N Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories' - BBC News

28/2/2018

N Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories'

There have been recent reports of chlorine gas attacks in the eastern Ghouta region

North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used to make chemical weapons, a UN report says.

Some 40 previously unreported shipments were made between 2012 and 2017, the report found. Materials included acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes.

The report - yet to be released - said N Korean missile specialists had been seen at Syrian weapon-making centres.

The allegations follow new reports of chlorine being used by Syrian forces, which the government denies.

Meanwhile, air strikes were heard in the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus as a second daily pause in fighting was due to get under way to allow in relief aid.

Aid was unable to enter the rebel-held region on Tuesday - the first of the five-hour "pauses" in fighting - after clashes continued.

Activists blamed government air and artillery strikes, while Russia said rebels had shelled a "humanitarian corridor" meant to let civilians leave.

What are the allegations against North Korea?

North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear programme.

Is North Korea just playing the US?

But a confidential report, compiled by a US Panel of Experts which assesses North Korea's compliance with UN resolutions, found evidence of illicit supplies sent to Syria.

Seen by the BBC, the report says the items included high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers.

The Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) - a Syrian government agency - is alleged to have paid North Korea via a number of front companies.

'Chance of N Korea war highest in decades' says ex-US general

Among the alleged shipments were at least five sent via a Chinese trading firm, Cheng Tong Trading Co Ltd, the report says.

The shipments allegedly contained acid-resistant tiles - which can be used for activities conducted at high temperatures - at a quantity that would cover the area of a large scale industrial project.

While the seized items "do not appear on any control lists", they included "materials that can be used to build bricks for the interior walls of [a] chemical factory", the report noted.

North Korea flouting sanctions, UN told

China responded to the Panel's findings, saying it had no "evidence demonstrating the Cheng Tong Trading Co has business with" any North Korean entities in violation of Security Council violations.

The Syrian government told the UN panel that the only North Koreans present in Syria are sports coaches and athletes.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric did not say whether the leaked report would be published, but told the New York Times: "I think the overarching message is that all member states have a duty and responsibility to abide by the sanctions that are in place."

In a September 2017 report, which is publicly available, the group said it was "investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and conventional arms cooperation" between Syria and North Korea.

It said that two UN member states had intercepted shipments bound for Syria, and that the goods were suspected to be supplied by North Korea's main arms exporter as part of a contract with front companies representing the SSRC.

What is Syria's position on chemical weapons?

Syria signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention and agreed to have its declared chemical weapons stock destroyed in 2013 after a Sarin nerve agent attack killed hundreds of people in rebel-held suburbs of Damascus..

It has been accused of repeatedly using banned chemical weapons in the civil war since then.

Syria 'still producing chemical weapons'

The spectre of nerve agents in Syria - again

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) concluded that Sarin was used in Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-held town in Idlib province, last April in an incident that killed more than 80 people. OPCW and UN investigators are confident the Syrian air force was to blame.

The US carried out missile strikes on a Syrian air base in response but President Bashar al-Assad maintained the incident was faked.

Suspected chlorine attacks have been recently reported in Syria, including on Sunday in the Eastern Ghouta.

The OPCW is investigating those attacks, Reuters news agency reports, citing diplomatic sources. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is among Western leaders who have suggested the Syrian government could be attacked if there is fresh "incontrovertible" evidence that chemical weapons have been used against civilians.

Why is North Korea's involvement controversial?

Experts say that North Korea has long offered military supplies and weapons know-how around the world in exchange for cash.

The UN report is said to highlight its efforts to illicitly trade with dozens of countries and groups in the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.

US to impose 'largest' N Korea sanctions

Reality Check: How North Korea does business

Syria and North Korea have decades-old military ties.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said Washington was imposing a fresh set of sanctions on North Korea, targeting more than 50 ships and maritime transport companies in several countries.

North Korea is already under a range of international and US sanctions over its nuclear programme and missile tests.

Viewpoint: Chemical weapons ‘threat to West’

North Korea crisis in 300 words

But it continued tests last year, including tests of a nuclear weapon and a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the US.

The US says the new sanctions are designed to put a further squeeze on North Korea, cutting off sources of revenue and fuel for its nuclear programme and clamping down on evasion of already existing restrictions.

Trump Talks About Shooting Response But Holds Back on Commitment - Bloomberg

Trump Talks About Shooting Response But Holds Back on Commitment

By and

February 27, 2018, 8:00 PM GMT+11

Hasn’t asked lawmakers to back specific bills, GOP aides say

Bipartisan legislation on background checks hits a bump

A makeshift memorial for victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Photographer: Rhona Wise/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump has talked a lot about school shootings since the Florida massacre but so far he isn’t putting his weight behind any legislative response.

Trump and his advisers have been consulting Republican lawmakers on what measures might win backing from their colleagues, but the White House hasn’t yet requested their support for specific measures or committed to backing any plan, two Republican congressional aides said.

One measure the president has spoken of approvingly in public -- legislation that would close gaps in criminal records entered into the database for existing federal gun background checks -- has already hit a bump. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, a staunch gun rights advocate, blocked the chamber from considering the bill under an expedited procedure.

House Republicans also are deeply divided over whether to allow consideration of the background check legislation without a provision anathema to gun-control advocates requiring all states to honor concealed carry permits issued in other states, said Representative Tom Reed, a New York Republican.

Forceful backing from Trump may be critical if any new firearms restriction is to pass Congress. Both chambers are controlled by the Republican Party, where gun-rights enthusiasts hold great clout.

“The best way to achieve a modest, focused new gun safety law that respects the Second Amendment is for President Trump to make a clear and specific request,” said Michael Steel, a Republican strategist and former spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. “His strong relationship with the NRA, and his powerful influence with the GOP base, means that any legislation he supports should pass both Houses.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Monday injected some uncertainty into earlier statements the president made in favor of raising to 21 the age limit for purchase of semi-automatic rifles. She cautioned that while Trump is “supportive of the concept” the idea is “still being discussed” and his backing will depend on the final form of legislation.

Political Anxiety

Trump has yet to show the clear direction members of Congress will need to undertake the political peril of imposing firearms limitations, said Representative Brian Mast, a Florida Republican.

"Lawmakers are all across the board on this -- nobody knows if they can get on board with the age or with the background checks, or with this,” Mast said on CNN’s “AC360” program. "I would ask the president, ‘Mr. President, lead on this in the same way that you led with the travel ban.’”

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said the administration is “anxious” to see legislation “moved on quickly” in the wake of the Florida shooting, adding that he will be on Capitol Hill conferring with lawmakers on Tuesday.

Trump has voiced support for enhancing collection of criminal records and mental health information for the firearms background check system, allowing police officers to confiscate guns from the mentally ill, and encouraging some teachers in schools to carry concealed guns to fight attackers. He also has said he would take regulatory action to ban “bump stocks” that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly.

But the White House hasn’t followed up with specific plans or legislative proposals.

The president and his aides are coalescing on a strategy to pursue a series of separate legislative measures, starting with the bill enhancing collection of criminal records, one administration official said. The White House doubts there is currently sufficient support in Congress to raise the purchase age for guns, the official said.

Since the Feb. 14 shootings at a Parkland, Florida, high school that killed 17 people, Trump has held lengthy televised meetings with relatives of school shooting victims, survivors, and local officials and state governors.

NRA Lunch

He also had a private lunch Sunday with NRA Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre and top lobbyist Chris Cox and has conferred in recent days with Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. The White House plans a meeting with bipartisan lawmakers on Wednesday.

Trump said Monday he’s willing to take on the NRA though he expects the group to ultimately back his legislative proposals.

“Don’t worry about the NRA, they’re on our side,” Trump said during the meeting with state governors. “But sometimes we’re going to have to be very tough and we’re going to have to fight them.”

The NRA opposes raising the age for the purchase of semiautomatic rifles to 21 from 18.

Records Fix

Sanders said Trump currently supports legislation sponsored by Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut that would close gaps in the criminal records covered by federal background checks for gun purchases, a measure the NRA backs.

The legislation, known as Fix-NICS, would penalize federal agencies that fail to report relevant criminal records that would bar someone from purchasing a firearm under current law to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Cornyn said that bill could be the catalyst for a broader legislative push, and could receive a vote as early as this week, despite Lee’s objection. He said the timing was still being negotiated by lawmakers from both parties.

“To me, that’s the most obvious place to start,” Cornyn said. “I’m not saying to finish there but to start there.”

While House Republicans support pairing that bill with the concealed carry reciprocity measure, Cornyn said he wants to pass a stand alone measure in the Senate. Sanders said she did not know which legislative strategy Trump supports.

Democrats have called for more significant action to change gun laws.

“If we only pass Fix NICS, we’ll be right back here after the next shooting, in nearly the same place,” Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate’s Democratic leader, said on Monday. “We must do more than that.”

Among other proposals, Democrats have called for universal background checks that cover private gun sales in addition to sales by federally licensed dealers, which currently require background checks.

Primary Perils

Even Trump may not be able to provide Republicans enough political cover for them to confront the risk of a primary challenge from a gun rights supporter, said Tom Davis, a former House Republican who was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

“If Trump says an immigration bill is O.K., I think that carries a lot of cachet,” he said. “But on guns, I’m not sure it does.”

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, which operates Bloomberg News, serves as a member of Everytown for Gun Safety’s advisory board and is a donor to the group. Everytown for Gun Safety advocates for universal background checks and other gun control measures.

— With assistance by Steven T. Dennis, Sahil Kapur, Margaret Talev, Jennifer Jacobs, and Anna Edgerton

Russia's 'humanitarian pause' comes into effect in eastern Ghouta - Guardian

Russia's 'humanitarian pause' comes into effect in eastern Ghouta

First daily truce in rebel-held Syrian enclave follows days of artillery attacks and airstrikes

Kareem Shaheen in Istanbul and agencies

Tue 27 Feb 2018 19.07 AEDT Last modified on Tue 27 Feb 2018 20.35 AEDT

Syrians walk along a street covered in debris from shelling in Arbin in the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta

Syrians walk along a street covered in debris from shelling in Arbin in eastern Ghouta. Photograph: Abdulmonam Eassa/AFP/Getty Images

A five-hour truce has begun in the Syrian rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta to allow people to escape the area being targeted in a fierce offensive by Syria’s Moscow-backed government.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, ordered the daily “humanitarian pause” in fighting from 9am to 2pm (7am to 12pm GMT) to let civilians leave the area, where government bombardment has killed hundreds since 18 February.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had been largely calm in eastern Ghouta since midnight, though four rockets had hit the town of Douma on Tuesday morning.

The Russian president’s move, announced by his defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, highlighted in stark terms Russia’s primacy in Syrian affairs and the UN’s failure to impose an end to the fighting in the area bordering Damascus.

More than 500 people have been killed in eight days of one of the deadliest bombing campaigns by the regime of Bashar al-Assad and his allies during the seven-year war.

The move by Moscow follows mounting condemnation of the violence, with the UN secretary general, António Guterres, describing the situation in Ghouta as “hell on earth”.

The Russian defence ministry said on Monday the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded.

However, the spokesman for Failaq al-Rahman, one of the main rebel groups in eastern Ghouta, called it a “Russian crime”, accusing Russia of presenting people with the choice of forced displacement or being killed in bombardment and siege.

A UN security council resolution passed on Saturday had demanded a 30-day truce across Syria.

“Five hours is better than no hours, but we would like to see an end to all hostilities extended by 30 days, as stipulated by the security council,” the UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.

Eastern Ghouta is the last major stronghold near Damascus for rebels battling to topple Assad, who has driven insurgents from numerous areas with military backing from Russia and Iran.

The violence has highlighted the Syrian government’s desire, alongside its allies in Moscow and Tehran, to score a military victory in the area, which has been under a tightening siege for nearly a year and is strategically significant owing to its proximity to Damascus.

Fighting has escalated on several fronts in Syria this year. As Assad has pressed the offensive against eastern Ghouta, Turkey has launched an incursion against Kurdish fighters in the north-western Afrin region.

Tensions have also flared between Iran and Israel, which is deeply alarmed by Tehran’s expanding influence in Syria. Syrian air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 earlier this month as it returned from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria.

The Syrian war, which is approaching its eighth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million people from their homes.

This A.I. literally reads your mind to re-create images of the faces you see - Fox News

26/2/2018

This A.I. literally reads your mind to re-create images of the faces you see

By Luke Dormehl | Digital Trends

3d rendering of human brain on technology background represent artificial intelligence and cyber space concept (Credit: monsitj. iStock)

3d rendering of human brain on technology background represent artificial intelligence and cyber space concept (Credit: monsitj. iStock) (monsitj)

Google’s artificial intelligence technology may sometimes seem like it’s reading our mind, but neuroscientists at Canada’s University of Toronto Scarborough are literally using A.I. for that very purpose — by reconstructing images based on brain perception using data gathered by electroencephalography (EEG).

In a test, subjects were hooked up to EEG brainwave-reading equipment and shown images of faces. While this happened, their brain activity was recorded and then analyzed using machine learning algorithms. Impressively, the researchers were able to use this information to digitally re-create the face image stored in the person’s mind. Unlike basic shapes, being able to re-create faces involves a high level of fine-grained visual detail, showcasing a high level of sophistication for the technology.

While this isn’t the first time that A.I. has been used to read people’s minds, it’s the first time this has been achieved using EEG data. Previous studies involved fMRI technology, which measures brain activity by detecting changes in its blood flow. One of the most exciting differences between the two techniques is that EEG is far more portable, inexpensive, and can deliver greater levels of detail in mere milliseconds.

The technology could potentially be used by law enforcement for creating more accurate eyewitness reports about a potential suspect’s likeness. Currently, this information is relayed to a sketch artist through verbal descriptions, thereby potentially lowering its levels of accuracy. It might also serve as a way of helping people who lack the ability to communicate verbally. The EEG technology could be employed to produce a neural-based reconstruction of what a person is perceiving at any given time, as well as visualizing memories or imagination that let them express themselves.

A.I. perfectly predicted last year’s Super Bowl score. What happens to betting?

Don’t be fooled by dystopian sci-fi stories: A.I. is becoming a force for good

Truly creative A.I. is just around the corner. Here’s why that’s a big deal

In the future, the team hopes to build on this work by looking at how effectively they can reconstruct images with EEG data, based on a person’s memory of an event. They also want to move beyond faces to explore whether they can recreate accurate images of other objects.

A paper describing the work, titled “The Neural Dynamics of Facial Identity Processing: insights from EEG-Based Pattern Analysis and Image Reconstruction,” was recently published in the journal eNeuro.

Georgia Republicans threaten to stop Delta tax break over NRA decision - CNN News

Georgia Republicans threaten to stop Delta tax break over NRA decision

by Danielle Wiener-Bronner @dwbronner

February 26, 2018: 7:55 PM ET

Your video will play in 00:15

Delta's decision to cut ties with the NRA could cost it a generous tax break from the state of Georgia.

The state's Republicans — including a major candidate for governor— are threatening to kill part of a bill that would eliminate a state tax on jet fuel. If it passes, the provision is expected to save the Atlanta-based airline tens of millions of dollars.

"We felt that it was wrong for them to single out one company," said Chuck Hufstetler, chairman of the state's Senate Finance Committee. Delta (DAL) on Saturday announced that it would end discounted rates for National Rifle Association members.

Hufstetler told CNN on Monday that if the airline does not reverse its stance on the NRA soon, he and others will push for the tax break to be stripped from the bill. The bill still needs to pass the Senate before it can be signed into law.

If Delta holds its ground, he added, "I don't think [the bill] will pass as it is."

The bill was until recently on track to earn approval from lawmakers.

Georgia's House of Representatives voted in favor of the legislation last week. It also won over Republican Governor Nathan Deal, who called the measure an important part of the state's tax reform plan that would "keep Georgia competitive as a major international hub of commerce."

Deal said at the time that he was "confident" in the bill's speedy passage.

Things changed over the weekend.

Delta became one of several companies — others include United Airlines (UAL) and Hertz (HTZ) — to abandon its relationship with the NRA after a school shooting in Florida two weeks ago left 17 dead. That shooting has sparked renewed public debate over gun laws and reform.

Delta said in a statement Saturday that the decision "reflects the airline's neutral status in the current national debate over gun control." It did not immediately respond Monday to CNN's request for comment.

Georgia Republicans quickly rebuked the airline's decision.

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, a frontrunner in the state's gubernatorial race this year, vowed to "kill any tax legislation" that helps Delta unless it reverses course.

"Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back," he tweeted.

@CaseyCagle

I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.

6:02 AM - Feb 27, 2018

Rick Jeffares, a Republican who is running for lieutenant governor, also criticized the airline.

"Delta is now seeking a $40 MILLION TAX BREAK from the Georgia Legislature," he posted on his campaign website. "Should Delta be rewarded for their attack on the NRA? I say "NO!"

Since Thursday, more than a dozen brands have severed ties with the NRA. In a statement on Saturday, the NRA called those decisions "a shameful display of political and civic cowardice."

Other companies have stood firm in their relationships with the gun group.

FedEx (FDX) is keeping its discount for NRA members in place, saying Monday that it "has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues."

And the streaming platform Roku, which carries the online video channel NRATV, said last week that customers can choose which channels to download or watch.

"We operate an open streaming platform, however our content policies prohibit the publication of content that is unlawful, incites illegal activities or violates third-party rights," spokesperson Tricia Mifsud said at the time.

--CNN's Jackie Wattles contributed to this report.

Mass shooting victims reveal what Trump said to them in hospital and it's pretty shocking - Independent

Mass shooting victims reveal what Trump said to them in hospital and it's pretty shocking

Posted on 23/2/2018 by Greg Evans in news

UPVOTE            

President Donald Trump has come under further scrutiny for the lack of emotion he has displayed towards the victims of the Parkland shooting.

Earlier this week, an image of the cards he was given to read for a listening session with students and teachers at the White House showcased a fundamental lack of empathy towards the individuals and the delicate subject matter.

In addition to this, it has also emerged what Trump directly said to one of the victims during a phone call to her hospital room last week.

Samantha Fuentes was shot in both legs and left with shrapnel behind her right eye after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on 14 February.

The New York Times reports that Fuentes was left "unimpressed" by her interaction with Trump.

He said he heard that I was a big fan of his, and then he said, ‘I’m a big fan of yours too.’

I’m pretty sure he made that up.

Talking to the President, I’ve never been so unimpressed by a person in my life. He didn’t make me feel better in the slightest.

She states that Trump also called the gunman "a sick puppy" and claimed that he said the words "oh boy, oh boy, oh boy," at least seven times during the conversation.

One of her fellow students at Stoneman Douglas, Samuel Zeif, spoke at the White House on Wednesday and was also critical of how the President conducted himself in their presence.

The 18-year-old chose to point out to the New York Times that the "I hear you" note on Trump's cards served as a true reflection of the President's character.

Everything I said was directly from the heart, and he had to write down, ‘I hear you.'

Half the time during that meeting, his arms were crossed — I kept wanting to say, ‘Mr. President, uncross your arms.’

To me, that is the international sign for close-mindedness; it’s really just a big ‘no'.

He may have heard us, but he’s never going to feel what we feel, because his kids are protected by the people that came to save me and my classmates that day.

This wasn't the case for everyone who attended the session at the White House earlier this week.

Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed during the attack, had a different opinion of Trump after the meeting and felt that he cared.

He showed us nothing but love. The guy really cared, you know?

He flew us in, he had a bus waiting for us, he made time for us.

He took pictures of my daughter that we brought, and he said he was going to look at it every day.

He’s a regular guy. I wouldn’t have been there if I didn’t think he cared.

HT New York Times