SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 / 8:46 PM / 2 DAYS AGO
Pope should not resign, but church abuse tribunal needed: Bannon
Crispian Balmer
ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis should not resign over allegations he mishandled a sexual abuse scandal, said Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former political strategist who is close to prominent Catholic conservatives.
However, Bannon told Reuters he was working on setting up an independent, non-partisan tribunal to investigate decades of scandals within the U.S. Church, warning that dioceses across the country faced financial ruin because of the wrongdoing.
In a statement that stunned the church, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said last month that Pope Francis should stand down for allegedly covering up for a former U.S. cardinal who was accused of sexually molesting children and adult seminarians.
Some media saw the hands of fierce conservative critics of Francis behind the unprecedented attack on a living pope, including U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, who is close to Bannon.
Burke told reporters in Rome last week that he was “deeply shaken” by Vigano’s accusations and called for an investigation. But Bannon, himself a Catholic, clearly distanced himself from Vigano, saying a papal resignation was not appropriate.
“This is as serious as it gets. We can’t have memos and letters and accusations. The pope is from an unbroken chain the Vicar of Christ on Earth. You don’t just sit there and say ‘I think you should resign’,” said Bannon during a visit to Rome.
Instead, he said an independent tribunal had to be created to look into every aspect of the multiplying scandals.
“Until we do that, I don’t think people should be snapping to judgments. This is so serious. This is an existential threat to the heart of the institution of the Catholic Church. It is not about doctrine or dogma of the Church,” he said.
“WITCHHUNT”
Pope Francis has refused to comment on Vigano’s attack, which was the latest blow to the credibility of the Church.
Last month, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released the findings of the largest-ever investigation of sex abuse in the U.S. Catholic Church, finding that 301 priests in the state had sexually abused minors over the past 70 years. Other U.S. states have also launched wide-ranging investigations of their own.
Bannon predicted the Church would have to pay millions of dollars in damages, compensation and legal fees. “You are going to see a tremendous financial liquidation of the Church over the next 10, 15 or 20 years predicated on this scandal,” he said.
Since his election in 2013, conservatives have sharply criticized Francis, saying he has left many faithful confused by pronouncements that the Church should be more welcoming to homosexuals and divorced Catholics and not be obsessed by “culture war” issues such as abortion.
During his time in Rome, Bannon met the head of Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI) — a conservative, Catholic-inspired group based in Italy that he supports.
He said he was in contact with “prominent people” in the United States to set up a tribunal and believed it was too important to leave the Church itself to review its failings.
“This has nothing to do with whether you are a liberal Catholic or right-wing traditionalist ... It can’t be seen as a political witchhunt.” he said.
Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Keith Weir
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Trump administration takes aim at International Criminal Court, PLO - Reuters
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 / 1:01 PM / UPDATED 13 HOURS AGO
Trump administration takes aim at International Criminal Court, PLO
Steve Hollan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday threatened tough action against the International Criminal Court should it try to prosecute Americans for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and said the PLO’s office in Washington would be closed for seeking to punish Israel through the court.
“The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court,” national security adviser John Bolton told the Federalist Society, a conservative group, in his first major address since joining President Donald Trump’s White House in April.
The U.S. response could include sanctions against ICC judges should such prosecutions proceed, Bolton warned.
He added that the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington was being ordered closed out of concern about Palestinian attempts to prompt an ICC investigation of Israel.
Bolton said he did not believe the closure of the PLO office in Washington would shut the door on a long-delayed Arab-Israeli peace plan that Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has been developing for months.
He said the plan continued to be refined with an eye toward eventually proposing it.
The Palestinians said they were undeterred from going to the ICC. They deemed the planned PLO mission closure a new pressure tactic by a Trump administration that has slashed funding to a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees and to hospitals in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as capital of a future state.
“We reiterate that the rights of the Palestinian people are not for sale, that we will not succumb to U.S. threats and bullying,” Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said in a statement.
“Accordingly, we continue to call upon the International Criminal Court to open its immediate investigation into Israeli crimes.”
Israel welcomed the Trump administration’s move and accused the Palestinians of seeing the court as a way of sidestepping U.S.-sponsored bilateral talks. Those contacts stalled in 2014.
“The Palestinians’ resort to the ICC and refusal to negotiate with Israel and the United States is not the way to advance peace, and it is good that the United States is taking a clear stand on this matter,” said an Israeli official who requested anonymity.
‘WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH ICC’
Bolton said the Trump administration “will fight back” if the ICC proceeds with opening an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. service members and intelligence professionals during the war in Afghanistan.
“The ICC prosecutor has requested to investigate these Americans for alleged detainee abuse, and perhaps more - an utterly unfounded, unjustifiable investigation,” he said.
If such an inquiry goes ahead, the Trump administration will consider banning judges and prosecutors from entering the United States, put sanctions on any funds they have in the U.S. financial system and prosecute them in American courts, Bolton said.
“We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us,” he said.
In addition, the United States may negotiate more binding, bilateral agreements to prohibit nations from surrendering Americans to The Hague-based court, Bolton said.
The court’s aim is to bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The United States did not ratify the Rome treaty that established the ICC in 2002, with Republican President George W. Bush opposed to the court. Bush’s Democratic successor, Barack Obama, took some steps to cooperate with it.
Palestinians have reacted with dismay to the U.S. funding cuts, warning that they could lead to more poverty and anger - among factors stoking their decades of conflict with Israel.
Trump ordered last week that $25 million earmarked for the care of Palestinians in East Jerusalem be directed elsewhere.
“This decision will create serious cash-flow problems at the hospitals and will necessarily create delays in life-saving and other urgent treatments,” Walid Nammour, head of the network of six hospitals affected, told reporters on Monday. “Overall, the decision puts the health of 5 million Palestinians at risk.”
Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Stephen Farrell in Jerusalem; Editing by William Maclean and Peter Cooney
Trump administration takes aim at International Criminal Court, PLO
Steve Hollan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday threatened tough action against the International Criminal Court should it try to prosecute Americans for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and said the PLO’s office in Washington would be closed for seeking to punish Israel through the court.
“The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court,” national security adviser John Bolton told the Federalist Society, a conservative group, in his first major address since joining President Donald Trump’s White House in April.
The U.S. response could include sanctions against ICC judges should such prosecutions proceed, Bolton warned.
He added that the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington was being ordered closed out of concern about Palestinian attempts to prompt an ICC investigation of Israel.
Bolton said he did not believe the closure of the PLO office in Washington would shut the door on a long-delayed Arab-Israeli peace plan that Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has been developing for months.
He said the plan continued to be refined with an eye toward eventually proposing it.
The Palestinians said they were undeterred from going to the ICC. They deemed the planned PLO mission closure a new pressure tactic by a Trump administration that has slashed funding to a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees and to hospitals in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as capital of a future state.
“We reiterate that the rights of the Palestinian people are not for sale, that we will not succumb to U.S. threats and bullying,” Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said in a statement.
“Accordingly, we continue to call upon the International Criminal Court to open its immediate investigation into Israeli crimes.”
Israel welcomed the Trump administration’s move and accused the Palestinians of seeing the court as a way of sidestepping U.S.-sponsored bilateral talks. Those contacts stalled in 2014.
“The Palestinians’ resort to the ICC and refusal to negotiate with Israel and the United States is not the way to advance peace, and it is good that the United States is taking a clear stand on this matter,” said an Israeli official who requested anonymity.
‘WILL NOT COOPERATE WITH ICC’
Bolton said the Trump administration “will fight back” if the ICC proceeds with opening an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. service members and intelligence professionals during the war in Afghanistan.
“The ICC prosecutor has requested to investigate these Americans for alleged detainee abuse, and perhaps more - an utterly unfounded, unjustifiable investigation,” he said.
If such an inquiry goes ahead, the Trump administration will consider banning judges and prosecutors from entering the United States, put sanctions on any funds they have in the U.S. financial system and prosecute them in American courts, Bolton said.
“We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us,” he said.
In addition, the United States may negotiate more binding, bilateral agreements to prohibit nations from surrendering Americans to The Hague-based court, Bolton said.
The court’s aim is to bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The United States did not ratify the Rome treaty that established the ICC in 2002, with Republican President George W. Bush opposed to the court. Bush’s Democratic successor, Barack Obama, took some steps to cooperate with it.
Palestinians have reacted with dismay to the U.S. funding cuts, warning that they could lead to more poverty and anger - among factors stoking their decades of conflict with Israel.
Trump ordered last week that $25 million earmarked for the care of Palestinians in East Jerusalem be directed elsewhere.
“This decision will create serious cash-flow problems at the hospitals and will necessarily create delays in life-saving and other urgent treatments,” Walid Nammour, head of the network of six hospitals affected, told reporters on Monday. “Overall, the decision puts the health of 5 million Palestinians at risk.”
Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Stephen Farrell in Jerusalem; Editing by William Maclean and Peter Cooney
No, Plastic Straws Are Not The Worst Ocean Contaminant, Cigarette Butts Are - Forbes
Sept. 11, 2018.
No, Plastic Straws Are Not The Worst Ocean Contaminant, Cigarette Butts Are
Trevor Nace
While we have all heard the recent push to eliminate plastic straws from popular use, the cigarette butt has largely lost in the shuffle despite being the biggest ocean contaminant.
Plastic waste, especially in our world's oceans has increasingly become a widespread issue. Several international companies, including Starbucks, McDonald's, hotel chains Marriott and Hyatt, and the city of Seattle have all set plans in place to ban plastic straw use.
According to the Cigarette Butt Pollution Project, 5.5 trillion cigarettes are consumed every year, with 90% of them containing a plastic-based cigarette filter. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, an artificial fiber that takes decades to break down. NBC News reports that two-thirds of those filters are dumped, many of which make their way to oceans and beaches.
Cigarette filters were deployed in the mid-1900s as a marketing campaign by tobacco companies to lessen the growing concern over cigarette smoke hazards. However, they've been shown to be solely marketing tools, not causing a reduction in toxic chemicals from tobacco tar. Filtered cigarettes are no safer than unfiltered cigarettes. While the implementation of filters worked as a marketing campaign, they introduced a tremendous amount of waste with no added health benefits.
In this Aug. 2, 2011 photo, a French tourist put out a cigarette in an ashtray at La Ciotat beach near Marseille, southern France. A small town in Provence has found an unusual way to attract more vacationing families to its sun-drenched white sand beach: ban smoking from one stretch of its Mediterranean seafront, eliminating the cigarette butts dropped by careless smokers that find their way into children's' sand castles or worse, mouths. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)
With no added health benefit, popular opinion has been growing that tobacco companies should remove filters from their cigarettes and in doing so remove trillions of cigarette butts from ending up in oceans and landfills.
Civic Nation BRANDVOICE
Five Things Collegewise And Reach Higher Want You To Know
One of the largest continual beach cleanups, sponsored by the Ocean Conservatory, has been collecting trash yearly on beaches since 1986. In that time, cigarette butts were by far the most collected trash item on beaches.
Cigarette Butts: 2.4 million
Food Wrappers: 1.7 million
Plastic Bottles: 1.6 million
Plastic Bottle Caps: 1.0 million
Plastic Grocery Bags: 0.8 million
While cigarette butts are clearly a large issue when it comes to plastic waste, there remain large hurdles as to who holds the responsibility to eliminate the waste.
Should tobacco companies remove the ineffective filters similar to Starbucks opting to remove plastic straws? Should cigarette smokers the target of litter campaigns and taxed more heavily per pack as they are the ones improperly disposing of cigarette butts? Or should local cities and governments implement bans on cigarette buts similar to Seattle banning plastic straws? As of now, it's unclear who or what will take responsibility to reduce cigarette butt waste.
I am a geologist passionate about sharing Earth's intricacies with you. I received my PhD from Duke University where I studied the geology and climate of the Amazon. I am the founder of Science Trends, a leading source of science news and analysis on everything from climate ... MORE
Trevor Nace is a PhD geologist, founder of Science Trends, Forbes contributor, and explorer. Follow his journey @trevornace.
No, Plastic Straws Are Not The Worst Ocean Contaminant, Cigarette Butts Are
Trevor Nace
While we have all heard the recent push to eliminate plastic straws from popular use, the cigarette butt has largely lost in the shuffle despite being the biggest ocean contaminant.
Plastic waste, especially in our world's oceans has increasingly become a widespread issue. Several international companies, including Starbucks, McDonald's, hotel chains Marriott and Hyatt, and the city of Seattle have all set plans in place to ban plastic straw use.
According to the Cigarette Butt Pollution Project, 5.5 trillion cigarettes are consumed every year, with 90% of them containing a plastic-based cigarette filter. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, an artificial fiber that takes decades to break down. NBC News reports that two-thirds of those filters are dumped, many of which make their way to oceans and beaches.
Cigarette filters were deployed in the mid-1900s as a marketing campaign by tobacco companies to lessen the growing concern over cigarette smoke hazards. However, they've been shown to be solely marketing tools, not causing a reduction in toxic chemicals from tobacco tar. Filtered cigarettes are no safer than unfiltered cigarettes. While the implementation of filters worked as a marketing campaign, they introduced a tremendous amount of waste with no added health benefits.
In this Aug. 2, 2011 photo, a French tourist put out a cigarette in an ashtray at La Ciotat beach near Marseille, southern France. A small town in Provence has found an unusual way to attract more vacationing families to its sun-drenched white sand beach: ban smoking from one stretch of its Mediterranean seafront, eliminating the cigarette butts dropped by careless smokers that find their way into children's' sand castles or worse, mouths. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)
With no added health benefit, popular opinion has been growing that tobacco companies should remove filters from their cigarettes and in doing so remove trillions of cigarette butts from ending up in oceans and landfills.
Civic Nation BRANDVOICE
Five Things Collegewise And Reach Higher Want You To Know
One of the largest continual beach cleanups, sponsored by the Ocean Conservatory, has been collecting trash yearly on beaches since 1986. In that time, cigarette butts were by far the most collected trash item on beaches.
Cigarette Butts: 2.4 million
Food Wrappers: 1.7 million
Plastic Bottles: 1.6 million
Plastic Bottle Caps: 1.0 million
Plastic Grocery Bags: 0.8 million
While cigarette butts are clearly a large issue when it comes to plastic waste, there remain large hurdles as to who holds the responsibility to eliminate the waste.
Should tobacco companies remove the ineffective filters similar to Starbucks opting to remove plastic straws? Should cigarette smokers the target of litter campaigns and taxed more heavily per pack as they are the ones improperly disposing of cigarette butts? Or should local cities and governments implement bans on cigarette buts similar to Seattle banning plastic straws? As of now, it's unclear who or what will take responsibility to reduce cigarette butt waste.
I am a geologist passionate about sharing Earth's intricacies with you. I received my PhD from Duke University where I studied the geology and climate of the Amazon. I am the founder of Science Trends, a leading source of science news and analysis on everything from climate ... MORE
Trevor Nace is a PhD geologist, founder of Science Trends, Forbes contributor, and explorer. Follow his journey @trevornace.
UN rights chief urges Egypt to overturn mass death sentences - Al Jazeera
UN rights chief urges Egypt to overturn mass death sentences
Michele Bachelet said sentences handed to detainees were a result of an 'unfair trial'.
9 Sept 2018
Michelle Bachelet has urged Egypt's appeals court to overturn mass death sentences
US decision to shut PLO office 'denies Palestinians as people'
today
HRW report: Chinese government violates Xinjiang Muslims' rights
today
Will death sentences deter Sisi's opponents in Egypt?
yesterday
France exhibition shines spotlight on civilians in war zones
yesterday
The UN's human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, has asked Egypt to overturn mass death sentences handed down to members of the opposition, including senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
On Saturday, an Egyptian court delivered death sentences to 75 people over their participation in a 2013 sit-in protest at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo that ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters.
Those present were protesting a military coup a month earlier, which overthrew Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi - a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
If carried out, the sentences "would represent a gross and irreversible miscarriage of justice", Bachelet said, further describing the trials as "unfair".
Defendants were denied the right to individual lawyers and to present evidence, while "the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to prove individual guilt", she added in a statement.
Brotherhood leaders Essam el-Erian and Mohamed Beltagi were sentenced to death, while Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's spiritual leader, was handed a life sentence.
In total 46 people were handed life sentences, while 612 others received prison terms ranging from five to 15 years after a mass trial in Cairo.
Among those convicted of a jail term was photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan. He was handed a five-year sentence but should walk free for time served.
The journalist has been imprisoned since he was picked up by security forces in August 2013 while covering the killings in Cairo.
Al Jazeera's journalist Abdullah Elshamy was also sentenced to 15 years in absentia.
In a statement on Saturday, Al Jazeera condemned his sentencing as "a continuation of the Egyptian authorities' efforts to silence Al Jazeera and its journalists and to deter and intimidate the Network from covering developments in Egypt".
Amnesty International condemned the mass sentences as a "disgrace".
Michele Bachelet said sentences handed to detainees were a result of an 'unfair trial'.
9 Sept 2018
Michelle Bachelet has urged Egypt's appeals court to overturn mass death sentences
US decision to shut PLO office 'denies Palestinians as people'
today
HRW report: Chinese government violates Xinjiang Muslims' rights
today
Will death sentences deter Sisi's opponents in Egypt?
yesterday
France exhibition shines spotlight on civilians in war zones
yesterday
The UN's human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, has asked Egypt to overturn mass death sentences handed down to members of the opposition, including senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
On Saturday, an Egyptian court delivered death sentences to 75 people over their participation in a 2013 sit-in protest at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo that ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters.
Those present were protesting a military coup a month earlier, which overthrew Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi - a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
If carried out, the sentences "would represent a gross and irreversible miscarriage of justice", Bachelet said, further describing the trials as "unfair".
Defendants were denied the right to individual lawyers and to present evidence, while "the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to prove individual guilt", she added in a statement.
Brotherhood leaders Essam el-Erian and Mohamed Beltagi were sentenced to death, while Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's spiritual leader, was handed a life sentence.
In total 46 people were handed life sentences, while 612 others received prison terms ranging from five to 15 years after a mass trial in Cairo.
Among those convicted of a jail term was photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan. He was handed a five-year sentence but should walk free for time served.
The journalist has been imprisoned since he was picked up by security forces in August 2013 while covering the killings in Cairo.
Al Jazeera's journalist Abdullah Elshamy was also sentenced to 15 years in absentia.
In a statement on Saturday, Al Jazeera condemned his sentencing as "a continuation of the Egyptian authorities' efforts to silence Al Jazeera and its journalists and to deter and intimidate the Network from covering developments in Egypt".
Amnesty International condemned the mass sentences as a "disgrace".
Russia launches biggest war games since Cold War - BBC News
Sept. 11, 2018.
Russia launches biggest war games since Cold War
Russia has intensified combat drills for its armed forces - despite the expense
Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War, involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia.
China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in "Vostok-2018", with many Chinese armoured vehicles and aircraft. Mongolia is also sending some units.
The last Russian exercise of similar scale was in 1981, during the Cold War, but Vostok-2018 involves more troops.
The week-long manoeuvres come at a time of heightened Nato-Russia tensions.
As the exercises began, Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a forum in the eastern city of Vladivostok and told him "we have a trusting relationship in the sphere of politics, security and defence".
Relations between Russia and Nato - a 29-member defence alliance dominated by the US - have worsened since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
What is Nato?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the drills were justified given "aggressive and unfriendly" attitudes towards Russia.
What will happen in the drills?
Tuesday and Wednesday will see planning and preparation while actual operations will start on Thursday and last five days, the head of the Russian general staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, was quoted as saying.
The Russian defence ministry says 36,000 tanks, armoured personnel carriers and armoured infantry vehicles will take part in Vostok-2018, from 11 to 17 September, along with more than 1,000 aircraft. Vostok is Russian for east.
The exercise will be spread across five army training grounds, four airbases and areas in the Sea of Japan, Bering Straits and Sea of Okhotsk. Up to 80 naval vessels will take part, from two Russian fleets.
The drills will not be near the disputed Kuril islands north of Japan, Russia says.
The ministry's TV channel Zvezda says three brigades of Russian paratroops will play a key role, during drills at the Tsugol military range, near Russia's borders with China and Mongolia.
A key aim is to practise the rapid deployment of thousands of troops, as well as aircraft and vehicles, from western Russia to eastern regions, across thousands of miles, TV Zvezda reports. That involves in-flight refuelling of fighter jets.
The scale of Vostok-2018 is equivalent to the forces deployed in one of the big World War Two battles.
A smaller-scale Russia-Belarus exercise was held last year.
Why is this happening now?
President Vladimir Putin has made military modernisation, including new nuclear missiles, a priority.
Russia's armed forces are reckoned to have about one million personnel in total.
A Russian senator and reserve colonel, Frants Klintsevich, said "it suited the West that our units and headquarters lacked combat skills and co-ordination, but times have changed; now we have a different attitude to combat readiness".
Read more on Russia's military:
Russia's military role in Syria grows
Russia's new military - should Nato worry?
Russia launches huge war games with Belarus
Why is China involved?
The Chinese defence ministry spoke of deepening military co-operation and enhancing both sides ability to jointly respond to "various security threats", without specifying those threats.
Mongolia has not given details of its involvement.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says Islamist extremism in Central Asia is a major threat to Russian security.
Chinese and Russian naval infantry trained together in Russia's far east last year
China has imposed heavy security and censorship in the mainly Muslim Xinjiang region.
Xinjiang has seen intermittent violence - followed by crackdowns - for years. China accuses Islamist militants and separatists of orchestrating the trouble.
China denies holding one million Uighurs
China's 'globalised' military power
In recent years Russia and China have deepened military co-operation and during these drills they will have a joint field headquarters.
It contrasts with the Cold War years when the USSR and China were rivals for global communist leadership and clashed on their far eastern border.
What has Nato said?
Spokesman Dylan White said Nato was briefed on Vostok-2018 in May and would monitor it.
He said "all nations have the right to exercise their armed forces, but it is essential that this is done in a transparent and predictable manner".
"Vostok demonstrates Russia's focus on exercising large-scale conflict. It fits into a pattern we have seen over some time: a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defence budget and its military presence."
Why is Russia-Nato tension high?
It has been increasing since Russia intervened in Ukraine in 2014, backing pro-Russian separatist rebels.
Nato responded by deploying extra forces in eastern Europe, sending 4,000 troops to the Baltic region.
Russia says the Nato build-up is unjustified and provocative. It says the Ukrainian revolution of 2013-2014 was a coup masterminded by the West.
Russian diplomats were expelled from Nato countries after the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, with a nerve agent in southern England in March. The UK blamed Russian military intelligence - the GRU - for the attack; Moscow denied involvement.
Russia launches biggest war games since Cold War
Russia has intensified combat drills for its armed forces - despite the expense
Russia has launched its biggest military exercise since the Cold War, involving about 300,000 service personnel, in eastern Siberia.
China is sending 3,200 troops to take part in "Vostok-2018", with many Chinese armoured vehicles and aircraft. Mongolia is also sending some units.
The last Russian exercise of similar scale was in 1981, during the Cold War, but Vostok-2018 involves more troops.
The week-long manoeuvres come at a time of heightened Nato-Russia tensions.
As the exercises began, Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a forum in the eastern city of Vladivostok and told him "we have a trusting relationship in the sphere of politics, security and defence".
Relations between Russia and Nato - a 29-member defence alliance dominated by the US - have worsened since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
What is Nato?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the drills were justified given "aggressive and unfriendly" attitudes towards Russia.
What will happen in the drills?
Tuesday and Wednesday will see planning and preparation while actual operations will start on Thursday and last five days, the head of the Russian general staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, was quoted as saying.
The Russian defence ministry says 36,000 tanks, armoured personnel carriers and armoured infantry vehicles will take part in Vostok-2018, from 11 to 17 September, along with more than 1,000 aircraft. Vostok is Russian for east.
The exercise will be spread across five army training grounds, four airbases and areas in the Sea of Japan, Bering Straits and Sea of Okhotsk. Up to 80 naval vessels will take part, from two Russian fleets.
The drills will not be near the disputed Kuril islands north of Japan, Russia says.
The ministry's TV channel Zvezda says three brigades of Russian paratroops will play a key role, during drills at the Tsugol military range, near Russia's borders with China and Mongolia.
A key aim is to practise the rapid deployment of thousands of troops, as well as aircraft and vehicles, from western Russia to eastern regions, across thousands of miles, TV Zvezda reports. That involves in-flight refuelling of fighter jets.
The scale of Vostok-2018 is equivalent to the forces deployed in one of the big World War Two battles.
A smaller-scale Russia-Belarus exercise was held last year.
Why is this happening now?
President Vladimir Putin has made military modernisation, including new nuclear missiles, a priority.
Russia's armed forces are reckoned to have about one million personnel in total.
A Russian senator and reserve colonel, Frants Klintsevich, said "it suited the West that our units and headquarters lacked combat skills and co-ordination, but times have changed; now we have a different attitude to combat readiness".
Read more on Russia's military:
Russia's military role in Syria grows
Russia's new military - should Nato worry?
Russia launches huge war games with Belarus
Why is China involved?
The Chinese defence ministry spoke of deepening military co-operation and enhancing both sides ability to jointly respond to "various security threats", without specifying those threats.
Mongolia has not given details of its involvement.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says Islamist extremism in Central Asia is a major threat to Russian security.
Chinese and Russian naval infantry trained together in Russia's far east last year
China has imposed heavy security and censorship in the mainly Muslim Xinjiang region.
Xinjiang has seen intermittent violence - followed by crackdowns - for years. China accuses Islamist militants and separatists of orchestrating the trouble.
China denies holding one million Uighurs
China's 'globalised' military power
In recent years Russia and China have deepened military co-operation and during these drills they will have a joint field headquarters.
It contrasts with the Cold War years when the USSR and China were rivals for global communist leadership and clashed on their far eastern border.
What has Nato said?
Spokesman Dylan White said Nato was briefed on Vostok-2018 in May and would monitor it.
He said "all nations have the right to exercise their armed forces, but it is essential that this is done in a transparent and predictable manner".
"Vostok demonstrates Russia's focus on exercising large-scale conflict. It fits into a pattern we have seen over some time: a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defence budget and its military presence."
Why is Russia-Nato tension high?
It has been increasing since Russia intervened in Ukraine in 2014, backing pro-Russian separatist rebels.
Nato responded by deploying extra forces in eastern Europe, sending 4,000 troops to the Baltic region.
Russia says the Nato build-up is unjustified and provocative. It says the Ukrainian revolution of 2013-2014 was a coup masterminded by the West.
Russian diplomats were expelled from Nato countries after the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, with a nerve agent in southern England in March. The UK blamed Russian military intelligence - the GRU - for the attack; Moscow denied involvement.
Fan Bingbing: Vanished Chinese star 'not socially responsible' - BBC News
Fan Bingbing: Vanished Chinese star 'not socially responsible'
By Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring
11 September 2018
Fan Bingbing, who got a 0% score in the report, has not been seen in public since 1 July
Chinese film star Fan Bingbing has been ranked last in a report judging A-list celebrities on how "socially responsible" they are, fuelling further speculation about the whereabouts of the actress, who has not been seen in public for more than two months.
The 2017-2018 China Film and Television Star Social Responsibility Report, carried widely by state media outlets, ranks Chinese celebrities according to three criteria: professional work, charitable actions and personal integrity.
It praises celebrities who have become "relatively strong role models", but also highlights cases where it says they have had a "negative" social impact.
But what is most notable is its 0% rating for Fan Bingbing, one of China's biggest stars, who hasn't been seen in public since 1 July when she visited a children's hospital.
The report was authored by academics at Beijing Normal University.
Who is Fan Bingbing?
She is known internationally as a singer and model, as well as for her appearance in the X-Men film franchise.
Her name has been linked to a government probe involving celebrities using "yin-yang contracts" - a practice where one contract sets out an actor's real earnings, and another details a lower figure, with the latter submitted to the tax authorities.
'Disappearance' of top Chinese actress Fan Bingbing concerns fans
Inside China's online celebrity 'incubator'
China's online celebrity economy
China caps film stars' pay over 'money worship and tax evasion'
Although Fan Bingbing's studio denies any wrongdoing, online users are speculating that the reason she scored 0% is a result of the widely-circulated allegations, which state media have said have had a negative impact on society.
There is no word on what has happened to Fan. However there is speculation she has been arrested.
Most recently, state-run Chinese publication Securities Daily published a report which said she had been placed "under control, and would "accept the legal decision".
But the story was pulled down a few hours later.
How does the report rank stars?
The authors said they studied the behaviour of 100 Chinese singers, actors, and public figures - based in China and abroad - to assess the extent of their social responsibility.
They did not specify exactly how they arrived at the results in the test, but said that their findings were based on "research and web-scraping".
Image copyrightVISUAL CHINA GROUP
Image caption
The three members of boyband TFBoys passed the 'socially responsible' test
Only nine celebrities were deemed to be socially responsible enough, however, with a pass requiring a score of more than 60%.The report stressed that celebrities had to do more to promote "positive energy" and hinted that they needed to be more aware of behaviour and actions that might have a "negative social impact".
"We wanted to have a more thorough evaluation of celebrities," Zhang Hongzhong, who led the project, told English-language news website Sixth Tone.
He said that many celebrities were in danger of being simply branded "little fresh meats" - an internet buzzword used to describe good looking young men - and that their activism and philanthropy work was often overlooked.
So who passed?
Top of the list is actor Xu Zheng (78%), who appeared in the highly acclaimed film Dying to Survive. The film was based on a true story about a Chinese man smuggling cheap Indian drugs into the mainland to help cancer sufferers.
The Chinese government wants actors like Wu Zheng in 'Dying to Survive' to inspire young people
Two and three in the list are members of the hugely popular boy band TFBoys, in recognition of their philanthropic work. Another member comes fifth.
Actor Yang Yang (61.%), who ranks ninth, is highlighted because he set up a charity to help educate underprivileged children in remote mountainous regions.
How did people react?
State media are highlighting the report as a significant document, and outlets are praising the higher-ranked celebrities.
Social media users meanwhile - who have been long been fascinated by celebrity rankings - are weighing in on what the document might mean for their favourite celebrities, particularly Fan Bingbing.
Many users of the Sina Weibo microblog have voiced their surprise and concern that she has ranked so low, given there is no evidence of her being involved in any misconduct.
Actor Jackie Chan recently donated 50,000 copies of his autobiography to the China Disabled Persons' Federation
"Fan Bingbing has been working on a public welfare project," one user said. Another added that for her to get zero was "not right; she does a lot of public welfare."
"When the Tianjin fire broke out, Fan Bingbing donated one million yuan ($145,655; £112,565) to the Tianjin Fire Brigade. Has all the good she's done before just been erased?" one asked.
Actress gets China talking about periods
Putin lookalike becomes a Chinese celebrity
The bad ratings given to other celebrities has caused annoyance as well. One user, for instance, pointed out that actor Jackie Chan and Tibetan singer Han Hong, who rank 42nd and 59th, are well-known philanthropists.
Why does this report matter?
Chinese celebrities have long understood that taking a path of "virtue" is key to maintaining mainland audiences, and that it's extremely difficult to bounce back after being linked to scandal.
The country's media has also long stressed that celebrities need to spread "positive energy" among young audiences; in other words, to be upbeat and promote healthy moral values.
So they have lauded celebrities who have, for example, openly condemned tobacco or drug use.
But celebrities who voice opinions in line with government rhetoric gain even higher praise, for example if they promote the importance of young audiences referring to the self-ruling island of Taiwan as a "Chinese region" rather than a "country".
This latest emphasis on social responsibility, which media and fans alike are taking as a new mark of power, could now put more pressure on them to do just that.
By Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring
11 September 2018
Fan Bingbing, who got a 0% score in the report, has not been seen in public since 1 July
Chinese film star Fan Bingbing has been ranked last in a report judging A-list celebrities on how "socially responsible" they are, fuelling further speculation about the whereabouts of the actress, who has not been seen in public for more than two months.
The 2017-2018 China Film and Television Star Social Responsibility Report, carried widely by state media outlets, ranks Chinese celebrities according to three criteria: professional work, charitable actions and personal integrity.
It praises celebrities who have become "relatively strong role models", but also highlights cases where it says they have had a "negative" social impact.
But what is most notable is its 0% rating for Fan Bingbing, one of China's biggest stars, who hasn't been seen in public since 1 July when she visited a children's hospital.
The report was authored by academics at Beijing Normal University.
Who is Fan Bingbing?
She is known internationally as a singer and model, as well as for her appearance in the X-Men film franchise.
Her name has been linked to a government probe involving celebrities using "yin-yang contracts" - a practice where one contract sets out an actor's real earnings, and another details a lower figure, with the latter submitted to the tax authorities.
'Disappearance' of top Chinese actress Fan Bingbing concerns fans
Inside China's online celebrity 'incubator'
China's online celebrity economy
China caps film stars' pay over 'money worship and tax evasion'
Although Fan Bingbing's studio denies any wrongdoing, online users are speculating that the reason she scored 0% is a result of the widely-circulated allegations, which state media have said have had a negative impact on society.
There is no word on what has happened to Fan. However there is speculation she has been arrested.
Most recently, state-run Chinese publication Securities Daily published a report which said she had been placed "under control, and would "accept the legal decision".
But the story was pulled down a few hours later.
How does the report rank stars?
The authors said they studied the behaviour of 100 Chinese singers, actors, and public figures - based in China and abroad - to assess the extent of their social responsibility.
They did not specify exactly how they arrived at the results in the test, but said that their findings were based on "research and web-scraping".
Image copyrightVISUAL CHINA GROUP
Image caption
The three members of boyband TFBoys passed the 'socially responsible' test
Only nine celebrities were deemed to be socially responsible enough, however, with a pass requiring a score of more than 60%.The report stressed that celebrities had to do more to promote "positive energy" and hinted that they needed to be more aware of behaviour and actions that might have a "negative social impact".
"We wanted to have a more thorough evaluation of celebrities," Zhang Hongzhong, who led the project, told English-language news website Sixth Tone.
He said that many celebrities were in danger of being simply branded "little fresh meats" - an internet buzzword used to describe good looking young men - and that their activism and philanthropy work was often overlooked.
So who passed?
Top of the list is actor Xu Zheng (78%), who appeared in the highly acclaimed film Dying to Survive. The film was based on a true story about a Chinese man smuggling cheap Indian drugs into the mainland to help cancer sufferers.
The Chinese government wants actors like Wu Zheng in 'Dying to Survive' to inspire young people
Two and three in the list are members of the hugely popular boy band TFBoys, in recognition of their philanthropic work. Another member comes fifth.
Actor Yang Yang (61.%), who ranks ninth, is highlighted because he set up a charity to help educate underprivileged children in remote mountainous regions.
How did people react?
State media are highlighting the report as a significant document, and outlets are praising the higher-ranked celebrities.
Social media users meanwhile - who have been long been fascinated by celebrity rankings - are weighing in on what the document might mean for their favourite celebrities, particularly Fan Bingbing.
Many users of the Sina Weibo microblog have voiced their surprise and concern that she has ranked so low, given there is no evidence of her being involved in any misconduct.
Actor Jackie Chan recently donated 50,000 copies of his autobiography to the China Disabled Persons' Federation
"Fan Bingbing has been working on a public welfare project," one user said. Another added that for her to get zero was "not right; she does a lot of public welfare."
"When the Tianjin fire broke out, Fan Bingbing donated one million yuan ($145,655; £112,565) to the Tianjin Fire Brigade. Has all the good she's done before just been erased?" one asked.
Actress gets China talking about periods
Putin lookalike becomes a Chinese celebrity
The bad ratings given to other celebrities has caused annoyance as well. One user, for instance, pointed out that actor Jackie Chan and Tibetan singer Han Hong, who rank 42nd and 59th, are well-known philanthropists.
Why does this report matter?
Chinese celebrities have long understood that taking a path of "virtue" is key to maintaining mainland audiences, and that it's extremely difficult to bounce back after being linked to scandal.
The country's media has also long stressed that celebrities need to spread "positive energy" among young audiences; in other words, to be upbeat and promote healthy moral values.
So they have lauded celebrities who have, for example, openly condemned tobacco or drug use.
But celebrities who voice opinions in line with government rhetoric gain even higher praise, for example if they promote the importance of young audiences referring to the self-ruling island of Taiwan as a "Chinese region" rather than a "country".
This latest emphasis on social responsibility, which media and fans alike are taking as a new mark of power, could now put more pressure on them to do just that.
Trump receives 'warm' letter from Kim about new summit - BBC News
Sept. 11, 2018.
Trump receives 'warm' letter from Kim about new summit
Time for a sequel to this summer's blockbuster summit?
North Korea's Kim Jong-un has written to US President Donald Trump asking for a follow-up to their historic summit, the White House says.
The US says it is already looking at scheduling a new meeting.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the "very warm" letter showed Pyongyang's "continued commitment to focus on denuclearisation".
Negotiations on the topic appeared to have stalled after the two leaders' historic summit in Singapore in June.
"The primary purpose of the letter was to request and look to schedule another meeting with the president, which we are open to and are already in the process of co-ordinating that," Ms Sanders said.
She gave no indication of when a second meeting between the two leaders could potentially take place.
North Korea's dazzling propaganda show
Six months' training for 10 minutes on parade
'I marched in a North Korean parade'
Media captionThe anniversary parade showed off North Korea's military strength
South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed the news, saying that "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is an issue that should fundamentally be resolved between the US and North Korea through negotiation",
Mr Moon had been crucial in brokering the Singapore summit in June and is himself scheduled to meet with Mr Kim in Pyongyang next week for a third round of face-to-face talks.
The BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul says Mr Moon sees himself as a mediator between the two sides and has called on them both to make bold steps.
Pyongyang's letter comes a day after Yukiya Amano, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, warned that North Korea's ongoing nuclear activities violated UN Security Council resolutions.
International inspectors are banned from North Korea, but Mr Amano said they were ready to return if a political agreement could be reached.
'Very warm, very positive'
Ms Sanders also praised North Korea's military parade last weekend, saying that it "for once was not about their nuclear arsenal". She attributed that to the "tremendous success" of Mr Trump's policies.
While North Korea did roll out soldiers, tanks and other weaponry, the parade did not display any intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at the parade marking its 70th anniversary, reports say.
A display of ICBMs - which can reach the US mainland, potentially carrying a nuclear warhead - would have been seen as provocative.
Thousands of troops marched in the parade
Mr Trump himself thanked the North Korean leader via Twitter, saying the parade was "a big and very positive statement from North Korea".
"Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong!"
Did Trump and Kim really achieve anything in Singapore?
What were the results of the Trump-Kim summit?
Why did Trump mention N Korea's beaches?
Trump Kim summit: Win-win or a Kim win?
At their June summit in Singapore, the two leaders signed an agreement to work towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
But it did not include a timeline, details or any mechanisms to verify the process.
High-level talks and visits have continued, but the most recent scheduled trip by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was called off at the last minute.
Both sides have also blamed each other for stalling negotiations while insisting that they were committed to the process.
Trump receives 'warm' letter from Kim about new summit
Time for a sequel to this summer's blockbuster summit?
North Korea's Kim Jong-un has written to US President Donald Trump asking for a follow-up to their historic summit, the White House says.
The US says it is already looking at scheduling a new meeting.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the "very warm" letter showed Pyongyang's "continued commitment to focus on denuclearisation".
Negotiations on the topic appeared to have stalled after the two leaders' historic summit in Singapore in June.
"The primary purpose of the letter was to request and look to schedule another meeting with the president, which we are open to and are already in the process of co-ordinating that," Ms Sanders said.
She gave no indication of when a second meeting between the two leaders could potentially take place.
North Korea's dazzling propaganda show
Six months' training for 10 minutes on parade
'I marched in a North Korean parade'
Media captionThe anniversary parade showed off North Korea's military strength
South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed the news, saying that "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is an issue that should fundamentally be resolved between the US and North Korea through negotiation",
Mr Moon had been crucial in brokering the Singapore summit in June and is himself scheduled to meet with Mr Kim in Pyongyang next week for a third round of face-to-face talks.
The BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul says Mr Moon sees himself as a mediator between the two sides and has called on them both to make bold steps.
Pyongyang's letter comes a day after Yukiya Amano, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, warned that North Korea's ongoing nuclear activities violated UN Security Council resolutions.
International inspectors are banned from North Korea, but Mr Amano said they were ready to return if a political agreement could be reached.
'Very warm, very positive'
Ms Sanders also praised North Korea's military parade last weekend, saying that it "for once was not about their nuclear arsenal". She attributed that to the "tremendous success" of Mr Trump's policies.
While North Korea did roll out soldiers, tanks and other weaponry, the parade did not display any intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at the parade marking its 70th anniversary, reports say.
A display of ICBMs - which can reach the US mainland, potentially carrying a nuclear warhead - would have been seen as provocative.
Thousands of troops marched in the parade
Mr Trump himself thanked the North Korean leader via Twitter, saying the parade was "a big and very positive statement from North Korea".
"Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will both prove everyone wrong!"
Did Trump and Kim really achieve anything in Singapore?
What were the results of the Trump-Kim summit?
Why did Trump mention N Korea's beaches?
Trump Kim summit: Win-win or a Kim win?
At their June summit in Singapore, the two leaders signed an agreement to work towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
But it did not include a timeline, details or any mechanisms to verify the process.
High-level talks and visits have continued, but the most recent scheduled trip by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was called off at the last minute.
Both sides have also blamed each other for stalling negotiations while insisting that they were committed to the process.
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