Is progress being made on a political solution in Syria? - by PBSNewsHour
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Secretary of State John Kerry met with counterparts from Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to work on finding a political settlement for the Syrian conflict, following a Moscow meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the state of play between the U.S. and Russia.
New York Times |
FBI Chief Links Scrutiny of Police With Rise in Violent Crime
New York Times CHICAGO — The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said on Friday that the additional scrutiny and criticism of police officers that has come in the wake of highly publicized incidents of police brutality may be the main reason for the recent increase in ... Gap between minorities and police widening, FBI boss says in ChicagoChicago Tribune all 64 news articles » |
F.B.I. Chief Links Scrutiny of Police With Rise in Violent Crimeby By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MATT APUZZO
James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, said he had a “strong sense” that scrutiny of the police has made officers less aggressive and emboldened criminals.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting this week with leaders from several Middle Eastern countries and Russia about how to revive the political process in war-torn Syria. But at least one analyst suggests no one should expect big headlines from Friday's discussions. VOA's Jeff Custer reports.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/analyst-expect-little-kerry-lavrov-talks/3020354.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/analyst-expect-little-kerry-lavrov-talks/3020354.html
A new book claims the prosecutor, who was found dead earlier this year, was secretly a contact for the FBI
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Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on October 23 he had told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that Islamabad was prepared to help revive peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.
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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters took control of a section of road southeast of Aleppo on Friday, threatening the Syrian army's only supply route into the city, a group that monitors the civil war said.
 TheBlaze.com |
DOJ Closes Two-Year Investigation Into IRS Targeting Scandal — There Will Be ...
TheBlaze.com The U.S. Department of Justice informed lawmakers on Friday that its closing the two-year investigation into whether the IRS improperly targeted conservative groups. There will be no charges filed against ex-IRS employee Lois Lerner — or anyone else ... No criminal charges for ex-IRS official at center of firestorm over tax exempt ...Post-Bulletin Justice Dept.: No Criminal Charges for Ex-IRS OfficialABC News DOJ ends investigation of Lois Lerner without bringing chargesThe Hill Mediaite -TPM all 16 news articles » |
Video shot over the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus shows widespread destruction and bombed-out buildings. An edited version of this video, set to music was posted on YouTube Oct. 19.
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Devastation in Drone Footage From Syria | The New York Times
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Devastation in Drone Footage From Syria | The New York Times
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 NBCNews.com |
The Latest: Neighbor: Tennessee Shooting Victim a 'Good Kid'
New York Times NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The latest on a fatal shooting at the Tennessee State University campus in Nashville (All times local): 2:33 p.m.. A neighbor of a 19-year-old man killed on the Tennessee State University campus says the teenager was "a good young ... Shooting at Tennessee State University leaves one dead, two injuredWashington Post Police hunt suspects in Tennessee college shooting; one deadReuters Victim Identified In Fatal TSU Shooting, Suspect Soughtnewsnet5.com all 995 news articles » |
Russia Possibly Testing Internet Kill Switchby webdesk@voanews.com (Doug Bernard)
Russian authorities are reportedly testing measures that they say will protect Russia’s Internet from foreign interference. But some worry the efforts are really aimed at finding ways to cut that nation off from the web during times of political crisis. On Wednesday, communications minister Nikolay Nikiforov told the Russian state news service RIA Novosti that authorities were to begin testing various methods “to prevent Russia being cut off from the Internet from abroad.” Nikiforov said...
 Fox News |
Alarm bell: Texas' 'Clock Boy' may not enjoy time in Qatar
Fox News The Texas teen who set off a firestorm by bringing a re-assembled clock to his Dallas-area school, then announced through his family plans to leave the country they accuse of anti-Islamic bigotry, may not find his new digs in Qatar so nice, either. Ahmed Mohamed Gets Back Clock He Made That Was Mistaken for a BombABC News Ahmed gets his clock back, as fans and foes prepare to bid the boy farewellDallas Morning News (blog) 'Clock Boy' Ahmed May Leave Texas School District Silenced from Telling Their ...Breitbart News Daily Caller -The Weekly Standard (blog) -ConsumerAffairs all 34 news articles » |
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The October 15 release of the so-called Drone Papers, leaked reports that appear to document the U.S. use of drone aircraft for military purposes, has given the world its closest look yet at the inner workings of modern drone warfare. But as these five facts explain, the weaponization of drones is no longer just an American phenomenon:
1. U.S.
It’s easy to understand the appeal of drones for modern militaries. They cost less than manned fighter jets, they don’t risk the lives of military personnel and they intimidate enemy combatants with a demonstration of technological superiority. Problem is, they can be disturbingly imprecise when weaponized—the Drone Papers appear to show that for every intended target killed in a distant U.S. drone strike, another six people are killed. During a five-month period in Afghanistan, “nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets.”
Technology is supposed to minimize collateral damage, not increase it. The Drone Papers show that in Afghanistan, drone strikes were 10 times more likely to kill civilians than conventional aircraft. Nevertheless, the Pentagon remains committed to drones and has built up an arsenal of about 7,000; a decade ago it had less than 50.
In March 2015, the State Department issued new rules and regulations for drone sales abroad, stating that they will evaluate sales on a case-by-case basis and extend them only to “friendly nations.” But while the U.S. may take great pains to limit its own sale of drones, other countries won’t be nearly as careful.
(New York Magazine (a), New York Magazine (b), Huffington Post, Friends Committee on National Legislation)
2. China
Beijing is still playing catch-up to the U.S. when it comes to drone production; it won’t be for much longer. According to the U.S. Defense Department, China will build nearly 42,000 drones worth about $10.5 billion between 2014 and 2023. We can’t yet estimate how many of those will be armed. For China, drones are a growth industry with significant market potential. Forecast International, a private market research firm, expects state-owned Chinese defense company Aviation Industry Corporation of China to become the world’s #1 producer of drones by 2023.
For the U.S., the main concern is to whom Beijing will sell all those drones, especially the ones outfitted with weapons. Last year, China sold five armed drones to the Nigerian government to help fight Boko Haram. The U.S. is also keen to see Boko Haram defeated, though it has yet to trust Nigeria’s government with U.S.-made combat drones. China does not share the same concern. It’s the same story in Pakistan; Islamabad has long tried to purchase armed drones from Washington, but the U.S. has refused to export this sensitive technology. In September Pakistan launched an attack on Islamist militants using combat drones that resembled Chinese makes and models, according to weapons experts. Clearly, China will sell to customers that the U.S. won’t (yet) touch.
3. Israel
But China isn’t even the world’s largest exporter of drones; that title belongs to Israel. Between 2010 and 2014, Israel exported 165 drones worldwide; America was second with 132. Between 1985 and 2014, Israeli drones made up nearly 61 percent of the global drone trade.
In fact, Israel has been using drones since its 1982 war with Lebanon, and has spent the last three decades refining the technology. In 2013, drones accounted for 10 percent of the country’s military exports, and the international business consultancy Frost and Sullivan estimates that its exports will grow between five and ten percent through 2020.
India announced less than a month ago that it has accelerated plans to buy 10 Heron TP drones from an Israeli firm for roughly $400 million. The deal makes sense for Israel; but the world should be concerned that now both India and Pakistan—the textbook definition of geopolitical rivals—possess combat drones. A nuclear exchange between these two remains far too frightening for either to contemplate seriously. Drone fights are another matter and could draw the two sides toward dangerous confrontation.
4. Iran
Israel isn’t the only country in the Middle East investing heavily in drones. Iran has been using them since the Iran-Iraq war in the late 1980’s. The U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office explains that “no aspect of Iran’s overt military program has seen as much development over the past decade as Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).” By 2014, Tehran had succeeded in developing more than a dozen different drone models. Exact Iranian drone figures are still hard to come by; however, there is general consensus that Iran’s drones lag far behind American and Israeli variants, especially when it comes to mounting them with weapons.
Still, Iran has done the best it can with a shoestring military budget of $30 billion, investing resources on “suicide drones” designed for kamikaze use. The lifting of nuclear sanctions will unlock more than $100 billion for Tehran, and given Iran’s interest in military outcomes around the Middle East, it’s a good bet that Tehran’s burgeoning drone program will be a significant beneficiary. For a country that has a troubling history of waging proxy wars across the region, the rise of drones gives it yet another tool with which to extend its reach.
5. Non-State Actors
Iran is a well-known sponsor of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants; military analysts believe it funnels between $60 and $200 million a year to the group. In 2013, it already had a fleet of nearly 200 Iranian-made drones. Now it appears that Iran is providing Hezbollah—and Hamas—with the technological know-how to build these drones themselves. Last year, Hamas announced that it had three different drone models in its possession capable of surveillance, launching missiles, and nose-diving into targets. It’s difficult to verify these claims; these groups have obvious incentives to exaggerate their military capabilities. What is undoubtedly true is that each day brings us closer to a world where terrorists groups will use drones to further inflame the already combustible Middle East.
And let’s not forget ISIS; the U.S. revealed last month that it had shot down three ISIS drones to date. While ISIS is still miles away from access to drones that can compete with far more sophisticated American models, it is worrisome that a terrorist group that takes in more than $1 million a day has embraced the strategic value of using drones to wage wars.
***
Ultimately, it’s still too early to say how the rise of weaponized drones will change 21st century warfare. But if history is any indication, countries and other actors will learn to adapt. Drones don’t make the world any safer or more dangerous; they just change the rules of the game.
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LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's attorney general has launched an investigation to determine whether the founder and former head of an elite Catholic society sexually and physically abused children and former members of the secretive group.
 Haaretz |
The Latest: Quartet Calls for Calm Amid Mideast Tensions
New York Times JERUSALEM — The latest developments in a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence (all times local). ___. 10:00 p.m.. The Middle East Quartet is calling on both Israel and the Palestinian leadership to show "maximum restraint and avoidance of provocative ... Quartet Urges Israelis, Palestinians to De-Escalate TensionsWall Street Journal Middle East Quartet concerned about violence between Israelis, PalestiniansRussia Beyond the Headlines EU's Mogherini says Mideast 'Quartet' to meet Friday, urge calmReuters all 23 news articles » |
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Friday the U.S. is likely to step up military raids in its campaign against Islamic State.
Police fatally shot man who stabbed four people Thursday at the school in southern Sweden.
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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court on Friday sentenced 244 people to up to 14 months in jail over protests in 2013 that began as a bid to stop the redevelopment of an Istanbul park and spiraled into the worst political unrest for years, a major newspaper reported.
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People dressed as Chewbacca and Stormtroopers from Star Wars attend the unveiling of the Darth Vader monument in Odessa on Friday. The monument, built around a bronze Lenin statue, is part of Ukraine’s de-communisation legislation which was introduced earlier this year. The Darth Vader character attending the event says that he is happy to be made into a monument while ‘still alive’
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Cuba's healthcare sector is enjoying a boom thanks to a thaw in relations with the United States and other countries.
 Chicago Tribune |
Gap between minorities and police widening, FBI boss says in Chicago
Chicago Tribune FBI Director James Comey, shown Oct. 22, 2015, in Washington, said during his Chicago address that law enforcement and the communities they serve are “arcing away from each other.” FBI Director James Comey, shown Oct. 22, 2015, in Washington, said ... FBI Director: Viral Video Era Affecting Police WorkABC News ISIS-related investigations dominate FBIWTAE Pittsburgh all 52 news articles » |
US President Barack Obama hits out at his Republican rivals, accusing them of being "so down on America" and always suggesting that "everything is terrible".
 Fortune |
China and UK engage in fish and chips diplomacy
Fortune And Chinese netizens are going crazy for it. China's main media outlets are awash with ebullient dispatches from the landmark state visit by President Xi Jinping to the United Kingdom. After over a century of bitterness between the two countries due to ... David Cameron Takes Xi Jinping to British Pub for Pint of Ale, Fish and ChipsWall Street Journal (blog) Watch UK Prime Minister David Cameron take China's President Xi Jinping on a ...The Week Magazine See David Cameron and Xi Jinping Gabbing Over a Pint and Some Fish and ChipsTIME Rapid News Network -Reuters -MarketWatch all 93 news articles » |
 Politico |
Obama Makes 'Grumpy Cat' Face Talking About Republicans
ABC News Did you ever imagine the President of the United States would make a Grumpy Cat face? Well that happened Friday as President Obama compared Republican politicians to the grumpy-looking Internet feline. “Why is it that Republican politicians are so down ... Obama: Republicans are like 'Grumpy Cat' memeUSA TODAY Obama: 2016 GOP 'like Grumpy Cat'The Hill (blog) GOP is like 'Grumpycat,' Obama saysPolitico Mediaite -TPM all 11 news articles » |
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A suicide bomber kills at least 22 people at a Shia procession in Jacobabad, southern Pakistan, the second such attack in as many days.
Professor's controversial idea sparks online debate in China
Russia has sent a few dozen special-operations troops to Syria from Ukraine in recent weeks, Russian and Western officials say, as the Kremlin shifts focus to supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has wrapped up a four-day visit to Britain, where he signed billions of dollars' worth of deals that include massive Chinese investment in a British power plant. There was some mention of human rights concerns during the meetings, but critics accuse Britain's government of mostly ignoring China's poor human rights record in the interest of boosting trade. VOA Europe correspondent Luis Ramirez reports.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/british-government-accused-putting-trade-above-rights-china/3020663.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/british-government-accused-putting-trade-above-rights-china/3020663.html
Congress's Debt Ceiling Clashes Spike Economy Worriesby webdesk@voanews.com (Jim Randle)
The U.S. Treasury secretary said recently that the global economy could face a crisis if Congress failed to meet a November 3 deadline for raising the country's debt ceiling — the legal limit on the amount of money the government can borrow to pay debts. After many years of spending hundreds of billions of dollars more than it collects in taxes each year, Washington's current debt is more than $18 trillion. That is bigger than the annual output of the entire United States, which...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday he had told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that Pakistan was prepared to help revive stalled Afghan peace talks but could not bring the Taliban to the negotiating table "and be asked to kill them at the same time."
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A campaign poster for the front-runner in Sunday's presidential election, Daniel Scioli, in Buenos Aires. The practice of offering goods and services in exchange for votes, though legal, has been called into question as the election approaches.
 CNN |
Russian airstrike hits Syrian hospital, aid group says
CNN Gaziantep, Turkey (CNN) After the first airstrike hit near a hospital in eastern Idlib, Syria, no one was injured, according to one local man. But then the warplane returned. "Run, the plane is coming back," aid workers can be heard saying on video ... What the Aleppo offensive hidesAl-Monitor Thanks To Putin, The Battle For Aleppo Is Raging AgainHuffington Post Syria's doctors 'utterly abandoned' after Russian air strikes hit hospitalsTelegraph.co.uk Wall Street Journal-New York Times- Daily Sabah all 78 news articles » |
Why do Norwegians use 'texas' to mean crazy?
The smartest things written about the world this week.
You’re Not Supposed to Understand the Federal Reserve — Adam Davidson, New York Times Magazine
When the Fed eventually does raise rates, it will be covered with near hysteria. It will be on the front page of every paper, on every cable-news show. And most Americans won’t understand what any of it means. Their confusion won’t be helped by the media’s — and their own — instinct to understand the process through single significant moments. But trying to understand the Fed that way is like trying to make sense of a long marriage, with its small daily compromises, joys and miseries, by watching one big fight or one romantic dinner.
Agreed. But a word of warning: If politicians can politicize the work of the Supreme Court, they can certainly do the same with the Federal Reserve, where consequential decisions are made in private and announced in public.
How Stephen Harper’s Islamophobic Gambit Backfired and Lost Him the Election in Canada — Matthew Yglesias, Vox
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper pulled a leaf out of a globally popular playbook and tried to divert attention away from Canada’s faltering economy by injecting a hefty dose of Islamophobia into the campaign. The specific issue was a trumped-up controversy over whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear a niqab (a kind of full head covering) during official citizenship ceremonies…[But] the whole idea of winning an election with hard-edged cultural war wedge issues doesn’t sound very Canadian, so there’s something reassuring about knowing that it didn’t work.
Ironic that Harper tried to make the case that Canada should change immigrants rather than allow immigrants to change Canada in an election against Justin Trudeau, whose father made the exact opposite argument a crucial part of Canada’s political identity. Pierre Trudeau’s “mosaic” lives on.
The Taliban, al-Qaida, and ISIS don’t require advanced training for its recruits, so, it’s often asked, why should the Afghan or Iraqi army? But the two tasks are different. Insurgents can attack at a time and place of their choosing; if met with force, they can withdraw and attack someplace else. By contrast, armies defending the government have to be strong and ready everywhere, or they need to have the means to move quickly from one place to another. So training is not just a matter of teaching soldiers how to shoot straight and maneuver on a battlefield (which American trainers do well).
It may also be that Americans are short-sighted enough to expect others to fight like Americans.
Is Eastern Europe Any More Xenophobic Than Western Europe? — Heather Horn, The Atlantic
Few comprehensive or comparative studies on this topic have been carried out, perhaps in part because the very concept of xenophobia differs around the world… What little can be gleaned from the muddled research on xenophobia suggests that it’s worth distinguishing between government policies that are hostile to refugees—of which countries like Hungary certainly have their share—and the sentiments of the governed population. The two are connected, but the precise mechanism is not always easy to measure.
There is xenophobia in every country in the world, but some of the Europeans fearful of the impact of the migrants have much more practical concerns, worries that can and should be frankly addressed by Europe’s elected leaders. That’s as true in the east as in the west.
The Doctor — James Verini, The Atavist
Still, [Tom] Catena stays [in Sudan]. Will and stubborn faith are not the only anchors. He admits that he suffers from a disorder known as founder’s syndrome. It’s a self-diagnosis. His aim, his fondest hope, is to leave Mother of Mercy in Nuban hands. But for seven years he has invested every moment, every emotion, every ambition, into the hospital…But mostly he stays because he admires and loves Nubans. Sometimes he is so touched by their understanding and gratitude, he believes he could live with them for the rest of his life.
Thankfully, some are still willing to try to change the world one wounded human being at a time.
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