House Judiciary Committee has approved two
impeachment articles against President Donald Trump, moving the process towards
a full House vote.
The articles are expected to be voted on by the Democrat-controlled House of
Representatives next week.
President Trump is the fourth US president in history to face impeachment.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Donald Trump again dismissed the
process as a “sham” and a “hoax”.
Today’s hearing lasted just over ten minutes before the two articles of
impeachment – abuse of power and obstructing Congress – were passed by 23 votes
to 17.
The vote was delayed after more than 14 hours of rancorous debate.
Republicans criticized that decision by Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Nadler,
accusing him of pushing back the vote to ensure more TV coverage.
In the abuse of power article, President Trump is accused of soliciting a
foreign country to help him politically by trying to force Ukraine to launch a
corruption investigation into his political rival Joe Biden, a leading
Democratic presidential contender.
The president is also accused of obstructing Congress by failing to
co-operate with the House investigation.
Leading Democrats agreed the articles of impeachment described over nine
pages. They say that President Trump “betrayed the nation” by acting
“corruptly”.
Jerry Nadler made a brief statement to reporters after the vote, calling it
a “solemn and sad day” and pledged that the House of Representatives
would “act expeditiously”.
However, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz said: “For Democrats, impeachment is their drug.”
Speaking from the White House Oval Office alongside the president of
Paraguay, President Trump called the impeachment process “a witch
hunt”, “a sham” and “a hoax”.
Donald Trump said Democrats were “trivializing impeachment” adding that they are “making absolute fools out of themselves”.
A fresh wave of US tariffs on Chinese imports was due to take effect on
December 15. However, this has been canceled for now.
President Donald Trump tweeted: “We
will begin negotiations on the phase two deal immediately, rather than waiting
until after the 2020 Election.
“This is an amazing deal for
all.”
If the new, higher tariffs had gone ahead, Chinese-made goods such as clothing,
smartphones, and toys would have become more expensive for Americans just ahead
of Christmas.
US negotiators are reportedly offering to significantly reduce existing tariffs
on about $360 billion worth of Chinese imports.
In return, China has promised to buy large quantities of US soybeans,
poultry and other agricultural products.
The agreement is a deal in principle, which means if China breaks any part of the agreement, the Trump administration has the ability to re-implement tariffs.
Many of us had never had the chance or opportunity to slam our fists down on a desk and cry out “I need my lawyer!” Not just because we’ve likely never been in a situation where we’d require one and having a lawyer on retainer is incredibly expensive.
Also, there are many different types of
lawyers in various situations. You wouldn’t hire an environmental lawyer to
handle a criminal case. Just like Baskin Robbins and their 31 flavors of ice
cream, there is a lawyer for every occasion.
In some cases, you may need a personal injury lawyer. Deciding if you need a lawyer is one thing but how do you know if you’re going to need a personal injury lawyer?
Below, we run over a few situations and
reasons where you might want to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you out.
You Have a Serious Injury
When it comes to personal injury, there has to
be some form of negligence by another party. That means tearing your ACL in
your men’s basketball league after trying a between the leg dribble move isn’t
going to work.
Another party has to have failed in performing
its basic duty. You will see this written as the party breaching their duty of
care. That’s why many personal injury cases stem from workplace accidents, car
crashes, medical accidents, or product liability instances.
So if you’ve suffered a serious injury from negligence or a failure in duty of care, then you might have a strong case on your hands and reach out to personal injury lawyers.
Your Insurance Company Is Acting
in Bad Faith
Many times, the first place people will turn
to after suffering personal injury is their insurance. After all, that’s why we
have insurance, to protect us from those ugly moments.
Insurance companies are rarely easy to deal
with and anyone that has had a minor fender bender can attest to this fact.
Even though the insurance company may be following their policy and acting
within their rights, they still may not be helping you as much as they should.
That’s why having a personal injury lawyer can
help navigate you through the difficult paperwork and confusing times to give
you the best representation possible.
You’ve Been in an Accident
Once again, the above phrase doesn’t apply to
all accidents and scenarios. You can’t hire a personal injury lawyer after you
ran into a mailbox while texting and driving.
It has to happen because, once again, another
party was negligent. Even if you don’t suffer a severe injury, any kind of
injury can apply in this situation. It’s also important to note that the
accident couldn’t have been your fault.
So if it was the fault of the machine
equipment, hazardous working areas, or a coworker, you might have a strong case
this time around.
Legal Experience
As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of
different types of lawyers and as someone who may not have the legal
wherewithal, trying to navigate your way through paperwork, the legal system,
and other lawyers is going to be an impossible uphill climb.
With this legal experience, personal injury
lawyers know how to deal with anything that may be thrown your way and can look
for creative ways to reach a solution amongst all parties involved.
Plus, having a lawyer on your side can lead to
the best outcome, like avoiding trial and being able to settle out of court.
Even though roughly 90% of personal injury cases are settled out of court, you
want to avoid falling into that 10% category.
It’s a Time Saver
Legal matters aren’t like they are in the
movies. Jury decisions take days instead of minutes and settlements usually
aren’t reached that quickly. Settling a personal injury case is no small thing
and trying to do it alone is going to take a ton of your precious time.
Having a lawyer is likely to speed up the
process, not because they’re superhumans, but because they know how to navigate
the system and what processes to look out for.
So if you find yourself in an accident or
injured because of negligence, make sure you do the right thing and hire a
personal injury lawyer.
UK voters are going to the polls for the third
general election in less than five years.
Polling stations in 650 constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and
Northern Ireland opened at 07:00 GMT.
After the polls close at 22:00 GMT, counting will begin straight away. Most
results are due to be announced in the early hours of December 13.
A total of 650 lawmakers will be chosen under the first-past-the-post system
used for general elections, in which the candidate who secures the most votes
in each individual constituency is elected.
In 2017, Newcastle Central was the first constituency to declare, announcing
its result about an hour after polls closed.
Elections in the UK traditionally take place every four or five years.
However, in October, lawmakers voted for the second snap poll in as many years.
It is the first winter election since 1974 and the first to take place in
December since 1923.
Anyone aged 18 or over is eligible to vote, as long as they
are a British citizen or qualifying citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of
Ireland and have registered to vote. Registration closed on November 26.
People do not need a polling card to be able to vote but will need to give
their name and address at their local polling station. People can only vote for
one candidate or their ballot paper will not be counted.
PM Boris Johnson has cast his vote – he visited a polling station in central
London, taking his dog, Dilyn, along with him, and Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn voted
in north London.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has used a postal vote.
Many people have already put a cross next to the name of their favored candidate by voting by post – more than seven million people used a postal vote two years ago.
Harvey Weinstein attended the court
hearing in New York using a walking frame. His lawyers said he was undergoing
surgery on December 12 for injuries suffered in a car accident in August.
The $25 million settlement is part
of a larger $47 million package intended to close the Weinstein Company’s
liabilities, including legal fees. Harvey Weinstein would not pay personally,
the sum would come from insurance companies representing the Weinstein Company.
A group lawsuit had been brought by
dozens of women who accuse Harvey Weinstein of harassment and abuse, though
high-profile figures who have also made allegations, such as Gwyneth Paltrow
and Angelina Jolie, are not part of the action.
Genie Harrison, a lawyer for one of
the plaintiffs, told the New York Times:
“I don’t think there’s a markedly
better deal to be made.”
She said other alleged victims who
hold out could end up with nothing, and that they should “come forward and
be able to get the best level of compensation we were able to get”.
One plaintiff backing the deal, Louisette Geiss, told Associated Press: “This settlement will ensure that all survivors have the chance for recovery and can move forward without Harvey’s damaging lock on their careers.”
Styling your home can turn out to be a costly affair. With so many areas to cover and so many different things to buy, costs can add up. This is why it is so important to shop smartly – decorating your home needn’t cost thousands and thousands of dollars. In fact, if you find the right deal, you could completely revamp your home decor for under a few hundred dollars. In today’s article, we have a look at 5 luxury home items that you can purchase for under $100. Read on to find out more!
1. Adorn Your Windows On The Cheap
Say goodbye to expensive blinds and costly curtains and say hello to the return of pinch pleat curtains. Pinch pleat curtains have recently made a comeback and are a fantastic way to add some style and finish to the windows in your home. Unlike expensive curtains or drapes, pinch pleat curtains can be purchased for under $100. Pinch pleat curtains are easy to install and come in options that offer soft light filtering or total blockout. Pinch pleat curtains also come in options that offer insulation, ensuring that your home remains nice and toasty in the colder months of the year. Introduce an element of style and class into your home with pinch pleat curtains with an added bonus of not breaking the bank!
2. Rugs Don’t Have To Cost A Fortune
Perhaps you’ve seen them in luxury restaurants or homes – Persian rugs, silk rugs and leather, hide or sheepskin rugs. The reality is these rugs are great to look at, but also come at the price of a small fortune. Thankfully, there are a wide variety of luxury rugs now available both in stores and online to the everyday person. The Monterey rug by Imhome is a beautiful lightweight rug that will elevate any room in your home. With intricate black and soft green patterns on cotton, this rug adds a touch of class to any room it sits in. Turn your home into a bohemian style sanctuary under $100 with the Monterey rug.
3. Store Your Books with Style
A stunning bookshelf needn’t cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. Say hello to the beautiful industrial ladder bookshelf by Kmart. Industrial furniture is one of the most popular furniture styles in 2019. Unfortunately, many industrial pieces come at an exorbitant price that not many can afford. Thankfully, the industrial ladder bookshelf by Kmart offers you all the style of an industrial piece without a hefty price tag. At only $45, this bookshelf will inject some hipster-chic vibes into any room it sits in.
4. Affordable Artwork
Gone are the days of spending thousands of dollars on paintings or artwork to decorate your home with. 2019 is all about affordable artwork that injects style and personality into your home. Take for example the Home Republic Porto Natural Triple Frame by Adairs. At just $27.99, this modern frame with white foreground is the perfect canvas for your photos or artwork to stand out. Those looking for larger pieces must have a look at this beautiful set of 3 abstract prints on Etsy that you can snag for under $90. Options are endless when it comes to affordable artwork, so ditch the pricey pieces for affordable and beautiful artwork that you can purchase from artists online.
5. A Touch Of Green
Last but certainly not least, no home decor is complete without a touch of green. Unfortunately, many planters or pot plants come at exclusive prices these days. Fret not, however, as the Peggy Hanging Planter by Jones and Co comes in at under $60. This quirky ginger-haired planter loves having a cute plant inside and hanging from a hook in any room of your home. Add a touch of nature to your living room, bedroom or even backyard with this affordable and eccentric planter.
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Luxurious decor doesn’t have to come at a luxurious price. We hope that this article has given you some insight into just a few of the many affordable home decor options available to you.
It’s a split-second decision. You’ve been having a great time and now it’s time to go home. You think you’re fine, you only had a few drinks. So, you decide it isn’t worth the hassle to call a ride or stay over.
Driving drunk is one of the worst decisions you’ll ever make. In the state of Texas, there are almost 1,500 deaths due to drunk driving every year. Will this be your last drive?
Here we discuss the dangers, and consequences, of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Lonely and thirsty
How Alcohol Affects Your Ability to Drive
There are a number of different ways alcohol affects your brain and body, even if you’ve only had a few drinks.
Let’s dive into some specifics about how alcohol impairs all your senses.
After a single drink, the neurons in your noggin start firing incorrectly. The blocked chemical synapses lead to impulsive behavior, slurred speech, poor memory, and slowed reflexes.
This means that even if you have only had a couple of drinks you’re already more prone to aggressive driving and less able to avoid a collision.
Heavier drinking leads to long term damage to your brain by eliminating certain signals forever. Continuing to drink regularly and in heavy amounts can also lead to brain shrinkage and a higher probability of death from stroke or other brain disorders.
Your Body on Alcohol
In addition to the brain, the body also goes into a toxic state while drinking. While this helps you let loose and have a great time at a party by making it easier to talk to people it makes it a horrible idea to get behind the wheel.
The physical effects of drinking on your body are a lower core temperature, higher blood pressure, loss of coordination, lack of judgment, and dulled vision. This makes you more likely to miss important road signals or even pass out while behind the wheel.
Continuing a habit of heavy drinking also leads to being at higher risk for a variety of different cancers. From the throat to the liver, to colorectal, and esophageal and everything in between.
Heavy drinking also leads to irregular heartbeat, higher risk of stroke, and a higher risk of a heart attack. All of these risks get worse when you’ve been drinking so any one of these things could happen behind the wheel.
The Legal Ramifications of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
The first thing people think about when they come up with reasons to not drive while drinking is the potential of DUI/DWI.
Driving Under the Influence, or Driving While Intoxicated (DUI/DWI)
So, you’ve had those couple drinks and you’re only a couple of miles from home so you decide to drive yourself home. You’re hungry so you decide to swing into the Taco Bell drive-thru to grab a burrito.
A police officer is sitting in the parking lot of the fast-food establishment and watches you take the turn into the drive-thru wide and curb your car. He listens to your order and hears the distinct slur in your words as you ask for your burrito and soda.
When you pull through the police officer puts his lights on and has you pull into a parking spot. What happens next?
The police officer will ask you to blow into a breathalyzer machine to determine your blood alcohol level or BAC. Anything over 0.08 percent, while driving a vehicle, is considered intoxicated.
The police officer will also put you through a series of field sobriety tests. Make you walk a straight line, touch your nose while standing on one foot, etc. All of these will be almost impossible while drunk.
Then you’ll be taken to jail and charged with DUI/DWI. You can face some jail time, a long suspension of your driver’s license, tons of fees, and will usually be forced into an alcohol recovery system such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA.
As soon as you can, you’ll want to call a DWI lawyer who specializes in this type of case.
Vehicular Manslaughter
Driving while under the influence of alcohol makes it much more likely that you’ll be in an accident. It’s also likely you’ll walk away from the accident, but the person or people you hit may not be so lucky.
The worst day of your life is realizing you took another human’s life because you couldn’t be bothered to book an Uber. If someone dies in a crash that you caused you can expect a charge of vehicular manslaughter in addition to your DUI case.
In Texas, being found guilty of vehicular manslaughter while drinking can get you up to 20 years in prison. It’s considered a second-degree felony with a guaranteed 2 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
Having a Drink? Don’t Get Behind the Wheel, Driving Under The Influence of Alcohol is Not Worth It
We hope this will make you pause the next time you’re heading out to a friend’s house for a party or to the bar to watch the game. There’s no excuse to drive drunk, not in the age of smartphones and ride-sharing apps.
If you know you’ll be drinking take an Uber or Lyft, don’t even bring your car. Don’t tempt yourself. Don’t give yourself an excuse to put you and everyone else on the road at risk.
Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol, period.
Looking for more great content? Check out the rest of our blog.
Congress can remove a president from office
before the end of their term.
Impeachment is the first part – the charges – of a two-stage political
process by which Congress can remove a president from office.
While it’s commonly used to mean removing
someone from office, it actually refers to the filing of formal charges in
Congress.
These charges then form the basis of a
trial.
How
does the impeachment process begin?
It has to be started by the House of
Representatives, which is one of the two chambers of Congress. (The other is
the Senate).
A simple majority (51%) needs to vote in
favor of articles of impeachment for the process to move to the next stage.
If the House of Representatives votes to pass articles of impeachment, the
Senate is forced to hold a trial.
What
happens next?
A Senate vote requires a two-thirds majority to convict and remove the
president – unlikely in this case, given that President Donald Trump’s party
controls the chamber.
A team of politicians from the House of
Representatives act as prosecutors. The president has their own defense lawyers
and senators act as the jury.
The chief justice of the Supreme Court
presides over proceedings and the president is tried.
Only two US presidents in history – Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson – have
been impeached, but neither was convicted.
President Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.
House Judiciary Committee has unveiled charges
against President Donald Trump, a key move in impeaching him.
The first article revealed by committee chief Jerry Nadler accuses President
Trump of abuse of power and the second accuses him of obstructing Congress.
The Republican president is said to have withheld aid to Ukraine for
domestic political reasons.
Donald Trump has urged the Senate to try him “sooner than later”.
He insists he has done “nothing wrong” and has dismissed the
impeachment process as “madness”.
If the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives Judiciary Committee
votes to approve the articles later this week, they will then be submitted to
the lower chamber for a full vote.
If, in turn, the articles are approved by the House, an impeachment trial in
the Republican-held Senate will take place, possibly early in January.
The impeachment process was launched after an anonymous
whistleblower complained to Congress in September about a July phone call by
Donald Trump to the president of Ukraine.
President Trump is alleged to have
committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” (a phrase from the US
Constitution) on two counts outlined by Jerry Nadler:
The first allegation is that he exercised the powers of his public office to “obtain an improper personal benefit while ignoring or injuring the national interest”, by allegedly putting pressure on Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 presidential election;
The second allegation is that “when he was caught, when the House investigated and opened an impeachment inquiry, President Trump engaged in unprecedented categorical and indiscriminate defiance of the impeachment inquiry”, thereby obstructing Congress.
President Trump “sees himself
as above the law”, Jerry Nadler said.
“We must be clear, no-one, not even the president, is
above the law.”
In the July phone call to Ukraine’s
President Volodymyr Zelensky,
President Trump appeared to tie US military assistance for Ukraine to its
launching of investigations that could help him politically.
In return for those investigations, Democrats say President Trump offered
two bargaining chips – $400 million of military aid that had already been
allocated by Congress, and a White House meeting for President.
Democrats say this pressure on a vulnerable US ally constitutes an abuse of
power.
The first investigation President Trump wanted from Ukraine was into former
VP Joe Biden, his main Democratic challenger, and his son Hunter. Hunter Biden
joined the board of a Ukrainian energy company when his father was President
Barack Obama’s deputy.
The second Trump demand was that Ukraine should try to corroborate a
conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the last US
presidential election. This theory has been widely debunked, and US
intelligence agencies are unanimous in saying Moscow was behind the hacking of
Democratic Party emails in 2016.
President Trump railed at the announcement of the charges, declaring again on Twitter that it was a “witch hunt”.
Swedish pop singer, songwriter,
pianist and painter Marie Fredriksson has died aged 61, her
manager has confirmed.
The Roxette singer achieved global success in the 1990s with hits like Joyride, The Look and It Must Have
Been Love, from the film Pretty Woman.
A statement said Marie Fredriksson had died on December 9 “following a
17-year long battle with cancer”.
Her bandmate Per Gessle said: “You
were the most wonderful friend for over 40 years.
“Things will never be the
same.”
Marie Fredriksson was first
diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002, after collapsing in her kitchen following
a workout.
The tumor cost her the vision in her
right eye – but after three years of treatment, she returned to public life and
toured successfully again with Roxette from 2008 to 2016.
According to Marie Fredriksson’s
family, she had died following a recurrence of “her previous illness”
earlier this week.
Per Gessle said in a heartfelt
statement: “Thank you, Marie, thanks
for everything.
“You were an outstanding musician, a master of the
voice, an amazing performer. Thanks for painting my black and white songs in
the most beautiful colors. You were the most wonderful friend for over 40
years.
“I’m proud, honored and happy to have been able to
share so much of your time, talent, warmth, generosity and sense of humor. All
my love goes out to you and your family.”
Hailing from Halmstad, Sweden, Roxette first met in the late 1970s, when Marie
Fredriksson was a member of the pop outfit Strul & Ma Mas Barn and Gessle
was playing with Gyllene Tider, one of Sweden’s biggest groups.
They teamed up in 1986, becoming huge stars in their homeland with the
single Neverending Love, followed by
a hit album, Pearls of Passion.
Despite their popularity in Scandinavia, Capitol Records declined to release
their records in the US.
It wasn’t until an American student studying in Sweden brought a copy of
their second album home to Minneapolis, and persuaded a local radio DJ to play The Look, that they achieved
international fame.
That song became the first of four US number ones for the band, while its
parent album, Look Sharp!, went
platinum.
They achieved their biggest success when their 1987 Christmas single, It Must Have Been Love, was re-written
for inclusion on the Pretty Woman
soundtrack in 1990.
Roxette continued to tour and release albums throughout the 1990s – eventually
selling more than 80 million records worldwide.
Although the DevOps concept is just a decade old, the philosophy has found its way into the offices of corporations around the world—and especially among newer businesses and startups. DevOps isn’t just a singular notion; it’s a philosophy and culture movement built upon the foundation that companies should have processes in place to integrate communication between development and operations team.
The overarching goal is to deliver quicker, and in a more secure way. DevOps tools are designed to automate many of the processes involved in development work. Today, there are even platforms like JFrog that help businesses run a fully automated DevOps pipeline from code to production. Overall, you’ll benefit from better company culture, a higher level of transparency, and quicker deliverables.
Since DevOps hit the scene, many companies have attempted to nix their traditional, siloed approach to development in favor of this trending, integrated approach. And while big businesses like Amazon and Netflix are succeeding with DevOps, other companies are still strongly to bring it into their organizations. Here’s why:
Fear of Change
The development world is
experiencing a major culture shift, but for many organizations and developers,
this level of change is scary. This is especially true for software businesses
that have been around for quite some time. They trust their processes, and are
accustomed to running the business a certain way. However, it’s important to
understand that businesses that don’t adopt and embrace new technology will
quickly find themselves left behind in the dust of their tech-savvy
competitors.
Fear of change is
normal, but it’s important to address those fears head on—particularly when the
future of the company depends upon it. This might mean you have to do some
restructuring and hire leaders who understand DevOps and can facilitate its
integration. Businesses should be careful not to move too quickly, which can
cause further unrest as employees across different departments struggle to
learn and catch up.
Not Focusing on Building
DevOps Architecture
One of the biggest
reasons companies fail with DevOps is because they don’t set up the technology
and processes that fuel it correctly. DevOps is about much more than a mindset
centered around conjoining business operations. You’ll also need the tools in
place to carry your goals through. Many companies believe that if they start
investing in technology that aligns with DevOps, they can simply push code
quicker right away. This isn’t the case. Like anything else, you have to build
your foundation before it can hold anything at all.
While the goal of DevOps
is to shorten development lifecycles, spearheading DevOps for the first time
requires you to take a step back and slow down. Analyze areas of your workflow
and identify bottlenecks and communication gaps. From here, you can decide
which tools contribute to solutions. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six
hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.”
The same concept can be applied to DevOps. Even the strongest man would have
trouble chopping a tree with a dull ax. Similarly, put in the necessary steps
to ensure you have the proper workflows in place to progress.
Not Treating It Like a
Product
As previously mentioned,
a foundation is necessary to propel with DevOps successfully. It helps to treat
DevOps implementation just as you would a product build. First thing’s first:
you need a road map. A big bang approach can quickly spiral out of control.
With a detailed pipeline and micro steps, you’re less likely to run into issues
or overburden your team.
For example, you might
break down your DevOps goals by quarter. In one quarter, you might focus on
shifting company culture and preparing the organization for what’s to come. In
the next, you might integrate database administrators into the DevOps process.
After that, you’ll focus on the technology necessary to automate your
deployments.
Failing to Measure
Any time you start a new project or goal, there needs to be a method in place for measuring progress. For instance, if you want to lose weight, you should measure your starting weight and come back to compare new results. But it’s not just about the starting and ending numbers: everything in between matters, too. Creating SMART goals is crucial here. Do you want to push applications to the frontline quicker? Improve code quality? Reduce the amount of bug fixes? These are all metrics you should be able to come back to later on to determine how DevOps played a role in those goals. Understanding where your successes are also motivates you to continue on.
In a rare sign of co-operation between the US
and Iran, the two countries have conducted a prisoner swap.
The exchange involved Chinese-American researcher Xiyue Wang, who was convicted
of spying in Iran and Iranian scientist Massoud Soleimani, who was held by the
US. Both men deny wrongdoing.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he was glad as he
announced the exchange.
Hours later, President Donald Trump tweeted: “Thank you to Iran on a very fair negotiation. See, we can make a
deal together!”
Xiyue Wang was arrested in Iran in 2016 for “collaborating with foreign
governments”.
Massoud Soleimani, a stem cell expert, was arrested at a Chicago airport in
2018. He was accused violating trade sanctions by trying to export biological
material to Iran.
The US and Iran have had an
increasingly strained relationship in recent years and share no diplomatic
links.
Both countries have thanked the
Swiss government for its assistance as an intermediary facilitator.
Xiyue Wang was flown in a Swiss
government plane from Tehran to Zurich, and then to Ramstein Air Base in Germany,
where he will undergo medical check-ups before heading home.
Massoud Soleimani was also flown to
Zurich and then on to Iran.
Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted photos
of himself with Massoud Soleimani after his release.
He was the first to announce the
news, via Twitter: “Glad that
Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr. Xiyue Wang will be joining their families
shortly.”
In a formal statement, President Donald Trump said Xiyue Wang had been
“held under the pretence of espionage”.
The statement said: “Freeing
Americans held captive is of vital importance to my Administration, and we will
continue to work hard to bring home all our citizens wrongfully held captive
overseas.”
Hua Qu, Mr
Xiyue Wang’s wife, Hua Qu, wrote in statement: “Our family is complete once again. Our son Shaofan and I have
waited three long years for this day and it’s hard to express in words how
excited we are to be reunited with Xiyue.
“We are thankful to everyone who
helped make this happen.”
Princeton University, where Xiyue Wang was studying as a postgraduate, said
in a statement it was “overjoyed” with the news of his release and
was looking forward to “welcoming him back to campus”.
Xiyue Wang was arrested in Iran in August 2016 as he was leaving the
country.
He had been doing research in Iran for a university dissertation and was
accused of seeking to gather “highly confidential articles” for US
and British academic institutions.
Xiyue Wang was sentenced to 10 years in jail for spying.
Massoud Soleimani was detained in October 2018 on accusations of attempting
to export biological materials to Iran in violation of trade sanctions on the
country over its nuclear program.
US-Iran tensions have risen significantly in the last two years.
After President Donald Trump took power, the US pulled out of a 2015 treaty
that aimed to limit Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, but the US voiced
concerns about potential weapon building.
President Donald Trump also reinstated sanctions on Iran, which have led to its currency plummeting and inflation soaring.
President Donald Trump has decided to delay his
plans to legally designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups.
He had vowed to label the gangs as terrorists after the killing last month
of nine American citizens from a Mormon community in Mexico.
However, the president has put the plans on hold on the request of his
Mexican counterpart, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The Mexican president said: “I
celebrate that he has taken our opinion into account.”
“We thank President Trump for
respecting our decisions and for choosing to maintain a policy of good neighborliness,
a policy of cooperation with us,” Andrés Manuel López Obrador added.
President Trump’s original announcement came after three women and six
children of dual US-Mexican nationality were killed in an ambush in a remote
area of northern Mexico.
Following the attack the victims’ community, the LeBarons, petitioned the
White House to list the cartels as terror groups, saying: “They are terrorists and it’s time to acknowledge it.”
The move would have widened the scope for US legal and financial action
against cartels but Mexico saw it as a violation of its sovereignty.
President Trump has now put the plans on hold.
He tweeted: “All necessary work
has been completed to declare Mexican Cartels terrorist organizations.
“Statutorily we are ready to do
so.”
However, he said his Mexican counterpart is “a man who I like and
respect, and has worked so well with us,” adding that he was temporarily
holding off on the designation and stepping up “joint efforts to deal
decisively with these vicious and ever-growing organizations!”
President Trump did not comment on how long the delay would last.
Mexico’s brutal drug war claims tens of thousands of lives every year, as
powerful trafficking groups battle for territory and influence.
In 2017 more than 30,000 people were killed in Mexico, with the murder rate
having more than tripled since 2006.
In the past three decades, modern medicine has gained extraordinary ground. In addition to refining our understanding of stem cells and how they function, we’ve quickly moved to bioengineering sheep and other animals from somatic cells, as well as tissues that could possibly be used for transplants. It’s seemingly the stuff of science fiction. But it’s happening; it’s called regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is the science of using living human cells to fight, repair, replace and/or otherwise heal damaged, diseased or decaying ones. It’s a broad term and can be applied in and for a variety of different situations and conditions. Many people may only associate regenerative medicine with sports injuries since several well-known athletes have made headlines by undergoing a stem cell treatment to help alleviate the effects of their acute or chronic injuries. But while stem cell therapy is one type of regenerative procedure, it’s not the only one. Regenerative medicine includes all of the following clinical therapies:
Cellular Therapy
Stem cells are at the heart of regenerative medicine. After all, they
are the body’s “master cells,” capable of making many, if not all (as in the
case of embryonic stem cells), of the
body’s different cell types. But other cells can be used for cell therapy, as
well, including red blood cells, certain types of immune cells and islet cells.
Red blood cells, for example, can be harvested to create a platelet rich plasma
(PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells can be used to treat pain and inflammation for
degenerative joint conditions.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a type of cellular therapy, but it also includes the
transfer of certain proteins and monoclonal antibodies and/or other molecular
material such as interleukins and interferons. Its goal is not so much to
repair cells but to fight “bad cells.” It does this by either strengthening the
body’s overall immune system so that it can fight a disease (usually cancer) on
its own or by creating an “army of cells” specifically programmed to target
certain “bad” cells (like those in a tumor). In either case, specific immune
cells are harvested from a donor, grown and/or modified in a lab and then
injected into a patient to effectuate healing.
Transplantation and Bioengineering
Finally, regenerative medicine can also refer to those treatments that aim to replace or repair large areas of damaged tissue (like organs, large portions of the skin and bone marrow). A traditional organ transplant, for instance, is a type of regenerative procedure. Indeed, some transplants are also stem cell transplants, such as when bone marrow and its accompanying hematopoietic stem cells are harvested and then transplanted into a recipient to treat leukemia. And sometimes, tissues can be manufactured using living cells so that they can be transplanted into a body to provide a conducive environment for cell proliferation and growth. Examples of this include using bone grafts to treat cancerous or badly broken bones or growing artificial skin to cover severe burns.
In 2015 alone, nearly 30 million people received hospital treatment for an injury. Whether we like it or not, chances are that we’ll experience some sort of harm one day.
And, the road to recovery isn’t always easy. Even after medical treatment, you may still find yourself wishing you could speed things up and get back to your normal routine.
Luckily, there are a handful of foods that can help promote healing.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about foods that heal.
1. Probiotics
Foods that contain probiotics (which are living microorganisms) will help fight and prevent disease.
This friendly bacteria is found within yogurts and soy-based drinks, making them an accessible and effective option to recover from ailments like viral or skin infections.
2. Dairy
We’re taught from a young age that drinking milk leads to having strong bones.
This is due to the abundance of vitamin D and calcium that are found in dairy products. Calcium helps repair muscle and bone injuries, while vitamin D improves how effective calcium is at doing its job.
Food items like milk and yogurt are great meal options for people who have sprains or broken bones.
3. Carrots
Brimming with plenty of vitamin A, carrots are one of the most effective foods you can consume to promote healing.
This vitamin helps prime your body’s white blood cells for fighting infection. Even if you don’t currently have an infection, recovering from an injury can make your immune system less effective at protecting your body.
So, extra vitamin A will make sure you stay healthy while you recover.
4. Fish
Not everyone has a taste for seafood. But, those who are able to consume it will find it has plenty of beneficial properties.
Seafood like salmon and tuna are packed with protein and fatty acids (omega-3’s) that both reduce inflammation and heal damaged muscles and bones.
If your injury was the result of someone else’s negligence and you feel entitled to compensation, view this legal site for more information on moving forward.
5. Kelp
A commonly overlooked nutrient is iodine, an absence of which can cause mood swings and general fatigue. Kelp has plenty within its fibers, and this food is especially useful for boosting low thyroid levels.
It also has plenty of magnesium and potassium, which can both help reduce high blood pressure.
Other Contenders
There are plenty of other foods out there that can help you heal. A few are:
Eggs
Almonds
Lean meats (turkey, chicken)
Oranges (and other fruits with vitamin C)
Mushrooms
So, if your appetite doesn’t include any of the above five foods, try something from this list instead!
Foods That Heal: Final Thoughts
While it may seem unbelievable, simple foods can play a large role in the healing process.
With the above information about foods that heal in mind, you’ll be well on your way to making progress in your recovery as quickly as possible.
President Donald Trump and his French
counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, have set out opposing views ahead of a NATO
summit in London.
In an occasionally tense press conference, Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron
sparred over NATO’s role, Turkey, and ISIS.
President Trump had described Emmanuel Macron’s comments about NATO as
“nasty”, but the French president said he stood by his words.
World leaders gathered in London to mark the Western military alliance’s
70th anniversary.
The NATO summit has already been marked by strained relations between Turkey
and other member states.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will oppose NATO’s plan
for the defense of the Baltic region if it does not back Turkey over its fight
against Kurdish groups it considers terrorists.
On December 3, Emmanuel Macron and Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Downing
Street in a four-way meeting that also included German Chancellor Angela Merkel
and the host, UK PM Boris Johnson.
Ties between President Trump and Emmanuel Macron were already strained amid
a trade dispute, and after the French president described NATO as “brain
dead” last month because, he said, the US commitment to the alliance was
fading.
On December 3, President Trump hit back by saying Emmanuel Macron had been
“very disrespectful”, adding that France had “a very high
unemployment rate” and “nobody needs NATO more than France”.
At a joint press conference with Emmanuel Macron later, President Trump was
less combative, stressing that the two countries had “done a lot of good
things together”. Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, said he stood by his
comments.
The two sides then clashed over foreign ISIS fighters who were captured in
Syria.
President Trump jokingly offered them to France, saying: “Would you like some nice [ISIS] fighters? You can take everyone
you want.”
Sounding stern, Emmanuel Macron said “Let’s be serious” and that
ISIS fighters from Europe were “a tiny minority”, and that the
“number one priority” was to get rid of the terrorist group.
President Trump then retorted: “This
is why he is a great politician because that was one of the greater non-answers
I have ever heard, and that’s OK.”
He also criticized NATO countries who were paying less than the NATO
guidelines of at least 2% of GDP towards the alliance.
President Trump said he did not want countries to be “delinquent” and pay less than their share, adding: “Maybe I’ll deal with them from a trade standpoint.”
Emmanuel Macron said France – which currently spends 1.84% of its GDP on
defense – would reach the minimum, and acknowledged that the US had
“overinvested” in NATO for several decades.
However, he added that there were other pressing issues to discuss.
The two leaders also discussed Turkey’s decision to buy a Russian S-400
missile system.
President Trump said they were “looking at” whether to impose
sanctions, while Emmanuel Macron asked: “How
is it possible to be a member of the alliance… and buy things from
Russia?”
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been key allies of the
US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria. However, Turkey views a section of the
group – the YPG – as terrorists.
Ahead of his departure for London, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not approve a plan to defend Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the event of a Russian attack unless NATO recognized the Kurdish YPG militia as terrorists.
Independent journalists and bloggers in Russia
could be labeled as “foreign agents” after a controversial law has
been amended on December 2.
The “foreign agent” label already applies to certain media organizations
and NGOs which engage in politics and receive funding from abroad.
The EU, Amnesty International and the OSCE international security body condemned
the amended law.
“Foreign agent” was a Soviet-era term of abuse for political
dissidents.
President Vladimir Putin signed the amended “foreign agent” media
law.
Russia says the original media bill, introduced in 2017, was its response to
a US requirement for Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT to register as a foreign
agent in the US.
The first “foreign agent” law, introduced in 2012, targeted non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including charities and civil society groups, which get foreign funding and engage in political activity in Russia.
In 2015 Russia’s justice ministry listed Memorial
– a distinguished chronicler of human rights abuses – as a “foreign
agent”.
The anti-corruption organization of anti-Putin campaigner Alexei Navalny has
also been declared a “foreign agent”.
Groups, and now individuals, labeled as “foreign agents” have to
put that label on their publications and submit detailed paperwork to the
authorities, or face fines for not doing so.
The media law was steered through parliament’s lower house – the Duma – by
lawmakers Leonid Levin and Pyotr Tolstoy.
Leonid Levin explained that for an individual to be labeled a “foreign
agent” two criteria must be valid: they must be producing or spreading
material from a “foreign agent” media source, and they must be
getting foreign funding.
He said that re-tweeting “foreign agent” news would only make an
individual a “foreign agent” too if he or she was also receiving
foreign funding.
There has been a chorus of disapproval from human rights groups for the new
law.
OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir said the law “represents
a disproportionate interference in the freedom of expression and media
freedom”.
Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for the EU’s External Action Service (EEAS),
said the legislation “imposes an additional administrative and financial
burden, as well as stigmatizes the media or NGO concerned, thus restricting the
exercise of fundamental freedoms”.
She said: “Taking into account
the already limited space for free media in the country, a further extension of
the scope of the legislation is yet another worrying step against free and
independent media and access to information, as well as a further attempt to
silence independent voices in Russia.”
According to Amnesty International the new law “will have a detrimental impact on the already restrictive environment for independent journalism in Russia, and must be dropped”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has cut the red
ribbon at the new town, Samjiyon, near Mount Paektu.
The North Korean media called the town as the
“epitome of modern civilization”.
It is hailed as one of the country’s most important construction projects.
State media KCNA said Samjiyon – which is able to accommodate 4,000 families
– boasts new apartments, a ski slope, and a stadium amongst other facilities.
However, forced labor is said to have gone into the construction of the new
town.
Samjiyon – even if it lives up to state media billing – will be an outlier
in North Korea, where the majority of people live in poor conditions.
According to non-governmental organization the National Committee on North
Korea, many “suffer from shortages of food, fuel, electricity, running
water and other necessities”.
However, Samjiyon has not exactly
been built from the ground up.
A town already existed before the
reconstruction. Some buildings were remodeled, while many more were torn down
and replaced with new buildings.
State media previously reported that
more than 450 new buildings would be constructed, including industrial and
recreational facilities.
KCNA said Samjiyon had undergone a
“drastic change”, describing it as a “utopia town under socialism”.
It is not clear if anyone has moved
in, but Samjiyon was previously home to some residents – though it is also
unclear how many.
It is not known how much money has
gone into construction of the town.
Construction happened at a time when
North Korea is under tough sanctions, and its completion shows how much
importance the government placed on the project.
The town is important for its proximity to Mount Paektu – considered to be a
sacred mountain in North Korea and said to be the birthplace of Kim Jong-un’s
father.
Samjiyon has also been presented as a model for other towns in the country
to look up to.
In his annual new year’s address this year, Kim Jong-un directly referenced
Samjiyon, calling it an “ideal socialist village”.
He said in his speech: “The whole
party, the entire army, and all the people should turn out to transform
Samjiyon into a model of modern mountainous city, an ideal socialist village.”
Samjiyon opening is just one part of a bigger scheme. It’s the second stage
of a three-stage plan to boost the entire county the town is located in.
The three-stage construction project is expected to be complete by October 2020.
The use of E-cigarettes is growing around the world – massively in America and modestly in Britain. In recent years American government at the Federal and state level have made moves to clamp down on Vaping in America due to the huge number of young smokers. In the United Kingdom, however, there has not been a similar move. This can be explained by a number of factors, including different approaches to regulation and advertising. Read on to find out why, despite the increase in the number and severity of restrictions on vaping across the Atlantic, British smokers should not be overly concerned by these restrictions.
Different regulatory approaches and contents of e-cigarettes
In Britain, CNN reports, e-cigarettes are used by around 5% of 11-18 year olds. 3.3% of these children and young people say they vape less than once a week, with the other 1.6% saying that they smoke more than once week. This adds up to a large number of people, but pales in comparison to America’s young vapers. One quarter of American high school students have vaped. This fivefold difference in youth uptake can be explained largely by Britain’s far tighter advertising regulations. Nicotine products cannot be advertised online or on the radio, although they can be advertised in public places and buses and so on.
In America, where five times as many young people vape, the media have recently picked up on an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses, that may be linked to seven deaths in the country from potentially illicit THC fluids, which is behind much of the public health outcry. However, besides the non-regulation THC cannabinoid oils likely responsible for these incidents, nicotine-based e-cigarettes, especially those sold in the United Kingdom, are notably safer.
Along with its far higher uptake, the e-cigarettes available in the United States can often contain as much as double the nicotine as those sold in the United Kingdom. Poor regulatory limits can expose American vapers to unnecessary levels of risk which British vapers are not affected by, due to stricter controls and lower nicotine contents.
E-cigarettes around the world
In the wake of the American media attention Norway and Australia have banned the sale of e-cigarettes with nicotine in them, and there are similar bans in place in Japan, Thailand and Singapore. However, the story of vaping in the United Kingdom gives a different picture to elsewhere, with smoking being used mostly by adults looking to quit smoking, as vaping is considered to be 95% less dangerous than smoking. At present, the number of young people who vape regularly and had never previously smoked is only 1% of vapers. Vaping, therefore, is shown to be playing a largely positive role in British public life.
If you feel unsure about vaping in the wake of hearing about American regulations, remember that in the United Kingdom vaping is far safer than smoking. Due to a well-managed regulatory system, you can be confident that any vape fluid you buy from a recognised seller such as VSAVI will be a strong safe step towards quitting smoking.
In wedding
vows, most couples make promises to stand by each other in both sickness and
health, and there is a reason why they include sickness along with health. You
will mostly find people who will be there with you in the good times of health,
but those numbers deplete in the challenging times of sickness.
Therefore, it
is imperative to be with our beloveds who are going through the challenging
times of sickness. In this thread, we have compiled a few ways by which you can
cheer up those who need happiness the most.
Open up to them:
Sometimes,
all you need to comfort someone is to let them know how you feel and how much
you are worried about them. Now that you are living in a digital world and are
reluctant to have a heart to heart conversation, you can do it on a phone call or may send a text.
There are so many modes of communication these days that not being able to communicate face to face should not be a problem.
Make them a personalized card:
Another heart
touching way of communicating your feelings is by making customized cards. Live
conversations tend to go off-topic, and one can get carried away with emotions.
This can result in your message being conveyed improperly.
But
personalized cards do not only give you time to write and express peacefully
but also reflect the effort you are making in trying to cheer your beloved up.
Be a good listener
Do not merely
focus on being expressive but also work hard to be a good listener. If your
downtrodden beloved is not being able to speak, ask open-ended questions, and
that will start the flow of discussion inconspicuously.
Try to Help
Most of us have
a lot on our plate, and this is the kind of world we live in. So in this
setting, sickness can get overwhelming. Hence, try to facilitate those who are
in sickness by helping them out in their daily responsibilities like picking up
their kids from school, getting grocery and other routine stuff.
This help can
go a long way in healing that person much sooner than later.
Keep them engaged
It so often
happens that when we are in a negative space, we get flooded with negative
thoughts, and it becomes so important to drive ourselves away from this
negative dimension.
We must realize
that being sick is like being in an extremely negative state of mind, and we
should try to engage our sick beloveds so that they do not get a lot of time to
think. We can play with them their favorite game, or watch their favorite movie
or listen to their favorite songs.
Make them a gift basket:
Another thing you can do to cheer your beloved up is to make them customized get well gift baskets. You can get all of their favorite things, like chocolates, candies, flowers, books, etc. and make them realize that how much you love them.
Sickness can befall any of us anytime, even during relaxing activities like going on vacations, and therefore we must be sensitive to the illness of others.
All of the
efforts mentioned above sound manageable, but it is not only the highs and lows
of sickness that demand attention, but the middle parts are vital as well.
Therefore, ensure that all of your efforts are long term and sustainable
because healing takes time and your efforts must span across that time.
Maltese prosecutors have charged
businessman Yorgen Fenech with complicity in the murder of investigative
journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.
Yorgen Fenech, one of Malta’s
wealthiest men, pleaded not guilty to that charge and four others including
membership of a criminal gang.
Relatives of Daphne Caruana Galizia
were present in the court in Valletta.
The investigation into the blogger’s
death has rocked the Maltese government. PM Joseph Muscat is under pressure to
resign.
The prime minister’s chief aide,
Keith Schembri, resigned this week amid reports he was being questioned by
police, while Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi also quit and Economy Minister
Chris Cardona took the decision to suspend himself.
Three people are awaiting trial for
the journalist’s murder in a car bombing but the police investigation is now
focusing on who ordered the killing and why.
Yorgen Fenech has been repeatedly questioned over the killing since trying
to leave the island on his yacht on November 20, and sought a pardon in return
for providing information but his request was rejected.
According to Maltese media, Yorgen Fenech was familiar with Melvin Theuma, a
taxi driver with links to criminal enterprises who has been described in local
media as a potential “middleman” in the murder.
The businessman is a well-known figure in Malta who has served as head of
the Tumas business group and a director of energy company Electrogas but recently
resigned from both positions.
Yorgen Fenech was identified last year as being the owner of a mysterious
Dubai-registered company, 17 Black.
17 Black was listed in the Panama Papers – confidential documents leaked
from a Panamanian law firm in 2016 which revealed how the wealthy and powerful
use tax havens to get around the law.
Daphne Caruana Galizia had written about 17 Black eight months before her death, alleging it had links to both Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.
North Korea has accused Japan’s PM
Shinzo Abe of mislabeling its latest weapons test, branding him an “imbecile”
and “political dwarf”.
The Japanese prime minister
condemned North Korea for “repeated launches of ballistic missiles”
after two projectiles were fired on November 28.
However, North Korea insisted it was
testing a “super-large multiple-rocket launcher”.
On November 30, state media said
Japan “may see what a real ballistic missile is in the not distant
future”.
North Korea is banned from firing
ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions.
It is under various sets of
sanctions over its missile and nuclear programs. Lifting the sanctions has been
a key aim of North Korea in talks with the US – Japan’s ally – but these have
stalled since a summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald
Trump broke down in February.
North Korea fired what observers in South Korea called two “unidentified projectiles” from its South Hamgyong province into the Sea of Japan on November 28.North Korea Launches New Ballistic Missile over JapanNorth Korea fired what observers in South Korea called two “unidentified projectiles” from its South Hamgyong province into the Sea of Japan on November 28.
Condemning the launch, PM Shinzo Abe
said: “North Korea’s repeated
launches of ballistic missiles are a serious defiance to not only our country
but also the international community.”
North Korea issued images said to be
of Kim Jong-un inspecting the launch.
The KCNA state media said on
November 30: “It can be said that
Abe is the only one idiot in the world and the most stupid man ever known in
history as he fails to distinguish a missile from a multiple launch rocket
system while seeing the photo-accompanied report.”
It added: “Abe may see what a real ballistic missile is in the not distant
future and under his nose. Abe is none other than a perfect imbecile and a
political dwarf.”
Negotiations between North Korea and
the US remain stalled since the collapse of February’s summit in Hanoi.
President Trump and Kim Jong-un did
meet again in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the Koreas in June and
agreed to restart working-level talks.
These began in October, but failed
to make any progress.
North Korea has demanded the US change its approach by the end of the year,
and was lukewarm in response to a tweet by President Trump hinting at another
meeting with Kim Jong-un.
In May, Shinzo Abe said he was ready to meet Kim Jong-un “without
conditions”, raising hopes of renewed negotiations on the nuclear issue as
well as on the lingering historical issue of North Korea’s abduction of
Japanese citizens.
The Japanese were kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 80s to help
train its spies. Japan believes 17 citizens were abducted, only five of whom
have since been repatriated.
However, PM Abe’s offer has not come to fruition. North Korea said this month that the Japanese leader would never set foot in Pyongyang after he condemned an earlier weapons test.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been accused by Brazil’s
President Jair Bolsonaro of “giving money to set the Amazon on fire”.
President Bolsonaro gave no evidence but in the past has accused NGOs
critical of his policies of starting fires that ravaged the rainforest this
year.
Several arrests have been made in Brazil amid controversial and unproven
allegations fires were started to obtain funding.
Leonardo DiCaprio, who has pledged $5 million for the Amazon, denied
President Bolsonaro’s claim.
The latest comments appear to arise from the arrest of 4 volunteer
firefighters from northern Pará state on allegations they started fires to
generate NGO donations.
NGOs, rights groups and critics
claimed the police operation against them was politically motivated and an
attempt to harass environmental groups.
Fires that burned in August this
year caused global concern for the “lungs of the planet”.
Jair Bolsonaro’s latest accusation
came during brief remarks at the presidential residence on November 29.
He said: “This Leonardo DiCaprio is a cool guy, right? Giving money to
torch the Amazon.”
The president gave no evidence and
did not elaborate, although the statement appeared to echo a live webcast he
gave on November 28.
The live webcast revolved around the
environmental organization, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and allegations,
denied by the WWF, that it had paid for images taken by the arrested
firefighters, who have since been released.
President Bolsonaro said: “So what did the NGO do? What is the
easiest thing? Set fire to the forest. Take pictures, make a video. [WWF] makes
a campaign against Brazil, it contacts Leonardo DiCaprio, he donates $500,000.
“A part of that went to the people that were setting
fires. Leonardo DiCaprio, you are contributing to the fire in the Amazon, that
won’t do.”
Leonardo DiCaprio and environmental
activist released a statement saying:
“Although they are certainly worth supporting, we have not funded the
organizations that are currently under attack.
“The future of these irreplaceable ecosystems is at
stake and I am proud to be part of the groups that protect them.”
The actor praised “the people of Brazil working to save their natural
and cultural heritage”.
WWF also said it had received no donations from the actor, whose Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation focuses on environmental projects.
At least two people were killed and another
three injured in a stabbing attack at London Bridge, police has announced.
Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick told a press conference the stabbing
attack, which has been declared a terrorist incident, began at an event at
Fishmonger’s Hall.
Within five minutes of being called officers confronted the suspect – who
was shot dead by police – she said.
The suspect was wearing what is thought to have been a hoax explosive
device.
Dozens of people were in attendance, including students from Cambridge
University and former prisoners.
Cambridge University said it was “gravely concerned” about reports
of its students and staff being caught up in the attack and was urgently
seeking further information.
Cressida Dick said police were working at “full tilt” to
understand what had happened and whether anyone else was involved.
Officers were still working to identify the dead, she said.
Of the injured people, one is critical but stable, a second is stable and a
third has less serious injuries, the head of the NHS, Simon Stevens said.
Details of what happened are still emerging, but videos on social media
appear to show passers-by holding down the suspect on London Bridge.
Another man in a suit could be seen running from him, having apparently
retrieved a large knife.
Footage then shows an officer arriving, seeming to indicate to the group to
move, and firing a shot.
The actions of the public have been widely praised, including by PM Boris Johnson.
US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland has
been accused by three women of sexual misconduct.
The accusations, co-published by Portland Monthly magazine and ProPublica, date back to before he became an ambassador.
At the time of the alleged incidents Gordon Sondland was developing hotels
in Portland and Seattle in the Pacific Northwest.
Gordon Sondland denies all of the allegations, and accuses the women of
targeting him for his role in President Donald Trump’s impeachment hearings.
He said in a statement: “These
untrue claims of unwanted touching and kissing are concocted and, I believe,
co-ordinated for political purposes.
“They have no basis in fact, and
I categorically deny them.”
All three women said Gordon Sondland retaliated against them professionally
after they rejected his advances – by verbally abusing them at their workplace,
reneging on a promised investment, and withdrawing offers of professional
introductions.
One of the women, Nicole Vogel, said she met Gordon Sondland for dinner in
2003 in order to secure investment for her new magazine.
Nicole Vogel is the owner of Portland
Monthly. The magazine said she was not involved editorially in the story,
and it had teamed up with ProPublica,
a respected non-profit news group, to report the claims independently.
She said that after dinner Gordon Sondland took her to one of his hotels and
invited her to see a room. He then requested a hug, she added, but instead
“grabs my face and goes to kiss me”.
Nicole Vogel said she deflected him and left the hotel, and later received
an email from Gordon Sondland changing the terms of his investment.
A second acuser, Jana Solis, said she met Gordon Sondland in 2008 when she
was seeking work as a hotel safety expert.
When Sondland offered her the job, she said, he called her “my new
hotel chick” and slapped her rear. She then said that on another occasion
he invited her to his home in Portland to evaluate his art collection, before
exposing himself.
On a third occasion, Sondland asked her to inspect his penthouse apartment
and then forcibly kissed her, she said.
The third woman, Natalie Sept, was working in local politics in Portland for
a candidate Gordon Sondland had donated money to.
After they were introduced through her boss, she claims Gordon Sondland
invited her to dinner to discuss work opportunities. She said he asked for a
hug at the end of the night, but then pushed himself towards her and tried to
forcibly kiss her.
In response, Gordon Sondland described the article as “underhanded
journalism” that was “fundamentally false”.
He said he intended to take legal action against the two publications.
Gordon Sondland provided key testimony at President Trump’s impeachment hearing last week, where he said he followed the president’s orders to pressure Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
