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Latest World News, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:48 AM PDT

Latest World News, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs


What If We Blew Up All The World’s Nuclear Weapons At Once?

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT



Popular Mechanics: What If We Blew Up All The World's Nukes at Once?

For starters, it would be a very, very bad day for mankind.

Sometimes it's best not to think about just how many nukes are out there.

Nuclear weapons are enormously destructive devices capable of level entire cities, and arguably ending human civilization in the case of an all-out nuclear exchange. But what if humankind, for some bizarre reason, decided to set all of them off at once? The YouTube channel Kurzgesagt followed this thought experiment to its apocalyptic conclusion, and it's not pretty.

The explosive yield of nuclear weapon is typically measured in kilotons, or thousand tons of TNT. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima is typically calculated at 16 kilotons, or 16,000 tons of TNT. The W-87 warhead carried by the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile has a yield of 300 kilotons. The B83 nuclear freefall bomb, carried by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, has a yield of up to 1.2 megatons, or 1,200 kilotons.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  It would definitely be mankind's worst day.

Can You Take A Recruit From The Street And Make That Person Into An Elite Soldier?

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:00 AM PDT

Major-General Peter Dawe speaks to reporters at a Canadian Special Operations Forces Command change of command ceremony in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. The Canadian Forces is considering whether to start recruiting its elite special-forces soldiers straight off the street rather than forcing them to follow the traditional route of first spending several years in the military.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick DoylePATRICK DOYLE / THE CANADIAN PRESS

National Post/Canadian Press: Special forces looks at recruiting off the street amid shifting demands

OTTAWA — The Canadian Forces are considering whether to recruit elite special-forces soldiers straight off the street rather than forcing them to follow the traditional route of first spending several years in the military.

The idea, which is still being debated, comes as Canada's special forces — and the military as a whole — look at radical new ways to attract and retain people with the skills and experience needed to fight tomorrow's wars.

That includes not just computer experts, for example, but also those with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and language skills, as the special forces aim to operate more effectively in different parts of the world.

"This is not about achieving set quotas or anything else," Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe, commander of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, told The Canadian Press in an exclusive interview.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: You need the training and experience. Anything less will not make you a special forces soldier.

Medal Of Honor Recipient Dakota Meyer Explains Why He Hates His Medal

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:00 AM PDT

President Barack Obama awards Sgt. Dakota Meyer the Medal of Honor Sept. 15, 2011. Meyer is the first living Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Wetzel).

Task & Purpose: Dakota Meyer explains why he hates his Medal of Honor

Receiving the Medal of Honor is the worst thing that ever happen to former Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, he told the military podcast Zero Blog Thirty.

In September 2011, Meyer became the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. When his team was ambushed by more than 50 Taliban fighters, Meyer braved intense enemy fire to save 36 U.S. and Afghan troops.

Yet in an interview Thursday with the podcast, Meyer said he still blames himself for not being able to reach four Marines trapped by enemy fire sooner. It took him five attempts to fight through the ambush to reach the Marines, who were dead when he arrived.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: We all have a cross to bear. Dakota Meyer has his.

Current Trade War Could Result In The 'Worst Recession In Recent Chinese History'

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 12:00 AM PDT

Minxin Pei, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and a non-resident senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, wrote 'China's Crony Capitalism: The Dynamics of Regime Decay'. Photo: Winson Wong

South China Morning Post: US-China trade war inactivity could lead to the 'worst recession in recent Chinese history', says scholar

* Political economy professor Minxin Pei says Beijing lacks the will to make radical political changes to deal with the trade war with the United States
* Also says China's strong control of the economy will eventually backfire, with economy slowing to its lowest growth point for almost 30 years

China's inability to "take the opportunity to do the right thing" during the trade war with the United States could cost the country dearly in form of a recession that "will become the worst in recent Chinese history", according to a leading political economy scholar.

Minxin Pei, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and a non-resident senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, believes China's strong control of the economy will eventually backfire.

"So far, it shows that China is not taking the opportunity to do the right thing," said Pei. "China is willing to make some concessions by buying more goods, perhaps also improve intellectual property protection, but that does not improve China's economy structurally.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Minxin Pei's analysis is spot on.

Head Of NASA Calls India's Anti-Satellite Missile Test A 'Terrible, Terrible Thing'

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:00 PM PDT


CNet: NASA chief labels Indian anti-satellite missile test a 'terrible, terrible thing'

Lingering space debris from the missile test poses a threat to astronauts on the International Space Station.

The head of NASA, administrator Jim Bridenstine, has called a recent Indian anti-satellite missile test, which destroyed a satellite in low Earth orbit and blasted 400 pieces of debris into space, a "terrible, terrible thing".

"That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight," said Bridenstine, speaking at a livestreamed Town Hall gathering of NASA employees. "It's unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is."

India announced that it had successfully carried out "Mission Shakti", an anti-satellite missile test on March 27, destroying one of the country's satellites. The success of the mission made India only the fourth nation to complete such a test, following previous tests conducted by the US, Russia and China.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is sobering .... India's anti-satellite missile test may have created 6,500 pieces of space junk larger than a pencil eraser, according to a new simulation (Business Insider).

Tweets For Today

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 10:30 PM PDT











Will Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Be Re-Elected This Year?

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 10:00 PM PDT

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Reuters: Canada's Trudeau sticks to guns as scandal threatens re-election

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's insistence that there is little wrong with how he is handling the worst crisis of his tenure is frustrating lawmakers and senior party figures who believe the approach could cost him re-election this October.

Angry legislators are starting to push back against Trudeau and his team, opening up public divisions of the kind the ruling Liberals have not seen for almost 20 years.

Trudeau has been under pressure over allegations that officials inappropriately leaned on then-Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould last year to try to ensure SNC-Lavalin Group Inc avoid a corruption trial by paying a fine instead.

Wilson-Raybould resigned on Feb. 12 after being demoted within the Cabinet, and a second minister, Jane Philpott, subsequently quit over the way the matter had been handled.

The mood among senior advisers inside the prime minister's office has often been grim, according to two Liberals familiar with the matter.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There are multiple reasons why Canadian Prime Minister is on track to lose in this year's federal election. The current focus is on his government's interference in a criminal case involving a company that has close ties to the governing Liberals, but he has bigger problems than that. He has lost the support of Western Canada who are furious with his energy policies that has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of well paying jobs in the energy sector. His tax policy on energy is also alienating voters in 4 key provinces who feel they are being targeted because their provincial governments have a different approach on how to combat climate change in view of their unique provincial economies. In Canada's largest province (i.e. Ontario), manufacturing jobs are leaving because of taxes and regulations that make it difficult to be competitive with the far more business friendly U.S., and there is also a cultural backlash among religious immigrants who do not feel comfortable with Prime Minister Trudeau's social agenda that includes support of abortion and LGBT issues. And in the province where I live .... French Quebec .... there is a serious backlash against Prime Minister Trudeau's open immigration policy among many in the French population who feel that their culture is being diminished. Bottom line .... his only hope for re-election right now is that his opponents screw it up, which they do have a history of doing. But if I was a betting man, I would definitely not be putting any money on his chances of being Prime Minister at the end of this year.

Picture Of The Day

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:30 PM PDT

A demonstrator stands next to a burning barricade during a protest against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela March 31, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Venezuelans protest over lack of power and water (Reuters).

Saudi Arabia's Aramco Is The Most Profitable Company In The World

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:00 PM PDT



Daily Mail/AFP: Saudi oil company Aramco is revealed as the world's most profitable firm after making $111BILLION last year

* The oil giant published its accounts for the first time in a bid to attract investors
* Aramco will sell bonds to raise $69 billion to buy out petrochemical giant SABIC
* The figure dwarfs combined profits of Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell and Total

Oil giant Saudi Aramco has revealed it made the world's biggest corporate profit last year, opening its secretive accounts for the first time as it prepares to raise funds from investors.

International ratings agencies Fitch and Moody's got rare access to Aramco's accounts which show net profits reached $111 billion (£84.6 billion) last year.

It comes as Aramco prepares to sell bonds on the international market to help finance the purchase of a 70-percent stake in Saudi petrochemical behemoth SABIC for $69.1 billion (£52.7), effectively merging the kingdom's two largest companies.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: So where is all the money going? .... Saudi Aramco Is The Most Profitable Company In The World, But Where Is All The Money Going? (Ellen R. Wald, Forbes).

More News On Saudi Arabia's Aramco Company

Rare glimpse into Saudi Aramco shows $111 billion net profit -- AP
Saudi Aramco made $111 billion in 2018, topping Apple as the world's most profitable company by far -- CNBC
Saudi Aramco 'made $224 billion profit' last year -- AFP
Saudi Aramco is the world's most profitable company -- CNN
Aramco Unveils Financial Secrets of World's Most Profitable Firm -- Bloomberg
The biggest company you've never heard of is more profitable than Apple, Amazon, and Google combined -- Insider
Saudi Aramco revealed as world's most profitable company -- RT

Google And China Are Working Together On Artificial Intelligence

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 08:00 PM PDT

A Chinese national flag flies in front of Google China's headquarters in Beijing on Thursday. Jason Lee/Reuters

SCMP/Bloomberg: Unfazed by trade war, Google collaborates with Huawei on health care AI initiative

* Huawei's new Track AI product for diagnosing eye conditions was built with Google's TensorFlow software
* A creative team that works with Google's advertising clients also provided marketing help to Huawei

When Huawei Technologies announced its latest smartphone last week, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker also shared another product. Track AI promises to pair software with Huawei devices to let "non-trained professionals" diagnose eye conditions.

Missing from the Chinese company's announcement was Google's work behind the scenes.

Huawei built Track AI using TensorFlow, a set of artificial intelligence software tools from Alphabet's Google. TensorFlow is also open-source, so anyone, anywhere can use it and Google cannot control access.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Now I understand why the Pentagon is concerned .... Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dunford To Meet With Google Over Their Ties With China (March 21, 2019)

The Pentagon Has Stopped Delivering F-35 Parts To Turkey

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 07:00 PM PDT

A squadron of F-35As flying over Hill Air Force Base in Utah. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force)

CNN: US suspends delivery of F-35 jet equipment to Turkey

The Pentagon has halted the delivery of equipment related to the F-35 jet to Turkey due to Turkey's decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile system.

"Pending an unequivocal Turkish decision to forgo delivery of the S-400, deliveries and activities associated with the stand-up of Turkey's F-35 operational capability have been suspended while our dialogue on this important matter continues with Turkey," Lt. Col. Mike Andrews told CNN in a statement.

"We very much regret the current situation facing our F-35 partnership, but the DoD is taking prudent steps to protect the shared investments made in our critical technology," he added.

The news of the delivery suspension was first reported by Reuters.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Suspending F-35 Parts To Turkey

US stops F-35 fighter jet parts delivery to Turkey -- AP
U.S. halts F-35 equipment to Turkey, protests its plans to buy from Russia -- Reuters
US suspends F-35 deliveries to Turkey over Russian arms -- AFP
US cancels shipments of F-35 equipment to Turkey -- The Hill

Former NSA Hackers Helped UAE To Spy On Al Jazeera And BBC

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 06:00 PM PDT

IN THE NEWSA UAE-backed spying mission targeted the host of an Al Jazeera program called "The Opposite Direction," which gave voice to pressing issues of the day. Here, the company's Doha headquarters.Photo by Reuters/Naseem Zeitoon

Joel Schectman & Christopher Bing, Reuters: American hackers helped UAE spy on Al Jazeera chairman, BBC host

A group of American hackers who once worked for U.S. intelligence agencies helped the United Arab Emirates spy on a BBC host, the chairman of Al Jazeera and other prominent Arab media figures during a tense 2017 confrontation pitting the UAE and its allies against the Gulf state of Qatar.

The American operatives worked for Project Raven, a secret Emirati intelligence program that spied on dissidents, militants and political opponents of the UAE monarchy. A Reuters investigation in January revealed Project Raven's existence and inner workings, including the fact that it surveilled a British activist and several unnamed U.S. journalists.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The UAE hired the best. 

Did Saudi Arabia Hacked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' Phone?

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 05:00 PM PDT



ABC News Online: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had phone hacked by Saudis 'intent on harming' him, security chief claims

The Saudi Government is "intent on harming" Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos and accessed his phone in order to gain private information, his security chief claims.

Gavin De Becker, a longtime security consultant, said he had concluded his investigation into the January publication of leaked text messages between Mr Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor whom the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper said he was dating.

The outlet threatened to publish the messages on the same day Mr Bezos and his wife announced that they were divorcing after 25 years of marriage.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: National Enquirer is saying no .... National Enquirer: Bezos' girlfriend's brother 'single source' for reports (Reuters).

More News On Claims That Saudi Arabia Hacked Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' Phone

Bezos investigator accuses Saudis of hacking Amazon CEO's phone before tabloid expose -- National Post/Washington Post
Saudi Arabia 'hacked Amazon boss's phone', says investigator -- BBC
Jeff Bezos investigator: Saudi Arabia obtained private information -- CNN
Saudis hacked Jeff Bezos' phone and leaked racy texts, investigator claims -- FOX News
Plot twist: Jeff Bezos' affair leak may have been Saudi government attack -- Mashable
Did Saudi Arabia hack Jeff Bezos? Amazon CEO adviser says Saudis 'got private information' -- USA Today

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 1, 2019

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:00 PM PDT



Al-Monitor: Intel: How Turkey's local elections mark rebuke for Erdogan's one-man rule

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) appears to have lost control of city hall in Ankara and is neck and neck with the opposition in Istanbul, according to preliminary results from Sunday's municipal elections. In the capital, Mansur Yavas, candidate of an alliance led by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has taken the lead. Meanwhile in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and its commercial hub, opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu reportedly leads former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, according to the latest data provided by Turkey's official Supreme Election Board.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 1, 2019

Is Turkish poll shock the beginning of the end for Erdoğan? -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

Turkey elections pave way for bad economic choices -- Dasha Afanasieva, Reuters

Political outsider tops Ukraine election -- Bohdan Nahaylo, Asia Times

Gloves Come Off As Zelenskyy, Poroshenko Look Ahead To Ukraine Runoff -- Christopher Miller, RFE

China Is Capitalizing on the West's Mayhem -- Leland Lazarus & John Brunetti, National Interest

Q&A: What's in a name for Japan emperor's new era? -- Mari Yamaguchi, AP

Misinformation Is Endangering India's Election -- Snigdha Poonam and Samarth Bansal, The Atlantic

Why Russia Is Standing By Sudan's Bashir -- Marcel Plichta, World Politics Review

Why Broken Brexit Could Be A Disaster For Britain's National Security -- Zak Doffman, Forbes

Brexit options: Stick close to EU? Crash out? Think again? -- Jill Lawless, AP

Will Trump Really Close the Southern Border? -- Hunter DeRensis, National Interest

The real costs of Russiagate -- Stephen Cohen, RT

Venezuelans Protest Power Cuts That Put Maduro in a Bind -- Jose Orozco, Bloomberg

The Kremlin Prepares to Defend Venezuela's Maduro Regime by All Means -- Pavel Felgenhauer, RCD

Hanover fair: No industrial revolution without 5G -- Andreas Becker, DW

World News Briefs -- April 1, 2019 (Evening Edition)

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 03:06 PM PDT



Reuters: Brexit deadlocked again: British parliament fails to find an alternative

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain was no nearer to resolving the chaos surrounding its departure from the European Union after parliament failed on Monday to find a majority of its own for any alternative to Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal.

After a tumultuous week in which May's divorce strategy was rejected by lawmakers for a third time, despite her offer to quit if it passed, the future direction of Brexit remains mired in confusion.

In a bid to break the impasse, lawmakers on Monday voted on four last-minute alternative Brexit options for what is the United Kingdom's most far-reaching policy change since World War Two. All were defeated.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Iran FM acuses US of 'economic terrorism' as flood-hit cities evacuated.

Turkey elections: opposition claims victory in Ankara, pulls ahead in Istanbul. Erdoğan's party loses Ankara in Turkish local elections blow.

Killed by cholera, Yemeni doctor knew he was fighting 'disastrous' epidemic.

Palestine, Golan Heights take centre stage at Arab League summit.

Arab leaders to seek U.N. Security Council resolution on Golan.

Hamas tightens grip on Gaza, fails to break Israel blockade.

Gaza violence: Crossings reopen after negotiated 'calm'.

Putin, Netanyahu discussed military ties, Middle East.

Brazil president visits Western Wall with Netanyahu in first.

Israeli group says network of bots is stumping for Netanyahu.

Iraq arrests Mosul ferry owners after deadly disaster.

ASIA

Pompeo hopes for new N.Korea summit in 'coming months'.

Diplomats, activists decry Chinese 'threats' at UN rights council.

Chinese fighter jets cross Taiwan Strait after Tsai Ing-wen urges Pacific pushback against Beijing.

Vietnam protests over China's sinking of vessel in contested South China Sea.

4 militants killed in Kashmir following gun battle with Indian security forces.

Thai demonstrators protest against alleged polls cheating.

North Korea calls for probe into 'terror attack' on embassy in Spain.

Woman gets 3 years in plea deal for killing half-brother of Kim Jong Un.

14 suspected rebel communists killed in operations in Philippines.

New Zealand outlines strict new gun controls.

Nepalese PM: 27 dead, 612 injured following massive storm.

AFRICA

Western Sahara settlement is possible: UN chief.

Sudan's Bashir says protest demands 'legitimate'.

Mozambique confirms 1st cholera death as cases above 500. Mozambique races to contain 1,000 cholera cases.

Algeria's leader, ceding to protests, will quit by April 28.

Algeria's President Bouteflika names caretaker government.

Algeria's embattled Bouteflika to resign within days: Report.

Sudan police fire tear gas as protesters rally: witnesses.

Xenophobic attacks spark South African response.

Sierra Leone bans industrial fishing for a month.

Rwanda's genocide killers learn new life back home.

EUROPE

Ukraine's president trying to hold off rival for runoff spot.

Ukraine: Comedian Zelensky and incumbent Poroshenko set for runoff vote — exit poll.

Kremlin says will not comment on Ukraine's election until end of runoff.

UK Parliament seeks new options on Brexit.

Brexit in disarray: May under pressure to go for soft Brexit.

Jean-Claude Juncker warns EU's patience 'running out' over Brexit. Juncker says EU running out of patience with London over Brexit stalemate.

Slovakia elects first female president, a liberal lawyer.

UN Security Council: Germany, France share presidency.

Treaty's end would give U.S., Russia impetus to make more nukes: study.

Four years on, migration crisis stokes desperation on Greece's Lesbos.

AMERICAS

AP sources: Trump considers adding 'immigration czar'.

US cuts aid to three Central American countries over migration.

Trump aides stress president's resolve to close US-Mexico border. Mulvaney: only 'something dramatic' will stop Trump closing Mexico border.

Trump surprises his aides and allies with abrupt decrees.

Allegations test Biden ahead of 2020 run. Joe Biden denies Lisa Flores's misconduct allegations. Biden says he never meant to make women feel uncomfortable.

Venezuelans struggle to understand power rationing plan.

Venezuelans set up burning barricades over lack of power, water.

US condemns Russia troop deployment to troubled Venezuela.

Lavrov: Washington informed of what Russian troops are doing in Venezuela.

Venezuela crisis: Opposition's GuaidΓ³ awaits army support.

Brazil to open diplomatic office in Jerusalem.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Alleged UK spy 'Osama bin Bieber' who joined daesh executed by terror group.

Western ISIS recruits wouldn't stand too close to each other for fear they could get blasted by a drone strike, captured fighter claims.

Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf's children out of battle zone after fleeing Islamic State.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

US stocks post solid finish on encouraging economic data.

Lyft shares skid below IPO price in first full trading day.

Delays as major US airlines hit by computer outages.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg asks for government and regulator help in controlling internet content.

Unfazed by trade war, Google collaborates with Huawei on health care AI initiative.

Ethiopian Airlines to give preliminary report on Boeing crash.

U.S. Southern Border At The Breaking Point As Thousands Of Migrants Approach The Border Daily

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:00 PM PDT


Washington Times: Massive caravan on 'illegal immigration superhighway' to press strained border resources

For most people, the pain of mass illegal immigration has been abstract.

That's about to change.

Anyone crossing the U.S.-Mexico border could end up stuck in longer lines as officers are pulled from the land ports of entry and deployed to help the Border Patrol transport, feed and see to the medical needs of the tens of thousands of people streaming illegally into the U.S. each week.

Mexican officials warn of another caravan of 20,000 migrants preparing to shoot north, hoping to take advantage of the lax enforcement in both Mexico and lenient policies in the U.S. About 100,000 immigrants responding to those incentives have been nabbed at the border in March alone.

"The result is an illegal immigration superhighway that's flowing through Mexico," one senior Homeland Security Department official told The Washington Times.

By now, the nature of the border problem is clear: Families and children, assisted by drug smuggling cartels, have figured out how to exploit loopholes in federal law to gain a foothold in the U.S. They are coming in larger numbers and poorer health, and Homeland Security says it has reached the breaking point.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I have mentioned it before, but the U.S. has seen nothing yet .... Gallop Poll: 42 Million Latin Americans Say They Want To Move To The U.S. (February 11, 2019).

Former British ISIS Fighters Speak Out

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 01:06 PM PDT



Business Insider: Western ISIS recruits wouldn't stand too close to each other for fear they could get blasted by a drone strike, captured fighter claims

* Western ISIS recruits kept far apart from each other because they knew some were targets for drone strike assassinations.
* "A lot of the westerners were kept distances from one another because one of the primary affairs was targeted drone strikes," British recruit Hamza Parvez told the BBC from prison in Syria.
* "People wouldn't want to be associated with one another just in case. So we'd really be scared of, ok, "this guy might be," and "this guy might be"."
* The physical defeat of ISIS forces in Syria was declared on March 23 and a number of captured western recruits have spoken to media since about the caliphate's final days.

ISIS terrorists recruited from western countries like the US and UK always kept their distance from each other because of the threat of drone strikes, according to a captured member of the terror group.

"A lot of the westerners were kept distances from one another because one of the primary affairs was targeted drone strikes," captured ISIS member and ex-police cadet from London, Hamza Parvez, told the BBC from a Kurdish prison in Syria.

Parvez left the UK to join ISIS in 2014 but was captured in Baghuz, the final ISIS bastion in Syria, according to the BBC. The government has stripped him of citizenship.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Their claims that they did not know how bad ISIS was/is does not wash with me. They knew who ISIS was, and they joined because they wanted to.

More News On Former British ISIS Fighters Speaking Out

Is there a McDonald's here? Once-pudgy jihadi 'Hungry Hamza' asks about fast food after capture in Syria -- SCMP/Washington Post
British Islamic State fighter: 'We would never have come if we'd known the realities of Isis' -- Yahoo News
Brit ISIS fanatic 'Hungry Hamza' who moaned he missed KFC surrenders in Syria -- Daily Star
ISIS fanatic captured in Syria just wants to eat McDonald's NYPost

Is China Building An Anti-Satellite Laser Base?

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 12:00 PM PDT

Xinjiang laser facility

Washington Free Beacon: Satellite Photos Show Chinese Anti-Satellite Laser Base

Images also reveal work on EMP and electronic warfare weaponry.

Commercial satellite images have provided the first photographs of a secret Chinese anti-satellite laser base in western Xinjiang province, along with other high-technology weapons facilities.

The laser facility is located near a lake and is about 145 miles south of the Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.

The facility was discovered by retired Indian Army Col. Vinayak Bhat, a satellite imagery analyst who specializes on China.

China is using its satellite tracking stations located throughout the country as a means of identifying and targeting satellites.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Land based anti-satellite laser systems have not lived-up  to the hype that they are able to knock out low-orbit satellites. Then again .... maybe the Chinese have discovered something that will make it work?

Hundreds Of Chinese Ships Are Lurking Near A Philippine Island In The South China Sea

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:12 AM PDT

Thitu (Pag-asa in Tagalog), in the Spratly Islands

Business Insider: The Philippines says hundreds of Chinese ships have been lurking near an island it occupies in the disputed South China Sea

* The Philippines has officially protested the presence of hundreds of Chinese ships around a island in the South China Sea.
* The vessels have been detected around Philippines-occupied Thitu Island, aka Pag-asa, since January.
* The Philippines considers the vessels to be maritime militia, though China says they're fishing boats.

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest over the presence of more than 200 Chinese boats near an island occupied by Manila in the disputed South China Sea, the president's spokesman said on Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte has pursued warmer ties with China since taking office in 2016 in exchange for billions of dollars of pledged loans and investment.

The Department of Foreign Affairs protested against the vessels near the Philippines-occupied Thitu island, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular news conference, without describing the boats.

Read more ....

Update: Philippines Alarmed by Roughly 200 Chinese Ships Near Disputed Island (Bloomberg).

WNU editor: This swarming of Chines ships around this Philippine island follows this incursion into Taiwanese space over the weekend .... For The First Time Since 2011 Chinese Jets And Warships Have Crossed The Median Line In The Taiwan Strait.

In A 2013 Speech, China's President Xi Says Western Countries Have Long-Term Economic And Military Superiority

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:23 AM PDT

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C), attends military ceremony in front of Carondelet Palace in Quito, Ecuador, November 18, 2016. REUTERS/Guillermo Granja

Business Insider/Reuters: China's Xi Jinping says Western countries have long-term economic and military superiority

* In a recently released 2013 speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned that developed countries in the West have long-term advantages over China.
* Xi acknowledged that China's Communist Party had made mistakes but said the party's history is "generally speaking glorious."

BEIJING (Reuters) - Developed Western nations have long-term economic, technological and military advantages over China, and the Communist Party has to realize that some people will use the West's strong points to criticize socialism's failings, President Xi Jinping said.

Since assuming power in China more than six years ago, Xi has ramped up efforts to ensure total party loyalty and discipline, including a sweeping crackdown on corruption, warning the party's very survival is at stake.

This year, which is marked by a series of sensitive anniversaries including three decades since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square, has seen a further increase in calls for party loyalty.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  He is right that the West has long-term economic and military superiority. But he is wrong if he thinks socialism will be China's salvation.

Cuba Is Active In Propping Up The Maduro Regime In Venezuela

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:31 AM PDT

How Has Maduro Survived? With Lots of Help From Cuban Operatives

Ethan Bronner, Alex Vasquez and David Wainer, Bloomberg: How Has Maduro Survived? With Lots of Help From Cuban Operatives

The men who ripped Carlos Guillen's toenails out and tightened a plastic bag over his face at counterintelligence headquarters in Caracas were Venezuelan. But the officers overseeing his torture were Cuban.

What immediately gave them away was how they spoke Spanish, said Guillen, a former lieutenant in the Venezuelan military who was accused of treason and, after being placed under house arrest and escaping, fled to Colombia.

Accents were a tip-off, too, for Maria Martinez Guzman. She was on the Univision team that scored an interview in February with embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and she said she was amazed by what she witnessed: Cubans in suits and earpieces telling Maduro aides, wearing jeans, what to do. The president was so angered by the journalists' questions that he ordered the crew briefly detained and then thrown out of the country.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The involvement of Cuba's military and intelligence services in Venezuela have been known for a long time .... Wall Street Journal: A Dozen High Level Cuban Military Officers And Thousands Of Intelligence Agents Are Now In Venezuela (May 22, 2017). My one contact in Caracas told me at the beginning of the year that most of the men who were surrounding and protecting the area around the Presidential compound in Caracas are Cuban, as well as a few very "white looking" men that he assumed were Russian.

Venezuela Announces Power Rationing. Maduro Calls On Armed Groups To Keep Order

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:07 AM PDT





DW: Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro introduces month-long electricity rationing

Acting President Nicolas Maduro's government ordered schools to remain closed and to reduce daily working hours. The country's chronic electricity and water shortages have fueled protests nationwide.

Venezuela's acting president President Nicolas Maduro announced on Sunday announced the beginning of a 30-day electricity rationing plan.

The acting president said the rationing regime would balance generation and transmission with consumption, and had the aim of ensuring water supply. Maduro did not elaborate on how the rationing program would be carried out.

Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez also announced on Sunday that school activities would remain suspended and business hours would be reduced to end the workday at 2 p.m.

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More News On The Crisis In Venezuela

Venezuela's Maduro announces power rationing amid outages -- AP
Venezuela: Maduro calls on armed groups to keep order amid electricity rationing -- The Guardian
Venezuela's Maduro announces power rationing as electricity crisis goes on -- France 24
Venezuela will RATION electricity for a month following nationwide power cuts that have caused misery for millions -- Daily Mail
Venezuela's Maduro announces power rationing amid blackouts -- Al Jazeera
Nationwide Blackouts Are the New Normal in Venezuela as Power Goes Out Again -- Time/AP
Maduro Announces Power Rationing, Blames Opposition for 'Violence and Chaos' -- Sputnik
Venezuelans plan protests over power and water as rationing looms -- Reuters
Venezuelans set up burning barricades over lack of power, water -- Reuters
Riots erupt as Venezuela's Maduro introduces 30-day power rationing -- The National
Venezuela crisis: Opposition's GuaidΓ³ awaits army support -- BBC
Moscow refuses to withdraw troops from Venezuela after President Trump says 'get out' -- News.com/AP
Turkey pledges continued support to Venezuela's Maduro -- FOX News/AP
US frustrated at Venezuela president's staying power as ally Russia props him up -- SCMP

Ukraine Presidential Election Results -- News Updates April 1, 2019

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 07:00 AM PDT



Reuters: Comedian takes commanding lead in Ukraine presidential vote

KIEV (Reuters) - A comedian with no political experience took a commanding lead in the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, offering a fresh face to voters fed up with corruption in a country on the front line of the West's standoff with Russia.

With three quarters of votes counted on Monday, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old comic who plays a fictional president in a popular TV series, had won more than 30.5 percent.

It leaves President Petro Poroshenko in a distant second with just 16.6 percent of the vote, a hole that may be too deep to climb out from. He faced a public furious at his failure to stamp out corruption or improve living standards five years after a pro-Russian leader was swept out by a popular revolt.

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Ukraine Presidential Election Results -- News Updates April 1, 2019

Comedian leads Ukraine presidential vote, runoff in 3 weeks -- AP
Ukraine election: Comedian leads presidential contest -- BBC
Popular comedian races ahead in Ukrainian presidential election -- Reuters
Ukraine: Comedian Zelensky and incumbent Poroshenko set for runoff vote — exit poll -- DW
Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky takes big lead in Ukraine elections -- CNN
Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy leading Ukraine's presidential race, exit polls suggest -- ABC News Online
Comedian secures comfortable first-round win in Ukraine's presidential elections -- CNBC
Zelensky to face Poroshenko in Ukraine runoff after early count -- Al Jazeera
Ukrainian comedian sure of victory in presidential runoff -- AP
Ukraine elections: TV comic favourite to win in presidential runoff -- The Guardian
Zelensky's victory in first round boosts his presidential chances to 75%, says expert -- TASS
Poroshenko's campaign headquarters says he is set to win runoff -- TASS
Poroshenko to fight tooth and nail in Ukrainian presidential election runoff — analysts -- TASS
Kremlin says will not comment on Ukraine's election until end of runoff -- TASS

World News Briefs -- April 1, 2019

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:34 PM PDT



Daily Mail: President Erdogan's party LOSES mayoral race to secular opposition in Turkish capital as his party is dealt significant blow in local elections

* Erdogan's AKP party lost the key mayoral seat of Ankara after the local elections
* Despite losses in several Turkish cities Erdogan declared victory on Sunday
* The AKP also looks set to lose Istanbul to the Republican People's Party (CHP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lost the mayoral race in the capital Ankara to Turkey's secular opposition as the country staged pivotal local elections.

Erdogan declared victory in the elections on Sunday night but the opposition's success in Ankara and elsewhere dealt a significant blow to his party's dominance.

Votes are still being counted in Istanbul where the race for mayor is said to be 'too close to call'.

The candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey's largest city Istanbul is ahead in the vote count against the candidate of President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party (AKP), the head of the country's High Election Board said on Monday.

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MIDDLE EAST

Turkey elections: opposition claims victory in Ankara, pulls ahead in Istanbul. Erdoğan's party loses Ankara in Turkish local elections blow.

Killed by cholera, Yemeni doctor knew he was fighting 'disastrous' epidemic.

Palestine, Golan Heights take centre stage at Arab League summit.

Arab leaders to seek U.N. Security Council resolution on Golan.

Hamas tightens grip on Gaza, fails to break Israel blockade.

Gaza violence: Crossings reopen after negotiated 'calm'.

Putin, Netanyahu discussed military ties, Middle East.

Iraq arrests Mosul ferry owners after deadly disaster.

ASIA

Chinese fighter jets cross Taiwan Strait after Tsai Ing-wen urges Pacific pushback against Beijing.

Vietnam protests over China's sinking of vessel in contested South China Sea.

4 militants killed in Kashmir following gun battle with Indian security forces.

Thai demonstrators protest against alleged polls cheating.

North Korea calls for probe into 'terror attack' on embassy in Spain.

Woman gets 3 years in plea deal for killing half-brother of Kim Jong Un.

14 suspected rebel communists killed in operations in Philippines.

New Zealand outlines strict new gun controls.

Nepalese PM: 27 dead, 612 injured following massive storm.

AFRICA

Algeria's President Bouteflika names caretaker government.

Algeria's embattled Bouteflika to resign within days: Report.

Sudan police fire tear gas as protesters rally: witnesses.

Xenophobic attacks spark South African response.

Mozambique confirms 1st cholera death as cases above 500.

Sierra Leone bans industrial fishing for a month.

Rwanda's genocide killers learn new life back home.

EUROPE

Ukraine: Comedian Zelensky and incumbent Poroshenko set for runoff vote — exit poll.

Kremlin says will not comment on Ukraine's election until end of runoff.

Brexit in disarray: May under pressure to go for soft Brexit.

Jean-Claude Juncker warns EU's patience 'running out' over Brexit. Juncker says EU running out of patience with London over Brexit stalemate.

Slovakia elects first female president, a liberal lawyer.

UN Security Council: Germany, France share presidency.

Treaty's end would give U.S., Russia impetus to make more nukes: study.

AMERICAS

US cuts aid to three Central American countries over migration.

Trump aides stress president's resolve to close US-Mexico border. Mulvaney: only 'something dramatic' will stop Trump closing Mexico border.

Trump surprises his aides and allies with abrupt decrees.

Allegations test Biden ahead of 2020 run. Joe Biden denies Lisa Flores's misconduct allegations.

Venezuelans set up burning barricades over lack of power, water.

US condemns Russia troop deployment to troubled Venezuela.

Lavrov: Washington informed of what Russian troops are doing in Venezuela.

Venezuela crisis: Opposition's GuaidΓ³ awaits army support.

Brazil to open diplomatic office in Jerusalem.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Alleged UK spy 'Osama bin Bieber' who joined daesh executed by terror group.

Western ISIS recruits wouldn't stand too close to each other for fear they could get blasted by a drone strike, captured fighter claims.

Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf's children out of battle zone after fleeing Islamic State.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Delays as major US airlines hit by computer outages.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg asks for government and regulator help in controlling internet content.

Unfazed by trade war, Google collaborates with Huawei on health care AI initiative.

Ethiopian Airlines to give preliminary report on Boeing crash.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 1, 2019

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 06:10 AM PDT


Kris Osborne, Warrior Maven: Massive Warship Expansion: Navy to Add 30 New Destroyers by 2034

Within the next 15 years, the Navy plans to add as many as 30 DDG 51 Destroyers

The Navy's ambitious fleet-size expansion relies upon a massive increase in heavily armed Destroyers able to launch long-range attacks, fire interceptor missiles, defend carrier strike groups and engage in massive open blue water warfare.

Within the next 15 years, the Navy plans to add as many as 30 DDG 51 Destroyers, including 22 new, high-tech DDG 51 Flight III warships and eight state-of-the-art DDG 51 Flight IIA destroyers. Prioritizing such a large number of these warships offers an interesting analytical window into Navy thinking about the next five decades of ocean war.

In addition to adding 30 new destroyers, the Navy' also seeks 15 LCS', 18 of the new Frigates and as many as 32 new attack submarines in the next 15 years. While many new ships are now under construction, the current number of Navy ships is roughly in the high 280s, a number the Navy hopes to grow to 355 by 2034.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- April 1, 2019

Why two carriers left Norfolk just hours apart -- Mark D. Faram, Navy Times

Pacific Commander Wants Subs The Navy Just Doesn't Have -- Breaking Defense

USS Eisenhower back at sea after upgrades in Norfolk -- UPI

U.S. Navy Turned A British Amphibious Ship Into A Mine-Clearing Sea Base Packed With Drone Tech -- Warzone/The Drive

Count Unmanned Vessels -- Jerry Hendrix, NRO

Boeing awarded $87.5M for work on Harrier trainers -- UPI

Major Pacific Exercise Preps Marines, Sailors for Large-Scale Maritime Battle -- Military.com

Army To Replace Nearly Half Of Its Apache Gunships With Future High-Speed Armed Recon Helo -- Warzone/The Drive

What the US Army can learn from the Brits' 'snowflake' recruiting campaign -- Army Times

New 'Black Hawk Down' documentary tells story of soldiers who saved Rangers, Delta Force troops -- Army Times

F-35's Most Sinister Capability Are Towed Decoys That Unreel From Inside Its Stealthy Skin -- Warzone/The Drive

The Pentagon's cost assessment office needs to reassess its F-15EX findings -- Douglas Birkey, Defense News

More than Planes and Pickle Buttons: Updating the Air Force's Core Missions for the 21st Century -- Heather Venable, War On the Rocks

The Newest AI-Enabled Weapon: 'Deep-Faking' Photos of the Earth -- Defense One

America is still trying to win the last cyber war -- Christopher Porter, The Hill

Congress to Pentagon: Um, we asked you to buy tech faster -- C4ISRNet

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend is nominated to lead AFRICOM -- Stars and Stripes

Tweeting Trump injects White House into SEAL war crimes case -- Navy Times

Key senator looks to block Apache sale to Egypt over injured American -- Al-Monitor

NATO Membership for Cyprus. Yes, Cyprus. -- Damon Wilson, Atlantic Council

'Serious' questions over SAS involvement in Yemen war -- The Guardian

US, Russian Bombers Zip Past One Another Over Norwegian Sea in Drills -- Sputnik

WATCH Russian IL-112V Military Transport Plane Successfully Make Maiden Flight -- Sputnik

New Russian aircraft successfully completes its first test flight -- TASS

'Flying Nightmare': Russia Makes Aerial Shotgun-Wielding Drone -- Sputnik

Donald Trump nears sale of new F-16V jets to Taiwan, a move seen as 'huge shock' to Beijing -- SCMP

Taiwan blasts China for 'reckless and provocative' fighter jet incursion -- SCMP/AFP

Chinese jets' incursion across Taiwan Strait is Beijing's way of pushing back against the US, say analysts -- SCMP

China's Activities in the Polar Regions Cannot Go Unchecked -- By Captain Tuan N. Pham, U.S. Navy, US Naval Institute

India launches top secret spy satellite into orbit along with cubesat swarm (VIDEO, PHOTOS) -- RT

India's anti-satellite missile test may have created 6,500 pieces of space junk larger than a pencil eraser, according to a new simulation -- Business Insider

Australia's Transition to the Hunter-Class Frigate -- Marcus Hellyer, The Strategist

South Korea begins excavation of war remains in DMZ -- UPI

More bad news about this Pearl Harbor memorial -- Navy Times/AP

World News Updates, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs, World News Updates

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 02:33 AM PDT

World News Updates, World News, Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs, World News Updates


‘We won’t take lessons from Juncker!’ Italy rages at EU chief for ‘damaging’ nation

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 12:32 AM PDT



JEAN-Claude Juncker faces a lukewarm reception from Italy's Giuseppe Conte after the European Commission President hit out at the nation's poor economic figures.

Euro IMPLODES: Spanish debt SURGES as Juncker warns of ‘ZERO GROWTH for Italy’

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 04:48 PM PDT



SPAIN and Italy are in economic turmoil with the former recording an increase of public debt by up 97.2% of GDP in 2018 and the latter hit rising unemployment levels last month.

Prepare for NO DEAL, EU’s financial sector told as hard Brexit ‘more likely by the day’

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:04 AM PDT



THE European Union has told financial centres to get ready for Brexit no deal as it looks "more likely by the day".

Aztec BOMBSHELL: How archaeologist made ‘INCREDIBLE’ 500-year-old discovery in basement

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:23 AM PDT



AN ARCHAEOLOGIST made a chilling discovery when he dug into the basement of an old house near Mexico City's Templo Mayor ruin site, a documentary revealed.

Top Republican wants Trump election DEFEAT - He’s driving Republican party ‘into OBLIVION’

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 08:20 PM PDT



A SENIOR Republican has despaired that another four years of Donald Trump will ruin the Republican party.

Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo FAILS Indian watchdog tests after baby powder investigation

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 10:44 PM PDT



JOHNSON & Johnson's baby shampoo has failed an Indian watchdog's quality tests, just a few months after Indian authorities launched an investigation into the company's baby powder to see if it contained cancer-causing asbestos.

MH370 BOMBSHELL: How co-pilot Fariq Hamid ‘MADE CONTACT with nearby plane’

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:01 PM PDT



MALAYSIA AIRLINES flight MH370 co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid "made contact" with a plane flying 30 minutes ahead of the doomed jet, according to the pilot, a documentary revealed.

US Navy announces plans to rapidly expand military capabilities in stark warning

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 03:15 PM PDT



THE US has announced plans to rapidly increased its military capabilities, sending a stark signal to the rest of the world.

Turkey vows to support Venezuela president Maduro despite US opposition

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:45 PM PDT



TURKEY has vowed to continue supporting Venezuela's president despite US opposition.

Ukraine vows to reclaim Crimea and Donbass from Russia - ‘Now we have a REAL army’

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 01:29 PM PDT



UKRAINE is still battling to reclaim two of its occupied territories from Russia, amid a comedy actor thrashing the incumbent president in the first round of the country's presidential elections.

World News, World News Updates, World News Headlines, Latest World News, Current Affairs

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:48 AM PDT

World News, World News Updates, World News Headlines, Latest World News, Current Affairs


Singapore Is the Latest Country to Propose Tough Legislation Against Fake News

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 01:05 AM PDT

Singaporean lawmakers introduced legislation Monday to combat fake news through holding social media sites responsible for content the government deems false. But like other countries’ attempts to regulate the scourge of disinformation spread online, the bill has prompted free speech concerns, especially within the context of the Singapore’s highly controlled media environment.

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill aims to “prevent the communication of false statements of fact” and “enable measures to be taken to counteract the effects of such communication,” according to the draft.

Under the new legislation, the government can demand that online platforms take down misinformation or publish “corrections” next to information flagged as false.

Parties failing to comply can face fines of up to $1 million Singapore dollars (approximately $740,000) and 10 years in prison.

The bill comes just days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg called for global regulators to establish worldwide standards for online content.

Internet giants Facebook and Google did not welcome Singapore’s proposal, however.

Simon Milner, Facebook’s Asia-Pacific Vice President of Public Policy, voiced concern that the law would “grant broad powers to the Singapore executive branch” and “proactively push a government notification to users,” according to Reuters.

The anti-fake news bill has also elicited criticism from industry associations and rights groups, which say the legislation gives the country’s leaders the power to promote an agenda while stifling public expression.

Jeff Paine, the managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition, called the measure “the most far-reaching legislation of its kind to date” and said it “gives the Singapore government full discretion over what is considered true or false.”

“This level of overreach poses significant risks to freedom of expression and speech, and could have severe ramifications both in Singapore and around the world,” he added.

Singapore is currently ranked 151 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Border’s World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, below media-unfriendly nations Myanmar and Russia.

But Singapore Law Minister K. Shanmugam disputed the criticism, according to Reuters. “This legislation deals with false statements of facts. It doesn’t deal with opinions, it doesn’t deal with viewpoints. You can have whatever viewpoints however reasonable or unreasonable,” he said.

Last year, neighboring Malaysia approved a similar law that was also faulted for repressing public expression ahead of elections. France and Germany have also adopted legislation to fight fake news and hate speech, while Australia is set to propose a bill this week to regulate social media in the wake of the live-streamed New Zealand massacre.

New Zealand Lawmakers Pass Initial Vote for New Gun Controls

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:41 PM PDT

(WELLINGTON, New Zealand) — New Zealand lawmakers on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of new gun restrictions during the first stage of a bill they hope to rush into law by the end of next week.

The bill would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques last month.

The bill was backed by both liberals and conservatives, with only a single lawmaker from the 120 that sit in Parliament voting against it. The vote was the first of three that lawmakers must pass before the bill becomes law.

Police Minister Stuart Nash said far too many people have access to dangerous guns and lawmakers were driven by the need to ensure public safety.

“We are also driven by the memory of 50 men, women and children who were taken from their loved ones on the 15th of March,” Nash said. “Their memory is our responsibility. We don’t ever want to see an attack like this in our country again. We are compelled to act quickly.”

Seemingly drawing a distinction with the U.S., where gun possession is constitutionally protected, Nash said that in New Zealand, gun ownership remains a privilege and not a right.

Conservative lawmaker David Seymour voted against the bill, saying it was too rushed.

“Doing it in nine days before politicians go on their Easter break is starting to look more like political theater than public safety,” he said.

But Seymour was so busy explaining to reporters his reasons for opposing the bill that he missed a procedural vote in which he could have tried to slow its passage.

Many New Zealanders were shocked at the firepower the gunman was able to legally obtain and favor the legislative changes.

Some are opposed. More than 14,000 have signed a petition filed in Parliament which says the law changes are “unjust” for law-abiding citizens and are being driven by emotions.

The bill would ban “military-style” semi-automatic guns and high-capacity magazines. It would also ban semi-automatic shotguns that could be fitted with detachable magazines and pump-action shotguns that can hold more than five rounds.

The bill wouldn’t ban guns often used by farmers and hunters, including semi-automatic .22-caliber or smaller guns that hold up to 10 rounds, or shotguns that hold up to five rounds.

Malaysia’s Ex-PM Najib Razak Disputes $368 Million Tax Bill Ahead of His Corruption Trial

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:34 PM PDT

Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak disputed a hefty new tax bill shortly before the start of his first trial related to 1MDB corruption charges.

In a Facebook post Monday night, Najib said he never shirked his responsibility to pay personal taxes every year. It came in response to a report in the Edge, citing unidentified sources, that Inland Revenue Board issued him an extra tax bill of around 1.5 billion ringgit ($368 million) for 2011 to 2017.

Najib dismissed the penalty as “propaganda” and said it can be challenged according to the law. He also questioned who leaked the information.

“This doesn’t mean I did not pay taxes every year or have overdue taxes,” Najib wrote. The revenue board didn’t respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment.

Najib on Wednesday is set to face seven of the 42 counts of corruption and embezzlement over his role in state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Mexico’s Security Chief Says He Was an Undocumented Worker in the U.S.

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:27 PM PDT

Mexico’s top cop, who’s pledged to weed out criminals in migrant caravans, has his own history of working illegally in the U.S.

On two occasions Public Security Minister Alfonso Durazo crossed into the U.S. to wash dishes and cars without documentation, he told a group of business leaders, Mexico’s La Jornada newspaper reported. Durazo’s press office confirmed the statements.

Durazo’s past isn’t unusual. But the fact that the very person in charge of patrolling caravans in Mexico worked undocumented shows how pervasive such migration has been in recent decades. It may be one of the starkest reality checks for U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that caravans be stopped altogether or he’ll close the border and stop aid.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has pledged to fight illegal immigration by aiding Central American nations in improving conditions in their countries, and he’s offered to help migrants find jobs in Mexico. He’s declined to respond to Trump’s threats. His interior minister, Olga Sanchez, warned last week she has information about the creation of a new migrant caravan of more than 20,000 people from Honduras, Mexican newspaper El Universal reported.

Durazo pledged at the event in Sonora that he wouldn’t allow people with criminal records to remain in the caravans, according to La Jornada. Afterward he told reporters that several law enforcement agencies will be monitoring caravan members.

“There will be intelligence work shared by several agencies and anyone who isn’t participating in the caravan in an orderly way, who isn’t registered, we’ll help them go to the National Immigration Institute to regulate their stay in the country,” Durazo said, according to a recording of his statement sent by his press office.

U.K. Lawmakers Just Rejected Every Available Option on Brexit

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 02:21 PM PDT

(LONDON) — British lawmakers have failed to find a majority for any proposal in votes on alternatives to the government’s rejected Brexit deal.

Lawmakers rejected four options in votes in the House of Commons.

The votes were an attempt to forge an alternative to the government’s rejected European Union divorce deal.

The options included remaining in a customs union with the EU — which failed by just three votes — and holding a new referendum on Britain’s membership in the bloc.

The government is still trying to build support for Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, which has been rejected three times by Parliament.

Britain is due to leave the EU on April 12 without an agreement unless it passes a divorce deal or secures an extension from the bloc.

An Expert Weighs in On the Baby Sea Turtle Who Was Eaten On Live TV

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 12:00 PM PDT

There was an unfortunate series of events on Blue Planet Live over the weekend when a reporter was helping to save some baby sea turtles, only to have one eaten by a seagull on live television.

BBC presenter Liz Bonnin was drawing needed attention to the plight of endangered sea turtles by taking part in sea turtle release on Heron Island, Australia, as part of Sunday night’s episode. Bonnin and wildlife worker Janine Ferguson released six baby green turtles, so they could crawl across the sand to the sea. As the tiny turtles struggled, Bonnin spoke of how important it is to protect the “precious individuals” from predators in the hopes that they make it to the ocean to help rebuild the declining sea turtle populations. As she discussed the risk of predation, a seagull swooped in to prove her point. It appeared behind her and snatched one of the hatchlings, much to the horror of viewers watching at home, who took to Twitter to express their dismay:

The BBC provided the following statement about the regrettable, if natural, event:

“We’ve been working with scientists from the Heron Island Research Station to explore their lives, from hatching to returning to the beaches to nest. Green sea turtle populations, like sea turtles across the world, are in trouble so the work being done here is crucial to the future survival of the species. As part of their ongoing studies, researchers on Heron Island check nests for any hatchlings left behind, 48 hours after the others naturally emerge. Those turtles still alive are carried out at either dawn or dusk for release, as we saw last night on #BluePlanetLive.”

“They can’t be released directly into the ocean as the turtles need to “imprint” the beach by walking across the sand to the water. In this case, as with the turtles that emerge naturally, some opportunistic predation occurs by other species either looking to feed themselves or their own young. If this happens we are unable to intervene and have to let nature take its course. The survival rates of turtles are extremely low, as explained in the first episode of Blue Planet Live last Sunday, with only roughly 1 in 1000 turtles making it to adulthood. Making it safely into the depths of the ocean is a tough, but crucial, first test for these captivating creatures if those that survive to adulthood are going to return to breed on these beaches.”

David Godfrey, Executive Director of the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservancy, thinks the “unfortunate event” highlights a larger issue involving sea turtles and people who want to help them. Resorts and tourist organizations have been “allowing tourists to release turtles for a fee or a photo op,” but do so in a way that Godfrey believes can harm the very critters they are hoping to save. “When hatchlings emerge naturally from a nest they almost always do that at night for a reason-they are less visible to predators,“ he said in an interview with TIME. Unfortunately, many of these tourist events happen in the daytime, when the turtles are vulnerable, so tourists can take photos of their good deed. “The fact that these hatchlings were released in the day is where the mistake was made,” Godfrey said. “If the bird hadn’t gotten the hatchling, then a predatory fish waiting just offshore would have.”

That said, Godfrey hopes the fact that this story is going viral will “get the message out about these amazing animals” and encourage viewers to “feel compassion for their survival.”

“We should be thinking of whether these staged hatchling releases should be happening at all and if they should happen during the night,” Godfrey said. “If you’re a tourist traveling to these places, you should not participate in [sea turtles] releases happening during the day.”

Climate Protesters Strip Down in U.K. Parliament, but Brexit Debate Continues Anyway

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 11:38 AM PDT

(LONDON) — A dozen demonstrators have been arrested after stripping off in Britain’s House of Commons to protest climate change.

The protesters stripped down to their underpants in the public gallery Monday while lawmakers were debating Brexit. Some had slogans including “SOS” and “stop wasting time” written on their bodies.

The group Extinction Rebellion said the protest was an attempt “to draw politicians’ attention to the climate and ecological crisis.”

Police officers removed the protesters, some of whom had glued their hands to a glass barrier. Police said they were arrested on suspicion of “outraging public decency.”

Lawmakers continued debating Brexit, with some making reference to the disruption. Conservative legislator Nick Boles said “it has long been a thoroughly British trait to be able to ignore pointless nakedness.”

26-Foot Sperm Whale Found Dead With Nearly 50 Pounds of Plastic in Stomach

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:36 AM PDT

(MILAN) — An 8-meter (26-foot) sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia with 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) of plastic in its belly, prompting the World Wildlife Foundation to sound an alarm Monday over the dangers of plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea.

The environmental group said the garbage recovered from the sperm whale’s stomach included a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing detergent package with its bar code still legible.

The female whale beached off the northern coast of Sardinia last week, within the vast Pelagos marine sanctuary that was created as a haven for dolphins, whales and other sea life.

“It is the first time we have been confronted with an animal with such a huge quantity of garbage,” Cinzia Centelegghe, a biologist with the University of Padova, told the Turin daily La Stampa.

The exam also determined that the whale was carrying a fetus that had died and was in an advance state of decomposition. Experts said the mother whale had been unable to digest calamari due to the huge amount of plastic it had ingested, filling two-thirds of its stomach.

WWF said plastic is one of the greatest threats to marine life and has killed at least five other whales that had ingested large amounts of it over the last two years from Europe to Asia.

Another sperm whale died off the Italian island of Ischia, near Naples, last December with plastic bags and a thick nylon thread in its stomach, but plastic was not the cause of death.

The World Wildlife Foundation said between 150,000 and 500,000 tons of plastic objects and 70,000 to 130,000 tons of micro-plastics wind up in Europe’s seas each year.

To combat the phenomenon, the European Parliament last week approved a new law banning a wide range of single-use plastic products, including plates and straws, starting in 2021.

Italy’s environment minister, Sergio Costa, lamented the whale’s death and said he planned to propose a new law this week to limit the use of plastics.

The law will permit fishermen to bring plastics recovered at sea to land for proper disposal, which they currently are barred from doing. Costa also pledged Italy would be one of the first countries to enact the European single-use plastics ban and appealed to the mayors of Italian cities and coastal towns to adopt the ordinances in advance of the 2021 law.

“We have been using disposable plastics in a carefree way in these years, and now we are paying the price,” he said. “The war on disposable plastics has started. And we won’t stop here.”

People Are Lambasting Fox News For That ‘3 Mexican Countries’ Mistake

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 09:23 AM PDT

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced he was cutting aid to the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

On Sunday morning, Fox News reported the policy update in a conversation on popular show Fox & Friends, underlined by a banner graphic that read “Trump cuts U.S. aid to 3 Mexican countries.” Of course for the news station, Mexico is one country, not three, and is not affected by Trump’s change. Naturally, the internet had a field day lambasting the channel for their incorrect chyron headline.

A few hours later, the show’s co-host Ed Henry followed up the snafu with an on-air apology. “We had an inaccurate graphic onscreen while taking about this very story. We just want to be clear, the funding is being cut off to the three Central American countries. We apologize for the error — it never should’ve happened,” he said.

For some, however, the correction was already too little too late. “Just a reminder that these are the same folks who assert their superiority by belittling the intelligence and good faith of others,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted with a screenshot of the inaccurate headline.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana, who is in the running to be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020, had another take: “Amazingly, the chyron is not the most foolish thing about this picture,” he said. “To get ahead of a potential refugee crisis caused by great suffering in Central America, it would make sense to use our resources to help reduce that suffering.”

Trump’s policy change stems from his belief that the three Central American countries are contributing to what he calls a “migrant caravan.” “If we’re going to give these countries hundreds of millions of dollars, we would like them to do more,” his current White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told CNN. The people of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have been dealing with protracted humanitarian and political crises, including organized crime, agricultural challenges and restrictive government policies, for years.

What to Know About Zuzana Caputova, Slovakia’s First Female President

Posted: 01 Apr 2019 08:34 AM PDT

Liberal candidate Zuzana Caputova won Slovakia’s presidential election on Saturday, becoming the central European country’s first ever female president.

Despite having almost no political experience, the 45-year old lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner won 58.4 percent of the vote in the second-round vote, defeating the European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic. The political newcomer soared to popularity in just a few months with a campaign that focused on a struggle for justice.

The president is mostly a ceremonial role in the country of 5.4 million, as Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini is responsible for overseeing the government. But when Caputova takes office in June, she will have important blocking powers, will be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and will have power to appoint top judges.

Where does Caputova come from?

Caputova was born to a working-class family in the town of Pezinok in what was then western Czechoslovakia. The divorced mother of two daughters rose to prominence and was nicknamed the “Erin Brokovich” of Slovakia after leading a successful case against a toxic landfill that was planned in her hometown in 2016. Her 14-year-long case against the wealthy land developer involved organizing protests, filing lawsuits and writing petitions to the European Union. The campaign earned her a prestigious Goldman Environmental prize in 2016.

She recently became vice-chair of Progressive Slovakia, a party so new that it has not yet run in the parliamentary elections.

How did she win the election?

Caputova built her campaign on a vow to fight corruption, by stripping the police and prosecutors of their political powers. Last year’s murder of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova has put the issue of political corruption at the forefront of public discussion. And Caputova said Kuciak’s murder was the reason she decided to run for president.

Kuciak, who had worked to expose corruption among the political elite was shot and killed in February 2018. Three people were charged with the murder, including a millionaire with alleged links to the center-left political party, Smer. Kuciak’s death sparked anti-government protests attracting tens of thousands of people, which eventually forced Prime Minister and Smer leader Rober Smico to step down. The party is still the largest in the national parliament, however, and Pellegrini is its prime minister.

Caputova’s liberal values also appealed to younger voters in a country where same-sex marriage is not yet legal. Caputova is in favour of same-sex unions and has said that LGBT adoption is better than leaving children in orphanages. On the question of abortion, she said she believes it is a woman’s right to make that decision.

What about her appealed to Slovakian voters?

Her approach to politics, judging by the responses of Slovakians TIME spoke to. “She seemed like someone Slovakia needed – kind, honest and never criticized her opponents,” said Antonia Halko, a 28-year-old wholesale manager from the town of Bardejov in Slovakia who voted for Caputova.

“I saw her talk in person at an event on January 30th and I knew immediately I was going to vote for her. She was very authentic, humane and I simply trusted what she was saying – which is a pretty rare feature in the Slovak politics,” said Juraj Scott, a charity-worker from Slovakia’s capital city, Bratislava.

Corruption among officials was also a core concern. “We all started to realize that we needed to stand up to the corrupt government because our country wasn’t safe. Caputova promised that nothing like this would ever happen again,” Halko said.

What does her victory mean for European politics?

Caputova’s election is a rare progressive victory in central Europe where nationalist rhetoric has grown over the past few years. In neighboring Hungary, Poland and Austria, governments are dominated by right-wing, nationalist parties. In these countries and elsewhere, liberal parties have struggled to counter populist leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban whose campaigns focus on migration and social issues.

But Slovakia’s election provides evidence that dissatisfaction with the status quo can usher in more progressive leaders. “I am happy not just for the result, but mainly that it is possible not to succumb to populism, to tell the truth, to raise interest without aggressive vocabulary,” Caputova told a crowd of supporters in Bratislava.

Caputova’s victory, which came on a low turnout of 40 percent, is likely to be only the beginning of the fight for the progressive left in Slovakia. The European Parliament’s elections in May and the parliamentary elections next year will be the real test of the movement’s strength.

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