| AP source: Otto Warmbier's parents to have dinner with Trump Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:42 PM PDT  President Donald Trump planned to have dinner Saturday with the parents of an American college student who died in 2017 shortly after being freed from captivity in North Korea. An administration official said Trump was to host the parents of Otto Warmbier, who was convicted of trying to steal a propaganda poster while in the North Korea capital and spent 17 months in prison. Trump's ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, was expected to join the dinner.
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| UK PM claims huge progress in Brexit talks Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:35 PM PDT  Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday he was making a "huge amount of progress" towards a Brexit deal with the EU, in an interview in which he compared Britain to the Incredible Hulk. "It's going to take a lot of work between now and October 17" when EU leaders gather for their final summit before Britain's scheduled exit from the bloc, he told the Mail on Sunday newspaper. In an odd analogy, Johnson compared Britain to the comic book character Hulk.
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| Lindsey Graham Says U.S. Should Consider Iran Attack That Would 'Break Regime's Back' Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:01 PM PDT  "Iran will not stop their misbehavior until the consequences become more real," the senator said after a drone attack on Saudi oil facilities.
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| Still reeling from Dorian, Bahamas hit by tropical storm Posted: 14 Sep 2019 04:51 PM PDT  Tropical Storm Humberto moved away from the Bahamas on Saturday after dumping rain on parts of the archipelago's northwest region that were already hammered by Hurricane Dorian two weeks ago. Humberto dropped rain on the islands as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres visited the Bahamas to support humanitarian efforts in the wake of Dorian, which hit as a Category 5 storm that left thousands in need of food, water and shelter.
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| Pompeo blames Iran for major attack on Saudi oil facility amid high regional tensions Posted: 14 Sep 2019 04:01 PM PDT  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday blamed Iran for a massive attack on a critical Saudi oil facility that has put the region on high alert. Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen claimed responsibility for the assault, which was conducted using drones and hit the world's largest oil processing facility hundreds of miles from the Saudi-Yemen border. Saudi Aramco, the massive state-run firm, said oil production, at least temporarily, would be reduced to about 50% capacity, a difference of approximately 5.7 million barrels per day.
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| UPDATE 1-UK's Johnson, likening himself to Incredible Hulk, vows Oct. 31 Brexit Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:01 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-UK's Johnson, likening himself to Incredible Hulk, vows Oct. 31 Brexit]( "UPDATE 1-UK's Johnson, likening himself to Incredible Hulk, vows Oct. 31 Brexit") British Prime Minister Boris Johnson likened himself to the unruly comic book character The Incredible Hulk late on Saturday in a newspaper interview where he stressed his determination to take Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31. The Mail on Sunday newspaper reported that Johnson said he would find a way to circumvent a recent parliament vote ordering him to delay Brexit rather than take Britain out of the EU without a transition deal to ease the economic shock. "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets," Johnson was quoted as saying.
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| Trump Lends Saudi Crown Prince U.S. Support In Phone Call After Attack Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:59 PM PDT  A fiery drone strike disrupted oil production at two giant Saudi facilities over the weekend. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blames Iran.
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| Saudi Arabia Drone Attack Is a Strike at Oil’s Future Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- We're about to find out just how laid back the oil market really is. It has shrugged off sanctions on Iran, exploding tankers and drones getting shot down over the Strait of Hormuz. But this weekend's strike against Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq processing facility – perhaps the single most important piece of oil infrastructure on the planet – is of a different order.Saudi Arabia said the attack affected 5.7 million barrels a day of output, or roughly half their production. The more important issue is how long any disruption lasts. It is unclear whether the strike involved drone-fired weapons or missiles or a combination of them. The Abqaiq facility's sheer size, covering more than a square mile, makes it hard to imagine that anything but an overwhelming or extraordinarily sophisticated attack could keep it offline for long. But we just don't know at present. That alone should add some risk premium to oil prices.The prevailing mood in the markets before Saturday was one of uncertainty weighing on prices, largely related to the swings of the trade war and – with the sudden absence of John Bolton from President Donald Trump's ear – whether sanctioned Iranian barrels would find their way back to the market. Now we have some old-style geopolitical intrigue pushing the other way.Even this uncertainty is nuanced, though. On one hand, it was tough to imagine a big breakthrough in U.S.-Iranian relations even before this weekend, Bolton's departure notwithstanding. Now, with Iranian-sponsored Houthi fighters in Yemen claiming responsibility for a strike at the heart of the Saudi Arabian economy – and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo directly blaming Iran for the attack – a meaningful thaw that allows Iranian barrels to replace disrupted Saudi ones seems inconceivable.On the other hand, if Saudi Arabia's output is disrupted for a significant amount of time – meaning weeks at least – Asian buyers seeking heavier grades of crude to feed their refineries will have a reason to try to take more Iranian barrels regardless. We also don't know yet what will happen in terms of strategic stocks being released to offset disrupted Saudi Arabian exports. The International Energy Agency says it is monitoring the situation, but also notes that markets are currently "well supplied," suggesting it expects Saudi Arabia to repair things quickly.What is clear is that the oil market has entered a new and dangerous period. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who spearheaded Saudi Arabia's intervention in Yemen, will almost certainly have to respond, especially if the attack really has knocked out a lot of oil supply for an extended period. In that case, he is also watching his IPO plans for Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Saudi Aramco, literally go up in smoke. And as I wrote here, this is all happening in the context of a change in U.S. engagement in the region: It is aggressive on some fronts, while pulling back on others. Indeed, this escalation could be interpreted as Iran's response to Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign – if Tehran can't export, then neither should Saudi, may be the zero-sum thinking at play here. The chance of miscalculation and further escalation is very high.As much as oil markets usually like nothing more than a bit of strife in this corner of the world, it is ultimately pernicious to the industry's longer-term fortunes. In the short-term, a risk premium combined with absent Saudi barrels would present a windfall opportunity for other producers (including struggling U.S. shale operators). But with growth in consumption flagging already, a geopolitical tax risks piling on pressure even further. Price spikes driven by random violence aren't a substitute for demand-driven strength.Moreover, we are less than five months away from the Iowa caucuses ahead of a presidential election that will be defined in large part by whether and how far the U.S. skirts a possible recession. Trump's sensitivity to pump prices was established during 2018's midterms, so a conflict-driven spike in the coming weeks and months could mean a flock of black swans for the oil market, ranging from releases of strategic reserves to outright bans on oil exports.There is a more existential issue to consider, too. One of the big themes being debated among Democrats ahead of Iowa is climate change. Yet, while polling suggests the issue resonates with an increasing proportion of Americans, history suggests it is pretty tough to get them to focus on energy issues unless, as in 2008, prices are high. That could end up being the case in 2020, if it plays out against a backdrop of Middle Eastern conflict, high pump prices and consequent damage to economic growth.Moreover, Abqaiq's singular importance carries special resonance here. For some, it bolsters the drill-baby-drill line of reasoning, even if that fails to recognize America's interdependence in global energy markets. On the other hand, we have just been reminded of the fragility inherent in an energy system built on centralized supply and extended supply chains. For proponents of energy (and climate) security via electrification and energy efficiency, few things would bolster their arguments better than the spectacle of an oil market thrown into chaos by some drones taking shots at a single facility most people have never heard of.To contact the author of this story: Liam Denning at ldenning1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Beth Williams at bewilliams@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times' Lex column. He was also an investment banker.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Saudi Arabia Drone Attack Is a Strike at Oil’s Future Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- We're about to find out just how laid back the oil market really is. It has shrugged off sanctions on Iran, exploding tankers and drones getting shot down over the Strait of Hormuz. But this weekend's strike against Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq processing facility – perhaps the single most important piece of oil infrastructure on the planet – is of a different order.Saudi Arabia said the attack affected 5.7 million barrels a day of output, or roughly half their production. The more important issue is how long any disruption lasts. It is unclear whether the strike involved drone-fired weapons or missiles or a combination of them. The Abqaiq facility's sheer size, covering more than a square mile, makes it hard to imagine that anything but an overwhelming or extraordinarily sophisticated attack could keep it offline for long. But we just don't know at present. That alone should add some risk premium to oil prices.The prevailing mood in the markets before Saturday was one of uncertainty weighing on prices, largely related to the swings of the trade war and – with the sudden absence of John Bolton from President Donald Trump's ear – whether sanctioned Iranian barrels would find their way back to the market. Now we have some old-style geopolitical intrigue pushing the other way.Even this uncertainty is nuanced, though. On one hand, it was tough to imagine a big breakthrough in U.S.-Iranian relations even before this weekend, Bolton's departure notwithstanding. Now, with Iranian-sponsored Houthi fighters in Yemen claiming responsibility for a strike at the heart of the Saudi Arabian economy – and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo directly blaming Iran for the attack – a meaningful thaw that allows Iranian barrels to replace disrupted Saudi ones seems inconceivable.On the other hand, if Saudi Arabia's output is disrupted for a significant amount of time – meaning weeks at least – Asian buyers seeking heavier grades of crude to feed their refineries will have a reason to try to take more Iranian barrels regardless. We also don't know yet what will happen in terms of strategic stocks being released to offset disrupted Saudi Arabian exports. The International Energy Agency says it is monitoring the situation, but also notes that markets are currently "well supplied," suggesting it expects Saudi Arabia to repair things quickly.What is clear is that the oil market has entered a new and dangerous period. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who spearheaded Saudi Arabia's intervention in Yemen, will almost certainly have to respond, especially if the attack really has knocked out a lot of oil supply for an extended period. In that case, he is also watching his IPO plans for Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Saudi Aramco, literally go up in smoke. And as I wrote here, this is all happening in the context of a change in U.S. engagement in the region: It is aggressive on some fronts, while pulling back on others. Indeed, this escalation could be interpreted as Iran's response to Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign – if Tehran can't export, then neither should Saudi, may be the zero-sum thinking at play here. The chance of miscalculation and further escalation is very high.As much as oil markets usually like nothing more than a bit of strife in this corner of the world, it is ultimately pernicious to the industry's longer-term fortunes. In the short-term, a risk premium combined with absent Saudi barrels would present a windfall opportunity for other producers (including struggling U.S. shale operators). But with growth in consumption flagging already, a geopolitical tax risks piling on pressure even further. Price spikes driven by random violence aren't a substitute for demand-driven strength.Moreover, we are less than five months away from the Iowa caucuses ahead of a presidential election that will be defined in large part by whether and how far the U.S. skirts a possible recession. Trump's sensitivity to pump prices was established during 2018's midterms, so a conflict-driven spike in the coming weeks and months could mean a flock of black swans for the oil market, ranging from releases of strategic reserves to outright bans on oil exports.There is a more existential issue to consider, too. One of the big themes being debated among Democrats ahead of Iowa is climate change. Yet, while polling suggests the issue resonates with an increasing proportion of Americans, history suggests it is pretty tough to get them to focus on energy issues unless, as in 2008, prices are high. That could end up being the case in 2020, if it plays out against a backdrop of Middle Eastern conflict, high pump prices and consequent damage to economic growth.Moreover, Abqaiq's singular importance carries special resonance here. For some, it bolsters the drill-baby-drill line of reasoning, even if that fails to recognize America's interdependence in global energy markets. On the other hand, we have just been reminded of the fragility inherent in an energy system built on centralized supply and extended supply chains. For proponents of energy (and climate) security via electrification and energy efficiency, few things would bolster their arguments better than the spectacle of an oil market thrown into chaos by some drones taking shots at a single facility most people have never heard of.To contact the author of this story: Liam Denning at ldenning1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Beth Williams at bewilliams@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times' Lex column. He was also an investment banker.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 2-United States blames Iran for Saudi attacks, 'pretend' diplomacy Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:00 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-United States blames Iran for Saudi attacks, 'pretend' diplomacy]( "UPDATE 2-United States blames Iran for Saudi attacks, 'pretend' diplomacy") U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday accused Iran of leading attacks on Saudi oil plants that have cut the kingdom's output roughly in half, as he ruled out Yemeni involvement and denounced Tehran for engaging in false diplomacy. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed credit for the attacks on two plants at the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, including the world's biggest petroleum processing facility. Pompeo, however, said on Twitter that there was no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.
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| UK's Johnson says "huge" progress made on N.Irish backstop Posted: 14 Sep 2019 01:52 PM PDT ![UK's Johnson says "huge" progress made on N.Irish backstop]( "UK's Johnson says \"huge\" progress made on N.Irish backstop") British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said huge progress had been made on resolving the Northern Irish backstop sticking point in Brexit talks, in a newspaper interview in which he likened himself to the comic book character The Incredible Hulk. "There's a very, very good conversation going on about how to address the issues of the Northern Irish border. A huge amount of progress is being made," Johnson told the Mail on Sunday, adding that he was "very confident".
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| As Saudi Arabia Burns, Pompeo Blames Iran—and Trump Makes a Lame Claim About Killing Bin Laden’s Son Posted: 14 Sep 2019 01:31 PM PDT  ReutersOn Saturday morning, even as Saudi oil facilities blazed from an unprecedented drone attack, world markets braced for a huge surge in prices, and the prospects of war with Iran loomed large on the smoke-filled horizon, the White House, weirdly, confirmed information leaked in July to the effect that Hamza bin Laden, son of the infamous killed-by-Obama Osama bin Laden, had been snuffed in a U.S. counterterror operation.The statement did not come out as a Trumpian tweet, but as an official press release from the office of the White House press secretary. It didn't say how the younger Bin Laden was killed. It didn't say when. It didn't say where, apart from "the Afghanistan/Pakistan region."Although it's conceivable that it took until now for forensic scientists working on whatever was left of Hamza to confirm his DNA (they presumably have his father's on file), the timing raises questions about the administration's larger foreign policy, mainly whether the president's tough guy credentials can actually coexist with an approach that's been incoherent and, fundamentally, weak.The headline of the week was Trump's dismissal of John Bolton, his third ill-chosen national security adviser. Donald J. Trump said he made all the decisions anyway, so it should be an easy job to fill. But in an increasingly chaotic world where much of the chaos is of Trump's own making, without a strong and knowledgeable adult at the national security council, he is going to find himself, as my daddy used to say, "up shit creek without a paddle."Can Secretary of State Mike Pompeo navigate through the Augean gloom? Probably not in a way that resolves the looming crises to the satisfaction of his narcissistic boss. A few examples: CRIPPLED SAUDI OIL PRODUCTIONIn the dark before dawn on Saturday, a group of Iran-backed Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's enormous Abqaiq oil facility, as well as a large oil field, hundreds of miles from what is considered rebel held territory. The Houthis, as the rebels are called, claim to have sent 10 drones on the attack, a veritable swarm. Years ago, former CIA operative Robert Baer called Abqaiq "the Godzilla of oil-processing facilities" and warned that a moderate-to-severe attack would slow average production by about 5 million barrels a day, equal to about a quarter of the daily consumption in the ever-thirsty United States. As a result of the drone attack Saturday morning, Saudis have indeed cut their oil production by almost half—that is, by 5 million barrels a day. The threat will continue, and we can expect prices to soar. Given the level of logistical and technological sophistication shown by the drone attack, will Iran be blamed? Of course. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did just that by calling it "an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply" and asserting, "There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen."Okay. What will be the response? Will the Saudis dare to retaliate? Will the United States? Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, best known for the butchering of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, is nothing if not impetuous. Will Trump back him up? ... And then what? ROCKET MANTrump may still "love" Kim Jong Un, and dismiss the North Korean tyrant's several test launches of short range ballistic missiles, including those this week, as relatively unimportant. His reasoning: they couldn't come close to hitting the continental United States like the ones tested in 2017. But a detailed report to the United Nations Security Council at the end of August made it perfectly clear that North Korea's development of short range ballistic missiles is directly integrated with its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles perfectly able to hit any city in the U.S. The goal is to use solid rather than liquid fuel, making the missiles much easier to transport and to hide from American satellite surveillance (the capabilities of which America's enemies know more about now, since Trump tweeted a classified satellite photograph earlier this month). All this as North Korea continues to build its arsenal of nuclear warheads.(At the same time, the report to the Security Council said, North Korea continues on a cyber-criminal rampage, stealing huge amounts of money by hacking into accounts or through extortion. Example: the WannaCry ransomware that shut down computer systems all over the world in 2017 and only reopened them for a price paid in bitcoins which then were laundered thoroughly on their way to fill Kim's coffers.) THE TALIBAN AND PUTINJust a week ago, Trump suddenly scuttled a hard-won agreement with the Taliban that he had hoped would set up a reality show allowing him to declare on his electoral resume his own Trump-branded Camp David accords. The key elements of that deal were a ceasefire and a Taliban promise never to harbor terrorists intent on attacking the United States. But as Trump became aware of the agreement's tone, which smacked of an American surrender, he instrumentalized the tragic death of an American soldier in a Taliban attack as a reason to back out. With the agreement "dead," as Trump put it, the Taliban are heading back to the battlefield. They can expect to target Americans whenever they get the chance. And they have told The Daily Beast that they may actually strengthen their ties with what has been of late a relatively low-profile Al Qaeda organization directed not by Hamza bin Laden, but by the venerable Ayman al-Zawahiri for whom the United States remains enemy number one. Adding a further level of complication to the Afghan mess, aTaliban delegation went to Moscow this week to consult with the Russians. Perhaps they think Vladimir Putin can "mediate" in some fashion with the Americans. Trump, for his part, has long believed that his buddy in the Kremlin could help him solve difficult international problems.Hey, thinking outside the box, maybe the Great Disruptor should name Putin as his new national security advisor. Or, you guessed it, maybe he already has.Sami Yousafzai contributed reporting from Islamabad.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. 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| Former Conservative minister Gyimah joins Liberal Democrats over Brexit Posted: 14 Sep 2019 01:03 PM PDT ![Former Conservative minister Gyimah joins Liberal Democrats over Brexit]( "Former Conservative minister Gyimah joins Liberal Democrats over Brexit") Former Conservative minister Sam Gyimah has joined the pro-European Union Liberal Democrat party, barely a week after being expelled from the Conservative grouping in parliament over his opposition to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit plans. Gyimah was one of 21 Conservative legislators kicked out of the parliamentary party after they voted to block Johnson from taking Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 unless he first brokers a new transition deal. It is beyond Brexit - how you conduct politics and the veering towards populism and English nationalism," Gyimah wrote in an article for the Observer newspaper explaining his decision to change parties.
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| Trump, Netanyahu Discuss Possible U.S.-Israel Defense Pact Posted: 14 Sep 2019 12:29 PM PDT ![Trump, Netanyahu Discuss Possible U.S.-Israel Defense Pact]( "Trump, Netanyahu Discuss Possible U.S.-Israel Defense Pact") (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of moving forward with a U.S.-Israeli mutual defense treaty during a phone call on Saturday.The two leaders would continue discussing the possible treaty after Israel's general election on Tuesday and when they meet at the United Nations later in September, Trump said in a series of tweets.Already Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu is heading into the Sept. 17 election with polls showing him neck-and-neck with top rival Benny Gantz, a former Israeli Defense Force Chief of General Staff. Last week, Netanyahu promised to annex a portion of the West Bank if he's re-elected, land Palestinians see as integral to any future state.Netanyahu Denies Report Israel Put Spy Bugs Near White House (1)Netanyahu affirmed Trump's tweets with two of his own and extolled the U.S. president's support for Israel.The UN's 74th General Assembly begins in New York on Sept. 17.(Updates with Netanyahu tweets.)To contact the reporters on this story: Sebastian Tong in San Francisco at stong41@bloomberg.net;Andrew Harris in Washington at aharris16@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sarah Kopit at skopit@bloomberg.net, Tony Czuczka, Linus ChuaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| White House says bin Laden son killed in US operation Posted: 14 Sep 2019 11:53 AM PDT  The White House announced Saturday that Hamza bin Laden , the son of the late al-Qaida leader who had become an increasingly prominent figure in the terrorist organization, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. A statement issued in President Donald Trump's name gave no further details, such as when Hamza bin Laden was killed or how the United States had confirmed his death. Administration officials would provide no more information beyond the three-sentence statement from the White House.
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| Egypt's el-Sissi dismisses corruption allegations Posted: 14 Sep 2019 11:18 AM PDT  In viral social media videos posted over the past week, the entrepreneur alleged large-scale misuse of public funds in the building of luxurious hotels, presidential palaces and a tomb for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's mother who died in 2014. El-Sissi was responding to claims by contractor Mohammed Ali, who said he had worked for the military for 15 years. "The military is a patriotic, honest and firm military.
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| Trump backs a Netanyahu priority ahead of Israeli election Posted: 14 Sep 2019 10:29 AM PDT ![Trump backs a Netanyahu priority ahead of Israeli election]( "Trump backs a Netanyahu priority ahead of Israeli election") President Donald Trump gave a boost Saturday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days before he faces his fiercest political test in more than a decade. Trump publicly expressed support in a tweet for moving forward with discussions on a U.S.-Israel mutual defense treaty, embracing a Netanyahu priority as the Israeli leader hopes that his ties with the American leader will bring him another term. Netanyahu is perhaps Trump's closest ally on the world stage, and the U.S. president has expressed optimism that he will survive Tuesday's vote.
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| Trump says he discussed 'mutual defense' treaty with Netanyahu Posted: 14 Sep 2019 10:22 AM PDT  US President Donald Trump said Saturday he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of moving forward on a "mutual defense" treaty between the allies, just three days before Israeli voters go to the polls. "I had a call today with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the possibility of moving forward with a Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Israel," Trump tweeted. "I look forward to continuing those discussions after the Israeli Elections when we meet at the United Nations later this month!" Trump added, giving a tacit last-minute endorsement to Netanyahu's re-election bid.
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| UPDATE 1-Iran says it will adopt maximum crude output policy if US lifts sanctions Posted: 14 Sep 2019 09:44 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Iran says it will adopt maximum crude output policy if US lifts sanctions]( "UPDATE 1-Iran says it will adopt maximum crude output policy if US lifts sanctions") Iran will adopt a policy of maximum crude production if the United States lifts sanctions on the country's oil industry, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Saturday. "Maximum production would be the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum's policy in case (U.S.) sanctions are eased on Iran's oil industry," the ministry's official news website SHANA quoted Zanganeh as saying. Since exiting from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers last year, U.S. President Donald Trump has reimposed sanctions on Iran.
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| Yet Another Journalist Who Accepted Favors From Jeffrey Epstein Posted: 14 Sep 2019 09:43 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by The Daily BeastName-brand journalist Edward Jay Epstein was seduced by the charms of accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein more than three decades ago. Yet even after the Miami Herald, multiple lawsuits and law enforcement authorities detailed how he sexually abused dozens of teenage girls and sometimes raped them, the late Jeffrey Epstein's spell apparently remains strong."Look, take this about Jeffrey. He is the poster boy for rehabilitation," said the 83-year-old Epstein (no relation to the convicted sex offender who authorities said hanged himself in his jail cell at New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center a month after his July arrest on new federal charges of sex trafficking with minors). "He went to prison [after pleading guilty to reduced charges in 2008]. He served his term [13 months, nine of them on work-release that allowed him daytime visits to his Palm Beach, Florida, office]. He got out. The U.S. attorney's office said he stuck completely to the terms of his parole. He registered as a sex offender—which is no fun, but which was something he was supposed to do. And he made $500 million."In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, Edward Epstein added: "I did hang around with Jeffrey because I was fascinated with him. For one thing, the women around him were some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life. These were not underage women. They were women like [former model and Miss Sweden] Eva Andersson and [actress] Morgan Fairchild. None of them were really girlfriends of his, but they hung around him…"I don't understand Jeffrey," Edward continued. "I can't conceive of why he would go out with an underage woman, unless your theory's right that he's a pedophile…It wasn't like he was some sort of ugly gnome that couldn't get a girl…When I knew him, I never saw so many good-looking women who stayed in his little orbit."New York Times Reporter Solicited $30,000 for Charity From Jeffrey EpsteinEdward Epstein also cast doubt on the notion—advanced by the November 2018 Miami Herald investigation of Jeffrey's extraordinarily lenient 2008 sentence for soliciting prostitution and sex trafficking with a minor, an article that ultimately prompted the resignation of Donald Trump's labor secretary, former U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, and new federal charges from the Southern District of New York—that Jeffrey destroyed dozens of young lives."I'm not sure he destroyed their lives," Edward said. "He paid them money, and they went on for six or seven years giving him massages. I don't know if that destroyed their lives. Getting a massage or getting a girl to masturbate you doesn't necessarily destroy your life." (One of Jeffrey's victims, Jennifer Araoz—who is now suing his estate and says the financier raped her at age 14—told a courtroom after Epstein's suicide, "The fact that he felt entitled to take away my innocence…hurts me so much.") Edward added: "Everything about Jeffrey was a con. I never thought, 'here's an honest guy.' I just thought here's a New York character…I think it's a terrible thing, and a stupid thing, and a perverse thing, to have any sex with underage girls…I don't believe many of the stories about Glenn Dubin, Prince Andrew—I don't believe that they're stupid enough, if they knew the girl was underage, why would anyone? You could be compromised, you could be blackmailed, especially by Jeffrey. Bill Clinton? They'd have to be out of their minds."Edward stressed: "I never even discussed these things with Jeffrey"—whom he described as an unreliable witness and "a liar," once claiming to Edward that he was, among other things, a private detective, and, another time, that he flew every month to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. "Maybe he was a calculated liar, but I had a feeling it was pathological.""If you say he's a pedophile and he's going out with children, that's not anything I know," Edward said, noting that he never rode on Jeffrey's jet, visited any of his homes beyond the East 71st Street townhouse, or was offered a massage. "Nineteen is 'teenage' too." Pressed in the interview to account for credible allegations in official government documents as well as the media, Edward conceded that young women working for Jeffrey "recruited underage girls…mainly from massage parlors, by the way—that's what his lawyers say, but that doesn't make it any more legal," Edward said. "I can't imagine what happened, ok? I think he asked for younger and younger women. That's just my guess."Yet Edward suggested that Jeffrey's July 2019 arrest and the new charges—a decade after he served his original time—were an act of bad faith on the federal government's part."If he bribed [Acosta or other officials] to get the deal, then obviously that's a whole other criminal business," Edward said. "But if they gave him the deal, if he negotiated and got it, then that was the price that society agreed on, and that was the price that he paid."Despite news reports about a U.S. Marshals investigation of Jeffrey's 2018 plane trips with apparently underage girls as young as 11 or 12, Edward said he's unaware that his onetime friend was acting suspiciously and possibly violating the terms of his sentencing agreement. Edward Jay Epstein, who has contributed articles to The Daily Beast, spoke by phone as Graydon Carter's new online magazine, Airmail, published My Tea with Jeffrey Epstein, a lengthy and oddly non-judgmental chronicle of Edward's 32-year, on-again, off-again friendship with the mysterious, Gatsby-like financial adviser.After Jeffrey's arrest in July, Edward refused a request from The Daily Beast to discuss his unusual pal.He did so, he explained, "because Jeffrey was alive, and I didn't want to add to the misery of someone who was in prison."Known for his book-length investigations of the JFK assassination, the financial shenanigans of Hollywood, and the secret wars between the American and Russian spy agencies, Edward Epstein said he befriended the self-avowed financial whiz in the late 1980s, accepted personal favors from him—including first-class plane tickets and free lodging—but then didn't speak with him for 24 years. (At least one other journalist has admitted taking favors from Jeffrey Epstein—former New York Times business reporter Landon Thomas Jr., who wrote a puff piece about him while he was facing criminal charges and successfully solicited a $30,000 charitable donation from Epstein for a Harlem school.)The breach with Edward occurred after Jeffrey cut him off over Edward's thinly-veiled 1989 Manhattan, inc. "Wall Street Babylon" column (in which Jeffrey wasn't named but was described in detail) that exposed some of his dubious business practices and brought unwelcome attention from the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the Airmail article, Edward wrote about a "frantic call from an executive at Simon & Schuster" who had met Jeffrey at Edward's December 6, 1988 birthday dinner."He told me that he had given Epstein $70,000 to invest in a deal to take over the chemical company Pennwalt. After sending the money, he had not received the necessary papers, and Epstein was no longer returning his calls. He phoned one of the principals in the deal, who said he had never heard of the executive," Edward wrote.Edward recounted how he used a computer program Jeffrey had provided him to browse through Jeffrey's financial transactions, where he found dozens of demands for the return of investment money and evidence of a twice-bounced check.Send The Daily Beast a Tip"As I read through this material, I found nothing about the publishing executive's money, but I grew increasingly queasy about Epstein," Edward wrote, adding that he never discovered anything about the Simon & Schuster exec's money.On the phone, Edward repeatedly refused to identify the publishing mogul, who he recalled had offered Jeffrey and his date at the birthday dinner a ride to Palm Beach on his corporate jet."I feel guilty about the whole thing because I introduced them," Edward confided. "I'm not gonna tell you who it is—and the only reason is that I don't want him screaming and shouting at me…He'll go ballistic. You can guess who it is…To tell you the truth, he was a friend of mine and at a certain point he told me he did get his money back."Attempts to reach Simon & Schuster's larger-than-life former chief executive, Richard E. Snyder, were unsuccessful, so The Daily Beast cannot confirm whether he is the publisher in question.Describing their falling-out in the Airmail article, meanwhile, Edward wrote that he didn't identify Jeffrey in his Manhattan, inc. column "because he refused to speak to the fact-checker.""You caused me a lot of trouble," Edward—in his Daily Beast interview—recalled Jeffrey fuming in a furious phone call over the column, which suggested he had improperly used inside information in one of his deals. "I never disliked Jeffrey, by the way," Edward said. "He disliked me, but I never disliked him."Their relationship—which had included invitations to parties at Edward's Upper East Side apartment and piano-concert soirees at the home of music and art philanthropist Stuart Pivar—suddenly resumed in 2013, Edward Epstein said, after he published a New York Review of Books essay about his old college professor and mentor Vladimir Nabokov, and Jeffrey invited him to his East 71st Street mansion to discuss the author of Lolita, Jeffrey's favorite novel.Jeffrey boasted that he kept copies of Nabokov's masterpiece in various bedrooms of his residences and aboard his private jet, nicknamed by the press the "Lolita Express."Their relationship continued well into 2019, with personal visits, tea at the mansion, walks in Central Park and email exchanges, Edward said. "The last time I communicated with him was actually over emails, when Robert Kraft was arrested," he recounted, citing Jeffrey's curiosity about the New England Patriot owner's February arrest for receiving handjobs in a Florida massage parlor. "His position was pretty interesting: If Robert Kraft and all the people going to that parlor were committing a crime, can the police just sit there and watch lots of people committing crimes and not interfere? That was the question I asked him."And he answered that 'the police were going through my garbage and everything, and if they had found that the girls were underage'—and he never himself admitted that they were underage—'they should have stopped it.' In other words, Jeffrey's point was that the girls were acting illicitly if they were underage."The Airmail article—actually Chapter 46 of Edward's unpublished memoir, he said—also reports ethically problematic details about its author: that Edward accepted free lodging in the Santa Monica, California, apartment that Jeffrey rented for then-girlfriend Eva Andersson, and also accepted free first-class airline upgrades—which turned out to be illegal—from Jeffrey, who was later the subject of one of his columns for the now-defunct business magazine Manhattan, inc.In Airmail, Edward recounted an early meeting with Jeffrey in 1987: "As we finished the tea, I mentioned I was leaving for Spain on Monday. 'How do you go?' he asked. 'Iberia Airlines,' I said, adding that I always flew coach. 'If you like, I can upgrade you to first class. Much better food.' 'How?' 'Drop your ticket off with my doorman tomorrow morning. It won't cost you a penny.'Edward told The Daily Beast that he took advantage of Jeffrey's plane-ticket largesse a few more times after that, until an official at a Japanese airline rejected his first-class ticket because it was bogus, and sent him back to the economy cabin.Edward said he understood that Jeffrey somehow had gained access to various airlines' computer systems and was able to claim first-class seats.After the Japanese airline embarrassment, "I certainly did confront him," Edward said, describing the fake first-class tickets as "theft of services." "He said 'don't ask me anything. It works one-third of the time.' "Asked if it gave him pause as a journalist to be accepting favors and freebies from a potential subject of his journalism—and one who Edward acknowledged clearly wanted to be written about—he breezily replied: "I wasn't writing about Jeffrey, but it gave me great pause," but only because the first-class plane tickets turned out to be fake."I didn't plan to write anything about him [back in the late '80s]. He was no one," Edward said by way of justifying his acceptance of Jeffrey's gifts. "Yeah, Jeffrey wanted a column, but I had no intention of writing it…And if I wrote it, I've never written a favorable column about anyone…I take that back. I have written one or two favorable columns. But normally, you know, people hated me…I would never have accepted a favor if I planned to write a column about him. But an interview's a favor. When [former International Monetary Fund director and alleged rapist] Dominique Strauss-Kahn gave me an interview, it's a favor to a journalist to get an interview, because otherwise you can't sell the story."Of course, as Edward Epstein acknowledges, he did end up writing about Jeffrey in the column that interrupted their relationship.But he said he has no regrets. "If you asked me this a few years ago, I would have said I regret writing that piece that got him angry at me. But now I'm sort of happy I wrote that piece and he stopped speaking to me because at least I have no connections to his perverse acts…Whatever he did, it was pretty bad.""I hung around—and gone on vacation with—lots of dubious characters," he said, adding with a laugh. "Remember there was a character on the radio called Boston Blackie? His logo was 'friend of those who have no friends.'…I don't make personal judgments. That's not my business."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| UPDATE 1-Germany's climate protection measures to cost 40 bln euros by 2023 - source Posted: 14 Sep 2019 07:21 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Germany's climate protection measures to cost 40 bln euros by 2023 - source]( "UPDATE 1-Germany's climate protection measures to cost 40 bln euros by 2023 - source") Climate protection measures that Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their Social Democrat coalition partners want to unveil next week will cost at least 40 billion euros until 2023, a person briefed on the talks told Reuters on Saturday. The government wants to unveil its climate protection package on Sept. 20 and Merkel has said the plans would include some sort of carbon emissions pricing to finance measures aimed at reducing emissions. The coalition partners, which include Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavaria Christian Social Union (CSU) sister party and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are divided on how to finance Germany's march toward a green future.
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| Egypt officials: Attack kills 3 forces, 3 militants in Sinai Posted: 14 Sep 2019 06:04 AM PDT ![Egypt officials: Attack kills 3 forces, 3 militants in Sinai]( "Egypt officials: Attack kills 3 forces, 3 militants in Sinai") EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian security officials say at least three forces and three militants have been killed in a militant attack on a checkpoint in restive northern Sinai province. The officials say the forces have chased the militants and killed three of them. Egypt has for years been battling a long-running insurgency in North Sinai that is now led by an Islamic State group affiliate.
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| Your period-tracking app could be sharing intimate details with all of Facebook Posted: 14 Sep 2019 06:01 AM PDT  Women's health apps are again raising concerns of privacy as a new study finds some are sharing information without consent Privacy International has released its findings that some menstruation apps have been sharing users' information with Facebook. Photograph: Nishat Ahmed/Associated PressSign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday. Surveillance is a feminist issueWhen was the last time you had sex?For most of us, that isn't information we'd like to share with just anybody. However, if you're using a period-tracking app, there's a decent chance Facebook knows all about your sex life. A new study from Privacy International, a UK-based charity, has found that some menstruation apps have been sharing their users' intimate details with the social network – including the last time you had unprotected intercourse. These apps include Maya (more than 5m downloads) and Period Tracker MIA Fem: Ovulation Calculator (over 2m users.)This isn't the first time women's health apps have raised serious privacy concerns. Earlier this year, for example, it was reported that Activision Blizzard, a video game company, was encouraging its employees to use family-planning apps. These apps then shared user information with the company so it could keep track of how many of its employees were trying to get pregnant. And testing done by The Wall Street Journal in February found that Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker informed Facebook when a user was menstruating or intending to get pregnant. (It would seem, from Privacy International's research, that Flo no longer does this.)Privacy International's research is yet another reminder that technology companies need to be doing a lot more work to stop user data being shared without explicit and informed consent. "Consent is not just about a box to check," stresses Eva Blum-Dumonte, a researcher at Privacy International and author of the report. "It is about being able to understand what you consent to and being able to refuse."Maya, however, started sharing information with Facebook before a user could even agree to the privacy policy. Meanwhile many other period-tracking apps reviewed had inaccessible or opaque privacy policies, "so there would have been no way for users to meaningfully consent to the sharing of their data".These latest revelations about period-tracking apps should also serve as a reminder that surveillance is a feminist issue. Patriarchy, after all, seeks to control and regulate women's bodies; digital surveillance is a highly effective way of doing this. As Frederike Kaltheuner, who heads Privacy International's work on corporate exploitation, notes: "While privacy invasions affect us all, they disproportionately affect and harm those who are already marginalized." Ms Monopoly: Hasbro gets into the gender empowerment gameHot on the heels of releasing the much-panned Monopoly for Millennials and Monopoly for Socialists, Hasbro has come out with Ms Monopoly: "The first game where women make more than men." Female players get more money than guys when passing Go and the mascot is a woman called Milburn Pennybags. A press release claims the game is supposed to celebrate women trailblazers; however it makes no mention of Lizzie Magie, the woman who invented Monopoly. At the turn of the 20th century Magie created the Landowner's Game to teach people about the problems with capitalism. She then had her invention ripped off and monetized by a man: Charles Darrow. Hasbro has completely written her out of Monopoly's creation story and insist on giving credit entirely to Darrow. Justice for Iran's 'Blue Girl'Women aren't allowed to attend football games in Iran. This didn't stop Sahar Khodayari, who tried to enter a football stadium in Tehran dressed as a man earlier this year. Khodayari, who has been nicknamed "Blue Girl" after her favourite team's colours, was quickly arrested for "appearing in public without a hijab." Last week, after appearing in court, Khodayari set herself on fire and died. Activists are now demanding Fifa do more to challenge Iran's football ban. Female migrants lack access to menstrual productsLawmakers from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are demanding that America's detention camps are properly stocked with sanitary products after reports that women are "visibly" bleeding through their clothes. Teenage girls are reportedly only given one sanitary pad a day. Meanwhile Ivanka Trump continues to ignore what her dad's up to and bangs on about how she's empowering women. Afghan women want to be heard, not savedAn Afghan woman shows her inked finger after in the parliamentary elections in 2018. Photograph: Rahmat Gul/Associated PressBuzzFeed News has a good piece about how the US has cynically used the plight of Afghan women as an excuse for invading and remaining in Afghanistan. "We're tired of the narratives of victimhood assigned to us as Afghan women and we will no longer accept others speaking for us," one human rights campaigner said. "Afghan women resisted the Taliban long before the US got involved in Afghanistan, and continue to fight for our rights and spaces every day." New York City ending ban on gay conversion therapyWhile this sounds bizarre, there's a sensible reason for it. A right-wing group called the Alliance Defending Freedom ("Freedom" being shorthand for "bigotry") has challenged a 2017 New York City measure banning the selling of "services intended to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity". If the lawsuit goes all the way to the supreme court, which has become a lot more regressive of late, then a legal precedent could be set protecting the barbaric practice. Women's share of public-company board seats rises to 20%That's up from 19% last quarter, and 15% in late 2016. The increase is partly thanks to a recent California law which requires companies to put female directors on their boards or face fines. So far, "68% of the 94 public companies in the state with all-male boards when the law passed have added at least one woman", the Wall Street Journal reports. Woman wins sheepdog training competition for first timePeta Bauer, winner of the Australian competition, hopes this will inspire other women to consider farming: "It's not just for the boys anymore." (Thanks to Helen for this reader submission!) Ad exec brings emotional support clown to redundancy meetingApparently the clown blew up balloons throughout the meeting and "mimed crying when the redundancy paperwork was handed over". While this may have been an unusual/terrifying way to do it, I'm all for men finding more ways to express their emotion.
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| Germany's climate protection measures to cost 40 bln euros by 2023 - source Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:59 AM PDT ![Germany's climate protection measures to cost 40 bln euros by 2023 - source]( "Germany's climate protection measures to cost 40 bln euros by 2023 - source") Climate protection measures that Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their Social Democrat coalition partners want to unveil next week will cost at least 40 billion euros until 2023, a person briefed on the talks told Reuters on Saturday. The government wants to unveil its climate protection package on Sept. 20.
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| Syria govt offers way out of rebel area; no one shows up Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:21 AM PDT ![Syria govt offers way out of rebel area; no one shows up]( "Syria govt offers way out of rebel area; no one shows up") Syrian state media is accusing militant groups of preventing civilians on Saturday from leaving the last rebel-held stronghold in the country's northwest through a corridor government troops are securing. The government has used such passageways before to allow residents to flee areas it is besieging ahead of a military offensive. Last month, Syrian officials declared a "humanitarian corridor" at the southern tip of the stronghold while troops besieged the area.
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| A Latin American Brexit? Analyzing Brazil’s Threat on Mercosur Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:00 AM PDT ![A Latin American Brexit? Analyzing Brazil's Threat on Mercosur]( "A Latin American Brexit? Analyzing Brazil's Threat on Mercosur") (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. It may not be as politically toxic as the United Kingdom's efforts to leave the European Union, but President Jair Bolsonaro's threat to leave Mercosur could prove almost as complicated and costly.The move would be a major setback for the trade bloc comprised of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay -- just as it reached a trade deal with the European Union after 20 years of talks.Bolsonaro has said Brazil could leave Mercosur if Argentina, the second-largest economy in the customs union, pivots to the left after presidential elections in October.But how feasible is such a break?1\. What is Brazil actually proposing?Following the victory of Alberto Fernandez in last month's primary elections in Argentina, the leftwing opposition candidate is on course to beat President Mauricio Macri in the October presidential election. Bolsonaro has explicitly endorsed the current president and warned of a possible wave of Argentine migrants to Brazil in the event he loses.Speaking just days after the Aug. 11 primary, Bolsonaro said that he does not believe that Fernandez wants to follow the principles of liberty and democracy. "If he creates any problems, then Brazil will leave Mercosur," he said. He has not offered any further details to his proposal.2\. How would Brazil leave Mercosur?The seriousness of the president's threat is not clear. Like Brexit, there would be severe commercial, bureaucratic and political obstacles to leaving the bloc and the process would be far from simple. Congress would have to approve a bill to end the free-trade agreement. Brazil would have to give up the common external tariffs it shares with its neighbors as well as the visa and passport-free travel its citizens currently enjoy in the area."It would be a sign of a lack of seriousness and would affect Brazil's relationship with the rest of the world," said Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, former foreign minister under President Michel Temer, who worked to boost the strength of the customs union.2\. What would be the economic impact?In the last ten years, Brazil posted a trade surplus of $87 billion over the other three Mercosur countries, an amount higher than over China or the European Union for the same period.Brazil's surplus with Argentina alone is around $8.5 billion a year. Around half of Brazil's exports to its southern neighbor come from the automotive sector or from manufactured products. In other words, it is one of the few countries that buys Brazil's value-added products and not just its commodities. Argentina lags only the U.S. in its purchase of Brazilian shoes.On the other hand, the Brazilian economy depends on Argentine wheat. Half of the grain product consumed in Brazil comes from Argentina, free of duties and export taxes.Argentina's economic woes have a direct impact on Brazil. The current financial crisis in Buenos Aires may shave up to 0.5% off Brazilian economic growth this year, according to a study published this week by the Getulio Vargas Foundation think-tank and business school.For Brazilian business owners, Mercosur represents the second-most attractive destination for their future exports, after the U.S. The trade bloc also generates around 31,100 jobs for every 1 billion reais in exports, according to a survey by the National Confederation of Industry.3\. What are the chances of Brazil actually leaving?Given the complexity of leaving Mercosur completely, officials prefer to talk about making the current trade bloc more flexible. This would involve allowing the member states to make their own bilateral tariff agreements, provided all four Mercosur countries agreed.In a recent interview Brazil's current foreign minister, Ernesto Araujo, struck a cautious note when asked about Brazil's possible exit from Mercosur."Perhaps we might need to think about an exit," he said, adding that his government would have to weigh wider political views to decide what to do. "Mercosur is a reality that's part of the plan for our country, part of our economic recovery."The South American customs union is also far less politically problematic for Brazilians than the European Union is to the British -- to the extent that none of Brazil's major polling companies have bothered to ask the public's opinion of the bloc.Still, with any withdrawal likely to have significant impact on both trade and jobs for an economy that remains trapped in the doldrums, the downsides appear to outweigh the benefits.Welber Barral, a former foreign secretary of Brazil's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said that reforming the bloc would be much better than abandoning it."We would have the same problem the U.K. has with Brexit today," he said. "We would lose trade deals."To contact the reporters on this story: Simone Iglesias in Brasília at spiglesias@bloomberg.net;Rachel Gamarski in in Sao Paulo at rgamarski@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Bruce DouglasFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Former UN ambassador Samantha Power on why she has 'nothing but respect' for Joe Biden Posted: 14 Sep 2019 04:54 AM PDT  In a new interview, former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says that Joe Biden gave his phone number out to people he encountered who had suffered a loss.
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| West Wing’s Revolving Door, Brexit’s Mayhem Posted: 14 Sep 2019 04:30 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.President Donald Trump burned through his third national security adviser in three years with John Bolton's departure, setting up a potential shift in the U.S. approach toward a range of global hot spots.As the potential chaos of a no-deal Brexit was revealed, Britain's Parliament was suspended and Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened to ignore the law to leave the European Union by Oct. 31. In Israel, embattled leader Benjamin Netanyahu is set to face a second election in five months and may be forced to rely on one of the country's most divisive politicians for his survival.Dig into these and other aspects of the latest political developments in this edition of Weekend Reads.Can You Tell the 2020 Democrats Apart?The Democratic presidential contenders have ideas — lots of them. The crowded field has offered dozens of plans on climate change, the student debt crisis, income equality and more. Take this short quiz and see if you can tell the difference among the proposals from Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and the rest of the 2020 candidates. And click here to read everything the candidates discussed at the debate.Bolton's Out. Here's How That Will Affect Trump's Foreign PolicyJohn Bolton's dismissal as U.S. national security adviser removed the most vocal hardliner from Trump's inner circle. The president has carved out an unorthodox approach to global crises, and as Benjamin Harvey reports, Bolton's departure leaves Secretary of State Michael Pompeo standing astride his foreign policy agenda.Netanyahu's Survival Is in the Hands of a Fickle Former FriendBenjamin Netanyahu's political survival may depend on the support of a one-time ally who's turned on him. Avigdor Liberman, the blunt-talking hardliner who was instrumental in the Israeli prime minister's rise to power in 1996, is shaping up to be the kingmaker of the Sept. 17 election, Gwen Ackerman writes.Brexit Is Making English Civil War Comparisons Hard to DismissThe U.K. is witnessing an historic period of upheaval that's invited comparisons with the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642. Even the Queen has become embroiled in the standoff. And violence is brewing, Alan Crawford reports, with a government document warning of public disorder from food and fuel shortages should the country crash out of the European Union without a deal.Silicon Valley's Worst Enemy Returns With Even More PowerThe regulator who's made a name for herself by cracking down on tech giants is about to get even more power. Margrethe Vestager is the new EU Commission executive vice president in charge of the bloc's digital affairs — a post that will hand her oversight of artificial intelligence, big data, innovation and cybersecurity, Aoife White and Natalia Drozdiak write.Afghan Taliban Stronger Than Ever After U.S. Spends $900 BillionFor many Afghans like Zohra Atifi, whose husband was killed under Taliban rule, the American invasion in 2001 marked a chance to start over after living under an oppressive regime. Yet as Eltaf Najafizada reports, 18 years later, after the U.S. spent nearly $900 billion and more than 147,000 people died, the Taliban are growing more confident of returning to power.Bombs, Bloodstains and Power Cuts: Libya's Slide Into Civil WarGeneral Saleh Abuda's orders to the troops besieging Tripoli came early on July 22. "Destroy the enemy, advance on the capital," was the message, and with it another operation to break the stalemate in Libya's conflict had begun, only to unravel within hours. The North African country is now more divided than ever, Samer Al-Atrush writes.In Hong Kong's Leaderless Movement, Officials Don't Know Who to Negotiate WithAs a top adviser to Hong Kong's government, Bernard Chan is searching for any protester who can strike a deal to end more than three months of unrest. But as Blake Schmidt reports, nobody he meets can guarantee him that others will no longer hit the streets.Taiwan's Tsai Rises From Ashes With a Hand From Hong KongHeading into 2019, Tsai Ing-wen looked at risk of becoming Taiwan's first one-term president. Then came the unrest in Hong Kong. The mass demonstrations there against China's deepening encroachment have given her a noticeable boost ahead of Taiwan's presidential elections in January, Cindy Wang and Miaojung Lin report.Mystery Shadows Prince's Enforcer in Year Since Khashoggi DeathSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had a trusted enforcer inside the Royal Court until the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Since then, Saud al-Qahtani disappeared. His name resurfaced in recent days in speculation about whether he was dead, Glen Carey writes.The Plot to Scrap Germany's Balanced Budgets Has Already BegunGermany's worship of fiscal discipline is being challenged by a looming recession and tantalizingly cheap credit. A silent revolution is under way to encourage civil servants to shed that economic dogma, Birgit Jennen writes, as the new chief economist Jakob von Weizsaecker works to introduce the idea of scrapping the country's zeal for balanced budgets.And finally ... The world must invest $1.8 trillion by 2030 to prepare for the effects of global warming. A new report said the payoff could be four times that. The chief priority, as Eric Roston reports, is avoiding the costs of waiting too long. To contact the author of this story: Ruth Pollard in New Delhi at rpollard2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Yemeni officials say rebel shelling kills 13 civilians Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:50 AM PDT ![Yemeni officials say rebel shelling kills 13 civilians]( "Yemeni officials say rebel shelling kills 13 civilians") Yemeni security officials say shelling by Houthi rebels has killed at least 13 civilians including women and children in the provinces of Hodeida and Taiz. The officials said Saturday the attacks killed at least 11 people, including six from one family, south of the Red Sea city of Hodeida in the past 24 hours. Yemen's war pits the Iran-backed Houthis against the internationally recognized government, which is supported by a Saudi-led coalition.
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| US blames Iran for attack on Saudi Arabia Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:11 AM PDT  America has blamed Iran for the drone strikes on two Saudi Arabian oil installations including the world's largest processing facility. The attacks on the Abqaiq plant and Khurais oilfield were said to have cut the kingdom's output in half. Yemen's Huthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, had claimed responsibility, with a spokesman saying: "The only option for the Saudi government is to stop attacking us." The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen immediately responded with two airstrikes in the country's northern Saada province, a Houthi stronghold. But later on Saturday Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, said there was "no evidence" the attacks came from Yemen and instead pointed the finger directly at Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Credit: REUTERS "Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply," Mr Pompeo tweeted. He added: "We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks." It marks a further escalation further escalation in the years-long conflict seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran. Online videos showed large fires and plumes of smoke at Abqaiq – which processes a significant share of the world's oil supply. The kingdom later appeared to be playing down the impact, saying blazes had been brought under control and maintaining official silence on the extent of the damage. State television said exports were continuing. But sources said the attacks had significantly disrupted operations in the world's largest oil exporter. One said they had shut down some five million barrels a day of crude production – almost half the kingdom's output and roughly five per cent of that of the world. It is unclear how long the shutdown will last, but anything but the briefest disruption could have a serious impact on global energy supplies and prices. The attacks on the two facilities also come as state oil giant Saudi Aramco prepares for an initial public offering, part of an attempt by Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman to reduce the country's economic reliance on the commodity. About | Human rights in Saudi Arabia The Abqaiq plant processes sour crude oil into sweet crude and transports it onto shipment points on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Estimates suggest it can process up to 7 million barrels of crude oil a day - equating to almost nine percent of the world's average daily production this year. It is not the first time it has been targeted by militants: in 2006, Al-Qaida claimed a failed suicide bomb attack on the complex. The Khurais oil field is the country's second largest and is believed to produce more than 1 million barrels of crude oil a day - 1.25 percent of the 2019 global supply. Previous Houthi strikes against Saudi facilities - on Shaybah oilfield last month and two oil pumping stations in May - caused fires but did not disrupt production. More than 90,000 people have died in Yemen's war and resulting famine, which began after the Houthi Shia rebels ousted the internationally-recognised government. Saudi Arabia, as well as other Gulf Arab nations, the UN and the West, say Iran is backing the Houthis with weapons and logistical support, a charge Tehran denies. The Houthis insist they are not Iranian puppets and are instead fighting a corrupt regime. The Saudi-led coalition has been accused by UN investigators and human rights groups of violations that could amount to war crimes.
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| Taliban Seeking Support to Force U.S. From Afghanistan: Reuters Posted: 14 Sep 2019 12:36 AM PDT ![Taliban Seeking Support to Force U.S. From Afghanistan: Reuters]( "Taliban Seeking Support to Force U.S. From Afghanistan: Reuters") (Bloomberg) -- The Taliban sent a team to Russia, and plans to visit China, Iran and Central Asian states to gauge support for the U.S. to be forced to leave Afghanistan, Reuters reported, citing the group's officials.The group wants to keep regional leaders informed about the breakdown of the talks and U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to suspend the process just before a peace treaty, the report said, citing an unidentified a senior Taliban leader.The planned visits are not intended to try to resume talks with the U.S., according to the report.Discussions between Trump and the Taliban were called off and the American envoy to Afghanistan was recalled after the U.S. leader said he canceled secret meetings at Camp David, intended to allow for a draw-down of American forces after 18 years in the war-torn country.To contact the reporter on this story: Melissa Cheok in Singapore at mcheok2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Teen Egyptian girl's case puts legal system under spotlight Posted: 13 Sep 2019 11:56 PM PDT  The prosecution of a 15-year-old girl who killed a bus driver after he allegedly tried to rape her has reignited debate over the treatment of women in Egypt's legal system, including the practice of virginity tests and blaming victims of sexual violence. In July, the teenager made headlines after she confessed to police that she stabbed to death a bus driver who she alleged had kidnapped her in a deserted rural area near Cairo and sought to sexually assault her at knife point. Shortly after her arrest, the teenager was required to undergo a virginity test, an invasive procedure that rights groups say in itself amounts to sexual assault.
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| The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg review: not quite a presidential read Posted: 13 Sep 2019 10:00 PM PDT  The billionaire was a great New York mayor but he was right to decide not to challenge Trump for the White HouseMichael Bloomberg looks over the shoulder of Donald Trump, in New York in September 2016. Photograph: Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty ImagesAt the 2016 Democratic national convention in Philadelphia, Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor and the ninth richest man in the world, savaged Donald Trump with a primetime verbal beatdown: "Trump says he wants to run the nation like he's run his business. God help us."Looking back, Bloomberg got it right. But his speech wooed few beyond the convention site or the precincts of upper-income America. Instead, he reminded viewers of the ineptitude of Bill de Blasio, his successor as mayor and a 2020 presidential wannabe, and that Wall Street liked Hillary Clinton. On election day 2016, Pennsylvania, the convention's host state, went Republican for the first time in nearly 30 years. Not exactly "mission accomplished".Eleanor Randolph, a veteran New York Times writer, attempts to encapsulate Bloomberg's legacy. She has written a well-sourced, informative and breezy biography of one New York's greatest mayors. Indeed, it is an essential read in an era where high-end urban centers and their immediate environs are pulling away from the rest of the country. It is a tale of two Americas.LinkSaid differently, New York and Washington DC have more in common with Palo Alto, Mountain View and Seattle than with relatively nearby Harrisburg and Scranton, Pennsylvania. In large measure, the US economy is driven by technology and finance. Bloomberg, with his computer terminals and eponymous news service, crystallizes this simultaneously dynamic and destructive force.Randolph succeeds in describing Bloomberg's successes, which are many, lasting and significant. But she comes up short in capturing the distance between him and large swathes of the citizenry. She records but does not fully delve into the cultural fissures that pockmarked the New York landscape throughout Bloomberg's time in office and became all too clear at its conclusion.Bloomberg won re-election a second time in 2009 by beating Bill Thompson, a career politician and the city's comptroller, by fewer than five points and with 50.7% of the vote. In other words, it was time to go. On 1 January 2013 he did, and with him went 20 years of mayoral competence.Bloomberg was well-respected but neither loved nor hated. He engendered little passion among supporters or detractors and remained culturally disconnected from middle- and working-class voters.> Bloomberg was well-respected but neither loved nor hated. He engendered little passion among supporters or detractorsDuring a transit strike, he told residents of Brooklyn's Sunset Park, a scrappy outer-borough neighborhood, they ought to cycle to work. He did so standing next to a $500 bicycle, a fact recorded by Randolph. That their places of work were miles and miles away was lost on the mayor, a Johns Hopkins-trained engineer and Harvard Business School alumnus.By contrast, the late Ed Koch, another truly great mayor, greeted pedestrians crossing the Brooklyn Bridge during an earlier strike and shamelessly asked: "How'm I doing?" Koch was either loved or reviled. He demanded to be buried at Trinity church – right there with Alexander Hamilton – because the churchyard contained one of the last open burial plots on Manhattan and Koch never wanted to leave.Bloomberg did some very heavy lifting. He oversaw the rebuilding of the city and its economy after 9/11. Significantly, he reached into his pocket to boost such efforts. In marked contrast to Trump, he did not profiteer from the calamity and his family charity wasn't a scam filled with "other people's money".Bloomberg also helped forge the city's anti-terror efforts by relying upon law enforcement, data and a multilingual and multi-ethnic population. He built on Rudy Giuliani's legacy of safe streets.Crime continued to drop but he accomplished that with far less racial rancor than Rudy, even as the "stop and frisk" program came under attack. Bloomberg's first re-election margin handily surpassed that of Giuliani. Bloomberg beat Fernando Ferrer, the Bronx borough president, by almost 20 points.> Bloomberg has yearned to be president. Unlike another plutocrat, Tom Steyer, he wisely recognizes his own limitationsUnlike his predecessor, Bloomberg was not the Doberman you let out at night but never let near your children. While he could be profane and ribald in private, as Randolph tells us, he endeavored to maintain a decorous veneer in public. It's no coincidence Giuliani is a Trump TV lawyer.Randolph also examines Bloomberg's efforts to raise the performance of New York public schools (mixed), attract a hi-tech campus to the city spearheaded by Cornell and Israel's Technion (an unvarnished hit) and reach out to minority communities by rightly giving a green light to charter schools. Unlike De Blasio, Bloomberg never saw virtue in sacrificing the possibility of excellence in education on the altar of political correctness. Then again, Bloomberg didn't come within a whisker of being indicted on corruption and campaign finance charges.Bloomberg speaks in Washington, in his role as United Nations special envoy for climate action. Photograph: José Luis Magaña/APAt times, The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg can come close to hagiography. Randolph writes of Bloomberg looking "particularly fit" even after he pulled a muscle skiing on a "black diamond" course after his 75th birthday. In the next breath, she describes how he "tackled" golf "with a passion".Bloomberg has yearned to be president. But unlike another plutocrat, Tom Steyer, he wisely recognizes his own limitations. In the age of Trump, there is nothing like a pillar of the establishment to get people to trudge out in the dead of winter, to hang out for hours at the Iowa caucuses.Still, out of office does not mean out of power. In case Trump and the GOP missed it, Bloomberg was the second-largest donor in the 2018 election cycle, bested only by Sheldon Adelson, casino magnate, Trump-booster and patron of Benjamin Netanyahu.Alongside his determination to fund action to meet the climate crisis, Bloomberg is reportedly ready to spend $500m to ensure that the 45th president lives at the White House for only four years. As Politico framed things: "The sum represents a floor, not a ceiling, on the billionaire's potential spending to defeat the president in 2020."Randolph lets us know Bloomberg is not easily deterred. As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.
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| Second British-Australian woman jailed in Iran identified as Middle East researcher Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert Posted: 13 Sep 2019 09:56 PM PDT  A British-Australian woman who has been sentenced to 10 years in a notorious Iranian prison has been identified as Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a Cambridge-educated academic specialising in Middle Eastern politics. Dr Moore-Gilbert, who was working as a lecturer and researcher for Melbourne University's Asia Institute and has published work on authoritarian governance and activism in the Middle East, was jailed in October 2018. However, her detention had not been reported in case it harmed the prospects of her release. On Saturday, the Australian government confirmed Dr Moore-Gilbert was being held in prison in Iran. A statement from the family of Dr Moore-Gilbert, who is incarcerated in Evin prison, said they were in close contact with Australian authorities on the matter. "Our family thanks the Government and the University of Melbourne for their ongoing support at this distressing and sensitive time. "We believe that the best chance of securing Kylie's safe return is through diplomatic channels." It is not known what Dr Moore-Gilbert was charged with, but 10-year terms are routinely given in Iran for spying. She is one of two British-Australian women whose detentions in Iran have come to light in the past week. Jolie King with her partner Mark Firkin Jolie King, a travel blogger, and her Australian fiancé Mark Firkin were arrested near a military site in Jajrood near Tehran on August 9, it was revealed on Thursday. They had reportedly been using a drone to film aerial footage in the area. They too have been sent to Evin prison, the main detention centre for Iran's political prisoners, which also houses 41-year-old Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian mother of one who is midway through a five-year sentence on spying charges. Tehran has pursued a campaign of detaining Iranian and dual nationality academics in recent years, raising fears the Islamic Republic is using them as diplomatic leverage. The Australian government has said it is lobbying Tehran to ensure all three are appropriately looked after. Iran is believed to be holding the trio captive in the hope of exchanging one of them for an Iranian imprisoned in the US on charges of evading American sanctions. Tensions between Britain and Iran escalated dramatically after it emerged the women were being held in the first recent case of Tehran arresting British citizens who do not also hold Iranian nationality. Sources said Tehran sees the women as bargaining chips to secure the release of Negar Ghodskani, a 40-year-old Iranian woman facing jail in the US after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to export prohibited technology to Iran. Ghodskani was arrested in Australia in 2017 at the request of US government and gave birth to a baby boy while in custody in Adelaide. She was extradited to the US and now faces five years in federal prison. Negar Ghodskani Credit: AP While Iran has not commented publicly on any of the arrests, in April the country's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, proposed swapping Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe for Ms Ghodskani. According to the University of Melbourne's website, Dr Moore-Gilbert "specialises in Middle Eastern politics, with a particular focus on the Arab Gulf states," and has published work on the 2011 Arab uprisings, authoritarian governance, and on the role of new media technologies in political activism. In 2018 she was awarded a grant to investigate "Iran's relationship with Bahrain's Shi'a after the Arab Uprisings". Dr Moore-Gilbert's LinkedIn profile shows her first degree came in Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge, where she also completed her Master of Arts. Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she has raised the cases of the three prisoners "many times" with Mr Zarif, and denied the arrests were politically motivated. "We have no reason to think that these arrests are connected to international concern over Iran's nuclear programme, United Nations sanction enforcement or maritime security concerning the safety of civilian shipping," Senator Payne said. What appears to be the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 off the coast of Tartus, Syria, Credit: Reuters News of the three prisoners has come amid a downturn in relations between Britain and Iran, sparked by issues including the Royal Marines' seizure near Gibraltar in July of an Iranian oil tanker, the Grace I. Iran responded by seizing British-flagged oil tanker the Stena Impero. While Britain released the Iranian tanker, the Stena Impero is still being held. Australia also said in July that it would join the US and the UK in protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threats. Relations between Tehran and the West, especially the United States, have deteriorated significantly since the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to ramp up restricted enrichment.
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| After Bolton: 5 Things the Next National Security Adviser Must Do on Day 1 Posted: 13 Sep 2019 06:00 PM PDT  North Korea and Iran policy top the list.
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| 'Difficult to see' if Iran breached Syria oil sale agreement, Gibraltar chief minister says Posted: 13 Sep 2019 12:45 PM PDT  Gibraltar's leader attempted to deescalate the crisis with Iran over the fate of an oil tanker on Friday, saying it was "difficult to see" whether Tehran breached an agreement not to sell its oil to Syria. Iran made assurances to a court in Gibraltar that it would not deliver the seized supertanker's two million barrels of crude oil to the Syrian regime in order to secure its release. After it was freed on Aug 18, the renamed Adrian Darya 1 sailed around the eastern Mediterranean for over a week before heading towards the Syrian coast and turning off its transponder on Sept 2. Iran claims it sold the oil to an unnamed private company. Maritime trackers say it is likely the Adrian Darya 1's contents were off-loaded to Syria through smaller vessels. Britain and the US have said such a move is in violation of European Union and US sanctions and breaches the agreement. Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar's chief minister, however, said on Friday that "it is difficult to see whose word you'd take for it". The British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero is still being held by Iran Credit: Morteza Akhoondi/Tasnim News Agency via AP "You can see from the images that the oil has ended up in Syria but that's not to say that there's a breach of the undertaking [by Iran]," Mr Picardo said. "We did not have an undertaking that the oil would not end up in Syria. We had an undertaking from the Iranian government that they would not sell the oil to any EU sanctioned entity," he said. British commandos on July 4 seized the vessel, then called the Grace 1, on suspicion that it was en route to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. Officials claim Iran gave as many as five separate undertakings that it would not proceed with its original sales plan. Iran's envoy to the UK, who was summoned by the British foreign ministry over the matter, on Wednesday said Adrian Darya 1's oil cargo was sold at sea to a third party, denying Tehran had broken assurances it gave. He also said the private buyer of the oil "sets the sale destination". "It is now clear that Iran has breached these assurances and that the oil has been transferred to Syria and Assad's murderous regime," a Foreign Office statement said. "Iran's actions represent an unacceptable violation of international norms and the UK will raise the issue at the United Nations later this month." The development came amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf. EU diplomats warned yesterday that Britain's decision to join a US-led naval mission in the Gulf has delayed European efforts to set up a maritime force to ensure safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz separate from American patrols. British-Australian citizen Jolie King and her boyfriend Mark Firkin are currently detained in Iran Credit: Instagram Britain and France proposed a European-led maritime force in July that was to be independent of the United States. They won support from Denmark, Italy and Spain, who were wary of an American mission for fear of making US-Iranian strains worse. The proposal was announced after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait, in what was then widely seen as retaliation for the seizure of an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar by British marines. The British-flagged Stena Impero is still being held by Iran, although Tehran has signalled it could release it soon. Relations between the UK and Iran have worsened in recent days amid the news two dual British-Australian nationals have been arrested in Iran. Jolie King, a dual citizen, and her Australian boyfriend Mark Firkin, were travelling from western Australia to London through Iran when they were arrested for reportedly flying a drone. A third detainee, a former Cambridge-educated academic, has not been named. Miss King is being held in the same ward of Evin prison as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker charged with espionage. Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told the Telegraph: "She has been there for a few weeks. She came in from solitary very scared. As that is a very traumatic experience. "She's gradually learning to trust the others. Nazanin told her family that she has a very good sense of humour."
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