May 12, 2018, 9:37 AM
North Korea says it will hold "ceremony" for dismantling of nuclear test site
Last Updated May 12, 2018 11:59 AM EDT
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea says it will hold a "ceremony" for the dismantling of its nuclear test site on May 23-25, in a dramatic event that would set up leader Kim Jong Un's summit with President Donald Trump next month. Analysts say the closure of the site is mostly symbolic and doesn't represent a material step toward denuclearization.
In a statement carried by state media, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said that all of the tunnels at the site will be destroyed by explosion, and that observation and research facilities and ground-based guard units will also be removed. Last week, U.S. intelligence said the North Koreans had started pulling cables from the tunnels at their nuclear test site -- a first step toward closing them down, CBS News' national security correspondent David Martin reported.
"A ceremony for dismantling the nuclear test ground is now scheduled between May 23 and 25," depending on weather conditions, the Foreign Ministry's statement said on Saturday.
The North plans to invite journalists from the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Britain to witness the dismantling process, it said. The journalists will be provided with a charter flight from Beijing to the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan, and from there they'll travel by train to the test site, according to the Foreign Ministry's statement.
The ministry said the North will continue to "promote close contacts and dialogue with the neighboring countries and the international society so as to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and over the globe."
Kim had revealed plans to shut down the nuclear test site during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month. Following the Moon-Kim summit, Moon's office said Kim was willing to disclose the process to international experts, but the North's statement Saturday didn't include any mention about allowing experts on the site.
South Korea had no immediate response to the statement.
On Thursday, President Trump tweeted that his "highly-anticipated" meeting with Kim will take place in Singapore on June 12. "We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!" he tweeted. The president's news came hours after he welcomed home three detained Americans following their release by North Korea. The three men, Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim, were released during a visit on Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo said Friday the United States aspires to have North Korea as a "close partner" and not an enemy, noting that the U.S. has often in history become good friends with former adversaries. Pompeo said he told Kim of that hope during his brief visit to Pyongyang, where he also he finalized details of the upcoming summit.
Pompeo also said his talks with Kim on Wednesday were "warm," ''constructive," and "good" -- and that he made clear that if North Korea gets rid of its nuclear weapons in a permanent and verifiable way, the U.S. is willing to help the impoverished nation boost its economy and living stands to levels like those in prosperous South Korea.
"We had good conversations about the histories of our two nations, the challenges that we have had between us," Pompeo told reporters at a news conference with South Korea's visiting foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha Friday. "We talked about the fact that America has often in history had adversaries who we are now close partners with and our hope that we could achieve the same with respect to North Korea."
He did not mention other adversaries by name, but Pompeo and others have often noted that the U.S. played a major role in rebuilding Japan and the European axis powers in the wake of the Second World War. With U.S. help, those countries recovered from the devastation of conflict.
"If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on the par with our South Korean friends," he said.
Seoul, which has shuttled between Washington and Pyongyang to set up the Trump-Kim meeting, has said Kim has genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons in return for economic benefits. There are, however, lingering doubts about whether Kim would ever agree to fully relinquish the weapons he likely views as his only guarantee of survival.
During their summit at a border truce village, Moon and Kim vaguely promised to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, but made no references to verification or timetables.
North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition. The North has been vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its 28,500 troops from South Korea and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan.
Some experts believe Kim may try to drag out the process to wait out the Trump administration or seek a deal in which he gives away his intercontinental ballistic missiles but retains some of his shorter-range arsenal in return for a reduced U.S. military presence in the South. This could satisfy Mr. Trump but undermine the alliance between Washington and Seoul.
Kim declared his nuclear force as complete in December, following North Korea's most powerful nuclear test to date in September and three flight tests of ICBMs designed to reach the U.S. mainland. At a ruling party meeting last month, North Korea announced it has suspended all tests of nuclear devices and ICBMs and the plan to close the nuclear testing ground. Kim said during the meeting that the nuclear test site's mission had come "to an end" because the North had completed the process of developing nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles, ICBMs and other strike means.
The North also said for the first time at the meeting that it had been conducting "subcritical" nuclear tests. These refer to experiments involving a subcritical mass of nuclear materials that allow scientists to examine the performance and safety of weapons without triggering a nuclear chain reaction and explosion.
North Korea's reference to such activity is designed to communicate that even without underground testing, the country intends to maintain its nuclear arsenal and be a "responsible" steward of those weapons at the same time, said Andrea Berger, a senior analyst at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Still, the closure of the underground testing site could be a useful precedent for Washington and Seoul as they proceed with the nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang, analysts say.
"Now that North Korea has accepted in principle that agreements should be verified, U.S. negotiators should hold them to this standard for any subsequent agreement," said Adam Mount, a senior defense analyst at the Federation of American Scientists. "It will make it more difficult for Kim Jong Un to deny inspections now that he has placed them on the table."
North Korea has invited the outside world to witness the dismantling of its nuclear facilities before. In June 2008, international broadcasters were allowed to air the demolishing of a cooling tower at the Nyongbyon reactor site, a year after the North reached an agreement with the U.S. and four other nations to disable its nuclear facilities in return for an aid package worth about $400 million.
But in September 2008, the North declared that it would resume reprocessing plutonium, complaining that Washington wasn't fulfilling its promise to remove the country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The administration of George W. Bush removed North Korea from the list in October 2008 after the country agreed to continue disabling its nuclear plant. However, a final attempt by Bush to complete an agreement to fully dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program collapsed that December when the North refused to accept U.S.-proposed verification methods.
The North went on to conduct its second nuclear test in May 2009.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Trump calls for 'changes to our thought process on terror' after Paris attack- Fox News
Trump calls for 'changes to our thought process on terror' after Paris attack
By Frank Miles | Fox News
Paris stabbing suspect was on police radar for radicalism
French authorities confirm the man behind deadly knife attack had no criminal record, but was known to the police for suspected radicalism.
President Trump tweeted Sunday night, “Changes to our thought process on terror must be made,” following the latest attack linked to the Islamic State in France after less than two months of calm.
“At some point countries will have to open their eyes & see what is really going on. This kind of sickness & hatred is not compatible with a loving, peaceful, & successful country!” Trump wrote.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
So sad to see the Terror Attack in Paris. At some point countries will have to open their eyes & see what is really going on. This kind of sickness & hatred is not compatible with a loving, peaceful, & successful country! Changes to our thought process on terror must be made.
10:03 AM - May 14, 2018
A 20-year-old Frenchman born in Chechnya rampaged through a festive Paris neighborhood Saturday evening slashing passers-by with a knife, investigators said. The man, identified as Khamzat Azimov, killed one person and wounded four others in a festive area near Paris’ old opera house. Police shot him to death as he charged them, witnesses said.
ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the Saturday night attack via its Amaq news agency, saying Azimov was a “soldier” of the terror group.
In a video before the attacks, as Fox News reported, Azimov apparently called on ISIS supporters living in the West to immigrate to the group’s so-called “caliphate,” or else carry out attacks locally.
Chechnya's president identifies suspect in deadly Paris stabbing as Khasan Azimov; Bryan Llenas reports.Video
ISIS claims to release video of Paris stabbing suspect
“They have closed the doors of immigration in our faces, so let’s strike them in the center of their homes,” the man said in French, adding, “We are on the truth ... despite the alliance of all these unbelievers against us, they will not fulfill their goal.”
Trump often has made the case that Europe ought to respond more to terrorism like the U.S. does.
In early May to the National Rifle Association, Trump claimed that gun-toting Parisians could have thwarted Islamic State attackers at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall.
Trump sparked controversy as some in France took offense at his "trigger-firing" hand gesture imitating the Bataclan attackers. Multiple extremists with explosive belts and assault weapons killed 130 people in the 2015 attacks on the Bataclan, Paris cafes and the national stadium.
Laying out his case for dropping the Iran nuclear deal, Trump contended, "If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen. In just a short period of time, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons."
Along those lines, Trump is set to host NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House Thursday to discuss NATO’s role in the international fight against terrorism.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron professed a sunny, best-friends relationship, telling Trump that together the U.S. and France would defeat terrorism, curtail weapons of mass destruction in North Korea and Iran, and act together on behalf of the planet.
French authorities confirm the man behind deadly knife attack had no criminal record, but was known to the police for suspected radicalism.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would lend a hand in the Paris investigation.
“The French authorities with all the intelligence help the United States can provide will do our best to unpack this in the coming hours,” Pompeo said on “Fox News Sunday.”
In a statement released Sunday evening, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders added: “Acts like this only strengthen the resolve of the global coalition to defeat ISIS and drive it out of existence.”
Fox News' Chris Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Frank Miles | Fox News
Paris stabbing suspect was on police radar for radicalism
French authorities confirm the man behind deadly knife attack had no criminal record, but was known to the police for suspected radicalism.
President Trump tweeted Sunday night, “Changes to our thought process on terror must be made,” following the latest attack linked to the Islamic State in France after less than two months of calm.
“At some point countries will have to open their eyes & see what is really going on. This kind of sickness & hatred is not compatible with a loving, peaceful, & successful country!” Trump wrote.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
So sad to see the Terror Attack in Paris. At some point countries will have to open their eyes & see what is really going on. This kind of sickness & hatred is not compatible with a loving, peaceful, & successful country! Changes to our thought process on terror must be made.
10:03 AM - May 14, 2018
A 20-year-old Frenchman born in Chechnya rampaged through a festive Paris neighborhood Saturday evening slashing passers-by with a knife, investigators said. The man, identified as Khamzat Azimov, killed one person and wounded four others in a festive area near Paris’ old opera house. Police shot him to death as he charged them, witnesses said.
ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the Saturday night attack via its Amaq news agency, saying Azimov was a “soldier” of the terror group.
In a video before the attacks, as Fox News reported, Azimov apparently called on ISIS supporters living in the West to immigrate to the group’s so-called “caliphate,” or else carry out attacks locally.
Chechnya's president identifies suspect in deadly Paris stabbing as Khasan Azimov; Bryan Llenas reports.Video
ISIS claims to release video of Paris stabbing suspect
“They have closed the doors of immigration in our faces, so let’s strike them in the center of their homes,” the man said in French, adding, “We are on the truth ... despite the alliance of all these unbelievers against us, they will not fulfill their goal.”
Trump often has made the case that Europe ought to respond more to terrorism like the U.S. does.
In early May to the National Rifle Association, Trump claimed that gun-toting Parisians could have thwarted Islamic State attackers at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall.
Trump sparked controversy as some in France took offense at his "trigger-firing" hand gesture imitating the Bataclan attackers. Multiple extremists with explosive belts and assault weapons killed 130 people in the 2015 attacks on the Bataclan, Paris cafes and the national stadium.
Laying out his case for dropping the Iran nuclear deal, Trump contended, "If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen. In just a short period of time, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons."
Along those lines, Trump is set to host NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House Thursday to discuss NATO’s role in the international fight against terrorism.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron professed a sunny, best-friends relationship, telling Trump that together the U.S. and France would defeat terrorism, curtail weapons of mass destruction in North Korea and Iran, and act together on behalf of the planet.
French authorities confirm the man behind deadly knife attack had no criminal record, but was known to the police for suspected radicalism.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would lend a hand in the Paris investigation.
“The French authorities with all the intelligence help the United States can provide will do our best to unpack this in the coming hours,” Pompeo said on “Fox News Sunday.”
In a statement released Sunday evening, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders added: “Acts like this only strengthen the resolve of the global coalition to defeat ISIS and drive it out of existence.”
Fox News' Chris Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Apple made more profit in three months than Amazon has generated during its lifetime - CNBC News
Apple made more profit in three months than Amazon has generated during its lifetime
Apple is vastly more profitable than Amazon.
The smartphone maker generated a $48.35 billion profit during its fiscal 2017 and made $13.8 billion in net income during the March 2018 quarter, while Amazon's total net income since inception is about $9.6 billion.
Tae Kim | @firstadopter
Published 2:59 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018 Updated 4:30 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018
CNBC.com
Apple CEO Tim Cook
One word may explain Warren Buffett's investment decisions on Apple and Amazon: profit.
Last week Buffett both lamented on not investing in Amazon shares and revealed how he added massively to Berkshire Hathaway's stake in Apple.
The Oracle of Omaha's moves may be explained by his philosophy of emphasizing a company's historical financial track record versus putting credence in aggressive future forecasts from analysts.
"I think it's fair to say, we've never looked at a [analyst] projection in connection with either a security we've bought or a business we've bought," Buffett said during a Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting in 1995, according to remarks found using CNBC's Warren Buffett Archive.
Apple "is an unbelievable company," Buffett told CNBC on May 3. "If you look at Apple, I think it earns almost twice as much as the second most profitable company in the United States."
The smartphone maker generated a $48.35 billion in profit during its fiscal 2017 and made $13.8 billion in net income during the March 2018 quarter.
In comparison, Amazon's total net income since inception is about $9.6 billion. The number was calculated by adding up all of Amazon's annual net income figures since its inception to the company's $1.6 billion profit in the March 2018 quarter.
One Wall Street analyst believes Amazon is still in the "early stages" in many of its key markets.
"We are in the sweet spot between Amazon investment cycles where new fulfillment/data centers are driving accelerating revenue growth while incremental capacity utilization is driving margin expansion," Goldman Sachs analyst Heath Terry wrote in a note to clients last month. "We still remain in the early stages of the shift of compute to the cloud and the transition of traditional retail online and, in our opinion, the market is underestimating the long-term financial benefit of both to Amazon."
As Buffett puts less credence on aggressive future forecasts, that is why he is probably attracted to Apple's current high level of profits versus Amazon's potential.
Apple is vastly more profitable than Amazon.
The smartphone maker generated a $48.35 billion profit during its fiscal 2017 and made $13.8 billion in net income during the March 2018 quarter, while Amazon's total net income since inception is about $9.6 billion.
Tae Kim | @firstadopter
Published 2:59 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018 Updated 4:30 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018
CNBC.com
Apple CEO Tim Cook
One word may explain Warren Buffett's investment decisions on Apple and Amazon: profit.
Last week Buffett both lamented on not investing in Amazon shares and revealed how he added massively to Berkshire Hathaway's stake in Apple.
The Oracle of Omaha's moves may be explained by his philosophy of emphasizing a company's historical financial track record versus putting credence in aggressive future forecasts from analysts.
"I think it's fair to say, we've never looked at a [analyst] projection in connection with either a security we've bought or a business we've bought," Buffett said during a Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting in 1995, according to remarks found using CNBC's Warren Buffett Archive.
Apple "is an unbelievable company," Buffett told CNBC on May 3. "If you look at Apple, I think it earns almost twice as much as the second most profitable company in the United States."
The smartphone maker generated a $48.35 billion in profit during its fiscal 2017 and made $13.8 billion in net income during the March 2018 quarter.
In comparison, Amazon's total net income since inception is about $9.6 billion. The number was calculated by adding up all of Amazon's annual net income figures since its inception to the company's $1.6 billion profit in the March 2018 quarter.
One Wall Street analyst believes Amazon is still in the "early stages" in many of its key markets.
"We are in the sweet spot between Amazon investment cycles where new fulfillment/data centers are driving accelerating revenue growth while incremental capacity utilization is driving margin expansion," Goldman Sachs analyst Heath Terry wrote in a note to clients last month. "We still remain in the early stages of the shift of compute to the cloud and the transition of traditional retail online and, in our opinion, the market is underestimating the long-term financial benefit of both to Amazon."
As Buffett puts less credence on aggressive future forecasts, that is why he is probably attracted to Apple's current high level of profits versus Amazon's potential.
Robert Gates says 2-state solution between Israelis, Palestinians "on life support" - CBS News
May 13, 2018, 1:46 PM
Robert Gates says 2-state solution between Israelis, Palestinians "on life support"
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that the consequences of the move of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem are "modest" due to the dwindling likelihood of a two-state solution between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Speaking to CBS News' "Face the Nation," Gates said it remains to be seen if the move could further embolden international tensions, but noted past reluctance in making such a politically fraught change.
Full Transcript: Robert Gates on "Face the Nation"
"I think that the reluctance always before -- because as has been pointed out, several previous presidents committed to move the embassy to Jerusalem -- I think the hesitation has been, that it would end any prospect of an agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis," Gates told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan.
He added, "I think the prospects of an agreement between those two parties, at this point, is so low that the other consequences of moving the embassy are probably more modest than they -- more manageable than they would have been at any time in the past, mainly because the diplomatic connection to the Israeli-Palestinian issue is less important."
Gates said the prospect of a two-state solution to end the long-simmering conflict is "on life support, barely."
The site of the new U.S. embassy is set to formally open on Monday. Signs across Jerusalem thank President Trump for moving the embassy, a formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A ceremony on Monday will take place on the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding.
A delegation from the White House will be on hand: Mr. Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump; her husband and White House adviser Jared Kushner, who previously worked on behalf of the administration to improve Israeli-Palestinian ties; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and White House aide Jason Greenblatt.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, will be leading the congressional delegation to the embassy's opening. Asked by Brennan on "Face the Nation" if the two-state solution was dead, Graham replied: "No, because it can't be."
"If you had one state that was Jewish in nature, eventually you'd have to have some kind of apartheid where Arabs and Palestinians couldn't vote. Two states means a Jewish state with an Arab component, a Palestinian state living in dignity side-by-side with Israel," Graham said. "The problem is, the Palestinians are divided. You have Hamas controlling Gaza, Palestinian Authority controlling the West Bank, Gaza is a rocket-launching factory against Israel. Until the Palestinians reconcile under one flag, there will never be peace."
Graham will be joined by Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Dean Heller at Monday's embassy opening in Jerusalem.
Robert Gates says 2-state solution between Israelis, Palestinians "on life support"
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that the consequences of the move of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem are "modest" due to the dwindling likelihood of a two-state solution between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Speaking to CBS News' "Face the Nation," Gates said it remains to be seen if the move could further embolden international tensions, but noted past reluctance in making such a politically fraught change.
Full Transcript: Robert Gates on "Face the Nation"
"I think that the reluctance always before -- because as has been pointed out, several previous presidents committed to move the embassy to Jerusalem -- I think the hesitation has been, that it would end any prospect of an agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis," Gates told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan.
He added, "I think the prospects of an agreement between those two parties, at this point, is so low that the other consequences of moving the embassy are probably more modest than they -- more manageable than they would have been at any time in the past, mainly because the diplomatic connection to the Israeli-Palestinian issue is less important."
Gates said the prospect of a two-state solution to end the long-simmering conflict is "on life support, barely."
The site of the new U.S. embassy is set to formally open on Monday. Signs across Jerusalem thank President Trump for moving the embassy, a formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A ceremony on Monday will take place on the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding.
A delegation from the White House will be on hand: Mr. Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump; her husband and White House adviser Jared Kushner, who previously worked on behalf of the administration to improve Israeli-Palestinian ties; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and White House aide Jason Greenblatt.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, will be leading the congressional delegation to the embassy's opening. Asked by Brennan on "Face the Nation" if the two-state solution was dead, Graham replied: "No, because it can't be."
"If you had one state that was Jewish in nature, eventually you'd have to have some kind of apartheid where Arabs and Palestinians couldn't vote. Two states means a Jewish state with an Arab component, a Palestinian state living in dignity side-by-side with Israel," Graham said. "The problem is, the Palestinians are divided. You have Hamas controlling Gaza, Palestinian Authority controlling the West Bank, Gaza is a rocket-launching factory against Israel. Until the Palestinians reconcile under one flag, there will never be peace."
Graham will be joined by Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Dean Heller at Monday's embassy opening in Jerusalem.
Russia's Lavrov says to discuss how to save Iran nuclear deal with Zarif: Ifax - Reuters
WORLD NEWSMAY 14, 2018 / 5:14 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
Russia's Lavrov says to discuss how to save Iran nuclear deal with Zarif: Ifax
Reuters Staff
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he would discuss how to try to save the Iran nuclear deal with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Moscow later on Monday, the Interfax news agency reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Moscow, Russia April 28, 2018. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor
Lavrov was cited as saying that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement last week that Washington would withdraw from the deal had created a “crisis situation,” the news agency reported.
Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Andrew Osborn
What The Release Of 3 Detainees Means For The North Korea Summit - Forbes
MAY 9, 2018 @ 09:24 AM 1,211 2 Free Issues of Forbes
What The Release Of 3 Detainees Means For The North Korea Summit
Olivia Enos , CONTRIBUTOR
I write on international human rights and national security.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA - UNDATED: In this handout provided by The White House, CIA director Mike Pompeo (L) shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in this undated image in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pompeo, now confirmed as Secretary of State, spoke with Kim for more than an hour during a secret visit over the Easter weekend. (Photo by The White House via Getty Images)
North Korea today released Kim Dong-chul, Tony Kim (also known as Kim Sang-duk), and Kim Hak-song—three Americans it had been holding for over a year. It was a goodwill gesture ahead of the highly anticipated U.S.-North Korea summit. U.S. officials hope the release signals North Korean willingness to commit to conciliatory actions during the upcoming talks to get Pyongyang to denuclearize.
North Korea watchers have long called for the release of the three Americans. Those calls took on a new urgency last year, after Pyongyang freed University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier in a comatose state, only to die mere days after his return to the U.S. Warmbier had been sentenced to 15 years hard labor in a political prison camp after allegedly defacing a propaganda poster .
Like Warmbier, the three Americans released today had been charged with crimes against the state. Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-chul was sentenced to 10 years hard labor in April 2016 on charges of spying. Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song, both previously professors at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, were taken into custody in early 2017. Tony Kim was charged for espionage, and Kim Hak-song was charged with hostile acts.
Trumped up charges against detained Americans are characteristic of North Korea’s disregard for the rule of law. Above the 38th parallel, there is no equal access to justice and no equal protection under the law. North Korea has publicly executed its own citizens merely for possessing a Bible or viewing or selling South Korean dramas. One alleged crime against the state can land an entire North Korean family—three generations’ worth—in prison camp. And incarceration in a political prison camp is often tantamount to a death sentence.
North Korea’s decision to release the three Americans is notable because it demonstrates that the regime responds to criticism of its human rights. This should embolden U.S. negotiators to raise equally pressing concerns regarding North Korea’s treatment of its own people. They suffer from a litany of human rights abuses, from brutal practices in the prison camps, to public executions, forced starvation, sexual violence and rape.
At the recent inter-Korean summit, South Korean representatives purposefully left human rights off the agenda, claiming that they needed more time to prepare to address such politically sensitive subjects. It was a missed opportunity.
Thus far, President Trump has taken a different approach. He used his State of the Union speech—and the presence of North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho—to highlight Pyongyang’s shameful human rights record. Later, he met with North Korean refugees in the Oval Office.
In February, Vice President Pence hosted Fred Warmbier, Otto Warmbier’s father, at the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Clearly, the Trump administration has made a rhetorical commitment to address human rights. Now, it should turn that rhetoric into action.
It serves American interests to address human rights as well as denuclearization at the upcoming summit.
In fact, raising human rights is one way that the U.S. can put pressure on North Korea. For example, the U.S. can amplify existing sanctions pressure by devising additional, targeted financial measures issued on human rights grounds. Negotiators can also increase pressure by requesting humanitarian access to prison camps or calling for closure of these camps.
As the meeting between the U.S. and North Korean leaders approaches, U.S. negotiators are thinking deeply about the give-and-take involved in negotiating with North Korea. There are areas for compromise, but some principles should not be sacrificed. The U.S. should demonstrate a holistic policy toward North Korea—one that prioritizes denuclearization without neglecting human rights.
The release of the three Americans is a good first step, but it’s just that, a first step toward addressing the broader corpus of human rights issues facing North Korea.
So Yeon Lee, a visiting Asan Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, contributed research for this report.
This is what happens if Donald Trump is impeached (just in case) - Independent
This is what happens if Donald Trump is impeached (just in case)
Posted May 13, 2018 by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
Just in case Trump were to leave office any time soon, here’s a list of his successors, as outlined in The Succession Act 1947.
Obviously, Trump's presidency is going really, really smoothly with absolutely no troubles.
That Iran nuclear deal looks to have been a top bit of business from the POTUS, ish, but that FBI investigation isn't exactly going away.
Whether Trump will get impeached remains to be seen - but no one was ever hurt by thinking hypothetically.
Should Trump get the boot we would be faced with Vice President Mike Pence (and his rabbit) in the Oval Office.
Arrangements handling any further than that have changed over time – and throughout US history, the line of succession has never gone further than the vice president.
That being said only two Presidents have ever been successfully impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, both of which were acquitted of the charges held against them by a Senate trial.
While Richard Nixon was also impeached, hechose to resign rather than face the charges.
Anyway, should we reach this scenario with Trump, here is the current list, in order, of the people that will succeed him.
1. Vice President Pence
2. House Speaker, Paul Ryan
3. President pro tempore of the Senate, Orrin Hatch
4. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo
5. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin
6. Defense Secretary, James Mattis
7. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions
8. Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke
9. Agriculture Secretary, Sonny Perdue
10. Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross
11. Labor Secretary, Alex Acosta
12. Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex M. Azar II
13. Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Ben Carson
14. Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao
15. Energy Secretary, Rick Perry
16. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos
17. Veteran Affairs Secretary, Robert Wilkie
18. Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen
Posted May 13, 2018 by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
Just in case Trump were to leave office any time soon, here’s a list of his successors, as outlined in The Succession Act 1947.
Obviously, Trump's presidency is going really, really smoothly with absolutely no troubles.
That Iran nuclear deal looks to have been a top bit of business from the POTUS, ish, but that FBI investigation isn't exactly going away.
Whether Trump will get impeached remains to be seen - but no one was ever hurt by thinking hypothetically.
Should Trump get the boot we would be faced with Vice President Mike Pence (and his rabbit) in the Oval Office.
Arrangements handling any further than that have changed over time – and throughout US history, the line of succession has never gone further than the vice president.
That being said only two Presidents have ever been successfully impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, both of which were acquitted of the charges held against them by a Senate trial.
While Richard Nixon was also impeached, hechose to resign rather than face the charges.
Anyway, should we reach this scenario with Trump, here is the current list, in order, of the people that will succeed him.
1. Vice President Pence
2. House Speaker, Paul Ryan
3. President pro tempore of the Senate, Orrin Hatch
4. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo
5. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin
6. Defense Secretary, James Mattis
7. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions
8. Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke
9. Agriculture Secretary, Sonny Perdue
10. Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross
11. Labor Secretary, Alex Acosta
12. Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex M. Azar II
13. Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Ben Carson
14. Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao
15. Energy Secretary, Rick Perry
16. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos
17. Veteran Affairs Secretary, Robert Wilkie
18. Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen
IS still threatens Europe, warns MI5 chief - BBC News
May 14, 2018
IS still threatens Europe, warns MI5 chief
Andrew Parker, left, will warn so-called Islamic State still aspires to commit more atrocities in Europe, such as the lorry attack in Berlin in 2016
The head of MI5 is warning that the Islamic State group aspires to commit "devastating" and "more complex" attacks in Europe after losing territory in the Middle East.
Director general Andrew Parker will make the warning at a meeting of European security chiefs in Berlin.
He will also condemn Russia for the "targeted" Salisbury poisoning.
And he will reveal that 12 terror attacks have been stopped in the UK since the Westminster attack in 2017.
Mr Parker's speech comes after one person was killed and four others were injured by a knifeman in Paris on Saturday. The attack was claimed by IS.
In December last year, Mr Parker reported that nine terrorist attacks had been prevented by the security services and police in 2017.
Monday's updated total brings the number of disrupted attacks in the UK to 25 since 2013.
In his speech, the chief of the security service will say he is "confident about our ability to tackle these threats, because of the strength and resilience of our democratic systems, the resilience of our societies and the values we share with our European partners".
Mr Parker will also accuse the Kremlin of "flagrant breaches of international rules" over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury in March.
Former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to a nerve agent belonging to the Novichok group.
The Russian government has denied any involvement in the 4 March attack, but has been the subject of condemnation and diplomatic sanctions from the West.
Could MI5 have stopped 2017's attacks?
What does Brexit mean for Britain's spies?
Mr Parker will describe the attempted assassination of the Skripals as a "deliberate and targeted malign activity" which risks Russia becoming a "more isolated pariah".
He will condemn Moscow by calling for the need to "shine a light through the fog of lies... out of their propaganda machine".
Yulia and Sergei Skripal were found collapsed on a bench in the centre of Salisbury
Mr Parker will add that European intelligence agencies must rely on "shared co-operation more than ever".
And he will thank European security services for their support in the investigation into the Manchester bombing last year.
"European intelligence cooperation today is simply unrecognisable to what it looked like five years ago," he will say.
IS still threatens Europe, warns MI5 chief
Andrew Parker, left, will warn so-called Islamic State still aspires to commit more atrocities in Europe, such as the lorry attack in Berlin in 2016
The head of MI5 is warning that the Islamic State group aspires to commit "devastating" and "more complex" attacks in Europe after losing territory in the Middle East.
Director general Andrew Parker will make the warning at a meeting of European security chiefs in Berlin.
He will also condemn Russia for the "targeted" Salisbury poisoning.
And he will reveal that 12 terror attacks have been stopped in the UK since the Westminster attack in 2017.
Mr Parker's speech comes after one person was killed and four others were injured by a knifeman in Paris on Saturday. The attack was claimed by IS.
In December last year, Mr Parker reported that nine terrorist attacks had been prevented by the security services and police in 2017.
Monday's updated total brings the number of disrupted attacks in the UK to 25 since 2013.
In his speech, the chief of the security service will say he is "confident about our ability to tackle these threats, because of the strength and resilience of our democratic systems, the resilience of our societies and the values we share with our European partners".
Mr Parker will also accuse the Kremlin of "flagrant breaches of international rules" over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury in March.
Former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to a nerve agent belonging to the Novichok group.
The Russian government has denied any involvement in the 4 March attack, but has been the subject of condemnation and diplomatic sanctions from the West.
Could MI5 have stopped 2017's attacks?
What does Brexit mean for Britain's spies?
Mr Parker will describe the attempted assassination of the Skripals as a "deliberate and targeted malign activity" which risks Russia becoming a "more isolated pariah".
He will condemn Moscow by calling for the need to "shine a light through the fog of lies... out of their propaganda machine".
Yulia and Sergei Skripal were found collapsed on a bench in the centre of Salisbury
Mr Parker will add that European intelligence agencies must rely on "shared co-operation more than ever".
And he will thank European security services for their support in the investigation into the Manchester bombing last year.
"European intelligence cooperation today is simply unrecognisable to what it looked like five years ago," he will say.
Trump seeks to save Chinese jobs at ZTE ahead of trade talks - BBC News
Trump seeks to save Chinese jobs at ZTE ahead of trade talks
13 May 2018
US President Donald Trump has said he wants to help save ZTE, one of China's biggest telecoms companies.
The firm has suspended operations after the Commerce Department last month banned US companies from selling it components for seven years.
ZTE pleaded guilty to making illegal shipments to Iran and North Korea.
Mr Trump tweeted that he was working with President Xi to ensure ZTE would get back into business fast, saying too many jobs in China were at risk.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!
1:01 AM - May 14, 2018
US commentators say the tone of the tweet is a dramatic shift for Mr Trump, who has consistently accused China of stealing US jobs.
The concession to Beijing comes ahead of high-level trade talks later this week in Washington aimed at resolving an escalating trade dispute between the world's two largest economies.
Beijing has made resolving the situation with ZTE, which employs about 80,000 people, one of its demands for striking a broader trade agreement with with US.
China's ZTE 'poses risk to UK security'
Should the West suspect Chinese tech?
In March 2017, ZTE admitted to violating US sanctions by illegally shipping American technology to Iran and Korea and was fined $1.1bn (£800m).
The current export ban was imposed last month after the company allegedly failed to comply with its agreement, and was accused of lying about the punishment of employees involved in skirting the sanctions.
US companies provide at least a quarter of the components used in ZTE's equipment, which includes smartphones and telecommunications network equipment.
ZTE spent more than $2.3bn on imports from about 200 US companies last year.
Douglas Jacobson, a lawyer in Washington DC who represents some of ZTE's suppliers, said: "This is a fascinating development in a highly unusual case that has gone from a sanctions and export control case to a geopolitical one.
"There's no legal mechanism for this. How this will play out remains to be seen. They are not simply going to be able to resume business as usual."
13 May 2018
US President Donald Trump has said he wants to help save ZTE, one of China's biggest telecoms companies.
The firm has suspended operations after the Commerce Department last month banned US companies from selling it components for seven years.
ZTE pleaded guilty to making illegal shipments to Iran and North Korea.
Mr Trump tweeted that he was working with President Xi to ensure ZTE would get back into business fast, saying too many jobs in China were at risk.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!
1:01 AM - May 14, 2018
US commentators say the tone of the tweet is a dramatic shift for Mr Trump, who has consistently accused China of stealing US jobs.
The concession to Beijing comes ahead of high-level trade talks later this week in Washington aimed at resolving an escalating trade dispute between the world's two largest economies.
Beijing has made resolving the situation with ZTE, which employs about 80,000 people, one of its demands for striking a broader trade agreement with with US.
China's ZTE 'poses risk to UK security'
Should the West suspect Chinese tech?
In March 2017, ZTE admitted to violating US sanctions by illegally shipping American technology to Iran and Korea and was fined $1.1bn (£800m).
The current export ban was imposed last month after the company allegedly failed to comply with its agreement, and was accused of lying about the punishment of employees involved in skirting the sanctions.
US companies provide at least a quarter of the components used in ZTE's equipment, which includes smartphones and telecommunications network equipment.
ZTE spent more than $2.3bn on imports from about 200 US companies last year.
Douglas Jacobson, a lawyer in Washington DC who represents some of ZTE's suppliers, said: "This is a fascinating development in a highly unusual case that has gone from a sanctions and export control case to a geopolitical one.
"There's no legal mechanism for this. How this will play out remains to be seen. They are not simply going to be able to resume business as usual."
Indonesia attacks: How Islamic State is galvanising support - BBC News
Indonesia attacks: How Islamic State is galvanising support
13 May 2018
The latest attack on three churches in Surabaya is the deadliest in Indonesia since 2005
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, is among several nations in South East Asia that have suffered attacks in recent years by groups said to be linked to so-called Islamic State (IS).
The country, along with Malaysia and Singapore, warned back in 2015 that it was a question of when, rather than if, attacks linked to the group would occur in the region.
Then, in January 2016, a series of explosions and shootings in the heart of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, killed four civilians and four attackers. It was the first attack in the country to be linked to IS.
The Jakarta attackers were later said to be part of the Indonesian-based Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) militant group, which had previously pledged allegiance to IS.
Since then, IS has continued to prove a draw for would-be jihadists across South East Asia.
Video: What next for Islamic State?
War against IS told in maps and charts
How does IS influence the region?
IS stepped up its propaganda efforts in South East Asia following the Jakarta attack. The group used Indonesians in its videos to threaten governments and police and to urge supporters to carry out further attacks.
In 2017, Indonesia's military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said that IS had spread to almost every province of the country.
The current generation of radicals are either newcomers who got their indoctrination from the internet and jihadist sites, or followers of the old radical movements but with few ties with the older generation.
Experts suggest that having viewed their predecessors as too timid, they later decided to split into new small groups, effectively going under the radar of the police.
Up to 30 Indonesian groups are known to have pledged allegiance to IS with some previously voicing ambitions to establish an official IS province in South East Asia.
Indonesia's new breed of militants
IS galvanises militancy in Indonesia
Hundreds of Indonesians are also believed to have left the country to fight with the group in Syria and Iraq.
While many top militant leaders have been either killed or captured, IS-inspired cells exist and are a continuing threat, influenced by leaders both at home and abroad.
Aman Abdurrahman, leader of the JAD, is believed to command significant influence among jihadis in Indonesia, despite being detained in the country for the past 12 years.
He is currently on trial for inciting followers to commit acts of terrorism while behind bars at a detention centre which has been described by analysts as a breeding ground for pro-IS militants.
How has Indonesia responded?
Following Indonesia's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed by al-Qaeda-linked militants in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups.
A bomb blast that targeted a nightclub on the island of Bali in 2002 killed more than 200 people
This involved a combination of arrests and targeted killings alongside a deradicalisation programme that focused on altering the mindsets of Indonesians and providing alternative incomes for some released militants.
The Indonesian authorities imprisoned some 800 militants and killed more than 100 since the Bali bombings. But it has not had a great amount of success reforming them.
As militants - some with significant battlefield experience - continue to be released from prison, they may bolster the current ranks of jihadists.
Meanwhile police are said to have prevented a number of attacks through their surveillance of known radical personnel.
Key events in Indonesia's history
What attacks have taken place in Indonesia?
The latest attack, in which at least 11 people were killed in explosions at three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, is the deadliest since 2005, when suicide bombings on Bali killed more than 20 people.
But Indonesia has suffered a number of deadly incidents linked to Islamist militancy over the years:
2002 (October): A bomb attack on the Kuta Beach nightclub district on Bali kills 202 people, most of them tourists
2003 (August): Fourteen people are killed when a car bomb explodes outside the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta
2004 (September): Another car bomb attack outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta kills nine and injures more than 180
2005 (October): Three suicide bombings on Bali kill 23 people, including the bombers
2009 (July): Twin suicide bomb attacks on the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta kill nine people and injure many more
2016 (January): A bomb and gun attack in the centre of Jakarta kills two civilians and five attackers. IS claimed to be behind the attack
2017 (May): A suicide bomb attack in Jakarta kills at least three police officers and injures 10 people
2018 (February): Several people are injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta
2018 (May): Five police officers are killed at a high security prison in clashes with Islamist militant prisoners
13 May 2018
The latest attack on three churches in Surabaya is the deadliest in Indonesia since 2005
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, is among several nations in South East Asia that have suffered attacks in recent years by groups said to be linked to so-called Islamic State (IS).
The country, along with Malaysia and Singapore, warned back in 2015 that it was a question of when, rather than if, attacks linked to the group would occur in the region.
Then, in January 2016, a series of explosions and shootings in the heart of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, killed four civilians and four attackers. It was the first attack in the country to be linked to IS.
The Jakarta attackers were later said to be part of the Indonesian-based Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) militant group, which had previously pledged allegiance to IS.
Since then, IS has continued to prove a draw for would-be jihadists across South East Asia.
Video: What next for Islamic State?
War against IS told in maps and charts
How does IS influence the region?
IS stepped up its propaganda efforts in South East Asia following the Jakarta attack. The group used Indonesians in its videos to threaten governments and police and to urge supporters to carry out further attacks.
In 2017, Indonesia's military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said that IS had spread to almost every province of the country.
The current generation of radicals are either newcomers who got their indoctrination from the internet and jihadist sites, or followers of the old radical movements but with few ties with the older generation.
Experts suggest that having viewed their predecessors as too timid, they later decided to split into new small groups, effectively going under the radar of the police.
Up to 30 Indonesian groups are known to have pledged allegiance to IS with some previously voicing ambitions to establish an official IS province in South East Asia.
Indonesia's new breed of militants
IS galvanises militancy in Indonesia
Hundreds of Indonesians are also believed to have left the country to fight with the group in Syria and Iraq.
While many top militant leaders have been either killed or captured, IS-inspired cells exist and are a continuing threat, influenced by leaders both at home and abroad.
Aman Abdurrahman, leader of the JAD, is believed to command significant influence among jihadis in Indonesia, despite being detained in the country for the past 12 years.
He is currently on trial for inciting followers to commit acts of terrorism while behind bars at a detention centre which has been described by analysts as a breeding ground for pro-IS militants.
How has Indonesia responded?
Following Indonesia's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed by al-Qaeda-linked militants in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups.
A bomb blast that targeted a nightclub on the island of Bali in 2002 killed more than 200 people
This involved a combination of arrests and targeted killings alongside a deradicalisation programme that focused on altering the mindsets of Indonesians and providing alternative incomes for some released militants.
The Indonesian authorities imprisoned some 800 militants and killed more than 100 since the Bali bombings. But it has not had a great amount of success reforming them.
As militants - some with significant battlefield experience - continue to be released from prison, they may bolster the current ranks of jihadists.
Meanwhile police are said to have prevented a number of attacks through their surveillance of known radical personnel.
Key events in Indonesia's history
What attacks have taken place in Indonesia?
The latest attack, in which at least 11 people were killed in explosions at three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, is the deadliest since 2005, when suicide bombings on Bali killed more than 20 people.
But Indonesia has suffered a number of deadly incidents linked to Islamist militancy over the years:
2002 (October): A bomb attack on the Kuta Beach nightclub district on Bali kills 202 people, most of them tourists
2003 (August): Fourteen people are killed when a car bomb explodes outside the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta
2004 (September): Another car bomb attack outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta kills nine and injures more than 180
2005 (October): Three suicide bombings on Bali kill 23 people, including the bombers
2009 (July): Twin suicide bomb attacks on the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta kill nine people and injure many more
2016 (January): A bomb and gun attack in the centre of Jakarta kills two civilians and five attackers. IS claimed to be behind the attack
2017 (May): A suicide bomb attack in Jakarta kills at least three police officers and injures 10 people
2018 (February): Several people are injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta
2018 (May): Five police officers are killed at a high security prison in clashes with Islamist militant prisoners
Surabaya attacks: Family of five bomb Indonesia police headquarters - BBC News
May 14, 2018
Surabaya attacks: Family of five bomb Indonesia police headquarters
Police outside the station following the blast
A suicide bombing at a police headquarters in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Monday was carried out by a family of five riding on two motorbikes, police say.
It came after another family carried out bomb attacks on three churches on Sunday, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
An eight-year-old girl from the family survived the latest attack, police say.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
The archipelago, home to 260 million people, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months, and the attacks in Surabaya have raised concerns about the potency of jihadist networks.
Video footage of the latest attack on the police headquarters shows two motorbikes approaching a checkpoint just before the blast. Six civilians and four police officers were injured, authorities said.
Why is Indonesia a target for IS militants?
Sent out to die: The young women used in militant attacks
More on Indonesia
What preceded the latest attack?
Indonesia was on high alert after bombings on Sunday by a single family targeted three churches in Surabaya.
A mother and two daughters, aged nine and 12, blew themselves up at Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church, while the father and two sons targeted two others.
In the first attack, the sons - aged 16 and 18 - rode motorcycles into Santa Maria Catholic Church at around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT) and detonated explosives they were carrying.
After reportedly dropping his wife and daughters off to carry out their attack, the father, Dita Oepriarto, drove his own bomb-laden car into the grounds of Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church, police said.
Media captionSunday's deadly bombings shocked Indonesia
Authorities originally said the family of six were among hundreds of Indonesians who had returned from conflict-hit Syria but have since said that the family did not actually travel there.
The coordinated attacks killed 13 people and injured more than 40. They were the deadliest bombings in Indonesia in more than a decade.
Inside the home of Indonesia's most notorious IS militant
Police say Oepriarto was the head of local branch of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an Indonesian IS-inspired network.
Separately on Sunday:
A bomb exploded at an apartment complex in Surabaya, killing three members of a family who police said may have been planning an attack
Police said they killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, in West Java province, and arrested two others
How has the government reacted?
President Joko Widodo has described the attacks as "cowardly, undignified and inhumane".
"There will be no compromise in taking action on the ground to stop terrorism," he said.
Authorities on Monday said police, backed by military forces, would increase security across the country.
A burnt-out car in front of one of the bombed churches in Surabaya
What is the history of militancy in Indonesia?
The South East Asian country has long struggled with Islamist militancy. Its worst ever terror attack was in Bali in 2002, when 202 people - mostly foreigners - were killed in an attack on a tourist nightlife district.
That attack was carried out by the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant network.
But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by IS:
Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group
In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria
Surabaya attacks: Family of five bomb Indonesia police headquarters
Police outside the station following the blast
A suicide bombing at a police headquarters in the Indonesian city of Surabaya on Monday was carried out by a family of five riding on two motorbikes, police say.
It came after another family carried out bomb attacks on three churches on Sunday, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
An eight-year-old girl from the family survived the latest attack, police say.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
The archipelago, home to 260 million people, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months, and the attacks in Surabaya have raised concerns about the potency of jihadist networks.
Video footage of the latest attack on the police headquarters shows two motorbikes approaching a checkpoint just before the blast. Six civilians and four police officers were injured, authorities said.
Why is Indonesia a target for IS militants?
Sent out to die: The young women used in militant attacks
More on Indonesia
What preceded the latest attack?
Indonesia was on high alert after bombings on Sunday by a single family targeted three churches in Surabaya.
A mother and two daughters, aged nine and 12, blew themselves up at Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church, while the father and two sons targeted two others.
In the first attack, the sons - aged 16 and 18 - rode motorcycles into Santa Maria Catholic Church at around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT) and detonated explosives they were carrying.
After reportedly dropping his wife and daughters off to carry out their attack, the father, Dita Oepriarto, drove his own bomb-laden car into the grounds of Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church, police said.
Media captionSunday's deadly bombings shocked Indonesia
Authorities originally said the family of six were among hundreds of Indonesians who had returned from conflict-hit Syria but have since said that the family did not actually travel there.
The coordinated attacks killed 13 people and injured more than 40. They were the deadliest bombings in Indonesia in more than a decade.
Inside the home of Indonesia's most notorious IS militant
Police say Oepriarto was the head of local branch of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an Indonesian IS-inspired network.
Separately on Sunday:
A bomb exploded at an apartment complex in Surabaya, killing three members of a family who police said may have been planning an attack
Police said they killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, in West Java province, and arrested two others
How has the government reacted?
President Joko Widodo has described the attacks as "cowardly, undignified and inhumane".
"There will be no compromise in taking action on the ground to stop terrorism," he said.
Authorities on Monday said police, backed by military forces, would increase security across the country.
A burnt-out car in front of one of the bombed churches in Surabaya
What is the history of militancy in Indonesia?
The South East Asian country has long struggled with Islamist militancy. Its worst ever terror attack was in Bali in 2002, when 202 people - mostly foreigners - were killed in an attack on a tourist nightlife district.
That attack was carried out by the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant network.
But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by IS:
Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group
In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Eurovision fans accuse Israeli champion of cultural appropriation after the singer performed her winning song in a kimono - Daily Mail
backwards': Eurovision fans accuse Israeli champion of cultural appropriation after the singer performed her winning song in a kimono
Netta Barzilai came first in the Eurovision song contest scoring 529 points
The Israeli winner performed a song named TOY dressed in a kimono
Viewers of the show have accused her of appropriating Japanese culture
By Martha Cliff for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 18:19 AEST, 13 May 2018 | UPDATED: 20:53 AEST, 13 May 2018
Israel's Eurovision entry won with a landslide victory of 529 points at the annual singing competition last night - but not everyone was pleased by her win.
Viewers have since taken to Twitter to accuse Israeli Netta of cultural appropriation describing the win as 'a massive step backwards.'
Netta Barzilai took home the crown thanks to her performance of TOY, which featured an unusual chicken dance.
Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai has been accused of cultural appropriation by viewers due to her Japanese inspired set and costume +3
Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai has been accused of cultural appropriation by viewers due to her Japanese inspired set and costume
Video playing bottom right...
The 25-year-old took to the stage wearing a pink and black silk kimono - traditional Japanese costume with her hair in roller buns, a style synonymous with Japanese culture.
She performed to a backdrop of Maneki-nekos, a Japanese figurine depicting a waving cat and is thought to bring the owner good luck.
'I have never been so insulted in my life!' Outcry as...
Eurovision fans claim stage invader proves acts MIME after...
Commentator Graham Norton brands Britain’s SuRie a ‘national...
The not-so-subtle links to the country did not go unnoticed by viewers who took to Twitter to share their disappointment.
One wrote: 'So how come no one's calling Israel out on their cultural appropriation?'
Agreeing another added: 'Yeah okay Israel your song is catchy but what is up with cultural appropriation that nobody seems to be talking about?'
The Israeli entry performed a song called TOY which saw her take first prize - but many viewers were left offended by the clear nods to Japanese culture +3
The Israeli entry performed a song called TOY which saw her take first prize - but many viewers were left offended by the clear nods to Japanese culture
While viewers were pleased by the feminist message behind the song they were disappointed with the appropriation
While viewers were pleased by the feminist message behind the song they were disappointed with the appropriation
Another commented on the political situation in Israel describing the win as a step backwards
Another commented on the political situation in Israel describing the win as a step backwards
'So cringy cultural appropriation won #eurovision' added a third.
MailOnline has contacted Eurovision for a comment.
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show.
She was the second favourite to win prior to this evening's show, but beat Cyprus' Eleni Foureira in a closely-fought contest.
Others said that it was 'cringy' to see Israel win due to the accusations of cultural appropriation
Others said that it was 'cringy' to see Israel win due to the accusations of cultural appropriation
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show and came first with 529 points +3
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show and came first with 529 points
The song, which the artist said was about women's empowerment and represented the #MeToo movement, proved a hit with both the public and jury and saw her narrowly secure victory over Eleni Foureira's performance of 'Fuego'.
She managed to secure the win with 529 points, compared to runner-up Cyprus on 436 points. Austria's Cesar Sampson, who was winning the jury vote, finished third with 342 points for his performance of 'Nobody But You'.
Speaking after her win, Barzilai said: 'I am so happy. Thank you so much. Thank you for supporting diversity.'
The next Eurovision is expected to be held in Israel following the country's fourth win in the competition's 63 year history.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5723023/Eurovision-fans-accuse-Israeli-winner-cultural-appropriation.html#ixzz5FNWUHNfg
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Netta Barzilai came first in the Eurovision song contest scoring 529 points
The Israeli winner performed a song named TOY dressed in a kimono
Viewers of the show have accused her of appropriating Japanese culture
By Martha Cliff for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 18:19 AEST, 13 May 2018 | UPDATED: 20:53 AEST, 13 May 2018
Israel's Eurovision entry won with a landslide victory of 529 points at the annual singing competition last night - but not everyone was pleased by her win.
Viewers have since taken to Twitter to accuse Israeli Netta of cultural appropriation describing the win as 'a massive step backwards.'
Netta Barzilai took home the crown thanks to her performance of TOY, which featured an unusual chicken dance.
Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai has been accused of cultural appropriation by viewers due to her Japanese inspired set and costume +3
Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai has been accused of cultural appropriation by viewers due to her Japanese inspired set and costume
Video playing bottom right...
The 25-year-old took to the stage wearing a pink and black silk kimono - traditional Japanese costume with her hair in roller buns, a style synonymous with Japanese culture.
She performed to a backdrop of Maneki-nekos, a Japanese figurine depicting a waving cat and is thought to bring the owner good luck.
'I have never been so insulted in my life!' Outcry as...
Eurovision fans claim stage invader proves acts MIME after...
Commentator Graham Norton brands Britain’s SuRie a ‘national...
The not-so-subtle links to the country did not go unnoticed by viewers who took to Twitter to share their disappointment.
One wrote: 'So how come no one's calling Israel out on their cultural appropriation?'
Agreeing another added: 'Yeah okay Israel your song is catchy but what is up with cultural appropriation that nobody seems to be talking about?'
The Israeli entry performed a song called TOY which saw her take first prize - but many viewers were left offended by the clear nods to Japanese culture +3
The Israeli entry performed a song called TOY which saw her take first prize - but many viewers were left offended by the clear nods to Japanese culture
While viewers were pleased by the feminist message behind the song they were disappointed with the appropriation
While viewers were pleased by the feminist message behind the song they were disappointed with the appropriation
Another commented on the political situation in Israel describing the win as a step backwards
Another commented on the political situation in Israel describing the win as a step backwards
'So cringy cultural appropriation won #eurovision' added a third.
MailOnline has contacted Eurovision for a comment.
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show.
She was the second favourite to win prior to this evening's show, but beat Cyprus' Eleni Foureira in a closely-fought contest.
Others said that it was 'cringy' to see Israel win due to the accusations of cultural appropriation
Others said that it was 'cringy' to see Israel win due to the accusations of cultural appropriation
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show and came first with 529 points +3
Despite criticism Netta has proved a hit with the public with TOY receiving over 25 million views on YouTube ahead of the show and came first with 529 points
The song, which the artist said was about women's empowerment and represented the #MeToo movement, proved a hit with both the public and jury and saw her narrowly secure victory over Eleni Foureira's performance of 'Fuego'.
She managed to secure the win with 529 points, compared to runner-up Cyprus on 436 points. Austria's Cesar Sampson, who was winning the jury vote, finished third with 342 points for his performance of 'Nobody But You'.
Speaking after her win, Barzilai said: 'I am so happy. Thank you so much. Thank you for supporting diversity.'
The next Eurovision is expected to be held in Israel following the country's fourth win in the competition's 63 year history.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5723023/Eurovision-fans-accuse-Israeli-winner-cultural-appropriation.html#ixzz5FNWUHNfg
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, its people would do well to reflect on the peaceful spirit of the agreement - Independent
May 12. 2018
On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, its people would do well to reflect on the peaceful spirit of the agreement
The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But legislation before the Knesset will threaten their sense of security
Editorial @IndyVoices a
Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption Pool/Reuters
Seventy years ago tomorrow David Ben-Gurion signed the declaration of independence which, in the midst of a fierce Arab-Jewish war, established the State of Israel in the shadow of the Holocaust.
It is a birthday that Ben-Gurion’s successors have many reasons to celebrate, going much deeper and wider than Israel’s status as the region’s leading – and only nuclear – military power. In seven decades it has built a formidably strong economy, a cutting edge high-tech industry, a Nobel prize-winning science base and one of the world’s best health services, and has permanently revived the Hebrew language. It has a vibrant cultural scene and a still viable parliamentary democracy.
But the conflict that underlay the 1948 war has not been resolved. That war also generated the nakba, or catastrophe, which Palestinians will commemorate on Tuesday, and in which more than 700,000 of them were driven from or fled their homes in what is now Israel. Israel, moreover, remains without internationally recognised borders. Its stunning military victory over Egyptian and Jordanian forces in the 1967 Six-Day War left its military occupying Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – in the latter two of which Jewish settlement continues to expand despite a widespread international consensus that it is illegal in international law. Millions of Palestinians are without the right to elect the government that fundamentally controls their lives.
It will be tempting for many Israelis to forget all that this week. Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption. Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is a triumph for his main foreign policy. The decisive action of Israel’s military against Iranian forces in Syria commands support far beyond his nationalistic base. And finally, to Mr Netanyahu’s unbridled delight, Mr Trump will on Monday move the US embassy to Jerusalem, in open defiance of a protocol endorsed by Western governments, including hitherto the US, that the city cannot be recognised as Israel’s capital before a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Tempting but not necessarily easy. The protests in Gaza, organised by Hamas, and reinforced by anger over Mr Trump’s Jerusalem move, the seventh anniversary of the nakba and above all by a decade-long Israeli blockade which has imploded the Gaza Strip’s economy, have already claimed 40 Palestinian lives. Hamas is already threatening that on Monday and Tuesday the protests will break through Gaza’s border fences. Israel’s military will probably contain the protests, albeit with as yet unknown consequences in bloodshed. But they will serve as a reminder – especially abroad – that the conflict remains unresolved.
The 70-year-old declaration of independence, a remarkable document, asserted – unassailably – “the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign state”. But it also promised to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…”. The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But while to its great credit Israel is doing much to improve the minority’s economic prospects, legislation before the Knesset that will reduce – among other things – the status of Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew, and Mr Netanyahu’s notorious warning to his base in the 2015 election that Arab voters were heading to the polling stations “in droves”, threaten Arab Israeli citizens’ own sense of security.
But the declaration also endorsed the 1947 United Nations resolution prescribing partition of the whole land into two states, Israel, on 56 per cent of historic Palestine, and an Arab one on 44 per cent. Israelis are quick to remember that this never happened because the Arab leaders rejected it. They less often remember the historic 1988 compromise in which Yasser Arafat finally accepted, bowing to the inevitable, partition that would give Palestinians a state on 22 per cent of the land, with Israel on 78 per cent.
Today, when leading members of Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition openly reject it in favour of annexing large parts of the West Bank, that two-state solution remains the best option for resolving the conflict. While Israelis reflect this week on their country’s short but in many ways glorious history, they would do well to imbibe the spirit of the declaration signed 70 years ago by the greatest of its founding fathers.
On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, its people would do well to reflect on the peaceful spirit of the agreement
The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But legislation before the Knesset will threaten their sense of security
Editorial @IndyVoices a
Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption Pool/Reuters
Seventy years ago tomorrow David Ben-Gurion signed the declaration of independence which, in the midst of a fierce Arab-Jewish war, established the State of Israel in the shadow of the Holocaust.
It is a birthday that Ben-Gurion’s successors have many reasons to celebrate, going much deeper and wider than Israel’s status as the region’s leading – and only nuclear – military power. In seven decades it has built a formidably strong economy, a cutting edge high-tech industry, a Nobel prize-winning science base and one of the world’s best health services, and has permanently revived the Hebrew language. It has a vibrant cultural scene and a still viable parliamentary democracy.
But the conflict that underlay the 1948 war has not been resolved. That war also generated the nakba, or catastrophe, which Palestinians will commemorate on Tuesday, and in which more than 700,000 of them were driven from or fled their homes in what is now Israel. Israel, moreover, remains without internationally recognised borders. Its stunning military victory over Egyptian and Jordanian forces in the 1967 Six-Day War left its military occupying Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – in the latter two of which Jewish settlement continues to expand despite a widespread international consensus that it is illegal in international law. Millions of Palestinians are without the right to elect the government that fundamentally controls their lives.
It will be tempting for many Israelis to forget all that this week. Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing internally has probably never been higher, despite the police investigation into his alleged corruption. Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is a triumph for his main foreign policy. The decisive action of Israel’s military against Iranian forces in Syria commands support far beyond his nationalistic base. And finally, to Mr Netanyahu’s unbridled delight, Mr Trump will on Monday move the US embassy to Jerusalem, in open defiance of a protocol endorsed by Western governments, including hitherto the US, that the city cannot be recognised as Israel’s capital before a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Tempting but not necessarily easy. The protests in Gaza, organised by Hamas, and reinforced by anger over Mr Trump’s Jerusalem move, the seventh anniversary of the nakba and above all by a decade-long Israeli blockade which has imploded the Gaza Strip’s economy, have already claimed 40 Palestinian lives. Hamas is already threatening that on Monday and Tuesday the protests will break through Gaza’s border fences. Israel’s military will probably contain the protests, albeit with as yet unknown consequences in bloodshed. But they will serve as a reminder – especially abroad – that the conflict remains unresolved.
The 70-year-old declaration of independence, a remarkable document, asserted – unassailably – “the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign state”. But it also promised to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…”. The Arab minority – around 20 per cent – of Israel’s own citizens, unlike the Palestinians in the occupied territories, enjoys full political and civil rights. But while to its great credit Israel is doing much to improve the minority’s economic prospects, legislation before the Knesset that will reduce – among other things – the status of Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew, and Mr Netanyahu’s notorious warning to his base in the 2015 election that Arab voters were heading to the polling stations “in droves”, threaten Arab Israeli citizens’ own sense of security.
But the declaration also endorsed the 1947 United Nations resolution prescribing partition of the whole land into two states, Israel, on 56 per cent of historic Palestine, and an Arab one on 44 per cent. Israelis are quick to remember that this never happened because the Arab leaders rejected it. They less often remember the historic 1988 compromise in which Yasser Arafat finally accepted, bowing to the inevitable, partition that would give Palestinians a state on 22 per cent of the land, with Israel on 78 per cent.
Today, when leading members of Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition openly reject it in favour of annexing large parts of the West Bank, that two-state solution remains the best option for resolving the conflict. While Israelis reflect this week on their country’s short but in many ways glorious history, they would do well to imbibe the spirit of the declaration signed 70 years ago by the greatest of its founding fathers.
Interview: ‘I know China’ – Cardinal Zen sticks to his guns in fight against Vatican deal with Beijing - Hong Kong Free Press
Interview: ‘I know China’ – Cardinal Zen sticks to his guns in fight against Vatican deal with Beijing
13 May 2018 15:51 Kris Cheng11 min read
HKFP Exclusive
Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen, 86, is continuing a one-man fight inside the Catholic establishment to oppose a deal between the Vatican and China over who can appoint bishops in the officially atheist country.
A potential agreement between the Vatican and Beijing was reportedly in its final stages in March – though Zen often called it a “deal with the devil” and a “complete sellout.” Perhaps – in part – because of his efforts, the critical voices he inspired, and the ever-harsher suppression of religion in China, the Vatican now says the deal is not going anywhere soon.
“I had a very special experience. I know China. I know the church in China. I have worked seven years, spending six months a year from 1989 to 1996 in [government-recognised churches] teaching the seminaries,” Zen, born in Shanghai to Catholic parents, said in an interview with HKFP.
Cardinal Zen
Cardinal Zen. Photo: Catherine Lai/HKFP.
“I met so many people, people of the government, people of the church, so I really know the situation. I see how the church is being persecuted, and the bishops are being humiliated. I think nobody else has had such experience,” he said at his home – the Salesian House of Studies built in the 1930s on a Hong Kong hillside.
Zen, officially an emeritus bishop, hardly shows any signs of retiring as he still has a busy schedule and blogs about Catholic affairs in English, Chinese and Italian. Zen speaks with a strong voice, but because he can no longer hear well, he often put his hand around his left ear and leaned forward to hear questions during the interview.
The Vatican, which severed diplomatic relations with China in 1951 and maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, relaunched negotiations with Beijing in 2015.
China, with around ten million Catholics, has its own state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association which chooses its own bishops. But there is an unofficial underground church loyal to the Vatican. Under the proposed deal, the Vatican may make a major compromise to recognise a handful of bishops endorsed by Beijing, including seven excommunicated by the Vatican.
Deal postponed
But Zen said that, according to his knowledge, both the Vatican and China have encountered difficulties in reaching the final agreement, which may now be delayed until June.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen at the Vatican. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
“Some are saying maybe now there are difficulties on the Chinese side, because there are people who think that they don’t need the agreement, they can control everything. Maybe there are voices in China against the eventual agreement,” said Zen.
“You see that there are many actions on the side of the government which show that they are tightening control on religion. And so it’s more difficult to understand how the Vatican can come to a deal at this moment, because obviously they are seen as collaborating with the government.”
For instance, new regulations on religious affairs were installed on February 1, under which minors are banned from entering places of worship.
“There is no reason for optimism,” said Zen. “Any agreement on the side of the Vatican may be seen as collaboration with the government to persecute our people; that’s terrible.”
The cardinal said China’s recent amendments to the constitution, such as the removal of the presidential term limit, may also have influenced how the Vatican looked at the issue.
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping taking oath on March 17, 2018. Photo: Screenshot.
“Surely they should take into account also these new things – which are not encouraging any agreement. I really hope that a miracle may happen, the Pope may say we need more time to be more cautious, to consider again,” he said. “No deal is better than a bad deal. I really cannot understand how people can say bad deal is better than no deal, I don’t think it’s correct.”
Zen stressed his loyalty to the Pope. Zen travelled to Rome in January to personally give the Pope a letter from the 88-year-old persecuted Chinese Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou.
Zhuang, a priest loyal to the Vatican but not recognised by China, was one of two bishops asked by the Vatican to step aside for priests excommunicated by the Vatican but accepted by Beijing.
“I told him everything. I wrote so many letters,” Zen said. “My last letter was very clear, I have the impression that the Pope now is aware of the worries in the church in China, so I don’t think I need to see him again or say more things.”
“Maybe now there are some other things which may make the Holy Father more aware that he is not receiving good information from people around him.”
Cardinal Joseph Zen Pope Francis
Cardinal Joseph Zen meeting with Pope Francis. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Few allies
Zen has been in a war of words with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who he said was considering the potential deal like a diplomat, but not from religious standpoints.
“I can understand that Pope Francis may not be well informed about real situation in the church in China, because he comes from South America,” Zen said. “But these people like Parolin, they must know very well the situation, so I really cannot understand how they are so enthusiastic to push for a deal, so they may have a wrong objective.”
“Because from the point of view of Catholic faith, they are not going to achieve anything. Maybe they are more interested in diplomatic success.”
“It’s very scary. These people – they should understand a lot of things, why do they do this? They are not naive, they are evil.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Photo: Kremlin.
However, Zen has fewer and fewer allies in the Vatican.
Savio Hon, a top Hong Kong priest with similar views to Zen, against the China deal, was an influential ally of Zen’s. Hon was in Rome and had direct access to the Pope but, at 67, he was sent to Greece last year as the Vatican’s representative, despite the fact that he never served in the diplomatic service. Some considered it a punishment.
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, another top priest who worked many years in Hong Kong caring for the church in China, was also cautious of the China deal. But he too was another ally lost, gradually switching towards Parolin’s side.
“Unfortunately the voices in Rome around the Pope are all in favour of Cardinal Parolin. That’s very sad. I hope now there are many voices everywhere, in United States, Italy… Germany, I hope some of those voices may reach the Holy Father.”
Among the bishops that Beijing reportedly asked the Vatican to recognise, Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui and Bishop Paul Lei Shiyin of Sichuan were two who have children with their girlfriends. It was a violation to the law of celibacy that only unmarried man, without children, can be priests.
“Everybody knows – now [officials in the Vatican] come out to say that they don’t have cogent evidence, that’s ridiculous,” Zen said.
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui. File Photo: UCAN.
Zen recalled another case of a Chinese priest who cannot be legitimised by the Holy See, since he did not observe the law of celibacy, but the Chinese wanted the bishop – who he did not name – to be recognised.
He said the Vatican conducted an investigation, but the investigator simply reported back the priest’s denial: “They just want to cheat themselves.”
Vietnam-style deal?
China’s situation is often compared to that in Vietnam – another deal brokered by Parolin. In Vietnam, the Holy See proposes a list of bishops to the Hanoi government, and Hanoi makes its choice, before the Pope appoints them.
But Zen said Vietnam has a strong base of Catholic followers, and the government cannot interfere in the church.
“I think that one thing that the Pope may have difficulty to understand is that, with a really totalitarian regime, you have only your spiritual strength,” Zen said.
Zen also said China’s case was very different from those of Hungary, Poland and the then-Czechoslovakia, where they have a long history of faith.
“Even the collaborators of the government – they could not be that bad. Because they know that they will not be accepted by the people. To be accepted or to be tolerated by the people, they have to be decent [in] some way,” he said. “But unfortunately, in China, among the bishops in the open church – there are too many collaborators of the government.”
Chinese Christians have been resisting the government’s continuous actions to remove crosses from churches.
“They are not afraid to be persecuted. They are ready to suffer. When you are not afraid of the government, the government is afraid of you,” Zen said.
Catholics Zhejiang cross
Catholics defending the cross at a church in Zhejiang, China. Photo: RFA.
Zen warned there may be serious consequences after signing a bad deal with China, which may disappoint Catholics in China – both those in “underground” churches and those in government-recognised ones.
“I am very much afraid that some may have some irrational reaction, like a kind of rebellion against the Pope, that would be very unfortunate – I am against any kind of such rebellion. I think that fidelity to the Pope is our bottom line; even if we cannot understand what the Pope is doing, we must obey,” Zen said.
Differences in Hong Kong
Zen, who often has to visit doctors for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, said he cannot find someone else to continue his work.
He said his successors Cardinal John Tong and Bishop of Hong Kong Michael Yeung may have differences in experiences and overall views of history. Tong and Yeung were more optimistic about the China deal, with Tong calling those who oppose it “unreasonable.”
Michael Yeung
Michael Yeung. Photo: HKFP/Kris Cheng.
“I think it’s very important to discuss about history,” he said. “I am still reading much about the history in Germany, in Russia, in Europe. I think maybe we have different views because we understand the history differently. I think we must have long-ranged vision, and not just look at today.”
He said they may have different considerations in weighing advantages and disadvantages of the Vatican-China deal: “Maybe I am too pessimistic. I see more bad effects of the agreement, they may see some good effects.”
But Zen stopped short of criticising his successors, saying that they must respect each other and it was not good to fight each other.
Visiting local activists in prison
A significant part of Zen’s schedule is filled with prison visits for those serving long sentences, which he has been doing for decades. Recently, his workload was even heavier, he said.
“Because of the Umbrella Movement, of what happened in North East [land development protests], Mong Kok [clashes] – all those cases there are many people in prison, some welcome our visits, so I go round to visit them,” he said.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Around the Lunar New Year holiday Zen visited three prisons in one day. “Unfortunately I am very busy and I am not strong anymore – I’d like to do more,” he said.
Zen, who is vocal about democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, was never charged by the government over his support for the Umbrella Movement, even after he surrendered himself to the police. Instead, the 74-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming was charged as one of the instigators of the protests.
Asked to comment on why he was not targeted by the Hong Kong government, he said with a laugh: “You ask them.”
“Surely they have their reasons, but there are several people who are not yet arrested. So if one day I remain the only one, then I will protest, I will come to protest. But since there are still many in the same case in the same situation, I just wait.”
Zen said he believes that it is key for more people to speak up about China’s suppression of religious freedom and about the China deal.
“Our voice is weak, their voice is strong, it will be good to raise concerns of more people,” he said.
13 May 2018 15:51 Kris Cheng11 min read
HKFP Exclusive
Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen, 86, is continuing a one-man fight inside the Catholic establishment to oppose a deal between the Vatican and China over who can appoint bishops in the officially atheist country.
A potential agreement between the Vatican and Beijing was reportedly in its final stages in March – though Zen often called it a “deal with the devil” and a “complete sellout.” Perhaps – in part – because of his efforts, the critical voices he inspired, and the ever-harsher suppression of religion in China, the Vatican now says the deal is not going anywhere soon.
“I had a very special experience. I know China. I know the church in China. I have worked seven years, spending six months a year from 1989 to 1996 in [government-recognised churches] teaching the seminaries,” Zen, born in Shanghai to Catholic parents, said in an interview with HKFP.
Cardinal Zen
Cardinal Zen. Photo: Catherine Lai/HKFP.
“I met so many people, people of the government, people of the church, so I really know the situation. I see how the church is being persecuted, and the bishops are being humiliated. I think nobody else has had such experience,” he said at his home – the Salesian House of Studies built in the 1930s on a Hong Kong hillside.
Zen, officially an emeritus bishop, hardly shows any signs of retiring as he still has a busy schedule and blogs about Catholic affairs in English, Chinese and Italian. Zen speaks with a strong voice, but because he can no longer hear well, he often put his hand around his left ear and leaned forward to hear questions during the interview.
The Vatican, which severed diplomatic relations with China in 1951 and maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, relaunched negotiations with Beijing in 2015.
China, with around ten million Catholics, has its own state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association which chooses its own bishops. But there is an unofficial underground church loyal to the Vatican. Under the proposed deal, the Vatican may make a major compromise to recognise a handful of bishops endorsed by Beijing, including seven excommunicated by the Vatican.
Deal postponed
But Zen said that, according to his knowledge, both the Vatican and China have encountered difficulties in reaching the final agreement, which may now be delayed until June.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen at the Vatican. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
“Some are saying maybe now there are difficulties on the Chinese side, because there are people who think that they don’t need the agreement, they can control everything. Maybe there are voices in China against the eventual agreement,” said Zen.
“You see that there are many actions on the side of the government which show that they are tightening control on religion. And so it’s more difficult to understand how the Vatican can come to a deal at this moment, because obviously they are seen as collaborating with the government.”
For instance, new regulations on religious affairs were installed on February 1, under which minors are banned from entering places of worship.
“There is no reason for optimism,” said Zen. “Any agreement on the side of the Vatican may be seen as collaboration with the government to persecute our people; that’s terrible.”
The cardinal said China’s recent amendments to the constitution, such as the removal of the presidential term limit, may also have influenced how the Vatican looked at the issue.
Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping taking oath on March 17, 2018. Photo: Screenshot.
“Surely they should take into account also these new things – which are not encouraging any agreement. I really hope that a miracle may happen, the Pope may say we need more time to be more cautious, to consider again,” he said. “No deal is better than a bad deal. I really cannot understand how people can say bad deal is better than no deal, I don’t think it’s correct.”
Zen stressed his loyalty to the Pope. Zen travelled to Rome in January to personally give the Pope a letter from the 88-year-old persecuted Chinese Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou.
Zhuang, a priest loyal to the Vatican but not recognised by China, was one of two bishops asked by the Vatican to step aside for priests excommunicated by the Vatican but accepted by Beijing.
“I told him everything. I wrote so many letters,” Zen said. “My last letter was very clear, I have the impression that the Pope now is aware of the worries in the church in China, so I don’t think I need to see him again or say more things.”
“Maybe now there are some other things which may make the Holy Father more aware that he is not receiving good information from people around him.”
Cardinal Joseph Zen Pope Francis
Cardinal Joseph Zen meeting with Pope Francis. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Few allies
Zen has been in a war of words with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who he said was considering the potential deal like a diplomat, but not from religious standpoints.
“I can understand that Pope Francis may not be well informed about real situation in the church in China, because he comes from South America,” Zen said. “But these people like Parolin, they must know very well the situation, so I really cannot understand how they are so enthusiastic to push for a deal, so they may have a wrong objective.”
“Because from the point of view of Catholic faith, they are not going to achieve anything. Maybe they are more interested in diplomatic success.”
“It’s very scary. These people – they should understand a lot of things, why do they do this? They are not naive, they are evil.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Photo: Kremlin.
However, Zen has fewer and fewer allies in the Vatican.
Savio Hon, a top Hong Kong priest with similar views to Zen, against the China deal, was an influential ally of Zen’s. Hon was in Rome and had direct access to the Pope but, at 67, he was sent to Greece last year as the Vatican’s representative, despite the fact that he never served in the diplomatic service. Some considered it a punishment.
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, another top priest who worked many years in Hong Kong caring for the church in China, was also cautious of the China deal. But he too was another ally lost, gradually switching towards Parolin’s side.
“Unfortunately the voices in Rome around the Pope are all in favour of Cardinal Parolin. That’s very sad. I hope now there are many voices everywhere, in United States, Italy… Germany, I hope some of those voices may reach the Holy Father.”
Among the bishops that Beijing reportedly asked the Vatican to recognise, Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui and Bishop Paul Lei Shiyin of Sichuan were two who have children with their girlfriends. It was a violation to the law of celibacy that only unmarried man, without children, can be priests.
“Everybody knows – now [officials in the Vatican] come out to say that they don’t have cogent evidence, that’s ridiculous,” Zen said.
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong
Bishop Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui. File Photo: UCAN.
Zen recalled another case of a Chinese priest who cannot be legitimised by the Holy See, since he did not observe the law of celibacy, but the Chinese wanted the bishop – who he did not name – to be recognised.
He said the Vatican conducted an investigation, but the investigator simply reported back the priest’s denial: “They just want to cheat themselves.”
Vietnam-style deal?
China’s situation is often compared to that in Vietnam – another deal brokered by Parolin. In Vietnam, the Holy See proposes a list of bishops to the Hanoi government, and Hanoi makes its choice, before the Pope appoints them.
But Zen said Vietnam has a strong base of Catholic followers, and the government cannot interfere in the church.
“I think that one thing that the Pope may have difficulty to understand is that, with a really totalitarian regime, you have only your spiritual strength,” Zen said.
Zen also said China’s case was very different from those of Hungary, Poland and the then-Czechoslovakia, where they have a long history of faith.
“Even the collaborators of the government – they could not be that bad. Because they know that they will not be accepted by the people. To be accepted or to be tolerated by the people, they have to be decent [in] some way,” he said. “But unfortunately, in China, among the bishops in the open church – there are too many collaborators of the government.”
Chinese Christians have been resisting the government’s continuous actions to remove crosses from churches.
“They are not afraid to be persecuted. They are ready to suffer. When you are not afraid of the government, the government is afraid of you,” Zen said.
Catholics Zhejiang cross
Catholics defending the cross at a church in Zhejiang, China. Photo: RFA.
Zen warned there may be serious consequences after signing a bad deal with China, which may disappoint Catholics in China – both those in “underground” churches and those in government-recognised ones.
“I am very much afraid that some may have some irrational reaction, like a kind of rebellion against the Pope, that would be very unfortunate – I am against any kind of such rebellion. I think that fidelity to the Pope is our bottom line; even if we cannot understand what the Pope is doing, we must obey,” Zen said.
Differences in Hong Kong
Zen, who often has to visit doctors for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, said he cannot find someone else to continue his work.
He said his successors Cardinal John Tong and Bishop of Hong Kong Michael Yeung may have differences in experiences and overall views of history. Tong and Yeung were more optimistic about the China deal, with Tong calling those who oppose it “unreasonable.”
Michael Yeung
Michael Yeung. Photo: HKFP/Kris Cheng.
“I think it’s very important to discuss about history,” he said. “I am still reading much about the history in Germany, in Russia, in Europe. I think maybe we have different views because we understand the history differently. I think we must have long-ranged vision, and not just look at today.”
He said they may have different considerations in weighing advantages and disadvantages of the Vatican-China deal: “Maybe I am too pessimistic. I see more bad effects of the agreement, they may see some good effects.”
But Zen stopped short of criticising his successors, saying that they must respect each other and it was not good to fight each other.
Visiting local activists in prison
A significant part of Zen’s schedule is filled with prison visits for those serving long sentences, which he has been doing for decades. Recently, his workload was even heavier, he said.
“Because of the Umbrella Movement, of what happened in North East [land development protests], Mong Kok [clashes] – all those cases there are many people in prison, some welcome our visits, so I go round to visit them,” he said.
Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen. Photo: Facebook/Joseph Zen.
Around the Lunar New Year holiday Zen visited three prisons in one day. “Unfortunately I am very busy and I am not strong anymore – I’d like to do more,” he said.
Zen, who is vocal about democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, was never charged by the government over his support for the Umbrella Movement, even after he surrendered himself to the police. Instead, the 74-year-old Reverend Chu Yiu-ming was charged as one of the instigators of the protests.
Asked to comment on why he was not targeted by the Hong Kong government, he said with a laugh: “You ask them.”
“Surely they have their reasons, but there are several people who are not yet arrested. So if one day I remain the only one, then I will protest, I will come to protest. But since there are still many in the same case in the same situation, I just wait.”
Zen said he believes that it is key for more people to speak up about China’s suppression of religious freedom and about the China deal.
“Our voice is weak, their voice is strong, it will be good to raise concerns of more people,” he said.
Stormy Daniels’s Lawyer Claims Russian Oligarch Reimbursed Michael Cohen - Intelligencer ( New York Magazine )
May 8, 2018
6:51 pm
Stormy Daniels’s Lawyer Claims Russian Oligarch Reimbursed Michael Cohen
By Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart
@realaxelfoley
Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’s high-profile lawyer, tweeted on Monday that Trump fixer Michael Cohen had received $500,000 from a company controlled by a Russian oligarch last year, and that the money may have acted as a repayment for Cohen’s $130,000 payoff to Daniels.
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
7:05 AM - May 9, 2018
In a second tweet, Avenatti attached a document purporting to show that the oligarch, Viktor Vekelsburg, and his cousin Andrew Intrater “routed eight payments to Mr. Cohen through a company named Columbus Nova LLC beginning in January 2017 and continuing until at least August 2017.”
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
The Executive Summary from our first Preliminary Report on Findings may be accessed via the link below. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have a lot of explaining to do.https://www.dropbox.com/s/pskgpwr15r48tx5/Executive%20Summary.pdf?dl=0 …
7:06 AM - May 9, 2018
Executive Summary.pdf
Shared with Dropbox
dropbox.com
The document includes a perhaps even more explosive detail: that multiple large companies had also made payments to a different Cohen company, perhaps in an effort to influence Trump administration policy.
Robert Maguire
✔
@RobertMaguire_
Here's something that could be a REALLY big deal: In addition to the payments from a Russian oligarch, Avenatti says that major companies -- like Novartis and AT&T -- were making large payments in 2017 and 2018 to the LLC that Michael Cohen set up to pay Stormy Daniels
7:43 AM - May 9, 2018
AT&T confirmed that it had made the payments shortly after Avenatti’s tweets were posted.
Christina Wilkie
✔
@christinawilkie
BREAKING: @ATT confirms payments to Cohen LLC >>
Full Stmt: “Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration. They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017”
8:38 AM - May 9, 2018
11.8K
8,033 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
As did Novartis:
Jon Swaine
✔
@jonswaine
Spokesman for NOVARTIS does not dispute Avenatti's assertion that it paid Cohen. Says: "Any agreements with Essential Consultants were entered before our current CEO taking office in February of this year and have expired."
9:37 AM - May 9, 2018
Vekelsburg, who is one of the world’s richest men, was recently sanctioned by the Trump administration over suspected 2016 election meddling. The New York Times reported last week that Vekelsberg was stopped at an aiport and questioned by agents working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about two months ago; CNN reported on Tuesday that agents asked him about the payments to Cohen, seemingly confirming Avenatti’s assertion of the transaction.
Cohen’s lawyer denied Avenatti’s characterization:
Natasha Bertrand
✔
@NatashaBertrand
Michael Cohen’s attorney, Steve Ryan, won’t discuss the $500,000 Michael Avenatti says Cohen received from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in 2017. “I understand the shorthand you’re using, but it wasn’t a payment,” Ryan says before hanging up.
7:20 AM - May 9, 2018
Cohen is in dire legal and emotional straits after federal investigators raided his office last month.
6:51 pm
Stormy Daniels’s Lawyer Claims Russian Oligarch Reimbursed Michael Cohen
By Benjamin Hart
Benjamin Hart
@realaxelfoley
Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels’s high-profile lawyer, tweeted on Monday that Trump fixer Michael Cohen had received $500,000 from a company controlled by a Russian oligarch last year, and that the money may have acted as a repayment for Cohen’s $130,000 payoff to Daniels.
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
After significant investigation, we have discovered that Mr. Trump’s atty Mr. Cohen received approximately $500,000 in the mos. after the election from a company controlled by a Russian Oligarc with close ties to Mr. Putin. These monies may have reimbursed the $130k payment.
7:05 AM - May 9, 2018
In a second tweet, Avenatti attached a document purporting to show that the oligarch, Viktor Vekelsburg, and his cousin Andrew Intrater “routed eight payments to Mr. Cohen through a company named Columbus Nova LLC beginning in January 2017 and continuing until at least August 2017.”
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
The Executive Summary from our first Preliminary Report on Findings may be accessed via the link below. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have a lot of explaining to do.https://www.dropbox.com/s/pskgpwr15r48tx5/Executive%20Summary.pdf?dl=0 …
7:06 AM - May 9, 2018
Executive Summary.pdf
Shared with Dropbox
dropbox.com
The document includes a perhaps even more explosive detail: that multiple large companies had also made payments to a different Cohen company, perhaps in an effort to influence Trump administration policy.
Robert Maguire
✔
@RobertMaguire_
Here's something that could be a REALLY big deal: In addition to the payments from a Russian oligarch, Avenatti says that major companies -- like Novartis and AT&T -- were making large payments in 2017 and 2018 to the LLC that Michael Cohen set up to pay Stormy Daniels
7:43 AM - May 9, 2018
AT&T confirmed that it had made the payments shortly after Avenatti’s tweets were posted.
Christina Wilkie
✔
@christinawilkie
BREAKING: @ATT confirms payments to Cohen LLC >>
Full Stmt: “Essential Consulting was one of several firms we engaged in early 2017 to provide insights into understanding the new administration. They did no legal or lobbying work for us, and the contract ended in December 2017”
8:38 AM - May 9, 2018
11.8K
8,033 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
As did Novartis:
Jon Swaine
✔
@jonswaine
Spokesman for NOVARTIS does not dispute Avenatti's assertion that it paid Cohen. Says: "Any agreements with Essential Consultants were entered before our current CEO taking office in February of this year and have expired."
9:37 AM - May 9, 2018
Vekelsburg, who is one of the world’s richest men, was recently sanctioned by the Trump administration over suspected 2016 election meddling. The New York Times reported last week that Vekelsberg was stopped at an aiport and questioned by agents working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about two months ago; CNN reported on Tuesday that agents asked him about the payments to Cohen, seemingly confirming Avenatti’s assertion of the transaction.
Cohen’s lawyer denied Avenatti’s characterization:
Natasha Bertrand
✔
@NatashaBertrand
Michael Cohen’s attorney, Steve Ryan, won’t discuss the $500,000 Michael Avenatti says Cohen received from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in 2017. “I understand the shorthand you’re using, but it wasn’t a payment,” Ryan says before hanging up.
7:20 AM - May 9, 2018
Cohen is in dire legal and emotional straits after federal investigators raided his office last month.
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts - CBNC News
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts
Stephanie Landsman | @stephlandsman
Published May 12, 2018
CNBC.com
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts
6:13 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018 | 01:45
One of Wall Street's biggest bulls sees blockchain playing a big role as an economic growth driver.
It still may be considered an emerging technology, but Federated Investors portfolio manager Steve Chiavarone is folding the electronic system, which records cryptocurrency transactions, into his stock market forecast.
"This is going to be one of five key technologies — along with automation, robotics, A.I. [artificial intelligence] and the Internet of things that drive this next industrial revolution," he said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."
He's not letting the growing pains currently gripping the cryptocurrency market affect his bullish view.
Bitcoin, which has been referred to as the FANG stock of the crypto world, has been struggling to break $10,000 — just months after hitting a record price just shy of $20,000 last December.
In fact, Chiavarone sees FANG stocks, which include top tech names Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google [Alphabet], as ultimately reaping benefits from blockchain's processing power — as well as areas from health care to financials.
"A lot of investors went to bitcoin first because it was the first way to access blockchain," added Chiavarone. "Look, big banks are investing in this heavily. Bank of America boasted at Davos earlier this year that they're investing the most."
Do you see blockchain technology helping corporate America?
Chiavarone believes blockchain technology is valuable because it could potentially transform reconciliation, the action of verifying account balances in corporate America.
"It has an ability to replace reconciliation, which is expensive and requires back office and time and paperwork with more instantaneous verification," he said.
"What that means is companies can have more efficient supply chains. They can cut their back and middle office costs," Chiavarone said. "And, that will allow business to flow more efficiently and it'll allow costs to be cut and net savings to be passed along."
Stephanie Landsman | @stephlandsman
Published May 12, 2018
CNBC.com
Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts Blockchain will help ‘drive this next industrial revolution,’ Wall Street bull predicts
6:13 PM ET Fri, 11 May 2018 | 01:45
One of Wall Street's biggest bulls sees blockchain playing a big role as an economic growth driver.
It still may be considered an emerging technology, but Federated Investors portfolio manager Steve Chiavarone is folding the electronic system, which records cryptocurrency transactions, into his stock market forecast.
"This is going to be one of five key technologies — along with automation, robotics, A.I. [artificial intelligence] and the Internet of things that drive this next industrial revolution," he said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."
He's not letting the growing pains currently gripping the cryptocurrency market affect his bullish view.
Bitcoin, which has been referred to as the FANG stock of the crypto world, has been struggling to break $10,000 — just months after hitting a record price just shy of $20,000 last December.
In fact, Chiavarone sees FANG stocks, which include top tech names Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google [Alphabet], as ultimately reaping benefits from blockchain's processing power — as well as areas from health care to financials.
"A lot of investors went to bitcoin first because it was the first way to access blockchain," added Chiavarone. "Look, big banks are investing in this heavily. Bank of America boasted at Davos earlier this year that they're investing the most."
Do you see blockchain technology helping corporate America?
Chiavarone believes blockchain technology is valuable because it could potentially transform reconciliation, the action of verifying account balances in corporate America.
"It has an ability to replace reconciliation, which is expensive and requires back office and time and paperwork with more instantaneous verification," he said.
"What that means is companies can have more efficient supply chains. They can cut their back and middle office costs," Chiavarone said. "And, that will allow business to flow more efficiently and it'll allow costs to be cut and net savings to be passed along."
Erdogan's 'crazy' canal alarms villagers and environmentalists - Reuters
MAY 13, 2018 / 8:31 PM / UPDATED 8 MINUTES AGO
Erdogan's 'crazy' canal alarms villagers and environmentalists
Ali Kucukgocmen
SAZLIBOSNA, Turkey (Reuters) - When residents of Sazlibosna, a village near Istanbul, tried to attend a public meeting about the Turkish government’s plan to dig a 400 metre-wide canal through their farmlands, they were stopped by police.
The 45 km (28 mile) Kanal Istanbul will link the seas north and south of Istanbul and ease traffic on the Bosphorus strait, a major global shipping lane. It will also redraw the map of one of Europe’s biggest cities, turning its western side into an island.
Critics, including the national architects association, have questioned the need for the canal and warned it will destroy an 8,500-year-old archaeological site near Istanbul and cause widespread environmental damage.
The experience of the Sazlibosna villagers illustrates how the government has shut them out of an enterprise that could displace thousands. Estimated to cost around $16 billion, the canal is one of the most ambitious of President Tayyip Erdogan’s infrastructure mega-schemes. He has publicly referred to it as his “crazy project”.
When the villagers, who described themselves as Erdogan supporters, arrived for the meeting in March in western Istanbul - a session intended to allow the public to voice concerns and learn about the project - they were met by police carrying rifles and tear gas who said the hall was full.
It was - with workers who told Reuters they had been bussed in from another government mega-project. The villagers were stuck outside the hearing, in a crowd of more than a hundred people, including environmentalists, who were also not let in.
“The owners of these lands need to be inside,” said Oktay Teke, Sazlibosna’s local administrator, as he stood with the villagers outside the Arnavutkoy municipal building where the meeting was underway.
“If land is going to be expropriated, it will be our land - we will lose our homes.”
A Reuters reporter saw dozens of men leave the hall and board buses after the meeting. When approached, three said they were workers from Istanbul’s giant new airport, which opens in October at the northern end of the planned canal.
“Projects at the airport are about to be finished. This (canal) is a job opportunity for us,” one said, without giving his name.
The spokesman for the Arnavutkoy municipality, Fatih Sanlav, said only a limited number of people were unable to enter the meeting, and no workers were bussed in to fill the hall.
For a Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2KkBczc
Ships are pictured at the Marmara Sea as they wait to transit the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16, 2018. Picture taken April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
ERDOGAN’S PROJECTS
In a decade and a half in power, Erdogan and his ruling AK Party have built roads, trains and hospitals and improved the lives of millions of lower-income, pious Turks. Under a state of emergency in effect since after a 2016 coup attempt, he has also overseen a sweeping crackdown against opponents.
Erdogan says the canal will take the pressure off the Bosphorus and prevent accidents there. He says “mega-projects”, such as Istanbul’s third airport, are major contributors to the economy.
Yet there is concern about overdevelopment. A protest in 2013 against plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi park turned into a major anti-government uprising.
The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) criticized the canal as an environmental and urban “disaster” which should be abandoned.
Some 369,000 people live in the area that could be impacted by the canal, according to the Turkish Data Analysis Centre, a research company.
The canal will destroy archaeological sites around the Kucukcekmece lagoon that date back to 6,500 BC and provide the earliest evidence of the Hittites in Thrace, TMMOB said. The lagoon’s ecosystem, vital for marine animals and migratory birds, will also be destroyed.
The canal will demolish two basins that provide nearly a third of Istanbul’s fresh water and will increase the salinity of underground water streams, affecting agricultural land as far away as the neighboring Thrace region, TMMOB said.
The project will increase oxygen levels in the Black Sea, impacting the wildlife population, it said.
Three groups of artificial islands will be built just offshore in the Sea of Marmara from the earth dug for the canal, which environmentalists say will cause pollution there.
The Environment Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Transport Ministry and Cinar Engineering, the company tasked with compiling an environmental impact report, declined to comment.
While the Bosphorus is difficult to navigate, shipping companies do not need a new canal, said Cihangir Inanc of shipping agent GAC Shipping, adding it would be “more realistic” for the government to improve the strait.
Nearly 43,000 ships passed through the Bosphorus in 2017, down a quarter from a decade ago, although ships today are much bigger, according to government data. Traffic on the Bosphorus was nearly three times that of the Suez Canal.
GREEN HILLS
On the banks of Sazlidere dam, Sazlibosna is surrounded by rolling hills and green fields of grazing sheep and cattle. The canal will cut through that land, as well as land around nearly two dozen different villages and neighborhoods.
At the local tea house, villagers fear the government will compulsorily purchase land that has been in their families for generations and pay less than the market value.
Their concerns are fueled by a similar experience 20 years ago, when the government expropriated land to build the dam, paying below market value and devastating local farms.
“We had around 3,000 cattle then, we have 300 now,” Teke, the administrator, said.
Villagers fear the canal will destroy what remains of their agricultural land.
“Once this happens, there won’t be any husbandry or farming left. I’m going to have to stop farming, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said one villager, who grows barley, wheat, maize and sunflowers.
Teke said he wrote to Erdogan, the prime minister, and to government offices asking for more information about what will happen, but to no avail.
Erdogan has promised to hold the tender for the canal soon, saying it will be built no matter what.
“Whether they want it or not, we will build Kanal Istanbul,” he said.
Editing by David Dolan and Giles Elgood
Erdogan's 'crazy' canal alarms villagers and environmentalists
Ali Kucukgocmen
SAZLIBOSNA, Turkey (Reuters) - When residents of Sazlibosna, a village near Istanbul, tried to attend a public meeting about the Turkish government’s plan to dig a 400 metre-wide canal through their farmlands, they were stopped by police.
The 45 km (28 mile) Kanal Istanbul will link the seas north and south of Istanbul and ease traffic on the Bosphorus strait, a major global shipping lane. It will also redraw the map of one of Europe’s biggest cities, turning its western side into an island.
Critics, including the national architects association, have questioned the need for the canal and warned it will destroy an 8,500-year-old archaeological site near Istanbul and cause widespread environmental damage.
The experience of the Sazlibosna villagers illustrates how the government has shut them out of an enterprise that could displace thousands. Estimated to cost around $16 billion, the canal is one of the most ambitious of President Tayyip Erdogan’s infrastructure mega-schemes. He has publicly referred to it as his “crazy project”.
When the villagers, who described themselves as Erdogan supporters, arrived for the meeting in March in western Istanbul - a session intended to allow the public to voice concerns and learn about the project - they were met by police carrying rifles and tear gas who said the hall was full.
It was - with workers who told Reuters they had been bussed in from another government mega-project. The villagers were stuck outside the hearing, in a crowd of more than a hundred people, including environmentalists, who were also not let in.
“The owners of these lands need to be inside,” said Oktay Teke, Sazlibosna’s local administrator, as he stood with the villagers outside the Arnavutkoy municipal building where the meeting was underway.
“If land is going to be expropriated, it will be our land - we will lose our homes.”
A Reuters reporter saw dozens of men leave the hall and board buses after the meeting. When approached, three said they were workers from Istanbul’s giant new airport, which opens in October at the northern end of the planned canal.
“Projects at the airport are about to be finished. This (canal) is a job opportunity for us,” one said, without giving his name.
The spokesman for the Arnavutkoy municipality, Fatih Sanlav, said only a limited number of people were unable to enter the meeting, and no workers were bussed in to fill the hall.
For a Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2KkBczc
Ships are pictured at the Marmara Sea as they wait to transit the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16, 2018. Picture taken April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
ERDOGAN’S PROJECTS
In a decade and a half in power, Erdogan and his ruling AK Party have built roads, trains and hospitals and improved the lives of millions of lower-income, pious Turks. Under a state of emergency in effect since after a 2016 coup attempt, he has also overseen a sweeping crackdown against opponents.
Erdogan says the canal will take the pressure off the Bosphorus and prevent accidents there. He says “mega-projects”, such as Istanbul’s third airport, are major contributors to the economy.
Yet there is concern about overdevelopment. A protest in 2013 against plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi park turned into a major anti-government uprising.
The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) criticized the canal as an environmental and urban “disaster” which should be abandoned.
Some 369,000 people live in the area that could be impacted by the canal, according to the Turkish Data Analysis Centre, a research company.
The canal will destroy archaeological sites around the Kucukcekmece lagoon that date back to 6,500 BC and provide the earliest evidence of the Hittites in Thrace, TMMOB said. The lagoon’s ecosystem, vital for marine animals and migratory birds, will also be destroyed.
The canal will demolish two basins that provide nearly a third of Istanbul’s fresh water and will increase the salinity of underground water streams, affecting agricultural land as far away as the neighboring Thrace region, TMMOB said.
The project will increase oxygen levels in the Black Sea, impacting the wildlife population, it said.
Three groups of artificial islands will be built just offshore in the Sea of Marmara from the earth dug for the canal, which environmentalists say will cause pollution there.
The Environment Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The Transport Ministry and Cinar Engineering, the company tasked with compiling an environmental impact report, declined to comment.
While the Bosphorus is difficult to navigate, shipping companies do not need a new canal, said Cihangir Inanc of shipping agent GAC Shipping, adding it would be “more realistic” for the government to improve the strait.
Nearly 43,000 ships passed through the Bosphorus in 2017, down a quarter from a decade ago, although ships today are much bigger, according to government data. Traffic on the Bosphorus was nearly three times that of the Suez Canal.
GREEN HILLS
On the banks of Sazlidere dam, Sazlibosna is surrounded by rolling hills and green fields of grazing sheep and cattle. The canal will cut through that land, as well as land around nearly two dozen different villages and neighborhoods.
At the local tea house, villagers fear the government will compulsorily purchase land that has been in their families for generations and pay less than the market value.
Their concerns are fueled by a similar experience 20 years ago, when the government expropriated land to build the dam, paying below market value and devastating local farms.
“We had around 3,000 cattle then, we have 300 now,” Teke, the administrator, said.
Villagers fear the canal will destroy what remains of their agricultural land.
“Once this happens, there won’t be any husbandry or farming left. I’m going to have to stop farming, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said one villager, who grows barley, wheat, maize and sunflowers.
Teke said he wrote to Erdogan, the prime minister, and to government offices asking for more information about what will happen, but to no avail.
Erdogan has promised to hold the tender for the canal soon, saying it will be built no matter what.
“Whether they want it or not, we will build Kanal Istanbul,” he said.
Editing by David Dolan and Giles Elgood
Meet America’s Highest-Paid CEO, a 66-Year-Old Immigrant From Malaysia Who Calls Himself a ‘Frugal Guy’ - TIME Business
Meet America’s Highest-Paid CEO, a 66-Year-Old Immigrant From Malaysia Who Calls Himself a ‘Frugal Guy’
Posted: 11 May 2018 08:30 AM PDT
The average CEO among the biggest companies in the U.S. made $12.1 million in 2017, according to a new analysis by The Wall Street Journal. But the highest-paid person with that title brought in a whopping $103.2 million.
That’s Hock Tan, the head of Broadcom, a global supplier of semiconductor technologies. The company saw its returns to shareholders increase 58% in the past year, while Tan’s salary jumped an astounding 318%, from $24.7 million in 2016.
Generally, executives got a pay boost over the last year. The median income for CEOs of S&P 500 companies reached a new post-recession high, driven by soaring profits and stock prices. Most of that group saw raises of 9.7% or higher, according to the Journal.
Tan’s nine-figure salary is still a bit of an outlier, with the second-highest-paid CEO, Les Moonves of CBS, coming out at $69.3 million in 2017. CEOs at pharmaceutical, media, technology and financial firms pervaded the upper echelon of earnings, taking 16 of the 25 top spots in the Journal’s ranking.
The $103.2 million breakdown
While Tan’s base, cash salary of $1.1 million in 2017 is deceptively low, the lion’s share of his money came from shares that Broadcom awarded to Tan, which held a value of $98.3 million, according to regulatory filings. Tan also took home a performance bonus of $3.7 million for exceeding revenue and operating margin targets. And his windfall includes $23,234 in travel expenses, $16,200 in 401(k) employer matching contribution, and $36,386 for car service.
All told, Tan made approximately 2,039 times more than the average U.S. worker, who earned $50,620, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. That’s a staggering gap. It should be noted, however, that those awarded shares won’t be immediately to Tan. Instead, they’ll vest in 2020 and 2021, and what Tan ultimately gets will depend on how Broadcom continues to perform.
Tan’s rise from Asia to the U.S.
So far, he has little to worry about. In addition to outpacing its 2016 performance, Broadcom last month announced that it had completed its move from Singapore back to the U.S. President Donald Trump previously hosted an event with Tan to hail the growth of American jobs as a result of the chip manufacturer’s relocation, which Tan said would bring in $20 billion in revenue for the country. But Trump recently shut down Broadcom’s bid to overtake American rival Qualcomm, and the tech giant’s shares have dropped this year.
Tan, 66, came from modest roots in Malaysia to the U.S. through a scholarship at MIT, before making his name in the tech sector. He owns several homes across the East and West Coast, though he’s called himself “kind of a frugal guy.” Two of his three children have autism, and his family has donated $30 million to autism research.
Whatever the future for his company holds, it’s clear Tan seems to be doing just fine.
Posted: 11 May 2018 08:30 AM PDT
The average CEO among the biggest companies in the U.S. made $12.1 million in 2017, according to a new analysis by The Wall Street Journal. But the highest-paid person with that title brought in a whopping $103.2 million.
That’s Hock Tan, the head of Broadcom, a global supplier of semiconductor technologies. The company saw its returns to shareholders increase 58% in the past year, while Tan’s salary jumped an astounding 318%, from $24.7 million in 2016.
Generally, executives got a pay boost over the last year. The median income for CEOs of S&P 500 companies reached a new post-recession high, driven by soaring profits and stock prices. Most of that group saw raises of 9.7% or higher, according to the Journal.
Tan’s nine-figure salary is still a bit of an outlier, with the second-highest-paid CEO, Les Moonves of CBS, coming out at $69.3 million in 2017. CEOs at pharmaceutical, media, technology and financial firms pervaded the upper echelon of earnings, taking 16 of the 25 top spots in the Journal’s ranking.
The $103.2 million breakdown
While Tan’s base, cash salary of $1.1 million in 2017 is deceptively low, the lion’s share of his money came from shares that Broadcom awarded to Tan, which held a value of $98.3 million, according to regulatory filings. Tan also took home a performance bonus of $3.7 million for exceeding revenue and operating margin targets. And his windfall includes $23,234 in travel expenses, $16,200 in 401(k) employer matching contribution, and $36,386 for car service.
All told, Tan made approximately 2,039 times more than the average U.S. worker, who earned $50,620, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. That’s a staggering gap. It should be noted, however, that those awarded shares won’t be immediately to Tan. Instead, they’ll vest in 2020 and 2021, and what Tan ultimately gets will depend on how Broadcom continues to perform.
Tan’s rise from Asia to the U.S.
So far, he has little to worry about. In addition to outpacing its 2016 performance, Broadcom last month announced that it had completed its move from Singapore back to the U.S. President Donald Trump previously hosted an event with Tan to hail the growth of American jobs as a result of the chip manufacturer’s relocation, which Tan said would bring in $20 billion in revenue for the country. But Trump recently shut down Broadcom’s bid to overtake American rival Qualcomm, and the tech giant’s shares have dropped this year.
Tan, 66, came from modest roots in Malaysia to the U.S. through a scholarship at MIT, before making his name in the tech sector. He owns several homes across the East and West Coast, though he’s called himself “kind of a frugal guy.” Two of his three children have autism, and his family has donated $30 million to autism research.
Whatever the future for his company holds, it’s clear Tan seems to be doing just fine.
Paris knife attack: Suspect 'born in Russia's Chechnya' - BBC News
May 13, 2018
Paris knife attack: Suspect 'born in Russia's Chechnya'
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
The suspect in a deadly knife attack in central Paris on Saturday evening was born in 1997 in the Russian republic of Chechnya, a judicial source says.
He was also on a French watch list of people who could pose a threat to national security, other sources said.
The attacker killed a 29-year-old man and wounded four other people in the busy Opéra district before being shot dead by police.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
What do we know about the attacker?
Security forces have identified him, although he was not carrying any identification papers and has not been officially named.
The judicial source told French media the suspect had no criminal record and that his parents had been held for questioning. He is believed to be a French national.
The man had been categorised as "fiche S", sources said.
This flags people considered to be a possible threat to national security (the S stands for Sûreté de l'État - state security) and allows for surveillance without being a cause for arrest.
It includes those suspected of Islamist radicalisation, but is wide-ranging and covers such groups as political extremists, gangsters and even football hooligans.
In 2015, then PM Manuel Valls said there were 20,000 names on the list, about half related to Islamist radicalisation.
This would be the first time an assailant of Chechen origin has carried out a terrorist attack in France.
France is home to some 30,000 people of Chechen origin.
Who are the victims?
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the man who died was a 29-year-old passer-by, but gave no further details.
The four who were injured have also not yet been named. AFP news agency, citing sources, said a 34-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were seriously hurt, while a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were slightly wounded.
Mr Collomb said none had life-threatening injuries.
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
He shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the attack, witnesses said.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside.
Police first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead, nine minutes after he began the attack.
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman, stabbed by the attacker, ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How are IS and Chechnya linked?
Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia.
The republic declared independence in 1991 but Russian troops invaded in 1994 to quash it, sparking a decade-long conflict.
Chechnya - boiling point for conflict
Jihadist groups, including those aligned with IS, have long operated in the region.
The brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, had Chechen links and Turkish authorities said a Chechen jihadist was the suspected organiser of an attack on Istanbul airport in 2016 that killed 45 people.
The jihadist, Akhmed Chatayev, a member of IS, was killed in a clash with special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2017.
IS has actively recruited fighters in Chechnya, sending hundreds to conflicts in Syria and elsewhere.
A report from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in 2016 spoke of the fear that the fighters would return to carry out terrorist attacks at home.
Sarah Rainsford's report from 2016 on IS recruitment in Chechnya
Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was nominated for the Chechen presidency by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and is now firmly in control, has tried to halt IS recruitment but human rights activists say his measures have been brutal and have often helped radicalisation.
Paris knife attack: Suspect 'born in Russia's Chechnya'
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
The suspect in a deadly knife attack in central Paris on Saturday evening was born in 1997 in the Russian republic of Chechnya, a judicial source says.
He was also on a French watch list of people who could pose a threat to national security, other sources said.
The attacker killed a 29-year-old man and wounded four other people in the busy Opéra district before being shot dead by police.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
What do we know about the attacker?
Security forces have identified him, although he was not carrying any identification papers and has not been officially named.
The judicial source told French media the suspect had no criminal record and that his parents had been held for questioning. He is believed to be a French national.
The man had been categorised as "fiche S", sources said.
This flags people considered to be a possible threat to national security (the S stands for Sûreté de l'État - state security) and allows for surveillance without being a cause for arrest.
It includes those suspected of Islamist radicalisation, but is wide-ranging and covers such groups as political extremists, gangsters and even football hooligans.
In 2015, then PM Manuel Valls said there were 20,000 names on the list, about half related to Islamist radicalisation.
This would be the first time an assailant of Chechen origin has carried out a terrorist attack in France.
France is home to some 30,000 people of Chechen origin.
Who are the victims?
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the man who died was a 29-year-old passer-by, but gave no further details.
The four who were injured have also not yet been named. AFP news agency, citing sources, said a 34-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were seriously hurt, while a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were slightly wounded.
Mr Collomb said none had life-threatening injuries.
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
He shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) during the attack, witnesses said.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside.
Police first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead, nine minutes after he began the attack.
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman, stabbed by the attacker, ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How are IS and Chechnya linked?
Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia.
The republic declared independence in 1991 but Russian troops invaded in 1994 to quash it, sparking a decade-long conflict.
Chechnya - boiling point for conflict
Jihadist groups, including those aligned with IS, have long operated in the region.
The brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, had Chechen links and Turkish authorities said a Chechen jihadist was the suspected organiser of an attack on Istanbul airport in 2016 that killed 45 people.
The jihadist, Akhmed Chatayev, a member of IS, was killed in a clash with special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2017.
IS has actively recruited fighters in Chechnya, sending hundreds to conflicts in Syria and elsewhere.
A report from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in 2016 spoke of the fear that the fighters would return to carry out terrorist attacks at home.
Sarah Rainsford's report from 2016 on IS recruitment in Chechnya
Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was nominated for the Chechen presidency by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and is now firmly in control, has tried to halt IS recruitment but human rights activists say his measures have been brutal and have often helped radicalisation.
Surabaya attacks: 11 killed in Indonesia church bombings - BBC News
May 13, 2018
Surabaya attacks: 11 killed in Indonesia church bombings
Surabaya is in shock over the deadly bombings
Suicide bombers have attacked three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, killing at least 11 people.
Around 40 others were injured in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. No group has so far said it carried them out.
TV pictures showed debris scattered around the entrance of one church.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months.
More than 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.
The attack is the deadliest since 2005, when three suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali killed 20 people.
Indonesia's new breed of militants
So-called Islamic State's influence in Indonesia
Inside the home of Indonesia's most notorious IS militant
What happened?
The first explosion took place between services at the Santa Maria Catholic Church around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT). Inspector General Machfud Arifin told CNN Indonesia that a motorbike was used in the attack.
According to Reuters, the second bombing targeted the cark park of a Pentecostal church. Images of the scene showed a number of burnt motorcycles.
Unconfirmed eyewitness reports say that the third attack was carried out by one or more veiled women who entered a church with children.
Officials reportedly foiled attacks against other churches.
Image copyrightANTARA FOTO/MOCH ASIM / VIA REUTERS
Image caption
Firefighters attended the scene at the Pentecost Church Central Surabaya (GPPS)
Who's behind the attacks?
So far there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.
But Wawan Purwanto, of Indonesia's intelligence agency, said the Islamic State-inspired group, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), was suspected to be behind them.
He added that the bombings were likely to be linked to an incident earlier this month, when five members of the security forces were killed during a 36-hour standoff with militant Islamist prisoners at a high security prison on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta.
Separately, police said they had killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, West Java.
The attacks were carried out within minutes of each other
How has the country reacted?
Christian leaders urged calm. "We don't need to be afraid when facing terror threats. We must leave it completely to the government to handle," the head of the Indonesian Communion of Churches said in a statement on Sunday quoted by The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack and sent her condolences to the victims and their families.
Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia
✔
@Menlu_RI
Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Surabaya - Ret
We will not back down in the fight against terrorism
Let us unite in the fight against terrorism#UniteAgainstTerrorism#WeAreNotAfraid
3:55 PM - May 13, 2018
What is the history of militancy in Indonesia?
Following the country's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups.
But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by Islamic State (IS).
Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group.
In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria.
Surabaya attacks: 11 killed in Indonesia church bombings
Surabaya is in shock over the deadly bombings
Suicide bombers have attacked three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, killing at least 11 people.
Around 40 others were injured in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other. No group has so far said it carried them out.
TV pictures showed debris scattered around the entrance of one church.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, has seen a resurgence of Islamist militancy in recent months.
More than 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, but there are also significant populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists.
The attack is the deadliest since 2005, when three suicide bombings on the resort island of Bali killed 20 people.
Indonesia's new breed of militants
So-called Islamic State's influence in Indonesia
Inside the home of Indonesia's most notorious IS militant
What happened?
The first explosion took place between services at the Santa Maria Catholic Church around 07:30 local time (00:30 GMT). Inspector General Machfud Arifin told CNN Indonesia that a motorbike was used in the attack.
According to Reuters, the second bombing targeted the cark park of a Pentecostal church. Images of the scene showed a number of burnt motorcycles.
Unconfirmed eyewitness reports say that the third attack was carried out by one or more veiled women who entered a church with children.
Officials reportedly foiled attacks against other churches.
Image copyrightANTARA FOTO/MOCH ASIM / VIA REUTERS
Image caption
Firefighters attended the scene at the Pentecost Church Central Surabaya (GPPS)
Who's behind the attacks?
So far there has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.
But Wawan Purwanto, of Indonesia's intelligence agency, said the Islamic State-inspired group, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), was suspected to be behind them.
He added that the bombings were likely to be linked to an incident earlier this month, when five members of the security forces were killed during a 36-hour standoff with militant Islamist prisoners at a high security prison on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta.
Separately, police said they had killed four suspected members of JAD in Cianjur, West Java.
The attacks were carried out within minutes of each other
How has the country reacted?
Christian leaders urged calm. "We don't need to be afraid when facing terror threats. We must leave it completely to the government to handle," the head of the Indonesian Communion of Churches said in a statement on Sunday quoted by The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack and sent her condolences to the victims and their families.
Menteri Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia
✔
@Menlu_RI
Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Surabaya - Ret
We will not back down in the fight against terrorism
Let us unite in the fight against terrorism#UniteAgainstTerrorism#WeAreNotAfraid
3:55 PM - May 13, 2018
What is the history of militancy in Indonesia?
Following the country's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups.
But recent years have seen a number of attacks claimed by Islamic State (IS).
Four civilians and four attackers were killed in a series of explosions and shootings in central Jakarta in January 2016; the first attack claimed by the group.
In February this year, a number of people were injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Police said that the attacker had previously tried to join IS in Syria.
Paris attack: Knifeman kills one before being shot by police - BBC News
May 13, 2018
Paris attack: Knifeman kills one before being shot by police
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
A knifeman has killed one person and wounded four in a suspected terror attack in central Paris, French officials say.
The attacker was then shot dead by police in the Opéra district. Witnesses say they heard him shout "Allah Akbar".
So-called Islamic State (IS) later said one of its "soldiers" had carried out the attack on Saturday evening.
Judicial sources told French media the attacker was a man born in 1997 in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya.
The sources said his parents had been held for questioning.
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the victim of the attack was a 29-year-old man, but gave no further details.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on the rue Monsigny.
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police arrived at the scene within minutes.
They first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead.
An eyewitness, named as Gloria, told AFP news agency: "We didn't know what was going on, we were quickly moved inside the bar, I went outside and I saw a man lying on the floor."
Forensic officers have been examining the scene of the attack
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman the attacker had stabbed ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later in the evening the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How did French authorities react?
The anti-terrorism unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said police were on the scene five minutes after an emergency call and the attacker was killed "less than nine minutes later".
Mr Collomb praised police for their "cool response". He said his first thoughts were "with the victims of this heinous act".
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted (in French): "Tonight, our city was bruised."
"I want to tell them that all Parisians are on their side," she added.
The Opera district is renowned for its nightlife
How has France been countering security threats?
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
The deadliest violence occurred on 13 November 2015, when gunmen and suicide bombers struck various venues in Paris almost simultaneously - killing a total 130 people.
Paris attacks: What happened on the night
After winning last year's elections, President Macron pledged that fighting Islamist terrorism would be his top foreign policy priority.
Defeating IS in Iraq and Syria must go hand-in-hand with anti-terror measures in Africa, he said.
Paris attack: Knifeman kills one before being shot by police
French police at the scene of the attack in Paris
A knifeman has killed one person and wounded four in a suspected terror attack in central Paris, French officials say.
The attacker was then shot dead by police in the Opéra district. Witnesses say they heard him shout "Allah Akbar".
So-called Islamic State (IS) later said one of its "soldiers" had carried out the attack on Saturday evening.
Judicial sources told French media the attacker was a man born in 1997 in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya.
The sources said his parents had been held for questioning.
Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the victim of the attack was a 29-year-old man, but gave no further details.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): "France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom."
How did the events unfold?
The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on the rue Monsigny.
Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers.
The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police arrived at the scene within minutes.
They first tried to stop the assailant with a stun-gun before shooting him dead.
An eyewitness, named as Gloria, told AFP news agency: "We didn't know what was going on, we were quickly moved inside the bar, I went outside and I saw a man lying on the floor."
Forensic officers have been examining the scene of the attack
Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: "I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy."
He said a woman the attacker had stabbed ran into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside, but was fended off and finally fled.
Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries.
Later in the evening the IS group said it was behind the attack, in a brief statement posted on its news outlet.
How did French authorities react?
The anti-terrorism unit of the Paris prosecutor's office has launched an investigation.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said police were on the scene five minutes after an emergency call and the attacker was killed "less than nine minutes later".
Mr Collomb praised police for their "cool response". He said his first thoughts were "with the victims of this heinous act".
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted (in French): "Tonight, our city was bruised."
"I want to tell them that all Parisians are on their side," she added.
The Opera district is renowned for its nightlife
How has France been countering security threats?
France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years.
The deadliest violence occurred on 13 November 2015, when gunmen and suicide bombers struck various venues in Paris almost simultaneously - killing a total 130 people.
Paris attacks: What happened on the night
After winning last year's elections, President Macron pledged that fighting Islamist terrorism would be his top foreign policy priority.
Defeating IS in Iraq and Syria must go hand-in-hand with anti-terror measures in Africa, he said.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
No decision on a Mueller interview until after summit with North Korea, Giuliani says - CBS News ( source : Associated Press )
May 12, 2018, 9:41 AM
No decision on a Mueller interview until after summit with North Korea, Giuliani says
Last Updated May 12, 2018 9:42 AM EDT
President Trump and his lawyers likely won't decide whether he will answer questions from Russia probe investigators until after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month, according to the president's legal team.
Rudy Giuliani, the president's new attorney, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that any preparation with Trump for a possible interview with federal investigators would likely be delayed until after the June 12 summit in Singapore because "I wouldn't want to take his concentration off something far, far more important."
Giuliani, who also suggested that special counsel Robert Mueller's team had indicated it would not attempt to indict Mr. Trump, said he had hoped to resolve the question of a possible interview by May 17, the one-year anniversary of Mueller's appointment, but that was no longer feasible.
"Several things delayed us, with the primary one being the whole situation with North Korea," Giuliani said. "The president has been very busy. It really would be pretty close to impossible to spend the amount of time on it we would need."
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said President Trump is "somewhat embarrassed" by the special counsel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Giuliani later clarified that comment to say "distracted" would be a better description.
The president's lawyers have not decided whether it would be in Mr. Trump's best interest to sit for an interview. Giuliani warned that it could be a "perjury trap" and suggested that "lies told by others" could land the president in legal trouble, though he said that Trump himself would not close the door entirely on an interview.
"The president would probably like the resolution," the former New York City mayor said. "If we were convinced it would speed up the process, we may do it. If we believed they would go into it honestly and with an open mind, we would be inclined to do it. But right now, we're not there."
Mueller's investigation has operated largely in secrecy, with the public getting only glimpses into its operation through witnesses who are questioned or when indictments and guilty pleas are unsealed. But Giuliani suggested that a recent conversation with Mueller's team led him to believe that the special counsel, citing a Justice Department opinion, had ruled out the possibility of trying to indict a sitting president.
Mueller has floated the idea of issuing a grand jury subpoena for Mr. Trump to answer questions, former Trump attorney John Dowd has said, though it is unclear how serious prosecutors were about such a move. Even if Mueller's team decided to subpoena Mr. Trump as part of the investigation, the president could still fight it in court or refuse to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination.
Giuliani said Friday that if a subpoena were issued to get Mr. Trump to appear, the president's legal team would oppose it unless they could "reach agreement on the ground rules." He argued that Mr. Trump could invoke executive privilege, and the team would point to Justice Department opinions in fighting a subpoena and "on both law and the facts, we would have the strongest case you could imagine." He noted the handover of 1.2 million documents as evidence of cooperation.
He also indicated that the president's lawyers may be "more likely" to agree to an interview if Mueller's team narrowed the scope of what it was investigating. Though Giuliani would not provide an exact date for when a determination would be made about the interview, he said it probably "would be silly to make a decision" much before the highly anticipated summit. He said that the demands on Trump's time meant that his legal team had "not done a lot" in terms of preparing the president for a possible in-person interview.
"It would take a while and he's focused on North Korea," said Giuliani.
A number of Trump allies, including Vice President Mike Pence this week, have stepped up calls for Mueller's investigation to wrap up, suggesting it was interfering in the president's ability to do the country's business. Mueller's team is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with Mr. Trump's associates as well as whether the president obstructed justice. So far, the special counsel's office has charged 19 people — including four Trump campaign advisers — and three Russian companies.
Both Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and his deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, have pleaded guilty and are now cooperating with the probe. A number of other former White House and campaign staffers, including Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon, as well as Inauguration Day committee chairman Tom Barrack, have been interviewed.
Mr. Trump's longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, had his office and home raided by federal agents and, this week, was revealed to have been selling his insight into Trump to corporations. Giuliani said the arrangement "looks bad" but insisted there was no crime.
Giuliani demurred when asked if Mr. Trump would consider it a "red line" for his children to be interviewed. Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared, Kushner, both worked on the campaign and are senior advisers at the White House, while Trump's adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric, were also leading figures on the campaign. Giuliani said he did not expect those interviews with Mueller to take place.
"Our understanding is that he's pretty much finished," Giuliani said. "As far we know, we're basically the last witness."
The special counsel's office has not outlined the duration of the probe.
Some of Mr. Trump's recent tweets revealed the president's anxiety about how the investigation could sway voters as they decide whether to keep congressional Republicans in power or force him to face an aggressive Democratic majority. Giuliani repeated his call for the probe to end soon but suggested that if it lasted until November's midterms, "it would be helping Republicans."
"It makes the campaign feel it it's about impeachment," the former mayor said. "I think the Democrats would be making the same mistake we did back during Clinton."
In 1998, months after Clinton was impeached, voter backlash cost the Republicans' chance to pick up seats in both Houses of Congress.
___
Associated Press writers Chad Day and Eric Tucker contributed reporting from Washington.
No decision on a Mueller interview until after summit with North Korea, Giuliani says
Last Updated May 12, 2018 9:42 AM EDT
President Trump and his lawyers likely won't decide whether he will answer questions from Russia probe investigators until after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month, according to the president's legal team.
Rudy Giuliani, the president's new attorney, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that any preparation with Trump for a possible interview with federal investigators would likely be delayed until after the June 12 summit in Singapore because "I wouldn't want to take his concentration off something far, far more important."
Giuliani, who also suggested that special counsel Robert Mueller's team had indicated it would not attempt to indict Mr. Trump, said he had hoped to resolve the question of a possible interview by May 17, the one-year anniversary of Mueller's appointment, but that was no longer feasible.
"Several things delayed us, with the primary one being the whole situation with North Korea," Giuliani said. "The president has been very busy. It really would be pretty close to impossible to spend the amount of time on it we would need."
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said President Trump is "somewhat embarrassed" by the special counsel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Giuliani later clarified that comment to say "distracted" would be a better description.
The president's lawyers have not decided whether it would be in Mr. Trump's best interest to sit for an interview. Giuliani warned that it could be a "perjury trap" and suggested that "lies told by others" could land the president in legal trouble, though he said that Trump himself would not close the door entirely on an interview.
"The president would probably like the resolution," the former New York City mayor said. "If we were convinced it would speed up the process, we may do it. If we believed they would go into it honestly and with an open mind, we would be inclined to do it. But right now, we're not there."
Mueller's investigation has operated largely in secrecy, with the public getting only glimpses into its operation through witnesses who are questioned or when indictments and guilty pleas are unsealed. But Giuliani suggested that a recent conversation with Mueller's team led him to believe that the special counsel, citing a Justice Department opinion, had ruled out the possibility of trying to indict a sitting president.
Mueller has floated the idea of issuing a grand jury subpoena for Mr. Trump to answer questions, former Trump attorney John Dowd has said, though it is unclear how serious prosecutors were about such a move. Even if Mueller's team decided to subpoena Mr. Trump as part of the investigation, the president could still fight it in court or refuse to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination.
Giuliani said Friday that if a subpoena were issued to get Mr. Trump to appear, the president's legal team would oppose it unless they could "reach agreement on the ground rules." He argued that Mr. Trump could invoke executive privilege, and the team would point to Justice Department opinions in fighting a subpoena and "on both law and the facts, we would have the strongest case you could imagine." He noted the handover of 1.2 million documents as evidence of cooperation.
He also indicated that the president's lawyers may be "more likely" to agree to an interview if Mueller's team narrowed the scope of what it was investigating. Though Giuliani would not provide an exact date for when a determination would be made about the interview, he said it probably "would be silly to make a decision" much before the highly anticipated summit. He said that the demands on Trump's time meant that his legal team had "not done a lot" in terms of preparing the president for a possible in-person interview.
"It would take a while and he's focused on North Korea," said Giuliani.
A number of Trump allies, including Vice President Mike Pence this week, have stepped up calls for Mueller's investigation to wrap up, suggesting it was interfering in the president's ability to do the country's business. Mueller's team is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with Mr. Trump's associates as well as whether the president obstructed justice. So far, the special counsel's office has charged 19 people — including four Trump campaign advisers — and three Russian companies.
Both Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and his deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, have pleaded guilty and are now cooperating with the probe. A number of other former White House and campaign staffers, including Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon, as well as Inauguration Day committee chairman Tom Barrack, have been interviewed.
Mr. Trump's longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, had his office and home raided by federal agents and, this week, was revealed to have been selling his insight into Trump to corporations. Giuliani said the arrangement "looks bad" but insisted there was no crime.
Giuliani demurred when asked if Mr. Trump would consider it a "red line" for his children to be interviewed. Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared, Kushner, both worked on the campaign and are senior advisers at the White House, while Trump's adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric, were also leading figures on the campaign. Giuliani said he did not expect those interviews with Mueller to take place.
"Our understanding is that he's pretty much finished," Giuliani said. "As far we know, we're basically the last witness."
The special counsel's office has not outlined the duration of the probe.
Some of Mr. Trump's recent tweets revealed the president's anxiety about how the investigation could sway voters as they decide whether to keep congressional Republicans in power or force him to face an aggressive Democratic majority. Giuliani repeated his call for the probe to end soon but suggested that if it lasted until November's midterms, "it would be helping Republicans."
"It makes the campaign feel it it's about impeachment," the former mayor said. "I think the Democrats would be making the same mistake we did back during Clinton."
In 1998, months after Clinton was impeached, voter backlash cost the Republicans' chance to pick up seats in both Houses of Congress.
___
Associated Press writers Chad Day and Eric Tucker contributed reporting from Washington.
North Korea announces it will hold a 'ceremony' for dismantling of its nuclear test site - Daily Mail
North Korea announces it will hold a 'ceremony' for dismantling of its nuclear test site
By Darren Boyle for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:46 AEST, 12 May 2018 | UPDATED: 23:48 AEST, 12 May 2018
North Korea says it will hold a 'ceremony' for the dismantling of its nuclear test site on May 23-25 in what would be a dramatic but symbolic event to set up leader Kim Jong Un's summit with President Donald Trump next month.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that all of the tunnels at the country's northeastern testing ground will be destroyed by explosion, and that observation and research facilities and ground-based guard units will also be removed.
The North said it plans to invite journalists from the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Britain to inspect the process.
Kim had revealed plans to shut down the nuclear test site during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month.
More to follow.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5721253/North-Korea-announces-hold-ceremony-dismantling-nuclear-test-site.html#ixzz5FIN3FmW3
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
By Darren Boyle for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 23:46 AEST, 12 May 2018 | UPDATED: 23:48 AEST, 12 May 2018
North Korea says it will hold a 'ceremony' for the dismantling of its nuclear test site on May 23-25 in what would be a dramatic but symbolic event to set up leader Kim Jong Un's summit with President Donald Trump next month.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that all of the tunnels at the country's northeastern testing ground will be destroyed by explosion, and that observation and research facilities and ground-based guard units will also be removed.
The North said it plans to invite journalists from the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Britain to inspect the process.
Kim had revealed plans to shut down the nuclear test site during his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month.
More to follow.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5721253/North-Korea-announces-hold-ceremony-dismantling-nuclear-test-site.html#ixzz5FIN3FmW3
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Bill Gates to Harvard students: 'This is a fascinating time to be alive' - CNBC News
Bill Gates to Harvard students: 'This is a fascinating time to be alive'
Kathleen Elkins | @kathleen_elk 3:01 PM ET Wed, 9 May 2018
Bill Gates, an American businessman and co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation.
Sanchit Khanna | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
Bill Gates, an American businessman and co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation.
Bill Gates says he's envious of the complex problems that today's young people will get to solve.
During a Q&A at Harvard last month, the Microsoft co-founder told students that it's a "more interesting time to be lucky enough to be a student at Harvard" than it was when he entered the Ivy in 1973.
Gates continued: "The ability to take innovation and solve problems including: How do you help low income students do as well as high income students? How do you go to Africa and help the health and education and take the incredible population growth that will be there and make that a positive asset for that continent?"
Bill Gates: These skills will create the most opportunity for you in the future job market Bill Gates: These skills will be most in-demand in the job market of the future
Today's hot topics, which also include climate change and artificial intelligence, are complex and wide-reaching, but that's what makes it "a fascinating time to be alive," he told students. "I don't know what it'll be like 50 or 60 years from now, what the problems will be. But in your generation, cancer, infectious disease, so many things will be solved."
If Gates had to pick one specific topic to zero in on if he were a Harvard student today, it would be artificial intelligence, since there are plenty of complex problems left to solve in the space, he said: "Computers still can't read. They cannot take a book of information and, say, pass an AP test on that book. And that's a solvable problem."
"I'm jealous that maybe one of you gets to work on that," he added. "It's the juiciest problem ever."
Kathleen Elkins | @kathleen_elk 3:01 PM ET Wed, 9 May 2018
Bill Gates, an American businessman and co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation.
Sanchit Khanna | Hindustan Times | Getty Images
Bill Gates, an American businessman and co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation.
Bill Gates says he's envious of the complex problems that today's young people will get to solve.
During a Q&A at Harvard last month, the Microsoft co-founder told students that it's a "more interesting time to be lucky enough to be a student at Harvard" than it was when he entered the Ivy in 1973.
Gates continued: "The ability to take innovation and solve problems including: How do you help low income students do as well as high income students? How do you go to Africa and help the health and education and take the incredible population growth that will be there and make that a positive asset for that continent?"
Bill Gates: These skills will create the most opportunity for you in the future job market Bill Gates: These skills will be most in-demand in the job market of the future
Today's hot topics, which also include climate change and artificial intelligence, are complex and wide-reaching, but that's what makes it "a fascinating time to be alive," he told students. "I don't know what it'll be like 50 or 60 years from now, what the problems will be. But in your generation, cancer, infectious disease, so many things will be solved."
If Gates had to pick one specific topic to zero in on if he were a Harvard student today, it would be artificial intelligence, since there are plenty of complex problems left to solve in the space, he said: "Computers still can't read. They cannot take a book of information and, say, pass an AP test on that book. And that's a solvable problem."
"I'm jealous that maybe one of you gets to work on that," he added. "It's the juiciest problem ever."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
