Impacts of new immigration policy

Evelyn Rusli and Angela Sutherland, co-founders of Yumi, discuss their families' immigration stories, and how this new immigration policy with affect people who are on public assistance.

Syria regime forces inch closer to key jihadist-held town: monitor

Syrian regime forces captured a string of insurgent-held villages in northwest Syria on Thursday, inching closer to a key jihadist-run town in the Idlib region, a war monitor said. Over the past week, pro-regime fighters have advanced on the southern edges of Idlib province, controlled by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). On Thursday, regime loyalists stood just three kilometres (1.8 miles) away from the key town of Khan Sheikhun, after capturing five villages to the northwest overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Ghislaine Maxwell spotted out in public for the first time since 2016

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was spotted in Los Angeles on Monday, photographed reading a book on the history of the CIA at a popular fast food restaurant. The 57-year-old's whereabouts have been the subject of intense attention since the unsealing last week of court documents alleging she played a key role in assisting Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of young girls. That attention has only heightened with Epstein's death on Saturday, in jail awaiting trial. Two days after her former lover's death she was seen in the Hollywood Hills area of LA, sitting outside with her dog, at a branch of In-N-Out Burger. She posed for a photograph when a man, described by The New York Post as being a regular at the chain, recognised her.  Ghislaine Maxwell, photographed in 2010 at a gala in New York, was a familiar face on the party circuit until she left the city in 2016 “He’s at In-N-Out every single day,” a source told the paper.  “He went up to her and asked, ‘Are you who I think you are?’  "She replied, ‘Yes, I am.'” Miss Maxwell then reportedly told an onlooker: “Well, I guess this is the last time I’ll be eating here!” The source said that Miss Maxwell was reading a book called The Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives and seemed resigned to having her picture taken. “She was perfectly friendly, very lovely,” the source said. Miss Maxwell has not been pictured in public since 2016, when she sold her mansion in New York City and disappeared from view. Asked how the photographer knew who Miss Maxwell was, the source said: “If you’ve had the TV on, you know who she is, how could you miss her?” Donald Trump and his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2000 Miss Maxwell was reported on Wednesday to have been spending time at a secluded mansion in Manchester-By-The-Sea, in Massachusetts. The owner of the house, Scott Borgerson, said on Wednesday that she was not at his home, and denied that the pair were dating. Miss Maxwell was never seen at the property. On Thursday the New York Post published the photograph, taken three days previously. It was unclear whether she remained in the city or had moved on. Miss Maxwell has never been charged with any crime, and has always denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's sexual abuses. However, prosecutors in New York and lawyers for the accusers are said to be keen to speak to her for questioning, as the conspiracy case into Epstein's network continues. Protesters outside court in New York on July 8 - the day Epstein was charged William Barr, the US attorney general, said he was “livid” at Epstein’s suicide, and issued a blunt warning to his associates. "Let me assure you that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein,” he said. “Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it.” Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was overseeing the charges Epstein faced when he died, added that his team’s “investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing.”

Trump Panics, Rushes Into Xi’s Arms

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- It only took a small taste of what a U.S. recession might be like for President Donald Trump to suggest that he wants a trade deal with China after all.The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 800 points in its worst rout of the year after the gap between the two-year and 10-year Treasury yields turned negative for the first time since 2007. An inverted yield curve has preceded the last seven recessions in the U.S.Ever sensitive to stock movements, the president tried to calm the markets after the close. Abandoning his hawkish trade rhetoric, Trump extended an olive branch to Chinese President Xi Jinping in a series of tweets, calling him a “great leader” and a “good man.” He ended his posts with “Personal meeting?,” without specifying whether he was proposing a summit.The question is how Xi will respond to Trump’s overture. Who’s more desperate for a trade deal right now? Consider where China and the U.S. are in their respective business cycles. Since the trade war started, American consumers have sat tight and enjoyed their prosperity – just as Trump has boasted. China’s economy, by contrast, has been having a much tougher time. In the past year and a half, Beijing has had to deal with all sorts of credit issues that could escalate into a wider economic crisis.Examples abound. Last year, regulators changed margin-financing rules as the stock market suffered one of the world’s worst routs. The declines stemmed partly from listed companies pledging shares as collateral to secure short-term bank financing. This spring, the People’s Bank of China undertook the  first commercial bank seizure in two decades and was forced to calm ensuing jitters in the interbank market. Meanwhile, Beijing has had to deal with periodic peer-to-peer lending crises and bond defaults by state-affiliated entities. That might sound bad, but it helps China now. If a fireman has to put out fires every day for a year, he gets more proficient. That’s where Beijing is now.The same can’t be said of the U.S.. The slide in its sovereign long-term bond yields – a measure of investor confidence – has been fast and furious. Just two weeks ago, when Federal Reverse Chairman Jerome Powell described the U.S. rate cut as a “ mid-cycle adjustment,” the gap between the 2-year and 10-year bond yields was still 21 basis points. On Thursday morning in Asia, the 30-year yield, which more reflects traders’ view of the overall health of the economy rather than the depth of the current easing cycle, fell to a record low below 2%. To be sure, China’s economy is slowing: Industrial output growth is at its weakest since 2002. But digging deep into the data, the picture that emerges is of a government that’s measured and confident. For instance, some of the weakness in the July data reflected moves to rein in shadow financing and restart property deleveraging. If Beijing wants better-looking industrial output numbers, it just needs to reopen the liquidity taps – as we saw in the first quarter.On Thursday, the PBOC was showing no signs of panic. The central bank rolled over 383 billion yuan ($54 billion) of medium-term facility loans with interest rates unchanged. While the world's largest central banks are racing toward zero rates, the PBOC has been sitting on the sidelines, saving its firepower for later.China’s system has its advantages when it comes to economic management, as I’ve written. The ability of ministries to co-ordinate their policy responses means China can practice the ultimate in modern monetary theory, which is probably what the U.S. needs right now to restore its yield curve.So while Trump may think his olive branch is a big deal, the message to Washington is: Don’t think you’ve got China on the ropes. Xi was panicking a year ago; he can afford to wait now.   To contact the author of this story: Shuli Ren at sren38@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. She previously wrote on markets for Barron's, following a career as an investment banker, and is a CFA charterholder.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Five killed as Pakistan and India trade fire amid Kashmir tension

Three Pakistani troops and two civilians were killed during a clash with India over the disputed frontier in Kashmir, as Imran Khan warned of the ethnic cleansing of Muslims after Delhi revoked the region's autonomy. Pakistan's military said India had opened fire over the fortified line of control killing three soldiers, before a counter attack had killed five Indian troops. India denied any of its soldiers had died and accused Pakistan of breaking a ceasefire. The fighting came as  Pakistan held a symbolic “black day” of protest to coincide with India's Independence Day. Mr Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, warned there would be "radicalisation and cycles of violence" across the Muslim world if the international community ignored abuses inside Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan claims ownership of the disputed territory and has reacted with fury to last week's decision to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir's special status. In efforts to divert attention from precarious situation in IOJ&K;,Indian Army increases firing along LOC. 3 Pakistani soldiers embraced shahadat. Pakistan Army responded effectively. 5 Indian soldiers killed, many injured, bunkers damaged. Intermittent exchange of fire continues. pic.twitter.com/wx1RoYdiKE— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 15, 2019 Thursday saw newspapers print editions with black borders and politicians, including Mr Khan, replaced their social media pictures with black squares. Mr Khan accused the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, of forcing Muslims out of the state of Gujarat when he was chief minister in 2002. Likening the situation in Kashmir to the massacre of Bosniaks during the Bosnian War, Mr Khan said: “Will the world silently witness another Srebrenica-type massacre and ethnic cleansing of Muslims in Indian-occupied Kashmir? I want to warn the international community if it allows this to happen, it will have severe repercussions & reactions in the Muslim world setting off radicalisation and cycles of violence.” A man waves a Pakistan-administered Kashmir flag as he takes part in Independence Day celebrations in Karachi on August 14, 2019, Credit: AFP Pakistan says India's abolition of Kashmir's self-rule move was illegal and has started a diplomatic push to try to persuade the United Nations to intervene. Yet the country's foreign minister has also admitted India's trading power and Pakistan's isolation leave Islamabad with little leverage. Despite India imposing a strict military crackdown in what is India's only Muslim-majority state, Pakistan's allies in the Gulf have remained quiet. Mr Modi told an Independence Day gathering that Kashmir's special constitutional status had encouraged corruption and nepotism, while creating injustice for women, children and minority communities. “Today every Indian can proudly say 'One Nation, One Constitution'," he said from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi. Mr Modi also used his speech to warn of an unchecked population boom in the world's second largest nation. He said: "It is time to accept the challenges up front... population explosion. It will bring a lot of challenges for the future generations of this country." "We have to think if we can do justice to the aspirations of our children. There is a need to have greater discussion and awareness on population explosion.” The prime minister hailed an "informed section" of Indians who were already having smaller families as "playing a big role in doing good for the country".

Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation

Communist-run Cuba has imposed price controls on goods and services ranging from lemons and pork to haircuts and taxi fares in what it says is an effort to tame inflation as it increases state wages and pensions. On Thursday, prices in Havana were set for some basic foods such as beans, pork, lemons, bananas, onions and cabbage. In recent weeks, regional authorities have slapped price controls on taxi fares, beverages and haircuts, among other items.

Ghislaine Maxwell: Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, staffers and confidante face new lawsuit

An alleged victim of accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is suing his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as his estate and members of his staff after the disgraced financier died in an apparent suicide on Saturday.Jennifer Araoz, who has said she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Epstein between the ages of 14 and 15, has filed a lawsuit against Ms Maxwell, along with three unnamed female household staff members and the multi-millionaire’s estate.Ms Maxwell and the staff members ”conspired with each other to make possible and otherwise facilitate the sexual abuse and rape” Ms Araoz said she experienced at Epstein’s $77m (£63.7) New York City mansion, she claims.The lawsuit, which initially named Epstein, was amended to name his estate as a defendant after he was found unresponsive in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York and subsequently pronounced dead. Ms Maxwell, the daughter of the late British media tycoon Robert Maxwell, has denied the allegations and did not face any charges in a controversial plea agreement Epstein made with prosecutors in 2007. Epstein was allowed to serve just 13 months in a county jail that provided a daytime work release after he pleaded guilty to prostitution felonies in 2008. He was also forced to register as a sex offender.Prosecutors have had difficulty locating Ms Maxwell, the Washington Post reported, who has often been described as one of Epstein’s closest confidants. His accusers say she was involved in all aspects of Epstein’s alleged trafficking, from arranging for girls to meet with him and members of his elite inner circle, to participating in the sexual abuse they allegedly suffered.Ms Araoz was reportedly interviewed by FBI and other federal officials about her allegations against Epstein after he was indicted in July. Several other women accusing Epstein of child sex trafficking and sexual assault have also named Ms Maxwell as his alleged co-conspirator. The lawsuit was made possible due to new legislation in New York called the Child Victims Act, which went into effect the same day Ms Araoz filed her suit.The new law allows any alleged child sexual abuse victims living in the state to file civil lawsuits over the next 12 months — no matter when the abuse took place. Epstein's accusers have expressed frustration after his death in federal custody, with attorney general William Barr describing "serious irregularities" at the correctional centre where he was held. The guards assigned to watch him, who have since been placed on administrative leave, have been accused of falling asleep and falsifying records indicating they completed checks on his cell near the time of his apparent suicide.