| Xi voices 'high degree of trust' in Hong Kong leader over unrest Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:36 PM PST  Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed a "high degree of trust" in Hong Kong's unpopular leader Carrie Lam as the two met after months of increasingly violent protests in the semi-autonomous city. Xi's show of support follows speculation that Beijing was preparing to remove Lam as city authorities struggle to contain pro-democracy demonstrations that have rocked the financial hub. Xi said Lam has "done a lot of hard work" and strived to stabilise the situation in Hong Kong, according to a Xinhua readout of their meeting.
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| Slain reporter's mother worries about Syria pullout impact Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:44 PM PST ![Slain reporter's mother worries about Syria pullout impact]( "Slain reporter's mother worries about Syria pullout impact") The mother of a journalist who was beheaded by the Islamic State in Syria said Monday she's concerned that the U.S. withdrawal from northern Syria will make it more difficult to secure American remains and have access to evidence of that group's crimes. In a conversation with the Committee to Protect Journalists organization, Diane Foley, mother of James Foley, said when troops were in the area, they were able to talk to locals and get information about where possible grave sites might be. James Foley, 40, was beheaded in August 2014 after being kidnapped in 2012, and the video of it posted online.
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| Iran sanctions are having an impact: Sec. of State Pompeo Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:18 PM PST ![Iran sanctions are having an impact: Sec. of State Pompeo]( "Iran sanctions are having an impact: Sec. of State Pompeo") Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks tough on Iran.
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| UPDATE 1-China pushing Trump to remove more tariffs ahead of trade deal - media Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:18 PM PST ![UPDATE 1-China pushing Trump to remove more tariffs ahead of trade deal - media]( "UPDATE 1-China pushing Trump to remove more tariffs ahead of trade deal - media") China is pushing U.S. President Donald Trump to remove more tariffs imposed in September ahead of the signing of the U.S.-China trade deal, Politico reported on Monday, citing three people familiar with internal discussions. Beijing is pressing the U.S. to remove a 15% tariff that was imposed on roughly $112 billion worth of Chinese goods on Sept. 1, but no decision has been made, Politico reported citing sources. Trump had said on Friday evening that negotiations about a "phase one" agreement were going well and he hoped to sign the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a U.S. location when work on the agreement was completed.
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| Irish consumer sentiment slumps further as Brexit rumbles on Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:01 PM PST ![Irish consumer sentiment slumps further as Brexit rumbles on]( "Irish consumer sentiment slumps further as Brexit rumbles on") Irish consumer sentiment fell for a fourth successive month for the first time since late 2012 as uncertainty over neighbouring Britain's departure from the European Union continued to weigh on confidence, a survey showed on Tuesday. While Ireland's economy has remained the fastest growing in the EU throughout three tortuous years of Brexit negotiations, consumer confidence took a hit in recent months as the prospects of a no-deal British exit rose. The most recent survey ran from Oct. 10 to 18, a period that began with a meeting between the leaders of Ireland and Britain that paved the way for a deal that failed to progress through the British parliament before an election was called.
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| Iran spins more centrifuges on US Embassy crisis anniversary Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:43 PM PST  Iran on Monday broke further away from its collapsing 2015 nuclear deal with world powers by doubling the number of advanced centrifuges it operates, linking the decision to U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the agreement over a year ago. The announcement — which also included Iran saying it now has a prototype centrifuge that works 50 times faster than those allowed under the deal — came as demonstrators across the country marked the 40th anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover that started a 444-day hostage crisis.
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| Spanish Opposition Tells Sanchez Good Times Are Coming to an End Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:40 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Spain's opposition leaders warned acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that he's in denial about an impending economic crisis in a televised debate ahead of Sunday's elections.People's Party leader Pablo Casado told Sanchez he's making the same mistake as his Socialist predecessor Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero who led Spain into a financial crisis a decade ago."Sanchez is doing the same as Zapatero: denying reality and hiding the effects of the crisis to win an election," Casado said as the others picked up his tune.Santiago Abascal, leader of the nationalist party Vox, said Spain's finances are facing a "really dramatic situation" because of the spending by regional governments he wants to abolish. Pablo Iglesias of the anti-austerity Podemos said that an economic slowdown "could become a crisis."While Spain's economy is still doing reasonably well -- the International Monetary Fund forecasts 1.8% growth for next year -- the new lines of attack suggest Sanchez's opponents have identified a weakness as output slows. Long a standout among its euro-area peers, domestic tailwinds have started to fade as job creation slows and external uncertainties such as Brexit and trade tensions weigh on the outlook."Of course Spain is vulnerable to the trade war between the U.S. and China, or to the exit of the U.K. from the EU," Sanchez said. "But we have solid pillars to the economy, we are growing more than the EU average."Spain is heading to its fourth election in as many years as the political class struggles to forge new majorities after the old two-party system was blown up by the financial crisis. Sanchez won the most seats the last time around in April but failed to find a partner to let him govern. Market so far are unconcerned by the gridlock -- Spain's 10-year bonds are yielding just 0.31%, compared with 1% at the time of the last election.Catalan ViolenceThe campaign is taking place in the shadow of a fresh wave of demonstrations in Catalonia. Separatists have taken to the streets after the Supreme Court in Madrid handed down lengthy jail sentences to some of the movement's leaders over an illegal referendum on independence in 2017.Pro-independence unions staged strikes that brought Barcelona and other cities to a standstill while some protesters set fire to dumpsters and cars and others clashed violently with police, leaving about 300 injured.The revival of the Catalan crisis puts Sanchez in an uncomfortable position because he risks losing support in Catalonia if he strikes too hard a line while voters in the rest of Spain may be turned off if he's too soft. What's more, the Socialists might need the support of separatist parties to form a majority after the election, so Sanchez can't afford to alienate them.As the acting prime minister zig-zagged on the issue, Casado, his main rival for the premiership, tried to force him to clarify his position."I want to ask Mr. Sanchez: is Catalonia a nation?" Casado said, brandishing a 2016 interview in which Sanchez argued that Spain is a country made of many nations. "Is Catalonia a nation?" Casado repeated once, twice, three times as Sanchez muttered into his notes."That's outrageous," Sanchez replied in the end.GridlockOpinion polls published Monday predicted another stalemate in the Nov. 10 election with the Socialists once again winning most seats but falling well short of a majority. The majority of surveys suggest the Socialists would slip from the 123 seats they obtained in April's election.Polls show the PP making a comeback from its worst performance ever while Spain's new nationalist party Vox is likely to be the biggest winner, rising to third biggest party in parliament. Center-right party Ciudadanos is set to shed two-thirds of its seats.That result would leave both a left-wing alliance led by Sanchez and a potential right-wing coalition some way short of a majority and Spain with still no clear path to a working majority in the legislature.To contact the reporter on this story: Charlie Devereux in Madrid at cdevereux3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Flavia Krause-JacksonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| N.Korea says U.S. terrorism report shows 'hostile policy' that makes talks difficult -KCNA Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:39 PM PST ![N.Korea says U.S. terrorism report shows 'hostile policy' that makes talks difficult -KCNA]( "N.Korea says U.S. terrorism report shows 'hostile policy' that makes talks difficult -KCNA") North Korea hit back at a U.S. State Department report released last week, saying the report's description of North Korea as a sponsor of terrorism is an example of a "hostile policy" by the United States that is preventing denuclearisation talks from progressing, state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday. North Korean and U.S. officials held talks in October for the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed in June to reopen denuclearisation negotiations, but they broke down, with North Korea's envoy saying the United States failed to show flexibility.
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| Lindsay Hoyle chosen to replace Bercow as UK Commons speaker Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:19 PM PST  Long-serving Labour Party lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle was elected speaker of Britain's House of Commons on Monday, taking up the job with a clear message: I'm not John Bercow. Hoyle was chosen by lawmakers from among seven candidates to replace the influential but contentious Bercow. Bercow retired last week after a decade as speaker that saw him become a central player in Britain's Brexit drama.
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| Turkey’s Halkbank Seeks Dismissal of Iran-Sanctions Case Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:01 PM PST ![Turkey's Halkbank Seeks Dismissal of Iran-Sanctions Case]( "Turkey's Halkbank Seeks Dismissal of Iran-Sanctions Case") (Bloomberg) -- A major Turkish state-run bank is seeking to dismiss a U.S. indictment against it for allegedly helping Iran evade sanctions on billions of dollars frozen in foreign accounts.Halkbank has refused to respond to the charges in court since the case was filed last month. On Monday, a lawyer for the bank filed papers in federal court in Manhattan seeking special permission to seek the case's dismissal. He also said the bank would request the recusal of U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, who presided over a previous trial on the matter and has been assigned the new case as well.But the bank also said it continues to refuse to accept a U.S. legal summons or recognize the U.S. court's authority over it. In his filing, Andrew Hruska said the U.S. has no jurisdiction over Halkbank because the bank has no American physical presence or operations."The bank's conduct alleged in the indictment has no connection to the U.S. sufficient to create jurisdiction," Hruska said.Read More: Turkey's Halkbank Faces U.S. Charges as Tensions Mount Though the case against Halkbank was in the works for years, it languished amid a full-court press by Turkey to get the Trump administration to drop the charges. The indictment was unsealed, along with a package of sanctions against the country, only after Turkey invaded Syria last month.That has led Turkey and Halkbank to claim that the charges are politically motivated and without merit."Because this case has been widely publicized and brought in a highly-charged atmosphere between the U.S. and Turkey, it is essential to address reasonable questions about the court's impartiality," Halkbank said in the filing.A decision on the recusal would be up to Judge Berman, who has asked prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan to weigh in. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday.The case is 15-cr-867, U.S. v Halkbank, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).(Updates with additional legal claims.)To contact the reporter on this story: Christian Berthelsen in New York at cberthelsen1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter Jeffrey, Steve StrothFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Johnson and Corbyn Trade Brexit Barbs as U.K. Election Heats Up Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his main rival, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, traded blows over Brexit as the U.K. prepares to vote next month on which of the two men should lead it out of the European Union.Johnson wrote an open letter to Corbyn asking him to clarify his strategy for the divorce while the Labour leader accused the prime minister of "hijacking" Brexit to pursue an agenda of cutting workers rights and increasing the role of U.S. companies in the National Health Service.The tone was set for a bruising campaign in the run-up to the Dec. 12 vote."What Boris Johnson's Conservatives want is to hijack Brexit to unleash Thatcherism on steroids," Corbyn will say in a speech on Tuesday, according to extracts released by his office. "They want a race to the bottom in standards and protections. They want to move us towards a more deregulated American model of how to run the economy."Healthcare, vacations and workplace safety will come under threat if Johnson gets the "Trump deal Brexit" he wants, Corbyn will say in a speech to activists in Southeast England.Johnson, for his part, wrote an open letter to the Labour leader demanding to know what his plan is for leaving the EU. He accused him of creating more "dither and delay" for businesses and families desperate to see Brexit "done.""I am clear about my Brexit policy and how we will help this country move on -- it is time for the Labour Party to be clear too," Johnson wrote. "We cannot afford to spend 2020 fighting two more referendums offering the public more of the same confusion and indecision that have plagued the last three years."The prime minister said he would see through his deal, agreed with the EU on Oct. 17, and leave the bloc by the end of January, enabling government to focus voters' priorities of schools, policing and the NHS.He asked Corbyn a series of questions about his policy, including whether Labour wants to remain in the EU's customs union and if the party believes the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum should be respected. Johnson also queried the cost of the national vote Corbyn wants to hold to approve any deal he agrees with the EU.Second Referendum?Labour's policy, decided by delegates at the party's conference in September, is to renegotiate a deal with the EU then put it to a referendum with remaining in the EU as the other option. The party would not decide which side to support until the deal was done, but Corbyn says the whole process could be completed in six months.Agreeing a new deal "will take no longer than three months because the deal will be based on terms we've already discussed with the EU, including a new customs union, a close single market relationship and guarantees of rights and protections," Corbyn will say. "If you want to leave the EU without trashing our economy or selling out our NHS you'll be able to vote for it. If you want to remain in the EU, you'll be able to vote for that."Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats, will also be speaking on Tuesday as she launches her party's campaign at an event in central London.She threatened legal action against the broadcaster ITV on Monday after she was left out of its planned leaders TV debate during the election campaign. She accused Johnson and Corbyn of trying to shut her out."I should be in this debate, if they're refusing to debate me it looks like they're sexist, or they're scared, or possibly both," Swinson told reporters outside Parliament. "They've engaged in an establishment stitch-up."To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Penny in London at tpenny@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Flavia Krause-JacksonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US officially begins Paris climate deal withdrawal Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:44 PM PST  The Trump administration notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the historic Paris climate accord on Monday, a move that will take effect one year later, on Nov. 4, 2020 -- the day after the 2020 elections. The formal notification comes over two years after President Donald Trump announced he would pull the U.S. out of the agreement, criticizing it as imposing an unfair burden on the U.S. and doing little to halt climate change-causing emissions from other countries -- claims that critics say mischaracterize the agreement.
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| "Thatcherism on steroids" - UK opposition leader says of PM Johnson's Brexit plans Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:30 PM PST !["Thatcherism on steroids" - UK opposition leader says of PM Johnson's Brexit plans]( "\"Thatcherism on steroids\" - UK opposition leader says of PM Johnson's Brexit plans") Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party wants to hijack Britain's exit from the European Union to deregulate the economy and lower standards, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will say on Tuesday. The Conservatives will "unleash Thatcherism on steroids", Corbyn will say in a campaign speech ahead of the Dec. 12 election, referring to former prime minister Margaret Thatcher who oversaw the privatisation of many state-owned industries. Corbyn, whose party is trailing the Conservatives in opinion polls, will say Johnson's government would include the National Health Service (NHS) in any post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.
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| Losing Time and Money, Desperate Abbas Seeks Palestinian Vote Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Time is running out for 83-year-old Mahmoud Abbas. Foreign aid to the Palestinians has sunk nearly 80% over the past 10 years, the political outlook is bleak after a half-century of Israeli occupation and his people's campaign for statehood risks sinking into irrelevance.To salvage his legacy, the Palestinian Authority president has called -- again -- for the first national elections since 2006, when an Islamist win triggered a split that has set back the Palestinian national struggle ever since. It's a tactic that could backfire on him if Hamas wins again -- or prove another sign of his weakness if elections aren't held."We, the Palestinians, need to survive and remain steadfast in order to face a changing world," Nabeel Shaath, a senior adviser to Abbas, said in an interview in Ramallah. "This is the time to reemphasize the need for unity."That Abbas would resort to such a timeworn strategy is a sign of just how grim his situation has become. During his 15 years in office, the Palestinians' statehood dream has gone from cause celebre to worn-out battle cry, a combination of his own missteps, shifting regional priorities and hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decade in power.Under Abbas, the Palestinians ruptured into dueling West Bank and Gaza Strip governments. The last round of peace talks with Israel broke down in 2014, and the Trump administration's still-unseen peace plan by all accounts hews close to Israeli demands. Regional strife, especially in Syria, has redirected the focus away from the Palestinian cause, and Gulf Arab allies have drawn closer to Israel over a shared distrust of Iran.Polls show Abbas is blamed for much of his people's predicament. His West Bank-based government is widely regarded as inept and corrupt. Multiple attempts to create a unified government have foundered. Abbas has called for elections before, but they never materialized because the two governments haven't been able to bridge their differences. The legislature hasn't functioned since Hamas overran Gaza in 2007, and he essentially rules by decree, punishing critics, censoring opponents, and banning protests as well as some activist groups.What's more, Abbas has made no provisions for the future: His Palestinian Authority is a gerontocracy that hasn't groomed a new generation of leaders.All That's Left"The hope is that they can restore their legitimacy by going to elections," said Ghassan Khatib, a former Palestinian cabinet minister. "There are two ways to restore legitimacy. The first is to make political achievements, which is not likely to happen. The other way is to have elections. That's all they have left to solve their internal problems."Many Palestinians yearn for change, especially the young people who account for 67% of the population and see their aged leaders as woefully out of touch. They've been left behind economically and are struggling to get ahead, as are other young people now protesting across the region, but they have the added burden of having so much of their lives dictated by the confrontation with Israel. They lack confidence that their leaders can shake things up.The Palestinian Authority is "basically a group of people who have imposed themselves upon us," said Mohamad, a 23-year-old psychologist who declined to give his full name for fear of reprisal. "I am jealous of other societies that witness a truly democratic election process. I wish I could experience the same process. I never did and I don't think I ever will."Benefiting From DivisionThe political will just isn't there, said Mohammad al-Gherbawi, a 29-year-old clothing salesman in Gaza City."The politicians are the only people who are getting benefits, privileges, and advantages out of the current internal division, and I don't think that they will easily leave their posts," Gherbawi said.Hamas, which won the last elections in 2006 in a surprise upset over Abbas's Fatah, hasn't agreed to his proposal for two-step parliamentary and presidential elections, worried that he's laying a trap to keep his party in power.Polls show Hamas wouldn't win a majority in the legislature, and there's no guarantee that Abbas -- whose term officially expired in January 2009 -- would keep his word about a presidential vote, possibly shutting the militant group out of power entirely.After representatives of the two factions met last week in Gaza, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said his party is ready "to advance the elections and provide full flexibility in order to achieve Palestinian unity." They met again on Sunday, but no date has been set for a vote.Even if one is held, an election might backfire. Should Hamas win, the Palestinian Authority would be widely shunned as a terrorist entity. Hamas remains a formidable force, even after plunging Gaza into unprecedented poverty and three wars with Israel during its rule, and polls incorrectly predicted it would lose in 2006.Some Western diplomats fear Palestinians would be marching toward the kind of unrest that has followed free elections elsewhere in the Middle East. Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, recalled "one of the most senior EU diplomats" cautioning against jeopardizing political stability."Why would you have elections, for god's sake?" Shikaki cited the envoy as telling him. "Can't you learn from the countries around you?"Sam Bahour, a Palestinian businessman in the West Bank, doesn't want to hear such talk."Time is running out," Bahour said. "Palestine won't fall apart if Abbas isn't re-elected, and the international community should know we are like any nation and respect the results, whatever they may be."To contact the reporters on this story: Yaacov Benmeleh in Tel Aviv at ybenmeleh@bloomberg.net;Fadwa Hodali in Ramallah at fhodali@bloomberg.net;Saud Abu Ramadan in Gaza City at sramadan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, ;Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Amy TeibelFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US formally notifies UN of withdrawal from Paris climate accord Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:57 PM PST  The United States on Monday formally notified the United Nations that it was withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, making the world's largest economy the sole outlier from the agreement. President Donald Trump went ahead with the pullout despite mounting evidence of the reality and impact of climate change, with September the fourth month in the row with near- or record-breaking temperatures. With the notification, the United States will be out of the agreement negotiated by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama in one year -- on November 4, 2020.
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| GBP/USD Forecast: Heading Toward The 1.2820 Price Zone Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:55 PM PST ![GBP/USD Forecast: Heading Toward The 1.2820 Price Zone]( "GBP/USD Forecast: Heading Toward The 1.2820 Price Zone") GBP/USD Current Price: 1.2877 UK Construction output fell for a sixth consecutive month in October. UK government repeated it won't be extending the Brexit transition period. GBP/USD heading toward the ...
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| Turkey releases journalists convicted of aiding terror group Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:30 PM PST ![Turkey releases journalists convicted of aiding terror group]( "Turkey releases journalists convicted of aiding terror group") A court on Monday convicted two journalists of aiding a terror group but ordered both released from prison, where they had served more than three years in a case that has severely tested press freedom in Turkey. The court in Istanbul convicted Ahmet Altan and Nazli Ilicak of aiding the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkish officials have identified as the mastermind of a failed coup in 2016. The journalists — along with Altan's brother, columnist Mehmet Altan, and two others — were previously sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2018 for attempting to overthrow the government.
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| China pushing Trump to remove more tariffs ahead of trade deal: media Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:30 PM PST  Beijing is pressing the U.S. to remove a 15% tariff that was imposed on roughly $112 billion worth of Chinese goods on Sept. 1, but no decision has been made, Politico reported citing sources. Trump had said on Friday evening that negotiations about a "phase one" agreement were going well and he hoped to sign the deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a U.S. location when work on the agreement was completed. U.S. and Chinese negotiators have been racing to finalize the text of a "phase one" agreement for Trump and Xi to sign this month, a process clouded by wrangling over U.S. demands for a timetable of Chinese purchases of U.S. farm products.
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| Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:18 PM PST ![Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria]( "Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria") Little is known about the sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Turkish official said the 65-year-old known as Rasmiya Awad is suspected of being affiliated with the extremist group. The area is part of the region administered by Turkey after it carried out a military incursion to chase away IS militants and Kurdish fighters starting 2016.
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| British MPs choose Lindsay Hoyle as parliament speaker to replace Bercow Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:59 PM PST  British MPs on Monday selected veteran Labour lawmaker Lindsay Hoyle to be parliament's new speaker, replacing John Bercow in a role once little-noticed but now reshaped by the fractious turmoil over Brexit. Hoyle, a Labour MP for 22 years and Bercow's deputy since 2010, beat out six other contenders in a protracted day of voting in the House of Commons, winning the support of 325 of 540 members of parliament in a fourth and final round of votes.
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| U.K. Parliament Picks Speaker With Pledge to Heal Brexit Divide Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:55 PM PST ![U.K. Parliament Picks Speaker With Pledge to Heal Brexit Divide]( "U.K. Parliament Picks Speaker With Pledge to Heal Brexit Divide") (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.The U.K. has a new referee who must keep order in its rowdy, divided and Brexit-battered Parliament.Lindsay Hoyle has been elected as Speaker of the House of Commons, after promising to be an antidote to his predecessor John Bercow. Hoyle, 62, has never revealed his views on Brexit, while Bercow admitted he voted to stay in the European Union.Hoyle, who was voted in as a Labour member of Parliament but will now renounce his party affiliation, won the contest on a promise to heal divisions over the U.K.'s divorce from the EU after one of the most bruising periods in recent British political history.It was a message that appealed to weary politicians who have spent three years struggling to cope with the pressure of navigating the country's exit from its closest trading bloc."I will be neutral. I will be transparent," Hoyle said after winning the vote. "This house will change, but it will change for the better."The choice of speaker could be crucial to the future direction of Brexit if neither of the country's main political parties wins a clear majority at the general election taking place on Dec. 12.Chairing debates in the Commons, it is the speaker who often determines what a minority government can and cannot do. Hoyle will potentially have the power to help rank-and-file MPs take control of the House of Commons agenda from the government as well as ruling on the amendments they can make to government legislation.Hoyle's appointment comes after Bercow stepped down after 10 years in the job. Bercow, who was famous for his cries of "Order, order!" during chaotic parliamentary debates, broke with convention.He modernized the way the Commons worked and often sided with backbench politicians over the executive. He made it a central part of his remit to ensure members of Parliament had a say over the direction of Brexit.That meant banning Theresa May, when she was prime minister, from repeatedly trying to get MPs to vote for the same Brexit deal they had already rejected.Brexit FactorThe most controversial speaker in decades, he became a lightning rod for Brexiteers, who saw him as part of an establishment conspiracy to delay or even stop departure from the bloc.While Hoyle is a different character, his potential influence could be just as great.After four rounds of voting on Monday, he won the support of 325 of the 540 MPs who took part, beating fellow Labour MP Chris Bryant in the final round.Hoyle has been deputy speaker since 2010 and represented Chorley -- 300 miles north of London -- since 1997. Despite coming from a Brexit-backing constituency, he's never revealed how he voted in the 2016 referendum.In contrast to Bercow's verbose and combative style, Hoyle has an avuncular manner and has used jokes to reduce tensions in Parliament. And after nine years as deputy speaker, he's had time to think about the qualities needed to succeed in the top job.Needed Skills"It's about having humor, the skills and the ability to hold the House, and it's about getting the temperature right," Hoyle said in an interview with the Politics Home website in May. "It's about complete fairness and independence."Despite having a softer approach than Bercow, Hoyle is no wallflower. During the 2013 Budget, he stole the show, keeping at bay the bellowing and barracking of MPs and accusing them of behaving like circus performers.In his pitch to MPs ahead of Monday's vote, he stressed the importance of accountability and reforming the legislature, saying he should be judged on his "proven track record" as deputy speaker. MPs shouldn't be given preference just because they've been in the House for longer, he said.Toxic ClimateWith so many MPs stepping down over the abuse they have received, Hoyle said one of his first acts would be to call a summit of party leaders to find a way of taking the "nastiness" out of politics.He was in the Speaker's Chair during the terrorist attack on Westminster in 2017, and oversaw the subsequent suspension and lock down of Parliament. He said the security of MPs would be a priority of his time in the post.Before becoming an MP, Hoyle ran his own textile and screen printing business and was first elected as a councilor at the age of 22. His father Doug, who was also a Labour MP and is now a member of the House of Lords, was in the public gallery to watch the announcement.In his acceptance speech, Hoyle also paid tribute to his daughter Natalie, who died in 2017 at the age of 28. "I wish she'd been here. We all miss her," he said. "She was everything to all of us."\--With assistance from Alex Morales.To contact the reporters on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net;Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump Files Paperwork to Formally Exit Paris Climate Accord Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:52 PM PST ![Trump Files Paperwork to Formally Exit Paris Climate Accord]( "Trump Files Paperwork to Formally Exit Paris Climate Accord") (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump formally began the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord on Monday, a move announced in 2017 that will take another year to complete.The State Department formally submitted a request to withdraw from the pact signed by roughly 200 countries on Monday, the earliest date Trump can make the official notification."President Trump made the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement because of the unfair economic burden imposed on American workers, businesses, and taxpayers by U.S. pledges made under the agreement," Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in an email.It will take a year for the move to take effect -- setting the stage for the U.S. departure on Nov. 4 next year, coincidentally a day after the 2020 presidential election.But, critics say, he's already retreated from the fight against global warming by systemically undoing emissions-cutting policies -- an issue Democrats aim to use against him on the campaign trail."With or without the paperwork the administration is doing to withdraw from Paris, they have effectively withdrawn from any kind of commitment already," said Joe Goffman, executive director of the Environmental and Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School.QuickTake: What U.S. Exit Means for Paris Climate Change AccordTrump, who has repeatedly questioned the science behind climate change, vowed to leave the Paris climate accord while campaigning for president. He formally declared his intentions during a Rose Garden speech in 2017.Trump reiterated his plan last week, calling the pact "a total disaster for our country" that would hurt American competitiveness by enabling "a giant transfer of American wealth to foreign nations that are responsible for most of the word's pollution."The president has celebrated other environmental priorities, regularly touting the U.S. as having the cleanest air and water. The 2015 climate accord is really a collection of individual, country-specific pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, designed with an ambition to strengthen them over time. Under former President Barack Obama, the U.S. committed to reduce emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025.The one-year withdrawal timeline could draw more attention to climate change as a campaign issue.The 2020 Democratic hopefuls have vied to outdo each other with plans to rapidly slash greenhouse gas emissions, drive renewable power and quash fossil fuel development. Their environmental ambitions took center stage in a seven-hour climate-focused town hall with 10 Democratic presidential candidates in September.If Trump were to lose re-election, his successor could reverse his course right after the January inauguration. There is a 30-day waiting period for re-entry to take effect."It takes four years to leave. It takes 30 days to go back in," said David Doniger, with the NRDC Action Fund. But, he said, "a three-month timeout where the U.S. is formally out is not going to be any different than the level of disrespect the president has given the previous three years" to climate change.The U.S. carbon-cutting pledge hinged on an assortment of domestic environmental policies governing everything from automobiles and power plants to oil wells and light bulbs. Here's a look at Trump's efforts to roll back major climate regulations:Power Plants:The Environmental Protection Agency in June repealed sweeping Obama-era curbs on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and replaced them with requirements for modest upgrades at individual sites.The Trump administration said its replacement rule is projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in 2030 by about 11 million short tons over what would happen without Obama's so-called Clean Power Plan in place. In part, that's because utilities and electric companies have moved more rapidly than expected to use natural gas and renewables, displacing heavier-emitting coal-fired power.Public health groups, at least six cities and more than 20 states are battling the rule change in federal court.The Interior Department also resumed selling leases to extract coal from federal land, canceling an Obama-era moratorium on the sales and an underlying review of possible changes to factor climate change consequences into coal leasing decisions.Automobiles:The Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency are working to dial back requirements governing automobile fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions charted under Obama in concert with carmakers and California.In August 2018, the agencies proposed capping those requirements at a 37-mile-per-gallon fleetwide average after 2020, rather than allowing current regulation increases to roughly 50 miles per gallon by 2025. Now, after lobbying by automakers, agency officials have tentatively decided to soften the proposal by requiring 1.5% annual increases in auto efficiency fleetwide.The possible changes alarm environmentalists because automobiles are among the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.The EPA, meanwhile, has challenged California's authority to set more stringent requirements limiting greenhouse gas emissions from auto tailpipes than what the federal government requires -- mandates that are followed by other states.Light Bulbs:The Energy Department is easing efficiency standards for some household appliances that help lower power consumption -- and the greenhouse gas emissions tied to producing that electricity.In September, the agency finalized a regulation rolling back energy-use requirements for billions of the most commonly used light bulbs. The standards, which had been scheduled to take effect in January 2020, applied to light bulbs commonly used in recessed lighting, track lighting, bathroom vanities and decorative fixtures.Oil Wells:The Trump administration is moving on multiple fronts to ease requirements for stemming oil and gas well emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas known as methane.The Interior Department already eliminated key requirements governing oil and gas wells on public land, including requirements for capturing more methane at the sites instead of venting or burning it off. It also stripped away a requirement that energy companies working on public land regularly search for leaks.And now the EPA is seeking to abandon regulations designed to stop methane leaks from wells on private land too.Broader Changes:The Trump administration is unraveling a web of policies that forced federal agencies to consider climate change, while stripping states of power to keep their own carbon dioxide emissions in check.Trump regulators, for example, have directed agencies to stop using an Obama-era estimate of the "social cost of carbon" to assess the potential economic damage from climate change, which had been used to justify a slew of environmental policies.(Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder and majority stakeholder of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, is the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Climate Action.)\--With assistance from Ari Natter, Nick Wadhams and Jordan Fabian.To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer A. Dlouhy in Washington at jdlouhy1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth WassermanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| New American sanctions a sign of U.S. bullying - Iran foreign ministry Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:04 PM PST ![New American sanctions a sign of U.S. bullying - Iran foreign ministry]( "New American sanctions a sign of U.S. bullying - Iran foreign ministry") New U.S. sanctions on nine people close to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including his chief of staff, one of his sons and the head of the judiciary are a sign of the bullying approach of the United States toward international affairs, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday. "These types of actions are only a sign of the desperation and inability of this regime in benefiting from a diplomatic and logical approach, which can be seen in the framework of the bullying view of the United States toward other countries and important global and international issues," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
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| US growth of Islam creates need for religious scholars Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:51 AM PST  The Quran, Islam's holy book, is written in classical Arabic, but many of the students aren't well-versed in the language. Qazwini navigates the intricacies of Arabic effortlessly — in the everyday English they use, opening a door for many of the students and meeting an increasing need. Traditional imams and scholars who once came from the Middle East or were educated in schools there are having more difficulty entering the United States.
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| Sombre mood as Germany marks 30 years of fall of Berlin Wall Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:48 AM PST  Germany opened Monday a week of festivities marking three decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but a hint of a return of the Cold War and the rise of nationalism is dampening the mood. Leaders of former Cold War powers will be absent from anniversary festivities, as Donald Trump's America First, Britain's Brexit and Russia's resurgence put a strain on ties. Gone, too, is the euphoric optimism for liberal democracy and freedom that characterised the momentous event on November 9, 1989, as Germany grapples with a surge in far-right support in its former communist states.
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| EU foe Farage takes Brexit poll challenge to Johnson Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:46 AM PST  Anti-EU populist leader Nigel Farage said Monday he will field hardline Brexit candidates across Britain despite fears he could deny Prime Minister Boris Johnson a majority in next month's election. The Brexit Party chief said Johnson's ruling Conservatives could pay dearly for rejecting his offer for a "non-aggression pact" in the December 12 snap election. "There will be no Brexit without the Brexit Party," Farage told a London rally of hundreds of Brexit Party candidates standing in the country's third election in four years.
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| US issues $20 million reward for American missing in Iran Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:30 AM PST  The Trump administration on Monday offered a reward of up to $20 million for information about Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007, and imposed new sanctions on leading Iranian officials as relations deteriorated further on the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover. The reward for help solving the Levinson disappearance and the sanctions also come as Iran said it was doubling the number of advanced centrifuges it operates to produce nuclear fuel, trimming the time experts believe that the Islamic Republic would need to have enough material to build a nuclear weapon. The State Department claims Levinson was taken hostage in Iran with the involvement of the Iranian regime.
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| U.S. Sanctions Key Iranians Reporting to Supreme Leader Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:14 AM PST ![U.S. Sanctions Key Iranians Reporting to Supreme Leader]( "U.S. Sanctions Key Iranians Reporting to Supreme Leader") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. used the 40th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis to sanction key officials reporting to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, including his son, and called on the Islamic Republic to release Americans believed to be held in the country.The U.S. said Monday that the officials include those involved in terrorist attacks in Lebanon and Argentina. Three Trump administration officials, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, also announced a $20 million reward for information leading to the return of American Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in 2007."Today the Treasury Department is targeting the unelected officials who surround Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and implement his destabilizing policies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "These individuals are linked to a wide range of malign behaviors by the regime, including bombings of the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983 and the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in 1994, as well as torture, extrajudicial killings, and repression of civilians."The move comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high over the breakdown of the 2015 Iran nuclear accord and military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf region. Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday said Iran has increased the number of advanced centrifuges it is running to enrich uranium and additional milestones in the country's nuclear program may be announced later this week.Read More: Iran Adds Advanced Centrifuges in Further Weakening of DealIran has been scaling back its compliance with the beleaguered 2015 deal since May as it resists the "maximum pressure" offensive of President Donald Trump, who unilaterally left the accord last year and later imposed sweeping economic sanctions including the total ban on oil sales.But the troubled history between the two countries dates back to at least the Carter administration. The taking of more than 50 diplomats at the American embassy in Tehran in November 1979 became a defining moment in U.S.-Iran relations for more than a generation. The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since the hostage crisis, which ended 444 days after it began.Among those targeted for inclusion on Treasury's sanctions list on Monday are Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the country's judiciary, for involvement in cracking down on public protests in 2009, according to the statement. Also designated was Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the Supreme Leader's chief of staff, and Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader who Treasury said helped the Iranian regime extend credit lines to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of the leader, was targeted "for representing the Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father."With an economic crisis looming, Iran announced on May 8 it would gradually withdraw from the nuclear agreement unless the remaining parties find a way to ease its pain. It first stopped complying with a 300-kilogram cap on the storage of enriched uranium and heavy water imposed by the multilateral accord, and then broke the 3.67% limit on uranium purity.While officials have said the country will "set aside" restrictions on uranium enrichment, it has so far held off enriching to anywhere near 20%, the level required for research reactors. Weapons-grade uranium needs to have an enrichment level of 90% or higher.\--With assistance from Arsalan Shahla.To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Wingrove in Washington at jwingrove4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, ;Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Larry LiebertFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Investigation: Lead in some Canadian water worse than Flint Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:14 AM PST  Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been unwittingly exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water, with contamination in several cities consistently higher than they ever were in Flint, Michigan, according to an investigation that tested drinking water in hundreds of homes and reviewed thousands more previously undisclosed results. Residents in some homes in Montreal, a cosmopolitan city an hour north of the U.S.-Canada border, and Regina, in the flat western prairies, are among those drinking and cooking with tap water with lead levels that exceed Canada's federal guidelines. A yearlong investigation by more than 120 journalists from nine universities and 10 media organizations, including The Associated Press and the Institute for Investigative Journalism at Concordia University in Montreal , collected test results that properly measure exposure to lead in 11 cities across Canada.
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| Rees-Mogg Urges Farage to Stop Fighting the Tories: Election Update Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:07 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.Members of Parliament are electing a new speaker of the House of Commons, an appointment that could influence the direction of Brexit. John Bercow, who stepped down last week, set new precedents to allow opponents of the deals negotiated by both Johnson and his predecessor, Theresa May, to scrutinize and amend those plans.With election campaigning in full swing, Nigel Farage dug in over his pledge to stand Brexit Party candidates nationwide, potentially taking votes from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives. Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said Farage's position "risks us losing Brexit altogether."Key Developments:MPs taking part in a series of votes to elect a new SpeakerFarage says Brexit Party can exert "great influence" in new ParliamentPlaid Cymru continues talks with Greens, Liberal Democrats on electoral pactNHS chiefs warn politicians not to "weaponize" NHS during election campaignPound falls 0.3% after weekend opinion polls indicated Conservative Party's lead may be narrowingHarman and Winterton Out of Speaker Race (6 p.m.)Harriet Harman has dropped out of the race for Speaker. Rosie Winterton was automatically eliminated. Going through to the next round are Lindsay Hoyle, Eleanor Laing and Chris Bryant. With 89 votes up for grabs, it is still possible for any of them to win.Sky Proposes Three-Way Leaders' Debate (5:20 p.m.)Sky News proposed a three-way leaders' debate on Nov. 28 which would include the Liberal Democrats' Jo Swinson, alongside Labour's Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson.Swinson responded on Twitter, saying "I'm in" and challenging the Labour and Tory leaders to accept. The only other debate announced so far, on ITV on Nov. 19, isn't scheduled to include Swinson, who argued on Monday that "Remain deserves to be represented."Swinson: Main Parties 'Sexist or Scared' (3:50 p.m.)Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said she is pursuing "legal avenues" to ensure she is included in leader debates before the Dec. 12 election. The first debate, announced by ITV on Friday, is scheduled to include only prime minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn."I should be in this debate, if they're refusing to debate me it looks like they're sexist, or they're scared, or possibly both," Swinson told reporters outside Parliament. "They've engaged in an establishment stitch-up."Swinson said her party is closer in the polls to Labour and the Conservatives than it was in 2010 when then leader Nick Clegg was included in the debates.Hoyle and Harman Plea for Votes (3:10 p.m.)Meg Hillier, a Labour MP who chairs the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, said she would champion "better conduct" among MPs to eliminate the "bullying and harassment that is still all too rife" in Parliament.She was followed by Bercow's most senior deputy, Lindsay Hoyle, who is the runaway favorite in the competition. He pointed to his track record over the past nine years, and said he'll ensure there's no "pecking order" under which longer-standing MPs get picked to speak more often that newer members."I have tried to ensure there is not one part of this house that has not been brought to speak," Hoyle said. "And I want to continue to do that."Labour's Harriet Harman, the longest serving woman MP, appealed to the House of Commons to show it has changed by naming the second female speaker in its history, noting that in 600 years there have been 156 male speakers. In a pitch for the votes of minor parties, she pledged to create a fourth deputy speaker role from their ranks.Bryant, Leigh, Laing Appeal for Votes (2:55 p.m.)Chris Bryant, a Labour MP who's known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Parliamentary procedure, pledged that as speaker, he would "return to the rulebook" – another swipe at Bercow after Winterton's opening pitch (see 2:35 p.m.).Bryant said he'd be "an umpire not a player," and promised to have "absolutely no favorites." A dark horse to win the contest, his speech was peppered with laughter from colleagues, who broke into applause when he said he wanted to return to traditional rules and "stop the clapping" in Parliament.Third to give his pitch was Edward Leigh, a longstanding Tory MP, who made a virtue of being a backbencher for 33 of the past 37 years. He was followed by another of the current deputies, Eleanor Laing, another Conservative. She also made a swipe at Bercow, without naming him."It is not the role of the speaker to create division or rancor in this House, but to seek consensus," Laing said.Farage Rejects Tory Pleas to Stand Aside (2:45 p.m.)Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage fired back at the Conservatives after they urged him to stand aside in the election, warning he could split their vote (see 9:20 a.m.).At a rally for candidates in London he was cheered as he said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal meant the U.K. isn't really leaving the European Union. "It's not Brexit," he said. "We won't split the vote. We will be the only people actually offering Brexit."In a telling moment, the audience booed the name of Jacob Rees-Mogg, previously a darling of such events for his strong Brexit stance.Speaker Candidates Make Their Pitches (2:35 p.m.)Boris Johnson formally announced the start of the process for choosing a new speaker of the House of Commons, before handing over to Father of the House Ken Clarke, who, as the longest-serving MP, took the chair to begin proceedings.The candidates have a chance to outline their priorities in short addresses to the House of Commons, with Clarke saying the order had been determined by a ballot. First up was Rosie Winterton, a Labour MP and former chief whip, and one of the current deputy speakers."The speaker's job is not to dominate proceedings or to speak to Parliament," Winterton said in a veiled swipe at Bercow. "But to facilitate debate and allow Parliament to speak for itself."Bercow Quits Early as MP (11:25 a.m.)Outgoing House of Commons Speaker John Bercow -- who had his last day in the chair on Thursday -- has stepped down early as an MP. It means he won't be able to participate in the vote later on Monday to appoint his successor.His resignation was signaled in a Treasury announcement that Bercow has been appointed to be "Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead." Parliament is set to sit for the last time on Tuesday before dissolution at midnight ahead of the Dec. 12 general election.Lib Dems See Deals Likely in 'Tens of Seats' (10:50 a.m.)The Liberal Democrats are likely to strike electoral pacts with other smaller parties in "tens of seats," but no formal nationwide deal is likely, Tom Brake, the party's Brexit spokesman, said in an interview. The agreements will be brokered on a local basis, as has already been done in some Welsh seats."That is what we can expect a little bit more of, rather than any announcement about a national deal," Brake said. "We're talking tens of seats, not hundreds of seats. Given that this is very much based on ad hoc arrangements, it makes it very hard to predict what the final number will be."Brake's comments come after Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said to expect an announcement "very soon" on the results of talks between his Welsh nationalist grouping, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats (See earlier).Rees-Mogg: Farage Should Stop Fighting Tories (9:20 a.m.)Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg heaped praise on Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage for his contribution to the Euroskeptic cause -- but warned he risked snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by fighting the Tories and splitting the pro-Brexit vote."Nigel needs to recognize that he has won," Rees-Mogg told LBC Radio. Farage "risks us losing Brexit altogether" if he fights the Tories at the election and allows Labour to win power.There can be no deal with the Brexit Party if Farage "simply wants to oppose" Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, Rees-Mogg said, pointing out that other leading Euroskeptics support the agreement.Farage has said his party will field 600 candidates to challenge the Conservatives unless Johnson ditches his Brexit deal.Farage Hardens Line on Johnson's Deal (Earlier)Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage showed no sign of backing down in his opposition to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal or on his pledge to stand candidates across the country."What we get with Boris is three more years of negotiations minimum, we go on paying, we have taxation without representation, we have no voice, they can do what they like to us and we're committed to staying part of EU rules forever," Farage told ITV on Monday. "That is not Brexit."Farage said the British public would be "horrified" when they "wake up" to the deal that's been negotiated, and said his party can affect proceedings in the new Parliament."Mrs. May was kept in power by 10 DUP MPs," Farage said. "It is likely that we're going to have a hung Parliament the next time around, so actually if the Brexit Party can get a reasonable amount of people in there, they can exert a great influence."Health Chiefs Warn Against Politicizing NHS (Earlier)Health chiefs warned against politicizing the National Health Service during the general election campaign. Writing in The Times newspaper, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Chairwoman Carrie MacEwen said it "cannot be right" for politicians to use the health service to score political points."The NHS's role is to manage the health of the nation, not to be used as a tool to swing voters in a three-way marginal," she wrote. "Our fear is that when it comes to the NHS in these febrile times, we will see irrational, undeliverable promises or even outright lies."Speaking to BBC radio on Monday, NHS Providers Chief Executive Officer Chris Hopson said politicians "need to be clear" about what extra spending is for. New funding pledged by the government, he said, "just enables us to keep up with extra demand.""One of the worries we have is that everybody's running around saying that this extra money now takes us to the sunlit uplands and that it's all going to be fantastic, and the reality is that it's an amount of funding that just enables us to keep up with demand," Hopson said.Plaid Cymru Plans Pact With Greens, Lib Dems (Earlier)Adam Price, leader of the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, said he'd had "positive" discussions with the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party over electoral pacts in certain voting districts.Under the potential deals, two of the parties would stand aside in specific constituencies in order to give the other a clearer chance of defeating the Conservative candidate. "We hope to make an announcement very soon," Price told BBC radio, declining to give specifics.Read More:Farage to Challenge Johnson in 600 Seats: U.K. Campaign TrailBoris Johnson Says Sorry Tories Missed Oct. 31 Brexit DeadlineBrexit and Election Turmoil Cut Into BOE Preparation Time: ChartBOE Governor Race Thrown Into Turmoil by December ElectionU.K. Parliament Set to Elect Replacement to Speaker BercowAs Brexit Radicalizes British Politics, There's Nowhere to Hide\--With assistance from Thomas Penny and Tim Ross.To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net;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, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran announces sharp rise in enriched uranium production Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:07 AM PST  Iran announced Monday a more than tenfold increase in enriched uranium production following a series of steps back from commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by the United States. The Islamic republic has also developed two new advanced centrifuges, one of which is undergoing testing, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, announced. Enriched uranium production has reached five kilogrammes per day, Salehi told reporters at the Natanz facility in central Iran in remarks broadcast by state television.
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| Court releases journalists convicted in failed Turkish coup Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:04 AM PST ![Court releases journalists convicted in failed Turkish coup]( "Court releases journalists convicted in failed Turkish coup") A court has ordered the release of two prominent journalists convicted in connection with a 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey. The official Anadolu news agency reports the court in Istanbul on Monday ordered Ahmet Altan and Nazli Ilicak released from prison on the condition that they check in regularly with police. The country's Supreme Court of Appeals in July overturned the pair's life sentences.
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| US sanctions Iran supreme leader's aides on embassy anniversary Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:50 AM PST  The United States on Monday slapped sanctions on nine aides to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the 40th anniversary of revolutionary zealots seizing the US embassy in Tehran. The United States said it was also offering a $20 million reward for information to find Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent and CIA contractor who went missing in Iran in 2007 in mysterious circumstances. The Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on nine members of Khamenei's inner circle, accusing them of "repression" at home and exporting "terrorism" overseas.
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| At least 5 protesters killed in new round of clashes in Iraq Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:46 AM PST  Anti-government protesters crossed a major bridge in Baghdad on Monday, approaching the prime minister's office and the headquarters of Iraq's state-run TV, as security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas, killing at least five demonstrators and wounding dozens. The protesters hurled rocks and set tires and dumpsters ablaze, sending clouds of black smoke into the air. Security forces flooded into the area to protect government buildings, and gunfire echoed through the streets.
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| Israel agrees to free 2 Jordanians held without charges Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:42 AM PST  Israel and Jordan announced Monday they have agreed to release two Jordanians held by Israel without charges for over two months, including one woman suffering serious health problems after going on a monthlong hunger strike. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi wrote on Twitter that Heba al-Labadi and Abdul Rahman Miri will return to Jordan "before the end of the week." He gave no further details. Israel arrested al-Labadi on Aug. 20 and Miri on Sept. 2 as they entered the West Bank from Jordan through an Israeli-controlled crossing.
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| Houthi Haven: Why Iran's Proxy Warriors Have Flourished in the Era of Trump Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:38 AM PST  Trump's maximum pressure campaign has pushed Iran to escalate its support for the Houthis and the United States to accelerate its sanctions regime in response, creating a self-perpetuating cycle with no end in sight.
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| Iran frets as anti-government protests take hold in Iraq and Lebanon Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:22 AM PST  Protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi Shia holy city of Karbala on Sunday, as demonstrations continued to grow against Tehran's influence in the country. Crowds scaled the building's concrete barriers and tried to take down the Iranian flag and replace it with the Iraqi one before three were shot dead by security forces. Many demonstrators have accused Iran of propping up the "corrupt, inefficient" government they want to overthrow, as they have taken to the streets in the biggest mass protests since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. "I am the son of Karbala and there is no Iranian who can dictate to me," one angry protester shook his fist as he spoke to a local TV station, in a clip widely shared on social media on Monday. An Iraqi protester waves the Iraqi national flag as he stands on a concrete wall at the Iranian consulate in Karbala, Iraq Credit: REX In recent days, they have been seen burning posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which would have been unthinkable before the recent protests began last month. In the 16 years since the fall of Saddam Huseein, a Sunni Muslim, Shia neighbour Iran has emerged as a key power broker in Iraqi politics. Tehran closely backs both its Shia-led government and maintains control over a number of powerful armed groups in Iraq. Iran has reportedly stepped in to prevent the ouster of Abdel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq's prime minister, which has been called for by protesters and prominent political rivals. Militias backed by Tehran have tried to help put down the rallies, which are growing in scale, deploying snipers and firing on unarmed demonstrators. More than 250 people have been killed since the protests first erupted on October 1. Iraqi demonstrators block al-Sanak bridge during the ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad Credit: Reuters In another holy city, Najaf, demonstrators changed the name of Imam Khomenei road (after the late ayatollah) to " Martyrs of October Revolution" road after those killed. Elsewhere, in Lebanon, protesters have been chanting against what they see as the meddling of both Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Mediterranean country's domestic affairs. Protests against political corruption and mismanagement have been largely secular and peaceful, however supporters of the two biggest Shia parties, Hizbollah and Amal, have attempted to quash the rallies with violence. Lebanon's government is dominated by the allies of Shia armed movement Hizbollah, through which Iran exerts significant influence. Hizbollah is part of a political bloc that won the 2018 election, giving it control over the parliament and most to lose should the government fall. Lebanese riot policemen face off with anti-protest demonstrators shouting pro-Hizbollah and Amal Movement slogans in Beirut Credit: REX Protests in Iraq and Lebanon have rattled Iran, analysts say, threatening the latter's hard-won influence on both countries. "Very clearly, Iran in both Lebanon and Iraq wants to protect the system and not allow it to fall apart," said Renad Mansour, researcher at London-based Chatham House. In both countries "it considers the demands of protesters potentially destabilising," he said.
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| UPDATE 4-U.S. targets Iranian top leader's inner circle with new sanctions Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:11 AM PST ![UPDATE 4-U.S. targets Iranian top leader's inner circle with new sanctions]( "UPDATE 4-U.S. targets Iranian top leader's inner circle with new sanctions") The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on nine people close to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including his chief of staff, one of his sons and the head of the judiciary. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Iran's seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the U.S. Treasury Department said it also was blacklisting Iran's Armed Forces General Staff. "Today the Treasury Department is targeting the unelected officials who surround Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and implement his destabilizing policies," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
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| Hundreds of Brexit Party candidates will run in UK election Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:07 AM PST  Nigel Farage unveiled hundreds of Brexit Party candidates for Britain's general election on Monday, and warned the governing Conservatives that the U.K. will never leave the European Union without his party's backing. Farage says his party will run in almost every constituency unless Prime Minister Boris Johnson scraps his EU divorce deal. Farage's party, which was founded earlier this year, rejects Johnson's Brexit deal, preferring to leave the bloc with no agreement on future relations in what it calls a "clean-break" Brexit.
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| Albania freezes repatriation of its citizens from Syria Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:59 AM PST ![Albania freezes repatriation of its citizens from Syria]( "Albania freezes repatriation of its citizens from Syria") Albania says it has frozen efforts to repatriate from Syria dozens of nationals being held on suspicion of having jihadi links. State Minister Elisa Spiropali said Monday that the operation had been suspended "due to the new geo-political situation" in Syria, including Turkey's military operations and U.S. troops' withdrawal. Spiropali said the Albanians held in a camp in northern Syria include 11 to 13 men suspected of terrorist activities and 28 children.
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| U.S. imposes sanctions on nine people, one entity tied to Iran -Treasury Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:43 AM PST ![U.S. imposes sanctions on nine people, one entity tied to Iran -Treasury]( "U.S. imposes sanctions on nine people, one entity tied to Iran -Treasury") The United States imposed sanctions on nine people and one entity tied to Iran, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday, the 40th anniversary of Iran's seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The sanctions were announced on the U.S. Treasury Department website.
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| EU Set to Allow U.S. Participation in Joint Defense Projects Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:53 AM PST ![EU Set to Allow U.S. Participation in Joint Defense Projects]( "EU Set to Allow U.S. Participation in Joint Defense Projects") (Bloomberg) -- The European Union is closing in on an accord that would allow the U.S. government and American companies to participate in joint defense projects, potentially removing a source of friction in transatlantic ties.Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly warned the EU about discriminating against U.S. companies as the bloc's national governments press ahead with plans for more defense cooperation. The EU says it needs to develop its own defense capabilities outside of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with countries such as France being reluctant to grant access to outsiders to joint military projects.Following months of negotiations, EU government envoys in Brussels will seek a deal on Wednesday over a proposed rulebook, which would allow third countries to join, if their participation is deemed to add "substantial value" to the projects, according to a draft of the accord seen by Bloomberg.Only non-EU countries with democratic systems of government, which respect human rights and good neighborly relations with the bloc will be allowed in, according to the document. These terms would exclude China and probably Turkey from defense procurement, but would pave the way for the U.S. and the U.K. to join, post-Brexit.Non-EU countries will have no say on how the EU will use the capabilities and the systems developed, while participation in each project would be ad-hoc and require a unanimous decision by the bloc's member-states managing it. A single member state would have the power to terminate a third country's participation if it has substantiated "concerns," according to the draft under discussion, circulated to EU diplomats on Monday.While the bloc's budget for joint military projects is tiny compared to the U.S., Washington has been demanding the right to participate both as a matter of principle, as well as on the expectation that the initiative will grow in the years ahead.To contact the reporter on this story: Nikos Chrysoloras in Brussels at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Richard Bravo, Ben SillsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran Adds Advanced Centrifuges in Further Weakening of Deal Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:46 AM PST ![Iran Adds Advanced Centrifuges in Further Weakening of Deal]( "Iran Adds Advanced Centrifuges in Further Weakening of Deal") (Bloomberg) -- Iran said it has increased the number of advanced centrifuges it is running, as the country continues to back away from commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers in an effort to counter American sanctions.The Islamic Republic has added a further 30 IR-6 centrifuges, which can enrich uranium 10 times faster than first generation machines, local media reported on Monday, citing nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi. Earlier steps in contravention of the 2015 accord enabled Iran to increase its production of enriched uranium ten-fold to 5 kilograms a day, he added.President Hassan Rouhani is expected to announce further moves regarding the nation's nuclear program later this week.Salehi spoke as authorities marked the 40th anniversary of the occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which catalyzed decades of enmity between the two nations. Centrifuges are fast-spinning machines used to enrich uranium, and the latest statement by Iran is likely to provide ammunition for its foes in Washington and the Middle East that authorities are intent on rebuilding an atomic program capable of producing nuclear weapons.Tehran wants European signatories to the accord to provide effective ways of bypassing the U.S. penalties and delivering economic gains, especially a restoration of crucial oil exports. But the standoff over Iran's nuclear program has sparked a surge in tit-for-tat attacks on oil facilities, drones and shipping traffic that raised fears of a new military conflict in the Middle East.'Symbolic Measures'While the developments outlined Monday will over time significantly boost Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities, they aren't as alarming as some of the "steps that the Europeans feared Iran would take," said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. Still, "Iran is running out of symbolic measures" and sooner or later is likely to "cross a red line that would make it nearly impossible for the Europeans to look the other way," he said.Iran has been scaling back its compliance to the terms of the beleaguered 2015 deal since May as it resists the "maximum pressure" offensive of U.S. President Donald Trump, who unilaterally left the accord last year and reimposed sweeping economic sanctions including the total ban on oil sales.With an economic crisis looming, Iran announced on May 8 it would gradually withdraw from the agreement unless the remaining parties find a way to ease its pain. It first stopped complying with a 300-kilogram cap on the storage of enriched uranium and heavy water imposed by the multilateral accord, and then broke the 3.67% limit on uranium purity. While officials have said the country will "set aside" restrictions on uranium enrichment, it has so far held off enriching to anywhere near 20%, the level required for research reactors. Weapons-grade uranium needs to have an enrichment level of 90% or higher.Salehi also said Monday that the first concrete would be poured next week at two new nuclear plants being built with Russian assistance at Bushehr under an agreement signed in 2014.(Updates with analyst comment.)To contact the reporter on this story: Arsalan Shahla in Tehran at ashahla@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Amy TeibelFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The Latest: Germany says Iran risking entire nuclear deal Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:39 AM PST  German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says Iran's latest step away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers risks completely breaking the entire agreement. Iran has said its centrifuge decision is a direct result of U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the agreement more than a year ago.
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| The Latest: Clashes in Baghdad protests kill 5, wound 60 Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:20 AM PST  Iraqi officials say four protesters and a member of the security forces have been killed in clashes in central Baghdad, where anti-government demonstrators crossed a main bridge and approached government buildings. A security official and a medical official say another 60 people were wounded in Monday's unrest. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have demonstrated in central Baghdad and across mostly Shiite southern Iraq in recent days, calling for the overthrow of the political system.
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| Protesters close roads, paralyzing Lebanon as crisis worsens Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:13 AM PST  Protesters closed major roads in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon Monday, accusing political leaders of dragging their feet on the formation of a new government amid differences over who should be included. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned last Tuesday, meeting a key demand of the protesters.
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| Ukraine foes defer troop pullback, delaying key peace summit Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:12 AM PST  Ukrainian soldiers and Moscow-backed separatists deferred the last phase of a troop pullback in war-torn eastern Ukraine at the 11th hour on Monday, delaying a high-stakes summit with Russia. The long-awaited move is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The summit will be mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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| Turkish soldier killed by roadside bomb in northeast Syria Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:07 AM PST ![Turkish soldier killed by roadside bomb in northeast Syria]( "Turkish soldier killed by roadside bomb in northeast Syria") Turkey says one of its soldiers has been killed by roadside bomb in northeastern Syria. Turkey's official Anadolu news agency, citing the defense ministry, said Monday that the soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device that had been identified by the military. The Turkish invasion aims to push Syrian Kurdish fighters away from its borders.
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| Merkel pays tribute to victims of German neo-Nazi group Posted: 04 Nov 2019 06:29 AM PST  German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute Monday to 10 people who were killed by a neo-Nazi group over a decade ago, amid concerns that violent far-right extremism is on the rise again in Germany. During a visit to the eastern German city of Zwickau, Merkel took part in a ceremony dedicating 10 newly planted trees to the memory of those killed by the National Socialist Underground group from 2000-2007. Last month, a young oak tree commemorating the group's first victim, flower seller Enver Simsek, was sawed down at the same site.
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| Iraq’s Top Cleric Warns Iran to Stay Out Posted: 04 Nov 2019 06:29 AM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- To understand what Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is saying, you have to translate him twice: first from Arabic to English, then from politesse to plain-speak. In the first translation, a key passage from his Friday sermon in the holy city of Karbala went like this: "No person or group, no side with a particular view, no regional or international actor may seize the will of the Iraqi people and impose its will on them."The second translation: "Back off, Khamenei!"That is how it would have sounded to Sistani's audience in Karbala, where it was read out for the ailing octogenarian by an aide; in the streets of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, where a bloody crackdown on largely peaceful protesters has taken more than 200 lives; in the Iraqi parliament, where lawmakers are negotiating a response to the demonstrations; and in Tehran, where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been struggling to respond to the rising anti-Iran sentiment that undergirds uprisings in Iraq and Lebanon.Khamenei has unleashed Iran's proxies in the streets — Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Shiite militias in Iraq — to intimidate the protesters. He has also dispatched his chief enforcer, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Qassem Soleimani, to the Iraqi parliament, to rally Shiite parties behind the feckless Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi.But if anything, these responses will only fan the anger in the streets against Iranian interference in Iraqi and Lebanese politics. Not even Khamenei, who is practiced in the art of ignoring popular resentment, can have failed to notice the anti-Iran slogans echoing through Iraqi cities. Nor will it have escaped his attention that the loudest chanting comes from Iraqi Shiites, a community he expects to favor his Islamic Republic. The Supreme Leader's anxiety was palpable in his tweets on Thursday, when he tried to blame Tehran's usual suspects — "the U.S., the Zionist regime, some Western countries, and the money of some reactionary countries" — for the protests.Sistani's sermon was a riposte, designed to set Khamenei right. Although born in Iran, he is no fan of Khamenei and other hardliners in Tehran, preferring the likes of President Hassan Rouhani.Iraq's Grand Ayatollah has been in a quandary over the protests. Every Iraqi government since 2005 has had his personal imprimatur: His word has united factions among the Shiite majority. Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi, too, has his blessing. As such, Sistani is complicit in the corruption and ineptitude that have brought the Iraqis into the streets.His early pronouncements on the protests vacillated between bromides against corruption and calls on the protesters to abjure violence. But as the demonstrations have persisted, Sistani has grown progressively more critical of the government, blaming it for the violence.His Friday sermon puts him squarely on the protesters' side. In addition to interfering Iranians, the leaders who have long benefited from his validation came under attack. As the politicians in Baghdad struggle to devise a response that will satisfy angry Iraqis, the so-called sage of Najaf warned that Iraqis have a right to a "referendum on the constitution" to change how they are governed. By invoking the prospect of a referendum, Sistani may have given the protesters a new focus for their energies, and Iraqi politicians a way to break the toxic pattern of inconclusive elections and compromise prime ministers. Much will depend on the reaction of another cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, who has also taken the protesters' side — even joining them in the streets — and has called for Abdul-Mahdi's removal.Sadr, frequently described as a firebrand, has little in common with the preternaturally placid Sistani. But the prospect of the protests being led by one and backed by the other is certain to rattle turbaned heads in Tehran. And if Sistani and Sadr were to throw their combined weight behind demands for a referendum — and who knows, maybe even inspire emulation by the Lebanese — that might be the stuff of Khamenei's nightmares.(Corrects photograph of Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani in article published Nov. 2.)To contact the author of this story: Bobby Ghosh at aghosh73@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Gibney at jgibney5@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Bobby Ghosh is a columnist and member of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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