A Chocolate Bar With a Golden Blockchain Token

By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/31WXWg6

In Praise of ‘Human Scum’

By BY MICHELLE GOLDBERG from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/32WnaMS

Sotheby’s Has a Wine Label of Its Own

By BY FLORENCE FABRICANT from NYT Food https://ift.tt/2Jvazsn

No, the Nationals Are Not Cursed by an Early Plan to Celebrate

By BY JAMES WAGNER from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2NoxSVW

Iraqi Antigovernment Protests Grow, Part Battle Lines and Carnival

By BY ALISSA J. RUBIN from NYT World https://ift.tt/34aQBLC

With California Ablaze, Firefighters Strain to Keep Up

By BY TIM ARANGO, THOMAS FULLER, JOSE A. DEL REAL AND JACK HEALY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Nil2IQ

His Mind Fading, a Former Football Star Wonders but Cannot Know

By BY MICHAEL POWELL from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2ou8YvQ

IS leader's death ushers in new phase for the group

One of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's last audio messages was an appeal for his followers to do everything in their power to free Islamic State detainees and the women being held in jails and camps in northeastern Syria. With news of the extremist group's leader's death, Kurdish security forces worried about the possibility of attacks or rioting have been tightening security at these facilities, which hold more than 80,000 members and supporters of the militant group, including women and children. Fear of chaos already was running high over the fate of those detained after this month's Turkish military invasion of northeastern Syria, which ushered in major troop changes in the area about two weeks after al-Baghdadi's message.

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South Korea Is Still Having Big Problems With Corruption

A bad day for the Moon administration.

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The Air Force’s Secret X-37B Spaceplane Has Finally Landed

The mysterious unmanned craft spent an astonishing 780 days in orbit.

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Democratic Rep. Katie Hill announces resignation amid allegations of relationship with staff member

Democratic California Rep. Katie Hill, faced with allegations she had a sexual relationship with a staff member, announced her resignation on Sunday.

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Vietnam collects DNA samples from relatives of UK missing

Vietnamese officials collected DNA samples on Sunday from relatives of those feared among 39 people found dead in a truck in Britain, a security source and a family member told AFP, as villagers held emotional prayers for the victims. The 31 men and eight women found dead were initially identified as Chinese, but several Vietnamese families have come forward saying they believe their relatives are among the dead. The grim case has cast light on the extreme dangers facing illegal migrants seeking better lives in Europe.

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Aiming at Olympic boom, Japan builds 'Ethnic Harmony' tribute to indigenous Ainu

On a wooded lake shore in northern Japan, the government is building a modernist shrine that has divided the indigenous Ainu community whose vanishing culture it was designed to celebrate.

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Rounds of Rain to Bring Flood Threat and Drought Relief for the South

An influx of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will bring widespread rain and thunderstorms to the Deep South and Southeast midweek.

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Schiff to handle impeachment witness testimony in break from precedent

Under past precedent in 1974 and 1998 — the last two times the House conducted an impeachment inquiry — the House Judiciary Committee was the hub for investigations, hearings, and a committee vote on articles of impeachment.

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Feds: Brothers with alleged Hezbollah ties are 'dangerous'

Federal prosecutors say two brothers charged with conspiring to export drone parts and technology from the U.S. to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon are "dangerous" and should remain in custody while they await trial, according to a court document filed Monday. Usama and Issam Hamade are charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws. Usama Hamade is also charged with smuggling.

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U.S. military envisions broad defense of Syrian oilfields

The United States will repel any attempt to take Syria's oil fields away from U.S.-backed Syrian militia with "overwhelming force," whether the opponent is Islamic State or even forces backed by Russia or Syria, the Pentagon said on Monday. The U.S. military announced last week it was reinforcing its position in Syria with additional assets, including mechanized forces, to prevent oilfields from being taken over by remnants of the Islamic State militant group or others. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper offered some of his most detailed remarks to date about the mission at a news briefing on Monday.

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Judge to allow portion of Nick Sandmann lawsuit against Washington Post to continue

A federal judge is allowing a portion of Covington Catholic student Nathan Sandmann's lawsuit against the Washington Post to continue.

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Democratic Rep. Katie Hill resigns amid ethics probe

Freshman Rep. Katie Hill, a rising Democratic star in the House, announced her resignation Sunday amid an ethics probe, saying explicit private photos of her with a campaign staffer had been "weaponized" by her abusive husband and political operatives. The House ethics committee also launched an investigation into whether Hill had an inappropriate relationship with an aide in her congressional office. Hill has denied that.

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California state-wide emergency declared as wildfire forces 200,000 to flee and leaves millions without power

California‘s governor has declared a state-wide emergency, ordering nearly 200,000 people to flee from the threat of wildfires fuelled by ferocious winds.Millions of people were left without power as hurricane-force winds whipped through the state.

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Isil leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 'died like a dog and coward' in US special forces raid, says Donald Trump

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, died "like a dog and a coward" in a raid by US special forces, Donald Trump said. The terrorist leader was "whimpering and crying" in a tunnel after dragging three of his children with him, the US president said. As US soldiers closed in Baghdadi, an Iraqi national whose real name was Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai, detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and his children. Mr Trump announced the end of  "the world's number one terrorist" during an "impeccable" raid in north-west Syria. The president said: "He died after running into a dead-end tunnel whimpering and crying and screaming all the way. US President Donald Trump watches in the Situation Room as US Special Operations forces close in on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Credit: AFP "He had dragged three of his young children with him. They were dragged to certain death. "He was a sick and depraved man and now he's gone. He was vicious and violent, and he died in a vicious and violent way, as a coward running and crying." Mr Trump watched the raid from the Situation Room. He said: "It was like watching a movie." The raid, which began after midnight, targeted a compound Baghdadi and his family were thought to have been staying in Barisha village in Idlib province near the Turkish border. In a video which is thought to have captured the raid helicopters and heavy clashes can be heard. Blower's cartoon A senior Iraqi official told the Telegraph they obtained information on Baghdadi's whereabouts from members of his inner circle, arrested in Iraq back in September. "We arrested one of Baghdadi's wives, his nephew and the wife of one of Baghdadi's courier's," the official said. In interviews, the latter gave up information on the leader's whereabouts and the coordinates in Idlib. "He wasn't very mobile" he said, suggesting he had had been in the province for at least the last two months. He confirmed the Iraqi National Intelligence Service shared the information with the US shortly after. Intelligence was reportedly recovered by US special forces soldiers before the compound was then hit by an air strike to prevent the building from becoming a shrine to the terror leader. Sources indicated that the mission had to be rushed after the US feared it would lose leverage in Syria after the pullout of its forces last week. Something very big has just happened!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2019 The operation involved "deconflicting" with all the other main global players in Syria, including Russia and Turkey, which are on different sides of the war. There were no immediate statements made on Isil's official media channels, though typically it does not rush to confirm or deny such high-profile deaths in the group. Experts had speculated that Baghdadi was hiding out with a small number of cadres either in Anbar province in western Iraq or in the vast Badia desert in Homs in central Syria. His presence in Idlib, the last-remaining anti-Assad opposition stronghold, will come as a surprise to some as the province is under the control of rebel groups hostile to Isil. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group aligned with al-Qaeda which is in control of much of the province, regularly carry out raids against Isil and arrests suspected sleeper cells.   It is unclear if he was getting protection from the rebels, but a commander with local militia Hurras al-Din group was killed in the raid. "If Baghdadi was indeed in Barisha, it will be interesting to understand how he managed to even get there (through Syria or through Turkey?), and how it was possible for him to stay there," tweeted Michael Horowitz, a Middle East security analyst with the Le Beck consultancy. Baghdadi, 48, appeared in a video released in April this year by Isil after the group’s territorial defeat, urging supporters to stay strong. In September the group released an audio message said to be from Baghdadi praising the operations of Isil affiliates in other regions. Baghdadi was the most wanted man in the world and subject to a $25 million US State Department reward for information on his whereabouts.  He remained on the run for more than five years even as the US-led coalition slowly destroyed Isil and focused on tracking down the leadership.  Baghdadi led al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq, taking credit for suicide bombings and other attacks targeting Shia Muslims and moderate Sunnis that left thousands dead over 2010-2013. He then broke with al-Qaeda and announced his own, more aggressive jihadist group named Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant that aimed to establish its own deeply conservative Islamic nation, or Caliphate, on territory straddling the Iraq-Syria border. Under his watch, Isil became one of the brutal terrorist outfits in modern history.  Fighters came from all over the world to live in the so-called caliphate and inflicted misery on millions of people. They are responsible for the mass rape and enslavement of the Yazidi people, of the beheading of British, American and Japanese hostages, and of numerous other war crimes.  The removal of Baghdadi from the battlefield will be largely symbolic.  The leader's tight security has meant he has been largely unable to communicate with his followers, apart from brief and sporadic audio recordings released on official channels. It will, however, be a major boon for Mr Trump who has faced criticism in recent weeks for his decision to withdraw troops from Syria which paved the way for a Turkish offensive on its Kurdish partners who helped defeat Isil. The terror group has exploited the chaos that followed the retreat, with more than 100 fighters breaking free from prisons in north-east Syria and hundreds of women escaping a detention camp.

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U.S. Spies Say Turkish-Backed Militias Are Killing Civilians As They Clear Kurdish Areas in Syria

Officials fears the groups could be using American-made weapons to conduct potential war crimes

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