MARCH 21, 2018 / 1:20 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
South Korea's Moon says three-way summit with North Korea, U.S. possible
Hyonhee Shin, Christine Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Wednesday a three-way summit with North Korea and the United States is possible and that talks should aim for an end to the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula.
Moon is planning a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month after a flurry of diplomatic activity in Asia, Europe and the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has also said he would meet Kim by the end of May.
“A North Korea-U.S. summit would be a historic event in itself following an inter-Korean summit,” Moon said at the presidential Blue House in Seoul after a preparatory meeting for the inter-Korean summit.
“Depending on the location, it could be even more dramatic. And depending on progress, it may lead to a three-way summit between the South, North and the United States,” he said.
Seoul officials are considering the border truce village of Panmunjom, where Moon and Kim are set for a one-day meeting, as the venue for talks between not only Kim and Moon but also a possible three-way meeting.
A Blue House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Moon did not specifically refer to Panmunjom or that a three-way summit had been discussed with Washington before the president spoke.
The rush of recent diplomatic contacts began in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics in South Korea last month and helped ease tensions on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s pursuit of its nuclear and missile programs in defiance of United Nations Security Council sanctions.
South Korea wants to hold high-level talks with North Korea on March 29 to discuss a date and agenda for the inter-Korean summit and make a formal request to the North on Thursday, Moon’s presidential office said.
North and South Korean officials should be able to agree on when the summit between Moon and Kim will take place once the officials from both sides meet this month, the Blue House official said.
FILE PHOTO: South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a ceremony celebrating the 99th anniversary of the March First Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule, at Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seoul, South Korea, March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
‘CLEAR GOAL’
Moon said the series of summits should aim for a “complete end” to the nuclear and peace issues on the Korean peninsula.
He said he has a “clear goal and vision”, which is for the establishment of a lasting peace to replace the ceasefire signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean war. It also includes the normalization of North Korea-U.S. relations, the development of inter-Korean ties, and economic cooperation involving Pyongyang and Washington, he said.
However, the United States must also add its guarantee in order for peace to come about, Moon said.
“Whether the two Koreas live together or separately, we have to make it in a way that they prosper together and in peace, without interfering or causing damage to each other,” Moon said.
The Blue House official said this could mean stopping propaganda broadcasts at the border that are commonly blasted from both sides over loudspeakers. The official could not say whether “interference” also referred to criticism over widely recognized human rights violations in North Korea.
South Korea and the United States will resume joint military drills next month, although the exercises are expected to overlap with the summit between the two Koreas.
Seoul and Washington delayed the annual drills until after the Winter Olympics, helping to foster conditions for a restart of such talks.
North Korea regularly denounces the drills as preparation for war but a South Korean special envoy has said Kim understood that the allies must continue their “routine” exercises. That exchange has not been confirmed.
The North’s official KCNA news agency said on Wednesday a “dramatic atmosphere for reconciliation” had been created in cross-border ties and there had also been a sign of change in North Korea-U.S. relations.
That was “thanks to the proactive measure and peace-loving proposal” made by Pyongyang, not Trump’s campaign to put maximum pressure on the country, KCNA said in a commentary.
The Blue House official also said earlier on Wednesday South Korea was in discussions with China and Japan for a three-way summit in Tokyo in early May. The three countries have not held such a meeting since November 2015, with relations soured by historical and territorial tensions.
Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Christine Kim; Editing by Paul Tait
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
China Allows Foreigners to Enter $27 Trillion Payments Market - Bloomberg
China Allows Foreigners to Enter $27 Trillion Payments Market
Bloomberg News
March 21, 2018, 8:28 PM GMT+11 Updated on March 21, 2018, 8:50 PM GMT+11
Foreign companies can start applying for licenses, PBOC says
Will need to meet China regulations, including local servers
Ant Financial Services Group's Alipay payment system. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
China will permit foreign companies to access its $27 trillion payments market, further opening up the world’s second-largest economy.
Foreign players can start applying for payment licenses and will be treated the same as local firms, the People’s Bank of China said in a statement on Wednesday. Applicants must set up local units, establish payment infrastructure -- including disaster recovery systems -- and store client information domestically, the central bank said.
Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday promised to protect the intellectual property of foreigners investing in its economy, as China seeks to avoid a trade war with the U.S. Any entrants to the Chinese market -- apart from meeting stiff local regulations -- will also have to compete with the more than 260 firms that have received payment licenses including Ant Financial Services Group’s Alipay and Tencent Holdings’s WeChat Pay.
“The domestic market is quite saturated with very strong domestic players, and it is relatively hard for foreign companies to get a piece of the pie,” said Iris Pang, a Hong Kong-based economist at ING Groep NV. “But there is a chance for them to compete in the cross-border payment market.”
Chinese residents are increasingly fond of shopping on overseas e-commerce platforms, which tend to prefer local payment companies, Pang said.
Fair Environment
Allowing foreign firms to enter the payment market with defined regulations helps boost innovation, creates a fair environment for competition, and improves the services of payment providers, the central bank said in the statement.
Some major Chinese players have expanded overseas and offered services to global users, it added, without naming any company. China’s payment firms processed 169 trillion yuan ($27 trillion) of transactions in 2017, a nine-fold surge from 2013, according to the central bank.
With this access to the payment sector, “China fulfilled its promise to further open up the financial sector and, at the same time, it is very confident about the competitiveness of its payment companies,” said Xia Le, chief Asia economist at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA in Hong Kong.
“Banking is the real sector that needs to be further opened up,” he said. “That requires not only lift of policy barriers but also clearing of invisible barriers.”
— With assistance by Jun Luo, Miao Han, and Xiaoqing Pi
Bloomberg News
March 21, 2018, 8:28 PM GMT+11 Updated on March 21, 2018, 8:50 PM GMT+11
Foreign companies can start applying for licenses, PBOC says
Will need to meet China regulations, including local servers
Ant Financial Services Group's Alipay payment system. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
China will permit foreign companies to access its $27 trillion payments market, further opening up the world’s second-largest economy.
Foreign players can start applying for payment licenses and will be treated the same as local firms, the People’s Bank of China said in a statement on Wednesday. Applicants must set up local units, establish payment infrastructure -- including disaster recovery systems -- and store client information domestically, the central bank said.
Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday promised to protect the intellectual property of foreigners investing in its economy, as China seeks to avoid a trade war with the U.S. Any entrants to the Chinese market -- apart from meeting stiff local regulations -- will also have to compete with the more than 260 firms that have received payment licenses including Ant Financial Services Group’s Alipay and Tencent Holdings’s WeChat Pay.
“The domestic market is quite saturated with very strong domestic players, and it is relatively hard for foreign companies to get a piece of the pie,” said Iris Pang, a Hong Kong-based economist at ING Groep NV. “But there is a chance for them to compete in the cross-border payment market.”
Chinese residents are increasingly fond of shopping on overseas e-commerce platforms, which tend to prefer local payment companies, Pang said.
Fair Environment
Allowing foreign firms to enter the payment market with defined regulations helps boost innovation, creates a fair environment for competition, and improves the services of payment providers, the central bank said in the statement.
Some major Chinese players have expanded overseas and offered services to global users, it added, without naming any company. China’s payment firms processed 169 trillion yuan ($27 trillion) of transactions in 2017, a nine-fold surge from 2013, according to the central bank.
With this access to the payment sector, “China fulfilled its promise to further open up the financial sector and, at the same time, it is very confident about the competitiveness of its payment companies,” said Xia Le, chief Asia economist at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA in Hong Kong.
“Banking is the real sector that needs to be further opened up,” he said. “That requires not only lift of policy barriers but also clearing of invisible barriers.”
— With assistance by Jun Luo, Miao Han, and Xiaoqing Pi
Biden says he would have 'beat the hell out' of Trump in high school for disrespecting women - ABC News
Biden says he would have 'beat the hell out' of Trump in high school for disrespecting women
By KARMA ALLEN Mar 21, 2018, 5:22 AM ET
Former Vice President Joe Biden took fresh jabs at President Donald Trump on Tuesday while speaking at an anti-sexual assault rally, telling students at the University of Miami that he probably would have "beat the hell out" of Trump if they'd attended school together.
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"A guy who ended up becoming our national leader said, 'I can grab a woman anywhere and she likes it,'" Biden said. "They asked me if I’d like to debate this gentleman, and I said 'no.' I said, 'If we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.'"
"I've been in a lot of locker rooms my whole life," Biden continued. "I'm a pretty damn good athlete. Any guy that talked that way was usually the fattest, ugliest S.O.B. in the room."
PHOTO: Conor Lamb, center, the Democratic candidate for the March 13 special election in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District, and former Vice President Joe Biden pose for a selfie with a supporter during a rally in Collier, Pa., March 6, 2018.Gene J. Puskar/AP
Conor Lamb, center, the Democratic candidate for the March 13 special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, and former Vice President Joe Biden pose for a selfie with a supporter during a rally in Collier, Pa., March 6, 2018.more +
Biden made the comments Tuesday afternoon at the university's "It's on Us" rally, an event aiming to change on-campus culture surrounding sexual assault.
The 47th vice president also commended the country on progress it's made in battling sexual assault, mentioning the success of the #MeToo movement, but he also said there was still a lot of work to be done.
"Sexual assault is about power and the abuse of power more than it is about sex," he said, before going on to tell women in the audience that they should arm themselves with more resources.
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
University of Miami
✔
@univmiami
Today’s @itsonus rally reminded us that we are responsible for creating an environment where sexual assault and gender-based violence is unacceptable. Thank you @joebiden for bringing us your legacy of ending violence against women and empowering our students to take action.
8:11 AM - Mar 21, 2018
"It's not just on the men. It's on you women, as well, on campus," Biden said. "All the studies show that 95 percent of young women who are abused -- the first person they tell is their roommate, their friend, someone on campus. You've got to inform yourself as to what facilities are available, what help is available, not just empathize, hug and say, 'I'm so sorry.' You have an obligation to be informed."
Biden, who also headlined a political fundraiser with Latino leaders during his time in South Florida on Tuesday, ended the speech by encouraging students to participate in the Sexual Assault Awareness Month next month and the Day of Action April 3.
The University of Miami thanked Biden in a statement on Twitter, sharing candid images from his appearance, including some where he's taking selfies with students.
"Today's @itsonus rally reminded us that we are responsible for creating an environment where sexual assault and gender-based violence is unacceptable," the university said in a tweet. "Thank you @joebiden for bringing us your legacy of ending violence against women and empowering our students to take action."
By KARMA ALLEN Mar 21, 2018, 5:22 AM ET
Former Vice President Joe Biden took fresh jabs at President Donald Trump on Tuesday while speaking at an anti-sexual assault rally, telling students at the University of Miami that he probably would have "beat the hell out" of Trump if they'd attended school together.
Interested in Joe Biden?
Add Joe Biden as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Joe Biden news, video, and analysis from ABC News.
Joe Biden Add Interest
"A guy who ended up becoming our national leader said, 'I can grab a woman anywhere and she likes it,'" Biden said. "They asked me if I’d like to debate this gentleman, and I said 'no.' I said, 'If we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.'"
"I've been in a lot of locker rooms my whole life," Biden continued. "I'm a pretty damn good athlete. Any guy that talked that way was usually the fattest, ugliest S.O.B. in the room."
PHOTO: Conor Lamb, center, the Democratic candidate for the March 13 special election in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District, and former Vice President Joe Biden pose for a selfie with a supporter during a rally in Collier, Pa., March 6, 2018.Gene J. Puskar/AP
Conor Lamb, center, the Democratic candidate for the March 13 special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, and former Vice President Joe Biden pose for a selfie with a supporter during a rally in Collier, Pa., March 6, 2018.more +
Biden made the comments Tuesday afternoon at the university's "It's on Us" rally, an event aiming to change on-campus culture surrounding sexual assault.
The 47th vice president also commended the country on progress it's made in battling sexual assault, mentioning the success of the #MeToo movement, but he also said there was still a lot of work to be done.
"Sexual assault is about power and the abuse of power more than it is about sex," he said, before going on to tell women in the audience that they should arm themselves with more resources.
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
University of Miami
✔
@univmiami
Today’s @itsonus rally reminded us that we are responsible for creating an environment where sexual assault and gender-based violence is unacceptable. Thank you @joebiden for bringing us your legacy of ending violence against women and empowering our students to take action.
8:11 AM - Mar 21, 2018
"It's not just on the men. It's on you women, as well, on campus," Biden said. "All the studies show that 95 percent of young women who are abused -- the first person they tell is their roommate, their friend, someone on campus. You've got to inform yourself as to what facilities are available, what help is available, not just empathize, hug and say, 'I'm so sorry.' You have an obligation to be informed."
Biden, who also headlined a political fundraiser with Latino leaders during his time in South Florida on Tuesday, ended the speech by encouraging students to participate in the Sexual Assault Awareness Month next month and the Day of Action April 3.
The University of Miami thanked Biden in a statement on Twitter, sharing candid images from his appearance, including some where he's taking selfies with students.
"Today's @itsonus rally reminded us that we are responsible for creating an environment where sexual assault and gender-based violence is unacceptable," the university said in a tweet. "Thank you @joebiden for bringing us your legacy of ending violence against women and empowering our students to take action."
Poland seeking compensation for World War Two destruction: foreign minister - Reuters
MARCH 21, 2018 / 8:27 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Poland seeking compensation for World War Two destruction: foreign minister
Reuters Staff
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland will this year look into ways of getting compensation for its destruction during World War Two, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said on Wednesday.
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz speaks after meeting with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel in Berlin, Germany, January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
“We will talk about the need to compensate Poles for the losses suffered during World War Two,” he told parliament in a section of a speech focused on Polish-German relations.
“We will seek legal, political and financial ways of (obtaining) due compensation,” he added, as he presented his foreign policy goals for 2018.
Reporting by Marcin Goettig; Editing by Andrew Heavens
Poland seeking compensation for World War Two destruction: foreign minister
Reuters Staff
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland will this year look into ways of getting compensation for its destruction during World War Two, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said on Wednesday.
Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz speaks after meeting with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel in Berlin, Germany, January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
“We will talk about the need to compensate Poles for the losses suffered during World War Two,” he told parliament in a section of a speech focused on Polish-German relations.
“We will seek legal, political and financial ways of (obtaining) due compensation,” he added, as he presented his foreign policy goals for 2018.
Reporting by Marcin Goettig; Editing by Andrew Heavens
Weinstein Company lifts NDAs. Will more victims come forward? - CNN News
Weinstein Company lifts NDAs. Will more victims come forward?
by Brian Stelter @brianstelter
March 20, 2018: 11:59 AM ET
The very first story about Harvey Weinstein's wrongdoing described the nondisclosure agreements that silenced victims and witnesses.
These legal agreements, known as NDAs, were exposed right along with Weinstein's behavior.
Now, more than six months after the first stories broke, the NDAs are being lifted, according to Weinstein's former movie studio.
At the same time The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy on Monday night, the studio said that it "expressly releases any confidentiality provision to the extent it has prevented individuals who suffered or witnessed any form of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein from telling their stories."
In other words: The NDAs are no longer in effect.
Content by Breguet
Louis XVIII was clearly an admirer of this horologist
A.-L. Breguet consistently demonstrated his exceptional mastery of time measurement.
"No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet," the company said.
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman had been pushing for this outcome for several months. His office filed a civil rights lawsuit against the studio last month, partly to provoke change.
Schneiderman said Monday night that the lifting of the NDAs is "a watershed moment for efforts to address the corrosive effects of sexual misconduct in the workplace."
He said the agreement "will finally enable voices that have for too long been muzzled to be heard."
Some female staffers have already defied the NDAs and given interviews on the record about Weinstein.
Others have spoken only on condition of anonymity because they feared that Weinstein's lawyers would retaliate.
It remains to be seen how many accusers or eyewitnesses will come forward now that the company has publicly lifted the NDAs.
There are now more than 60 accusers who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, including some who have accused Weinstein of rape. Weinstein has sought treatment after the allegations were made public last October, but he has consistently denied all allegations of "non-consensual sex."
Meanwhile, the crippled studio has reached a deal with the private equity firm Lantern Capital Partners. Lantern is looking to acquire Weinstein Co. through the bankruptcy process.
The initial bankruptcy paperwork was filed on Monday night. Other bidders could come forward and try to top Lantern's bid for the Weinstein Co. assets.
by Brian Stelter @brianstelter
March 20, 2018: 11:59 AM ET
The very first story about Harvey Weinstein's wrongdoing described the nondisclosure agreements that silenced victims and witnesses.
These legal agreements, known as NDAs, were exposed right along with Weinstein's behavior.
Now, more than six months after the first stories broke, the NDAs are being lifted, according to Weinstein's former movie studio.
At the same time The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy on Monday night, the studio said that it "expressly releases any confidentiality provision to the extent it has prevented individuals who suffered or witnessed any form of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein from telling their stories."
In other words: The NDAs are no longer in effect.
Content by Breguet
Louis XVIII was clearly an admirer of this horologist
A.-L. Breguet consistently demonstrated his exceptional mastery of time measurement.
"No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet," the company said.
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman had been pushing for this outcome for several months. His office filed a civil rights lawsuit against the studio last month, partly to provoke change.
Schneiderman said Monday night that the lifting of the NDAs is "a watershed moment for efforts to address the corrosive effects of sexual misconduct in the workplace."
He said the agreement "will finally enable voices that have for too long been muzzled to be heard."
Some female staffers have already defied the NDAs and given interviews on the record about Weinstein.
Others have spoken only on condition of anonymity because they feared that Weinstein's lawyers would retaliate.
It remains to be seen how many accusers or eyewitnesses will come forward now that the company has publicly lifted the NDAs.
There are now more than 60 accusers who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, including some who have accused Weinstein of rape. Weinstein has sought treatment after the allegations were made public last October, but he has consistently denied all allegations of "non-consensual sex."
Meanwhile, the crippled studio has reached a deal with the private equity firm Lantern Capital Partners. Lantern is looking to acquire Weinstein Co. through the bankruptcy process.
The initial bankruptcy paperwork was filed on Monday night. Other bidders could come forward and try to top Lantern's bid for the Weinstein Co. assets.
Amazon tops Google as second most valuable company in US - CNN Money
Amazon tops Google as second most valuable company in US
by Paul R. La Monica @lamonicabuzz
March 20, 2018: 2:16 PM ET
These are the companies Amazon owns
Jeff Bezos is worth about $130 billion, making him the wealthiest person on the planet — and presumably the universe. Maybe one day he'll venture into outer space in one of his Blue Origin rockets to look for another life form with more money.
Until then, Bezos will have to settle for another milestone.
That other company he runs, Amazon (AMZN), just passed Alphabet, the owner of Google (GOOGL), to become the second most valuable company in America. Google stock fell for a third straight day Tuesday while Amazon bounced back.
As a result, Amazon's market value climbed to about $765 billion, almost $3 billion more than what Google is worth. Only Apple is worth more. (And Microsoft (MSFT), which Amazon passed earlier this year, isn't far behind. With a market value of $720 billion, it is the fourth most valuable in the United States.)
Google has been dragged down in recent days by concerns about the Facebook data scandal. Google dominates the search advertising market and owns YouTube. That makes it and Facebook (FB) the leading players in the digital ad world.
Google already admitted last year that Russia-backed troll farms bought ads on YouTube, Gmail and other Google properties leading up to the 2016 US presidential election. Investors are starting to worry that this controversy won't go away anytime soon.
At the very least, Google and Facebook executives could get dragged in front of Congress and lawmakers in Europe to explain themselves.
Perhaps more worrisome: The possibility that regulators could crack down on how these companies sell ads, which could slow their breakneck pace of revenue and profit growth.
Related: Three cheers for old tech? Cisco is the market's comeback kid
That's less of a problem for Amazon than Google, though.
Amazon is still first and foremost a company that makes its money from retail (online and offline thanks to Whole Foods and Amazon-branded stores), Prime subscriptions and hosting websites for other companies through its cloud business.
It's true that Amazon has started to sell more advertising. Research firm eMarketer noted in a report Monday that Amazon is expected to generate nearly $3 billion in digital ad revenue this year.
But that's only 2.7% of the more than $100 billion online ad market. Google, including YouTube, controls more than a third of the market. Ad revenue is expected to hit $40 billion this year.
Of course, Amazon's clout is growing as well. But for now, it seems that investors (and politicians) aren't too concerned about Amazon's dominance. Shares of Amazon have soared 35% this year and are less than 3% from their all-time high.
Amazon still has a ways to go before it tops Apple (AAPL) as the most valuable company on Wall Street. The maker of iEverything is worth nearly $900 billion.
After Cambridge Analytica, does Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook know too much? - Times of London
march 21 2018, 12:01am, the times
After Cambridge Analytica, does Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook know too much?
tom whipple, science editor
Intelligent people like science, thunderstorms and curly fries. Less intelligent people like Harley Davidsons, the country music singer Lady Antebellum, and groups entitled “I Love Being a Mom”.
The correlations between personality types and Facebook likes range from the blindingly obvious to the utterly cryptic. Gay men enjoy Wicked the Musical, but why do straight men like groups such as “Being Confused After Waking Up From Naps?”
As far as data scientists, and people targeting election adverts, are concerned, it doesn’t matter. All that is important is what the numbers show.
Using only your “likes” in 2013, two Cambridge scientists showed that they could predict people’s gender with 93 per cent accuracy, sexuality with 80 per cent accuracy and whether their parents were together at 21 with 60 per cent accuracy. In 2015, they showed that with 70 likes, they became better at predicting personality than a person’s friends while 300 likes gave scientists more knowledge about a subject than their own spouse had.
The reason all this matters is that those scientists, Michal Kosinski and David Stillwell, are colleagues of Aleksandr Kogan, who this week was accused of passing data to Cambridge Analytica.
On the face of it, this is troubling. Most of us are used to having targeted adverts follow us around the internet. But even so, there is something inherently creepy about the way in which apparently unconnected social media activity — following the Wu-Tang Clan, being interested in storms — can tell people we don’t know intimate facts about who we are. So, should we be worried? Is democracy dead? Not just yet, perhaps.
The reason why, is that just because you can make a window into men’s souls doesn’t mean you know what to do with it. Cambridge Analytica may claim that it can use data to swing elections, but for a political campaign properly to use this information would require an advert tailored to each person. Alexander Nix, head of Cambridge Analytica, claimed that on one day in the Trump campaign they tested 175,000 different Facebook adverts. The Trump campaign dismissed that as a lie — but even if it wasn’t, how would we know they worked? The truth is, we wouldn’t. None of this has been tested. One form of personalised advertising has been investigated, however.
Back in the pre-Facebook world, there was a way of pitching to each voter, using a semi-intelligent machine that appeared on your doorstep, responded to questions and changed its message accordingly. That machine was known as “a politician”.
Recently, scientists investigated the efficacy of doorstepping. How many votes does it swing? As best they could estimate, none. Categorising minds may be hard; changing them is far harder.
Justine Damond shooting: US policeman charged with murder - BBC News
21/3/2018
Justine Damond shooting: US policeman charged with murder
Mohamed Noor has not spoken to investigators about the shooting
US prosecutors have laid a murder charge against a policeman who shot and killed an unarmed Australian woman.
Officer Mohamed Noor, 32, turned himself in over the death of Justine Damond in Minneapolis, prosecutors said. He is accused of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Ms Damond died in July last year after calling police to report a possible sexual assault outside her home.
A lawyer for Mr Noor said his client had acted in line with police training.
But in announcing the charges, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman alleged Mr Noor had "recklessly and intentionally fired his handgun".
"There is no evidence that Officer Noor encountered a threat, appreciated a threat, investigated a threat or confirmed a threat that justified his decision to use deadly force," Mr Freeman told reporters.
If convicted, Mr Noor could face up to 25 years in prison on the murder charge, and up to 10 years on the manslaughter charge.
The death of Ms Damond, also known as Justine Ruszczyk, caused an outcry in both the US and Australia.
Victim's last words
Mr Freeman said Mr Noor was sitting in the passenger seat of a police patrol car when he shot Ms Damond through a window.
After she was shot, Ms Damond put her hands on a wound to her abdomen and said, "I'm dying" or "I'm dead", according to Mr Freeman.
Justine Damond had been living in Minneapolis with her American fiance
The incident prompted the resignation of Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau last year.
It was described by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as an "inexplicable" and "shocking killing".
Justine Damond's death - what we know
Australia grief over 'American nightmare'
Victim's family 'concerned' about investigation
According to the third-degree murder charge, Mr Noor committed an "eminently dangerous act" while showing a "depraved mind".
The second-degree manslaughter charge accuses him of "culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk".
Mr Noor's lawyer, Tom Plunkett, said his client should not have been charged.
"The facts will show that Office Noor acted as he has been trained and consistent with established departmental policy," Mr Plunkett said in a statement.
Media captionJustine Damond's family hold a silent vigil at a beach in Sydney last year
The officer was placed on leave following the shooting, and elected not to speak to investigators.
At the time of the incident, neither Mr Noor or another officer present, Matthew Harrity, had their body-worn cameras activated.
Prosecutors had previously delayed a decision on whether to lay charges, saying they needed time to gather evidence.
Ms Damond's fiance, Don Damond, and her father, John Ruszczyk, said they welcomed the decision to charge Mr Noor.
"No charges can bring our Justine back," they said in a joint statement.
"However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today's actions reflect that."
Mr Noor is due to face a court in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Justine Damond shooting: US policeman charged with murder
Mohamed Noor has not spoken to investigators about the shooting
US prosecutors have laid a murder charge against a policeman who shot and killed an unarmed Australian woman.
Officer Mohamed Noor, 32, turned himself in over the death of Justine Damond in Minneapolis, prosecutors said. He is accused of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Ms Damond died in July last year after calling police to report a possible sexual assault outside her home.
A lawyer for Mr Noor said his client had acted in line with police training.
But in announcing the charges, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman alleged Mr Noor had "recklessly and intentionally fired his handgun".
"There is no evidence that Officer Noor encountered a threat, appreciated a threat, investigated a threat or confirmed a threat that justified his decision to use deadly force," Mr Freeman told reporters.
If convicted, Mr Noor could face up to 25 years in prison on the murder charge, and up to 10 years on the manslaughter charge.
The death of Ms Damond, also known as Justine Ruszczyk, caused an outcry in both the US and Australia.
Victim's last words
Mr Freeman said Mr Noor was sitting in the passenger seat of a police patrol car when he shot Ms Damond through a window.
After she was shot, Ms Damond put her hands on a wound to her abdomen and said, "I'm dying" or "I'm dead", according to Mr Freeman.
Justine Damond had been living in Minneapolis with her American fiance
The incident prompted the resignation of Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau last year.
It was described by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as an "inexplicable" and "shocking killing".
Justine Damond's death - what we know
Australia grief over 'American nightmare'
Victim's family 'concerned' about investigation
According to the third-degree murder charge, Mr Noor committed an "eminently dangerous act" while showing a "depraved mind".
The second-degree manslaughter charge accuses him of "culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk".
Mr Noor's lawyer, Tom Plunkett, said his client should not have been charged.
"The facts will show that Office Noor acted as he has been trained and consistent with established departmental policy," Mr Plunkett said in a statement.
Media captionJustine Damond's family hold a silent vigil at a beach in Sydney last year
The officer was placed on leave following the shooting, and elected not to speak to investigators.
At the time of the incident, neither Mr Noor or another officer present, Matthew Harrity, had their body-worn cameras activated.
Prosecutors had previously delayed a decision on whether to lay charges, saying they needed time to gather evidence.
Ms Damond's fiance, Don Damond, and her father, John Ruszczyk, said they welcomed the decision to charge Mr Noor.
"No charges can bring our Justine back," they said in a joint statement.
"However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today's actions reflect that."
Mr Noor is due to face a court in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Stephen Hawking's ashes to be interred near Sir Isaac Newton's grave - BBC News
Stephen Hawking's ashes to be interred near Sir Isaac Newton's grave
20 March 2018
The professor was a fellow at Gonville and Caius College for more than 50 years
The ashes of Professor Stephen Hawking will be interred next to the grave of Sir Isaac Newton at Westminster Abbey, it has been revealed.
The renowned theoretical physicist's final resting place will also be near that of Charles Darwin, who was buried there in 1882.
Prof Hawking, who had motor neurone disease, died on 14 March, aged 76, at his home in Cambridge.
The Dean of Westminster said the location was "entirely fitting".
A private funeral service will take place at Great St Mary's, the University Church on 31 March, Prof Hawking's family said.
The church is close to Gonville and Caius College, where Prof Hawking had been a fellow for more than 50 years.
Prof Hawking's ashes will be interred at Westminster Abbey later this year
The flag flew at half mast on Prof Hawking's college, Gonville and Caius, on the day his death was announced
The thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey will take place later in the year.
Announcing funeral arrangements on the college website, Prof Hawking's children Lucy, Robert and Tim said: "Our father lived and worked in Cambridge for over 50 years.
"He was an integral and highly recognisable part of the university and the city.
"For this reason, we have decided to hold his funeral in the city that he loved so much and which loved him. Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious. So, the service will be both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life."
Obituary: Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking: A life in pictures
Cambridge remembers Stephen Hawking
China's love for the late Stephen Hawking
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, said: "It is entirely fitting that the remains of Professor Stephen Hawking are to be buried in the Abbey, near those of distinguished fellow scientists.
"Sir Isaac Newton was buried in the Abbey in 1727. Charles Darwin was buried beside Isaac Newton in 1882."
He added: "We believe it to be vital that science and religion work together to seek to answer the great questions of the mystery of life and of the universe."
20 March 2018
The professor was a fellow at Gonville and Caius College for more than 50 years
The ashes of Professor Stephen Hawking will be interred next to the grave of Sir Isaac Newton at Westminster Abbey, it has been revealed.
The renowned theoretical physicist's final resting place will also be near that of Charles Darwin, who was buried there in 1882.
Prof Hawking, who had motor neurone disease, died on 14 March, aged 76, at his home in Cambridge.
The Dean of Westminster said the location was "entirely fitting".
A private funeral service will take place at Great St Mary's, the University Church on 31 March, Prof Hawking's family said.
The church is close to Gonville and Caius College, where Prof Hawking had been a fellow for more than 50 years.
Prof Hawking's ashes will be interred at Westminster Abbey later this year
The flag flew at half mast on Prof Hawking's college, Gonville and Caius, on the day his death was announced
The thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey will take place later in the year.
Announcing funeral arrangements on the college website, Prof Hawking's children Lucy, Robert and Tim said: "Our father lived and worked in Cambridge for over 50 years.
"He was an integral and highly recognisable part of the university and the city.
"For this reason, we have decided to hold his funeral in the city that he loved so much and which loved him. Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious. So, the service will be both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life."
Obituary: Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking: A life in pictures
Cambridge remembers Stephen Hawking
China's love for the late Stephen Hawking
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, said: "It is entirely fitting that the remains of Professor Stephen Hawking are to be buried in the Abbey, near those of distinguished fellow scientists.
"Sir Isaac Newton was buried in the Abbey in 1727. Charles Darwin was buried beside Isaac Newton in 1882."
He added: "We believe it to be vital that science and religion work together to seek to answer the great questions of the mystery of life and of the universe."
Austin bombings: Suspect dead, say US media - BBC News
21/3/2018
Austin bombings: Suspect dead, say US media
Police investigate an incident involving explosives in Austin on Tuesday
A suspect linked with a series of deadly parcel bombs targeting Austin, Texas, is dead after a major police operation, US media report.
The suspect was killed after reportedly detonating a device off an interstate highway in the Round Rock area of the state capital, CBS News reports.
FBI agents are reportedly now carrying out an investigation at the scene.
The incident follows four bomb attacks in Austin, the state capital, and one in Schertz, 65 miles (104km) south.
CCTV images of a "person of interest" were earlier shared on US media showing a white male with blond hair carrying a number of large packages
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Randy Beamer
✔
@randybeamer
BREAKING: Exclusive photos of Austin bombing 'Person of Interest' dropping off 2 packages at Austin @FedEx store. Believed to be wearing wig.
Recognize him? Contact: @FBI @Austin_Police
More info: http://bit.ly/2FQdHPR @News4SA @cbsaustin
6:56 PM - Mar 21, 2018
The Austin police department is expected to give a media briefing soon.
Austin has been on edge amid the attacks, which have led to the deployment of hundreds of police officers to the city.
What do we know about the bombings?
Authorities have said that a series of blasts that began in Austin in early March - involving package bombs and a tripwire - were all related:
2 March: A device explodes at Anthony Stephan House's home in Austin, killing the 29-year-old man
13 March: Draylen William Mason, 17, is killed and his mother is critically injured after he brings a package inside his home from the doorstep in Austin
13 March: Hours later, a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, who has not been named, is injured by another package in the state capital
18 March: A device injures two men who may have set off a tripwire while walking along a street in Austin
20 March: A parcel bomb explodes at a FedEx depot in Schertz, slightly injuring one person. Police said the parcel had been due to be shipped to Austin
Media captionTexas explosions: The search for the suspect
What has President Trump said?
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that "a very, very sick individual, or maybe individuals" carried out the blasts and pledged justice for the victims.
"The bombings in Austin are terrible," he said on Tuesday.
"This is obviously a very, very sick individual, or maybe individuals.
"We will get to the bottom of it. We will be very strong."
Austin bombings: Suspect dead, say US media
Police investigate an incident involving explosives in Austin on Tuesday
A suspect linked with a series of deadly parcel bombs targeting Austin, Texas, is dead after a major police operation, US media report.
The suspect was killed after reportedly detonating a device off an interstate highway in the Round Rock area of the state capital, CBS News reports.
FBI agents are reportedly now carrying out an investigation at the scene.
The incident follows four bomb attacks in Austin, the state capital, and one in Schertz, 65 miles (104km) south.
CCTV images of a "person of interest" were earlier shared on US media showing a white male with blond hair carrying a number of large packages
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Randy Beamer
✔
@randybeamer
BREAKING: Exclusive photos of Austin bombing 'Person of Interest' dropping off 2 packages at Austin @FedEx store. Believed to be wearing wig.
Recognize him? Contact: @FBI @Austin_Police
More info: http://bit.ly/2FQdHPR @News4SA @cbsaustin
6:56 PM - Mar 21, 2018
The Austin police department is expected to give a media briefing soon.
Austin has been on edge amid the attacks, which have led to the deployment of hundreds of police officers to the city.
What do we know about the bombings?
Authorities have said that a series of blasts that began in Austin in early March - involving package bombs and a tripwire - were all related:
2 March: A device explodes at Anthony Stephan House's home in Austin, killing the 29-year-old man
13 March: Draylen William Mason, 17, is killed and his mother is critically injured after he brings a package inside his home from the doorstep in Austin
13 March: Hours later, a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, who has not been named, is injured by another package in the state capital
18 March: A device injures two men who may have set off a tripwire while walking along a street in Austin
20 March: A parcel bomb explodes at a FedEx depot in Schertz, slightly injuring one person. Police said the parcel had been due to be shipped to Austin
Media captionTexas explosions: The search for the suspect
What has President Trump said?
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that "a very, very sick individual, or maybe individuals" carried out the blasts and pledged justice for the victims.
"The bombings in Austin are terrible," he said on Tuesday.
"This is obviously a very, very sick individual, or maybe individuals.
"We will get to the bottom of it. We will be very strong."
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