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WW3 alert: Iran warns against US invasion after leaked audio REVEALS Gulf military axis

IRAN has warned that any American military strike against the country would be a "suicidal

mission" - following leaked footage of Gulf leaders discussing how to deal with the "Iranian

threat".

Iran has warned America and its Middle Eastern allies that any move against the country will

be "suicidal".

The country's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed senior officials in the White

House have secretly been plotting an invasion or military strike.

His remarks came just hours after leaked audio from a Warsaw Middle Eastern summit revealed

Gulf allies discussing how to handle the "Iranian threat".

Mr Zarif told NBC that those who want to engage in a war with the country "will find out that

it is suicidal".

Asked if there would be a military clash between Iran and the United States or Israel, the

Iranian official said: "Well, certainly some people who were successful in creating a war

last time are hard at it again."

He suggested that the US had sabotaged Iranian missile programmes following the failure of

Iran's latest satellite launch.

Mr Zarif also accused Washington of having a "pathological obsession" with his country.

Prior to the interview, Israeli officials leaked audio of Bahrain officials discussing

the urgency of the threat posed by Tehran.

The Bahraini foreign minister tells the audience that confronting the Islamic Republic was

more important than any other Middle Eastern issue, including Palestine.

Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told fellow delegates: "We grew up talking

about the Palestine-Israel dispute as the most important issue.

"But then, at a later stage, we saw a bigger challenge, more toxic - in fact the most toxic

in our modern history - which came from the Islamic Republic.

"If it wasn't for the toxic money, guns and foot soldiers of the Islamic Republic, I think

that we would have been much closer today in solving this issue with Israel."

In another clip Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir accuses Iran

of spreading "mischief" throughout the region.

He says: ""Building ballistic missiles and giving them to terrorist organisations is

unacceptable and there are resolutions that say Iran should be punished for that."

The shock remarks suggest that Irsael, the US and the several Gulf Arab states could

become a new regional axis against Iran.

For more infomation >> WW3 alert: Iran warns against US invasion after leaked audio REVEALS Gulf military axis - DAILY NEWS - Duration: 3:03.

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Are we near the END of democracy? - Duration: 11:37.

Democracy is the form of government applied in most nations of the world,

whether directly or indirectly. However,

not all countries have the privilege of choosing their representatives

if we can consider this a privilege. More than a third of the world's population

do not live under a democracy, that is more than 2 billion people.

Let's take China for example

the nation with the largest population in the world, where more than

1.4 billion people are ruled by the Chinese communist party

and its president, Xi Jinping. Can China be described as a dictatorship?

Not really, but we cannot exactly say that its a democracy

But following the same logic, we can't consider the US

as a true democracy either.

Of course, the concept of democracy is quite abstract, and confusing in reality

For example, the word "democracy" is not mentioned once in the

American constitution. And in the same way,

in the vast majority of countries considered to be democratic,

the word "democracy" is not explicitly written

into their constitutions. Democracy is very subjective

and its interpretation varies from one country to another.

For the first time since the Second World War, the continued expansion of democracy

has stopped and decreased in the last three years.

The argument that a country can become prosperous and achieve its development

only through democracy has been ruled out

There are many examples of states that have developed and significantly improved

the standard of living of their citizens

without necessarily making a democratic transition.

Does that mean we're witnessing the death or disappearance of democracy? Is democracy

really necessary for development?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy in and of itself?

We will analyse all these factors and possible alternatives

in this video

The word "democracy" comes from the ancient greek "demokratia,"

which comes from the word "demos" which means "the people"

and "kratia" which means power. The cradle of democracy

is in ancient Greece. The Pantheon of Athens has become its symbol,

it is therefore not that surprising that many world leaders

enjoy taking pictures next to this historic monument.

But in reality, democracy is a relatively new phenomenon.

Of the thousands of years of human history, it wasn't until the past

70 years that we can finally say that most countries

are in fact governed by democratic regimes.

After the end of the Second World War, the continued democratisation

allowed fewer countries to enter in conflicts, along with opening up

to international trade, at least in America, Europe

and parts of Asia. In the period between the 17th

and the 20th century, humanity was plagued by wars,

conflicts, invasions, conquests and so on.

In 1816 for example, more than 99%

of the world's population lived either under an authoritarian

regime, or in a country ruled as a colony.

Today, 200 years later, 55%

of the world's population lives under a democracy,

although around 30% still live in authoritarian states.

However, what is the criteria that allows us to say that

a certain country is a democracy and another is not.

In reality, no nation is a pure and perfect democracy

that would be too utopian and unrealistic to consider. On the other hand,

no country is a perfect dictatorship, not even North Korea,

which holds presidential elections, with only one candidate.

Countries with the highest index of democracy in the world are

generally parliamentary monarchies. And what is democratic in a monarchy?

Nothing really, but that doesn't determine the quality of a country's

democratic institutions. Venezuela is not a monarchy,

it is a republic, but next to Norway,

which is a parliamentary monarchy, the index of democracy leaves a lot

to be desired. It has been long argued

that the only way for a country to become a developed,

egalitarian, prosperous state is through democracy. Countries such as,

the US, Canada, the UK

and France have long been considered to be proof for this theory.

However, some examples dispute this argument as an absolute truth,

and have even rethought the idea that democracy is truly

necessary for the development of a country. Who could've predicted

that authoritarian China, the most populated country in the world,

would have managed to reach its current state of wealth

and development, without necessarily following the path of democracy?

In fact, part of China's success is due to the leadership and

planning that allowed the Chinese regime to liberalise the economy

without necessarily involving democratisation of the country's

political regime. Political power remained intact as the country progressed

economically with giant leaps.

The Chinese people themselves have not been so dissatisfied

with the lack of democracy and freedom, and they had no reason to be.

They're compensated by an increase in wealth, and

a high quality of life. Although, it is undeniable that

there are groups and a certain percentage of the population

that demand democratisation of the nation,

and more freedom for the press, especially in Hong Kong

which will soon be officially incorporated into mainland China.

In a way, freedom of the press, freedom of speech and

other rights of expression have never truly existed in China's recent growth.

Tragedies such as the Tianenmen Square

Massacre have been largely concealed by the Chinese government up until today,

so it is still taboo to talk about certain events that took place

that year. As China is getting richer and richer, and adapting to the higher

lifestyle, Xi Jinping has been proclaimed the "eternal president

of China," inscribing his

own name into the Chinese constitution.

Xi Jinping knows exactly what he is doing, he will certainly be

the president of the People's Republic of China for decades to come.

With China's economic power,

he will be the most powerful man in the world. He doesn't need to run election campaigns,

or worry about approval ratings, he will remain present,

whatever happens,

while other democratic world leaders will come and go.

The same reasoning could applied for countries such as Vietnam,

the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia,

among others. Certain countries are resistant to democratisation,

perhaps because of their culture, but they have grown

significantly through their resources or other factors

economic openness has been vital and necessary

for the development of these countries,

but with regard to political openness and freedom of expression

little or no progress has even been made at all.

Saudi Arabia remains an absolute monarchy

but as the gulf nation is en essential military ally

for the US, the US avoids criticising this authoritarian

state, even if its human rights record

leaves a lot to be desired and generates a lot of discomfort

for many international organisations. On the other hand,

the neighbouring state of the Saudi Kingdom, Iran, is criticised

much more often for its lack of human rights, and lack

of freedom of expression or political participation, but

it is interesting to note

that it is much more democratic than Saudi Arabia, because

presidential elections are still held within the country, despite the

fact that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

is concentrating considerable power within the country.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are considered tyrannical regimes

which could be considered good or bad depending on your political stance.

Even in the country that preaches democracy and claims

it as an excuse to intervene in other parts of the world,

the model of democracy that they have is debatable.

The US electoral system is an indirect vote where citizens

vote for the candidate they wish to elect as President, but what they

actually do is vote for the electoral college members who

then make the final decision. This is why

on very rare occasions, like the last presidential election,

the candidate with less popular votes ended up being elected as

president of the United States

*editing mistake here oopsies*

explaining this electoral system will take a whole other video

but in and of itself, the election of the President

of the United States cannot be considered truly democratic

from the traditional point of view

to this day, Trump continues to argue

that millions of people voted illegally in the elections, and that for this reason

Clinton got more votes. This dangerous claim does not only

cast doubt on the confidence in American electoral institutions

but also questions his personal decisions.

Donald Trump's attacks on US institutions have contributed

to American mistrust of electoral entities and other

organisations whose role it is to protect the country.

For this reason, among others, the United States has ceased to be a solid

democracy for the first time in history, according to the index of democracy

in The Economist. Today, countries like Uruguay,

and even Spain outrank the United

States in democratic rankings. The loss of confidence

or hope in democracy, has also been one of the key

factors to this regression. The facts that candidates get

the nominations with the help of lobbyists, or by benefiting from the political

system, discourages people from participating in the political process

altogether. As a matter of fact, the West has always

misinterpreted China's growth. Everyone was convinced that

globalisation would lead to the democratisation of the world's

second economy. China has shown that it is capable

of becoming an important global influence

without going through a democratic transition, and its a big problem for

the world, why? Because,

the substantial growth challenges

the importance of democracy for the development of a society

We now have two giants facing each other. On one side,

an authoritarian China

that is accumulating more and more power militarily,

economically and politically. And opposingly,

we have the so called democratic UNITED STATES, whose notoriety,

due to recent events, is declining world wide.

In the Latin American region, democracy is very subjective.

Yes, there are elections, but that

doesn't give them the automatic status of being democratic.

Of all the latin states, only Uruguay is a solid democracy

in the Economist's Index of Democracy. We have seen how a

Latin American democracy, Venezuela, has

slowly slipped into an authoritarian regime, and along with Cuba,

is one of the only two authoritarian states in America

according to The Economist. Bolivia is also on the same track

although Morales has lost the referendum on the presidential re-election.

Latin America is not the only place where we find that some

democracies are eroding into more authoritarian models of government.

In Europe we have the classic example of Russia.

President Vladimir Putin won the last elections

and another six years in the Kremlin. His victory was already widely

anticipated, not only for his popularity, but also for the

lack of options offering for an alternative to Putin. On the other hand,

it should be clarified that some opposition candidates

such as Navalry were unable to participate because of legal

obstacles imposed by the Kremlin. In the European Union, Poland and

Hungary saw their governments grow increasingly nationalistic

anti European

and xenophobic, while their governments increase their powers.

For example in Hungary, Victor Orban won a new term

in the parliamentary elections, with speeches on anti-

immigration, nationalism and protectionism.

It is interesting to note that Hungary is one of the countries

that receives the least number of immigrants from the Middle East.

The same scenario occurred in the UK, where defamation

campaigns and lies about immigration may have lead the British people

to vote in favour of leaving the EU.

The same could be said of the American campaign, and honestly

pretty much every democratic campaign. To have a candidate

win an election without lying is practically impossible,

even in the most transparent countries of the world.

So is democracy necessary for the development of society?

There are many different points of views on this question.

Democracy guarantees the people to be sovereign and have the last word.

But this same principle allows people to elect those who are

not truly fit to be in power or unable to run a country

Its for this exact reason that Socrates hated democracy,

not because he loved tyranny,

but he argued against democracy by giving a very clear example.

Imagine that we had a boat with ten sailors,

two of whom know the navigational charts, in an ideal world,

the two most fit are designated by the remaining eight to run the boat

it is a logical and reasonable decision, but the fact is,

the world is not ideal, sailors vote for

people who are able to steer the ship and eventually sink it.

This is the reality of democracy.

This explains why Socrates thought it was a risky idea to give

equal voting to everyone, regardless of their education

and social differences. Nevertheless, it is obvious that by

depriving less educated people within a society of the right to vote

would be extremely exclusionary and denigrating,

which would only make the society more discriminatory

and unequal. Clearly,

the subject gives for a long debate, but personally,

I see democracy as the only way for a society to achieve

economic, social and political progress.

I know that democracy is not perfect, and that sometimes it becomes a weapon against people,

but so far

I don't see an alternative model that could replace the current democratic model.

So I pass the question off to you,

do you think that democracy is still the most ideal way to run things?

Or, should we integrate models, such of that

of the Chinese model in order to sustain societal development and progress

Let us know in the comments below.

For more infomation >> Are we near the END of democracy? - Duration: 11:37.

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8 Ways Cities Subtly Hide Their Homeless Population - Duration: 10:03.

eight ways cities subtly hide their homeless population homelessness is a

major concern for many cities all over the world

statistics show that as of 2016 there is an estimated five hundred and forty nine

thousand nine hundred and twenty eight people in the United States that are

homeless the government knows that homelessness is an issue but they also

know it's not a good look for the cities so what they do is try to hide the

homeless population in the most creative way possible creating a positive image

for cities is crucial but is it worth doing something morally questionable

instead of finding ways to maintain an image it would be better to create an

image that includes making more efforts to help the homeless population keep

watching for ways cities are taking control of the homeless populations and

you can consider if they're humane before we begin this video don't forget

to subscribe to our channel for more daily tips like this and turn on

notifications so you never miss our new videos number eight

putting spikes where homeless people sleep in 2014

Montreal and London installed spikes on the ground of ledges where homeless

people would sleep the public did not take kindly to this in protesters

actually poured concrete over the spikes over 130,000 people signed a petition to

have them removed eventually the spikes were removed if

you think about it this sort of seems like an inhumane thing to do

number seven penalizing panhandling New York City has signs telling you not to

give money to the homeless Florida and Atlanta also have the same policy not

only can the homeless population get fined or arrested for taking money but

the people giving it to them can also get into trouble as well

just last year a bill was proposed that would find any motorists for stopping

their vehicle to give money to a homeless person what do you think about

this there seems to be a lot of debate on the topic of giving money to homeless

people while some people think that you should never give money to a homeless

person and should instead opted to give them some sort of food like a sandwich

others think that giving them some spare change isn't an issue either way it

looks like some cities are actively taking a stance on this and it seems

that there are quite a few people who aren't too happy about it number six

banning feeding organizations in 2014 laws were implemented in 33 US cities

that restricted feeding the homeless populations the penalty ranged from a

hefty fine to possible jail time in turn this has resulted in fewer opportunities

for the homeless to eat a decent meal number 5

destroying homeless people's belongings if something doesn't belong to you do

you have the right to take it or destroy it no but the California Bureau doesn't

care they conduct raids where they roundup and destroy homeless people's

belongings by throwing them in garbage compactors these belongings include

tents sleeping bags clothes and cell phones are you interested in learning

facts about homelessness around the world well keep watching until the end

to learn some interesting facts about homelessness around the world that you

probably didn't know number 4 no sleeping in public if you've ever been

to a public library or the subway station you'll notice that security

guards are always on the watch for people who are dozing off many cities

have banned people from sleeping in public spaces a homeless person would

much rather go to a shelter but most of them are always full to capacity

so where are homeless people supposed to sleep if they are not legally allowed to

sleep in public well if there are no homeless shelters available many of them

will resort to sleeping in forests underneath bridges alleyways and other

hidden places where they will not be seen number three no sleeping in private

there are laws that prevent this from occurring for example if someone pitches

a tent in the woods it might violate the anti camping laws that exist in many

states if they're sleeping in cars they won't be safe if they live in Los

Angeles LA has laws that prohibit people from sleeping in their cars near schools

homes and commercial districts number two installing uncomfortable benches

there is a reason why a lot of benches found on the streets are uncomfortable

benches are a very popular spot for homeless populations to sleep on they're

purposely designed in a way that would make it impossible for someone to stay

on it for a long period of time number one locking the garbage cans many

garbage cans are now designed in a way that it makes it extremely difficult to

get what is inside the locking mechanisms stop homeless people from

opening the can from the outside some garbage cans also have rain hoods that

make it almost impossible to reach into the can homelessness is something which

is prevalent all over the world and the more we figure out ways to prevent

homelessness and help homeless people the better off society will be so now

that you know what some cities are doing to hide their homeless populations here

are some interesting facts about homelessness around the world that you

probably didn't know there are over a half a million homeless

people in the United States according to the US Department of Housing and Urban

Development there are over 600,000 homeless people

currently residing in the United States most of these people spend their nights

in a homeless shelter or transitional housing others live in cars underneath

bridges or on the streets an estimated 100 million people in the world are

homeless you heard that right according to a global survey completed by the

United Nations back in 2005 100 million people around the world are homeless and

according to Habitat for Humanity nearly 1.6 billion people around the world lack

adequate housing certain groups are more likely to become homeless than other

groups according to facts net the typical homeless person is a single

middle-aged man who is part of a minority group most homeless people are

single men who are aged between 31 and 50 years old most of them are also

members of minority groups like African Americans Native Americans or Hispanics

in addition to those over one-third of all homeless people have some sort of

disability there are also other people who are outside of these groups who are

homeless as well 25 percent of homeless people are single women 38 percent are

Caucasian and 23 percent of them are families with children the primary cause

of homelessness did you know that the lack of affordable housing is the

primary cause of homelessness according to the US Conference of Mayors a lack of

affordable housing poverty and employment are some of the most common

causes of homelessness the primary cause of homelessness for women

did you know that domestic violence is the primary cause of homelessness among

women that's right according to the National Law Center on homelessness and

poverty the NL CHP over 90 percent of homeless women have been victims of

physical or sexual abuse mental illness did you know that one in five homeless

people suffers from some sort of untreated mental illness that's right

according to The Huffington Post while six percent of the population suffers

from mental illness a staggering 20 to 25 percent of the homeless population

suffers from some sort of mental illness half of these people self-medicate

leading to addiction overdose and even death what are your thoughts on homeless

people let us know in the comments section below

enjoyed this video hit the like button and share with your friends also

subscribe to our channel for more videos like this thanks for watching

For more infomation >> 8 Ways Cities Subtly Hide Their Homeless Population - Duration: 10:03.

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Kulwinder Singh's First Practice U.S. Citizenship Interview - Duration: 2:33.

Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Yes I do.

Put down your hand.

What did you promise?

I promise to tell the truth.

Okay. Please sit down.

Explain you know you are eligible to become a U.S. citizen.

I am 5 years Permanent Resident.

5 years? Okay.

What is your full name?

My full name is Kulwinder Singh.

What is your country of birth?

My country of birth is India.

Where do you live now?

Do you live in San Jose, Fremont, or Oakland?

San Jose

How do you make your living?

(This is a colloquialism. If you don't understand, ask the Officer to ask the question using different words.)

Do you work?

What is your your job?

I am a truck driver.

Have you ever traveled outside the United States?

Yes

What is your marital status?

I am married.

Do you have any children?

Yes, I have one children (child).

Have you ever claimed to be a United States citizen?

No.

Do you pay your taxes every year?

Yes.

Have you ever been a terrorist?

No.

Have you ever been arrested or stopped by the police?

No.

Do you support the Constitution?

Yes.

If the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms for the US Army?

Yes.

What is to bear arms?

Bear arms, like . . . help . . . the army . . .

**If you don't understand a word or question, don't say Yes or No.

**ASK the Officer to explain the word or question first, THEN say YES or NO.

I WILL

I will

USE

use

A WEAPON

a weapon

TO PROTECT

to protect

THE UNITED STATES

the United States

So what is weapon?

Weapon? Like gun . . .

Okay. So if you want to say GUN, that's okay. Alright?

So again. I'm going to ask you one more time.

If the law requires it, will you bear arms for the United States?

Yes.

What is to bear arms?

I will use a weapon to protect the US.

Good.

Are you willing to perform noncombatant duties for the United States?

Yes.

What is noncombatant?

I will help the Army without using weapons.

Do you promise everything that you said is true?

Yes

Good! Thank you so much!

www.uscitizenpod.com

For more infomation >> Kulwinder Singh's First Practice U.S. Citizenship Interview - Duration: 2:33.

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Heather Nauert Withdraws From Consideration As Possible United Nations Ambassador - Duration: 0:27.

For more infomation >> Heather Nauert Withdraws From Consideration As Possible United Nations Ambassador - Duration: 0:27.

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US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says trade talks with China were productive Daily Mail Online - Duration: 5:37.

US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says trade talks with China were productive Daily Mail Online

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the United States had productive talks with over their trade dispute.

However negotiations in Beijing ended Friday with no sign that any concrete progress had been made.

Top officials from the worlds two biggest economies had held two days of talks, hoping to at least create sufficient goodwill to stave off an escalation of their tariff war.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin left and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He right shake hands as they pose for a photo before the opening session of trade negotiations

In a, Mnuchin said after the talks ended that he and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had productive meetings with Chinas Vice Premier Liu He, Beijings top economic official.

The talks closed around mid day on Friday and the delegations parted with nothing announced.

Attention then shifted to a planned meeting later Friday between the US delegation and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with markets watching for signals that the worlds two economic superpowers may look to maintain a truce on damaging reciprocal tariffs.

The high level meetings began Thursday after President Donald Trump suggested that if talks in Beijing went well he may extend his March 1 deadline for China to make significant concessions on trade before resuming the tariff onslaught.

Trumps economic advisor Larry Kudlow had earlier said Xis willingness to meet with the US officials was a very good sign.

Kudlow also said the vibe is good in characterising the talks, but said there was no decision yet on extending Trumps tariff truce.

Steven Mnuchin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before proceeding to their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

Xi Jinping center speaks as he meets with Robert Lighthizer and Steven Mnuchin left

Liu He far left waves as he and Steven Mnuchin left and Robert Lighthizer center pose for a photo

After Trump suggested he may put off plans to more than double tariffs on dollar 200 billion in Chinese imports after March 1, Bloomberg News reported that a 60 day postponement was being considered to allow more time for negotiations.

Multiple reports had indicated that little if any progress was made in the Chinese capital toward US demands, with the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg quoting anonymous sources as saying the two sides failed to narrow the gap on key issues.

Washington accuses Beijing of a range of unfair trade practices including myriad barriers against foreign access to its market.

It also accused the Government of offering subsidies that favor Chinese companies, rampant theft of intellectual property, and the requirement that foreign firms transfer proprietary technology to their partners in China as a condition of doing business.

Mnuchin and Lighthizer returned to their hotel after the talks ended but did not speak to the media.

Mnuchin and Lighthizer returned to their hotel after the talks ended but did not speak to media

Beijing and Washington have already imposed duties on more than dollar 360 billion in two way trade, which are weighing on their manufacturing sectors and have shaken global financial markets.

Expectations for an accord have being growing as China faces pressure from slowing economic growth, and as the market turmoil rattles Trump and his economic advisors.

But many China experts say Beijings Communist Party rulers are unlikely to make significant changes to industrial policies that have abetted the countrys economic rise without a long and tough fight.

In December, Trump had postponed plans to sharply hike tariffs, setting the March 1 ultimatum for Chinese concessions.

Trump has said that any eventual trade deal would need to be sealed personally between him and Xi in a summit meeting.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday Metro Media Group

For more infomation >> US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin says trade talks with China were productive Daily Mail Online - Duration: 5:37.

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US Copyright Office denies Carlton Dance protection request TechSpot - Duration: 1:59.

US Copyright Office denies Carlton Dance protection request TechSpot

The initial lawsuit by seemed to spark a deluge of similar complaints. Fellow rapper is suing. Two juveniles commonly known as and , with the help and coaxing of their parents, have also jumped onto the dog pile wanting a slice of Epics Fortnite pie.

More notably than most would have to be case stating that he is owed money for the Carlton Dance, which he originally performed on the television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Epic mimicked the iconic dance and gave it the not so original name Fresh.

from the US Copyright Office, uncovered by The Hollywood Reporter, revealed that the registrar denied issuance of copyright to Ribeiro for his dance moves. This decision should not come as a surprise if youve been reading along.

Like Ribeiro, 2 Milly was also applying for copyright protection after the fact. As we reported at the time, the for copyrighting dance moves are very clear.

To qualify for registration, a choreographic work or pantomime must be fixed in a tangible medium of expression in such a way that reveals the movements in sufficient detail to permit the work to be performed in a consistent and uniform manner. Individual movements or dance steps by themselves are not copyrightable, such as the basic waltz step, the hustle step, the grapevine, or the second position in classical ballet. The U.S. Copyright Office cannot register short dance routines consisting of only a few movements or steps with minor linear or spatial variations, even if a routine is novel or distinctive.

Therefore, the few moves that make up the Carlton, Milly Rock, or any of the other brief dances that Epic has stolen cannot be copyrighted.

Ribeiros lawsuit was iffy even were his moves able to be copyrighted. For one, his dance is not all that original. In fact, in 2015 he that his jig was based on moves by Eddie Murphy and the nervous dance Courtney Cox did in Bruce Springsteens Dancing in the Dark video. Furthermore, since Ribeiro performed the steps while employed by NBC and during the course of his work on the show, that would make NBC the copyright owner, not him.

While his copyright protection request has been squashed, his lawsuit has not been settled yet, but it does not look good. Earlier this week reported that Epic has asked for a dismissal of 2 Millys complaint. It argues that the moves are too short to copyright. The USCO denial of Ribeiros request would seem to support that reasoning. Lawyers add that the Swipe emote is also different enough from the Milly Rock to avoid infringement.

It will be interesting to see how the courts rule on all these cases, but I think that once one of them goes down the rest will fall in short order.

TechSpot is a registered trademark.

For more infomation >> US Copyright Office denies Carlton Dance protection request TechSpot - Duration: 1:59.

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Heather Nauert ends bid to be next US ambassador to UN USA News Al Jazeera - Duration: 2:52.

Heather Nauert ends bid to be next US ambassador to UN USA News Al Jazeera

Citing family concerns, former Fox News host withdraws from consideration to be the next US ambassador to the UN.

US President Donald Trumps choice for ambassador to the United Nations, Heather Nauert, has withdrawn from consideration for the job for family reasons, according to the State Department.

Nauert was State Department spokeswoman when ; prior to that, she had been a host on the conservative leaning Fox News Channel. She had been criticised by Democrats for her lack of diplomatic experience.

"The past two months have been grueling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration," Nauert said in a State Department statement on Saturday.

The statement did not specify the hardship on her family but the Washington Post said Nauerts husband and children had remained in New York while she was working in Washington, DC.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg News, quoting anonymous sources, Nauerts nomination began to falter after a White House background check discovered that Nauert employed a nanny who was legally in the but not authorised to work.

Nauert, 49, suggested in the statement that she was leaving government entirely, saying: "Serving in the administration for the past two years has been one of the highest honors of my life."

Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, praised Nauert in a statement, saying that he had "great respect" for her "personal" decision to withdraw.

Trump had announced on December 7 he would nominate Nauert for the UN position to replace Nikki Haley, who resigned at the end of 2018. Haley was a former South Carolina governor who also had little experience in world affairs before taking the ambassador position.

Calling Nauert "very talented, very smart, very quick", Trump said he thought she would be "respected by all".

In the wake of November elections that strengthened Republican control of the Senate, her confirmation appeared likely, if not easy.

Yet Trump never put Nauerts name forward with the Senate and no confirmation hearing was scheduled.

The State Department in its statement that Trump would announce a nominee for the UN position "soon".

Before coming to the State Department, Nauert was a breaking news anchor on Trumps favourite television show, Fox and Friends. She joined the department as a spokeswoman in April 2017, three months into the Trump administration.

She was named acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs in early 2018.

The role of US ambassador to the UN is a highly visible international position.

While Nauert had little diplomatic experience, other nations with veto power on the UN Security Council are represented by ambassadors with decades of foreign policy work.

"Shes clearly not qualified for this job but these days it seems that the most important qualification is that you show up on Donald Trumps TV screen," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said of Nauert on CNN in December.

For more infomation >> Heather Nauert ends bid to be next US ambassador to UN USA News Al Jazeera - Duration: 2:52.

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Kushner prepping allies for spring launch of US Middle East Peace plan Politics - Duration: 5:10.

Kushner prepping allies for spring launch of US Middle East Peace plan Politics

During a presentation Thursday, Kushner confirmed that the Trump administration will not release its peace plan prior to Israels elections in April, according to a senior administration official present in the room.

After a series of meetings at the Munich Security Conference this weekend, Kushner will spend the end of the month, alongside Jason Greenblatt, Trumps former personal lawyer who is now an adviser on Israel, on a trip to present economic elements of the plan to wealthy Arab allies.

Kushners presentation was the first chance international diplomats had to hear about the Trump administrations efforts to resolve the decades long conflict. The Presidents son in law and his team have kept a tight wrap on the substance of his plan, refusing to share details with traditional US partners on Mideast peace efforts, including allies in the region and in Europe.

The silence surrounding the plan has become a source of frustration and uncertainty that some diplomats worry could eventually scuttle the proposals chances.

Fears about the plan

Kushner has rebuffed major US allies requests to circulate the plan, one diplomat said, as he and his team are reportedly fearful that its contents would leak out and the proposal would be scuttled before they have a chance to roll it out.

But the diplomat told CNN that the silence and secrecy could contribute to the plans failure. This diplomat said major US allies hope to see the proposal early so they can identify snags or build support, but they have been met with silence, which has left them frustrated.

"Were not being told anything," a second diplomat said. These allies very much want to help out in the process if they can, but they feel left out and many have voiced frustration.

One concern the allies have is they will learn about the substance of the plan so late in the game that its impossible to weigh in with changes and that it could be something they cant support.

One source familiar with discussions between countries said this is particularly a concern in Arab countries that will get briefed on the economic portion of the proposal which they will be asked to fund.

A new style

"This is not likely to go well the economic piece is seen in the region as shorthand for trying to buy the Palestinians off," the source said. "Its important to get Arab buy in. You need the main Arab players to urge the Palestinians not to say no. ... You want them to go to Palestinian Authority President Abu Mazen Mahmoud Abbas and say, Dont dismiss it. Give it a thought. Lets see what elements you can live with. For that to happen," the source said, Arab countries "have to feel that they are co owners of this thing. They have to be privy" to the substance of the plan.

That source cautioned that while almost nothing is known about the proposal, it is expected to skew heavily in favor of Israel and is expected to use nonlegal language, not the internationally established and accepted jargon associated with past peace proposals.

The style and choice of the language, the source said, is an attempt to speak directly to Palestinians in the hope that they can be used to pressure Abbas to accept the plan. It is not expected to mention a two state solution, the source said, but explains how Palestinian self determination will manifest itself.

In Poland on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told those gathered at Kushners briefing that he will not prejudge the plan before it is put out and he hopes that Palestinians, who refused to attend the meeting, will do so as well, according to the senior administration official in the room.

Talks between the US and Palestinians broke down after Trumps December 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a rejection of international consensus that the issue should be resolved toward the end of peace negotiations.

The US has also closed the Palestinian diplomatic presence in Washington and cut aid to Palestinian refugees, deepening the chill between the two sides, leading Palestinians to declare that the US had forfeited its position as a neutral arbiter in the conflict.

A diplomat familiar with the peace plan discussions said the US had asked Saudi Arabias ambassador to the US, Prince Khalid bin Salman, to try to get Palestinian leadership to attend the summit. He was unsuccessful.

No reason to attend

An Arab diplomat said the United Arab Emirates had also asked the Palestinians to come to Warsaw but they said no. Their reasoning, the diplomat said, is that the US has not done anything in their favor, giving them little reason to attend the conference.

"We can try to talk and give some advice, but cant force them to do anything," a Saudi diplomat told CNN. "We do not have the power to tell people not to go or to go. But we always try to bridge opinions when we can."

Jonathan Schanzer, a Middle East scholar and senior vice president at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted that has reduced Saudi political capital and made them more risk averse, "but may see other Arab states assume more of a public role. But the Saudis will keep doing it if the US asks."

The senior administration official said rollout of the peace plan has been delayed by a number of external factors. Kushner and his team were supposed to visit the countries that are to be involved with the economic portion of the proposal in October, but that got pushed back after Khashoggis murder.

US elections in November created another roadblock, along with the partial government shutdown in January. But some analysts said the delay until after Aprils elections may be about helping Netanyahu, an old family friend of Kushners who is facing corruption allegations and political headwinds.

April elections

Even if the Israeli leader wins the elections in April, the political baggage he carries including the possibility he may get indicted on corruption charges may make it hard for him to assemble a coalition. But if the administration puts forward a peace plan after the election, various Israeli political parties might want to join the coalition to be part of that process.

"Netanyahu might be keen on having the plan coming out after the election and before coalition formation, so it could be a pivot point to broaden his coalition," said David Makovsky, of the Washington Institute of Near East Policy.

Schanzer said the proposals rollout could just as easily sink the prime minister, who has drawn some red lines about what he will and will not accept.

Netanyahus conditions include an Israeli security presence along the Jordan River the western edge of any future Palestinian state for decades. And he has said in the past that he will not divide Jerusalem, even as Palestinians say they want to establish their capital there as well.

"I think it could be a bomb they are going to drop on the Israeli political system. ... No matter when this thing is rolled out, there is a possibility that this plan blows up Netanyahus chance at being prime minister even if he wins the election," Schanzer said. "This could disrupt his ability to hold together a coalition because of what he would be asked to give up."

For more infomation >> Kushner prepping allies for spring launch of US Middle East Peace plan Politics - Duration: 5:10.

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Heather Nauert ends bid to be next US ambassador to UN USA News Al Jazeera - Duration: 2:47.