THE NEWS: Trump received Kim Jong Un letter seeking 2nd meet: WHouse

Trump received Kim Jong Un letter seeking 2nd meet: WHouse



AFP/File / SAUL LOEB North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, pictured at the start of their historic US-North Korea summit, are preparing for a second meeting

US President Donald Trump has received a "very positive" letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seeking a follow-up meeting after their historic summit in Singapore, the White House said Monday.

"It was a very warm, very positive letter," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said, adding that the message showed Pyongyang's "continued commitment to focus on denuclearization" on the Korean Peninsula.

"The primary purpose of the letter was to schedule another meeting with the president, which we are open to and are already in the process of coordinating," she said at the first White House press briefing in nearly three weeks.

Sanders added that the letter was "further evidence of progress" in Washington's relationship with Pyongyang.

Trump and Kim held a historic summit in Singapore in June that raised prospects of a breakthrough on curtailing North Korea's nuclear program.

Despite follow-on negotiations on denuclearizing the peninsula hitting a snag leading to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceling a planned trip to the North late last month, the new letter showed signs that the discussions remain alive after weeks of apparent deadlock.

"We think it's important and we're glad that we're making progress," Sanders said, adding that Trump deserves the "credit" for bringing the two parties to the table.

"At the end of the day, ultimately, it's always going to be best when you can have the two leaders sit down," she added.

The White House has pointed to a series of accomplishments in recent months, including a release of US hostages, the repatriation of war remains believed to be of US service members and a pause in North Korea's missile and nuclear tests, to suggest progress between the foes.

And on Sunday, North Korea refrained from displaying its intercontinental missiles -- long a bone of contention in its nuclear tensions with Washington -- in a massive parade through Pyongyang celebrating the country's 70th birthday.

- 'Still waiting' -

The latest parade "for once was not about their nuclear arsenal," Sanders said.

Trump thanked Kim for the gesture, saying on Twitter: "This is a big and very positive statement from North Korea."

Sanders was asked whether the next Trump-Kim meeting would take place in Washington, but she demurred, saying, "we'll let you know when we have further details."

The letter's arrival was confirmed as Trump's top security advisor said the White House was looking to North Korea for next steps.

"We're still waiting for them. The possibility of another meeting between the two presidents obviously exists," said National Security Advisor John Bolton.

"But President Trump can't make the North Koreans walk through the door he's holding open. They are the ones that have to take the steps to denuclearize. And that's what we are waiting for."

Bolton said in a speech to the Federalist Society that during the Singapore meeting with Trump in June, Kim committed to getting rid of his nuclear weapons, and later agreed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that it could be done in one year.

After his speech, Bolton told reporters "it's entirely possible" for the two leaders to meet by year's end.
source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/trump-received-kim-jong-un-letter-seeking-2nd-meet-whouse-doc-1902pg1

THE NEWS: Nations lock horns as whalers, opponents meet in Brazil

Nations lock horns as whalers, opponents meet in Brazil



AFP/File / Miguel MEDINA A humpback whale jumps in the surface of the Pacific Ocean at the Uramba Bahia Malaga National Natural Park in Colombia

Pro- and anti-whaling nations locked horns Monday as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) began meeting in Brazil amid outrage over Japan's proposal to end a three-decade moratorium on commercial whale hunting.

Brazil's Environment Minister Edson Duarte told the opening session it was "time for progress, not setbacks," reminding delegates of their "duty to give definitive direction to the conservation of cetaceans."

Incoming IWC chairman Joji Morishita said the meeting could determine the future of the 89-member intergovernmental body, torn for years by nagging disputes between conservationists and whalers.

Morishita told AFP he wants to "change the paradigm to mutual respect from mutual denial," so the IWC can develop "rather than just fighting with each other."

But the sides appeared as far apart as ever on the emotive issue of whale hunting as the weeklong meeting got underway in the surfers' paradise of Florianopolis.

With southern right whales breaching and spouting huge plumes of mist in Florianopolis Bay -- clearly visible from delegates' hotels -- host country Brazil and Japan are proposing two diametrically opposed visions of how to manage them.

Japan is presenting a "Way Forward" document that would create a "Sustainable Whaling Committee" for nations wishing to allow their nationals to hunt healthy whale populations for commercial purposes.

Anti-whaling members like Australia, the European Union and New Zealand have vowed to block them.

Brazil is trying to rally anti-whaling nations behind a "Florianopolis Declaration" that insists commercial whaling is no longer a necessary economic activity and would allow the recovery of all whale populations to pre-industrial whaling levels.

The Brazilian minister said his country was proposing to create a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, with partners Argentina, Gabon, South Africa and Uruguay. Previous attempts to introduce a sanctuary in the South Atlantic were defeated by pro-whaling nations.

"We have a duty to give definitive direction to the conservation of cetaceans," Duarte told the meeting.

"Future generations have the right to know and live in with these beautiful mammals that this Commission deals with in its natural habitats.

Brazil also introduced a draft resolution on "ghost gear" entanglement of whales and dolphins by abandoned fishing gear, aiming to further highlight the growing problem "and to clean up the material already accumulated in the ocean."

The IWC say the full extent is hard to assess as most entanglements are never observed, but research suggests over 300,000 whales and dolphins die annually due to entanglement in fishing gear, with more becoming trapped in marine debris.

Other key issues being discussed in the meeting are risks to whales of human-made underwater noise pollution, ship strikes and the effects of climate change.

- Moratorium still in place-

The moratorium -- agreed in 1986 amid fears that some species were becoming extinct -- is still in place, with some exceptions.

Iceland and Norway are the only countries that allow commercial whaling and are likely to come under renewed pressure at the IWC meeting, which runs until Friday.

Japan formally observes the moratorium but exploits a "scientific research" loophole to kill hundreds of the animals every year, despite international criticism.

"Japan's 'way forward' proposal is procedurally unsound and would take the International Whaling Commission back to the days when it presided over unsustainable whaling operations," said Leigh Henry, the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) head of wildlife policy in the US.

Tokyo has regularly sought an easing of the IWC's prohibition on commercial whaling, and is pushing hard for a rule change that would allow decisions to be made by simple majority vote instead of the current three-quarters majority.

"The reform proposals are aimed at making the IWC capable again of making decisions as a resources-managing body, and we believe it would be in the interests of all members including anti-whaling nations," Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters in Tokyo.

"Our country hopes that the reforms will be supported, that the IWC will be functional again as a resources-management organization and that commercial whaling will be resumed. We will make utmost efforts," the chief cabinet secretary said.

In another category of exemption, aboriginal subsistence hunting is allowed in several countries, including Greenland, Russia, the United States and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Conservation groups are opposed to a proposal before the IWC to increase annual whale kill quotas for these countries, and automatic renewal of quotas every six years, without consulting the IWC's scientific committee.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/nations-lock-horns-whalers-opponents-meet-brazil-doc-1901n73

THE NEWS: German unions call for strike against Ryanair Wednesday

German unions call for strike against Ryanair Wednesday



 AFP/File / PASCAL PAVANI The strike, which is expected to last 24 hours, would involve some 400 Ryanair pilots and co-pilots in Germany

Unions representing pilots and cabin crew of Irish no-frills airline Ryanair In Germany have called for a strike on Wednesday over better pay and working conditions.

The pilots' Cockpit union said in a statement Monday that they have been demanding these improvements "for months".

Despite the "clear signal" given during the strikes in August, "the negotiations remain deadlocked. We demand finally some solutions," said Ingolf Schumacher, in charge of salary negotiations for the union.

The strike, which is expected to last 24 hours, would involve some 400 Ryanair pilots and co-pilots in Germany.

About 1,000 flight personnel in the country have also called for a work stoppage on Wednesday.

"The salaries are so low they do not guarantee a sufficient living wage," said Christine Behle of the German services union in a separate statement.

In August, Ryanair, which carries some 130 million passengers annually, had to cancel 250 flights to and from Germany after the German pilots joined a pan-Europe strike against the airline.

Meanwhile, Ryanair reached agreements with personnel in Ireland and Italy, which Germany's Cockpit union considers insufficient.

While the carrier is for the first time recognising unions across Europe that represent its pilots and cabin crew, staff are unhappy that improvements have yet to be made on pay and other conditions.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/german-unions-call-strike-against-ryanair-wednesday-doc-1902i62

THE NEWS: Scotland claim welcome win on eventful night for Naismith

Scotland claim welcome win on eventful night for Naismith


AFP / Andy BUCHANAN Steven Naismith (L) was on target in Scotland's win over Albania at Hampden

Steven Naismith was on target as Scotland marked Alex McLeish's first competitive match since coming back for a second spell as manager by beating Albania 2-0 at a sodden Hampden on Monday.

The Hearts forward Naismith, 31, had an eventful night, forcing Berat Xhimshiti into scoring the own goal that put Scotland ahead just after half-time before he scored the second goal that clinched victory.

After losing five of their last six games -- all friendlies -- and scoring only once in that time, Scotland needed this as they begin their latest quest to qualify for a first major tournament since 1998.

This was their first game in the new UEFA Nations League, a competition which offers the carrot of a possible qualifying spot for Euro 2020.

After this result, they are level with Albania on three points in Group 1 of the third-tier League C.

"This was always the focus. People were talking about win ratios but I'm not worried about that. It's about building a team and we've had the very hardest tests possible," McLeish told Sky Sports.

"I'm really proud of the victory tonight because we were under pressure, everybody said we must win, and we did."

Back in the job after a previous spell in 2007, McLeish faces a huge challenge reviving his side's fortunes, and persuading long-suffering supporters to attend games again.

Just as for Friday's 4-0 thumping by Belgium, Hampden -- which will host four matches at Euro 2020 -- was sparsely populated for this game on a dreary Glasgow evening.

Naismith produced a remarkable miss midway through the first half when he headed against the post from just two yards out after Charlie Mulgrew had nodded down John McGinn's free-kick.

The same player then had the ball in the net just before the interval, diverting Callum McGregor's effort past Thomas Strakosha, but he was just offside and the flag came up.

With Southampton's Stuart Armstrong on at the interval, Scotland stepped things up after the break and took the lead within two minutes of the restart.

Captain Andy Robertson's cross was headed towards goal by Naismith at the back post, and the unfortunate Xhimshiti helped the ball in.

Albania coach Christian Panucci scored a stoppage-time winner for Italy at Hampden to knock McLeish's Scotland out of Euro 2008 qualifying.

His side, who beat Israel 1-0 in their first group game, had chances to equalise, notably when Bekim Balaj forced Allan McGregor into a fine save.

But Scotland doubled their lead on 68 minutes as Strakosha came for a corner and missed it, allowing Naismith to head into an empty net.Spirits have been lifted, but a bigger test surely awaits Scotland in Israel next month
source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/scotland-claim-welcome-win-eventful-night-naismith-doc-1902qw7

THE NEWS: US teens prefer remote chats to face-to-face meeting: study

US teens prefer remote chats to face-to-face meeting: study


AFP/File / Eric BARADAT Some 89 percent of those teens surveyed now have their own smartphone

American teenagers are starting to prefer communicating via text instead of meeting face-to-face, according to a study published Monday by the independent organization Common Sense Media.

Some 35 percent of kids aged 13 to 17 years old said they would rather send a text than meet up with people, which received 32 percent.

The last time the media and technology-focused nonprofit conducted such a survey in 2012, meeting face-to-face hit 49 percent, far ahead of texting's 33 percent.

More than two-thirds of American teens choose remote communication -- including texting, social media, video conversation and phone conversation -- when they can, according to the study.

In 2012 less than half of them marked a similar preference.

Notably, in the six-year span between the two studies the proportion of 13 to 17-year-olds with their own smartphone increased from 41 to 89 percent.

As for social networks, 81 percent of respondents said online exchange is part of their lives, with 32 percent calling it "extremely" or "very" important.

The most-used platform for this age group is Snapchat (63 percent), followed by Instagram (61 percent) and Facebook (43 percent).

Some 54 percent of the teens who use social networks said it steals attention away from those in their physical presence.

Two-fifths of them said time spent on social media prevents them from spending more time with friends in person.

The study was conducted online with a sample of 1,141 young people ages 13 to 17, from March 22 to April 10.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/us-teens-prefer-remote-chats-face-face-meeting-study-doc-1903f72

THE NEWS: 30,000 flee in Syria as UN fears century's 'worst' crisis

30,000 flee in Syria as UN fears century's 'worst' crisis



AFP / Aaref WATAD A Syrian family rides with their belongings in a pick up truck as they head to safer areas in the northern part of rebel-held Idlib province on September 6, 2018 to flee an expected regime assault

Violence in northwest Syria has displaced more than 30,000 people this month alone, the United Nations said Monday, warning that a looming assault could create the century's "worst humanitarian catastrophe".

Idlib province and adjacent rural areas form the largest piece of territory still held by Syria's beleaguered rebels, worn down by a succession of government victories in recent months.

President Bashar al-Assad has now set his sights on Idlib, and his forces have stepped up bombardment of the densely populated province since the beginning of the month.

That has prompted an estimated 30,452 people to be displaced within Idlib and parts of adjacent Hama province between September 1 and 9, the UN's humanitarian coordination agency (OCHA) said Monday.

"We're deeply concerned about this recent escalation of violence, which has resulted in the displacement of over 30,000 in the area. That's something we're monitoring very closely," OCHA spokesman David Swanson told AFP.


AFP / Charlotte MASON Syria's Idlib Province


Many made a dash for Syria's northern border with Turkey, with just under half seeking refuge in displacement camps and others living with local families or renting apartments.

An AFP correspondent in Idlib has seen dozens of displaced families head towards the frontier in recent days to escape bombing elsewhere.

On Monday, on the main highway running across the province, men on motorbikes headed north with their children on foot, herding dozens of sheep.

- 'We escaped' -

Abu Jassim said he and his family were fleeing the latest bombardment near the southern town of Khan Sheikhun, after already having been displaced several times within the province due to the war.

"They hit with four rockets so we escaped with our flock", he said.

"We go wherever it's safe," said the man in his 30s.

"I have 30 sheep. Every day, I need water, hay and bran to feed them."

The UN has said as many as 800,000 people could be displaced by a regime assault on Idlib and surrounding areas.

Some three million people live in the zone now, about half of them already displaced by the brutal seven-year war and others heavily dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.

For weeks, regime troops backed by Russia and Iran have massed around Idlib's periphery, with deadly air strikes, shelling, and barrel bombs falling with increased intensity in recent days.

Russia is due to brief the United Nations Security Council later Tuesday about the results of the Tehran summit it held with Iran and Turkey on the fate of Syria's Idlib province.

Meanwhile the bombs keep falling.


 AFP / Aaref WATAD Syria's conflict has killed more than 350,000 people and forced millions more out of their home but the UN has warned a full-blown attack on Idlib could create the century's 'worst humanitarian catastrophe'

Two children were killed in heavy barrel bomb attacks on a village in Idlib's south Sunday, a day after 10 civilians died in shelling across the rebel zone, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Syria's conflict has killed more than 350,000 people and forced millions more out of their homes, but the UN has warned a full-blown attack on Idlib could bring unprecedented suffering.

On Monday, its humanitarian chief made an urgent appeal.

"There needs to be ways of dealing with this problem that don't turn the next few months in Idlib into the worst humanitarian catastrophe with the biggest loss of life in the 21st century," Mark Lowcock told reporters in Geneva.

- Hospitals hit -

He acknowledged that there were many rebels and fighters from "terrorist" groups in the province, but stressed that "there are 100 civilians, most of them women and children, for every fighter in Idlib".


AFP / OMAR HAJ KADOUR This picture taken on September 6, 2018 shows smoke plumes rising from Syrian regime bombardment on the town of Al-Tamanah on the southern edges of the rebel-held Idlib province


Idlib is mostly controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) -- an alliance spearheaded by powerful jihadists once linked to Al-Qaeda.

Its population ballooned as the regime chalked up a series of victories across the country, reaching deals that saw tens of thousands of rebels and civilians bussed into Idlib.

The escalating bombardment has already damaged civilian infrastructure.

At least two hospitals and two centres running rescue operations for wounded people were put out of service by shelling and air strikes, according to the Britain-based Observatory and the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, which backs medical centres in Syria.

The conflict's three powerbrokers -- regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey -- agreed at a summit last week to "stabilise" Idlib, but few details emerged on how they would do it.

Delegations from the three countries will be in Geneva on Tuesday to meet the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Moscow wants to keep rebels from using weaponised drones against Russian warplanes positioned nearby.

Meanwhile Turkey, which already hosts three million Syrian refugees, is keen to prevent an assault that would see hundreds of thousands more mass along its border.

source: AFP

THE NEWS: Chinese companies flee overseas to avoid US tariffs

Chinese companies flee overseas to avoid US tariffs

source: AFP

AFP/File / GREG BAKER China's textiles factories are among those looking to relocate abroad to avoid US tariffs

A growing number of Chinese companies are adopting a crafty way to evade US President Donald Trump's tariffs: remove the "Made in China" label by shifting production to countries such as Vietnam, Serbia and Mexico.

The world's two largest economies have been locked in a months-long trade fight after Trump imposed 25 percent customs duties on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods this summer, triggering a swift tit-for-tat response from Beijing.

Chinese factories making everything from bikes to tyres, plastics and textiles are moving assembly lines abroad to skirt higher customs taxes on their exports to the United States and elsewhere, according to public filings.

Hl Corp, a Shenzhen-listed bike parts maker, made clear to investors last month that tariffs were in mind when it decided to move production to Vietnam.


AFP / John SAEKI Trump tax on Chinese goods


The factory will "reduce and evade" the impact of tariffs, management wrote, noting Trump hit e-bikes in August, with new border taxes planned for bicycles and their parts.

Trump warned last week those tariffs -- targeting $200 billion in Chinese imports -- could come "very soon".

"It's inevitable that the new duties will lead companies to review their supply chains globally -- overnight they will become 25 percent less competitive than they were," said Christopher Rogers, a supply chain expert at trade data firm Panjiva.

Supply chains have already begun relocating out of China in recent years as its rising labour and environmental protection costs have made the country less attractive.

Tariffs are adding fuel to the fire, experts and companies say.

"China-US trade frictions are accelerating the trend of the global value chain changing shape," said Cui Fan, research director at the China Society of WTO Studies, a think tank affiliated with the commerce ministry.

"The shifting abroad of labour-intensive assembly could bring unemployment problems and this needs to be closely watched," Cui said, adding the shift would not help the US's overall trade deficit.

- Chinese firms race abroad -

The growing list of foreign firms moving supply chains away from China -- toy company Hasbro, camera maker Olympus, shoe brands Deckers and Steve Madden, among many others -- already has Beijing worried.

Less discussed are the Chinese factories doing the same.

Zhejiang Hailide New Material ships much of its industrial yarns, tyre cord fabric, and printing materials from its plant in eastern Zhejiang province to the US and other countries.

Trump's first wave of tariffs on $50 billion in goods this summer hit some of its exports; the next round of $200 billion looks like it will hit several more.


 AFP/File / STR Beijing is worried by a growing list of foreign and Chinese firms moving production and factories abroad

"Currently all of our company's production is in China. To better evade the risks of anti-dumping cases and tariff hikes, our company has after lengthy investigation decided to set up a factory in Vietnam," executives told investors last month.

"We hope to speed up its construction, and hope in the future it can handle production for the American market," a company vice president said of the $155 million investment that will ramp up production by 50 percent.

Other moves abroad spurred on by tariff risks include a garment maker going to Myanmar, a mattress company opening a plant in Thailand and an electronic motor producer acquiring a Mexico-based factory, according to public filings from the firms.

Linglong Tyre is relying mostly on low cost credit to build a $994 million plant in Serbia.

The entire tyre industry faces a "grim trade friction situation", Linglong told investors last month, citing "one after another" anti-dumping cases against China.

"Building a factory abroad allows 'indirect growth,' by evading international trade barriers."

- Bike industry shifts gear -

China's bike industry faces a similar pivotal moment. The centre of manufacturing will shift away from China in the future, bike part maker H1 Corp told investors when announcing its Vietnam factory.

Some of Hl's customers started moving production -- especially of e-bikes -- to Vietnam, said Alex Lee, in charge of global sales at Hl Corp.

"First of all there is no anti-dumping tax on Vietnam," Lee said, adding labour costs were lower there as well.

China's growing e-bike industry faces duties not only from the US but also the European Union, which slapped provisional anti-dumping tariffs of 22 to 84 percent on Chinese-made e-bikes in July, alleging Chinese companies benefited from cut-rate aluminium and other state subsidies.

The state support Chinese companies receive is key to the Trump administration's case in taxing Chinese goods, but Hl shows how companies may continue to benefit even after shifting some of their production overseas.

Government subsidies, including millions of yuan to "enhance company competitiveness", eclipsed H1's profit during the first six months of the year, its filings show.

Still the company went ahead and bought an operating factory in Vietnam.

Lee noted they had transferred mass production of aluminium forks and steering parts to the new plant from their factory in Tianjin.

He did not know if it would lead to job cuts in China.

THE NEWS: Got a problem? Ask China's online agony aunts

Got a problem? Ask China's online agony aunts



 AFP / WANG ZHAO Gu Zhongyi, one of China's online question-and-answer mavens, at his home in Beijing

Wondering if you have a sex addiction? Have a question about the US-China trade war's likely impact? Or about whether to buy a house? China's online question-and-answer mavens like Gu Zhongyi are there for you.

Gu, a nutritionist, is among hundreds of thousands of "experts" who sell their advice in thriving Chinese internet forums where they serve as web-based agony aunts.

Chinese often have nowhere else to turn -- the Communist government's controls on information, especially on sensitive topics like the trade war and sex, makes some information hard to come by, and consulting professionals in person costs too much for many people.

Around 10,000 questions per day were asked last year via "Wenda" ("Q & A"), a function on dominant Chinese social media platform Weibo where financial, health and professional experts -- often self-appointed -- earn money with each response.

Gu quit his nutritionist job at a top Beijing hospital last year to focus on Wenda, establishing himself as a go-to guy for masses of young mothers with questions on nutrition for their babies.

"I think it is more meaningful to do a job that can impact more people. Wenda is a win-win," said Gu, who supplements his online income writing pay-for-access articles, and also books.

Many Wenda pundits are credentialed experts, but many more become authorities merely by drawing enough of a following.


AFP / WANG ZHAO The online 'experts' set a rate, typically between 100-200 yuan ($15-$30) per question, and answer those of their choosing


They set a rate, typically between 100-200 yuan ($15-$30) per question, answering those of their choosing.

More money comes in via "snooping", in which other users pay one yuan each to view answers to previously asked questions.

Fuelled by China's ubiquitous use of mobile-phone payments, snooping of hot topics can bring in tens of thousands of yuan per answer, which is split between the asker, the expert and Weibo.

"You need to find the time to go to a hospital or to buy a book. But the time and money you spend on it are costly. But I can just give the answers to you," Gu said.

- Sex, trade and housing –

One of Wenda's more popular experts is "Queen C-Cup", whose identity and qualifications are unknown but who has established herself as an oracle on sex, with more than six million followers.

Open discussion of sex is still frowned upon in China, and Queen C-Cup has complained of being harassed online.

But Wenda grants a degree of anonymity to those asking questions, who seek Queen C-Cup's advice on everything from jazzing up one's sex life to grappling with domestic violence or the anguish of forced marriages.

Her fees range up to several hundred yuan and her answers are heavily snooped.

Wenda is becoming an important part of China's knowledge economy, Beijing-based internet research company Sootoo Institute said in a recent report.


AFP / WANG ZHAO The number of people willing to pay for knowledge on Wenda or use other forms of paid content or articles doubled in 2017 to nearly 188 million people

The number of people willing to pay for knowledge on Wenda or use other forms of paid content or articles doubled in 2017 to nearly 188 million people, it said.

The dragged-out US-China trade tussle has spurred a wave of questions, especially because China's government -- ever wary of potential social instability -- has largely stifled discussion of the dispute's impact.

"Is there any way China and the US may reconcile? How will we ordinary folks be affected?" one Wenda user asked recently, while countless others seek advice like whether to stock up now on certain goods.

China's rising housing prices are another top subject that has minted countless "experts", including Wang Sicong.

An investor and son of a top Chinese business tycoon, Wang was recently asked -- for a fee of 10,000 yuan -- whether young urban residents should use their parents' savings to buy homes.

The answer -- renting may be a better choice, Wang said -- was snooped nearly one million times.
source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/got-problem-ask-chinas-online-agony-aunts-doc-18n7dn1

THE NEWS: Japan semiconductor company Renesas to buy US firm IDT for $6.7bn

Japan semiconductor company Renesas to buy US firm IDT for $6.7bn


AFP/File / KAZUHIRO NOGI Renesas said it planned to finance the deal to buy IDT using bank loans worth 679 billion yen ($6.1 billion) as well as some cash reserves

Japanese semiconductor firm Renesas on Tuesday announced a deal to buy California-based IDT in a cash deal valued at $6.7 billion.

Shares in Renesas spiked 5.54 percent on the news, before dropping back slightly in the late morning.

The deal is expected to be closed in the first half of next year, following approval by IDT shareholders and the relevant regulatory authorities, Renesas said in a statement.

Renesas said it planned to finance the deal using bank loans worth 679 billion yen ($6.1 billion) as well as some cash reserves.

The Japanese firm said the deal with IDT, also a semiconductor manufacturer, should "strengthen its presence in the industrial and automotive segments."

Renesas Electronics, the world's biggest supplier of automotive microcontroller chips, was created through a merger of the chip units of Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric and NEC.

The firm suffered from fierce competition from low-cost rivals and in 2013 was bailed out by a government-backed fund.

The loss-making company was forced into sweeping job cuts, including more than 1,000 in Europe but recovered after restructuring and embarked on an acquisition drive.

In 2016, it bought smaller US chipmaker Intersil for $3.2 billion.

"The Intersil acquisition brought diverse talent and management capabilities to accelerate Renesas' global operations. The transaction announced today extends this effort and will provide Renesas with further proficiency to execute global strategy," the statement said.

IDT, or Integrated Device Technology, has 1,700 employees worldwide and generated turnover of $842.8 million in 2017-18.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/japan-semiconductor-company-renesas-buy-us-firm-idt-67bn-doc-1903o54

THE NEWS: Behind the wire in Australia's 'Pacific Gulag'

Behind the wire in Australia's 'Pacific Gulag'



 AFP / Mike LEYRAL Most the inhabitants in Nauru are there against their will, describing existance in the camps as full of desperation

A cluster of prefabricated huts pokes out of Nauru's sweltering rocky landscape to reveal refugee settlement camp number five, a place defined by desperation and rarely visited by outsiders.

Although access to the weed-infested camp is severely restricted, with the Nauru government seeking to prevent journalists from visiting the area, AFP recently managed to enter and speak with detainees.

Inhabitants are there against their will, the subjects of a controversial deal between this island's government and authorities in Canberra keen to avoid boat people setting foot on Australian shores.

Most are asylum-seekers who tried to reach Australia by sea, but were detained and processed in compounds run by the Nauru government and paid for by Canberra under its hardline immigration policy.

A swastika spray-painted on a large water tank alongside initials "ABF" make clear the inhabitants' views on the Australian Border Force, which helps oversee them.

Many are willing to speak only on condition of anonymity, but they describe existence on this remote speck of land in the South Pacific as devoid of hope, filled with desperation and of families living with the unbearable cloud of suicide attempts.

A refugee from Iran -- who asked not to be named -- worries about himself, but above all about his children.


AFP / Mike LEYRAL Child refugees are among those who have experienced serious mental health issues and even attempted suicide


His 12-year-old daughter once doused herself in petrol and threatened to set herself alight, after struggling to cope with spending half a decade and almost half her life on Nauru.

"She took the lighter, she was screaming 'Leave me alone! Leave me alone! I want to kill myself, I want to die'," he said.

He managed to wrest the lighter from her hands, but the despair that drove the girl to contemplate suicide still hangs over the lives of this family of four.

Her 13-year-old brother tells AFP in a monotone: "I have no school, I have no future, I have no life."

Somali asylum-seeker Khadar Hrisi watches over his depressed wife like a hawk, afraid even to go to sleep because of her repeated suicide attempts, including one just a few days earlier.

He took her to the nearest hospital, which is funded by Australia, but they received little help.

"Last night, they called the police and they kicked us (out of)... the hospital," he says.

Refugees say medical services are limited and habitually overwhelmed because so many inhabitants suffer from psychological illnesses.

Nauru's roughly 900 detainees, including 100 children, often wait years to find out if they have been deemed genuine refugees.

Even if they are, Australia still refuses to take them, leaving them stranded in the settlement camps unable to leave the 21 square kilometre (eight square mile) island they have come to regard as an open-air prison.

- 'Stolen years' -

A Refugee Council of Australia report released last week to coincide with the Pacific Islands Forum summit on Nauru said many detainees' mental health was buckling because they could see no end to their plight.


AFP / Mike LEYRAL Naura President Baron Waqa says the refugees and locals "live together very happily"

"Those who have seen this suffering say it is worse than anything they have seen, including in war zones... people are broken," the report said.

Rights activists say detainees endure harsh conditions including substandard housing in scorching heat, with reports also detailing allegations of physical and sexual abuse.

Reporters Without Borders in August also accused the Australian government of failing to defend journalistic freedoms in relation to the camp, which it described as a "Pacific Gulag" and "Australia's Guantanamo".

However, Canberra denies mistreatment and says offshore processing is needed to stop deaths occurring when people-smugglers cram asylum-seekers into rickety boats for the treacherous voyage to try to reach Australia.

Nauru President Baron Waqa has dismissed the mental health fears and says the refugees can move freely around the island.

"They're provided all the services that are available to the Nauruans and we live together very happily," he told reporters.


AFP / Mike LEYRAL Somali asylum-seeker Khadar Hrisi's wife has already made several suicide attempts


But detainees say their relations with Nauruans are deteriorating and claim that they have been the target of violence and burglary at the hands of locals.

The camp is an economic lifeline for Nauru, which has a population of 11,000 and scant natural resources.

However, some Nauruans say they have yet to see any benefits from the Australian-bankrolled camps, with one young man telling AFP: "We do not know where this money goes".

Many Nauruans live in dire conditions themselves and do not understand why the detainees are complaining.

For their part, the refugees say they would be ready to move anywhere, as long as it meant their search for a home was finally over.

"The Australian government has stolen five years of our life," said the Iranian father whose daughter attempted suicide and whose son spends his days in depressed resignation.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/behind-wire-australias-pacific-gulag-doc-1903vb1

THE NEWS: Climate extremes 'key driver' behind rising global hunger: UN

Climate extremes 'key driver' behind rising global hunger: UN



AFP/File / Albert Gonzalez Farran Conflict and drought have had a severe impact on access to food for women and children in South Sudan

Extreme weather events were a leading cause of global hunger rising last year, with women, babies, and old people particularly vulnerable to the worsening trend, a UN report said Tuesday.

Increasingly frequent shocks such as extreme rainfall or temperatures, as well as droughts, storms, and floods, helped push the number of undernourished people to 821 million in 2017, it said.

That figure, equivalent to about one in nine people globally, was up from 804 million in 2016, according to the annual report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World".

"The number of people who suffer from hunger has been growing over the past three years, returning to levels that prevailed almost a decade ago. Equally of concern is that 22.2 percent of children under five are affected by stunting in 2017," said the document.

Low- and middle-income countries, in particular, were harshly impacted by ever-more frequent climate extremes.

"Africa is the region where climate shocks and stressors had the biggest impact on acute food insecurity and malnutrition, affecting 59 million people in 24 countries and requiring urgent humanitarian action," the report said.

Trends were also worsening in South America.

"If we are to achieve a world without hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, it is imperative that we accelerate and scale up actions to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of food systems and people's livelihoods in response to climate variability and extremes," it added.

- No let-up for Syria, Yemen -


 AFP/File / PEDRO UGARTE Gender inequality leaves Indian women particularly vulnerable to rising hunger sparked by extreme weather events


While floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events have always occurred, scientists say global warming is boosting the frequency and severity of such events.

In countries where conflict and climate shocks coincide, the impact on food insecurity was even more relentless, the report said. Nearly 66 million people worldwide required urgent humanitarian assistance last year.

Syria, where agriculture is one of the few sectors to have survived the seven-year war, saw its harvest hit by rising temperatures and drought.

Already down 40 percent from pre-conflict levels -- from 4 million tonnes to around 2.5 million tonnes --, Syria's cereal production "will suffer a new reduction" this year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's director of emergencies Dominique Burgeon said.

"Syria has seen a problem of seasonality, quantity and distribution of rainfall, and these factors combined have led to the overall weakening of the agricultural sector," he told AFP by phone.

Yemen has suffered an even worse fate, with 35 percent of the population undernourished, Burgeon said, making the war-torn nation home to the world's "most acute food crisis today".

- Boys fed better -

The UN noted that women worldwide are especially vulnerable to the impact of climate extremes, particularly in countries where even a semblance of gender parity remains a distance dream.

This is because they often lack access to wealth, land, education and healthcare.

For instance, 90 percent of Lake Chad has dried up because of rising temperatures, forcing women to walk further to collect water for their families.

In India, limited resources coupled with entrenched gender inequalities saw poor families feed their boys better than girls when resources were limited.

Babies and young children were more at risk of long-term problems, and even of dying, from diarrhoea caused by disease following floods that rob people of clean water for drinking and sanitation.

Old and disabled people were also hard hit.

"In Vietnam, the elderly, widows, disabled people, single mothers, and households headed by women with small children were least resilient to floods and storms and slow-onset events such as recurrent droughts," the report said.


 AFP/File / PEDRO PARDO Obesity is on the rise in regions around the world

The UN also pointed to the global rise of obesity in adults, particularly in North America, but also in Africa and Asia.

Governments around the world have taken steps to combat the overweight epidemic, with the UK, France, Norway, and Mexico rolling out taxes on sugary soft drinks, for instance.

One in eight adults -- more than 672 million people worldwide -- are classified as obese.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/climate-extremes-key-driver-behind-rising-global-hunger-un-doc-1904h71

THE NEWS: S. Korea's Moon urges 'bold decision' from Trump and Kim

S. Korea's Moon urges 'bold decision' from Trump and Kim



AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM, SAUL LOEB Moon's comments came after the White House said it was working to coordinate a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for a "bold decision" by US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on denuclearisation Tuesday as the White House said it was planning another summit with Pyongyang.

"The complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is an issue that should fundamentally be resolved between the US and North Korea through negotiation," Moon told a cabinet meeting.

"But until talks and communication between the North and the US become more active, we cannot but work to mediate between them," he said, adding: "President Trump and Chairman Kim have asked that I play this role."

His comments came after the White House said it was "in the process of coordinating" another summit between Trump and Kim, after Pyongyang proposed a second meeting in a letter delivered to Trump.

Moon, who brokered June's historic Singapore summit between Trump and Kim, will fly to Pyongyang next week for his third meeting with the North Korean leader this year.

"A big vision and a bold decision between the leaders of North Korea and the US are needed again in order to advance to a higher level in discarding Pyongyang's existing nuclear weapons," Moon said.

In Singapore, Trump and Kim signed a vaguely-worded agreement on denuclearisation, which was touted by the US leader as a breakthrough deal to end the North's nuclear programme.

Little progress has been made since then, prompting Trump to abruptly cancel Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's planned trip to Pyongyang late last month.

But the new letter showed signs that the discussions remain alive despite weeks of apparent deadlock.

North Korea also refrained from displaying its intercontinental missiles in a massive parade celebrating the country's 70th birthday on Sunday, which Trump called "a big and very positive statement".
source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/s-koreas-moon-urges-bold-decision-trump-and-kim-doc-1904122

THE NEWS; Student killed in twin bomb attack near Afghan girls' school

Student killed in twin bomb attack near Afghan girls' school

source: AFP

 AFP / NOORULLAH SHIRZADA Wounded Afghan boy receives treatment at a hospital following multiple explosions in Jalalabad

A boy was killed and four others wounded in a double bombing outside a school in restive eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials and witnesses said, in the latest violence to hit the country.

The first explosion happened in front of Malika Omaira girls' school in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, at around 8:30 am (0400 GMT), provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani told AFP.

A second bomb went off as students from a neighbouring boys' school and locals gathered at the scene, Khogyani added.

Witnesses told AFP the casualties were students from the boys' school.

"We went with other boys to see what had happened after we heard an explosion near the girls' school," 12-year-old Elyas told AFP from his hospital bed.

"Another explosion hit us and I was wounded (in the leg).

"I saw girls crying, rushing out of school. They were all in a panic."

The twin blasts took place an hour after a bomb exploded outside Biba Hawa girls' school in nearby Behsood district, Jalalabad education department spokesman Asif Shinwari said.

Students had not arrived for class and there were no casualties, he added.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attacks in Nangarhar, but the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in the region.

Both Islamist groups have long opposed female education and have forced the closure of countless girls' schools across Afghanistan.

THE NEWS: Raikkonen to leave Ferrari, return to Sauber at end of 2018

Raikkonen to leave Ferrari, return to Sauber at end of 2018



 AFP/File / Andrej ISAKOVIC Ferrari's Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen arrives during a parade ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza on September 2, 2018

Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will leave Ferrari at the end of 2018, the Italian Formula 1 team announced on Tuesday.

"Scuderia Ferrari announces that, at the end of the 2018 season, Kimi Raikkonen will step down from his current role," the team said in a statement.

"During these years, Kimi's contribution to the team, both as a driver and on account of his human qualities, has been fundamental. He played a decisive role in the team's growth and was, at the same time, always a great team player."

The 38-year-old Raikkonen has started 287 grands prix, winning 20 since his debut in 2001 with Sauber, the team he will race for again in 2019.

"The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is delighted to announce that Kimi Räikkönen will join the team from 2019. The 2007 Formula One World Champion has signed for the next two seasons," Sauber confirmed.

Raikkonen left Formula One two years after winning the world title with Ferrari and spent two years competing in the World Rally Championship, before returning to F1 with Lotus in 2012.

Raikkonen moved back to Ferrari in 2014.

"As a World Champion for Scuderia Ferrari, he will always be part of the Team’s history and family. We thank Kimi for all of this and wish him and his family a prosperous future," the team added.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/raikkonen-leave-ferrari-return-sauber-end-2018-doc-1904xl2

THE NEWS: Raikkonen to leave Ferrari, return to Sauber at end of 2018

Raikkonen to leave Ferrari, return to Sauber at end of 2018



 AFP/File / Andrej ISAKOVIC Ferrari's Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen arrives during a parade ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza on September 2, 2018

Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will leave Ferrari at the end of 2018, the Italian Formula 1 team announced on Tuesday.

"Scuderia Ferrari announces that, at the end of the 2018 season, Kimi Raikkonen will step down from his current role," the team said in a statement.

"During these years, Kimi's contribution to the team, both as a driver and on account of his human qualities, has been fundamental. He played a decisive role in the team's growth and was, at the same time, always a great team player."

The 38-year-old Raikkonen has started 287 grands prix, winning 20 since his debut in 2001 with Sauber, the team he will race for again in 2019.

"The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is delighted to announce that Kimi Räikkönen will join the team from 2019. The 2007 Formula One World Champion has signed for the next two seasons," Sauber confirmed.

Raikkonen left Formula One two years after winning the world title with Ferrari and spent two years competing in the World Rally Championship, before returning to F1 with Lotus in 2012.

Raikkonen moved back to Ferrari in 2014.

"As a World Champion for Scuderia Ferrari, he will always be part of the Team’s history and family. We thank Kimi for all of this and wish him and his family a prosperous future," the team added.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/raikkonen-leave-ferrari-return-sauber-end-2018-doc-1904xl2

THE NEWS: Hungary's Orban denounces 'blackmail' over EU censure move

Hungary's Orban denounces 'blackmail' over EU censure move



AFP / FREDERICK FLORIN Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban confronts his critics in the European Parliament on the eve of a vote to censure his right-wing populist government

Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed Hungary would resist any attempt to "blackmail" it into softening its anti-migrant stance on Tuesday on the eve of an EU parliament vote to censure his populist government.

Orban denounced as insulting to Hungary's honour a report presented to the Strasbourg assembly that accuses his government of posing a "systemic threat" to the democratic values on which the European Union was founded.

MEPs will vote on Wednesday on whether to launch a procedure that could lead to unprecedented political sanctions against Hungary, and deepen the continental divide between centrist pro-European parties and populist anti-migrant forces.

"Whatever your decision will be, Hungary will not accede to this blackmail," an angry Orban told the lawmakers, whom he alleged had already made up their mind to activate article seven of the EU treaty and seek measures to restrict his government's voting rights.

"Hungary will protect its borders, stop illegal migration and defend its rights," Orban said, accusing EU elites of wanting to punish Budapest for its anti-migrant stance.

Budapest argues that its anti-migrant measures and defence of sovereign rights are in tune with the mood of European voters -- who will elect a new parliament in Strasbourg next May.

But Judith Sargentini, who is spearheading the vote on whether to take action against Hungary, told fellow MEPs that the time had come for them to make an "important choice" after eight years under Orban.

"Will you let it happen that a government... violates the values on which this union was built without consequences?" the Green MEP from the Netherlands asked.

"Or will you ensure that the values of this union are more than just words written on a piece of a paper?"

Her report voices concerns about the Hungarian judiciary's independence, corruption, freedom of expression, academic freedom, religious freedom, and the rights of minorities and refugees.

- 'Duty to stand side by side' -


AFP / FREDERICK FLORIN Greek leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told the European parliament pro-European forces have "a duty to stand side by side. We should not let Europe slide back to the past"


Addressing the parliament ahead of Orban, Greek leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said: "Pro-European forces have a duty to stand side by side. We should not let Europe slide back to the past."

Opposition to Orban's vision does not just come from the left.

There is disquiet in the main centre-right parliamentary group, the European People's Party (EPP), about his position, despite it including his Fidesz party. Party leaders said they would announce their stance later Tuesday.

If the motion passes it would be the first time the European Parliament votes to take steps under article seven of European Union treaties, which could ultimately deny Hungary its EU voting rights.

Last year the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, launched similar steps under article seven against Poland over its alleged threat to the independence of the courts.

Poland's ally Hungary has pledged to veto any move to impose such penalties on Warsaw, which would effectively block the measure.

Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans told the parliament that his colleagues shared the concerns of the parliament about Hungary, but did not indicate whether he thought Budapest had crossed the threshold for invoking article seven.

It is also not clear whether Sargentini's push will win the necessary two-thirds support of the assembly.

While Orban's actions have provoked opposition, they have been applauded by populists elsewhere in the EU, with several prominent far-right figures floating the idea of a pan-European populist alliance ahead of next year's elections for the bloc.

- Report 'insults Hungary' -


AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO Opposition to Orban's vision does not just come from the left as there is disquiet in the main centre right European People's Party (EPP), about his position, despite the grouping including his Fidesz party

The Commission, headed by Jean-Claude Juncker, an EPP member, has repeatedly clashed with Orban's government, especially since Budapest refused to admit asylum seekers under an EU scheme launched at the height of the migration crisis in 2015.

In July, the EU executive body warned it could take Budapest to the European Court of Justice over laws which call for up to a year in prison for anyone assisting an undocumented migrant.

The top EU court could impose fines, which would be less drastic for Hungary than losing its voting rights.

Orban said his government had sent all the MEPs an 108-plus page rebuttal of Sargentini's "false" charges.

"The report in front of you insults Hungary and insults the honour of the Hungarian nation," he said, adding his country was a proud Christian nation that had stood up to the former Soviet Union.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/hungarys-orban-denounces-blackmail-over-eu-censure-move-doc-19004n4

THE NEWS: Russia launches biggest ever war games

Russia launches biggest ever war games



AFP/File / Sergei GAPON Russia, which held war games in Eastern Europe in 2017, has said this year's show of force will be the biggest in its history

Russia launched Tuesday what it called its largest ever military drills, with hundreds of thousands of troops taking part along with Chinese soldiers in a show of force NATO condemned as a rehearsal for "large-scale conflict."

President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the games after hosting an economic forum in Russia's far eastern city Vladivostok where his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is one of the prominent guests.

The week-long war games dubbed "Vostok-2018"(East-2018) "have kicked off" in far eastern Russia, the defence ministry said.

Taking part in the drills are around 300,000 soldiers, 36,000 military vehicles, 80 ships and 1,000 aircraft, helicopters and drones.

Some 3,500 Chinese troops will take part in the games.

The defence ministry released video footage of military vehicles, planes, helicopters and ships getting into position for the initial stage of the drills.

Putin praised Russia's increasingly close ties with China as he met with Xi at the economic forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday.

"We have trustworthy ties in political, security and defence spheres," the Russian leader said.

Xi for his part said the two countries' "friendship is getting stronger all the time."

The drills, which also include Mongolian soldiers, have been condemned by NATO as a rehearsal for "large-scale conflict".


POOL/AFP / SERGEI CHIRIKOV Putin praised Russia's increasingly close ties with China as he met with Xi at the economic forum in Vladivostok


The military exercises come at a time of escalating tensions between Moscow and the West over accusations of Russian interference in western affairs and conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

The Russian army has compared the show of force to the USSR's 1981 war games that saw between 100,000 and 150,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers take part in "Zapad-81" (West-81) -- the largest military exercises of the Soviet era.

But Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said these exercises are even larger.

"Imagine 36,000 military vehicles moving at the same time: tanks, armoured personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles -- and all of this, of course, in conditions as close to a combat situation as possible," Shoigu said.

The exercises will be held across nine training ranges and three seas: the Sea of Japan, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk.

- 'Routine work' -

The Russian army is rolling out all of its latest additions for the event: Iskander missiles that can carry nuclear warheads, T-80 and T-90 tanks and its recent Su-34 and Su-35 fighter planes.


AFP / Valentina BRESCHI Map showing planned Russian military manoeuvres for "Vostok-2018" and details of the military hardware involved.


At sea, the Russian fleet is deploying several frigates equipped with Kalibr missiles that have been used in Syria.

Wednesday will see games featuring anti-aircraft technology, while the main event will be on Thursday, the defence ministry told journalists covering the event in eastern Siberia and the Far East.

NATO said that Vostok-2018 "demonstrates Russia's focus on exercising large-scale conflict".

"It fits into a pattern we have seen over some time -- a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defence budget and its military presence," the alliance's spokesman Dylan White said late August.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed such concerns on Tuesday.

"These are very important drills but they are part of routine annual work to develop the armed forces," he told journalists.

Peskov has earlier said Russia's "ability to defend itself in the current international situation which is often aggressive and unfriendly to our country is justified, essential and without alternative".

Relations between Russia and the West declined sharply in 2014 with Moscow's annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of a Kremlin-backed uprising in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin has accused NATO of expanding westwards and threatening Russian national security.

Moscow has increased the number of its large-scale military exercises in the Caucasus, the Baltic and the Arctic in recent years.

Russia's previous military exercise in the region, Vostok-2014, was almost half the size, with 155,000 soldiers participating.

The country's war games in Eastern Europe last year, Zapad-2017, saw 12,700 troops take part, according to Moscow. Ukraine and the Baltic states said the true number was far bigger.

source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/russia-launches-biggest-ever-war-games-doc-1900e75

THE NEWS: 50 dead as Indian bus plunges into valley

50 dead as Indian bus plunges into valley



 AFP / - Road crashes in India claim the lives of more than 150,000 people each year

Fifty people died when a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims plunged into a valley in southern India on Tuesday, one of the deadliest accidents on the country's notorious roads in recent years.

Road crashes in India claim the lives of more than 150,000 people each year. Most accidents are blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

The bus carrying 80 people was returning from the famous Hindu temple of Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy in the hilly southern state of Telangana when it skidded off the road.

Broken glass, slippers and luggage lay scattered next to lifeless bodies that were lined up at the scene, as locals pulled out survivors from the mangled vehicle.

They then carried them uphill to get medical attention.

Some rescuers climbed onto the bus and others tried to reach the injured through the front portion which was completely smashed.

"More than half of those killed were women, and there were at least three children," local official G. Narendhar told AFP.

Broadcaster NDTV quoted witnesses as saying the driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle. The Hindu daily said it careened off the road on a sharp corner.

"We have pulled out the bodies and we are taking them to the hospital for autopsy," B. Rajesham, another official, told AFP.

An investigation has been ordered.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao expressed shock and announced 500,000 rupees ($7,000) each for the families of the deceased.

Tuesday is considered an auspicious day by Hindus, and there was a heavy rush of devotees to the temple.


AFP / AFP Map of India locating deadly bus accident in Telangana state


On July 28 a bus carrying university workers plunged off a mountain road into a valley in western India, killing 33 people.

That vehicle was taking staff from the Dapoli Agriculture University to a popular hill station in the state of Maharashtra for a picnic.

The same month 48 people were killed and many others badly injured in the north of the country when an overcrowded bus hurtled into a gorge in the Himalayan foothills.
source: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/50-dead-indian-bus-plunges-valley-doc-19052i5

THE NEWS: US Carolinas brace for 'direct hit' from Hurricane Florence

US Carolinas brace for 'direct hit' from Hurricane Florence
source: AFP

AFP / Logan CYRUS Jazz Undy, owner of Wrightsville Beach Art Co, waves to a friend as he helps board up his shop in anticipation of Hurricane Florence in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

Hurricane Florence would deliver a "direct hit" to the US East Coast, emergency officials warned on Tuesday, urging residents to heed evacuation orders and seek shelter from the potentially catastrophic storm.

More than one million people in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia have been told to flee their homes as the hurricane churns across the Atlantic Ocean towards the coast.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Florence remained a Category 4 hurricane as of 11:00 am (1500 GMT) packing deadly winds of 130 miles per hour (215 kilometers per hour).

"This storm is not going to be a glancing blow," said Jeff Byard, associate administrator for response and recovery at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"This storm is going to be a direct hit," Byard told a press conference in Washington, warning of the potential for massive damage, flooding, power outages and loss of life.

Urging residents to evacuate, Byard said Florence was "the strongest storm to target the Carolinas and this part of the country in decades."

The NHC said Florence is expected to begin "re-strengthening later today and continue a slow strengthening trend for the next day or so."


AFP / Logan Cyrus A man helps board up Aussie Island surf shop in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence


It said Florence is expected to be an "extremely dangerous major hurricane" when it makes landfall in the Carolinas on Thursday, bringing life-threatening storm surge to coastal areas.

A state of emergency has been declared in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington amid concern over potential torrential rain and flooding.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the emergency was "effective immediately" and "ensures that we will have the resources we need to prepare."

The last time the US capital declared a state of emergency was in January 2016 when a winter storm dubbed "Snowzilla" blanketed the capital region in knee-deep snow.

- 'Bring a pillow and a blanket' -

In Charleston, South Carolina, residents were making preparations to leave Tuesday while others planned to ride out the storm.


NOAA/RAMMB/AFP / HO This NOAA/RAMMB satellite image shows Hurricane Florence off the US East Coast in the Atantic Ocean

Streets were quiet with schools and many offices and businesses closed.

Michael Kennedy, an engineer at Boeing, said he planned to leave on Tuesday for his parents' home in Atlanta, Georgia.

But his partner, Emily Whisler, said she will remain behind at the university where she is a resident in the psychiatry program.

"They told me to bring a pillow and blanket," Whisler said over breakfast at Brown's Court Bakery. "I'll be living there for a few days."

Whisler, who is from California, said this is her first hurricane and friends and family from the West Coast have peppered her with their concerns during the last 24 hours.

"I have had 10 people text me, worried about whether I'm staying or evacuating," she said.

Tyler Szekalski said he and his girlfriend live in a fourth-floor apartment and were planning on staying put with their dog Moose.


GETTY IMAGES/AFP / JOE RAEDLE A Home Depot employee helps a customer load plywood onto his truck as residents prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Florence in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina


He said they purchased a few supplies in preparation. "Just a bunch of groceries, water, gas in the truck," said Szekalski, an assistant project manager with Mashburn Construction.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Monday ordered the mandatory evacuation of one million coastal residents. Schools in 26 of the state's 46 counties were ordered closed from Tuesday.

The governor of neighboring North Carolina ordered an evacuation of the Outer Banks, barrier islands that are a popular tourist destination, and parts of coastal Dare County.

In Virginia, 245,000 coastal residents were ordered to evacuate by 8:00 am Tuesday including from the Eastern Shore, another popular beachfront getaway destination.

"Hurricane Florence has the potential to cause catastrophic flooding, especially in our coastal areas," Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said, activating the National Guard.

In neighboring Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan said his state was readying for potentially "historic and catastrophic rainfall, life-threatening flooding, and high winds."

- 'Be SAFE!' -

"This is one of the worst storms to hit the East Coast in many years," President Donald Trump warned on Twitter. "Please be prepared, be careful and be SAFE!"


Navy Office of Information/AFP / Justin Wolpert The guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez departs Naval Station Norfolk ahead of Hurricane Florence

Trump approved emergency declarations for the Carolinas, a standard move allowing the release of federal funds and equipment to aid in protection and recovery efforts.

On the five-level Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale Florence is a Category 4, meaning it is capable of causing "catastrophic damage."

At 1500 GMT, Florence was 390 miles (625 kilometers) south of Bermuda moving west-northwest on a path directly towards the Carolinas at 16 mph (26 kph).

By Saturday, total rainfall could accumulate to 20 inches (51 centimeters) -- or even 30 inches in places -- in parts of the Carolinas and Virginia, the NHC said.


AFP / AFP Map showing the forecast path of Hurricane Florence


The US Navy was sending about 30 ships stationed at its major bases in Virginia out to sea.

The vessels would get underway from Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek to avoid potential damage from winds and tidal surges, said Colonel Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman.

At this height of the Atlantic hurricane season, Florence was being trailed on east-to-west paths by two other storms, Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Isaac, but neither packs the deadly punch of Florence.