Monthly Archives: July 2017

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States is making progress in talks with North Korean ally China on imposing new United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang over its latest missile test, but Russia's engagement will be the "true test," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said.

The United States gave China a draft resolution nearly three weeks ago to impose stronger sanctions on North Korea over the July 4 missile launch. Haley had been aiming for a vote by the 15-member Security Council within weeks, senior diplomats said.

"We're constantly in touch with China ... Things are moving but it's still too early to tell how far they'll move," Haley said on Tuesday, adding that she was pleased with China's initial response to the U.S. proposal because it showed "seriousness."

"We know that China's been sharing and negotiating with Russia, so as long as they are doing that, we're going to continue to watch this closely to make sure it is a strong resolution," she told reporters.

China's U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi told reporters: "We are making progress, it requires time, but we're working very hard."

Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said any United Nations' moves should help ensure peace, stability and denuclearization.

"All sides need to maintain pressure, and also work hard to ease the tense situation on the peninsula as soon as possible, creating a beneficial environment and atmosphere for resuming contacts and talks," Lu told a daily news briefing.

Traditionally, the United States and China have negotiated sanctions on North Korea before formally involving other council members, though diplomats said Washington informally keeps Britain and France in the loop. Along with Russia, those five countries are veto-wielding Security Council members.

"The true test will be what (the Chinese) have worked out with Russia (and whether) Russia comes and tries to pull out of that," said Haley.

The United States and Russia have waged rival campaigns at the Security Council over the type of ballistic missile fired by North Korea. Western powers have said it was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), while Russia said the missile fired was only medium-range.

Diplomats say China and Russia only view a long-range missile test or nuclear weapon test as a trigger for further possible U.N. sanctions.

"Everyone that we have dealt with acknowledges that it's an ICBM. Whether they are willing to put it in writing or not is going to be the real question," Haley said.

North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and the Security Council has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear weapons tests and two long-range missile launches.

President Donald Trump's administration has been frustrated that China has not done more to rein in North Korea and senior officials have said Washington could impose new sanctions on Chinese firms doing business with Pyongyang.

When asked how long Washington was willing to negotiate with China at the United Nations before deciding to impose its own secondary sanctions, Haley said: "We're making progress ... We're going to see what the situation is."

"We want China and every other country to see it as serious and we're going to keep moving forward that way," she said.

China's Ambassador to Washington Cui Tiankai said on Tuesday that Beijing objected to secondary sanctions. In June, the United States blacklisted two Chinese citizens and a shipping company for helping North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

"Such actions are unacceptable. They have severely impaired China-U.S. cooperation on the Korean nuclear issue, and give rise to more questions about the true intention of the U.S.," he told the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington.

Additional reporting by David Brunstrom in Washington and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by James Dalgleish and Clarence Fernandez

View post:

US says progress with China on North Korea UN sanctions, true test is Russia - Reuters

Barron's

AMD Surges 7%: Bulls Cheer Progress, Bears Think Shares Overvalued Barron's The bulls are delighted with the progress they see with new products such as Ryzen for PCs, and the beginning of revenue for the company's Epyc server chip. Bears confess being impressed, but mostly think the stock is overvalued. Even though the ... and more »

Go here to read the rest:

AMD Surges 7%: Bulls Cheer Progress, Bears Think Shares Overvalued - Barron's

Photo Activists dressed in bridal gowns and veils staged a chain-in in June to protest child marriage in New Jersey.Credit Kyle Oleary

State legislators in the U.S. can no longer plead ignorance about child marriage in America. Not now that research shows an estimated quarter-million children, at least as young as 10, were married in the United States between 2000 and 2010. National and international news outlets arepaying attention.

Yet while several states have moved in recent months to strengthen their laws and raise their marriage age, legal loopholes in all 50 states still allow marriage before 18 and many state legislators remain unconvinced that they need to end child marriage. Some legislators continue to insist that pregnant girls should marry, despite highly publicized cases of such girls who were forced to marry their own rapists and despite research that shows pregnant teenage girls have better long-term outcomes if they dont marry.

Marriage before age 18 has such devastating, long-lasting consequences undermining girls health, education and economic opportunities and increasing their risk of experiencing violence that the U.S. state department considers marriage before 18 a human rights abuse. Furthermore, children can easily be forced into marriage or forced to stay in a marriage before they become legal adults, because they face overwhelming legal and practical barriers if they try to leave home, access a shelter, retain an attorney or bring a legal action. Even in a polarized age, we can all agree on ending child marriage. So whats the holdup?

In New Jersey, a bill to end all marriage before 18 passed both houses of the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support, before Gov. Chris Christieconditionally vetoed it. Christie is Americas most hated governor, with a 15 percent approval rating, yet legislators have not yet overridden his outrageous veto.

New Yorkreceived accolades for passing a bill ostensibly to end child marriage. But while the new law eliminates marriage for 14- to 16-year-olds, it still allows marriage at 17, when children face the highest risk of forced marriage.

Texasrecently passed a bill, similar to oneVirginiapassed last year, to end most child marriage, but both states still allow emancipated minors to marry. This allows for children to be forced to emancipate so they can be forced to marry. Besides, the many catastrophic impacts of marriage before 18 dont disappear if a child is emancipated.

Legislators inMarylandchose, for the second year in a row, not to pass a common-sense bill that would have eliminated child marriage. Legislators inConnecticutwere uncomfortable with a similar bill; instead, they amended it before they passed it, to be sure 16- and 17-year-olds can still be subjected to this human-rights abuse.

Californialawmakers apparently are not quite ready to follow New Hampshires shameful lead and vote no on ending child marriage, but neither are they ready to vote yes. So California legislators watered down a proposed bill enough that, if it passes, it will accomplish close to nothing.

A bill pending inMissouri, too, is inexcusably weak. The bill offers no protection for those who need it most, 17-year-olds.

However, even these inadequate bills represent remarkable, unprecedented progress toward eliminating child marriage in the U.S. Further evidence of progress lies in the strong bills to end all marriage before 18 that are pending inMassachusettsandPennsylvaniaand a solid bill that was just pre-filed in Florida. Legislators in several other states, including Colorado, Utah and Washington, are considering doing the same.

Clearly, the national movement to end child marriage is growing. Now is the time to convince hesitant lawmakers in every state to end child marriage not just for some children, or for some ages, but for all children. You can help to do this by making sure your legislators and your governor know you want to set the marriage age at 18, without exceptions (details atunchainedatlast.org).

Lets seize on the current momentum. Lets push until legislators in every state finally end child marriage.

Fraidy Reiss (@unchainedatlast) is the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women and girls in the U.S. to escape forced marriages.

Read more here:

Despite Progress, Child Marriage Is Still Legal in All 50 States - New York Times (blog)

July 26, 2017 9:04 AM By Bernie Tafoya

CHICAGO (CBS) Three months after the mysterious death of 17-month-old Semaj Crosby, Will County States Attorney James Glasgow said progress is being made in the investigation, and insisted investigators are not running in mud.

Semaj was reported missing on April 25. After two days of searching the area around her home in unincorporated Joliet Township, police found her body inside the house on April 27, under a couch.

An autopsy was inconclusive, pending the results of full toxicology tests. However, her death has been ruled suspicious and the case remains open. The Will County Sheriffs office has said there were no obvious signs of trauma or injury.

Will County States Attorney James Glasgow said the circumstances of Semajs death are not simple.

Theyre not simple forensically. Thats the problem. You know, the forensic evidence isnt as clear cut as it would be in some cases. Whenever you have a young child, there arent always the physical representations of what happened to them, he said.

Glasgow said the forensics in a toddlers death are not as simple as they might be in older people.

Progress is being made. I cant say what, okay? But its not the end of the line, and were never going to let this one go, obviously, Glasgow says.

When Semajs body was found, police revealed that a number of squatters had lived in the home with Semajs family. The Will County Sheriffs Office has saudid some witnesses were being re-interviewed.

Glasgow said detectives sheriffs office are tenacious and are continuing to find out what happened to Semaj.

All I can say is we have made progress; that were not running in mud, he said.

After Semajs body was found, officials deemed the home uninhabitable, saying it was in very deplorable condition. The vacant house later burned to the ground in a possible case of arson.

Im a lifelong Chicagoan and could never see myself living anywhere else (except maybe Hawaii!). I was born on the North Side in 1958 but have lived all but the first three months of my life on the South Side. That said, thank (or is that curse?)...

CBS 2

WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9FM

670 The Score

Connect

Mobile

Advertise With Us

Contest & Promotion Rules

About Us

Advertise

Ad Choices

Business Development

Contact

Only CBS

CBS Radio Jobs

CBS Television Jobs

EEO Reports

CBS Television Public File

CBS Radio Public File

See the original post:

Progress Is Being Made In Semaj Crosby Death Investigation - CBS Chicago

July 26, 2017 10:42 AM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) The Yankees and As are reportedly inching closer toward a trade that could send pitcher Sonny Gray and first baseman Yonder Alonso to New York.

MLB.com reported that Oakland is hoping to land a young center fielder in a deal and that the Yankees are not opposed to giving upEstevan Florial, their No. 5 prospect and the 90th-ranked prospect overall, according to the websites rankings. New Yorks eighth-best prospect,infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo, might also be included in a trade.

The As have been scouting the Yankees system. However,Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier, Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield are close to untouchable in general manager Brian Cashmans eyes, the report said.

The Yanks are certainly not alone in their pursuit of Gray. MLB.com reported that the Nationals and Dodgers have also increased their efforts to land an ace. Right now, Gray and Detroits Justin Verlander are the only high-end starters thought to be available for a trade. The Rangers are reportedly undecided about whether to deal Yu Darvish.

Sonny Gray of the As pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 19, 2017, at Oakland Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Braves are also interested in Gray, MLB.com reported. Atlanta could potentially offer up outfielder Ronald Acuna, MLB.coms No. 8 overall prospect.

Gray, a 27-year-old right-hander, is 6-5 this season with a 3.43 ERA, 94 strikeouts and 30 walks. He is eligible for arbitration each of the next two seasons.

MORE:Keidel: Stanton Rumor Flies In Face Of Yankees Supposed New Approach

Alonso, 30, is batting .264 with 21 homers and 45 RBIs this season. He will become a free agent after this season.

In a trade last week, the Yankeessentveteran reliever Tyler Clippard, outfield prospect Blake Rutherford and minor leaguers Ian Clarkin and Tito Polo to the White Sox in exchange for power relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle and veteran infielder Todd Frazier.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has repeatedly said he is exploring ways to improve the Yankees this season, but not at the expense of the organizations top prospects.

The road were traveling is were trying to improve the present as well as the future, simultaneously, Cashman told WFANs Mike Francesa last week. Thats the effort. If were doing any short-term on a rental, we dont want it to cost much. But the best approach for us would be if we can run into anything that has controllable years attached to it and, obviously, as much impact as possible.

Baseballs non-waiver trade deadline is Monday.

See more here:

Report: Yankees, A's Making Progress Toward Trade Involving Gray, Alonso - CBS New York