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Cop’s attorney: ‘Perfect storm’ led to unarmed woman’s death

A Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an unarmed woman as she approached his squad car after calling 911 to report a possible crime was reacting to a loud noise and feared an ambush, his attorney said Tuesday, calling it "a perfect storm with tragic consequences."

Mohamed Noor, charged with murder and manslaughter in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, and his partner were rolling down a dark alley in response to Damond's 911 calls about a possible sexual assault when a bicyclist appeared in front of them and they heard "a bang," defense attorney Peter Wold said in his opening statement at Noor's trial.

"It is the next split second that this case is all about," Wold said.

Noor fired a single shot, killing Damond, a 40-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia whose death rocked both countries and led to changes in the Minneapolis Police Department. The shooting came just two weeks after an officer in New York was ambushed and killed in a parked vehicle.

Attorneys for Noor, who was fired after being charged in the case and has never talked to investigators about what happened, argue that he used reasonable force to defend himself and his partner from a perceived threat. But prosecutors say there is no evidence he faced a threat that justified deadly force

Prosecutor Patrick Lofton, in his opening statement, questioned a statement from Noor's partner, Matthew Harrity, that he heard a thump right before the shooting. Lofton said Harrity never said anything at the scene about such a noise, instead mentioning it for the first time some days later in an interview with investigators.

Lofton also said investigators found no forensic evidence to show that Damond had touched the squad car before she was shot, an assertion that seemed aimed at the possibility that she had slapped or hit it upon approaching the officers.

Lofton also wondered why other officers responding to the scene didn't consistently have their cameras switched on. The officers did not turn on their body cameras until after the shooting, and there was no squad car video. Lofton noted that a sergeant taking statements had her camera on when she talked to Harrity, but off when she talked to Noor.

"We'll never hear what Noor said," he said.

Tuesday's opening statements came after six days of jury selection for Noor. Damond was a life coach who had been engaged to be married in just a month's time. Noor, 33, is a Somali American whose arrival on the force just a couple of years earlier had been trumpeted by city leaders working to diversify the police force.

Damond called 911 twice, then called her fiance and hung up when police arrived, Lofton said. One minute and 19 seconds later, Damond was cradling a gunshot wound to her abdomen and saying, "I'm dying," Lofton added.

Minnesota law allows police officers to use deadly force to protect themselves or their partners from death or great bodily harm. Prosecutors charged Noor with second-degree intentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Earlier Tuesday, Hennepin County District Judge Kathryn Quaintance relented on restrictions that would have prevented the public and media from viewing video evidence introduced in the case. That's expected to include body-camera video that shows efforts to save Damond. Quaintance had cited a desire to protect Damond's privacy, but a coalition of media groups including The Associated Press had challenged the ban.

"The court, like the jury, must follow the law — even if I disagree with it," said Quaintance.

Noor's attorneys haven't said whether he will testify. If he does, prosecutors may be able to introduce some evidence that the defense wanted to keep out of the state's case, including that he has refused to talk to investigators. They also could bring up a 2015 psychological test that showed Noor disliked being around people and had difficulty confronting others. Despite that test, a psychiatrist found him fit to be a cadet officer.

The shooting raised questions about Noor's training . The police chief defended Noor's training, but the chief was forced to resign days later. The shooting also led to changes in the department's policy on use of body cameras.

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Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti

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Check out the AP's complete coverage of Mohamed Noor's trial.

Source: Fox News National

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DOJ, FBI stonewalled House GOP request for McCabe texts, sources say

Republican investigators on the House Intelligence Committee formally requested former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe’s work-related text messages as part of their surveillance abuse inquiry last March, but they were denied, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The sources questioned whether the rejection amounted to an obstruction of congressional oversight, after Fox News on Friday published previously unseen texts between then-FBI Deputy Director McCabe and FBI lawyer Lisa Page discussing numerous Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) matters.

An attorney for McCabe, the FBI, and the DOJ did not respond to Fox News' requests for comment following the publication of the texts on Friday.

In their document request, dated March 23, 2018, House investigators demanded the DOJ and FBI promptly turn over "all documents and communications, including emails and text messages" in which Page, McCabe, and seven others "discussed, referenced, or undertook work regarding [British ex-spy] Christopher Steele, the Steele dossier, related FISA applications and the application process."

FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: TEXTS REVEAL FBI CLASHED WITH DOJ OVER 'BIASED' SOURCE IN FISA APPLICATION USED TO SURVEIL TRUMP AIDE 

Other individuals included in the House GOP's request for information were former FBI Director James Comey, then-Special Agent Peter Strzok, and senior DOJ official Bruce Ohr -- who became a back channel between Steele and the FBI, after Steele was fired by the bureau on the eve of the 2016 presidential election over his contacts with the media.

“The answer from DOJ was, 'We’re working on this' -- kicking the can down the road was a constant theme,” one source explained.

On Thursday, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, speaking during a panel discussion in Washington, D.C., confirmed that his office is continuing to probe potential Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses.

Former FBI director James Comey speaks during the Canada 2020 Conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Former FBI director James Comey speaks during the Canada 2020 Conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

“We have a FISA-related review that people might have heard about that the deputy attorney general asked us to take a look at," Horowitz said. "But I’m not going to dwell on that."

Fox News is told the IG's office is in the advanced stages of a probe not only into the FISA matters, but also into FBI media leaks and improper gifts received by FBI officials from reporters -- all of which were flagged as subjects for further review in the IG's initial report on DOJ and FBI misconduct last year.

Just nine days before the FBI applied for a FISA warrant to surveil a top Trump campaign aide, bureau officials were battling with a senior Justice Department official who had "continued concerns" about the "possible bias" of a source pivotal to the application, according to internal text messages obtained by Fox News and published on Friday.

Fox News is told the texts were connected to the ultimately successful Carter Page surveillance application, which relied in part on information from Steele – whose anti-Trump views are now well-documented – and cited Page’s suspected Russia ties. In its warrant application, the FBI incorrectly assured the FISA court on numerous occasions that other sources independently corroborated Steele's claims and did not clearly state that Steele worked for a firm hired by Hillary Clinton's campaign.

The 2016 messages also reveal that bureau brass circulated at least two anti-Trump blog articles, including a Lawfare blog post sent shortly after Election Day that called Trump possibly "among the major threats to the security of the country."

Another article, sent by Page in July 2016 as the FBI's counterintelligence probe into Russian election interference was kicking off, flatly called Trump a "useful idiot" for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Page told McCabe that then-FBI Director James Comey had "surely" read that piece. Both articles were authored in whole or part by Benjamin Wittes, a Comey friend.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Further, the texts show that on Sept. 12, 2016, Page forwarded to McCabe some "unsolicited comments" calling then-GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy a "total d--k." Gowdy, at the time, was grilling FBI congressional affairs director Jason Herring at a hearing on the FBI's handling of the Clinton email investigation.

Responding to the texts, Mark Meadows, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus; wrote on Twitter: "Remember: as FBI and DOJ officials sought to surveil the Trump campaign through a FISA, they were well aware of anti-Trump bias involved with their 'pivotal' sources. They knew. But they proceeded anyway. They were determined to target Trump."

Source: Fox News Politics

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The Latest: 1 tornado death confirmed in Mississippi

The Latest on severe weather in the South (all times local):

10:45 a.m.

Local emergency management officials say one person is dead after a tornado swept through a northern Mississippi town late Saturday.

Monroe County Road Manager Sonny Clay said at a news conference Sunday that a man was killed in Hamilton when a tree fell on his trailer.

Clay said 19 people were taken to hospitals for treatment, including two in critical condition.

Hamilton, Mississippi, is 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Memphis, Tennessee.

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8:35 a.m.

A possible tornado has left damage in southeastern Alabama on Sunday morning.

Power poles and trees were knocked over and parts of buildings were left hanging across utility lines in Troy, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Montgomery. A mobile home community was damaged, but no injuries are being reported.

The National Weather Service detected a possible twister on radar, but it's unclear whether a tornado or straight-line winds caused the damage.

The Storm Prediction Center says trees and power lines are down in Brewton near the Florida line, and some power is out. Homes were damaged about 250 miles (402 kilometers) to the north in Glencoe, and there's scattered damage south of Birmingham.

About 65,000 homes and businesses are without power in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama along the path of storms crossing the region.

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12:45 a.m.

Multiple people have been reported injured as tornadoes continued to flare along the Mississippi-Alabama state line late Saturday and early Sunday.

Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley says multiple people were injured and multiple homes were damaged in Hamilton, Mississippi, which is 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Memphis, Tennessee. A tornado was reported in the area at the time.

At least one mobile home was destroyed, throwing a man from the mobile home. No fatalities were reported.

The roof of a hotel in New Albany, Mississippi, was damaged, although the cause was unclear.

A twister hit Vicksburg, Mississippi early Saturday evening. Earlier, two children died in East Texas after a tree fell on their moving car.

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11:30 p.m.

Deadly storms continue to move across the South after spawning suspected tornadoes and damaging several homes.

The National Weather Service says a twister was reported Saturday night in the Vicksburg, Mississippi, area. No injuries were reported, and news footage showed shattered windows and rooftop debris.

In East Texas, authorities say two children were killed when high winds toppled a tree onto the back of the family car while it was in motion. The Angelina County Sheriff's Office says an 8-year-old and 3-year-old died after the tree hit the back of the car in Lufkin, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Houston. The parents in the front seats were not hurt.

The weather service also says preliminary information showed an EF-3 tornado with winds of 140 mph touched down in Franklin, located about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of Dallas.

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This story has been corrected to show Hamilton, Mississippi is about 140 miles southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, not 60 miles.

Source: Fox News National

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Take Five: Take it easy, central banks – World markets themes for the week ahead

Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington
FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

March 22, 2019

(Reuters) – Following are five big themes likely to dominate thinking of investors and traders in the coming week and the Reuters stories related to them.

1/ TAKE IT EASY

With the U.S. Federal Reserve well and truly doubling down on its dovish guidance this month, the global rate hiking cycle is at an end. There are exceptions of course but the big central banks of the developed world — the Fed, the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan — have all reacted decisively to the steady drumbeat of depressing economic data by pushing any policy tightening plans to the backburner.

But instead of deriving any comfort from the pivot, some in the market are interpreting the moves as desperate measures to ward off impending recession. That fear is certainly evident on bond markets where the gap between three-month and 10-year U.S. treasury yields — one of the gauges the Fed uses to assess inflation risks — has inverted. European yield curves too have flattened and German 10-year government borrowing costs have slid back below zero percent for the first time since 2016.

There are outliers. Norway has hiked rates while Hungary and Czech rates may also rise this coming week. One could argue Norway’s economy has been lifted by oil this year, while emerging European economies have been recovering nicely. But the question is: with the world’s biggest economy starting to hurt, Fed rate cuts bring priced for 2020 and G4 bond yields plunging, can any market avoid being sucked in? On Wednesday, New Zealand’s central bank could become the latest to flag downside risks to growth and interest rates.

(Graphic: U.S. federal funds activity png link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2EcJkRq).

2/ DEADLINES, RED LINES

March 29 is when Britain was supposed to leave the European Union, 2-1/2-years after a slender majority voted to leave the bloc. EU leaders have now granted Prime Minister Theresa May a two-week reprieve, during which she must persuade lawmakers to accept the divorce deal she has negotiated. Not easy, given they have resoundingly defeated it twice already. She is expected to make another attempt and if the deal still fails, several possibilities open up, from a no-deal Brexit to Brextension and even exit from Brexit.

The question is whether May will be flexible on any of the “red lines” she outlined in 2016, ruling out a customs union with the EU, UK’s membership of the single market and any role for the European court of justice. Seen by many as an extreme interpretation of the referendum, it has stymied efforts to find a solution to the Northern Ireland border issue.

With all this in play, many warn that markets are still assigning too low a probability to a no-deal Brexit — banks such as Goldman Sachs and Deutsche reckon that risk at just 15-20 percent. But though this is rising, most analysts warn.

Sterling has tumbled this month after strengthening for two months straight and jitters are bubbling up on derivative markets. Here one-month pound risk reversals show an elevated premium for sterling puts — options that confer the right to sell at a certain price. Implied sterling volatility — a gauge of expected daily swings — has slipped off highs but remain above some typically volatile emerging currencies such as Brazil’s real or the Turkish lira.

(Graphic: No-deal Brexit probabilities IMG link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2VlgLGT).

3/ GLASS QUARTER FULL

Back in January, the U.S. Federal Reserve fired up investors’ appetite for risk by pledging to be patient with future rate rises. In March it sealed that promise by doubling down on its dovish stance and scaling back projected 2019 interest-rate increases to zero. The result: a 10 percent-plus bounce on global stocks in the January-March period. The S&P500 is headed for its best first quarter of any year since 1991. Other big Q1 winners with dollar-based gains close to 30 percent are Chinese shares and Brent crude.

What happens next? To some, the rally in what are inherently risky, growth-reliant assets makes little sense when the world economy is in slowdown mode and should therefore evaporate. But others counter the second quarter will bring more gains. They note that despite double-digit gains, investors have mostly been betting against stocks for most of 2019. Investment research firm TrimTabs says equity funds have seen outflows of $18.7 billion this year through Wednesday. They have instead channeled $73.1. billion into bond funds.

(Graphic: S&P 500 vs U.S.10-Year Treasury Yield link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2UNzRFP).

(Graphic: Q1 performance link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2UQo3CG).

4/EURO GLOOM TO BOOM — OR DOOM

Despite a strong rally across markets this year, European equities remain one of the most disliked regions in the world. Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s monthly fund manager survey confirmed that view, with investors naming “short” European equities as the most crowded trade for the first time.

For contrarians, that’s a gift – a sign bearish positioning on Europe has got too extreme and stocks should rise from here.

Indeed, there are some positive signals from recent macroeconomic data, from retail sales to wages. That has sparked a quiet rise on Citi’s index of euro zone macro surprises which now, interestingly, sits above the equivalent U.S. index. There are also predictions that as China’s economy starts benefiting from the stimulus its authorities have unveiled, Europe too will feel the effect.

But after every glimmer of hope, comes a dampener. February PMI data from Germany and the euro zone sent markets reeling.. Next up are the Ifo business climate survey and consumer confidence figures. Those should tell us whether it is too early to call a bottom.

(Graphic: macro surprises March 22 link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2HAy8B0).

5/YUAN: STRONG AND STABLE

Chinese markets aren’t abandoning hopes that authorities may soon relax trading rules for the yuan. Beijing and Washington are locked in heated discussions on a deal to end their trade war and President Donald Trump hopes to extract a commitment to yuan stability. The Chinese have other compulsions. The yuan fell more than 5 percent in 2018 but this year it is rising too rapidly for comfort. As China makes its way into global benchmark stock and bond indices, foreigners are rushing into its markets. In January and February, inflows under the Stock Connect scheme were almost quadruple the amount last year.

Rumors are swirling that China’s currency regulator SAFE will rescind requirements for banks to maintain reserves on dollar purchase contracts and also remove the secretive X-factor used to guide the currency’s trading range. Theoretically, those steps would count as efforts to free the yuan – they were imposed last year to curtail speculators betting against the yuan. Detractors might say China is creating conditions for yuan depreciation. The coming week should offer some visibility as a U.S. trade delegation, headed by Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, shows up in China for the next round of tariff negotiations.

(Graphic: China’s yuan rises as foreign investment picks up link: https://tmsnrt.rs/2HBZbLX).new york stock

(Reporting by Karin Strohecker, Saikat Chatterjee and Helen Reid in London; Jennifer Ablan in New York and Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Compiled by Sujata Rao; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: OANN

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Aramco treads carefully on Saudi ties as it markets debut bond

FILE PHOTO: An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal
FILE PHOTO: An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia, May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

April 4, 2019

By Tom Arnold, Karin Strohecker and Jennifer Ablan

LONDON/NEW YORK/DUBAI (Reuters) – For Saudi Aramco and its advisers, a debut international debt issue that could raise well over $10 billion presents a key challenge – how to forge an identity as a state-owned major while in the same league as the likes of Exxon Mobil and Shell.

At stake is the likely multi-million dollar difference in interest payments over coming years between its standing as an independent international corporate and one tied closely to the host kingdom whose oil it ships to global markets.

Having said in January it was planning its first ever international debt issue, Aramco has been meeting with investors in Asia, Europe and the United States to promote the bonds. It hasn’t commented on what was said during the sessions.

Moody’s and Fitch said Aramco’s rating was capped by their assessments of Saudi Arabia, but unconstrained by its sovereign links it would have achieved ratings that would put it at par with the likes of Exxon, the world’s largest listed oil company.

But bankers arranging the roadshow have tried to convince crossover buyers, both emerging markets funds and pure investment-grade players, about Aramco’s merits, marketing the company as having characteristics which put it above the credit worthiness of Saudi Arabia.

“We would look at it its rating against the sovereign, but there’s a lot of interest from outside the emerging markets universe from investors looking at it against international oil majors from the U.S. and Europe,” said Jan Dehn, head of research at Ashmore Group.

Previously reluctant to do so, the oil major was forced to disclose its financials to obtain public credit ratings ahead of the debt sale.

SOVEREIGN DILEMMA

Aramco’s financial data, published earlier this week, showed it generates by far the biggest profit of any company in the world, boasting core earnings of $224 billion and a net income of $111 billion.

These figures have practically guaranteed plentiful of demand for Aramco’s issue, expected next week.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said earlier this year Aramco would raise around $10 billion, but the final amount will be determined by market demand.

Aramco is largely expected to offer investors a slight premium to what Saudi government bonds are offering, as that is generally the case with government-owned entities.

But the mismatch between its rating and its staggering finances has presented investors with a pricing dilemma.

“It has more of a double-A credit profile than the single-A rating it has,” said Samy Muaddi, emerging markets portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price.

“But you have to keep in mind that if the sovereign were to get into trouble, there are some financial resources, whether they be through royalties, taxes, or dividends, that could be taken from Aramco.”

Aramco has insisted on its independence over the past few days. In an online presentation seen by Reuters, a company executive said that even when oil prices declined to $45 a barrel in 2016, the kingdom remained committed to Aramco’s governance framework to safeguard its independence.

“The government borrowed on its balance sheet for its budget needs with no ask of or interference to Aramco,” the presentation said.

INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Aramco said last week it had agreed to buy the 70 percent stake held by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC) for $69.1 billion, one of the largest deals in the global chemicals industry.

While the firm said in the presentation the bonds would not be used to fund the acquisition, many investors believe the debt plans are linked to the purchase, which will give PIF, the main vehicle for Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s plan to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil, cash to push through its investment strategy.

“There is a clear connection with the sovereign, it is highly coordinated policy, particularly in terms of production targets and in some cases the price of oil and where they want to sell oil,” said Ray Singh, vice president, diversified fixed income at Eaton Vance.

According to Ashmore’s Dehn the “seamless” relationship between Aramco and the government is positive for investors.

“I would imagine they [Aramco] would be coordinating with the Saudi debt management office as the government and Aramco are pretty similar issuers and Aramco’s issue would cannibalize the government to some extent and reduce the Saudi government weighting on the JPM index.”

Some bankers and fund managers expect Aramco to issue up to $30 billion or $40 billion in bonds, but company representatives have not discussed a firm target during the roadshow.

This would allow it to focus on obtaining the right pricing without creating larger supply expectations that would impact its cost of borrowing in future issues.

Also, had Aramco announced an even larger transaction than $10 billion, this could have put some pressure on Saudi Arabia’s debt curve, as some investors would switch Saudi sovereign paper for the upcoming Aramco securities.

“But more importantly it would change the narrative Aramco put forward around the SABIC acquisition and the governance framework with the government as shareholder,” said Mohieddine Kronfol, chief investment officer of Global Sukuk and MENA Fixed Income at Franklin Templeton Investments.

“A large bond deal may imply a transfer to PIF as the main motivation rather than the opening up of Aramco.”

(Additional reporting by Reporting by Kate Duguid in New York and Davide Barbuscia in Dubai; Writing by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by David Holmes)

Source: OANN

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Texas couple arrested after body of daughter, 3, found in acid-filled container, police say

A Texas couple was arrested and charged after their 3-year-old daughter’s body was found in a container of acid stashed inside a bedroom closet, police said.

Monica Dominguez, 37, and Gerardo Zavala Loredo, 32, were arrested in connection with the death of their daughter Rebecca Zavala, whose body parts were found decomposing in a five-gallon container that appeared to be filled with acid.

The couple faces charges of evidence tampering, endangering a child and abuse of a corpse, police said in a news conference.

Police began investigating the couple’s home in Laredo on Thursday after receiving a tip from a neighbor, KGNS reported. Authorities obtained a warrant and began searching the home about 5 p.m. and discovered the container in a bedroom closet.

TEXAS WOMAN SHOT DEAD IN $200 GAS STATION ROBBERY, POLICE SAY

Dominguez claimed the 3-year-old drowned in the bathtub when she left alone in the bathroom. She then allegedly recruited Zavala-Loredo’s help to dispose of the body, police said.

Police said they will be examining the child’s remains to determine whether she suffered injuries prior to her death.

“We are now going to rely on the forensic evidence…to examine the remains of the body to determine if there are any injuries consistent with a possible, with a possible murder,” police said in a Friday news conference.

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The couple’s four other children, ages between 1 and 11, were turned over to Child Protective Services.

Martinez, who is being held on a $175,000 bond, was previously charged with injury to a child. Zavala Loredo, who is reportedly in the U.S. illegally, is being held on $125,000 bond.

Source: Fox News National

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Powerful political leader warns against squandering peace

A prominent Afghan political leader who once had the support of some officials to lead Afghanistan's negotiating team with the Taliban, warned the president Wednesday against squandering the best opportunity at peace in more than 17 years of war.

In an interview with The Associated Press, former Cabinet minister Ismail Khan said "the Taliban are ready to find a solution that is good for every Afghan," but they steadfastly refuse to talk with the Afghan government alone, saying the government is a U.S. "puppet."

Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's office in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar, said the Taliban negotiation team will hold its next round of talks with Washington's peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday. The Taliban have been negotiating with the U.S. to end America's longest war, which has cost it more than $1 trillion.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who has been demanding his government lead all peace talks with the Taliban, rejected a meeting between the Taliban and a large gathering of prominent Afghan figures, including former President Hamid Karzai and Khan, in Moscow earlier this month.

"Afghan mujahedeen, Afghan intellectuals, elders and politicians, including the Afghan government should start talks with the Taliban," to find a negotiated end to the war that would allow the U.S. to withdraw its forces, said Khan, who spoke to the AP from Afghanistan's western city of Herat.

Khan, who served in Karzai's government, was a jihadi leader during the 1980s U.S.-backed war against the former Soviet Union. He was among those mujahedeen leaders who became politicians after the Taliban took control of the country.

Meanwhile, Ghani's peace envoy Omer Daudzai on Wednesday sought to reassure a gathering of women and human rights activists in the Afghan capital Kabul with a promise to hold a Loya Jirga, or gathering of political and tribal leaders, in mid-March to lay out lines in the sand the Afghan government won't cross when it eventually enters talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan under a harsh form of Islamic law from 1996 until the U.S.-led invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks. Many fear that a peace agreement with the Taliban will erode the faltering progress made since their ouster.

One contentious red line for President Ghani has been the holding of presidential elections in July. Daudzai said July presidential polls were non-negotiable. Yet even Khalilzad has expressed reservations about elections as all sides seek to find a way toward peace.

Khan outright rejected elections, saying polls held as peace talks are underway will undermine negotiations ensuring it would be impossible for the Taliban to participate.

Instead, Khan supported an interim set up, which the religious movement has also reportedly supported in talks with Khalilzad. Khan said an interim government could govern for six months to one year while the country prepares for polls.

Meanwhile, Daudzai said the Americans and the Taliban had agreed in principle on the withdrawal of U.S. troops, but only after a peace deal is reached with popular support.

However, President Donald Trump has expressed his frustration with America's continued participation and there have been reports that the United States is making plans to withdraw half of its troops by the summer.

The wrangling between the government and its opposition, including Khan, highlights the difficulty of finding a peace agreement.

Almost five months after Khalilzad's appointment as Washington's peace envoy, bickering political forces in Kabul have been unable to cobble together a negotiating team. Khalilzad in November urged Ghani to put together a strong team that could ensure that fragile rights, including for women, are enshrined in any agreement with the Taliban.

Talks between the Taliban and Khalilzad have focused on U.S. troop withdrawal and guaranteeing Afghanistan is not used again as a staging ground for terrorists to attack the United States.

Khan, however, warned that a withdrawal of troops without an agreement that recognizes Afghanistan's stakeholders risks disintegrating into violence. He also urged the United Nations to step up as guarantors of any agreement.

_____

Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News World

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Joe Biden’s brain surgeon said his former patient is “totally in the clear” as speculation over the candidate’s health — with Biden possibly becoming the oldest president in U.S. history — is likely to become a campaign issue.

The former vice president, who had been perceived by many as the strongest potential contender for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, formally announced his candidacy Thursday.

But Biden’s age – 76 – is expected to become a source of attacks from a younger generation of Democrats not because of obvious generational differences, but possibly for actual health concerns if Biden gets into office.

WHY THE MEDIA ARE CONVINCED JOE BIDEN WILL IMPLODE

Biden himself agreed last year that “it’s totally legitimate” for people to ask questions about his health if he decides to run for president, given his medical history — which has included brain surgery in 1988.

“I think they’re gonna judge me on my vitality,” Biden told “CBS This Morning.” “Can I still run up the steps of Air Force Two? Am I still in good shape? Am I – do I have all my faculties? Am I energetic? I think it’s totally legitimate people ask those questions.”

“I think they’re gonna judge me on my vitality. …  I think it’s totally legitimate [that] people ask those questions.”

— Joe Biden

But Dr. Neal Kassell, the neurosurgeon who operated on Biden for an aneurysm three decades ago, told the Washington Examiner that Biden appears to be “totally in the clear” — and even joked that the operation made Biden “better than how he was.”

“Joe Biden of all of the politicians in Washington is the only one that I’m certain has a brain, because I have seen it,” Kassell said. “That’s more than I can say about all the other candidates or the incumbents.”

“Joe Biden of all of the politicians in Washington is the only one that I’m certain has a brain, because I have seen it.”

— Dr. Neal Kassell

BIDEN’S CLAIM HE DIDN’T WANT OBAMA TO ENDORSE TRIGGERS MOCKERY

At the same time, however, Biden hasn’t been forthcoming about his health at least since 2008 when he released his medical records as a vice presidential candidate. The disclosure that time revealed some fairly minor issues such as an irregular heartbeat in addition to detailing previous operations, including removing a benign polyp during a colonoscopy in 1996, the outlet reported.

It remains unclear if Biden had more aneurysms. Some medical experts say that people who have had an aneurysm can have another one.

An aneurysm, or a weakening of an artery wall, can lead to a rupture and internal bleeding, potentially placing a patient’s life in jeopardy.

Biden won’t be the only Democrat grappling with old age. Sen. Bernie Sanders, another 2020 frontrunner, is currently 77 years old and agreed with Biden last year that their ages will be an issue in the race.

“It’s part of a discussion, but it has to be part of an overall view of what somebody is and what somebody has accomplished,” Sanders told Politico.

“Look, you’ve got people who are 50 years of age who are not well, right? You’ve got people who are 90 years of age who are going to work every day, doing excellent work. And obviously, age is a factor. But it depends on the overall health and wellbeing of the individual.”

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Sanders released his medical records in 2016, with a Senate physician saying in a letter that the senator was “in overall very good health.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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Cambodian authorities have ordered a one-hour reduction in the length of school days because of concerns that students and teachers may fall ill from a prolonged heat wave.

Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in an announcement seen Friday that the shortened hours will remain in effect until the rainy season starts, which usually occurs in May. The current heat wave, in which temperatures are regularly reaching as high as 41 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit), is one of the longest in memory.

Most schools in Cambodia lack air conditioning, prompting concern that temperatures inside classrooms could rise to unhealthy levels.

School authorities were instructed to watch for symptoms of heat stroke and urge pupils to drink more water.

The new hours cut 30 minutes off the beginning of the school day and 30 minutes off the end.

School authorities instituted a similar measure in 2016.

Source: Fox News World

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Explosions have rocked Britain’s largest steel plant, injuring two people and shaking nearby homes.

South Wales Police say the incident at the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot was reported at about 3:35 a.m. Friday (22:35 EDT Thursday). The explosions touched off small fires, which are under control. Two workers suffered minor injuries and all staff members have been accounted for.

Police say early indications are that the explosions were caused by a train used to carry molten metal into the plant. Tata Steel says its personnel are working with emergency services at the scene.

Local lawmaker Stephen Kinnock says the incident raises concerns about safety.

He tweeted: “It could have been a lot worse … @TataSteelEurope must conduct a full review, to improve safety.”

Source: Fox News World

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The Wider Image: China's start-ups go small in age of 'shoebox' satellites
LinkSpace’s reusable rocket RLV-T5, also known as NewLine Baby, is carried to a vacant plot of land for a test launch in Longkou, Shandong province, China, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

April 26, 2019

By Ryan Woo

LONGKOU, China (Reuters) – During initial tests of their 8.1-metre (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China’s youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case.

But when the Beijing-based company’s prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed.

The 1.5-tonne rocket hovered 40 meters above the ground before descending back to its concrete launch pad after 30 seconds, to the relief of 26-year-old chief executive Hu Zhenyu and his engineers – one of whom cartwheeled his way to the launch pad in delight.

LinkSpace, one of China’s 15-plus private rocket manufacturers, sees these short hops as the first steps towards a new business model: sending tiny, inexpensive satellites into orbit at affordable prices.

Demand for these so-called nanosatellites – which weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and are in some cases as small as a shoebox – is expected to explode in the next few years. And China’s rocket entrepreneurs reckon there is no better place to develop inexpensive launch vehicles than their home country.

“For suborbital clients, their focus will be on scientific research and some commercial uses. After entering orbit, the near-term focus (of clients) will certainly be on satellites,” Hu said.

In the near term, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Universities conducting experiments and companies looking to offer remote-sensing and communication services are among the potential domestic customers for nanosatellites.

A handful of U.S. small-rocket companies are also developing launchers ahead of the expected boom. One of the biggest, Rocket Lab, has already put 25 satellites in orbit.

No private company in China has done that yet. Since October, two – LandSpace and OneSpace – have tried but failed, illustrating the difficulties facing space start-ups everywhere.

The Chinese companies are approaching inexpensive launches in different ways. Some, like OneSpace, are designing cheap, disposable boosters. LinkSpace’s Hu aspires to build reusable rockets that return to Earth after delivering their payload, much like the Falcon 9 rockets of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

“If you’re a small company and you can only build a very, very small rocket because that’s all you have money for, then your profit margins are going to be narrower,” said Macro Caceres, analyst at U.S. aerospace consultancy Teal Group.

“But if you can take that small rocket and make it reusable, and you can launch it once a week, four times a month, 50 times a year, then with more volume, your profit increases,” Caceres added.

Eventually LinkSpace hopes to charge no more than 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) per launch, Hu told Reuters.

That is a fraction of the $25 million to $30 million needed for a launch on a Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Pegasus, a commonly used small rocket. The Pegasus is launched from a high-flying aircraft and is not reusable.

(Click https://reut.rs/2UVBjKs to see a picture package of China’s rocket start-ups. Click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GIy9Bc for an interactive look at the nascent industry.)

NEED FOR CASH

LinkSpace plans to conduct suborbital launch tests using a bigger recoverable rocket in the first half of 2020, reaching altitudes of at least 100 kilometers, then an orbital launch in 2021, Hu told Reuters.

The company is in its third round of fundraising and wants to raise up to 100 million yuan, Hu said. It had secured tens of millions of yuan in previous rounds.

After a surge in fresh funding in 2018, firms like LinkSpace are pushing out prototypes, planning more tests and even proposing operational launches this year.

Last year, equity investment in China’s space start-ups reached 3.57 billion yuan ($533 million), a report by Beijing-based investor FutureAerospace shows, with a burst of financing in late 2018.

That accounted for about 18 percent of global space start-up investments in 2018, a historic high, according to Reuters calculations based on a global estimate by Space Angels. The New York-based venture capital firm said global space start-up investments totaled $2.97 billion last year.

“Costs for rocket companies are relatively high, but as to how much funding they need, be it in the hundreds of millions, or tens of millions, or even just a few million yuan, depends on the company’s stage of development,” said Niu Min, founder of FutureAerospace.

FutureAerospace has invested tens of millions of yuan in LandSpace, based in Beijing.

Like space-launch startups elsewhere in the world, the immediate challenge for Chinese entrepreneurs is developing a safe and reliable rocket.

Proven talent to develop such hardware can be found in China’s state research institutes or the military; the government directly supports private firms by allowing them to launch from military-controlled facilities.

But it’s still a high-risk business, and one unsuccessful launch might kill a company.

“The biggest problem facing all commercial space companies, especially early-stage entrepreneurs, is failure” of an attempted flight, Liang Jianjun, chief executive of rocket company Space Trek, told Reuters. That can affect financing, research, manufacturing and the team’s morale, he added.

Space Trek is planning its first suborbital launch by the end of June and an orbital launch next year, said Liang, who founded the company in late 2017 with three other former military technical officers.

Despite LandSpace’s failed Zhuque-1 orbital launch in October, the Beijing-based firm secured 300 million yuan in additional funding for the development of its Zhuque-2 rocket a month later.

In December, the company started operating China’s first private rocket production facility in Zhejiang province, in anticipation of large-scale manufacturing of its Zhuque-2, which it expects to unveil next year.

STATE COMPETITION

China’s state defense contractors are also trying to get into the low-cost market.

In December, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) successfully launched a low-orbit communication satellite, the first of 156 that CASIC aims to deploy by 2022 to provide more stable broadband connectivity to rural China and eventually developing countries.

The satellite, Hongyun-1, was launched on a rocket supplied by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation’s main space contractor.

In early April, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), a subsidiary of CASC, completed engine tests for its Dragon, China’s first rocket meant solely for commercial use, clearing the path for a maiden flight before July.

The Dragon, much bigger than the rockets being developed by private firms, is designed to carry multiple commercial satellites.

At least 35 private Chinese companies are working to produce more satellites.

Spacety, a satellite maker based in southern Hunan province, plans to put 20 satellites in orbit this year, including its first for a foreign client, chief executive Yang Feng told Reuters.

The company has only launched 12 on state-produced rockets since the company started operating in early 2016.

“When it comes to rocket launches, what we care about would be cost, reliability and time,” Yang said.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Source: OANN

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At least one person is reported dead and homes have been destroyed by a powerful cyclone that struck northern Mozambique and continues to dump rain on the region, with the United Nations warning of “massive flooding.”

Cyclone Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique, killing more than 600 people and displacing scores of thousands. The U.N. says this is the first time in known history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season.

Forecasters say the new cyclone made landfall Thursday night in a part of Mozambique that has not seen such a storm in at least 60 years.

Mozambique’s local emergency operations center says a woman in the city of Pemba was killed by a falling tree.

Source: Fox News World

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