world news: 2019-09-15

Saturday 21 September 2019

3 people have died as Tropical Depression Imelda strikes Texas with flash floods 'worse than Harvey'

Tropical Depression Imelda may drop up to 35 inches of rain onto southeastern Texas, the same region devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

Officials: Political donor caused deadly overdose during sex

Gemmel Moore had moved back home with his mother in Texas two years ago and was missing Los Angeles when he texted a photo of syringe in an arm to a wealthy gay man he knew in California. Buck bought a plane ticket for Moore and had a car pick him up a week later at the airport. Federal prosecutors released new details Thursday as they charged Buck, 65, with distributing methamphetamine resulting in Moore's death on July 27, 2017.

Trump says he was 'surprised' by Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau's blackface scandal

Trump said he was "surprised" to hear of Justin Trudeau's blackface scandal and was "more surprised" when he learned there were multiple instances.

U.S., Honduras discuss temporary work opportunities for Hondurans

The United States and Honduras are discussing how to increase temporary legal employment opportunities for Hondurans in the United States, as the governments work to hammer out details of an immigration agreement.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2QxC3U6

Officials: Tour bus crash near national park in Utah kills 4

A tour bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists crashed near a national park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring up to 15 others, authorities said Friday.

Could Bermuda feel effects from Jerry next week?

While the worst of Jerry spared the northern Caribbean, forecasters believe the tropical storm will directly impact Bermuda next week.Jerry weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm early Saturday morning while passing a few hundred miles to the north of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Jerry is seen swirling north of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Saturday afternoon. (GOES-EAST/NOAA) Although Jerry has been moving towards the west-northwest over the past few days, a cold front set to sweep off the East Coast of the United States on Monday will pull the tropical system northward early next week.While this northward turn will spare the United States from direct impacts, Jerry will still enhance the rough surf battering Florida's east coast through the weekend.Jerry's expected northward turn may put the storm on a collision course with Bermuda. "Jerry will pass close to or perhaps over Bermuda Tuesday or Tuesday night," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.Jerry is expected to regain Category 1 hurricane status by this time. A Category 1 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 74-95 mph with higher gusts. "Bermuda can experience potentially dangerous winds, flooding rain, storm surge and rough surf as a result of Jerry," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said."These impacts will be amplified if Jerry does ultimately pass right over the islands," she added.Just this past week, former Major Hurricane Humberto unleashed fierce winds as it passed just to the north of Bermuda.Bermuda's building codes require dwellings to withstand sustained wind speeds of 110 mph (177 km/h), which is the equivalent of a high-end Category 2 hurricane. A majority of properties are made of stone and mortar.As a result, structural damage is likely to be minimal with Jerry, even with its projected path very close to or over Bermuda.However, strong winds can toss around loose items like toys and cause them to become potentially deadly projectiles. Power outages and tree damage may also occur.Residents should make sure to secure or safely house any outdoor furniture, planters or decorative items ahead of Jerry's arrival.Waterspouts can occur within Jerry's rain bands.The rain and wind could hinder any continued recovery efforts from Humberto, according to Gilbert.Conditions will dramatically improve across Bermuda later Wednesday as Jerry gets swept northeastward.AccuWeather meteorologists will be closely monitoring any potential impacts Jerry may have on Atlantic Canada late next week.In the wake of Jerry, several other tropical disturbances are being closely monitored across the Atlantic basin.

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un Could Start World War III On A Whim

A single strike could do it.

Iran's Zarif says Saudi, UAE want to "fight Iran to the last American"

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that U.S.-allied Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates seem to wish to "fight Iran to the last American". Zarif has in the past said that a so-called “B-team” including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi's crown prince could goad the U.S. president into a conflict with Tehran.

Billionaire Robert F. Smith's $34 million gift to Morehouse grads includes parent loans

Billionaire Robert F. Smith and his family have donated $34 million to Morehouse College to pay off 2019 graduates' student loans and parent loans.

Hong Kong police warn officers 'might have to kill someone' as violence escalates

Hong Kong police warned on Friday that violence in the territory had escalated to a point where officers feared “they might have to kill someone”, as anti-government protests entered their sixteenth consecutive weekend. Violence has risen steadily since the mass demonstrations kicked off in early June. Protests now regularly descend into chaos with activists throwing bricks and petrol bombs at police officers who fire water cannon and tear gas. Conflicts have also erupted between protesters and pro-Beijing supporters, affecting tourists and bystanders. Concern is increasing significantly among the city’s police force – once dubbed Asia’s finest – that officers will need to use lethal force to defend themselves or others. Violence has gotten “to such a level, [the officers’] greatest fear is that they might have to kill someone or that they might be killed themselves – it is really that critical,” a top police commander told a group of foreign media on condition of anonymity. “We have been so restrained in the face of such violence; this pressure has become extremely dangerous.“ “I haven’t seen this kind of widespread lawlessness in the whole of my career,” the commander said. “We are getting more and more worried about the possibility of death.” Hong Kong protests | Read more In recent weeks, police officers have pulled their guns and fired warning shots into the air during chaotic clashes with protesters. Senior police officers have said that their threshold to draw a weapon is if an officer feels his or her life is in danger. Protests first broke out over an extradition bill that would have sent suspects to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party control of the courts leads to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam pledged a few weeks ago to formally withdraw the proposal, though activist demands have widened in nearly four months of unrest to include direct leadership elections, and an independent investigation into police handling of the protests. Ms Lam hasn’t agreed to further concessions, but will begin a series of public meetings next week in efforts to resolve the situation. Police say that an independent inquiry now would frustrate their efforts to handle the protests. “We are still in the middle of a crisis,” said the senior commander. “You really have to be sure that whatever measure you take now is helpful to the resolution of the situation, that you are not playing into the hands of people whose only objective is to undermine the police so this situation could get worse.” So far, police have arrested 1,474 people, aged 12 to 84, since street violence began in June. Of those, 207 people have been charged. A number of cases are ready to go to trial, and some are starting to have their first hearings, the senior commander said, suggesting that city courts could fast track court dates and grant less bail to support broader efforts to quell the violence. “I can’t tell you how we’re going to stop this without all the other institutions all playing their part,” he said. “We have always been relying on that deterrent sentence that comes at the very end of the process.”

Trudeau says he doesn't know if there will be more blackface photos of him because he didn't remember doing it before the photos came out

Photos and videos surfaced this week showing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in racist makeup on three occasions in the 1990s and 2000s.

The Latest: US may send some asylum-seekers to El Salvador

The Latest on an agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador to make it a haven for migrants seeking asylum. A copy of an agreement between the United States and El Salvador says the U.S. may send some asylum-seekers to El Salvador but not until both countries have taken the necessary legal actions and an implementation plan is in place. The Associated Press obtained an unsigned draft copy of the agreement after acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan and El Salvador's Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco signed the agreement during a live-streamed event.

Greek police arrest suspect in 1985 TWA aircraft hijacking

Greek police have arrested a 65-year-old Lebanese man suspected of involvement in the 1985 hijacking of a Trans World Airlines (TWA) plane in which a U.S. navy diver was killed. A Greek police official said on Saturday the suspect had disembarked from a cruise ship on the island of Mykonos on Thursday and that his name came up as being wanted by German authorities. The suspect was being held in a high-security prison until German authorities identify him as the person wanted, the source added.

Campaigning Trudeau vows Canada assault rifle ban

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, campaigning for re-election, vowed on Friday to ban assault rifles but fell short on handguns, saying only that he would help cities restrict pistols and revolvers in response to a spate of shootings. "You don't need military-grade assault weapons, ones designed to kill the largest amount of people in the shortest amount of time, to take down a deer," he told a news conference in Toronto. There have been 311 shootings in Canada's largest city so far this year, with gun violence having increased incrementally each year to almost triple the rate in 2014.

'This Is an Emergency. Our House Is on Fire.' Greta Thunberg Addresses New York's Climate Strike

Organizers expect thousands to turn out, and 16-year-old climate activists Greta Thunberg is scheduled to speak.

Could a Tax on Stock Trades Pay Off the Nation’s Student Debt?

The 2020 Democratic candidates all have a plan to eliminate student debt.

Trump will send troops to Middle East in response to attack on Saudi Arabia

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the U.S. will send troops to the Middle East in response to an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.

Joe Biden got defensive during an LGBTQ forum in Iowa, calling the moderator 'a real sweetheart' as they walked offstage

When the moderator at the LGBTQ forum for presidential candidates pressed Joe Biden on his record, he called her 'a real sweetheart' afterward.

3 people have died as Tropical Depression Imelda strikes Texas with flash floods 'worse than Harvey'

Tropical Depression Imelda may drop up to 35 inches of rain onto southeastern Texas, the same region devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

India police arrest former minister after rape claim

Indian police Friday arrested a former minister from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman. Swami Chinmayanand, 73, a former internal affairs minister, is the second senior member of the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party to face sex charges in recent months. Chinmayanand runs several educational and welfare institutions in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and the victim was a student at one of his colleges, according to media reports.

Explained: Why Did Iran Attack Saudi Arabia's Oil Industry?

Here's what is going on.

Meghan Markle, Ivanka Trump, Katy Perry and more stars attend Misha Nonoo's wedding

Misha Nonoo's wedding to Michael Hess attracted a star-studded guest list that included British royalty and the first family of the United States.

Area 51 raid lures festive UFO hunters to Nevada desert; five arrested

UFO enthusiasts drawn by alien-themed festivities poured into rural Nevada on Friday near the Area 51 U.S. military base, but fears of a mass raid on the remote site or a public safety crisis proved unfounded, with only five people arrested. More than 3,000 out-of-towners ventured on Thursday and Friday to the desert region around Area 51, a secretive U.S. Air Force installation long rumored to house government secrets about extraterrestrial life and spaceships. The pilgrimage and two festivals welcoming the visitors were organized after a Facebook user jokingly exhorted readers to "storm" Area 51 on Sept. 20 "to see them aliens." The date chosen for the gathering was never explained.

Friday 20 September 2019

Campaigning Trudeau vows Canada assault rifle ban

A family fleeing violence in El Salvador has been stuck at the US-Mexico border for 2 months — and Trump's new asylum rules may make it impossible for them to cross

Trump's "asylum ban," recently affirmed by the Supreme Court, means that families fleeing violence may be stuck in Mexico indefinitely.

Hurricane Lorena threatens Mexico's resort-studded Los Cabos

Residents and tourists hunkered down in homes, shelters and hotels as Hurricane Lorena menaced Mexico's resort-studded Los Cabos area Friday, threatening damaging winds, flash floods and life-imperiling surf along the Baja California Peninsula. Local security forces urged evacuations even as some tourists continued to stroll the streets under cloudy skies.

Israel president to start consultations Sunday on next PM

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will begin consultations on Sunday to decide who should form the next government following this week's general elections, a statement from his office said. Rivlin will hold meetings with the parties elected to parliament and ask them for their recommendations on who should be the next prime minister. Rivlin's announcement on Thursday came as reported election results showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main opponent Benny Gantz deadlocked.

U.S. Senate hearing to confirm Trump pick Issa for trade post delayed by concern over FBI check

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee postponed a hearing on Thursday to consider former congressman Darrell Issa to lead the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, after Democrats accused the White House of withholding potentially compromising details in a background check. The panel's Republican chairman, Jim Risch, said consideration of Issa, President Donald Trump's nominee for the post, was postponed about half an hour into an acrimonious hearing. Senator Bob Menendez, the committee's ranking Democrat, said the White House had blocked access for all committee members to possibly compromising information on Issa.

Injured crewman sues California dive boat owner after 34 diein fiery tragedy

Ryan Sims filed the suit last week in Ventura County Superior Court saying the Conception dive boat was unseaworthy and operated in an unsafe manner.

Third Photo of Justin Trudeau in Blackface Threatens to Destroy His Progressive Reputation

REUTERS/Chris WattieThe progressive reputation of Justin Trudeau is in ruins Thursday morning after a third instance emerged of the Canadian prime minister wearing racist dark face-paint.The first photo that surfaced, showing Trudeau in 2001 wearing brownface as part of an Aladdin costume, would have been enough to turn some voters off him forever. But, within hours, a second photo was published of him wearing blackface to sing the Jamaican folk song “Day-O,” followed by a third video of him sticking his tongue out wearing dark makeup.What was initially assumed to be a deeply stupid and offensive costume at one theme party now looks like it was just one instance of a deeply troubling habit.Trudeau admitted he “made a mistake” late Wednesday after the first photo was published. That showed him wearing brownface makeup to an “Arabian Nights”-themed gala at the Vancouver private school where he taught in 2001.The picture, found in West Point Grey Academy’s yearbook and published by Time magazine, shows Trudeau with his face, neck, and hands darkened—along with him wearing a turban and robes. While he was not the only one pictured in costume at the gala, he appeared to be the only one pictured in brownface. “Obviously I regret that I did it, I’m really sorry I did it,” Trudeau told reporters Wednesday evening. “I take responsibility for my decision to do that. I should have known better... I didn’t know it was racist at the time.”Media relations lead of the Liberal Party of Canada, Zita Astravas, confirmed to Time that it was Trudeau in the photo. “It was a photo taken while he was teaching in Vancouver, at the school’s annual dinner which had a costume theme of ‘Arabian Nights.’ He attended with friends and colleagues dressed as a character from Aladdin,” Astravas said. In addition to the yearbook photo, he also disclosed to reporters that he once participated in a high school play “with makeup on”—but he did not elaborate further. That photo was then found shortly afterward.The third video, published Thursday morning by Canada’s Global News, appears to show Trudeau’s face covered in dark makeup while he sticks his tongue out. It appears his arms and legs are also covered in dark makeup. A senior member of the Liberal campaign reportedly told the network that it was Trudeau in the video but didn’t comment further.The photos, which surfaced as Trudeau is ramping up his re-election campaign, sparked an outpouring of criticism on Twitter, where many accused the Canadian prime minister of racism. Trudeau announced his re-election bid this month amid accusations he meddled in a corruption case. When asked by reporters if he would consider resigning over the photo, he said only that the incident “calls for important conversations.”“I have worked all my life to create opportunities for people to fight against racism, I can stand here and say I made a mistake... I should have known better then, but I didn’t and I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m going to be asking Canadians to forgive me... I’m disappointed and pissed off at myself.”New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh blasted the prime minister, claiming that his public calls to fight discrimination and his behavior in private were at odds.“Who is the real Mr. Trudeau? Is it the one behind closed doors, the one when the cameras are turned off that no one sees?” Singh asked, according to The Globe and Mail. “Is that the real Mr. Trudeau? Because more and more, it seems like it is.”The National Council of Canadian Muslims also said Trudeau wearing brownface was a “reprehensible” act that “hearkens back to a history of racism, slavery, and an Orientalist mythology that is unacceptable.”“While we recognize that people can change and evolve over two decades, it is critical that the prime minister immediately and unequivocally apologize,” executive director Mustafa Farooq told the newspaper.Earlier this year, a similar yearbook photo of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam wearing a racist costume was uncovered—prompting calls for him to resign. He is currently still in office. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also recently apologized for participating in a blackface skit in college.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Lawmakers Court Trump on Gun Safety, With Some Appealing to His Ego

By BY SHERYL GAY STOLBERG from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Ok2v0K

Giuliani Revels in Another Cable Dust-up Defending Trump

By BY ANNIE KARNI AND MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2ABPyHE

2020 Democrats Gather for L.G.B.T. Forum

By BY REID J. EPSTEIN AND LISA LERER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/30g7B5B

Saudis threaten UN-brokered truce in strike near Yemeni port city

The Saudi-led military coalition launched an air strike north of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah early on Friday morning, amidst heightened tensions following a weekend strike against Saudi oil installations. The coalition said it had struck only “legitimate military targets,” and had succeeded in destroying four sites used to assemble maritime drones and sea mines by Houthi fighters. “These sites are used to carry out attacks and terrorist operations that threaten shipping lines and international trade in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the southern Red Sea,” said coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki in a statement. Houthi forces who control the area were quick to brand the strike a “dangerous escalation”, saying it violated a UN ceasefire agreement reached last year in Sweden. While the strike took place north of the city, it was within Hodeidah governate and as such violates the terms of the agreement. “The coalition will bear the responsibility of this escalation which is also a test to the United Nations,” said Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam on Twitter. But some argue this is only the latest in a series of violations on both sides. “There has been so much escalation in and around the city, but often when the Houthis break ceasefires they are labelled skirmishes,” said Fatima Alsarar of the Middle East Institute. “The focus has been so much on the Saudi-led coalition because it’s a partner to the United States and you expect them to behave responsibly, but the Houthis are expected to behave like a militia so the bar is so much lower.” “There’s also pressure to see Hodeidah agreement work, and this is unfortunate because the UN always says the ceasefire has been successful otherwise. But people have died. This is just an effort to make the agreement look more successful than it has been.” Yemen displaced Hodeidah is a vital port city on the Red Sea, not only for humanitarian access but because it is used by the Houthis to smuggle in missile parts and small weapons from their backers in Iran. As a result, the city has been at the centre of conflict for the majority of the five-year war. The Saudi-led coalition, which receives Western backing, have been engaged in Yemen's civil war since 2015 after Houthi forces, backed by Iran, ousted the internationally recognised government in the capital Sana'a in late 2014. Some suspect Friday’s strikes were a retaliation for attacks on Saudi oil installations on Saturday, which were later claimed by the Houthi movement. But experts have ruled out Houthi responsibility, arguing forensic evidence shows the attacks came from Iran, the Houthis’ principal ally in the region. “This attack seems symbolic and packaged for a domestic audience,” said Peter Salisbury, Senior Analyst at Crisis Group. “The Saudis likely felt the need to demonstrate their willingness to respond to Houthi cross-border attacks. They’ve struck this site before which raises questions about the utility of such a strike expect for show.” “Yemen, in the eyes of some in the Riyadh and elsewhere, represents the low-hanging fruit in terms of demonstrating a willingness to retaliate against Iran,” he added. The Houthis, for their part, are happy to be used as a scapegoat in Yemen for Iran in order to reach their ultimate objective, according to Ms Alasrar: “Iran thrives on creating confusion, it aims to deflect and say: look at the Houthis, look at the Saudis, we’re not doing anything. They’re sending a message to the US that they need to respect their authority while also denying involvement.”

Justin Trudeau blackface: Third incident of Canadian PM wearing racist makeup emerges

A video of Justin Trudeau wearing blackface has been released. The clip is the third instance of the Canadian prime minister wearing racist make-up to emerge in the last 24 hours.The video was first obtained by Global News.

2 dead as Imelda strands drivers, floods homes in Texas

The slow-churning remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda flooded parts of Texas on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and rescue crews with boats scrambling to reach stranded drivers and families trapped in their homes during a relentless downpour that drew comparisons to Hurricane Harvey two years ago. Law enforcement officers planned to work well into the night to clear freeways of vehicles stalled and abandoned because of flooding, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. Officials in Harris County, which includes Houston, said there had been a combination of at least 1,700 high-water rescues and evacuations to get people to shelter as the longevity and intensity of the rain quickly came to surprise even those who had been bracing for floods.

Hong Kong police warn officers 'might have to kill someone' as violence escalates

Inside Saudi Arabia's response to a raid on the heart of the oil kingdom

Saudi Arabia's newly appointed energy minister was in London when he learned in the middle of the night of the largest-ever attack on the kingdom’s oil infrastructure. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, a veteran oil official and senior member of the Al Saud ruling family, hurried back to the kingdom, flying by private jet to Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran to assess the damage and manage the fallout from the attack on the world’s largest oil exporter, three sources close to the matter said. Officials at state-run oil company Saudi Aramco, meanwhile, gathered in what was referred to internally as the “emergency management room” at the company’s headquarters.