Reporters at new york times

An Uzbek immigrant accused of plowing a truck down a New York City bike path, killing eight people, told investigators he had been inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning the attack a year ago, according to a criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday.

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, who was hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer and arrested, confessed to authorities that he made a trial run with a rental truck on October 22 to practice turning the vehicle and “stated that he felt good about what he had done” after the attack, the complaint said.

The 10-page charging document said Saipov waived his rights to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination in agreeing to speak to investigators without an attorney present from his bed at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan.

In the course of that interview, the complaint said, Saipov told investigators he chose Halloween for the attack because he believed more people would be on the streets and said he had originally planned to strike the Brooklyn Bridge as well as the bike path on the western edge of lower Manhattan.

The complaint said Saipov had requested permission to display the flag of the Islamic State militant group in his hospital room.

It said he was particularly motivated by seeing a video in which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who led the campaign by Islamic State – also known as ISIS – to seize territory for a self-proclaimed caliphate within Iraq and Syria, exhorted Muslims in the United States and elsewhere to support the group’s cause.

Investigators found thousands of ISIS-related propaganda images and videos on a cellphone belonging to Saipov, including video clips showing ISIS prisoners being beheaded, run over by a tank and shot in the face, the complaint said.

Separately on Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack. The FBI earlier had issued a wanted posted for Kadirov.

The assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, William Sweeney Jr., declined at a news conference to give any details on Kadirov or where he was found.

U.S. law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, told Reuters that Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and another person of interest in the investigation, though they did not elaborate.

Eligible for death penalty

Uzbek man charged in New York attack said he ‘felt good’ about what he did

New York attack suspect charged with providing support to IS

Saipov was charged with one count of providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically Islamic State, and one count of violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people.

Manhattan acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said the first count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while the second would make Saipov eligible for capital punishment if convicted, if the government chose to seek the death penalty. Additional or different charges could be brought later in an indictment, Kim said.

Vehicle assaults similar to the New York attack took place in Spain in August and in France and Germany last year, claiming dozens of lives.

Tuesday’s assault was the deadliest in New York City since Sept. 11, 2001, when suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center, killing more than 2,600 people.

Of those killed on Tuesday, five were Argentine tourists, who were among a group of friends visiting New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation, one was a Belgian citizen, one was a New York resident and one lived in New Jersey.

Saipov allegedly used a pickup truck rented from a New Jersey Home Depot store to run down pedestrians and cyclists along a 20-block stretch of the bike path that runs along the Hudson River before slamming into a school bus.

According to authorities, he then exited his vehicle shouting “Allahu Akbar” – Arabic for “God is greatest” – and brandishing what turned out to be a paint-ball gun and a pellet gun before a police officer shot him in the abdomen.

Saipov lived in Paterson, New Jersey, a one-time industrial hub about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of lower Manhattan.

Wheel chair-bound suspect

Saipov, seated in a wheelchair, appeared for a brief hearing in Manhattan federal court Wednesday evening before Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses. A Russian interpreter translated for Saipov. Saipov did not ask for bail and was remanded to federal custody. It was not immediately clear where he would be held. Moses appointed public defense attorney David Patton to represent Saipov. Patton asked Moses that she recommend that Saipov be given a wheelchair or cane while in custody. He said Saipov was in “a significant amount of pain” and asked that he be given treatment for that as well. Moses agreed to the requests.

Two senior U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged authorities to treat Saipov as an enemy combatant, which would allow investigators to question him without having a lawyer present.

President Donald Trump said he would be open to transferring Saipov to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where other suspects including alleged Sept. 11 plotters are held.

Kim, the federal prosecutor, said there was nothing about charging Saipov in civilian court that would necessarily prevent him from later being declared an enemy combatant. “That is a determination that will be made elsewhere,” he told reporters.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said police will be out in force to protect the city’s marathon on Sunday, one of the world’s top road races, which draws some 51,000 runners and 2.5 million spectators from around the globe.

Top leaders of Vietnam and China agree to step up result-oriented cooperation

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping consented to stepping up result-oriented cooperation between the two countries during their phone talk on September 29.

The Vietnamese leader emphasised that 2020 is an important milestone in bilateral diplomatic ties, and affirmed that over the past seven decades, friendship and cooperation has always been the focus of the relationship between Vietnam and China although it has experienced many ups and downs.

General Secretary Trong suggested the two countries increase all-level and people-to-people exchanges, and consolidate mutual trust and understanding in order to create a firm social foundation for the bilateral ties.

For his part, the Chinese leader stressed that the Chinese Party and State attach great importance to the traditional friendly neighbourliness with Vietnam, pledging that China will continue to support Vietnam to successfully complete its role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021, and ASEAN Chair in 2020.

NA Chairwoman sends message to UNGA High-level Meeting

National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. (Photo: VNA)

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on October 1 (New York time) sent an important message to the UNGA High-level Meeting to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

In her message, the Vietnamese top legislator stressed that gender equality and the empowerment of women are top priorities at international and regional parliamentary forums, adding that promotion of gender equality and women’s rights is a consistent policy of Vietnam as this is enshrined in our Constitution and guaranteed in practice.

The National Assembly of Vietnam has adopted wide-ranging legal documents to advance women’s empowerment and encourage their participation across economic, political and social domains. It also supervises the enforcement of legislation and implementation of Government policies in these matters.

This year, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the ASEAN Chair and the President of the 41st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Vietnam has been championing initiatives on women and girls at these critical institutions. We will continue working with all partners towards a truly equal society and a world of sustainable peace and development.

Asia Times: Vietnam an outlier during COVID-19 pandemic

Asia Times has run an article saying that the Vietnamese economy will soon recover after COVID-19 pandemic and become one of the best performers in the world.

It cited the data as showing that Vietnam’s GDP growth in the second quarter of 2020 was about 0.4% year-on-year. Although this was the economy’s worst performance in 35 years, it was exceptional compared with its neighbours, some suffering from negative growth due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The World Bank forecasts that Vietnam’s GDP growth could reach 2.8% in 2020 and will recover to 6.7% next year, while S&P Global Ratings expects that Vietnam will be the second-best performer among Asian economies this year.

The article noted all this indicates that the country is well able to bounce back soon from the crisis. Thus Vietnam should re-emerge quickly in the post-pandemic period, making it one of the best performers in the global economy, as it has been over the past decade.

Digital platform launched to facilitate humanitarian activities in Vietnam

Officials and participants make officially launch the “Connecting Millions of Hearts” programme, (Photo: VNA)

A new phase of the iNhandao digital platform was officially launched at a ceremony held by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Hanoi on October 1, aiming to facilitate humanitarian activities in Vietnam.

The platform was built under the framework of the Government’s project on “Developing the digital Vietnamese knowledge system.

The system builds humanitarian data in order to provide organisations, individuals and businesses with complete and accurate information about those who need support as well as humanitarian campaigns, ensuring the support comes to the right people in a convenient and transparent manner.

It also promotes application development for connecting and coordinating humanitarian work on both web and mobile platforms. Donors can track their sponsorship activities and results on the system easily and in detail.

Vietnam enters 33rd day without COVID-19 community infection as of October 5

Vietnam has gone through 33 straight days without a single COVID-19 community infection as no new cases were reported on the morning of October 5.

The national count stands still at 1,096, including 691 locally transmitted cases, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

A total of 1,020 patients were given the all-clear as of the morning of October 5. The total for fatalities remains unchanged at 35.

Some 16,360 people who had close contacts with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-hit areas are under health monitoring nationwide.

Google Doodle honours Vietnam’s ‘cai luong ’ art

Google Doodle honours Vietnam’s ‘cai luong’ art

Google, the world’s most popular search engine, has honoured Vietnam’s ‘cai luong’ (reformed theatre) art by posting a doodle on its homepage on September 28.

In an introduction honouring the ‘cai luong’ art on the observance of Vietnam Stage Day, Google wrote ” A blend of traditional and contemporary influences, cai luong combines opera with spoken drama to create a vibrant expression of Vietnamese culture and identity.”.

According to Google, ‘cai luong’ evolved from a traditional Vietnamese opera called ‘hat boi’ in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam at the turn of the 20th century.

Accompanied by an orchestra containing traditional Vietnamese instruments like the ‘dan tranh’ (Vietnamese 16-string zither), ‘cai luong’ brings to life a wide range of stories, from ancient legends of monarchs and warriors to explorations of modern Vietnamese social themes. While the subject material may vary, a common element is the signature melancholic song structure called ‘ vong co’, which translates to “nostalgia for the past.”

Singapore lifts travel restrictions on visitors from Vietnam

Singapore will lift border restrictions for visitors from Vietnam and Australia, excluding Victoria state, from October 8.

Short-time visitors from the two countries can apply for flying to Singapore from October 1 and arrive in the Southeast Asian country from September 8.

The two countries have successfully controlled the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of importation is low, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), noting that Vietnam had zero local COVID-19 cases over the last 28 days, while Australia (excluding Victoria state) has a local virus incidence rate of 0.02 per 100,000.

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Australia (excluding Victoria State) and Vietnamese will similarly undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival, in lieu of a seven-day stay-home notice with a COVID-19 test administered before the end of the notice period.

Forum promotes digital transformation in tourism industry amid COVID-19

Delegates at the event (Photo: NDO/Trang Linh)

The Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) in conjunction with the Vietnam E-Commerce Association (VECOM) on September 30 organised an online forum on digital transformation to promote Vietnam’s tourism development in the context of global COVID-19 outbreak.

The event was an important solution to help restore and promote the country’s tourism development sustainably since digital transformation is an inevitable development trend of tourism and it needs to be accelerated after heavy impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through digital transformation, travel agencies can reach more travellers, provide better care to customers, reduce costs and increase business efficiency. Digital transformation is an inevitable trend which helps businesses improve their competitiveness.

Participants in the event were updated on demand, trends and digital transformation capability. In the framework of the forum, a showroom of technological products was arranged for a number of technology businesses to introduce their products.

A gunman massacred at least 26 worshipers and wounded 20 others at a white-steepled church in southeast Texas on Sunday, carrying out the latest in a series of mass shootings that have plagued the United States, authorities said.

The lone suspect, wearing black tactical gear and a ballistic vest and carrying an assault rifle, opened fire after entering the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs in Wilson County, about 40 miles (65 km) east of San Antonio.

The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old, law enforcement officials said at a news conference.

After the shooting, the gunman, described as a white man in his 20s, was fired on by a local resident. He fled in his vehicle and was later found dead in neighboring Guadalupe County.

It was not immediately clear if the suspect killed himself or he was hit by gunfire by the resident, authorities said.

“We are dealing with the largest mass shooting in our state’s history,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at the news conference. “The tragedy of course is worsened by the fact that it occurred in a church, a place of worship where these people were innocently gunned down.”

Neither the suspect’s identity nor motive were disclosed by authorities.

But law enforcement officials who were not identified have said the gunman was Devin P. Kelley, describe as a white, 26-year-old man, the New York Times and other media reported.

First responders are at the scene of shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, U.S., November 5, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Joe Mitchell

The 14-year-old daughter of pastor Frank Pomeroy was killed, the family told several television stations.

Jeff Forrest, a 36-year-old military veteran who lives a block away from the church, said what sounded like high-caliber, semi-automatic gunfire triggered memories of his four combat deployments with the Marine Corps.

“I was on the porch, I heard 10 rounds go off and then my ears just started ringing,” Forrest said. “I hit the deck and I just lay there.”

The massacre comes just weeks after a sniper killed 58 people at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The shootings have stirred a years-long national debate over whether easy access to firearms was contributing to the trend.

President Donald Trump said he was monitoring the situation while in Japan on a 12-day Asian trip.

“May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene,” he said on Twitter.

According to the witnesses, about 20 shots rang out at 11:30 a.m. (1730 GMT) during the church services, according to media reports. It was unclear how many worshippers were inside at the time.

After the shooting, the suspect sped away in a car and was soon cornered by sheriff’s deputies just outside of Wilson County in Guadalupe County, Wiley told Reuters. He did not know if the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot or was killed by deputies.

Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville received eight patients, the hospital said in a statement, while Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston received another eight.

At Connally, three people were treated and released, one is in critical condition and four were transferred to the University Hospital in San Antonio for a higher level of care.

The First Baptist Church is one of two houses of worship in Sutherland Springs, an area that is home to fewer than 900 residents, according the 2010 Census. There are also two gas stations and a Dollar General store in town.

The white-painted, one-story structure features a small steeple and a single front door. On Sunday, the Lone Star flag of Texas was flying alongside the U.S. flag and a third, unidentified banner.

Inside there is a small raised platform on which members sang worship songs to guitar music and the pastor delivered a weekly sermon, according to videos posted on YouTube. In one of the clips, a few dozen people, including young children, can be seen sitting in the wooden pews.

The shooting occurred on the eighth anniversary of the Nov. 5, 2009 massacre of 13 people at the Fort Hood Army base in central Texas. A U.S. Army Medical Corps psychiatrist convicted of the killings is now awaiting execution.

In 2015, a white gunman killed nine black parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The gunman was sentenced to death for the racially motivated attack.

In September, a gunman killed a woman in the parking lot of a Tennessee church on Sunday morning and wounded six worshipers inside the building before shooting himself in a scuffle with an usher who rushed to stop the attack.

Word that Rich DeVaul, a director at X lab devoted to “moonshots” such as internet service from balloons, was out came with reports that women employees were organizing a walk-out on Thursday to protest lenient handling of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Alphabet declined to give details about DeVaul’s departure from the company on Tuesday.

A Google Walkout For Real Change account that sprang to life on Twitter late Wednesday said that employees and contractors would leave their workplaces late Thursday morning in respective time zones.

Demands posted in the tweet included improved processes for reporting sexual misconduct and resolving cases of harassment, as well as a commitment by Google to pay and opportunity equity.

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai sent a message to employees late Tuesday, a copy of which was posted online by technology news website Ars Technica.

Pichai said he has heard from many employees on the subject of inappropriate behavior at work and was “deeply sorry for the past actions and the pain they have caused employees.”

“As CEO, it’s been personally important to me that we take a much harder line on inappropriate behavior,” Pichai said in the message.

He said again that Google had fired 48 employees in the past two years — including 13 senior executives — as a result of sexual harassment allegations.

Pichai has met with Google employees about the issue since The New York Times reported last week that a senior Google employee, Android creator Andy Rubin, received an exit package worth $90 million as he faced allegations of misconduct, and that Google had covered up other claims of sexual harassment.

Sam Singer, a spokesman for Rubin, rejected the allegations against him in a statement to AFP , saying Rubin left Google of his own accord to launch venture capital firm and technology incubator Playground.

Asked by AFP and other media for its reaction, Google released an email sent to employees from Pichai stating that none of the people who resigned or were terminated due to sexual harassment concerns in the past two years received “an exit package.”

“We are dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace,” Pichai said in the email shared last week. “We want to assure you that we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we take action.”

Concerns being expressed by women at Alphabet have added to the growing chorus of voices denouncing the existence of a sexist culture in male-dominated Silicon Valley, which has knocked a number of internet industry executives at other tech giants from their perches.

Accusations concerning the lack of women in tech jobs and unfair or crude treatment endured by some in the industry have simmered for years, occasionally boiling over.