Minggu, 14 Juli 2019

Jet-powered flyboard steals the show at Bastille Day celebrations - Guardian News

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2019-07-14 14:34:46Z
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She moved from Canada to Somalia to tell positive stories, but ended up dead in a terrorist attack - CNN

But, eight weeks later, she was dead.
Nalayeh was a victim of a brutal terrorist attack that ripped through Kismayo, the normally serene and beautiful port city in Jubaland, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu.
She was among 26 people who died after several gunmen stormed the Asasey Hotel after a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle loaded with explosives outside the hotel. The attackers battled with Jubaland's security forces for 12 hours, authorities said.
Death toll in Somalia hotel attack rises to 26
Her husband Farid Jama Suleiman -- a businessman and former regional minister -- also died in the attack alongside three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans and one Briton.
Nalayeh was a prominent Somali-Canadian journalist who was passionate about depicting Somalia -- a country long blighted by war, famine and terrorist attacks, beyond the usual bombs and bullets narrative.
She was the founder of Integration TV, an online platform with millions of views on YouTube which describes itself as "building a community of inspiring and uplifting stories for Somalis worldwide."
Nalayeh, 43, was a powerhouse on social media, where she used her large following to continue her theme of sharing a side of Somalia rarely seen in coverage of the country.
In her last tweet Nalayeh spoke of a new-found passion for photography, sharing stunning images of local young fishermen in the island of Illisi, near Kismayo.
"It was an incredible day to witness #Somalia's beauty on the island of #Ilisi," she wrote in a thread.
Nayaleh was born in Somalia in 1976 but her family moved to Canada when she was six years old.
In an interview earlier this year, she recalled what it was like to grow up in a family of 12 children, as well as the toll moving to Canada had on her family.
"My parents survived in a new country, learnt everything and my dad went from being a high profile governor in Somalia driving around in a Mercedes to working in a parking lot and taking care of his 12 children ... My parents were traumatized having to start their whole life over," she told the African Women in Media (AWIM) platform.
Nayaleh's family said in a statement released online, that the 43-year-old had "spent her life devoted to serving the Somali people and reporting on positive and uplifting stories."
"She died serving the Somali community everywhere and doing what she loved most. She brought inspiration and hope to the Somali people through story telling. She will be deeply missed," the statement read.
Nalayeh had two sons from a previous marriage and spoke openly about the cultural stigma attached to being a divorced single parent.
"Society judges you," she said. "They look down on women who are single parents, men look down on you because they think you may be an easy catch...They think nobody is going to pay dowry for you. All these crazy ideas like you are just not as worthy when you are divorced.
"But you know what, my journey sharing that with one of my followers and them realizing that life happens to many of us. We can start over, we can learn, we can grow and you don't have to be ashamed," she said in the AWIM interview.
In another cruel twist of fate, Nalayeh had recently found love again and remarried in November 2018, sharing pictures of her honeymoon in Somalia on Instagram.
She was heavily pregnant when she died, according to a friend Fatuma Abdulahi -- who told CNN they worked together on a personal story for a platform Abdulahi used to run. Abdulahi also made a series of Twitter posts paying tribute to her friend.
Nalayeh's death has led to an outpouring of grief on social media with many sharing their shock and disbelief at her death.
Through her work with Integration TV, Nalayeh inspired a generation of young Somalis who had previously only seen their country through the lens of war.
"Hodan... was opening up a previously little know or seen side of Somali... Showing us that despite everything that Somalia has endured, its people still have hope, an enduring spirit and a will to make the best of a situation beyond their control," Jamila Mohamed, who met Nalayeh in Kenya earlier this year, told CNN over WhatsApp.
Mohamed, the managing editor of Citizen TV, recounted that she, too, had experienced a hotel attack during a recent reporting trip to Somalia but escaped unhurt.
"It's always a risk going to Somalia, always, you never know what will happen next," she said.
Indeed in an interview with CBC News in 2016, Nalayeh is quoted as saying: "Anyone who follows their passion to help rebuild Somalia knows there's always a risk of death."
The author and scholar Khaled Beydoun was among those who paid tribute to the journalist.
"Devastating to hear the news of Hodan Nalayeh being among the victims of the terror attack in southern Somalia. She was beloved by so many, and her work so impactful. Rest in Peace," he wrote.
While Ahmed Hussen -- who's of Somali heritage and Canada's minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, described Nalayeh as a "voice for many," in a Twitter post.
"We mourn her loss deeply, and all others killed in the #KismayoAttack," he said.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/14/africa/somalia-hotel-attack-hodan-nalayeh-intl/index.html

2019-07-14 13:15:00Z
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Leaked UK memo says Trump left Iran deal to spite Obama - AOL

LONDON (AP) — A U.K. newspaper published more leaked memos from Britain's ambassador in Washington on Sunday, despite a police warning that doing so might be a crime.

In one 2018 cable published by the Mail on Sunday, U.K. ambassador Kim Darroch says President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran as an act of "diplomatic vandalism" to spite his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The memo was written after then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited Washington in a failed attempt to persuade the U.S. not to abandon the Iran nuclear agreement.

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British Conservative party leadership contender Boris Johnson gets in a car as he leaves home in south London, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Contenders for leadership in Britain's ruling Conservative Party to become the next Prime Minister, jostled for attention Monday as the race narrowed into a contest to seize the mantle of challenger to front-runner Boris Johnson. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

British Conservative party leadership contender Boris Johnson leaves home in south London, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Contenders for leadership in Britain's ruling Conservative Party to become the next Prime Minister, jostled for attention Monday as the race narrowed into a contest to seize the mantle of challenger to front-runner Boris Johnson. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is an American-born British journalist and former mayor of London.

Britain's Conservative party leadership candidate Boris Johnson talks during the first party hustings at the ICC in Birmingham, England, Saturday June 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

British Conservative Party leadership and prime minister contender Boris Johnson leaves home in south London, Friday, June 21, 2019. Britain's next leader will be chosen by about 160,000 members of the governing Conservative Party in a runoff between two candidates: former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

British Conservative Party leadership and prime minister contender Boris Johnson gets in a car as he leaves home in south London, Friday, June 21, 2019. Britain's next leader will be chosen by about 160,000 members of the governing Conservative Party in a runoff between two candidates: former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

British Conservative party leadership contender Boris Johnson arrives for a live TV debate in central London Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Britain's Conservative Party is holding a contest to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, and party legislators will continue to hold elimination votes until the final two contenders will be put to a vote of Conservative Party members nationwide, with the winner due to become Conservative Party leader and prime minister. (AP Photo/Vudi Xhymshiti)

British Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson leaves his home in London, Thursday, June 13, 2019. Britain's Conservative Party is holding an election to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who resigned last week after failing to lead Britain out of the European Union on schedule. Former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson is currently the bookies favorite to replace May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Britain's Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during the official launch of his leadership campaign, in London, Wednesday June 12, 2019. Boris Johnson solidified his front-runner status in the race to become Britain's next prime minister on Tuesday, gaining backing from leading pro-Brexit lawmakers.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

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"The outcome illustrated the paradox of this White House: you got exceptional access, seeing everyone short of the president; but on the substance, the administration is set upon an act of diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons - it was Obama's deal," Darroch wrote.

Darroch announced his resignation last week after the newspaper published cables in which he'd branded the Trump administration dysfunctional and inept. The White House responded by refusing to deal with him, and Trump branded the ambassador a "pompous fool" in a Twitter fusillade.

U.K. police are hunting the culprits behind the leak — and, contentiously, have warned journalists that publishing the documents "could also constitute a criminal offence."

Yet both Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, the two contenders to become Britain's next prime minister, have defended the media's right to publish.

"We have to make sure that we defend the right of journalists to publish leaks when they are in the national interest," Hunt said.

British officials have said they have no evidence that hacking was involved in the documents' release, and that the culprit is likely to be found among politicians or civil servants in London.

Police are investigating the leak as a potential breach of the Official Secrets Act, which bars public servants from making "damaging" disclosures of classified material. Breaking the act carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, though prosecutions are rare.

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https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/07/14/leaked-uk-memo-says-trump-axed-iran-deal-to-spite-obama/23769228/

2019-07-14 12:30:31Z
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UK envoy said Trump left Iran nuclear deal to spite Obama: Report - Aljazeera.com

The United Kingdom's former ambassador to Washington said United States President Donald Trump seemed to be pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal for "personality reasons", as it was signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama, according to a British newspaper citing leaked documents.

The report by the Mail on Sunday came days after Kim Darroch was reported to have sent diplomatic cables describing the Trump administration as "inept", prompting the US president to claim the ambassador was a "pompous fool" whom he would no longer deal with.

Darroch has since resignedsaying it was now "impossible" to do his job.     

"The administration is set upon an act of diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons - it was Obama's deal,"  Darroch wrote in a diplomatic cable in May 2018, the Mail on Sunday reported, as it published the second batch of leaked documents.

'No long-time strategy'

According to the cables, in May 2018, Boris Johnson, the British foreign secretary at the time, went to Washington to try to persuade Trump not to abandon the Iran deal.

Afterwards, Darroch reportedly indicated there were divisions in Trump's team over the decision, and criticised the White House for not having a long-term strategy.

"They can't articulate any 'day-after' strategy; and contacts with the State Department this morning suggest no sort of plan for reaching out to partners and allies, whether in Europe or the region," he wrote.

He reported back that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during his talks with Johnson, "did some subtle distancing by talking throughout about 'the president's decision'".

The newspaper reported that, according to Darroch, Pompeo also hinted that he had tried but failed to "sell" a revised text to Trump.

Police warning

In 2015, when Obama was in power, the US, China, Britain, France, Russia and Germany signed a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for a partial lifting of international economic sanctions.

Trump had long been critical of the deal and unilaterally withdrew the US on May 8, 2018.

Al Jazeera's Rory Challands, reporting from London, said the leaks have "rocked the British diplomatic service to its core and driven a significant wedge between the UK and the US". 

"The latest leaks will also make the job of British diplomats that much more difficult. They have said 'How can we be able to do our jobs and be candid and honest in the cables we write back to London if those confidential missives get leaked for political reasons?'"

In addition to a government investigation into the leaks, police are also looking into a potential breach of the Official Secrets Act.

London's Metropolitan Police sparked widespread condemnation on Saturday after warning journalists that publishing leaked documents could be a criminal matter.

Separately, the Sunday Times reported that a government investigation had identified a civil servant as the person responsible for the leak. 

Working with officials from the National Cyber Security Centre, part of spy agency GCHQ, and MI6, the probe has centred on a suspect who had access to historical Foreign Office files, the paper said.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/uk-envoy-trump-left-iran-nuclear-deal-spite-obama-report-190714055646044.html

2019-07-14 12:08:00Z
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Thousands back on Hong Kong streets to keep up pressure - Aljazeera.com

Tens of thousands of people have again rallied in Hong Kong, in their latest effort to grow their protest movement against what they see as mainland China's growing influence on the semiautonomous territory.

Demonstrators on Sunday marched in Sha Tin, a suburban area near the border that is popular with mainland Chinese shoppers, as the rallies move outwards from the heart of the financial centre into surrounding neighbourhoods.

Al Jazeera's Jamela Alindogan, reporting from the march, said the large crowd of protesters included families "in droves".

"[They are] speaking out against what they call creeping authoritarianism, threats to the way of life in Hong Kong."

There were clashes between police and some protesters, with riot police using pepper spray and batons against small crowds who took over a road on the sidelines of the rally. Masked protesters responded by building barricades from metal fencing and a stand-off with riot police ensued.

Hong Kong has been hit by a wave of popular protests since early June following widespread anger over a controversial piece of legislation that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland. Although the Hong Kong government later suspended the bill, it has refused to officially retract it.

Opponents insist they will settle for nothing short of its formal withdrawal and have called for the resignation of Carrie Lam, the territory's chief executive. Others have also staged protests over other grievances, including what they see as moves by the pro-Beijing government to erode Hong Kong's freedoms and autonomy.

The youth-led protests have fuelled the former British colony's biggest political crisis since China regained control of Hong Kong in 1997 and pose a direct challenge to authorities in Beijing.

Many protesters see the rallies as part of an existential fight against an increasingly assertive Beijing.
     
"This is a dangerous moment. Hong Kongers can choose to die or they can live. We're on the edge but fortunately we haven't died off yet," said JoJo So, a woman in her fifties who was attending the rally.

A few protesters waved British and United States flags, with banners calling for independence for Hong Kong flying from makeshift flagpoles. Some marchers beat drums and others carried banners that read, "Free Hong Kong."

Chants of "Carrie Lam go to hell", rang through the crowd, referring to the city's embattled leader.

Broader issues

Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of journalists joined a silent march to demand better treatment from police at protests.

On Saturday, a largely peaceful demonstration against mainland Chinese traders in a town close to the Chinese border turned violent, as protesters hurled umbrellas and hardhats at police, who retaliated by swinging batons and firing pepper spray.

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Alindogan said the protests have spread beyond the extradition bill as many people have been emboldened by the public support they are getting.

"John Lennon walls have sprung up in almost every single district of Hong Kong, with messages of support and messages of discontent," Alindogan said.

"We've spoken to young people here who say they may have just been born in 1997... but they say they are the most disillusioned about the future of Hong Kong.

"They say they want protection of their way of life; the rule of life is being undermined; they want real political reforms which would ensure that their way of life isn't threatened any more."

Alindogan said that weeks into their movement, the protesters have found new ways to express their message "very strongly" and bring the demonstrations to suburban areas like Sha Tin.

"We are seeing very common slogans here, for example 'Be water my friend' - that's actually a very popular line from a movie of legendary actor Bruce Lee, who also lived here," she said.

"That is essentially the growing motto and slogan of the protesters, that they become malleable, that they adapt to the changing times - and we are seeing that."

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Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule 22 years ago under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows its people freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China, including the liberty to protest and an independent judiciary.

Beijing denies interfering in Hong Kong affairs, but many residents worry about what they see as an erosion of those freedoms and a relentless march towards mainland control.

The government condemned violent acts during Saturday's protests against so-called "parallel traders" from the mainland who buy goods in bulk in Hong Kong to carry into China to sell for profit.

It said that during the last 18 months it had arrested 126 mainland visitors suspected of contravening the terms of their stay by engaging in parallel trading and barred about 5,000 mainland Chinese also suspected of involvement.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2019/07/thousands-hong-kong-streets-pressure-190714083206959.html

2019-07-14 10:19:00Z
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New leak claims Trump scrapped Iran nuclear deal 'to spite Obama' - BBC News

Donald Trump abandoned the Iran nuclear deal to spite Barack Obama, according to a leaked memo written by the UK's former ambassador in the US.

Sir Kim Darroch described the move as an act of "diplomatic vandalism", according to the Mail on Sunday.

The paper says the memo was written after the then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appealed to the US in 2018 to stick with the nuclear deal.

The latest leak came despite the Met Police warning against publication.

The first memos criticising President Trump's administration, which emerged a week ago, prompted a furious reaction from the US president and resulted in Sir Kim resigning from his role.

What have we learnt from the latest leak?

The Mail on Sunday reports that Sir Kim wrote to Mr Johnson informing him Republican President Trump appeared to be abandoning the nuclear deal for "personality reasons" - because the pact had been agreed by his Democrat predecessor, Barack Obama.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

However, President Trump said he did not think that the deal went far enough in curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions and reinstated US sanctions after withdrawing from the deal in May 2018.

The British ambassador's memo is said to have highlighted splits amongst US presidential advisors; he wrote that the White House did not have a "day-to-day" strategy of how to proceed following withdrawal from the deal.

According to the paper, in his memo to Mr Johnson, Sir Kim wrote: "The outcome illustrated the paradox of this White House: you got exceptional access, seeing everyone short of the president; but on the substance, the administration is set upon an act of diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons - it was Obama's deal.

"Moreover, they can't articulate any 'day-after' strategy; and contacts with State Department this morning suggest no sort of plan for reaching out to partners and allies, whether in Europe or the region."

Why did the police warn the media?

Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu warned media organisations against publishing leaked government documents, saying it "could be a criminal matter".

His comments came as a criminal investigation was launched into the initial leak of Sir Kim's emails.

The warning prompted a backlash from newspaper editors and MPs on Saturday, defending the freedom of the press.

The Met Police then released a second statement making clear journalists who released further details of the former ambassador's communications could be in breach of the Official Secrets Act, in which case there is no public interest defence in law.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The Mail on Sunday said it was in the public interest to publish the memos, arguing it revealed "important information" on the UK's attempts to stop President Trump abandoning the Iran nuclear deal.

A spokesman for the paper said: "What could be more in the public interest than a better understanding of how this position was reached, which may have serious consequences for world peace?"

In response, a Foreign Office spokesman called it a "totally unacceptable leak" of "sensitive material" and called for the source of the leak to "face the consequences of their actions".

He added that it was "not news" that the UK and US differ in their approach to preventing Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.

What was the fallout from the initial leak?

The first leaked emails saw Sir Kim, the then UK ambassador, refer to the Trump administration as "clumsy and inept".

The US president responded by calling Sir Kim as "a very stupid guy", adding that he would no longer deal with him

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Sir Kim stepped down as US ambassador on Wednesday, saying it was "impossible" for him to continue in the role.

Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson faced strong criticism for failing to fully support the former ambassador during a TV debate last week.

The government have also launched an internal Whitehall inquiry into the leak.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48978484

2019-07-14 09:16:52Z
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New leak claims Trump scrapped Iran nuclear deal 'to spite Obama' - BBC News

Donald Trump abandoned the Iran nuclear deal to spite Barack Obama, according to a leaked memo written by the UK's former ambassador in the US.

Sir Kim Darroch described the move as an act of "diplomatic vandalism", according to the Mail on Sunday.

The paper says the memo was written after the then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appealed to the US in 2018 to stick with the nuclear deal.

The latest leak came despite the Met Police warning against publication.

The first memos criticising President Trump's administration, which emerged a week ago, prompted a furious reaction from the US president and resulted in Sir Kim resigning from his role.

What have we learnt from the latest leak?

The Mail on Sunday reports that Sir Kim wrote to Mr Johnson informing him Republican President Trump appeared to be abandoning the nuclear deal for "personality reasons" - because the pact had been agreed by his Democrat predecessor, Barack Obama.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

However, President Trump said he did not think that the deal went far enough in curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions and reinstated US sanctions after withdrawing from the deal in May 2018.

The British ambassador's memo is said to have highlighted splits amongst US presidential advisors; he wrote that the White House did not have a "day-to-day" strategy of how to proceed following withdrawal from the deal.

According to the paper, in his memo to Mr Johnson, Sir Kim wrote: "The outcome illustrated the paradox of this White House: you got exceptional access, seeing everyone short of the president; but on the substance, the administration is set upon an act of diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons - it was Obama's deal.

"Moreover, they can't articulate any 'day-after' strategy; and contacts with State Department this morning suggest no sort of plan for reaching out to partners and allies, whether in Europe or the region."

Why did the police warn the media?

Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu warned media organisations against publishing leaked government documents, saying it "could be a criminal matter".

His comments came as a criminal investigation was launched into the initial leak of Sir Kim's emails.

The warning prompted a backlash from newspaper editors and MPs on Saturday, defending the freedom of the press.

The Met Police then released a second statement making clear journalists who released further details of the former ambassador's communications could be in breach of the Official Secrets Act, in which case there is no public interest defence in law.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

What is the Mail on Sunday's defence?

The newspaper said it was in the public interest to publish the memos, arguing it revealed "important information" on the UK's attempts to stop President Trump abandoning the Iran nuclear deal.

A spokesman for the paper said: "What could be more in the public interest than a better understanding of how this position was reached, which may have serious consequences for world peace?"

In response, a Foreign Office spokesman called it a "totally unacceptable leak" of "sensitive material" and called for the source of the leak to "face the consequences of their actions".

He added that it was "not news" that the UK and US differ in their approach to preventing Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.

What was the fallout from the initial leak?

The first leaked emails saw Sir Kim, the then UK ambassador, refer to the Trump administration as "clumsy and inept".

The US president responded by calling Sir Kim as "a very stupid guy", adding that he would no longer deal with him

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Sir Kim stepped down as US ambassador on Wednesday, saying it was "impossible" for him to continue in the role.

Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson faced strong criticism for failing to fully support the former ambassador during a TV debate last week.

The government have also launched an internal Whitehall inquiry into the leak.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48978484

2019-07-14 08:04:37Z
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