| Diplomats: US blocks UN statement on Israel-Hezbollah fire Posted: 05 Sep 2019 05:27 PM PDT ![Diplomats: US blocks UN statement on Israel-Hezbollah fire]( "Diplomats: US blocks UN statement on Israel-Hezbollah fire") The United States has blocked the U.N. Security Council from issuing a statement following the recent exchange of cross-border fire between the militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Israeli forces in Israel, diplomats said Thursday. The initial draft of the French-proposed council statement, obtained by The Associated Press, would have condemned "all violations of the Blue Line," which is the U.N.-drawn dividing line between the two countries.
|
| North Korea wants UN staff cut, but UN says they're vital Posted: 05 Sep 2019 04:53 PM PDT ![North Korea wants UN staff cut, but UN says they're vital]( "North Korea wants UN staff cut, but UN says they're vital") North Korea wants the number of U.N. international staff in the country reduced by the end of the year over what it claims is the politicization of aid by parties hostile to its government, but the United Nations says the mission's current "light footprint" is vital. Kim Chang Min, secretary general of North Korea's National Coordinating Committee, said in a letter to the U.N. resident coordinator in North Korea that in recent years "U.N. supported programs failed to bring the results as desired due to the politicization of U.N. assistance by hostile forces." It did not identify those parties.
|
| Embattled Boris Johnson Fights On as His Brother Resigns Over Brexit Posted: 05 Sep 2019 03:51 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson's political opponents are seeking ways to outmaneuver him on Brexit. Their latest idea is to hold a U.K. election in late October.On Thursday, the British prime minister stood in a police academy in the north of England, giving a speech that was supposed to mark the start of a monthlong snap election campaign.Instead, the embattled leader was trying to fight back after a series of humiliating defeats for his Brexit strategy this week, culminating in the resignation of his own brother in protest at his plans.Out of options, Johnson doubled down on his plan to trigger a general election to win a parliamentary majority so he can fulfill his pledge to take the U.K. out of the European Union -- with or without a divorce deal -- on Oct. 31. The prime minister didn't say if he'd resign if he failed, but he did declare that he'd "rather be dead in a ditch" than agree to another Brexit delay."We want an election on October 15 and indeed earlier," Johnson said Thursday. "I really don't see how you can have a situation in which the British ability to negotiate is absolutely torpedoed by Parliament."But his opponents won't agree to his plan and say they are are worried he aims to crash the U.K. out of the EU with no deal on Oct. 31 -- the currently scheduled exit day.According to a person familiar with the matter, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn is in talks with the Scottish National Party's leadership over blocking Johnson's bid and asking for an election late next month, with Oct 29 the date most likely at this stage.Johnson was forced to give up fighting his opponents in Parliament after losing to them multiple times. Rebels from Johnson's own Conservative ranks, backed by politicians from rival parties, pushed through a law that could stop him crashing Britain out of the EU with no deal next month. Boxing him in, they then thwarted the government's attempt to trigger a snap election.ExpulsionsThe premier dismayed his colleagues by expelling MPs who rebelled against him from the Conservative Party, including two former chancellors and Winston Churchill's grandson. By Thursday, the premier's radical "do-or-die" approach had become too much for his brother.Announcing his decision on Twitter, Jo Johnson said he'd been torn between loyalty for his brother, the prime minister, and the "national interest." He chose the latter and quit as skills minister. He'll also no longer attend Johnson's cabinet.Johnson put on a brave face, but the symbolism couldn't be clearer.Brexit Chaos Points to Election. Here's How It Works: QuickTake"Jo doesn't agree with me about the EU because it's an issue obviously that divides families, that divides everybody," said Johnson, before noting that his brother supports his wider agenda for the country.Johnson saved his attacks for Corbyn. "I think he must be the first Leader of the opposition in history to refuse to have an election. Indeed it seems to me to be a breach of his job description."On stage, surrounded by dozens of police officers, Johnson's speech was seen as an attempt to get a head start in an election campaign. He reasserted his pledge to recruit 20,000 police officers and trumpeted his commitment to law and order.Toward the end of the speech, one female police office was faint with sickness and had to sit down. Johnson was over an hour late for his speech in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and the officers were required to stand there for longer than intended.(Updates with details of Labour-SNP talks from start.)To contact the reporters on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Tony CzuczkaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| US sanctions on Iran, China causes tension, but may lead to negotiating power Posted: 05 Sep 2019 03:44 PM PDT ![US sanctions on Iran, China causes tension, but may lead to negotiating power]( "US sanctions on Iran, China causes tension, but may lead to negotiating power") Morgan Ortagus discussed the United States' usage of maximum pressure on Iran and China.
|
| Sudan PM names first Cabinet since removal of al-Bashir Posted: 05 Sep 2019 03:32 PM PDT  Sudan's newly appointed prime minister on Thursday announced his Cabinet, the first since the military ousted autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April. The new members include Sudan's first woman foreign minister and a former World Bank economist. The Cabinet is part of a power-sharing agreement between the military and pro-democracy demonstrators, following pressure from the United States and its Arab allies amid growing concerns the political crisis could ignite a civil war.
|
| U.K. Labour's Corbyn Discusses Oct. 29 Election Plan With SNP Posted: 05 Sep 2019 03:03 PM PDT ![U.K. Labour's Corbyn Discusses Oct. 29 Election Plan With SNP]( "U.K. Labour's Corbyn Discusses Oct. 29 Election Plan With SNP") (Bloomberg) -- Britain's main opposition political parties are drawing up plans to push for a general election on Oct. 29, as they seek to outmaneuver Prime Minister Boris Johnson over Brexit.According to a person familiar with the matter, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn is in talks with the Scottish National Party's leadership over an election late next month, with Oct 29 the date most likely at this stage. The next election is not due to take place until 2022. In order to trigger a poll sooner, MPs in the U.K. House of Commons must vote for it. Johnson himself has proposed an election for Oct. 15 as the only way to break the Brexit deadlock in Britain's Parliament. But Corbyn and his allies are refusing to agree to this. They are worried the premier aims to crash the U.K. out of the EU with no deal on Oct. 31 -- the currently scheduled exit day -- and they want to stop him doing this first. Johnson's opponents are aiming to force him to go to Brussels to agree to delay Brexit at an EU summit Oct 17, before any election takes place.That would mean the U.K. is safe from Johnson's threat to take the country out of the bloc with no divorce agreement in place on Oct. 31, an outcome they fear will cause economic damage and legal chaos.Johnson failed to persuade MPs to vote for an early election on Wednesday. He will try again to ask Parliament to back a snap poll on Monday. Corbyn and the SNP leadership held talks on Thursday to discuss whether to oppose Johnson in this second vote on a snap election. Corbyn will convene a call of opposition parties for further talks on Friday morning, according to a Labour party statement. \--With assistance from Jessica Shankleman.To contact the reporters on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| UN launches diphtheria vaccination campaign for Yemeni kids Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:36 PM PDT ![UN launches diphtheria vaccination campaign for Yemeni kids]( "UN launches diphtheria vaccination campaign for Yemeni kids") The United Nations agencies for health and children have launched a diphtheria vaccination campaign in war-torn Yemen targeting over 2.8 million children between the ages of six weeks and 15 years. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday that over 4,000 Yemenis have gotten diphtheria since 2017 and more than 200 have died. Diphtheria is an infectious and contagious disease that usually involves the nose, throat, and air passages, but may also infect the skin.
|
| Officials: Saudi Arabia pushes for settlement in south Yemen Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:23 PM PDT  Saudi Arabia is pushing for a settlement between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and southern separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates, Yemeni officials said Thursday. Officials from Saudi Arabia and the UAE have met separately to agree on a draft agreement before presenting it to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which took control of Hadi's interim capital of Aden, the officials said.
|
| The U.S. in Afghanistan, Talking Peace and Waging War, Doesn’t Count All The Civilians It Slaughters Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:22 PM PDT  WAKIL KOHSARLOY MANDA, Afghanistan–Bloodied and broken, 13 members of an extended family were lifted, one by one, from a minibus and placed in wheelchairs and on hospital beds with clean white sheets. The out patient department at Emergency Hospital in Helmand's capital Lashkar Gah was soon beyond capacity. Nurses from throughout the building rushed to assist. The victims ranged in age from four to fifty. They'd been at home on the afternoon of November 24, 2018, when two Taliban fighters entered their compound in the village of Loy Manda, in Helmand's Nad-i Ali District. Obaidullah, the patriarch of the family, pleaded with the fighters to leave, but before they did, they fired over a wall at a passing Afghan and American military convoy. In response, an American warplane—an A-10 "Warthog"—made two strafing runs over the house. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition—bullets the size of large carrots—fired by a weapon designed to disable armoured tanks, poured out of the plane's Gatling gun. The two Taliban fighters had fled. Instead, Obaidullah and his 15-year-old son Esmatullah were killed; 13 others suffered broken bones and shrapnel injuries from head to toe. One boy, 14-year-old Ehsanullah, lost both his eyes. In May this year, The U.S. Department of Defense released its Annual Report on Civilian Casualties. In table format, an entry for Helmand on the same date states: "Operation Type: Air. Killed: 0. Injured: 4." * * *DEATH BY THE NUMBERS* * *The war in Afghanistan will soon enter its 19th year. In Qatar, U.S. and Taliban representatives have been hashing out a preliminary agreement that would see a withdrawal timeline for international troops in return for a Taliban guarantee that it would disavow terrorist groups with transnational aspirations seeking to use Afghanistan as a base.The Taliban Scoff at Trump's Afghan Peace Talks BluffIn contrast, on the battlefield, both sides are ramping up their military campaigns in an effort to strengthen their negotiating positions. As a result, the number of civilians caught in the crossfire is increasing, too. In its latest report on civilian casualties, the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) found that this year, for the first time since it began counting, pro-government forces, including international forces, were responsible for more civilian deaths than the Taliban and the so-called Islamic State's Afghanistan branch combined. The primary reason for this is an escalation of the U.S. air war in Afghanistan.In a conflict that has been unpopular with the American public—and now its president—for years now, the downplaying of the number of Afghan civilians killed in the crossfire is one way the U.S. military—which one senses is more committed to Afghanistan than its political leaders—can mitigate opposition at home. Today, the rented house Obaidullah's family was in when it was struck by the warplane last November, is empty. During the day, columns of sunlight pour through a dozen watermelon-sized holes in the roof: evidence of the missile-like bullets that also tore holes through its inhabitants. After they were discharged from hospital, Obaidullah's two wives and their surviving children moved to the village of Shawal, which is under Taliban control, further north in the same district, with Obaidullah's brothers. Day to day security in most rural parts of Afghanistan isn't so much dictated by who controls the area as by how far it is from the front line. Nor does the side of a front line one chooses to live on necessarily indicate sympathy for one faction or the other.Loy Manda, where the family lived when their house was struck, was the front line. They hoped moving farther from it, even though that meant going deep into Taliban territory, would be safer. The escalation of the air war, however, means that calculation is no longer a reliable measure of safety.* * *'TENDENTIOUS PRONOUNCEMENTS'* * *Ehsanullah was 14 when he was brought into the emergency hospital last November. His face was a mess of raw flesh and dried, rusty blood. He had already lost one eye; the other was ruptured and would later be removed by surgeons. The rest of his body was bruised, broken, burned and punctured by debris thrown out as the rounds impacted around him.Without sight, his hearing has become increasingly sensitized, and the sound of aircraft terrifies him. Air strikes are even more common in Shawal now than they were in Loy Manda. "I'm always scared of the aircraft now," he says. "I'm scared they're going to target us again."Ehsanullah, 14, has two ruptured eyes and several leg and abdominal injuries. His uncle, Sardar Wali, sits with him in the garden at Emergency hospital for the war wounded in Lashkar Gah, Helmand. Sardar Wali wept at times while crouching beside his nephew. 13 members from two families, including his, were admitted on November 24, 2018 at around 4:30PM.\n\n13 in total were admitted to Emergency hospital for the war wounded in Lashkar Gah, Helmand, on the evening of November 24, 2018, after an airstrike on their home in the village of Loy Manda in Nad-i Ali District. Obaidullah, the patriarch of the family, and another of his sons, Esmatullah, were killed in the strike. In total, 12 women and children were injured and brought to Emergency, including a pregnant mother, Qarara, and an elderly man, all of whom had suffered shrapnel injuries to various parts of their bodies. \n\nFamily members explained that Taliban fighters had sought shelter from military aircraft in their home despite the residents pleading for them to leave. The next thing they knew their compound, home to two families, was being \"bombed\" by an aircraft which they identified, after I showed some family members video footage of one, an American A-10 \"Warthog\" warplane. \n\nA spokesperson for the International Resolute Support military mission in Kabul, SFC Debra Richardson provided me with a statement in response to my enquiries that read as follows: \"We are still looking into the details. We know U.S. forces, accompanying their Afghan security partners, called in self-defense air support against a building from which the Taliban were shooting. Too often the Taliban use civilians as hostages and human shields. It is often difficult to discern the presence of non-combatants inside structures when the Taliban are shooting from those locations. Enough violence, the Taliban should seriously engage in talks for a political solution instead of engaging in more pointless fighting. We have the duty to be precise. We own every munition we fire--the bullets from our rifles as well as the rockets on each strike. We are the most precise force in the history of warfare, ever, but this is not enough for us--we seek to improve and match higher standards every day.Andrew QuiltyOn top of this, Ehsanullah requires help with even the simplest of tasks. "Now I can't do anything; I can't even find my way," he says. "Even when I want to move I need the help of someone." That job has fallen to his younger brother, Rahmatullah, who never leaves his brother's side. Rahmatullah himself arrived in the emergency room that day with his intestines resting on his stomach.The U.S.-led Resolute Support military mission in Afghanistan refused to respond to several recent enquiries about the incident and the DOD's accounting of civilian victims. The U.S. military maintains that it makes condolence payments to civilian victims of its operations, but a Resolute Support spokesperson was unable to confirm whether such a payment had been made to Obaidullah's family. The family says they received nothing. The DoD report states its "assessments seek to incorporate all available information... DoD updates existing assessments if new information becomes available, including new information received from NGOs or other outside organizations." The details of this and The Daily Beast's January report were both supplied to Resolute Support's public affairs office, which again refused to address the issue. How U.S. Bombs Tore One Family to Shreds in AfghanistanUNAMA, which has sparred with both Resolute Support and the Taliban over methodologies concerning the assessment of civilian casualty figures, issued an unusually biting statement in an August 3 press release: "... all parties to the conflict have a poor track record on investigating, publicly reporting their findings and taking appropriate follow-up measures to address incidents in which civilians are killed or injured." The statement continued: "UNAMA recognizes that in the context of the war in Afghanistan, all parties are prone to issue tendentious pronouncements." Andrew J. Bacevich, professor emeritus of history and international relations at Boston University told The Daily Beast, "The U.S. military is deeply invested in a self-image that is undermined by evidence that it has caused civilian casualties. U.S. forces want to be seen as using violence with great precision–killing only those they intend to kill. Evidence to the contrary damages the prestige of the armed services and can undercut their standing in the eyes of the American people. In that sense, the issues here go well beyond Afghanistan per se."This isn't an isolated case.When Obaidullah's family moved to Shawal after leaving the hospital, in the very same village was another family who had also been bombed. On October 10 last year, six weeks before the Loy Manda strike, Abdul Ahad was at home with his family in the farming village of Shawal when the sounds of fighting began nearby. Shawal was on the northern—Taliban-controlled—side of a wide irrigation canal that still marks the front line in Nad-i Ali district today, so while airstrikes were common, ground engagements like this were rare. He told the story under the shade of a tree outside Shawal recently; it was so hot that steam didn't rise from his cup of boiling green tea. The jet engines of American bombers could be heard wavering on the wind miles above. L to R: Qarara and her son Hedayat 94) recover in the female and children's ward at Emergency Hospital for the war wounded in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province. They were admitted on November 24, 2018, after Taliban fighters had used their house to fire on a passing American and Afghan Army convoy in Loy Manda, Nad-i Ali District, Helmand Province and the Americans called in an airstrike. Two family members were killed, the husband and father, Obaidullah, and his son Esmatullah, while 13 in total were injured. The soldiers provided first aid for the wounded before they were brought by Loy Manda locals to Emergency in Lashkar Gah.\n\nIn a statement by a spokesperson for the International Resolute Support military mission provided to me after alerting them to the incident, said:\n\n\"We are still looking into the details. We know U.S. forces, accompanying their Afghan security partners, called in self-defense air support against a building from which the Taliban were shooting. Too often the Taliban use civilians as hostages and human shields. It is often difficult to discern the presence of non-combatants inside structures when the Taliban are shooting from those locations. Enough violence, the Taliban should seriously engage in talks for a political solution instead of engaging in more pointless fighting. We have the duty to be precise. We own every munition we fire--the bullets from our rifles as well as the rockets on each strike. We are the most precise force in the history of warfare, ever, but this is not enough for us--we seek to improve and match higher standards every day.Andrew QuiltyAhad's house was one point of a triangle, with American and Afghan special forces on a second point and Taliban fighters on a third. Both groups were shooting across, but not toward his house. The soldiers were a quarter mile away, the Taliban, he said, about twice that distance. Some 70-80 yards away was another large compound, inside which four families lived in separate houses. Haji Salaam was in one of them with two of his brothers and their wives and children. When he sensed the fighting getting close he told everyone to stay inside. Out of nowhere, Abdul Ahad felt the thump of two almost simultaneous explosions. But the airstrikes hadn't hit the compound from which the Taliban were firing. They'd struck Haji Salaam's house, where he and his family had been sheltering, and it was now engulfed in a cloud of smoke and dust. Ahad waited until the fighting finished and then made his way quickly across the field to his neighbor's compound. The outer walls were still intact but once inside he saw that at least one of the houses had been completely levelled. Afghan and American soldiers arrived in more than a dozen armoured vehicles within minutes, as did other neighbors. Haji Salaam had survived. "When they came to the house," he says, "they claimed there was Taliban in the house firing at us. I told them we are not Taliban, we are all civilians."The Americans and their Afghan counterparts stayed for almost an hour. Some helped while others stood guard in case of a Taliban ambush. By the time they'd left, 11 dead bodies had been pulled from the rubble. Seven of them were less than nine years of age. Five under the age of 15 were injured but survived. According to the DOD report, no one was injured in the strike, and only one civilian was killed. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
|
| Iran poised for faster centrifuges as nuclear deal collapses Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:11 PM PDT  Iran was poised Thursday to begin work on advanced centrifuges that will enrich uranium faster as the 2015 nuclear deal unravels further and a last-minute French proposal offering a $15-billion line of credit to compensate Iran for not being able to sell its crude oil abroad because of U.S. sanctions looked increasingly unlikely. Meanwhile, Iran released seven crew members from a detained British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in a goodwill gesture and the mariners flew out of Iran, the ship's owner said.
|
| Chianti producers to consider increasing sweetness to 'appeal to women' and younger drinkers Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:05 PM PDT  The producers of one of Italy's most popular wines, Chianti, are looking to sweeten its appeal to attract more women and a new generation of young consumers from further afield. The classic red wine has been produced in the lush rolling hills of the same name in Tuscany since the 13th century. Now the Italian government has approved a request from the Chianti Wine Consortium that will allow wine producers to raise the level of residual sugars from the grapes they use to produce the famous wine in line with European regulations. The changes were announced as Italy confirmed its position as the world's number one wine producer in 2019 ahead of France and Spain. According to the latest figures produced by Italy's Wine Union and ISMEA, the agricultural research institute, Italy is expecting to produce 46 million hectoliters of wine in 2019, 16 percent less than last year. The Chianti consortium, which represents 3,000 growers in the vineyards surrounding Florence, insists an increase in residual sugar will "soften" the taste of Chianti, rather than give it a sweeter taste. Chianti is usually made from a blend of grapes but predominantly the red Sangiovese variety. Until now Chianti producers were required to keep their sugar levels to a maximum limit of 4 grams per litre. Under the new rules they will be able to add 2 grams per litre to the acidity total which varies from one wine to another. Greve in Chianti, Florence, Tuscany Credit: Andrea Comi/ Getty Images Contributor "It will still be a dry wine," Giovanni Busi, consortium president told The Telegraph. "The limit we have will be the same as other famous Italian wines like the Brunello and the Barolo. It won't taste any sweeter." "When we partipate in wine fairs in Brazil, America or in Asia, people often tell us Chianti is a great wine but too hard, with too much tannin," he said. "Women want wines that are more fragrant, with less tannin. This is a normal evolution." The Chianti wine was a favorite of the famous Medici family that ruled Florence for centuries. In 1716 Cosimo III de Medici officially nominated the picturesque region of Chianti where 15,000 hectares of vineyards are planted today. The wine has evolved over time as tastes have changed. Mr Busi said producers backed the latest change to sugar levels two years ago. He expects the softer taste will attract new wine lovers and expand Chianti's market reach particularly in the US, South America and Asia. "This will allow interested companies to present their dry wines, which are still of the highest quality but more pleasing to the palate in mainly Asian and American markets. "We therefore expect an increase in sales in foreign markets, which already have great potential." Meanwhile Raffaele Borriello, director-general of ISMEA, warned Brexit could have a serious impact on Italian wine growers in an export market worth €2.6 billion euros (£2.3billion) last year. "The future of the United Kingdom will weigh on the future of the sector and the uncertainty of the new world geopolitical structure, where market dynamics will be increasingly difficult to read," he said in a statement. The UK is the biggest market for prosecco. Now proscecco producers in northern Italy want to introduce a "superior" label to distinguish between quality bubbly and other cheaper varieties that appeal to the mass market.
|
| CIA predicted the Iran crisis that spiraled out of Trump pulling the US from the 2015 nuclear deal Posted: 05 Sep 2019 01:04 PM PDT  A year before Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, the CIA circulated a classified document offering a "simple" and prescient conclusion.
|
| The Latest: Report says Iran will halt commitments to R&D Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:54 PM PDT  The state-run IRNA news agency is reporting that Iran will halt its commitments on research and development as a third step to move away from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. IRNA said the Foreign Ministry announced the move from a detail in a letter from Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Iran has yet to say officially what exact steps it will take as a deadline it gave Europeans to salvage the deal is to expire Friday.
|
| Pence tiptoes past Brexit tumult for an oh-so-chipper chat Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:54 PM PDT  U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is used to standing next to a pugnacious, unpredictable leader with no filter and much-studied hair. On Thursday, he encountered another one as he met with embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No. 10 Downing Street, where the vice president tiptoed through the Brexit fury that has engulfed the region. Wrapping up a week in Europe, Pence spent about a half-hour with Johnson, whose determination to lead Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31 faces intense opposition from lawmakers, including members of his own Conservative Party, putting his leadership at risk.
|
| An Extraordinary International Misunderstanding: The UN's International Narcotics Control Board's Cannabis Quotas Are Not What The Media Portrays Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:39 PM PDT ![An Extraordinary International Misunderstanding: The UN's International Narcotics Control Board's Cannabis Quotas Are Not What The Media Portrays]( "An Extraordinary International Misunderstanding: The UN's International Narcotics Control Board's Cannabis Quotas Are Not What The Media Portrays") On Aug. 20, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board ("INCB") announced that Colombia would be awarded a quota of 1.2 tons of cannabis oil for internal medicinal and scientific use. This substantially reduced number compares to the 2018 quota of 47 tons, which caused euphoria and champagne corks to fly from bottles throughout the LATAM Andes, all the way to Canadian stock exchanges. Colombian and international media (not surprisingly) announced that this new limited quota represented a "fatal blow" to its cannabis industry.
|
| Iran to unveil details on cuts to nuclear commitments Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:23 PM PDT  Iran is set to detail its latest cut to commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal on Saturday, in response to US sanctions and perceived inaction by other parties to save the accord. Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi will hold a news conference on Tehran's third round of cuts in its nuclear commitments since May, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Thursday. Iran and three European countries -- Britain, France and Germany -- have been engaged in talks to reduce tensions and rescue the multi-party deal, which has been unravelling since the US withdrew in May last year.
|
| Kushner's Middle East peace plan drifts further astray as envoy resigns Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:21 PM PDT  The 'ultimate deal' for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is due to come out after the Israeli elections on 17 September Jason Greenblatt, the US special envoy for Middle East peace, will leave his post. Photograph: Handout/ReutersJason Greenblatt, the Trump administration's special envoy for Middle East peace, tasked with working on the "ultimate deal" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is to leave the post, it has been announced.Greenblatt may stay in the role until the publication of the long-delayed plan, which is now due to come out some time after Israeli elections on 17 September. However, if those elections bring about the fall of Donald Trump's close ally, Benjamin Netanyahu, the plan could be shelved indefinitely."Greenblatt's leaving may have to do with the dim prospects of the so-called peace plan," said Khaled Elgindy, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, and author of a book on US policy towards the Palestinians, Blind Spot. "What I do know is that it won't make any difference to what is not really a plan – let's call it a vision – because there is no chance of it going anywhere."Donald Trump tweeted that Greenblatt, one of his former lawyers, would be leaving "to pursue work in the private sector"."Jason has been a loyal and great friend and fantastic lawyer," Trump said. "His dedication to Israel and to seeking peace between Israel and the Palestinians won't be forgotten. He will be missed. Thank you Jason!"Greenblatt tweeted back his thanks to Trump and said the envoy job had been "the honor of a lifetime"."So grateful to have worked on the potential to improve the lives of millions of Israelis, Palestinians & others," the envoy said.Greenblatt, a real estate lawyer with no experience in diplomacy, began working on the would-be plan in 2017 with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in what the president has said would be the "ultimate deal".It was reported on Thursday that a 30 year-old Kushner aide, Avi Berkowitz – who graduated from law school in 2016 and has no Middle East experience, would take over some of Greenblatt's role, while the state department's special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, would broaden his responsibilities to include Israel and the Palestinian territories.During Greenblatt's time in office, the US severed its diplomatic links with the Palestinians, closed down its consulate in Jerusalem, and ordered the Palestinian mission in Washington to shut down. Earlier this year, the US cut all aid to the Palestinian territories."The Trump administration inherited very poor prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace, which wasn't their fault," said Daniel Shapiro, the former US ambassador to Israel. "But everything they have done in the field since has made it even harder to achieve a breakthrough."Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, said Greenblatt had spent his time in the role as "an apologist for the most extreme, hardline government in the history of Israel"."I think the Palestinians as a whole are going to say good riddance," she added.The only part of the Kushner-Greenblatt scheme that has been made public was an economic "workshop" in Bahrain, which was intended to drum up interest in investment in the future of the Palestinian territories. However, it was boycotted by most Palestinian businesses."It was a wish list of economic projects, not tied to a political horizon," Elgindy said.Although little is known for certain about the Kushner-Greenblatt plan, Trump officials have made it clear it will not commit to supporting the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel, which was the policy of previous US administrations.Netanyahu has promised this year to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a move widely interpreted as killing of the already moribund two-state ideal that previous peace efforts have focused on.Kushner, Greenblatt and the current US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman have all been supportive of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and few expect the plan to put pressure on Israel to withdraw them."The plan is doomed. It is not going anywhere, but it will be a marker in the sand," said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "The two-state solution is doomed and this plan will seal its end. It will create a new normal in the conflict, for future US administrations."
|
| Ex-World Bank Official Tapped to Fix Sudan’s Ravaged Economy Posted: 05 Sep 2019 12:20 PM PDT ![Ex-World Bank Official Tapped to Fix Sudan's Ravaged Economy]( "Ex-World Bank Official Tapped to Fix Sudan's Ravaged Economy") (Bloomberg) -- A former World Bank economist was named Sudan's finance minister, as a transitional government begins its task of rebuilding the country after decades of mismanagement under ousted President Omar al-Bashir.Ibrahim Elbadawi, who's worked at the Washington-based lender for at least two decades, was among ministers named Thursday by Sudan's new premier, Abdalla Hamdok.The country will also have its first-ever female foreign minister, Asma Abdullah, as part of the three-year administration meant to divide powers between pro-democracy activists and the military that overthrew Bashir in April after months of deadly protests.Fixing the economy of Africa's third-largest country, ravaged by corruption, sanctions and one-man rule, will be a major challenge for Hamdok's government. It's inheriting a battered banking sector, annual inflation at over 40% and shortages of everything from fuel to flour and banknotes -- a situation that in December sparked the unrest that eventually unseated Bashir.Hamdok, a former United Nations economist, told Reuters last month that Sudan will need as much as $10 billion in aid to cover its import bills and stabilize the currency. His government is lobbying the U.S. to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it was placed in 1993 after becoming a haven for a time for extremists including Osama bin Laden.Sanctions LiftedOfficials have said the continued designation meant that the lifting of two-decades-old U.S. sanctions in 2017 brought scarce economic benefits for the country already crippled by the loss of three-quarters of its oil reserves on South Sudan's secession in 2011. The International Monetary Fund projects the economy will contract 2.3% this year.A Sudanese court on Saturday accepted corruption charges against Bashir, who's accused of laundering millions of dollars in foreign currencies. Bashir told the court he'd received $25 million through his office manager from Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, and the money was used for donations, including for a military hospital and university. The Saudi government's Center for International Communication didn't respond to an emailed request for comment.Elbadawi first worked for the World Bank 1989, returning in 1999 as the lead economist for a research group on development, according to a copy of his resume posted on the website of the Egypt-based Economic Research Forum. Foreign Minister Abdullah is a former diplomat.Hamdok also named Adel Ibrahim as energy minister and Al-Turaifi Idris as interior minister.To contact the reporter on this story: Mohammed Alamin in Khartoum at malamin1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Karl Maier, Michael GunnFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| UN says 66 kidnapped in southeast Niger in July Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:36 AM PDT  At least 66 civilians were kidnapped in July in southeastern Niger near the border with Nigeria where the jihadist group Boko Haram is active, a UN source said Thursday. "At least 66 civilians including 44 women were abducted in July 2019 alone in the Diffa area," the source said. In early August the United Nations said 179 people had been kidnapped since January by "non-state armed groups" in the area, including Boko Haram fighters based in northeastern Nigeria and the islands of Lake Chad, which straddles Niger, Chad and Nigeria.
|
| Trump Mideast envoy to leave job before peace plan released Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:35 AM PDT  The architect of the Trump administration's delayed Mideast peace plan is leaving the White House in the face of widespread skepticism about the viability of the as-yet unseen proposal and questions about whether the vision for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will ever be released. Jason Greenblatt, a long-time lawyer for the Trump Organization who became the president's special envoy for international negotiations, announced his departure Thursday, saying he would return to the private sector in the coming weeks and spend more time with his family in New Jersey. Greenblatt had worked closely with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, on developing the peace plan.
|
| Brexit Update: Johnson's Brother Quits, Pence Supports PM Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:29 AM PDT ![Brexit Update: Johnson's Brother Quits, Pence Supports PM]( "Brexit Update: Johnson's Brother Quits, Pence Supports PM") It's unclear what a "no-deal Brexit" will look like now, said, David Stubbs, chief client investment strategist at JPMorgan Private Bank, who shared his thoughts on the latest developments with CNBC.
|
| This time it's Boris Johnson's younger brother jumping ship Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:28 AM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's bad week got even worse Thursday when younger brother Jo walked away from his government post over their differing stances on Brexit. It was clearly a difficult decision for Jo Johnson, who had returned to government as an education minister when his big brother replaced Theresa May as prime minister in July. Jo Johnson had quit May's government last year and argued that Britain should have another vote over its decision to leave the European Union.
|
| Javid Calls for Rebel Tories to Be Allowed Rejoin Party Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:24 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Conservative Party lawmakers expelled after voting against the government in Tuesday's Brexit vote should be given a route to rejoin, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid told LBC radio on Thursday. Javid's comments came after The Sun reported that several senior ministers, led by Michael Gove, confronted Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a cabinet meeting this week calling for the decision to be reversed.Thirteen of the 21 Tories expelled from the party serve constituencies that voted to remain in the European Union in 2016. However, most of the lawmakers are now in favor of delivering on the referendum result, and only voted against the government because of their opposition to a no-deal Brexit. Just four voted against Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement on March 29.Here's a breakdown:* Some names have been shortenedTo contact the reporter on this story: Simon Foy in London at sfoy8@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Neil Callanan at ncallanan@bloomberg.net, Adam BlenfordFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he'd 'rather be dead in a ditch' than delay Brexit Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:18 AM PDT  U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose younger brother resigned from Parliament on Wednesday over the issue of leaving the EU, said he'd "rather be dead in a ditch" than go to ask Brussels for a delay to Brexit. Johnson was asked by a reporter if he could promise not to delay Brexit after making a speech in front of police recruits in West Yorkshire. Pressure continues to build on Johnson after his younger brother, Jo Johnson, spectacularly resigned from Parliament.
|
| Trump administration offering $15M for information disrupting finances of Iran's guard Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:00 AM PDT ![Trump administration offering $15M for information disrupting finances of Iran's guard]( "Trump administration offering $15M for information disrupting finances of Iran's guard") The new measure is part of the State Department's Rewards for Justice Program which coincides with the Treasury Department's latest sanctions on an oil shipping network with ties to Iran's guards.
|
| Former UK PM Major calls on Johnson to fire top advisor Cummings Posted: 05 Sep 2019 11:00 AM PDT ![Former UK PM Major calls on Johnson to fire top advisor Cummings]( "Former UK PM Major calls on Johnson to fire top advisor Cummings") British Prime Minister Boris Johnson should fire Dominic Cummings, the advisor behind his high-stakes Brexit strategy that resulted in an dramatic purge of his own lawmakers this week, former prime minister John Major said on Thursday. In a sign of how far Brexit has distorted British politics, Johnson's Conservatives expelled 21 rebels on Tuesday - including the grandson of Britain's World War Two leader Winston Churchill and two former finance ministers - for seeking to block any exit from the European Union without a deal. Major, Conservative prime minister from 1990 to 1997, said lawmakers' service now seemed to be worthless unless they were "parroting the views of a prime minister influenced by a political anarchist", a reference to Cummings.
|
| UK's Johnson says would rather die than delay Brexit Posted: 05 Sep 2019 10:40 AM PDT  Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than delay Brexit beyond next month, as he urged opposition lawmakers who oppose his plan to support an early election. MPs in the House of Commons this week passed a bill that could stop Johnson taking Britain out of the European Union without a divorce deal with Brussels. In a speech in northern England, Johnson said "I'd rather be dead in a ditch" than ask the EU for a Brexit delay.
|
| EU Baffled by Johnson Strategy, Sees Brexit Talks as Pretense Posted: 05 Sep 2019 10:36 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. The European Union still doesn't know whether Boris Johnson is bluffing when he says he wants to leave the bloc with a deal, according to officials close to the Brexit negotiations.EU diplomats described talks between Johnson's EU envoy David Frost and the European Commission, focused on changes to the Brexit agreement reached in November but rejected three times by the U.K. Parliament, as a pretense and a waste of time. The British side hasn't presented any proposals for replacing the contentious backstop measure designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland, which Johnson has said must be removed if there's to be a deal.As EU officials watch the political turmoil in London, they say they're unclear whether the government is running down the clock to a no-deal exit, or if it genuinely wants to find a compromise. Two officials said there appeared to be tension in Johnson's team on the issue.The bloc has softened its tone in recent weeks, saying it's now open to replacing the backstop -- which would keep the U.K. aligned to EU customs and trading rules -- with something else. But European Council President Donald Tusk said it's for the U.K. to come up with "ideas that are operational, realistic and acceptable to all member states, including Ireland."Looming ElectionThe prospect of a general election in the U.K. could confuse things further. Negotiations almost certainly won't continue in the weeks of campaigning, officials said. That would potentially leave a window of just over two weeks between a poll on Oct. 15 and the U.K.'s scheduled exit on Oct. 31.Opposition and rebel Conservative MPs have further muddied the water by approving legislation forcing the prime minister to seek a further Brexit delay if there's no deal with Brussels.The government is to make a second attempt on Monday to force an early general election, after failing in a bid to get the approval of Parliament on Wednesday. Johnson said on Thursday a national vote is the only way of resolving the country's political crisis.Johnson wants to remove several parts of the deal struck between his predecessor, Theresa May, and the EU, according to an official briefed on Wednesday's negotiations in Brussels.British DemandsFrost told the European Commission that the government wants to:Strip out many articles of the contentious Irish border backstop, leaving only the provisions on citizens' rights, the common travel area on the island of Ireland and the island's single electricity market. Frost didn't say what the U.K. wants in its place to prevent a hard border, according to the official.Remove references in the political declaration on the U.K.'s future relationship with the bloc to the "level playing field," which would keep the U.K. aligned to many of the EU's standards in areas such as competition, environmental protection and taxation. The EU says this is necessary for an ambitious free-trade agreement.Change the way the agreement would be governed to take out references to the European Court of Justice. The EU said this would affect future police and judicial cooperation.A U.K. spokesman said Wednesday's talks were "constructive" and will resume on Friday. But EU officials said it isn't clear what the point would be of meeting again so soon -- other than to give the impression of progress.To contact the reporter on this story: Ian Wishart in Brussels at iwishart@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Britain rejects calls to take tougher stance on Iran as Benjamin Netanyahu meets Boris Johnson Posted: 05 Sep 2019 10:16 AM PDT  Downing Street on Thursday appeared to reject Israeli calls for Britain to take a harder line against Iran, despite Tehran warning it would announce new violations of the 2015 nuclear deal this weekend. Boris Johnson met Benjamin Netanyahu in London as the Israeli prime minister continued his campaign to urge European leaders to abandon the Iran nuclear deal and impose fresh sanctions on Iran. Mr Netanyahu also acknowledged that Donald Trump may meet Iran's president at the United Nations this month but said America should keep up economic pressure even if the unprecedented talks take place. "I can't tell you when or whether the talks will take place between President Trump and Rouhani," Mr Netanyahu told reporters in London. "Today I think what is needed is more pressure and the leverage which will come from that pressure on the regime in Iran." The meeting between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Johnson came as Iran said it would announce a third tranche of nuclear deal violations this Saturday. The new breaches are likely to include bringing new nuclear centrifuges online and expanding atomic research. Protesters hold Palestinian flags and placards outside Downing Street Credit: Kate Green/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Iran has been gradually stepping up its violations of the nuclear deal in an effort to pressure European states to find a way around US sanctions and provide relief to Iran's flagging economy. Israeli officials said they were encouraged by the meeting with Mr Johnson, who voiced support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. But there did not appear to be any shift in the UK's position and a Downing Street spokesman indicated Mr Johnson would continue Theresa May's policy of siding with France and Germany in support of the nuclear deal, despite US and Israeli pressure. "Both Prime Ministers agreed on the need to prevent Iran getting a nuclear weapon and stop wider destabilising Iranian behaviour. [Mr Johnson] stressed the need for dialogue and a diplomatic solution," the spokesman said. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has been working on an initiative to encourage Iran to come back into compliance with the nuclear deal in return for a $15bn line of bank credit. At a glance | Key players in Tehran Mr Macron is also eager to engineer a meeting between Mr Trump and Hassan Rouhani, Iran's president, during this month's UN General Assembly summit. Mr Trump said this week he was open to such a meeting, which would be the first face-to-face encounter between US and Iranian leaders since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. "Anything's possible. They would like to be able to solve their problem," Mr Trump said. Iran has so far publicly rejected the idea of talks until the US lifts sanctions. But Mr Netanyahu's comments indicate Israel, an arch-enemy of Iran, is taking the possibility of a meeting seriously. "I don't rule it out and I certainly don't decide for the president of the US when to meet and who to meet with," Mr Netanyahu said. The European Union urged Iran not go ahead with its planned violations of the nuclear deal. "We urge Iran to reverse these steps and refrain from further measures that undermine the nuclear deal," he said. During the Downing Street meeting, Mr Johnson briefly mentioned Britain's continued support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a policy rejected by both Israel and the Trump administration. It emerged Thursday that Jason Greenblatt, Mr Trump's envoy on Israel-Palestinian peace, is leaving the White House. His departure was expected but means he is leaving before rolling out the Trump administration's long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. The plan has already been rejected by the Palestinians, who say the White House's policies mean it can't be trusted as an honest broker. The US says it intends to roll out the plan sometime after Israel's elections on September 17. Mr Netanyahu, a close ally of Mr Trump, is trying to fend off a challenge from a centrist coalition to continue his 13 years in power.
|
| Boris Johnson ‘Would Rather Be Dead’ Than Delay Split: Brexit Update Posted: 05 Sep 2019 10:11 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. Boris Johnson's six-week-old premiership was thrown into yet more disarray after his brother quit the government in protest at his Brexit strategy. After three days of humiliation, the beleaguered prime minister launched a fightback in a speech in northern England, appealing directly to the public for an election to resolve Britain's political crisis. He said he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than ask the European Union to delay Brexit again.Key Developments:Minister Jo Johnson resigns, citing tension between "family loyalty and the "national interest"Johnson making appeal for election Prime Minister will try again to persuade MPs to trigger an early general election on MondayHouse of Lords debating bill to block no-deal Brexit until FridaySplits appear in cabinet over Johnson's tacticsThe pound rose 0.6%U.K. Said to Want to Unpick Deal (6:05 p.m.)Boris Johnson wants to remove several parts of the deal that was struck between the U.K. and EU in November, according to an official briefed on Wednesday's negotiations in Brussels.David Frost, Johnson's envoy, told the European Commission the U.K. wants to:Remove many articles of the contentious Irish border "backstop," leaving only provisions on citizens' rights, the common travel area and single electricity market on the island of Ireland. He didn't say what the U.K. wanted in its place.Take out references in the political declaration on the future relationship to the "level playing field" which would keep the U.K. aligned to many of the EU's standards. The EU says this is necessary for an ambitious free-trade agreementChange the way the agreement would be governed to take out references to the European Court of Justice. The EU said this would affect future police and judicial cooperation.Johnson Doubles Down on Push for Oct. 15 Election (6 p.m.)Boris Johnson pledged to hold a general election on Oct. 15, or even earlier, if opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn wants that. The prime minister was responding to a question about whether he can be trusted not to shift the date of an election in order to take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal."We want an election on October 15 and indeed earlier if he wants: :Let's crack on with it," Johnson said. "If he wants to avoid a no-deal Brexit, or if he wants to avoid a hard Brexit then he should believe in himself to go to Brussels on Oct. 17 to that crucial summit and sort it out."The premier said the current situation is unsustainable. "I really don't see how you can have a situation in which the British ability to negotiate is absolutely torpedoed by Parliament in this way, with powers of the British people handed over to Brussels so that we can be kept incarcerated in the EU without that actually being put to the people in the form of a vote," he said.Johnson Glosses Over Split With Brother (5:35 p.m.)Johnson was asked about his brother Jo's decision to quit the government earlier in the day, citing a conflict between family loyalties and the national interest (see 11:30 a.m.). He glossed over questions about whether he was acting in the national interest and said "people disagree about the EU.""Jo doesn't agree with me about the EU because it's an issue obviously that divides families, that divides everybody," said Johnson, before noting that his brother supports his wider agenda for the country.The premier also said he'd spoken to his brother earlier in the day, and praised his service as a minister for science and universities.Johnson: 'Rather be Dead' Than Delay Brexit (5:30 p.m.)Johnson said he would "rather be dead in a ditch" than ask for a delay in Brexit beyond Oct. 31.Answering questions after a speech in northern England, Johnson said he guaranteed that he wouldn't ask for an extension from the EU while he is prime minister. But he dodged the question when he was asked if this meant he would resign rather than sign up to another delay.Johnson Makes Plea For Election (5:18 p.m.)Johnson is making a speech at a police academy in the north of England in which he is expected to make a plea for a general election.He will also reassert his pledge to recruit 20,000 police officers and trumpet his commitment to law and order as he gets a head start in the campaign for votes.But on a stage with dozens of police officers, his surroundings may be a gift to opponents who have accused him of staging a "coup" by suspending Parliament -- and to sketch writers likely to suggest he's taking his commitment to "taking back control" to a new level.Johnson to Meet Varadkar on Monday (4:45 p.m.)Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Dublin early on Monday to meet his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar. He'll return to London in time to be in the House of Commons for the key vote on a general election in the evening, his spokeswoman, Alison Donnelly, told reporters.U.K. Offers Banks $1.6b to Guarantee Brexit Loans (3:45 p.m.)Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom and other senior ministers met with lenders including HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays on Thursday to encourage them to support small and medium-sized companies through Brexit.The state-backed British Business Bank has 1.3 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) available to help banks lend money to businesses that need it, the Business Department said in an emailed statement. "Lenders must empower their SME customers to seize the huge variety of opportunities that lie ahead as we leave the EU on October 3," Leadsom said.Leadsom was joined in the meeting by Michael Gove, the cabinet minister in charge of no-deal Brexit preparations, Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen and Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst. Other lenders included Bibby Financial Services, Virgin Money, Metro Bank, RBS, Santander and TSB.Johnson Calls Corbyn 'Chlorinated Chicken' Again (1:15 p.m.)Boris Johnson met U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Downing Street, and used the opportunity -- while talking about a future free-trade deal -- to make the same joke as Wednesday when he called opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn a chicken because he didn't vote for an early general election ."We will make sure we do everything we can to increase free trade,'' Johnson told Pence. "The National Health Service is not on the table as far as our negotiations go -- we're not too keen on that chlorinated chicken either. We have a gigantic chlorinated chicken already here on the opposition bench."Pence said the U.S. is "ready, willing and able" to offer the U.K. a trade deal.No-Deal Bill to Get Rapid Royal Assent (1:15 p.m.)Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the bill passed by MPs last night blocking a no-deal Brexit will get royal assent -- come into law -- "speedily" once it is debated for the final time in the Commons on Monday. The bill is currently in the House of Lords, and is due to return to the Commons, potentially with amendments, by Friday evening.Gove Sees Johnson Resignation as Unlikely (1:05 p.m.)Michael Gove, the Cabinet minister in charge of no-deal planning, is still speaking to the House of Commons committee on Brexit. Asked whether Boris Johnson would resign rather than ask for another delay, he said: "I don't think the prime minister has any intention of resigning."Under legislation working its way through Parliament, Johnson would be compelled to seek a delay to Brexit if by Oct. 19 he's failed to secure a new Brexit deal or persuade MPs to back a departure without a deal. The premier said in reaction: "I refuse to do this." Instead, he wants a general election before then -- but MPs refused to vote for one.That means if Johnson fails to secure an election, on Oct. 19 he'd be faced with the conundrum of either writing the letter or disobeying the law.Berger: Not Clear Where She'll Stand for Lib Dems (1 p.m.)Luciana Berger, who joined the Liberal Democrats as an MP Thursday, said it was not yet clear if she will stand in the district of Liverpool Wavertree at the next election because of the party's localized decision-making structure. It's "not a decision for me,'' she told Sky News. "I'd like to remain making a contribution to public life.''Berger quit the Labour Party in February citing anti-Semitic bullying. She has remained as an independent candidate until today. The Liverpool Wavertree district has a strong Labour history and the Liberal Democrats have already selected a candidate for the area.MPs Will Vote Again on Early Election (12:50 p.m.)Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg laid out a list of motions that will be debated in the House of Commons on Monday, culminating in a "motion relating to an early parliamentary general election."It will be a second attempt by the government to force an early general election -- the next one currently isn't due until 2022. Late on Wednesday, Johnson tried and failed to secure the 434 votes he needs -- two thirds of the House of Commons -- to call a ballot.Opposition parties declined to approve of an election because they want a bill to pass into law that would stave off a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31. By Monday, that bill is likely to have passed into law, and the government's calculation is that opposition parties may then swing behind his demand for a fresh election.Rees-Mogg also said that all bills needed for the U.K. to leave the European Union are in place.Gove Says New Brexit Deal Can Be Secured (12:35 p.m.)Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who's in charge of no-deal Brexit preparations, said the changes to the Brexit agreement being sought by Johnson are "eminently achievable.''He said that while he would support former Prime Minister Theresa May's deal if it came back to the house of Commons for another vote, the changes Johnson is seeking would mark a "material improvement" in the deal. They are to strip out the Irish backstop, and alter the political declaration to make clear Britain would be outside the customs union and single market. He also said the U.K. wants a free-trade agreement with the bloc.Gove was giving evidence to the House of Commons Exiting the European Union Committee. He earlier said that the Operation Yellowhammer document spelling out the potential impact of a no-deal exit that was leaked to the Sunday Times last month represented a "reasonable worst-case scenario," and not a base-case prediction. He said there was no evidence to suggest former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond could have been behind the leak.Business Secretary to Meet With Banks (11:40 a.m.)Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom will meet later Thursday with executives from the country's main banks to discuss their support for small and medium-sized companies through Brexit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, told reporters in London.Johnson Wants Election Before Oct. 17 EU Council (11:35 a.m.)Prime Minister Boris Johnson will say in a speech this afternoon that he wants an election before the EU council meeting on Oct. 17, his spokesman James Slack said."The prime minister believes we should have the election before the EU council and asks MPs to reflect on the sustainability of their position,'' Slack told reporters. "Having chosen to introduce a bill that destroys our negotiating position,'' he said, politicians " must take responsibility for their actions."Johnson's Brother Quits Over Strategy (11:30 a.m.)Boris Johnson's own brother, Jo Johnson, said he's quitting the government and his seat in Parliament because of differences with the prime minister."In recent weeks I've been torn between family loyalty and the national interest," Jo Johnson said on Twitter. "It's an unresolvable tension & time for others to take on my roles as MP & Minister. overandout."The departure is a severe blow to the prime minister at a time when he's alienated the moderate wing of his party by expelling 21 MPs on Tuesday because they voted against the government in order to stave off the risk of a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31.Jo Johnson is a longstanding pro-European -- and had quit as a minister under former Prime Minister Theresa May because he believed the country needed a second referendum on Brexit. It raised eyebrows when he agreed to serve in his brother's government -- because the premier was the figurehead of the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum.Former Labour MP Berger Joins Liberal Democrats (11 a.m.)While Johnson has been expelling MPs from his party, Parliament's fourth party, the Liberal Democrats keep growing. Luciana Berger, who quit Labour earlier in the year, said on Thursday she's joined the Liberal Democrats.It's the party's second addition of the week, after Philip Lee's defection from the Conservatives on Tuesday deprived Johnson of his majority. They now have 16 MPs.Javid Hopes Rebels Can Return (9:30 a.m.)Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said he wants the 21 rebels expelled from the Conservative Party on Tuesday to be reinstated, though he also added Johnson had "no choice" but to fire them.Javid's comments follow reports of an argument in cabinet this week in which a group of senior ministers, led by no-deal Brexit minister Michael Gove, demanded that Johnson should give the rebels a way back into the party. The prime minister refused."I would like to see those colleagues come back at some point," Javid told LBC radio. "They are not just my colleagues; these are my friends, they are good Conservatives."Javid said it was right for Johnson to make Tuesday's vote -- allowing Parliament to seize the legislative timetable in order to block a no-deal Brexit -- a matter of confidence in the government. Those who voted against it knew the "consequences," he said.Swinson Wants Extension Before Election (9 a.m.)Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson said she wants a general election only after an extension to Brexit has been agreed with Brussels.She said she believes Johnson wants an election before his exit deadline of Oct. 31 so he can take the U.K. out of the EU without a deal and blame Brussels for the failure to get an agreement."He's frightened of being found out," she told Sky News. "He's got an opportunity to go and get that great deal he said he could get and get it past Parliament, but he's frightened to do that."Caroline Nokes, one of the MPs expelled from the Tory Party on Tuesday, also said Johnson shouldn't rush a national vote. "It's really cynical to try to force through an election," she said. "The tool we need in Parliament is time."Labour 'Consulting' on Election Timing (Earlier)Labour Treasury Spokesman John McDonnell said the party is consulting with its own MPs and other parties over the best timing for a general election.While some want a national vote once a law against a no-deal Brexit is enacted, others want to wait until after a further delay to Jan. 31 has been secured before going to the country. None of the opposition parties have any confidence that Johnson will keep to his word, he said in media interviews on Thursday morning."We have to be the adults in the room," McDonnell said, after comparing Johnson to a toddler having a tantrum. Labour wants to keep "as much control as we possibly over the date of that election," he told Sky News.Earlier:Johnson Boxed In Over Brexit as Bill Is Pushed Through LordsPound Rally Stalls After Lawmakers Reject Johnson's Brexit PlansBrussels Edition: No Deal for Boris\--With assistance from Justin Sink, Ian Wishart and Thomas Penny.To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Jessica Shankleman in Wakefield at jshankleman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Mark WilliamsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Washington in talks with Yemeni rebels, US official says Posted: 05 Sep 2019 10:03 AM PDT  Washington is in talks with Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in a bid to end the country's war, a top US official said on Thursday, the first such contact in more than four years. The negotiations open a direct channel between President Donald Trump's administration and the Huthis amid the threat of a broader regional conflict with Iran. It also comes as the rebels have stepped up missile and drone attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a key US ally which heads a military coalition against the Huthis.
|
| Trump Spurs Lawmaker Outcry With Shift of Pentagon Money to Wall Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:41 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The list of military projects deferred to pay for a $3.6 billion tranche of President Donald Trump's border wall drew bipartisan complaints -- potentially increasing pressure on Congress to resolve the long-running conflict over Trump's signature initiative or to find the money elsewhere.The cuts announced Wednesday will affect states represented by members of both parties, including $62.6 million for a middle school at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and $160 million for engineering and parking projects at the U.S. Military Academy in New York, home to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.Alaska, represented by Republicans, and Virginia, represented mostly by Democrats, are also among the biggest losers on the hit list, as are Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands, with the trio of territories targeted for $687 million in deferred projects.The Department of Defense's plan to defer spending -- with $1.1 billion coming from facilities in 23 states and the rest from projects in U.S. territories and overseas -- follows the national emergency Trump declared earlier this year to unilaterally shift taxpayer money to uses not authorized by Congress.Trump declared the emergency after the deal he struck with lawmakers to end a lengthy government shutdown didn't fully fund the wall he promised to build on the U.S.-Mexico border. Congress passed a bipartisan resolution to end the national emergency but didn't have enough votes to override the president's veto.Bipartisan OppositionA handful of Republican senators seeking re-election next year are facing cuts in their states, including Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who penned a Washington Post op-ed to oppose Trump's emergency declaration, only to later flip and vote with the president in March. Among the deferrals in his state are projects at Camp Lejeune, one of the state's major employers. Projects in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and South Carolina are also on the list.The overseas cuts were even larger, including more than $100 million from European projects that are part of a broader initiative that began in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea."President Trump is, yet again, putting Vladimir Putin before the security of the American people and our allies," Schumer said in a statement Thursday. "Cutting the funding used to reinforce our trusted European allies against Russian aggression in order to advance the president's politically motivated vanity project — that he promised Mexico would pay for — is outrageous, wrong, and weakens our national security."Even Utah's Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, two of 12 Senate Republicans who voted to block Trump's emergency declaration, issued a joint statement opposing the diversion of $54 million intended for projects at Hill Air Force Base."Funding the border wall is an important priority, and the executive branch should use the appropriate channels in Congress, rather than divert already appropriated funding away from military construction projects and therefore undermining military readiness," said Romney, who said he'd fight to restore the funding.'Dishonors the Constitution'Democratic leaders have vowed to continue opposing Trump's wall and his unilateral diversions to pay for it.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday Trump's move "dishonors the Constitution" and vowed to fight the president "in the courts, in the Congress and in the court of public opinion."Schumer also said redirecting military funds "is an affront to our service members and Congress will strongly oppose any funds for new wall construction."Lawmakers in both parties could seek to restore the funding as part of the conference report to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act. It could also come up later this year as appropriators finalize annual spending bills.Lee called for constraining the ability of presidents to divert money without Congress."Congress has been ceding far too much powers to the executive branch for decades and it is far past time for Congress to restore the proper balance of power between the three branches," Lee said. "We should start that process by passing the ARTICLE ONE Act, which would correct the imbalances caused by the National Emergencies Act."Lee's bill would end emergency declarations by presidents automatically after 30 days unless Congress votes to extend them. Under current law, Congress must override a presidential veto to block any emergency declaration.(Updates with Schumer comments beginning in the eighth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Daniel Flatley and Tony Capaccio.To contact the reporter on this story: Steven T. Dennis in Washington at sdennis17@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, Anna EdgertonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Putin slams Italy's arrest of Russian executive at U.S. request Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:28 AM PDT ![Putin slams Italy's arrest of Russian executive at U.S. request]( "Putin slams Italy's arrest of Russian executive at U.S. request") Russian President Vladimir Putin complained on Thursday about Italy's arrest of a Russian state executive on suspicion of industrial espionage at Washington's request, saying the move would harm ties with the United States. Alexander Korshunov, director for business development at Russia's United Engine Corporation (UEC), was detained at an airport in Naples on Aug. 30 after Washington issued a warrant for his arrest. Russian state conglomerate Rostec, which owns the engine maker, said Korshunov was innocent of any wrongdoing as did UEC, Russian news agencies reported.
|
| UPDATE 1-UK PM Johnson's brother, Jo, resigns, citing family vs national interest conflict Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:22 AM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's younger brother, Jo, has resigned as a junior minister and said he would also step down as a lawmaker, citing a conflict between family loyalty and the national interest. Since taking office in July, Boris Johnson has tried to corral the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided over Brexit, behind his strategy of leaving the European Union on Oct. 31, with or without a deal.
|
| Lloyd Blankfein Says Brexit Is Making U.S. Politics Seem ‘Sensible’ Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:22 AM PDT ![Lloyd Blankfein Says Brexit Is Making U.S. Politics Seem 'Sensible']( "Lloyd Blankfein Says Brexit Is Making U.S. Politics Seem 'Sensible'") (Bloomberg) -- Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein took to Twitter for the first time in over a month to comment on Brexit as U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was set to speak on Thursday afternoon to appeal for an election."Thank you UK for making US politics seem so sensible and good-natured," he wrote.Read More: Johnson to Try Again Monday to Call an ElectionTo contact the reporter on this story: Nathan Crooks in Miami at ncrooks@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sebastian Tong at stong41@bloomberg.net, Polina NoskovaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Airline Chiefs Have No Easy Answers for Flight-Shaming Critics Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:19 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Airline bosses sought to defend their business against a rising tide of criticism over aircraft emissions as an upswell of activism threatens to overwhelm the industry before it can mount an effective response.The heads of carriers including Emirates, JetBlue Airways Corp. and EasyJet Plc, speaking at the World Aviation Festival in London, warned that reducing carbon emissions would take years, if not decades, given the limitations of current technology and expansion of air travel to an ever-wider slice of the global population.They also objected to punitive measures they maintain would be counter-productive or unintentionally hurt those who couldn't afford additional costs.While carriers are taking action to cut carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of flying, significant advances such as electric or hybrid jets are decades away from commercial flight, Emirates President Tim Clark told the audience at a standing-room-only session Thursday."Let us not kid ourselves that the Holy Grail is going to come overnight," Clark said. "In the next couple of decades we might see some short-haul aircraft, but with long-haul it's much more difficult to do."Activists from Extinction Rebellion targeted the event, handing out leaflets and leading small protests outside on Wednesday and Thursday. (Bloomberg is keynote host of the World Aviation Festival.) The demonstrators are part of the growing "Flight Shaming" movement that's already dented air travel in Scandinavia. Formulating a quick response is particularly challenging for airlines, which rely on long development cycles for aircraft that can stay in service for decades."Be careful about over-promising," Clark said, adding that he understands if customers ask airlines about their environmental priorities. "The automotive industry is well ahead, but then cars don't fly."Airlines put out close to 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, and regulators around the world are considering levying taxes on carriers to reduce the number of people flying. Some people have begun to shun air travel for alternatives ranging from rail to videoconferencing, or just staying home. Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, who's inspired a global movement of so-called climate strikes, just crossed the Atlantic by sailboat to attend a United Nations climate summit in New York."Twenty years from now, I want to tell my kids and grandkids that I truly tried my best to change things," said Lola Perrin, a piano teacher and Extinction Rebellion volunteer, who said she stopped flying years ago. "We have a global problem and we all need to come together to solve it."Alternatives to flying don't exist in the U.S., where there are no high-speed rail networks, JetBlue Chief Operating Officer Joanna Geraghty said in an interview. The low-cost carrier is switching to newer, more efficient Airbus A220 aircraft which consume 40% less fuel than the outgoing Embraer 190 jets, Geraghty said.Geraghty also pushed back against criticism -- some of it coming from older carriers such as Deutsche Lufthansa AG -- that discounters are adding unnecessary flights with ultra-low costs. That perception has helped stoke moves to increase taxes on air fares or create minimums for prices."JetBlue's view is that air travel should not just be for the wealthy," Geraghty said on Bloomberg TV. "Air travel should be for anybody who wants to travel regardless of your economic level."Higher taxes will also reduce the pool of funds to invest in modern technology required for cleaner airplanes, said EasyJet Chief Executive Officer Johan Lundgren. Still, he said, airlines recognize the need to act."There isn't one single technology that's going to solve this," he said. "We need to be putting pressure on the manufacturers and only then will we have credibility with consumers and politicians."\--With assistance from Guy Johnson.To contact the reporters on this story: Siddharth Philip in London at sphilip3@bloomberg.net;Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| United Nations Condemns Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa Posted: 05 Sep 2019 09:09 AM PDT ![United Nations Condemns Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa]( "United Nations Condemns Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa") (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations has condemned a wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa in which at least seven people died and scores of businesses were ruined and looted."There isn't anything that justifies the level of violence against another person for trying to make a livelihood and, in particular, in the African context, a guest in your home should not be harmed," Amina Jane Mohammed, the UN deputy secretary-general, said in an interview Thursday at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town.High poverty levels on the continent are one of the factors driving the attacks and must be addressed, she said. Almost 800 million people live below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day, most of whom are in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, UN data shows.South African Police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said Thursday that there had been a "dramatic decline in public violence and looting" in Johannesburg and Pretoria with 289 people arrested since Sunday.The violence erupted last week after a South African taxi driver was allegedly shot dead by a suspected Nigerian drug dealer in the capital, Pretoria, and saw scores of foreign-owned shops being looted and torched. The attacks spread to Johannesburg, the economic hub, this week and more than 50 shops and several vehicles were destroyed.Police on Wednesday confirmed that five people were killed during the attacks. A further two bodies, burnt beyond recognition, were found in Alexandra, a township less than two miles from Johannesburg's financial district, on Wednesday.Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari sent a special envoy to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the reported attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in Johannesburg.While Ramaphosa has spoken out against the the violence, there must be "a strong voice of condemnation through all levels of leadership" in the country, said Mohammed, a former environment minister in Nigeria. South Africa can rebuild relations with its peers by engaging with the leaders of countries affected by the violence, she said.(Updates with comment from United Nations in first paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Nkululeko Ncana in Johannesburg at nncana@bloomberg.net;Prinesha Naidoo in Johannesburg at pnaidoo7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Hilton Shone, Jacqueline MackenzieFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| UK govt schedules new vote for Monday on snap election Posted: 05 Sep 2019 08:41 AM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government said Thursday it would make a second attempt next week to call an early general election, to try to break the political deadlock over Brexit. The day after MPs rejected the first attempt to call a snap poll, senior minister Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs he would put forward a "motion relating to an early parliamentary election" to be voted on on Monday evening. It would be put under a 2011 law that requires the support of two-thirds of the 650-seat House of Commons, Downing Street said.
|
| Mike Pence accused of humiliating hosts in Ireland: 'He shat on the carpet' Posted: 05 Sep 2019 08:33 AM PDT  The vice-president's comments on Brexit while visiting Ireland and his stay at his boss's golf course did not go down wellVice-President Mike Pence arrives in Doonbeg to dine with relatives at a seafood restaurant. Photograph: Jacob King/PAMissteps during Mike Pence's visit to Ireland that included controversial praise of the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, have led to accusations of betrayal and "humiliation".One Irish Times columnist concluded that the vice-president, a "much-anticipated visitor", turned out to have "shat on the … carpet".Pence's problems started with his decision to stay for two nights at Donald Trump's golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare, more than 140 miles from Dublin, necessitating costly and logistically complex travel. The move quickly drew fire from ethics experts and political rivals.The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, called Trump's properties a "cesspool of corruption" and accused the president of "prioritizing his profits over the interests of the American people"."Pence is just the latest Republican elected official to enable President Trump's violations of the constitution," she said.A spokesman for the vice-president said the decision was partly based on the president's suggestion Pence stay there, and partly on secret service concerns about costs and logistics. Questioned about the decision on Wednesday, Trump claimed he had "no involvement, other than it's a great place".But that was only the start of the controversy.The Irish Times columnist Miriam Lord responded to a tense meeting between the vice-president and the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, in which Pence urged the republic to protect the "United Kingdom's sovereignty". That Varadkar is gay and Pence a past champion of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Indiana also caused widespread comment.Pence laid on platitudes about being "deeply humbled" and "honoured" to be visiting Doonbeg, the home of his mother's grandmother. But in Dublin he offered his hosts a clear lesson in his administration's political priorities."Let me be clear: the US supports the UK decision to leave the EU in Brexit," Pence told Varadkar in a prepared statement. "But we also recognise the unique challenges on your northern border. And I can assure you we will continue to encourage the United Kingdom and Ireland to ensure that any Brexit respects the Good Friday agreement."Among media responses, Irish Central asked: "Did VP Pence betray Ireland in his Brexit comments during Irish trip?"The Irish Examiner accused Pence of trying to "humiliate" the republic.But Lord struck the most telling blow.She described the impact of the Pence visit on Ireland as "like pulling out all the stops for a much-anticipated visitor to your home and thinking it has been a great success until somebody discovers he shat on the new carpet in the spare room, the one you bought specially for him"."As Pence read from the autocue and Irish eyes definitely stopped smiling," she added, "it was clear he was channeling His Master's Voice. Trump is a fan of Brexit and of Boris.""Pence," Lord continued, "is Irish American and wastes no opportunity to go misty-eyed about his love for the 'Old Country' as he lards on his Mother Machree schtick on both sides of the Atlantic."Lord wasn't alone in her criticism. The Cork Examiner's political editor, Daniel McConnell, wrote: "The cheek of him coming here, eating our food, clogging up our roads and then having the nerve to humiliate his hosts."
|
| Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure Posted: 05 Sep 2019 08:10 AM PDT ![Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure]( "Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It's great news that the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down partisan gerrymandering under its state constitution. The ability of states to read their own constitutions differently from the federal constitution is part of what make states laboratories for democracy. And no experiment is more dangerous for the future of democracy than highly effective, computer-modeled partisan gerrymandering.But don't get too excited about the prospect that lots of states will overcome partisan gerrymandering through state judicial action.In practice, a state Supreme Court is only likely to reverse a partisan gerrymander when the state court is controlled by a different party than the one that controls the state legislature. That can happen, as it did in North Carolina. But when it does occur, it mostly comes down to luck.In eight states, Supreme Court justices are actually themselves chosen in partisan elections. One of those is North Carolina. (Two additional states elect their Supreme Court justices using a combination of partisan and nonpartisan means.) So the fact that a Democratic majority state Supreme Court overturned the Republican legislature's partisan gerrymandering is mostly a function of the quirky fact that North Carolina had a majority of Supreme Court Democrats at a moment when its legislature and governorship were in the hands of Republicans.Judicial elections aren't themselves easy to gerrymander, because they are state-wide. But they are susceptible to various kinds of partisan maneuverings. (Only seven states don't hold any kind of judicial election.) In general, elections tend to connect the justices to the state's political apparatus. That might make a state Supreme Court controlled by the minority party more likely to overturn a partisan gerrymander by the other side. But it also essentially ensures that a court controlled by the state's majority party would uphold a gerrymander.In states where the justices are appointed by the governor, rather than elected, it is always possible that the semi-random drift of judicial appointments and life tenure will produce a state Supreme Court majority of a different ideological flavor than that of the party controlling the legislature at a given moment. The same thing has happened in the past on the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet on the whole, a state with a durable partisan majority at the state level is likely to have a state Supreme Court dominated by the same party. Governors tend to pick their own, and in any case they need to get their state judicial picks past state legislatures' confirmation processes.That means most of the time, state supreme courts won't be very likely to overturn partisan gerrymanders.The interplay of federal and state constitutions is relevant here. The reason opponents of partisan gerrymandering fought a decades-long battle to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to rule partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional was precisely that they didn't trust the state courts to solve the problem piecemeal – because state courts so often reflect the configuration of political power at the state level.But the advocates lost in a 5-4 decision this past June, saying that federal courts don't have the power to hear such cases. Given the current makeup of the Court, that defeat was almost certainly generational.Relying on state supreme courts to do what the U.S. Supreme Court would not do is thus a very distant second-best. The North Carolina victory is at most a consolation prize -- and as consolation prizes go, not even a very good one.In the end, the only solution to the problem of gerrymandering is if the voters themselves decide enough is enough. Of course, the whole point of partisan gerrymandering is to make it exceedingly difficult for voters to express their preferences by giving a systematic advantage to the party in power. That's what makes it such a scourge of democracy.The option that leaves voters is to introduce and pass state level referenda that would impose non-partisan district design on their states. Referenda aren't looking all that good in these populist days, especially to anyone who is watching the Brexit debacle unfold. But the truth is that Progressive-era reformers introduced the whole idea of the referendum into U.S. politics in order to get around special interests who controlled state legislatures. In the end, only a referendum can allow the people to break a self-interested legislative chokehold.In a democracy, the ultimate salvation lies only with the voters. That's a painful reality. But it's better to acknowledge it than to fantasize the state supreme courts will save us from ourselves.To contact the author of this story: Noah Feldman at nfeldman7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Sarah Green Carmichael at sgreencarmic@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include "The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President." For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure Posted: 05 Sep 2019 08:10 AM PDT ![Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure]( "Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It's great news that the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down partisan gerrymandering under its state constitution. The ability of states to read their own constitutions differently from the federal constitution is part of what make states laboratories for democracy. And no experiment is more dangerous for the future of democracy than highly effective, computer-modeled partisan gerrymandering.But don't get too excited about the prospect that lots of states will overcome partisan gerrymandering through state judicial action.In practice, a state Supreme Court is only likely to reverse a partisan gerrymander when the state court is controlled by a different party than the one that controls the state legislature. That can happen, as it did in North Carolina. But when it does occur, it mostly comes down to luck.In eight states, Supreme Court justices are actually themselves chosen in partisan elections. One of those is North Carolina. (Two additional states elect their Supreme Court justices using a combination of partisan and nonpartisan means.) So the fact that a Democratic majority state Supreme Court overturned the Republican legislature's partisan gerrymandering is mostly a function of the quirky fact that North Carolina had a majority of Supreme Court Democrats at a moment when its legislature and governorship were in the hands of Republicans.Judicial elections aren't themselves easy to gerrymander, because they are state-wide. But they are susceptible to various kinds of partisan maneuverings. (Only seven states don't hold any kind of judicial election.) In general, elections tend to connect the justices to the state's political apparatus. That might make a state Supreme Court controlled by the minority party more likely to overturn a partisan gerrymander by the other side. But it also essentially ensures that a court controlled by the state's majority party would uphold a gerrymander.In states where the justices are appointed by the governor, rather than elected, it is always possible that the semi-random drift of judicial appointments and life tenure will produce a state Supreme Court majority of a different ideological flavor than that of the party controlling the legislature at a given moment. The same thing has happened in the past on the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet on the whole, a state with a durable partisan majority at the state level is likely to have a state Supreme Court dominated by the same party. Governors tend to pick their own, and in any case they need to get their state judicial picks past state legislatures' confirmation processes.That means most of the time, state supreme courts won't be very likely to overturn partisan gerrymanders.The interplay of federal and state constitutions is relevant here. The reason opponents of partisan gerrymandering fought a decades-long battle to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to rule partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional was precisely that they didn't trust the state courts to solve the problem piecemeal – because state courts so often reflect the configuration of political power at the state level.But the advocates lost in a 5-4 decision this past June, saying that federal courts don't have the power to hear such cases. Given the current makeup of the Court, that defeat was almost certainly generational.Relying on state supreme courts to do what the U.S. Supreme Court would not do is thus a very distant second-best. The North Carolina victory is at most a consolation prize -- and as consolation prizes go, not even a very good one.In the end, the only solution to the problem of gerrymandering is if the voters themselves decide enough is enough. Of course, the whole point of partisan gerrymandering is to make it exceedingly difficult for voters to express their preferences by giving a systematic advantage to the party in power. That's what makes it such a scourge of democracy.The option that leaves voters is to introduce and pass state level referenda that would impose non-partisan district design on their states. Referenda aren't looking all that good in these populist days, especially to anyone who is watching the Brexit debacle unfold. But the truth is that Progressive-era reformers introduced the whole idea of the referendum into U.S. politics in order to get around special interests who controlled state legislatures. In the end, only a referendum can allow the people to break a self-interested legislative chokehold.In a democracy, the ultimate salvation lies only with the voters. That's a painful reality. But it's better to acknowledge it than to fantasize the state supreme courts will save us from ourselves.To contact the author of this story: Noah Feldman at nfeldman7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Sarah Green Carmichael at sgreencarmic@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include "The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President." For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Putin says he offered Trump the chance to buy Russian hypersonic weapons Posted: 05 Sep 2019 08:01 AM PDT  Putin said he gave Trump the opportunity to buy new Russian weapons, including hypersonic missiles, supposedly to stop an arms race.
|
| Boris Johnson’s brother resigns from cabinet amid Brexit tension Posted: 05 Sep 2019 07:57 AM PDT Boris Johnson's brother resigns his cabinet post amid rising Brexit tensions.
|
| Iranian authorities break up mixed-gender party, arrest 22 Posted: 05 Sep 2019 07:34 AM PDT ![Iranian authorities break up mixed-gender party, arrest 22]( "Iranian authorities break up mixed-gender party, arrest 22") Iran's official IRNA news agency is reporting that police have detained 22 men and women at a mixed-gender party in Tehran province. Such parties are illegal under Iranian law. The report said the party was held in a villa near the city of Damavand and that police took possession of all the participants' cars.
|
| Jordan teachers demanding wage increases clash with police Posted: 05 Sep 2019 06:41 AM PDT  Thousands of Jordanian teachers have held a protest demanding higher wages, with some scuffling with security forces. Organizers of Thursday's demonstration in the capital, Amman, say the government has yet to deliver on a 50% wage increase agreed upon in 2014. Security forces blocked roads and prevented the protesters from reaching the prime minister's office.
|
| U.S. Increases Pressure on Iran's Faltering Oil Exports Posted: 05 Sep 2019 06:13 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. has placed new sanctions on Iran and a top American official has said more measures will follow, further restricting the Islamic Republic's ability to export oil. Iran is exporting a fraction of the crude it previously shipped because of sanctions and the U.S. may look to tighten the flow of other oil products next.The U.S. Treasury Department imposed new restrictions on a shipping network controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday. "There will be more sanctions coming," Brian Hook, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, said at the State Department soon after the announcement.A proposal led by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire for pre-payments of Iranian oil could offer a lifeline, but President Donald Trump's administration would need to grant waivers for the $15 billion credit line to go into effect. The U.S. is widely expected to thwart the plans, even though Trump last month said he'd support plans for a letter of credit to Iran secured by oil."Yesterday was about signaling – not least to the French – that the U.S. administration is fully committed to its maximum pressure campaign on Iran," said Richard Mallinson, a geopolitical analyst at consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. in London, on Thursday. "Hook was clear in saying 'we won't facilitate this and we're not changing our requirements on Iran'."The U.S. has not specified the activities it will target in its next round of sanctions but refined products are a likely focus, said Mallinson. Iranian oil products such as liquefied petroleum gas and naphtha are covered by U.S. sanctions but Iran has continued to ship large volumes to international buyers.Enforcing sanctions on oil products is more difficult than crude and the U.S. would need to allocate more resources to curb the flow of oil products out of Iran, said Mallinson. The U.S.'s proactive approach to sanctions enforcement, including direct communication with ships it suspects of breaching its measures, makes such a move more likely, he said.Hook sent emails to the captain of the Adrian Darya 1, previously known as Grace 1, offering money in return for helping the U.S. seize the vessel. The contents of Hook's email were first reported by the Financial Times and confirmed by two senior administration officials who asked not to be identified discussing private communications.But while the U.S. is ratcheting up pressure on Iran's oil exports now, a meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani holds the potential for relations to thaw. The U.S. has proposed a meeting between the two leaders on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month, Japan's Kyodo News reports, citing an unidentified U.S. government official."Trump's willingness to meet Rouhani shows desire for a resolution, which is ultimately bearish for oil markets," said Bill Farren-Price, a director at consultant RS Energy Group Inc. "We see exports more likely to recover from here as sanctions fray, or as the two sides move toward a deal of some sort."\--With assistance from Anthony DiPaola, Saleha Mohsin and Nick Wadhams.To contact the reporter on this story: Verity Ratcliffe in Dubai at vratcliffe1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at nrazzouk2@bloomberg.net, Helen RobertsonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| EasyJet CEO Says Brits Adapting to ‘New Normal’ of Brexit Chaos Posted: 05 Sep 2019 06:12 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- U.K. citizens are learning to live with uncertainty surrounding Brexit and making travel plans without worrying too much about the future, according to the head of EasyJet Plc, Britain's biggest low-cost airline."If a situation continues for an extended period of time it becomes the new normal," Chief Executive Officer Johan Lundgren said Thursday in a Bloomberg TV interview. "I think it's better to have certainty, but the longer the uncertainty goes on, people get used to it. They won't stop flying or doing business."Years of preparation mean EasyJet is already operating as if a no-deal split from the European Union had happened, he said at the World Aviation Festival in London. It will carry on as usual whatever the outcome of wrangling over whether Britain should crash out on Oct. 31.The bigger concern is how a hard Brexit would impact the economy and jobs, the CEO said, especially with a weaker pound potentially weighing on the spending power of Britons abroad. At the same time, fares are low enough that travel will remain relatively affordable, and governments could provide stimulus if the split hits growth, he said.EasyJet's multi-base structure means it can easily shift planes and capacity between markets if necessary, he said. Demand has been solid over the summer, aided by a surge in late leisure bookings, albeit against the background of a softer yield or fare environment.To contact the reporters on this story: Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.net;Guy Johnson in London at gjohnson87@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net, Christopher Jasper, Tara PatelFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| On Iran, Trump and Netanyahu Finally Disagree Posted: 05 Sep 2019 06:00 AM PDT ![On Iran, Trump and Netanyahu Finally Disagree]( "On Iran, Trump and Netanyahu Finally Disagree") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel are usually on the same page, especially on Iran. But over the last few days, their scripts have diverged.Trump, at the G-7 summit on Aug. 26, emphasized that "Iran is not the same country that it was two and half years ago when I came into office." It is no longer the No. 1 nation in terms of supporting terrorism, he said, "Because they can't spend like they used to spend." The implication is that the U.S. "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions has so severely damaged Iran's economy that its behavior is changing for the better.Contrast that with a statement by Netanyahu on the same day. "Iran is operating on a broad front to carry out murderous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel," he said. "Israel will continue to defend its security however that may be necessary. I call on the international community to act immediately so that Iran halts these attacks."Netanyahu was speaking directly about the steps Israel has taken recently to ensure its security: Destroying Iranian rockets at Shiite militia bases in Iraq; reportedly using drones to attack a facility enhancing the precision capability of missiles provided to Hezbollah by Iran; and pre-emptively striking Iranian forces and Hezbollah operatives near Damascus as they prepared a terror attack into Israel.From Israel's standpoint, Trump's comments notwithstanding, Iran is not a different country today posing less of a threat. Indeed, shortly before the Netanyahu statement, Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian group that has always been close to Iran, fired four rockets from Gaza into Israel — clearly to add fuel to the fire.What is particularly noteworthy here is that Netanyahu called on the "international community" to act in Israel's defense. I've served in five different U.S. administrations, often as the point person with Israeli leaders, and I know that Israeli prime ministers, when seeking to deter broader threats, always have come to the U.S. first. They counted on America to act or to mobilize others to help counter possible threats and raise the costs to those who might be thinking of carrying them out. But Netanyahu realizes that the U.S. does not play that role any longer, and so he directly seeks the help of the rest of the world.Implicitly, at least, Netanyahu seems to recognize that the Trump administration has little "soft power" — the diplomatic and other non-military efforts that draw others to support U.S. objectives. Similarly, his statement indicates that he has little faith in the U.S. ability to deter Iran; not a huge surprise, as Iran has adopted its own version of maximum pressure on America's allies and interests in the region after the U.S. ended waivers permitting eight countries to receive Iranian oil.That decision, which took effect in May, surely squeezed the Iranians. But their answer, in addition to incrementally walking away from the 2016 nuclear agreement, has been to attack oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, have their Houthi surrogates in Yemen escalate attacks against Saudi airfields and oil facilities, and expand their range of threats to Israel. All of this after John Bolton, the national security advisor, declared on May 5 that any such threats would be met with "unrelenting force."No doubt, Bolton meant it - but Trump calls the shots, and he does not want a conflict with Iran. Moreover, the president seems to believe that Iranian threats to U.S. friends in the region are their own responsibility to deal with, not America's. Trump, reversing the policy of every president since Jimmy Carter, applies the same logic to the Strait of Hormuz: Since other nations depend on it being open for their oil supplies, they are mainly accountable for safeguarding it. Taken along with Trump's decision not to retaliate for the shooting down of an American drone earlier this summer, this gives the Iranians reason to believe that the U.S. will respond only against direct attacks against its own forces that result in fatalities, and that there is little reason to fear a U.S. reaction to Iranian aggression against America's friends.Trump may criticize President Barack Obama for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in terms of its sunset provisions on Iran's nuclear program ending too soon, but he speaks of an objective of "no nukes" — surely the same objective Obama had — and seemingly downplays Iran's regional behavior. Moreover, in acknowledging the point made by French President Emmanuel Macron that the Iranians might need "compensation" to enter talks, he went so far as to say the Iranians might "need some money to get them over a very rough patch," and "if they do need money, it would be secured by oil, which to me is great security." There is nothing wrong with Trump wanting to talk to the Iranians. But the signals he sends now suggest that it is not American maximum pressure that will produce those talks - it is Iranian maximum pressure that is working on the U.S. and the Europeans. Perhaps this is why Netanyahu reportedly tried to persuade Trump not to meet soon with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif; he clearly fears what might be given away at this point.Yes, the Iranians are hurting economically and are likely to go for talks eventually. But the demand of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that the U.S. must first drop the sanctions – something he knows Trump is unlikely do now - suggests they are in no rush. In the meantime, the Iranians will heighten their pressure, believing that will give them more leverage — they seem to be taking a page from Trump: Squeeze harder, and the other side will come to the table.For now, the Iranian position means there will be no prospect of an early deal between the U.S. and Iran. Yes, that will ease Netanyahu's concerns of what a deal would look like now. But the irony is that because the Iranians are trying to increase their leverage, Israel will likely face increasingly aggressive behavior from Tehran's proxies. And, while the Trump administration will absolutely support Israel's right of self-defense, it will also leave Israel largely on its own to face the consequences of a new American policy. This may be a classic case of Israel's prime minister needing to be careful about what he wishes for. To contact the author of this story: Dennis Ross at dross@washingtoninstitute.orgTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Dennis Ross is counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and served in senior national security positions for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He is co-author of "Be Strong and of Good Courage: How Israel's Most Important Leaders Shaped Its Destiny."For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Burundi on Edge of Violence Ahead of 2020 Elections, UN Warns Posted: 05 Sep 2019 05:39 AM PDT ![Burundi on Edge of Violence Ahead of 2020 Elections, UN Warns]( "Burundi on Edge of Violence Ahead of 2020 Elections, UN Warns") (Bloomberg) -- Burundi could plunge into violence with less than a year to go before elections, as arrests, intimidation and disappearances of opposition members continue, according to a United Nations report.Youth aligned to the ruling party known as Imbonerakure are the main perpetrators and operate with the consent of security and administration officials, according to the report released Wednesday. The investigators were neither allowed into the country, nor given any cooperation by authorities, it said."Imbonerakure often act alone, sometimes in the presence of police, National Intelligence Service or local government officials," the UN said. "They enjoy great freedom conferred by the Burundian authorities, who have the means to control them, and operate with almost total impunity."The report is politically motivated and should be disregarded, the president's communications adviser, Willy Nyamitwe, said on Twitter."We are no longer interested in responding to the lies and fake news by some Westerners, who obviously seek the destabilization of Burundi," he said.The ruling CNDDFDD party's spokeswoman, Nancy-Ninette Mutoni, said on Twitter that the report is biased and full of Western imperialist propaganda against Burundi.Burundi expects to hold elections in 2020, five years after the start of political turmoil that some human rights groups say left more than 1,200 people dead. UN agencies estimate another 390,000 fled to neighboring countries.Burundi says the crisis is over and has arranged with neighboring Tanzania to repatriate citizens sheltering there, a move criticized by the UN's refugee agency.To contact the reporter on this story: Desire Nimubona in Bujumbura at dnimubona@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Jacqueline MackenzieFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
| Brazil’s Next Tropical Hot Spot Is Getting Hotter Posted: 05 Sep 2019 05:00 AM PDT ![Brazil's Next Tropical Hot Spot Is Getting Hotter]( "Brazil's Next Tropical Hot Spot Is Getting Hotter") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- With peak burning season in the Amazon basin still to come, the commotion over destruction of the storied rain forest will grow. Yet even as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro prepares to lecture the United Nations General Assembly on who's boss in the jungle and enjoins Brazilians to don the national colors to show that "Amazonia is ours," the next tropical hot spot is already under duress. And given the economic stakes, expect the outrage to spread.No one marches along Ipanema beach to save the Brazilian savanna. Still, the sprawl of scrub and low-lying forest three times the size of Texas on the lower lip of the Amazon basin is falling fast, and so has become cause for global concern. The heightened scrutiny is an opportunity for officials already on the defensive to get something right. That won't happen, however, unless producers, politicians and environmentalists drop their fists, use their collective heads and stop treating the savanna as a zero-sum game.The first step is to recognize that the cerrado is not a second Amazon. Yes, it is a natural wonder: home to 4,800 unique plant and vertebrate animal species, and 800 kinds of fish, a quarter of which are found nowhere else, and the source of 43% of Brazil's fresh water outside the Amazon basin. It's also one of the world's most promising agricultural frontiers, where enterprising planters sow some 60% of the national crop, including soybeans, cotton, corn and sugarcane, and herders graze beef cattle from horizon to horizon. Year-round harvests on these tablelands are the engine of Brazilian agribusiness, which kicks in nearly a quarter of Brazilian gross domestic product, and have kept Latin America's economy growing even when industry tanked and services stalled.Yet such bounty has come at a cost. The drive to the grain belt has already leveled close to half (46%) the cerrado forest and scrub, leaving untouched only 20% of the original vegetation. Between 2002 and 2011, deforestation increased 2.5 times faster in the cerrado than the Amazon, according to a study by Bernardo Strassburg of the International Institute for Sustainability. By one estimate, soy in the cerrado contributed 80% of Brazil's climate-warming carbon gas emissions in 2016.Fortunately, the rate of felling has decreased. But for how long? While the Amazon's fragile soils are a natural barrier to big agriculture, soy can be sown on more than 88% of what remains of the savanna. Under farmland business as usual, that's an invitation to a conflagration. Some cerrado champions now want to import the rules of the Amazon soy moratorium, under which planters and traders are barred from trading in soy grown on recently cleared land. That arrangement helped brake land-clearing in the Amazon basin earlier this decade and slashed carbon emissions.It's also tricky politics. Cerrado farmers have cash and clout. They control some of the world's most productive farmland. Maligned as predators, many of them heard in Bolsonaro's aggressive campaign cant an ode to creative destruction. Yet if Brazil wants to refurbish its soiled international brand, farmers need to listen to another tune. The timing couldn't be better. When Bolsonaro sacked the respected head of the space research institute over unflattering deforestation data and dismissed critics as vegans and arsonists, he brought farmers risk instead of redemption. The blazing rhetoric has spooked grain dealers and Swedish pension funds, driven away retailers from Kipling to Timberland, and shaken Brazil's trade partners.To reach a better green deal, Brazil needs its best farmers to become partners, not targets or martyrs. Wonks, scholars and green activists can help by hacking through the bureaucratic deadwood. There's an awful lot of green tape in Brazil. No other country holds its farmers to such severe environmental standards, according to Earth Innovation Institute president Daniel Nepstad, a scholar of tropical forests. Soy producers need 20 permits just to do their jobs.In a region where converting forests to crops is the leading source of greenhouse emissions, tough standards for farmers make good sense. Yet without assurances that leaving forests standing can be as rewarding as clearing them for export crops, the push for zero deforestation to the savanna will likely come up short.Enterprising cerrado planters know that the world has turned and customers expect conservation on the farm and good green governance from the silo to the supermarket. Most planters in the grain-belt state of Mato Grosso have reportedly committed to zero deforestation and want to be recognized and compensated for their troubles. That's one reason why companies selling verification and inspection services are part of a new growth industry in the grain trade, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.Grupo Amaggi, Brazil's biggest soybean producer, helps planters upgrade their operations to qualify for environmental certificates, which now cover 3% of the local crop. However, few farmers have qualified for the much-heralded market in carbon credits and most are frustrated that certified green soy fetches only slightly higher prices than conventional grain. "The message here is confusing," Juliana Lopes, chief sustainability officer at Amaggi, told me. "Buyers want certified grain but they aren't willing to pay for it."Another problem: securing credit to convert to environmental best practices. "The law obliges producers to maintain a forest reserve, but just try to use your standing forest as collateral for a farm loan," said Aline Maldonado, CEO of the Aliança da Terra (Land Alliance), which advises more than 1,300 farmers on greener ways. "The forest reserve still has no value."Fortunately, such quandaries have brought together onetime adversaries. Farmers, academics, green groups, traders and government officials are speaking out in forums such as the Roundtable on Responsible Soy and the Soy Buyers Coalition. Even Chinese buyers, better known for their appetite for natural resources than for environmental stewardship, have joined the conversation.The savanna is the key to success. "There's skepticism among producers who have heard lots of promises but seen few results," says Strassburg. "They need to be brought to the table." That's a cause worth wearing the national colors for.To contact the author of this story: Mac Margolis at mmargolis14@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Gibney at jgibney5@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Mac Margolis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin and South America. He was a reporter for Newsweek and is the author of "The Last New World: The Conquest of the Amazon Frontier."For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
|
