By Ben Blanchard URUMQI/KASHGAR/HOTAN, China (Reuters) - China will not back down on what it sees as a highly successful de-radicalisation programme in Xinjiang that has attracted global concern, but fewer people will be sent through, officials said last week in allowing rare media access there. Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, scholars, foreign governments and U.N. rights experts over what they call mass detentions and strict surveillance of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority and other Muslim groups who call Xinjiang home. In August, a U.N. human rights panel said it had received credible reports that a million or more Uighurs and other minorities in the far western region are being held in what resembles a "massive internment camp." Last week, the government organised a visit to three such facilities, which it calls vocational education training centres, for a small group of foreign reporters, including Reuters. In recent days, a similar visit was arranged for diplomats … [Read more...] about China says pace of Xinjiang ‘education’ will slow, but defends camps
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Feds charge Russian national accused of acting as covert Kremlin agent
The Department of Justice announced Monday that federal authorities have arrested Maria Butina, a 29-year-old Russian national accused of covertly working to infiltrate U.S. political organizations on behalf of a high-ranking Kremlin official over the course of several years. Butina is charged with "conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United Stated without prior notification to the Attorney General," the department said. Butina -- a resident of Washington, D.C. -- was arrested on Sunday. According to the Justice Department, Butina worked "at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government" from "as early as 2015 ... through at least February 2017." She allegedly tried to advance Russian interests "by developing relationships with U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in U.S. politics." An affidavit filed in federal court in Washington detailing the accusations states that on Nov. 30, 2016, Butina emailed … [Read more...] about Feds charge Russian national accused of acting as covert Kremlin agent
In Trump’s U.K. Visit, Some See ‘Infomercial’ for Money-Losing Golf Resort
Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Europe Subscribe Log In Subscribe Log In Advertisement Supported by ByKatie Rogers July 14, 2018 GLASGOW — On Monday, President Trump will have a closely watched meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, just days after the announcement that 12 Russian military intelligence officers had been indicted on charges of hacking Democratic organizations in an effort to influence the 2016 election. But first, a bit of golf. Mr. Trump is likely to tee off this weekend, ensconced from the public and the news media, at Trump Turnberry, the luxury resort where he will be staying and which he has described as “magical” while on the world stage this past week. Before arriving in Scotland — the birthplace of his mother, as well as that of Mr. Trump’s preferred pastime — the president managed repeatedly to plug Turnberry, one of two Scottish resorts that … [Read more...] about In Trump’s U.K. Visit, Some See ‘Infomercial’ for Money-Losing Golf Resort
92 free things to do with your 92 days of summer in San Francisco
By Amy Graff, SFGATE Updated 2:58 pm, Monday, June 18, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-10', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-15', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 15', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-20', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 20', … [Read more...] about 92 free things to do with your 92 days of summer in San Francisco
Man Behind Hoax Russian Journalist Assassination Says It Was Ploy To ‘Slap Putin in the Face’
World A man who claims he was tasked with killing the journalist Arkady Babchenko said the hoax assassination was part of a plot to get intelligence. Last month, Babchenko, who fled Russia in 2017, faked his own death before appearing at a news conference in Kiev to say it was a ploy to flush out a genuine Russian plot to kill him. Oleksiy Tsymbaliuk told the BBC he was behind the ruse and that he was approached in April to carry out the hit by fellow Ukrainian Borys Herman, who co-owns a weapons factory. Borys Herman, who according to Ukrainian authorities is suspect in a plot to murder Russian dissident Arkady Babchenko, attends a court hearing in Kiev, Ukraine May 31, 2018. REUTERS/Volodymyr Hontar Recommended Slideshows 51 In Pictures: The 50 Most Powerful Military Forces in the World 61 Every World Press Photo Winner Ever: 60 Images That Define Our World He said that after several meetings and online messages, he got a $14,000 advance … [Read more...] about Man Behind Hoax Russian Journalist Assassination Says It Was Ploy To ‘Slap Putin in the Face’