| US hits Iran 'nuclear enrichment network' with sanctions Posted: 18 Jul 2019 04:44 PM PDT  The US Treasury named a group of companies in Iran, Belgium and China to its sanctions blacklist Thursday for acting as a supply network for Tehran's nuclear enrichment program. The companies served as a procurement network for Iran's Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA), which produces enrichment centrifuges for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the Treasury said.
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| Gulf tensions rise as US shoots down Iranian drone Posted: 18 Jul 2019 04:23 PM PDT  Tensions in the Gulf region mounted Thursday as US President Donald Trump said an American naval vessel shot down an Iranian drone that threatened the ship as it was entering the Strait of Hormuz. It was the first US military engagement with Iran following a series of increasingly serious incidents. The drone was "immediately destroyed," Trump said, after it approached within 1,000 yards (914 meters) of the Boxer, Trump said.
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| American warship destroys Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz Posted: 18 Jul 2019 03:41 PM PDT  A U.S. warship on Thursday destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after it threatened the ship, President Donald Trump said. The incident marked a new escalation of tensions between the countries less than one month after Iran downed an American drone in the same waterway and Trump came close to retaliating with a military strike. In remarks at the White House, Trump blamed Iran for a "provocative and hostile" action and said the U.S. responded in self-defense.
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| US sanctions four Iraqis for rights abuses, corruption Posted: 18 Jul 2019 02:40 PM PDT  The United States on Thursday sanctioned two Iraqi militia leaders and two former governors for human rights abuses and corruption. The sanctions target any property they own or have an interest in that is within the United States or under the control of "US persons," as well as "any entities" in which they have a 50 percent or greater stake, the Treasury Department said. Ahmed al-Juburi, the former governor of Iraq's Salaheddin province, was sanctioned over corruption and has also "been known to protect his personal interests by accommodating Iran-backed proxies," Treasury said in a statement.
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| Suspected Islamic State member brought to US for prosecution Posted: 18 Jul 2019 02:39 PM PDT ![Suspected Islamic State member brought to US for prosecution]( "Suspected Islamic State member brought to US for prosecution") The Trump administration said Thursday that it has brought home for prosecution a U.S. national suspected of fighting alongside the Islamic State group in Syria. The Pentagon said the individual had previously been held by Syrian Democratic Forces as a suspected member of IS. Tens of thousands of foreign fighters from across the world had traveled to Syria to join IS after it declared a global caliphate there in 2014.
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| Your Evening Briefing Posted: 18 Jul 2019 02:28 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every afternoon? Sign up hereIn 2014, the U.S. government said mobile phones carried by airline passengers could sufficiently flummox a jet's electronics so as to pose a safety threat. Specifically, some models of Boeing 737 and 777 airplanes were vulnerable. Today, potentially hundreds of planes worldwide are still flying with the unsafe systems cited in that report. Here are today's top storiesA $338 billion money manager said equity investors best quit while they're ahead this year and move to safer holdings.Ghislaine Maxwell, friend of fund manager and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, is trying to keep 2,000 pages of court filings sealed. They stem from a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed Epstein sexually abused her for two years when she was 16, and that Maxwell participated. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren proposed new rules to rein in private equity and "useless speculation." The Democratic presidential candidate aims to reverse President Donald Trump's effort to deregulate Wall Street.Trump spoke several times by phone with personal attorney Michael Cohen and campaign press secretary Hope Hicks as Cohen arranged an illegal hush-money payment before the 2016 election, according to newly unsealed court documents.The U.S. Navy shot down an Iranian drone near the Strait of Hormuz that the Pentagon said was approaching one of its ships. Iran shot down a U.S. drone last month, saying it had entered its airspace.Hedge funds are taking a lot of blame for lost trading revenue on Wall Street. Big banks are blaming them and other investors for their worst first half in more than a decade. Morgan Stanley had it especially hard.What's Lorcan Roche Kelly thinking about? The Bloomberg cross-asset editor said the negative yields seen these days in the bond market are a very weird thing. It's amazing that bond traders are now forced to go hat-in hand to the junk-bond market, begging for yield.What you'll need to know tomorrowU.S. stocks rebounded Thursday and the dollar fell. The tables have turned for Blockchain: Bitcoin is back. The bad news for Netflix continued on Wall Street. Barneys is mulling a bankruptcy filing. Why sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise again. Bloomberg Opinion: Is Nancy Pelosi close to seeking impeachment? Bloomberg Businessweek: Amazon has a convenience store project.What you'll want to read in Bloomberg Work WiseWhy millennials might be headed for a fall. Adunola Adeshola has a clear view of what young professionals actually want. And while her contemporaries are more practical than their cranky elders allow for, some are being lulled into a false sense of security, she said, one that doesn't match the rocky landscape ahead. To contact the author of this story: David Rovella in New York at drovella@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump announces downing of Iranian unmanned aircraft: 'The drone was immediately destroyed' Posted: 18 Jul 2019 02:09 PM PDT  President Trump announced that a U.S. Navy ship downed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The incident comes as tensions between the U.S. and Iran have sharply escalated in recent weeks.
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| Trump says US Navy ship destroys Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:52 PM PDT  "The Boxer took defense action against the drone which had closed into a very close distance, approximately a thousand yards, ignoring multiple calls to stand down and was threatening the safety of the ship and the ship's crew," Trump said at the White House. "This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters," he continued.
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| Closer to War: U.S. Troops Aboard Amphibious Assault Ship Force Down Iranian Drone Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:42 PM PDT  U.S. troops aboard an amphibious assault ship on July 18, 2019 forced down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. president Donald Trump announced.The downing comes just a few weeks after Iranian forces downed an American drone in the same area. The mutual shoot-downs could escalate the already tense situation in the Persian Gulf region.Trump said the unmanned aerial vehicle threatened USS Boxer.Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told The New York Times that Boxer was in international waters at the time of the incident. The drone "closed within a threatening range" before Boxer took action.U.S. Marines embarked on Boxer used radio-jamming gear to bring down the drone, CNN reporter Ryan Browne tweeted."The drone was immediately destroyed," Trump said.It's unclear what kind of drone the Marines forced down. Iran's aviation industry produces a wide range of inexpensive UAVs, including several variants of the Mohajer drone that first entered service in the late 1980s.Iranian forces in 2011 captured a secretive U.S. Air Force RQ-170 stealth spy drone. Tehran's engineers reverse-engineered the batwing RQ-170 and produced crude copies of their own.Tehran equipped the regime of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad with an array of UAVs.Iran around a decade ago began arming some of its drone types with missiles and bombs. Iran Aviation Industries Organization in 2014 revealed a Mohajer variant that Iranian media claimed could shoot down other aircraft.
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| Iran makes 'substantial' nuclear offer in return for US lifting sanctions Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:35 PM PDT  * Plan would allow enhanced, permanent nuclear inspections * Foreign minister: 'It's not about photo ops. We want substance'Mohammad Javad Zarif at the UN on Thursday. He said: 'If they [the Trump administration] are putting their money where their mouth is, they are going to do it.' Photograph: Richard Drew/APIran has offered a deal with the US in which it would formally and permanently accept enhanced inspections of its nuclear programme, in return for the permanent lifting of US sanctions.The offer was made by the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, on a visit to New York. But it is unlikely to be warmly received by the Trump administration, which is currently demanding Iran make a range of sweeping concessions, including cessation of uranium enrichment and support for proxies and allies in the region.Zarif insisted, however, that his offer was "a substantial move"."It's not about photo ops. We are interested in substance," he told reporters at the Iranian mission to the UN in New York on Thursday. "There are other substantial moves that can be made."He said: "If they [the Trump administration] are putting their money where their mouth is, they are going to do it. They don't need a photo op. They don't need a two-page document with a big signature."Iran has faced an steadily tightening US-driven oil embargo and severe banking sanctions since May last year, when Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran known as the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA).The embargo has triggered a standoff in the Gulf that has escalated dramatically in recent months:on Thursday, Trump said a US warship, the USS Boxer, had shot down an Iranian drone that had come within a kilometre of the vessel."The drone was immediately destroyed," the president said. "This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters. The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, facilities, and interests."Earlier in the day, Iran said it had seized a foreign-owned vessel suspected of being used for oil smuggling out of Iran.Zarif dismissed the seizure as a routine marine policing matter.He said: "It's not a tanker. It's a small ship carrying a million litres, not a million barrels, of oil. We do it every other day. These are people who are smuggling our fuel. This is … one of the things that we do in the Persian Gulf, because of the heavy subsidies that we provide for our own fuel products."Zarif credited Trump with "prudence" for calling off missile attacks last month in reprisal for the downing of a US surveillance drone, and said that gave him confidence that diplomatic progress is possible.He said: "I believe we were few minutes away from a war. Prudence prevailed and we're not fighting. So that gives reason for us to be optimists. If we work, if we are serious, then we can find a way forward."> I believe we were few minutes away from a war. Prudence prevailed. So that gives reason for us to be optimists> > Mohammad Javad ZarifIran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has rebuffed overtures for direct talks with Trump, citing US bad faith over the JCPOA, but Zarif signaled on Thursday that Iran was willing to do a deal that did not necessary involve the US returning to the JCPOA, Tehran's official position until now.Zarif noted that in 2023, under the JCPOA, Iran's parliament, the Majlis, was supposed to ratify the Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a voluntary agreement that allows IAEA inspectors extensive access in Iran to ensure the country does not have a covert nuclear weapons programme. As part of the JCPOA, Iran already observes the Additional Protocol. Ratification by the Majlis would make it a more permanent commitment.At the same time, under the JCPOA, the US Congress was due to lift sanctions on Iran.Zarif proposed that the Iran and US take those steps immediately."If Trump wants more for more, we can ratify the Additional Protocol and he can lift the sanctions he set," Zarif said. "He has said that he will take any measure to Congress – fine. Lift the sanctions and you'll have the Additional Protocol sooner than 2023."The state department has yet to respond to Zarif's proposal, but its official position is that Iran has to fulfil a wide-ranging list of 12 conditions, including curtailing its involvement in regional conflicts, in order to win sanctions relief. Iran has rejected those demands.Zarif also denounced the seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian oil by UK forces in Gibraltar, which said was carried out on behalf of the US."That's a violation of international law," he said.The UK has said the tanker, the Grace 1, would be released if Iran could demonstrate it was not heading for Syria, which is banned by the EU. Zarif said it was not bound for Syria but he could not specify who the customer was, as the buyer would consequently be subject to US sanctions.He said: "We won't tell you, because if we told you where it was going, next time you wouldn't be able to sell our oil. We can't be transparent. We told you it wasn't going going to Syria – but the rest is none of your business. Because if we told you it would be less one less outlet to buy it to get money to feed our people."Zarif also shrugged off a report that Senator Rand Paul was seeking to become a secret emissary between Trump and the Iranian leadership, but would not confirm or deny he would be meeting Paul in his capacity as a member of Congress on his current visit to the US."I don't deal with [secret] emissaries," the foreign minister said. He added: "I doubt that anybody will be designated as an emissary by President Trump."He said the report in Politico that Paul, a libertarian anti-war Republican, could carry out secret talks was "overblown""This is media stuff. I mean, these may be good for a spy movie," Zarif said. But he also said: "I'd meet with members of Congress in their own personal capacity as influential members of American society and representatives of American people."
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| US has shot down Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz, says Trump Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:34 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a US warship destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between the two countries. Mr Trump said the USS Boxer took defensive action after the drone closed to within 1,000 yards of the warship and ignored multiple calls to stand down. The president called it the latest "hostile" action by Iran and urged other countries to condemn what he says are Iran's attempts to disrupt the freedom of navigation and global commerce in the strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf region. He said the drone threatened the safety of the American ship and its crew. I want to apprise everyone of an incident in the Strait of Hormuz today, involving USSBoxer, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship. The BOXER took defensive action against an Iranian drone.... pic.twitter.com/Zql6nAUGxF— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2019 The Pentagon said in a statement that the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, had taken "defensive action" against a drone, but did not mention if the aircraft was Iranian. The Pentagon said the incident happened at 10am local time on Thursday in international waters while the Boxer was transiting the waterway to enter the Persian Gulf. The Boxer is among several US Navy ships in the area, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that has been operating in the nearby North Arabian Sea for weeks. "A fixed-wing unmanned aerial system approached Boxer and closed within a threatening range," chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a written statement. "The ship took defensive action against the UAS to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew." Tensions in the Gulf region are high, with fears that the United States and Iran could stumble into war. Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javas Zarif, in New York for talks at the UN, said on Thursday that Iran will formally and permanently accept enhanced inspections of its nuclear programme, in exchange for the US lifting sanctions. Speaking before the downing of the drone was announced, he said that the offer was "a substantial move". "It's not about photo ops. We are interested in substance," he said. "There are other substantial moves that can be made." Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif It is unlikely to be warmly received by the Trump administration, which is currently demanding Iran make a range of sweeping concessions, including cessation of uranium enrichment and support for proxies and allies in the region. "If they [the Trump administration] are putting their money where their mouth is, they are going to do it," said Mr Zarif. "They don't need a photo op. They don't need a two-page document with a big signature." The Iranians and Americans have had close encounters in the Strait of Hormuz in the past, and it's not unprecedented for Iran to fly a drone near a US warship. In December, about 30 Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels trailed the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier and its strike group through the strait. One small vessel launched what appeared to be a commercial-grade drone to film the US ships. Other transits have seen the Iranians fire rockets away from American warships or test-fire their machine guns. The Guard's small fast boats often cut in front of the massive carriers, running dangerously close to running into them in "swarm attacks." The Guard boats are often armed with bomb-carrying drones and sea-to-sea and surface-to-sea missiles. Thursday's incident was the latest in a series of events that raised US-Iran tensions since early May when Washington accused Tehran of threatening US forces and interests in Iraq and in the Gulf. US drone shot down in Gulf of Oman In response, the US accelerated the deployment of the Lincoln and its strike group to the Arabian Sea and deployed four B-52 long-range bombers to the Gulf state of Qatar. It has since deployed additional Patriot air defense missile batteries in the Gulf region. Shortly after Iran shot down a US Navy drone aircraft on June 20, Mr Trump ordered a retaliatory military strike but called it off at the last moment, saying the risk of casualties was disproportionate to the downing by Iran, which did not cost any US lives. Iran claimed the US drone violated its airspace; the Pentagon denied this.
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| U.S. drone attack imperils Trump’s Iran outreach Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:07 PM PDT ![U.S. drone attack imperils Trump's Iran outreach]( "U.S. drone attack imperils Trump's Iran outreach") The president is trying to entice Iran to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program, while also pushing back against Tehran's dangerous behavior.
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| Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif: We Can't "Discount" Possibility of War Posted: 18 Jul 2019 01:01 PM PDT  On Thursday, National Interest Editor Jacob Heilbrunn interviewed Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif in New York at the Ambassador's residence on the current state of U.S.-Iran relations. The transcript has been lightly edited for readability.Jacob Heilbrunn: With the American shooting down of an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz today, are we on a path of escalation?Mohammed Javad Zarif: I checked with Tehran, and we do not have any information about having lost a drone today. So, we don't know, as of now what has happened. We have the president saying that they shot a drone. We don't know whose drone it is, but we don't have that information. But we are certainly moving in the wrong direction. The fact that the United States has an increased presence in the Persian Gulf doesn't help security or stability in the area—it's a tiny body of water and you cannot have such congested traffic there without something happening.Heilbrunn: A lot of the tension is also focused on the tanker that went missing. Is Iran responsible for that?Zarif: All the information we have is that we confiscated a small tanker that was only carrying a million liters of smuggled oil products—not oil—and that happens quite often in the Persian Gulf because of heavily subsidized prices in Iran of oil products. There is a lot of smuggling from both sea and land borders and we interdict them on a regular basis. So if that is the tanker they're talking about, that is a smuggling tanker, not a shipping tanker.Heilbrunn: Another move that the Trump administration has announced is sending about five hundred more soldiers to Saudi Arabia. What is your response to that?
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| Iran FM not giving up hope tensions with US can be resolved Posted: 18 Jul 2019 12:56 PM PDT  Iran and the United States were only "a few minutes away from a war" after Iran shot down an American spy drone last month, Iran's foreign minister said Thursday, but the diplomat said he remains hopeful that escalating tensions might somehow be resolved. In a wide-ranging discussion with U.S.-based media on the sidelines of a visit to the United Nations, Mohammad Javad Zarif also said that Iran could reverse recent moves to surpass uranium enrichment limits set by its nuclear deal with world powers. "We are moving forward but that could be reversed as soon as the other side is prepared to implement its commitment," he said, referring to U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran.
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| Iran is off their game: Gen. Jack Keane Posted: 18 Jul 2019 12:32 PM PDT ![Iran is off their game: Gen. Jack Keane]( "Iran is off their game: Gen. Jack Keane") Is Iran getting desperate over sanctions?
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| UN food chief says full food aid could be restored in Yemen Posted: 18 Jul 2019 12:16 PM PDT ![UN food chief says full food aid could be restored in Yemen]( "UN food chief says full food aid could be restored in Yemen") The U.N. food agency has reached an "agreement in principle" to restore full food aid to rebel-controlled parts of war-torn Yemen after suspending the aid last month, the agency's director said Thursday. World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley told the Security Council he got word of the as-yet-unsigned agreement even as he spoke to the group at a previous meeting. "A lot of progress has been made," Beasley told the council.
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| U.S. Demands Iran Release Foreign Ship, Crew Seized This Week Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:31 AM PDT ![U.S. Demands Iran Release Foreign Ship, Crew Seized This Week]( "U.S. Demands Iran Release Foreign Ship, Crew Seized This Week") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. condemned Iranian naval activity in the Persian Gulf and demanded the Islamic Republic release a small tanker and its crew that its forces seized earlier this week as tensions in the Persian Gulf remain high.Iran said it seized the ship -- the Panamanian-flagged Riah -- because it was smuggling fuel in the Persian Gulf. Patrolling forces stopped the carrier on July 14 south of Larak island, close to the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Gulf, according to state-run Tasnim news agency.The U.S. called on Tehran to free the ship and its crew immediately, and condemned what it called Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps "continued harassment" of vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department official who asked not to be identified discussing the issue.With U.S.-Iran tensions intensifying over recent attacks on cargo ships, the downing of an American drone and the British seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian oil, Donald Trump told reporters in Washington that he's in "no rush" to negotiate with the Islamic Republic. Trump added that he believes his administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran is succeeding.Read More: Iran Knows It Can't Bet on Trump 2020 Defeat as Sanctions Bite"Iran is a much different country right now," Trump said. "They're being hurt very badly by sanctions."The Riah, which is based in the United Arab Emirates, was smuggling 1 million liters of fuel out of Iran, intending to load the cargo on to foreign vessels, the state-run Iranian Students News Agency reported, citing a statement from the IRGC.The seizure follows threats Iran has made in the past few weeks after British Royal Marines helped authorities in Gibraltar impound a supertanker as it carried Iranian crude in the Mediterranean Sea seemingly bound for Syria. About one-third of the world's seaborne oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz last year, highlighting its key role in global oil markets.Iran has been blamed for attacks on merchant shipping in recent months but has denied responsibility.Oil PricesOil slid to the lowest in almost a month as pessimism about a trade truce between the U.S. and China continued to dog markets, while the resumption of Russian pipeline flows fed worries about a supply glut.The Riah had 12 foreigners on board and a 2 million-liter capacity, ISNA reported. That makes it one of the smaller ships plying petroleum around the Gulf, where tankers carrying 2 million barrels of oil -- with 159 liters in each barrel -- are common.Iran's state National Iranian Tanker Co. didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.\--With assistance from Anthony DiPaola, Verity Ratcliffe, Ladane Nasseri and Jennifer Jacobs.To contact the reporters on this story: Nick Wadhams in Washington at nwadhams@bloomberg.net;Arsalan Shahla in Tehran at ashahla@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Scuffles near Lebanon parliament before vote on budget Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:31 AM PDT ![Scuffles near Lebanon parliament before vote on budget]( "Scuffles near Lebanon parliament before vote on budget") Dozens of protesters scuffled with Lebanese security forces guarding the country's parliament Thursday just as lawmakers were meeting ahead of a final vote on a controversial austerity budget. The protesters, most of them army veterans, were pushed back and moved down the road, where they burned tires and blocked traffic in the already heavily cordoned off area outside parliament. The protesters had been camped outside parliament for three days when the draft bill returned to the 128-member parliament and members began their final discussion on whether to ratify the bill.
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| The Latest: Greece: 10 arrested over migrants medical fraud Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:22 AM PDT ![The Latest: Greece: 10 arrested over migrants medical fraud]( "The Latest: Greece: 10 arrested over migrants medical fraud") A doctor, two medical staff members, and a translator have been arrested at a state-run camp for migrants and refugees in Greece, accused of issuing medical notes for non-existent conditions to exempt migrants from deportation. The suspects, who face charges of fraud, bribery, breach of duty, and membership of criminal organization, allegedly charged 300-500 euros ($335-560) for the medical notes that would allow migrants to travel to the Greek mainland for a hospital exam or remain on Samos for medical tests. A Turkish official says at least 15 people have died after a van carrying migrants crashed in eastern Turkey.
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| Satellite images ‘show US military buildup in Saudi Arabia’ amid Iran tensions Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:04 AM PDT  The United States is preparing to send hundreds of troops to Saudi Arabia where satellite images appear to show a build up of American forces on the ground. Up to 500 soldiers are to be sent to the Prince Sultan Airbase in the desert to the east of the capital Riyadh, two officials told CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity. Preparations are also reportedly underway for a large missile installation from which Patriot surface-to-air missiles can be launched to protect the base from incoming threats. The moves would likely strengthen the US' controversial relationship with Saudi Arabia, while also responding to rising tensions with Iran which escalated dramatically in recent months. After the US unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal last year and reimposed tight sanctions, Iran announced in July that it had surpassed limits on enriched uranium imposed in the agreement. The country insists it is not trying to build nuclear weapons.A standoff has also ensued in the Gulf, with sabotage attacks on foreign tankers, blamed on Iran by the US. In the latest incident Tehran said it had seized a foreign-owned vessel suspected of being used for oil smuggling out of the country/ The Trump administration has long sought to base troops in the remote region, but the decision to send them to Saudi Arabia comes amid outrage over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A United Nations report concluded his death at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul was "an extrajudicial execution" sanctioned Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.The Trump administration has also been criticised for its response to the murder.Despite these issues, the US has said it is committed to helping protect Saudi Arabia from Iranian aggression, and last month said 1,000 troops were being sent to the middle east, but did not say which countries they were going to.Photographs taken by high-resolution commercial satellites, captured by satellite imagery company Planet Labs, show a deployment of US troops and support personnel who arrived at the air base in mid-June, according to Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, who has studied the new images.Pictures of the site taken in late June and early July show preparations being made for the arrival of troops, Mr Lewis told CNN."A small encampment and construction equipment appeared at the end of a runway by June 27, suggesting that improvements are already underway. The encampment to the east of the runway is typical of Air Force engineering squadrons deployed overseas," he said. The US is reportedly hoping to be able to fly stealth, fifth-generation F-22 jets and other fighter planes from the base.Commander Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told the New York Times there was "no official announcement" of the deployment to the Middle East but said the American military "continually works to manage our force posture in the region."Amid rising tensions between Iran and the US last month, Mr Trump said he was not seeking war with the country but warned, if pushed, the country would face "obliteration like you've never seen before".
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| Argentina acts against Hezbollah, blamed for terror attacks Posted: 18 Jul 2019 11:01 AM PDT  Argentina's government on Thursday branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization and froze its assets, 25 years to the day after a bombing blamed on the Lebanese-based group destroyed a Jewish community center in Argentina's capital, killing 85 people. The nation's Financial Information Unit took the action a day after President Mauricio Macri's government created a list of terrorist organizations to help coordinate actions with other nations and as the nation held memorial services for victims of the attack, for which no one has been convicted. The unit noted that Hezbollah has been accused of responsibility for a 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina that killed 29 people, as well as the 1994 attack on the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association in Buenos Aires.
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| Iran Knows It Can't Bet on Trump 2020 Defeat as Sanctions Bite Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:53 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- As Iran weighs the merits of talks with the U.S. and tensions remain high in the Persian Gulf, the Islamic Republic's leadership is preparing for a second Donald Trump term and mindful of how two key countries fared in high-stakes negotiations with him: Mexico and North Korea."There is a better than 50% chance that he might still be in office, so we will need to deal with him for another six years," Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif said Wednesday in a television interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait.Tehran and Washington remain at an impasse, and President Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that he's in no hurry for a deal, as Iran is having "tremendous problems" because of U.S. sanctions. "We can do something quickly or we can take our time," he said. "I'm in no rush."While U.S. officials say they're open to talks without preconditions, Iran's government wants some easing of the sanctions that have crippled oil sales and undermined its economy. One example looming over Tehran's thinking, Zarif said, is the treatment of Mexico, America's neighbor, ally and key trading partner."After renegotiating NAFTA, he raised a new demand and he tried to push Mexicans into giving in a bit more," Zarif said of Trump's recent threats to impose new trade penalties over undocumented border crossings. "So he always believes, it seems, that 'What's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable."'Iran's economy has been crippled by the ratcheting up of U.S. sanctions that have restricted the OPEC member's oil sales, fueled inflation and undermined domestic support for President Hassan Rouhani's government. Fears of a new Middle East war have climbed after a spate of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, the downing of an American drone and the British seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian oil.On Thursday, Iran said it seized a foreign ship on July 14 that was smuggling fuel in the Persian Gulf. The statement appeared to be a reference to the Panamanian-flagged Riah, which was passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping chokepoint at the mouth of the Gulf, before it went silent. Also on Thursday, a U.S. official said that 500 troops were sent to Iran's rival Saudi ArabiaAs the standoff following Trump's withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear accord continues, Iran is pressing European parties to the deal to live up to promises that Tehran would continue to get economic benefits from sticking to its side of the agreement. But he also signaled that Iran will continue to enrich uranium beyond levels agreed to in the deal, saying it's entitled to do so until Europe delivers on its commitments."We will continue with the steps, and these steps are legal, in line with the agreement," Zarif said, when asked about the likelihood of continuing uranium enrichment. He said the U.S. "shot itself in the foot" by abandoning the accord, which Trump has frequently called the "worst deal ever."And while maintaining that Iran has no plans to build nuclear weapons, Zarif said Iran already had engaged far more seriously with the U.S. than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ever has, only to get burned."We worked out not a two-page document but a 150-page document," he said, comparing the 2015 accord with last year's vague declaration between Trump and Kim in Singapore, which analysts say hasn't stopped North Korea's nuclear program.Zarif, who has been Iran's foreign minister since 2013, was the lead negotiator in the multi-party nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It was supposed to yield economic advantages for Iran but instead renewed U.S. sanctions have shattered that expectation. Iran is producing oil at the slowest clip since 1986, making U.S. sanctions one of the most brutal episodes confronting Iran's economy since the 1979 revolution.No 'Photo Opportunity'Zarif said Iran has no interest in a high-profile summit for the sake of show -- such as a hypothetical meeting with Trump at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort -- and is waiting to see what the U.S. is prepared to do to restart discussions."The Supreme Leader doesn't leave the country," Zarif said, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of its armed forces.Pressed on whether he, as foreign minister, would accept such an invitation, Zarif said, "It's not the question of a photo opportunity, it's the question of moving forward."Comparing trying to broker a new nuclear or missile deal with the U.S. to buying "a horse twice," Zarif effectively dismissed what has been a core demand from U.S. officials such as Secretary of State Michael Pompeo: that Iran include its missile program and its funding of proxy groups in the region as part of a new agreement."We did not leave the negotiating table," Zarif said. "It was the United States which abruptly decided to leave the negotiating table. They can come back."(Updates with Trump's comment in third paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Margaret Talev in Washington at mtalev@bloomberg.net;David Wainer in New York at dwainer3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Michael ShepardFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran state TV: Iranian forces seize foreign oil tanker, crew Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:50 AM PDT  Iran said Thursday its Revolutionary Guard seized a foreign oil tanker and its crew of 12 for smuggling fuel out of the country, and hours later released video showing the vessel to be a United Arab Emirates-based ship that had vanished in Iranian waters over the weekend. The announcement solved one mystery — the fate of the missing ship — but raised a host of other questions and heightened worries about the free flow of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical petroleum shipping routes. The incident happened with tensions running high between Iran and the United States over President Donald Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal.
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| Cyprus detains 12 Israelis for 8 days over alleged rape Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:49 AM PDT  A Cyprus court has ordered 12 Israelis vacationing on the east Mediterranean island nation to remain in police custody for eight days after a 19-year-old British woman alleged that she was raped. Judge Tonia Nicolaou removed reporters from the hearing Thursday because some of the suspects were minors. Israeli Embassy official Yossef Wurmbrand said the suspects' ages ranged from 15½ to 18½ and that the embassy is monitoring the case closely and stands ready to provide support to the suspects and their families.
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| In rare US criticism, Pence urges Saudis to free blogger Badawi Posted: 18 Jul 2019 10:15 AM PDT  Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi, a blogger jailed and publicly whipped for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally as he vowed to champion religious freedom worldwide. Speaking to dozens of government ministers who flew in for a conference on religious liberty, Pence offered usual US denunciations of adversaries such as China, Iran and Venezuela.
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| Hezbollah lawmaker offers resignation after alleged shooting Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:54 AM PDT  A Hezbollah lawmaker has offered his resignation after a shooting at a police station in which he was allegedly involved. The group says Nawaf Musawi submitted his resignation to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri Thursday, days after the incident. According to a leaked police report, Musawi and a dozen gunmen attempted to storm the station where his daughter and her ex-husband had been brought following a high-speed car chase.
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| Iran urges Europe to 'accelerate' efforts to save nuclear deal Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:49 AM PDT  Iran's President Hassan Rouhani urged Europe on Thursday to speed up efforts to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. "Europe must accelerate its efforts to realise Iran's legitimate interests and bring about a ceasefire (in Washington's) economic war" against Iran, Rouhani told Macron, according to a statement on the government's official website.
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| Parliament’s Brexit Revolt Could Help Next PM Get a Deal Through Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:38 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- British Members of Parliament have pushed back at attempts to force a no-deal Brexit, with at least 30 Conservatives rebelling. On the face of it, that looks like a defeat for the next prime minister even before he's taken office. But there's a way it might be helpful.Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 and the next premier -- whether it's Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt -- is unlikely to secure major changes to the divorce deal Theresa May negotiated with the bloc.Parliament rejected May's deal and her successor will need the support of the most ardent Tory Brexit backers, who voted against her agreement three times. Some are resistant to voting for any deal, because they want Britain to leave without one.After Wednesday's vote, the next prime minister will be able to credibly warn that if anti-EU MPs don't back his version of Brexit, they risk Parliament blocking the divorce altogether.To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@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 must immediately release seized ship and crew -U.S. State Department Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:34 AM PDT ![Iran must immediately release seized ship and crew -U.S. State Department]( "Iran must immediately release seized ship and crew -U.S. State Department") Iran must immediately release a vessel it seized in the Gulf and its crew, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Thursday. "The United States strongly condemns the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy's continued harassment of vessels and interference with safe passage in and around the Strait of Hormuz," the spokesperson added in an email to Reuters after Iran said it had seized a foreign tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf.
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| Mystery surrounds Iran's seizure of oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:33 AM PDT  Mystery surrounds the apparent seizure by Iran of a small tanker in the Persian Gulf, after Revolutionary Guards claimed it had towed a foreign oil tanker for "smuggling fuel". The vessel, a 1,899 dwt tanker, was reported to have been intercepted south of Iran's Larak Island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and its 12 crew members arrested. "In a bid to identify and fight organised smuggling . . . the patrol boats of the Guards' naval forces in the Persian Gulf abruptly stopped one of the foreign vessels which carried 1million litres of smuggled fuel," a statement by the Guards' naval forces said on Thursday. Hormuz: the strategic strait that may plunge US and Iran into war However, the circumstances surrounding the incident were murky. No country is yet to claim ownership of the Panama-flagged MT Riah, which went missing over the weekend. She appears to have changed management several times in the last few months. The last known company, KBR Petrochem, could not be reached for comment. The MT Riah, which began her journey on July 5 near a port off the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, went missing on July 14. The UAE, where Riah is based, has denied she was their vessel, as did the UK. She was then tracked near the coast of Ras al-Khaimah before changing course and travelling north towards Iranian waters, after which it stopped transmitting its signal on Sunday at about 4.30am local time. Around 30 per cent of global seaborne crude passes through the Strait of Hormuz Iran claimed it came to the assistance of the disabled tanker after detecting a distress call. But no other nation has reported receiving a call. It was also not clear where the oil had come from, or where it was ultimately heading. Tracker MarineTraffic.com did not have a destination port for the Riah. According to Lloyd's List Intelligence data the tanker made no port calls over the past year, had 27 days of dark activities and met 55 times with another vessel, and had trading patterns characteristic of clandestine ship-to-ship transfers. It said turning off the automatic identification system, known as "going dark", is frequently done by tankers loaded with Iranian crude, in order to avoid detection and evade US sanctions. The Riah appeared to be receiving fuel from an unknown source offshore of the UAE, and then transhipping it to other tankers which usually carried it to Somalia or war-torn Yemen. Experts suggested the amount of cargo on board was so insignificant - just 6,000 barrels of crude oil - that it was likely Tehran only towed the vessel to put on a show of strength after Britain impounded an Iranian supertanker off Gibraltar - carrying two million barrels - earlier this month. Our analysis right now is that nothing has actually happened. This seems to be an attempt to boost the price of oil after the recent news (which Iran denied) that USA was in talks with Iran. There is no visual or data evidence to support a vessel being apprehended. pic.twitter.com/XzUHJckmem— TankerTrackers.com, Inc.⚓️�� (@TankerTrackers) July 18, 2019 Mohammd Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, told reporters at the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York: "It's not a tanker. It's a small ship carrying a million litres, not a million barrels, of oil. We do it every other day. These are people who are smuggling our fuel. "This is … one of the things that we do in the Persian Gulf, because of the heavy subsidies that we provide for our own fuel products," he said. The UK accused Iran of carrying oil meant for the sanctioned Syrian regime, claims Tehran has denied. Days after threatening a response, Revolutionary Guards harassed a British Navy ship in the Strait which had been shadowing a UK oil tanker. The UK Foreign Office said it was seeking further information on the Riah and insisted that freedom of navigation was paramount. Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Secretary, appeared to be attempting to de-escalate tensions by suggesting last weekend that the Grace 1 supertanker could be released if the Islamic Republic could prove it would not end up in Syria. Mr Hunt was in talks with Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar's first minister, on Thursday to discuss what should be done. President Donald Trump, who has surrounded himself with hawkish advisers on Iran, also looked to be trying to defuse growing tensions. Mr Trump appointed Senator Rand Paul, who is known for his opposition to US interventions abroad, as an emissary to Tehran and asked him to sit down with Mohamed Javid Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister in an attempt to reduce tensions. Mr Paul opposed the withdrawal of Washington from the nuclear agreement, while John Bolton, Mr Trump's national security adviser, has long wanted regime change in Tehran and has urged Mr Trump to keep up "maximum pressure". Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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| Putin and Macron call for efforts to save Iran deal: Kremlin Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:08 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin and French leader Emmanuel Macron agreed Thursday on the need to "consolidate efforts" to save the Iran nuclear deal following months of soaring tensions, the Kremlin said. In a phone call, Putin and Macron agreed the Iran deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was an "important factor in ensuring security in the Middle East and maintaining a non-proliferation regime," the Kremlin said in a statement.
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| The Latest: Iran shows seized fuel tanker matches UAE ship Posted: 18 Jul 2019 09:03 AM PDT  Iran's state TV English-language channel has released video of a ship seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces accused of smuggling fuel out of the country. The Press TV report showed the ship's registration number on its bridge, matching that of the MT Riah, a UAE-based vessel that turned off its location tracker as it entered Iranian territorial waters early Sunday. Iranian state media earlier Thursday said a tanker was seized with a crew of 12 aboard for smuggling fuel from Iranian smugglers to foreign customers and was intercepted south of Iran's Larak Island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
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| No-Deal Brexit Risk Recedes as U.K. Parliament Moves to Stop It Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:47 AM PDT ![No-Deal Brexit Risk Recedes as U.K. Parliament Moves to Stop It]( "No-Deal Brexit Risk Recedes as U.K. Parliament Moves to Stop It") (Bloomberg) -- Members of Britain's Parliament moved to stop the next prime minister forcing the country out of the European Union without an agreement. It was a clear warning to Boris Johnson, the favorite to become premier, that he will have a fight on his hands if he tries to deliver a no-deal Brexit.The pound rose after a mass rebellion from at least 30 Conservative MPs defeated the government and passed measures designed to prevent the next leader closing down Parliament to force through a no-deal split against their wishes.One minister resigned in order to support the rebellion while a clutch of cabinet heavyweights -- including Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond -- defied party orders and abstained. The new laws make it far harder for Johnson to carry out his threat and suspend Parliament in order to ensure the U.K. exits the EU by the end of October."The Conservative Party has always, at its core, had a fundamental belief in the importance of strong institutions – and in a representative democracy there can be no more vital institution than its Parliament," Hammond said on Twitter after the result. "It should not be controversial to believe that Parliament be allowed to sit, and have a say, during a key period in our country's history."Do or DieJohnson, the favorite to succeed Theresa May as prime minister, has refused to rule out suspending Parliament, though he's said it's not his preferred option. He insists he will take the U.K. out of the EU on time, with or without an agreement, "do or die."Britain's governing Conservative Party is in the process of choosing a new leader, with Johnson -- the face of the pro-Brexit campaign -- the clear front-runner over his rival, the more dovish Jeremy Hunt. The winner is due to be announced on July 23.After months in which government defeats have come mainly at the hands of those Tories who back a very hard Brexit, on Thursday the party's other wing finally flexed its muscles. MPs defeated the government by 315 votes to 274. Although only 17 Conservatives voted against the government's orders, around another 20, including Hammond, defied instructions and abstained.Taking ControlThe practical effect of the result is that it will be difficult for a prime minister to suspend or "prorogue" Parliament if the House of Commons looks like trying to block Brexit. There will also be opportunities for MPs to take control of the agenda to attempt just that."It sends a very clear signal that this House won't accept prorogation or being marginalized in this way," Dominic Grieve, one of the Conservatives behind the move, said in an interview. "It kills prorogation stone-dead."But the deeper signal of the defeat is that replacing May as prime minister will do nothing to change the difficult parliamentary arithmetic that she faces.Johnson has won support from ardent Brexiteers by saying he's open to no-deal. But by doing so he's turned more moderate Tories against him. Those ministers who abstained are likely to be willing to vote against him if he fires them from the government next week. Other rank-and-file Conservatives are also feeling emboldened to rebel. Keith Simpson, who has been a Tory MP since 1997, said he had voted against his own government for the first time on Wednesday. "You can get a taste for it," he said. (Adds Hammond quote.)To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Emma Ross-ThomasFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Germany presses Iran to meet nuclear deal obligations Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:35 AM PDT ![Germany presses Iran to meet nuclear deal obligations]( "Germany presses Iran to meet nuclear deal obligations") Germany and the other countries that remain party to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal expect Tehran to uphold its side of the accord, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, describing recent pronouncements by the Iranians as "unacceptable". "Those of us who have remained in this agreement expect from Iran that it fulfills its obligations, we are trying to do this ... and we expect from Iran that it sticks to its commitments too," Maas said on Thursday. "What we have heard from Tehran in recent days and weeks is unacceptable.
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| Rouhani tells Macron Iran determined to "leave all doors open" to save 2015 deal - TV Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:33 AM PDT ![Rouhani tells Macron Iran determined to "leave all doors open" to save 2015 deal - TV]( "Rouhani tells Macron Iran determined to \"leave all doors open\" to save 2015 deal - TV") Iran is determined to "leave all doors open" to save its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, Iranian state TV quoted President Hassan Rouhani as saying in a telephone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. "We are determined to leave all doors open to save the nuclear deal ... The Europeans should accelerate their efforts to salvage the pact," Rouhani said. European parties to the deal have been trying to convince Iran to remain in the pact by promising to shield its economic interests from U.S. sanctions that were reimposed since last year when U.S. President Donald Trump exited the deal.
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| Putin says will work to restore Ukraine ties Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:28 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia was ready to work with any political party to restore ties with Kiev as he met with a pro-Kremlin politician ahead of Ukraine's parliamentary polls. The Russian leader held talks in Saint Petersburg with Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Moscow Ukrainian politician and businessman who has claimed Putin is his daughter's godfather. "The issue of full-blown resumption of Russian-Ukrainian relations is extremely important for us, and we will cooperate with any political party, including your political party, to resume full-fledged relations," Putin told Medvedchuk in televised remarks.
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| WRAPUP 10-U.S. says Navy ship 'destroyed' Iranian drone in Gulf Posted: 18 Jul 2019 08:02 AM PDT |
| Devils on Horseback Leader Holds Fate of Sudan in His Hands Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:55 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A one-time camel trader turned leader of a Sudanese militia known as the "devils on horseback" now holds the fate of Africa's third-largest nation in his hands.Known popularly as Hemeti, Mohamed Hamdan dominates the military council that overthrew President Omar al-Bashir in April. He also commands the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused of killing more than 100 protesters in June in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. Swaggering and unaccountable, his fighters have become the most tangible obstacle to Sudan's escape from three decades of dictatorship."All roads forward in Sudan now run into the Hemeti problem," said Alan Boswell, an analyst with the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. "Over time, his power will need to be reined in, yet any action against him at the moment risks civil war."The stakes go beyond Sudan, which has been rocked by coups, insurgencies and mass protests since independence in 1956. The battle for its future after the fall of Bashir -- an Islamist general and international pariah accused of war crimes -- has become another battleground for the biggest power rivalries in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been drawn in, looking to retain influence in the Red Sea nation as their tussles with Iran and Turkey for regional supremacy spread to the Horn of Africa.The oil-rich Gulf nations in April pledged a combined $3 billion in aid to Sudan, which has been ravaged by decades of economic mismanagement that helped ignite the nationwide unrest in December. The promise of cash has given breathing space to the country's new rulers -- mainly Bashir's old guard -- and fueled opposition doubts there'll be a genuine democratic transition as the elite seeks to defend its privileges.Still, negotiations between the council and the opposition group that led the protests may have yielded a breakthrough. A deal signed Wednesday would see civilian and military representatives form an 11-seat sovereign council with executive responsibilities, and elections would be held after three years.While the global outcry over the Khartoum massacre gave Sudan's military rulers little choice but to reach a deal, they'll probably seek to stall its enactment, according to Salah Aldoma, a professor of international relations at Omdurman Islamic University in Khartoum's twin city. Hemeti's denials of responsibility for the Khartoum attack have veered from blaming infiltrators in uniform, to vowing to hang any of his fighters who participated.Feared FightersRights groups including Amnesty International say Hemeti's forces must withdraw from the city. On the streets, one can sense a palpable fear of his fighters, who regularly harass youths deemed sympathetic to the protests. Many residents make sure they're home by nightfall to avoid any run-ins with the feared security services.The militia earlier this week said in a statement it would be "gradually withdrawn from Khartoum in accordance with the security situation," the state-run SUNA news agency reported.Hemeti's vertiginous rise saw him deploy his fighters alongside Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The RSF, a reconstituted version of the brutal counter-insurgency group known as the janjaweed he helped organize in the western region of Darfur, is now regarded as Sudan's most powerful military force.While Sudan's Gulf backers hope the nation follows the Egyptian path of military rule after the Arab Spring, they're missing a key difference, said Boswell: "Sudan lacks a cohesive military."Ceding InfluenceThe army -- and the military council -- are officially led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a lieutenant-general who helped coordinate Sudan's contribution to the Yemen campaign. Burhan, though, has ceded influence in public to Hemeti, who regularly addresses rallies aired on state TV.Hemeti's alleged role in the violence would complicate any designs he might have on the presidency. Much of Sudan's remaining elite are desperate to improve relations with the U.S., which lifted a two-decade-old sanctions regime in 2017."Hemeti is looking for some guarantees so he can make a safe exit," said Aldoma. "His use was only as a military assistant to oust Bashir."The Darfuri warlord is also likely to face resistance from the elites from the Nile Valley hundreds of miles to the east who've traditionally led the country.While the RSF has helped them tame the protest movement and sideline some of Bashir's hard-line Islamist supporters, the rest of Sudan's military council could be ready to jettison him at a later date, according to Asiel Alamin, a prominent activist.But in the short-term, any move to check Hemeti's power risks splitting the council, said Harry Verhoeven, author of 'Water, Civilisation and Power in Sudan.'"It's a dangerous proposition and very few actors in the army, RSF or other security forces have a realistic vision of political order beyond the next couple of weeks," he said.(Update with statement from RSF in second paragraph under Feared Fighters subheadline.)To contact the reporters on this story: Mohammed Alamin in Khartoum at malamin1@bloomberg.net;Okech Francis in Juba at fokech@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Benjamin HarveyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Sudanese protesters rally to condemn June crackdown Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:54 AM PDT ![Sudanese protesters rally to condemn June crackdown]( "Sudanese protesters rally to condemn June crackdown") Thousands of Sudanese took to the streets Thursday to condemn the deadly crackdown by security forces last month, as tensions remain high despite recent progress toward a power-sharing deal with the ruling military council. The Sudanese Professionals' Association, which has spearheaded months of protests, tweeted that security forces had fired tear gas to disperse some rallies in the capital, Khartoum. On June 3, security forces dispersed their main sit-in, killing at least 128 people, according to protest organizers.
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| Gunmen abduct lawmaker in eastern Libya Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:49 AM PDT ![Gunmen abduct lawmaker in eastern Libya]( "Gunmen abduct lawmaker in eastern Libya") Gunmen attacked the home of a Libyan member of parliament in the eastern city of Benghazi, abducting her and wounding her husband, another lawmaker said Thursday. Seham Sirqiwa was a prominent critic of Khalifa Hifter, whose forces control eastern Libya . Jalal El-Showeihdy, a parliamentarian who fled Benghazi in 2016 over threats from Hifter's supporters, said gunmen attacked Sirqiwa's home late Wednesday, shooting her husband in the leg twice and abducting her.
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| Germany probes anti-Israel 'likes' by official account Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:31 AM PDT ![Germany probes anti-Israel 'likes' by official account]( "Germany probes anti-Israel 'likes' by official account") Germany's Foreign Ministry said Thursday it has opened an investigation after learning that the official Twitter account of the country's mission to the Palestinian territories had "liked" anti-Israel tweets. The comments came after top-selling Bild newspaper reported that the "likes" came from the verified Twitter account of German diplomat Christian Clages, @GerRepRamallah. The multiple "likes" included one for a video praising an attack on Israeli soldiers, and another for an exchange between American white supremacist David Duke and another user about an alleged massacre of Jews.
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| Dutch criminal convicted of ordering murder of Iranian Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:24 AM PDT ![Dutch criminal convicted of ordering murder of Iranian]( "Dutch criminal convicted of ordering murder of Iranian") An Amsterdam court has convicted a 38-year-old career criminal of organizing the murder of an Iranian who lived in the Netherlands, but says the motive for the killing remains unclear. The victim, Iranian-born Ali Motamed, was gunned down outside his home by two hit men on Dec. 15, 2015. In January, the Dutch government said it considered it "probable that Iran had a hand" in the killing of Motamed and another one in The Hague in 2017.
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| Russia considers joining EU payment system meant to save Iran nuclear deal Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:24 AM PDT  Russia has said it may join a European Union payment system aimed at salvaging the Iran nuclear deal if it is expanded to include oil purchases. The system, called Instex, is designed to facilitate payments to Iran despite the US trade sanctions reimposed on the country after Donald Trump pulled out of the landmark agreement in 2018. With its economy reeling from the US blockage of crucial oil exports, Iran said this month it would begin enriching more uranium than allowed by the "joint comprehensive plan of action". Tensions with the United States and United Kingdom have risen following several attacks on tankers in the Gulf. Iran said on Thursday it had seized a foreign oil tanker that was "smuggling fuel". In a not-so-subtle reference to the United States, Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Thursday called Instex an "important initiative" to protect European companies from "illegal attempts by third countries to limit their activities". He said Russia was watching to see how well it functioned. "With consideration of the initial experience using this system when it is activated, we can't exclude our cooperation in this," the spokesman said. Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, however, complained on Wednesday that Instex was only covering deliveries of food, medicine and other humanitarian aid, "which aren't banned by the Americans anyway". To bolster Iran's economy and ensure the survival of the deal, Instex would need to facilitate oil exports as well, he said. "Payments of a few million dollars have been completed through this channel. That's nothing compared to the obligations that Iran's partners took on as part of the join comprehensive plan of action," he said during a press conference with the foreign minister of Côte d'Ivoire. "These assume the unimpeded purchase of Iranian oil and the unimpeded transfer of payments for delivering this energy source." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov talk ahead a German-Russian forum on Thursday Credit: Marius Becker/AFP Another possibility for easing the situation around Iran emerged with reports this week that US senator Rand Paul, who is known for his opposition to US interventions abroad, had gotten Mr Trump's approval to sit down with Iran's foreign minister in an attempt to reduce tensions. Backed by 10 EU states, Instex was launched in January but only went online last month. It offers Iran a credit line of several million euros, far less than the €20bn in annual trade the EU did with Iran before the US sanctions. The EU has said it would welcome third countries to join Instex but is still deliberating over whether the system should include oil payments. Saving the nuclear deal will require the continued support of Moscow, a key ally of Tehran that has fought alongside it to keep Bashar al-Assad in power in Syria. Russia is building two nuclear power plants in Iran and has sold it arms like surface-to-air missiles. It is China, however, that may be able to do the most for Iran's economy by buying its crude oil in defiance of US sanctions. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif attends a UN session on sustainable development on Wednesday Credit: Kena Betancur/AFP Mr Lavrov's comments echoed those of Iranian officials who said Instex was a positive development but insufficient to keep the county solvent. The country's envoy to the United Nations called the system a "very lovely car but without any gasoline". Russia was continuing talks with Iran, Europe and China to "find not symbolic but real ways of giving Iran the economic benefits that are an inherent part of the deal," Mr Lavrov said.
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| Parliament Tells Next PM It Won't Allow No-Deal: Brexit Update Posted: 18 Jul 2019 07:08 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Parliament backed measures to prevent the next prime minister suspending the legislature to pursue a no-deal Brexit. It's a challenge to Boris Johnson, the front-runner to become prime minister next week, as he has vowed to lead the country out of the bloc in October, with or without an agreement to smooth the process.Key Developments:House of Commons backs measure 315 to 274 to prevent a no-deal Brexit after House of Lords beefed up the legislation on Wednesday. MPs later backed the Lords measure by 315 to 273.Tory whips told MPs to vote against amendments that aim to prevent no-deal as they seek to contain rebellionEU's Barnier reiterates the divorce deal can't be changed; he's open to redrafting the political declaration on future tiesOBR says no-deal would push economy into recession and increase debt. GDP would fall 2% by end-2020Pound climbs 0.4%Hunt Apologizes For Missing Vote (3 p.m.)Leadership contender Jeremy Hunt apologized to his Tory colleagues after he failed to vote on the amendment to stop the next prime minister from suspending parliament.Hunt said he thought he had been excused from voting and emphasized his opposition to the goal of the amendment, which was backed by a majority of 41."Apologies to my colleagues & Whips Office," he wrote on Twitter. "My position is that parliament should NOT restrict the hands of an incoming govt in this way and I remain opposed to how parliament voted."Minister Quit to Stop Parliament Being Sidelined (2:35 p.m.)Margot James, who resigned from the government to vote to stop a no-deal Brexit, said: "It's absolutely vital that at this late stage we do all we can to make sure that Parliament's voice is heard in the run up to October 31."May Not Disciplining Rebel Ministers (2:25 p.m.)Theresa May's office said the prime minister won't be taking disciplinary action against ministers who didn't vote to prevent the prorogation of Parliament. A spokesman said she is "obviously disappointed" with their decision and expected her successor -- who will be elected next week -- to take their rebellion into account when forming a new administration.Margot James resigned as a junior minister to vote against the government.Grieve Says Prorogation is 'Stone Dead' (2:20 p.m.)Remain-supporting former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, who has championed MPs having a role in the Brexit process, said the vote spells out Parliament's view on suspension."It sends a very clear signal that this house won't accept prorogation or being marginalized in this way," Grieve said. "It kills prorogation stone-dead."More Than 30 Tories Rebelled Against Government (2:05 p.m.)The voting lists show 17 Conservatives voted against the government, including Margot James, a junior minister. But 30 Tories were recorded as absent, including Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, Justice Secretary David Gauke and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart.Some of them will have been excused the vote because they had business elsewhere -- Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who was also absent, probably fell into this category. Normally they're matched with opposition MPs who are also absent in a process known as "pairing.'' But only nine Labour MPs did not vote, and one member of the Scottish National Party, so 20 of the 30 non-voting Tories were probably rebels.MPs Back Lords Plan to Stop Prorogation (1:55 p.m.)MPs voted 273 to 315 to accept a House of Lords amendment intended to prevent a no-deal split from the EU by stopping a future prime minister suspending Parliament.While the earlier amendment, which won by a majority of 41, secures sitting days for Parliament, the Lords measure requires a government motion, which could be amended to allow MPs to take control of the Parliamentary agenda.Commons Backs Measure to Stop No-Deal Brexit (1:40 p.m.)The House of Commons voted 315 to 274 to back an amendment aimed at making it more difficult for the next prime minister – most likely Boris Johnson – to suspend Parliament so he can force through a no-deal Brexit.The cross-party amendment, to legislation on the Northern Ireland Executive requires Parliament to meet on specific days, even if it has been suspended – or prorogued.Barnier Says Divorce Deal Can't be Changed (1:30 p.m.)EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier reiterated that the divorce deal can't be changed, though he's willing to redraft the political declaration on future ties.The Irish backstop -- the part of the deal that both candidates to be prime minister want to rip out -- is in the divorce accord."This treaty as far as the divorce is concerned is the only one," he said in Riga. "We are open to work again with the new government on the scope, precisely the scope of this new partnership. It means we are ready to work on the political declaration."What Does a Win For the Pro-EU Faction Mean? (1:15 p.m.)Pro-EU lawmakers are trying to prevent the next prime minister suspending Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit -- a tool Boris Johnson hasn't ruled out using.They're using amendments to legislation to do so and the voting on Thursday afternoon is expected to be on a knife-edge. But even if they win, that doesn't mean no-deal is off the table -- it just gives Parliament another chance to try to stop it.The plan is to make it impossible for the prime minister to shut down Parliament and give the legislature more time to find a way to prevent a no-deal split. Earlier this year, MPs took control of the agenda and pushed through legislation forcing Theresa May to seek an extension to EU membership. But there's still no guarantee that Parliament will be able to block no-deal when the time comes.At Least One Minister Planning To Rebel (11:45 a.m.)At least one minister opposed to a no-deal Brexit is planning to rebel against the government and abstain in a vote on amendments to the Northern Ireland Bill on Thursday afternoon.Theresa May's government has ordered ministers to vote against the proposed measure (see 10:20 a.m.) and would normally be expected to discipline a minister who goes against the party line.May: No-Deal Blocking Amendment is Unhelpful (11:20 a.m.)Theresa May's office offered only mild criticism of the amendment to the Northern Ireland Bill that's aimed at stopping a no-deal Brexit (see 11 a.m.) -- fueling speculation that some minister's may take the risk of rebelling against the government in Thursday afternoon's vote."We have been very clear that the purpose of the bill is to ensure the continuation of vital public services,'' May's spokesman James Slack told reporters in London at his regular morning briefing.The plan to require ministers to report on progress every two weeks -- really a device to stop the government from suspending parliament -- "risks being counterproductive to the overarching aim,'' Slack said.Benn Amendment Selected for Vote (11 a.m.)An amendment drafted by Labour MP Hilary Benn that aims to strengthen legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit has been selected for a vote, according to three people familiar with the situation.The amendment has some cross-party backing and builds on a measure to stop the next prime minister suspending Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit.Irish PM Says Must Avoid Hard Border (10:45 a.m.)Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he'll meet the new U.K. premier, and is open to considering whether Britain has any workable solutions to avoid a hardening of the Irish border after Brexit. Speaking to RTE Radio, Varadkar said that while he's not closing the door on compromise, what's important is the end goal of avoiding the return of checkpoints on what will be the EU's new land frontier with the U.K."If there are proposals that they have that genuinely achieve the same outcome, then we have to listen to them," he said.MPs Seek to Force Parliament to Sit if Prorogued (10:25 a.m.)Labour's Hilary Benn has submitted an amendment that would require Parliament to sit even if it has been suspended -- or prorogued.It builds on an amendment inserted by the House of Lords, and would force the government to recall Parliament if prorogued to sit on specific days.Crucially, a number of Conservatives have added their names to Benn's amendment, suggesting there's appetite for rebellion. They're all former ministers: Alistair Burt, Ed Vaizey, Justine Greening, Dominic Grieve, Sam Gyimah, Philip Lee, Oliver Letwin and Guto Bebb.Tories Told to Vote vs Measures to Stop No-Deal (10:20 a.m.)Conservative whips have told lawmakers they must vote against amendments that aim to prevent the next prime minister suspending Parliament to pursue a no-deal exit, according to a person familiar with the situation.No-Deal Would Knock Britain into Recession (9:50 a.m.)A chaotic exit from the EU would push Britain into recession, and GDP would be 2% lower by the end of 2020, according to new forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.A no-deal departure would increase borrowing,and hit asset prices, including a sharp decline in the pound.The fiscal watchdog said it hadn't used the most pessimistic of no-deal scenarios to come up with those forecasts."That most benign version is not the version that is being talked about by prominent Brexiteers," Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said. "So I greatly fear the impact on our economy and our public finances of the kind of no-deal Brexit that is realistically being discussed now."Parliament Wants Updated BOE Brexit Analysis (9:50 a.m.)As the Conservative leadership candidates argue over how to handle Brexit, the Treasury Committee has asked the Bank of England to update its economic analysis of various scenarios. The original analysis was published in late 2018, and was heavily criticized by pro-Brexit lawmakers. For a reminder of those scenarios, click here.Treasury Committee Chair Nicky Morgan said she wants Parliament to be "as informed as possible as it considers key decisions about the future of our country."Hunt Warns Against 'Gung-Ho' Brexit Approach (8:30 a.m.)Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that rival Boris Johnson's "head-strong, gung-ho" approach to Brexit risks triggering a general election before Oct. 31 if Parliament votes to take a no-deal divorce off the table.Hunt, who said momentum is moving in his direction in the race to be Tory leader, accused the EU of not being "rational" in its approach to Brexit talks, and said they've treated it too much as a political issue.Hunt, who conceded a no-deal split would have economic consequences, said that if he became prime minister, he would seek to persuade his Irish counterpart to rethink his support for the border backstop arrangement -- the measure in the Brexit deal designed to keep the border open in the event the issue is not dealt with by a future trade deal."The backstop isn't going to happen, it's failed to get through Parliament three times, it's never going to get through Parliament -- do you want to find a solution or not," Hunt said he would tell Leo Varadkar. "We need to find a different way to do it."Barnier: U.K. Would Face No-Deal 'Consequences' (8:10 a.m.)Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said the U.K. would "have to face the consequences" of a no-deal split from the bloc, and said member states have "never been impressed" with British threats to leave without an agreement.In an interview for a BBC TV documentary to be broadcast on Thursday, Barnier said the bloc is ready to discuss alternative arrangements for the Irish border -- as set out in the agreement struck by Theresa May -- but needs "time, we need certainty, we also need rationality" in the discussions. "We cannot play a game." Technical solutions are not yet ready to deal with, for example, the issue of live animals crossing the border, he said.He was also scathing about British politicians who talk about leaving the EU as being like quitting a golf club. "The EU is not a club, the EU is a political, economic, legal construction for 60 years," he said. "Leaving the EU means so many consequences, human, social, legal, technical, financial, economic -- nobody should underestimate the consequences."Gauke Won't Say If He'll Back Brexit Amendment (7:15 a.m.)Justice Secretary David Gauke said he doesn't yet know how he will vote on an amendment intended to prevent a future prime minister from suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit."I'll have to see what the precise amendments are, and we're hearing what the whipping will be and the arguments on that, so I'm not in position to necessarily say," Gauke, who is expected to lose his job after the new prime minister is announced next week, told BBC Radio 4. "At a crucial point in this country's history that Parliament should not be able to sit, should not be able to express its opinion and its will, would be outrageous."Gauke has said he would resign if a future prime minister -- expected to be Boris Johnson -- insisted on a no-deal divorce from the EU. Johnson has refused to rule out suspending Parliament to force through such a split, which is not backed by a majority of MPs.Gauke and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond are shaping up to be influential and disruptive backbench rebels once there is a change of leader. There has been speculation some ministers may quit to vote against the government, and Gauke's comments will add fuel to the theory.Earlier:Boris Johnson Says U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal Won't Be Forged QuicklyPound Jolted Out of Summer Slumber as No-Deal Brexit Din GrowsBrexit Bulletin: Neutralizing the Next PM\--With assistance from Charlotte Ryan, Thomas Penny, Fergal O'Brien, Dara Doyle and Alex Morales.To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, ;Emma Ross-Thomas at erossthomas@bloomberg.net, Stuart BiggsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 1-Ukraine plans overhaul of citizenship process after Putin's passport offer Posted: 18 Jul 2019 06:17 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Ukraine plans overhaul of citizenship process after Putin's passport offer]( "UPDATE 1-Ukraine plans overhaul of citizenship process after Putin's passport offer") Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ordered an overhaul of the process for granting Ukrainian citizenship, in response to a Russian decree expanding the number of Ukrainians who can apply for fast-track Russian passports. Zelenskiy's office said early on Thursday, just a few hours after the Kremlin published Russian President Vladimir Putin's order, that the foreign ministry would simplify the procedure for certain groups to attain Ukrainian citizenship.
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| Mnuchin Warns Europe Not to Breach U.S. Sanctions on Iran Posted: 18 Jul 2019 06:17 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made clear that participating in the U.S. financial system means abiding by its sanctions amid a European effort to sidestep American economic pressure on Iran to continue trade.Germany, France and the U.K. created a financing vehicle known as Instex in January to allow companies to do some trade with Iran without the use of U.S. dollars or American banks -- thus allowing them to get around wide-ranging American sanctions that were imposed after the Trump administration abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal last year."We've been very clear that we expect U.S. sanctions to be adhered to," Mnuchin said in response to questions from reporters on Thursday in France where he met with Group of Seven counterparts. "Whether it's Iran or anyone else, if people want to participate in the dollar system people will be obligated to follow the U.S. sanctions."He said that Instex should be "careful on diligence."Treasury's top sanctions official, Sigal Mandelker, sent a letter in May warning European allies not to violate sanctions through Instex. Mnuchin confirmed that a letter was sent.European countries broadly opposed Trump's decision to withdraw from the nuclear accord but have struggled to deliver the economic benefits Iran expected from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, since the U.S. quit. In the meantime, U.S. sanctions have delivered a blow to Iran's economy, fueling inflation, reducing oil revenue and pressuring President Hassan Rouhani's government. Instex was supposed to help address that, but so far it has largely failed to get up and running.Frustrated at the U.S. withdrawal and stalled European efforts, Iran has already breached some of the limits on its nuclear program imposed under the deal, and has warned European governments that it will give up on the accord entirely unless they can find some way to work around the U.S. sanctions.To contact the reporter on this story: Saleha Mohsin in Washington at smohsin2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Bill FariesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Donald Trump is on an Orwellian mission to redefine human rights Posted: 18 Jul 2019 06:08 AM PDT  It has long been abundantly clear Trump has no respect for human rights. Now Pompeo wants to build a new framework to justify the rollback of protections'While the Trump administration seeks to redefine human rights, it is clearly ignoring the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).' Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesThe president of the United States makes racist comments against members of Congress. He puts kids in cages. Attempts to ban Muslims from entering the United States. Praises dictators.It has long been abundantly clear that Donald Trump has no respect for human rights. Now, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, wants to build a new intellectual framework to justify the administration's rollback of human rights protections.That is the only way to understand Pompeo's new Commission on Unalienable Rights. In launching the group Pompeo explicitly stated that the purpose of the commission is to start from scratch in defining human rights. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Pompeo described part of the commission's mandate: It will "address basic questions: What are our fundamental freedoms? Why do we have them? Who or what grants these rights?"But it seems clear the intention is to both narrow the definition and application of rights. Pompeo said that the commission's goal is to exclude "ad hoc" rights. While he does not elaborate on what "ad hoc" rights are, he attacks "politicians and bureaucrats" who "create new rights", and many of the members of the commission appear to have been selected in no small part because they also want to roll back human rights.As journalist Ali Rogin reported, one commissioner praised Saudi Arabia and defended it over the murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while another commissioner praised the United Arab Emirates and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's autocratic power grab. The commission chair, Mary Ann Glendon, opposes reproductive rights and marriage equality.While the Trump administration seeks to redefine human rights, it is clearly ignoring the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which itself built on the fundamental freedoms enshrined in America's own bill of rights. Developed by a commission composed of members from around the world and chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, the declaration was forged in the wake of the second world war and adopted without dissent by the UN general assembly. A truly historic breakthrough – with countries of all political leanings and cultures backing a common definition of rights – the declaration has been a global north star ever since.Of course, there are some very real debates about human rights. One of them revolves around economic and social rights – such as the right to housing – enshrined in the UDHR and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (which the US has not ratified), but which the US ascribes to only unevenly. And there has long been a debate about the best way to secure human rights at home and abroad. But the arc of American history has trended towards increased protection for human rights at home and a growing recognition of supporting human rights around the world.> Trump administration has been actively attempting to undermine human rights at home and abroadBut the Trump team doesn't appear to want to participate in these debates in good faith. Trump has a very clear anti-human rights agenda, and the Trump administration has been actively attempting to undermine human rights at home and abroad. The administration has worked to roll back protections for LGBTQ individuals. It has attacked the reproductive rights of women. It has treated – and spoken about – migrants and refugees as less than human. It is trying to revoke protections for those who want to apply for asylum in the US. It launches dangerous attacks on the media and free speech. Trump personally defends the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's brutal repression. The list goes on and on and on.What's more, the Trump administration wants to gaslight Americans into believing that this new commission is necessary because the fight to expand rights protections somehow gives cover to other countries to abuse the language of human rights to defend their repression. Pompeo speciously said: "Rights claims are often aimed more at rewarding interest groups and dividing humanity into subgroups. Oppressive regimes like Iran and Cuba have taken advantage of this cacophonous call for 'rights', even pretending to be avatars of freedom." You read that right: the secretary of state is blaming people who work to protect human rights for supposedly helping authoritarian regimes.And this is the Orwellian goal of the Trump administration. They want everyone to believe that what they are doing is in support of laudable goals – freedom, democracy, security, choose your own lofty noun. They make racist and antisemitic comments against others while claiming that they are somehow fighting antisemitism and defending Israel. They tear away children from their parents and place them in cages and claim that it is all a deterrent to protect those same migrants from the dangers of the journey to the United States.In his novel about a fictional totalitarian regime, 1984, George Orwell memorably wrote that one of the regime's mottos is: "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." The Trump administration is doing its best to make this kind of gaslighting a reality in America. Don't be surprised if one of the conclusions of this new commission is "human rights is repression".
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| Ukraine Blames Kremlin for Rejecting Effort to Swap Prisoners Posted: 18 Jul 2019 05:52 AM PDT ![Ukraine Blames Kremlin for Rejecting Effort to Swap Prisoners]( "Ukraine Blames Kremlin for Rejecting Effort to Swap Prisoners") (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine blamed Russia for rejecting an effort to swap prisoners for the first time in one and a half years.Roman Bezsmertnyi, Ukraine's representative in Minsk talks, said Thursday that Russia rejected a proposal to release 208 prisoners from separatist self-proclaimed republics in the country's east in exchange of 69 Ukrainians held in territories outside government control.This rejected swap wasn't supposed to include 24 sailors detained last year. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held negotiations by phone with President Vladimir Putin about a potential prisoner exchange between the neighbors locked in a deadly conflict for half a decade.\--With assistance from Kateryna Choursina.To contact the reporter on this story: Yulia Surkova in Kiev at ysurkova@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Scott Rose at rrose10@bloomberg.net, Andrea Dudik, Michael WinfreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Migrants in Libya detention center detail dire conditions Posted: 18 Jul 2019 05:50 AM PDT  Migrants held at a small, dilapidated detention center in the southern Libyan city of Sabha say they are being neglected by international organizations and often go hungry due to lack of food. One of the detained is Ahmed Saleh Ibrahim, a 19-year-old Sudanese who made his way into Libya with the help of smugglers last year. "There's little food, and at night there are a lot of mosquitoes, and the place is dirty," Ibrahim recently told The Associated Press.
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| 15 killed as van carrying migrants crashes in eastern Turkey Posted: 18 Jul 2019 05:12 AM PDT ![15 killed as van carrying migrants crashes in eastern Turkey]( "15 killed as van carrying migrants crashes in eastern Turkey") A van carrying migrants rolled into a roadside ditch in eastern Turkey on Thursday, killing 15 people, a Turkish official said. More than 20 other people were also injured in the accident near the town of Ozalp, in Van province, close to Turkey's border with Iran, the province's governor, Mehmet Emin Binmez, told Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. Over the past few years, migrants have crossed in large numbers into Turkey, from where they try and reach European-Union member Greece by land or sea.
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