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Порошенко запровадив у дію рішення РНБО щодо витрат на нацбезпеку і оборону

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Починаючи з 2018 року уряд має залишати в повному обсязі надходження до спеціального фонду держбюджету для фінансування потреб органів сектору безпеки і оборони України, що забезпечили такі надходження. Новини за 17 вересня від УНІАН.
Президент України Петро Порошенко запровадив у дію рішення Ради національної безпеки і оборони України щодо пропозицій до державного бюджету України на 2018 рік із забезпечення національної безпеки і оборони країни.
Як повідомили у прес-службі глави держави, президент підписав указ №278 «Про рішення Ради національної безпеки і оборони України від 13 вересня 2017 року «Про пропозиції до проекту закону України «Про державний бюджет України на 2018 рік» по статтях, пов’язаних із забезпеченням національної безпеки і оборони України», яким увів у дію відповідне рішення РНБО.
Контроль за його виконанням покладено на секретаря РНБО Олександра Турчинова.
Зазначається, що РНБО доручила Кабінету Міністрів передбачити у проекті закону України «Про державний бюджет України на 2018 рік» видатки на забезпечення національної безпеки і оборони України обсягом не менше 5% від валового внутрішнього продукту для сектору безпеки і оборони України. При цьому фінансування потреб сектору безпеки і оборони України передбачити обсягом не менше 165 372,3 млн гривень, у тому числі не менше 158 997,3 млн гривень – із загального фонду держбюджету, 6 375,0 млн гривень – із спеціального фонду держбюджету.
Зокрема, для Міністерства оборони України у 2018 році має бути передбачено фінансування за рахунок коштів загального фонду держбюджету обсягом 81 689,2 млн гривень, а за рахунок коштів спеціального фонду – обсягом 1 625,3 млн гривень.
На фінансування Національної гвардії України у 2018 році має бути передбачено фінансування за рахунок коштів загального фонду держбюджету обсягом 10 354,0 млн гривень, за рахунок коштів спеціального фонду – обсягом 739,0 млн гривень.
Уряд має передбачити також фінансування Національної поліції України обсягом 24 277,2 млн гривень за рахунок коштів загального фонду держбюджету та 90,0 млн гривень за рахунок коштів спецфонду держбюджету.
Адміністрації Державної прикордонної служби України у 2018 році має бути виділено фінансування обсягом 9 010,6 млн гривень за рахунок коштів загального фонду держбюджету та 33,2 млн – за рахунок коштів спецфонду. Державній службі України з надзвичайних ситуацій має бути передбачено фінансування обсягом 9 774,6 млн гривень із загального фонду і 969,4 млн гривень із спецфонду держбюджету.
На фінансування Служби безпеки України має бути передбачено 7 491,1 млн гривень за рахунок коштів загального фонду та 160,9 млн гривень – за рахунок коштів спецфонду. Уряду також доручено розглянути питання щодо фінансування у 2018 році Державної цільової програми створення та освоєння виробництва боєприпасів та продуктів спеціальної хімії на період до 2021 року і Державної цільової програми реформування та розвитку оборонно-промислового комплексу на період до 2021 року в обсязі 0,5% від валового внутрішнього продукту (але не менше 6,0 млрд гривень) понад обсяг видатків на фінансування сектору безпеки і оборони, який визначений Концепцією розвитку сектору безпеки і оборони України.
Кабмін має також планувати щороку видатки для фінансування органів сектору безпеки і оборони за рахунок спеціального фонду держбюджету відповідно до поданих ними обґрунтованих пропозицій.
Починаючи з 2018 року уряд має залишати в повному обсязі надходження до спеціального фонду держбюджету для фінансування потреб органів сектору безпеки і оборони України, що забезпечили такі надходження.
Також у 2018 році мають бути вжиті заходи щодо забезпечення першочергового фінансування діяльності суб’єктів сектору безпеки і оборони України за такими пріоритетними напрямами: посилення системи протиповітряної оборони держави та можливостей авіації Повітряних Сил Збройних Сил України; реалізація державної політики у сфері кібербезпеки, виконання заходів з розвитку та модернізації спеціального зв’язку та захисту інформації; виконання Національної розвідувальної програми на 2016 – 2020 роки; посилення контррозвідувального захисту та боротьби з тероризмом і диверсійною діяльністю; проведення інтенсивної бойової підготовки частин і підрозділів ЗСУ та інших утворених відповідно до законів України військових формувань; облаштування державного кордону України; реалізація соціальних гарантій військовослужбовців, насамперед збільшення у структурі грошового забезпечення військовослужбовців питомої ваги посадових окладів, окладів за військовим званням.
Уряду доручено підготувати у десятиденний строк після набрання чинності законом України «Про державний бюджет України на 2018 рік» проект основних показників державного оборонного замовлення на 2018 – 2020 роки та подати на розгляд РНБО.
Крім того, Кабмін має розглянути до 1 листопада 2017 року питання запровадження механізму пільгових іпотечних кредитів для забезпечення житлом військовослужбовців, осіб рядового і начальницького складу та членів їх сімей.

© Source: https://economics.unian.ua/finance/2138841-poroshenko-zaprovadiv-u-diyu-rishennya-rnbo-schodo-vitrat-na-natsbezpeku-i-oboronu.html
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Violence erupts, windows break, streets blocked as St. Louis sees second night of protests over ex-cop’s acquittal

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ST. LOUIS — Protesters blocked roads in St. Louis on Saturday night on a second day of demonstrations after the acquittal of a former police officer who was charged with first-degree murder.
Credit: Lawrence Bryant/St. Louis American
Images of protests in St. Louis after ex-officer Jason Stockley was found not guilty.
Credit: Lawrence Bryant/St. Louis American
Images of protests in St. Louis after ex-officer Jason Stockley was found not guilty.
ST. LOUIS — Protesters blocked roads in St. Louis on Saturday night on a second day of demonstrations after the acquittal of a former police officer who was charged with first-degree murder.
Saturday’s demonstrations started as Friday’s did, with a few hundred people marching peacefully in streets near downtown and heated up as they continued into the night.
A pocket of protesters threw bricks, rocks and projectiles with paint at police as officers tried to disperse the crowds.
Nine people were arrested Saturday night during the protests, two police departments in the area said.
Video footage showed at least eight people in police custody after protesters shattered the windows of numerous businesses Saturday night.
One man told CNN’s Ryan Young he was there to voice his frustration, though he didn’t pinpoint why he was discouraged.
Some people vented about the court’s decision to acquit Jason Stockley, who as an officer in 2011 shot and killed a motorist. Demonstrators also called for some city leaders to step down.
A female protester said she was sad all day and had tried to distract herself.
“Eventually I just had to come out and do something,” she said. “It feels like a parade for peace.”
Demonstrators briefly invaded two area malls earlier in the day. The city had been on edge for days during the trial. Protests Friday night were mostly peaceful, but after dark there was violence.
A group of protesters Saturday marched through the West County Center Mall in Des Peres, Missouri, chanting “No justice, no profits.” Security officers estimated there were between 200 and 300 protesters marching peacefully.
Many chanted, “Black lives matter,” video on social media shows. Stockley is white; the man he killed was black.
KMOV said the mall protest lasted about an hour. Protesters also marched through Chesterfield Mall near St. Louis.
Legendary rock band U2 announced on its website that it canceled a show scheduled for Saturday night in St. Louis because police could not provide enough officers as a security detail for the concert. An Ed Sheeran concert at the Scottrade Center — primarily used for the city’s National Hockey League team — was also canceled for the same reason, a statement on the venue’s website said.
Demonstrations on Friday night were at times violent.
Some protesters locked arms and prayed together, but within hours others smashed the windshield of a police vehicle and threw water bottles, rocks and bricks at law enforcement.
St. Louis police said the demonstrators later threw rocks at the mayor’s home.
At least 33 people were arrested, most of whom were from St. Louis or the surrounding area, according to a police tweet.
A total of 11 law enforcement officers were injured in protests. Nine St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers, one officer with the county and one Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper were injured during protests on Friday night, St. Louis Metro Police Department Chief Lawrence O’Toole said.
The injuries ranged from a possible broken jaw to a dislocated shoulder. Six were treated at hospitals and released, police said Saturday. There were no reports of protesters being injured, the chief added.
O’Toole said Friday night that his officers showed great restraint despite injuries.
Video footage showed officers using tear gas to disperse the crowds after police said the protests were considered an unlawful assembly. O’Toole said his officers used pepper balls.
Police recovered one pistol, according to a department tweet.
O’Toole and Mayor Lyda Krewson said Saturday a vast majority of the protests were peaceful, but the chief said trouble started after nightfall.
In December 2011, Stockley, then a St. Louis officer, fatally shot Anthony Lamar Smith, 24, after a police chase over a suspected drug deal.
Friday, Smith’s mother went to the site of the deadly shooting.
“(My son) wasn’t wrong. I felt like the verdict was wrong,” Annie Smith told KTVI. “The judge made the wrong decision.… Justice wasn’t served. I (didn’t) get… justice. I could never be at peace.”
Smith’s brother told KTVI he thinks the judge didn’t care about the case and already had his mind made up before the trial. He said the family will look at other legal steps.
“This case ain’t over,” Antwan Johnson said.
Stockley expressed a sense of relief after the acquittal and said he felt vindicated that the judge ruled he had done nothing wrong.
“It feels like a burden has been lifted, but the burden of having to kill someone never really lifts,” Stockley told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“The taking of someone’s life is the most significant thing one can do, and it’s not done lightly.… My main concern now is for the first responders, the people just trying to go to work and the protesters. I don’t want anyone to be hurt in any way over this.”
Stockley said that before firing his weapon, he ordered Smith to show his hands, and he believed the suspect was reaching for a handgun between the center console and the passenger seat, according to a police department report obtained by the Post-Dispatch.
In the report, Stockley said he entered Smith’s car “to locate the weapon and render it safe,” and removed the ammunition from the silver revolver.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that a revolver found in Smith’s car had been planted by Stockley to justify the shooting, but the gun was never seen from the multiple cameras that captured Stockley and other officers at the scene.
He said he understood the video of the shooting looked bad to investigators and the public.
“Every resisting (arrest) looks bad. It never looks good,” Stockley said. “But you have to separate the optics from the facts.”
State and federal authorities did not initially prosecute Stockley, but in the aftermath of the Ferguson protests aftermath, then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce charged him with first-degree murder in May 2016, citing new evidence.
He pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge and waived his right to a jury trial, meaning the ruling was left to the judge.
In Friday’s ruling, St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson said the prosecution’s argument was “not supported by the evidence.” The gun was too large, Wilson said, for Stockley to hide it from the cameras at the scene.
“I can feel for and I understand what the family is going through, and I know everyone wants someone to blame, but I’m just not the guy,” Stockley said in the interview with the Post-Dispatch .
Stockley left the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in August 2013. Later that year, the St. Louis police board settled a wrongful death suit with Smith’s survivors for $900,000.
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Topics: protests

© Source: http://myfox8.com/2017/09/17/violence-erupts-windows-break-bricks-thrown-as-st-louis-sees-second-night-of-protests-over-ex-cops-acquittal/
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Trump lets loose on ‘Rocket Man’ Kim and ‘Crooked Hillary’ in morning Twitter binge

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The US leader said he spoke with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and pledged joint steps to strengthen deterrence and defence on North Korea
Donald Trump let loose on Twitter on Sunday with a volley of posts referring to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un as “Rocket Man” – and picturing himself taking out Hillary Clinton with a golf ball.
The US leader spoke on Saturday night with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, pledging joint “steps to strengthen deterrence and defence capabilities and to maximise economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea,” according to the White House.
Trump’s own account of the conversation, which kicked off a number of early morning tweets, struck a less diplomatic tone.
“I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!” the president wrote to his 38 million followers.
He then launched into half a dozen retweets of internet memes celebrating his Make America Great Again campaign theme – topping it off with a GIF montage of himself taking a swing at a golf ball and knocking out his former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Trump is spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey as he prepares to address the UN General Assembly next week.
His latest bout of unbridled tweeting triggered a storm of online reaction, which he acknowledged with a retweet of a Bloomberg article: “What Is Trump worth to Twitter? One analyst estimates $2 billion”.

© Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2111578/trump-lets-loose-rocket-man-kim-and-crooked-hillary
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Who Is On The Hook For Hurricane Irma Costs?

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Florida hurricane catastrophe fund. Lloyd’s of London is in second with nearly $490 million in premiums written,
Re-insurers to get hit hard from Irma with Florida hurricane catastrophe fund in the lead
With 31 people dead across 3 states, Hurricane Irma was part of history. Never before have two category 4 or higher hurricanes struck the US mainland in the same year. In the wake of the damage – estimates are currently wide-ranging – Moody’s notes that while Florida insurers are likely to be hard hit, it is the re-reinsurance firms that are likely to be footing a large portion of the cost.
Nearly 65% of homes in the Florida Keys suffered major damage in Hurricane Irma’s gale-force winds, with 25% destroyed, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long.
Damage estimates have varied widely. While Moody’s analytics is pegging costs at $150 million, close to the damage of Hurricane Katrina and near half cost of the high estimate. This honor goes to Barrie Cornes, an analyst at the Panmure Gordon, pegged the cost at $300 billion, with insurance companies responsible for $100 billion to $150 billion. The low estimate goes to Enki Research who pegged damages at $49 billion. AccuWeather pegs the costs in South Florida and southeast Texas to total near $290 billion, with Hurricane Harvey costing $190 billion and Irma costing $100 billion.
FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program estimates its coverage exposure in the flood damage from Harvey at $11 billion. In Florida, only 18% of homeowners are estimated to carry flood insurance, which could result in a large homeowner cost burden. CNN reported as of Thursday FEMA had received nearly 734,500 applications for Harvey-related aid, already distributing $376 million. In Florida, Washington DC-based agency received 154,800 applications for Irma assistance, approving $21 million in assistance.
The primary frontline firms with liability include homeowner, commercial and auto insurers, most specifically Florida-only insurers; the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund; Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and Municipal Electric Utilities. It is the re-insurers that will bear “outsize” losses, as many regional insurance firms held significant catastrophic hedges, a Moody’s report noted.
More than 60% of Florida homeowners are insured by “Florida-only insurers,” those firms who have at least three-quarters of their coverage in the state, according to Moody’s. Among the top 10 US homeowners insurers, only United Services Automobile Association (USAA) and Chubb INA Holdings have more than 5% of their premiums written in Florida.
The top firm is Universal, which had written $781 million of premiums in Florida and has 89% of its business concentrated in the state. The company has surplus cash of $314 million. Of the top ten Florida-only insurance firms, the total premiums of $3.6 billion, a small fraction of the total damage. The top ten firms have an average of 94% concentration in Florida with $8.68 billion in surplus cash. The level of their re-insurance is unknown.
Florida generally has the largest wind damage exposure of any state. Moody’s noted reinsurance losses related to Irma could vary based on the underlying exposures and the terms and conditions, which have carve-outs and reduce certain exposures.
“After a severe disaster, counterparty credit risk will be a significant factor and the response from the alternative capital providers could either solidify or raise doubts about their reliability,” Moody’s observed. “The event will test contract provisions, including collateral release mechanisms.”
The largest commercial property insurers include Citizens Property, Assurant and AIG, while the largest auto insurance firms include Geico / Berkshire Hathaway, Progressive and State Farm. Moody’s, however, estimates that auto damage will be much more severe in Hurricane Harvey than Irma.
The largest two re-insurers of this risk dwarf the wide swath of re-insurance firms. Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF) is the leader, covering just over $800 million in reinsurance risk. Lloyd’s of London is in second with nearly $490 million in premiums written, as a bevy of other firms, led by Allianz and Tokio Marine, have just over $100 million in risk exposure.

© Source: https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/09/florida-hurricane-catastrophe-fund/
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How North Korea evades UN sanctions

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Smuggling and front companies are just two of the methods Pyongyang uses to get around embargoes to pursue its nuclear weapons programme, according to UN and US reports
The United Nations recently passed its strongest sanctions yet against North Korea following its sixth nuclear test. But critics have expressed doubts as to whether the sanctions would stop Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons and if the measures would be effectively enforced.
The US government and a UN experts panel have published reports on how North Korea evades sanctions to earn the hard currency it needs.
Here are eight of the methods used:
1. Swapping goods
North Korea directly exchanges its coal and other minerals for the goods it needs, such as weapons components and even luxury items. This avoids the risk of money transfers being traced.
A resolution passed by the UN Security Council last November set a cap on North Korea’s coal exports, which generate a significant share of the country’s revenue.
Another resolution passed last month banned the coal trade with North Korea, but bulk purchases of the fuel continue.
Chinese businessman Chi Yupeng allegedly used his company Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Materials to buy steel and anthracite coal from North Korea in exchange for nuclear and missile components, according to the US Treasury department.
US demands China take ‘direct action’ after North Korea fires another missile over Japan
2. Smuggling
Smugglers from other countries such as China turn off their ships’ transponders when entering North Korean waters, then take North Korean goods to another country, including Russia. They then claim the goods were made in Russia.
Chinese ships loaded with North Korean coal either stay in a Russian port for some time and then return to China, or another vessel picks up the goods and ships them, Assistant Treasury Secretary for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea told a hearing of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee last week.
3. Falsifying shipping registration documents
North Korea has registered an unusually large number of ships, including many foreign-owned vessels, as part of its domestic fleet. It also listed 18 of the 21 vessels in its Ocean Maritime Management Company as domestic ships, even though some enter international waters.
It allows the vessels to avoid international agency inspections.
The Ocean Maritime Management shipping company has also renamed and registered some of its vessels. False documentation was provided to eight ships, according to a UN report.
It supplies 90 per cent of oil to North Korea … so why is China’s pipeline excluded from UN sanctions?
4. Overseas workers and projects help fund weapons programme
Almost 100,000 North Koreans work around the world, generating about US$500 million for Kim Jong-un’s regime, according to the US government.
The Mansudae Overseas Projects group of construction companies was named by the UN as one of the North Korean firms that raised revenue for the state.
The group carries out building projects overseas using North Korean workers. It also transfers projects and its employees to other contractors, such as the Chinese firm Qingdao Construction’s unit in Namibia in Africa, according to the US Treasury department.
A UN resolution passed in November last year called on nations to be vigilant about North Korea’s use of overseas labour.
5. Modifying equipment free of embargo for military use
North Korea displayed missiles at a huge parade held in Pyongyang in April. Video and photographs of the trucks used to transport a Pukguksong-1 missile had the “Sinotruk” logo on the fuel tank. At an earlier military parade in October two years ago in Pyongyang, Sinotruk Howo 6×6 series trucks were also seen.
Sinotruk is the listed arm of China’s largest state-owned truck manufacturer. It confirmed to a UN investigation that it had exported civilian trucks with three axles to North Korea from 2010 to 2014, but the equipment was not subject to embargo. The company also said the sales contract requested explicitly “the buyer ensure the civilian use of the trucks and comply with concerned provisions of Chinese laws and Security Council resolutions”.
6. Front companies
North Korean companies set up bank accounts for front companies overseas to place their earnings.
It reduces the risk of wire transfers to banks in Pyongyang being traced.
Glocom, a North Korean company manufacturing military communication devices, used a number of front companies in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong to settle payments with clients and suppliers, according to a UN report. A single invoice was often settled through a series of small transactions, the report said.
In another case, Chinese businesswoman Ma Xiaohong was accused of using her company Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development to help Korea Kwangson Banking Corporation settle its overseas customer accounts, according to the US Justice Department.
Chinese firms dodge sanctions to trade with North Korea, says security analyst
7. Diplomatic cover
North Korea uses its diplomats overseas to open multiple bank accounts. Sometimes they are in their own names, family members’ or front companies.
One example was Kim Chol-sam, the representative of Daedong Credit Bank in Dalian in China’s Liaoning province, the US Treasury department alleged. Kim set up at least eight accounts in mainland China and Hong Kong in his own name and for front companies which were used in millions of dollars worth of transactions, it said.
8. Arms sales
North Korea continues to sell arms and provide military training overseas, despite UN embargoes. It is particularly active in Africa and the Middle East.
A United Nations investigation said buyers included Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia, Syria, Uganda and Tanzania. Benin, Botswana, Mali and Zimbabwe were also investigated for their ties with North Korean companies.

© Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2111440/how-north-korea-evades-un-sanctions
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Szeremietiew o ćwiczeniach Zapad-2017: Wojsko ćwiczy po to, by prowadzić wojnę

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Rosja od pewnego czasu zaczęła przy pomocy sił zbrojnych realizować ważne cele polityki zagranicznej; wiadomo, że wojsko ćwiczy po to, żeby prowadzić wojnę, a Rosjanie są zainteresowani kierunkiem zachodnim, nic dziwnego, że pojawiają się obawy – mówił o ćwiczeniach Zapad-2017 Romuald Szeremietiew.
Zdaniem byłego wiceministra obrony narodowej dr. hab. nauk wojskowych Romualda Szeremietiewa rosyjsko-białoruskie ćwiczenia Zapad-2017 należy oceniać w kontekście innych zdarzeń na Wschodzie. „Jak wiadomo Rosja od pewnego czasu zaczęła przy pomocy sił zbrojnych realizować ważne cele w swojej polityce zagranicznej. Skoro prowadzi intensywne ćwiczenia swojego wojska, gdy wiadomo, że wojsko ćwiczy po to, żeby prowadzić wojnę, a Rosjanie są zainteresowani kierunkiem zachodnim, to nic dziwnego, że pojawiają się obawy“ – przyznał.
Szeremietiew zwrócił uwagę na to, że od pewnego czasu Rosjanie prowadzą bardzo intensywne ćwiczenia swoich sił zbrojnych, czego – jak stwierdził – „często nie dostrzegamy“. – Ćwiczą różnego rodzaju operacje wojskowe, a więc nie tylko ofensywne działania, ale przerzuty na duże odległości żołnierzy i sprzętu, różnego rodzaju operacje logistyczne i to się dzieje na dużych terenach – wyjaśnił. Dodał, że choć ćwiczenia różnych jednostek mają inne kryptonimy, to odbywają się w tym samym czasie i w sumie w takich manewrach bierze udział wiele tysięcy żołnierzy.
To jest po prostu sposób na utrzymywanie sił zbrojnych w pełnej gotowości bojowej, w zdolności do prowadzenia działań – zapewnił.
Rozmówca PAP powiedział, że natowskie manewry należy uznać za znacznie skromniejsze. – Co różni ćwiczenia państw natowskich od rosyjskich, to że jeżeli idzie o stronę natowską, mamy przejrzystość, mamy pewność, jaka liczba żołnierzy uczestniczy, jaki jest rodzaj ćwiczeń, co jest ćwiczone. Na ćwiczenia zaprasza się zwykle obserwatorów z zagranicy – dodał. Jego zdaniem inaczej jest w przypadku Rosji, która, jak twierdzi, ukrywa rzeczywistą liczbę ćwiczących żołnierzy. – Po drugie, co najmniej niechętnie zaprasza obserwatorów, nie dopuszcza ich do scenariuszy ćwiczeń, z więc nie wiemy, co na dobrą sprawę Rosjanie ćwiczą, a po jakimś czasie dowiadujemy się na przykład, że ćwiczono zrzucanie bomby atomowej na Warszawę – stwierdził.
Romuald Szeremietiew pytany o potencjał rosyjskich sił zbrojnych na zachodzie kraju, przyznał, że dokonując takiej oceny trzeba wziąć pod uwagę ewentualny propagandowy wydźwięk dostępnych informacji. – Przecież Rosja nie jest państwem najsilniejszym gospodarczo. Wiadomo, że nie jest to państwo, które ma jakieś ogromne możliwości, również jeśli chodzi o technologię i w związku z tym powstaje pytanie, czy to się odbije jakoś na stanie armii – zauważył. Podkreślił jednak, że biorąc pod uwagę samą wielkość rosyjskiej armii i liczbę jednostek biorących udział w ćwiczeniach, to potencjał ten należy uznać za poważny.
Szeremietiew zauważył, że przez manewry Rosji i Białorusi może czuć się zastraszona przede wszystkim Ukraina, będąca – jak określił – „w stanie wojny pełzającej“ z Federacją Rosyjską. Podkreślił też, że Ukraina nie należy do NATO, a to jego zdaniem daje Rosji większą swobodę działania wobec sąsiada.
Mimo że Litwa, Łotwa i Estonia należą do NATO, to na terenie tych republik nadbałtyckich istnieje bardzo duża obawa tego, że może dojść do interwencji rosyjskiej na ich terenie – dodał. Były wiceminister obrony narodowej przypomniał, że wśród społeczeństw Łotwy i Estonii dużą grupę stanowią Rosjanie. – Nawet uruchomienie jakichś „zielonych ludzików“ byłoby tutaj jak sądzę możliwe – stwierdził.
Białoruś na razie jest terenem, na którym ćwiczą Rosjanie, ale może stać się terenem, na którym Rosjanie nie tylko ćwiczą, ale i zostaną – ocenił. – Pojawia się pytanie: czy jeżeliby Rosjanie, którzy przyjadą na ćwiczenia, nie chcieli wyjechać i zostali, to co Alaksandr Łukaszenka może zrobić? – zastanawiał się Szeremietiew.
W jego opinii taka sytuacja stanowiłaby dla Polski bardzo poważny problem. – Pojawia się komponent rosyjski bezpośrednio przy naszych granicach, a nie tak, jak jest dotychczas – tylko przez Białoruś, która jest sojusznikiem Rosji, ale chyba nie do końca pewnym – ocenił.
Rozpoczęte w czwartek manewry strategiczne Zapad-2017 odbywają się na Białorusi i na trzech poligonach na zachodzie Rosji. W sumie ma w nich wziąć udział 12 700 żołnierzy i 700 jednostek sprzętu z obu krajów. Mimo zapewnień Mińska i Moskwy, że scenariusz ćwiczeń jest czysto obronny, wywołują one duże zaniepokojenie wśród sąsiadów Białorusi, zwłaszcza na Ukrainie, która w 2014 r. padła ofiarą rosyjskiej agresji.

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Caribbean braces again as Maria could become hurricane on Sunday

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(Reuters) – Tropical Storm Maria was expected to reach hurricane status later on Sunday, and hurricane watches were in effect for…
(Reuters) – Tropical Storm Maria was expected to reach hurricane status later on Sunday, and hurricane watches were in effect for several Caribbean islands, according to the U. S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Some of the islands were devastated by Hurricane Irma earlier this month.
Maria was about 410 miles (655 km) east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles islands with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), the NHC said.
„Strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours,“ the forecaster said.
Hurricane conditions are possible by Monday night or Tuesday in Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Anguilla, according to the NHC.
Tropical storm conditions were possible on Monday in those areas as well as St. Lucia, Martinique, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
(Writing by Lisa Von Ahn; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

© Source: https://townhall.com/news/us/2017/09/17/caribbean-braces-again-as-maria-could-become-hurricane-on-sunday-n2382672
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Kevin Hart Reveals He Is Being Extorted: ‘I’d Rather Fess Up To My Mistakes’

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Kevin Hart has revealed he is being extorted over a ‘bad error in judgement’ in an Instagram video in which he apologized to his family — read more
Comin’ clean. Kevin Hart made an emotional mea culpa to his family and fans in which he’s admitted he put himself in a sticky situation, resulting in someone trying to extort him.
Wearing a jean jacket, white shirt and looking tense, the comedian, 38, shared an Instagram post on Saturday, September 16, saying, “Um, I’m at a place in my life where I feel like I have a target on my back and because of that I should make smart decisions. And recently, I didn’t.”
“You know, I’m not perfect. I’m not going to sit up here and say that I am or claim to be in any way shape or form. And I made a bad error in judgement and I put myself in an environment where only bad things can happen and they did,” the Central Intelligence star continued. “And in doing that I know that I’m going to hurt the people closest to me, who’ve I talked to and apologized to… my wife and my kids.”
“And I just, you know, it’s a s—ty moment. It’s a s—ty moment when you know you’re wrong and there’s no excuses for your wrong behavior. Um, at the end of the day man, I just simply have got to do better. But I’m also not going to allow a person to have financial gain off of my mistakes and in this particular situation that’s what was attempted,” the Get Hard actor added. “I said I’d rather fess up to my mistakes.”
He accompanied the confession with a caption that said, ”Sending so many apologies to my wife & kids. I gotta do better and I will. I’m not perfect and have never claimed to be… I love you all.”
The blackmail attempt allegedly involves a woman who is demanding money from Kevin in regards to a video tape that appears to show Hart and a woman engaging in sexually suggestive conduct, according to TMZ.
Hart’s wife, Eniko Parrish, is currently 31 weeks pregnant with his third child. The couple celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary in August.
The Ride Along actor also has two children, Hendrix, 9, and Heaven, 12, with whom he shares with ex-wife, Torrei Hart. Hart admitted in an interview with Chelsea Handler in 2016 that he was responsible for their split.
„I was young on my first marriage, Chelsea,“ Hart told the talk show host, 42, on her Netflix show, Chelsea . „I’m not ashamed to say it, guys. I got married at the age of 22. I was still all over the place. I didn’t really understand the definition of marriage. I wasn’t ready for it, so I take responsibility. I can say I messed my first marriage up. I’m man enough to say that.“
This is not the first time cheating rumors have dogged Hart. Various media outlets published photos in July that suggested Hart had been getting close with another woman while in Miami. Hart seemingly responded to the allegations with a light-hearted Instagram post that said, “#LiveLoveLaugh… SMDH (Shaking My Damn Head).”
Hart and Parrish tied the knot in a romantic Santa Barbara wedding in August 2016. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Hart told Us at the time, “I honestly can say that I’m lucky enough to have an amazing woman. I’m looking forward to getting married. We got seven years under our belt, been engaged for two. It’s time.”
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Graceful menace: States take aim at non-native swans

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ALBANY, N.Y…
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — With its snow-white plumage and elegant posture, mute swans are exalted in European ballets and fairy tales as symbols of love and beauty. But to many wildlife biologists, they are aggressive and destructive invaders in U. S. habitats and must be wiped out.
Native to Europe, the mute swan has multiplied in New York, the upper Midwest and along the Atlantic coast since it was imported in the 1800s to adorn parks and opulent estates. Citing threats to native wildlife, plants and unwary humans, six states now have swan-removal policies that range from egg-shaking to shooting or gassing adult birds.
New York is now on the third draft of its anti-swan program. While less lethal than the original 2013 plan calling for eliminating all of the state’s free-ranging mute swans by 2025, it has nonetheless drawn angry squawks from animal lovers who just want the birds to be left alone.
„We abhor the plan,“ said Priscilla Feral, president of Connecticut-based Friends of Animals. „We think it’s attitude, not good science, that’s driving their agenda.“
Most of the state’s estimated 1,700 mute swans are in the New York City area, with a smaller population on Lake Ontario. Like zebra mussels and Asian longhorned beetles, mute swans are classified in New York as nuisance invaders. Biologists say they deplete and damage aquatic vegetation with their voracious feeding, leaving less food and cover for other waterfowl and fish.
Unlike North America’s native tundra and trumpeter swans, mute swans — named for being less vocal than other swans — aren’t migratory, have orange rather than black bills and hold their necks in graceful S-curves. They’re also far more comfortable around humans, gliding regally across urban ponds with gray offspring trailing dazzling white parents.
„I see them in Prospect Park when I walk my dog or run,“ said Jane Seymour, a Friends of Animals employee who lives near the Brooklyn park that has about a dozen mute swans. „People get close to them and take pictures. They really are an attraction.“
But there is an ugly side.
Michigan’s wildlife agency calls mute swans „one of the world’s most aggressive waterfowl species,“ attacking native trumpeter swans, loons, ducks and other waterfowl. The agency says it gets reports every year of mute swan attacks on canoeists, kayakers and people who get too close to shoreline nests.
The mute swan population in Michigan rose from 5,700 to over 15,000 in just 10 years before management efforts were launched to keep the population and ecosystem damage from ballooning further. The plan there aims to reduce the population to less than 2,000 by 2030.
Maryland wildlife personnel have killed hundreds of mute swans on Chesapeake Bay to protect aquatic plants and native waterfowl. Wisconsin, with about 600 mute swans, has a goal of statewide elimination through shooting adult birds and shaking eggs so they don’t hatch. Indiana, Ohio and Minnesota have similar mute swan reduction policies.
Legal battles over state-sponsored mute swan eradication programs led to congressional action that allowed the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the bird from federal protection in 2005.
New York’s mute swan proposal has brought a deluge of protest, prompting the Legislature to pass a bill putting any action on hold for two years and requiring the state to provide more scientific justification for its plan, minimize any killing and hold public hearings. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill last fall after rejecting two previous versions.
„Wildlife management can present challenges in trying to balance conflicting interests, such as when a beautiful bird can have harmful impacts,“ said Basil Seggos, commissioner of New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
The latest swan-reduction plan allows killing of swans upstate that can’t be captured and relocated to facilities where they’ll be confined with clipped wings. Downstate, it emphasizes population control by damaging eggs.
State efforts to eliminate mute swans have public support, albeit less vocal than the opposition.
„People fall in love with them; they don’t understand the broader implications,“ said Bill Conners, an IBM retiree in the lower Hudson Valley who’s active in fish and game organizations. He said the state’s professional wildlife biologists should be allowed to manage the species as they see fit. „They are pretty birds, but they don’t belong on the landscape here.“

© Source: https://townhall.com/news/us/2017/09/17/graceful-menace-states-take-aim-at-nonnative-swans-n2382651
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Areszt dla podejrzanego o uprowadzenie i gwałt na 8-letniej dziewczynce

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Sąd Rejonowy w Gorzowie Wlkp. aresztował w niedzielę na trzy miesiące 21-latka podejrzanego o uprowadzenie i gwałt ze szczególnym okrucieństwem na 8-letniej dziewczynce – poinformował PAP rzecznik prokuratury Okręgowej w Gorzowie Wlkp. Roman Witkowski. – Poczytaj o najważniejszych wydarzeniach z kraju. Poznaj opinie i komentarze. Weź udział w dyskusji.
Zgodnie z przedstawionymi w sobotę zarzutami, młodemu mężczyźnie grozi co najmniej pięć lat więzienia. Podczas przesłuchania w charakterze podejrzanego przyznał się do popełnienia przestępstwa.
21-letni Grzegorz Sz. złożył wyjaśnienia, podczas których przyznał się do uprowadzenia dziewczynki i jej zgwałcenia. Biorąc po uwagę okoliczności sprawy, prokurator uznał, że mamy do czynienia z przestępstwami o szczególnym okrucieństwie. Stąd tak poważny wymiar kary grożącej podejrzanemu – powiedział PAP Witkowski.
Według rzecznika, dotychczasowe ustalenia wskazują, że mężczyzna może mieć na koncie inne tego typu przestępstwa. Śledztwo w sprawie prowadzi policja pod nadzorem gorzowskiej prokuratury okręgowej. Funkcjonariusze nadal poszukują dostawczego opla movano, którym poruszał się sprawca, uprowadzając 8-latkę.
Do uprowadzenia dziewczynki doszło w czwartek w Bierzwniku (Zachodniopomorskie). Dziecko, wracając ze szkoły, wsiadało do samochodu nieznanego mężczyzny. Ten wyjechał z nią z Bierzwnika i po drodze do Dobiegniewa w Lubuskiem, gdzie ją potem wysadził, miał się dopuścić gwałtu na dziewczynce.
Policja zatrzymała podejrzanego w sobotę nad ranem w miejscu jego zamieszkania w powiecie strzelecko-drezdeneckim.

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