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North Korea defector urges US to use soft power

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North Korea defector urges US to use soft power

Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Thae Yong-ho was North Korea's deputy ambassador to Britain

A high-level defector has told the US Congress that spreading outside information in North Korea is the best way to deal with the regime.

Thae Yong-ho said undermining Kim Jong-un's God-like status among his people could be key to weakening his rule.

North Koreans "don't care about state propaganda but increasingly watch illegally imported South Korean movies and dramas," he added.

Mr Thae was deputy ambassador to the UK before he defected last year.

He is one of the highest-ranking officials ever to defect from North Korea.

Mr Thae's speech before US lawmakers comes as President Trump is due to embark on a trip to Asia, including South Korea.

Tensions between North Korea and the West have risen over the past months as Pyongyang has conducted several missile tests and claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb.

In his first ever visit to Washington, Mr Thae told Congress: "We can educate (the) North Korean population to stand up by disseminating outside information."

He also urged officials to meet at least once with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, to understand his thinking and convince him that his nuclear programme is risking mass destruction.

"It is necessary to reconsider whether we have tried all non-military options before we decide that military action against North Korea is all that is left," he said.

  • Thae Yong-ho: My family have been punished
  • Keeping up with the Kims: North Korea's elusive first family
  • Nine charts which tell you all you need to know about North Korea

Changes in North Korea meant that "contrary to the official policy and wish of the regime, the free markets are flourishing", he said.

People were getting more access to outside information, including through micro SD cards which were small enough to be easily smuggled into the country, he added.

Young North Koreans have begun calling said devices "nose cards" because they can be smuggled even inside one's nostrils, he cited as an example.

These developments "make it increasingly possible to think about civilian uprising in North Korea as more and more people gradually become informed about the reality of their living conditions," he argued.

Image copyright AFP
Image caption Mr Thae urged US officials to meet Kim Jong-un at least once

"The US is spending billions of dollars to cope with the military threat and yet how much does the US spend each year on information activities involving North Korea in a year? Unfortunately, it may be a tiny fraction," he said.

The rising tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have seen US President refer to Kim as "little rocket man," while the North Korean leader called Trump a "mentally deranged dotard".

North Korean defectors are one of the few sources of information about life in North Korea – yet critics caution that defector's testimonies might not always be credible, and that some defectors have changed their stories in the past.


Source – bbc.com

World

AP PHOTOS: Rohingya Muslims await chance to enter Bangladesh

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AP PHOTOS: Rohingya Muslims await chance to enter Bangladesh

The Associated Press
An exhausted Rohingya lies on the muddy ground after crossing over from the Myanmar border into Bangladesh, near Palong Khali, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Nov. 1 2017. In a scene that's played out over and over again, at least 2,000 exhausted and starving Rohingya crossed the swollen Naf river on Wednesday and waited along the Bangladesh border for permission to cross, fleeing persecution in Myanmar. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

    The scene has played out with heartbreaking regularity as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled persecution in Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh: terrified knots of men, women and children crossing the swollen Naf River and waiting along the border for permission to cross.

    On Thursday, at least 2,000 exhausted and starving people waited in rice paddy fields at one border crossing for Bangladesh border guards to let them enter. They have been waiting for two days and while they were given packets of food by aid groups, permission to enter eluded them.

    So they waited, crouched in the muddy fields. The children carried younger siblings. The elderly were helped along by relatives. Without enough drinking water to go around, many people drank from the muddy canals around the fields.

    Most of the refugees had walked for as many as 10 days before they were able to cross the river. Along the way, they said, they were robbed multiple times by Myanmar soldiers of what little cash they had and even belongings like plastic sheets.

    All of them were hungry and exhausted. Some collapsed. Others wept as they clung to their children.

    The exodus of Rohingya Muslims started Aug. 25 when insurgents attacked dozens of police posts in Myanmar.

    The retribution from Myanmar's authorities was swift and brutal.

    Hundreds of Rohingya villages in Rakhine state have been set on fire. Fleeing Rohingya have told stories of arson and rape and shootings by Myanmar soldiers and Buddhist mobs.

    The violence, which the U.N. describes as ethnic cleansing, has pushed more than 600,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh.

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    Source – abcnews.go.com

    World

    Sexual harassment: More stars facing accusations

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    Sexual harassment: More stars facing accusations

    Image copyright Getty Images
    Image caption Actors Dustin Hoffman (L) and Kevin Spacey (R) have been accused of sexual misconduct

    Two Oscar-winning actors, a Hollywood filmmaker and a senior US news editor are the latest high-profile figures to be accused of sexual harassment.

    The actors Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman have been accused of sexual misconduct and have issued apologies.

    Meanwhile, six women have accused Brett Ratner, director of the Rush Hour film series and X-Men: The Last Stand, of sexual harassment or misconduct.

    Ratner's lawyer "categorically" denied all of the accusations on his behalf.

    A representative for Spacey released a short statement to the US media, saying the actor "is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time".

    A growing number of allegations have been made against public figures in recent weeks.

    The allegations have been sparked by multiple women speaking out against the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, and a subsequent campaign encouraging victims to share their stories of sexual harassment under the #metoo hashtag.

    So who has been accused of misconduct?

    Kevin Spacey

    New allegations have emerged from a number of men accusing Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct.

    US filmmaker Tony Montana claims he was groped by the actor in a Los Angeles bar in 2003. He says he was left with PTSD for six months after Spacey "forcefully" grabbed his crotch.

    Mr Montana told Radar Online that he was in his thirties when the incident took place at the Coronet Bar in LA.

    It follows an allegation made by Anthony Rapp that the House of Cards actor tried to "seduce" him when he was 14 years old.

    Kevin Spacey says he has no recollection of that encounter, and was "beyond horrified".

    Netflix halts House of Cards production

    Incidents regarding Spacey are also alleged to have taken place in the UK while the two-time Oscar winner was the artistic director at the Old Vic in London between 2004 and 2015.

    Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos, who acted in several plays at the theatre, claims Spacey "routinely preyed" on young male actors.

    One man told the BBC about his experience of being invited to spend the weekend with Spacey in New York when he was a teenager in the 1980s.

    Read more about the allegations against Kevin Spacey here.

    Image copyright Getty Images
    Image caption Brett Ratner, 48, has made a number of blockbuster movies

    Brett Ratner

    Six women have accused Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct.

    The women, including The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn, made the allegations in the Los Angeles Times.

    Natasha Henstridge, who appeared in Species and The Whole Ten Yards, claimed she had been forced into a sex act with Ratner as a teenager.

    The actress, now 43, was a 19-year-old model at the time she alleges Ratner stopped her from leaving a room at his New York apartment and then made her perform a sex act on him.

    "He strong-armed me in a real way," she told the LA Times. "He physically forced himself onto me."

    Ratner's lawyer "categorically" denied all of the accusations on his behalf in response to the article.

    Separately, Ratner has filed a libel case in Hawaii against a woman who accused him on Facebook of rape more than 10 years ago.

    Read more about the allegations against Brett Ratner here.

    Dustin Hoffman

    Dustin Hoffman has been accused of sexually harassing an intern on the set of one of his films in 1985.

    Anna Graham Hunter, a writer, says that when she was 17, the Oscar-winning actor groped her and made inappropriate comments about sex to her.

    She told The Hollywood Reporter: "He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me."

    Hoffman apologised, and said he was sorry if he "put her in an uncomfortable situation".

    In a statement to the magazine, Hoffman said: "I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am."

    The BBC has contacted representatives of Dustin Hoffman for his response to these allegations.

    Image copyright AFP
    Image caption Michael Oreskes resigned following accusations he kissed female colleagues without their consent

    Michael Oreskes

    Senior editor Michael Oreskes has resigned following accusations he kissed female colleagues without their consent during business meetings.

    The 63-year-old was asked to step down by the National Public Radio (NPR) network in response to the allegations. He has previously worked for the Associated Press and the New York Times.

    Two women spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity, and reported stories of abrupt and unexpected kisses during business meetings. They said they were worried about career development if their names were made public.

    One of the women said that while she met Mr Oreskes in the hope of getting a job with the New York Times, he suggested that they eat room service lunch in a hotel, before he unexpectedly kissed her and "slipped his tongue into her mouth".

    He has not commented publicly on the allegations, and journalists at NPR report that they have tried to contact him for comment, without success.

    Read more about the allegations against Michael Oreskes here.


    Source – bbc.com

    Technology

    Bin Laden raid: CIA releases 470,000 files

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    Bin Laden raid: CIA releases 470,000 files

    Image copyright Getty Images

    The CIA has released nearly 470,000 files seized during the 2011 killing of former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

    The new material includes his personal diary, documents and audio and video files – including a clip showing his son Hamza as an adult, at his wedding.

    It is the fourth release by the CIA of material found in the raid on Bin Laden's Pakistan hideout in Abbottabad.

    Some material has been withheld because it could harm national security, the US intelligence agency says.

    "Today's release of recovered al-Qaeda letters, videos, audio files and other materials provides the opportunity for the American people to gain further insights into the plans and workings of this terrorist organisation," CIA Director Mike Pompeo said in a press release.

    Cartoons and films

    According to the CIA statement, the documents "provide insights into the origins of fissures that exist today between al-Qaeda and ISIS [Islamic State group]" as well as "strategic, doctrinal and religious disagreements within al-Qaeda and its allies".

    The new material released on Wednesday also showed the terror network's efforts to exploit the Arab Spring uprisings, and its attempts to improve its media image, the CIA added.

    A computer seized during the raid contained files of Hollywood movies, kids' cartoons as well as three documentaries about Bin Laden himself.

    Among the video files is also a wedding video of Bin Laden's son, showing rare footage of Hamza Bin Laden as a young adult. Hamza Bin Laden is now in his 20s, although his exact whereabouts are unknown.

    Previous documents released had suggested that Bin Laden had been grooming his son to succeed him as al-Qaeda leader.

    Previous releases of Bin Laden documents:

    Image copyright AFP
    • Bin Laden 2015 files: Seven things we learned
    • What was on Bin Laden's bookshelf?
    • What was in Osama Bin Laden's tape collection?
    • The al-Qaeda job application form


    Source – bbc.com

    Technology

    Tesla delays Model 3 production in its worst quarter

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    Tesla delays Model 3 production in its worst quarter

    Image copyright Tesla
    Image caption Production targets for Tesla's Model 3 car have been set back by months

    Electric carmaker Tesla pushed back targets for its new Model 3 car, admitting it's months behind schedule.

    Tesla said it would now produce 5,000 of the cars each week by early 2018, instead of December.

    The new target emerged as Tesla posted its biggest quarterly loss ever, sending its shares down more than 5% in after-hours trading.

    Tesla made net losses of $619m (£468m) in the three months to 30 September, nearly double the previous quarter.

    A year earlier, the firm made a profit of $21.9m. The losses were bigger than usual because Tesla has been focused on ramping up production of its Model 3 sedan.

    Image copyright Tesla
    Image caption Tesla said it won't reach its production target of 5,000 Model 3 cars per week until 2018

    The carmaker is hoping to attract mass market interest in the vehicle which is priced at $35,000, about half the cost of its Model S car.

    Tesla said it had produced just 260 of the Model 3 cars in the third quarter, less than a fifth of the 1,500 vehicles it had planned to build.

    In a statement the company said it continued "to make significant progress each week in fixing Model 3 bottlenecks".

    "The nature of manufacturing challenges during a ramp such as this makes it difficult to predict exactly how long it will take for all bottlenecks to be cleared or when new ones will appear", it said.

    Gigafactory delays

    Tesla said the main constraint was that progress had slowed at its Gigafactory in Nevada where its battery modules are assembled, and part of the production process has needed to be redesigned.

    Image copyright Getty Images
    Image caption Tesla boss Elon Musk said he was "really depressed" about the slow progress

    "I was really depressed about three or four weeks ago," chief executive Elon Musk said, adding that he is now optimistic because it is clear what changes need to be made.

    But there could be further problems ahead.

    While quarterly revenues rose about 30% from a year ago to nearly $3bn, Tesla continues to burn through cash.

    The firm said it expected capital expenditures of $1bn in the fourth quarter, bringing its total investments for the second half of the year to $2bn.

    And it could face heavy new demands for cash given the delays with the Model 3 and plans for new vehicles.


    Source – bbc.com

    Technology

    Under pressure, social media giants acknowledge meddling

    WireAP_55983524b1ab4a178787e3fe5c646529_12x5_992

    Under pressure, social media giants acknowledge meddling

    The Associated Press
    Some of the Facebook ads linked to a Russian effort to disrupt the American political process and stir up tensions around divisive social issues, released by members of the U.S. House Intelligence committee, are photographed in Washington, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. The ads, dozens of which were disclosed for the first time, were released as representatives of leading social media companies faced criticism on Capitol Hill about why they hadn't done more to combat Russian interference on their sites and prevent foreign agents from meddling in last year's election. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

      In three exhaustive hearings this week, executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google acknowledged that their platforms were used by Russia to try and create division over such disparate issues as immigration, gun control and politics. House investigators released a trove of Facebook and Twitter ads that showed just how extraordinary the cyber intrusion was.

      The companies' admissions and disclosures gave congressional investigators one of their first real wins in the Russia probes. They have been frustrated by delays — and overshadowed by special counsel Robert Mueller — since they launched probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election earlier this year. Initially dismissive of Russia's threat, all three companies have pledged improvements since lawmakers ramped up pressure and called them to testify.

      It's unclear what next steps Congress will take. The top Democrat on the Senate intelligence panel, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, has co-sponsored legislation that would bring political ad rules from TV, radio and print to the internet. Warner calls it "the lightest touch possible," but many Republicans have been lukewarm.

      California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, said he thinks such advertising regulations for social media are "inevitable," but noted that many of the fixes will come down to the companies' own social responsibility.

      "Congress isn't going to prescribe an algorithm, so there are limits to what we can feasibly do," Schiff said after his committee's hearing Wednesday.

      The few dozen ads, seen by vast sums of people, encouraged street demonstrations against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and fostered support and opposition to Bernie Sanders, Muslims, gays, blacks and the icons of the Civil Rights movement.

      The ads underscore how foreign agents sought to sow confusion, anger and discord among Americans through messages on hot-button topics. U.S. intelligence services say the Russian use of social media was part of a broad effort to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump. Mueller is investigating whether the Kremlin worked with the Trump campaign to influence the election.

      Many of the ads also show careful targeting, with messages geared toward particular audiences. One ad, aimed at those with interests in civil rights and their leaders, highlights a man who claims to be Bill Clinton's illegitimate son. Another video parodying Trump was targeted at blacks who also are interested in BlackNews.com, HuffPost Politics or HuffPost Black Voices.

      In preparation for hearings this week, Facebook disclosed that content generated by a Russian group, the Internet Research Agency, potentially reached as many as 126 million users. Company executives said that going forward they would verify political ad buyers in federal elections, requiring them to reveal correct names and locations. The site will also create new graphics where users can click on the ads and find out more about who's behind them.

      But that did not prevent hours of questioning during two days of hearings, with lawmakers expressing exasperation at the seeming inability to thwart foreign intervention.

      At one point, Sen. Al Franken put his head in his hands after he couldn't get all the companies to commit to not accepting political ads bought with foreign currency. Several ads touting Facebook pages called "Back the Badge," ''Being Patriotic," ''Blacktivist," ''South United" and "Woke Blacks" were labeled as being paid for in rubles using Qiwi, a Moscow-based payment provider that aims to serve "the new generation in Russia" and former Russian republics, according to the company's website.

      "Google has all knowledge that man has ever developed," the Minnesota Democrat said. "You can't put together rubles with a political ad and go like, 'Hmmm, those data points spell out something pretty bad?' "

      Besides the ads released by lawmakers on the House intelligence committee, Democrats on the panel also released four tweets from RT, a Russian state-sponsored television network, and nearly 3,000 Twitter handles active during the final months of the election.

      Taken together, they show how actual news events and stories helped shape surreptitious Russian messaging.

      One advertisement cited a real October 2016 news story — about a gunman's battle with Boston police officers — then used it to attack Hillary Clinton as "the main hardliner against cops" and to promote Trump as the candidate who can "defend the police from terrorists."

      Three of the tweets referenced Clinton, including one that linked to an RT story about the release of a batch of hacked emails from her campaign chairman, John Podesta.

      Some 34,000 Trump supporters were shown an ad calling for Clinton's removal from the ballot, citing "dynastic succession of the Clinton family" as a breach of core principles laid out by the Founding Fathers. Clicking on it took Facebook users to a petition at WhiteHouse.gov.

      Though U.S. intelligence officials believe the social media effort was aimed at aiding Trump, there are other indications it was intended to sow general divisions.

      One ad promoted a Nov. 12 anti-Trump rally in New York City, titled "Not My President." Large anti-Trump rallies actually did take place around the country that day in major American cities. That doesn't mean the Russian accounts planned the events, but rather that they were piggybacking on existing protests and promoting them to like-minded people.

      ———

      Associated Press writers Chad Day in Alexandria, Virginia, Ryan Nakashima in Menlo Park, California, Barbara Ortutay in New York and Matt O'Brien in Cambridge, Massachusetts contributed to this report.

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      Source – abcnews.go.com

      Health

      Teens lament ‘constant pressure’ of social media

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      What parents should know about the 'constant pressure' of social media for teens

      PlayABC News

      WATCH Teen girls open up about the 'constant pressure' of social media

        For some parents, understanding the pressure of social media can be difficult, and as a result, some teens may feel they cannot talk to their parents about cyberbullying, body image problems and other struggles they face in their day-to-day life.

        "One of the hallmarks of adolescence is to make mistakes, part of adolescence is figuring out who you are," Dr. Logan Levkoff, an expert in parent-child communications, told ABC News. "Sometimes you make choices that aren’t so great, but … those choices are an opportunity for growth."

        How social media 'pressure' and depression may be linked in teens Teens react to giving up social media for a week

        "The challenge with social media is that it doesn't give a young person freedom to make mistakes without being defined by them," she added, saying she believes that social media plays a "huge role" in causing anxiety for teens.

        'GMA' experiment finds moms surprised by the pressures their daughters face on social media

        In an experiment set up by "Good Morning America," a group of 15- to 17-year-old girls candidly discussed with ABC News' Deborah Roberts the stresses they face, especially as a result of how pervasive social media is in their lives.

        PHOTO: During an experiment set up by GMA, mothers sat behind a glass mirror to listen and learn as their daughters discussed their struggles with social media. ABC News
        During an experiment set up by "GMA," mothers sat behind a glass mirror to listen and learn as their daughters' discussed their struggles with social media.

        Unbeknownst to them, their mothers sat behind a glass mirror to listen and learn about their daughters' struggles.

        Approximately 79 percent of parents said that their teens use social media, according to a 2017 report from the American Psychological Association. Additionally, 69 percent of the parents of teen girls reported that they worried about the influence of social media on their child's health, compared to only 39 percent of parents of teen boys.

        A majority of the teens in the "GMA" experiment said they felt stress was a big problem in their lives.

        Most of the girls, who wished to only be identified by their first names, also said that social media was also a big part of their lives. The group answered a collective "no" when asked if they ever went a day without being worried about their online profile.

        "Every girl thinks she has to be better than another girl and it shouldn’t be like that," said 15-year-old Cayla Kumar.

        Another, Booch O'Connell, 16, added, "There’s just constant pressure, I guess, with everyone and social media."

        Anyaa Adams, 17, said she felt like social media causes her to question herself, saying, "Sometimes they’ll say, like, 'Your stomach area is fat,' I’m like, 'Wait, is it?'"

        PHOTO: A group of teenage girls spoke candidly about the struggles they faced, especially on social media, while their mothers listened in during a GMA social experiment. ABC News
        A group of teenage girls spoke candidly about the struggles they faced, especially on social media, while their mothers listened in during a "GMA" social experiment.

        Cayla also said she questioned her own body as a result of social media, saying, "a lot of my friends think I'm anorexic."

        "I have a high metabolism, they just don't understand," she added. "Sometimes it can hurt, but you've got to grow tough skin."

        Alexus Analyz, 16, added that she feels she is criticized for almost everything on social media.

        "I choose not to pay attention to it," she said. "They can talk about things that you post, things that you wear, things that you say."

        Booch said that during her first year of high school, the criticism directed toward her that started online affected her even offline.

        "Cyberbullying translates to real life," she said. "And you have people taunting you while you’re right there."

        Anyaa Adams, 17, added that it can be hard to simply brush off the criticism that you face on social media.

        "It’s like, 'Wait, I think I look great,' so then it’s, 'Who cares what they say?' but then it’s like … 'Somebody just said that to me … are you kidding me?'" she said.

        Destiny Mateo, 15, added, "I don’t hate my body, but I do feel like there's room for improvement all the time."

        PHOTO: One mother became emotional as she heard her daughter discuss the struggles she faced because of social media during an experiment set up by GMA. ABC News
        One mother became emotional as she heard her daughter discuss the struggles she faced because of social media during an experiment set up by "GMA."

        The teen girls also said that they also feel pressure from social media when it comes to relationships.

        Some of the girls said they feel pressure to hook up or to have a boyfriend because of social media, to the shock of their mothers in the next room.

        "I think it's like girls always make it a competition, and I think it's a bad thing, that goes around everywhere," Cayla said.

        Cayla went on to say that she felt like she could not talk to her mother about some of her struggles with social media, saying, "When I try to explain situations to her she doesn't quite understand it from my perspective because things have changed so much."

        The mothers, who eventually entered the room and surprised their daughters, said that they were shocked to hear some of their thoughts.

        "What really surprised me in this group is … these girls are gorgeous," one mother said. "[But] they are full of anxiety."

        Another mom added that "the struggles the kids are going through now" are "so different."

        How parents can talk to their teen about social media and anxiety

        "The part that parents miss is they think that social media is stressful just when you use it, but it's even stressful when you’re not on," Levkoff said. "Because you’re wondering, what are people thinking of my posts? Are they liking my photos? Am I missing out on something?"

        Levkoff said one of the most important things that parents can do if they are concerned that their teen may be struggling with anxiety, is to "trust your gut."

        She added that if your teen is "avoiding social activity," or taking a step back from activities they once enjoyed, "that might be a sign that something is going on."

        If you do suspect your teen is struggling with anxiety, Levkoff recommends asking questions "that are meant to illicit a more thoughtful answer" than simply "yes" or "no."

        "If parents suspect that something is going on, I think asking questions about friendships, I think asking to see phones and social media usage of your children and their friends is absolutely within a parents range of authority," she added.

        Levkoff said that she also believes parents should restrict screen time if they are concerned about their child's social media use. Parents should also set clear rules when it comes to technology, Levkoff added, saying she gave her son a "contract with 17 points of all our expectations of technology."

        "Young people, we think that they are really savvy and intuitive, and they would know what not to do with technology, but the reality is that they don't know what to do, so sometimes we have to be explicit in our expectations and rules," she added.

        "As parents we want kids to love us … we want them to be our friends, and often times as they get older we have a really hard time putting restrictions on things," she said.

        Finally, Levkoff recommends for parents to emphasize to young people the gap between social media and reality, especially for teens who may feel pressured by what they see online.

        "One thing we have to make sure our kids know is that people curate their lives online," she added. "None of it represents the holistic reality of our lives."

        "So the decisions we make about our bodies or relationships or sex, if we make them about what we're seeing, well we're not really seeing the whole picture," she added.

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        Source – abcnews.go.com

        World

        Manus Island refugees ‘dig for water’ in Australia camp

        _98578043_23140492_10155845695359717_343610480_n

        Manus Island refugees 'dig for water' in Australia camp

        Image copyright BEHROUZ BOOCHANI
        Image caption Asylum seekers have dug holes in the ground, hoping to find fresh water

        Asylum seekers who are refusing to leave an Australian detention centre in Papua New Guinea say they are digging into the ground to find water, two days after the camp officially closed.

        About 600 men at the centre on Manus Island do not want to leave, saying they fear being attacked outside.

        Meanwhile, New Zealand has reiterated its offer to accept up to 150 refugees from Australia's detention centres.

        Canberra has repeatedly rejected New Zealand's offer.

        Australia holds asylum seekers who arrive by boat on PNG's Manus Island, and on the Pacific island of Nauru.

        Australia withdrew from the Manus Island centre on Tuesday, following a PNG court ruling that the centre was unconstitutional.

        The men held at PNG – most of whom have refugee status – have now lost access to running water, electricity and working toilets, and their food supplies are dwindling.

        The UN refugee agency has said some alternative accommodation is not ready.

        The agency and rights groups have warned that the men have legitimate fears for their safety, and that attacks on asylum seekers have occurred in the past in PNG.

        • 'Our situation is just like hell'
        • Timeline: A controversial centre
        • UN fears 'humanitarian emergency'

        Refugees told the BBC that they had dug into the ground and set up catchments to collect rainwater, but much of it was being stored in rubbish bins.

        They said that PNG immigration officials arrived outside the centre on Wednesday, and they feared being forcibly removed.

        Under its controversial policy, Australia refuses to take in anyone trying to reach its territories unofficially by boat. The government says its policy prevents human trafficking and deaths at sea.

        New Zealand reiterates offer

        Amid the escalating stand-off, the New Zealand government said a standing offer to accept 150 refugees from Manus Island or Nauru "remains on the table".

        The proposal has been repeatedly rejected by Canberra since it was first made in 2013.

        Image copyright BEHROUZ BOOCHANI
        Image caption Electricity and running water in the centre have been cut off

        "I think anyone would look at a situation like that and see the human face of what is an issue that New Zealand is in the lucky position of not having to struggle with, and Australia has," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday.

        Ms Ardern said she would raise Manus Island with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when the two meet in person on Sunday.

        Last year, Mr Turnbull said people smugglers would use any such deal with New Zealand as a "marketing opportunity".

        His government has said it makes "no sense" for the detainees to remain in the centre when there was alternative accommodation, although it would not guarantee their safety in the local community.

        • Australia asylum: Why is it controversial

        Nat Jit Lam, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regional representative, said on Wednesday that some of that accommodation was not yet fit to live in.

        "I will not be bringing any refugee there to stay – not in that state," he said.

        Are the men at risk?

        Human Rights Watch has warned the men face "unchecked violence" from local people who have attacked them in the past with machetes, knives and rocks.

        "They are terrified of moving. Further bloodshed is likely if they move to less secure facilities in the main town," Human Rights Watch Australia director Elaine Pearson said on Wednesday.

        "We have been attacked several times already outside," Behrouz Boochani, a journalist and Iranian refugee who has been held on Manus Island since August 2014, told the BBC.

        Mr Boochani wrote on Twitter that many of the men in the centre were physically and mentally unwell.

        Skip Twitter post by @BehrouzBoochani

        A refugee has harmed himself with a razor. He cut his wrist and chest. Physically he's good now but mentally is out of control

        — Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) November 1, 2017

        Report

        End of Twitter post by @BehrouzBoochani

        Nick McKim, an Australian senator currently on Manus Island, said he was witnessing "a human rights emergency". He said the facilities are not ready for habitation.

        The Australian government has repeatedly said the men's safety is the responsibility of the PNG government.

        However, PNG has said it is Australia's responsibility to support them. The UNHCR has also repeated that claim.

        Where would they go?

        The refugees have been given the option of permanent resettlement in PNG, applying to live in Cambodia, or requesting a transfer to Nauru. Advocates say few have taken up these options.

        Some men already in the temporary accommodation were "comfortably accessing services and support there", Australia's Department for Immigration and Border Protection has said.

        A resettlement deal struck with the Obama administration in 2016 saw the US agree to take up to 1,250 refugees from the PNG and Nauru centres.

        Last month, about 50 of them became the first to be accepted by the US under the deal.

        The agreement, which is being administered by the UNHCR, is prioritising women, children and families and other refugees found to be the most vulnerable. Manus Island has held only men.

        However, the US has not given an estimate of how long the application process will take, and it is not obliged to accept all of them.

        Will the courts step in?

        Lawyers filed a last-minute lawsuit in PNG on Tuesday saying the camp's closure breached the detainees' human rights, which are enshrined in the PNG constitution.

        "The men are vulnerable to attacks and physical harm so we are seeking to ensure their constitutional rights are not breached and there is a resumption of the basic necessities of life," Greg Barns, a lawyer assisting with the legal action, told the BBC.

        "The men have been dumped on the street, literally. What is going on is unlawful."

        Image copyright Human Rights Watch
        Image caption Six detainees have died at the Manus Island centre since 2013

        The application also seeks to prevent the men's forcible removal to alternative centres on the island, and calls for them to be transferred to Australia or a safe third country.

        A ruling on the injunction is yet to be made.

        • Australia migrant camp in PNG 'illegal'
        • First refugees leave Manus camp for US
        • Australia's A$70m asylum payout approved

        What were conditions like at Manus Island?

        Australia first opened Manus Island centre in 2001. It was closed in 2008 and re-opened in 2012.

        Six asylum seekers have died since 2013, including Iranian man Reza Barati who was murdered during a riot.

        Earlier this year, the government offered compensation totalling A$70m (£41m; $53m) to asylum seekers and refugees detained on Manus Island who alleged they had suffered harm while there.

        The lawsuit alleged that detainees had been housed in inhumane conditions below Australian standards, given inadequate medical treatment and exposed to systemic abuse and violence.

        The government called the financial settlement "prudent", but denied wrongdoing.

        • Manus Island: Australia's Guantanamo?
        • Manus: Timeline of a controversial centre


        Source – bbc.com

        World

        Thieves jump from moving car to speeding tractor trailer in heist caught on video

        171101_ugc_high_speed_truck_robbery_12x5_992

        Thieves jump from moving car to speeding tractor trailer in movie-style heist caught on video

        PlayYoutube/PostNord Sverige

        WATCH Swedish robbers break into delivery truck

          The Swedish postal service caught a group of thieves in the act as they stole valuables from a speeding delivery truck, according to surveillance video.

          The video, released by PostNord on Wednesday, shows the group of men jumping into the back of the tractor trailer from the hood of a moving car and ransacking the cargo truck — which was traveling at about 50 miles per hour at the time.

          PostNord said it was surveilling the truck in co-operation with police after a string of cargo robberies in that particular area in Sweden.

          The thieves got into the truck from the hood of their car while going over 40 mph.Youtube/PostNord Sverige
          The thieves got into the truck from the hood of their car while going over 40 mph.

          Alexis Larsson, head of security and complaints at PostNord, said he was watching the heist live with his security team, hoping to catch the thieves in the act.

          "Suddenly I saw on the film how the back doors of the truck were opened and two men jumped in, from the hood of a car traveling right behind the truck at high speed and with no lights on," Larsson said in a statement Wednesday.

          "They looked through the cargo without finding what they were looking for, and were then about to leave the vehicle. That was when I told the driver to brake."

          The men were met by a "large police unit" when they attempted to flee, according to PostNord.

          "It is extremely unusual to catch a gang involved in this form of advanced crime –- breaking open locks and getting into a truck at high speed," Larsson said.

          The men who were arrested will soon be prosecuted.

          • Star


          Source – abcnews.go.com