| Trump says US 'not involved' in Iranian rocket failure Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:22 PM PDT  President Donald Trump on Friday released a photograph of an apparently failed Iranian rocket launch and said that the United States had nothing to do with it. Tehran has made no official comment on the indications from aerial photos that a rocket exploded Thursday on the launch pad at the Semnan Space Center in northern Iran. The incident comes after months of tensions between Iran and Washington.
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| Trump says he had the right to tweet Iran satellite photo Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:01 PM PDT  President Donald Trump says he had "the absolute right" to tweet a photo of an apparent explosion at an Iranian space center. Trump was asked Friday if he had released classified information by posting the photo on Twitter. Other satellite images released Thursday appeared to show the smoldering remains of a rocket at the Imam Khomeini Space Center that was to conduct a U.S.-criticized satellite launch.
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| Tanker Hauling Iran Oil Remains at Large With No Destination Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:53 PM PDT ![Tanker Hauling Iran Oil Remains at Large With No Destination]( "Tanker Hauling Iran Oil Remains at Large With No Destination") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. sanctioned a supertanker hauling Iranian oil across the Mediterranean, two weeks after announcing plans to seize the vessel.The Adrian Darya 1 and its captain are both being targeted by the Treasury Department, according to a statement Friday evening. Such vessels enable the elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards to "ship and transfer large volumes of oil, which they attempt to mask and sell illicitly to fund the regime's malign activities and propagate terrorism," Sigal Mandelker, under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in the statement.U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a tweet late Friday that the government has reliable information that the tanker is headed to Tartus, Syria, criticizing Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Javad Zarif for allegedly guaranteeing to the U.K. that the vessel would not head there. "It was a big mistake to trust Zarif," Pompeo said. "I hope it changes course."The ship had signaled earlier on Friday that it would sail to Iskenderun, reaching the port in Turkey's Mediterranean coast on Saturday, although the country's foreign minister said the vessel would not be docking there. Previously named the Grace 1, the vessel was seized in early July by British Royal Marines and taken to Gibraltar on suspicion it would ship oil to Syria in breach of sanctions. It was subsequently released, invoking the wrath of the U.S."The Iranian tanker is headed to Lebanon," Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, told journalists in Oslo. For its part, Lebanon said it didn't receive any request to allow the ship entry and such a delivery would be unusual.The tanker, which appears to still have its 2 million barrel cargo on board, has signaled multiple destinations in recent days, originally showing Kalamata in Greece, then Mersin in Turkey, then more recently "for order" -- a term meaning the captain is awaiting instructions about what the vessel will do next."As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of these targets that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported" to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency said. The ship has been keenly watched within the oil industry since Gibraltar released it over U.S. objections on Aug. 15. The following day, the Trump administration issued a warrant for the arrest of the vessel and all oil aboard, citing violations of U.S. sanctions-related laws. Yet the Adrian Darya 1 sailed away from the U.K. territory without incident. Iran, which claimed it couldn't be transparent about the ship's movements due to American sanctions, later said it sold the cargo on the ship to an unspecified buyer but didn't know the final destination.Tupras Not BuyerEarlier this week, Tupras, by far Turkey's biggest oil refiner, said it's not the buyer of the cargo on board the Adrian Darya 1.Lebanese Energy Minister Nada Khoury says her ministry "doesn't buy crude oil from any country and Lebanon doesn't have a refinery" to process a cargo."There is no request to allow oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 to Lebanon," she said on Twitter.In practice, the tanker may not actually go into a port. A transfer of its cargo at sea looks more realistic. There are few if any likely ports in the eastern Mediterranean with the depth to receive a ship as big as Adrian Darya 1 when it has cargo on board, according to shipbrokers and data compiled by Bloomberg.\--With assistance from Brian Wingfield and Alaa Shahine.To contact the reporters on this story: Cagan Koc in Istanbul at ckoc2@bloomberg.net;Catherine Traywick in Denver at ctraywick@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Onur Ant at oant@bloomberg.net, ;Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Carlos Caminada, Peter BlumbergFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump Stays Defiant Before New Tariffs, Lashing ‘Weak’ Critics Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:18 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. President Donald Trump showed no sign that he's going to back down from new tariffs on more than $110 billion in Chinese imports -- set to take effect Sunday -- even as talks continue."They're on," Trump told reporters on Friday before heading to Camp David, the. U.S. presidential retreat. Face-to-face talks between Chinese and American trade negotiators scheduled for Washington in September are still happening "as of now," he said."We're going to win the fight," Trump said.U.S. stocks on Friday moved between gains and losses as investors weighed the effects of more import tariffs on American households. U.S. consumer sentiment slumped to the lowest level of Trump's presidency. The University of Michigan's final sentiment index fell to 89.8 in August from a previously reported 92.1 and 98.4 in July, data showed Friday.The U.S. is starting a 15% tariff on about $110 billion in apparel, footwear and other Chinese imports Sunday, with same duty on the balance of almost $300 billion in toys, phones and laptops and other products delayed until Dec. 15. Trump is also increasing the levy already in effect on $250 billion in other Chinese goods to 30% from 25% starting Oct. 1, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.China has vowed additional tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods, including soybeans, automobiles and oil, with some taking effect Sunday and the rest Dec. 15 in retaliation.Earlier Friday, Trump blamed American companies for their inability to deal with a trade policy he said is aimed at reining in "unfair players.""Badly run and weak companies are smartly blaming these small Tariffs instead of themselves for bad management," Trump tweeted Friday. "And who can really blame them for doing that? Excuses!"In a separate Twitter post on Friday, he took aim at the Federal Reserve again, writing that "we don't have a Tariff problem (we are reigning in bad and/or unfair players), we have a Fed problem."Trump has repeatedly attacked the central bank, blaming policymakers for the dollar's strength and harming the economy by raising interest rates and then moving to cut them too slowly.Business BlameWhile it's unclear who Trump is responding to in his criticism of businesses that blame their problems on tariffs, the largest U.S. business lobby this week urged him and Chinese President Xi Jinping to withdraw from the new tariffs and return to talks in good faith to end the escalating trade war."At this moment of uncertainty, it is critical that our leaders take decisive steps to bolster the economy and avoid actions that could turn talk of recession into reality," Thomas Donohue, chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a Washington Post opinion piece Thursday.Other American industry groups were also critical of the escalation.A coalition of more than 150 trade associations made a last-ditch plea to postpone the duties, saying they "come at the worst possible time" and that holiday purchases will still be affected.Despite the worsening trade tensions, a large majority of the American companies that are members of the U.S.-China Business Council said they're committed to China over the long term and don't plan to leave, according to a survey the group released Thursday.(Updates with comments from Trump starting in first paragraph.)\--With assistance from Josh Wingrove.To contact the reporters on this story: Brendan Murray in London at brmurray@bloomberg.net;Alyza Sebenius in Washington at asebenius@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Murray at brmurray@bloomberg.net, Sarah McGregor, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Swedish teen climate activist leads protest near UN Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:47 PM PDT  Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg drew crowds on land Friday after her two-week sail across the Atlantic as the 16-year-old Swede led a protest march in front of the United Nations. Hundreds of activists, many of them teenagers, surrounded her outside U.N. headquarters, chanting, "Fossil lobbyists have got to go" and, "It's too hot!" — referriang to global warming. It was the New York edition of her weekly Fridays For Future, the student school strikes she has inspired in about 100 cities worldwide.
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| Sweden's FM to tour Mideast to relaunch Yemen talks Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:40 PM PDT  Sweden's foreign minister said Friday she was heading to the Middle East in an attempt to relaunch talks between Yemen's internationally recognized government and the country's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Margot Wallstrom told Swedish Radio that she wants to "speak with as many people as possible," adding she will visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan, and planned to meet officials from the United Nations. In December, both sides signed a U.N.-brokered peace deal in Stockholm, Sweden, under mounting international pressure to alleviate the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
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| What's really behind Trump's surprising tweet on Iran's 'failed satellite launch' Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:24 PM PDT  Donald Trump has claimed that the US had nothing to do with reports of a failed Iranian satellite launch - and sent his "best wishes and good luck" in determining what happened at the site in Semnan.He tweeted: "The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran. I wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One."
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| Saudi Arabia creates new ministry of industry and resources Posted: 30 Aug 2019 12:48 PM PDT ![Saudi Arabia creates new ministry of industry and resources]( "Saudi Arabia creates new ministry of industry and resources") Saudi King Salman has issued a number of royal decrees, including creating a new ministry for natural resources separate from the energy ministry that oversees the kingdom's vast oil resources. The Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources was renamed the Ministry of Energy.
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| Climate activist Thunberg joins hundreds of teens at UN protest Posted: 30 Aug 2019 12:23 PM PDT  Swedish climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg joined hundreds of other teenagers protesting outside the United Nations Friday in her first demonstration on US soil since arriving by zero-carbon yacht. Thunberg, 16, has spurred teenagers and students around the world to gather every Friday under the rallying cry "Fridays for future" to call on adults to act now to save the planet. "Stop denying the earth is dying," and "We vote next," chanted the several hundred demonstrators, who included a few children as young six, outside the UN headquarters.
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| UN atomic watchdog: Iran still in violation of nuclear deal Posted: 30 Aug 2019 12:02 PM PDT ![UN atomic watchdog: Iran still in violation of nuclear deal]( "UN atomic watchdog: Iran still in violation of nuclear deal") The U.N. atomic watchdog reported Friday that Iran remains in violation of limitations set by the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers and that its stockpile of low-enriched uranium is increasing. In a confidential quarterly report distributed to member states and seen by The Associated Press, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium still exceeds the amount allowed by the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.
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| Russia Can't Save Syria From The Israeli Air Force's Mighty F-35I Stealth Fighters Posted: 30 Aug 2019 12:00 PM PDT  The Israeli Air-force had apparently been waiting for a provocation as the resulting counterattack against the launchers and the Iranian military infrastructure was an overwhelming one. Unlike in the response for the February drone incident, the IAF was well prepared with a large strike package that had a sizable SEAD element on hand.On May 9th the Iranian Quds force that belongs into the Revolutionary Guards Corps launched a rocket salvo against the Israeli forces in the Golan heights. The IDF had anticipated the move and placed several Iron Dome batteries to protect the region, so the attack did very little damage and several rockets were shot down.There have been conflicting reports on whether the weapon used to attack Israel was a Russian built BM-27 Uragan or an indigenous Iranian Fajr-5.The Fajr-5 system is an indigenous Iranian 333 mm artillery rocket that is mounted on Mercedes-Benz 2624 trucks in 4-tube launchers. System has a maximum range of 75 km and rather abysmal accuracy with a 3 km CEP. Combination of a 900 kg class conventional warhead and the low accuracy makes the FAJR-5 more of a terror weapon than any kind of precision battlefield instrument.The Israeli Air-force had apparently been waiting for a provocation as the resulting counterattack against the launchers and the Iranian military infrastructure was an overwhelming one. Unlike in the response for the February drone incident, the IAF was well prepared with a large strike package that had a sizable SEAD element on hand.While nothing precise is known about the composition of the Israeli force, it managed to force the Syrian army to turn on the air defense systems Russia had supplied to it. The Syrian army managed to shoot several of the longer range SAM:s against the IAF fighters, but none hit their intended targets. The Israeli's claim to have struck against most Iranian installation in Syria.The Israeli SEAD element managed to destroy at least some of the SA-2, SA-22, SA-5 and SA-17 launchers and radars during the engagement. It's noteworthy that the SA-22 aka. Pantsir-S1 systems that are designed to act as a point defense against cruise missiles were unable to defend themselves against the limited number of Israeli munitions sent their way.The Russian air-defense systems deployed to protect the Russian expeditionary force in Syria didn't engage the Israeli strike package. It's highly likely that Russia was informed about the attacks in advance as the Israeli Prime Minister was visiting Moscow on 9.5.2018.It's interesting to see what aircraft the Israeli Air-force used in the attack and that was the F-35I employed. This also casts a further shadow of doubt over the Russian air-defense systems and their ability to intercept coordinated attacks. On the other hand, the level of training and integration of the Syrian army might be too low to effectively use these systems without direct Russian support.It's also interesting to see how the Russian-Iranian relations develop as Russia doesn't seem to be willing to protect Iran or Syria from Israeli strikes. As an open conflict against a high tech nation like Israel could tax the limited number of advanced Russian weapon systems available for expeditionary ops, it's not surprising that the Kremlin seems to avoid that scenario.As Iran seems to be unable to respond with a symmetric way against Israel, the next retaliation by Tehran is most likely an asymmetric one.This article by Petri Mäkelä originally appeared on Vantage Point North in 2019.Image: Israeli Air Force.(This article first appeared earlier this year and is being republished due to reader interest.)
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| UPDATE 1-Swedish teen climate activist takes school strike to gates of United Nations Posted: 30 Aug 2019 11:56 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Swedish teen climate activist takes school strike to gates of United Nations]( "UPDATE 1-Swedish teen climate activist takes school strike to gates of United Nations") Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg took her weekly campaign for greater action on climate change to the gates of the United Nations on Friday, urging "everyone who cares about our future" to join her when world leaders gather in New York next month. Thunberg, 16, started missing school on Fridays a year ago to protest outside the Swedish parliament, sparking a global climate strike movement known as Fridays for Future.
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| UPDATE 1-France to run no-deal Brexit dress rehearsal- minister Posted: 30 Aug 2019 11:42 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-France to run no-deal Brexit dress rehearsal- minister]( "UPDATE 1-France to run no-deal Brexit dress rehearsal- minister") France will test run for a month measures it has prepared for Britain's exit from the European Union so that companies are fully prepared ahead of Britain leaving at the end of October, including if it goes with no withdrawal deal, a government minister said on Friday. Gerald Darmanin, who is in charge of customs, met Michael Gove, the British minister in charge of coordinating "no-deal" Brexit planning, in Calais on Friday to show how France is preparing for the British departure, due to take place on Oct. 31. For one month the French authorities will act as if Brexit has occurred to make sure they are ready by the end of October, Darmanin said.
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| Hezbollah: drones were likely flown from Israeli gunboats Posted: 30 Aug 2019 11:33 AM PDT ![Hezbollah: drones were likely flown from Israeli gunboats]( "Hezbollah: drones were likely flown from Israeli gunboats") The TV station of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group says two drones used in an alleged attack south of Beirut were flown from Israeli gunboats off the Lebanese coast. Al-Manar TV's report Friday came five days after an alleged Israeli drone crashed in a Hezbollah stronghold while another exploded and crashed nearby.
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| Boris Johnson Is Campaigning Again, But What Exactly Is He Selling? Posted: 30 Aug 2019 10:01 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Three years after he sold Brexit to the British public, Boris Johnson is back on the campaign trail. The prime minister is still promoting a split from the European Union, but this time without a deal.Officially, he's selling the idea that he can only persuade the EU's leaders to give him the concessions he wants by preparing Britain to leave the bloc without an agreement. But the campaign looks like it's going wider than that. Indeed, many of the announcements have nothing to do with Brexit.On Friday evening, for example, there was 14 billion pounds ($17 billion) for schools. "My government will ensure all young people get the best possible start in life," Johnson said.There's already been a promise of 20,000 extra police officers and 1.8 billion pounds for the National Health Service. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said he'd be making more spending announcements and the public would see the government "invest in their priorities," though there's been little clarity about where the money will come from.The strategy is not new. In 2016, Johnson's team won the referendum on EU membership by talking about things that weren't Europe.There were daily announcements that once Britain had left the EU, there would be more money for everything, and especially the beloved health service. The other side in the referendum battle, expecting a fight over constitutional and economic questions, found itself facing something more like a general election campaign.What Election?Now in government, Johnson's team -- many of them veterans of the 2016 contest -- look like they're using another campaign about Europe to fight an election.There isn't a vote on the horizon, yet, but the prime minister's aides talk about one as if it's an inevitability. And they accept that their lives resemble those of campaign staffers more than those of government officials.Just like in 2016, there's a slogan. Then, it was "Take Back Control." Now it's "Get Ready." And just like three years ago, there are enemies -- and many of them haven't changed. As then, they are business lobby groups and parliamentarians. Judges, currently hearing cases about whether Johnson should be allowed to suspend Parliament, are also on the list.The first shot against the naysayers was fired on Aug. 28, when the prime minister announced he'd asked Queen Elizabeth II to prorogue -- that is effectively suspend -- the legislature for five weeks from Sept. 12.Sparking OutrageHis office says the rules mean a suspension essential if he wants to introduce legislation for his domestic priorities. Constitutional experts say that's not true. The main effect of the move is to restrict the time available to members of Parliament who want to change the law so the U.K. can't leave the EU without an agreement.The announcement sparked fury, with House of Commons Speaker John Bercow calling it a "constitutional outrage," and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke accusing the government of telling "blatant lies." Johnson insisted there would be "ample time" to debate Brexit.In 2016, the Brexit campaign that Johnson fronted delighted in starting rows because it enabled them to move the debate to ground on which they wanted to fight.The argument over Parliament is a classic example. Centered on procedure beyond the experience of most voters and apparently irrelevant to their lives, it allows Johnson to pitch himself as committed to delivering on the public vote for Brexit, fighting against MPs who want to thwart the people's will.The fact that many of his opponents in Parliament voted three times for predecessor Theresa May's agreement to leave the EU, and are happy to back another deal if Johnson can reach one with the bloc, is a detail lost in the heat of the campaign. They are painted not as opponents of a no-deal divorce, but of leaving at all.The coming two weeks will see how the battle plays out.ShowdownParliament returns on Tuesday and it would usually see the prime minister giving a statement about the Group of Seven meeting in Biarritz last weekend. Michael Gove, a pro-Brexit veteran who is now minister in charge of no-deal planning, is also due to address the House of Commons.But all that could be thrown into disarray. Oliver Letwin, one of the former Conservative ministers readying themselves to do battle with Johnson, said on Friday he had "for a number of months" been discussing with Bercow how he might be able to get control of the parliamentary agenda.Letwin said he's confident there's still time to pass a bill blocking any prospect of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.One option for Johnson might be to offer Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, the chance to fight a general election. The prime minister would struggle to get Parliament to agree to an election after Oct. 31, the date Britain is currently due to leave the EU. A person familiar with Corbyn's thinking said Labour would support one on Oct. 17 or 24."Bring it on," John McDonnell, Labour's treasury spokesman, said on Thursday when he was asked about a national vote. The party told existing MPs in June to decide if they want to stand again and McDonnell promised a suite of policies would be ready "in the coming weeks."The risk to Johnson would be that arch Euroskeptic Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, which has selected candidates for every constituency, would eat into his support by claiming that Conservatives can't be trusted to take the U.K. out of the EU.It would, though, give Johnson an opportunity to take his message to its logical conclusion and ask the country to give him a mandate to take on Parliament and deliver on the 2016 vote. It would also allow him to sell the thing he's always sold best: Boris Johnson.To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Rodney JeffersonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| British PM warns MPs against trying to block Brexit Posted: 30 Aug 2019 09:43 AM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday that any attempt by MPs next week to stop Brexit or delay it beyond October 31 would do "lasting damage" to public trust in politics. Johnson said Britons had decided to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum and MPs had promised multiple times to uphold that decision. "It will do lasting and catastrophic damage to the major parties in this country.
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| Swedish teen climate activist takes school strike to gates of United Nations Posted: 30 Aug 2019 09:27 AM PDT ![Swedish teen climate activist takes school strike to gates of United Nations]( "Swedish teen climate activist takes school strike to gates of United Nations") Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg took her weekly campaign for greater action on climate change to the gates of the United Nations on Friday, urging "everyone who cares about our future" to join her when world leaders gather in New York next month. Thunberg, 16, started missing school on Fridays a year ago to protest outside the Swedish parliament, sparking a global climate strike movement known as Fridays for Future.
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| White House Objects to Denial of Free Speech: Hong Kong Update Posted: 30 Aug 2019 09:05 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Tensions spiked in Hong Kong ahead of what could be a 13th straight weekend of protests, as police arrested several top opposition figures including Joshua Wong after banning a mass march scheduled for Saturday.The moves signaled a harder line by the government against the largely leaderless movement, which began in June over a bill allowing extraditions to mainland China before morphing into a wider push against Beijing's grip on the city. While Wong and a fellow activist were later released on bail, the arrests could fuel unauthorized gatherings that have sparked confrontations with police in recent weeks.Embattled leader Carrie Lam this week called for talks with the opposition while refusing to rule out invoking a sweeping colonial-era law that allows for easier arrests, deportations, censorship and property seizures. The unrest in the Asian financial hub threatens to distract from China's celebrations of the Oct. 1 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule.Here's the latest (all times local):White House Objects to Denial of Free Speech (11:58 p.m.)The Trump administration opposes attempts to deny residents of Hong Kong their rights to free speech and assembly, an administration official said.The official described arbitrary arrests of political opposition figures as a tactic employed by authoritarian regimes. Hong Kong's use of the tactic, the official said, is concerning because the territory has long respected the rule of law.More Arrests (11:22 p.m.)Police have arrested opposition lawmaker Au Nok-hin for allegedly obstructing an officer, the Apple Daily reported, citing Au's office. Alvin Yeung, a pro-democracy lawmaker who heads the city's Civic Party, said on his Facebook page that colleague Jeremy Tam had also been detained. In other developments:Now TV said Lam had canceled a September trip to the U.S. given tensions at home.Police banned a rally called for Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui district on Monday and Tuesday, citing public safety concerns, an organizer said.Wong Vows to Fight (6:01 p.m.)After being released on bail, Wong and Agnes Chow, another democracy activist who was arrested, vowed to continue the fight for democracy. He also warned Chinese President Xi Jinping about using force to quash the protests."I urge the international community to send a message to President Xi, sending troops or using emergency ordinance is not the way out," he said.Wong, Chow Granted Bail: Ming Pao (5:05 p.m.)Wong and Agnes Chow, another democracy activist, were granted bail, Ming Pao newspaper reported, citing the presiding judge. Their hearing has been adjourned until November 8.China Rejected Lam's Concession: Reuters (2:23 p.m.)The Chinese central government earlier this summer dismissed a proposal by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to withdraw the controversial extradition bill, Reuters reported on Friday. Beijing ordered Lam not to yield to any of the protesters' other demands at that time, the report said, citing three unidentified people with direct knowledge of the matter.District Councilor, Prominent Activists Arrested (1:04 p.m.)Sha Tin District Councilor Rick Hui was arrested and was at Kwun Tong police station, his assistant said. It came after prominent young activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow were arrested Friday morning, according to their Demosisto party. The group said the two were taken to the Wan Chai police headquarters and that they had arranged lawyers to handle the cases.Police confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old man with the last name Wong on three alleged offenses, including organizing and inciting others to participate in unauthorized assembly. They also confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old woman with the last name Chow.Protesters Cancel March (12:03 p.m.)Key protest organizer the Civil Human Rights Front said it would cancel Saturday's planned march after failing to obtain a police permit, the group's Vice Convener Bonnie Leung said. CHRF said it didn't want participants to bear the legal consequences of taking part in an illegal assembly. Hong Kong authorities earlier rejected the group's appeal, she said.Andy Chan Arrested (9:53 a.m.)Radio Television Hong Kong reported that pro-independence activist Andy Chan, founder of the banned Hong Kong National Party, was arrested at the city's airport. It came the morning after Chan posted about his imminent detention on his personal Facebook page.Cathay Warns Staff (8:40 a.m.)Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. warned staff not to take part in next week's general strike, according to an internal memo sent from Tom Owen, the company's director of people. Those participating in the strike risk getting fired, the memo said. Cathay will monitor attendance closely, it said. It reiterated that it had zero tolerance for any support or participation in illegal protests. "Cathay Pacific Group does not approve of this strike," Owen said in the memo.\--With assistance from Natalie Lung, Annie Lee, Justin Chin and Fion Li.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Karen Leigh in Hong Kong at kleigh4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 2-Iran goes further in breaching nuclear deal, IAEA report shows Posted: 30 Aug 2019 08:40 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Iran goes further in breaching nuclear deal, IAEA report shows]( "UPDATE 2-Iran goes further in breaching nuclear deal, IAEA report shows") Iran has gone further in breaching its nuclear deal with world powers, increasing its stock of enriched uranium and refining it to a greater purity than allowed, the U.N. atomic agency report said on Friday. The quarterly report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing the 2015 deal, confirms Iran is progressively backing out of the deal in retaliation for Washington's withdrawal form the accord and renewal of sanctions that have hit Iranian oil sales.
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| Syrian troops to start unilateral cease-fire in Idlib Posted: 30 Aug 2019 08:04 AM PDT  Syrian government forces will soon begin a unilateral cease-fire in northwestern Idlib province, Russia's military said Friday, as hundreds of protesters were met with tear gas marching toward a border crossing with Turkey demanding that Ankara either open the border for refugees or work on stopping the Syrian army's advance. The protest and cease-fire announcement came after weeks of a crushing offensive by Syrian troops on the last remaining rebel stronghold, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee, many of whom were already without shelter. Syrian troops have been on the offensive since April 30 against rebel-held areas forcing more than half a million people to flee, many of them toward the border with Turkey farther north.
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| Iran's enriched uranium stock grows well past deal's cap -IAEA report Posted: 30 Aug 2019 08:00 AM PDT ![Iran's enriched uranium stock grows well past deal's cap -IAEA report]( "Iran's enriched uranium stock grows well past deal's cap -IAEA report") Iran has gone further in breaching its nuclear deal with world powers, increasing its stock of enriched uranium while still refining to a greater purity than allowed, a U.N. atomic watchdog agency report showed on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing the 2015 deal, said in July that Iran had exceeded both its 202.8-kg limit on enriched uranium stock and its 3.67% cap on the fissile purity to which Tehran is allowed to refine uranium. Almost two months after it overshot those limits, Iran has accumulated 241.6 kg of enriched uranium and is enriching up to 4.5%, still far short of the 20% it reached before the deal and the roughly 90% that is considered weapons-grade material, the quarterly IAEA report to member states seen by Reuters showed.
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| Texas man pleads guilty in 2012 so-called honor killing Posted: 30 Aug 2019 07:50 AM PDT ![Texas man pleads guilty in 2012 so-called honor killing]( "Texas man pleads guilty in 2012 so-called honor killing") A Texas man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for what prosecutors call the "honor killing" of an Iranian rights activist who was his sister's friend. Nasim Irsan pleaded guilty to murder Thursday in Houston. Irsan could have faced life in prison if convicted of capital murder for the January 2012 fatal shooting of Gelareh Bagherzadeh (GEL'-uh-ray buh-GAR'-zuh-day).
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| Matteo Salvini calls for supporters to stage big demonstrations in protest against new coalition Posted: 30 Aug 2019 07:34 AM PDT  Matteo Salvini has called on his supporters to converge on Rome to protest against the coalition that is being formed between his former allies and Italy's centre-Left. The leader of the hard-Right League told Italians that they have not seen the last of him, despite his botched attempt to force an election which he hoped would lead to him being made prime minister. He called for demonstrations to be held in September in Pontida, in the League's northern heartlands, and in Rome in October, which he said would be "a great day of Italian pride". As negotiations continued to form a new government consisting of the Five Star Movement and their former foes, the Democratic Party, Mr Salvini gave a farewell address to colleagues at the interior ministry in Rome. The outgoing interior minister, who was also deputy prime minister until the previous coalition imploded, told them it was "not a goodbye", predicting that "sooner or later" the new government will collapse and a general election will be called. Mr Salvini posing for selfies with staff at a farewell encounter at the Italian interior ministry Credit: REX "They might last a few months or years but in the end, they will find us ready. You have not seen the last of me, that's for sure," he said. The cobbling together of the new coalition between two parties which have fared poorly in the opinion polls represented a "theft of democracy", he said. When Mr Salvini declared his coalition with Five Star was dead on August 8, he calculated that Italy would go to new elections that would result in him emerging as head of a victorious hard-Right alliance. He did not count on his former allies, Five Star, swallowing their pride and forging a new pact with the Democratic Party, whom they previously reviled as smug, ineffective elitists. But Mr Salvini, whose party is still Italy's most popular, will be a formidable opposition leader. He has claimed, without evidence, that the new coalition is a creation of pro-EU figures such as Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel. The likely new government was "born in Brussels in order to get rid of that pain in the neck, Salvini," he said. But the European establishment would not be able to get rid of him and the "ballbreakers" of the League so easily, he said. His belief that the awkward alliance between Five Star and the Democrats lacks popular support appears to be borne out by the latest polls. Former prime minister Giuseppe Conte has been given a mandate to form a new government Credit: Alessandro di Meo/REX A survey by the polling agency Piepoli found that 55% of Italians have little or no faith in the new coalition. However, confidence in Giuseppe Conte, who resigned as prime minister last week only to be reinstated, is up by five points, whereas trust in Mr Salvini is down by six points, indicating that the political turmoil has damaged his standing. "Salvini needs to come here and tell us why he threw everything away," Maria, 65, a League supporter in northern Italy, told one Italian paper. "We were in government and now we're out. He owes us an explanation, and quickly." Analysts tend to side with Mr Salvini's conviction that the new administration may be doomed from the start. Five Star and the Democratic Party are "unnatural allies, which are still divided by a deep sense of mutual mistrust," said Wolfgango Piccoli, of the Teneo political risk consultancy. Both suffer from "weak leadership and significant intra-party cleavages." "The unedifying show put together by both parties during their coalition negotiations will be likely followed by a similar performance once they are in office," he said. For the League leader, nicknamed by his adoring supporters "Il Capitano", the fightback will begin in earnest with local elections in Umbria on October 27. He can count on the support of much of the country, having increased the League's standing from 4% of the national vote when he took command in 2013 to close to 40% in recent weeks. Mr Salvini received a message of support from Hungary's hardline leader, Viktor Orban, who has been accused of suppressing press freedom, pandering to xenophobia and encouraging anti-Semitic prejudice. "We Hungarians will never forget that you were the very first Western European leader who intended to stop the influx of illegal migrants into Europe through the Mediterranean," said Mr Orban, who has long professed admiration for the League leader. He called Mr Salvini a "fellow combatant" in the fight for the "preservation of European Christian heritage and against migration". Mr Salvini, outgoing deputy prime minister, received a message of support from Viktor Orban of Hungary Credit: Reuters Mr Conte, the prime minister-designate, held more talks with political parties on Friday and is expected to present a list of ministers to Sergio Mattarella, the president, next week. Italy needs to "recover its central role in Europe," he said, warning that "this is a very delicate phase for the country." If agreement can be reached between Five Star and the Democratic Party on an agenda and how to apportion key cabinet posts, the new government will then face confidence votes in both chambers of parliament. Five Star's involvement in the coalition will also be subject to an online vote among its grass-roots members.
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| More than 600 refugees arrive on Lesbos in one day in record high since migrant crisis Posted: 30 Aug 2019 07:08 AM PDT  More than 600 refugees arrived by boat to the Greek island of Lesbos on Thursday, the highest single influx since the height of the migrant crisis. Sixteen rubber dinghies carrying about 650 mostly Syrian and Afghans, including 240 children, reached the Aegean island, while some had to be rescued from the water. "It surprised us. It's highly unusual to have so many boats at the same time, it's an anomaly," Boris Cheshirkov, spokesman for the United Nation's refugee agency in Greece told the Telegraph. "It's the highest number in a single day for three years. We can't say for certain what the reason is." Hundreds have been arriving in Greece from Turkey each week, despite a deal struck between Turkey and the European Union which saw Ankara receives billions in funding from the bloc in return for stemming the flow. The refugees were transferred to Moria Reception and Identification Centre Credit: REX But Thursday's mass arrival was the largest of its kind since 2016, when the agreement came into effect. Nikos Dendias, Greece's foreign minister, summoned the Turkish ambassador to "express Greece's deep discontent" at the recent increase in arrivals with Turkey. The ambassador said Ankara was "committed" to the deal and that its policy had not changed after being asked how so many were managing to make it Greek shores. In the first two weeks of August 1,929 migrants arrived on Lesbos, compared with 479 in the same period last year. They have joined the 10,000 others being held in Moria detention facility, which has been described by humanitarian organisations as overcrowded, unsafe and inhumane. "Usually the factors that drive people to cross the sea from Turkey are warm weather and an increased volatility in their home countries, such as Syria and Afghanistan," Mr Cheshirkov said. Syrians from the country's northern countryside demonstrate by the Bab al-Hawa crossing between Turkey and Syria's northwestern Idlib province Credit: AFP Turkey's foreign minister warned on Friday that an assault by President Bashar al-Assad's government on Idlib province in neighbouring Syria, the last rebel-held territory in the country, was threatening to trigger a fresh exodus of refugees trying to flee. Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the continued attacks by the Syrian regime, supported by Russia, could unleash another wave to Europe. Turkey is hosting more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees - three times the number accepted by the whole of Europe. It has been warning that it cannot accommodate any more refugees and has in recent weeks been deporting hundreds back to the war-torn country in contravention of international law. The regime's offensive on Idlib, which is home to over three million people, began in April and has intensified in recent weeks. According to war monitors more than 1,500 civilians have been killed and as many as 500,000 have been internally displaced, with the UN saying it threatens to be the biggest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. On Friday, thousands protested at Syria's closed border with Turkey. Some managed to break through the barriers, where they were met by live bullets and tear gas fired by Turkish forces. There were unconfirmed reports of casualties. Syria's opposition has been backed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government in the fight against Assad and his sponsor Russia. However, Turkey has in recent months become closer with Moscow, leaving some in Idlib to feel betrayed. Protesters burned pictures of Mr Erdogan, who was photographed on Thursday eating ice cream with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit by the former to Moscow. "You disappointed us and you can't protect us, so open your borders," one demonstrator chanted. "Let us go to Europe."
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| Arab leader seeks to shake up Israeli election Posted: 30 Aug 2019 07:03 AM PDT  The leader of the main Arab faction in parliament has shaken up Israel's election campaign by offering to sit in a moderate coalition government — a development that would end decades of Arab political marginalization and could potentially bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ayman Odeh's offer to back Netanyahu's chief opponent, Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz, for prime minister reflects the growing desire of Israel's large Arab minority to take a more active role in shaping the country.
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| Rebels See Time to Stop No-Deal Brexit as Major Aids Court Fight Posted: 30 Aug 2019 06:59 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Senior Tories seeking to stop the U.K. leaving the European Union without a deal and thwart Boris Johnson's move to suspend Parliament from the middle of next month stepped up their preparations for a showdown with the prime minister next week.Oliver Letwin, the former minister leading efforts in Parliament to stop a no-deal Brexit, said he's confident he has a plan that will work around the suspension, while ex-Prime Minister John Major announced he will join a court case against his successor.Letwin said he's been talking to Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow about possible maneuvers. While he didn't go into detail, it's likely to involve requesting an emergency debate when Parliament returns on Sept. 3, and then using that to take control of the agenda."I know there are a number of my colleagues who feel as I do that a disorderly no-deal Brexit is a very bad idea," Letwin told the BBC. "I hope that Parliament will take a series of actions in a proper, orderly way that by the end of the week mean that Boris Johnson knows that as prime minister he has backing of many, many of us to get a deal but that if he doesn't get a deal he's going to have to seek an extension."The prime minister caused outrage this week when he announced Parliament will be suspended from Sept. 12 to Oct. 14. Although he argued it was a necessary move to allow him to press on with his domestic agenda, the effect will be to limit the time his opponents have to stop Britain leaving the European Union without an agreement, something they say would be an economic catastrophe.Johnson accused lawmakers working to stop a no-deal divorce of undermining his attempts to reach a new agreement with the bloc. Lasting Damage"The more our friends and partners think, at the back of their mind, that Brexit could be stopped, that the U.K. could be kept in by Parliament, the less likely they are to give us the deal that we need," he told Sky News. Britain must leave by Oct. 31 or "it will do lasting damage to people's trust in politics," he said.Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said on Friday that the main obstacle to a new agreement is that the U.K. has yet to offer any "credible" alternatives to the backstop arrangement to keep the Irish border open after Brexit, a major sticking point between the two sides.Major, who campaigned to stay in the EU, said he will apply to join a court action brought by Gina Miller in London challenging the legality of the prime minister's decision. While the two men come from different factions in the Conservative Party, being challenged by such a senior figure is potentially embarrassing for Johnson.Major Assistance"I promised that, if the Prime Minister prorogued Parliament in order to prevent Members from opposing his Brexit plans, I would seek judicial review of his action," Major said in statement. "I intend to seek to assist the Court from the perspective of having served in Government as a Minister and Prime Minister, and also in Parliament for many years as a Member of the House of Commons."A Scottish judge refused to grant an emergency injunction against Johnson's plan on Friday, saying there is more time for hearings on the issue next week, setting up a frantic week of court proceedings in Edinburgh, London and Belfast starting on Tuesday.Letwin told the BBC he believes there "probably" is still time to act in Parliament, so long as lawmakers are ready to vote with him.Even with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party, Johnson has a majority of just one in the House of Commons, and opposition parties are united against a no-deal Brexit, meaning the numbers are not in his favor. Former Conservative ministers, including Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, have attacked Johnson's move to suspend Parliament and have said they're prepared to vote to block leaving without an agreement.Timetable ControlThe problem facing any move against the government in Parliament is that the timetable of the chamber is controlled by ministers, which is why Letwin and his allies will need to win a vote allowing rank-and-file parliamentarians to take control of the agenda.Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have been working together on plans to take action when Parliament reconvenes after its summer recess on Tuesday and John McDonnell, economy spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, said he's also "increasingly confident" that a majority can be found to block a no-deal divorce."The key thing is next week and whether we can get legislation or other measures through Parliament," McDonnell said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Thursday. "It's going to be difficult, but I'm hoping that with the commitment we've seen we will succeed."A bigger problem could come in the upper House of Lords, where any new law will also have to be passed. Although there are certainly the votes there against a no-deal Brexit, there are fewer rules to stop measures being filibustered or delayed by members talking at excessive length.However Shami Chakrabarti, who speaks on legal matters for the opposition Labour Party in the Lords, said that "of course" the chamber would be willing to sit over the weekend if necessary.(Updates with Johnson comments starting in sixth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Ian Wishart.To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Mark WilliamsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Chinese police remind students to 'love your country' in warning over Hong Kong protests Posted: 30 Aug 2019 06:46 AM PDT  Chinese police are warning mainland students enrolled in university programs in Hong Kong to stay away from "illegal mass protests and street violence," The Telegraph can reveal, as authorities try to suppress the unrest. Students received text message alerts from local police this week that said "please stand firm on the position, 'love the country, love Hong Kong,' and by no means should you participate in any form of illegal assemblies, marches or demonstrations." The notice added: "Take care of your personal safety and remember to strictly abide by China's national laws and regulations, and local Hong Kong laws," suggesting students keep close contact with the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong. The messages, viewed by The Telegraph, popped up on phones as Chinese students prepared to return to Hong Kong for the fall semester and ahead of another weekend of mass demonstrations, which have largely been youth-driven. A citywide strike is also planned for early next week, with protest organisers calling on university and secondary school students to boycott the first day of classes. A pro-China activist marches on the streets of Sydney during a rally against ongoing protests in Hong Kong Credit: SAEED KHAN/AFP "The true purpose [for the alerts] is so Chinese authorities can send a warning to mainlanders that police know they are in Hong Kong," said Frances Eve, a researcher for the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a coalition of rights groups. "Threats are implicit, because mainland citizens know they won't have protection from the wrath of the Chinese Communist Party once they cross the invisible red line," Ms Eve said. "If they get involved in the demonstrations, they or their families back home could face reprisals." China has issued increasingly ominous threats of a forceful crackdown as protests continue. The demonstrations represent the biggest political crisis in the former British colony since Beijing resumed control in 1997. They're also a public affront to Xi Jinping, head of the ruling Communist Party, at a delicate moment – in a few weeks, China will celebrate 70 years of party rule, a time when elite leadership typically values stability above all else. Border officials have stepped up checks, detaining and interrogating people travelling between Hong Kong and the mainland, searching through photos and apps on phones and laptops, as well as physical belongings. Chinese activists with links to Hong Kong and the protests have also been subject to interrogation and detention in recent weeks, and some have been placed under house arrest. China sent a new batch of air, land and maritime forces to Hong Kong on Thursday, describing it as a "routine annual rotation." State media, however, warned that if violence continued, the troops "will have no reason to sit on their hands." Demonstrators are demanding an independent inquiry of police response during protests Credit: Vincent Thian/ AP Police again rejected protest organisers' plans to hold a large march through city streets to China's representative office in Hong Kong on Saturday; last month, activists defaced the building. A police ban, however, is unlikely to keep protesters at home, many of whom are enraged by the government's lack of concessions. Protesters first took to the streets in early June against an extradition proposal that would have sent suspects to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party influence contributes to a 99.9 percent conviction rate. Although city leaders suspended the bill, protesters have continued to call for its formal withdrawal to prevent it from being tabled and passed quickly in the future. Demands have since expanded to include an independent inquiry of police response during protests, direct leadership elections, and the resignation of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive. Many also say freedoms are fast-eroding in Hong Kong under Communist Party control, even though liberties are guaranteed for at least 50 years under an agreement that kicked in when the territory was returned to China. All mainland Chinese students approached by the Telegraph for this story declined to be interviewed, even on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the protests. Some, however, shared the messages received from local authorities. "I imagine a lot of them are taking these messages seriously," said Ms Eve. "Chinese police have repeatedly shown they will resort to collective punishment against families, or hold families in the mainland hostage to prevent some people from speaking out."
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| Anti-Boris Johnson Challenges Set Up Confusing Scramble in U.K. Courts Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:57 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- With time running out before U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's planned suspension of Parliament begins, the coming weeks promise a confusing scramble as courts in three cities deliberate whether the controversial move is legal.And whatever happens at a series of court hearings, there will be a frantic rush to get the Supreme Court to weigh in before Johnson's Sept. 12 deadline to send lawmakers packing."Almost certainly they will end up in the Supreme Court," said Murray Hunt, the director of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and a legal adviser to Parliament. "Even on the most expedited timetable it's going to be a squeeze. It's extremely difficult to predict the outcome."The court challenges were filed amid a wave of outrage at Johnson's decision to prorogue, as the suspension is known in parliamentary jargon, from Sept. 12 until the Queen's Speech on Oct. 14. Lawmakers from all parties are also trying to form an alliance to pass a law that could prevent a no-deal Brexit at the end of October.On Friday, a judge in Edinburgh denied an emergency injunction against the prime minister's plan brought by 70 lawmakers, saying there's enough time to hear the case before the suspension starts. A full hearing will be held on Sept. 3. Over in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a judge also deferred hearings until next week after deciding against an urgent injunction.The third case, brought by businesswoman Gina Miller, will be heard in London Sept. 5. Both Miller and the lawmakers in the Scottish case argue that, while the prime minister is entitled to suspend Parliament, limiting debate for so long before a crucial deadline is an abuse of power. Former Prime Minister John Major has joined her case.Whether the courts can derail Johnson's efforts to outflank his opponents remains unclear. Retired Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Sumption this week described them as "a very, very long shot," because the matter is political rather than legal.Either way, it drags the judges into the political storm, exposing them to the vitriol that currently characterizes British politics. During Miller's first Brexit-related case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers had to approve the start of formal proceedings to leave the European Union, a front-page headline in the Daily Mail newspaper described judges as "Enemies of the People.""Judges don't welcome being caught in the middle of political crossfire," senior trial attorney Richard Clayton, who is experienced in bringing Supreme Court cases, said in a phone interview. "Last time they were vilified."Regardless of the outcome, the cases are likely to end up in the Supreme Court, where they could be heard together. To do so before the suspension starts on Sept. 12, the panel would have to interrupt its summer break."The cases are pretty difficult, but I don't think they're impossible," Clayton said, adding that if the cases aren't decided by the time the suspension is due to start, the courts will likely say it needs to be delayed. "The government appears to be naïve about this if they haven't factored in a timetable for the law."To contact the reporter on this story: Franz Wild in London at fwild@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| EU leaders can see "rough shape" of what is needed on Brexit -PM Johnson Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:51 AM PDT  Leaders of the European Union can see the "rough shape" of what needs to be done to help Britain and Brussels agree a new Brexit deal, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday. "We want to do a deal, that is why we are working so hard with our friends and partners (in Europe)," he told BBC TV. "Everybody can see the rough shape of what needs to be done.
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| Destination remains obscure for Iran oil tanker sought by US Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:20 AM PDT  An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the U.S. on Friday again listed its destination as Turkey but the Turkish foreign minister added to the confusion by saying the vessel is headed to Lebanon — statements that were promptly denied in Beirut. The flurry of contradictory statements further muddies the waters for the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, and obscures where its 2.1 million barrels of oil will ultimately go. The tanker has taken center stage recently amid a crisis roiling the Persian Gulf and escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers over a year ago.
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| REFILE-UPDATE 1-EU will keep working to preserve Iran nuclear deal - Mogherini Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:17 AM PDT ![REFILE-UPDATE 1-EU will keep working to preserve Iran nuclear deal - Mogherini]( "REFILE-UPDATE 1-EU will keep working to preserve Iran nuclear deal - Mogherini") The European Union will work to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and would welcome any moves to add to its conditions, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Friday. Again if something else can be built on it, this would be welcomed and accompanied by the European Union," Mogherini told reporters during an EU foreign ministers meeting in Helsinki. The deal has been in jeopardy since the United States withdrew from it last year and reimposed economic sanctions on Iran, seeking to push Tehran into wider security concessions including curbs on its ballistic missile programme.
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| Chinese Communist Party’s Top Leadership to Convene in October Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:10 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- China's ruling Communist Party will hold its most important meeting of the year in October -- its first such gathering in 20 months -- as the country grapples with a slowdown at home and a trade war with the U.S.The party's Central Committee, which is made up of more than 200 officials from the government, military and state-owned enterprises, will gather in Beijing, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The schedule was set during a meeting of the 25-member Politburo led by President Xi Jinping on Friday, Xinhua said.The committee will discuss key issues about maintaining and improving China's socialist system and national governance, according to Xinhua, which didn't announce specific dates. The committee hasn't convened since recommending an end to the constitutional limits on Xi's tenure in February 2018.The party hasn't gone so long without such a meeting since late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping launched his "Reform and Opening Up" campaign more than 40 years ago. China has offered no explanation for the change.While the plenum comes at a point in the party's five-year political cycle that's usually reserved for setting economic policies, the Xinhua report suggested an agenda that was more political. The report said the committee would enact policy to ensure the party was governed "in accordance with the law."The leaders will meet during a period of triumphant anniversaries for the ruling party, with Xi expected to preside over a military parade to mark the country's 70th anniversary on Oct. 1. In the weeks following, the People's Republic of China will surpass the Soviet Union as the longest-lasting communist state.China is facing greater international push back as U.S. President Donald Trump piles tariffs on the country's goods in an effort to secure trade concessions. That dispute has exacerbated concerns about the China's economic slowdown and contributed to diplomatic tensions over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and American military support for Taiwan.The plenum will be the fourth Central Committee conclave since Xi secured a second term as the party's general secretary in October 2017. In February 2018, the committee held an additional summit to discuss ending the constitutional provision that barred China's head of state from serving more than two consecutive terms -- paving the way to Xi staying in power indefinitely.\--With assistance from Peter Martin and Ryan Lovdahl.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Sharon Chen in Singapore at schen462@bloomberg.net;Dandan Li in Beijing at dli395@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Shamim AdamFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Brexit: PM Johnson faces mounting legal, political, diplomatic challenges Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:03 AM PDT ![Brexit: PM Johnson faces mounting legal, political, diplomatic challenges]( "Brexit: PM Johnson faces mounting legal, political, diplomatic challenges") LONDON/HELSINKI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit plan was facing mounting legal, political and diplomatic challenges on Friday as Ireland accused Britain of being unreasonable and former British leader John Major sought to stop the suspension of parliament. The ultimate outcome of Britain's tortuous three-year Brexit crisis remains unclear with options ranging from a frantic departure without an exit deal or a last-minute agreement to an election or referendum that could cancel the whole endeavour.
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| UK's Johnson says lawmaker attempts to stop no-deal Brexit make it more likely Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:03 AM PDT ![UK's Johnson says lawmaker attempts to stop no-deal Brexit make it more likely]( "UK's Johnson says lawmaker attempts to stop no-deal Brexit make it more likely") Lawmakers who are seeking to block a no-deal Brexit are making it more likely that Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday. Johnson has pledged that Britain will leave the EU on Oct. 31, either with or without a deal, and has said that keeping a no-deal Brexit on the table strengthens Britain's hand in seeking a new deal with the bloc. "The more the parliamentarians try to block the no-deal Brexit, the more likely it is that we'll end up in that situation," Johnson told the BBC.
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| Australia downgrades outlook for Great Barrier Reef to 'very poor' Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:53 AM PDT  Australia downgraded the Great Barrier Reef's long-term outlook to "very poor" for the first time on Friday, as the world heritage site struggles with "escalating" climate change. In its latest five-yearly report on the health of the world's largest coral reef system, the government's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority singled out rising sea temperatures as the biggest threat to the giant organism. "The significant and large-scale impacts from record-breaking sea surface temperatures have resulted in coral reef habitat transitioning from poor to very poor condition," the government agency said. "Climate change is escalating and is the most significant threat to the Region's long-term outlook. "Significant global action to address climate change is critical to slowing deterioration of the Reef's ecosystem and heritage values and supporting recovery," it said. But the agency added that the threats to the 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) reef were "multiple, cumulative and increasing" and, in addition to warming seas, included agricultural run-off and coral-eating crown of thorns starfish. The biggest reefs in the world The agency said the outlook downgrade from "poor" in 2014 to "very poor" now reflected the greater expanse of coral deterioration across the massive reef, notably following back-to-back coral bleaching events caused by sea temperature spikes in 2016 and 2017. "The window of opportunity to improve the reef's long-term future is now," it said. The conservative Australian government has faced criticism from environmentalists for favouring an expansion of its massive coal mining and export industry over action to curb climate change. The United Nations had asked to receive the latest update on the reef's health by December so that it can determine whether the site can retain its world heritage status when UNESCO next considers the issue in 2020. The reef is estimated to be worth at least $4 billion (£3.3 bn) a year to the Australian economy - serving as a magnet for tourists and emblem of the country.
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| Italian Fiasco Proves One Thing About the Far Right Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:40 AM PDT ![Italian Fiasco Proves One Thing About the Far Right]( "Italian Fiasco Proves One Thing About the Far Right") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Political parties of the far right make unreliable, even disastrous, coalition partners. The history of governments that involve them, the latest of which has just collapsed in Italy, should be a warning to their mainstream rivals.The center-right Christian Democrats in the German state of Saxony would do well to pay particular attention. It's possible they may form a minority government backed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) after an election on Sept. 1.In the last 20 years, far right parties have occasionally entered into governments or supported center-right minority administrations. Arguably, these deals have worked well in only two cases: Italy, where the Northern League held three or four portfolios in a string of governments led by Silvio Berlusconi, and Denmark, where the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party supported minority cabinets led by Anders Fogh Rasmussen.But in both these cases, the far right was kept at a certain distance from the center of power, merely getting a chance to push through some of their favorite policies.More ambitious experiments have failed miserably. In the Netherlands, a 2002 coalition that included the anti-immigrant Pim Fortuyn List only lasted 87 days, and a second attempt at cooperation, in which Geert Wilders agreed to support liberal Mark Rutte's cabinet in 2010, fell apart spectacularly at Wilders' initiative. Rutte never attempted a similar alliance again.In Austria in the 2000s, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel presided over a scandal-ridden government with the far right Freedom Party (FPOe) that didn't last a full legislative term; then, during a second iteration of the coalition, the FPOe broke apart. In 2017, Sebastian Kurz made another attempt to work with the FPOe, but it ended in a spectacular scandal earlier this year.In Finland, the nationalist Finns party got into government in 2015, only to leave the coalition in 2017 after splitting in two.Matteo Salvini deserves a place of honor on this list. The leader of Italy's League party stabbed his coalition partners from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in the back earlier this month. Then, when it became apparent Five Star could form an alternative government with the center-left Democratic Party, he begged them to come back, even offering their leader Luigi di Maio the prime minister's post. I doubt, however, that they will ever want to play ball again: More likely, they will write off Salvini as Rutte wrote off Wilders.Back in 2003, Austrian political scientist Reinhard Heinisch discussed the roots of the far right's sorry performance in public office in a paper aptly titled "Success in opposition – failure in government.""Their nature as relatively de-institutionalized parties oriented toward charismatic personalities and as organizations seeking to maintain 'movement character' while engaging in spectacular forms of self-presentation is a poor match for the specific constraints of public office," he wrote. "Populist parties frequently lack both the proper mechanisms of resolving intra-party disputes and experienced policy makers capable of translating the programmatic agenda into policy. The situation is usually exacerbated if such movements are forced into a coalition."In one way or another, the far right parties' failures are all ones of execution. They find it hard to implement what they preach, their charismatic leaders lack the checks and balances to prevent miscalculations, while their internal conflicts are too public and too emotional. A lack of ideological moderation translates into instability and errors of strategy. What helps these parties to win elections – the emotional connection they make with voters, the simplicity of their slogans – tends to undermine them in government.Heinisch recently remembered his old paper in connection with the Austrian and Italian far right parties' fiascos:All this should be a warning for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union in Saxony. The east German state is home to some of the most vocal AfD supporters, and the CDU faces a powerful challenge from the anti-immigrant, nationalist party.The latest polls show the CDU more or less comfortably ahead. Even if it wins, however, there is no comfortable path for it to form a majority coalition. While a straight alliance with the AfD is impossible because the CDU's central leadership would never allow it, the two parties have close ties on the local level. Deep down, many of the CDU's more conservative supporters sympathize with much of the AfD's agenda. That could lead the CDU to form a minority administration that would be "tolerated" by the AfD, along the lines of Rasmussen's Danish governments or Rutte's 2010 experiment in the Netherlands.Usually, I'm in favor of trying to draw the far right into the political mainstream. Doing so helps to overcome radical voters' sense of being excluded from democratic politics while educating them about the impossibility of some of the promises their favorite politicians make. But any center-right politician trying their hand at this game should be aware it has an abnormally high probability of failure: The very nature of the far right resists, if not completely precludes, success in coalition government. The CDU certainly doesn't need a failed experiment on its hands before the 2021 general election.To contact the author of this story: Leonid Bershidsky at lbershidsky@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Edward Evans at eevans3@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Leonid Bershidsky is Bloomberg Opinion's Europe columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Italian Fiasco Proves One Thing About the Far Right Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:40 AM PDT ![Italian Fiasco Proves One Thing About the Far Right]( "Italian Fiasco Proves One Thing About the Far Right") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Political parties of the far right make unreliable, even disastrous, coalition partners. The history of governments that involve them, the latest of which has just collapsed in Italy, should be a warning to their mainstream rivals.The center-right Christian Democrats in the German state of Saxony would do well to pay particular attention. It's possible they may form a minority government backed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) after an election on Sept. 1.In the last 20 years, far right parties have occasionally entered into governments or supported center-right minority administrations. Arguably, these deals have worked well in only two cases: Italy, where the Northern League held three or four portfolios in a string of governments led by Silvio Berlusconi, and Denmark, where the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party supported minority cabinets led by Anders Fogh Rasmussen.But in both these cases, the far right was kept at a certain distance from the center of power, merely getting a chance to push through some of their favorite policies.More ambitious experiments have failed miserably. In the Netherlands, a 2002 coalition that included the anti-immigrant Pim Fortuyn List only lasted 87 days, and a second attempt at cooperation, in which Geert Wilders agreed to support liberal Mark Rutte's cabinet in 2010, fell apart spectacularly at Wilders' initiative. Rutte never attempted a similar alliance again.In Austria in the 2000s, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel presided over a scandal-ridden government with the far right Freedom Party (FPOe) that didn't last a full legislative term; then, during a second iteration of the coalition, the FPOe broke apart. In 2017, Sebastian Kurz made another attempt to work with the FPOe, but it ended in a spectacular scandal earlier this year.In Finland, the nationalist Finns party got into government in 2015, only to leave the coalition in 2017 after splitting in two.Matteo Salvini deserves a place of honor on this list. The leader of Italy's League party stabbed his coalition partners from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in the back earlier this month. Then, when it became apparent Five Star could form an alternative government with the center-left Democratic Party, he begged them to come back, even offering their leader Luigi di Maio the prime minister's post. I doubt, however, that they will ever want to play ball again: More likely, they will write off Salvini as Rutte wrote off Wilders.Back in 2003, Austrian political scientist Reinhard Heinisch discussed the roots of the far right's sorry performance in public office in a paper aptly titled "Success in opposition – failure in government.""Their nature as relatively de-institutionalized parties oriented toward charismatic personalities and as organizations seeking to maintain 'movement character' while engaging in spectacular forms of self-presentation is a poor match for the specific constraints of public office," he wrote. "Populist parties frequently lack both the proper mechanisms of resolving intra-party disputes and experienced policy makers capable of translating the programmatic agenda into policy. The situation is usually exacerbated if such movements are forced into a coalition."In one way or another, the far right parties' failures are all ones of execution. They find it hard to implement what they preach, their charismatic leaders lack the checks and balances to prevent miscalculations, while their internal conflicts are too public and too emotional. A lack of ideological moderation translates into instability and errors of strategy. What helps these parties to win elections – the emotional connection they make with voters, the simplicity of their slogans – tends to undermine them in government.Heinisch recently remembered his old paper in connection with the Austrian and Italian far right parties' fiascos:All this should be a warning for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union in Saxony. The east German state is home to some of the most vocal AfD supporters, and the CDU faces a powerful challenge from the anti-immigrant, nationalist party.The latest polls show the CDU more or less comfortably ahead. Even if it wins, however, there is no comfortable path for it to form a majority coalition. While a straight alliance with the AfD is impossible because the CDU's central leadership would never allow it, the two parties have close ties on the local level. Deep down, many of the CDU's more conservative supporters sympathize with much of the AfD's agenda. That could lead the CDU to form a minority administration that would be "tolerated" by the AfD, along the lines of Rasmussen's Danish governments or Rutte's 2010 experiment in the Netherlands.Usually, I'm in favor of trying to draw the far right into the political mainstream. Doing so helps to overcome radical voters' sense of being excluded from democratic politics while educating them about the impossibility of some of the promises their favorite politicians make. But any center-right politician trying their hand at this game should be aware it has an abnormally high probability of failure: The very nature of the far right resists, if not completely precludes, success in coalition government. The CDU certainly doesn't need a failed experiment on its hands before the 2021 general election.To contact the author of this story: Leonid Bershidsky at lbershidsky@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Edward Evans at eevans3@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Leonid Bershidsky is Bloomberg Opinion's Europe columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 1-Brexit: N.Irish court sets Sept. 6 for challenge to parliament suspension Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:17 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Brexit: N.Irish court sets Sept. 6 for challenge to parliament suspension]( "UPDATE 1-Brexit: N.Irish court sets Sept. 6 for challenge to parliament suspension") A legal challenge seeking to place an interim block on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's order to suspend parliament will be heard in a Northern Irish court next week, a judge said on Friday. Johnson's decision this week to suspend parliament for more than a month before Brexit has enraged opponents who have taken to the courts in Edinburgh, Belfast and London to try to stop him. At a hearing in Belfast's High Court, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan set Sept. 6 for the presentation of legal argument on the interim injunction that is being sought by a rights activist seeking to have the suspension reversed.
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| Africa’s Sahel Region Urgently Needs the World’s Help Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Strong and sustained global growth has enabled living standards throughout most of the world to converge on an upward course. Even throughout Africa, the world's poorest continent, there have been drastic improvements in health, education and governance. Countries such as Ethiopia and Tanzania are seeing the start of industrialization.Yet a few parts of the world remain mired in desperate poverty. The largest and most troubled of these is the Sahel region of Africa — the long strip of arid land along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. Its outline is hard to define, and doesn't overlap well with existing national boundaries, but generally the Sahel includes Mali, Niger, Chad, South Sudan, Burkina Faso and the northern half of Nigeria, as well as smaller pieces of several other countries.These are not quite the world's poorest countries — that distinction probably belongs to a few war-torn nations in central Africa — but they are close. And in terms of human development, the Sahel lags behind essentially everywhere else. Its child mortality rates are higher even than those of Ghana and other nearby countries:The Sahel lags in education as well, as a detailed map by epidemiologist Simon Hay shows. And literacy rates are extraordinarily low:When the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative combined various measures of health, education and living standards to create an index of multidimensional poverty, the Sahel stood out starkly.Why is the Sahel doing so badly? The region is landlocked, which means it has little sea-based trade. And except for South Sudan, which has significant oil deposits, Sahel countries have relatively few natural resources. Most people have to subsist on farming or herding.But farming and herding are being threatened by desertification. Poverty has led the people of the Sahel to cut down their forests, overgraze their animals and over-cultivate their land — making already marginal areas unfit for habitation as the vast Sahara creeps south. Climate change, bringing ever more frequent droughts, only makes things worse.Meanwhile, the Sahel's population is soaring. Even as fertility has fallen elsewhere in Africa, most women in the Sahel are still having more than five children each, expanding the population exponentially. By 2100, Nigeria is projected to have 733 million people — the third most in the world. Most of that growth will occur in the country's Sahelian north, where fertility rates are highest. With every passing minute, the number of Nigerians in extreme poverty rises by six.The exploding population stands to make the Sahel's plight global, if waves of destitute migrants and refugees swamp neighboring African countries and threaten their hard-won economic development. Many may also try moving to Europe, testing developed countries' immigration systems. Such an outflow will be exacerbated by conflicts over scarce resources. South Sudan and Mali already have civil wars, and the struggle against the Islamist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, Niger and Chad has claimed tens of thousands of lives.The only real hope is for the U.S. and other rich countries, as well as international development agencies such as the United Nations and World Bank, to step in. Foreign aid to Sahel countries is already substantial — but money paid to governments doesn't efficiently address the region's basic problems. Instead, donors should target education, health and the environment. More schools, especially for girls, will improve literacy, boost economic growth and enable family planning. More health clinics will reduce infant mortality. And reforestation and improved land use will help slow the desert's advance.As a major front in the fight against global poverty, the Sahel needs more attention and aid, or the consequences could be dire.To contact the author of this story: Noah Smith at nsmith150@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Mary Duenwald at mduenwald@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Noah Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Boris Johnson’s Plan to Suspend Parliament Survives Early Court Test Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:53 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A Scottish judge refused to block Boris Johnson's plan to suspend Parliament, dealing a blow to lawmakers who argued that there isn't enough time to thwart a no-deal Brexit.Judge Raymond Doherty in Edinburgh held off granting an emergency injunction against the prime minister's plan, saying that there is time to hold more hearings on the issue next week. A Belfast court on Friday also put off a decision on whether to issue an injunction, giving more time for the situation in Westminster to develop before addressing the question.Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament in the run up to the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline has unleashed a wave of opposition from lawmakers who say the move will make a no-deal split from the European Union more likely.The decisions to push the hearings into next week set up what could be the "most important week in modern British history," Ian Murray, one of the lawmakers involved in the Scottish case, said in a statement.Ruling on the Scottish challenge, brought by more than 70 lawmakers, Doherty said that while he isn't satisfied there's a "cogent need" for an interim injunction against Parliament's suspension, it's "in the interest of justice that this proceeds sooner rather than later." A full hearing in the case was moved up to Sept. 3.Meanwhile, a third legal challenge to Parliament's suspension, by the businesswoman Gina Miller and the former Prime Minister John Major, is due to get an initial review on Sept. 5.The lawmakers in the Scottish case had argued that the government's advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament for as long as five weeks was unconstitutional because it curtailed debate in Westminster. Doherty declined to make any findings on the lawmakers' underlying case and limited his ruling to the timing of an injunction.The cases will likely end up in front of the U.K. Supreme Court in London, which may have to cut its traditional summer break to review the matter. The tight time line and the multiple judicial reviews will be a "complicating factor for the government," said Richard Clayton, a London appellate lawyer."They've not built it into their timetable," said Clayton, who isn't involved in the case. "This is a serious problem for the government regardless of the outcome."\--With assistance from Peter Flanagan and Franz Wild.To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Browning in London at jbrowning9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Kaye WigginsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Hong Kong Police Warn of More Arrests After Sweep of Activists Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:35 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong police arrested prominent opposition figures including Joshua Wong -- and warned other protesters could share their fate at illegal demonstrations this weekend -- raising tensions as authorities seek to quell pro-democracy demonstrations that have raged for almost three months.The 22-year-old Wong, who was scheduled to speak about the protests in the U.S. next month, was among well-known pro-democracy activists arrested by police on Thursday and Friday. Those arrested included Wong's fellow leader of 2014 Occupy protests, Agnes Chow; independence advocate Andy Chan; and District Councilor Rick Hui.Police said more than 20 people were arrested since Thursday, and warned at a briefing Friday that others could be charged if they take part in protests without official approval. A colonial statute passed during a wave of deadly riots in the 1960s allows authorities to the power to imprison those who participate in unlawful assemblies for as long as five years and more than 900 have been arrested on a variety of charges since June.The arrests were part of a broader push back against the largely leaderless protest movement, which flared up in June over now-suspended legislation allowing extraditions to China before widening into a broader push for more democracy. The Civil Human Rights Front -- the organizer of the biggest recent demonstrations -- said Friday it was forced to cancel a rally planned for Saturday after police withheld approval.The crisis in the former British colony threatens to distract from Chinese President Xi Jinping's celebrations of 70 years of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1, which will highlight the country's rebound from imperialism, war and inner turmoil. Hong Kong's embattled chief executive, Carrie Lam, earlier this week called for a dialogue with the opposition, while refusing to rule out invoking a sweeping colonial-era law that allows for easier arrests, deportations, censorship and property seizures."We still keep on our fight and we shall not surrender," Wong told reporters as he and Chow emerged from court after being released on bail on charges related by unlawful assembly. "I urge the international community to send a message to President Xi, sending troops or using emergency ordinance is not the way out."The summer's political unrest has been the worst since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, with demonstrations that have resulted in often-violent clashes between protesters and police. Political observers said the moves ran the risk of drawing more people into the streets for unauthorized rallies, which can more easily get out of hand."Such actions are tantamount to inciting trouble at a time when the government is talking about dialogue and trying to lower the temperature," said Kevin Yam, a political commentator and member of Hong Kong's pro-democracy Progressive Lawyers Group. "You can't on the one hand say, 'Let's lower the temperature, let's talk, let's make nice,' and on the other hand do something like this."Ronny Tong, a member of Lam's advisory Executive Council, acknowledged that "the timing could have been better," said said he had faith in Hong Kong's rule of law and the police."The most important thing is that Hong Kong is a place where the rule of law still is alive and kicking," Tong said. "We have a very able and independent judiciary. And the police know that. They know that unless they have a reasonable chance of a conviction, they would not try to arrest somebody at random only to give out a political message."Separately, Reuters reported Chinese authorities had earlier this month rejected a Hong Kong government proposal to formally withdraw extradition legislation that sparked the protests. The bill's withdrawal and an independent inquiry into the unrest were seen as the most feasible compromises, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed senior Hong Kong government official.Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. warned employees not to take part in a general strike planned for next week, after the airline's chief executive, Rupert Hogg, stepped down to take responsibility for the uproar over airline staff's participation in earlier actions. Two other organizers of recent protests, including CHRF leader Jimmy Sham and Max Chung, were attacked Thursday in the latest of several reported incidents of mob violence against activists.891 Arrests, 2,071 Tear-Gas Canisters: Hong Kong's Protests By the NumbersTaiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen -- who has helped resuscitate her re-election prospects by criticizing Beijing's handling of the protests -- was among the first officials to express concern about the arrests. She called on authorities to comply with their promises of democracy, freedom and human rights to the city's people, according to a statement from her office.While the three arrested activists are among Hong Kong's most prominent opposition voices --- Wong was the subject of a Netflix documentary titled "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower" -- none was seen as a central figure in the recent protests. The decentralized movement relies on social media apps and chat rooms to propose and revise protest plans on the fly.Still, Wong has come under scrutiny for his meetings with U.S. officials, with China's foreign ministry singling out one particular meeting with a U.S. diplomat. Wong was also planning to travel to the U.S. in September to speak out against what he described as authorities' plans to establish "martial law" ahead of the National Day holiday.Countdown to 2047: What Will Happen to Hong Kong?: QuickTakeThe latest charges against Wong resulted from his role in a June 21 rally, in which he encouraged demonstrators to surround the police headquarters complex in Wan Chai, days after his release from jail on separate protest-related charges. Chan, the pro-independence founder of the banned Hong Kong National Party, said in a post on his personal Facebook page that he was stopped at the city's airport departures area on Thursday night."They're trying to plant a seed of fear in people's minds, so that people will stop from attending protests, either the one tomorrow or ones in the future," said Alvin Yeung, a pro-democracy lawmaker. "But my judgment is they won't succeed, because Hong Kong people are very brave."(Updates with Executive Council member comments in eighth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Sheryl Tian Tong Lee and Shawna Kwan.To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.net;Annie Lee in Hong Kong at olee42@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump Deserves a Primary Challenge, But Not From These Guys Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:30 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- What is the point of a primary campaign against President Donald Trump?Denying him the Republican presidential nomination in 2020 is not realistic. While some Republicans still oppose Trump, they're a small fraction of the party. Many other Republicans have reservations and objections to Trump, but don't want to see a Democrat in the White House. (An increasing fear of handing the presidency to the other party is likely the reason incumbent presidents have rarely faced primary challenges in recent decades.)The prospects are too daunting for ambitious Republican politicians to jump into the race. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who may have a future as a Republican in national office, won't run. The reluctance of such figures leaves anti-Trump Republicans with less compelling candidates.Bill Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, last won an election 25 years ago. Joe Walsh served one term as a congressman from Illinois; that fact and his party affiliation are the only things he has in common with Abraham Lincoln. Mark Sanford has experience with a primary campaign that beat an incumbent — but he was the incumbent in question, losing the nomination for his House seat last year. Trump's strength among Republicans is thus self-reinforcing: It keeps strong challengers out of the primary, making his hold on the nomination even firmer.What we are talking about, then, is a protest candidacy: a way for anti-Trump Republicans to register their opposition to the president and their support for the values that underlie that opposition. The campaign's backers would of course want their candidate to become president if (several bolts of) lightning should strike. But a merely respectable showing would demonstrate the continuing relevance of a non-Trumpist conservatism and could help to set the direction of the party after Trump -- especially if he either loses in November 2020 or has a second term that Republicans come to see as a failure.The Republicans and conservatives who oppose Trump do so chiefly on grounds of character. Many of them disagree with particular policies of his, too, especially on trade and immigration. But the criticism that unites them is characterological. Many of them supported Mitt Romney, for example, even though he threatened tariffs on China and promised "self-deportation" for illegal immigrants.The critics object to Trump's impulsiveness, his conspiracy theorizing, his dishonesty, his bigoted remarks, his poor judgment in associates, and so on. It follows that a plausible candidate against Trump – plausible, again, in the sense of offering a reasonable way to lodge a protest, not in the sense of having a high probability of winning – would have to be someone who can make a credible case against Trump's character. The candidate would not have to be a saint, but would have to pass minimal tests such as not having spread bigoted conspiracy theories himself.Walsh by his own admission cannot pass that test: He repeatedly and falsely claimed that President Barack Obama was a Muslim, and treated it as a mark against him. He has repudiated those remarks, which is laudable. It would also be laudable if he confined himself to a supporting role in any campaign against Trump.Sanford is a closer case. His infidelity to his former wife should not by itself be disqualifying, I think, especially against Trump. It does, however, undermine his ability to critique Trump. Perhaps more important, he seems inclined to run a campaign based on entitlement reform: a good and important cause, but not the top issue for most Trump opponents or any other large number of voters.That's not to deny that an anti-Trump candidate would have to outline positions on policy issues. That imperative raises another problem: Conservative opponents of Trump are more unified in detesting his character than they are on issues. It appears that most of the Republicans who are disaffected in the Trump era are socially moderate -- but not all of them are.I suspect that the protest candidate with the broadest possible support would be socially conservative. We know that Republicans, and people who used to consider themselves Republicans before Trump, are generally willing to vote for candidates who oppose abortion and gun control even if they themselves do not. They voted for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, after all. Right-leaning voters on the other side of those issues are much less inclined to overlook them when casting their votes. To put it another way: I'm pretty critical of Trump, but if he and Weld were the only candidates on the primary ballot, I'd probably write in a third name.The criteria for a promising protest candidate are thus not especially stringent. He or she needs to be a conservative, without a large asterisk, with a record of sanity and decency. Surely in this great and large nation, anti-Trump Republicans can find someone who meets them.To contact the author of this story: Ramesh Ponnuru at rponnuru@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a senior editor at National Review, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to CBS News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump Deserves a Primary Challenge, But Not From These Guys Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:30 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- What is the point of a primary campaign against President Donald Trump?Denying him the Republican presidential nomination in 2020 is not realistic. While some Republicans still oppose Trump, they're a small fraction of the party. Many other Republicans have reservations and objections to Trump, but don't want to see a Democrat in the White House. (An increasing fear of handing the presidency to the other party is likely the reason incumbent presidents have rarely faced primary challenges in recent decades.)The prospects are too daunting for ambitious Republican politicians to jump into the race. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who may have a future as a Republican in national office, won't run. The reluctance of such figures leaves anti-Trump Republicans with less compelling candidates.Bill Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, last won an election 25 years ago. Joe Walsh served one term as a congressman from Illinois; that fact and his party affiliation are the only things he has in common with Abraham Lincoln. Mark Sanford has experience with a primary campaign that beat an incumbent — but he was the incumbent in question, losing the nomination for his House seat last year. Trump's strength among Republicans is thus self-reinforcing: It keeps strong challengers out of the primary, making his hold on the nomination even firmer.What we are talking about, then, is a protest candidacy: a way for anti-Trump Republicans to register their opposition to the president and their support for the values that underlie that opposition. The campaign's backers would of course want their candidate to become president if (several bolts of) lightning should strike. But a merely respectable showing would demonstrate the continuing relevance of a non-Trumpist conservatism and could help to set the direction of the party after Trump -- especially if he either loses in November 2020 or has a second term that Republicans come to see as a failure.The Republicans and conservatives who oppose Trump do so chiefly on grounds of character. Many of them disagree with particular policies of his, too, especially on trade and immigration. But the criticism that unites them is characterological. Many of them supported Mitt Romney, for example, even though he threatened tariffs on China and promised "self-deportation" for illegal immigrants.The critics object to Trump's impulsiveness, his conspiracy theorizing, his dishonesty, his bigoted remarks, his poor judgment in associates, and so on. It follows that a plausible candidate against Trump – plausible, again, in the sense of offering a reasonable way to lodge a protest, not in the sense of having a high probability of winning – would have to be someone who can make a credible case against Trump's character. The candidate would not have to be a saint, but would have to pass minimal tests such as not having spread bigoted conspiracy theories himself.Walsh by his own admission cannot pass that test: He repeatedly and falsely claimed that President Barack Obama was a Muslim, and treated it as a mark against him. He has repudiated those remarks, which is laudable. It would also be laudable if he confined himself to a supporting role in any campaign against Trump.Sanford is a closer case. His infidelity to his former wife should not by itself be disqualifying, I think, especially against Trump. It does, however, undermine his ability to critique Trump. Perhaps more important, he seems inclined to run a campaign based on entitlement reform: a good and important cause, but not the top issue for most Trump opponents or any other large number of voters.That's not to deny that an anti-Trump candidate would have to outline positions on policy issues. That imperative raises another problem: Conservative opponents of Trump are more unified in detesting his character than they are on issues. It appears that most of the Republicans who are disaffected in the Trump era are socially moderate -- but not all of them are.I suspect that the protest candidate with the broadest possible support would be socially conservative. We know that Republicans, and people who used to consider themselves Republicans before Trump, are generally willing to vote for candidates who oppose abortion and gun control even if they themselves do not. They voted for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, after all. Right-leaning voters on the other side of those issues are much less inclined to overlook them when casting their votes. To put it another way: I'm pretty critical of Trump, but if he and Weld were the only candidates on the primary ballot, I'd probably write in a third name.The criteria for a promising protest candidate are thus not especially stringent. He or she needs to be a conservative, without a large asterisk, with a record of sanity and decency. Surely in this great and large nation, anti-Trump Republicans can find someone who meets them.To contact the author of this story: Ramesh Ponnuru at rponnuru@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a senior editor at National Review, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to CBS News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Sanctions-hit Lebanese bank denies Hezbollah ties Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:55 AM PDT ![Sanctions-hit Lebanese bank denies Hezbollah ties]( "Sanctions-hit Lebanese bank denies Hezbollah ties") Jammal Trust Bank SAL on Friday rejected allegations that it helps to fund Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and said it plans to appeal against U.S. sanctions. Washington hit the bank and its subsidiaries with sanctions on Thursday for allegedly facilitating the financial activities of the Shi'ite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States is determined to cut off support in Lebanon for heavily armed Hezbollah, which Washington classifies as a terrorist group.
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| Ailing German Economy Doesn’t Need Stimulus, Deutsche Bank Says Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:47 AM PDT ![Ailing German Economy Doesn't Need Stimulus, Deutsche Bank Says]( "Ailing German Economy Doesn't Need Stimulus, Deutsche Bank Says") (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Germany's economy is not yet in the dire straits that would justify stimulus measures, and Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition should resist calls to boost spending, according to Deutsche Bank AG."The government should only act if there is clear evidence that we might be at the brink of a deep recession," Stefan Schneider, the lender's chief economist for Germany, wrote in a note Friday. "Despite the undoubtedly massive economic policy uncertainties we do currently not expect such a scenario."Germany's export-oriented economy is flagging after being slammed by global trade disputes, uncertainty over Brexit and a disruptive technological shift in the automotive industry. The threat of recession has prompted some politicians to join critics of the country's balanced budget policy and call for taxpayer-funded spending programs to boost growth.German Suspicion of Stimulus Risks Too-Late Recession ResponseSchneider said Germany's attempts at macroeconomic fine-tuning in the 1960s and 1970s caused a "stagflation disaster" that should serve as "ample warning for those who believe they are clever enough to make this upswing –- already the longest of the last 50 years -– last forever."A stimulus package would be a "waste of tax money" and the government should instead continue to increase investment in education and infrastructure and promote Germany as a business location, he added. "This would really help to prop up growth in the long run."To contact the reporter on this story: Nicholas Comfort in Frankfurt at ncomfort1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Dale Crofts at dcrofts@bloomberg.net, Iain Rogers, Jana RandowFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Here's What China Said When It Intercepted an U.S. Navy EP-3 Spy Plane Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:28 AM PDT  As we have explained incidents such as this are relatively common.As we have previously reported, a Pentagon spokesman said on Jul. 23, 2017 that the crew of a U.S. Navy EP-3 spy plane had to make evasive actions after an armed Chinese J-10 fighter came within 300 feet of the aircraft.According to U.S. officials the "unsafe" intercept occurred 80 nautical miles from Qingdao, East China Sea.However as reported by Reuters, Ren Guoqiang, China's Ministry of Defense spokesman, said on Jul. 25 replying to a question from a reporter that the intercept was "legal, necessary and professional" and performed "in accordance with the law and the rules. Close-in reconnaissance by U.S. aircraft threatens China's national security, harms Sino-U.S. maritime and air military safety, endangers the personal safety of both sides' pilots and is the root cause of unexpected incidents."Moreover Ren Guoqiang added that the U.S. should immediately stop these military activities, which are unsafe, unprofessional and unfriendly.As we have explained incidents such as this are relatively common.In May in fact, two Chinese J-10s similarly intercepted a U.S. surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea in what the U.S. Navy described as an "unsafe" maneuver. Moreover as we have explained earlier that month, two Chinese Su-30 fighters came within 150 feet of a U.S. Air Force (USAF) WC-135 Constant Phoenix plane, with one flying upside-down directly above it. Moreover in 2001, an intercept of a U.S. Navy EP-3 by a Chinese J-8 fighter jet resulted in a collision that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the American plane to make an emergency landing at a base on Hainan.In a separate news the Pentagon revealed that the U.S. military has carried out another successful test of it's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system."These tests are done as a routine measure to ensure that the system is ready and… they are scheduled well in advance of any other real world geopolitical events going on," said Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis.According to a statement released by Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, director of the Missile Defense Agency, the test has been carried out at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska.Last month the U.S. shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile similar to the ones being developed by countries like North Korea, in a test of the nation's THAAD missile defenses.Noteworthy the U.S. deployed THAAD to South Korea this year to defend the country against North Korea's shorter-range missiles threat. That has drawn fierce criticism from China, which says the system's powerful radar can penetrate deep into its territory.This article by Dario Leone originally appeared on The Aviation Geek Club in 2017.Image: Reuters.
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| In 2017, America's B-1b Lancer Bombers Returned to South Korea yet Again Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:22 AM PDT  The B-1s then flew over the Korean Peninsula where they were joined by four Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-15 fighter jets.In response to North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs and as a part of the continuing demonstration of ironclad U.S. commitment to its allies, two U.S. Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer bombers under the command of U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), joined their counterparts from the Republic of Korea and Japanese air forces in a sequenced bilateral missions on Jul. 29, 2017.According to a PACAF news release, this mission is in direct response to North Korea's escalatory launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on Jul. 3 and Jul. 28."North Korea remains the most urgent threat to regional stability," said Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, PACAF commander. "Diplomacy remains the lead; however, we have a responsibility to our allies and our nation to showcase our unwavering commitment while planning for the worst-case scenario. If called upon, we are ready to respond with rapid, lethal, and overwhelming force at a time and place of our choosing."Noteworthy after taking off from Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam, the B-1s flew to Japanese airspace, where they were joined by two Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self Defense Force) F-2 fighter jets.The B-1s then flew over the Korean Peninsula where they were joined by four Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-15 fighter jets. The B-1s then performed a low-pass over Osan Air Base, South Korea, before leaving South Korean airspace and returning to Guam.Throughout the approximately 10-hour mission, the aircrews practiced intercept and formation training, enabling them to improve their combined capabilities and tactical skills, while also strengthening the long standing military-to-military relationships in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.U.S. Pacific Command maintains flexible bomber and fighter capabilities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific theater, retaining the ability to quickly respond to any regional threat in order to defend the U.S. homeland and in support of U.S. allies.This article by Dario Leone originally appeared on The Aviation Geek Club in 2017.Image: DVIDShub.
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| Lawmakers Lose Initial Bid to Block Johnson’s Parliament Plan Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:17 AM PDT ![Lawmakers Lose Initial Bid to Block Johnson's Parliament Plan]( "Lawmakers Lose Initial Bid to Block Johnson's Parliament Plan") (Bloomberg) -- A Scottish judge refused to block Boris Johnson's plan to suspend Parliament, dealing a blow to lawmakers who argued that there isn't enough time to thwart a no-deal Brexit.Judge Raymond Doherty in Edinburgh held off granting an emergency injunction against the prime minister's plan saying that there is time to hold more hearings on the issue next week. He decided not to make any findings on the merits of the lawmakers' overall case.To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Browning in London at jbrowning9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| France to begin 1-month no deal Brexit dress rehearsal- minister Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:14 AM PDT ![France to begin 1-month no deal Brexit dress rehearsal- minister]( "France to begin 1-month no deal Brexit dress rehearsal- minister") France will test run measures it has prepared for Britain's exit from Europe for a month so that companies are fully-prepared ahead of Britain leaving the bloc at the end of October, its minister in charge of customs said on Friday. Gerald Darmanin will meet Michael Gove, the British minister in charge of coordinating 'no-deal' Brexit planning, in Calais later on Friday to show how France is preparing for Britain's departure from the EU on Oct. 31. Businesses have been warning of long tailbacks for lorries transporting goods between mainland Europe and Britain, and the British government has said most goods from the EU will be allowed into Britain without full customs checks for at least three months if there is a no deal Brexit.
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