Fox Renewed O’Reilly Contract Despite Knowing of Allegations
22/10/2017
The Fox News Channel says the company knew a news analyst planned to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill O’Reilly when it renewed the popular personality’s contract in February.
The New York Times reported Saturday the company renewed the TV host’s contract after he reached a $32 million settlement with the analyst.
In a statement, 21st Century Fox defended its decision because it said he had settled the matter personally. It also said O’Reilly and the woman had agreed the financial terms would be kept confidential.
The company says O’Reilly’s new contract had added protections that allowed Fox to dismiss him if other allegations surfaced.
O’Reilly was ousted months later when it was revealed Fox had paid five women a total of $13 million to keep quiet about harassment allegations.
The news analyst’s allegations included repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material to the woman, according to people briefed on the matter who spoke to The New York Times.
The settlement was by far the largest of a half dozen deals made by O’Reilly or the company to settle harassment allegations against the host, according to the newspaper.
It was reached in January. In February, 21st Century Fox granted O’Reilly’s a four-year extension on a $25 million-a-year contract. In April, it fired him.
O’Reilly has called his firing from the Fox News Channel a “political hit job” and that his network’s parent company made a business decision to get rid of him. He also has said his conscience was clear in how he dealt with women. O’Reilly could not be reached for comment Saturday.
The most-watched figure in cable TV was dismissed by 21st Century Fox nine months after the company removed its founding CEO, Roger Ailes, following harassment charges. The 77-year-old Ailes died in Palm Beach, Florida, last May.
The company said it has taken numerous steps to change its workplace environment.
“21st Century Fox has taken concerted action to transform Fox News, including installing new leaders, overhauling management and on-air talent, expanding training, and increasing the channels through which employees can report harassment or discrimination,” Fox said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. “These changes come from the top, with Lachlan and James Murdoch personally leading the effort to promote civility and respect on the job, while maintaining the company’s long-held commitment to a diverse, inclusive and creative workplace.”
O’Reilly hosts his “No Spin News” podcast on his website, www.billoreilly.com, contributes to Glenn Beck’s radio program on TheBlaze and continues to write books in his best-selling series of historical “Killing” books, including his newest release, “Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence.”
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Five Former US Presidents Join Forces at Relief Concert Saturday
22/10/2017
All five living former U.S. presidents are attending a fundraising concert Saturday to benefit the victims of hurricanes that ravaged homes in the United States and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands in recent months.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter are attending the concert in College Station, Texas, Saturday. The show known as “Deep from the Heart: the One America Appeal” will take place at Reed Arena at Texas A&M University.
President Donald Trump will not attend the event, but will appear by video to thank people who have contributed to the relief effort.
In the video, Trump vows that the United States will recover stronger and better than it was before.
In addition to the hurricanes, record-breaking wildfires have ravaged the communities of Northern California, leaving thousands more people homeless.
The organization of ex-presidents is known as the One America Appeal. The office of George H.W. Bush announced on Saturday that the organization has already raised $31 million in tax-deductible private funds from more than 80,000 donors.
Damage estimates from just the hurricanes are already topping $300 billion, the statement says, and recovery is expected to take months and years of rebuilding.
The statement says One America has already distributed nearly $13 million to five designated funds: the Florida Disaster Fund, the Rebuild Texas Fund, the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, the Fund for the Virgin Islands, and Juntos y Unidos por Puerto Rico.
The concert is expected to feature performances by Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Sam Moore, Yolanda Adams and the group Alabama. Country singer Lee Greenwood, known for his hit “God Bless the U.S.A.,” is expected to emcee the event.
The five former presidents have been working together to raise money for hurricane victims since Hurricane Harvey struck the heart of Texas in September. Since then, Hurricane Irma raked through Puerto Rico and Florida, and Hurricane Maria struck a second blow to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Concert organizers say the proceeds from the concert will be collected and distributed through various organizations in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Під стінами Верховної Ради заявили про «ультиматум» президентові
21/10/2017
Ввечері 21 жовтня активісти, що кілька днів мітингують під стінами Верховної Ради в Києві, заявили, що оголошують «ультиматум» президентові Петру Порошенку. Відповідну заяву від імені учасників акції зробив чоловік на псевдо «Катана», який виступив на імпровізованій сцені.
За словами активіста, протягом п’яти робочих днів глава держави має внести на розгляд парламенту законопроекти про імпічмент президента та про Антикорупційний суд.
«Якщо наші вимоги не будуть втілені в реальність, ми покажемо, хто ми є і на що ми здатні», – сказав активіст, який також назвався офіцером батальйону «Донбас».
Інші активісти, які виступали на сцені, також повторили раніше озвучені вимоги про створення Антикорупційного суду, зняття депутатської недоторканності та зміну виборчого законодавства.
Депутат від «Самопомочі» Єгор Соболєв на сторінці у Facebook написав, що «ультиматум» президентові – це ініціатива «ветеранів війни за незалежність».
В Адміністрації президента України поки не коментували відповідних заяв.
У перший день, коли під Радою почали збиратися активісти, президент заявив, що мирні демонстрації є важливим елементом демократії, і що він з розумінням ставиться до акцій і з повагою до їхніх учасників. Учора Петро Порошенко зазначив, що організатори акцій показали, що вимоги були «лише димовою завісою, а реальний план їхніх дій – це дестабілізація ситуації».
17 жовтня біля Верховної Ради України розпочалася акція протесту, учасники якої вимагають скасувати депутатську недоторканність, створити Антикорупційний суд і внести зміни до виборчого законодавства. За час акції через сутички постраждали чотири людини, зокрема працівник поліції. Наразі активісти продовжують залишатися під Радою, встановивши намети, інформації про правопорушення немає. Сьогодні, за попередніми даними, активістів під парламентом налічувалось в межах двох сотень.
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На Донбасі поранений один військовий ЗСУ – штаб
21/10/2017
Штаб української воєнної операції на Донбасі заявляє, що через обстріли з боку підтримуваних Росією бойовиків від початку доби і до 18-ї години суботи один український військовослужбовець зазнав поранення. Як йдеться в повідомленні штабу на сторінці у Facebook, сталося ця в районі населеного пункту Богданівка, на приморському напрямку.
Згідно з повідомленням, обстріли сьогодні тривали також біля Старогнатівки, Кримського і Троїцького.
«Хоча за останні декілька днів противник зменшив активність, повного припинення вогню вздовж лінії розмежування все ж немає», – зауважили у штабі.
Раніше сьогодні у прес-центрі штабу АТО повідомили про 24 випадки порушення режиму перемир’я за минулу добу з боку підтримуваних Росією бойовиків.
В угрупованні «ДНР» звинуватили українських військових у 22 обстрілах за минулу добу, луганські сепаратисти заявили, що українська сторона напередодні 19 разів стріляла в бік підконтрольних угрупованню «ЛНР» територій.
Черговий режим припинення вогню, про який заявила 23 серпня Тристороння контактна група, мав почати діяти з 25 серпня, напередодні початку шкільного року, і стати постійним. Про перші його порушення сторони заявили вже через кілька хвилин після настання часу перемир’я.
Про перемир’я в зоні конфлікту на Донбасі домовлялися вже багато разів, досі жодного разу режим припинення вогню не втримувався. При цьому сторони щоразу заперечують свою вину в порушеннях і звинувачують протилежну сторону у провокаціях.
Україна закликала ООН посилити боротьбу з російською пропагандою і сприяти визволенню Сущенка і Семени – заява
21/10/2017
Делегація України на засіданні четвертого комітету Генеральної асамблеї Організації Об’єднаних Націй закликала міжнародне співтовариство подвоїти зусилля із боротьби з російською пропагандою і оперативно реагувати на всі напади на вільні медіа на тимчасово окупованих територіях Криму і Донбасу. Про це йдеться в заяві української делегації, яке опублікувало Постійне представництво України при ООН. Сама заява була виголошена у п’ятницю, 20 жовтня.
«Журналісти, які насмілюються подавати інформацію інакше, ніж відповідно до позиції російської окупаційної влади, зазнають переслідувань, затримання, вироків і навіть заборони на роботу. Останній приклад – те, що сталося, наприклад, з кримським журналістом Миколою Семеною, який у вересні отримав умовний тюремний термін протягом двох з половиною років і трирічну заборону на проведення журналістської роботи за сфабрикованими звинуваченнями», – зазначається у повідомленні.
Окрім того, делегація висловила вимогу до Росії щодо негайного звільнення ще одного українського журналіста – Романа Сущенка, який перебуває за ґратами у Москві.
«А загалом ми глибоко стурбовані масштабною кампанією пропаганди та підбурювання ненависті до України та українців, яка здійснюється російськими державними засобами масової інформації та громадськими діячами, що відіграли важливу роль у справі запуску та посилення агресії Росії проти України та конфлікту на Донбасі. Значно скоротивши простір для незалежних та плюралістичних засобів масової інформації, російська влада зміцнила контроль над державними ЗМІ, перетворюючи їх на потужні інструменти державної пропаганди, що створюють фальшиві новини», – мовиться у заяві.
Кореспондента українського агентства «Укрінформ» у Франції Романа Сущенка Федеральна служба безпеки Росії затримала 30 вересня минулого року в Москві, куди він приїхав у приватних справах. Його назвали «співробітником української розвідки», який нібито «цілеспрямовано збирав відомості про діяльність Збройних сил і військ Національної гвардії Російської Федерації, що є державною таємницею». Кримінальну справу російські слідчі порушили за статтею «шпигунство».
Сущенко всі звинувачення відкидає. Його адвокат Марк Фейгін сьогодні заявив про завершення слідства у справі журналіста і ймовірний початок судового розгляду з наступного року. Зважаючи на те, що справа має гриф «державної таємниці», судові засідання проходитимуть у закритому режимі.
22 вересня підконтрольний Москві Залізничний районний суд Сімферополя призначив Миколі Семені покарання у вигляді двох з половиною років умовно з випробувальним терміном на три роки і забороною займатися публічною діяльністю. Російська влада звинувачувала Семену в «публічних закликах до порушення територіальної цілісності Росії». Журналіст заявляв, що у своїх матеріалах він реалізовував право на вільне волевиявлення і, говорячи про Крим, не закликав щодо нього «порушувати територіальну цілісність Росії», бо, за міжнародним правом, Крим Росії й так не належить.
Верховна Рада України офіційно оголосила 20 лютого 2014 року початком тимчасової окупації Криму і Севастополя Росією. Міжнародні організації визнали окупацію і анексію Криму незаконними і засудили дії Росії. Країни Заходу запровадили низку економічних санкцій. Росія заперечує окупацію півострова і називає це «відновленням історичної справедливості».
Окрім того, на Донбасі зараз триває збройний конфлікт, який почався навесні 2014 року після російської анексії Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці сепаратистів. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати хіба що російські «добровольці». За даними ООН, за час конфлікту загинули близько 10 тисяч людей.
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Era Ends: Hong Kong Stock Trading Floor to Close
21/10/2017
Hong Kong’s last remaining stock market floor traders are taking their final orders as the exchange prepares to shut its trading hall.
The bourse’s operator, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, says it will close the trading hall by the end of the month and turn the space into a showcase for the city’s financial markets.
Yip Wing-keung, a trading manager at brokerage Christfund Securities, donned his red trading jacket for the last time Friday, his final day on the floor. He and the other few floor traders left have been moving out ahead of the closure.
Computerized trading
The shutdown marks the end of an era for the stock market, which symbolized the city’s ascent as an Asian finance hub. Activity on the floor, one of a few such venues left worldwide, dwindled as stock dealing became fully computerized.
“I feel sadness and regret,” said Yip, who has been a floor trader since the hall was opened in 1986 after four previous exchanges were merged. “Hong Kong is one of the world’s financial centers, but if we don’t have the stock market trading hall, it will be a little sorrowful. This is my own individual reflection.”
Yip said the floor traders resisted the closure. They sent a protest letter to the government but it was in vain.
“We wrote it but were overruled,” he said. “We can’t stop the times from changing.”
Peers disappearing, too
Hong Kong’s stock exchange, Asia’s third biggest by volume, follows other global peers like Tokyo, Singapore and London that have eliminated their trading floors.
In the U.S., floor traders at the New York Stock Exchange still provide the backdrop for financial TV news reports and bell-ringing ceremonies. But Chicago and New York commodity futures trading pits, where traders used old-fashioned “open outcry” techniques, have shut in recent years as volume fell to 1 percent of the total.
Hong Kong Exchanges stopped updating stats for floor trading in 2014, when it accounted for less than 1 percent of monthly turnover.
From 900 desks to 62
In the 1980s and 1990s the hall housed more than 900 trading desks. The exchange’s most recent count showed only 62 dealing desks were leased, with about 30 traders showing up on an average day. On a visit to the hall this week, only about seven traders could be seen.
Back in its heyday, floor trading was computer-assisted but dealers still needed to talk to each other to complete transactions, either by phone or in person, depending on how far away they sat from each other, Yip said.
“If they were too far you had to use the internal phone line, but if you couldn’t get through, you had to run over to them,” he said. “So you saw lots of people running back and forth.”
These days, Yip just punches orders into his computer.
“Now it’s more comfortable” but relationships with other traders are not as good as they used to be, Yip said.
He doesn’t look forward to returning to his head office.
“It won’t be so free,” he said.
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Judge Tosses $400 Million Verdict in Cancer, Talc Powder Case
21/10/2017
A California judge on Friday threw out a $417 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit by a woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer after using its talc-based products like Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene.
The ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maren Nelson marked the latest setback facing women and family members who accuse J&J of not adequately warning consumers about the cancer risks of its talc-based products.
The decision followed a jury’s decision in August to hit J&J with the largest verdict to date in the litigation, awarding California resident Eva Echeverria $70 million in compensatory damages and $347 million in punitive damages.
New trial
Nelson on Friday reversed the jury verdict and granted J&J’s request for a new trial. Nelson said the August trial was underpinned by errors and insufficient evidence on both sides, culminating in excessive damages.
Mark Robinson, who represented the woman in her lawsuit, in a statement said he would file an appeal immediately.
“We will continue to fight on behalf of all women who have been impacted by this dangerous product,” he said.
J&J in a statement said it was pleased with the verdict, adding that it will continue to defend itself in additional trials.
The judge added that there also had been misconduct of the jury during the trial.
J&J said declarations by two jurors after the trial showed that three members of the 12-person jury who voted against finding the company liable were improperly excluded from determining damages.
Nearly 5,000 plaintiffs
J&J says it faces lawsuits by 4,800 plaintiffs nationally asserting talc-related claims. Many of those cases are in California, where Echeverria’s case was the first to go to trial, and in Missouri, where J&J has faced five trials.
The Missouri litigation led to four verdicts against J&J in which juries issued verdicts totaling $307 million. The company has won one trial.
But the Missouri cases, which have largely been brought by out-of-state plaintiffs, have faced jurisdictional questions after the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June that limited where personal injury lawsuits could be filed.
On Tuesday, a Missouri appellate court threw out a $72 million verdict by a jury in February 2016 to the family of a deceased Alabama woman after ruling the case should not have been tried in St. Louis.
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Доба на Донбасі: втрат серед українських військових немає – штаб
21/10/2017
Українська сторона повідомляє про 24 обстріли з боку підтримуваних Росією бойовиків на Донбасі упродовж минулої доби.
«Сили АТО 16 разів асиметрично відповідали ворогу. Унаслідок бойових дій втрат серед військовослужбовців Збройних Сил України немає», – повідомили у штабі української воєнної операції на Донбасі.
За інформацією штабу, «вдень найгарячіше було на донецькому напрямку, а після 18 години активність змістилася на маріупольський і луганський напрямок».
Підтримувані Росією бойовики з угруповань «ДНР» і «ЛНР» в обстрілах звинувачують українську сторону. Донецькі сепаратисти звинувачують Збройні сили України у 264 порушеннях режиму тиші упродовж тижня. Луганські сепаратисти кажуть, що упродовж минулої доби українська сторона 19 разів обстрілювала їхні позиції.
Про перемир’я в зоні конфлікту на Донбасі домовлялися вже багато разів, досі жодного разу режим припинення вогню не втримувався. При цьому сторони щоразу заперечують свою вину в порушеннях і звинувачують протилежну сторону у провокаціях.
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China Set to Spend Billions on ‘One Belt One Road,’ But Some Want Focus on Poverty
21/10/2017
Running 1,300 kilometers over the world’s highest mountain pass, the “Friendship,” or Karakoram, Highway is evidence of China’s willingness to spend big as a contributor to global development.
Costing tens of billions of dollars, the road links western China with Pakistan, part of Beijing’s “One Belt One Road” Initiative, which seeks to rekindle ancient Silk Road trade routes linking China with Europe and Africa and is a central tenet of President Xi Jinping’s leadership, said professor Steve Tsang of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
“The government is committed to do whatever it can to make sure that it is successful,” Tsang said. “So a lot more money and resources will be put into it to support that.”
But figures show that since the Karakoram Highway was built, Pakistani exports to China have fallen while imports have increased, raising concern China’s new Silk Road could become a one-way street.
WATCH: China to Spend Billions More on ‘One Belt’ Initiative, but Campaigners Want Focus on Poverty
Address poverty
Stephen Gelb of the Overseas Development Institute says Beijing should focus its investments on global development goals.
“At the moment there’s a lot of focus on infrastructure and particularly transport, pipelines, that sort of thing, which don’t directly address poverty,” Gelb said. “And in fact there’s been in some cases some controversy about the social and environmental impacts. But I think the focus should be to address development, including poverty and related issues.”
Gliding above the choking traffic of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, the Chinese-funded tramway system opened last year at a cost of half a billion dollars. Beijing says investments like this will boost African economies, thereby alleviating poverty.
Gelb says it is also part of China’s plan to become a dominant force on the global stage.
“It was affirmed in Xi Jinping’s speech (this week to China’s Communist Party Congress),” he said, “China’s very much about these days rules-based global governance, multilateralism, globalization.”
Visiting India this week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused China of not always playing by those rules.
“China, while rising alongside India, has done so less responsibly, at times undermining the international, rules-based order,” Tillerson said.
Paying the piper
Recipient countries have welcomed Chinese investment, which sometimes comes with fewer conditions than Western aid, such as demands for democratic reform. But Tsang warns there could be a sting in the tail.
“The real issue will come when some of those countries, particularly in central Asia, have to pay back some of the loans that were acquired in the Belt and Road Initiative,” Tsang said. “And most of those countries will have problems paying back those loans.”
For now, Chinese investment continues to expand. Development campaigners say Beijing’s focus should be not only on ports and pipelines but on tackling poverty.
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A Burgeoning Health Crisis Keeps Local Doctors up at Night in Storm-ravaged Puerto Rico
21/10/2017
From humanitarian crisis to health crisis, driving rains and floods threaten to turn devastation into disease more than three weeks after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico. The entire island remains under flash flood warning as record rainfall continues to affect recovery efforts. What’s more, the medical community and the media are sounding the alarm for potential outbreaks of bacterial diseases as citizens search for new ways to get clean water. Nicole Chacon reports for VOA News.
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Trump Signs Order Allowing Recall of Retired Air Force Pilots
21/10/2017
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will allow the Air Force to bring back to active duty as many as 1,000 retired pilots to address a pilot shortage.
A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Gary Ross, said the Air Force is short about 1,500 pilots.
“The pilot supply shortage is a national-level challenge that could have adverse effects on all aspects of both the government and commercial aviation sectors for years to come,” Ross said.
25-pilot cap removed
Under current law, the Air Force is limited to recalling 25 pilots. Trump’s order, which amends a post-9/11 emergency declaration, removes that cap for the Air Force, as well as other branches of the military.
Ross said the secretary of Defense is expected to allow the secretary of the Air Force to recall up to 1,000 retired pilots for up to three years.
The Air Force has struggled for years to retain pilots, who can often get better paying jobs flying commercial airlines. It has boosted pay and incentives to its pilots and has been working with airlines to come up with solutions to the shortage.
The Air Force has been at the forefront of the U.S. battle against the Islamic State, flying many of the sorties in Iraq and Syria.
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Three Charged With Attempted Murder After White Supremacist Event
21/10/2017
Three men have been charged with attempted murder in Gainesville, Florida, for firing a shot at anti-Nazi protesters after a speech by white supremacist leader Richard Spencer on Thursday.
The Gainesville Police Department released a report Friday saying Tyler Tenbrink, 28, and brothers William and Colton Fears, ages 30 and 28, respectively, were arrested on homicide charges soon after Spencer’s speech.
The three men, all from Texas, were in a vehicle when they began shouting and making Nazi salutes at a group of people holding protest signs at a bus stop, according to police.
Shot fired
A police report said Tenbrink, a convicted felon, got out of the car after one of the protesters struck the back window with a baton.
The report said Tenbrink brandished a gun while the Fears brothers shouted “kill them” and “shoot them.” Police say Tenbrink fired a single shot, which hit a nearby building. In addition to the attempted murder charge, Tenbrink is also being charged as a felon in possession of a firearm.
Police say the suspects fled the scene and were apprehended by police later that evening.
Police said at least two of the three have ties to “extremist groups,” but did not specify which two of the men.
The Fears brothers are being held under $1 million bond each, while Tenbrink is being held under a $3 million bond.
Spencer shouted down
Earlier Thursday, Spencer spoke at the University of Florida when protesters shouted him down.
“You are cowardly trying to shut down a movement that is growing and it’s going to stand up for white people,” Spencer hollered as the crowd chanted “No more Spencer.”
He accused the crowd of not believing in free speech and being unwilling to have a debate. They countered with shouts of “We don’t want your Nazi hate.”
The University of Florida in Gainesville is a public university and could not stop Spencer from speaking. But the school says it did not invite him. School officials say they spent $600,000 for extra security for the speech.
Spencer’s National Policy Institute paid about $10,000 to rent the hall.
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for the entire county where the Gainesville campus is located. It was a precaution against the same kind of deadly violence between neo-Nazis and demonstrators that killed one person and injured at least 30 in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.
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Суд у справі Краснова повернув обвинувальний акт прокуратурі – адвокат
20/10/2017
Бориспільський районний суд Київської області 20 жовтня повернув прокурору обвинувальний акт у справі лідера організації «Громадянський корпус «Азов – Крим» Станіслава Краснова і його дружини Оксани. Про це проекту Радіо Свобода Крим.Реалії повідомив адвокат Андрій Мамалига, який представляє інтереси Краснова.
Адвокат зазначив, що мотивація рішення суду стане відома за чотири дні.
«Чим мотивував, буде відомо 24 жовтня. Але у будь-якому випадку, це тактична перемога: ГПУ повинна усунути недоліки обвинувального висновку і направити знову до суду», – зазначив адвокат.
Він висловив припущення, що справу буде розглядати не Бориспільський суд. Інший адвокат Краснова Оксана Харахоз у своєму виступі під час судового засідання зазначила, що прокуратура подала у суд обвинувальний висновок з численними порушеннями чинного законодавства.
Станіслава Краснова і його дружину Оксану звинуватили у незаконному зберіганні вибухівки, державній зраді і підготовці терористичного акту.
Під час слідства і на етапі передачі справи проти Краснова у суд адвокати заявляли про тиск СБУ на учасників процесу і на суд. У листопаді 2016 року Європейський суд з прав людини взяв до розгляду скаргу Краснова на тортури з боку співробітників СБУ.
Станіслава Краснова затримали співробітники СБУ із застосуванням фізичної сили під Києвом у ніч з 28 на 29 лютого 2016 року. Термін його утримання під вартою неодноразово продовжувався у судах. 23 вересня Краснов був звільнений з СІЗО.
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У Криму Ільмі Умеров потрапив до лікарні
20/10/2017
Засуджений в Криму один з лідерів кримськотатарського національного руху Ільмі Умеров потрапив до лікарні, повідомив 20 жовтня кримський адвокат Едем Семедляєв.
«Сьогодні стало відомо, що Ільмі Умеров потрапив до лікарні. Після цілого дня проведеного в Верховному суді Криму, вдалося провідати його в Бахчисарайської лікарні», – написав Семедляєв у Фейсбуці і опублікував фотографії Ільмі Умерова.
За словами самого Ільмі Умерова, причиною госпіталізації стала гіпертонія.
«Підскочив артеріальний тиск, викликав «швидку», привезли сюди. Тепер лікуюся», – прокоментував Умеров госпіталізацію.
Підконтрольний Кремлю Сімферопольський районний суд Криму 27 вересня засудив одного з лідерів кримськотатарського національного руху Ільмі Умерова до двох років колонії-поселення. Також йому заборонено два роки займатися публічною діяльністю і виступати в ЗМІ. Умерова звинувачували в публічних закликах до сепаратизму. Ільмі Умеров вважає порушену проти нього кримінальну справу політично мотивованою.
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Philippines Faces More Transit Strikes Ahead of Year-end Reform Deadline
20/10/2017
A mass transit strike in the Philippines this week risks more disruptive collective action unless drivers and the government settle differences over costly upgrades to an aging yet iconic vehicle fleet, analysts say.
Thousands of drivers and operators of “jeepneys” went on strike Monday and Tuesday. The government called for two days off work and school to minimize disruption for commuters. Jeepneys are distinctly Philippine vehicles that are about the size of small buses and provide most urban mass transit.
President Rodrigo Duterte wants the aging fleet replaced by January 1 to combat air pollution. But operators may lack the money for vehicle replacements. Experts say a new strike could erupt without compromise by officials, disrupting already difficult commutes in major cities such as the capital, Manila.
“They have to meet in the middle,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist with Banco de Oro UniBank in Metro Manila. “So, it’s more of a communication problem to probably try to address both areas, making government aware of certain things. They just have to do a compromise somewhere.”
Costly demand
The drivers went on strike to draw attention to the role of their smoke-belching but colorfully decorated vehicles. Some people carried flags and placards; a few blocked roads. Smaller strikes were held last month and in February for the same cause.
The Philippine government last year approved a modernization program to replace jeepneys older than 15 years with low-polluting vehicles, such as solar-powered ones.
It has neither offered financing to the operators nor addressed a likely increase in passenger fares on newer jeepneys, said Maria Ela Atienza, political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
“It seems like the government is already set to implement the phase-out of the jeepneys by January of next year,” Atienza said. “So it appears to disregard the livelihood of a mass of jeepney drivers who will lose their jobs. They won’t [have] money to pay for the new units, so many of them will be jobless.”
A political camp called Piston Partylist is speaking out for drivers’ interests in the legislature, adding a political element to the dispute. Experts expect more strikes over the next two months unless drivers reach a deal with the government.
Cultural icon
Jeepneys emerged after U.S. colonization of the Philippines ended in 1946. In much of the country, passengers can hail them from any roadside. They pay according to distance traveled, sometimes as little as 14 cents (seven pesos). Passengers normally sit on two long benches facing each other in a pickup truck-style bed covered with a roof. Passengers help one another pass fares up to the driver and pass back any change.
Operators often paint the vehicles in their own style and name them after women or religious figures, making the vehicles a hallmark of Philippine culture.
In Philippine cities, jeepneys provide most of the local mass transit because of the lack of bus systems or wide-reaching commuter rail networks.
Reaching a compromise on vehicle replacement could be tough in today’s political climate, said Christian de Guzman, vice president and senior credit officer with Moody’s in Singapore. He cites a “heightened level of noise” and “confrontational politics” since Duterte took office in June last year.
“If you go to social media, there’s certainly a great degree of polarization that has happened over a fairly short amount of time,” de Guzman said. “Since Duterte has come in, there’s this ‘with-us-or-against-us’ type of mentality.”
Threat of more strikes
The strike earlier this week “barely affected the riding public,” the presidential office said on its website.
But repeated transit strikes or a prolonged one would eat away at commerce if people face trouble getting to work, analysts say. Low-paid commuters would also need to pay more for taxis or ride-sharing apps.
Participants in major events such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leadership summit scheduled for Nov. 10 to 14 in Manila use private cars, leading to little disruption. If the summit coincides with a strike, delegates will find relatively little traffic in the typically gridlocked city.
“It’s sad to say, but if you ask me, traffic was tolerable,” Ravelas said, recounting the strike this week. “It just highlights the main problem, which is too many vehicles.”
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Political Uncertainty Slows Down Kenya’s Economic Growth
20/10/2017
Kenya’s economy is expected to grow next year by 5 percent, down from a projected 6 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund. The slowdown is largely blamed on the political uncertainties related to the re-run presidential election scheduled for October 26. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Kisumu, an opposition stronghold in western Kenya.
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Pentagon Faces Demands on Deadly Niger Attack
20/10/2017
Members of Congress are demanding answers two weeks after an ambush in the African nation of Niger killed four U.S. soldiers, with one top lawmaker even threatening subpoenas. The White House defended the slow pace of information, saying an investigation would eventually offer clarity about a tragedy that has morphed into a political dispute in the United States.
Among the unresolved inquiries: Why were the Americans apparently caught by surprise? Why did it take two additional days to recover one of the four bodies after the shooting stopped? Was the Islamic State responsible?
The confusion over what happened in a remote corner of Niger, where few Americans travel, has increasingly dogged President Donald Trump, who was silent about the deaths for more than a week.
Asked why, Trump on Monday turned the topic into a political tussle by crediting himself with doing more to honor the dead and console their families than any of his predecessors. His subsequent boast that he reaches out personally to all families of the fallen was contradicted by interviews with family members, some of whom had not heard from Trump at all.
And then the aunt of an Army sergeant killed in Niger, who raised the soldier as her son, said Wednesday that Trump had shown “disrespect” to the soldier’s loved ones as he telephoned to extend condolences while they were driving to the Miami airport to receive his body. Sgt. La David Johnson was one of the four Americans killed Oct. 4 in southwest Niger; Trump called the families of all four Tuesday.
In an extraordinary White House briefing, John Kelly, the former Marine general who is Trump’s chief of staff, described himself as “stunned” and “brokenhearted” by the criticism of Trump. He also invoked his son serving in Iraq to explain why American soldiers operate in dangerous parts of the world, saying their efforts to train local forces mean the U.S. doesn’t have to undertake large-scale invasions of its own. Kelly’s other son, Robert, was killed in combat in Afghanistan seven years ago.
The deadly ambush in Niger occurred as Islamic militants on motorcycles, toting rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, seized on a U.S. convoy and shattered the windows of their unarmored trucks. In addition to those killed, two Americans were wounded. No extremist group has claimed responsibility.
The attack is under official military investigation, as is normal for a deadly incident.
What is abnormal, according to Sen. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is the Trump administration’s slow response to requests for information. He said Thursday it may take a subpoena to shake loose more information.
“They are not forthcoming with that information,” McCain told reporters.
Sen. Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said members of Congress have been provided with some information about the attack, “but not what we should.”
At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pushed back, saying it naturally takes time to verify information about a combat engagement. He promised to provide accurate information as soon as it’s available, but offered no timetable.
“The loss of our troops is under investigation,” he said. “We in the Department of Defense like to know what we’re talking about before we talk.”
Mattis did not offer details about the circumstances under which the Americans were traveling but said contact with hostile forces had been “considered unlikely.”
That would explain why the Americans, who were traveling in unarmored vehicles with Nigerien counterparts, lacked access to medical support and had no immediate air cover, although Mattis said French aircraft were called to the scene quickly. He said contract aircraft flew out the bodies of three Americans shortly after the firefight. Local Nigeriens found Johnson’s body and returned it Oct. 6.
It’s not clear why Johnson was not found with the three others Oct. 4.
Dana W. White, a spokeswoman for Mattis, said Johnson had become “separated.” Speaking at a news conference with her, Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff, said he knew more about what had happened to Johnson but was not willing to share it. He said U.S., Nigerien and French forces remained in the area searching for Johnson until he was found, so it would be wrong to say he was “left behind.”
Mattis said the U.S. has about 1,000 troops in that part of Africa to support a French-led mission to disrupt and destroy extremist elements. He said the U.S. provides aerial refueling, intelligence and reconnaissance support, and ground troops to engage with local leaders.
“In this specific case, contact (with hostile forces) was considered unlikely, but the reason we had U.S. Army soldiers there and not the Peace Corps, it’s because we carry guns.”
McKenzie said last week that U.S. troops in that area had done 29 similar missions over the previous six months without encountering enemy forces.
Underlining how the attack and its response have rattled the White House this week, Trump’s national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, also joined the defense. He said Thursday that it would be wrong for the Pentagon to provide details of the tragedy before it had fully verified them in the course of an in-depth investigation.
“Answers that are provided, oftentimes, short of that full investigation, turn out in retrospect to have been inaccurate and just cause more confusion,” McMaster said.
Mattis described the mission being performed by the U.S. troops in Niger as a classic example of training that Army Green Berets have performed worldwide for decades, usually with no publicity. Known in military parlance as “foreign internal defense,” the mission is to help local militaries improve their fighting skills and techniques. It requires a cultural acuity for which U.S. special operations troops are known.
За журналістом програми розслідувань «Схеми» ведеться стеження – редакція
20/10/2017
За журналістом програми розслідувань «Схеми» Олександром Чорноваловим здійснюється зовнішнє спостереження, повідомляє редакція програми – спільного проекту Радіо Свобода і телеканалу «UA: Перший».
«Ми і раніше помічали підозрілу активність щодо наших співробітників. Але цього разу вперше стеження ведеться настільки відкрито. Ми не знаємо, хто стежить, і не розуміємо мотивів, тому змушені повідомити про це публічно», – заявила головний редактор програми «Схеми» Наталка Седлецька.
Останнім часом журналіст щонайменше тричі помічав за собою спостереження. Увечері 17 жовтня, коли Олександр прямував із редакції у центрі Києва додому, він помітив, що невідомі чоловіки слідують за ним. Спочатку журналіст побачив їх у вагоні метро. Вони поводили себе підозріло і кілька разів направляли на нього камери телефонів. Олександр вирішив не їхати далі до своєї станції метро, а зійшов з потяга на станції метро «Печерська». При цьому двоє підозрілих молодиків також рушили за ним.
Вже на платформі журналіст підійшов до них і попросив пояснити, хто вони і чому переслідують його у підземці. Чоловіки не відповіли.
«Коли я дістав телефон, щоб сфотографувати цих чоловіків, вони почали відвертатись і ховатися за колону на платформі. А як тільки приїхав перший потяг, вони швидко сіли у нього та поїхали. При цьому, в той потяг, який рухався у протилежному напрямку», – розповів Олександр Чорновалов.
Журналісти переглянули відео за той вечір з камери спостереження біля виходу з будівлі, де розташовується їхня редакція, і помітили, як двоє невідомих послідували за Олександром після того, як він вийшов з офісу.
Наступного ранку Олександр вийшов із дому з дитиною, яку відвозив до школи, і помітив, що за ними йде невідомий чоловік. Камери спостереження на будинку згодом показали, що чоловік певний час очікував Олександра неподалік від під’їзду, і як тільки журналіст вийшов із будинку – пішов за ним і провів до самого метро, хоча сам у нього не зайшов.
Так само журналіст у присутності колег неодноразово помічав людей, що себе підозріло поводили під офісом редакції Радіо Свобода. Коли ж працівники редакції намагалися поговорити з ними чи сфотографувати, ці люди без пояснень йшли.
Журналіст написав заяву в поліцію.
«Ми подали заяву в поліцію. При цьому паралельно власними силами здійснюємо всі можливі кроки, щоб встановити, хто переслідує нашого журналіста», – повідомила головний редактор програми Наталка Седлецька.
Олександр Чорновалов працює у програмі розслідувань «Схеми» від моменту її створення у 2014 році. За цей час опублікував низку резонансних матеріалів, що викривають високопосадову корупцію. За декілька днів до того, як журналіст помітив стеження, він у співавторстві з Наталкою Седлецькою опублікував розслідування про суддю Вищого господарського суду України Артура Ємельянова, а саме про низку елітної нерухомості по всьому світу, оформлену на колишню дружину судді.
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Ahoy! ‘Old Ironsides,’ World’s Oldest Warship, Sailing again
20/10/2017
The newly refurbished USS Constitution is taking its first spin under sail in three years.
Friday’s joyride from Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston to Fort Independence on Castle Island will celebrate the U.S. Navy’s 242nd birthday and the 220th anniversary of the iconic vessel’s maiden voyage.
The world’s oldest commissioned warship will fire a 21-gun salute in the waters off the fort, and its cannons will boom another 17 times as it passes the U.S. Coast Guard station — the former site of the shipyard where the Constitution was built and launched in 1797.
It will be the warship’s first sail since October 2014.
The ship earned its nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812 with Britain.
Trump’s Border Wall Models Take Shape in San Diego
20/10/2017
The last two of eight prototypes for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall took shape Thursday at a construction site in San Diego.
The prototypes form a tightly packed row of imposing concrete and metal panels, including one with sharp metal edges on top. Another has a surface resembling an expensive brick driveway.
Companies have until Oct. 26 to finish the models but Border Patrol spokesman Theron Francisco said the last two came into profile, with crews installing a corrugated metal surface on the eighth model on a dirt lot just a few steps from homes in Tijuana, Mexico.
As the crews worked, three men and two women, one carrying a large red purse, jumped a short rusted fence from Tijuana into the construction site and were immediately stopped by agents on horseback.
Francisco said there have been four or five other illegal crossing attempts at the site since work began Sept. 26.
The models, which cost the government up to $500,000 each, were spaced 30 feet (9.1 meters) apart. Slopes, thickness and curves vary. One has two shades of blue with white trim. The others are gray, tan or brown – in sync with the desert.
Bidding guidelines call for the prototypes to stand between 18 and 30 feet (5.5 and 9.1 meters) high and be able to withstand at least an hour of punishment from a sledgehammer, pickaxe, torch, chisel or battery-operated tools.
Features also should prevent the use of climbing aids such as grappling hooks, and the segments must be “aesthetically pleasing” when viewed from the U.S. side.
The administration hasn’t said how many winners it will pick or whether Trump will weigh in himself.
There is currently 654 miles (1,052 kilometers) of single-layer fence on the 1,954-mile (3,143-kilometer) border, plus 51 miles (82 kilometers) of double- and triple-layer fence.
“I’m sure they will engage in a lot of tests against these structures to see how they function with different challenges,” U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday after touring the construction site.
Trump has asked Congress for $1.6 billion to replace 14 miles of wall (22.4 kilometers) in San Diego and build 60 miles (96 kilometers) in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings.
Here’s a rundown of companies building prototypes, their headquarters and value of their contract. Two are making one concrete prototype and another using other materials.
CADELL CONSTRUCTION CO., Montgomery, Alabama. ($344,000 for concrete wall, $320,000 for other wall)
Its tan concrete wall is thick at the bottom and narrows considerably toward the pointed top. The other, also tan, has metal poles on the bottom, a metal plate in the middle, and concrete block on top.
The general construction company founded in 1983 says its projects include U.S. embassies in Beijing and Kabul, Afghanistan, terminals at Houston’s George Bush International Airport and renovations to the Denver Mint.
W.G. YATES & SONS CONSTRUCTION CO., Philadelphia, Mississippi. ($453,548 for concrete wall, $458,103 for other wall)
Its models are a darker brown than other prototypes and topped by round beams. Its concrete panel has a plain face; its metal one has a corrugated surface.
The 53-year-old company has worked in a wide range of projects, including a Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, a county jail in Olmito, Texas, a marine terminal in Jacksonville, Florida, and a power plant near Panama City, Florida.
Two companies are building concrete walls.
FISHER SAND & GRAVEL CO., Tempe, Arizona. ($365,000 contract)
It’s the only prototype to be built entirely on site – as opposed to being hauled in. Its tan surface gradually narrows toward the top, like a long triangle.
Part of conglomerate Fisher Industries, the company produces sand, gravel and other products for roads, dams and large public works projects. The company is active is 12 western states.
TEXAS STERLING CONSTRUCTION CO., Houston. ($470,000 contract)
The gray surface of the U.S. side is stamped with patterns of different-sized bricks, like a driveway or sidewalk at an upscale home. There is a steel plate on top with prongs that feature at three metal spikes, resembling an agave plant.
Parent company Sterling Construction Co., founded in 1991, specializes in water and transportation projects, including highways, bridges, ports, light rail, wastewater and storm drainage systems. It is active in Utah, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, California and Hawaii.
Two companies were selected to build walls made of materials other than concrete.
KWR CONSTRUCTION INC., Sierra Vista, Arizona. ($486,411 contract)
Its gray metal columns are topped with a large metal plate. The small, Hispanic-owned company counts the Homeland Security, Defense and Interior departments among its largest customers.
ELTA NORTH AMERICA INC., Annapolis Junction, Maryland. ($406,319 contract)
Its solid metal wall features six light blue squares with white trim on the bottom third, topped by dark blue beams and metal plates.
ELTA is a large Israeli defense contractor owned by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries. The company, which makes radar and other gear, opened its new U.S. headquarters in Maryland in May.
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Бойовики знову не дозволили відкрити КПВВ «Золоте» – голова Луганської адміністрації
20/10/2017
Підтримувані Росією бойовики угруповання «ЛНР» вкотре не дали можливості запустити роботу контрольного пункту в’їзду-виїзду (КПВВ) «Золоте», заявляє голова Луганської обласної військово-цивільної адміністрації Юрій Гарбуз.
«Бойовики черговий раз порушили досягнуті у Мінську домовленості щодо відкриття КПВВ «Золоте». Луганська обласна ВЦА, Луганський прикордонний загін підготували всі необхідні умови для роботи пункту пропуску. Відкриття транспортного коридору є вкрай потрібним жителям області. На жаль, потреби людей вперто ігноруються самопроголошеною владою квазіреспубліки «ЛНР», – написав Гарбуз у Facebook.
Як повідомив вранці 20 жовтня кореспондент проекту Радіо Свобода, Радіо Донбас.Реалії, що перебуває на пункті пропуску, угруповання «ЛНР» не пропустило через КПВВ «Золоте» двох громадян, які вийшли з підконтрольної Україні території після відкриття контрольного пункту в’їзду-виїзду з українського боку.
18 жовтня за підсумками переговорів у Мінську представниця України в тристоронній контактній групі Ірина Геращенко заявила, що найближчими днями буде відкритий контрольний пункт в’їзду-виїзду «Золоте» у Луганській області. Угруповання «ЛНР» закликало Київ утриматися від відкриття цього КПВВ. Представниця угруповання «ЛНР» у Мінську Ольга Кобцева заявила, що відкриття КПВВ 20 жовтня неможливе через неузгодження технічних моментів.
Протягом минулого року на Луганщині кілька разів намагалися відкрити КПВВ «Золоте». Але пункт так і не розпочав свою роботу – через, як каже українська сторона, недотримання бойовиками зобов’язань щодо гарантування безпеки у цьому районі. Наразі у Луганській області діє лише один КПВВ через лінію розмежування – «Станиця Луганська». Ще 4 – «Майорське», «Мар’їнка», «Новотроїцьке» та «Гнутове» – діють у Донецькій області.
Рішення про початок функціонування цього КПВВ ухвалили в Мінську 27 січня 2016 року.
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High Schoolers Experience What it is Like to be Professionals
20/10/2017
When the new school year started in September, 16-year-old Aelina Pogosian couldn’t wait to tell her friends about the most interesting part of her summer vacation: her RISE internship, working three weeks in the biology lab at Montgomery College.
“A lot of the materials and machinery we used is not given at most high schools, which is really important for me to learn how to use these things,” she said. “And I got to learn a lot at the same time I was able to have a lot of fun. And I met some new people.”
Among those new people was Jennifer Sengbusch, instructional lab coordinator, who worked closely with Aelina.
“At first, working in the lab I had to go over safety rules with her to avoid any injury to herself,” Sengbusch said. “We also went through working with chemicals, making solutions, doing calculations. Then we progressed into doing more complicated things as measuring protein concentrations and doing DNA tests.”
And the internship wasn’t all inside a lab, it also included some animal husbandry experience with the lab’s snakes and tortoises.
Real interesting experiences
Aelina is one of more than 400 students from all of Montgomery County’s 25 high schools who took part in the RISE program in its first year. RISE stands for Real Interesting Summer Experience, and those experiences were offered at construction companies, police stations, marketing firms, fire stations and more. More than 140 businesses, government agencies and nonprofits offered to host the students for the paid internships.
Local activist Will Jawando founded the program and says it has two main goals.
“The first goal is to expose our students to career opportunities early on so they can inform their education or training after high school,” he said.
The second is boosting the local economy.
“We said there are 30,000 middle-skill-level jobs here in Montgomery County that are not filled,” Jawando said. “So how do we also expose them to that there are jobs here in the county that they could be doing in a year or two that pay well and are on career track? So it was also an economic development tool. So it not only benefits the students, but hopefully it benefits the county and the region, if they stay here, they become productive citizens and as taxpayers.”
Local government support
The program received partial funding from the Montgomery County Council. Councilman Craig Rice helped secure the money.
“All the time in government, there are always so many needs and so many things that are important, whether it’s our roads or our infrastructure, all the different types of programs that we provide as government, but it is really important to make sure that we’re providing for our future generation,” Rice said.
He stressed that providing high school students with real life career opportunities was a priority.
“It’s really something that if we’re going to be serious about being globally competitive, we’re going to be serious about providing a number of different options for our children, we’ve got to make sure that we put our money where our mouth is,” Rice added.
Active, curious and dedicated
Jennifer Sengbusch says RISE gave her a chance to work with high school students who may soon be applying to attend Montgomery College. She found them curious and eager to learn.
“I think high school students are more inquisitive” than college students, she observed, “the high school students really ask a lot of great questions.”
She was also pleased to find Aelina, engaged and prompt.
“I didn’t realize that she was arriving an hour early just so she would be on time, that she would be sitting on the end of the hallway and I glanced over and said, ‘What are you doing here?’ She said ‘I just didn’t want to be late.’”
After a successful start this summer, RISE participants and organizers hope the program will expand next year and inspire surrounding counties to offer similar Real Interesting Summer Experiences.
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«ЛНР» наразі не пропустило через КПВВ «Золоте» громадян, які вийшли з підконтрольної Україні території
20/10/2017
Угруповання «ЛНР» на даний час не пропустило через КПВВ «Золоте» двох громадян, які вийшли з підконтрольної Україні території після відкриття контрольного пункту в’їзду-виїзду з українського боку. Про це повідомляє кореспондент проекту Радіо Свобода, Радіо Донбас.Реалії, що перебуває на пункті пропуску.
Близько 9:15 20 жовтня КПВВ «Золоте» відкрилося з українського боку, і прикордонники оформили на вихід двох пенсіонерів, що прямували у селище Первомайське (окупована територія). Вони підійшли до КПВВ підтримуваних Росією бойовиків приблизно через годину, однак їх зупинили біля одного з бетонних блоків на підході до пункту контролю, повідомив патруль ОБСЄ, що перебував на боці «ЛНР». Чи збирається незаконне збройне формування пропускати громадян на контрольовану йому територію, точно незрозуміло, пенсіонери на українську сторону не поверталися.
Після цього, близько 11:30, через КПВВ з українського боку пропустили ще одну жінку, що прямувала на неконтрольовану територію. Як повідомляє кореспондент, прикордонники попередили її, що немає достовірних відомостей, чи відкриється пункт пропуску з боку угруповання «ЛНР», однак жінка вирішила все одно перетинати лінію розмежування в цьому пункті.
18 жовтня за підсумками переговорів у Мінську представниця України в тристоронній контактній групі Ірина Геращенко заявила, що найближчими днями буде відкритий контрольний пункт в’їзду-виїзду «Золоте» у Луганській області. Угруповання «ЛНР» закликало Київ утриматися від відкриття цього КПВВ. Представниця угруповання «ЛНР» у Мінську Ольга Кобцева заявила, що відкриття КПВВ 20 жовтня неможливе через неузгодження технічних моментів.
Протягом минулого року на Луганщині кілька разів намагалися відкрити КПВВ «Золоте». Але пункт так і не розпочав свою роботу – через, як каже українська сторона, недотримання бойовиками зобов’язань щодо гарантування безпеки у цьому районі. Наразі у Луганській області діє лише один КПВВ через лінію розмежування – «Станиця Луганська». Ще 4 – «Майорське», «Мар’їнка», «Новотроїцьке» та «Гнутове» – діють у Донецькій області.
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Last Holden Rolls Off Factory Line in Australia
20/10/2017
The last mass-produced car designed and built in Australia rolled off General Motors Co.’s production line in the industrial city of Adelaide on Friday as the nation reluctantly bid farewell to its auto manufacturing industry.
GM Holden Ltd., an Australian subsidiary of the U.S. automotive giant, built its last car almost 70 years after it created Australia’s first, the FX Holden, in 1948.
Since then, an array of carmakers including Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler and Leyland have built and closed manufacturing plants in Australia.
Clocking out for last time
After the last gleaming red Holden VF Commodore, a six-cylinder rear-wheel drive sedan, left the plant in the Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth that had grown over decades to provide its workforce, 955 factory workers will clock off the last time
“It’s pretty tragic really that we’ve let go probably one of the best cars around the world,” an auto painter who identified himself as Kane told reporters.
The 36-year-old was worked at Holden for 17 years and starts a new job with an air conditioner manufacturer Monday. But he knows many other former Holden employees won’t find jobs so quickly.
Dozens of Holden enthusiasts gathered outside the factory, bringing with them generations of Holdens dating back to favored FJ models that were built between 1953 and 1956.
South Australia state Premier Jay Weatherill said car manufacturing was seminal to the state’s industrial know-how.
“It has provided the backbone for our manufacturing capability in this state,” Weatherill told reporters. “It’s given us … the capacity to imagine ourselves as an advanced manufacturing state.”
Iconic Australian brand
Holden is an iconic Australian brand and has been a source of national pride for generations.
The V8 Holden Commodore has sold in the United States since 2013 as the Chevrolet SS.
The brand will survive although Holdens will all now be imported from GM plants around the globe.
Holden retains design and engineering teams, a global design studio, a local testing ground, 1,000 employees and a 200-strong national dealer network.
The brand that became known as “Australia’s own car,” accounted for more than half the new cars registered in Australia by 1958.
The reasons behind the demise of Australian auto manufacturing are numerous.
The first Holden cars were built in an era of high Australian tariffs and preferential trade with former colonial master Britain, which encouraged global carmakers to set up local factories to increase market share.
Australian import tariffs have since tumbled through bilateral free trade deals with car manufacturing countries like the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.
The Holden workers’ union blames a lack of government support through subsidies for GM’s decision to end manufacturing.
There had been debate about whether the 7 billion Australian dollars ($5.5 billion) that the government spent on the car industry in subsidies since 2001 was worth the jobs that it created.
“We’re not just losing a car, we’re not just losing an industrial capability. We’re losing an icon and that is a tragedy,” Labor lawmaker Nick Champion, who represents the Holden factory region, told reporters Thursday.
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At G-7, Social Media Firms Pushed to Do More to Fight Terror
20/10/2017
Technology firms have improved cooperation with the authorities in tackling online militant material but must act quicker to remove propaganda fueling a rise in homegrown extremism, acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said Wednesday.
The United States and Britain will push social media firms at a meeting of G7 interior ministers this week to do more on the issue, Duke told reporters in London where she had been meeting British Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
Duke said there has been a change in the attitude of tech companies since a rally organized by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August turned deadly when a counter-protester was killed by a car driven into a crowd.
“There has been a shift and for us somewhat with the Charlottesville incident,” she said. “There are a lot of social pressures and they want do business so they really have to balance between keeping their user agreements and giving law enforcement what they need.
“The fact they are meeting with us at G7 is a positive sign. I think they’re seeing the evidence of it being real and not just hyperbole.”
Series of attacks
After a series of Islamist militant attacks this year, British Prime Minister Theresa May and her ministers such as Rudd have been demanding action from tech leaders such as Facebook, Google and Twitter to do more about extremist material on their sites.
British politicians have also called for access to encrypted messaging services like Facebook’s WhatsApp, a campaign that U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave his backing to after meeting Rudd and the head of the UK domestic spy agency MI5 last week.
Internet companies say they want to help governments remove extremist or criminal material but say they have to balance the demands of state security with civil liberties.
“We would like to have the ability to get encrypted data with the right legal processes,” Duke said.
Propaganda’s role
Asked what action governments might take if social media firms failed to act to improve their removal of extremist material, she said: “We will continue to push as far as we can go. I think that we have the cooperation of those companies and we just need to work on that.”
Authorities say propaganda from Islamic State has played a major part in radicalizing people in the West but despite its defeat in its capital Raqqa in Syria, Duke said the group’s online presence was likely to increase.
“I would surmise being able to put terrorist propaganda on the internet might become more imperative,” said Duke, who described the terrorist threat to the United States as being as high as it had been since pre-9/11.
She also warned that those who turned to violence by being radicalized by such material posed a bigger problem than the comparatively small number of fighters who had joined the militant group returning to United States.
“The number of foreign fighters we have returning is declining,” she said. “The number of home-grown violent extremists, most of them inspired by terrorist organizations, is increasing.”
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Ex-US President Bush Deplores Country’s Political Divisiveness
19/10/2017
Former U.S. president George W. Bush on Thursday spoke against the country’s political divisiveness, saying that “at times it can seem like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together.”
Bush, the country’s 43rd president, a Republican who served two terms in office from 2001 to 2009, never mentioned President Donald Trump or his political opposition by name in a New York speech.
“We’ve seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty,” Bush said. “Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates into dehumanization.”
“Bigotry seems emboldened,” Bush said. “Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication.
“Our identity as a nation, unlike other nations, is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood …” Bush said. “This means that people from every race, religion, ethnicity can be full and equally American. It means that bigotry and white supremacy, in any form, is blasphemy against the American creed.”
He added, “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions, forgetting the image of God we should see in each other. We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, and forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America.
“We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade, forgetting that conflict, instability and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism,” Bush said. “We’ve seen the return of isolationist sentiments, forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places, where threats such as terrorism, infectious disease, criminal gangs and drug trafficking tend to emerge.”
Since leaving office, Bush has only infrequently made public policy statements, largely staying quiet about Washington political debates during the White House tenure of his successor, former president Barack Obama.
Bush last year supported the unsuccessful presidential campaign of his brother, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, one of a large field of Republican contenders Trump defeated for the party’s presidential nomination before winning the November election against his Democratic challenger, former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
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