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Dems Could Pick Up 2 GOP Houses Seats in NC Special Elections

North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper recently set the rules and timetable for special elections in to fill open U.S. House seats in his state’s 9th and 3rd Districts.

Although both districts were firmly in Republican hands for decades, Democrats are expected to make all-out efforts to win both the 3rd District long held by the late Republican Rep. Walter Jones and the 9th — recently declared vacant after Republican nominee Mark Harris was found to have hired a political consultant who engaged in the practice of “ballot harvesting” (a way of collecting absentee ballots that is illegal in the Tar heel State).

“Given the controversy over the ballots cast in the November race that cast clouds over the Republican nominee, it has to be said that the Democrat will be the favorite in the special election,” former Republican consultant Marc Rotterman told Newsmax.

Democrat Dan McCready, a small business owner and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who saw action in Iraq, lost to Republican Harris by 905 votes last fall.  He is a virtual certainty to carry the Democratic banner again in the special election September 10 and is sure to be targeted for support by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

In contrast, ten Republicans are vying for nomination in the primary May 14.  The early favorites are two-term State Sen. Dan Bishop, considered a strong conservative, and Union County Commissioner Stony Rushing, who has the endorsement of Harris and many of his fellow evangelical conservatives.

If no candidate wins at least 30 percent of the vote in the primary, a run-off between the top two vote-getters will be held September 10 and thus push the general election to Nov. 5.

A Democrat pickup of the seat would mean that one of the most durably Republican seats in the South had flipped hands.  The 9th has had five U.S. Representatives since 1952, all of them Republican.

The 3rd District (Eastern North Carolina), long a bastion of support for the late conservative hero and Sen. Jesse Helms, R.-N.C., was held by Walter Jones from 1994, when he unseated Democratic Rep.  Martin Lancaster.  Since then, Jones faced challenges in primaries from Republicans who didn’t like some of his controversial stands (such as opposing President George W. Bush on U.S. involvement in both Afghanistan and Iraq).

But general elections were always cakewalks for Jones.  Now, seventeen Republicans are competing for nomination in the primary April 30.  Among them are three state representatives, three county commissioners, and Michele Nix, who resigned as vice chairman of the state Republican Party to make the race.

Among Democrats, three of the six contenders are considered political heavyweights: New Bern Mayor Dana Outlaw, former Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas, and Richard Bew, retired U.S. Marine and former legislative director for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  All three are considered centrist Democrats in the mold of Gov. Cooper.

The general election to fill Jones’ seat is scheduled for July 9th.  But if the top vote-getter in either primary fails to attain 30 percent of the vote April 30, a run-off will be held July 9 and the special election bumped to September 10.

One other factor makes Republicans a bit more uneasy about the 9th and 3rd District contests:  in both, there will be an active Libertarian nominee and that usually works against Republicans in close races. 

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
 

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Source: NewsMax Politics

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Pennsylvania mayor arrested after pointing gun at group of teenagers, police say

A Pennsylvania mayor has been arrested after pointing a gun at a group of teenagers following a dispute involving his son in a local park, police say.

Kevin Gross, the mayor of Derry Borough, east of Pittsburgh, is now facing multiple charges including aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment stemming from the incident alleged to have taken place there Sunday night.

"When you freak these kids out, it will be in their conscious for the rest of their lives," Paul Luna, one of the borough’s residents who witnessed it, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He shouldn't have gone down there with a firearm around those children. This was a kid thing, and it should have been handled differently."

Kevin Gross, the mayor of Derry Borough, allegedly pointed a gun at a group of teenagers (Westmoreland County Prison)

Kevin Gross, the mayor of Derry Borough, allegedly pointed a gun at a group of teenagers (Westmoreland County Prison)

FLORIDA MAYOR WHO ALLEGEDLY SHOT AT COPS RE-ARRESTED

Pennsylvania State Police told KDKA that the incident started when the teenagers got into an argument over a marker and “some graffiti being drawn on a bench,” which resulted in Gross’ son getting a scratch on his arm.

“It was over the younger children having the marker and not giving the marker back,” Trooper Stephen Limani told the station.

The 38-year-old mayor, police say, eventually showed up with a loaded revolver, pointed it at a 15-year-old boy and ordered him to the ground.

A police report viewed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Gross then aimed the weapon at three girls nearby and told them to place their cellphones and belongings on a bench, and that they were not allowed to call their parents.

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The newspaper, citing the police report, said parents became aware of the incident and showed up to diffuse the tensions, and when police arrived, Gross surrendered his weapon and later confessed to pointing it at a teenager.

Gross is now being held in Westmoreland County Prison on $20,000 bond.

Fox News' Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report. 

Source: Fox News National

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Gulf OPEC members ready to raise output if there is demand: sources

FILE PHOTO: An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia
FILE PHOTO: An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

April 23, 2019

By Rania El Gamal

DUBAI (Reuters) – Gulf OPEC producers can step in to meet any oil supply shortage following a U.S. decision to end waivers on buyers of Iranian crude, but will first wait to see whether there is actual demand, OPEC and industry sources said.

The United States has decided not to renew exemptions from sanctions against Iran granted last year to buyers of Iranian oil, taking a tougher line than expected.

Eight countries, including China and India, were granted waivers for six months, and several had expected those exemptions to be renewed.

A senior U.S. administration official said Trump was confident Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would fulfill their pledges to compensate for the shortfall in the oil market.

Gulf oil producers are committed to market stability and have the capacity to raise production, but any decision to boost output has to be a measured one depending on demand, the sources said.

“The question is how fast and by how much will OPEC raise output. This still needs to be done after consultations with other countries,” one source said.

“It needs to be discussed and studied. There is an (OPEC) agreement that must be respected, we will not (raise output) immediately for sure.”

Another OPEC source said any decision to raise output must depend on demand.

“There must be actual impact on the market and a real demand from customers,” this source said, adding that any physical additional barrels by Gulf oil producers to compensate for a supply drop from Iran are unlikely to be seen until June.

Saudi Arabia’s oil exports in May are not expected to be much higher than April, two sources said.

The sources said Saudi Arabia’s May oil output will be higher than April, but still within its production target under the OPEC+ supply-cutting deal of 10.3 million bpd. The rise in Saudi May oil output is not related to Iran sanctions, the sources said.

The kingdom’s exports in April will be below 7 million barrels per day, while production is around 9.8 million bpd, Saudi officials said.

Washington reimposed sanctions in November on Iran’s oil exports after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that his country, the world’s top oil exporter, was monitoring oil market developments after the U.S. statement. He also said Riyadh would coordinate with other oil producers to ensure a balanced market and adequate supply.

A source familiar with Saudi thinking told Reuters on Monday that the country was willing to compensate for any potential loss of crude supply from Iran, but would assess the impact on the market before raising output.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, are reducing output by 1.2 million bpd from Jan. 1 for six months. They meet on June 25-26 to decide whether to extend the pact.

On May 19, a panel of energy ministers from major oil producers, known as the JMMC, is due to discuss the oil market and make recommendations ahead of the June policy meeting, the sources said.

(Reporting by Rania El Gamal. Editing by Dale Hudson and Jane Merriman)

Source: OANN

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Jet Airways lenders to push forward with rescue plan; no clarity on interim funding

FILE PHOTO: Jet Airways aircrafts are seen parked at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai
FILE PHOTO: Jet Airways aircrafts are seen parked at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India, March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

April 4, 2019

(Reuters) – Lenders to India’s Jet Airways said on Thursday that they intend to push forward with their plan to rescue the troubled airline, but offered no clarity on interim funding, leaving the future of the carrier hanging in the balance.

Last month, Jet’s lenders, led by State Bank of India (SBI) , agreed to bailout the airline in a complex deal that involved the banks taking a majority stake, while seeking out an investor to help revive the company’s fortunes.

The rescue plan also included a $218 million interim loan to keep the airline afloat.

However, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters late on Thursday that the lenders, which also includes Punjab National Bank (PNB), were yet to decide on the interim loan for the beleaguered carrier.

The two state-run banks, SBI and PNB, did not have immediate comments on the matter.

In their joint statement issued late on Thursday, the lenders said they intend to pursue the previously proposed rescue plan “in a time-bound manner under the present legal and regulatory framework.”

Jet, India’s oldest private carrier, has been saddled with more than $1 billion in debt, compounding its financial woes and forcing it to ground more than two-thirds of its fleet.

However, the Indian government is keen to see that the airline survives, as its failure will result in tens of thousands of direct and indirect job losses, potentially denting sentiment just as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to secure a second term in a general election set to commence later this month.

Senior government sources familiar with the matter told Reuters last month that the Indian government had asked state-run banks to keep the airline flying.

It is crucial for India to ensure the survival of Jet as the fall of its second-largest airline could have “disastrous consequences for the investment climate” in the sector, a top government official had told Reuters.

In Thursday’s statement, Jet’s lenders said they plan to seek expressions of interest in the airline from potential investors from April 6 and that all submissions from interested parties are expected to be completed by April 9.

The lenders said they would consider other options should the stake-sale process “not result in an acceptable outcome.”

(Reporting by Euan Rocha in New Delhi and Mekhla Raina in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

Source: OANN

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European researchers to drill for ancient Antarctic ice

A group of 14 European scientific institutions plan to retrieve the world's oldest ice as part of research into past climate change.

The consortium led by the Germany-based Alfred Wegener Institute said Tuesday it has identified an area in Antarctica, nicknamed "Little Dome C," that should harbor ice as old as 1.5 million years.

So-called ice core measurements are crucial for scientists' understanding of past climatic changes on Earth and the models they use to predict future global warming or cooling.

Current ice core measurements provide reliable data going back only about 800,000 years.

At a meeting in Vienna, the institutes said they spent the past three years working with American, Australian, Japanese and Russian colleagues using radar to determine the best possible site for drilling.

Source: Fox News World

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Flight recorders found in Ethiopian jetliner crash

Authorities in Ethiopia, China and Indonesia grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft Monday following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner that killed 157 people, and investigators found the flight recorders from the field where the plane went down.

The new plane crashed shortly after takeoff in clear weather outside Addis Ababa on Sunday, and the airline decided to ground its remaining four 737 Max 8s until further notice as "an extra safety precaution," spokesman Asrat Begashaw said. Ethiopian Airlines had been using five of the planes and awaiting delivery of 25 more.

As Ethiopia observed a day of mourning, Red Cross workers slowly picked through the widely scattered debris near the blackened crash crater, looking for the remains of those aboard, while heavy machinery dug for larger pieces of the plane.

The plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders were found, Ethiopian Airlines said. An airline official, however, said one of the recorders was partially damaged and "we will see what we can retrieve from it." The official spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak to the media.

Ethiopian authorities are leading the investigation into the crash, assisted by the U.S., Kenya and others.

"These kinds of things take time," Kenya's Transport Minister James Macharia told reporters.

Sunday's crash was strikingly similar to that of a Lion Air jet of the same Boeing model in Indonesian seas last year, killing 189 people. The crash was likely to renew questions about the 737 Max 8, the newest version of Boeing's popular single-aisle airliner, which was first introduced in 1967 and has become the world's most common passenger jet.

Safety experts cautioned against drawing too many comparisons between the two crashes until more is known about the disaster. Besides the groundings in China and Indonesia, Caribbean carrier Cayman Airways temporarily grounded their Max 8s.

People from 35 countries died in the crash six minutes after the plane took off from Ethiopia's capital for Nairobi. Ethiopian Airlines said the senior pilot issued a distress call and was told to return but all contact was lost shortly afterward. The plane plowed into the ground at Hejere near Bishoftu, scattering debris like a shredded book, a battered passport and business cards in multiple languages.

"I heard this big noise," resident Tsegaye Reta told the AP. "The villagers said that it was a plane crash, and we rushed to the site. There was a huge smoke that we couldn't even see the plane. The parts of the plane were falling apart."

Kenya lost 32 people, more than any country. Relatives of 25 of the victims had been contacted, Macharia said, and taking care of their welfare was of utmost importance.

"Some of them, as you know, they are very distressed," he said. "They are in shock like we are. They are grieving."

In Addis Ababa, members of an association of Ethiopian airline pilots cried uncontrollably for their dead colleagues. Framed photos of seven crew members sat in chairs at the front of a crowded room.

Canada, Ethiopia, the U.S., China, Italy, France, Britain, Egypt, Germany, India and Slovakia all lost four or more citizens.

Leaders of the United Nations, the U.N. refugee agency and the World Food Program said colleagues had been on the plane. The U.N. migration agency estimated that 19 U.N.-affiliated employees were killed.

Both Addis Ababa and Nairobi are major hubs for humanitarian workers, and some had been on their way to a large U.N. environmental conference set to begin Monday in Nairobi. The U.N. flag at the event flew at half-staff.

The crash shattered more than two years of relative calm in African skies, where travel had long been chaotic. It also was a serious blow to the Ethiopian Airlines, which has expanded to become the continent's largest and best-managed carrier and turned Addis Ababa into the gateway to Africa.

The state-owned carrier has a good reputation and the company's CEO told reporters no problems were seen before Sunday's fight. But investigators also will look into the plane's maintenance, which may have been an issue in the Lion Air crash.

The plane was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in November. The jet's last maintenance was on Feb. 4, and it had flown just 1,200 hours.

China's Civil Aviation Administration said that it ordered airlines to ground all 737 Max 8 aircraft as of 6 p.m. (1000 GMT) Monday, in line with the principle of "zero tolerance for security risks."

It said it would issue further notices after consulting with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

China Southern Airlines is one of Boeing's biggest customers for the aircraft.

Chicago-based Boeing said it did not intend to issue any new guidance to its customers. It plans to send a technical team to the crash site to help Ethiopian and U.S. investigators, however, and issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew" on the Ethiopian Airlines Max airplane.

The 737 is the best-selling airliner in history, and the Max, the newest version of it with more fuel-efficient engines, is a central part of Boeing's strategy to compete with European rival Airbus.

"Safety is our No. 1 priority and we are taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident, working closely with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved," the company said in a statement.

___

Meseret reported from Addis Ababa. Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and AP Airlines Writer David Koenig in Dallas, Texas, contributed.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

Source: Fox News World

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

April 26, 2019

By Rupam Jain and Hameed Farzad

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani encouraged newly-elected lawmakers to participate in the peace process with the Taliban as he opened on Friday the first session of parliament since a controversial election.

Ghani has invited thousands of politicians, religious scholars and rights activists to an assembly known as a loya jirga next week to discuss ways to end the 17-year war.

Several opposition leaders have said they will boycott the four-day assembly in Kabul, saying it was pulled together without their input and is being used by Ghani as he seeks a second term in a September presidential election.

“We have presented the peace plan on a regular basis and we are committed to it,” Ghani said in the first session since parliamentary elections marred by technical problems, militant attacks and accusations of voting fraud last year.

“Based on this plan, there will be no peace deal and negotiation that does not have the green card of the parliament,” he added.

Officials from the United States and the Taliban have held several rounds of talks to end the Afghan war.

U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001.

The insurgents have so far rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country’s political future that would include Afghan government officials.

The loya jirga, a centuries-old institution used to build consensus among competing tribes, factions and ethnic groups, is an attempt by Ghani to influence the peace talks and cement his position for a second term, Afghan politicians and Western diplomats say.

Amid growing political divisions in Kabul, opposition politicians have demanded that Ghani step down when his mandate ends next month, and give way to an interim government to oversee peace talks with the Taliban. Ghani has ruled that out.

The country’s top court said last week Ghani can stay in office until the presidential election in September.

(Reporting by Hameed Farzad, Rupam Jain, Editing by Darren Schuettler)

Source: OANN

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Thursday defended special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation while slamming former President Barack Obama’s administration for being slow to take action on Russian interference in U.S. elections and ex-FBI Director James Comey for telling Congress the agency was investigating collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes,” Rosenstein said in a speech to the Armenian Bar Association, marking his first public remarks after the Mueller report was released, reports CBS News.

He also pointed out that the investigation revealed a pattern of computer hacking and the use of social media to undermine elections as “only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

The Obama administration also made “critical decisions,” including choosing not to publicize the full story about Russian hackers and social media trolling, “and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America,” said Rosenstein.

He noted that the Mueller probe began after Comey disclosed during a hearing before Congress that President Donald Trump “pressured him to close the investigation and the president denied that the conversation occurred.”

Rosenstein said two years ago, when he was confirmed, he was told by a Republican senator that he would be in charge of the probe and that he’d report the results to the American people.

However, he said he didn’t promise to do that, because it is “not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province
FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei’s factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) – Britain must get to the bottom of the leak of confidential discussions during a top-level security meeting about the role of China’s Huawei Technologies in 5G network supply chains, British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday.

News that Britain’s National Security Council, attended by senior ministers and spy chiefs, had agreed on Tuesday to bar Huawei from all core parts of the country’s 5G network and restrict its access to non-core elements was leaked to a national newspaper.

The leak of secret discussions has sparked anger in parliament and amongst Britain’s intelligence community. Britain’s most senior civil servant Mark Sedwill has launched an inquiry and written to ministers who were at the meeting.

“My understanding from London (is) that an investigation has been announced into apparent leaks from the NSC meeting earlier this week,” said Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China’s Belt and Road initiative in Beijing.

“To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here,” he told Reuters in a pooled interview.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday he could not rule out a criminal investigation. The majority of the ministers at the NSC meeting have said they were not involved, according to media reports.

Hammond said he was unaware of any previous leak from a meeting of the NSC.

“It’s not about the substance of what was apparently leaked. It’s not earth-shattering information. But it is important that we protect the principle that nothing that goes on in national security council meetings must ever be repeated outside the room.”

Allowing Huawei a reduced role in building its 5G network puts Britain at odds with the United States which has told allies not to use its technology at all because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this.

There have been concerns that the NSC’s conclusion, which sources confirmed to Reuters, could upset other allies in the world’s leading intelligence-sharing network – the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

However, British ministers and intelligence officials have said any final decision on 5G would not put critical national infrastructure at risk. Ciaran Martin, head of the cyber center of Britain’s main eavesdropping agency, GCHQ, played down any threat of a rift in the Five Eyes alliance.

(Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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President Trump on Friday said “no money” was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, after reports that the U.S. received a $2 million hospital bill from Pyongyang for the late American prisoner’s care.

“No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist[sic] hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!” Trump tweeted Friday.

NORTH KOREA GAVE US $2M HOSPITAL BILL OVER CARE OF AMERICAN OTTO WARMBIER, SOURCES SAY

The Washington Post first reported that North Korean authorities insisted the U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier, 21, who was a student of the University of Virginia, sign a pledge to pay the bill before allowing Warmbier’s comatose body to return to the United States. Sources confirmed the bill and the amount to Fox News on Thursday.

Sources told the post that the envoy signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions from the president, but a source told Fox News that the U.S. did not ever pay money to North Korea.

The White House declined to comment when asked on the bill, with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying in a statement that: “We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration.”

Meanwhile, the president added: “’President[sic] Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid.’ Cheif[sic] Hostage Negotiator, USA!”

Warmbier was on tour in North Korea when he allegedly stole a propaganda sign from a hotel. He was arrested in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016. Warmbier, for unknown reasons, fell into a coma while in custody and was held in that condition for an additional 17 months.

North Korean officials did not tell American officials until June 2017 that Warmbier had been unconscious the entire time. He died less than a week after he returned to the U.S. North Korean officials, though, have repeatedly denied accusations that Warmbier was tortured, instead claiming that he had suffered from botulism and then slipped into a coma after taking a sleeping pill.

AMERICAN PRISONERS HELD IN NORTH KOREA ON THEIR WAY HOME AFTER POMPEO VISIT, TRUMP SAYS

Fred and Cindy Warmbier sued North Korea over their son’s death and in December were awarded $501 million in damages – money that the Hermit Kingdom will probably never pay.

While the Warmbiers blamed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump has said he believes Kim’s claims that he did not know about the student’s treatment.

Trump and Kim have met in two separate summits. The most recent, held in February, ended without an agreement on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told Fox News: “Otto Warmbier was mistreated by North Korea in so many ways, including his wrongful conviction and harsh sentence, and the fact that for 16 months they refused to tell his family or our country about his dire condition they caused.  No, the United States owes them nothing. They owe the Warmbier family everything.”

Last year, the Trump administration was also able to save three American prisoners held by North Korea. Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak Song were all detained in North Korea. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought the three Americans home last May, and said they were all in “good health.”

Fox News’ John Roberts, Rich Edson, Nicholas Kalman, and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Park Yoo-chun, a K-pop idol singer, arrives at the Suwon district court in Suwon
Park Yoo-chun, a K-pop idol singer, arrives at the Suwon district court in Suwon, South Korea, April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

April 26, 2019

SEOUL (Reuters) – K-pop and drama star Park Yu-chun was arrested on Friday on charges of buying and using illegal drugs, a court said, the latest in a series of scandals to hit the South Korean entertainment business.

Suwon District Court approved the arrest warrant for Park, 32, due to concerns over possible destruction of evidence and flight risk, a court spokesman told Reuters.

Park is suspected of having bought about 1.5 grams of methamphetamine with his former girlfriend earlier this year and using the drug around five times, an official at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said.

Park has denied wrongdoing, saying he had never taken drugs, and he again denied the charges in court, Yonhap news agency said.

Park’s contract with his management agency had been canceled and he would leave the entertainment industry, Park’s management agency, C-JeS Entertainment, said on Wednesday.

Park was a member of boyband TVXQ between 2003 and 2009 before leaving the group with two other members, forming the group JYJ.

A scandal involving sex tapes, prostitutes and secret chat about rape led at least four other K-pop stars to quit the industry earlier this year.

The cases sparked a nationwide drugs bust and investigations into tax evasion and police collusion at night clubs and other nightlife spots.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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