UK PM Johnson to Trump: please do not meddle with our election

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was best if U.S. President Donald Trump did not get involved in Britain’s upcoming election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week.

LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was best if U.S. President Donald Trump did not get involved in Britain’s upcoming election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week.

“What we don’t do traditionally as loving allies and friends, what we don’t do traditionally, is get involved in each other’s election campaigns,” said Johnson, whose Conservative Party has a commanding lead in the polls ahead of the Dec. 12.

“The best (thing) when you have close friends and allies like the U.S. and the UK is for neither side to get involved in each other’s election.”

Trump has already waded into the election, saying in October left-wing opposition leader Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, would be “so bad” for Britain and that Johnson should do a pact with Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.

Corbyn has used Trump’s praise of Johnson as one of his focal messages to attack the Conservatives in his campaign, saying they would sell off parts of the much-loved state-run National Health Service to the U.S. businesses after Brexit if they win the election.

Russia Launches New Air Base in Former U.S. Syria Stronghold

The Russian military has announced a new combat helicopter and air defense base in a formerly U.S.-controlled northern Syrian stronghold, the state-run TASS news agency reported.

U.S. troops left the city of Qamishli, the administrative center of the self-proclaimed Kurdish autonomy in northern Syria, last month as Turkey launched an assault against Kurdish forces. Russia and Turkey later clinched a deal pushing the Kurdish YPG fighters south of the frontline and launched joint patrols of the area.

The Russian base — called an aviation commandant’s office — will allow helicopters to expand their area of patrols, its chief Timur Khodzhayev was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency.

Khodzhayev said the commandant’s office will ensure “uninterrupted flights, safety of helicopters and protection and defense of the territory,” which expands to the Hasaka province on the Turkish-Iraqi border.

The base includes air defense systems and a flight control room, as well as pre-flight training and medical facilities, Khodzhayev added.

“Military police, special equipment, vehicles and fuel to ensure uninterrupted flights have also been allocated,” he was quoted as saying.

Footage published by the Russian Defense Ministry-run Zvezda news channel shows the first group of helicopters arriving in Qamishli. 

A Pantsir surface-to-air weapon protected the airspace over Qamishli’s civilian airport as an Mi-8 gunship and transport helicopter landed there, it reported. Two Mi-35 attack helicopters provided air support.

“It’s a historic moment, our aviation group will be permanently active at the Qamishli airport as of today,” a Zvezda reporter said.

Russia and Turkey have carried out five joint patrols in northeast Syria since announcing the agreement to remove the Kurdish YPG militia from the area. Ankara sees YPG as terrorists linked to a Kurdish separatist movement within Turkey.

Syrian government forces moved back into border regions held by Kurdish fighters as a result of the Russian-Turkish deal.

South Africa, Nigeria mend relations, agree trade deals

Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Cyril Ramaphosa presented a united front on Thursday (October 3) at the end of a two-day visit by the Nigerian leader to South Africa.

The trip comes weeks after a wave of violence against Nigerian nationals in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Which strained relations between Africa’s top two economies.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SAYING;

“We have expressed our deep regret at the events of the past few weeks that manifested themselves through attacks that were directed at foreign nationals.”

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, SAYING;

“Our two countries have also agreed to unequivocally address the challenges in our relations including recent people-to-people challenges that saw attacks against foreign nationals including Nigerians and their properties which we strongly condemn. We have decided to work and take concrete measures together to prevent the recurrence of such unacceptable incidents in the future.”

The two leaders also pledged to deepen economic ties and signed 30 trade and cooperation agreements.

Nigeria is one of South Africa’s largest trading partners on the continent, accounting for 64% of South Africa’s total trade with the West African region.

South Africa’s President caught on campaign video encouraging xenophobia

Was South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa shedding crocodile tears when he swiftly condemned deadly attacks on foreign-owned businesses? Campaign video may have contradicted his much-admired incorruptibility.

Was South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa shedding crocodile tears when he swiftly condemned deadly attacks on foreign-owned businesses? In this recent campaign video, President Cyril Ramaphosa could be heard addressing thousands of supporters vowing to end foreign businesses in South Africa. See below video.

South Africa’s president swiftly took to the media to condemned days of widespread looting and arson attacks on foreign-owned businesses across Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria, calling the violence “totally unacceptable”, but his previous rhetoric, just like most local politicians may have invoked a deadly culture of xenophobic attacks on foreigners and foreign-own businesses.

In a recent campaign video, President Cyril Ramaphosa could be heard addressing thousands of supporters vowing to end foreign businesses in South Africa. Though Mr. Ramaphosa in most cases made reference to “illegal businesses” his comments yet were seen to have encouraged and sustained a practice that has now become a routine in that country. For instance, over the last decade and a half, there have been several rounds of violent xenophobic attacks on foreigners, some fatal, especially on those from Somalia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Malawi, with numerous homes and businesses torched.

But the attacks last week were a horrific sight. In Alexandra, for instance, a township in Johannesburg which was in lockdown for days after the attacks, some foreigners returned to their shops to witness a pile of ruins and looted empty shelves of merchandizes.

“We are a country that is completely committed against xenophobia.  We do not allow and cannot tolerate attacks on people from other African countries,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a video statement published on Twitter Tuesday. “

But African leaders are not buying watery excuses any more.  The government of Ghana for instance, through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey requested the government of South African to ensure a total safety of its citizens over xenophobic attacks.  

Consequently, Nigeria has unequivocally confronted attacks on its citizens. President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to pay a state visit to South Africa in October to seek a permanent solution through a collaboration between both countries on fair trade and security. But Nigerians are demanding more drastic options.

Other African governments have followed suit, warning their citizens living in South Africa to take safety precautions. The Ethiopian Embassy in South Africa for example, instructed their citizens to close their shops “until peace is restored”, whereas Zambia’s Ministry of Transport and Communications warned Zambian truck drivers not to travel in to the country.

Death of a Tyrant –Brutal former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe dies aged 95

Robert Mugabe, the dictator who has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, has died in Singapore, aged 95. It is believed he had been receiving treatment for cancer there since April.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa confirmed his death on Twitter.“It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe,” he tweeted.

“Cde Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”s

First as Prime Minister and then as President, Mugabe’s rule was a reign of discord and terror for the fledgling African republic.

He presided over periods of hyperinflation and famine, persecuted opposition politicians and homosexuals and was widely regarded as having rigged multiple elections in an effort to hang on to power.

Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the media during a surprise press conference at his residence "Blue Roof " in Harare, on the eve of the country's first election since he was ousted from office. Picture: AFP
Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses the media during a surprise press conference at his residence “Blue Roof ” in Harare, on the eve of the country’s first election since he was ousted from office. Picture: AFP

Although Mugabe was given multiple honours by Western nations during the 1980s and early 1990s — including an honorary Knighthood by the Queen — by the turn of the century his reputation was that of a despotic dictator, responsible for massive human rights abuses, including the seizure of lands owned by white farmers.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attends the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, South Africa, with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe seated behind her in 1999. Picture: AP
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II attends the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, South Africa, with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe seated behind her in 1999. Picture: AP

He was stripped of most of the honours he had previously earned, and in 2005, the White House listed Zimbabwe as one of six “outposts of tyranny”.

His wife Grace Mugabe attends the Zimbabwe ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) youth interface Rally in Bulawayo. Picture: AFP
His wife Grace Mugabe attends the Zimbabwe ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) youth interface Rally in Bulawayo. Picture: AFP

Mugabe was finally forced out of office by his own party in 2017 but secured immunity from all prosecution as part of his resignation.

Rumours of ill health have dogged Mugabe for several years.

In 2010 there were reports that he had prostate cancer, and in January 2014, further reports surfaced stating he had collapsed at the State House in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

Robert Mugabeand his wife Grace pictured in 2009. Picture: AFP/Desmond Kwande
Robert Mugabeand his wife Grace pictured in 2009. Picture: AFP/Desmond Kwande

ROBERT MUGABE TIMELINE

1924 Born 21 February. Later educated at Marist and Jesuit schools.

1962-1959 Works as a teacher

1964-1974 Imprisoned for 10 years for his political activities

1974-1979 Released from prison; goes into exile in Mozambique, where he heads up the Zimbabwe African National Union — Patriotic Front (ZANU — PF)

1980 Elected first Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, representing the Zimbabwe African National Union — Patriotic Front (ZANU — PF)

1987 Abolishes position of Prime Minister; assumes title of President, previously a largely ceremonial role

1996 Marries his former secretary, Grace Marufu, 41 years his junior. It was Mugabe’s second marriage; his first wife died in 1992.

2000 Commences land acquisition program in Zimbabwe, driving white farmers off their lands.

2002 Wins another term in power thanks to another election widely discredited by foreign observers. Defeats opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

2003 Withdraws Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth

In 2008, Zimbabwean then President Robert Mugabe shakes hands with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare. Picture: AFP
In 2008, Zimbabwean then President Robert Mugabe shakes hands with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare. Picture: AFP

2005 As Zimbabwe grapples with rising inflation and food shortages, the White House lists the African nation as one of six “outposts of tyranny”.

2008 Mugabe wins another disputed election, but this time with much greater backlash both within Zimbabwe and internationally. Brokers a power-sharing deal with opposition leader Morgan Tsarivangi which enables him to hang on to the presidency

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe greets his supporters alongside his wife Grace after his address at a rally in Harare on July 28, 2013. Picture: AFP
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe greets his supporters alongside his wife Grace after his address at a rally in Harare on July 28, 2013. Picture: AFP

2013 Mugabe wins an extension to his 33-year rule in general elections, slammed as “a farce” by his rival. Local observers said the elections were fraught with irregularities but the constitutional court declared the elections “free, fair and credible”.

2014 In January, reports surface that Mugabe suffered a collapse in Harare.

2017 Mugabe forced from office after he moved to sack his Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

2019 Dies in Singapore

■ Culled from the Evening Times

Nigerian insecurity requires urgent attention, U.N. rapporteur warns

Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said Nigeria was a “pressure cooker of internal conflict.”

ABUJA, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s multiple security problems have created a crisis that requires urgent attention and could lead to instability in other African countries if it is not addressed, a United Nations rapporteur said on Monday.

Security forces in Africa’s most populous country are trying to tackle a decade-long Islamist insurgency in the northeast, banditry in the northwest and bloody clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farming communities over dwindling arable land in central states.

Agnes Callamard, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said Nigeria was a “pressure cooker of internal conflict”.

“The overall situation I have found is one of extreme concern,” she told a news conference in the capital, Abuja, where she presented her preliminary findings following a 12-day visit to the country.

Citizens, civil society leaders and other stakeholders have raised serious concerns about the escalating series of kidnappings, killings and insecurity across the country, which are clearly fueled by years of grand corruption and impunity of perpetrators.

Callamard said the police and military had shown an excessive use of lethal force across the West African country which, combined with a a lack of effective investigations and meaningful prosecution, caused a lack of accountability.

She said the country required changes in the judiciary, police and military to stop people resorting to violence in the absence of justice.

“The lack of accountability is on such a scale that pretending this is nothing short of a crisis will be a major mistake. If ignored, its ripple effect will spread in the sub-region given the country’s important role in the continent,” she said.

Spokesman for the ministries of justice, military and police did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Callamard’s findings.

The Islamist insurgency waged by Boko Haram began in northeast Nigeria in 2009 but has spread to parts of neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger where members of the group and militants allied to Islamic State carry out attacks.

The rapporteur also condemned what she said was the “arbitrary deprivation of life” and the excessive use of lethal force in the case of processions held by banned Shi’ite Muslim group the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.

Callamard said the move to ban the group appeared be based on what the authorities thought IMN could become rather than its actions. She said she had not been presented with any evidence to suggest the group was weaponised and posed a threat to the country.

Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr rematch date and venue confirmed

Anthony Joshua’s rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr is set to take place in Saudi Arabia on December 7.

Joshua lost his three heavyweight titles when he was stopped by the Mexican-American on June 1 in one of the biggest shocks in the division’s history.

The Brit immediately triggered the rematch clause in his contract in a bid to return the sport’s summit.

Joshua will head to Diriyah for the rematch in December, which will be worth £70m.

And he will start as the favourite, despite being dropped four times by the unfancied Ruiz.

Joshua had been a short odds-on favourite in New York and looked to be well on his way to victory after dropping Ruiz in the third round.

But he was immediately dumped on the canvas himself – and then again before the bell rang.

Andy Ruiz will defend his world titles (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Ruiz then completed the job in the seventh round with a further pair of knockdowns.

Joshua made no excuses for his first professional defeat, despite rumours he suffered a panic attack in the dressing room before he walked out.

There were also reports – subsequently denied – that he was knocked out in sparring during his training camp.

The deposed champion said at the time: “Congratulations to Andy Ruiz, he has six months to be champion because the belts go in the air and he’s going to have to defend against myself.

“I wouldn’t mind if it was in New York again, I wouldn’t mind if it’s in England. New York opened their arms for me and my team and it was phenomenal. I have to correct what went wrong and get the job done in the rematch.”

Ruiz had demanded £40million for the second installment but will likely pocket a career-high £10m.

Ruiz dropped Anthony Joshua four times (Image: Getty Images)

He also wanted the rematch to be held in Mexico but Joshua held the cards when it came to the venue.

Ruiz Jr said after his win: “I’ve been working really hard, man. I wanted to prove all the doubters wrong, I’d seen all the comments.

“Well, what do you know, I’m the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world. I’m still pinching myself to see if this is real, man. Wow.

“All I need to do now is get in shape and look like ‘AJ’, I want to get in really good shape.

“I’m going to get back in the gym and work even harder; I’m actually more motivated now I’m the champion.

“Before this fight, I always said I wanted to fight Joshua because I knew I could beat him, I knew he opened up too much. My speed and movement was always going to be too much for him.”

What we know about the shooting in El Paso, Texas


Culled from the CNN. Hollie Silverman, Chelsea J. Carter, Josh Campbell, Phil Gast, Evan Perez, Ed Lavandera, Paul P. Murphy, Artemis Moshtaghian Kay Guerrero, Artemis Moshtaghian, Shawn Nottingham and Jay Croft contributed to this report.


(CNN) – A shooting at at a sprawling shopping complex in El Paso on Saturday left at least 20 people dead, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.More than two dozen people were injured in the shooting at Walmart, where some of the chaos was caught on camera and showed victims lying in the parking lot. Police say they have a 21-year-old man in custody in connection with the shooting. Here’s what we know:

Where the shooting took place

Read MoreThe shooting took place at the Walmart, near the Cielo Vista Mall, Sgt. Robert Gomez, an El Paso police spokesman, told reporters. Police began receiving reports of an active shooter around 10 a.m. (noon ET). Police received multiple calls from stores at the mall complex, where Walmart sits.

In a shaky Snapchat video aired by CNN, a woman holding the camera runs through a mall department store and into a parking lot.As the group hurries past racks of clothes and cases of merchandise, voices off camera shout, “Hands up!”Another video, shot from outside the Walmart, showed people lying on the ground, some of them next to a table set up by the store’s entrance.”There’s a man lying down at the stand that a school set up,” the man holding the camera says in Spanish.”Help!” a man screams in English.”We need CPR,” someone else says. “We need CPR.”Gomez said it’s estimated that up to 3,000 shoppers and 100 employees were inside the Walmart.

How many victims there are

At least 20 people were killed in what was “one of the deadliest days in the history of Texas,” Abbott said Saturday evening.

The victims have not been publicly identified, with authorities citing the investigation and pending next of kin notifications.Three Mexicans were among those killed, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said via Twitter. At least 26 people were wounded, El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said. Of the wounded, 23 were taken to two area hospitals, two hospital spokesmen told CNN. Six Mexicans were among the injured, Mexico Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard said via Twitter.

Police gather outside the Walmart at Cielo Vista Mall where an active shooter was reported.
Police gather outside the Walmart at Cielo Vista Mall where an active shooter was reported.

Thirteen people were taken to the University Medical Center of El Paso, where one died, medical center spokesman Ryan Mielke said. Another 11 people were taken to Del Sol Medical Center, according to spokesman Victor Guerrero. Dr. Stephen Flaherty said the patients were between the ages of 35 and 82. At least two patients at Del Sol are in a “life-threatening predicament,” Flaherty said later at a press conference. Nine patients were in critical condition, Flaherty said. Of those, he said seven patients required emergency operations. He said most of the patients will likely need more procedures in the coming days.

Who carried out the shooting

This CCTV image obtained by KTSM 9 news channel shows the gunman identified as Patrick Crusius, 21 years old, as he enters the Cielo Vista Walmart store in El Paso on Aug 3, 2019. (Photo: KTSM 9/ KTSM 9 news Channel /AFP)

The suspect in the deadly shootings at the shopping complex has been identified as Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas, three sources said.

The information provided to the media came from two federal law enforcement sources and one state government source. The federal sources told the media that investigators are reviewing writing posted online days before the shootings that may speak to a motive.

Patrick Crusius
Patrick Crusius

Where the investigation stands

The FBI has opened a domestic terrorism investigation into the shooting, a source familiar with the investigative process told CNN. Initial reports were that the weapon used in the shooting was a rifle, El Paso Police Sgt. Enrique Carillo told reporters.The FBI in El Paso took to Twitter to ask anyone who took video or pictures during and after the shooting to submit them to investigators.

A girl reacts after a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 3, 2019.
A girl reacts after a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 3, 2019.

The crime scene will “be in play for a long period,” Chief Allen said. “Unfortunately, the deceased will remain at the scene until the scene is processed properly for evidentiary purposes to be gathered for later prosecution.”The shooting is being investigated as a murder, but authorities say there are some aspects that indicate the possibility of a hate crime. “Right now, we have a manifesto from this individual that indicates to some degree that it has a nexus to a potential hate crime,” Allen said.

The FBI cautioned the investigation is still in its early stages, and more work needs to be done to determine if it was a hate crime. “There is potential for a number of different other violations, and we’re reviewing all the evidence to make a determination as to what potentially else is out there, in addition to the violations that have been stated that the local authorities are pursuing,” FBI El Paso Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie said during Saturday evening’s news conference.

Document posted online shortly before shooting

Law enforcement officials are investigating a four-page document posted to 8chan that they believe was written by Crusius. 8chan is an online message board rife with racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. The document was attached to a post on 8chan that said, “I’m probably going to die today.” A CNN analysis of the 8chan post found it was posted less than 20 minutes before police received the first calls about the shooting. It is filled with white nationalist and racist hatred toward immigrants and Hispanics, blaming immigrants and first-generation Americans for taking away jobs and the blending of cultures in the US.

Law enforcement agencies respond to an active shooter at a Wal-Mart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019.
Law enforcement agencies respond to an active shooter at a Wal-Mart near Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019.

The writer discussed fears of an influential Hispanic population in Texas that would make the state a “Democratic stronghold,” though it also said “the Republican Party is also terrible,” because the Republican Party is pro-corporation, which can lead to more immigration. The writer wrote that opinions on immigration predate President Trump, and the writer appears to have held these beliefs for years.The post further says the writer took less than a month to plan the shooting and describes the weapons used.Facebook says it is working with law enforcement. Facebook and Instagram profiles under the suspect’s name have been removed by the company. Facebook and Twitter say they are working to prevent people from sharing the document. Despite the companies’ claims that they are removing the writings, CNN was easily able to find multiple versions of the writings on the platforms. “We’re proactively removing content that violates our policies and will be engaged with law enforcement, as appropriate,” a Twitter spokesperson said.

Shoppers exit with their hands up after a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 3, 2019.
Shoppers exit with their hands up after a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, U.S. August 3, 2019. Facebook said it was taking similar action. “Content that praises, supports or represents the shooting or anyone responsible violates our Community Standards, and we will continue to remove as soon as we identify it,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

What officials are saying

Gov. Abbott vowed to see justice done. “We are going to aggressively prosecute it both as capital murder, but also as a hate crime, which is exactly what it appears to be without having seen all the evidence yet,” Abbott said. “We have to be very, very clear that conduct like this, thoughts like this, actions like this, crimes like this are not who or what Texas is and will not be accepted here.”

El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said during the press conference that the city will stay united despite the tragedy. “Our community will not be defined by this senseless evil act of violence,” Margo said. “United our community will heal. El Paso is too strong to be broken by a cowardly act like this.”

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, and the White House is monitoring the situation, deputy press secretary Steven Groves said.”Today’s shooting in El Paso, Texas was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice,” Trump said on Twitter. “I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today’s hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people … Melania and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the great people of Texas.”Attorney General William P. Barr offered the Justice Department’s full support. “Those who commit such atrocities should be held accountable swiftly and to the fullest extent the law allows,” Barr said in a statement.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, who is from El Paso, pulled out of a presidential forum in Las Vegas to head back to Texas.”I’ll tell you, El Paso is the strongest place in the world. This community is going to come together. I’m going back there right now to be with my family and my hometown,” he said.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon released a statement on Instagram saying he couldn’t believe he had to send a note like this “twice in one week.” Another shooting at Walmart occurred this week in Mississippi and left two people dead. “My heart aches for the community in El Paso, especially for the associates and customers at store 2201 and the families of the victims of today’s tragedy. I’m praying for them and I hope you will join me,” McMillon said.

Immigration officials in El Paso, which sits on the US-Mexico border pledged their support to the community.Hector Mancha, US Customs and Border Protection El Paso director of field operations, and Gloria Chavez, US Border Patrol El Paso sector interim chief patrol agent, released a statement on behalf of both agencies on Twitter. “El Paso is our home and we offer any assistance we can today and beyond,” the statement read. “On behalf of the men and women of CBP, our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this senseless violence.”The shooting also renewed the debate on gun control.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the shooting was horrific and “breaks the hearts of all Americans.” “Too many families in too many communities have been forced to endure the daily horror of gun violence. Enough is enough. The Republican Senate’s continued inaction dishonors our solemn duty to protect innocent men, women and children and end this epidemic once and for all,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on Twitter: “We must act to help end gun violence in America.”

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, tweeted the shooting was “sick and senseless.” “Time to do more than pray. Time to enact common-sense legislation in Congress to empower states to deal with those who present a danger to themselves and others — while respecting robust due process,” Graham said. “May not have mattered here, but Red Flag laws have proven to be effective in states that have them.”

Boeing changing Max software to use 2 computers

The Max was grounded worldwide after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a total of 346 people.

Boeing is working on new software for the 737 Max that will use a second flight control computer to make the system more reliable, solving a problem that surfaced in June with the grounded jet, two people briefed on the matter said Friday.

When finished, the new software will give Boeing a complete package for regulators to evaluate as the company tries to get the Max flying again, according to the people, who didn’t want to be identified because the new software hasn’t been publicly disclosed.

The Max was grounded worldwide after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a total of 346 people.

Use of the second redundant computer, reported Thursday by the Seattle Times, would resolve a problem discovered in theoretical problem simulations done by the Federal Aviation Administration after the crashes. The simulations found an issue that could result in the plane’s nose pitching down. Pilots in testing either took too long to recover from the problem or could not do so, one of the people said.

In the new configuration, both of the plane’s flight control computers would be monitored by software instead of the current one, and pilots would get a warning if the computers disagreed on altitude, air speed, and the angle of the wings relative to the air flow, the person said. Only one computer was used in the past, because Boeing was able to prove statistically that its system was reliable, the person said.

The problem revealed in June is similar to the one implicated in the two crashes. That problem was with flight-control software called MCAS, which pushed the nose down based on faulty readings from one sensor. MCAS was installed on the planes as a measure to prevent aerodynamic stalling, and initially it wasn’t disclosed to pilots.

The new software would make the entire flight-control system, including MCAS, rely on two computers rather than one, said the person. “It would make the whole flight control system more robust,” the person said.

Boeing Co. spokesman Charles Bickers said only that the company is working with the FAA and other regulators on software to fix the problem that surfaced in June. The company has said it expects to present the changes to the FAA and other regulators in September, and it hopes the Max can return to flight as early as October.

The two people briefed on the matter said Boeing has finished updating the MCAS software by scaling back its power to push the nose down. It is also linking the software’s nose-down command to two sensors on each plane instead of relying on just one in the original design.

The FAA has been widely criticized for its process that certified the Max as safe to fly, largely because it uses company employees to do inspections that are then reviewed by the agency.

Ronald Reagan Makes Racist Comment To Richard Nixon In Newly Released Audio

Ronald Reagan called United Nations delegates from African countries “monkeys” in a 1971 telephone call with then-President Richard Nixon, according to a newly released recording of the private conversation.

The National Archives released audio of the call between Nixon and Reagan, who was then the GOP governor of California, earlier this month. Nixon, dogged by the Watergate scandal, resigned the presidency in disgrace in 1974. Reagan went on to serve two terms as president in the 1980s.

“To see those, those monkeys from those African countries. Damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes,” Reagan told Nixon, reportedly in reference to members of the Tanzanian delegation dancing in the United Nations’ General Assembly following its vote to recognize the People’s Republic of China.

Reagan also reportedly lobbied Nixon during their exchange to withdraw the U.S. from the U.N. over the other members’ support of China.

In a subsequent telephone call to then-Secretary of State William Rogers, Nixon said Reagan “saw these cannibals on television last night, and he says, ‘Christ, they weren’t even wearing shoes, and here the United States is going to submit its fate to that,’ and so forth and so on.”

The National Archives first released audio of the Reagan-Nixon call, which Nixon had taped in the White House, in 2000, but Reagan’s racist comment was redacted. Reagan died at age 93 in 2004.

Tim Naftali, the director of the Nixon Presidential Library from 2007 to 2011, requested a review of the redaction. The National Archives released the full clip earlier this month, and The Atlantic shared it Tuesday, along with Naftali’s commentary. 

“The past month has brought presidential racism back into the headlines,” wrote Naftali, referencing President Donald Trump’s recent racist attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color,  Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and the city of Baltimore.

“This October 1971 exchange between current and future presidents is a reminder that other presidents have subscribed to the racist belief that Africans or African Americans are somehow inferior,” Naftali added. “The most novel aspect of President Donald Trump’s racist gibes isn’t that he said them, but that he said them in public.”

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