world news: 2018-10-14

Saturday 20 October 2018

Radio ad in Arkansas suggests 'lynching' if Democrats win

A Republican congressman in central Arkansas and his challenger on Thursday condemned a political action committee's radio ad that suggests white Democrats will lynch black Americans if they win the midterm election next month.

Afghans Vote in Elections Marred by Fears of Violence and Fraud

By MUJIB MASHAL, FAHIM ABED and FATIMA FAIZI from NYT World https://ift.tt/2QY3iTg

‘He’s My Kind Of Guy’: Trump Celebrates Congressman Who Body-Slammed Reporter

President Donald Trump celebrated Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte during a

Markets Right Now: US stock indexes end a bumpy week mixed

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):

Afghan 'torturer in chief' killed in Taliban attack

General Abdul Raziq once boasted he had survived "countless" Taliban attempts to kill him. The controversial Kandahar police chief, described by Human Rights Watch last year as the southern province's "torturer in chief", had risen through the ranks to become one of the most powerful security heads in Afghanistan. Widely seen as a bulwark against the Taliban insurgency, Raziq's death has left a dangerous security vacuum that one observer said could lead to a "meltdown" in the south, the Taliban movement's birthplace.

PAC won't end ad saying black men will face rape accusations

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A political action committee said Friday that it won't pull radio ads in hotly contested races in Arkansas and Missouri that suggest African American men will face rape accusations if Democrats win midterm elections.

The Briefing Room: Migrant caravan reaches Guatemala-Mexico border

President Trump ramps up his rhetoric as thousands of migrants reach the Mexico-Guatemala border, and he praises Rep. Greg Gianforte, who body-slammed a journalist.

'Compelling Evidence' Points To Saudi Prince In Khashoggi Death, Says Ex MI6 Chief

The former head of Britain's foreign intelligence service MI6 believes "very

'We built it for the big one': How this Mexico Beach house survived Hurricane Michael

Mexico Beach, Florida, was almost completely flattened by Hurricane Michael. However, one home stood high on stilts above the wreckage, appearing largely untouched from the storm.

Indian officials exchange blame for train plowing into festival crowd

India's railway officials and local community leaders traded blame on Saturday over an accident in which a train ran over scores of people gathered on the railway tracks for a festival in the northern city of Amritsar, killing at least 59.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2EvSXgc

Trump Threatens To Order Military To 'Close Our Southern Border' Over Immigration

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to shut the U.S.-Mexico border,

Over 118,000 homes without power in Florida, Georgia after Hurricane Michael

In total, more than 3.3 million customers lost power from Florida to New York after Michael struck the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10 as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour (250 kph). Some customers in the hardest-hit parts of Florida may have to wait another week or two until service is restored, utilities said.

Mercury mission to explore origin of Solar System

Is Mercury's core liquid or solid, and why -- on the smallest planet in our solar system -- is it so big? What can the planet closest to the Sun tell us about how our solar system came into being? An unmanned European-Japanese space mission, dubbed BepiColombo, blasted off early Saturday morning from French Guiana, to probe these and other mysteries.

Bolton headed to Russia amid fears US leaving nuclear deal

US National Security Advisor John Bolton will meet Saturday in Moscow with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, amid reports that Washington will tell Russia it plans to quit a landmark nuclear weapons treaty. The visit comes ahead of what is expected to be a second summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump this year. Bolton, who will also meet Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, announced the visit to Moscow in a tweet, saying he would "continue discussions that began in Helsinki," referring to a summit held in July.

Lottery fever hits the US as Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $970 million

Lines have formed outside one store in Primm, Nevada, where lotto tickets are sold.

Ex-FBI agent charged with leaking sentenced to 48 months

Albury's sentence is much harsher than his defense lawyers had hoped, but slightly less severe than the 52-month prison term that federal prosecutors were seeking. Albury pleaded guilty to two counts of leaking classified materials earlier this year. Joshua Dratel, Albury's lawyer who earlier confirmed the sentence to Reuters, declined to comment further.

Returning home — Panhandle residents rebuild lives after Hurricane Michael

Daily life is a series of fears and frustrations for thousands of people living in the hurricane zone of the Florida Panhandle.

UN envoy warns Gaza is imploding

With its economy in a freefall and tensions rising with Israel, the Hamas-ruled enclave of Gaza is imploding, the UN envoy for the Middle East warned Thursday. Nickolay Mladenov delivered the warning to the Security Council a day after Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip in retaliation at rocket firings from the Palestinian territory. "Gaza is imploding.

The Latest: Missouri version of radio ad avoids 'lynching'

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Latest on a radio ad that suggests white Democrats will lynch African-Americans if they win in midterm elections next month (all times local):

Cory Booker says the U.S. needs to ‘reexamine’ its ‘entire relationship’ with Saudi Arabia

The Democratic New Jersey senator said the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi is just one of many concerns he has about Saudi Arabia and America's close ties to the Gulf country.

The Briefing Room: Migrant caravan reaches Guatemala-Mexico border

President Trump ramps up his rhetoric as thousands of migrants reach the Mexico-Guatemala border, and he praises Rep. Greg Gianforte, who body-slammed a journalist.

Migrant Caravan's Arduous Journey Through Central America Toward U.S. Captured In Photos

A caravan of thousands of migrants continues to slalom its way through Central

At least 50 dead in India train disaster: police

At least 50 people were killed Friday after a train plowed into revellers gathered to watch a Hindu festival in India's northern Amritsar city, police said. The train hit a crowd standing on the railway line to watch a fireworks show during Dussehra celebrations, police and eyewitnesses said. The priority now is to take the injured to the hospital," Amritsar city police commissioner S. S. Srivastava told reporters.

Jimmy Carter: Brett Kavanaugh 'unfit' to serve on US supreme court, former US president says

Jimmy Carter has branded newly-confirmed judge Brett Kavanaugh “unfit” to serve on the US supreme court. The former president told an audience at Emory University in Atlanta on Wednesday that Mr Kavanaugh’s confirmation by congress earlier this month was a “very serious mistake”. “I thought that whether or not he attempted to rape that woman, whether or not, I thought he was temperamentally unfit to serve on the Supreme Court because of his outburst during the hearing,” Mr Carter was recorded by an audience member as saying.

PAC won't end ad saying black men will face rape accusations

President Trump Praises Melania for Staying 'So Cool' During Plane Mishap

First lady Melania Trump was not scared as the flight was forced to return to Andrews Air Force Base, the president said.

Trump praises Gianforte, recounting his assault on reporter

"Never wrestle him," Trump said of the Montana congressman who pleaded guilty to physically assaulting a reporter.

Putin Hails Sunset of U.S. Global Domination Due To Mounting 'Mistakes'

Russian President Vladimir Putin gloated Thursday about what he sees as the

Dear Elle Magazine, Media Companies: Don't Create Fake News To Get People To Vote

A viral headline about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West breaking up is the latest

Israel steps up armored deployment on Gaza border

Israel ramped up its armored forces along the Gaza border on Thursday in a daylight show of force, a day after a Palestinian rocket destroyed a home in southern Israel. With the deployment clearly visible from main Israeli roads near the Gaza Strip, senior Egyptian security officials met leaders of the enclave's ruling Hamas to try to calm tensions. Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group quickly denied firing the rockets.

Washington Post publishes missing journalist's last op-ed

Jamal Khashoggi warned of the lack of a free press in the Arab world in his last column. ABC News' Janai Norman reports.

The Latest: Missouri version of radio ad avoids 'lynching'

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Latest on a radio ad that suggests white Democrats will lynch African-Americans if they win in midterm elections next month (all times local):

Afghanistan elections delayed in Kandahar as nation braces for polling day violence

Voting for parliamentary elections in Afghanistan's second city has been postponed after a key security official was assassinated and the country braced for widespread insurgent violence on polling day. Taliban commanders on Friday tried to further disrupt the election by issuing a nationwide demand for people to remain at home rather than head to the polls. The vote is seen as a test of president Ashraf Ghani's grip on the country after a grim year of soaring casualties among his forces and civilians and further encroachment by a buoyant Taliban. Dr Ghani's weary international backers, particularly Donald Trump, are desperate for signs of stability and progress after 17-years of pouring troops and money into the country. Yet preparations were dealt a severe blow on Thursday when Kandahar's powerful police chief, Gen Abdul Raziq, was shot dead in an insider attack claimed by the Taliban. Election workers prepare for the country's third parliamentary poll since the Taliban were ousted Credit: Reuters Gen Raziq had been a bastion against Taliban encroachment in the region with a ruthless campaign against the insurgents which had largely stabilised Kandahar and made him the most powerful government figure in southern Afghanistan. The attack at a meeting with US commander, Gen Scott Miller, killed the local intelligence chief and critically wounded the provincial governor, wiping out the local leadership at a stroke. Kandahar, once considered the stronghold of the Taliban movement, was on edge the day after the attack, as funerals were held and officials decided to postpone voting for a week. The Taliban have vowed to disrupt an election they declare a sham and its military council issued a statement warning voters that “participation in this process is aiding the invaders”. It ordered Afghans to “remain indoors and desist from bringing out any means of transport”. A bloody or badly flawed election is predicted to strengthen the Taliban's hand in fledgling talks to find a political settlement to the conflict. More than nine million Afghans are registered to vote in what is only the third parliamentary poll since the Taliban were ousted after the 9/11 attacks. Around 2,500 candidates are standing for 249 seats in a parliament which has in the past decade gained a reputation for graft and greed. This year's polls have already been delayed since 2015 because of rifts within Dr Ghani's government and rows how to clean up the voting system. The vote sees a new generation of election hopefuls, many younger and better educated than previous candidates, take on an old guard frequently tainted with accusations of corruption or involvement in the bloodshed of the 1990s civil war. But the new generation also contains a raft of candidates whose fathers were formerly some of the country's most prominent Mujahideen warlords of the 1990s, and who have been towering figures of Afghan life for decades. This year's voting lists include children of notorious leaders including Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the Uzbek strongman Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum, and the Herat powerbroker Ismail Khan. Jamaluddin Hekmatyar, whose father is remembered for indiscriminately bombarding Kabul as he squabbled with his former comrades in the 1990s, is standing as a member of his father's Hezb-e Islami party. The 42-year-old told the Telegraph he had not gained his candidacy through nepotism and wanted to “represent the people and fight for their rights”. “I have learned from my father to fight for our values, each nation has the right to be independent and we must fight for a good future, no matter how long that fight would be but we should resist.” He said it was not for him to answer for the deeds of the Mujahideen commanders. “I think it’s not a good analysis if we say only Mujahideen leaders committed mistakes here, we should note foreigners role in Afghanistan too.” The possible rise of children whose fathers presided over the destruction of the 1990s is eyed warily by many Afghans. “There will be no deference between the Mujahideen leaders and their children,” said one Herat resident who lost two uncles during the barbarity of the 1990s, “they are just a shadow of their dads”. “Mujahideen leaders want to rule their policies through their children. They are all educated in the West by the money that their dads received by selling the blood of innocent Afghans.”

House committees to interview Rosenstein behind closed doors

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top lawmakers on two House committees will interview Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein next week about reports that he had discussed secretly recording President Donald Trump.

New moon: China to launch lunar lighting in outer space

China is planning to launch its own 'artificial moon' by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas, state media reported Friday. Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, is developing "illumination satellites" which will shine in tandem with the real moon, but are eight times brighter, according to China Daily. The first man-made moon will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the first test goes well, said Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society, the organization responsible for the project.