Saturday, February 25, 2017
Donald Trump to skip White House correspondents' dinner
US President Donald Trump has announced he will not attend a century-old annual correspondents' dinner, a day after a fierce fight erupted over press access to the White House.
In a post on Twitter on Saturday, Trump wrote, "I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!"
He made the announcement just a day after a speech to conservative activists, wherein he reiterated his criticism of journalists as "the enemy of the people", and a decision by his spokesman to excludemajor news organisations, including Al Jazeera, from a media briefing.
THE LISTENING POST: America's media under Trump - An ominous start (7:24)
The reporters' group said it would go ahead with its April 29 dinner despite Trump's decision, which breaks with an annual tradition in which the US president is the guest of honour at a light-hearted roast held by journalists and typically studded with movie stars, politicians and business leaders.
The dinner "has been and will continue to be a celebration of the First Amendment and the important role played by an independent news media in a healthy republic", said Jeff Mason, a Reuters White House correspondent who heads the association this year.
Ronald Reagan was the last president to sit out the event after he was shot in 1981.
Some news outlets such as Bloomberg News and the New Yorker have said they will not host the lavish after-parties that have been a fixture of past events.
The dinner event occasionally makes news: in 2011, President Barack Obama delivered a scathing evisceration of Trump, joking that the mogul, who sat stone-faced in the audience, would move on from questioning Obama's citizenship to figuring out "did we fake the moon landing".
This was after Trump appeared on several networks questioning the legitimacy of Obama's presidency, and promoting the conspiracy that the 43rd president was born in Kenya, not the US state of Hawaii.
Critics of the correspondents' say the event encourages journalists to cosy up to politicians they should cover aggressively.
News outlets blocked
Trump built his campaign on criticising the mainstream US press - many of whose editorial boards opposed his election - and has intensified his rhetoric since taking office, routinely accusing the media of bias in overstating his setbacks and downplaying his accomplishments.
On Friday, the White House excluded several news outlets from covering a question-and-answer session with spokesman Sean Spicer held in place of the daily press briefing.
Media organisations including The New York Times, CNN, Politico and Al Jazeera were blocked from joining the informal, on-the-record, off-camera press briefing on Friday, referred to as a "gaggle".
Spicer invited only a pool of news organisations that represents and shares reporting with the larger press corps.
Journalists from several right-leaning outlets were also allowed into Spicer's office, including the website Breitbart News, whose former executive chairman, Steve Bannon, is Trump's chief strategist.
Dozens injured as truck ploughs into crowd in New Orleans
Police say 28 people have been hurt after a pickup truck ploughed into crowds attending a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.
Of the 21 people taken to hospital following the crash, five victims are said to be seriously hurt.
The incident happened during the Krewe of Endymion parade in the state of Louisiana at about 6.45pm local time.
One person has been taken into custody following the crash on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Children as young as three years old are among those injured - as well as a New Orleans police officer.
Investigators have stressed they do not believe it was a terrorist incident.
"We send a strong message about not drinking and driving, and about making smart decisions," New Orleans police superintendent Michael Harrison said.
Kourtney McKinnis told the New Orleans Advocate that the driver seemed almost unaware of what he had done in the aftermath of the crash.
"He was just kind of out of it," the 20-year-old said.
The incident happened on one of the busiest nights of Mardi Gras, with thousands of people descending on the city to watch elaborate floats and catch beads and trinkets thrown by performers.
Of the 21 people taken to hospital following the crash, five victims are said to be seriously hurt.
The incident happened during the Krewe of Endymion parade in the state of Louisiana at about 6.45pm local time.
One person has been taken into custody following the crash on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Children as young as three years old are among those injured - as well as a New Orleans police officer.
Investigators have stressed they do not believe it was a terrorist incident.
"We send a strong message about not drinking and driving, and about making smart decisions," New Orleans police superintendent Michael Harrison said.
Kourtney McKinnis told the New Orleans Advocate that the driver seemed almost unaware of what he had done in the aftermath of the crash.
"He was just kind of out of it," the 20-year-old said.
The incident happened on one of the busiest nights of Mardi Gras, with thousands of people descending on the city to watch elaborate floats and catch beads and trinkets thrown by performers.
Paying for a pint with your finger: The tech that could kill off cards
Camden Market in north London. A swirl of people hunting for bargains, trends and photo opportunities. And amid it all is a chance to see the future.
In a bar called Proud is an unassuming gadget, sitting on the bar and linked to a small screen.
It is a finger-scanner, the sort of thing you might see in a hospital, but here it is not designed to measure your blood, but rather to pay for your drink.
This is the latest frontier in biometric payments, the ongoing battle to rid us of cash, cards, cheque books and other such accoutrements.
Instead, runs the logic, we will use the humble finger to pay for things, quickly and securely.
And that's where the finger-scanner comes in.
The layout of veins in your fingers is all but unique - the chances of you sharing that layout with someone else is 3.4 billion to one - so by analysing those veins, the machine can be pretty sure that you are who you say you are.
By linking the details of that vein pattern to a bank card, you can then close the circle. Instead of using a contactless card to pay for a round of drinks, you instead use your finger.
This is very clever technology, being used in a very small test, but so far it is working.
Regulars at Proud have signed up to the test and bought drinks, and the ones who spoke to Sky News seemed happy, partly because it was fast and reliable, and partly because of the novelty of using your finger to buy a round of drinks.
But can this become anything more than a novelty? The man behind trying to sell this technology to the world is Nicholas Dryden, the chief executive of the payments company Sthaler.
He told Sky News the technology would soon be rolled out for testing in supermarkets, cinemas and at music festivals.
"The supermarket trial is very important to us," he said.
"There are lots of applications, but what they want to know is whether you can replace a loyalty card with your finger. Lots of us forget our wallets when we go out. You probably won't forget your finger."
The concept of using your body to pay may seem a curious idea, but it is part of a trend.
Ever since the Romans first came up with basic cheques, people have looked at new ways to pay for products. From carbon paper to chip and pin.
It was only last year that just about all smartphones could be used as wallets. Now, biometrics. Your body as a bank card.
:: Selfies And Contactless Rings: New Ways To Pay
It is a trend that intrigues the British Bankers' Association.
"In a few years' time, maybe 10 years' time, the way we bank could be almost unrecognisable from what we do now," said Chief Executive Anthony Browne.
"We'll have far more biometric security and far more convenient ways of paying - less cash, less cards, people just using their finger, or their iris to make payments."
It is an intriguing world, but there is one question that absolutely everyone wanted to know the answer to - so here it is. No, you can't just chop off someone else's finger and use that instead. It won't work in the scanner. So now you know.
In a bar called Proud is an unassuming gadget, sitting on the bar and linked to a small screen.
It is a finger-scanner, the sort of thing you might see in a hospital, but here it is not designed to measure your blood, but rather to pay for your drink.
This is the latest frontier in biometric payments, the ongoing battle to rid us of cash, cards, cheque books and other such accoutrements.
Instead, runs the logic, we will use the humble finger to pay for things, quickly and securely.
And that's where the finger-scanner comes in.
The layout of veins in your fingers is all but unique - the chances of you sharing that layout with someone else is 3.4 billion to one - so by analysing those veins, the machine can be pretty sure that you are who you say you are.
By linking the details of that vein pattern to a bank card, you can then close the circle. Instead of using a contactless card to pay for a round of drinks, you instead use your finger.
This is very clever technology, being used in a very small test, but so far it is working.
Regulars at Proud have signed up to the test and bought drinks, and the ones who spoke to Sky News seemed happy, partly because it was fast and reliable, and partly because of the novelty of using your finger to buy a round of drinks.
But can this become anything more than a novelty? The man behind trying to sell this technology to the world is Nicholas Dryden, the chief executive of the payments company Sthaler.
He told Sky News the technology would soon be rolled out for testing in supermarkets, cinemas and at music festivals.
"The supermarket trial is very important to us," he said.
"There are lots of applications, but what they want to know is whether you can replace a loyalty card with your finger. Lots of us forget our wallets when we go out. You probably won't forget your finger."
The concept of using your body to pay may seem a curious idea, but it is part of a trend.
Ever since the Romans first came up with basic cheques, people have looked at new ways to pay for products. From carbon paper to chip and pin.
It was only last year that just about all smartphones could be used as wallets. Now, biometrics. Your body as a bank card.
:: Selfies And Contactless Rings: New Ways To Pay
It is a trend that intrigues the British Bankers' Association.
"In a few years' time, maybe 10 years' time, the way we bank could be almost unrecognisable from what we do now," said Chief Executive Anthony Browne.
"We'll have far more biometric security and far more convenient ways of paying - less cash, less cards, people just using their finger, or their iris to make payments."
It is an intriguing world, but there is one question that absolutely everyone wanted to know the answer to - so here it is. No, you can't just chop off someone else's finger and use that instead. It won't work in the scanner. So now you know.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Who produced the VX poison that killed Kim Jong-nam?
Malaysian police have launched an investigation into how the killers of Kim Jong-nam obtained the highly toxic nerve agent allegedly used in the assassination of the North Korean leader's half brother.
Police have detained and are questioning a North Korean national suspected of producing the chemical, VX, Al Jazeera's Florence Looi reported.
Investigators are trying to establish whether the man, who has a background in science, had the "training and expertise to manufacture" the chemical, possibly in a laboratory in Kuala Lumpur, Looi said from the Malaysian capital on Saturday.
READ MORE: Meet the Kims - Who's who in North Korea's first family
"The big question is how these two women get hold of the toxic substance," she said. "How did this highly toxic substance come into this country?"
VX is a fast-acting toxin that sparks respiratory collapse and heart failure. Tiny amounts of the poison are enough to kill an adult, whether it is inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
On Friday, officials confirmed that during autopsy they found the chemical on the face of Kim, who died on February 13 after he was attacked inside Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Two women were seen on CCTV footage shoving something in his face. He later suffered a seizure and was dead before he reached the hospital.
Authorities are now looking into de-contaminating the airport, as the VX chemical could linger on equipment and in airport facilities, Al Jazeera's Looi said.
North Korea is not a signatory to the international convention banning the production and use of the odourless, tasteless, and highly toxic chemical, which is considered a weapon for mass destruction by the United Nations.
The revlation that VX was used in the killing brought swift condemnation from South Korea, which slammed its use as a "blatant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other international norms".
Outrage in Malaysia
Experts in the South said on Friday that North Korea had up to 5,000 tonnes of chemical weapons stockpiled, including a supply of VX.
"I am outraged that the criminals used such a dangerous chemical in a public area," Malaysia's Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.
It "could have caused mass injuries or even death to other people".
One of the two women arrested after the attack fell ill in custody, police said, adding she had been vomiting.
National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar previously said the woman who attacked Kim from behind clearly knew she was carrying out an attack, dismissing claims that she thought she was taking part in a TV prank.
Malaysian detectives are holding three people - women from Indonesia and Vietnam, and a North Korean man - but want to speak to seven others, four of whom are believed to have fled to Pyongyang.
One man wanted for questioning, who is believed to be still in Malaysia, is senior North Korean embassy official Hyon Kwang Song.
Police have acknowledged that his diplomatic status prevents them from questioning him unless he surrenders himself.
North Korea, which has not acknowledged the dead man's identity, has vehemently protested the investigation, saying Malaysia is in cahoots with its enemies.
Police have detained and are questioning a North Korean national suspected of producing the chemical, VX, Al Jazeera's Florence Looi reported.
Investigators are trying to establish whether the man, who has a background in science, had the "training and expertise to manufacture" the chemical, possibly in a laboratory in Kuala Lumpur, Looi said from the Malaysian capital on Saturday.
READ MORE: Meet the Kims - Who's who in North Korea's first family
"The big question is how these two women get hold of the toxic substance," she said. "How did this highly toxic substance come into this country?"
VX is a fast-acting toxin that sparks respiratory collapse and heart failure. Tiny amounts of the poison are enough to kill an adult, whether it is inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
On Friday, officials confirmed that during autopsy they found the chemical on the face of Kim, who died on February 13 after he was attacked inside Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Two women were seen on CCTV footage shoving something in his face. He later suffered a seizure and was dead before he reached the hospital.
Authorities are now looking into de-contaminating the airport, as the VX chemical could linger on equipment and in airport facilities, Al Jazeera's Looi said.
North Korea is not a signatory to the international convention banning the production and use of the odourless, tasteless, and highly toxic chemical, which is considered a weapon for mass destruction by the United Nations.
The revlation that VX was used in the killing brought swift condemnation from South Korea, which slammed its use as a "blatant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other international norms".
Outrage in Malaysia
Experts in the South said on Friday that North Korea had up to 5,000 tonnes of chemical weapons stockpiled, including a supply of VX.
"I am outraged that the criminals used such a dangerous chemical in a public area," Malaysia's Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.
It "could have caused mass injuries or even death to other people".
One of the two women arrested after the attack fell ill in custody, police said, adding she had been vomiting.
National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar previously said the woman who attacked Kim from behind clearly knew she was carrying out an attack, dismissing claims that she thought she was taking part in a TV prank.
Malaysian detectives are holding three people - women from Indonesia and Vietnam, and a North Korean man - but want to speak to seven others, four of whom are believed to have fled to Pyongyang.
One man wanted for questioning, who is believed to be still in Malaysia, is senior North Korean embassy official Hyon Kwang Song.
Police have acknowledged that his diplomatic status prevents them from questioning him unless he surrenders himself.
North Korea, which has not acknowledged the dead man's identity, has vehemently protested the investigation, saying Malaysia is in cahoots with its enemies.
White House excludes news outlets including CNN and New York Times from briefing
The White House has excluded several news outlets from a media briefing, leading to accusations Donald Trump is retaliating for unwelcome reporting.
Among organisations denied access were CNN, the New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed.
Those selected to attend included Fox and NBC, and conservative media organisations such as The Washington Times.
CNN attacked the block, saying: "This is an unacceptable development by the Trump White House.
"Apparently this is how they retaliate when you report facts they don't like. We'll keep reporting regardless."
Sky's Siobhan Robbins, reporting from Maryland, where Mr Trump was speaking, said: "Both CNN and the New York Times have been quite critical of Donald Trump, quite questioning of his policies.
"It seems he has really escalated that fight with the media."
New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet wrote: "Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties.
"We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organisations.
"Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest."
The White House Correspondents Association also complained.
"The WHCA board is protesting strongly against how today's gaggle is being handled by the White House," the organisation said.
The meeting was an off-camera session known as a "gaggle", which is less formal than the televised question and answer sessions.
The White House defended the move, claiming there was "a pool of journalists" who could relay information to others.
During the briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer said the White House had shown an "abundance of accessibility".
"We've actually gone above and beyond, with making ourselves, our team and our briefing room more accessible than probably any previous administration," he said.
It is not uncommon for Republican and Democratic administrations to brief select reporters.
But the event was initially billed as a regular briefing which is open to any credentialed media.
Earlier, Mr Trump again laid into the media, describing many journalists as "the enemy of the people".
"They are the enemy of the people because they have no sources," Mr Trump said.
Among organisations denied access were CNN, the New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed.
Those selected to attend included Fox and NBC, and conservative media organisations such as The Washington Times.
CNN attacked the block, saying: "This is an unacceptable development by the Trump White House.
"Apparently this is how they retaliate when you report facts they don't like. We'll keep reporting regardless."
Sky's Siobhan Robbins, reporting from Maryland, where Mr Trump was speaking, said: "Both CNN and the New York Times have been quite critical of Donald Trump, quite questioning of his policies.
"It seems he has really escalated that fight with the media."
New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet wrote: "Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties.
"We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organisations.
"Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest."
The White House Correspondents Association also complained.
"The WHCA board is protesting strongly against how today's gaggle is being handled by the White House," the organisation said.
The meeting was an off-camera session known as a "gaggle", which is less formal than the televised question and answer sessions.
The White House defended the move, claiming there was "a pool of journalists" who could relay information to others.
During the briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer said the White House had shown an "abundance of accessibility".
"We've actually gone above and beyond, with making ourselves, our team and our briefing room more accessible than probably any previous administration," he said.
It is not uncommon for Republican and Democratic administrations to brief select reporters.
But the event was initially billed as a regular briefing which is open to any credentialed media.
Earlier, Mr Trump again laid into the media, describing many journalists as "the enemy of the people".
"They are the enemy of the people because they have no sources," Mr Trump said.
Uber sued by Waymo over self-driving technology 'theft'
Uber is being sued by Waymo - the self-driving car unit of Google owner Alphabet - over allegations of technology theft.
Details of the case emerged as Waymo filed a lawsuit in San Francisco.
It accuses former executive Anthony Levandowski of stealing key technology that is now helping Uber assemble a fleet of autonomous vehicles for its ride-hailing service.
The allegations date back to late 2015, before Mr Levandowski left to create a start-up called Otto that is building self-driving lorries.
Uber bought Otto for $680m (£540m) last year and he is now overseeing the cab service's efforts to develop cars driven by robots.
There was no immediate comment from Uber and Mr Levandowski.
The claim by Alphabet alleges that the executive loaded 14,000 confidential files on a laptop before leaving Waymo to start Otto.
The alleged theft included the designs for circuit boards needed for LiDAR, an array of sensors that enable self-driving cars to see what is around them in order to navigate roads safely.
Waymo is seeking a court order prohibiting Uber from relying on its technology for self-driving vehicles, as well as damages.
The company was founded as part of Google eight years ago but now operates as a subsidiary of Google's parent company.
Details of the case emerged as Waymo filed a lawsuit in San Francisco.
It accuses former executive Anthony Levandowski of stealing key technology that is now helping Uber assemble a fleet of autonomous vehicles for its ride-hailing service.
The allegations date back to late 2015, before Mr Levandowski left to create a start-up called Otto that is building self-driving lorries.
Uber bought Otto for $680m (£540m) last year and he is now overseeing the cab service's efforts to develop cars driven by robots.
There was no immediate comment from Uber and Mr Levandowski.
The claim by Alphabet alleges that the executive loaded 14,000 confidential files on a laptop before leaving Waymo to start Otto.
The alleged theft included the designs for circuit boards needed for LiDAR, an array of sensors that enable self-driving cars to see what is around them in order to navigate roads safely.
Waymo is seeking a court order prohibiting Uber from relying on its technology for self-driving vehicles, as well as damages.
The company was founded as part of Google eight years ago but now operates as a subsidiary of Google's parent company.
Donald Trump: Border wall building starts 'soon' and is 'ahead of schedule'
Donald Trump has said his controversial border wall with Mexico is going to start being built "soon" and "way ahead of schedule".
Speaking to a conference of conservative activists, he said: "For too long the US has defended other nation's borders while leaving ours wide open."
The wall is aimed at "stopping the flow of illegal immigration" and "stopping the drugs pouring in", he said.
He told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland that "as we speak today, immigration officers are finding gang members, drug dealers and criminal aliens and throwing them the hell out".
He said: "We're building the wall. It's going to start soon, way ahead of schedule."
Sky's Siobhan Robbins, who was at the event, said Mr Trump was on "comfortable ground".
"The feeling of the speech was that of a returning hero, a man who had previously talked about being president and then returned with the title," she said.
"The audience adored him and made it clear, shouting 'We love you' or erupting into spontaneous applause.
"The biggest hit was arguably his continued commitment to protecting the borders which inspired a chorus of 'build the wall, build the wall'.
"Confident, witty and charismatic, Donald Trump was full of headlines but still fairly thin on policy detail.
"Those within the conservative capsule of the hall told me that didn't matter, that he'd only been president for just over a month and he was already 'the best'.
"This week's protests at Republican town hall meetings suggest other voters disagree. They're demanding details about planned changes, especially to do with healthcare and the scrapping of Obamacare. They're tired of talk, they want content. These are the people the President still needs to convince."
There are reports the "wall" along the US-Mexico border would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as $21.6bn (£17.2bn), and take more than three years to construct.
Mr Trump also pledged that "in a matter of days", his administration will take "a brand new action" to prevent potential terrorists from entering the US.
He did not specify what that action will be, but White House officials say a new immigration ban will be brought in soon following opposition to the previous order affecting travellers from seven mainly Muslim countries.
In a wide-ranging speech, he also covered long-standing plans to repeal and replace Obamacare, rebuild the military, fix "broken trade deals", bring back jobs, cut "wasteful spending" and rebuild inner cities.
He also stepped up his attacks on "fake news media", saying some journalists were "the enemy of the people" and should not be able to use sources in their stories without naming them, adding: "Let their names be put out."
Mr Trump joked: "A source said 'Donald Trump is a horrible, horrible human being'. Let them say it to my face. Let there be no more sources."
He acknowledged there are "talented reporters" but also claimed there are some "terrible, dishonest people" and "they do a tremendous disservice to our country".
Speaking to a conference of conservative activists, he said: "For too long the US has defended other nation's borders while leaving ours wide open."
The wall is aimed at "stopping the flow of illegal immigration" and "stopping the drugs pouring in", he said.
He told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland that "as we speak today, immigration officers are finding gang members, drug dealers and criminal aliens and throwing them the hell out".
He said: "We're building the wall. It's going to start soon, way ahead of schedule."
Sky's Siobhan Robbins, who was at the event, said Mr Trump was on "comfortable ground".
"The feeling of the speech was that of a returning hero, a man who had previously talked about being president and then returned with the title," she said.
"The audience adored him and made it clear, shouting 'We love you' or erupting into spontaneous applause.
"The biggest hit was arguably his continued commitment to protecting the borders which inspired a chorus of 'build the wall, build the wall'.
"Confident, witty and charismatic, Donald Trump was full of headlines but still fairly thin on policy detail.
"Those within the conservative capsule of the hall told me that didn't matter, that he'd only been president for just over a month and he was already 'the best'.
"This week's protests at Republican town hall meetings suggest other voters disagree. They're demanding details about planned changes, especially to do with healthcare and the scrapping of Obamacare. They're tired of talk, they want content. These are the people the President still needs to convince."
There are reports the "wall" along the US-Mexico border would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as $21.6bn (£17.2bn), and take more than three years to construct.
Mr Trump also pledged that "in a matter of days", his administration will take "a brand new action" to prevent potential terrorists from entering the US.
He did not specify what that action will be, but White House officials say a new immigration ban will be brought in soon following opposition to the previous order affecting travellers from seven mainly Muslim countries.
In a wide-ranging speech, he also covered long-standing plans to repeal and replace Obamacare, rebuild the military, fix "broken trade deals", bring back jobs, cut "wasteful spending" and rebuild inner cities.
He also stepped up his attacks on "fake news media", saying some journalists were "the enemy of the people" and should not be able to use sources in their stories without naming them, adding: "Let their names be put out."
Mr Trump joked: "A source said 'Donald Trump is a horrible, horrible human being'. Let them say it to my face. Let there be no more sources."
He acknowledged there are "talented reporters" but also claimed there are some "terrible, dishonest people" and "they do a tremendous disservice to our country".
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