and Vlieland. Others were floating or stranded off the coasts of Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, part of a chain of islands that guard the Dutch coast. The Coast Guard warned ships in the area to beware of floating containers. Three containers holding hazardous materials have not yet been located, the Coast Guard said. Dozens of containers with items including flat-screen televisions have washed up on Dutch islands in the North Sea after a ship lost part of its cargo in heavy seas, bringing a windfall for local treasure hunters. Dutch media reported that local treasure hunters had found an array of items from containers whose contents had spilled, including light bulbs, car parts, Ikea furniture, clothing and toys. Local media carried pictures of groups of people congregating around beached blue containers and one carrying off what appeared to be a flatscreen TV still packed in foam. Such material is considered flotsam, and residents of the islands have a centuries-old tradition of collecting it. It was unclear if the goods were water-damaged. The mayor of the island of Vlieland, Tineke Schokker, said that the municipality doesn't mind scavenging. "It's just really nice of people," she told local news agency ANP. "Processing it would cost more than the stuff is worth, and anyway with the two officers we have it would be impossible to guard, the stuff is littered over the whole beach." A spokesman for the ship's operator, MSC, had no immediate comment. Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.[SEP]Around 270 containers are estimated to have fallen overboard from MSC Zoe, an ultra large containership owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), while the boxship was battling heavy weather on its journey toward Bremerhaven, Germany, on January 2. The Dutch Coast Guard informed that at least 21 containers have washed ashore at the beaches of Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland, adding that there are still containers in the water. The coast guard said on Wednesday that interested parties should not help with the cleaning activities as there are three unlocalized containers ​that could contain hazardous materials. According to the latest update from Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (Havariekommando), some of the containers that went overboard have already been spotted, including six in German waters. However, it is yet to be determined whether a container with dangerous goods had been among those that went overboard. “MSC has started a clean-up operation in response to a substantial spill of containers in the North Sea,” MSC said in a statement today. “Unfortunately, a number of the containers were damaged or lost overboard amid very difficult conditions.” The Swiss-based containership owner has appointed a salvage company to coordinate the retrieval of cargo and beach clean-up operations and is also deploying specialised ships equipped with sonar to search for missing cargo at sea. “MSC takes this incident very seriously, both in terms of the impact of such accidents on the natural environment and in terms of any damage to customers’ cargo. In all aspects of the clean-up MSC is collaborating with local authorities,” the company added. “MSC will ensure that customers who seek further information receive direct communications in the coming days. They are invited to contact local MSC representatives.” MSC Zoe proceeded to Bremerhaven for cargo discharge operations. The German authorities said that the ship moored at Bremerhaven at 00:35 this morning after being accompanied to the port by the multipurpose vessel Neuwerk. MSC said it was analyzing the causes of the incident. Image Courtesy: Havariekommando; Kustwacht[SEP]A Dutch beach has been left covered in chemicals and plastic after hundreds of shipping containers fell into the North Sea. At least 270 containers toppled into the ocean from the freighter MSC Zoe on Wednesday, many of which were filled with plastic toys, flat-screen TVs and hazardous materials. Treasure-hunters are being warned not to touch anything that washes ashore, but scavengers have flocked to the beach in search of items. Among the debris was a 25kg bag of peroxide, a bleaching agent which can cause injury when it comes into contact with skin. It is not yet know how many of the containers sank to the sea bottom and how many could still be floating in the ocean and pose a risk to marine life or other ships. The bag was safely removed by emergency crews, but more debris is expected to wash ashore in the coming days. The Dutch military has been mobilised and hundreds of local people have volunteered to clean away the pollution which washed up on or near the Dutch islands of Terschelling, Vlieland, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. Defence Ministry spokesman Sjaak Van Elten said: ‘The expectation is that more things may wash up on beaches tonight.’ But the Dutch Coast Guard said attempts to locate floating containers were being ‘hindered by multiple sport planes that have come to look … We ask them to remain out of the area of this air space to prevent dangerous situations’. German authorities are leading the investigation into what caused the accident, which occurred in German waters near the island of Borkum. An MSC statement said the containers were lost overboard during ‘heavy weather’, and a salvage company had been hired to assist in the clean up and search for missing items. MSC said it was taking the incident ‘very seriously, both in terms of the impact of such accidents on the natural environment and in terms of any damage to customer’s cargo’. The MSC Zoe, one of the world’s largest container vessels, is owned by Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company. The freighter is currently docked at port in Bremerhaven, Germany.[SEP]The MSC Zoe, one of the world's largest cargo ships, lost some of its cargo on Tuesday as it navigated stormy waters on its way from Antwerp in Belgium to Bremerhaven in Germany. The Dutch coastguard said more than 20 containers have washed up on the beaches of Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland on the western side of the Frisian Island chain. Six containers have been spotted in German waters and the country's East Frisian Islands were also on alert, with a warning issued on Borkum late Wednesday. A message, issued via the mobile warning and information service KATWARN, said that containers and hazardous goods could make their way onto the beaches. Following discussions with the ship's crew, emergency authorities in the North Sea coastal city of Cuxhaven reported that at least one of the containers has inside it the industrial chemical benzoyl peroxide, used to make plastic. The shipping company that operates the MSC Zoe is deploying specialised vessels kitted out with sonar to clean up the "substantial spill," it said in a statement. The cargo ship arrived in Bremerhaven during the night, Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said on Thursday. It is 394 metres in length and can carry more than 19,000 standard-sized containers.[SEP]Up to 270 containers at least one transporting dangerous materials fell off a cargo ship in a storm on its way from Belgium to Germany, the German Maritime Emergencies Command said. The ship was heading from Antwerp to Bremerhaven in the North Sea. The shipping company corrected the operation team’s initial estimate of 30 containers falling overboard, the command said on Wednesday. At least one container that went overboard contained hazardous materials. READ ALSO:N150m tramadol Bribe: Group wants Customs to disclose identity of Importer According to the Dutch coastguard, at least three containers contained peroxides, chemical compounds which can be dangerous in high concentrations. The container ship, the MSC Zoe, is one of the largest container ships in the world and can transport roughly 19,000 containers. Thus far, 21 containers have washed up on the Dutch islands of Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland, the Dutch coastguard said.[SEP]AMSTERDAM (REUTERS) - Dozens of containers with items including flat-screen televisions have washed up on Dutch islands in the North Sea after a ship lost part of its cargo in heavy seas, bringing a windfall for local treasure hunters. The Dutch Coast Guard said up to 270 containers had fallen off the Panamanian-flagged MSC ZOE, one of the world's biggest container ships, in rough weather near the German island of Borkum and floated south-west toward Dutch waters. Containers broke open on the shores of the Dutch islands of Terschelling and Vlieland. Others were floating or stranded off the coasts of Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, part of a chain of islands that guard the Dutch coast. The Coast Guard warned ships in the area to beware of floating containers. Three containers holding hazardous materials have not yet been located, the Coast Guard said. Dutch media reported that local treasure hunters had found an array of items from containers whose contents had spilled, including light bulbs, car parts, Ikea furniture, clothing and toys. Local media carried pictures of groups of people congregating around beached blue containers and one carrying off what appeared to be a flatscreen TV still packed in foam. Such material is considered flotsam, and residents of the islands have a centuries-old tradition of collecting it. It was unclear if the goods were water-damaged. The mayor of the island of Vlieland, Tineke Schokker, said that the municipality doesn't mind scavenging. "It's just really nice of people," she told local news agency ANP. "Processing it would cost more than the stuff is worth, and anyway with the two officers we have it would be impossible to guard, the stuff is littered over the whole beach." A spokesman for the ship's operator, MSC, had no immediate comment.[SEP]Search is on for containers lost off Dutch coast by ship BERLIN (AP) — Authorities in Germany and the Netherlands are searching for up to 270 shipping containers lost at sea by a cargo ship caught in a storm, saying some are carrying hazardous materials. German authorities say the cargo ship that lost the containers landed in the German port of Bremerhaven early Thursday. The Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said six containers so far have been sighted in German waters, while more than 20 have washed ashore in the Netherlands or are drifting off the Dutch island of Terschelling. German authorities say at least one of the containers is carrying organic peroxide, a flammable and highly toxic compound. Authorities in the Netherlands have warned the public to stay away from the containers.[SEP]BERLIN — Authorities in Germany and the Netherlands were searching Thursday for up to 270 shipping containers lost at sea by a cargo ship caught in a storm, saying that a few of them are carrying hazardous material. A bag of the substance washed ashore on a Dutch island. The ship that lost the containers, the MSC Zoe, arrived in the German port of Bremerhaven early Thursday. The ship, which had last called at Sines, Portugal, lost part of its cargo Wednesday in a storm off the northern coast of the Netherlands and Germany. Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said authorities have established that three missing containers at most contained a dangerous substance, but none of them has been found yet. The substance in question is an organic peroxide, a flammable and highly toxic compound. On Thursday, authorities in the Netherlands said that one bag of peroxide had been washed ashore on Schiermonnikoog island. German authorities said that most of the containers located so far were in Dutch waters. Special ships equipped with sonar were being used to search in the North Sea for sunken containers. The Dutch defense ministry said it was recalling soldiers from their Christmas leave to help clear up beaches on North Sea islands starting Friday, following requests from the mayors of Schiermonnikoog and nearby Terschelling island. It said about 100 soldiers will be deployed. Officials in both countries have warned the public to stay away from the containers. The ship’s operator, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, said it “takes this incident very seriously, both in terms of the impact of such accidents on the natural environment and in terms of any damage to customers’ cargo.” It said it is collaborating with local authorities “in all aspects of the cleanup.” Police in Bremerhaven were investigating the cause of the accident. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]BERLIN — Authorities in Germany and the Netherlands are searching for up to 270 shipping containers lost at sea by a cargo ship caught in a storm, saying some are carrying hazardous materials. German authorities say the cargo ship that lost the containers landed in the German port of Bremerhaven early Thursday. The Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said six containers so far have been sighted in German waters, while more than 20 have washed ashore in the Netherlands or are drifting off the Dutch island of Terschelling. German authorities say at least one of the containers is carrying organic peroxide, a flammable and highly toxic compound. Authorities in the Netherlands have warned the public to stay away from the containers. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]Public warned away from ship containers lost off Dutch coast THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch authorities are warning the public to stay away from some of the 270 containers that a cargo ship lost off the northern coast of the Netherlands because they contained a hazardous chemical. The Dutch coast guard said three containers carried closed-off barrels of an organic peroxide, a flammable and highly toxic compound. The container ship is suspected to have lost cargo that included toys, light bulbs and flat screens during an overnight storm off the coastal border between Germany and the Netherlands. German maritime officials identified the ship as the MSC Zoe. By mid-afternoon on Wednesday, more than 20 containers had washed ashore on the Wadden Islands, a North Sea archipelago. Some beaches on the islands already saw a surge of curious people checking out what washed up.

The Dutch Coast Guard says 270 containers fell off MSC Zoe in heavy seas near the German island of Borkum and floated towards the Netherlands. Treasure hunters revel on the West Frisian islands of Terschelling and Vlieland. Three containers containing hazardous materials are still missing and ships are warned for floating containers.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Seven people died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate Thursday afternoon, highway officials said. Two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicles were involved in the wreck on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The fire was ignited after about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel spilled onto the highway, authorities said. Several others were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries, the Gainesville Sun reported. A helicopter landed on scene to search for any victims who may have been in the woods along the crash scene that Alachua County Sheriff's officials described as "extensive." Authorities extinguished the fire, but the aftermath caused a portion of the interstate to be closed in both directions, causing massive delays Thursday evening. The Alachua County Sherriff's office tweeted that the crash was in the northbound lanes but that the southbound lanes were closed to keep a route open for first responders, saying it "required all hands on deck" and warning "the closure is going to be lengthy." The Florida Highway Patrol said a large amount of personal property, burnt vehicles and vehicle parts scattered across the road. Authorities said they are treating it as a pending homicide investigation. More from : 911 calls released from fatal lion attack of intern at North Carolina zoo On-duty US Marine shot, killed inside Washington barracks Infant pulled alive from Russian apartment collapse[SEP]GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Highway officials say six people have died after a diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate. The Florida Highway Patrol says two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicle were involved in Thursday's crash on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville. Authorities say the fire was ignited after about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel spilled onto the highway. The fire has been extinguished. Eight others have been taken to the hospital. The Gainesville Sun reports some of the injuries were critical. No other details were released.[SEP](CNN) - Six people were killed on Thursday on Interstate-75 in Florida, after several vehicles crashed and a massive fire was sparked by a diesel fuel spill.[SEP]GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Highway officials say six people have died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate. The Florida Highway Patrol says two tractor-trailer rigs and… GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Highway officials say six people have died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate. The Florida Highway Patrol says two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicles were involved in Thursday’s wreck on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville. Authorities say the fire was ignited after about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel spilled onto the highway. The fire has been extinguished. Eight others have been taken to the hospital. The Gainesville Sun reports some of the injuries were critical. A helicopter landed to search for injured people who may have been in the woods along the crash scene. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Two big rigs and two passenger vehicles collided and spilled diesel fuel across a Florida highway Thursday, sparking a massive fire that killed seven people, authorities said. The wreck happened… FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Two big rigs and two passenger vehicles collided and spilled diesel fuel across a Florida highway Thursday, sparking a massive fire that killed seven people, authorities said. The wreck happened on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville. The flames were fed by about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel, authorities said. Several others were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries, the Gainesville Sun reported. Authorities initially said six had died but late Thursday night revealed a seventh victim had perished. Emergency crews extinguished the fire and said they were treating the crash as a homicide investigation, but didn’t say why. The fire was so intense that authorities said it damaged parts of the road. A spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol told The Associated Press in a phone interview that their top priorities were to conduct a thorough investigation and to identify the deceased victims. “There’s going to be families that need to be notified that their loves ones have perished,” said Lieutenant Patrick Riordan. It’s unclear whether the victims were killed in the wreck or whether they burned in the fire, which would make identification more difficult, he said. The aftermath closed part of the highway in both directions, causing massive delays. The crash was in the northbound lanes, but southbound lanes were closed for hours to keep a route open for first responders, according to a tweet from the Alachua County Sherriff’s office, which said the emergency “required all hands on deck.” Authorities opened the northbound lanes around 8 p.m. but said southbound lanes could be closed until morning. Debris including personal property and vehicle parts was scattered across the road, the Florida Highway Patrol said. A helicopter arrived to search for any victims who may have been in nearby woods. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]At least six people were killed and eight others injured in a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Alachua County Florida, near Gainesville, where 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled Thursday afternoon. The Alachua County Fire Rescue said several cars, including at least one semi-trailer, caught on fire on I-95 southbound due to a crash in which 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled. All lanes of the roadway, northbound and southbound, were shut down as of 5 p.m. ET Alachua County Fire Rescue said eight patients were transported from the scene, many with critical injuries.[SEP]Six people are dead and eight people have been transported from the scene of a fiery multivehicle crash on Interstate 75 southbound near Gainesville, Florida, according to Alachua County Fire Rescue. A photo posted by the Alachua County Fire Rescue shows a tractor-trailer in flames with a vehicle under its left side. The Florida Highway Patrol said two tractor-trailers, a passenger van and a midsize sedan were involved in the crash. The accident occurred Thursday afternoon at mile marker 393 on I-75 southbound. Some of the eight patients transported from the scene have critical injuries, according to the fire and medical service. The vehicle fire was put out by crews arriving on scene. This is a developing story. Return for updates.[SEP]GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Six people died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate Thursday afternoon, highway officials said. Two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicles were involved in the wreck on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The fire was ignited after about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel spilled onto the highway, authorities said. Eight others were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries, the Gainesville Sun reported. A helicopter landed on scene to search for any victims who may have been in the woods along the crash scene, which Alachua County Sheriff’s officials described as “extensive.” Authorities extinguished the fire, but the aftermath caused a portion of the interstate to be closed in both directions, causing massive delays Thursday evening. The Alachua County Sherriff’s office tweeted that the crash was in the northbound lanes but that the southbound lanes were closed to keep a route open for first responders, saying it “required all hands on deck” and warning “the closure is going to be lengthy.” The Florida Highway Patrol said a large amount of personal property, burnt vehicles and vehicle parts were scattered across the road. Authorities said they are treating it as a pending homicide investigation. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]Flames engulf vehicles after a fiery crash along Interstate 75, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, about a mile south of Alachua, near Gainesville, Fla. Highway officials say at least six people have died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire along the Florida interstate. (WGFL-Gainesville via AP) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on a fatal highway crash in Florida (all times local): Authorities say another person has died in a fatal crash on a Florida highway, bringing the death toll to seven. Two big rigs and two passenger vehicles collided and spilled diesel fuel across the highway Thursday on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, sparking a massive fire. The Gainesville Sun reports several others were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries. Emergency crews extinguished the fire and said they were treating the crash as a homicide investigation. Authorities have not why they are treating the deaths as potential homicides. Authorities say their top priority is identifying the victims so they can notify their relatives. The aftermath closed part of the highway in both directions for hours, causing massive delays. Highway officials say six people have died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate. The Florida Highway Patrol says two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicles were involved in Thursday's wreck on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville. Authorities say the fire was ignited after about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel spilled onto the highway. The fire has been extinguished. Eight others have been taken to the hospital. The Gainesville Sun reports some of the injuries were critical. A helicopter landed to search for injured people who may have been in the woods along the crash scene.[SEP]The Latest on a fatal highway crash in Florida (all times local): The Florida Highway Patrol says all northbound lanes of Interstate 75 in Florida are open the morning after a fiery crash that killed seven people and injured at least eight others. Motorists should expect delays on Friday as only one southbound lane is open south of Gainesville, where the crash happened Thursday afternoon. The highway patrol has scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference to discuss the investigation into the crash. Two big rigs and two passenger vehicles collided and diesel fuel spilled across the busy highway. Sgt. Steve Gaskins said the investigation is classified as a traffic homicide, which is routine in nature. Authorities say another person has died in a fatal crash on a Florida highway, bringing the death toll to seven. Two big rigs and two passenger vehicles collided and spilled diesel fuel across the highway Thursday on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, sparking a massive fire. The Gainesville Sun reports several others were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries. Emergency crews extinguished the fire and said they were treating the crash as a homicide investigation. Authorities have not why they are treating the deaths as potential homicides. Authorities say their top priority is identifying the victims so they can notify their relatives. The aftermath closed part of the highway in both directions for hours, causing massive delays. Highway officials say six people have died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate. The Florida Highway Patrol says two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicles were involved in Thursday's wreck on Interstate 75 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Alachua, near Gainesville. Authorities say the fire was ignited after about 50 gallons (189 liters) of diesel spilled onto the highway. The fire has been extinguished. Eight others have been taken to the hospital. The Gainesville Sun reports some of the injuries were critical. A helicopter landed to search for injured people who may have been in the woods along the crash scene.

Seven people are killed after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on Interstate 75 in Gainesville, Florida, United States.

Of course, the announcement was also celebrated by New Yorkers who rely on the line. Jocelyn Crespo, 35, who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, described herself as “very relieved.” “It gives us more options to get into work and opportunities to get to our friends,” she said. But Mr. Cuomo’s announcement also raised a host of questions: Would the new technology work? Has it been effective elsewhere? Why did the governor wait until the last minute to do this? Transit advocates wondered how much the construction would cost and raised questions over whether Mr. Cuomo, who controls the subway, had made the decision unilaterally. Mr. Cuomo appeared pleased to have stepped in to save the day. The decision, he said, would be a “phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City.” Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, however, sounded a note of caution, saying the whiplash move by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the subway, “was certainly no way to run a railroad.” “So long as this new strategy proves to be real, the mayor thinks this is great news for L-train riders,” Eric Phillips, a spokesman for the mayor, said in a statement. “But like everyone else, the mayor thinks the M.T.A. has some real explaining to do about how it has handled this for the last few years.”[SEP] • A New York City subway line that was scheduled to close completely for 15 months won’t be shutting down after all, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday. • Teams of engineers from Columbia and Cornell universities studied systems in London, Hong Kong, and Riyadh to find a cheaper – and quicker – solution that wouldn’t strand 300,000 daily commuters. • “Smart” fiber optic cables, lidar, and “racked” cabling will be used to mitigate further damage in the rehabilitated tunnel. When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo toured a subway tunnel nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in December, he and an entourage of engineers from Columbia and Cornell Universities saw first-hand the tremendous damage that salt water can do to a century-old tunnel. After the hurricane’s 14-foot storm surge inundated the L train’s tracks, it crippled a vital link between Brooklyn and Manhattan that carries more than 250,000 commuters every day. The only option, now more than six years later, seemed to be a complete closure of the tunnel for 15 months. After carefully studying technologies in London, Hong Kong, and Riyadh, the team assembled by Gov. Cuomo – the de-facto leader of the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Administration – recommended a ten-fold solution that would avoid a complete shutdown. First, it’s important to understand why the damage was so bad New York’s subway is old. Very old. The Canarsie Line, which now carries the L train service from 14th street in Chelsea, under the East River to Williamsburg, through Bushwick and eventually to Canarsie, began service in 1924. It’s only two tracks for its entire 10-mile length – a surprising anomaly, considering most of the system has multiple to accommodate express and local services. Despite being the first service of New York’s 27 lines to receive an upgrade to a modern signal system, known as Communications Based Train Control, or CBTC for short, much of the electronic equipment was installed inside a concrete “bench wall” in the tunnel. When the tunnel flooded, it got inside the wall and corroded the communications and signaling equipment. The MTA was able to restore service following the storm, but warned for years that a complete shutdown would be necessary to remove and replace the destroyed infrastructure. In 2017, after three years of public input and several possible options, officials decided a 15-month closure beginning in April 2019 was the best course of action. With just months until the closure was scheduled to begin, a cryptic tweet from the non-profit Transit Center foundation began to make the rounds on Thursday morning. And an hour later, a scheduled announcement appeared on the Governor’s public schedule for 12:45 pm at his Midtown Manhattan office. Assembled high above third avenue’s bustling traffic was the team of experts assembled by Cuomo, including the deans of Columbia and Cornell’s engineering schools alongside MTA acting chairman Fernando Ferrer and other agency officials. Moments later, the governor would announce the cancellation of the closure that had seen Brooklyn rents plummet and businesses make contingency plans for the lost foot traffic and revenue. The repaired tunnel will be the first of its kind in the US Instead of replacing the cabling that’s stuck inside the concrete benchwall, contractors will instead repair any damaged portions of the wall and convert it into a walkway for emergency situations and repairs going forward. For this, they’ll use fiberglass patching that’s been used on other infrastructure projects and is a bonafide method of construction, experts said at the press conference. New electronic equipment will be sheathed in low-smoke, fire resistant cabling and “racked” or hung from the tunnel in a way that it avoids further damage and can be easily repaired if need be. A ground wire will be placed underneath the track bed, as is currently done on some outdoor and above-ground lines. “This is a design that has not been used in the US before,” Cuomo said. “It has been implemented in Europe, but has never been implemented in a tunnel restoration project. It uses many new innovations that are new, frankly, to the rail industry.” Some night and weekend closures of one tube will still be necessary, the MTA said in a press release, allowing for a limited service to continue at the same time as construction. The “de-coupling” of the infrastructure has “never been done before,” the governor added. Damaged cabling inside the benchwall will be abandoned and replaced with new electronics. Fiber optic cables will also be installed along the entire 32,000 benchwall that can continuously monitor the tunnel for cracks or damage, before a catastrophe occurs. Lidar, a laser-like radar technology, can also be added onto trains for more thorough periodic inspections to the structure. “This is really state of the art technology,” Lance Collins, dean of Cornell’s engineering school, said at the press conference. “This is an unusual application in that we’re using it in rehabilitation, but its proven technology.” Other recommendations from the task force, all of which have been accepted by the MTA, include waterproof tunnel gates which can be closed in the event of high water to prevent flooding. The technology could be rolled out to other infrastructure projects, too The L train is far from the only piece of New York infrastructure experiencing a crisis. The Gateway tunnel that connects New York and New Jersey via the Hudson River, which Gov. Cuomo also toured in December, is also badly in need of repair or a new tube for the critical Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains and commuter rail services. The Second Avenue Subway – a multi-decade boondoggle that only recently opened with three stops – could also use the technology, the MTA said. “Human nature is to do what you have done that is tried and true,” said Gov. Cuomo. “No designer wants to give you a plan that hasn’t been done before, but you have to be willing to break the box.” • New York Gov. Cuomo axes plan to shut down the L train, saves Brooklynites from commuting hell • New York’s governor just killed a plan to shut down one of the most crowded subway lines in NYC – and people are freaking out • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo killed a controversial plan that would have caused commuting hell for thousands of people – but it’s terrible news for people moving to the area • People are slamming New York’s governor for taking over 2 years to come up with a plan to avoid shutting down one of NYC’s busiest subway lines[SEP]NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a new option which would change plans to shut down the L train subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn, currently set to begin work on April 27. Repairs on the tunnel were expected to take 15 months and only keep L train service operational between Bedford Avenue and Canarsie Parkway stations in Brooklyn during that time, with no service between the boroughs. Cuomo announced on Thursday his engineers and officials have come up with a new plan that, among other features, “would not require to shutdown the L train at all.” Night and weekend work would only require closures of one tube, allowing transit to continue. “To make a long story short, they have proposed a new design to use in the tunnel,” said Cuomo. “It is a design that has not been used in the United States before to the best of our knowledge.” The governor noted the new plan follows methods that have been used in Europe, but not for tunnel restoration. “The MTA has gone through the new designs and believes it is feasible,” he said. The repairs on what is called the Canarsie Tunnel have been needed for years due to damage from Superstorm Sandy. The tunnel flooded during the storm, requiring extensive short-term repairs just to bring service back. Long-term repairs are now need to make sure the tunnel can continue to operate “without major failures.” Last month, Cuomo and his team toured the Gateway Tunnel and Canarsie Tunnel ahead of the scheduled shutdown as part of their ongoing L train shutdown evaluation. According to the current plan from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Department of Transportation, on April 21 the MTA plans to start service on five additional bus routes and offer new select bus service on 14th Street. Ferry service between the boroughs will also be added to help commuters. As part of its plan, the MTA says additional service will also be added on seven subway lines. You can read full details about that here. For the complete list of temporary service options, click here.[SEP]New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday the long-talked-about L train shutdown that would cut off subway service to troves of New Yorkers is canceled after a panel of “experts” found a “highly innovative but feasible” alternative to avoid the 15-month closure. The L train, which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn and sees roughly 250,000 daily riders, was slated to shut down for 15 months starting April to make necessary repairs to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The plan has been discussed for years, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority officially announced in 2016 that "L-mageddon" will be happening, giving residents three years to prepare for the impending difficult commute. "There will be no shutdown," Cuomo said in a news conference Thursday. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Cuomo said that he conducted a panel of “the best experts” officials could find who recommended a “major breakthrough” new design that’s been used in European train systems. Instead of a full shutdown, commuters will see some night and weekend closures during the tunnel renovations. Both tunnels will be operating during the day, but one of them will be shut down at night for repairs, according to Cuomo. "It uses many new innovations that are new, frankly, to the rail industry in this country,” Cuomo said in a news conference Thursday. “…With this design, it will not be necessary to close the L train tunnel at all, which would be a phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City.” Cuomo said the subway tunnel itself was fine, despite several sections that do need repairing. The main concern was the electrical components that came in contact with the seven million gallons of saltwater brought in from the 2012 storm. “Saltwater and electronics do not mix,’’ said Cuomo. THE COLORFUL HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY MAP REVEALED The governor toured the L train tunnel with engineering experts last month and hinted there may be another alternative to a full shutdown. “If there’s a better way of doing it, they tell us there’s a better way of doing it,” Mr. Cuomo said last month. “If there’s not a better way of doing it, they say that’s the best that it can be done.” Thursday’s surprise announcement shocked and angered some New Yorkers. “Waiting until the last minute to cancel the L train shutdown -- after three years of anxiety, & a lot of uproot -- just to be hailed the hero, is the single most Cuomo thing possible,” one Twitter user wrote. Another person said: “I have been in the tunnel and the damage is a ticking time bomb. It has to be fixed and should have been done already. By not closing it peoples lives are in danger.” “Some might be wondering why canceling the L train shutdown is a bad thing. Here is why: Tons of people moved in order to prepare, we were told this was NECESSARY post Sandy, also told that the 15 month shutdown would speed up & actually fix the mess...,” a woman tweeted. “Now, Cuomo wants to shut it down on weeknights & weekends. If you live here & use transit frequently, you know that this means the project will take YEARS. So get ready for MORE delays/service changes, my fellow NYers.” News of the canceled shutdown gave other straphangers who didn’t move some relief. “A.ll those gentrifiers in northern Brooklyn get a reprieve if true. Glad for the longtime residents on the L line if true,” a tweet read, while others posted GIFs showing their excitement over the cancelation. If the original plan went through, about 15 percent of commuters were expected to take the bus, PIX11 reported. The majority of riders were then expected to travel to a different subway line.[SEP]NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than two years after the announcement that one of New York City’s busiest subway lines would stop running between Manhattan and Brooklyn to allow for repairs, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that service would not be halted after all. The expected closure of the L train tunnel under the East River for at least 15 months had dismayed residents of the Brooklyn communities of Williamsburg, Bushwick and beyond, who were bracing themselves for squeezing onto other already crowded lines or into promised new bus services. Some even moved out of their neighborhoods. Cuomo told a news conference that engineering experts from Cornell and Columbia universities had looked at the plans over the last few weeks drawn up by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the subway, and found them needlessly disruptive. “The simple fact is you have roughly 250,000 people who would need another way to get to work,” Cuomo said. Under the new plan, work would take place only on nights and weekends, with trains running on limited service through one of the two tubes inside the tunnel. Fernando Ferrer, the MTA’s acting chairman, said at the news conference the MTA would adopt the academics’ plan and that, beginning in the spring, it will take 15 to 20 months to complete. Asked whether he would promise that work would not exceed 20 months, Cuomo said: “I can’t promise,” before chiding the reporter for asking what he called “a silly question.” The repairs were necessary to fix damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the U.S. East Coast. Although the century-old tunnel is structurally sound, salt water from the East River leaks inside, corroding electrical switches and power lines. “Salt water and electronics do not mix,” Cuomo said. One of the biggest changes in the new plan is that the MTA will no longer remove and replace all 32,000 feet of benchwall, a gangway-like walkway that allows workers, or evacuating passengers, to walk along the edge of the tunnel. Instead, weakened parts of the benchwall will be patched up with strengthened, industrial-use plastic. The cables that currently run inside the benchwall will instead be suspended from racks higher up the tunnel wall.[SEP]Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gives a news conference after casting his vote for the midterm elections, at the Presbyterian Church in Mt. Kisco, New York, U.S., November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than two years after an announcement that one of New York City's busiest subway lines would stop running between Manhattan and Brooklyn to allow for repairs, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that service would not be halted after all. The expected closure of the L train tunnel under the East River for at least 15 months had dismayed residents of the Brooklyn communities of Williamsburg, Bushwick and beyond, who were bracing themselves for squeezing onto other already crowded lines or into promised new bus services. Some even moved out of their neighborhoods. Cuomo told a news conference that engineering experts from Cornell and Columbia universities had looked at the plans drawn up by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the subway, and found them needlessly disruptive. "The simple fact is you have roughly 250,000 people who would need another way to get to work," Cuomo said. The line also is one of the relative few that connect the east and west sides of Manhattan. Under the new plan, work would take place on nights and weekends, with trains running on limited service through one of the two tubes inside the tunnel. It was not clear how long the repairs would take to complete. The repairs were necessary to fix damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the U.S. East Coast. Although the tunnel is structurally sound, salt water from the East River leaks inside, corroding electrical switches and power lines. "Salt water and electronics do not mix," Cuomo said.[SEP][What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Thursday that the L train subway tunnel would not fully shut down in April as planned in what would have been one of the biggest transit disruptions in New York City’s recent history. The L train shutdown was scheduled to begin April 27 and last 15 months, crippling a key piece of the city’s transportation network. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subway, had said the closing was necessary to repair damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when the tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn was inundated by floodwaters. Under a new plan unveiled by Mr. Cuomo workers would use a different design to repair the tunnel and some work could be done on nights and weekends. He said not fully closing the L train would be a “phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City.’’ The alternative plan was recommended by a panel of experts convened by Mr. Cuomo, who called the new design a “major breakthrough’’ that had been used in Europe but had not been tried in the United States.[SEP]New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that New York City's L train will not shut down for 15 months. The New York Times first reported the planned announcement. Read more: New York's Cuomo is killing a plan that would shut down an entire subway line for 15 months and leave hundreds of thousands struggling to find transportation The city had planned to close the subway line, which runs between Brooklyn and Manhattan, for 15 months beginning in April to repair two tunnels that run beneath the East River. The tunnels received serious damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The shutdown would have made life difficult for the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it, as the L line serves a number of commuters who don't have many convenient alternatives. Using a new technology that has been used in Europe for tunnel construction — but never in the US and never for a tunnel reconstruction — a complete closure will not be necessary, Governor Cuomo said. Teams from Columbia and Cornell Universities' engineering schools toured the tunnel and proposed the new methods. Before the new announcement, the city's transit agency, the MTA, has been scrambling to figure out how to transport the line's 250,000 daily commuters on buses and connecting subway lines. Experts were projecting crippling congestion on the Williamsburg Bridge, and even more packed trains on the few other options for the North Brooklyn neighborhood. The impending transit emergency caused rents to drop in affected neighborhoods, many of which as much as a 45 minute walk away from other trains. Luxury buildings along the waterfront even announced plans for shuttles to Manhattan and other subway lines. Even more audacious hopefuls proposed things like a tram across the river or a floating pontoon bridge. "This is the shortest, best route to the rebuilding of the tunnel," Cuomo said. Twitter users expressed divided opinions over reports of the announcement. Some said they were excited by it, while others suggested the announcement would be most beneficial to landlords. "The L train is not shutting down? This is major news, especially for us the M trainers. Rejoice y'all!" one Twitter user said. "Congrats to North Williamsburg and Greenpoint landlords on the reversal of the L train shutdown, it's always good to see the little guys win one," another said. Here's what people are saying on Twitter.[SEP]Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that the complete 15-month L train shutdown will be canceled, with only some night and weekend train closures now necessary to fix the subway tunnel. Cuomo said that he asked a panel of "best experts," including those from Columbia and Cornell, to look at the L train situation again as the April 2019 start date looms. "I asked them to review the plan, to look at it with fresh eyes, no assumptions, no givens, and if there's any possible suggestions for how we can make it better, great," Cuomo said at an announcement Thursday. "To make a long story short, they have proposed a new design to use in the tunnel." This design has not yet been used in the United States, per Cuomo. "With this design it would not be necessary to close the L train tunnel at all, which would be a phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City," he said. The L train shutdown was slated to begin in April 2019 and last 15 months, stranding thousands of straphangers and disrupting New York City transportation. The closure was necessary, officials said, to fix the Canarsie Tunnel, which was flooded and damaged during Hurricane Sandy. At the announcement of the news, some New Yorkers expressed concern that this would inconvenience their subway travel for even longer. Cuomo said at the news conference that "this is the shortest, best route for rebuilding the tunnel." This story is developing and will be updated with more information.[SEP] • New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that New York City will not shut down the L train subway tunnel for 15 months. • The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the city’s transit agency, announced the planned closure in 2016. • Some Twitter users criticized Cuomo for taking over two years to introduce an alternative plan. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that New York City will not shut down the L train subway tunnel for 15 months. The city had planned to close the tunnel, which runs between Brooklyn and Manhattan, for 15 months beginning in April to repair two tubes located beneath the East River. The tubes received serious damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Read more: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo axes plan to shut down the L Train, saves Brooklynites from commuting hell New York City will instead adopt a new technology previously used for tunnel construction in Europe. The technology, which was recommended by teams from Columbia and Cornell Universities’ engineering schools, has not been used in the US. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City’s transit agency, announced the planned L train tunnel closure in 2016. The MTA and other government agencies, like the Department of Transportation, had been working on a plan for the L line’s 250,000 daily riders to use buses and other subway lines during the closure. Some Brooklyn residents had moved from the borough in anticipation of the closure as rents declined in neighborhoods that would have been affected by it. Some Twitter users criticized Cuomo for taking over two years to introduce the alternative plan. Here’s what Cuomo’s critics are saying. • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo axes plan to shut down the L Train, saves Brooklynites from commuting hell • New York’s governor just killed a plan to shut down one of the most crowded subway lines in NYC – and people are freaking out • New York’s governor called Tesla to see if the company could help fix NYC’s subway system • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo killed a controversial plan that would have caused commuting hell for thousands of people – but it’s terrible news for people moving to the area • Lyft says it is ‘optimistic’ about Andrew Cuomo’s solution to the L train shutdown after the ride-sharing service ran an ad campaign targeting stranded subway riders

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that a complete shutdown of the 14th Street Tunnel in New York City, proposed to allow for subway repairs caused by damage from Hurricane Sandy, has been halted. Cuomo says that engineers will use a new technology from Europe to make critical repairs to the tunnel without having to close it entirely. The complete shutdown would have closed the tunnel, which is used by nearly 225,000 people each weekday, for an expected 15 months.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Nicholas Haysom was appointed to the post only a few months ago Somalia has expelled the UN's top envoy, Nicholas Haysom, accusing him of "shaming" the world body by acting like the country's ruler. Mr Haysom had raised concern about the killing of protesters allied with ex-militant Islamist Mukhtar Robow. Security forces were allegedly involved in the deaths of about 15 of the protesters and the detention of about 300 people, the UN says. Somalia's government is heavily dependent on foreign aid. The UN provides training, uniforms and stipends to its security forces, who are battling militant Islamist group al-Shabab. The al-Qaeda-linked group said it had fired mortars into the UN compound in the capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday. Three people were wounded in the attack, the UN said. It condemned it as an "act of aggression", which may be in violation of international law. Mr Robow, a former deputy leader of al-Shabab, defected from the group in 2017. He announced last October that he intended to run for the presidency of Somalia's South West state. 'Sovereignty violated' However, the government banned him from contesting the poll and the security forces arrested him in early December. The government said he had not "relinquished his extremist ideologies". Mr Haysom wrote to the government on 30 December, questioning the legal basis for Mr Robow's arrest and the subsequent crackdown on his supporters demonstrating in Baidoa, the capital of South West state. It is unclear whether the government replied to Mr Haysom's concerns, but Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad said the UN envoy was "no longer welcome" in the country. "Mr Haysom has violated diplomatic rules, and acted as though he is the head or the ruler of Somalia. He is a shame to the conduct of the UN and has violated the sovereignty and independence of Somalia," he told BBC Somali. Mr Haysom is a South African and was a legal adviser to the country's first black President Nelson Mandela. He later served as a UN envoy to Afghanistan, Sudan and South Sudan. He was appointed as UN chief Antonio Guterres' special representative for Somalia in September 2018, and was assigned the task of helping to achieve peace in the country. Somalia has been unstable since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.[SEP]Somalia's government has ordered the UN top envoy to the troubled country to leave, accusing him of "deliberately interfering with the country's sovereignty." The order comes days after the official, Nicholas Haysom, raised concerns at the action of Somalia's UN-backed security services in recent violence that left several people dead. "The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Nicholas Haysom, is no longer welcome in Somalia and cannot operate in the country," the foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday.[SEP]Somalia has expelled a high ranking United Nations official in the country, accusing him of interfering with national sovereignty days after he raised concerns about the actions of U.N.-supported Somali security forces. The foreign affairs ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Somalia, “is not required and cannot work in this country”, effectively declaring the official persona non grata. “The decision comes after he openly breached the appropriate conduct of the U.N. office in Somalia,” the statement read. There was no immediate comment from the U.N. mission in the volatile, impoverished country in the Horn of Africa. The United Nations is a major backer of Somalia, which is trying to claw its way out of the embers of the civil war that engulfed it in 1991, when clan warlords overthrew a dictator and then turned on each other. What did the UN official say? The government’s move comes after Haysom sent a letter dated Dec. 30 to the interior security minister expressing concern over “the alleged involvement of UN-supported Somali security forces in the arrest of Mukhtar Robow on 13 December, the deaths of 15 civilians…on 13, 14, and 15 December…and the arrest of approximately 300 people involved in the demonstrations on 13, 14, and 15 December”. Robow, the individual referred to in the letter, is a former Islamist al Shabaab militant whose bid to become a regional leader in the country in an election last month was blocked. The Internal Security Ministry said that Robow was arrested on suspicion that he had brought militants and weapons back to the southern city of Baidoa, the capital of South West region where he is running for president. His arrest sparked clashes between militiamen loyal to Robow and Somali forces. Ethiopian security forces, who are part of an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, were also involved in the violence. Al Shabaab has sought for over a decade to topple the central government and implement its strict version of Islamic law. It was driven out of the capital in 2011 but maintains a foothold in some regions including South West. Robow, however, publicly renounced violence and recognised federal authority in 2017. In the letter, Haysom asked the minister to explain the legal basis for Robow’s arrest. He also asked what action had been taken to investigate the circumstances of the deaths during the demonstrations in Baidoa following Robow’s arrest. He said that the U.N. understood that most of those detained were children. The U.N. letter also contained an annexed joint letter from the European Union, Germany and Britain announcing the suspension of their support to the police in South West state due to their conduct during last month’s election. Haysom also detailed the U.N. support to the Somali police force and the South West regional police which includes the payment of stipends to the police.[SEP]Somalia’s government took the unusually drastic decision of expelling the United Nations’ most senior official in the country late Tuesday night after he questioned the detention of a former al-Shabab leader contesting regional elections. Nicholas Haysom, a South African, had only served a few months as the special rapporteur to the U.N.’s secretary general, António Guterres. A statement from Somalia’s Foreign Ministry declared him a “persona non grata” and ordered him to leave the country. His expulsion comes amid a political crisis that has pitted the governments of Somalia’s semiautonomous regions against the federal government based in the capital, Mogadishu. The regional governments are in the process of holding elections. In the Southwest region, the only one that has held its election so far, the favorite candidate to win the top leadership position was Mukhtar Robow, who had served as the deputy leader of the Islamist group al-Shabab for many years before defecting in 2017. Robow was barred by the federal government from running, ostensibly for his failure to formally repudiate al-Shabab. He was then arrested by Somali police days before the election. Subsequent rioting by his supporters in the regional capital, Baidoa, resulted in at least 11 deaths, and scores were detained by security forces. Robow was transferred to a prison run by Somalia’s intelligence service in Mogadishu. In a letter to the federal government, Haysom criticized the crackdown and questioned the legal basis for holding Robow without charge beyond the normal 48 hours. The letter also probed civilian deaths during the protests and said they must be “thoroughly and promptly investigated.” Haysom wrote that more than 300 people, including minors, were arrested following the demonstrations in Baidoa. A spokesman for the U.N.’s political office in Mogadishu said official comment was forthcoming. Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news[SEP]Somalia's government has ordered the top United Nations official in the country to leave, accusing him of interfering with national sovereignty days after he raised concerns about the actions of UN-supported Somali security forces. The foreign affairs ministry said on Tuesday that Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, "is not required and cannot work in this country", effectively declaring the official persona non grata. "The decision comes after he openly breached the appropriate conduct of the UN office in Somalia," a statement read. Haysom sent a letter dated December 30 to the interior security minister expressing concern over "the alleged involvement of UN-supported Somali security forces in the arrest of Mukhtar Robow on 13 December, the deaths of 15 civilians...on 13, 14, and 15 December...and the arrest of approximately 300 people involved in the demonstrations on 13, 14, and 15 December". Robow, the individual referred to in the letter, is a former member the armed group al-Shabab whose bid to become a regional leader in the country in an election last month was blocked. The Internal Security Ministry said that Robow was arrested on suspicion that he had brought fighters and weapons back to the southern city of Baidoa, the capital of South West region where he is running for president. His arrest sparked clashes between militiamen loyal to Robow and Somali forces. Ethiopian security forces, who are part of an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, were also involved in the violence. There was no immediate comment from the UN mission in the country. The decision comes hours after the UN compound in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was attacked. Seven mortars landed inside the compound which led to the wounding of two UN staff members and one contractor. The Secretary-General of the UN Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and urged the Somali authorities to "investigate the attack and bring those responsible to justice". Al-Shabab has reportedly claimed responsibility of the attack according to a statement by the UN.[SEP]The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres: The Secretary-General deeply regrets the decision of the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia to declare the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Nicholas Haysom, persona non grata. The Secretary-General has full confidence in Mr. Haysom, an experienced and respected international civil servant who has distinguished himself in numerous senior leadership roles, in the field and at United Nations Headquarters. The doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to, or in respect of, United Nations personnel. As described in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the doctrine applies to diplomatic agents who are accredited by one State to another in the context of their bilateral relations. The United Nations is not a State and its personnel are not accredited to the States where they are deployed, but work under the sole responsibility of the Secretary‑General. At the same time the Secretary-General is totally committed to ensuring that the needs of the Somali people are at the forefront of the work of the United Nations in Somalia. UNSOM needs to be able to carry out in the most effective manner its mandate to support the country. Therefore, he intends to appoint in due course a new Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM. The Secretary-General remains strongly committed to assisting Somalia in its efforts to achieve peace, stability and prosperity for all.[SEP]NAIROBI, Kenya — Somalia’s government has ordered the United Nations envoy to the country to leave, as questions arise over the arrest of the al-Shabab extremist group’s former deputy leader who had run for a regional presidency. A Foreign Ministry statement late Tuesday accuses Nicholas Haysom of diplomatic overreach that violated the Horn of Africa nation’s sovereignty, declaring him “persona non grata.” He arrived as envoy a few months ago. Haysom had questioned the legal basis used in the arrest last month of Mukhtar Robow, a former al-Shabab spokesman who defected from the group in 2017, and whether U.N.-funded regional police in Southwest state were involved. Ethiopian troops who are part of the African Union force in Somalia and Somali police arrested Robow days before the regional election in which Robow had been a leading candidate. Deadly protests followed. Ethiopia has not commented. Robow was flown to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and has been held in a prison run by Somalia’s intelligence agency.[SEP]The government of Somalia said on Tuesday night it had instructed the head of the United Nations' mission in the country to leave the country, effectively declaring him persona non grata. Nicholas Haysom "is not required and cannot work in this country," a Somalian Foreign Ministry statement read. The order comes days after the diplomat expressed concern over the alleged involvement of UN-supported security forces in the arrest of Mukhtar Robow, a candidate standing for a regional presidential election in the southwest of the country. Somali authorities backed by Ethiopian troops detained the former Islamist leader linked to al Shabaabfor allegedly wanting to "undermine stability," blocking his election bid. The move sparked deadly clashes between factions loyal to him and Somali forces. Read more: Life in Somalia under peacekeepers and al-Shabab threats Haysom cited a number of concerns about the situation surrounding Robow in his letter to the interior security minister, including "the alleged involvement of UN-supported Somali security forces in the arrest of Mukhtar Robow on December 13, the deaths of 15 civilians ... on 13, 14, and 15 December ... and the arrest of approximately 300 people involved in the demonstrations on 13, 14, and 15 December." Harun Maruf, an expert on the region and author, published part of the letter in a tweet. The Internal Security Ministry said that Robow was detained on suspicion that he had brought militants and weapons back to Baidoa, a charge his representative denies. Somalia has struggled for the past two decades with civil war, famine and failed governance. Al Shabaab, which has ties to Al-Qaida, and wants to set up an Islamist state, controls parts of the Somali countryside and carries out attacks against government, military and civilian targets in both Mogadishu and regional towns. Germany announced last year that it was ending its participation in an eight-year European Union training mission in Somalia, withdrawing the 5,000 Bundeswehr troops stationed in the country. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.[SEP]UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will appoint a new envoy to Somalia, a U.N. spokesman said on Friday, after failing to convince the country to retract its decision to expel the current representative over accusations of interference. Since Somalia’s foreign ministry declared late on Tuesday that U.N. envoy Nicholas Haysom “cannot work in this country,” Guterres has spoken twice with Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York. “The Secretary-General deeply regrets the decision of the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” Haq said. “The Secretary-General has full confidence in Mr. Haysom.” Haq noted that the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations personnel. “At the same time the Secretary-General is totally committed to ensuring that the needs of the Somali people are at the forefront of the work of the United Nations in Somalia,” Haq said. “Therefore, he intends to appoint in due course a new Special Representative for Somalia.” The U.N. Security Council is due to discuss the developments behind closed doors later on Friday, diplomats said. The United Nations is a major backer of Somalia, a country that has lacked strong central government since 1991. The government’s decision on Haysom could intensify a confrontation between Mogadishu and the semiautonomous regions. Haysom had raised questions in a letter on Sunday about the involvement of U.N.-supported Somali security forces in the arrest of a former militant of the Islamist al Shabaab group who was blocked from running in a regional election. Haysom, a South African, told the Security Council on Thursday that the allegations of interference by the federal government in the regional election and the violence that followed the former militant’s arrest “does not bode well for the upcoming electoral processes in other regions or for the 2020 national elections.” Somalia’s U.N. Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman told the Security Council that the Somali people wanted “Somalia leading international support, not international support leading Somalia.” “Somalia distinguishes between the institutions that we are part of and individual conduct that’s had detrimental effect on our fragile nation,” he said.[SEP]Somalia has kicked out the country’s top UN official in a decision likely to harm relations with foreign powers backing government attempts to restore stability after decades of turmoil. The government on Wednesday accused Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, of interfering with internal affairs. Mr Haysom raised questions in a December 30 letter about the involvement of UN-supported Somali security forces in the arrest of a former militant of the Islamist al Shabaab group, who was blocked from running in a recent regional election. Mr Haysom “is not required and cannot work in this country”, the foreign affairs ministry said. “He openly breached the appropriate conduct of the UN office in Somalia,” said the statement late on Tuesday, which effectively makes the South African persona non grata. There was no immediate comment from the UN mission which also supports an AU peacekeeping force fighting al Shabaab. Mr Haysom’s letter to the interior security minister expressed concern over the government’s handling of the arrest of former Shabaab leader, Mukhtar Robow and subsequent unrest in December. At least 15 civilians were killed and around 300 people detained, most of them children, when protests erupted after Robow’s arrest in the southern city of Baidoa, according to the UN letter. The government said Robow was arrested on suspicion that he had brought militants and weapons back to Baidoa, the capital of South West region where he tried to contest for president in last month’s election. His arrest sparked clashes between militiamen loyal to Robow and Somali forces. Ethiopian security forces, who are part of an AU peacekeeping force, were also involved. Al Shabaab has sought for over a decade to topple the central government and implement its strict version of Islamic law. It was driven out of the capital in 2011 but maintains a foothold in some regions including South West. In the letter, Haysom asked the minister to explain the legal basis for Robow’s arrest. He also asked what action had been taken to investigate the deaths during the demonstrations in Baidoa following the arrest. The UN letter also contained an annexed letter from the EU, Germany and Britain announcing the suspension of their support to the police in South West state due to their conduct during last month’s election. Mr Haysom also detailed the UN support to the Somali police force and the South West regional police which includes the payment of stipends to the police. The UN is a major backer of Somalia, a country that has lacked strong central government since 1991. The government’s decision over Mr Haysom could intensify a confrontation between Mogadishu and the semi-autonomous regions.

Somalia expels Nicholas Haysom, the most senior United Nations diplomat in the country, after accusing him of "acting like the country's ruler".

The Department of Homeland Security asked for more US troops to be sent to the Mexican border, according to NBC on Thursday. The troops would be deployed to add 160 miles of wire on top of the current fencing, the report stated. Troops were first sent to the border in late November and were set to come home at the end of January. If the additionally troops are approved, two US officials told NBC that the troops may not come home until September. var cont = `Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>> `; document.getElementById("linkPremium").innerHTML = cont; (function (v, i){ });[SEP]The Department of Homeland Security has requested more U.S. troops to be deployed at the border to add 160 miles of concertina wire on top of existing border fencing, according to three U.S. officials. If approved by Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, the addition of troops to enhance the fencing could extend the military's current deployment at the border until the end of September, based on the rate of construction, according to two officials. The military mission, which began two months ago, was set to end on Jan. 31, NBC News reported. The fencing that is to be reinforced with concertina wire is not new. The troops currently deployed at the border have already added concertina wire at ports of entry in Arizona, Texas and California. The request for troops to add an extra 160 miles of wire was first reported by NPR.[SEP]WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security has requested more U.S. troops to be deployed at the border to add 160 miles of concertina wire on top of existing border fencing, according to three U.S. officials. If approved by Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, the addition of troops to enhance the fencing could extend the military's current deployment at the border until the end of September, based on the rate of construction, according to two officials. The military mission, which began two months ago, was set to end on Jan. 31. The fencing that is to be reinforced with concertina wire is not new. The troops currently deployed at the border have already added concertina wire at ports of entry in Arizona, Texas and California. The request for troops to add an extra 160 miles of wire was first reported by NPR. Construction of new barriers at the border remains a matter of debate between President Trump and Democrats in Congress. The president has refused to approve any spending bill that does not include funds for a wall, which has led to the partial shutdown of the government. DHS is requesting more military engineers to install the concertina wire, more aviation support to move troops around the area, medical personnel and surveillance equipment, according to two sources. If the request is approved, the Pentagon will decide how many troops to send and whether they will be active duty or National Guard troops. The details of who will be deployed and exactly how long they will stay will be discussed at a Friday meeting between DHS and Defense Department officials, according to two sources. Acting Secretary Shanahan spoke about the "restoration of the fences," and "building out of additional mileage for the wall" during a Cabinet meeting at the White House Wednesday. "The threat is real. The risks are real. We need to control our borders," Shanahan said, adding, "we're doing additional planning to strengthen the support that we're providing to [DHS Secretary] Kirstjen [Nielsen] and her team."[SEP]Troops To Be Deployed To Border To Build 160 Miles Of Fencing More troops are expected to be deployed to the southern border to construct or upgrade 160 miles of fencing and provide medical care to a steady stream of migrant families arriving from Central America, according to military sources. The deployment and fence construction along the California and Arizona borders would be paid for by the Pentagon, from the Department of Defense's discretionary funding. The move comes as President Trump continues to demand $5 billion from Congress for border security and a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional Democrats oppose the move, and parts of the federal government have been shut down because of the impasse. The Department of Defense has not been affected by the shutdown. The Department of Homeland Security made the request for more troops to shore up the border with Mexico. The request will likely mean the deployment of more forces, including combat engineers and aviation units. There are now some 2,300 active troops on the border and an additional 2,100 National Guard troops. The active duty deployment was scheduled to be completed at the end of January, while the Guard troops are scheduled to remain until September. A senior military official said the new request could include thousands more troops and installing the fencing could take months. The Pentagon is now considering which units to send.[SEP]More US troops will be deployed to the Southern border to "construct or upgrade" 160 miles of fending, as well as provide medical care to thousands of migrants arriving from Central America, reports NPR, citing military sources. The Pentagon will foot the bill out of its discretionary funding for the deployment and fence construction along the California and Arizona borders with Mexico. Word of the deployment comes amid a heated battle over $5 billion in funding President Trump has demanded for a southern border wall, which is currently at the center of a partial government shutdown. The move comes as President Trump continues to demand $5 billion from Congress for border security and a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional Democrats oppose the move, and parts of the federal government have been shut down because of the impasse. The Department of Defense has not been affected by the shutdown. -NPR The request for more troops to shore up the US-Mexico border was made by the Department of Homeland Security - which will add to the deployment of some 2,300 active duty troops on the border as well as 2,100 National Guard troops. Those deployed will include aviation units and combat engineers. The original active-duty deployment announced in November was slated to be completed at the end of January, with Guard troops scheduled to remain until September. According to a senior military official, the new request could include thousands of additional troops, while the installation of new fencing could take months.[SEP]More troops are expected to be deployed to the Southern border to construct or upgrade 160 miles of fencing and provide medical care to a steady stream of migrant families arriving from Central America, according to military sources. The deployment and fence construction along the California and Arizona borders would be paid for by the Pentagon, from the Department of Defense’s discretionary funding. The move comes as President Trump continues to demand more than $5 billion from Congress for border security and a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional Democrats oppose the move, and parts of the federal government have been shut down because of the impasse. The Department of Defense has not been affected by the shutdown. Last month Trump tweeted that “the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall” after he said that much of it already has been built. The president was referring to several hundred miles of existing fencing along the Southern border. A few days later, Trump repeated his intention to have the Defense Department do the job, saying in another tweet that because of crime and drugs flowing through the border “the United States Military will build the Wall!” The Department of Homeland Security — which has had to cease some operations, although not border security — made the request for more troops to shore up the border with Mexico. The request will very likely mean the deployment of more forces, including combat engineers and aviation units. There are now some 2,300 active troops on the border and an additional 2,100 National Guard troops. The active-duty deployment was scheduled to be completed at the end of January, while the Guard troops are scheduled to remain until September. A senior military official said the new request could include thousands more troops and that installing the fencing could take months. The Pentagon is now considering which units to send. With the partial government shutdown now in its second week, Trump made a short and unannounced appearance in the White House briefing room Thursday to press for border wall funding. “The wall — you can call it a barrier, you can call it whatever you want — but essentially we need protection in our country,” he said.[SEP]WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security has asked the military to provide more help securing the U.S.-Mexico border, two defense officials said Friday amid a political standoff over President Donald Trump’s demand for more money to build a border wall. The acting secretary of defense, Pat Shanahan, has not decided how to respond to the DHS request, but in the past the Pentagon has provided help when asked. At one point last fall there were nearly 5,900 active-duty troops along the border in Texas, Arizona and California to assist border patrol agents and to erect wire barriers. That number now is about 2,350. The defense officials said DHS asked for certain military capabilities, not any number of troops. It will be up to Shanahan to decide whether more active-duty troops are dispatched. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the request for assistance has not yet been fully processed. One of the officials said DHS wants the military to put up concertina wire as barriers along 160 miles of border. That would be in addition to 70 miles of concertina wire that combat engineers put up last fall. If the new work is taken on by the military, it might require an extension of the current deployment beyond its scheduled end Jan. 31. The official said DHS did not specifically ask for an extension, but it has not been ruled out. The troops have been erecting and reinforcing border barriers but are not performing law enforcement tasks or engaging with migrants. Some also have been providing transportation and logistical help as well as medical assistance to troops and to Customs and Border Protection personnel along the border. Many in Congress, including leading Democrats, have criticized the troop deployments as a waste of money and a misuse of military resources. Separately, there are about 2,200 National Guard troops deployed along the border. It is possible that some of those, or additional deployments of National Guard personnel, could be used to perform some of the work requested by DHS.[SEP]WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security requested more support from active-duty military troops Friday to bolster Customs and Border Protection officers along the southern border, according to two U.S. government officials. The request is for more combat engineers to install concertina wire and for more aircraft and crews to transport CBP officers. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan must review the request and determine how to provide the assistance. A decision is expected next week, said the officials who were not authorized to speak publicly. The DHS made the request as a standoff played out between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats about border security and how to respond to a large influx of migrants making their way across Mexico from Central America. Trump insists the situation is a national emergency, but Democrats have resisted wall funding without a more comprehensive overhaul of immigration policy. Trump initially called for the deployment of troops in October in a step that was criticized as an election-year ploy. The number of troops reached 5,800, but withdrawals began around the holidays as 4,000 troops remained. The current authorization for the deployment expires Jan. 31, although an administration official said that could be extended. The latest troop request comes during a partial government shutdown that has lasted two weeks and that Trump said Friday could last months longer. Trump has demanded $5 billion, but Democrats who now control the House have refused to provide that much. CBP officers are considered essential personnel who continue working during the shutdown. Trump has called the southern border "sieve" and said illegal immigration "pours" through it so physical barriers are needed. Trump met again Friday with congressional leaders. Schumer said afterward that the president was prepared for the shutdown "for a very long period of time, months or even years," which Trump confirmed at a later news conference. Trump asked Vice President Mike Pence, senior adviser Jared Kushner and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to meet with congressional staffers during the weekend to discuss options. "We're not doing a wall," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday. Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader from New York, said Friday the shutdown made the border less secure because CBP officers were working without pay, immigration judges weren’t being hired and a system for employers to check whether immigrants were eligible to work is offline. “As the president’s talking about making the border more secure, his shutdown is making it less secure,” Schumer said. More: Exclusive: President Trump vows to send as many troops to the border ‘as necessary’ to stop caravan More: US troops deployed to border will aid, not replace, agents More: US border agents fire tear gas across Mexico border to stop 'rock throwers' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's DHS requests more support from military troops along U.S.-Mexico border[SEP]More troops are expected to be deployed to the Southern border toto a steady stream of migrant families arriving from Central America, according to military sources.The move comes as President Trump continues to demand more than $5 billion from Congress for border security and a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional Democrats oppose the move, and parts of the federal government have been shut down because of the impasse.Last month Trump tweeted that "the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall" after he said that much of it already has been built. The president was referring to several hundred miles of existing fencing along the Southern border.A few days later, Trump repeated his intention to have the Defense Department do the job, saying in another tweet thatThe Department of Homeland Security - which has had to cease some operations, although not border security - made the request for more troops to shore up the border with Mexico. The request will very likely mean theThe active-duty deployment was scheduled to be completed at the end of January, while the Guard troops are scheduled to remain until September.A senior military official said the new request could include thousands more troops and that installing the fencing could take months. The Pentagon is now considering which units to send.With the partial government shutdown now in its second week, Trump made a short and unannounced appearance in the White House briefing room Thursday to press for border wall funding."The wall - you can call it a barrier, you can call it whatever you want - but essentially we need protection in our country," he said.[SEP]The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing to ask the Pentagon to extend the deployment of thousands of troops near the southwestern border and to send additional troops to erect barbed wire and barriers, CBS News has learned. The request would extend the military's operation at the border, which is set to end on Jan. 31, and deploy additional engineers to erect 160 more miles of concertina wire. So far, the military has erected 70 miles of fencing. In late October, the Trump administration deployed more than 5,000 active-duty soldiers near the U.S.-Mexico border to assist the Border Patrol and National Guard units already stationed there. The White House and DHS said the operation was designed to anticipate the arrival of caravans of migrants from Central America, but critics denounced it as a politically motivated maneuver to galvanize President Trump's base ahead of the November midterm elections. Mr. Trump's rigid stance on border wall funding and Democrats' refusal to budge to his demands have fueled an impasse in budget negotiations on Capitol Hill. The government has been partially closed since Dec. 22 and the shutdown has stretched into the new congressional session, when Democrats took control of the House. Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis left the administration at the end of the year after Mr. Trump dismissed him prior to his planned departure date in February. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is serving as acting secretary as the administration searches for a permanent replacement to lead the Pentagon.

The Department of Homeland Security requests more American troops be deployed to the Mexico-United States border in order to add 160 miles of concertina wire alongside existing border fencing.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Gao's first killing took place in 1988, he was only caught years later in 2016 A Chinese serial killer convicted of murdering 11 girls and women between 1988 and 2002 has been executed. Gao Chengyong, dubbed "Jack the Ripper" by Chinese media, followed his victims home before robbing, raping and murdering them. He cut their throats and mutilated their bodies. Gao, a married father of two, was arrested in 2016 at the grocery store he ran in Baiyin, Gansu province. Police managed to trace the 53-year-old through a series of DNA tests. A DNA breakthrough Gao's first murder was in May 1988, the year his son was born. A 23-year-old woman was found in Baiyin with 26 stab wounds to her body. Subsequent murders followed a similar pattern, with the killer often targeting young women who lived alone. Gao also cut off parts of his victim's reproductive organs, according to the Beijing Youth Daily. His youngest victim was eight years old. Women in Baiyin would not walk alone in the streets without being accompanied by male relatives or friends after the spate of attacks. The killings stopped in 2002 but it was only years later that a breakthrough came, when Gao's uncle was arrested for a minor crime. He gave a DNA sample which police then linked to the crimes, determining they must have been committed by a relative - which was later confirmed to be Gao. He was sentenced to death last year. The court in Baiyin called his actions "despicable". His execution on Thursday was announced on the court's Weibo account. It is not clear how the execution was carried out, though death sentences in China are mostly carried out by lethal injection or a firing squad.[SEP]Beijing : A serial killer dubbed China´s "Jack the Ripper" for the way he mutilated several of his 11 female victims was executed Thursday morning, three decades after the first murder, the court which sentenced him said. The court in the northwest city of Baiyin, Gansu province, which handed him the death sentence in March last year announced on the Twitter-like Weibo that it had been carried out. China´s supreme court had approved the execution, it said. Gao Chengyong, 54, robbed, raped and murdered 11 women and girls between 1988 and 2002 in Gansu and the neighbouring Inner Mongolia region. In March 2018 he was found guilty by the Baiyin City Intermediate People´s Court and handed death sentences for both robbery and intentional homicide, and lesser sentences for rape and dishonouring corpses. Gao targeted young women wearing red and followed them home, often cutting their throats and mutilating their bodies, according to state media reports. The youngest victim was eight years old. Some victims had their reproductive organs removed, the Beijing Youth Daily said when Gao was arrested in 2016. "To satisfy his perverted desire to dishonour and sully corpses, many of his female victims´ corpses were damaged and violated," the court said on Weibo when he was convicted. "The motives of the defendant´s crimes were despicable, his methods extremely cruel, the nature of the acts vile and the details of the crimes serious." Police had been hunting Gao for years. "The suspect has a sexual perversion and hates women," police said in 2004 when they linked the crimes for the first time and offered a reward of 200,000 yuan ($30,000) for information leading to an arrest. "He´s reclusive and unsociable, but patient," according to the police profiling at the time. A lead in the case came when police collected and tested the DNA of one of Gao´s relatives over a separate minor crime, the China Daily had reported. Police concluded the killer they had been hunting for 28 years was a relation, and Gao´s DNA matched the murderer´s. The original Jack the Ripper was a serial killer active in east London in the late Victorian era, who is widely believed to have murdered five women, mutilating several of them. Those killings have never been solved.[SEP]China has executed a serial killer considered to be the nation’s “Jack the Ripper,” after convicting him for the rape, mutilation and murder of 11 women between 1988 and 2002.[SEP]A serial killer dubbed China’s “Jack the Ripper” has been executed three decades after the first in a string of gruesome murders targeting women and girls. Agence France-Presse reports that Gao Chengyong, 54, was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of raping, mutilating and murdering 11 female victims between 1988 and 2002. The court that sentenced him in March 2018 announced his execution Thursday on China’s Twitter-like social media platform, Weibo, according to AFP. Gao reportedly targeted young women who wore red, following them home and sometimes disemboweling them. In some cases, their reproductive organs were removed, according to local media reports. The murders took place in China’s Gansu region and neighboring Inner Mongolia. Gao’s youngest victim was eight years old. Upon his conviction, the court said on Weibo that “many of his female victims’ corpses were damaged and violated,” according to AFP. “The motives of the defendant’s crimes were despicable, his methods extremely cruel, the nature of the acts vile and the details of the crimes serious,” the court’s statement continued. Police had been searching for the killer for years before his arrest in 2016.[SEP]Gao Chengyong was dubbed China’s Jack the Ripper for the way he mutilated several of his victims Getty Images A serial killer who became known as China’s Jack the Ripper after raping, murdering and mutilating women and girls was executed yesterday, 30 years after his first killing. The series of murders by Gao Chengyong, 54, over 14 years haunted the city of Baiyin. Before his arrest, residents had lived under a cloud of fear, with women afraid to go out alone. For more than a decade Gao targeted young women wearing red. He followed them home and often cut their throats and mutilated their bodies. His youngest victim was eight. The first victim, a woman aged 23, was found with 26 stab wounds to her body in 1998. In other killings Gao cut off and took away body parts, including hands, breasts, a scalp…[SEP]A serial killer known as China’s ‘Jack the Ripper’, who killed 11 people – the youngest being only eight years old – has been executed, a Chinese court has announced. Gao Chengyong, a married father of two who ran a grocery store in Baiyin, China, killed his victims (women and girls) between 1988 and 2002. He received the gruesome nickname for the way he mutilated the bodies of his victims. The killer targeted young women wearing red and followed them home, where he would rob, rape, and murder them. In several cases, Gao also cut off parts of his victim’s reproductive organs. His youngest victim was eight years old. Dating back 30 years, the string of murders was left unsolved until police were literally handed the evidence they needed to crack the case. Gao was unmasked after his uncle provided a DNA sample to police while being processed for a minor crime. The sample revealed that he was related to the elusive killer, and a subsequent investigation led to Gao’s arrest. In March 2018, the Baiyin City Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Gao to death after he was found guilty of homicide, robbery, rape, and dishonoring corpses. In a statement released after his sentencing, the court denounced Gao’s “perverted desire to dishonour and sully corpses” and described his actions as “despicable.” It’s not clear how the execution was performed, although China typically uses lethal injection or a firing squad to carry out death sentences. The original Jack the Ripper is believed to have murdered and mutilated at least five women in east London in 1888. The string of heinous killings was never solved. Like this story? Share it with a friend![SEP]A serial killer dubbed China’s answer to the U.K.’s Jack the Ripper has been put to death. Gao Chengyong, a married father of two, earned the nickname because of how he mutilated a number of his 11 female victims, all killed between 1988 and 2002. The grocery store owner was known to cut off his victims’ reproductive organs, as well as hands and ears. One victim was aged just eight. One woman was found with 26 stab wounds. At trial Gao pleaded guilty to the horrific crimes committed in Baiyin and Baotou in Inner Mongolia, the South China Morning Post reports. He was ordered to be executed, but how he met his death remains unclear. Gao, 54, killed his victims after first trailing them to their homes. He raped them, cut their throats and mutilated them after first robbing them. He targeted those who lived alone. He was first arrested in 2016 at his store but actually began killing in May of 1988 and continued his spree until 2002. Baiyin police offered a 200,000 yuan reward for information on the case as early as 2004, the Post reports, but Gao wasn’t caught until over a decade later. Women in the areas where the crimes were occurring were terrorized as he remained at large. The case wasn’t cracked until the killer’s uncle was caught for a bribery offence and gave DNA, which was later traced back to Gao.[SEP]A Chinese serial killer who mutilated several of his 11 victims – the youngest of whom was eight – was executed on Thursday. Gao Chengyong, 54, nicknamed the “Jack the Ripper of China”, was sentenced to death in March by Baiyin Intermediate People’s Court in northwestern Gansu province for robbery, rape, murder and defiling the dead. After the sentence was confirmed by the Supreme People’s Court, Gao was put to death in Baiyin on Thursday morning, the Ministry of Public Security said. ‘China’s Jack the Ripper’ sentenced to death for 11 murders At trial in 2017, Gao pleaded guilty to crimes in Baiyin and Baotou in Inner Mongolia between 1988 and 2002. His victims were 11 females, most of them in their 20s. Gao’s killings created panic as the perpetrator was said to have targeted young women who lived alone. In 2004, Baiyin police offered 200,000 yuan for clues that led to his capture. Before Gao was arrested 12 years later, the case was regarded by authorities as one of the country’s most notorious series of unsolved crimes. The court found that Gao followed his victims home before raping and killing them. Many of his victims wore red clothes and he typically struck during daylight. Many were mutilated, their hands, ears, and “private parts” were cut off. “To satisfy his perverted desire to dishonour and sully corpses, many of his female victims’ corpses were damaged and violated,” Baiyin court said on Weibo when Gao was convicted in March. “The motives of the defendant’s crimes were despicable, his methods extremely cruel, the nature of the acts vile and the details of the crimes serious,” the court said. Police checked 100,000 pieces of fingerprint evidence while hunting for Gao. He was caught in August 2016 in Baiyin after a tip-off. Death penalty ‘is popular and releasing numbers will fuel calls for more’ Gao was identified as a lead suspect after a distant relative was arrested for bribery and provided a partial match with DNA left at a murder site. Police said Gao’s DNA and fingerprints matched those left at the scene of his crimes.[SEP]A man who earned the nickname of China's "Jack the Ripper" for the slayings of 11 victims was executed Thursday, according to reports. Gao Chengyong, 54, was sentenced to death in March during a court appearance in Baiyin, China, for robbery, rape, murder, and defiling the dead, according to the South China Morning Post. Gao was charged for the murders of 11 women and girls between 1998 and 2002, reports AFP. Gao targeted young women wearing red and followed them home, sometimes mutilating his victims, said the report. "The motives of the defendant’s crimes were despicable, his methods extremely cruel, the nature of the acts vile and the details of the crimes serious," said the Baiyin Intermediate People’s Court during his sentencing in March, reports The Morning Post. Police had been searching for Gao for years until they discovered a break in the case: his uncle was arrested for a minor crime and gave a DNA sample police linked to the crime, concluding a relative likely committed the murders, reports BBC.[SEP]China's 'Jack the Ripper' Gao Chengyong executed for 11 homicides in Baiyin City Chinese grocer Gao Chengyong might seem like an unassuming candidate to be China's "Jack the Ripper", but a local court says the 53-year-old was responsible for the brutal murders of 11 women and girls. A court in Baiyin City, located in the country's north-west, sentenced Gao to death in 2018 and he was executed on Thursday. Between 1988 and 2002 the city was plagued by gruesome killings targeting young women and girls, often with victims raped prior to their deaths, and their bodies later defiled. The court found that the grocer was responsible for cutting off the hands, ears and genitals of his victims. Writing on Weibo, the court said his behaviour was "to satisfy his perverted desire to dishonour and sully corpses". In 2004, local police offered a reward of more than $40,000 for details regarding the killings, which were then still a mystery. Gao eluded police until a distant relative was arrested for bribery, allowing investigators to hone in on him as a result of DNA evidence. The South China Morning Post reported that Gao's modus operandi was to target women alone, with many of his victims wearing red clothes. Gao admitted to the acts in Baiyin city in Gansu Province and Baotou city in the northern region of Inner Mongolia and was sentenced to death in March 2018. The court did not announce how the execution was carried out, and China's corporal punishment remains opaque — in 2016 Beijing executed more people than the rest of the world combined.

China executes serial killer Gao Chengyong, who murdered eleven girls and women between 1988 and 2002.

MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/. Former Moscow Region Finance Minister Alexei Kuznetsov accused of fraud and embezzlement to the tune of 14 bln rubles ($ 201.3 mln) has been extradited from France to Russia, the press service of the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office informed TASS. "The French competent authorities have complied with the request of the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office concerning the extradition of former Moscow Region Finance Minister Alexei Kuznetsov for criminal prosecution under Part 4 of Section 159, Part 4 of Section 160 and Part 3 of Section 174.1 of Russia’s Criminal Code. Kuznetsov is accused of committing fraud (ten crimes), embezzlement (three crimes) and legalizing property acquired as a result of committing crimes (nine crimes)," the Prosecutor-General’s Office said. According to investigators, Kuznetsov and his accomplices inflicted damage on the Moscow Region government, housing and utility enterprises and the Mosobltransinvest company to the tune of over 14 bln rubles. On January 3, Kuznetsov accompanied by officers of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service and the Russian Interpol Bureau was extradited to Russia. "This became possible due the fact that the senior officials of the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office place special emphasis on international cooperation and are actively involved in it. Permanent cooperation with our French counterparts makes it possible for us to overcome the existing barriers caused by differences in our legal systems," the Prosecutor-General’s Office noted.[SEP]France has extradited the former Moscow regional finance minister to Russia. The once high-ranking official and his American wife stand accused of embezzling billions of rubles from the regional budget. The French law enforcement “have complied with the extradition request,” the Russian Prosecutor General's office said in a statement, adding that the former official, identified as Aleksey Kuznetsov, arrived to Russia on January 3, accompanied by the Russian Interpol agents and the officers of the Federal Penal Correction Service. Kuznetsov's case dates back to 2010, when he was charged with 10 counts of fraud, 3 counts of embezzlement, as well as with legalization of criminal assets. The damage his criminal actions inflicted to the Moscow region government, local housing and utility services as well as some local businesses amounted to an astonishing 14 billion rubles ($200mn). According to the prosecutors, he committed his crimes together with his wife, a US citizen called Janna Bullock. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison in absentia in Russia over complicity in Kuznetsov's crimes in January 2018. However, her whereabouts are unknown at the moment. It is also unclear if she and Kuznetsov got divorced since then. The former finance minister, who had also served as the regional government's deputy head, had already fled Russia by the time he faced the charges, so the Russian authorities put him on an international wanted list. He was eventually arrested three years later in France. France's financial prosecutor also opened a separate case against Kuznetsov and Bullock over legalization of his illegally obtained assets in France. As part of the investigation, assets belonging to the couple in France and Switzerland that were believed to be purchased with criminal money were seized. The list includes hotels Crystal and Pralong in France, an apartment in Paris, two apartments in Switzerland, a villa in Saint-Tropez, as well as 27 paintings and eight sculptures, 10 Rolls-Royce, Mercedes and Bentley cars and a yacht. The assets were then sold to repay the victims, according to TASS. In November 2017, the French prime minister issued a decree on Kuznetsov's extradition. The former Russian official then appealed this decision but lost his case in the French court on December 28, 2018. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office praised the work of its French colleagues by saying that “timely cooperation” with Paris allowed it to “break down the barriers” in this case. It also said that it also “gives particular importance to international cooperation.” Think your friends would be interested? Share this story![SEP]France has extradited a former finance minister of the Moscow region suspected of embezzling $200 million, five years after Russian prosecutors had put in an extradition request. Alexei Kuznetsov was put on an international wanted list after he left Russia in 2008 for charges of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering. Prosecutors believe the former minister, who faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, embezzled 14 billion rubles ($202.7 million) with his accomplices. In a statement on Thursday, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said that Kuznetsov had been extradited to Russia.[SEP]Russia says France has extradited a former regional finance official to face trial on multiple counts of fraud, misuse of funds, and money laundering following a long legal battle. Aleksei Kuznetsov was "extradited to Russia accompanied by staff from the Russian prison service and the Russian bureau of Interpol," the international police agency, the Prosecutor-General's office said on January 3. There were no immediate comments from French authorities. Kuznetsov served as finance minister for the Moscow region between 2000 and 2008. According to investigators, he, along with "accomplices," caused losses of more than 11 billion rubles ($160 million) to the regional government. The money was allegedly used to buy property abroad. Kuznetsov was arrested in southern France in the summer of 2013 and appealed against his extradition in French courts over the following years. In January 2018, a Russian court convicted Kuznetsov's former wife, Janna Bullock, of large-scale fraud and money laundering and sentenced her to 11 years in prison after a trial in absentia. Bullock is an American citizen and the United States refuses to extradite her to Russia. She has said she and her ex-husband were victims of corruption in Russia. Based on reporting by AFP, TASS, and Interfax

The Prosecutor General of Russia Yury Chaika says that France today extradited Alexei Viktorovich Kuznetsov [ru], a former Finance Minister of the Moscow Region who is accused of fraud and embezzlement amounting to 14 billion Russian rubles (US$200 million).

CLOSE Authorities in Texas City, Texas say three young children were found dead Thursday in an apartment. They were with a woman who had a gunshot wound to her head. A man described as a person of interest gave himself up and is in police custody. (Jan. 4) AP Texas City Police searched for Juniad Hashim Mehmood, suspected for killing three children and wounding one woman, on Jan. 3, 2019. (Photo: Texas City Police Department) A Texas man turned himself into law enforcement Thursday night after police found three young children dead and a woman with a gunshot wound to her head in an apartment. Police said the children were believed to be ages 5 and 2 and an infant. Texas City police officers found their bodies on a welfare check at an apartment in the city about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The woman was in stable condition and receiving treatment at a Galveston hospital, according to a police press release. Her relationship to the children was not immediately clear. Texas City police Lt. Kenneth Brown told the Houston Chronicle that the woman is unable to speak to investigators because of her severe injuries. A motive is under investigation. “It’s a very intense scene over there,” he told the Chronicle. “Everybody involved is either deceased or injured.” Houston police officer Ben Starr said the suspect called authorities late Thursday saying he wanted to surrender. Authorities took him into custody peacefully in Houston but did not identify. Police in Texas City earlier Thursday identified the suspect as Juniad Hashim Mehmood, 27. Related: Orlando man who killed four kids previously menaced girlfriend with knife, set home ablaze Related: Opioids kill kids, too – through accidental overdose, suicide and homicide Contributing: The Associated Press Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/01/03/three-children-killed-texas-city-texas-police-search-suspect/2478896002/[SEP]This post was originally published on this site U.S. NEWS Texas man arrested after allegedly killing three young children, shooting woman in the head https://linewsradio.com/texas-man-arrested-after-allegedly-killing-three-young-children-shooting-woman-in-the-head/ http://abcnewsradioonline.com/national-news/ (TEXAS CITY, Texas) — Police arrested a Texas man who allegedly murdered three young children and shot a woman in the head Thursday. Junaid Mehmood, 27, allegedly killed an infant and two children — believed to be 2 years old and 5 years old — at a Texas City apartment complex and left a woman there to die, according to police. Police discovered the victims at the Pointe Ann Apartments in Texas City, Texas, about 40 miles southeast of Houston, while responding to a welfare concern at around 6:15 p.m., the Texas City Police Department said in a statement. The children were pronounced dead on the scene and the woman was rushed to a nearby hospital, according to the statement. The department didn’t disclose the woman’s identity, or her relationship to the children, but said she was in stable condition. The children’s causes of death has not been released. Mehmood was apprehended in Houston after a brief manhunt late Thursday night. Police records indicate that he’d been arrested multiple times, charged with fraud, robbery, assault and drug possession. He was charged with fraud in Galveston County in February 2010 and received five years probation. In 2014, he was charged with family assault and spent 20 days in confinement. After a robbery conviction in 2015 he was sentenced to three years in jail. It’s unclear if Mehmood has obtained an attorney.[SEP]TEXAS CITY, Texas - A man police say claimed to have killed his three children and shot his wife is in custody. Police said the man called 911 to turn himself in Thursday night. He was arrested near the Panera Bread on El Dorado Boulevard near the Gulf Freeway. Three children, including an infant, were found dead Thursday evening inside a Texas City apartment. Police responded to a welfare check around 6:15 p.m. Thursday at the Pointe Ann Apartments at 1225 10th Street North in Texas City. They found three children dead and a woman with a gunshot wound to her head. Police believe the children are 5 years old, 2 years old and an infant. The woman was transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where she is being treated for her wounds. Police identified Junaid Hashim Mehmood, 27, as a person of interest in this case. He is described as a black male, 6 feet tall and 220 pounds. He is considered to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Texas City Police Department at (409) 643-5720.[SEP]TEXAS CITY, Texas - A man police say claimed to have killed his three children and shot his wife is in custody. Police said the man called 911 to turn himself in around 6 p.m. Thursday. Junaid Hashim Mehmood, 27, was arrested near the Panera Bread on El Dorado Boulevard near the Gulf Freeway. He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held without bond in the Texas City Jail. Additional charges are expected to be filed later on Friday. Three children, including an infant, were found dead Thursday evening inside a Texas City apartment. Junaid Hashim Mehmood, 27, is suspected of killing his three children and severely wounding his wife. Police responded to a welfare check around 6:15 p.m. Thursday at the Pointe Ann Apartments at 1225 10th Street North in Texas City. They found three children dead and a woman, now identified as 24-year-old Kimaria Nelson, with a gunshot wound to her head. Police have identified the children as Ashanti Mehmood, infant, Prince Larry Brown, 2, and Angela Pilot, 5. Mehmood is the biological father of the youngest child. Mehmood lived in the apartment with Nelson and the three children. Nelson was transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where she is being treated for her wounds. Police earlier identified Mehmood as a person of interest in this case. Multiple agencies are involved in the investigation: Texas City, League City and Houston police departments along with the Texas Rangers and Galveston County District Attorney's Office. EARLIER: Person of interest sought after 3 children, including infant, found dead in Texas City ► Make it easy to keep up-to-date. Download the KHOU News app now. Have a news tip? Email us or message us on our Facebook page or Twitter feed.[SEP]Junaid Mehmood, the man police say claimed to have killed his three children and shot his wife, is now in custody. Police say the man called 911 from Houston to turn himself into Texas City authorities on Thursday night. He was arrested near the Panera Bread on El Dorado Boulevard near the Gulf Freeway. Police say he was taken into custody on a warrant unrelated to the killings and will be held in the Texas City jail. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Police originally responded to a welfare check around 6:15 p.m. on Thursday at the Pointe Anne Apartments located at 1225 10th Street North in Texas City. There, authorities discovered three children, ages 5, 2 and an infant dead and a woman with a gunshot wound to her head. The woman was taken to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where she is being treated for her wounds and expected to survive. • 15 Black Movies We’d Like to See Get a Sequel • Porsha Williams Went On A Babymoon And Her Pregnant Body Is Still Bangin’ Man In Custody After Three Children Found Dead In Texas City Apartment was originally published on theboxhouston.com Also On The Rickey Smiley Morning Show:[SEP]Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A suspect is in custody after three young children were found shot dead and a woman wounded Thursday night -- reportedly members of his family. Juniad Hashim Mehmood, 27, is being held on an unrelated warrant at the Texas City Jail, which is about about 50 miles southeast of Houston, according to a press release He was taken into custody at 10:31 p.m., more than four hours after police officers found the bodies of children believed to be a 5 year-old girl, a 1-year-old boy and infant girl, and a wounded unidentified. They had received a call to conduct a background check about 6:15 p.m. Texas City police said they considered Mehmood a person of interest, posting his mugshot on Facebook. At 10:17 p.m., Mehmood dialed authorities and said he killed his children and tried to kill his wife, a police official said to the Houston Chronicle. He told them he was unarmed and gave his addressed. He was The woman was in stable condition and receiving treatment at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston with a gunshot wound to the head. "It's a very intense scene over there. Everybody involved is either deceased or injured," Texas City police spokesman Lt. Kenneth Brown said. Texas City police said they are "beginning the early stages of processing the scene for evidence." In 2014, he was arrested for hitting a girlfriend and served 20 days in jail. His conviction meant it was it illegal for him to possession a firearm. In 2015, Mehmood was arrested after shoving a family member and robbing him. Also in the same year, he was sentenced to three years after pleading guilty to a separate robbery charge.[SEP]TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — Authorities in Texas have taken into custody a 27-year-old man after three young children were found dead Thursday in an apartment. Police in Texas City, 48 miles (77 kilometers) southeast… TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — Authorities in Texas have taken into custody a 27-year-old man after three young children were found dead Thursday in an apartment. Police in Texas City, 48 miles (77 kilometers) southeast of Houston on the Gulf Coast, went to Pointe Ann Apartments on Thursday evening on a welfare check and discovered the children along with a woman with a gunshot wound to the head. One of the children was an infant, another was 2 years old and the third was 5 years old, police said in a statement. The woman was listed in stable condition at a Galveston hospital. Her relationship to the children was not immediately clear. Later Thursday, Houston police received a call from a man who identified himself as the person being sought and asking to surrender. He was apprehended peacefully in Houston, said Houston police officer Ben Starr. He declined to identify the man, who was sought as a person of interest. Texas City police Lt. Kenneth Brown told the Houston Chronicle that the wounded woman is unable to speak to investigators. He described her injuries as severe. “It’s a very intense scene over there,” he told the newspaper. “Everybody involved is either deceased or injured.” Investigators have not indicated a motive in the case. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]Texas City, Texas — Authorities in Texas have taken into custody a 27-year-old man after three young children were found dead on Thursday in an apartment. Police in Texas City, 48 miles (77 kilometers) south-east of Houston on the Gulf Coast, went to Pointe Ann Apartments on Thursday evening on a welfare check and discovered the children along with a woman with a gunshot wound to the head. One of the children was an infant, another was 2 years old and the third was 5 years old, police said in a statement. The woman was listed in stable condition at a Galveston hospital. Her relationship to the children was not immediately clear. Later Thursday, Houston police received a call from a man who identified himself as the person being sought and asking to surrender. He was apprehended peacefully in Houston, said Houston police officer Ben Starr. He declined to identify the man, who was sought as a person of interest. Texas City police Lt. Kenneth Brown told the Houston Chronicle that the wounded woman is unable to speak to investigators. He described her injuries as severe. "It's a very intense scene over there," he told the newspaper. "Everybody involved is either deceased or injured." Investigators have not indicated a motive in the case.[SEP]Person of interest in slaying of 3 Texas children jailed TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — Police say a person of interest in the fatal shooting of three children and the wounding of a woman has been arrested on an unrelated warrant in Southeast Texas. Texas City Police say 27-year-old Junaid Hashim Mehmood surrendered and was jailed Thursday night. The police statement doesn't describe the warrant nor explain the relationship between Mehmood, the wounded women and the children. Investigators haven't indicated a motive. Police making a welfare check at Pointe Ann Apartments in Texas City Thursday evening found an infant, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old dead. The woman had been shot in the head. Texas City police Lt. Kenneth Brown described the woman's injuries as severe and told the Houston Chronicle that she couldn't speak. Texas City is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston.[SEP]The Latest: Assault charge for man held after Texas slayings TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the fatal shooting of three children in Texas (all times local): Authorities say a person of interest in the fatal shooting of three children in Southeast Texas has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Texas City Police said in a statement Friday that 27-year-old Junaid Hashim Mehmood is being held without bond. Police didn't say what incident the charge was related to, and police haven't returned a phone message seeking clarity. Mehmood was taken into custody Thursday night on an unrelated warrant after the children were found dead and 24-year-old Kimaria Nelson was found shot in the head in their apartment in Texas City. Police identified the children as 1-month-old Ashanti Mehmood, almost 2-year-old Prince Larry Brown and 5-year-old Angela Pilot. Police say Nelson was the mother of all three children and that Mehmood was Ashanti's biological father. He lived in the apartment with them. Police say a person of interest in the fatal shooting of three children and the wounding of a woman has been arrested on an unrelated warrant in Southeast Texas. Texas City Police say 27-year-old Junaid Hashim Mehmood surrendered and was jailed Thursday night. The police statement doesn't describe the warrant nor explain the relationship between Mehmood, the wounded women and the children. Investigators haven't indicated a motive. Police making a welfare check at Pointe Ann Apartments in Texas City Thursday evening found an infant, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old dead. The woman had been shot in the head. Texas City police Lt. Kenneth Brown described the woman's injuries as severe and told the Houston Chronicle that she couldn't speak. Texas City is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

A man shoots three children to death and wounds a woman in Texas City, Texas, United States. The suspect has not been apprehended.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accepts the resignation of his health minister, Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi, days after the official announced his decision to leave the cabinet over budget issues. In a decree on Thursday, Rouhani appointed Saeed Namaki as caretaker of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The president also thanked the outgoing minister for his sincere efforts towards promoting the country's health sector. Qazizadeh Hashemi stepped down from his post last week due to differences with the administration over health spending cuts in the budget bill submitted to the Iranian Parliament (Majlis).[SEP]By The Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says the health minister has resigned over spending cuts in a budget submitted to parliament last week. It says President Hassan Rouhani accepted Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi’s… TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV says the health minister has resigned over spending cuts in a budget submitted to parliament last week. It says President Hassan Rouhani accepted Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi’s resignation on Thursday. Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis and has seen sporadic protests in recent months as officials try to downplay the effects of renewed U.S. sanctions. The $47.5 billion budget is less than half the size of last year’s, mainly due to the severe depreciation of the local currency following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The U.S. has restored crippling sanctions in recent months, including on Iran’s energy and banking sectors. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]In a Thursday message, Rouhani appreciated the efforts of Hashemi during these years as health minister and accepted his resignation. Iranian President also appointed Saeed Namaki as the caretaker of Ministry of Health and Medical Education in absence of a minister. Hashemi had handed in his resignation to Rouhani last week. According to reports, the main reason behind his decision is due to the reduction of health sector budget in the Budget Bill for the next Iranian calendar year 1398 (to start March 21, 2019).[SEP]TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian state TV says the health minister has resigned over spending cuts in a budget submitted to parliament last week. It says President Hassan Rouhani accepted Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi's resignation on Thursday. Iran is in the grip of an economic crisis and has seen sporadic protests in recent months as officials try to downplay the effects of renewed U.S. sanctions. The $47.5 billion budget is less than half the size of last year's, mainly due to the severe depreciation of the local currency following President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The U.S. has restored crippling sanctions in recent months, including on Iran's energy and banking sectors.[SEP]Iran's health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts as the country struggles with an economic crisis. Iran's official IRNA news agency reported that President Hassan Rohani accepted the resignation of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi on January 3. IRNA reported that Hashemi had repeatedly complained of a shortage of funds in the past and about proposed cuts to his ministry in the government's next budget. "I am not an impatient person, but enough is enough," Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi said in a video posted to the Khabar One news portal on January 3. Hashemi's resignation comes amid a financial crisis fueled partly by U.S. sanctions that were reimposed last year. The United States reinstated sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal, in which Tehran received international sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement has helped fuel a currency crisis and has increased food prices and inflation. Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa[SEP]Iran’s health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts, the official news agency IRNA reported, amid an economic crisis wrought by the reimposition of US sanctions on Tehran. IRNA said on Thursday President Hassan Rouhani accepted the resignation of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, widely seen as the key official behind the 2014 launch of an ambitious plan for universal medical insurance sometimes dubbed “Rouhanicare.” Hashemi had repeatedly complained about delays in payments of budgeted funds in the past and about cuts in his ministry’s budget under the new state spending plans, IRNA said. US President Donald Trump reintroduced sanctions on Iran last year, targeting in particular the country’s lifeblood oil sector, after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal.—Agencies[SEP]DUBAI: Iran's health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts, the official news agency IRNA reported, amid an economic crisis wrought by the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Tehran. IRNA said on Thursday President Hassan Rouhani accepted the resignation of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, widely seen as the key official behind the 2014 launch of an ambitious plan for universal medical insurance sometimes dubbed "Rouhanicare". Hashemi had repeatedly complained about delays in payments of budgeted funds in the past and about cuts in his ministry's budget under the new state spending plans, IRNA said. U.S. President Donald Trump reintroduced sanctions on Iran last year, targeting in particular the country's lifeblood oil sector, after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal. The move has helped depress the value of Iran's rial currency and aggravated annual inflation fourfold to nearly 40 percent in November. Last month, Rouhani presented a US$47 billion draft state budget with increased spending on lower income groups, saying the U.S. sanctions would affect people's lives and economic growth but not bring the government to its knees. Despite the rise in the rial value of the budget, however, it is effectively worth about half of the current budget because of the recent weakening of the currency and galloping inflation. In recent months, various Iranian cities have been rocked by demonstrations as factory workers, teachers, truck drivers and farmers protested against economic hardship and corruption.[SEP]Iran’s health minister has resigned, saying he could not accept any further cuts to his budget as the country struggles with a severe financial crisis. “I am not an impatient person, but enough is enough,” Hassan Hashemi said on a video posted to the Khabar One portal on Thursday. Reports that Mr Hashemi had resigned have been circulating for days, but on Thursday came confirmation on state media that President Hassan Rowhani had accepted his decision. Mr Hashemi said he could no longer work effectively given the restricted spending limits proposed in the government’s next budget. The ministry’s budget was significantly cut for the year beginning March 21. The cuts were linked to an acute financial crisis caused partly by U.S. sanctions that were re-imposed in 2018. As the sanctions have hit oil exports, it is not clear how much the state will earn from oil revenues in the future. The U.S. measures have badly affected the health sector, as some medicines cannot be imported due to bank sanctions. The sanctions have also put moderate Mr Rowhani under serious political pressure. He has had to reorganise his cabinet due to pressure from parliament. Many Iranians are also unhappy that the government is spending money in conflicts abroad – including in wars in Yemen and Syria, and in support of Palestinians – instead of focusing on domestic affairs.[SEP]As head of wealth management at First Calgary Financial, with its portfolio value of $500 million, Hyder Hassan understands money. It’s an understanding begun early, at age 15, when he and his mother got jobs with a burger chain to support the recent immigrants to Canada. “I was a fry boy and my mom was in front.” With his dad remaining in Pakistan to fulfil engineering contracts, Hassan worked, went to school, and ensured his younger siblings were fed and schooled. “It was training me to be good at budgeting,” says Hassan, Calgary’s Immigrant of Distinction (under 35) in 2018. His father eventually joined the family in Ontario and Hassan entered university for a kinesiology degree, ready for some “me time.” But, unable to find engineering work, his father left. Hassan quit school to, again, support the family. He worked nights for a photocopying company and days as a bank collections officer. “I understood people in those tough situations and tried to offer them advice and win-win situations. I got thank-you letters afterward.” With his father’s return, Hassan joined banking full time and completed his arts degree (management studies) two or three courses at a time. In 2017, the University of Waterloo gave him a young alumni award, noting Hassan attained six financial sector designations — while volunteering extensively. Hassan worked for a number of Canadian banks — each time achieving promotion and each time recommended by someone met along the way. In 2013, Hassan and wife Christina (accepted at University of Calgary’s law school) moved west. While he organized life here, Christina was in Uganda as part of her master’s in public health studies. The suffering of mothers and children there led the Hassans, in 2013, to establish FullSoul (a recipient of humanitarian awards) outfitting African hospitals with more than 65,000 medical kits for safe delivery of babies. In 2019, Hassan intends to “scale up” FullSoul’s effect, while doubling mentoring efforts to ensure kids learn financial planning.[SEP]TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president submitted next year’s budget to parliament on Tuesday, the first since the United States restored sanctions that had been lifted under the nuclear deal. The $47.5 billion budget is less than half the size of last year’s, mainly due to the severe depreciation of the local currency following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The Iranian rial has fallen from around 42,000 to the dollar a year ago to around 100,000 today. The government plans to fund 35 percent of the budget with oil revenues, projecting exports of up to 1.5 million barrels a day at a maximum of $54 a barrel. The opaque budget bill did not include a projected deficit or a reference to military expenditures. Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran spends less than $16 billion on its armed forces. The U.S. restored tough sanctions on Iran’s vital oil industry in November, but granted waivers to a number of nations allowing them to continue imports in exchange for commitments to reduce them over time. President Hassan Rouhani said the sanctions have hurt Iran but will not bring the Islamic Republic “to its knees.” He said the sanctions will mainly harm Iran’s economic development and its poorer citizens. The government is allocating $14 billion to import medicine, medical equipment and other necessities, slightly more than the $13 billion allocated last year. Lawmakers interrupted Rouhani’s speech on two occasions to protest the government’s water policies. Iran is suffering from a decade-long drought, and water shortages have sparked protests over the past year. The budget will be subject to changes during a parliamentary review lasting more than a month. The final bill must be approved by a clerical council. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Iran's health minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi resigns in protest against a medical budget. His resignation was accepted by President Hassan Rouhani.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nancy Pelosi knew this moment would come, even if others had their doubts — or worked to stop her. Pelosi was elected Thursday as House speaker, the only woman who has held the office and now one of few elected officials who will be returning to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago. The California Democrat has spent her political career being underestimated, only to prove the naysayers wrong. In this case, it was by winning back the Democratic majority and amassing the votes for the speaker’s job. “None of us is indispensable,” Pelosi told The Associated Press on the campaign trail last fall, “but I do know that I’m very good at what I do.” In accepting the gavel, Pelosi will give a nod to the new era of divided government with a pledge to “reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions in this great nation,” according to her prepared remarks. “The floor of this House must be America’s Town Hall: where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions,” she says. In previewing Democratic priorities, she talks about lowering health care costs, investing in green infrastructure and “restoring integrity” to government. “We must be champions of the middle class and all those who aspire to it — because the middle class is the backbone of democracy,” she says. Pelosi remains a highly polarizing figure, vilified by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal and a caricature of big government. But she is also a mother of five and a grandmother of nine who has shattered glass ceilings to become one of the most powerful politicians of the 21st century. With President Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans still controlling the Senate, Pelosi’s return to the speaker’s office to lead a Democratic majority with its biggest freshmen class since Watergate shakes up the dynamic in Washington even beyond the new era of divided government. Pelosi has faced pressure from some incoming Democrats who have been willing to talk about the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Trump. Pelosi has called impeachment a “divisive activity,” and Democrats were cautious about mentioning the “I” word during the 2018 midterms for fear it would backfire politically. But Pelosi did not shy away from it Thursday in an interview airing on NBC’s “Today” show. “We shouldn’t be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn’t avoid impeachment for a political reason,” she said, adding that she would wait for the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election. Only the House can begin impeachment proceedings. And while Justice Department guidelines suggest a sitting president can’t be indicted, Pelosi called that “an open discussion.” “Everything indicates that a president can be indicted after he is no longer president,” she said. Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing. Pelosi is one of the few congressional leaders who seem to understand Trump, both being children from famous families now primed for deal-making. Trump appreciates strong characters, and, in perhaps a sign of respect, she is one of the few congressional leaders in Washington he has not given a nickname — though he has made her a frequent target. A core group of rank-and-file Democrats has hungered for new leadership, saying it’s time for a new generation to take the helm. They tired of the Republican attack ads featuring Pelosi that are constantly run against them back home, and they worried she would be a drag on efforts to keep the majority in the next election. They enlisted some of the newcomers from the freshmen class to their ranks to try to stop her from regaining the gavel. But one by one, Pelosi peeled away the skeptics, flipping “no” votes to the “yes” column, sometimes in a matter of days. Some were given lead positions on their legislative priorities, even a gavel of their own to chair special panels. And Pelosi gave a little, too, promising, at 78, to serve no more than four years in leadership, making way for the next generation. Pelosi won the speakership by a vote of 220 to Republican Kevin McCarthy’s 192 votes.[SEP]Nancy Pelosi is once again Washington's most powerful woman, poised to reclaim the US House speaker's gavel Thursday as opponent-in-chief to an impulsive and unpredictable president. Keeping Donald Trump in check will be among the California Democrat's top challenges as she presides over the House of Representatives through the 2020 elections, when her party aims to dethrone the Republican commander in chief. Pelosi is almost certain to win Thursday's House vote for speaker, a position she held for four years from 2007, when she made history as the first woman ever to rise to that post. When outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan yields to the 78-year-old, she will again become the nation's third most senior official and seal her reputation as one of the great survivors in American politics. In her first stint, Pelosi was a strong opposing force to Republican George W. Bush in the final two years of his presidency. Her role as a restraint on Trump would be similar. But she will also need to keep the reins tight on her own caucus, some of whose newly empowered progressives are seeking swift punitive measures against Trump in the coming months. She and the Democratic leadership would have the power to block Republican legislation, hamstringing large parts of Trump's agenda ranging from proposed new tax cuts to building a wall on the border with Mexico. And Pelosi could make life for Trump much harder if she uses subpoena power to compel administration officials to testify before Congress or turn over key documents, or if she launches impeachment proceedings. So far, she has spoken out against using such a powerful political cudgel against him, arguing that the explosive step would likely mobilize Republican voters eager to protect the president. In her reprised role, she will have to thread a political needle, standing up to Trump when needed but also showing that her party is capable of working with the president to pass legislation. Her immediate task: finding a way to help end a standoff over Trump's border wall demand that has led to a partial government shutdown now stretching to 13 days. Pelosi and other congressional leaders met with Trump Wednesday but failed to secure a deal to end the impasse. Three weeks earlier, at a remarkable Oval Office confrontation with cameras rolling, Pelosi showed she was not afraid to go toe to toe with Trump in a public forum when he appeared to belittle her effort to secure support for her speakership. "Please don't characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as the leader of the House Democrats, who just won a big victory," a defiant Pelosi said. Pelosi is unquestionably among the savviest political leaders of her generation. She shepherded then president Barack Obama's health law through the House to its contentious, historic passage in 2010. Perhaps for that reason she is still seen by some as a liability eight years later, with Republicans presenting her as the ultimate liberal bogeywoman. "Can you imagine Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House?" Trump asked a crowd at a Minnesota rally in October. "Don't do that to me!" Pelosi's big comeback was no foregone conclusion. But she shrewdly navigated a simmering party power struggle that saw dozens of House Democrats and candidates signaling their desire for change at the top. The internal resistance largely stems from Pelosi's broad unpopularity among voters. But in an interview published Wednesday, she pushed back at the notion that she is reviled. "I don't necessarily feel hated. I feel respected," she told Elle magazine. "They wouldn't come after me if I were not effective." At least in part, Pelosi's reputation is shaped by years of rightwing attacks. Conservatives depict her, the wife of an investment millionaire from California, as the embodiment of a leftist elite. She is accused of everything from wanting to raise taxes for middle-class families to supporting a massive influx of illegal immigrants. For three decades, Pelosi has represented California's 12th congressional district, which includes San Francisco, a stronghold of left-wing politics, counter-culture and gay rights regarded by many heartland conservatives as a true Gomorrah. Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro was born in Baltimore to a political family with Italian roots. Both her father and brother were mayors of the East Coast port city. After studying political science in Washington, she moved with her husband to San Francisco, where they raised five children. First elected to the House in 1987, Pelosi rose through the ranks to lead the chamber's Democrats beginning in 2002. Steeled by countless political struggles, Pelosi has largely managed to hold her diverse caucus together. US politics requires donning "a suit of armor" and the ability "to take a punch," she has said.[SEP]WASHINGTON -- Nancy Pelosi knew this moment would come, even if others had their doubts -- or worked to stop her. Pelosi was elected Thursday as House speaker, the only woman who has held the office and now one of few elected officials who have returned to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago. The California Democrat has spent her political career being underestimated, only to prove the naysayers wrong. In this case, it was by winning back the Democratic majority and amassing the votes for the speaker's job. "None of us is indispensable," Pelosi told The Associated Press while campaigning last fall, "but I do know that I'm very good at what I do." In accepting the gavel, Pelosi gave nod to the new era of divided government with a pledge to "reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions across our nation." She said, "The floor of this House must be America's Town Hall: where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions." In outlining Democratic priorities, she talked about lowering health care costs, investing in green infrastructure and restoring "integrity to government." "We must be champions of the middle class and all those who aspire to it -- because the middle class is the backbone of our democracy," she said. Pelosi remains a highly polarizing figure, vilified by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal and a caricature of big government. But she is also a mother of five and a grandmother of nine who has shattered glass ceilings to become one of the most powerful politicians of the 21st century. With President Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans still controlling the Senate, Pelosi's return to the speaker's office to lead a Democratic majority with its biggest freshmen class since Watergate shakes up the dynamic in Washington even beyond the new era of divided government. Pelosi has faced pressure from some incoming Democrats who have been willing to talk about the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Trump. Pelosi has called impeachment a "divisive activity," and Democrats were cautious about mentioning the "I" word during the 2018 midterms for fear it would backfire politically. She took a measured approach to it in an interview airing Thursday on NBC's "Today" show. "We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason," she said, adding that she would wait for the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election. Only the House can begin impeachment proceedings. And while Justice Department guidelines suggest a sitting president can't be indicted, Pelosi called that "an open discussion." "Everything indicates that a president can be indicted after he is no longer president," she said. Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing. Pelosi is one of the few congressional leaders who seem to understand Trump, both being children from famous families now primed for deal-making. Trump appreciates strong characters, and, in perhaps a sign of respect, she is one of the few congressional leaders in Washington he has not given a nickname -- though he has made her a frequent target. A core group of rank-and-file Democrats has hungered for new leadership, saying it's time for a new generation to take the helm. They tired of the Republican attack ads featuring Pelosi that are constantly run against them back home, and they worried she would be a drag on efforts to keep the majority in the next election. They enlisted some of the newcomers from the freshmen class to their ranks to try to stop her from regaining the gavel. But one by one, Pelosi peeled away the skeptics, flipping "no" votes to the "yes" column, sometimes in a matter of days. Some were given lead positions on their legislative priorities, even a gavel of their own to chair special panels. And Pelosi gave a little, too, promising, at 78, to serve no more than four years in leadership, making way for the next generation. Pelosi won the speakership by a vote of 220 to Republican Kevin McCarthy's 192 votes[SEP]Nancy Pelosi has indicated she thinks a sitting president can be indicted. Speaking with the show ahead of being sworn in as House speaker for the second time on Thursday, Pelosi was asked whether special counsel Robert Mueller should abide by the Department of Justice’s guidance stating a sitting president can’t be indicted in his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. “I do not think that that is conclusive,” Pelosi said. “No, I do not.” When asked whether Mueller could indict President Trump over his campaign’s alleged connections with Russia, Pelosi seemed open to the possibility. “I think that is an open discussion, in terms of the law,” she said. Issued in 2000, the guidance from the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel says, “The indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.” Pelosi noted that “It’s not the law,” while speaking with . “Everything indicates that a president can be indicted after he is no longer president of the United States,” she said. Pelosi also did not rule out the possibility of Trump being impeached. “We have to wait and see what happens with the Mueller report,” she said. “We shouldn’t be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn’t avoid impeachment for a political reason.”[SEP]Popular Drinking culture and American kids On America's college campuses, there are epidemics we talk about and those we don't. When sexual assaults or fraternity hazing deaths make headlines, court cases follow and new rules are enacted, but less attention is paid to an underlying issue – binge drinking culture. CBSN Originals explores how drinking to excess is not only considered normal, but cool, and how for many young people "blacking out" is less a rarity than an every weekend occurrence – with grave consequences.[SEP]President Donald Trump on Thursday congratulated Democrat Nancy Pelosi on her election as House speaker and insisted on the need for a wall along the US-Mexico border. In a surprising, albeit brief, appearance before reporters, his first of the year, Trump hailed the "tremendous achievement" of Pelosi, who at age 78 once again takes leadership of the House of Representatives, a post she held from 2007-2011.[SEP]WASHINGTON (AP) – Nancy Pelosi called for kids to join her as she was sworn into as House speaker. Dozens of youngsters gathered around Pelosi on the dais as she took the oath of office. She’s the first woman to hold the office, and now she’s also the first woman to return to it. Pelosi said: “I now call the House to order on behalf of all of America’s children.” Pelosi invited her grandchildren to come to the speaker’s podium, and then said other children in the chamber were welcome to join them.[SEP]Nancy Pelosi Presides Over Opening Of Most Diverse Congress Ever House speaker Nancy Pelosi took the gavel for the second time, having already held the post from 2007 to 2011, and oversaw the swearing in of the most diverse group of representatives ever.[SEP]Nancy Pelosi victorious – why the California Democrat was reelected speaker of the House (THE CONVERSATION) Despite some brash and not insignificant opposition, California’s Nancy Pelosi is returning to her previous role as speaker of the House. She will preside over a chamber that is 77 percent male and a Democratic Caucus that is 62 percent male. When the Democratic Caucus held their leadership election on Nov. 28, Pelosi won the nomination on a 203 to 32 vote, falling 15 votes shy of the 218 she would later need to win the speakership with all members voting. When a vote was taken on the House floor on Jan. 3, she won by a vote of 220 to 192, with 15 Democrats voting for someone else or voting “present.” The close vote illustrated, once again, Pelosi’s skill in coalition-building and counting votes, but also that some Democrats – particularly new members and those in swing districts – are dissatisfied with her as the party’s standard bearer. As a political scientist who focuses on gender and party discipline in the House of Representatives, I have studied Pelosi’s leadership and how she was able to hold it for so long. It’s important to realize that Pelosi’s battle to win over wavering Democrats didn’t begin in November 2018. Rather, it stretches back to when she was first elected to leadership in 2001. Her ongoing ability to rally members of her own party illustrates why she has been among the most successful U.S. House speakers. It also suggests her leadership will help Democrats in Congress as they negotiate with President Trump and Senate Republicans, even if Pelosi remains unpopular in some Democratic members’ districts. Pelosi’s rise to power and leadership are characterized by her intense partisanship, fundraising prowess and coalition-building within her own party. Elected to the House in 1987, she won her first leadership race as party whip in October of 2001, defeating Steny Hoyer of Maryland by a vote of 118 to 95. As minority leader, Pelosi established a reputation as a pragmatist who enforced party discipline, counted votes, built coalitions – and raised enormous sums of money for her colleagues. Fast forward to the 2006 elections – halfway through the second term of Republican President George W. Bush. Democrats gained 30 seats and majority party control. Taking the gavel at the start of the 110th Congress, Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House, presiding over an 84 percent male chamber. Serving as speaker from 2007 to 2010, Pelosi benefited from – and expanded – the centralization of party leaders’ power that occurred during the previous 12 years of GOP control of the House. As she stepped into the leadership role in 2007, Pelosi had more tools and prerogatives than her immediate Democratic predecessors, Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright and Tom Foley. That’s because under Republican speakers Newt Gingrich and Dennis Hastert, the shift of power away from committee chairs to party leaders – a change that had been taking place since the Democratic reforms of the 1970s – picked up speed. For example, Republicans instituted six-year term limits on committee chairs in 1995 and made clear that seniority was only one of many factors that a party leadership-led steering committee considered when selecting committee chairs. During her first two terms as Speaker, Pelosi maximized her influence, setting the legislative agenda, pursuing partisan policy initiatives and fundraising for her colleagues. As I argue in my book on party discipline, Democratic committee chairs, grateful to return to the majority, were willing to cede power to her and other party leaders. For the most part, Pelosi worked hard to build consensus within her party and shut Republicans out of the process. She frequently met with freshmen and more moderate and conservative Democrats to find common ground on the party agenda. Under her leadership, House Democrats voted on average with the majority of their caucus 92 percent of the time in 2007 and 2008, setting a record for party cohesion. Pelosi routinely challenged President Bush and congressional Republicans, particularly on issues related to the war in Iraq. When Obama was first elected in 2008, the Democrats gained unified party control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. Pelosi had a new challenge: building coalitions to pass the president’s ambitious agenda items – like health care and financial regulatory reform – rather than the easier job of simply attacking a Republican president’s proposals. Pelosi’s role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act can hardly be overstated. She brought Democrats together to start the process in the House before Obama became deeply involved. Three House committees marked up the bill which Pelosi then assembled. When key House Democrats threatened to withdraw their support over disagreements related to abortion funding, Pelosi appeased them and attracted enough votes to pass the bill. And when it seemed that the House and Senate would not be able to reconcile their versions after Senate Democrats lost their 60-vote filibuster-proof majority with the special election of Republican Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who filled the seat of the late Democrat Ted Kennedy, Pelosi’s leadership was critical in crafting and executing a complicated legislative strategy that resulted in the bill that Obama ultimately signed into law. House Democrats were largely unified on other votes as well. The average member voted with the majority 91 percent of the time in 2009 and 89 percent in 2010. But Obama’s legislative successes came at a cost. During the 2010 midterm elections Democrats lost 64 seats. Republicans gained a 242 to 193 majority, their best showing since 1946. Back in the minority, Pelosi lost the speakership but was reelected as Democratic leader in 2011, defeating North Carolina centrist Heath Shuler by a caucus vote of 150-43. In a sign of dissatisfaction, 19 Democrats did not support her in the vote on the House floor. On Jan. 3, 2017, reeling from being completely shut out of power in Washington, all but four Democrats voted to reelect Pelosi as their leader for the eighth time. However, this show of Democratic unity on the House floor masked the uneasiness during the party’s internal contest between Pelosi and relatively unknown seven-term Democrat Tim Ryan of Ohio in late November. Pelosi prevailed, 134 to 63 – hardly a ringing endorsement. As the 115th Congress got underway, Pelosi pledged to seek common ground with President-elect Trump on job creation, trade and support for working families. She also warned that “If there is an attempt to destroy the guarantee of Medicare, harm Medicaid, Social Security, or the Affordable Care Act, Democrats will stand our ground.” Not surprisingly, with deep policy divides and intense competition between the parties, along with the difficulty of negotiating with President Trump, finding that common ground has been elusive. Without the votes to advance the Democrats’ agenda in the House, criticizing Republican policies and especially President Trump was the best way for Pelosi to get attention. It also helped Democrats win elections in 2018, as a majority of voters saw the 2018 election as a referendum on the president. And so to Pelosi victorious. She brings three main strengths as the party’s leader: fundraising prowess, experience and skill in legislative bargaining and coalition building, and the ability to effectively challenge Trump with policy and procedural expertise. Pelosi showed her skill when confronting the president about the government shutdown during a highly publicized meeting on Dec. 11. Indeed, it was praise from Democrats for her strong performance that day that likely bolstered her bid for the speakership. Her skill has also been display as Pelosi has won over skeptical Democrats on both her ideological left and right since the November elections. Pelosi has relied on the immense power and prerogatives of leadership that she herself helped to expand, winning over members one committee assignment and policy promise at a time. However, as part of the bargain, Pelosi ultimately agreed to curb the power of the speaker and limit her remaining time in leadership to four years. She also agreed to a series of proposals by the “problem solvers” caucus that would allow somewhat more opportunities for junior members to be involved in policymaking and large bipartisan coalitions to move legislation that party leaders had not put on the agenda. Democrats’ internal leadership battle made clear that the party needs to develop a deeper bench of potential leaders with skills and experience to replace not only Pelosi but long-time #2 and #3 leaders Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn as well. However, it also shows that women leaders need to take extra steps to prove themselves in a male-dominated institution. After all, neither Hoyer nor Clyburn faced any opposition. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/nancy-pelosi-victorious-why-the-california-democrat-was-reelected-speaker-of-the-house-107333.[SEP]Nancy Pelosi reclaimed the gavel and called for bipartisanship Thursday as she became House speaker for the second time. The California Democrat became most powerful woman in Washington and pledged to “reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions in this great nation” as the nation’s capital remains under the cloud of an ongoing government shutdown and deep divides mar her own party. “The floor of this House must be America's Town Hall: where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions,” Pelosi added. The promise to work with the opposition comes as Dems face intra-party rifts and a government shutdown nears the two week mark. Pelosi’s fractured party and Republicans remain in a stalemate over funding for President Trump’s border wall. Pelosi made history as the first woman to rise to the position in 2007. She served as the nation’s third most senior official for four years spanning the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations and helped guide the Affordable Care Act through Congress. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the Democratic Caucus Chair, heaped praise on Pelosi as he nominated her as speaker. “Nancy Pelosi is a woman of faith, a loving wife, a mother of five, a grandmother of nine, a sophisticated strategist, a legendary legislator, a voice for the voiceless, a defender of the disenfranchised a powerful,” he said. Pelosi garnered 220 votes to win the speakership, with 15 Democrats either voting present or casting symbolic ballots against her. Democrats hold a 235-199 majority over Republicans. The 78-year-old’s return to the speaker's office was far from guaranteed and she will face a new set of struggles during her second tenure in the post. Rank-and-file Democrats joined freshman lawmakers in calling for new leadership, a sentiment echoed by voters, according to numerous polls. Moderate Democrats, including Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) and other newly-elected lawmakers who flipped formerly red districts, followed up on campaign promises and opposed Pelosi’s speakership. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a major Pelosi critic representing Nassau County, cast a symbolic vote for former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Rose voted for fellow veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Il.) Pelosi, first elected in 1987 to represent a California district that includes San Francisco, was able to keep the skeptics at bay during a procedural vote in November by doling out lead positions on special panels and promising to follow through on their legislative priorities. She also vowed to serve no more than four years in leadership, opening the door for a younger generation of Democrats to take control of the party in the near future. Young progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — who became the youngest woman to serve in the House after being sworn in Thursday morning — have openly challenged several of Pelosi’s positions and could cause headaches for the centrist. Adding to the complications, Pelosi’s rise to regain power comes at a crucial time for women in politics. The 116th Congress will count an unprecedented number of women as members after 100 female lawmakers won elections this past November. GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's name was put into nomination by his party's caucus chair, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney. She said McCarthy knows "our rights come from God" and "government is not the source of our liberty.” Pelosi has also split from some Dems who want to use their majority to bring impeachment proceedings against Trump. The Speaker has called impeachment a "divisive activity,” but she did not shy away from it Thursday in an interview airing on NBC's “Today” show. “We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason," she said, adding that she would wait for the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election. Only the House can begin impeachment proceedings. And while Justice Department guidelines suggest a sitting president can't be indicted, Pelosi called that "an open discussion." "Everything indicates that a president can be indicted after he is no longer President," she said. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, balked at the prospect of Pelosi returning to power ahead of last years Midterms. “Can you imagine Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House?" Trump asked a crowd at a Minnesota rally in October. "Don't do that to me!”

The 116th United States Congress, which contains a record number of women and minorities, is sworn in at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Democrat Nancy Pelosi becomes the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the second time, the first being from 2007–2011.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Far side of Moon captured by Chinese spacecraft China says it has successfully landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the Moon, the first ever such attempt and landing. At 10:26 Beijing time (02:26 GMT), the un-crewed Chang'e-4 probe touched down in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, state media said. It is carrying instruments to analyse the unexplored region's geology, as well to conduct biological experiments. The landing is being seen as a major milestone in space exploration. There have been numerous missions to the Moon in recent years, but the vast majority have been to orbit, fly by or impact. The last crewed landing was Apollo 17 in 1972. Why China has its eye on the stars Image copyright EPA/CNSA Image caption All pictures and data have to be bounced off a separate satellite The Chang'e-4 probe has already sent back its first pictures from the surface, which were shared by state media. With no direct communication link possible, all pictures and data have to be bounced off a separate satellite before being relayed to Earth. Why is this Moon landing so significant? Previous Moon missions have landed on the Earth-facing side, but this is the first time any craft has landed successfully on the unexplored and rugged far side. Some spacecraft have crashed into the far side, either after system failures, or after they had completed their mission. Ye Quanzhi, an astronomer at Caltech, told the BBC this was the first time China had "attempted something that other space powers have not attempted before". Image copyright EPA/CNSA Image caption The far side is not visible from the Earth due to "tidal locking" The Chang'e-4 was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China on 7 December; it arrived in lunar orbit on 12 December. It was then directed to lower itself toward the Moon, being careful to identify and avoid obstacles, Chinese state media say. The Chang'e-4 probe is aiming to explore a place called the Von Kármán crater, located within the much larger South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin - thought to have been formed by a giant impact early in the Moon's history. "This huge structure is over 2,500km (1,550 miles) in diameter and 13km deep, one of the largest impact craters in the Solar System and the largest, deepest and oldest basin on the Moon," Andrew Coates, professor of physics at UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey, told the BBC. The event responsible for carving out the SPA basin is thought to have been so powerful, it punched through the Moon's crust and down into the zone called the mantle. Researchers will want to train the instruments on any mantle rocks exposed by the calamity. The science team also hopes to study parts of the sheet of melted rock that would have filled the newly formed South Pole-Aitken Basin, allowing them to identify variations in its composition. A third objective is to study the far-side regolith, the broken up rocks and dust that make up the surface, which will help us understand the formation of the Moon. What else might we learn from this mission? Chang'e-4's static lander is carrying two cameras; a German-built radiation experiment called LND; and a spectrometer that will perform low-frequency radio astronomy observations. Scientists believe the far side could be an excellent place to perform radio astronomy, because it is shielded from the radio noise of Earth. The spectrometer work will aim to test this idea. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A mock-up of the Chang'e-4 lander and rover, on display in Dongguan, China The lander also carried a container with six live species from Earth - cotton, rapeseed, potato, fruit fly, yeast and arabidopsis (a flowering plant) - to try to form a mini biosphere. The arabidopsis plant may produce the first flower on the Moon, Chinese state media say. Other equipment/experiments include: A panoramic camera A radar to probe beneath the lunar surface An imaging spectrometer to identify minerals An experiment to examine the interaction of the solar wind (a stream of energised particles from the Sun) with the lunar surface The mission is part of a larger Chinese programme of lunar exploration. The first and second Chang'e missions were designed to gather data from orbit, while the third and fourth were built for surface operations. Chang'e-5 and 6 are sample return missions, delivering lunar rock and soil to laboratories on Earth. Is there a 'dark side of the Moon'? The lunar far side is often referred to as the "dark side", though "dark" in this case means "unseen" rather than "lacking light". In fact, both the near and far sides of the Moon experience daytime and nighttime. But because of a phenomenon called "tidal locking", we see only one face of the Moon from Earth. This is because the Moon takes just as long to rotate on its own axis as it takes to complete one orbit of Earth. The far side has a thicker, older crust that is pocked with more craters. There are also very few of the "maria" - dark basaltic "seas" created by lava flows - that are evident on the near side. How will scientists keep track of the rover? In an article for the US-based Planetary Society in September, Dr Long Xiao from the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), said: "The challenge faced by a far side mission is communications. With no view of Earth, there is no way to establish a direct radio link." So the landers must communicate with Earth using a relay satellite named Queqiao - or Magpie Bridge - launched by China last May. Queqiao orbits 65,000km beyond the Moon, around a Lagrange point - a kind of gravitational parking spot in space where it will remain visible to ground stations in China and other countries such as Argentina. What are China's plans in space? China wants to become a leading power in space exploration, alongside the United States and Russia. In 2017 it announced it was planning to send astronauts to the Moon. It will also begin building its own space station next year, with the hope it will be operating by 2022. The chief designer of China's lunar exploration programme, Wu Weiren, has described Thursday's landing as "an important milestone" for the country's space effort, state media report. Image copyright Reuters Image caption A full-size model of the Tianhe core module of China's space station The BBC's John Sudworth in Beijing says the propaganda value of China's leaps forward in its space programme has been tempered by careful media management. There was very little news of the Chang'e 4 landing attempt before the official announcement it had been a success. But Fred Watson, who promotes Australia's astronomy endeavours as its astronomer-at-large, says the secrecy could simply be down to caution, similar to that shown by the Soviet Union in the early days of its competition with Nasa. "The Chinese space agency is a young organisation, but perhaps in years to come, it will catch up," he told the BBC. Ye Quanzhi says China has made efforts to be more open. "They live-streamed the launch of Chang'e 2 and 3, as well as the landing of Chang'e 3. PR skills take time to develop but I think China will get there," he said. China has been a late starter when it comes to space exploration. Only in 2003, it sent its first astronaut into orbit, making it the third country to do so, after the Soviet Union and the US. The far side landing has already been heralded by experts at Nasa as "a first for humanity and an impressive accomplishment".[SEP]Beijing: A Chinese lunar rover successfully landed on the far side of the moon on Thursday, becoming the world’s first spacecraft to survey the moon’s uncharted mysterious side, a giant leap in cosmic exploration and a major boost to the Communist giant’s quest to become a space superpower. The lunar explorer Chang’e-4 probe touched down on the far side of the moon and has already sent back its first pictures from the surface, which were shared by state media. The probe, comprising a lander and a rover, landed at the preselected landing area at 177.6 degrees east longitude and 45.5 degrees south latitude on the far side of the moon at 10:26 am (local time), China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced. The robotic spacecraft is carrying instruments to analyse the unexplored region’s geology and will conduct biological experiments. The first-ever soft landing is being seen as a major milestone in space exploration because unlike previous moon missions that have landed on the Earth-facing side, this is the first time any craft has landed on the unexplored and rugged far side of the moon. The successful landing formally inaugurated the world’s first expedition to the far side that never faces the Earth and is expected to fulfil scientists’ long-held aspiration to closely observe the enormous region, state-run China Daily reported. Though the far side has been extensively photographed by spacecraft, starting with a Soviet probe in 1959, no probe had ever made a soft landing onto it. Scientists around the world have not been able to conduct close observations and surveys of the region for decades. The probe was launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket on December 8 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province. It landed on the Von Karman crater in the South Pole-Aitken basin and then sent back a picture of the landing site shot by one of the monitor cameras on the probe’s lander, marking the world’s first image taken on the moon’s far side. The picture, published by the China National Space Administration, shows the place where Chang’e 4’s rover will be heading to roam and survey. Tidal forces on Earth slow the moon’s rotation to the point where the same side always faces Earth. The other side, most of which is never visible from Earth, is the far side of the moon. Direct communication with the far side of the moon, however, is not possible, which is one of the many challenges for the Chang’e-4 lunar probe mission. The other face, most of which cannot be seen from Earth, is called the far side or “dark side” of the moon, not because it is dark, but because most of it is uncharted. The Chang’e-4 mission will be a key step in revealing the moon’s mysterious side, a report by state-run Xinhua news agency said. The scientific tasks of the Chang’e-4 mission include low-frequency radio astronomical observation, surveying the terrain and landforms, detecting the mineral composition and shallow lunar surface structure, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment on the far side of the moon, according to CNSA. The spacecraft is largely a clone of Chang’e-3, which landed on the moon in 2013. Named after the goddess of the moon in Chinese legends, the first Chang’e spacecraft was launched in 2007 to verify China’s lunar probe technology, obtain lunar images and perform scientific surveys. The Chang’e 2 followed in 2010 to carry out high-definition imaging of the moon and investigate landing conditions for the Chang’e 3. Chang’e 3 landed on the moon in 2013. Chang’e 3 released the first Chinese lunar rover, Yutu, on the moon. It worked there for around 1,000 days. (PTI)[SEP]Beijing’s space ambitions boosted as Chang’e-4 successfully lands and sends photo of ‘dark side’ of the moon A Chinese lunar rover landed on the far side of the moon on Thursday, in a global first that boosts Beijing’s ambitions to become a space superpower. The Chang’e-4 probe touched down and sent a photo of the so-called “dark side” of the moon to the Queqiao satellite, which will relay communications to controllers on Earth, state broadcaster CCTV said. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space program, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon. The Chang’e-4 lunar probe mission—named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology—launched in December from the southwestern Xichang launch center. It is the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover mission in 2013. Unlike the near side of the moon that offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged. The moon is “tidally locked” to Earth in its rotation so the same side is always facing Earth. Chang’e-4 is carrying six experiments from China and four from abroad, including low-frequency radio astronomical studies—aiming to take advantage of the lack of interference on the far side. The rover will also conduct mineral and radiation tests, the China National Space Administration has said, according to state news agency Xinhua. It was not until 1959 that the Soviet Union captured the first images of the moon’s mysterious and heavily cratered “dark side.” No lander or rover has ever previously touched the surface there, and it is no easy technological feat—China has been preparing for this moment for years. A major challenge for such a mission was communicating with the robotic lander: as there is no direct “line of sight” for signals to the far side of the moon. As a solution, China in May blasted the Queqiao (“Magpie Bridge”) satellite into the moon’s orbit, positioning it so that it can relay data and commands between the lander and Earth. In another extreme hurdle, during the lunar night—which lasts 14 Earth days—temperatures drop to as low as minus 173 degrees Celsius (minus 279 Fahrenheit). During the lunar day, also lasting 14 Earth days, temperatures soar as high as 127 C (261 F). The rover’s instruments have to withstand those fluctuations and it has to generate enough energy to sustain it during the long night. Adding to the difficulties, Chang’e-4 was sent to the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region—known for its craggy and complex terrain—state media has said. Yutu also conquered those challenges and, after initial setbacks, ultimately surveyed the moon’s surface for 31 months. Its success provided a major boost to China’s space program. Beijing is planning to send another lunar lander, Chang’e-5, next year to collect samples and bring them back to Earth. It is among a slew of ambitious Chinese targets, which include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and private rocket firm SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed space station, and a Mars rover.[SEP]In a first for any country, China has successfully landed a rover on the far side of the lunar surface. The state media announced on Thursday that its space agency has successfully landed a rover on the far side of the moon. This is a huge milestone as the country aims to become a leader in the space programs carried out around the world. The China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) landed the Chang’e 4 lunar probe in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, which is an impact crater, at 10:26AM Beijing time on Thursday, according to a report by China Central Television (CCTV). The report notes that the rover made its final descent from a landing orbit 15 kilometers above the moon’s surface. The rover, after landing, transmitted back the world’s first close range image of the far side of the moon. The state media did not share any other details of this historic landing. The announcement came in a controversial moment after the state media outlets China Daily and China Global Television Network (CGTN) deleted posts on social media where they claimed the mission a success. The posts deleted by Chinese media raises a speculation as to whether the probe really landed on the far side of the lunar surface. Landing a probe on the far side of the moon is an achievement since it is the hemisphere that never faces earth due to its rotation. It is even referred to as the “dark side of the moon” and it received as much sunlight as the side facing the earth. The state media reported that the Chang’e lunar mission lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province on December 8 and entered the moon’s orbit four days later. Once safely on the moon, the lander will conduct the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment. Its other to-do include observing whether plants will grow in the low-gravity environment and then explore whether there is water or other resources at the poles. “Since the far side of the moon is shielded from electromagnetic interference from the Earth, it’s an ideal place to research the space environment and solar bursts, and the probe can ‘listen’ to the deeper reaches of the cosmos,” Tongjie Liu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center for the China National Space Administration, was quoted by CNN. The Chang’e 4 rover is 1.5 meters long and about 1 meter wide and tall. It has two foldable solar panels and six wheels and it is free from interference from radio frequencies. Another function of the mission is to study the interaction between solar winds and the moon surface using a new rover. This landing shows China‘s intent to become a leader in space technologies as other agencies aim to send humans to Martian space and establish a habitat there.[SEP]Humans have landed a spacecraft on the far side of the moon for the first time in history. China's Chang'e 4 spacecraft achieved the milestone on Jan. 3, with the country's space agency landing its lunar probe in Von Kármán crater on the moon's mysterious far side. Official word was provided at 8 p.m. PT by Chinese State Media service CCTV. Launched on Dec. 7, the Chang'e 4 craft contains both a lunar lander and a six-wheeled rover. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on Dec. 12 before preparations for landing nudged the spacecraft into an elliptical lunar orbit, getting as close as 15 kilometres (around 9 miles) to the surface. Unlike NASA's history-making mission to Mars in November and the agency's flyby of the mysterious Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69 on New Year's Day, China's landmark landing wasn't televised. Social media accounts on Chinese giant Weibo reported that the lunar probe touched down at around 6:26 p.m. PT but confirmation of the reports was hard to come by. After tweets by Chinese State-owned media outlets China Daily and China Global Television Network made their way online, the Twittersphere was abuzz... but the tweets were quickly deleted. According to Andrew Jones, a journalist reporting on the Chinese space program, Chang'e 4's descent required "laser ranging and optical cameras for navigation, velocity and coarse hazard avoidance." Practically, this meant Chang'e 4 was on its own as it descended to the surface with its important scientific payload, on a side of the moon marked by rugged terrain. NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon almost 50 years ago, but navigating to the far side poses a unique communications challenge. Sometimes known as the "dark side" of the moon, even though it does receive sunlight, the far side never faces the Earth because of tidal locking. That means budding human (or robot) explorers have to find a way to establish and maintain radio contact. To communicate with the Chang'e 4 mission on the moon's surface, the Chinese space agency launched the Queqiao relay satellite into a halo orbit over the dark side of the moon in May. The satellite overcomes the communications challenge, allowing the lander and rover to phone home, via relay, and send scientific data back. Both the rover and the lander are equipped with a suite of instruments that will allow the Chinese space agency to study the geology of Von Kármán crater, including three cameras. The ancient crater, part of the 13 kilometre deep South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, is believed to hold material kicked up from deep within the lunar soil due to an impact early on in the Moon's life, providing new insights on what makes up its interior. The lander also carries seeds and silkworm eggs within a sealed container and will examine whether the two lifeforms can thrive on the moon. Other instruments, developed by Swedish and German engineers, will allow the lunar robots to better study solar wind, charged particles that burst forth from the sun's atmosphere. Payloads were also provided by partners in the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. The last lander on the moon was Chang'e 4's predecessor, Chang'e 3, which soft-landed in a crater known as the Mare Imbrium in December 2013. In January 2014, the rover underwent a mechanical control abnormality and ceased to transmit data in March 2015. However, the lander remains on the near side of the moon. The moon really is the place to be in 2019, with various international space agencies ready to explore Earth's only natural satellite. Chang'e 4's mission is slated to last a year, but a subsequent lunar exploration mission -- Chang'e 5 -- is scheduled to launch toward the end of the year. If successful, it would be the first mission to the moon to return samples since Luna 24 in 1976. NASA turns 60: The space agency has taken humanity farther than anyone else, and it has plans to go further. Taking It to Extremes: Mix insane situations -- erupting volcanoes, nuclear meltdowns, 30-foot waves -- with everyday tech. Here's what happens.[SEP]China’s space programme scored a major victory on Thursday morning when the Chang’e 4 lunar spacecraft landed on the dark side of the moon, territory that has never before been explored. The probe completed the world’s first ever soft-landing on the uncharted far side at 10.26am Hong Kong time, and almost immediately transmitted a “close range” image of the mysterious land back to Earth. The photograph showed Chang’e was sitting in a relatively flat area with a small crater just metres away. The mountain range of the Von Karman crater could be seen in the distance. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said the mission had “lifted the mysterious veil” from the far side of the moon, which is permanently blocked from view from Earth, and “opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration”. “China is making a tremendous effort to become a space power. This mission will be a landmark event in this endeavour,” Wu Weiren, chief scientist of the Chang’e 4 programme, said in an interview with state broadcaster China Central Television. “It is a perfect display of human intelligence,” said Jia Yang, the probe’s deputy chief designer from the China Academy of Space Technology was quoted as saying by Xinhua. China’s Chang’e 4 lunar probe sends first photo of far side of the moon after historic soft landing But making a soft and successful landing is just the start. The next stage of the mission, according to the CNSA, is for Chang’e 4 to release a rover to explore the surrounding area, fire up ground penetration radar to map the moon’s inner structures, analyse soil and rock samples for minerals and chemicals with potential economic values, and activate a radio telescope to search for possible signals from distant universes. The probes also carried a canister filled with air, soil, water, bacterium, silkworm eggs, the seeds of a small flowering plant and a potato. Scientists hope that the small eco-system will spring to life and produce the first blossoming flowers on the moon in about three months’ time. Dr Chen Hongqiao, a researcher at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in the south China city of Guangzhou, said the landing could intensify the space race between China and the United States. “Today the fight [between China and the US] is on trade. Tomorrow it can be on the moon,” he said. The US government recently announced an ambitious plan to colonise the moon with a permanent outpost. The first stage of such a programme would involve Nasa building a space station, known as a lunar orbital platform, within the moon’s orbit, which would serve as a gateway to future settlements. What you need to know about China’s lunar mission Dr Zhu Jin, the director of Beijing Planetarium, said the new race between China and the US to the moon would be “very different” from the previous one between the US and the former Soviet Union during the cold war. “The previous one was largely driven by politics,” Zhu said. “This race will be mainly driven by a genuine interest in the moon itself and potential business opportunities.” The former Soviet Union launched the world’s first lunar satellite in 1959, while the US achieved six manned landings. Of the 265 spacecraft sent towards the moon by all nations, only one US probe made it to the far side, but it crashed. Plainly aware of the risks involved in the Chang’e 4 mission, China decided not to broadcast it live so as to reduce the pressure on the scientists and engineers involved, according to a researcher with knowledge of the matter. China can be proud as Chang’e 4 lands on far side of the moon During its landing, the 4 tonne Chang’e 4 lunar craft fired its reverse thrusters about 10:15am to reduce speed and made a steep descent towards one of the most deadly landing zones in the solar system, the CNSA said. Unlike the relatively flat, smooth near side of the moon that faces the Earth, more than 90 per cent of the surface of the far side is rugged, featuring mountains twice the height of Everest. Communication is also a challenge. Radio waves from Earth cannot reach the far side back of the moon, so Change 4’s link to the flight control centre in Beijing is dependent entirely on a small, distant relaying satellite called Queqiao. During its descent, Chang’e 4 had to aim its antenna constantly at Queqiao to avoid losing contact. About 100 metres (330 feet) above the lunar surface, the spacecraft hovered automatically and scanned the area below with a high definition camera for unexpected rocks and slopes. 2019 China science look-ahead: from moon landing to an AI arms race, four things to expect in the year ahead Chang’e 4 was launched atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket on December 8 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan province. It entered lunar orbit four days later. The Von Karman crater, about twice the size of Los Angeles, is named after Theodore von Karman, lead scientist of the early US space programme. Karmon is also the mentor of Hsue-Shen Tsien, the founding father of China’s space programme, so the landing site had significant meaning, state media said. China was not without help on the Chang’e 4 mission. Scientists from The Netherlands contributed to the construction of a low frequency signal detector, while experts from Germany helped build the device to measure radioactivity on the lunar surface. Sweden provided the atomic detector and Saudi Arabia contributed a camera. China also has plans to launch a returnable spacecraft – Chang’e 5 – by 2020, which will include a lunar lander and a rover that could return to Earth after collecting samples and performing lunar surveys.[SEP]China has become the first nation to ever land on the far side of the Moon, touching down overnight in a historic landing that demonstrates its rapidly growing spaceflight capabilities. Their Chang’e 4 lander touched down near a region called the South Pole-Aitken Basin at about 2.26am UTC today, January 3. China’s state-run news networks, including China Global Television Network (CGTN), posted the news on Twitter after a lack of information in the run-up to the landing. “China's Chang'e-4 probe lands successfully on far side of the moon,” the CGTN wrote on Twitter, “marking the first ever soft-landing in this uncharted area.” Chang’e 4 is the second lander and rover China has sent to the Moon, after the twin Chang’e 3 mission in 2013. That mission landed on the Moon’s near-side, however, which has been explored before by the US and the Soviet Union. Chang’e 4 instead attempted something never done before. The mission consists of a stationary lander weighing about 1,200 kilograms (2,600 pounds), and a rover weighing about 140 kilograms (310 pounds). It’s understood that the rover will make its way onto the surface later today, travelling down a ramp from the lander, although that has yet to be confirmed. As the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, one side of it always points towards our planet, and the other – the far side – always points away. Although spacecraft have orbited the Moon and imaged the far side, no one has landed there due in part to the technological challenges. In order to communicate with its lander on the far side, China launched a relay satellite called Queqiao in May 2018 into a gravitationally stable location 65,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) beyond the Moon. Here, this satellite is both in sight of the lander and Earth, so all communications can be passed through it. The landing itself was largely autonomous, however, with the lander touching down in a region known as the Von Kármán Crater. This is located within the South Pole-Aitken Basin, which at 2,500 kilometers (1,600 miles) across is the largest impact crater on the Moon. It’s hoped that this region could contain some fascinating details about the Moon’s history. Some of the Moon’s mantle is believed to have been pulled up to the surface in this location, which Chang’e 4 will be able to study. The mission also has three cameras, which will be used to return stunning images to Earth, and a ground-penetrating radar, which will be able to peer 100 meters (330 feet) below the surface. There are also two European experiments on board to study incoming particles on the Moon. The Moon takes 28 days to rotate, giving most regions 14 days of sunlight and 14 days of night. Chang’e 4 has landed as close to the start of day at its location as possible, which began on December 30. This will give its solar panels ample sunlight, before freezing temperatures accompany lunar night in mid-January. All eyes will now be on how much this mission can achieve. The rover on the Chang’e 3 mission failed to last the lunar night, but its lander – called Yutu – is still operational today. Whatever Chang’e 4 achieves from now on will be a bonus, on top of what has already been a historic landing in the history of spaceflight.[SEP]In an historic first, China has successfully landed a rover on the far side of the moon, Chinese state media announced Thursday, a huge milestone for the nation as it attempts to position itself as a leading space power. China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) landed the Chang’e 4 lunar probe at 10:26 am Beijing time on Thursday, in the South Pole-Aitken Basin which is an impact crater, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. It made its final descent from a landing orbit 15 kilometers above the moon’s surface. State media reported the rover transmitted back the world’s first close range image of the far side of the moon. No other details were immediately available. The announcement came shortly after state media outlets China Daily and China Global Television Network (CGTN) deleted posts on social media proclaiming the mission a success, sparking widespread confusion as to whether the probe had in fact had made touchdown. No explanation was given as to why the tweets were deleted. On social media, observers speculated as to the cause of the apparent backtracking, with many wondering if the mission had experienced a temporary upset, or whether it was a simple case of state media jumping the gun ahead of the official announcement. The far side of the moon is the hemisphere that never faces earth, due to the moon’s rotation. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the “dark side of the moon,” even though it receives just as much sunlight as its earth-facing side. The Chang’e 4 lunar mission lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on December 8 and entered the moon’s orbit four days later, according to Chinese state media. Once safely on the moon, the lander will tackle a long to-do list, including conducting the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment, observe whether plants will grow in the low-gravity environment, and explore whether there is water or other resources at the poles. Another function of the mission is to study the interaction between solar winds and the moon surface using a new rover. “Since the far side of the moon is shielded from electromagnetic interference from the Earth, it’s an ideal place to research the space environment and solar bursts, and the probe can ‘listen’ to the deeper reaches of the cosmos,” said Tongjie Liu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center for the China National Space Administration. Because of the far side’s position facing away from earth, it is free from interference from radio frequencies and therefore it’s not possible for the lunar rover to communicate directly with ground control. This is often cited as a reason other space agencies have not landed a probe or rover there before. The mission requires a relay satellite to transmit signals that was launched into place this year. The Chang’e 4 rover is 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and about 1 meter (3.3 feet) wide and tall, with two foldable solar panels and six wheels. “China is anxious to get into the record books with its space achievements,” said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor at the US Naval War College and an expert on China’s space program. “It is highly likely that with the success of Chang’e — and the concurrent success of the human spaceflight Shenzhou program — the two programs will eventually be combined toward a Chinese human spaceflight program to the Moon,” she added. “Odds of the next voice transmission from the Moon being in Mandarin are high.” China’s last lunar rover — named Yutu, or Jade Rabbit — ceased operation in August 2016 after 972 days of service on the moon’s surface as part of the Chang’e 3 mission. China was only the third nation to carry out a lunar landing, after the United States and Russia. The overall design of the new rover is inherited from Jade Rabbit, according to the chief designer of China’s lunar probe program. “We worked hard to improve its reliability, conducting thousands of experiments to ensure its long-term operation, especially taking into consideration rocks, ravines and frictions on the Moon,” Wu Weiren told state broadcaster CCTV in August. Beijing plans to launch its first Mars probe around 2020 to carry out orbital and rover exploration, followed by a mission that would include collection of surface samples from the Red Planet. China is also aiming to have a fully operational permanent space station by 2022, as the future of the International Space Station remains in doubt due to uncertain funding and complicated politics. In comparison, despite its recent success in sending a robotic lander to Mars, the US space agency NASA has faced years of budgetary constraints. The US Congress has barred NASA from working with China due to national security concerns. “A high percentage of space technology is (civilian-military) dual use,” Johnson-Freese said. “The US sees pretty much everything China does in space — including things the US has done in space — as threatening.” She suggested that combining military preparedness with diplomatic efforts would best deter perceived threats in space from all sides but added that “unfortunately, the US has not shown interest in diplomatic leadership regarding space security.”[SEP]China Lands On The Far Side Of The Moon The Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-4 landed on the far side of the moon and transmitted images of the barren landscape back to Earth.[SEP]Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A spacecraft has landed on the far side of the moon for the first time, China's National Space Administration announced Thursday. The rover Chang'e-4, which is named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology, landed at 10:26 a.m. Beijing time in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, which is an impact crater, {link:state news agency Xinhua "http://english.cctv.com/2019/01/03/ARTIHC3ASInYbesRobBK8Bhv190103.shtml" target="_blank"} reported. The United States and the Soviet Union are the only other nations to make a "soft landing" on the moon but no other country has touched down on the side of the moon that always faces away from the Earth. In 2013, China landed a rover on the moon's other side. "This space mission shows that China has reached the advanced world-class level in deep space exploration," Zhu Menghua, a professor at the Macau University of Science and Technology who has worked closely with China's space administration, told The New York Times. "We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have not dared try." China plans to put astronauts on a lunar base in about 10 years. The United States first landed a man on the moon in 1969. "China views this landing as just a steppingstone, as it also views its future manned lunar landing, since its long-term goal is to colonize the moon and use it as a vast supply of energy," Namrata Goswami, an independent analyst who wrote about space for the Defense Department's Minerva Research Institute, told The New York Times. The rover later transmitted back the world's first image on the far side of the moon . WIth no direct way to communicate with the spacecraft from the moon, China put a relay satellite in orbit around the moon in May. On Dec. 8, the spacecradt lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province and entered the moon's orbit four days later, according to Chinese state media. The craft, which is 5 feet long and about 3.3 feet wide and tall, made its final descent from a landing orbit 9.3 miles above the moon's surface. "Since the far side of the moon is shielded from electromagnetic interference from the Earth, it's an ideal place to research the space environment and solar bursts, and the probe can 'listen' to the deeper reaches of the cosmos," Tongjie Liu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center for the China National Space Administration, told CNN. The U.S. Congress has banned NASA from working with China on space exploration because of national security concerns. "A high percentage of space technology is [civilian-military] dual use," Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College told CNN. "The U.S. sees pretty much everything China does in space -- including things the U.S. has done in space -- as threatening." But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine praised the achievement. "Congratulations to China's Chang'e-4 team for what appears to be a successful landing on the far side of the Moon," he posted on Twitter. "This is a first for humanity and an impressive accomplishment!"

China National Space Administration's robotic lander Chang'e 4 successfully lands at the Von Kármán lunar crater on the far side of the Moon.

LONDON — The diplomatic standoff between Qatar and its Arab neighbors spilled into the sports world once again Thursday as a Qatari vice president of Asia’s soccer confederation was barred from traveling to the United Arab Emirates ahead of the region’s top tournament. Saoud al-Mohannadi, vice president of the Asian Football Confederation, was denied permission to travel from Oman to the U.A.E. after airport officials said he wouldn’t be let into the country. The U.A.E., with Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Mideast countries, broke diplomatic relations and severed all ties with Qatar in 2017. Mohannadi is the chairman of the A.F.C.’s competitions committee, a group with overall responsibility for the Asian Cup. Prohibiting him from traveling to the U.A.E. is the first sign that long-simmering political tensions in the Gulf are likely to have ramifications for continent’s biggest tournament. Mohannadi immediately wrote a letter of complaint to Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, the Bahraini royal who is the A.F.C.’s current president. The organization said in a statement that it was aware of reports that Mohannadi was being denied the right to travel and that it would investigate. The A.F.C. said it had been “assured of visas and entry permits” for tournament organizing committee members and executives.[SEP]A Qatari official who helped organise the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates was prevented from flying there on Thursday for the tournament, sources said, as a rift between the two Gulf states showed no signs of abating. DOHA: A Qatari official who helped organise football's Asian Cup arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, after sources said he was earlier stopped from flying there to attend the tournament. Saoud Al-Mohannadi chaired the organising committee for the competition, which starts on Saturday, and is vice president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). A Qatari official told Reuters that Mohannadi was on Thursday stopped from boarding an Oman Air flight to Abu Dhabi from Muscat. He was told by the airline that his name was not on a list held at Abu Dhabi airport, another source said. An AFC spokesman said Mohannadi had arrived in Abu Dhabi on Friday. It was not immediately clear which route he had taken. Other than in special circumstances, Qataris have been prevented from entering United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt since the four countries launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar in June 2017. They accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, a charge that Doha denies. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup, which football's global governing body FIFA hopes to expand to 48 teams from 32, suggesting the country could share hosting duties with neighbouring Gulf states. Qatar has said it will only decide on any expansion of the World Cup after seeing a FIFA feasibility study expected by March. The AFC is one of six continental football confederations that make up FIFA. The Asian Cup is held every four years and the 2019 edition runs until Feb. 1.[SEP]The United Arab Emirate has, in a politically-motivated move, prevented Qatari Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Saud al-Muhannadi from taking part in the AFC Asian Cup tournament, which is to start on Saturday. Top Qatari football official Saud al-Mohannadi / Photo by AFP Al-Mohannadi, who also serves as the vice president of the Qatari Football Association, returned to Doha after being barred from entering the UAE. The decision has sparked harsh criticisms in Qatar with many media outlets describing it as a childish move ahead of the Asian Cup tournament. With its childish policy just two days left to the Asian Cup, the UAE has politicized sports by barring Saud al-Muhannadi from entering the country for the international tournament, al-Sharq paper of Qatar reported. Political tensions between Qatar and a number of its Arab neighbours began last year after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt officially accused it of sponsoring terrorism and cut off diplomatic ties with the country. The Asian Cup is a quadrennial event which brings together the top teams of Asian for nearly a month. Qatars national football team taking part in the event is set to fly to the UAE on Saturday. Qatar national team will be pitted against Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and North Korea in Group 5. The 2019 AFC Asian Cup is going to be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to 1 February 1. 24 teams including Iran will compete with each other during the tournament in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, al-Ain and Sharjah cities. The UAE was announced as the host for the tournament on 9 March 2015, with Iran being the only remaining bidder for the right to host the 2019 finals. It is the second time that the United Arab Emirates hosts the tournament after the 1996 finals. The decision by the UAE to bar the Qatari official from the tournament came shortly after FIFA President Gianni Infantino said some of Qatars neighbouring countries may be called on to host a few matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup if studies show a 48-team tournament in four years time is feasible. "The World Cup will take place in Qatar with 32 teams. Obviously, if we can increase it to 48 teams and make the world happy we should try it."[SEP]A Qatari official who helped organise the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates was prevented from flying there on Thursday for the tournament, sources said, as a rift between the two Gulf states showed no signs of abating. DOHA: A Qatari official who helped organise the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates was prevented from flying there on Thursday for the tournament, sources said, as a rift between the two Gulf states showed no signs of abating. Saoud Al-Mohannadi chaired the organising committee for the tournament, which starts on Saturday, and is vice president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). A Qatari official told Reuters that Mohannadi was stopped from boarding an Oman Air flight to Abu Dhabi from Muscat. He was told by the airline that his name was not on a list held at Abu Dhabi airport, another source said. Abu Dhabi's government communications office did not respond immediately to Reuters' request for comment. But Aref al-Awani, director of the Asian Cup's local organising committee, said on Twitter that nobody was banned from attending the tournament. Other than in special circumstances, Qataris have been prevented from entering United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt since the four countries launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar in June 2017. They accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, a charge that Doha denies. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup, which football's global governing body FIFA hopes to expand to 48 teams from 32, suggesting the country could share hosting duties with neighbouring Gulf states. The AFC is one of six continental football confederations that make up FIFA. Abu Dhabi's Awani said reports about banning any individual from attending were untrue. "Whoever is trying to create stories and fictions are used to it, and we are used to ignoring them," he tweeted. Mohannadi said last month that he would run for president of the 47-country AFC in April. The other two contenders are the UAE's Mohammed Khalfan Al-Rumaithi and incumbent Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, of Bahrain. The Asian Cup, held every four years and running until Feb. 1, is considered a key gathering point to lobby AFC members for votes. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are due to play a group match on Jan. 17 and the Qatari team is expected to arrive in Abu Dhabi this week in time for their first game on Jan. 7. Qatar has said it will only decide on any expansion of the World Cup after seeing a FIFA feasibility study expected by March.[SEP]In our ultimate build-up to AFC Asian Cup 2019, FOX Sports Asia provides the lowdown on all 24 teams and we take a closer look at Oman in this preview. Oman enter their fourth Asian Cup on the back of a famous Gulf Cup triumph and would want to better their previous group-stage finishes in the continent’s biggest football tournament. The previous three Asian cup appearances for The Reds – in 2004, 2007 and 205 – finished in group stage exits. Last time out in 2015, Oman were drawn with Australia, South Korea and Kuwait. They finished third in the group, behind Australia and Korea after having lost to both of them. They did register a victory against Kuwait though. Coach: Pim Verbeek Captain: Ahmed Al-Mahaijri Best performance at Asian Cup: Group stage (2004, 2007 & 2015) Last time out in 2015: Group stage January 9: Uzbekistan vs Oman (Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah – 5.30pm local time) January 13: Oman vs Japan (Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi – 5.30pm local time) January 17: Oman vs Turkmenistan (Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi – 5.30pm local time) A lot would depend on Mohamed Al Hosni’s form if Oman are to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time in the tournament’s history. The 24-year-old, who plays for Al-Nahda in the Oman Pro League and will have to carry the weight of the team on his shoulders and see them through to the next round. One of the Reds’ best players is the 22-year-old Jameel Al Yahmadi. The winger made his debut for the national team in 2017 and has since gone on to cement his palce in the side. The youngster started all of Oman’s matches in their triumphant Gulf Cup run and his pace and skills will be a great asset to Verbeek’s side in the tournament. Oman have been in scintillating form in 2018 and would want to carry that into the new year. Though they did lose 5-0 to Australia in one of the Asian Cup preparation friendlies, they do have a good chance of making it to the round-of-16 this time. The expectations back home have increased as well with the Gulf Cup triumph, and if not as one of the top two teams from their group, The Reds can certainly qualify for the knockout as one of the four best third-placed teams in the group stage.[SEP]Talismanic skipper Sunil Chhetri and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will have to play leading roles on and off the pitch, if India are to do well in the upcoming Asian Cup football tournament, feels former captain Bhaichung Bhutia. India, who qualified for the Asian Football Confederation`s flagship tournament after a gap of eight years, have in their ranks a lot of youngsters, complemented by the experience of Gurpreet and Chhetri. Both of them were a part of the Doha Asian Cup back in 2011. India, who lost all their matches back then and bowed out of the group stages, take on Thailand on January 6, before facing hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 10, and Bahrain on January 14. "Two persons will be very crucial -- Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh (Sandhu). Both have the experience of playing AFC. India have a young team and their guidance will be the key on and off the field," Bhutia told IANS over the phone. The 42-year old Sikkimese icon, who was the captain of the side in 2011, maintained that his former teammate Chhetri will have to take up the mantle of looking after not only his game but also his lesser experienced colleagues who might get overawed by the stage. "Especially for Sunil, it`s not about his own game but also guiding the players, keeping their focus off the ground and giving them confidence. He has to be the leader off the ground and see that they don`t get carried away," Bhutia said. Asked about India`s chances in the competition, Bhutia pointed out that their first assignment against lower-ranked Thailand will make or break them. "The first match is going to be very crucial. The match against Thailand is the most crucial game because if we can get three points (from that game), I genuinely feel we can go through to the second round. But if there is a defeat in the first match, then it looks difficult," he said. "The morale and confidence will also be built from the first match. That`s why the Thailand match will be crucial for them." India coach Stephen Constantine had rued that his boys could not play more preparatory games leading up to the big ticket tournament. India have played China, Jordan and Oman in preparatory friendlies. Bhutia, though, said India`s build-up has been just fine and these are players who are raring to go at the big stage. "Preparation has been good. This is a good bunch of players who have done well together and are raring to go. There should be a fire in the belly to do well and I strongly feel that the Thailand game is the key. We need to beat them at any cost," he said. Meanwhile, The Baichung Bhutia Football School (BBFS) with its 50th centre recently announced an angel investment by the promoters of the CarWale & Chalo and Zomato. "We got some people to come on board and take up the school in a bigger way and expand it on a bigger scale. In future, we also need to raise some more money to come into the company. We are looking to expand BBS pan India," Bhutia said on the association.[SEP]Thailand suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Oman on Wednesday in their final warm-up match ahead of the AFC Asian Cup 2019. The War Elephants are scheduled to open their campaign in the continental championship against India on January 6 at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. But, in their final friendly game ahead of the Asian Cup, Thailand, coached by Milovan Rajevac, were handed a 2-0 defeat by reigning Arabian Gulf Cup champions Oman. Oman went ahead early in the first half through Ahmed Al-Mahaijri. The scored remained 1-0 to the Gulf nation at halftime, but Thailand found themselves even further behind in the second half when Al-Mahaijir found his second of the night. The defeat will cause concern for Rajevac as he saw his side go down to Oman despite fielding stars like Chanathip Songkrasin and Teerasil Dangda. He will now be hoping that his team’s form picks up by the time they face India. Thailand will then play Bahrain on January 10 before facing hosts UAE on January 14.[SEP]ABU DHABI (AFP) - The football may not be of the quality expected at the Euros, but there is always something compelling about watching national teams duke it out for their continental crown. Here is a look at the five leading contenders for football's Asian Cup, which starts in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday (Jan 5): The Socceroos won the biggest title in their history at the last Asian Cup in 2015, where they edged South Korea after extra time to win a thrilling final in Sydney. It provided further vindication for their switch from Oceania to the Asian confederation in 2006, since when they have never failed to qualify for the World Cup. However, Australia's star has dimmed in recent times, and after reaching Russia 2018 via the play-offs they exited without a win, scoring only twice in their three group games. New coach Graham Arnold must fill the void left by retired record scorer Tim Cahill, and get the goals flowing again, if the Socceroos are to keep the trophy in Australian hands. Asia's top-ranked team won credit at last year's World Cup, where they were edged 1-0 by Spain and finished 1-1 against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, before exiting at the group stage. However, they will want to go home with more than just praise at the Asian Cup, a tournament where success has eluded them since their run of three straight titles ended in 1976. Ex-Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz, also a former assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, has forged a formidable unit which was unbeaten in World Cup qualifying, strolling into the Asian Cup along the way. Last time around, Iran went out on penalties to arch-rivals Iraq in a pulsating quarter-final which featured four goals in extra-time and a contentious second yellow card for simulation to Iranian defender Mehrdad Pooladi. Similar fireworks can be expected when the two teams meet for their final Group D game on Jan 16. Japan go into the Asian Cup chasing a record-extending fifth title and in a rich vein of form. The Samurai Blue are unbeaten in five games since Hajime Moriyasu replaced Akira Nishino as coach after their surprise run to the knockout stages of last year's World Cup. But Japan embark on their Middle Eastern adventure without two players who epitomise their waspish energy - Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki. Both were omitted by Moriyasu, who looks to Red Bull Salzburg's Takumi Minamino to provide the creative spark in Kagawa's absence. Portimonense's Shoya Nakajima and Groningen's Ritsu Doan will add thrust as they try to avenge their 2015 Asian Cup flop when they crashed out in the quarter-finals. Southampton defender Maya Yoshida and Galatasaray full-back Yuto Nagatomo bring experience to Japan, who face Uzbekistan, Oman and Turkmenistan in Group F. Ranked 50th in the world, behind Iran (29) and Australia (41), anything less than the semi-finals would be seen as failure for Japan. Saudi Arabiaplayers listening to the head of the General Authority for Saudi Sport, Turki Al-Sheikh (centre) at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on June 13, 2018, ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament. PHOTO: AFP The former giants of Asian football need to reverse a poor run of form as they look to return to the winners' circle for the first time since the 1990s. Victories in 1984, 1988 and 1996 made the Saudis the continent's premier side but despite reaching the 2000 and 2007 finals they have been unable to add to their tally. There was not much to shout about at last year's World Cup, when Saudi Arabia lost 5-0 to Russia in their opening game and never recovered. In the UAE, a short hop over the Saudi border, Juan Antonio Pizzi - the fourth coach in the Saudi hot seat since the 2015 Asian Cup - can expect an easier ride than in Russia as they open against North Korea on Tuesday. However, Saudi Arabia flopped at the last Asian Cup, going out at the group stage, and they are under pressure heading into this edition after winning only one of their six games since the World Cup. In Tottenham Hotspur's swift forward Son Heung-min, South Korea boast Asia's most exciting player and they will be regarded as narrow favourites to hoist the trophy on February 1. The Taeguk Warriors showed their quality when they stunned holders Germany at last year's World Cup and they came within a whisker of winning their third Asian title in 2015, going down to James Troisi's extra-time strike for hosts Australia in the final. Son will miss South Korea's first two games, against the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan, owing to club commitments with Spurs. But with a wealth of talent including Newcastle's Ki Sung-yeung and goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, man of the match in the 2-0 win over Germany, South Korea should have at least one foot in the knock-out stages by then.[SEP]Asian Cup 2019: 5 footballers who might be playing their last continental Cup The AFC Asian Cup 2019 is all set to begin from January 5 and will go on until February 1, with 24 nations participating in the mega event of the Asian continent. Apart from the 23 countries from Asia, Australia - the defending champions - are also part of the Asian Cup campaign. The 24 teams have been divided into 6 groups of 4 teams each and the top two teams of each group and the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16. Every team has its share of superstars and seasoned campaigners all set to take charge from next week. However, many of them might well be playing their last Asian Cup campaign, considering their age and fitness. The next edition of the AFC Asian Cup will be held in 2023 either in South Korea or in China. Here, in this article, let us look at the 5 International footballers who might be playing their last Asian Cup campaign in 2019. Ahmed Mubarak is one of the veterans of Oman football who presently plies his trade with Oman club Mesaimeer. He has been part of the Oman national football team right from 2003 and even after 15 years of playing International football, he is still at the top level. He has appeared in 156 international matches for Oman and has scored 18 International goals. He has been part of the AFC Asian Cup squads of Oman in 2004 Asian Cup, 2007 Asian Cup and 2015 Asian Cup. He is another footballer who will be playing his fourth Asian cup and possibly, his last. He also was the most valuable player of the 2017 Gulf Cup which speaks volumes about what Ahmed Mubarak brings onto the field. Ahmed Mubarak is a vital cog in the Oman national team and 2019 AFC Asian Cup well might be the last Asian Cup, where Oman could use his expertise.[SEP]Australia named striker Apostolos Giannou as a replacement for injured winger Martin Boyle, with the Cyprus-based 28-year-old joining Graham Arnold’s Asian Cup squad on Thursday. Boyle was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a left knee injury in Sunday’s 5-0 friendly win over Oman and returned to club side Hibernian to continue his recovery. Giannou’s registration was completed by the Asian Football Confederation on Wednesday, allowing the AEK Larnaca player to link up with the team in Al Ain ahead of their opening clash against Jordan on Jan. 6. “Apostolos has been playing regularly in Cyprus with his club, as well as in the UEFA Europa League throughout 2018. He has arrived with the determination to impress and make the most of the opportunity,” Arnold said in a statement. “Our group has welcomed ‘Apo’ back into the Socceroos family and having been with us in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait earlier this year, Apo has a clear picture of how we work and the principles of play.” Champions Australia were already without midfielders Daniel Arzani and Aaron Mooy before Boyle’s injury but Arnold said that Giannou had the necessary qualities to make up for the loss of the Scotland-born winger. “Apo offers us something a little bit different in attack — he is a hard-working player who can press and has a sharp eye for goal,” Arnold said. Giannou, who scored his first goal for Australia in a 4-0 win over Kuwait in October, completed a medical with the team ahead of his first major international tournament. “I’ll be doing everything I can to impress in training and perform in matches here in the UAE. We have a great squad with a great culture and together I believe we will achieve our goals,” he said.

Saoud al-Mohannadi, vice president of the Asian Football Confederation, is banned from traveling to the United Arab Emirates from Oman.

WACO, Texas -- Geno Auriemma knew that top-ranked UConn couldn't keep winning every regular-season game it played, even though the Huskies had won 126 in a row. That winning streak of more than four years ended with a 68-57 loss Thursday night at No. 8 Baylor, which won against a No. 1 team for the first time. "What is disappointing for me, not that we lost. How long did you think you were going to win every game in the regular season, 10 years?'' Auriemma said. "So I'm not surprised that we lost, but it was disappointing that we struggled so much on the offensive end.'' The Huskies (11-1) hadn't lost a regular-season game in regulation since a 76-70 home loss to Baylor in a Nos. 1 vs. 2 matchup on Feb. 18, 2013 -- a span of 163 games. Their only regular-season loss since then was 88-86 in overtime at Stanford on Nov. 14, 2014. "Stanford in 2014. Think about that,'' Auriemma said. The 11-time national champion Huskies shot only 29 percent (20-of-68) with their lowest point total this season. Their only lead came at 2-0 when Crystal Dangerfield scored in the opening minute of the game. Kalani Brown had 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Lady Bears (10-1). UConn is the only No. 1 team Baylor has ever faced in 19 seasons under coach Kim Mulkey, who has two national championships coaching the Lady Bears. They had lost each of the previous three such meetings, including UConn's last visit to Waco nearly five years ago. "Connecticut gets everybody's best shot. They don't lose much, we don't lose much,'' Mulkey said. "When you can do it year after year after year, taking people's best shots and you have a shot to play each other, it's good for women's basketball.'' Chloe Jackson added 13 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds for Baylor, and NaLyssa Smith had 12 points. Juicy Landrum scored 11 points and Lauren Cox had nine points and seven rebounds. Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 11 rebounds for UConn, and Katie Lou Samuelson also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. But the two seniors were a combined 8-of-34 shooting. Dangerfield had 11 points and Megan Walker 10. "It just felt like everyone was kind of stagnant out there. We were all just looking at each other,'' said Samuelson, who missed her first six shots and finished 4-of-16. "We weren't hitting those difficult shots, and sometimes we do, but we don't always. When we're not getting shots in our offense, we shoot worse than we normally do. That's on us to be able to figure that out.'' BIG PICTURE UConn: Auriemma's team was coming off tough wins at Oklahoma and California, and after both games the coach talked about those kinds of games were how the majority of the world lives. This time, they couldn't pull off a late comeback. The last time UConn had consecutive losses was in 1993 -- a span of 937 games going into its conference opener. Baylor: The Lady Bears have won 28 consecutive home games and extended their nonconference home winning streak to 45 games since a home loss to UConn on Jan. 13, 2014. IN AND OUT OF THE PAINT Baylor outscored UConn 52-10 in the paint. "Are you surprised that they scored 52 points in the paint,'' Auriemma said. "I would think they would suck if they didn't score 52 points in the paint. They've got every one of our guys by six inches, so we knew that was going to happen, and we were OK with that. What we weren't OK with was how hard it was for us to get the shots that we wanted. And then when we did get the shots that we wanted, we didn't make any of them.'' UP NEXT UConn, which hasn't lost an American Athletic Conference game in five full seasons in the league, opens conference play Sunday at Houston. Baylor, which last season won its ninth Big 12 title, opens conference play Sunday at Texas Tech.[SEP]Top-ranked UConn women lose to No. 8 Baylor 68-57, ending regular-season winning streak at 126 games WACO, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked UConn women lose to No. 8 Baylor 68-57, ending regular-season winning streak at 126 games.[SEP]WACO, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked UConn women lose to No. 8 Baylor 68-57, ending regular-season winning streak at 126 games.[SEP]By The Associated Press WACO, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked UConn women lose to No. 8 Baylor 68-57, ending regular-season winning streak at 126 games. WACO, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked UConn women lose to No. 8 Baylor 68-57, ending regular-season winning streak at 126 games. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]WACO, Texas — Kalani Brown had 20 points and 17 rebounds as No. 8 Baylor won over a top-ranked team for the first time, beating UConn 68-57 Thursday night and handing the Huskies their first regular-season loss in more than four years. The Huskies (11-1) hadn't lost a regular-season game in regulation since a 76-70 home loss to Baylor in a Nos. 1 vs. 2 matchup on Feb. 18, 2013 — a span of 163 games. Their only regular-season loss since then was 88-86 in overtime at Stanford on Nov. 14, 2014. They had won 126 consecutive regular-season games, 58 of them non-conference matchups. UConn is the only No. 1 team Baylor has ever faced in coach Kim Mulkey's 19 seasons. The Lady Bears had lost each of the previous three such meetings, including UConn's last visit to Waco nearly five years ago. The Huskies had their only lead at 2-0 when Crystal Dangerfield scored in the opening minute of the game. Chloe Jackson added 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Baylor (10-1), while NaLyssa Smith had 12 points. Juicy Landrum scored 11 points while Lauren Cox added nine points and seven rebounds. Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 11 rebounds for UConn, while Katie Lou Samuelson also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. But the two seniors were a combined eight-of-34 shooting. Dangerfield had 11 points and Megan Walker 10. UConn: Geno Auriemma's team was coming off tough wins at Oklahoma and California, and after both games the coach talked about those kinds of games were how the majority of the world lives. This time, they couldn't pull off a late comeback. The Huskies shot only 29 percent (20 of 68) and had their season low in points. Baylor: The Lady Bears have won 28 consecutive home games, and extended their non-conference home winning streak to 45 games since a home loss to UConn on Jan. 13, 2014[SEP]The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal. WACO, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked UConn women lose to No. 8 Baylor 68-57, ending regular-season winning streak at 126 games. The Associated Press contributed to this report. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]The folks at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas were treated to a rarity on Thursday night, watching the visiting UConn women’s basketball team suffer their first regular season loss in over four years, falling to No. 8 Baylor, 68-57. Kalani Brown led the Bears with 20 points and 17 rebounds, delivering the first-ever win for Baylor over a No. 1 team. The standard of excellence UConn has achieved in women’s basketball means that any loss by Gino Auriemma’s squad is newsworthy. Thursday marked the first regular season loss for UConn since Nov. 17, 2014, snapping a string of 126 consecutive regular season wins. That loss at Stanford five seasons ago, was in overtime, which was the only way to beat UConn in recent times. Here are all of UConn’s losses since the start of the 2013-2014 season, before Thursday: That’s three total losses in five-plus seasons, with 199 wins heading into Thursday night. The last time UConn lost in regulation was Feb. 18, 2013, with 163 regulation wins in between. That loss nearly five years ago was also against Baylor. The loss also snapped a 58-game non-conference win streak for UConn, dating back to 2014. Baylor held UConn to just 29.4% shooting on Thursday, improving to 10-1 on the season. Baylor has a streak of their own still intact, now with 28 straight home wins.[SEP]STORRS (WFSB) - The UConn Women's basketball team has suffered their first regular-season loss in over four years. The Huskies lost Thursday night to Baylor in Texas in a stunning 68-57 upset. This is the first lost for coach Geno Auriemma and the team since November of 2014 when they lost in overtime to Stanford. The Huskies struggle most of the game, only holding the lead in the opening minute. Prior to that they had won 126 straight regular-season games, including 58 non-conference matchups. Meanwhile Baylor has won 28 straight games at home. Next up for UConn, a game Sunday in Houston at Texas Tech.[SEP]The Connecticut women’s basketball team has not won a national title since 2016, which is weird enough. But to see the Huskies lose in the regular season is downright nutty, and that’s exactly what happened Thursday night when eighth-ranked Baylor scored a 68-57 home win over top-ranked U-Conn., snapping its streak of 126 straight regular season victories. The Huskies’ last loss between November and March took place on Nov. 17, 2014, when they lost in overtime to Stanford. They hadn’t lost a regular season game in regulation since a loss to the defending national champion Lady Bears on Feb. 18, 2013. They hadn’t lost a regular season game by double digits since Barack Obama’s first term as president, a 13-point defeat to Notre Dame on Feb. 27, 2012. So yeah, taking down Geno Aueriemma’s team is a pretty big deal, even if Baylor Coach Kim Mulkey tried to claim it was just another game on the schedule. “Listen, we’re all chasing Geno, let’s be real,” Mulkey, who has two national titles to Auriemma’s 11, said after the game. “I didn’t know it was a first. I don’t coach like that. I just want to win the next game.” Flustered by Baylor’s length — especially 6-foot-7 Kalani Brown (22 points, 17 rebounds) — the Huskies shot just 29.4 percent (20 of 68), which ESPNW’s Mechelle Voepel says is their worst outing in the past 20 seasons. They made just 9 of 36 shots from two-point range. U-Conn. Katie Lou Samuelson, the two-time all-American who came in averaging 20.1 points per game, had only 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Auriemma said the loss simply showed how difficult it is to compile the streaks for which his program is renowned. “I think some people sometimes get this impression that at U-Conn. we have magic dust and our kids are all perfect players and all great students and they all shoot great and it’s just a matter of how much we’re going to win by,” Auriemma said, per the Hartford Courant. “It’s taken for granted, I think. When you realize how hard it is, you would appreciate even more what we’ve done. It’s not as easy as we make it look at times. You’re allowed to get beat once in a while. What fun would it be if you won all the time? It would be an exhibition. We could save the plane fare. We could call you up, ask you what you wanted the score to be, and we could stay home. If you show up, you have to be ready to accept losing. We don’t lose a lot.” The Pac-12 calls itself the ‘Conference of Champions.’ Now it needs a P.R. firm to rehab its image. Ticket prices for the College Football Playoff final have fallen off a cliff Justyn Ross is from Alabama and plays for Clemson. Now that’s fighting the Tide. ‘Now you can rest’: Tyler Trent, the inspirational Purdue superfan, dies of cancer at 20 Ohio State sends off Urban Meyer with Rose Bowl win over Washington[SEP]It had to end sometime. The UConn women’s basketball team ended its 126-game regular season winning streak of more than four years Thursday as the 11-time national champion Huskies suffered a 68-57 loss to the Baylor University Bears in Waco, Texas. The No. 1 Huskies had not lost a regular season game since an 88-86 overtime loss at Stanford in 2014. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “What is disappointing for me, not that we lost. How long did you think you were going to win every game in the regular season, 10 years?,” said Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma. “So I’m not surprised that we lost, but it was disappointing that we struggled so much on the offensive end.” For the No. 8 Bears, it was the first time they faced a No. 1 team in 19 seasons under coach Kim Mulkey. The team lost each of the three such meetings, including when UConn visited Waco five years ago. "Connecticut gets everybody's best shot. They don't lose much, we don't lose much," Mulkey said. "When you can do it year after year after year, taking people's best shots and you have a shot to play each other, it's good for women's basketball." The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In women's college basketball, Baylor defeats top-ranked Connecticut 68–57, handing the Huskies their first regular-season loss since November 2014 and ending their NCAA-record regular-season winning streak at 126 games.

The al-Qaeda operative believed to have been the mastermind behind the bombing of the USS Cole, has reportedly been killed in a US airstrike. Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi, blamed for organising the 2000 attack on the US navy destroyer that killed 17 Americans, was said to have been killed in a strike in Yemen. CNN said the attack happened on Tuesday – something later confirmed by a US military spokesman who said an assessment was still being carried out. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. “We are aware of reports that Jamal al-Badawi was killed in a strike in Yemen,” Capt Bill Urban, US Central Command spokesman, told The Independent in a statement. “US forces conducted a precision strike January 1st in the Marib governate, Yemen, targeting Jamal al-Badawi, a legacy Al Qaeda operative in Yemen involved in the USS Cole bombing. “US forces are still assessing the results of the strike following a deliberate process to confirm his death.” The attack on the USS Cole, as it was docked in the Yemeni port of Aden, was the deadliest on a US naval vessel since 1987. In addition to the 17 sailors killed, a further 39 were injured. Following the attacks of 9/11, the bombing of the USS Cole was viewed, retrospectively, as one of several incidents, along with the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, in which al-Qaeda had been flexing its muscles. Al-Badawi, one of six people detained for the attack on the USS Cole, was captured twice in Yemen and sentenced to death. He was also indicted by a US court, but twice he escaped from custody, most recently in 2006 Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 10 September 2019 Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq. Reuters 2/50 9 September 2019 A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland. EPA 3/50 8 September 2019 Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north. Getty 4/50 7 September 2019 An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow. AFP/Getty 5/50 6 September 2019 Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died. AP 6/50 5 September 2019 Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing. EPA 7/50 4 September 2019 A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters 8/50 3 September 2019 A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. AP 9/50 2 September 2019 A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip. EPA 10/50 1 September 2019 Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school. AP 11/50 31 August 2019 A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China. EPA 12/50 30 August 2019 A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco. AFP/Getty 13/50 A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits. EPA 14/50 28 August 2019 Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved. AP 15/50 27 August 2019 Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight. AFP/Getty 16/50 26 August 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The Canadian Press via AP 17/50 25 August 2019 A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. EPA 18/50 24 August 2019 A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. AFP/Getty 19/50 23 August 2019 Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there. AFP/Getty 20/50 22 August 2019 A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai. 21/50 21 August 2019 A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Reuters 22/50 20 August 2019 A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal. Reuters 23/50 19 August 2019 Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence. AFP/Getty 24/50 18 August 2019 People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall. EPA 25/50 17 August 2019 A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule. AP 26/50 16 August 2019 Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland. AFP/Getty 27/50 15 August 2019 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters 28/50 14 August 2019 A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters 29/50 13 August 2019 The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual." Martin Reitze/SWNS 30/50 12 August 2019 People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade. EPA 31/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 32/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP 33/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall. AFP/Getty 34/50 8 August 2019 A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. EPA 35/50 7 August 2019 Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. Reuters 36/50 6 August 2019 Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum. AFP/Getty 37/50 5 August 2019 Flowers paying tribute to the eight-year-old boy who died after he was pushed under a train at Frankfurt am Main's station. The horrific crime happened last week and has led politicians to call for heightened security. AFP/Getty 38/50 4 August 2019 Mourners take part in a vigil near the border fence between Mexico and the US after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso killed 20 people. The suspected gunman behind shooting is believed to be a 21-year-old white man called Patrick Crusius. Reuters 39/50 3 August 2019 Pramac Racing's rider Jack Miller in action during a practice session at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. The race will take place on 4 August. EPA 40/50 2 August 2019 An extremely rare Pink Meanie jellyfish on display at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The Pink Meanie was discovered during a nightlight jellyfish dive by the collections team in the waters around Robben Island and in Cape Town Harbour. Pink Meanies are jellyvorous, meaning they feed on other jelly species by reeling them in with their long tentacles. Discovering the Pink Meanie in its early ephyra stage meant the team could study its growth rate which turned out to be very quick as it grew to the metaephyra stage in about a week and a half. The Mexican pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni) was only discovered in the year 2000. A Mediterranean relative, known as the Big Pink Jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatinum) has been known to science since the 1800s but when spotted in 2014 it had been almost 70 years since the last sighting. These jellies are incredibly rare and this new South African species is no exception. EPA 41/50 1 August 2019 Palestinian men breathe fire on the beach as entertainment for children during the summer vacation in Gaza City. AFP/Getty 42/50 31 July 2019 A woman rows a boat through the lotus plants on the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. The lake is a popular tourist destination because of its floating gardens and lotus flowers. EPA 43/50 30 July 2019 An effigy of demon Ghantakarna is burnt to symbolize the destruction of evil and belief to drive evil spirits and ghost, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Reuters 44/50 29 July 2019 Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour during the biggest meeting in the world, in Chambley, France. Reuters 45/50 28 July 2019 Anti-extradition bill protesters with umbrellas attend a rally against the police brutality in Hong Kong. EPA 46/50 27 July 2019 A general view of stalls closed following yesterday's volcanic eruption at the tourism area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu in the north of Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia. Reuters 47/50 26 July 2019 Protesters rally against a controversial extradition bill in the arrivals hall at the international airport in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 48/50 25 July 2019 The pack rides in a valley during the eighteenth stage of the 106th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Embrun and Valloire. AFP/Getty 49/50 24 July 2019 Former special counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the investigation into Russian Interference of the 2016 Presidential Election. Reuters 50/50 23 July 2019 People cool down at the fountains of Trocadero during a heatwave in Paris. EPA 1/50 10 September 2019 Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq. Reuters 2/50 9 September 2019 A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland. EPA 3/50 8 September 2019 Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north. Getty 4/50 7 September 2019 An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow. AFP/Getty 5/50 6 September 2019 Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died. AP 6/50 5 September 2019 Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing. EPA 7/50 4 September 2019 A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria. Reuters 8/50 3 September 2019 A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city. AP 9/50 2 September 2019 A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip. EPA 10/50 1 September 2019 Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school. AP 11/50 31 August 2019 A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally 'Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners' in Hong Kong, China. EPA 12/50 30 August 2019 A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco. AFP/Getty 13/50 A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners' needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits. EPA 14/50 28 August 2019 Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved. AP 15/50 27 August 2019 Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight. AFP/Getty 16/50 26 August 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The Canadian Press via AP 17/50 25 August 2019 A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. EPA 18/50 24 August 2019 A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. AFP/Getty 19/50 23 August 2019 Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there. AFP/Getty 20/50 22 August 2019 A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the 'Janmashtami' festival in Chennai. 21/50 21 August 2019 A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. Reuters 22/50 20 August 2019 A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal. Reuters 23/50 19 August 2019 Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region's independence. AFP/Getty 24/50 18 August 2019 People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi'ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall. EPA 25/50 17 August 2019 A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule. AP 26/50 16 August 2019 Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th "Jeux du Castrum", a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland. AFP/Getty 27/50 15 August 2019 Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan. Reuters 28/50 14 August 2019 A woman walks with a Kashmir's flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters 29/50 13 August 2019 The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual." Martin Reitze/SWNS 30/50 12 August 2019 People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade. EPA 31/50 11 August 2019 A pro-democracy protester is held by police outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police station during a demonstration against the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 32/50 10 August 2019 Muslim pilgrims make their way down on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP 33/50 9 August 2019 Waves hit a sea wall in front of buildings in Taizhou, China's eastern Zhejiang province. China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early on August 10 with high winds and torrential rainfall. AFP/Getty 34/50 8 August 2019 A herder struggles with his flock across a motorway at the city cattle market, ahead of the Eid al-Adha in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Eid al-Adha is the holiest of the two Muslims holidays celebrated each year, it marks the yearly Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) to visit Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. Muslims slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts, one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy. EPA 35/50 7 August 2019 Kazakh servicemen perform during a ceremony opening the International Army Games at the 40th military base Otar in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. Reuters 36/50 6 August 2019 Paleontologist Naturalis Anne Schulp takes part in the construction of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex called Trix in Naturalis in Leiden, The Netherlands. After a month-long tour of Europe, Trix is home in time for the opening of the new museum. AFP/Getty 37/50 5 August 2019 Flowers paying tribute to the eight-year-old boy who died after he was pushed under a train at Frankfurt am Main's station. The horrific crime happened last week and has led politicians to call for heightened security. AFP/Getty 38/50 4 August 2019 Mourners take part in a vigil near the border fence between Mexico and the US after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso killed 20 people. The suspected gunman behind shooting is believed to be a 21-year-old white man called Patrick Crusius. Reuters 39/50 3 August 2019 Pramac Racing's rider Jack Miller in action during a practice session at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. The race will take place on 4 August. EPA 40/50 2 August 2019 An extremely rare Pink Meanie jellyfish on display at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The Pink Meanie was discovered during a nightlight jellyfish dive by the collections team in the waters around Robben Island and in Cape Town Harbour. Pink Meanies are jellyvorous, meaning they feed on other jelly species by reeling them in with their long tentacles. Discovering the Pink Meanie in its early ephyra stage meant the team could study its growth rate which turned out to be very quick as it grew to the metaephyra stage in about a week and a half. The Mexican pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni) was only discovered in the year 2000. A Mediterranean relative, known as the Big Pink Jellyfish (Drymonema dalmatinum) has been known to science since the 1800s but when spotted in 2014 it had been almost 70 years since the last sighting. These jellies are incredibly rare and this new South African species is no exception. EPA 41/50 1 August 2019 Palestinian men breathe fire on the beach as entertainment for children during the summer vacation in Gaza City. AFP/Getty 42/50 31 July 2019 A woman rows a boat through the lotus plants on the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. The lake is a popular tourist destination because of its floating gardens and lotus flowers. EPA 43/50 30 July 2019 An effigy of demon Ghantakarna is burnt to symbolize the destruction of evil and belief to drive evil spirits and ghost, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Reuters 44/50 29 July 2019 Hundreds of hot air balloons take part in the Great Line at the Mondial Air Ballons festival, in an attempt to break the 2017 record of 456 balloons aligning in an hour during the biggest meeting in the world, in Chambley, France. Reuters 45/50 28 July 2019 Anti-extradition bill protesters with umbrellas attend a rally against the police brutality in Hong Kong. EPA 46/50 27 July 2019 A general view of stalls closed following yesterday's volcanic eruption at the tourism area of Mount Tangkuban Parahu in the north of Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia. Reuters 47/50 26 July 2019 Protesters rally against a controversial extradition bill in the arrivals hall at the international airport in Hong Kong. AFP/Getty 48/50 25 July 2019 The pack rides in a valley during the eighteenth stage of the 106th edition of the Tour de France cycling race between Embrun and Valloire. AFP/Getty 49/50 24 July 2019 Former special counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the investigation into Russian Interference of the 2016 Presidential Election. Reuters 50/50 23 July 2019 People cool down at the fountains of Trocadero during a heatwave in Paris. EPA At that time, the FBI placed him on its most wanted list and offered a reward of $5m for information leading to his capture. Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences “Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi is wanted in connection with the October 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen,” the FBI said. “This attack resulted in the deaths of 17 American sailors. Al-Badawi was being held by Yemeni authorities in connection with the attack when he escaped from prison in April of 2003. Al-Badawi was recaptured in March of 2004, but again escaped Yemeni custody on February 3, 2006.” CNN said US officials said that the airstrike took place in Yemen’s Ma’rib governorate. It said an administration official said that al-Badawi was struck while driving alone in a vehicle and that the US assessed there was not any collateral damage. The network did not say how the US had come to this assessment. Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, another al-Qaeda militant linked to the bombing, has been in US custody since 2002 at Guantanamo Bay. US military prosecutors have charged al-Nashiri with murder for allegedly planning the attack on the USS Cole.[SEP] • A US airstrike in Yemen on Jan. 1 reportedly killed a notorious al-Qaeda operative. • Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi, who has been on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists, was killed in the strike, US officials confirmed to CNN and Voice of America. • Al-Badawi is said to be the man behind the bombing off the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 American sailors. A US airstrike in Yemen on New Year’s Day reportedly killed the terrorist mastermind believed to have orchestrated the deadly USS Cole bombing eighteen years ago. Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi, an al-Qaeda operative on the FBI’s most wanted list, was killed during a strike in Yemen’s Ma’rib Governorate, a US official told CNN. He was struck while driving alone. The US says there was no collateral damage. That Al-Badawi was the target of Tuesday’s airstrike was confirmed by Voice of America, citing a defense official. US forces are reportedly still assessing the results of the strike. The bombing of the USS Cole, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, occurred while the warship was refueling at the harbor of Aden. On October 12, 2000, suicide bombers in a small boat filled with explosives attacked the ship, killing 17 US sailors and wounding another 39 people. Al-Badawi has been picked up by Yemeni authorities multiple times since the bombing; however, he has repeatedly managed to escape justice. After being arrested in December 2000, he escaped in 2003. He was apprehended a second time in 2004, but he managed to escape again two years later. The FBI has been offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that would lead to his arrest.[SEP]A US airstrike in Yemen on New Year's Day reportedly killed the terrorist mastermind believed to have orchestrated the deadly USS Cole bombing eighteen years ago. Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi, an al-Qaeda operative on the FBI's most wanted list, was killed during a strike in Yemen's Ma'rib Governorate, a US official told CNN. He was struck while driving alone. The US says there was no collateral damage. Al-Badawi's death in Tuesday's airstrike was also confirmed by Voice of America, citing a defense official. The bombing of the USS Cole, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, occurred while the warship was refueling at the harbor of Aden. On October 12, 2000, suicide bombers in a small boat filled with explosives attacked the ship, killing 17 US sailors and wounding another 39 people. Aftermath of the bombing of the USS Cole on Oct. 12, 2000 AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis Al-Badawi has been picked up by Yemeni authorities multiple times since the bombing; however, he has repeatedly managed to escape justice. After being arrested in December 2000, he escaped in 2003. He was apprehended a second time in 2004, but he managed to escape again two years later. The FBI has been offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that would lead to his arrest.[SEP]VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The brother of a Sailor who died in the 2000 attack on the Norfolk-based USS Cole spoke with News 3 after U.S. officials said the man responsible for the attack had been killed. The attack resulted in the deaths of 17 American Sailors and the injuries of another 39 in October 2000 while the USS Cole was refueling at a port in Yemen. Friday, U.S. officials said Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi was recently killed during an airstrike in Yemen. News 3 sat down with Jamal Gunn, whose brother, 22-year-old Signalman Seaman Cherone Louis Gunn, was one of the 17 Sailors killed. “He was a great man,” said Jamal. He said his brother would have taken the world as his oyster and lived life to the fullest. It’s been more than 18 years since the USS Cole was attacked in Yemen. Related: Remembering the Sailors killed aboard the USS Cole 18 years later Cherone’s relatives have a room decorated with pictures of him in his uniform, with his three brothers and a lot of military memorabilia in their Virginia Beach home. Jamal got a text message from a news outlet about the airstrike that killed the terrorist that was behind the USS Cole bombing attack. Officials say Al-Badawi was an al-Qaeda operative who had been on the FBI’s "Most Wanted Terrorists" list. He was actually arrested soon after the bombing, but escaped from two prisons in Yemen. The state department was offering $5 million for information leading to his capture. Jamal said he is frustrated that several suspects have been labeled the mastermind in the attack and added that he is distrustful of U.S. officials. “The problem is we’re being told he’s the mastermind, but we’ve been told that they had the mastermind in custody, so which is the truth?” said Jamal. In 2000, Al-Badawi and Fahd al-Quso were arrested for the bombing, and Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri was pointed out as a key player in the bombing. Al-Nashiri is currently being held in custody. Jamal said he yearns for more information from the government and said they’re still waiting for justice. “We want to make sure there’s full accountability and for justice across the board for those responsible for the attack and for those who allowed it to happen,” said Jamal. “We know that the person that we’ve had in custody for years now since 2003 - al-Nashiri - he’s been held in Guantánamo Bay and he is the one we’ve been told is the mastermind behind the attack, but now they say there is another mastermind. Who is it?” The bombing of the USS Cole happened 11 months prior to the attack on September 11. Jamal believes more could have been done after the attack on the USS Cole to prevent future bombings and attacks. He said most importantly, he wants his brother's memory to live on, along with the other 16 Sailors who were killed on the USS Cole.[SEP]WASHINGTON (AP) — An American military spokesman says a U.S. airstrike in Yemen targeted an al-Qaida operative accused of involvement in the attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors. The spokesman, Navy Capt. William Urban at U.S. Central Command headquarters, said Friday that the Jan. 1 airstrike targeted Jamal al-Badawi (all-bah-DAWY). RELATED: 17th anniversary of the USS Cole bombing that killed two Coastal Bend Sailors Urban said U.S. forces are attempting to confirm his death. Al-Badawi is wanted in the United States for his role in the Oct. 12, 2000 attack on the Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2003, charged with 50 counts of various terrorism offenses, including murder of U.S. nationals and murder of U.S. military personnel.[SEP]A U.S. airstrike in Yemen has targeted one of the alleged masterminds of the USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 sailors in 2000. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said Friday that a precision airstrike in Yemen's Marib governorate on Tuesday targeted Jamal al-Badawi, one of six al-Qaida operatives convicted of the bombing and a fugitive on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list. "U.S. forces are still assessing the results of the strike following a deliberate process to confirm his death," Urban said. A defense official told VOA that the U.S. was waiting for the results of a DNA test before formally declaring al-Badawi deceased. In October 2000, 17 American sailors from the Cole, a guided-missile destroyer, died in a suicide bomb attack at Aden harbor. Dozens more sailors were wounded. Al-Qaida claimed responsibility. Al-Badawi was arrested by Yemeni authorities in 2000, escaped from a prison in 2003, was recaptured by Yemeni authorities in 2004 and escaped again in 2006. Al-Badawi was charged with 50 counts of various terrorism offenses, including murder of U.S. nationals and murder of U.S. military personnel. In addition to his role in the bombing, he has been charged with attempting to attack a U.S. Navy vessel in January 2000. Meanwhile, a U.S. military strike in al-Dayman, Yemen, on Friday targeted operatives for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), according to an official. There were 36 military airstrikes in Yemen in 2018, mostly targeting AQAP with a couple targeting IS forces in Yemen.[SEP]The man behind the 2000 attack on the USS Cole is believed to have been killed in a US airstrike in Yemen on Tuesday, according to a US administration official. Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi was an al-Qaeda operative who the US believes helped orchestrate the October 12, 2000, attack on the Norfolk based USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors. The official said all intelligence indicators show al-Badawi was killed in a strike in Yemen as a result of a joint US military and intelligence operation. US officials told CNN that the strike took place in Yemen’s Ma’rib Governorate. The administration official said that al-Badawi was struck while driving alone in a vehicle and that the US assessed there was not any collateral damage. Al-Badawi was on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists. The Cole was attacked by suicide bombers in a small boat laden with explosives while in port in Aden, Yemen, for refueling. The attack also wounded 39 sailors. The bombing was attributed to al-Qaeda and foreshadowed the attack on the US less than one year later on September 11, 2001. Al-Badawi was arrested by Yemeni authorities in December of 2000 and held in connection with the Cole attack but he escaped from a prison in Yemen in April of 2003. He was recaptured by Yemeni authorities in March of 2004 but again escaped Yemeni custody in February 2006 after he and several other inmates used broomsticks and pieces of a broken fan to dig an escape tunnel that led from the prison to a nearby mosque. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program had previously offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, an al-Qaeda militant also seen as a key figure in the bombing, has been in US custody since 2002 and has been held at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2006. US military prosecutors have charged al-Nashiri with murder for allegedly planning the attack on the USS Cole. Al-Badawi is also not the first high-profile al-Qaeda target that the US has killed in Yemen. US officials told CNN in August that a 2017 CIA drone strike in Yemen killed Ibrahim al-Asiri, a master al-Qaeda bombmaker. Al-Asiri, a native of Saudi Arabia, was the mastermind behind the “underwear bomb” attempt to detonate on a flight above the skies of Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009. He was widely credited with perfecting miniaturized bombs with little or no metal content that could make it past some airport security screening. That ability made him a direct threat to the US, and some of his plots had come close to reaching their targets in the US. The US has sought to prevent al-Qaeda from exploiting the chaos of Yemen’s civil war to establish a safe haven and the US military carried out 131 airstrikes in Yemen in 2017 and conducted 36 strikes in 2018, nearly all of them targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a terror group that both al-Asiri and Al-Badawi have been associated with. The CIA has not revealed how many strikes it has carried out. CIA drone strikes are not publicly acknowledged.[SEP]WASHINGTON — An al-Qaida operative who was allegedly involved in the attack on the USS Cole 18 years ago, in which 17 sailors were killed including two from the Coastal Bend, was the target of a U.S. airstrike in Yemen on New Year's Day, according to the Associated Press. A military spokesman said the Jan. 1 airstrike targeted Jamal al-Badawi, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2003 and charged with 50 counts of various terrorism offenses, including murder of U.S. nationals and murder of U.S. military personnel. He was wanted for his role in the attack on the USS Cole in Oct. 12, 2000. RELATED: 17th anniversary of the USS Cole bombing that killed two Coastal Bend Sailors 22-year-old Ronchester M. Santiago of Kingsville, Texas, and 26-year-old Gary Swenchonis Jr. of Rockport, Texas, were both on the USS Cole on the day of the attack. The guided-missile destroyer was being refueled in a Yemen harbor when a small boat carrying two suicide bombers rode up and exploded. Santiago and Swenchonis Jr. were among the 17 sailors killed that day. 39 others were wounded in the attack. U.S. forces are working to confirm al-Badawi's death. The Associated Press contributed to this story.[SEP]The terrorist behind the 2000 attack on the USS Cole is believed to have been killed in a US airstrike in Yemen on Tuesday, according to a US administration official. Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi was an al Qaeda operative who the US believes helped orchestrate the October 12, 2000, attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors. The official said all intelligence indicators show al-Badawi was killed in a strike in Yemen as a result of a joint US military and intelligence operation. US officials told CNN that the strike took place in Yemen’s Ma’rib Governorate. While US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region, later confirmed that al-Badawi was targeted in a strike, a spokesman said the US was still assessing the results. “US forces conducted a precision strike Jan. 1st in the Marib governate, Yemen, targeting Jamal al-Badawi, a legacy al Qaeda operative in Yemen involved in the USS Cole bombing,” US Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for Central Command, told CNN in a statement. “US forces are still assessing the results of the strike following a deliberate process to confirm his death,” he added. The administration official said that al-Badawi was struck while driving alone in a vehicle and that the US assessed there was not any collateral damage. Al-Badawi was on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists. The Cole was attacked by suicide bombers in a small boat laden with explosives while in port in Aden, Yemen, for refueling. The attack also wounded 39 sailors. The bombing was attributed to al Qaeda and foreshadowed the attack on the US less than one year later on September 11, 2001. “Al-Badawi was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2003, charged with 50 counts of various terrorism offenses, including murder of US nationals and murder of US military personnel,” Urban said. Al-Badawi was arrested by Yemeni authorities in December of 2000 and held in connection with the Cole attack but he escaped from a prison in Yemen in April of 2003. He was recaptured by Yemeni authorities in March of 2004 but again escaped Yemeni custody in February 2006 after he and several other inmates used broomsticks and pieces of a broken fan to dig an escape tunnel that led from the prison to a nearby mosque. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program had previously offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, an al Qaeda militant also seen as a key figure in the bombing, has been in US custody since 2002 and has been held at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2006. US military prosecutors have charged al-Nashiri with murder for allegedly planning the attack on the USS Cole. Al-Badawi is also not the first high profile al Qaeda target that the US has killed in Yemen. US officials told CNN in August that a 2017 CIA drone strike in Yemen killed Ibrahim al-Asiri, a master al Qaeda bombmaker. Al-Asiri, a native of Saudi Arabia, was the mastermind behind the “underwear bomb” attempt to detonate on a flight above the skies of Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009. He was widely credited with perfecting miniaturized bombs with little or no metal content that could make it past some airport security screening. That ability made him a direct threat to the US, and some of his plots had come close to reaching their targets in the US. The US has sought to prevent al Qaeda from exploiting the chaos of Yemen’s civil war to establish a safe haven and the US military carried out 131 airstrikes in Yemen in 2017 and conducted 36 strikes in 2018, nearly all of them targeting al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a terror group that both al-Asiri and Al-Badawi have been associated with. The CIA has not revealed how many strikes it has carried out. CIA drone strikes are not publicly acknowledged.[SEP]The terrorist behind the 2000 attack on the USS Cole was believed killed in an American airstrike in Yemen on New Year’s Day, the government said Friday. The State Department had offered a $5 million reward for the capture of Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi for helping organize the attack, which killed 17 American sailors on Oct. 12, 2000. Although the government hadn’t officially confirmed his death Friday afternoon, administration officials said Al-Badawi, an al-Qaueda operative who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list, was alone in a vehicle in Yemen's Ma'rib Governorate during Tuesday's airstrike. There didn’t appear to be any collateral damage, they said. Suicide bombers pulled up to the Cole in a small boat packed with explosives when it stopped for refueling in Adlen Yemen – in a foreshadowing of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. a year later. Besides the deaths, 39 sailors were wounded. Yemeni authorities arrested Al-Badawi for the Cole attack in December 2000, but he escaped in April 2003. They caught him a year later – and two years after that he escaped again with several other prisoners after digging a tunnel to a nearby mosque using broomsticks and pieces of a broken fan. Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.

The United States Central Command announces that a U.S. airstrike in Ma'rib Governorate, Yemen, has killed Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Al Badawi, who is believed to have masterminded the 2000 USS Cole bombing that killed 17 American sailors.

YANGON (Reuters) - Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state on Friday as the country marked Independence Day, the official news agency said. Fighting resurged in Rakhine state in early December between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army, which wants greater autonomy for Rakhine, where the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group makes up the majority. The Arakan Army does not cite religion as a factor in its insurgency. It was also in the restive western state that a military-led crackdown in 2017, following attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents, prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee westwards to neighboring Bangladesh. The separate conflict between the military and Arakan Army rebels forced 2,500 civilians from their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. The Arakan Army says it has been fighting for nearly a decade for self-determination in “the land of Arakan,” another name for Rakhine. An independent kingdom ruled in the coastal area until the 18th century. The Arakan Army is one of multiple armed groups fighting in the name of ethnic minorities in the rugged borderlands of Myanmar, a country once known as Burma where around 90 percent of people are Buddhists. The official Myanmar News Agency said four police posts in the Buthidaung area in northern Rakhine came under attack from hundreds of Arakan Army fighters after daybreak on Friday. Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured as police were forced to abandon two of the posts, it said, adding that the military was now conducting a “clearance” of the area. Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the insurgents had hit police outposts near the border with Bangladesh. “These police posts are there to protect the national races in the area so (Arakan Army rebels) shouldn’t attack them,” Zaw Min Tun said, referring to mostly Buddhist ethnic groups in the area who are, unlike Rohingya Muslims, considered Myanmar citizens. Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha confirmed the assault and said rebels later retrieved the corpses of seven “enemies”. He said later that rebels had freed at least 12 members of the security forces it detained in the fighting. The attacks, he added, came in response to a Myanmar military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians. The military has denied targeting civilians. The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt to fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with armed groups seeking autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine state. The Myanmar police force said on Saturday it had opened cases against those involved in Friday’s attack under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law and a weapons law. “This is a carefully planned premeditated attack to harm the lives and property of the people and to further aggravate the instability in the Rakhine State,” the English-language Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on Saturday. Friday’s violence erupted shortly after the national flag was raised across the southeast Asian country to mark 71 years since independence from Britain, but the Arakan Army spokesman denied any connection between the attacks and the anniversary. “We are not independent yet. Today is not our Independence Day,” Khine Thu Kha said. Last August, a U.N. report accused the Myanmar military of mass killings and rapes of Rohingya with “genocidal intent” in 2017 in an operation that drove more than 700,000 of them to flee to Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies. Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim militants.[SEP]YANGON: Buddhist Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Friday as the country marked Independence Day, the official news agency said. Fighting resurged in Rakhine in early December between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army, which wants more autonomy for the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine minority. It was also in the restive western state that a military-led crackdown in 2017 prompted hundreds of thousands of minority Rohingya Muslims to flee westwards to neighbouring Bangladesh. The separate conflict between the military and Arakan Army rebels forced 2,500 civilians from their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. The official Myanmar News Agency said four police posts in the Buthidaung area in northern Rakhine came under attack from hundreds of Arakan Army fighters after daybreak on Friday. Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured as police were forced to abandon two of the posts, it said, adding that the military was now conducting a "clearance" of the area. Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said earlier the insurgents had hit police outposts in a rugged region near the border with Bangladesh. "These police posts are there to protect the national races in the area so (Arakan Army rebels) shouldn't attack them," Zaw Min Tun said, referring to mostly Buddhist ethnic groups in the area who are, unlike Rohingya Muslims, considered Myanmar citizens. Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha confirmed the assault and said rebels later retrieved the corpses of seven "enemies". He said later that rebels had freed at least 12 members of the security forces it detained in the fighting. The attacks, he added, came in response to a Myanmar military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians. The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt to fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with multiple armed groups seeking ethnic autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine state. Friday's violence erupted shortly after the national flag was raised across the southeast Asian country to mark 71 years since independence from Britain, but the Arakan Army spokesman denied any connection between the attacks and the anniversary. "We are not independent yet. Today is not our Independence Day," Khine Thu Kha said. Last August a U.N. report accused the Myanmar military of mass killings and rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent" in 2017 in then operation that drove more than 700,000 of them to flee to Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies. Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim militants.[SEP]YANGON • Buddhist Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state yesterday as the country marked Independence Day. Fighting surged again in the state early last month between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army, which wants more autonomy for the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine minority. The restive western state is also where a military-led crackdown in 2017 prompted hundreds of thousands of minority Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. The separate conflict between the military and Arakan Army rebels forced 2,500 civilians from their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. The official Myanmar News Agency said four police posts in the Buthidaung area in northern Rakhine came under attack from hundreds of Arakan Army fighters after daybreak yesterday. Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured as police were forced to abandon two of the posts, it said, adding that the military was now conducting a "clearance" of the area. Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said earlier that the insurgents had hit police outposts in a rugged region near the border with Bangladesh. "These police posts are there to protect the national races in the area so (Arakan Army rebels) shouldn't attack them," he said, referring to mostly Buddhist ethnic groups in the area who are, unlike Rohingya Muslims, considered Myanmar citizens. Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha confirmed the assault and said the rebels later retrieved the bodies of seven "enemies". At least 12 members of the security forces detained in the fighting were later freed. He said the attacks were in response to a military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians. The military last month announced a four-month halt to fighting in the north and north-east to kick-start peace talks with armed groups seeking ethnic autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine state.[SEP]YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured in early morning attacks Friday on police outposts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by the insurgent Arakan Army, state media reported. The Arakan Army is… YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured in early morning attacks Friday on police outposts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by the insurgent Arakan Army, state media reported. The Arakan Army is a rebel group seeking autonomy for Rakhine state from Myanmar’s central government. It has no links with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Muslim insurgent group whose similar attacks in 2017 sparked a bloody government counterinsurgency campaign against the area’s Muslim Rohingya minority, driving more than 700,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. While the Muslim ARSA group has become virtually inactive, the Arakan Army, which is aligned with the state’s Buddhist population, has taken advantage of the area’s instability to increase its military activities after training its guerrillas in regions controlled by other insurgent groups, including the Kachin in northern Myanmar. There has been an upsurge in sporadic fighting between the Arakan Army and government forces since last month. The state Myanmar News Agency said a total of 250 members of the Arakan Army took part in the attacks on three outposts in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. While such numbers are sometimes inflated by the defenders, the rebel group is generally estimated to have several thousand well-armed and organized uniformed members, in contrast to the ragtag ARSA. The report said two of the outposts were successfully defended by government forces, but seemed to indicate that the third was temporarily overrun and occupied by the rebels, who were finally driven out with the help of air support. According to the report, the attackers were able to carry away 40 small weapons, ammunition and a walkie-talkie. A photo posted on social media by Arakan Army sympathizers claimed to show 14 government security personnel captured by the rebels, along with ammunition and other equipment. This story has been corrected to fix spelling of Myanmar News Agency. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar state media say 13 policemen were killed and nine injured in early morning attacks Friday on police outposts in Rakhine state by the insurgent Arakan Army. The Arakan Army is a rebel group seeking autonomy for Rakhine state from Myanmar's central government. It has no links with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Muslim insurgent group whose similar attacks in 2017 sparked a bloody government counterinsurgency campaign against the area's Muslim Rohingya minority, driving more than 700,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. While the Muslim ARSA group has become virtually inactive, the Arakan Army has taken advantage of the area's instability to increase its military activities after training its guerrillas in regions controlled by other insurgent groups, including the Kachin in northern Myanmar.[SEP]YANGON, Myanmar — Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured in early morning attacks Friday on police outposts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by the insurgent Arakan Army, state media reported. The Arakan Army is a rebel group seeking autonomy for Rakhine state from Myanmar’s central government. It has no links with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Muslim insurgent group whose similar attacks in 2017 sparked a bloody government counterinsurgency campaign against the area’s Muslim Rohingya minority, driving more than 700,000 to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. While the Muslim ARSA group has become virtually inactive, the Arakan Army has taken advantage of the area’s instability to increase its military activities after training its guerrillas in regions controlled by other insurgent groups, including the Kachin in northern Myanmar. There has been an upsurge in sporadic fighting between the Arakan Army and government forces since last month. The state Myanma News Agency said a total of 250 members of the Arakan Army took part in the attacks on three outposts in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. While such numbers are sometimes inflated by the defenders, the rebel group is generally estimated to have several thousand well-armed and organized uniformed members, in contrast to the ragtag ARSA. The report said two of the outposts were successfully defended by government forces, but seemed to indicate that the third was temporarily overrun and occupied by the rebels, who were finally driven out with the help of air support. According to the report, the attackers were able to carry away 40 small weapons, ammunition and a walkie-talkie. A photo posted on social media by Arakan Army sympathizers claimed to show 14 government security personnel captured by the rebels, along with ammunition and other equipment.[SEP]Buddhist Rakhine fighters have killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on police posts in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state, the official news agency said. The official Myanmar News Agency said four police posts in the Buthidaung area in northern Rakhine came under attack from hundreds of Arakan Army fighters after daybreak on Friday. The western state has been torn by violence once again since early December, when fighting intensified between government forces and the AA, which wants more autonomy for the Buddhist Rakhine ethnic minority. Rakhine was where a brutal military-led crackdown in 2017 drove hundreds of thousands of the mostly-Muslim Rohingya into bordering Bangladesh. The recent fighting with the AA had forced 2,500 civilians to flee their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. Khine Thu Kha, spokesman for the rebels, told AFP news agency, that AA fighters retrieved seven corpses of "enemies" and took 14 members of the security forces captive during the raids. He told Reuters later that the rebels had freed at least 12 members of the security forces it detained in the fighting. The attacks were a response to a Myanmar military offensive against the AA in recent weeks that also targeted civilians, he added. The military last month announced a four-month halt in fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with multiple armed groups fighting for ethnic autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine. The AA has said the army is using the truce elsewhere to focus efforts on Rakhine. But observers say no major troop redeployments have yet taken place. The escalation of violence comes amid a series of unclaimed attacks and murders in recent weeks in northern Rakhine. Unknown assailants murdered a policeman, while two ethnic Rakhine were found with their throats slit, prompting the army to launch localised "clearance operations". Zaw Min Tun, Myanmar military spokesman, told Reuters that Friday's attacks targeted police posts in the northern parts of Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, a rugged area near the border with Bangladesh. "The military will continue its operations in the area for security," he said, declining to confirm how many people were killed and captured by the armed group. Zaw Min Tun said the attacks began minutes after the national flag was raised across Myanmar to mark 71 years since independence from Britain. The AA's Khine Thu Kha said the attacks were not intended to coincide with the anniversary. "We are not independent yet. Today is not our Independence Day," he said, referring to the Rakhine who he said faced discrimination in Myanmar.[SEP]YANGON: Thirteen Myanmar officers were killed in Friday morning's co-ordinated raids on police posts, the army said, in a brazen attack by scores of ethnic Rakhine rebels which adds a dangerous new dimension to conflict in the western state. Militants from the Arakan Army (AA), who are seeeking greater autonomy for their Buddhist ethnic group, swarmed four police stations in northern Rakhine state early on Friday "killing 13 police and wounding nine others," according to a statement released late Friday by the army chief's office.[SEP]YANGON: Buddhist Rakhine fighters killed seven Myanmar security forces in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state on Friday (Jan 4) as the country marked Independence Day, spokesmen for the military and the armed group said. The western state has been torn by violence once again since early December, when fighting intensified between government forces and the Arakan Army, which wants more autonomy for the Buddhist Rakhine ethnic minority. Rakhine was where a brutal military-led crackdown in 2017 drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into bordering Bangladesh. The recent fighting with the Arakan Army had forced 2,500 civilians to flee their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters the group attacked four police posts and later retrieved the corpses of seven "enemies". The group also detained 12 Myanmar security force members, he said. "We will process them according to international law. We will not harm them," he said. The attacks were a response to a Myanmar military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians, he said. The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt in fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with multiple armed groups fighting for ethnic autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine. Myanmar state media earlier reported an attack by the same group on Tuesday that seriously injured one policemen. Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun told Reuters security forces were responding to Friday's attacks, which targeted police posts in the northern parts of Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, a rugged area near the border with Bangladesh. "The military will continue its operations in the area for security," he said, declining to confirm how many people were killed and captured by the armed group. "These police posts are there to protect the national races in the area so shouldn't attack them," Zaw Min Tun said, referring to mostly Buddhist ethnic groups in the area that are recognised as Myanmar citizens. Those groups include the Rakhine but not the Rohingya. Zaw Min Tun said the attacks began minutes after the national flag was raised across Myanmar to mark 71 years since independence from Britain. The Arakan Army's Khine Thu Kha said the attacks were not intended to coincide with the anniversary. "We are not independent yet. Today is not our Independence Day," he said, referring to the Rakhine who he said faced discrimination in Myanmar.[SEP]Buddhist Rakhine fighters have killed seven Myanmar security force members in attacks on four police posts in troubled Rakhine state, spokesmen for the military and the armed group say. The western state has been torn by violence once again since early December, when fighting intensified between government forces and the Arakan Army, which wants more autonomy for the Buddhist Rakhine ethnic minority. Rakhine was where a brutal military-led crackdown in 2017 drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into bordering Bangladesh. The recent fighting with the Arakan Army had forced 2500 civilians to flee their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters the group attacked four police posts and later retrieved the corpses of seven "enemies". The group also detained 12 Myanmar security force members, he said. "We will process them according to international law. We will not harm them," he said. The attacks were a response to a Myanmar military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians, he said. The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt in fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with multiple armed groups fighting for ethnic autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine. Myanmar state media earlier reported an attack by the same group on Tuesday that seriously injured one policemen. Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun told Reuters security forces were responding to Friday's attacks, which targeted police posts in the northern parts of Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, a rugged area near the border with Bangladesh. "The military will continue its operations in the area for security," he said, declining to confirm how many people were killed and captured by the armed group.

The Arakan Army attacks four police posts in Rakhine State, Myanmar, killing 13 policemen and injuring 9 others.

Police officers are seen at the site of a fire which broke out in an escape room in Koszalin, Poland on Jan 4, 2019. — Reuters[SEP]Good morning. It’s the first Saturday of 2019 (in case you, too, are still having trouble figuring out what day of the week it is in this holiday stretch). Here are three stories from the overnight world desk. Faulty wiring likely cause of Escape Room fire in Poland: Polish firefighters on Saturday blamed substandard electrical wiring and lax security procedures at an Escape Room for a fire that killed five teenage girls and injured a man. The bodies of the 15-year-old victims were found Friday in Koszalin, in northern Poland, after firefighters extinguished a blaze in an adjacent room. Asphyxiation is the probable cause of the deaths. A young man was hospitalized with burns. Initially described as a 25-year-old, the hospital said he was 26. Poland’s firefighting chief, Leszek Suski, said Saturday that electrical wiring at the location was makeshift and too close to flammable materials, while the man in charge was probably not there when the fire broke out. “Security was not ensured and that led to the tragedy,” Suski said. 3 dead, 4 injured in California bowling alley shooting: A late-night fight at a California bowling alley turned deadly Friday night, killing three men and injuring four. The Torrance Police Department responded to calls of “shots fired” at the Gable House Bowl shortly before midnight. Multiple victims were found with gunshot wounds inside Gable House Bowl, which is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and a full arcade. Police said three men died at the scene and four male victims were injured, two of whom were transported to a local hospital for unknown injuries. The other two injured victims sought out their own medical attention. Authorities have not released details about what led to the shooting, but witnesses said it stemmed from a fight between two large groups of people at the bowling alley. Swedish hospital ebola scare deemed a false alarm: Health officials there say a suspected Ebola case reported by a hospital has turned out to be a false alarm with tests carried out on the unidentified patient showing no signs of the deadly virus. Medical authorities said late Friday that the young male patient was admitted to an isolated emergency ward at a hospital in Enkoping, northwest of Stockholm, with symptoms including blood in his vomit and stools. Officials said the condition of the man, who had spent several weeks in Burundi, improved over the course of the day. Tests also showed the man isn’t suffering from yellow fever, dengue, Marburg virus or Rift Valley fever either. All major Ebola outbreaks have been in Africa, though isolated cases have been reported outside the continent. • While you were sleeping: More of our recent overnight world desk roundups • News, sports and more any time at montrealgazette.com • Five children heading to Disney World killed in fiery Florida crash[SEP]Five dead in a fire in an escape room in Koszalin. They were 15-year-old girls Five 15-year-old girls died in a fire that broke out on Friday in an escape room in Koszalin, northern Poland. They were having a birthday party. One person has with severe burn wounds was taken to hospital. Fire service: extremely tragic New Year's Eve; 5 people died in fires During the New... czytaj dalej » The victims of the fire are 15-year-old girls who were celebrating birthday of one of them; the families have been offered psychological help, the Minister of the Interior and Administration, Joachim Brudziński said on Friday. The tragic incident took place on Friday shortly after 5 p.m. in an escape room inside a residential building in Koszalin. The causes of the fire are yet unknown. Police and fire service are working on the scene. The Minister of the Interior and Administration Joachim Brudziński ordered the State Fire Service to carry out fire-security controls in all escape rooms in Poland. He also expressed his condolences for the families of the victims and reassured that they can count on support from all the services controlled by the ministry and state administration. The Mayor of Koszalin has said that Sunday will be a day of mourning in the city. "A devastating tragedy in Koszalin. Five joyous, growing up Girls have been torn out of their lives. God bless their Their Parents and Relatives. RiP," President Andrzej Duda wrote on Twitter. [SEP]WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A fire broke out at an "Escape Room" game location in northern Poland on Friday, killing five teenage girls and injuring an adult male, authorities said. Police said the dead were found after firefighters put out the blaze, which began around 5 p.m. at an "Escape Room" venue in Koszalin. Highly popular with teenagers across Poland, the "Escape Room" game has players locked inside a room or building and they must find clues that help them get out. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said the girls were all 15 years old. Monika Kosiec, a spokeswoman for police in Koszalin, said the victims were thought to have been celebrating one of their birthdays. She a 25-year-old man had been hospitalized with burns and could not be immediately questioned by investigators probing the cause of the. The Polish state news agency PAP said it had learned unofficially that the girls died from carbon monoxide asphyxiation. Footage on private TVN24 showed ambulances and fire engines in front of a detached two-story house with a large "Escape Room" sign in front. Brudzinski ordered fire safety controls to be installed at all "Escape Room" locations in Poland. President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter it was a "crushing tragedy" that five young girls died so early in their lives. Koszalin Mayor Piotr Jedlinski announced that Sunday would be a day of mourning in the city.[SEP]WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Officials in Poland say five teenage girls have been killed and one man hurt in a fire that broke out at an “Escape Room” game location in northern Poland. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said the victims were 15-year-old girls. A police spokeswoman in the city of Koszalin, Monika Kosiec, said Friday the victims were probably celebrating one of their birthdays. A 25-year-old man has been hospitalized with burns and could not be immediately questioned by investigators. Kosiec said the bodies were found after firefighters put out a fire that broke out around 5 p.m. at the location. In an “Escape Room” game, the players are locked inside a room or building and must find clues that help them to leave it.[SEP]Officials in Poland say five teenage girls have been killed and one man hurt in a fire that broke out at an “Escape Room” game location in northern Poland. WARSAW, Poland — Officials in Poland say five teenage girls have been killed and one man hurt in a fire that broke out at an “Escape Room” game location in northern Poland. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said the victims were 15-year-old girls. A police spokeswoman in the city of Koszalin, Monika Kosiec, said Friday the victims were probably celebrating one of their birthdays. A 25-year-old man has been hospitalized with burns and could not be immediately questioned by investigators. Kosiec said the bodies were found after firefighters put out a fire that broke out around 5 p.m. at the location. In an “Escape Room” game, the players are locked inside a room or building and must find clues that help them to leave it.[SEP]WARSAW, Poland — Five teenage girls have been killed and one man hurt in a fire that broke out at an “Escape Room” game location in northern Poland, officials said Friday. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said the girls were all 15 years old. A police spokeswoman in the city of Koszalin, Monika Kosiec, said the victims were probably celebrating one of their birthdays. A 25-year-old man has been hospitalized with burns and could not be immediately questioned by investigators who are probing the cause of the fire, she said. Kosiec said the bodies were found after firefighters put out a fire that broke out around 5 p.m. at the location. Polish news agency said it learned unofficially that the victims died from carbon monoxide asphyxiation. Brudzinski ordered fire safety controls in all “Escape Rooms,” which are very popular with teenagers across Poland. In an “Escape Room” game, the players are locked inside a room or building and must find clues that help them get out. President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter it was a “crushing tragedy” that five young girls died so early in their lives. Koszalin Mayor Piotr Jedlinski announced that Sunday would a day or mourning in the city.[SEP] • Five 15-year-old girls have died after a fire broke out in a Polish escape room. • The girls were playing the game, which sees participants get locked in a roomwhere they must solve puzzles in order to get out, to celebrate a birthday. • A 25-year-old man was also taken to hospital with burns. • The cause of the fire is unknown. • A day of mourning has been called for the town of Koszalin, northern Poland. Five teenage girls have died at a Polish escape room, where a fire broke out while they were celebrating a birthday. The 15-year-old girls were participating in an escape room game in Koszalin, northern Poland when a fire broke out around 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. GMT and 11 a.m. EST), according to the BBC. Police spokesperson Monika Kosiec said the bodies of the five girls were found in a room near the fire when firefighters put out a blaze, with the state news agency believing the girls died of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Sky News. A 25-year-old man was also seriously harmed and taken to hospital with burns. Escape room games, which have risen in popularity in recent years, see participants get locked in a room, where they must solve puzzles and complete complicated tasks in order to get out. Read more:A burglar allegedly broke into an escape room — but he had to call 911 on himself when he couldn't get out The cause of the escape room fire is unknown, but Polish officials are now carrying out safety checks on similar games across the country, where the escape rooms are popular. A day of mourning has been called for Koszalin, while a number of local events have been cancelled, with Polish President Andrzej Duda calling the fire an "appalling tragedy." "Five joyful girls starting out in life have had life torn away from them," he tweeted. Poland's Interior Minister Joachim Brudziński also tweeted his condolences to the families of the girls. "I want to express my sympathy and regrets to the families of the victims of the fire," he said. "I've instructed the chief commander of the State Fire Brigade to carry out fire checks on all places of this type across the country."[SEP]Update 11am: Polish firefighters have blamed poor electrical wiring and lax security procedures at an Escape Room for a fire that killed five teenage girls and injured a man. The bodies of the 15-year-old victims were found on Friday in Koszalin, in northern Poland, after firefighters put out a blaze in an adjacent room. Asphyxiation is the probable cause of the deaths, officials said. Poland's firefighting chief, Leszek Suski, said that electrical wiring at the location was makeshift and too close to flammable materials, while the man in charge was probably not there when the fire broke out. The Escape Room game sees players locked inside a room or building and they must find clues that help them get out. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has sent condolences to the victims' families. Earlier: Five teenage girls killed in escape room game tragedy in Poland Five teenage girls have been killed and one man hurt in a fire that broke out at an Escape Room game location in northern Poland, officials have said. The country's interior minister Joachim Brudzinski said the girls were all 15 years old. A police spokeswoman in the city of Koszalin, Monika Kosiec, said the victims were probably celebrating one of their birthdays. A 25-year-old man has been taken to hospital with burns and could not be immediately questioned by investigators who are probing the cause of the fire, she said. Ms Kosiec said the bodies were found after firefighters put out a fire that broke out at the location. Polish news agency said it learned unofficially that the victims died from carbon monoxide asphyxiation. Mr Brudzinski ordered fire safety controls in all Escape Rooms, which are very popular with teenagers across Poland. In an Escape Room game, the players are locked inside a room or building and must find clues that help them get out. President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter it was a "crushing tragedy" that five young girls died so early in their lives. Koszalin mayor Piotr Jedlinski announced that Sunday would be a day of mourning in the city.[SEP]A fire broke out during an escape room game in northern Poland, killing five teenage girls and injuring a man, authorities said. Police said the dead were found after firefighters put out the blaze, which began around 5pm at an escape room venue in Koszalin. Escape rooms are highly popular across the world, including Poland. It involves players being locked inside a room our building and being set a time frame to figure out puzzles in order to escape. The rooms gained popularity after the horror movie Saw, but not all are horror themed. Polish Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said the girls were all 15 years old. Monika Kosiec, a spokeswoman for police in Koszalin, said the victims were thought to have been celebrating one of their birthdays. She said a 25-year-old man had been hospitalised with burns and could not be immediately questioned by investigators probing the cause of the fire. The Polish state news agency PAP said it had learned unofficially that the girls died from carbon monoxide asphyxiation. Footage on private TVN24 showed ambulances and fire engines in front of a detached two-storey house with a large escape room sign in front. Brudzinski ordered fire safety controls to be installed at all escape room locations in Poland. President Andrzej Duda said on Twitter it was a “crushing tragedy” that five young girls died so early in their lives. Koszalin Mayor Piotr Jedlinski announced that Sunday would be a day of mourning in the city. More to come.

Five 15-year-old girls are killed in a fire at an escape room in Koszalin, Poland.

LIMA (AFP) - Foreign ministers from 12 Latin American countries and Canada said Friday (Jan 4) their governments would not accept Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's president when he is sworn in for a second six-year term next week. The 14-member Lima Group - with the exception of Mexico - said it would not grant recognition to Maduro's hardline socialist government, after meeting in the Peruvian capital to discuss ways to step up international pressure on the regime, which has presided over the oil-rich country's economic collapse. Peru's Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio said the group had delivered "a strong political message" ahead of Maduro's inauguration on Jan 10. Maduro was re-elected on May 20 in a ballot boycotted by the main opposition parties and widely condemned by the international community, including the United States which called it a "sham." "The main message is undoubtedly the non-recognition of the Venezuelan regime's new term," Popolizio told reporters. "It is very important that the Lima Group has issued this statement to continue exerting pressure with a view to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," the Peruvian minister said. The Group, of which Canada is a member, said Maduro should temporarily transfer power to the opposition-controlled National Assembly until free elections can be held. "Nicolas Maduro is urged not to assume the presidency, to respect the powers of the assembly and to temporarily transfer power until new elections are held," Popolizio said. Venezuela hit back at the Lima Group, accusing it of fomenting a coup at the behest of the US, which has sanctioned Venezuelan officials and entities. Caracas expressed its "great bewilderment at the extravagant declaration of a group of countries of the American continent which, after receiving instructions from the United States through a videoconference, have agreed to encourage a coup d'etat," according to a statement read by Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza. The United States, which is not a member of the group created after deadly anti-Maduro protests in 2017, participated in the meeting for the first time. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented by video conference from Washington. The arrival in power of a new far-right government in Brazil under President Jair Bolsonaro is likely to harden regional opposition to Maduro. Bolsonaro, who has aligned himself with Washington by expressing hostility towards "authoritarian regimes," said Thursday he was open to discussing his country's becoming home to a US military base "in the future." Venezuela recently hosted the Russian Air Force, including long-range nuclear bombers, for joint military exercises - a move that stoked regional tensions. The Lima Group action coincides with a statement from Venezuela's opposition-dominated but toothless National Assembly, which said it would not recognise the "illegitimate" Maduro when he takes office. "We are facing a man who stole an election. We will not have more than a usurper (as president). Neither Venezuelans nor foreigners can recognise Maduro as president," opposition deputy Delsa Solorzano told AFP. Separately, the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States, Luis Almagro, called on Twitter for the international community not to recognise Maduro. Maduro, who was handpicked by Socialist president Hugo Chavez to succeed him when he died in 2013, was re-elected in May after early elections called by the Constituent Assembly, a body created by Maduro which has in practice replaced the legislature. The Lima Group statement reiterated its support for the National Assembly, which it recognises as Venezuela's "constitutionally elected body." Washington has recently stepped up contacts with South American states dealing with the influx of migrants - around one million to Colombia alone - from Venezuela's worsening economic crisis. Pompeo was in Cartagena earlier this week for talks with Colombian President Ivan Duque. Both officials have denounced Maduro's "dictatorship" and agreed to step up efforts to isolate his government diplomatically.[SEP]Diplomats from a dozen Latin American countries and Canada have urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term after a widely criticised election, saying it is the only way to restore democracy to the country. The Lima Group, which includes Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, issued a joint statement on Friday calling on Maduro to cede power to the opposition-controlled National Assembly until new elections can be held, following a meeting in the Peruvian capital. Thirteen of the group's members will not recognise Maduro's new term and will also bar high-ranking Venezuelan officials from entering their territory as much as their domestic laws allow, the statement said. The strong rebuke comes just days before his January 10 inauguration to a second six-year term. Mexico, once one of the most outspoken critics of Maduro, was the only member of the coalition to abstain from the vote. 180518062132541 Relations have warmed under leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who faced criticism for inviting Maduro to his inauguration in December. 'Humiliating subordination' Even before announcing its decision, the gathering prompted a sharp response from Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who said the coalition is taking orders directly from US President Donald Trump, who Caracas frequently accuses of spearheading an economic war against the country. "What a display of humiliating subordination!" Arreaza said on Twitter. Lo que hemos afirmando desde la creación de este grupo de gobiernos cartelizados contra Venezuela, al que en teoría no pertenece el gobierno de EEUU: se reúnen para recibir ordenes de @realDonaldTrump por intermedio de @SecPompeo. ¡Vaya muestra de humillante subordinación! https://t.co/Mcw9MLjWkv — Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) January 4, 2019 TRANSLATION: What we have stated since the creation of this group of governments cartelised against Venezuela, which in theory is not linked with the US government: They meet to receive Donald Trump's orders through Secretary Pompeo. What a display of humiliating subordination! A once-wealthy oil producer, Venezuela is suffering a prolonged economic crisis with severe food and medicine shortages and the inflation rate soaring higher than one million percent, according to the IMF. 180821192331796 The Lima Group formed in 2017 to advocate for a regional solution to the crisis, which has caused millions of Venezuelans to flee into neighbouring countries. Immediately following Maduro's May 20 re-election, the coalition said it refused to recognise the results, decrying the vote as failing to meet "international standards of a democratic, free, just and transparent process". The United States is not formally a member of the Lima Group, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo participated in the meeting via video conference. The Trump administration considers Maduro's government a "dictatorship". It has sanctioned around 70 top officials and blocked US banks from doing business with Venezuela, putting a financial stranglehold on the cash-strapped country.[SEP]Lima Group, without Mexico, urges Maduro to refrain from taking office next Thursday Mexico’s new government on Friday called on its peers to refrain from interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs, declining to back a regional declaration that urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not to take office on Jan. 10. Mexico was the sole country in the 14-member Lima Group that opted not to sign a statement critical of Maduro, the first time Mexico has not supported a declaration by the group since it was created in 2017 to push for democratic reforms in Venezuela. Mexico was once among the most outspoken critics of Maduro. But ties with Venezuela have warmed under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who invited Maduro to his inauguration last month. Maximiliano Reyes, Mexico’s deputy foreign minister responsible for Latin America, said following a Lima Group meeting in Peru that Mexico was concerned about the “situation regarding human rights” in Venezuela but would not comment on the legitimacy of its government. Instead, he asked the Lima Group to rethink its approach. “We call for reflection in the Lima Group about the consequences for Venezuelans of measures that seek to interfere in internal affairs,” Reyes said in a statement. In the statement, the Lima Group urged Maduro to refrain from taking the presidential oath next Thursday and instead cede power to the opposition- controlled congress until new, fairer elections can be held. “Only through the full restoration, as soon as possible, of democracy and a respect for human rights is it possible to resolve the country's political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis,” the diplomats said. In a Friday evening state television broadcast, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said Maduro would take office on Jan. 10 in a “legitimate and constitutional” process, which he said “does not require the approval of any foreign government.” He said Venezuela was “perplexed” by the statement and that the country would take reciprocal action for diplomatic steps taken by any other government. Reyes called for mediation and dialogue from the Lima Group, not isolation. Mexico’s stance was a blow to regional efforts to ramp up pressure on Maduro ahead of his inauguration, which Venezuela’s opposition hoped would be a watershed moment to highlight how he has undermined democracy and mismanaged the OPEC member’s economy. Peru said last month that it would propose ending diplomatic relations with Venezuela to Lima Group members. But no country has yet announced it would sever ties. The 13 remaining countries in the Lima Group that signed Friday’s statement, which include Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, called Maduro’s new term “illegitimate” and urged him to hand power over to the National Assembly until democratic elections can be held. They also said they would seek to bar high-ranking Venezuelan officials from entering their territory or having access to their financial systems.[SEP]A group of Latin American countries says they will not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's mandate for a new six year term (AFP Photo/Francisco BATISTA) Lima (AFP) - Foreign ministers from Latin America and Canada said Friday their governments would not recognize Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's president when he is sworn in for a second six-year term next week. The 14-member Lima Group said they would not recognize Maduro's hardline socialist government after meeting in the Peruvian capital to discuss ways to step up international pressure on the regime, which has presided over the oil-rich country's economic crisis. Peru's Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio said the group had delivered "a strong political message" ahead of Maduro's second-term inauguration on January 10. "The main message is undoubtedly the non-recognition of the Venezuelan regime's new term," Popolizio told reporters. The Group, which includes Canada, said Maduro should temporarily transfer power to the National Assembly until free elections can be held. "Nicolas Maduro is urged not to assume the presidency, to respect the powers of the assembly and to temporarily transfer power until new elections are held," Popolizio said. Officials said earlier that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would participate in the meeting by video conference -- even though Washington is not a member of the 14-nation body. Pompeo also was to hold bilateral talks with Brazil's new Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo on the sidelines of the meeting, also by video-conference, according to an agenda released by Araujo's office. The arrival in power of a new far-right government in Brazil under President Jair Bolsonaro is likely to harden regional opposition to Maduro. Bolsonaro, who has aligned himself with Washington by expressing hostility towards "authoritarian regimes," said Thursday he was open to discussing his country hosting a US military base "in the future." Venezuela recently hosted the Russian Air Force, including long-range nuclear bombers, for joint military exercises -- a move that stoked regional tensions. Peru has previously said it would use the meeting to urge members to cut diplomatic ties with Caracas as Maduro prepares to begin a second term after a controversial May election boycotted by the opposition. The move coincides with a statement from the Venezuela's opposition-dominated but toothless National Assembly, which said it would not recognize the "illegitimate" Maduro when he takes office. "We are facing a man who stole an election. We will not have more than a usurper (as president). Neither Venezuelans nor foreigners can recognize Maduro as president," opposition deputy Delsa Solorzano told AFP. Maduro, who was handpicked by Socialist president Hugo Chavez to succeed him when he died in 2003, was re-elected in May after early elections called by the Constituent Assembly, a body created by Maduro which has in practice replaced the legislature. The Lima Group statement reiterated its support for the National Assembly, which it recognizes as Venezuela's "constitutionally elected body." Washington has recently stepped up contacts with South American states dealing with the influx of migrants from Venezuela's worsening economic crisis. Pompeo was in Cartagena earlier this week for talks with Colombian President Ivan Duque. Both officials have denounced Maduro's "dictatorship" and agreed to step up efforts to isolate his government diplomatically. "It is very important that the Lima Group has issued this statement to continue exerting pressure with a view to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," the Peruvian minister said. The regional group -- created in 2017 after more than 125 people died in anti-Maduro protests in Venezuela -- has refused to recognize the May elections, which were marred by irregularities as well as an opposition boycott.[SEP]LIMA (Peru) • Foreign ministers from 12 Latin American countries and Canada have said their governments will not accept Mr Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's President when he is sworn in for a second six-year term this week. The 14-member Lima Group - with the exception of Mexico - said last Friday it would not grant recognition to Mr Maduro's hardline socialist government, after meeting in the Peruvian capital to discuss ways to step up international pressure on the regime, which has presided over the oil-rich country's economic collapse. Peru's Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio said the group had delivered "a strong political message" ahead of Mr Maduro's inauguration on Jan 10. Mr Maduro was re-elected last May 20 in a ballot boycotted by the main opposition parties and widely condemned by the international community, including the United States which called it a "sham". "The main message is undoubtedly the non-recognition of the Venezuelan regime's new term," Mr Popolizio told reporters. "It is very important that the Lima Group has issued this statement to continue exerting pressure with a view to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," the Peruvian minister said. The Lima Group, of which Canada is a member, said Mr Maduro should temporarily transfer power to the opposition-controlled National Assembly until free elections can be held. "Nicolas Maduro is urged not to assume the presidency, to respect the powers of the assembly and to temporarily transfer power until new elections are held," Mr Popolizio said. Venezuela hit back at the Lima Group, accusing it of fomenting a coup at the behest of the US, which has sanctioned Venezuelan officials and entities. Caracas expressed its "great bewilderment at the extravagant declaration of a group of countries of the American continent which, after receiving instructions from the United States through a video conference, have agreed to encourage a coup d'etat", according to a statement read by Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza. The US, which is not a member of the group which was created after deadly anti-Maduro protests in 2017, participated in the meeting for the first time. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented by video conference from Washington. The move coincides with a statement from Venezuela's opposition-dominated but toothless National Assembly, which said it would not recognise the "illegitimate" Mr Maduro when he takes office. Separately, the secretary-general of the Organisation of American States, Mr Luis Almagro, has called on Twitter for the international community not to recognise Mr Maduro.[SEP]The Lima Group has called on Maduro "not to assume presidency on January 10… and to temporarily transfer the executive power to the National Assembly until a new, democratic presidential poll is held." The nations reiterated their full support of the Venezuelan legislature, elected in 2015, and rejected as illegal last May’s vote that saw Maduro re-elected for a second six-year term. Reacting to media reports that US State Secretary Mike Pompeo took part in the meeting via teleconference, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza slammed the 14-member group for taking orders from US President Donald Trump. READ MORE: Lima Group Decides to Offer Asylum to Venezuelan Officials — Reports[SEP]The Lima Group of Latin American countries on Friday urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term he won in elections widely condemned as illegitimate, and cede power until new elections can be held. The bloc said in a statement that they would not recognize Maduro's socialist government after a meeting in the Peruvian capital to discuss how to step up international pressure on the Maduro regime. The meeting discussed Venezuela's crisis ahead of Maduro's plans to be sworn in on January 10. Mexico also partook but didn't sign Friday's statement. Maduro has presided over an financial crisis which has led to recession, hyperinflation and a collapsing economy, which have left the population with critical shortages of electricity, food and medicine, as well as a crumbling infrastructure. Read more: What is going on in Venezuela? What did the Lima Group decide? The declaration signed on Friday states that the following measures have been agreed by the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia: • Reevaluate the status or level of diplomatic relations with Venezuela. • Prevent Venezuelan officials from entering the territory of the countries of the Lima Group. • Urges other nations to support an International Criminal Court investigation into the commission of possible crimes against humanity in Venezuela. • Calls on the international community to adopt similar measures. At least 16 Latin American nations, as well as the United States, had warned Venezuela ahead of the May 2018 election that it would be seen as illegitimate by the region unless it restored democratic standards before the poll. A joint declaration put out at the Summit of the Americas in Peru in April said the election would be "void of legitimacy and credibility" if it went ahead under current conditions. The joint statement was signed by the 16-nation Lima Group, which includes Latin America's biggest economies of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile. The United States also signed the declaration. The opposition in Venezuela said that President Nicolas Maduro has prepared a rigged snap election to deliver him a new mandate and tighten his hold over his economically devastated country. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.[SEP]A dozen Latin American governments and Canada have delivered a blistering rebuke to Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, questioning the legitimacy of his soon-to-begin second term and urging him to hand over power as the only path to restoring democracy in his crisis-wracked country. The sharp criticism came at a meeting on Friday of foreign ministers from countries including Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, all of which have been weighing how to confront the increasingly authoritarian Maduro while absorbing a growing exodus of Venezuelans fleeing economic chaos. In a statement, the Lima Group urged Maduro to refrain from taking the presidential oath next Thursday and instead cede power to the opposition-controlled congress until new, fairer elections can be held. “Only through the full restoration, as soon as possible, of democracy and a respect for human rights is it possible to resolve the country’s political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis,” the diplomats said. Even before announcing the resolution, the group’s meeting with the participation of US secretary of state Mike Pompeo drew a sharp response from Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza. He accused the coalition of taking orders directly from Donald Trump. “What a display of humiliating subordination!” Arreaza said on Twitter. A once-wealthy oil nation, Venezuela is in the throes of crisis, marked by hyperinflation that makes it difficult for people to afford scarce food and medicine. An estimated 2.3 million Venezuelans have migrated from the country since 2015, according to the UN. The Lima Group was formed more than a year ago by mostly conservative-run regional governments seeking to defuse a crisis in Venezuela that is increasingly threatening regional stability. While the group previously denounced Maduro as a “dictator” and urged dialogue, its hard-edged resolution calling on Maduro to step down suggests its members are losing patience. But beyond the heated rhetoric, the anti-Maduro coalition showed signs of fraying along ideological lines. Regional powerbroker Mexico was one of the early and biggest promoters of the Lima Group. But it sent a lower-level representative to Friday’s meeting who refused to sign the resolution, reflecting the policy of non-intervention favored by that nation’s new leftist president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Maduro traveled to López Obrador’s inauguration, meeting privately with the Mexican leader. The US is not formally a member of the Lima Group but has been a vocal supporter and Pompeo participated in the meeting via video conference. Pompeo this month made a visit to Latin America during which he attended the inauguration of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and then stopped in Colombia to meet with President Iván Duque. Both Bolsonaro and Duque have declared a united stance against Maduro’s government aligned with the US. Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America, questioned Pompeo’s participation in Friday’s meeting. He said the Lima Group was created to showcase concerns of Latin American nations about Venezuela’s crisis and Pompeo’s involvement furthers a perception that the US has been quietly directing its moves. “I’m worried that this paints the region into a corner, with no clear path forward,” Ramsey said of the resolution. “The truth is that Maduro isn’t just going to hand over the keys.”[SEP]Chile's Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero, Canada's Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrew Leslie and Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo attend a meeting of the Lima Group to discuss Venezuela's situation and the inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro's second term, in Lima, Peru January 4, 2019. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo LIMA (Reuters) - Mexico declined to join its regional peers on Friday in urging Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not to take office this month, the first time it has not signed a declaration by the Lima Group bloc created to pressure Caracas to make democratic reforms. Mexico was once among the most outspoken critics of Maduro. But ties between the two countries have warmed under leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who faced criticism for inviting Maduro to his inauguration last month. Mexico told the Lima Group it prefers to keep its diplomatic channels with Caracas open to help find a solution to the South American country's political crisis, said a government source in Peru who asked not to be named. Mexico will remain a part of the Lima Group, the source and a Mexico foreign ministry spokesman said. The remaining 13 members of the Lima Group, which include Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru, said they would not recognize Maduro's new term because last year's election was not free or fair, according to the joint statement they signed. They also agreed to reevaluate their diplomatic relations with Venezuela and bar high-ranking Venezuelan officials from entering their territory as much as their domestic laws allow, the statement said.[SEP]LIMA, Peru (AP) - The Latest on a regional meeting about Venezuela's political crisis. (all times local): A dozen Latin American governments have urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to abstain from being sworn in for a second term next week and cede power until new elections can be held. They say it is the only way to restore democracy in the South American nation. The strong rebuke came following a meeting Friday of high-ranking diplomats from the 12 regional governments and Canada in Peru's capital to discuss Venezuela's crisis ahead of Maduro's plans to be sworn in Jan. 10 for a second term he won in elections widely condemned as illegitimate. Mexico also partook in the meeting of the so-called Lima Group but didn't sign the statement. The group also called for a toughening of sanctions against Maduro's government and expressed support for efforts to initiate proceedings against his government at the International Criminal Court. Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, right, and Canada's Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrew Leslie, left, attend a meeting of the Lima Group concerning Venezuela in Lima, Peru, Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. A coalition of international leaders gather in Lima to define a strategy for resolving Venezuela's growing crisis ahead of President Nicolas Maduro's Jan. 10 inauguration to a second term, which is widely dismissed as illegitimate. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) Maduro has disavowed the group's recommendations in the past and his foreign minister on Friday accused the countries of taking orders from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Lima Group announces that from January 10, 2019, the government of Nicolás Maduro will no longer be recognized by the governments which compose the multilateral body.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has no timeline to withdraw troops from Syria but does not plan to stay indefinitely, a senior State Department official said on Friday, a strong signal that forces could stay until the fight against Islamic State militants ends. U.S.-backed forces are still retaking territory from Islamic State in Syria, Pentagon officials said on Friday, two weeks after Washington said it would withdraw its roughly 2,000 troops there. At the time, President Donald Trump said the troops had succeeded in their mission and were no longer needed there. The administration’s abrupt announcement last month, which took officials in Washington and allies by surprise, contributed to Jim Mattis’ decision to resign as U.S. defense secretary and prompted concern that Islamic State could stage a comeback. The State Department official, briefing reporters before a visit to the Middle East next week by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, appeared to be seeking to allay that concern. “We have no timeline for our military forces to withdraw from Syria,” said the official, who asked not to be identified. “It will be done in such a way that we and our allies and partners maintain pressure on ISIS throughout and we do not open up any vacuums for terrorists.” The United States did not intend to have an indefinite military presence in Syria, the official added. U.S. officials have told Reuters a withdrawal could take several months, potentially giving time for U.S.-backed forces to deal parting blows to the militant group that once held broad swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. But a senior administration official traveling with White House national security adviser John Bolton on a trip to the Middle East said Trump had received assurances from his military commanders that their mission “can be done in weeks.” Trump said on Wednesday the United States would get out of Syria slowly “over a period of time” and would protect U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in the country as Washington draws down troops. “Bolton will travel to Israel and Turkey to discuss the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, and how the U.S. will work with allies and partners to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, stand fast with those who fought with us against ISIS, and counter Iranian malign behavior in the region,” Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said. Marquis said Bolton would be joined in Turkey by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford and U.S. special Syria envoy James Jeffrey. Separately, the State Department said Jeffrey would be taking on the additional role of the special envoy for the coalition to defeat Islamic State. Jeffrey will be involved in negotiations on a political process and also assumes the diplomatic role of coordinating with allies and partners on the fight against Islamic State. Brett McGurk, the previous special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Islamic State, quit last month over Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. ‘FINAL BLOWS’ The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which include Kurdish fighters, captured the Syrian town of Kashmah on Jan. 2 after retaking the town of Hajin on Dec. 25, Pentagon spokesman Navy Commander Sean Robertson told Reuters. The capture came the same day that Trump stated during a cabinet meeting his strong desire to gradually withdraw from Syria, calling it a place of “sand and death.” Trump also said it was up to other countries to fight Islamic State, including Russia and Iran, adding that Islamic State was down to its last remaining bits of territory in Syria. “We’re hitting the hell out of them, the ISIS people,” Trump said, using an acronym to refer to Islamic State, adding, “We’re down to final blows.” Separately on Friday, the U.S.-led coalition said it carried out 469 strikes in Syria between Dec. 16 and Dec. 29 that destroyed nearly 300 fighting positions, more than 150 staging areas, and a number of supply routes, oil lubricant storage facilities and equipment. Islamic State retains control of just a “sprinkle of villages” near the Euphrates river, said Aaron Stein, the Middle East program director at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. “(ISIS) will simply revert to a diffused rural insurgency where it could use just the tyranny of space - the desert is very big - to sort of hide out and be able to launch raiding attacks,” he added. The Pentagon spokesman said coalition forces, which Washington coordinates, were continuing to assist the SDF with close air support and artillery strikes in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. “We will continue to work with the coalition and regional partners toward an enduring defeat of ISIS,” Robertson said. FILE PHOTO: U.S. troops patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, November 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo He called the capture of Hajin significant. “This was a milestone, since it was among the largest of the last remaining ISIS strongholds in the Middle Euphrates River Valley.”Islamic State declared its “caliphate” in 2014 after seizing large swathes of Syria and Iraq. The hardline Islamist group established its de facto capital in the Syrian city of Raqqa, using it as a base to plot attacks in Europe. Much of the U.S. campaign in Syria has been waged by warplanes flying out of Qatar and other locations in the Middle East.[SEP]The fact tha James Jeffrey joined the administration as the special representative for Syria engagement was noteworthy in part because the president had initially blacklisted so-called Never Trumpers. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Foreign Policy Former Trump critic promoted to top anti-ISIS job Some had expected James Jeffrey, who landed an administration post last year despite signing a 'Never Trump' letter, to resign over the president's planned Syria pullout. Instead he has taken on a second job. A veteran diplomat who some expected to resign after President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria last month will instead take on a broader portfolio, the State Department announced Friday. James Jeffrey, who oversees America’s engagement with other nations on Syrian issues, will now also serve as Trump’s special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State. He takes on the second role amid widespread confusion about the status of Trump’s plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, where they have been fighting militants of the Islamic State, a terrorist group also known as ISIS. Story Continued Below The last envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, Brett McGurk, resigned in protest over Trump’s Syria decision last month. His departure, as well as that of Defense Secretary James Mattis, came amid bipartisan backlash to the president’s plan. In the weeks since Trump’s mid-December announcement, the president has dialed back the idea of an immediate withdrawal. Trump aides now say the drawdown could span four months. On Friday, a senior State Department official added to the confusion by saying there is no timeline. Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. “With this additional responsibility, Ambassador Jeffrey will lead and coordinate U.S. Department of State relations with the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS and department efforts to implement President Trump’s announcement of a responsible U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria that is coordinated with our global allies and partners consistent with U.S. goals for Syria and Iraq, including the enduring defeat of ISIS,” State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said in a statement announcing Jeffrey’s new role. Jeffrey had a long diplomatic career prior to the Trump administration, serving as an ambassador in places such as Iraq and Turkey. He was among national security experts who signed “Never Trump” statements denouncing the then-candidate for the White House. The fact that Jeffrey joined the administration as the special representative for Syria engagement was noteworthy in part because the president had initially blacklisted so-called Never Trumpers. Just days before Trump announced his decision to remove troops, Jeffrey had made an appearance at a think tank in which he laid out a Syria strategy that indicated an indefinite U.S. commitment. Although some foreign policy insiders thought Jeffrey would quit after Trump’s decision, he has hung on and may prove key to efforts to slow down the withdrawal of troops. He will join national security adviser John Bolton on a trip to Turkey and Israel in the coming days meant in part to explain and manage Trump’s withdrawal plan. Critics of a troop pullout say it is premature because the Islamic State, though much weakened, has not been vanquished, and that leaving now allows Iranian forces to gain even more influence in war-torn Syria. "ISIS is on the run, but it is not yet defeated," McGurk wrote in an email to his team announcing his resignation. McGurk had originally been planning to leave at some point in early 2019, but accelerated his departure in protest of Trump’s decision. Jeffrey takes his second position effective immediately, the State Department said. The coalition to defeat the Islamic State has around 80 members, each contributing different military and other strengths in the effort to eliminate the terrorist group from Iraq and Syria.[SEP]YPG is PKK's Syrian wing but US fails to recognize as such, Syria envoy Jeffrey says Ambassador James Jeffrey, the current special representative for Syria engagement, will take the additional role of special envoy for the U.S.-led coalition against Daesh effective Friday, the State Department said. Brett McGurk, who served in the post for three years, resigned Dec. 22 following Trump's decision to pull troops from Syria. The move also saw a resignation from defense chief James Mattis. "With this additional responsibility, Ambassador Jeffrey will lead and coordinate U.S. Department of State relations with the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS and Department efforts to implement President (Donald) Trump's announcement of a responsible U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria," said Robert Palladino in a statement, using another name for Daesh. The U.S. withdrawal comes on the eve of a possible Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria against the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorist group. McGurk worked under the past three U.S. administrations, becoming one of a handful of those appointed by former U.S. President Barack Obama to keep his post under President Trump. He also served in the George W. Bush administration.[SEP]James Jeffrey, pictured in 2014, will serve as American envoy to the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group (AFP Photo/ALEX WONG) Washington (AFP) - America's Syria pointman James Jeffrey will also serve as the United States envoy to the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group, the State Department said on Friday. "With this additional responsibility, Ambassador Jeffrey will lead and coordinate US Department of State relations with the Global Coalition to defeat (IS) and Department efforts to implement President Trump's announcement of a responsible US troop withdrawal from Syria," spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement. Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Turkey, will replace Brett McGurk as anti-IS envoy, a post from which he resigned following US President Donald Trump's controversial decision in December to withdraw American forces from Syria. Critics say the move puts US-allied Kurdish forces at risk of attack by Turkish troops. The US-allied Kurds have played a major role in the war against IS, the jihadist group that seized swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria but has since suffered major defeats. The December 21 announcement of McGurk's departure followed that of Jim Mattis, who quit as defense chief over fundamental disagreements with Trump, including over Syria.[SEP]Ambassador James Jeffrey Assumes Role of Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Ambassador James Jeffrey (pictured), the current Special Representative for Syria Engagement, has taken on the additional role of the Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, effective January 4, 2019. With this additional responsibility, Ambassador Jeffrey will lead and coordinate U.S. Department of State relations with the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS and Department efforts to implement President Trump’s announcement of a responsible U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria that is coordinated with our global Allies and partners consistent with U.S. goals for Syria and Iraq, including the enduring defeat of ISIS. He takes over from Brett McGurk, who resigned following disagreements with President Donald Trump’s strategy on Syria. Jeffrey has previously served as US Ambassador to Iraq.[SEP]The Blob Is Lying About Trump’s Sudden Syria Withdrawal Washington narratives, once determined, are almost impossible to change. A pristine example has been President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, which prominent foreign-policy voices condemned as impulsive, dangerous, and a betrayal of America’s Kurdish allies. Worse yet, the withdrawal order came about, these same experts say, because of the U.S. chief executive’s ties to (choose one) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or, most recently, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul. But the narrative doesn’t fit the reality of Trump’s Syria decision. Far from being caught by surprise, senior State Department and Pentagon officials were tasked earlier in 2018 with planning for the eventual withdrawal. While it’s true that, as one foreign-policy commentator recently noted, Trump’s Syria decision took place without an “interagency review, an often-prolonged process that methodically develops options,” or even “major deliberations with allies,” the idea that Trump’s decision shocked Washington’s foreign-policy machinery needs to be rethought. “This wasn’t a surprise,” a senior State Department official who works on Middle East issues told me last week. “We’ve been talking about getting our troops out of Syria since at least last March.” According to this official, the talk of a withdrawal that began in March 2018 was the result of a directive from the White House that was passed down by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who told his aides that the president had given him and then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis six months to provide the groundwork for the withdrawal announcement. “The clock was ticking,” this State Department official added. “So we knew that we had until September, but not much beyond that. My understanding was that Pompeo and Mattis were on a pretty short leash. They were dealing with a deadline, and they knew it.” That the withdrawal announcement wasn’t, in fact, made until the third week of December 2018 does nothing to undermine this timeline, the official told me: “I thought this would come in September,” he said. “So, in truth we got an extra two months. Listen, they [Pompeo and Mattis] thought they could talk him [Trump] out of it.” Despite this hope, both Pompeo and Mattis began to comply with Trump’s wishes. Beginning last April, Mattis and Pompeo operated on two different tracks—with Mattis scaling back anti-Islamic State military operations in the region and Pompeo working to shape a diplomatic offensive that would give the United States a voice in Syria once the civil war ended. “Mattis wanted all major ground combat operations in Iraq and Syria to end by the last part of April,” the official said, “and he made that official on April 30. He even admitted privately that there really wasn’t much of ISIS left to fight.” In addition to the Mattis announcement, senior Pentagon officers say, the U.S. government began to reshape the language it used in describing the fight against the terrorist group. Gone was Trump’s 2015 language of “bomb the hell out of them,” jettisoned in favor of a public campaign calling for the terrorist group’s “enduring defeat”—a phrase used repeatedly by senior military officers overseeing the anti-Islamic State fight. Ignored by the larger public, the implication of the “enduring defeat” language wasn’t lost on Washington’s policymaking establishment: The United States could kill lots of Islamic State fighters, but the idea that it could eradicate the radical ideology that motivated them was simply not going to happen. By the end of the summer, the new language had become an accepted talking point for both U.S. diplomats and senior military officers. “By September, the remnants of ISIS fighters in Syria were in a few small pockets,” the senior State Department official with whom I spoke said, “and really, it wasn’t considered that big a deal.” The most crucial part of the withdrawal planning, however, was left in the hands of the State Department. Beginning in April 2018, Pompeo tasked the department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to oversee a number of closely linked initiatives. The first involved close consultations with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) leaders, whose commanders were told that the United States would be withdrawing its troops by the end of the year. “We didn’t tell SDF commanders that the withdrawal was immanent, but the warnings were explicit,” the State Department official with whom I spoke said. “They were passed on through the military, commander to commander. To claim that the Kurds were taken by surprise is just not true. They were briefed. They knew this was going to happen.” The second initiative was a plan to persuade Persian Gulf countries to provide fighters to reinforce the Kurds, to strengthen them militarily once the United States had left. The idea was fated to fail: “The Saudis said they were willing to provide some troops, but they really didn’t like the idea,” the State Department official said, “and there was even talk that some of those troops would be Sudanese. But, in the end, it was the Kurds who vetoed the idea; they didn’t want to be reinforced by Arabs. Frankly, I think the whole thing was dead on arrival. We tried, but it wasn’t ever going to work. You’re going to put the Saudis on the ground, rubbing shoulders with the Turks in Syria? No way.” The final initiative was what the official called “a diplomatic surge” initiated and monitored by Pompeo himself, but implemented by a senior State Department triumvirate of diplomatic veterans: Brian Hook, the department’s senior policy advisor (and a senior envoy on Iran); David Satterfield, the acting head of the department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; and James Jeffrey, who was appointed by Pompeo in August 2018 as the U.S. special representative for Syria engagement. The three were joined by two other officials with broad experience in the region: the former National Security Council aide and retired Col. Joel Rayburn and Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the anti-Islamic State coalition. “In April we had about 10 or so diplomats working the Syria issue,” the State Department official said, “but by August that number was at 20. Pompeo literally doubled down.” Jeffrey’s appointment by the administration, in August, was emblematic of Pompeo’s focus on finding a way to deal the United States back into the Syria game—which included talking with the Russians and Turkey about an agreement that would push back against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, protect the Kurds, and accelerate a political solution resulting from negotiations in Geneva and, later, in Astana, Kazakhstan. But this third initiative, much like the second, went nowhere. “We were latecomers, and no one was listening to us,” the senior State Department official said. “We were on the outside looking in. It was very frustrating.” At times, however, it seemed that Jeffrey viewed his task as derailing the international process, substituting possible outcomes for wishful thinking. On Dec. 3, 2018, just weeks before Trump’s withdrawal announcement, Jeffrey made it clear that the United States had “one mission” in Syria, which was the “enduring defeat of ISIS/Daesh,” but then “for some reason, he got off script,” as it was described to me, by insisting that the United States would disengage only when all of its conditions were met—which included “the withdrawal of all Iranian-commanded forces from the entirety of Syria and an irreversible political process.” In fact, as senior State Department officials noted, Jeffrey’s other conditions involved the United States in a rhetorical slippery slope, pushing for outcomes that not only had never been mentioned by Trump, but that were also impossible to obtain. (Jeffrey did not respond to requests for comment.) Jeffry made his policy intervention despite the fact that, as one senior Defense Department official told me, the U.S.-Kurdish alliance “had a lot fewer ups than downs.” According to a currently serving senior military officer, and published reports, U.S. officers in Syria had already reported to their Pentagon superiors that, at times, America’s erstwhile Kurdish allies seemed more interested in deploying their fighting forces against the Turks than against the Islamic State—an unexpected and unwelcome reminder of just how often the U.S. policymaking establishment could get the Middle East wrong. But then, it wasn’t the first time. “From 2011 and for the seven years that followed, the experts have been telling us that Assad’s days were numbered, that he was finished, even when it became obvious that wasn’t going to happen; it was a fairytale,” Middle East analyst Geoffrey Aronson said. “The result is that we were reduced to playing the role of spoiler. Listen, there are lots of reasons to not like Trump, but this was the right policy move to make. Our agreement with the Kurds was always temporary, and they knew it. So now they will do what they’ve been quietly talking about for the last two years: They’ll seek an accommodation with Damascus.” Kilic Kanat, the research director at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research in Washington, agrees. “There’s no doubt that this is a fragile situation,” he said, “but the idea that the U.S. withdrawal will be followed by a Turkish invasion to slaughter the Kurds is laughable. The Turkish government is focused now on the U.S. withdrawal and making sure that it will clear Syrian territories bordering Turkey from ISIS and the [People’s Protection Units (YPG)]. There will be no tolerance for these groups freely navigating along its borders.” The commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces understand this, which is, in part, why they’ve been engaged in political negotiations with the Assad government for several months. The goal is to bring the SDF back under the control of Damascus—a prospect that Ankara would welcome. As former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford recently noted, Trump’s announcement has actually smoothed “the way for a deal between the SDF and Damascus that would allow Syrian troops to return to eastern Syria in a manner that meets Turkish security concerns and gives no new space to the Islamic State.” More simply, the U.S. withdrawal of its forces from Syria will nudge the Kurdish-led SDF down the road to Damascus—which is where they were going anyway. There’s no question that Trump’s withdrawal decision has roiled official Washington, spurring the resignations of Mattis and McGurk, but the end-of-the-world scenario painted by Trump’s chorus of critics—that the Mattis resignation would be followed by many others, for example—has not happened. The reason might well be that there are many more officials in the foreign-policy establishment who agree with what Trump has done—and that, perhaps, the job of “restraining some of Trump’s worst instincts” shouldn’t be left in the hands of America’s generals.[SEP]The United States has no timeline for the withdrawal of American troops from Syria but does not plan to stay indefinitely, a senior State Department official says. US-backed forces are still retaking territory from Islamic State in Syria, Pentagon officials say, two weeks after President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the roughly 2,000 US troops in Syria. The administration's abrupt announcement last month, which took officials in Washington and allies by surprise, contributed to Jim Mattis' decision to resign as defense secretary and prompted concern that Islamic State could stage a comeback. "We have no timeline for our military forces to withdraw from Syria," said the State Department official, who asked not to be identified. "It will be done in such a way that we and our allies and partners maintain pressure on ISIS throughout and we do not open up any vacuums for terrorists." The United States did not intend to have an indefinite military presence in Syria, the official added. US officials say it could take several months to carry out a withdrawal, potentially giving time for US-backed forces to deal parting blows to the militant group that once held broad swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would get out of Syria slowly "over a period of time" and would protect U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in the country as Washington draws down troops. Trump also said it was up to other countries to fight Islamic State, including Russia and Iran, and said that Islamic State was down to its last remaining bits of territory in Syria. "We're hitting the hell out of them, the ISIS people," Trump said. White House national security adviser John Bolton will also travel to Israel and Turkey in the coming days.[SEP]WASHINGTON (AP) — Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense… WASHINGTON (AP) — Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest over President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security figures. McGurk described Trump’s decision as a “shock.” Only 11 days ago, McGurk had said it would be “reckless” to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home. McGurk decided to speed up his original plan to leave his post in mid-February. “The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy,” he said in an email to his staff viewed by The Associated Press. “It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences.” Trump’s announcement of the withdrawal “left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered with no plan in place or even considered thought as to consequences,” the email went on. Appointed to the post by President Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump, McGurk said in his resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the militants were on the run, but not yet defeated, and that the premature pullout of U.S. forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS. The resignation letter to Pompeo was submitted Friday and described to the AP on Saturday by an official familiar with its contents. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly before the letter was released and spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump played down the development, tweeting Saturday night that “I do not know” the envoy and it’s a “nothing event.” He noted McGurk planned to leave soon anyway and added: “Grandstander?” Shortly after news of McGurk’s resignation broke, Trump again defended his decision to pull all of the roughly 2,000 U.S. forces from Syria in the coming weeks. “We were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago – we never left,” Trump tweeted. “When I became President, ISIS was going wild. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. We’re coming home!” Although the civil war in Syria has gone on since 2011, the U.S. did not begin launching airstrikes against IS until September 2014, and American troops did not go into Syria until 2015. McGurk, whose resignation is effective Dec. 31, was planning to leave the job in mid-February after a U.S.-hosted meeting of foreign ministers from the coalition countries, but he felt he could continue no longer after Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria and Mattis’ resignation. In his email to his staff, McGurk said: “I worked this week to help manage some of the fallout, but — as many of you heard in my many meetings and phone calls — I ultimately concluded that I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity at the same time.” Trump’s declaration of a victory over IS has been roundly contradicted by his own experts’ assessments, and his decision to pull troops out was widely denounced by members of Congress, who called his action rash. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in the administration, announced on Thursday that he will leave by the end of February. He told Trump in a letter that he was departing because “you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours.” The withdrawal decision will fulfill Trump’s goal of bringing troops home from Syria, but military leaders have pushed back for months, arguing that the IS group remains a threat and could regroup in Syria’s long-running civil war. U.S. policy has been to keep troops in place until the extremists are eradicated. Among officials’ key concerns is that a U.S. pullout will leave U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces vulnerable to attacks by Turkey, the Syrian government and remaining IS fighters. The SDF, a Kurdish-led force, is America’s only military partner in Syria McGurk said at a State Department briefing on Dec. 11 that “it would be reckless if we were just to say, ‘Well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now.'” McGurk, 45, previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran. During the negotiations for the Iran nuclear deal by the Obama administration, he led secret side talks with Tehran on the release of Americans imprisoned there. McGurk was briefly considered for the post of ambassador to Iraq after having served as a senior official covering Iraq and Afghanistan during President George W. Bush’s administration. A former Supreme Court law clerk to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, McGurk worked as a lawyer for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and joined Bush’s National Security Council staff, where in 2007 and 2008, he was the lead U.S. negotiator on security agreements with Iraq. Taking over for now for McGurk will be his deputy, retired Lt. Gen. Terry Wolff, who served three tours of active duty in Iraq. IS militants still hold a string of villages and towns along the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, where they have resisted weeks of attacks by the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces to drive them out. The pocket is home to about 15,000 people, among them 2,000 IS fighters, according to U.S. military estimates. But that figure could be as high as 8,000 militants, if fighters hiding out in the deserts south of the Euphrates River are also counted, according to according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through networks of local informants. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]This post was originally published on this site WORLD NEWS 'No timeline for US withdrawal from Syria': State Dept. official https://linewsradio.com/no-timeline-for-us-withdrawal-from-syria-state-dept-official/ http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/ omersukrugoksu/iStock(WASHINGTON) — As of now, there’s “no timeline for military forces to withdraw” from Syria, a senior State Department official said Friday, adding to the repeatedly changing administration accounts concerning President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to pull all U.S. troops out of the war-ravaged country. At the same time, officials reiterated the Trump administration “does not intend to have an indefinite military presence in Syria,” and that the president’s decision to withdraw was still intact. The officials were briefing reporters ahead of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to the Middle East starting Tuesday, visiting eight countries in seven days as he seeks to reassure Arab allies about the U.S. withdrawal and galvanize support to continue the administration’s campaigns against ISIS and Iran. The officials said a Syria withdrawal would be done “in a deliberate, heavily coordinated way with allies and partners” in order to “maintain pressure on ISIS throughout and … not open any vacuums for terrorists to exploit.” Trump originally said 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria would be leaving “now” and ABC News and other news organizations initially reported that the Pentagon was making plans for withdrawal that could happen within 30 days. After withering criticism of his decision, including from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and others in his own party, Trump told troop in Iraq that the withdrawal would be “deliberate and orderly.” The New York Times reported Dec. 31 that the latest pullout plan would take about four months, a timeline Trump denied having said on Wednesday. Two U.S. officials told ABC News a few days earlier that the plan at that point called for a process that could take several months. At the Friday briefing, the State Department officials pushed back on what they called the “narrative” that the U.S. is withdrawing from the Middle East, giving up on countering ISIS. “The U.S. is not leaving the Middle East,” said one senior official, referring to “false reports around the Syria withdrawal.” “We’re not going anywhere,” the officials added.[SEP]US President Donald Trump’s administration has “no timeline” for withdrawal of forces from Syria, the State Department said Friday. “We have no timeline for our military forces to withdraw from Syria,” a senior State Department official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told reporters Friday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed Thursday the growing fears for US-allied Kurdish fighters in northern Syria as he defended President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw from the war-battered country. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up “The importance of ensuring that the Turks don’t slaughter the Kurds, the protection of religious minorities there in Syria. All of those things are still part of the American mission set,” Pompeo told Newsmax, a US news and opinion site popular with conservatives. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned over Trump’s withdrawal order, angering the president who nonetheless later indicated he would slow down the planned exit. Pompeo in the interview said that the withdrawal would go ahead but he would not give a more precise timeline so as not to tip off US adversaries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to rid Syria of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which he sees as linked to the Kurdish Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a bloody insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. The Kurdish fighters formed the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, who with Washington’s backing have battled the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group and seized about a quarter of Syria. Syria’s government said Wednesday that the YPG fighters have left Manbij, a key city seized from IS near the Turkish border, in light of the planned US pullout. Trump, who declared that US troops were no longer needed as IS was defeated, spoke to Erdogan before his troop decision. But Pompeo said the United States still had “real concerns” with Erdogan, including on detentions of US citizens. “There are lots of places where we need to work with President Erdogan and the Turkish leadership to get good outcomes for the United States,” Pompeo said. National security adviser John Bolton and the US pointman on Syria, Jim Jeffrey, are both due to hold talks next week in Turkey.

The United States Department of State announces that U.S. Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey also assumes the position of Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, succeeding Brett McGurk. Separately, a State Department official says that there is no timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

© Getty/Mark Schiefelbein-Pool Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to prepare for battle on Friday, as Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen called for international support to defend the island’s democracy amid renewed threats of unification from the mainland. Xi’s comments were made during a meeting with top officials from the Central Military Commission (CMC). “All military units must correctly understand major national security and development trends, and strengthen their sense of unexpected hardship, crisis and battle,” he said, according to the South China Morning Post. “[China must] prepare for a comprehensive military struggle from a new starting point… Preparation for war and combat must be deepened to ensure an efficient response in times of emergency," Xi said. The comments come just days after Xi declared that Taiwan is absolutely a part of China, encouraged unification between the two territories and reserved the right to use force to bring the self-ruled island under the mainland's control. Tsai condemned Xi’s comments and rejected the Chinese President’s “one country, two systems” proposal, telling reporters in Taipei: “We hope that the international community takes it seriously and can voice support and help us.” If a democratic country under threat does not receive assistance, “we might have to ask which country might be next?” Tsai said. Last March, Xi Jinping echoed the same sentiment at the National People’s Congress, where he warned Taiwan that those who wish to split China will be “doomed to fail” and will experience “the punishment of history.” Taiwan became a self-governed island in 1949 following a bloody civil war, though it is still officially considered the Republic of China. Chinese leaders have placed regaining control of the wayward province on the agenda since the founding of the People’s Republic around 70 years ago. However, Taipei has shown no interest in being governed by Beijing’s ruling Communist Party. China’s hostility towards the island has strengthened since Tsai and the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party triumphed the 2016 presidential elections. The mainland has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Despite fears of an invasion, exacerbated by combat drills near Taiwan, SOAS University of London’s China Institute director and political scientist Steve Tsang told Newsweek last year that the PLA is unlikely to launch a military attack unless a deal is in place with the Trump administration to prevent U.S. interference. “China does not have the capability to do it in the next five years. If they did, an invasion could lose them most of their frontline, advanced equipment and troops in the process," he said.[SEP]Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen says she is open to cross-strait talks but only if Beijing promotes democracy and renounces the use of force against the island. Photo: Bloomberg[SEP]TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on Saturday for international support to defend the self-ruled island’s democracy and way of life in the face of renewed threats from China. Tsai’s comments came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping said nobody could change the fact that Taiwan was part of China, and that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should seek “reunification”. “We hope that the international community takes it seriously and can voice support and help us,” Tsai told reporters in Taipei, referring to threats by China to use force to bring Taiwan under its control. If the international community did not support a democratic country that was under threat, “we might have to ask which country might be next,?” Tsai added. Taiwan is China’s most sensitive issue and is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory. Xi has stepped up pressure on the democratic island since Tsai from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party became president in 2016. President Xi said on Wednesday that China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control but will strive to achieve peaceful “reunification” with the island. In response, Tsai has said the island would not accept a “one country, two systems” political arrangement with China, while stressing all cross-Strait negotiations needed to be carried out on a government-to-government basis. Tsai on Saturday also urged China to have a “correct understanding” of what Taiwanese think and said actions such as political bullying were unhelpful in cross-strait relations.[SEP]Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on Saturday for international support to defend the self-ruled island's democracy and way of life in the face of renewed threats from China. The comments came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country's armed forces must strengthen their sense of urgency and do everything they can to prepare for battle. "We hope that the international community takes it seriously and can voice support and help us," Tsai told reporters in Taipei, referring to threats by China to use force to bring Taiwan under its control. If the international community did not support a democratic country that was under threat, "We might have to ask which country might be next?" Tsai added. Taiwan is China's most sensitive issue and is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory. Xi has stepped up pressure on the democratic island since Tsai from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party became president in 2016. President Xi said on Wednesday that China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control but will strive to achieve peaceful "reunification" with the island. In response, Tsai has said the island would not accept a "one country, two systems" political arrangement with China, while stressing all negotiations needed to be carried out on a government-to-government basis. Xi's Taiwan speech came just days after US President Donald Trump signed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act into law, reaffirming the US commitment to the island's security. Tsai on Saturday also urged China to have a "correct understanding" of what Taiwanese think and said actions such as political bullying were unhelpful in cross-strait relations. China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war. China is eager to beef up its armed forces amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea and escalating tension with the United States over issues ranging from trade to the status of Taiwan. The official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday Xi told a meeting of the top military brass that China faced increasing risks and challenges, and the armed forces must work to secure its security and development needs. Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the armed forces must devise strategies for the new era and take on responsibilities for preparing and waging war. "The world is facing a period of major changes never seen in a century, and China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development," he was quoted as saying. He said the armed forces needed to be able to respond quickly to emergencies, needed to upgrade their joint operations capabilities, and nurture new types of combat forces.[SEP]Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the country's military to be ready for battle and prepare for military conflict, even as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen yesterday made a call for international support to defend the island's democracy. Mr Xi, speaking at a meeting of China's top brass, the Central Military Commission (CMC), had said last Friday that China was facing increasing risks and challenges. "The world is facing a period of major changes never seen in a century and China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development," he was reported as saying. He stressed that the military needed to deepen planning and preparations for war and battle, in order to ensure that if situations arose, it would be able to quickly and effectively deal with them, state news agency Xinhua reported. Mr Xi's comments came just days after he remarked that China reserved the right to use force to achieve reunification with Taiwan, even as it strives to achieve this goal via peaceful means. He had said then that reunification with the self-ruled island, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, was inevitable. His latest comments to the CMC also come amid escalating tensions with the United States over issues including Taiwan's status and trade. Last Friday, Xinhua reported that Mr Xi - who is also chairman of the CMC - called on the military units to "correctly understand major national security and development trends, strengthen their sense of urgency, crisis and battle, and firmly do the work of preparing for military conflict". He also signed off on the CMC's first order of 2019 to launch the start of a year of military training. Since Ms Tsai, who is from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, became Taiwan's President in 2016, Beijing has been increasing pressure on the self-ruled island. It suspects that Ms Tsai wants to push for Taiwan's formal independence, which is a red line for Beijing. Meanwhile, Ms Tsai yesterday responded to China's continued threats, calling on the international community to support and defend Taiwan's democracy and way of life. "We hope that the international community takes it seriously, and can voice support and help us," Reuters reported Ms Tsai as saying, as she addressed China's threats to use force to bring Taiwan under its control. Yesterday, the South China Morning Post reported that Ms Tsai was asked if her administration would want talks with Beijing. She responded by saying Taiwan did not oppose talks, but Beijing must "move towards democracy, protect human rights and renounce the use of force against us". Shanghai-based military expert Ni Lexiong told The Sunday Times that Mr Xi's speech to the CMC was another clear sign to Taiwan of Beijing's firm position on the issue of reunification. "This is an important moment and China wants to show that its attitude is firm and clear," said Mr Ni. Beijing-based security analyst of Beihang University, Professor Wang Xiangsui, noted that since assuming the chairmanship of the CMC in 2012, President Xi had made repeated orders for the People's Liberation Army to raise its combat-readiness. This was a response against the increasing security challenges facing China, including the United States' view of the country as a strategic competitor and the goal of reunification of the country. He noted that Taiwan still thinks it can resist reunification with military force and has been buying military equipment to maintain the balance with China. "So (for Mr Xi) to give these commands to the military, is a natural response to these challenges posed by Taiwan," said Prof Wang.[SEP]Taiwan’s hard core pro-independence camp has warned the self-ruled island is facing an “imminent crisis” and called on President Tsai Ing-wen to drop her ambitions for a second term and take a back seat role for the rest of her government’s time in office. Four senior figures from the hardline faction of Tsai’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) endorsed an open letter, published on Thursday in several local newspapers, which warned of a party split if she insisted on standing again. The four signatories – Peng Ming-mun, Wu Li-pei, Lee Yuan-tseh and Kao Chun-ming – are veteran pro-independence activists whose faction within the DPP has long shown its displeasure with Tsai for her relatively soft position on independence. The incendiary letter was published a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping said it was time for Beijing and Taipei to start talks on unification and the adoption of “one country, two systems” in Taiwan, a stance which was roundly rejected by Tsai. In what analysts said was clear evidence the two leaders were now playing a zero-sum game, Tsai said Taiwan would not accept the “one country, two systems” model and that it was opposed by majority opinion. She also said no individuals or parties could represent the government in talks with the mainland. The open letter called the current situation extremely severe and difficult for the DPP, due to its crushing defeat in the November local elections, in which the party lost 2 million votes and seven of the 13 cities and counties it used to control, including Kaohsiung, its stronghold in southern Taiwan. The Kuomintang (KMT) victory in the local elections was equivalent to Taiwan opening up to the mainland, as the heads of local governments from north to south were now from the mainland-friendly KMT, the letter said. It said if Tsai insisted in running, not only she would face a bitter defeat, but the party would split because other, more qualified, party members – who no longer have trust and confidence in Tsai – would challenge her in next year’s elections. The hard core camp would have no option but to support those people, the letter continued. China’s reunification of Taiwan: are Taipei and Beijing locked in a zero-sum game? “Our appeals are very clear: First, President Tsai must give up her ambition to seek a second term and announce that she would only serve one term. “Second, the president must hand over her executive power and retreat to the backstage to allow the premier to assume his duty of forming his own cabinet in line with the constitution.” Presidential spokesman Alex Huang said the most serious thing to do at this time was to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty, rather than discussing next year’s elections. “No one can decide who to run and who shouldn’t run. It’s the democratic mechanism which has the last say,” he said. In Beijing, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office, lashed out at Tsai for rejecting Xi’s calls for unification. “What Tsai said is a naked announcement of the separatist’s state-to-state theory, which not only goes against the wishes of the people of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also intensifies the confrontation between the two sides and sabotages cross-strait peaceful development,” he said. Ma said Tsai must self-reflect after the DPP’s crushing defeat instead of continuing to promote a confrontational policy towards the mainland. “One country, two systems …. is the best solution for cross-strait unification issue,” he said. Taiwan and the mainland have been divided since Kuomintang, or Chinese Nationalist, ­forces were defeated by the Communists and retreated to the island in 1949, at the end of China’s civil war. In the 70 years since, relations across the strait have been tense, with the threat of military ­confrontation ever present.[SEP]Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen vowed on Saturday to defend the self-ruled island’s democracy and way of life, amid renewed tension with giant neighbour China, which threatens to bring Taiwan under its rule by force. Tsai’s comments came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping said nobody could change the fact that Taiwan was part of China, and that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should seek “reunification”. In response, Tsai has said the island would not accept a “one country, two systems” political arrangement with China, while stressing all cross-Strait negotiations needed to be carried out on a government-to-government basis.[SEP]President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan responded vigorously to a speech this week by Chinese Communist Party chief Xi Jinping announcing that China would no longer tolerate Taiwan’s sovereignty, urging Xi to “bravely move towards democracy” and “face the reality of the existence of the Republic of China.” In his speech on Tuesday, Xi called Taiwanese independence a “dead end” and warned that, in 2019, China would no longer accept the status quo. “We make no promise to abandon the use of force, and retain the option of taking all necessary measures,” he warned. Tsai, speaking on Wednesday, responded by lamenting that China has consistently rejected the democratic values that, according to her, define the national identity of Taiwan and condemned China for spending much of 2018 attempting to bribe Taiwan’s allies away from recognizing the nation’s sovereignty. “Democratic values are the values and way of life that Taiwanese cherish, and we call upon China to bravely move towards democracy,” Tsai declared. “This is the only way they can truly understand Taiwanese people’s ideas and commitments.” Tsai called on China to “face the reality of the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and not deny the democratic system that the people of Taiwan have established together.” She insisted that Taiwan “absolutely will not accept ‘one country, two systems,'” the policy in place for Hong Kong, which nominally allows Hong Kong to remain democratic but technically deprives it of sovereignty. Xi’s regime has increasingly crippled Hong Kong’s ability to govern itself under “one country, two systems” by banning political candidates anathema to the Communist Party’s interest from running for office. Tsai also implied that China’s behavior towards Taiwan, particularly since she took over as president in 2016, had brought it international embarrassment. “I want to remind the Beijing authorities that a superpower must act with the demeanor and take the responsibility of a superpower,” she noted, “and international society is watching China to see if it can make changes and become a trustworthy partner.” “Pressuring international corporations to change their designation for Taiwan won’t bring about a spiritual union, nor will buying off Taiwan’s diplomatic allies or circling Taiwan with military aircraft and naval vessels,” Tsai concluded. The latter remark referred to China’s policy of using “sharp power,” or economic intimidation, to force international corporations to accept its worldview. Throughout 2018, companies such as Ikea, American Airlines, and Marriott faced the brunt of “sharp power,” forced to choose between identifying Taiwan as a country in their legal papers, websites, and drop-down menus or losing access to the massive Chinese market. Three major airlines in the United States ultimately changed their fight booking options to stop identifying Taiwan as a country even as the U.S. government dismissed China’s bullying as “nonsense” and urged them not to do so. Marriott, in one notable instance, fired a social media manager for “liking” a Twitter post by a group called “Friends of Tibet,” which opposes communism. China has also used its “Belt and Road” initiative (BRI, or One Belt, One Road) to offer high-interest loans to nations that maintain friendly relations with Taiwan, notably in Latin America. Nations like the Dominican Republic and El Salvador announced last year they no longer recognized Taiwan’s sovereignty after lucrative business meetings with Beijing’s representatives. An enraged Tsai warned the world in August that China’s “increasingly out of control” behavior was “not only a threat to cross-strait peace … [but] caused high levels of global instability.” Tsai’s speech on Wednesday followed new year’s remarks from Xi Jinping warning that 2019 would be the last year China would tolerate Taiwan’s existence. “Reunification is a historical trend and it is the right path. Taiwan independence is an adverse current of history and is a dead end,” Xi announced. “The issue of Taiwan is part of China’s domestic politics. It is a core interest of China, and the … feelings of the Chinese people, and foreign interference is intolerable.” He added that Chinese officials “make no promise to abandon the use of force” to end Taiwan’s independence. Asked about the aggressive remarks on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang claimed to reporters that Xi was not speaking for China, but for the world. Xi “made it very clear in his speech that adherence to the one-China principle is a consensus shared by the international community,” Lu said. “The international community generally understands and supports the just cause of the Chinese people in opposing ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and realizing national reunification.” “We make no promise to renounce the use of force. This does not target compatriots in Taiwan, but the interference of external forces and the very small number of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists and their activities,” he added, likely alluding to the United States as an “external force” against Beijing’s interests on the matter. The threat of use of force is not new for Xi’s regime. In October, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said during remarks to the press that “if someone tries to separate out Taiwan, China’s military will take the necessary actions at any cost.” Two months later, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly deployed a significantly larger fleet of naval vessels to the Taiwan Strait, presumably to surround Taiwan’s military and intimidate U.S. ships in the area. The Chinese Foreign Ministry argued this was necessary because a U.S. Navy ship had traveled through the sovereign Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea, which China has illegally claimed for itself.[SEP]TAIPEI, TAIWAN—President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan on Saturday called for domestic and international support of the island’s de facto independence, days after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, warned that unification with China was inevitable. “It is impossible for me or, in my view, any responsible politician in Taiwan to accept President Xi Jinping’s recent remarks without betraying the trust and the will of the people of Taiwan,” Tsai said in a briefing for foreign reporters. “We hope the international community will pay attention and combine efforts to speak out on our behalf,” she said. Xi’s speech, his first major address on Taiwan, has given Tsai a chance to position herself as the young democracy’s defender, both to the outside world and to voters who will decide next year whether she stays in office. Her party was battered in local elections in November, but since Xi’s address, there has been a groundswell of support for her on social media and even in publications that tend to oppose her. Tensions between Taiwan and Beijing, which claims the self-governing island as part of Chinese territory, have emerged as one of the region’s flash points. Xi, the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao, reiterated in his speech that Beijing would use force if necessary to prevent Taiwan from seeking formal independence. Xi has been ramping up pressure on Tsai’s administration over her refusal to accept the so-called 1992 consensus — a vague notion, accepted by Tsai’s predecessor, that posits that Taiwan and China are part of the same country, with each side allowed its own interpretation of what that China is. President Tsai says Taiwanese want to maintain self-rule In his speech, Xi urged Taiwan to avoid a “dead end” and accept his offer of the “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong has operated since Britain returned it to Chinese rule in 1997. But many people in Hong Kong and elsewhere — not least in Taiwan — believe that Hong Kong’s promised freedoms have been eroding under Xi’s rule. “I myself expect all of Taiwan’s political parties to clearly state, ‘We reject “one country, two systems,’” Tsai said Saturday.[SEP]TAIPEI, TAIWAN—President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan on Saturday called for domestic and international support of the island's de facto independence, days after China's leader, Xi Jinping, warned that unification with China was inevitable. "It is impossible for me or, in my view, any responsible politician in Taiwan to accept President Xi Jinping's recent remarks without betraying the trust and the will of the people of Taiwan," Tsai said in a briefing for foreign reporters. "We hope the international community will pay attention and combine efforts to speak out on our behalf," she said. Xi's speech, his first major address on Taiwan, has given Tsai a chance to position herself as the young democracy's defender, both to the outside world and to voters who will decide next year whether she stays in office. Her party was battered in local elections in November, but since Xi's address, there has been a groundswell of support for her on social media and even in publications that tend to oppose her.

Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping orders the country's armed forces to be ready for battle following President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-wen's call for international support to defend the self-ruled island’s democracy after rejecting of the one country, two systems principle.

A devoted father stabbed to death on board a train had been on his way to London to celebrate his birthday with his 14-year-old son, his family revealed today. Lee Pomeroy, would have been 52-yesterday, but died on Friday afternoon when he was stabbed in the neck during a brief argument with a fellow passenger on a train in Surrey. Mr Pomeroy, an IT consultant, who lived with his wife, Svetlana, and teenage son in Guildford, was described as an honourable man who was always willing to help those in trouble. In a statement, his devastated family said: “Lee took his son on a trip to London hoping to spend some quality time with him which was cut short by an horrific and pointless attack. The statement went on: “Lee would have had his birthday today but did not get to see his presents. He was an honest, bright person, who loved music very much, he knew history and art and he was a bachelor of science in Maths.[SEP]The suspect being sought over the stabbing of a man on a train in Surrey has been arrested along with another person, British Transport Police said. The victim, 51, was on the 12.58 from Guildford, in Surrey, to London Waterloo when he suffered the fatal injury in front of terrified commuters. He had been travelling with his 14-year-old son yesterday, who is also believed to have witnessed his father's murder. Police say the suspect left the train at Clandon station and headed in the direction of Dedswell Drive. The train then pulled into Horsley station. Supt Paul Langley, of British Transport Police, said in a statement last night: “Tragically, as a result of this stabbing, a man believed to be 51 years old, was pronounced dead on board the train. Early indications suggest he received multiple stab wounds to his body. “What we know, at the moment, is the victim boarded the train at around 1pm at London Road station in Guildford, along with his 14-year-old son. “Traumatically, the victim’s son would have been nearby when his father was fatally wounded. “We know that the suspect also boarded the service at London Road station, however... we do not believe they are known to each other.” Police said he is a black man, in his 20s to 30s, 6ft tall and of slim build with a beard, believed to be dressed in black, with white trainers. Officers remained in Clandon and Horsley as they tried to trace the culprit. A police helicopter circled overheard last night as the hunt for the knifeman continued. One train passenger last night praised rail staff, saying: “I was on this train, how those guards and especially that train driver went into action was nothing short of incredible.” Witnesses said punches were thrown and the victim was then stabbed in the neck. One woman passenger, who asked not to be named, said: “There was a lot of blood everywhere in the carriage. I don’t think the poor chap stood a chance. “The police who were here first started to give him CPR but it was apparently too late to save him and he died while the train was in the station.” The victim’s body was seen being carried over the station footbridge by police and morgue workers.[SEP]Police have launched a murder inquiry after a man was stabbed to death on a train in Surrey. Emergency services were called to Horsley station at 1.15pm. The victim suffered a "fatal stab wound" and died at the scene, police said, despite the "best effort" of officers and paramedics. Officers are now in the Clandon area, attempting to "identify and trace the man responsible for this assault". There have been no arrests so far. The train was travelling between Guildford and London Waterloo. "We know that this was an incredibly frightening incident for passengers travelling on the train," said Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson from British Transport Police.[SEP]Google Street View The suspect involved in Friday's incident departed the train at Clandon station in Surrey, police said. A passenger was stabbed to death during a “shocking and violent attack” on a packed train in Surrey, police said. Officers were called to the South Western Railway service from Guildford to London Waterloo just after 1pm on Friday. The incident was described as “incredibly frightening” for those onboard, with the victim declared dead after desperate attempts by police and paramedics to save his life. The suspect departed the train at Clandon station, detectives added, as a murder investigation is launched. Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson, from British Transport Police (BTP), said: “This was a shocking and violent attack which took place on-board a train in broad daylight. “Officers from BTP are with the family and have deployed a specially trained family liaison officer to support them through this difficult time.[SEP]The suspect being sought for the stabbing of a man on a train in Surrey has been arrested, British Transport Police say. A 51-year-old man died after suffering multiple knife wounds during a "vicious fight" on board a Guildford to London train on Friday afternoon. He was killed in front of his 14-year-old son. The victim and the attacker both got on the train at London Road station in Guildford at about 13:00 GMT. Police believe the pair were not known to each other. Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan told BBC Breakfast: "I can confirm this morning that we have arrested who we believe to be the suspect in relation to this violent offence and also another person involved as well. "Those arrests have taken place in an address in the Surrey area this morning." Mr O'Callaghan described the sequence of events detectives know to have taken place on the train. He said: "We now know from enquiries we've been doing overnight and from witnesses that the two men were involved in a verbal discussion, that discussion lasted three to four minutes. "It moved through one carriage from where they first boarded into another carriage, and that argument escalated to the unprovoked violent attack that sadly resulted in the death." Mr O'Callaghan also said detectives are confident with the arrests they have made and no-one else was being sought in connection with the killing at this time. You may also be interested in:[SEP]The man who was stabbed to death on a train in Surrey in front of his son has been named as Lee Pomeroy. The 51-year-old was traveling from Guildford to London Waterloo station with his 14-year-old son when he was attacked a day before his 52nd birthday. Today his family have paid tribute and said: ‘Lee took his son on a trip to London hoping to spend some quality time with him which was cut short by horrific and pointless attack. ‘Lee would have had his birthday today but did not get to see his presents. He was an honest, bright person, who loved music very much, he knew history and art and he was a bachelor of science in Maths. ‘He was devoted family man and did everything for his family. He was an honourable man and would always help somebody who was in trouble. ‘He was a loving husband and father, he will be deeply missed by all his family.’ Following the attack, the suspect went on the run but he was detained at an address in the Farnham area at around 6am this morning on suspicion of murder. A 27-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and no-one else was being sought in connection with killing. British Transport Police said: ‘The family of a Guildford father, who was killed in a violent assault on board a train yesterday, have paid tribute to him on what would have been his 52nd birthday. ‘Lee Pomeroy, 51, was stabbed multiple times following an altercation on-board a Guildford to London Waterloo train at around 1pm. ‘The married father of one, was on his way into London with his 14-year-old son for a day out when the deadly incident happened. ‘The family are appealing for privacy at this difficult time as they come to terms with their loss.’ BTP Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan said earlier: ‘We now know from inquiries we’ve been doing overnight and from witnesses that the two men were involved in a verbal discussion, that discussion lasted three to four minutes, it moved through one carriage from where they first boarded into another carriage, and that argument escalated to the unprovoked violent attack that sadly resulted in the death.’ ‘The attack happened on the 12.58 service between Guildford and London Waterloo on Friday. ‘The victim boarded the train at around 1pm at London Road station in Guildford with his son. ‘The killer, described as a black man in his 20s to 30s, approximately 6ft tall and of slim build with a beard, also boarded the service at London Road.’ Police say the knifeman left the train at Clandon station and headed in the direction of Dedswell Drive. The train continued to Horsley station where police and paramedics attended. A woman who lives in Clandon reportedly told other villagers that she had spoken to a ‘very sweaty and nervous’ man in a field near her home afterwards. Philip Herrington, the Rector of St Mary’s Church , West Horsley, visited Horsley train station on the afternoon of the attack and the following morning. He said: ‘I thought I’d come and bring some flowers because you don’t really expect anything like this to happen generally, not in a place like this, not on a midday train.’ ‘It’s totally lamentable what happened and particularly for the young son to have witnessed what he witnessed.’ This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more follows.[SEP]These are external links and will open in a new window A man has been stabbed to death in front of horrified passengers on board a train in Surrey. British Transport Police (BTP) said the man was stabbed on board the 12:58 Guildford to London Waterloo service. An eyewitnesses has told the BBC that there was a "vicious fight" on a London-bound service. The train is currently being held at Horsley railway station, in the village of East Horsley, and emergency services remain at the scene. Officers have launched a search for a murder suspect in the surrounding area. It is believed the offender left the train at Clandon railway station. Police said a number of officers were now in the Clandon area trying to find the man responsible. Det Supt Gary Richardson said it was a "shocking and violent attack which took place on board a train in broad daylight". He said it was an "incredibly frightening" incident for passengers on the train. Police believe the suspect and victim boarded the train at London Road at 13:01 GMT. He said: "We would encourage who was on this train to come forward regardless of whether or not they think they can help." No arrests have been made. South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed crews were called to the station at about 13:30 and were joined by police and the Surrey Air Ambulance. A statement issued by the ambulance trust said: "Despite the best efforts of everyone, a man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene." Rail services are suspended between Guildford and Effingham Junction. South Western Trains have tweeted that the line towards Waterloo is blocked. A statement on the SWT website said: "We have been informed that the police are dealing with an incident between Clandon and Horsley. You may also be interested in: • 'My mum killed my dad but I want her freed' "Until the police have carried out their investigations the line between Guildford towards Effingham Junction is currently blocked." Replacement bus services are being brought in.[SEP]A manhunt was under way last night after a man was stabbed to death in front of his 14-year-old son on a train. Police said that the victim was thought to be 51 and had multiple wounds. He had boarded the 12.58pm service to London Waterloo from Guildford in Surrey. The suspect got on at the same station but he and the victim were not thought to have known each other. Witnesses described a “vicious fight” that left pools of blood in the carriage. The suspect left the train at Clandon station, also in Surrey. The train was stopped and evacuated at Horsley, the next stop, where up to 30 passengers alighted as paramedics tried to revive the victim.[SEP]A 27-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, police said. Officers attended an address in the Farnham area at around 6am on Saturday where the man, whose age is yet to be confirmed, was detained on suspicion of murder. The suspect being sought over the stabbing of a man on a train in Surrey has been arrested along with another person, British Transport Police said. They added that the victim and the suspect had been involved in an altercation lasting just three minutes after boarding the train, before the victim suffered multiple stab wounds in an episode of “extraordinary violence”. Police said on Saturday that investigators were now confident the incident “was not a random assault”. It was confirmed on Friday evening that the 51-year-old victim of the incident had been travelling onboard the South Western Trains service with his 14-year-old son. SWNS Detectives are continuing to investigate the killing of a 51-year-old onboard a train in Surrey on Friday. Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan told BBC Breakfast that enquiries had found that the two men were involved in a “verbal discussion” which lasted “from three to four minutes” from one carriage to another. “That argument escalated to the unprovoked violent attack that sadly resulted in the death,” O’Callaghan said. Detectives had earlier said the two men were not thought to have known each other, and it is unclear at this stage as to whether this has changed beyond confirmation of the three-minute altercation. “This is, as far as we can see at this moment in time, an incident that has occurred when two men have been talking to one another, opposed to a random attack on a train,” O’Callaghan explained. O’Callaghan said officers were providing specialist support to the son of the victim. He said the man’s son was “present at the start of the argument”, adding: “He was certainly present throughout the aftermath.” “A young boy has been present when his father has lost his life and we are doing all that we can to support where we can,” O’Callaghan added. The incident began just after 1pm on Friday as the London Waterloo-bound service passed through the leafy Surrey commuter belt. Both the suspect and victim boarded the train at London Road station east of Guildford, with the altercation taking place almost immediately after. The suspect fled the train at the next stop, Clandon, and was seen by witnesses running through the small village. Desperate attempts to save the victim were made when the train stopped at the following station, Horsley, before he was pronounced dead at the scene.[SEP]Horsley railway station in Surrey where police battled to save a passenger stabbed on the train to Waterloo ALAMY A knifeman is being hunted in a Home Counties village after a passenger was stabbed to death on a London-bound train at lunchtime today. Detectives were called to Horsley station in Surrey after reports that a man had been stabbed shortly before 1pm on a South Western train from Guildford to Waterloo. Officers are scouring Clandon, the village where the train stopped before arriving at Horsley, in their hunt for the attacker. British Transport Police (BTP) said that officers and paramedics could not save the man, who died at the scene. Detectives have begun a murder investigation. Natalie Jones, a passenger, wrote on Twitter: “I was on this train, how those guards and especially that train driver went into action was nothing short of incredible.…

A 51-year-old man is stabbed to death on a train in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.

Torrance, California (CNN) A shooting at a bowling alley late Friday left three men dead and four people wounded in Southern California, and police are trying to find whoever fired the shots, authorities said. The gunshots at the Gable House Bowl in Torrance went off just before midnight. A fight -- first involving young ladies, then men -- happened shortly beforehand, sending people running, a witness said. "Then ... maybe a minute and a half later, all of the sudden all we heard was, pop, pop, pop," the witness, Dana Scott, told RMG News. "Bowlers were diving under the benches. The people that were still bowling on the lanes were on the floors, underneath the seats." "People were looking for their parents, because this is a family league. You've got mothers, fathers, sons, daughters ... everybody's friends in that league," she said. No arrests were immediately reported after the shooting. City police were "working to identify the suspect(s) involved," they said in a news release. Read More[SEP]Three people have died and four have been injured in a shooting incident at a bowling alley in California, police say. Three people have died and four have been injured in a shooting incident at a bowling alley in California, police say. Three dead, four injured after shooting at California bowling alley The Torrance Police Department said in a tweet there were "reports of shots fired with multiple victims down" at Gable House Bowl. Police are urging people to "stay away from the area" near the bowling alley. Gable House is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and a full arcade. Torrance, California, is a coastal city about 20 miles from Los Angeles.[SEP] • Three people are dead and four are injured after a gunman opened fire in a California bowling alley on Saturday. • Police in Torrance, California confirmed "shots fired with multiple victims down" at Gable House Bowl. • They are urging people to stay away from the area. • A witness told the LA Times a fight inside the bar escalated which led to the shooting. • An officer also said a shooting took place in the parking lot. US police are dealing with a mass shooting at a California bowling alley which has left three people dead and four injured. Police in Torrance, California confirmed shots had rang out at Gable House Bowl. It is not clear if that is the definitive number of victims and the nature of the injuries was not detailed. Torrance police tweeted: "Reports of shots fired with multiple victims down. T P D is on scene. Investigation is ongoing." Police are urging people to "stay away from the area" near the bowling alley. Torrance fire department also confirmed the incident and warned people away from the vicinity of it. Torrance police officers investigate a shooting at the Gable House Bowl in Torrance on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. Early reports are that three people have been killed and four others injured in the shooting that followed a fight at the bowling alley. Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images According to witness, speaking to the LA Times, a fight inside the bar escalated which led to the shooting. A journalist for the paper reported a man told him their 31-year-old brother had been shot in the chest while celebrating a birthday at the scene. Witness D Ryon Thomas posted horrific video on Facebook in the aftermath of the shooting which showed one bloodied victim lying on the floor of the bowling alley. He wrote online: "Gunshot fired. I'm okay just my few scraping on my legs. I heard ppl died n injured. I was distance away but people ran in our room. The women weeping and wailing in the background makes me sad." Audio of police officers discussing the shooting, described as a "major incident" with their control room. They spoke of "multiple callers", "multiple people shot" and "gunshot wounds". One voice on the call said: "This is an active shooter situation. "We have multiple subjects down inside and outside Gable House." An officer also said there had been a shooting in the parking lot, while there were said to be around three or five people down. Torrance police officers investigate a shooting at the Gable House Bowl in Torrance on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. Early reports are that three people have been killed and four others injured in the shooting that followed a fight at the bowling alley. Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze via Getty Images Another three people were said to be "hiding in the bathroom". Gable House Bowl patron Jesus Perez told the Los Angeles Times he heard what sounded like four gunshots. "We just ran right into the bar and took cover. All we heard was just, like two people got shot," he told the newspaper. An LA Times journalist shared videos of people weeping outside the alley, with one shouting "we're here" as they embraced another. The bowling alley is based on Hawthorne Boulevard, with people warned away from there and nearby Sepulveda Boulevard in particular. Gable House is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and a full arcade. Torrance, California, is a coastal city about 20 miles from Los Angeles. A woman living near to the bowling alley, writing on Twitter, said: "I live in Redondo Beach & drive by Gable House all the time. It's been there since I was a child. "It's an institution. This is heartbreaking. People think shootings only happen in other towns. They can happen anywhere. It's time to talk about commonsense gun laws."[SEP]By The Associated Press TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a deadly shooting at a California bowling alley (all times local): 5:10 a.m. Police say three men were shot and killed in a fight at a bowling alley… TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a deadly shooting at a California bowling alley (all times local): Police say three men were shot and killed in a fight at a bowling alley in Torrance, California, a coastal Los Angeles suburb. Officials responded to the early Saturday morning shooting at Gable House Bowl, a gaming venue that offers bowing, laser tag and an arcade. Witnesses say the shooting stemmed from a fight between two large groups of people at the bowling alley. A 29-year-old Torrance man said he was there with his 13-year-old niece and cousin when he saw the fight break out. He said it lasted about five minutes and devolved into “complete chaos.” He said he heard more than a dozen gunshots. Authorities say four additional male victims were taken to hospitals but their conditions were unknown. Police have not released any more information. Police are responding to a shooting early Saturday morning with multiple victims at a bowling alley in Torrance, California. The Torrance Police Department says in a tweet there were “reports of shots fired with multiple victims down” at Gable House Bowl. Police are urging people to “stay away from the area” near the bowling alley. Gable House is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and a full arcade. Torrance, California, is a coastal city about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Los Angeles. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.[SEP]iStock/Thinkstock(TORRANCE, Calif.) — Three people were killed and four other injured in a shooting at a bowling alley in Torrance, California, late Friday evening. The shooting stemmed from a fight that took place between a group of people at Gable House bowling alley, according to eyewitnesses on the scene. “Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple subjects with gunshot wounds inside the location,” Torrance police said in a statement. “Officers began life-saving measures which included CPR and the use of a defibrillator.” In addition to the three dead at the scene, four others were treated for injuries. Two men were transported to the hospital by ambulance, while two others “opted to seek their own medical attention.” “There was a big group of people, seemed like they were having fun earlier,” eyewitness Dana Scott said. “People were laughing, having a good time, next thing we know there was a fight and it was the girls. … So they were yelling and cussing and fighting and people were on the floor and then some young men got into the fight. … Probably not even a good minute later, we heard gunshots. “People started running to the back of the bowling alley and on the floor and between the lanes and between the cushions and the benches. … It was nothing good to see.” Torrance Police Department said it responded to the scene at 11:54 p.m. They had tweeted just after midnight, “Reports of shots fired with multiple victims down.” An investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and it is unclear whether any shooter or shooters are on the loose. Torrance is about 20 miles south of Los Angeles.[SEP]A late-night fight at a California bowling alley turned deadly Friday night, killing three men and injuring four. The Torrance Police Department responded to calls of "shots fired" at the Gable House Bowl shortly before midnight. Multiple victims were found with gunshot wounds inside Gable House Bowl, which is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and a full arcade. Police said three men died at the scene and four male victims were injured, two of whom were transported to a local hospital for unknown injuries. The other two injured victims sought out their own medical attention. Authorities have not released details about what led to the shooting, but witnesses said it stemmed from a fight between two large groups of people at the bowling alley. Wes Hamad, a 29-year-old Torrance resident, was at the bowling alley with his 13-year-old niece and cousin when he saw a "huge fight" break out. Hamad said the brawl, which lasted about five minutes, blocked the entrance of Gable House Bowl and devolved into "complete chaos." "I grabbed my niece and started running towards the far end of the bowling alley," he said. "As we were running, we heard 15 shots." As he was leaving, Hamad said he saw a woman weeping over a man who was riddled with multiple gunshot wounds in his head and neck. Torrance, California, is a coastal city about 20 miles (32 kilometres) from Los Angeles.[SEP]Three are dead and four injured after a shooting at a Southern California bowling alley early Saturday morning. The shooting took place in Torrance, California — about 20 miles from Los Angeles — due to an argument in the Gable House Bowl bowling alley, according to USA Today. Police responded to a report of shots fired and arrived on the scene after the gunfire had ceased. An eyewitness report said that “bowlers were diving under benches,” according to CNN. TRENDING: Conservative Radio Host Michael Savage Goes to Secret Location After Disturbing Death Threat “The people that were still bowling on the lanes were on the floors, underneath the seats, behind the benches,” witness Dana Scott said. “People were looking for their parents, because this is a family league,” she added. “You’ve got mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, everybody’s friends in that league.” According to Wes Hamand, a 29-year-old Torrance resident who was present at the time with his 13-year-old niece and cousin, the altercation started when a “huge fight” began between some of the patrons, the New York Post reported. Hamad said that the fight lasted about five minutes and blocked the entrance to the Gable House Bowl, eventually devolving into “complete chaos.” “I grabbed my niece and started running towards the far end of the bowling alley,” he said. “As we were running, we heard 15 shots.” Hamand also recounted seeing a woman crying over a man who had suffered multiple gunshots in his head and neck. “Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple subjects with gunshot wounds inside the location,” a Torrance Police Department news release stated, according to CNN. “Officers began life-saving measures which included CPR and the use of a defibrillator. The Torrance Fire Department also treated individuals at the scene.” Names of the slain and injured have not been released, and no arrests were immediately reported. The Torrance Police Department said that it was “working to identify the suspect(s) involved.” California Sen. Kamala Harris responded to the incident with an apparent call for stronger gun control. ““My heart breaks for the victims of the shooting in Torrance and their loved ones,” Harris tweeted. Thank you to the law enforcement & first responders on the scene. We must do more to address gun violence. Americans should be able to go to a bowling alley and be safe.” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.[SEP]The Latest on a deadly shooting at a California bowling alley (all times local): Police say three men were shot and killed in a fight at a bowling alley in Torrance, California, a coastal Los Angeles suburb. Officials responded to the early Saturday morning shooting at Gable House Bowl, a gaming venue that offers bowing, laser tag and an arcade. Witnesses say the shooting stemmed from a fight between two large groups of people at the bowling alley. A 29-year-old Torrance man said he was there with his 13-year-old niece and cousin when he saw the fight break out. He said it lasted about five minutes and devolved into "complete chaos." He said he heard more than a dozen gunshots. Authorities say four additional male victims were taken to hospitals but their conditions were unknown. Police have not released any more information. Police are responding to a shooting early Saturday morning with multiple victims at a bowling alley in Torrance, California. The Torrance Police Department says in a tweet there were "reports of shots fired with multiple victims down" at Gable House Bowl. Police are urging people to "stay away from the area" near the bowling alley. Gable House is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and a full arcade. Torrance, California, is a coastal city about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Los Angeles.[SEP]Three men were killed and four others were injured in a Friday night shooting at a bowling alley outside the western U.S. city of Los Angeles. Media reports and eyewitnesses said the shootings stemmed from a fight at the bowling alley in the city of Torrance, about 32 kilometers from Los Angeles. The Torrance Police Department said officers responded to a call and found multiple gunshot victims. They said three men died at the scene and two of the four injured victims were treated at a hospital for. The other two chose to get their own medical attention. Twenty-nine-year-old Torrance resident Wes Hamad was at the bowling alley with his 13-year-old niece and a cousin when the shootings occurred. Hamad said a "huge fight" broke out resulting in "complete chaos." Police said they are searching for suspects and that an investigation is underway.[SEP]× Three dead, four injured in California bowling alley shooting (CNN) Torrance, CA — A shooting at a bowling alley left three men dead and four people injured in Southern California late Friday, authorities said. Police tweeted about gunfire at the Gable House Bowl in Torrance shortly after midnight local time. “Reports of shots fired with multiple victims down,” the Torrance Police Department said. ” TPD is on scene. Investigation is ongoing. Please stay away from the area.” The Gable House Bowl is open until 3 a.m. Saturday mornings, with bowling until midnight followed by “Rock-n-Glow” until closing time. Police responded to the scene at 11:54 p.m. local time, the Torrance Police Department said.

Three people are killed and four others are injured in a mass shooting in a bowling alley in Torrance, California, United States.

Special counsel Robert Mueller (L) arrives at the U.S. Capitol for closed meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee June 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. A federal judge has extended by up to six months the authorization for the grand jury that special counsel Robert Mueller is using to conduct his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other issues, including ones related to people in President Donald Trump's orbit. That original 18-month authorization for the grand jury designated "17-1," which began sitting in July 2017, was set to expire Sunday. "I can confirm that grand jury 17-1 has been extended, can continue to sit," said Lisa Klem, administrative assistant to Judge Beryl Howell, chief judge of U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Under federal rules, a grand jury can serve no longer than 18 months unless the chief judge extends its service by a period of six months or less "upon determination that such extension is in the public interest."[SEP]A federal judge on Friday extended special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury for up to six months, the U.S. District Court in D.C. announced. Mr. Mueller is using the 23-person federal grand jury to conduct his investigation into Russian interference and other matters, leading to the indictment of some of President Trump’s campaign officials. The original 18-month authorization for the grand jury, which began in July 2017, was set to expire Sunday. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the District Court in D.C. granted the extension. Judge Howell does not sit in on the grand jury’s sessions. Under federal rules, a grand jury cannot serve longer than 18 months unless the chief judge extends its service for another six months or less, if it is “in the public interest.” The grand jury’s work is secret. They have been reviewing evidence and hearing testimony from witnesses. Their work has resulted in multiple criminal cases against people connected to Mr. Trump, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. Mr. Trump’s first national security adviser Michael Flynn was also indicted by the grand jury. More at The Washington Times[SEP]A federal judge reportedly has extended by six months the authorization for a grand jury that is being used by special counsel Robert Mueller to conduct his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and related issues. CNN reported Friday that the Judge Beryl Howell, chief judge of U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. has allowed the grand jury to continue sitting until early July. The term of the grand jury, which began reviewing evidence and taking testimony in July 2017, was set to expire Sunday, according to CNN. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment when contacted by CNBC. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.[SEP]A federal judge on Friday extended special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury for up to six months, the U.S. District Court in D.C. announced. Mr. Mueller is using the 23-person federal grand jury to conduct his investigation into Russian interference and other matters, leading to the indictment of some of President Trump’s campaign officials. The original 18-month authorization for the grand jury, which began in July 2017, was set to expire Sunday. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the District Court in D.C. granted the extension. Judge Howell does not sit in on the grand jury’s sessions. Under federal rules, a grand jury cannot serve longer than 18 months unless the chief judge extends its service for another six months or less, if it is “in the public interest.” The grand jury’s work is secret. They have been reviewing evidence and hearing testimony from witnesses. Their work has resulted in multiple criminal cases against people connected to Mr. Trump, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. Mr. Trump’s first national security adviser Michael Flynn was also indicted by the grand jury. All three have pleaded guilty. The grand jury has also indicted 25 Russians and three companies for meddling in the 2016 election. Mr. Trump has railed against the Mueller probe, dismissing it as a “witch hunt” and “hoax.” He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and so far, the special counsel has not indicted anyone connected to Mr. Trump with crimes related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.[SEP]The federal grand jury in Washington D.C. that is being used by the special counsel as part of the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 elections has been extended, a court spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. Grand Jury 17-1, which is being used in the special counsel Robert Mueller's probe for prosecutions in D.C., began its work in the summer of 2017 and was set to expire in the coming days. CNN first reported that the grand jury had been extended by Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the D.C. District Court. Grand juries typically serve for 18 months, but the court may extend that term no more than six months if deemed to be public interest, according to the federal rules of criminal procedure. The court spokesperson did not say how long grand jury 17-1 has been extended.[SEP]Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Friday extended a grand jury for six months as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The federal grand jury, which was empaneled in July 2017, was set to expire Saturday. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell's office confirmed the extension to The Washington Post and CNBC. Federal grand juries cannot serve longer than 18 months unless authorized by a judge "upon determination that such extension is in the public interest," court rules indicate. Howell did not say for how much longer the grand jury would be seated. Since it began in the spring of 2017, Mueller's probe has cost taxpayers more than $25 million, the Department of Justice said Dec. 15. His team has indicted 36 people, including George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and Michael Flynn, all of whom have pleaded guilty. President Donald Trump, who has come under investigation for allegedly colluding with the Russian government, has called the probe a "witch hunt" on multiple occasions.[SEP]The chief federal judge in Washington has extended the term of the grand jury used by special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. That's according to a court spokeswoman who wasn't authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. The extension by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is the latest sign that the Mueller probe will continue for at least the next several months. The grand jury was impaneled in July 2017 for a standard 18-month term and was set to expire this week before Howell's extension. Federal criminal procedure rules allow such extensions when a judge determines it is in the public interest. The extension can only last up to six months.[SEP]WASHINGTON – A federal judge Friday extended the term of the grand jury that has weighed evidence in the Russia investigation headed by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell extended the panel's 18-month term that was set to expire in the coming days. The panel, whose deliberations are secret, was seated for its regular term in July 2017. It was not immediately clear whether the extension represented a perfunctory measure to keep the panel intact during what was expected to be the final stages of the inquiry or if the action signaled a more prolonged period of investigation. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the investigation, which he has described as a "witch hunt." At the same time, former members of his inner circle – including former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former personal attorney Michael Cohen and campaign chairman Paul Manafort – have been convicted of crimes ranging from lying to the FBI to financial fraud.[SEP]Special counsel Robert Mueller’s federal grand jury has been extended by six months. The grand jury, based in Washington, DC, was seated for an 18-month term that began in July 2017 and was set to expire in the coming days. Under federal rules, the court is able to extend a grand jury’s term for another six months if it is “in the public interest.” Grand jury activity is secret, except following the 23-person group’s approval of criminal indictments. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court, who oversees the Mueller grand jury, granted the extension. She does not sit in on its sessions.[SEP]WASHINGTON (AP) — The chief federal judge in Washington has extended the term of the grand jury used by special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. That’s according to a court spokeswoman who wasn’t authorized to… WASHINGTON (AP) — The chief federal judge in Washington has extended the term of the grand jury used by special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. That’s according to a court spokeswoman who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. The extension by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is the latest sign that the Mueller probe will continue for at least the next several months. The grand jury was impaneled in July 2017 for a standard 18-month term and was set to expire this week before Howell’s extension. Federal criminal procedure rules allow such extensions when a judge determines it is in the public interest. The extension can only last up to six months. Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Chief United States District Judge Beryl Howell extends grand jury "17-1" for up to six months; the original 18-month authorization was set to expire Sunday.

This article is more than 7 months old This article is more than 7 months old An ex-serviceman has been shot dead by police officers during a “pre-planned” raid on a house in Coventry. Sean Fitzgerald, 31, died during an intelligence-led operation on Friday evening in the north of the city. At about 1pm on Saturday, police said they could not confirm whether a gun was found at the scene because the police watchdog was investigating. Later however, West Midlands police confirmed they were yet to find a firearm, adding that a search was ongoing. A friend said Fitzgerald had served in the British army until recently. Another claimed Fitzgerald was shot in the back as he tried to escape armed officers, although police denied this at a press conference on Saturday evening. Asked about the claims, assistant chief constable Sue Southern said: “From the information I have at this point, that is not my understanding. “Body-worn video has been examined and there will be a full forensic postmortem, and the findings of that will form part of the independent IOPC investigation.” Police arrested two other 26-year-old men at the scene of the shooting on suspicion of involvement in the production of cannabis following a “long-running criminal investigation”. They have been remanded in custody. The police watchdog is investigating the shooting with officials from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) seeking to examine footage from officers’ body cameras and local CCTV. Fitzgerald’s friend Cory Brown, a 28-year-old construction worker, said he considered the response extremely disproportionate. West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) Here's our latest update following the fatal police shooting of a man in #Coventry last night. We continue to assist @policeconduct, which is independently investigating the circumstances. More details: https://t.co/ejSFlHeC41 pic.twitter.com/rddVHzAD9r Witnesses on Burnaby Road, a largely residential street where the shooting occurred, described seeing 17 police cars and armed officers at the house as the street was closed. Ali, a friend of Fitzgerald, told BBC News that he had “a heart of gold” and would “go out of his way for anyone”. “No matter how nice or how bad a guy is, nobody deserves to be killed,” Ali said. Fire engineer Karl Lolley, a father-of-two who lives within the area cordoned off by police, said that he heard “four or five” gunshots after witnessing officers approach the home. “I saw three or four armed police cars turn up. Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There was some gunshots,” the 39-year-old told the Press Association. IOPC’s regional director, Amanda Rowe, said: “Our investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish what happened. My thoughts are with the man’s family and all of those affected by this incident. “At this stage we are looking at the circumstances of the incident and all officers remain witnesses to our investigation.” Adam Court, 26, owner of the local media network Complete Traffic based nearby, told the Press Association: “We heard a lot of sirens heading towards the far end of the street and traffic coming to a swift halt. The road is plagued with a history of serious collisions so this was nothing out of the ordinary. But it was the sheer number of police officers at the scene that caused initial concern.” • This article was corrected on 7 January 2019. An earlier version said police had “refuted” that Fitzgerald had been shot in the back; this has been changed to “denied”.[SEP]A 31-year-old man shot dead by armed police during a raid at a house in Coventry has been named by friends as Sean Fitzgerald. Police swooped on the property in Burnaby Road on Friday evening in what was described by West Midlands Police as an “intelligence-led operation”. The death of Mr Fitzgerald, believed to be a former serviceman, has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which will examine footage from body cameras being worn officers involved as well as CCTV. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Two other men were arrested and detained as part of the raid over suspected drugs offences, West Midlands Police said. Friends of the deceased man paid tribute on Saturday, including one, who gave his name only as Ali, who described him as a “very, very good guy” who had served as a member of the armed forces. “He's served for all of us – the police, everybody – in the army up until last year,” he said. A family member wrote online that she was “absolutely gutted” by Mr Fitzgerald’s death, while another friend described him as a “one of a kind” person who “would be there for anyone”. It has not been revealed if the operation was terrorism related – but witnesses described seeing a large number of officers in the area, including a significant number of police vehicles as officers executed a warrant at the address at 6.20pm. “One man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene while two other men were detained by officers,” the force said. Locals were told to go indoors as a section of the street – a large residential road north of the city centre – was closed. Fire engineer Karl Lolley, a father-of-two who lives behind the police cordon, said he heard “four or five” gunshots after witnessing officers descend on the home. Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences “I saw three or four armed police cars turn up. Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There was some gunshots,” Mr Lolley, 39, said. “The next thing you know there’s more police arriving and they cordon off the area. “They carry a person out on a stretcher, they put him in an ambulance – the lights on the ambulance were flashing for about half an hour as they were working on him. “Then they turned the lights off and they drove off slowly. Obviously they pronounced him dead.” Shape Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures 1/50 10 September 2019 The peloton rides past the Angel of the North during stage four of the Tour of Britain from Gateshead to Kendal. PA 2/50 9 September 2019 A penny farthing cyclist rides past St. John's, Smith Square, Westminster, London. PA 3/50 8 September 2019 Australia celebrate the wicket of England's Craig Overton, which meant they won the fourth test and retained the Ashes. 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The IOPC confirmed it opened an inquiry after the force reported the fatality during a “pre-planned operation”. IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe: “Our investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish what happened. My thoughts are with the man's family and all of those affected by this incident. “The next steps will be to view the body-worn video footage and establish if there are any local CCTV recordings. At this stage we are looking at the circumstances of the incident and all officers remain witnesses to our investigation.” Additional reporting by PA[SEP]A 31-year-old man fatally shot by police during a drugs raid in Coventry has been named locally as ex-soldier Sean Fitzgerald. Two other men, both 26, were arrested on suspicion of producing cannabis, said West Midlands police. All three men were said by friends to be unarmed. The police watchdog has opened an investigation into the shooting, which followed the execution of a warrant at about 6.20pm on Friday. Last night friends and family paid tribute to Fitzgerald. One family member wrote online that she was “absolutely gutted”. One of Fitzgerald’s friends, who gave his name as Ali, said he had been with him shortly before he was killed at the house on Burnaby Road. Ali said his friend presented “no threat or danger”. He…[SEP]A 31-year-old man fatally shot by police in a raid has been named locally as Sean Fitzgerald. Two more men were detained at the scene in Coventry following an intelligence-led operation on Friday evening, West Midlands Police said. Loved ones have paid tribute to Mr Fitzgerald, who lived locally, as the police watchdog opened an investigation into the shooting that followed the execution of a warrant at about 6.20pm. One, who gave his name as Ali, said he had been with the “very, very good guy” shortly before he visited the home in Burnaby Road where he was killed. Ali said he believed his friend presented “no threat or danger”, and added: “He's served for all of us - the police, everybody - in the Army up until last year.” A family member wrote online that she was “absolutely gutted” by the death of Mr Fitzgerald, who another friend described as a “one of a kind” who “would be there for anyone”. Investigators from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will examine footage from cameras being worn by the officers involved as well as local CCTV. Announcing the incident, West Midlands Police said: “One man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene while two other men were detained by officers.”[SEP]An ex-squaddie was shot dead by armed police in a ‘drugs raid gone wrong’, it has been claimed. The 31-year-old, named locally as Sean Fitzgerald, was gunned down during a raid in Coventry on Friday night. Police had reportedly busted a suspected cannabis farm, where the shooting took place. Two other men were detained on suspicion of producing the drug. One neighbour today claimed how police had told her that Mr Fitzgerald was killed after a drugs warrant “went wrong”. She said: “The officer confirmed there had been a shooting but that it wasn’t an officer that had been shot. “He went on to say it was a warrant that had gone wrong.” Another neighbour wrote on Facebook: “One of the officers said it was an arrest warrant gone wrong and confirmed that someone was shot. “They classed it as going wrong considering arrests don't usually end in a shoot-out.” And another local posted to say: “A friend lives by there and said it was a drug arrest but one man dead. Armed police everywhere.” The police watchdog has launched a probe into the events leading to the shooting. A warrant had been executed at around 6.20pm. Friends paid tribute to Mr Fitzgerald, who lived in the Holbrooks area of the city. One, who gave his name as Ali, said he had been with the “very, very good guy” shortly before he visited the Burnaby Road property. He told CoventryLive: “He’s served for all of us - the police, everybody - in the Army up until last year.” Another friend described Mr Fitzgerald as a “one of a kind” who “would be there for anyone”. Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), will examine footage from body cameras worn by the officers. In a statement West Midlands Police said: “A 31-year-old man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene while two other men were detained by officers. The men, both aged 26, have been held on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis and remain in police custody today.” The victim’s next-of-kin have been informed.[SEP]A 31-year-old former soldier fatally shot by police during a raid on a suspected cannabis farm has been named locally as Sean Fitzgerald. Officers have not yet found a firearm at the scene and one neighbour revealed how cops had told her that Mr Fitzgerald was killed after a drugs warrant “went wrong”. She said: “The officer confirmed there had been a shooting but that it wasn’t an officer that had been shot. “He went on to say it was a warrant that had gone wrong.” Another neighbour wrote on Facebook: “One of the officers said it was an arrest warrant gone wrong and confirmed that someone was shot. “They classed it as going wrong considering arrests don't usually end in a shoot-out.” Two others were arrested at the scene in Coventry on suspicion of a drugs offence following an intelligence-led operation on Friday evening, West Midlands Police said. Friends paid tribute to Mr Fitzgerald, who lived locally, as the police watchdog opened an investigation into the shooting that followed the execution of a warrant at about 6.20pm. One, who gave his name as Ali, said he had been with the "very, very good guy" shortly before he visited the home in Burnaby Road where he was killed. Ali said he believed his friend presented "no threat or danger", and added: "He's served for all of us - the police, everybody - in the Army up until last year." A family member wrote online that she was "absolutely gutted" by the death of Mr Fitzgerald, who another friend described as a "one of a kind" who "would be there for anyone". Investigators from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will examine footage from cameras being worn by the officers involved as well as local CCTV. They are yet to find a firearm at the scene, but the search continues, a spokeswoman said on Saturday afternoon. Announcing the incident, West Midlands Police said: "One man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene while two other men were detained by officers." The force later added that the two 26-year-old men remained in custody on suspicion of involvement in the production of cannabis. Fire engineer Karl Lolley, a father-of-two who lives behind the police cordon, said he heard "four or five" gunshots after witnessing officers descend on the home. "I saw three or four armed police cars turn up. Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There was some gunshots," the 39-year-old said. "The next thing you know there's more police arriving and they cordon off the area. "They carry a person out on a stretcher, they put him in an ambulance - the lights on the ambulance were flashing for about half an hour as they were working on him. "Then they turned the lights off and they drove off slowly. Obviously they pronounced him dead." A large number of police cars, along with emergency service vehicles, were reported in the area of Burnaby Road, a largely residential street north of the city centre, in the wake of the incident. Locals were told to go indoors as a section of the street was closed. The area around the scene remained cordoned off on Saturday morning. The IOPC confirmed it opened an inquiry after the force reported the fatality during a "pre-planned operation". IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe: "Our investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish what happened. My thoughts are with the man's family and all of those affected by this incident. "The next steps will be to view the body-worn video footage and establish if there are any local CCTV recordings. At this stage we are looking at the circumstances of the incident and all officers remain witnesses to our investigation." The man's next-of-kin have been informed.[SEP]A senior police officer has dismissed claims that a man fatally shot by firearms officers in Coventry was shot in the back. Assistant Chief Constable Sue Southern was responding to questions following a briefing, in which she read a statement on behalf of West Midlands Police regarding the fatal shooting of a man named locally as Sean Fitzgerald. Mr Fitzgerald was shot shortly after 6pm on Friday night during what police described as “an intelligence-led operation” in Burnaby Road. The matter has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). During a short question and answer session after the statement was read out Ms Southern was asked about suggestions locally - referred to in some media reports - that Mr Fitzgerald had been shot in the back. “That is not my understanding,” she said. “Body worn video has been examined and will form part of the IOPC investigation.” Ms Southern was also asked how unusual such an incident was for West Midlands Police and said : “It is very unusual. “In the history of this force, over the last 20 years, there have only been three occasions when police officers have discharged their weapons and shot a suspect.” Ms Southern said that she was limited about how much she could say because of the IOPC investigation. She added that the incident had taken place during a “pre-planned operation” and said officers had administered first aid immediately to the dead man. She said: “Officers were able to provide fast first aid and made every attempt to save this man’s life.” The full statement read by Ms Southern was as follows. “During the operation a 31-year-old man was shot dead by police. “This is clearly a tragic incident that will be thoroughly investigated. “His family are being supported by a specialist trained officer from the Independent Office for Police Conduct. “Two men aged 26 were detained inside the property and have been arrested on suspicion of having been concerned in the production of cannabis and remain in custody this afternoon. “This was an intelligence-led operation but I am not in a position to elaborate any further at this stage. “We are liaising with the Independent Office for Police Conduct and will fully assist their investigation.” Visit our Facebook pages for Coventry and Nuneaton or visit our Twitter pages for Coventry and Nuneaton Watch our videos on YouTube and see our photos on Instagram Find old stories in our online Archives and search for jobs, motors and property, or place an advert or family notice here[SEP]A 31-year-old man fatally shot by police in a raid has been named locally as Sean Fitzgerald. Two others were arrested at the scene in Coventry on suspicion of a drugs offence following an intelligence-led operation on Friday evening, West Midlands Police said. Friends paid tribute to Mr Fitzgerald, who lived locally, as the police watchdog opened an investigation into the shooting that followed the execution of a warrant at about 6.20pm. One, who gave his name as Ali, said he had been with the “very, very good guy” shortly before he visited the home in Burnaby Road where he was killed. Ali said he believed his friend presented “no threat or danger”, and added: “He’s served for all of us – the police, everybody – in the Army up until last year.” A family member wrote online that she was “absolutely gutted” by the death of Mr Fitzgerald, who another friend described as a “one of a kind” who “would be there for anyone”. Investigators from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will examine footage from cameras being worn by the officers involved as well as local CCTV. Announcing the incident, West Midlands Police said: “One man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene while two other men were detained by officers.” The force later added that the two 26-year-old men remained in custody on suspicion of involvement in the production of cannabis. Fire engineer Karl Lolley, a father-of-two who lives behind the police cordon, said he heard “four or five” gunshots after witnessing officers descend on the home. “I saw three or four armed police cars turn up. Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There was some gunshots,” the 39-year-old told the Press Association. “The next thing you know there’s more police arriving and they cordon off the area. “They carry a person out on a stretcher, they put him in an ambulance – the lights on the ambulance were flashing for about half an hour as they were working on him. “Then they turned the lights off and they drove off slowly. Obviously they pronounced him dead.” A large number of police cars, along with emergency service vehicles, were reported in the area of Burnaby Road, a largely residential street north of the city centre, in the wake of the incident. Locals were told to go indoors as a section of the street was closed and “over 17 police cars (and) armed police” arrived. Adam Court, 26, owner of the local media network Complete Traffic based nearby, told PA: “We heard a lot of sirens heading towards the far end of the street and traffic coming to a swift halt. “The road is plagued with a history of serious collisions so this was nothing out of the ordinary. “But it was the sheer number of police officers at the scene that caused initial concern.” The area around the scene remained cordoned off on Saturday morning. The IOPC confirmed it opened an inquiry after the force reported the fatality during a “pre-planned operation”. IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe: “Our investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish what happened. My thoughts are with the man’s family and all of those affected by this incident. “The next steps will be to view the body-worn video footage and establish if there are any local CCTV recordings. At this stage we are looking at the circumstances of the incident and all officers remain witnesses to our investigation.” The man’s next-of-kin have been informed.[SEP]LONDON (AP) - British police say a 31-year-old man has been shot dead by armed officers in central England, and two others were detained at the scene following an "intelligence-led" operation. Police say officers were acting on a warrant at a residence in the city of Coventry, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Birmingham, late Friday. They didn't provide details about the nature of the operation, or why officers opened fire. Witnesses described a large number of officers and police vehicles descending on the largely residential area north of the city center. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said Saturday it has opened an inquiry after West Midlands Police reported the fatality during a "pre-planned operation." Police officers attend the scene in the city of Coventry, central England, Saturday Jan. 5, 2019, after British police say a 31-year-old man was shot dead by armed officers, and two others were detained at the scene following an "intelligence-led" operation. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP)[SEP]LONDON (AP) — British police say a 31-year-old man has been shot dead by armed officers in central England, and two others were detained at the scene following an “intelligence-led” operation. Police say officers were… LONDON (AP) — British police say a 31-year-old man has been shot dead by armed officers in central England, and two others were detained at the scene following an “intelligence-led” operation. Police say officers were acting on a warrant at a residence in the city of Coventry, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Birmingham, late Friday. They didn’t provide details about the nature of the operation, or why officers opened fire. Witnesses described a large number of officers and police vehicles descending on the largely residential area north of the city center. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said Saturday it has opened an inquiry after West Midlands Police reported the fatality during a “pre-planned operation.” Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Sean Fitzgerald, 31, is shot dead by police officers during a raid on a house in Coventry, England, United Kingdom. Two 26-year-old men were arrested during the same raid, in connection with cannabis production.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially gained independence on Saturday, with the signing of a decree that marked its separation from the Russian church that it has been tied to for centuries. Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I signed the decree of independence, or tomos, in Istanbul, formalizing a split that has angered Moscow amid a broader political conflict between Ukraine and Russia. "The pious Ukrainian people have awaited this blessed day for seven entire centuries," Bartholomew I said in his address at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. The Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly denounced the creation of an independent Ukrainian church and severed ties with Istanbul, the historical seat of the Orthodox faith, after Bartholomew I approved the Ukrainian church's request for autocephaly, or independence, last October. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attended Saturday's signing, which many in his country see as one more step toward independence from Moscow, as NPR's Peter Kenyon reports. Poroshenko, who is up for re-election at the end of March, has made the creation of the independent church a part of his campaign platform. Joining Poroshenko was 39-year-old Metropolitan Epiphanius, who was elected last month as head of the new Ukranian Orthodox Church. Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians have belonged to a unified church for centuries. Moscow argues it has had legal authority over Ukrainian churches since 1686, according to the BBC. "In many circles in Ukraine, the idea of the creation of an independent Orthodox Church independent from Moscow is the culmination of Ukraine's political independence," Edward Siecienski, an associate professor of Byzantine theology at Stockton University in New Jersey, told NPR last month. "You can't have one without the other." The Moscow Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church controls the majority of churches in the country — 12,000 to the new church's 5,000, the BBC reports. Ukrainian clerics will now be forced to choose between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Kiev Patriarchate, amid continued conflict between the two countries in eastern Ukraine. Russian church leaders and spokespeople have called the split "anti-canonical," according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Russia has compared the independence of the Ukrainian church to the split between Eastern and Western Christianity a thousand years ago, NPR's Lucian Kim reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin has seen part of his role as safeguarding the Orthodox faith, with frequent visits to churches and monasteries broadcast on state television, Kim reports. The proximity between the Kremlin, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian army has driven a wedge between the Russian church and Ukrainian believers. Tensions escalated in the religious and political schisms after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, following the ouster of a pro-Moscow president in Kiev. The war in eastern Ukraine that erupted between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists after the annexation has left more than 10,000 people dead. In November, Russia intensified the conflict when it seized three Ukrainian vessels and 24 sailors and security officers near Crimea. Russia accused Ukraine of illegally entering its waters, but Ukraine said its two navy ships and tugboat were following international maritime rules. Ukraine's split may have caused the Russian Orthodox Church to lose 30 to 40 percent of its 150 million members, as The New York Times reported last month.[SEP]Istanbul: An independent Ukrainian Orthodox church has been created at a signing ceremony in Turkey, formalising a split with the Russian church it had been tied to since 1686. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, signed the "Tomos" in Istanbul in front of clerics and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday, forming the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It forces Ukrainian clerics to pick sides between the Moscow-backed Ukrainian churches and the new church as fighting persists in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed rebels. "The pious Ukrainian people have awaited this blessed day for seven entire centuries," Bartholomew I said in his address.[SEP]ISTANBUL — The spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide recognized the independence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in a four-hour ceremony in Istanbul on Sunday, formalizing a split with the Russian church to which it had been tied for more than four centuries. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader, handed a Tomos containing a decree of independence to the newly appointed Metropolitan Epiphanius of Ukraine, cleaving millions of Ukrainians from the Russian Orthodox Church. The independence effort outraged political and religious leaders in Russia. But for President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine, who stood before an elevated throne throughout the ceremony in Istanbul, the occasion was an affirmation of independence from Russian influence in his embattled country and a boost ahead of elections in March. “Tomos for us is actually another act of proclaiming Ukraine’s independence,” Mr. Poroshenko said in an address posted on the presidency’s website. “For Ukrainians, our own Church is a guarantee of our spiritual freedom. This is the key to social harmony.”[SEP]The spiritual head of Orthodox Christians worldwide formally granted independence to the Ukrainian church on Saturday, marking an historic split from Russia which Ukrainian leaders see as vital to the country's security. The decree, granting "autocephaly," was signed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at a service with the head of the Ukrainian church Metropolitan Epifaniy and President Petro Poroshenko in St George's Cathedral in Istanbul. "I want to thank the millions of Ukrainians around the world who responded to my appeal to pray for the church to be established," Poroshenko said at a ceremony accompanied by solemn liturgical singing. "I want to thank the generations of Ukrainians who dreamed...and finally God sent us the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," he told the congregation in the crowded church. The patriarchate, the seat of the spiritual leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, endorsed Ukraine's request for the new church in October. The decree, or Tomos, will be handed to Epifaniy at a ceremony on Sunday, completing the process of recognition by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The new church may boost pro-Western leader Poroshenko, who lobbied hard for its creation and faces a tight election race in March. Russia bitterly opposes the split, comparing it to the Great Schism of 1054 that divided western and eastern Christianity. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill made a last-ditch appeal against the process last month. "Huge win for Ukraine, defeat for the Kremlin," economist Timothy Ash wrote on Twitter. "[It] will make Moscow's hope of some future pull of Ukraine back into its 'orbit' nigh on impossible without the use of overwhelming [catastrophic] military force." Religious divisions deepened in Ukraine after 2014 and two Orthodox factions vie for dominance. The church known as the Moscow Patriarchate, aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, sees itself as the only legitimate church in Ukraine. On Dec. 20, Ukrainian MPs passed a law that could force the church to add "Russian" to its name. The rival Kiev Patriarchate was born after the collapse of the Soviet Union and its popularity has grown since 2014. It favours European integration and championed the independent church but the Moscow Patriarchate denounces it as schismatic. Ukraine last month chose 39-year-old Epifaniy to head the new church, in a move which Poroshenko compared to Ukraine's referendum for independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The move incensed Moscow, and prompted President Vladimir Putin to warn of possible bloodshed in his annual news conference. Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed after Moscow's seizure of Crimea in 2014. Ukraine imposed martial law in November, citing the threat of a full-scale invasion after Russia captured three of its vessels in the Kerch Strait. The Ukrainian Orthodox church has been beholden to Moscow for hundreds of years, and Ukraine's leaders see church independence as vital to tackling Russian meddling. Kiev says Moscow-backed churches on its soil are a Kremlin tool to spread propaganda and support fighters in the eastern Donbass region in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people. The churches strongly deny this. "Tomos - is just a paper, the result of restless political and personal ambitions. It was signed in breach of canonicity and this is why it has no power", Vladimir Legoida, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Synodal Department for Church-Society and Media Relations, posted in Telegram messenger. Epifaniy was chosen by a council at the St Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, built by the son of Prince Volodymyr whose baptism in 988 led to the spread of Christianity in the region.[SEP]The Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch on Sunday handed over a formal decree confirming the creation of an independent Ukrainian church to its leader, Metropolitan Yepifaniy. The decree was signed at a landmark ceremony on Saturday, putting the formal stamp on a break with the Russian Orthodox church which has infuriated Moscow. The document was handed over by Patriarch Bartholomew during an Epiphany service at St George’s Cathedral in Istanbul, an AFP correspondent said, completing the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople’s recognition of the newly-independent Ukrainian church. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, who attended Saturday’s signing ceremony, was also present for the mass. Known as a Tomos decree, the document grants autonomy to the Ukrainian Orthodox church which until now has been overseen by Moscow for more than 330 years. The decree opens the way for Ukraine’s Orthodox Church to be recognised by other branches of orthodoxy and other churches. The Constantinople Patriarchate, based in modern-day Istanbul and considered the first among equals in the Orthodox world, first agreed to recognise the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in October. Then in December a historic council of Orthodox bishops in Kiev created the independent body and chose 39-year-old Metropolitan Yepifaniy as its head, whose secular name is Sergiy Dumenko. He has been a long time critic of Moscow’s religious influence in Ukraine. The move has dealt a huge blow to Moscow’s spiritual authority in the Orthodox world, prompting it to cut all ties with the Constantinople Patriarchate in protest. Ukraine and Russia have been at loggerheads since 2014, when Kiev street protests calling for Ukraine’s integration with Europe led to the fall of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych. Russia subsequently annexed Crimea and has supported Russian-speaking separatists in Ukraine’s east in a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people. Ukraine is home to millions of believers who belong to the Orthodox Church, but their loyalties are divided between the Kiev and Moscow patriarchates. Analysts said the ceremony was “the first step in a long road”, indicating it was not clear which of Ukraine’s bishops would choose to join the new church.[SEP]ISTANBUL: The Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch on Saturday signed the formal decree confirming the creation of an independent Ukrainian church, marking a break with the Russian church that has angered Moscow. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the leading authority in Orthodox Christianity, signed the decree known as Tomos at a ceremony in Istanbul. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko and former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko were on hand to witness the ceremony. “Dear Ukrainians, this is a historic event! This is a great day!” Poroshenko said as he thanked the Orthodox patriarch. “Once more, words of great gratitude in the name of the Ukrainian people, in the name of our nation to Your Holiness... It took us a very long time to get here.” The Ecumenical Patriarchate had first agreed to recognise the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in October. Then in December a historic council of Orthodox bishops in Kiev created the independent body. The Russian Orthodox Church cut ties with the Constantinople Patriarchate in protest at the move, which dealt a huge blow to Moscow’s spiritual authority in the Orthodox world. Vladimir Legoida, a spokesman for the Moscow church, denounced the decree as “a document that is the result of irrepressible political and personal ambitions”. It had been “signed in violation of the canons and therefore not possessing any canonical force,” Legoida added in a statement. The Ukrainian church’s new leader is Metropolitan Yepifaniy. Yepifaniy, whose secular name is Sergiy Dumenko, has been a critic of Moscow’s religious influence in Ukraine and has supported Kiev’s army against pro-Russian rebels. Ukraine and Russia have been at loggerheads since 2014, when Kiev street protests urging Ukrainian integration with Europe led to the ousting of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych. Russia subsequently annexed Crimea and has supported Russian-speaking separatists in Ukraine’s east, in a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.[SEP]An independent Ukrainian Orthodox church was created at a signing ceremony in Turkey on Saturday, formalizing a split with the Russian church it had been tied to since 1686. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, signed the “Tomos” in Istanbul in front of clerics and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, forming the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. It forces Ukrainian clerics to pick sides between the Moscow-backed Ukrainian churches and the new church as fighting persists in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed rebels. “The pious Ukrainian people have awaited this blessed day for seven entire centuries,” Bartholomew I said in his address. The patriarch, considered “first among equals” in Orthodox Christianity, said Ukrainians could now enjoy “the sacred gift of emancipation, independence and self-governance, becoming free from every external reliance and intervention.” Poroshenko thanked Bartholomew I “for the courage to make this historic decision” and said that “among the 15 stars of the Orthodox churches of the world a Ukrainian star has appeared,” referring to the updated number of churches that don’t answer to an external authority. Last month, Ukrainian Orthodox leaders approved the creation of a new, unified church split from the Moscow Patriarchate and elected 39-year-old Metropolitan Epiphanius I to lead it. Bartholomew I’s decision in October to grant the Ukrainian church “autocephaly,” or independence, infuriated Moscow and the Russian church severed ties with Istanbul, the center of the Orthodox world. Criticism continued Saturday when a spokesman for the Russia-affiliated church in Ukraine, Vasily Anisimov, said, “We consider these actions to be anti-canonical ... This action will not bring anything to Ukraine except trouble, separation and sin,” according to Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti. Kiev has been pushing for a church free from Moscow’s influence, which intensified after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and amid the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. Poroshenko, president since 2014, has pushed for the creation of the church as he campaigns for a March 31 election. Though the church is not formally part of the state, it is closely tied. Recent opinion polls suggest he is in second or third place in the race. Poroshenko met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the ceremony.[SEP]ISTANBUL (AP) — The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has signed a decree of independence for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Patriarch Bartholomew I signed the "Tomos" in Istanbul Saturday, formalizing the Ukrainian church's independence from the Russian Orthodox Church to which it has been tied to since 1686. The move is forcing Ukrainian clerics to pick sides as fighting persists in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed rebels. Last month, Ukrainian Orthodox leaders approved the creation of a new, unified church split from the Moscow Patriarchate and elected Metropolitan Epiphanius to lead it. The Russian church has severed ties with Istanbul, the center of the Orthodox world. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has campaigned for the creation of the new church, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the ceremony.[SEP]ISTANBUL — The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople on Sunday presented a decree of independence to the Metropolitan bishop of the nascent Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In Istanbul, Patriarch Bartholomew I presented the Tomos, a scroll containing the decree, in a symbolic ceremony sanctifying the Ukrainian church’s independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. He signed the decree a day earlier. Ukraine’s decision to split from the Moscow Patriarchate after more than three centuries of ties has deeply angered Russia. The move comes as fighting continues in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed rebels and it forces clergy and believers in Ukraine to choose between belonging to Moscow-backed churches or the new Ukrainian Orthodox one. Bartholomew I, considered first among equals in Orthodox patriarchy, announced the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has become the 15th independent Orthodox church. He argued Ukrainians “desired ecclesiastical independence” for centuries and never accepted that they were part of the Russian church. The patriarch also entreated that the new church “strive for unity and peace” with clergy who remain under Moscow’s orbit and help reconciliation to “help them understand that Ukraine deserves a united church body.” Following Bartholomew I’s October decision for independence, the Russian church severed ties with Istanbul, the center of the Orthodox world. Metropolitan Epiphanius I, who was elected last month by Ukrainian Orthodox leaders to head the new church, will take the decree to Kiev. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has campaigned for the new church, attended the two-day ceremony in Istanbul. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[SEP]ISTANBUL (AP) — The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has presented a decree of independence to the Metropolitan bishop of the nascent Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In Istanbul on Sunday, Patriarch Bartholomew I presented the Tomos, a scroll containing the decree, in a symbolic ceremony sanctifying the Ukrainian church's independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. He signed the decree on Saturday. The decision to split from the Moscow Patriarchate after more than three centuries of ties has angered Russia. The Russian church has severed ties with Istanbul, the center of the Orthodox world. Metropolitan Epiphanius I, who was elected last month by Ukrainian Orthodox leaders to head the new church, will take the decree to Kiev. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has campaigned for the new church, is attending the two-day ceremony.

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I signs the independence decree ('tomos') officially separating the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church as autocephalous Church.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Election officials say not all of the votes have yet been counted The results of last week's presidential vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo will not be published on Sunday, officials say, despite growing calls for the outcome to be announced. The head of the electoral commission said this was because less than half the ballots had arrived. His spokesman told the BBC a meeting would be held on Sunday over the delay. The Catholic Church, which fielded thousands of observers, said on Thursday there was a clear winner. It called for the result to be made public to avoid political unrest. This drew an angry response from the coalition in power which said the church was "doing something illegal" and accused it of "preparing the population for insurrection". The Church had been vocal in its opposition to the extension of President Joseph Kabila's rule. He is stepping down after 17 years in office and has promised DR Congo's first orderly transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. The official result was due to be announced on Sunday, although the electoral commission had warned a few days ago this could be delayed. The head of the commission, Corneille Nangaa, said on Saturday that less than half of all the votes had been counted. "It is not possible to publish the results on Sunday. We are making progress, but we do not have everything yet." No date for the announcement was given. Image caption The Catholic Church says it knows who won the election but declined to name the winner On Thursday, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco) - which deployed some 40,000 election observers on voting day - said there was a clear winner based on its tally of the votes. They did not name anyone but urged election officials "to publish the election results in keeping with truth and justice". The ruling FCC (Common Front for the Congo) told the BBC only the electoral commission is officially allowed to announce results. Who's running for president? Image copyright AFP/Reuters Image caption Opposition candidates Martin Fayulu (L) and Felix Tshisekedi (R) face Emmanuel Shadary (C), the former interior minister There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners: Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary , a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist, who was hit by European Union sanctions for his role in the violent suppression of opposition protests in 2017 , a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist, who was hit by European Union sanctions for his role in the violent suppression of opposition protests in 2017 Martin Fayulu , a former oil executive who has promised "a dignified and prosperous Congo", but who poor Congolese feel may not advance their cause , a former oil executive who has promised "a dignified and prosperous Congo", but who poor Congolese feel may not advance their cause Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the son of a late veteran opposition leader who has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority What's the background? Mr Kabila took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and secured another term in controversial elections in 2011. He was barred from running for another term under the constitution, and was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. Image copyright AFP Image caption President Joseph Kabila is stepping down after 17 years in power The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. The run-up to this poll was also hit by controversy over the exclusion of some 1.26 million voters, out of an electorate of nearly 40 million. The electoral commission said voting could not take place in the eastern cities of Beni and Butembo because of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Voting was also called off in the western city of Yumbi because of insecurity there.[SEP]The announcement of the results of the Congo's presidential election has been postponed, the country's top electoral official said. The winner of the Dec. 30 election will not be made public Sunday as expected, the head of the national electoral commission Corneille Nangaa told The Associated Press. The electoral commission will confirm the delay later Sunday. The postponement in announcing the winner may increase tensions, as some Congolese see it as a way for President Joseph Kabila's ruling party to manipulate the results in order to cling to power. The Catholic Church, an influential voice in this strongly Catholic nation, said that it already knows there is a clear victor, according to data reported by its 40,000 election observers deployed in polling stations. The church urged the electoral commission to announce accurate results. As regulations say only the electoral commission can announce election results, the church did name the winner. The government has already cut internet access across the vast Central African country to prevent any speculation on social media about who might have won the election. Congo faces what could be its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. Election observers and the opposition have raised concerns about voting irregularities as the country chooses a successor to longtime ruler Kabila, although a landslide win by one of the opposition candidates could remove any doubts that the election was skewed to the ruling party's candidate. The United States and the African Union, among others, have urged Congo to release results that reflect the true will of the people. The U.S. has threatened sanctions against those who undermine the democratic process. Western election observers were not invited to watch the vote. While Congo has been largely calm on and after the Dec. 30 vote, President Donald Trump informed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that about 80 military personnel and "appropriate combat equipment" had been deployed to neighboring Gabon to support the security of U.S. citizens and staffers and diplomatic facilities. More will be deployed as needed to Gabon, Congo or neighboring Republic of Congo, he wrote. Ahead of the vote, the U.S. ordered "non-emergency" government employees and family members to leave the country. Congo's ruling party, which backs Kabila's preferred candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, has called the church's attitude "irresponsible and anarchist." Leading opposition candidate Martin Fayulu, a businessman and lawmaker, has accused Congolese authorities of impeding his campaign. His campaign manager, Pierre Lumbi, on Saturday accused the electoral commission of being "in the process of postponing the publication of the results." The delay is because of the slow compilation of the results by electoral officials. By Friday evening, the commission had compiled only 44 percent of results, said Jean-Pierre Kalamba, who said the process had been slowed by the requirement that only manually counted ballots could be used. At stake is a vast country rich in the minerals that power the world's mobile phones and laptops, yet desperately underdeveloped. Some 40 million people were registered to vote, though at the last minute about 1 million voters were barred by the electoral commission which cited a deadly Ebola virus outbreak in eastern Congo. The eastern region is an opposition center and critics said the disenfranchisement of voters there undermines the election's credibility. The presidential election took place more than two years behind schedule, while a court ruled that Kabila could stay in office until the vote was held. The delay led to sometimes deadly protests as authorities cracked down, and Shadary is now under European Union sanctions for his role in the crackdown as interior minister at the time. Kabila, who took office in 2001 after his father was assassinated, is barred from serving three consecutive terms but has hinted that he could run again in 2023. That has led many Congolese to suspect that he will rule from the shadows if Shadary takes office. Internet and text messaging services were cut off the day after the election in an apparent effort by the government to prevent social media speculation about the results. The U.S. has urged the government to restore internet service, and a U.N. human rights spokeswoman has warned that "these efforts to silence dissent could backfire considerably when the results are announced."[SEP]Congo's top electoral official says the announcement of the results of the presidential election has been postponed. Corneille Nangaa told The Associated Press that the results of the Dec. 30 election will not be made public Sunday as expected. He said the official electoral commission will confirm the delay later Sunday. The postponement in announcing the results is expected to increase tensions in Congo. The Catholic Church, an influential voice in the heavily Catholic nation, said that data reported by its 40,000 election observers deployed in polling stations show a clear winner. The church urged the electoral commission to announce accurate results. The government has already cut internet access across the vast Central African country to prevent any speculation on social media about who might have won the election.[SEP]Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the announcement of the results of the presidential election has been postponed. Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the announcement of the results of the presidential election has been postponed. Corneille Nangaa said that the results of the December 30 election will not be made public on Sunday as expected. He said the official electoral commission will confirm the delay later in the day. The postponement in announcing the results is expected to increase tensions in the African state. The Catholic Church, an influential voice in the heavily Catholic nation, said that data reported by its 40,000 election observers deployed in polling stations show a clear winner. The church urged the electoral commission to announce accurate results. The government has already cut internet access across the vast Central African country to prevent any speculation on social media about who might have won the election.[SEP]KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Congo's top electoral official says the announcement of the results of the presidential election has been postponed. Corneille Nangaa told The Associated Press that the results of the Dec. 30 election will not be made public Sunday as expected. He said the official electoral commission will confirm the delay later Sunday. The postponement in announcing the results is expected to increase tensions in Congo. The Catholic Church, an influential voice in the heavily Catholic nation, said that data reported by its 40,000 election observers deployed in polling stations show a clear winner. The church urged the electoral commission to announce accurate results. The government has already cut internet access across the vast Central African country to prevent any speculation on social media about who might have won the election. This photo taken Friday Jan. 4, 2019 shows a blackboard with presidential election results for that specific polling station, in a school in Kinshasa, Congo. Congo faces what could be its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, but election observers and the opposition have raised numerous concerns about voting irregularities as the country chooses a successor to longtime President Joseph Kabila. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)[SEP]Congo's government Sunday postponed the release of the results of last weekend's presidential election, fueling suspicions President Joseph Kabila's ruling party is maneuvering to cling to power. No new date for announcing the winner of the Dec. 30 election was given. Electoral officials have compiled 53 percent of the votes and will not release any information until all the ballots have been tallied, said Corneille Nangaa, head of the electoral commission. "We handle sensitive data and have to handle it responsibly," he said. He asked Congo's people to "remain patient." "We are aware this process has always been surrounded by distrust," he said, referring to calls from the Catholic Church, the African Union, the U.S. and other diplomats for the government to announce accurate results. Kabila, who is stepping down after 18 years in power, had delayed the election for two years. The postponement in announcing the winner was seen by some Congolese as part of an effort by Kabila's party to manipulate the results in order to claim victory. The Catholic Church, an influential voice in this heavily Catholic nation, has turned up the pressure by saying it already knows there is a clear victor, based on data compiled by the church's 40,000 election observers. Because Congo's regulations say only the electoral commission can announce election results, the church did not name the winner. Congo's ruling party, which backs Kabila's preferred candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, called the church's statement "irresponsible and anarchist." The leading opposition candidate is Martin Fayulu, a businessman and lawmaker, This could be Congo's first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. For the past week, the government cut off internet access across the vast Central African country to prevent any speculation on social media about who won. The government has also blocked transmissions from Radio France International, which was alleged to have speculated on the winner of the election, and revoked the press credentials of RFI's correspondent. Election observers and the opposition have raised concerns about voting irregularities, including the government's decision to bar 1 million voters in eastern Congo from casting ballots because of what it said was the Ebola outbreak in the region. Eastern Congo is known as a center of the opposition. Western observers were not invited to watch the balloting, and the U.S. has threatened sanctions against those who undermine the democratic process. While Congo was largely calm during and after the voting, President Donald Trump said about 80 military personnel and combat equipment had been deployed to neighboring Gabon to protect U.S. citizens and diplomatic facilities in Congo. Ahead of the vote, the U.S. ordered non-emergency government employees and family members to leave the country. At stake is a vast country rich in the minerals that power the world's mobile phones and laptops, yet desperately underdeveloped. Some 40 million people were registered to vote, though at the last minute about 1 million were barred from doing so by the electoral commission, which cited the deadly Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country — a center of Congo's political opposition. Kabila, who took office in 2001 after his father was assassinated, is constitutionally barred from serving three consecutive terms but has hinted he may run again in 2023. That has led many Congolese to suspect that he will rule from the shadows if Shadary takes office.[SEP]KINSHASA, Congo — Congo's government Sunday postponed the release of the results of last weekend's presidential election, fuelling suspicions President Joseph Kabila's ruling party is manoeuvring to cling to power. No new date for announcing the winner of the Dec. 30 election was given. Electoral officials have compiled 53 per cent of the votes and will not release any information until all the ballots have been tallied, said Corneille Nangaa, head of the electoral commission. "We handle sensitive data and have to handle it responsibly," he said. He asked Congo's people to "remain patient." "We are aware this process has always been surrounded by distrust," he said, referring to calls from the Catholic Church, the African Union, the U.S. and other diplomats for the government to announce accurate results. Kabila, who is stepping down after 18 years in power, had delayed the election for two years. The postponement in announcing the winner was seen by some Congolese as part of an effort by Kabila's party to manipulate the results in order to claim victory. The Catholic Church, an influential voice in this heavily Catholic nation, turned up the pressure by saying it already knows there is a clear victor, based on data compiled by the church's 40,000 election observers. Because Congo's regulations say only the electoral commission can announce election results, the church did not name the winner. Congo's ruling party, which backs Kabila's preferred candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, called the church's statement "irresponsible and anarchist." The leading opposition candidate is Martin Fayulu, a businessman and lawmaker. This could be Congo's first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. For the past week, the government cut off internet access across the vast Central African country to prevent any speculation on social media about who won. The government has also blocked transmissions from Radio France International, which was alleged to have speculated on the winner, and revoked the press credentials of RFI's correspondent.[SEP]Election officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have delayed publishing the results of last Sunday's presidential vote, despite growing calls for the outcome to be announced. The electoral commission said the result would be revealed "next week". Earlier this week the influential Catholic Church, which fielded thousands of election observers, said there was a clear winner. It called for the result to be made public to avoid political unrest. This drew an angry response from the coalition in power which said the church was "doing something illegal" and accused it of "preparing the population for insurrection". The Church had been vocal in its opposition to the extension of President Joseph Kabila's rule. He is stepping down after 17 years in office and has promised DR Congo's first orderly transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. • Five things to know about DRC The official result was due to be announced on Sunday, although the electoral commission had warned a few days ago this could be delayed. The head of the commission, Corneille Nangaa, said on Saturday that less than half of all the votes had been counted. "It is not possible to publish the results on Sunday. We are making progress, but we do not have everything yet." No date for the announcement was given. On Thursday, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco) - which deployed some 40,000 election observers on voting day - said there was a clear winner based on its tally of the votes. They did not name anyone but urged election officials "to publish the election results in keeping with truth and justice". The ruling FCC (Common Front for the Congo) told the BBC only the electoral commission is officially allowed to announce results. There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners: • Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist, who was hit by European Union sanctions for his role in the violent suppression of opposition protests in 2017 • Martin Fayulu, a former oil executive who has promised "a dignified and prosperous Congo", but who poor Congolese feel may not advance their cause • Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the son of a late veteran opposition leader who has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority Mr Kabila took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and secured another term in controversial elections in 2011. He was barred from running for another term under the constitution, and was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. The run-up to this poll was also hit by controversy over the exclusion of some 1.26 million voters, out of an electorate of nearly 40 million. The electoral commission said voting could not take place in the eastern cities of Beni and Butembo because of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Voting was also called off in the western city of Yumbi because of insecurity there.[SEP]“It’s not possible to publish results on Sunday,” said electoral commission president Corneille Nangaa, according to the AFP news agency. “We are making progress, but we do not have everything yet,” he added, without giving more detail on the expected date. Provisional results from the contentious polls were expected on Sunday and the Catholic Church has said it knows the winner according to its own unofficial tallies. The Church on Saturday answered allegations by the electoral commission that it was hoping to stoke an “insurrection”. “We are surprised by the allegations of ‘systematically violating legal provisions relating to the organisation of elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo,’” wrote Marcel Utembi Tapa, president of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco). “It is unfortunate to accuse Cenco of ‘intoxicating the population by preparing an uprising for which Cenco will be solely responsible’ and to make it a possible scapegoat,” said the Cenco statement. “It is the [electoral] irregularities that would irritate the population and the most serious thing that could lead the Congolese people to revolt would be to publish results … which do not conform to the truth of the polls,” said Cenco. The electoral commission had said that Cenco was attempting to “brainwash the population” through its comments about the possible victor in the 30 December elections, according to a letter from Corneille Nangaa, the electoral commission’s chief. Cenco has suggested it knows the winner of the polls owing to unofficial tallies it carried out as part of a 40,000-strong observation mission. “We have observed that the Congolese people have chosen a candidate as president of the republic,” Donatien Nshole, secretary general of Cenco, told RFI’s Sonia Rolley in an interview broadcast on Friday. “It is not up to us to proclaim the results,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the electoral commission. Nshole said their observation mission had noted irregularities, but that they were not enough to “impede” the choice expressed by the Congolese people. “The will of the Congolese people has been respected, at least at the polls,” he added. Catholic bishops met with President Joseph Kabila on Friday, according to reports from the Reuters news agency. The UN Security Council held a meeting on Friday about the latest developments in the DRC. The closed door meeting was held at France’s request, but a joint Security Council declaration was blocked by South Africa, Russia, China and Indonesia, according to sources who spoke to RFI’s Sonia Rolley. “The results that will be proclaimed must be consistent with the vote of the Congolese people,” said Francois Delattre, France’s UN ambassador, on the sidelines of the UN Security Council meeting. The EU on Friday called on election authorities to ensure that the results reflected the will of the Congolese people. “All the political actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo have the responsibility to contribute to the success of this transition in the spirit of peace and reconciliation,” said a statement from a spokesperson for the EU’s external action service. The African’s Union top diplomat Moussa Faki Mahamat said that “respect of the election results is crucial” in a tweet after meeting with Dioncounda Traoré, head of the AU’s observer mission. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that American soldiers had deployed to Gabon in case they are needed to protect US citizens and diplomatic buildings in the Congolese capital Kinshasa. A letter from Trump said 80 military personnel had been put in place with “appropriate combat equipment” in response to the possibility that “violent demonstrations” may occur in reaction to elections.[SEP]KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s historic yet disorganized election suffered yet another delay on Sunday as the election commission admitted it had tabulated only about half of results on the day it was supposed to have completed the count. It did not say when it would be able to release results. The delay fuels suspicions that the election commission is compromised and using the borrowed time to rig results in favor of president Joseph Kabila’s chosen successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. A vote widely perceived to have been manipulated could trigger violence in Congo, which has been plagued by civil wars and insurrections for decades. Congo voted on Dec. 30 to replace Kabila, who is stepping down after 18 years in power. Shadary is up against two main opposition candidates, Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi. The vote was initially scheduled for 2016, but Kabila repeatedly delayed it, staying on two years past his constitutionally mandated term limit. Most foreign election observers were either not invited or not accredited, but the vote was overseen at least partially by 40,000 observers from Congo’s powerful Catholic Church. That mission, known as CENCO, announced Thursday that its own tallies showed a clear win for Fayulu. Fayulu told The Post that his team had “extremely conclusive” evidence that he had won. The electoral commission responded with anger to the statement from the observer mission, saying it was “likely to brainwash the population while preparing an insurrection that CENCO alone will be responsible for.” The ruling coalition called CENCO’s statement “irresponsible and anarchic,” adding that only the election commission was legally allowed to release results. CENCO’s report also said that 38 percent of polling stations that it observed were missing materials at the start of election day, and that in hundreds of cases ballot boxes were not sealed before counting and polling stations did not properly verify voters’ identities. CENCO’s report was particularly powerful because nearly half of Congo is Catholic, and the church has been a consistent thorn in Kabila’s side. Congo’s government has shut off Internet and text-messaging capabilities in most of the country since the day after elections, and maintains that those services will remain unavailable until official results are released to prevent the sharing of doctored results. A win by Fayulu that is recognized by Kabila’s party would mark a historic break for Congo, which has never experienced a peaceful, democratic transition of power. Fayulu is a former employee of the Exxon oil company who has been a member of Congo’s parliament for more than a decade. He is now backed by two regional political heavyweights, one of whom was recently acquitted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes. The United States government has been the loudest foreign voice of consternation at the vote’s irregularities. A State Department spokesman urged the election commission on Friday to release accurate results and said those that prevent a fair count would be subject to U.S. sanctions. “There are moments in every nation’s history when individuals and political leaders step forward and do the right thing. This is one of those moments for the DRC,” said Robert Palladino. “Those who undermine the democratic process, threaten the peace, security or stability of the DRC, or benefit from corruption may find themselves not welcome in the United States and cut off from the U.S. financial system.” President Trump said Friday that 80 U.S. military personnel had deployed to nearby Gabon in anticipation of violent demonstrations stemming from a disputed results announcement. Evacuation of American nationals appeared to be their main mission, but many in Congo read the deployment as a form of pressure on the government as well. In a letter to congressional leaders, Trump said the troops “will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed.” South Africa, Russia and China expressed dismay at CENCO’s statement, saying the election commission was the only institution whose announcement would be considered official. China, a major investor in Congo, “lauded the manner in which elections were conducted,” a report from the U.N. Security Council said on Saturday. Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

The Congolese election commission delays announcing the results of the recent election, claiming that only half the ballots have been counted.