| North Korea fires projectiles after offering talks with US Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:47 PM PDT  North Korea launched at least two unidentified projectiles toward the sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, hours after the North offered to resume nuclear diplomacy with the United States but warned its dealings with Washington may end without new U.S. proposals. The North's projectile launches and demand for new proposals were apparently aimed at pressuring the United States to make concessions when the North Korea-U.S. talks restart.
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| Johnson Fails to Secure Poll, Suspends Parliament: Brexit Update Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:40 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. Members of Parliament voted again to deny Boris Johnson an early general election, which the prime minister wants to break the Brexit impasse. The government suspended Parliament as planned.Key Developments:Johnson fell short of two-thirds majority needed to secure an early general electionParliament was suspended at the end of business until Oct. 14Speaker John Bercow said he plans to step down by Oct. 31Parliament Suspended Until Oct. 14 (1:30 a.m.)The U.K. Parliament began its suspension or prorogation at the end of Monday's business. It was proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who plans to begin a new parliamentary session with a Queen's Speech on Oct. 14. But he received strong opposition from MPs, who accused him of trying to avoid scrutiny over his Brexit policy.Labour MPs Protest Prorogation (1:25 a.m.)With the ceremony for Parliament's prorogation or suspension under way, a group of Labour MPs protested with signs reading "Silenced" next to House of Commons Speaker John Bercow's chair, according to the Press Association."I am perfectly happy to play my part, but I do want to make the point that this is not a standard or normal prorogation," Bercow said when MPs were asked to move to the House of Lords for the ceremony, pointing out that it would be "one of the longest in decades."Many opposition lawmakers stayed in the Commons. Benches in the House of Lords were also virtually empty.MPs Again Reject Early Election (12:40 a.m.)U.K. Members of Parliament again rejected Prime Minister Boris Johnson's bid for an early general election on Oct. 15. The result was 293-46 in favor of a poll, but that was short of the two-thirds majority -- 434 votes -- that Johnson needed to win."I urged the House to trust the people, but once again the opposition think they know better," Johnson told the House of Commons after the vote. He reiterated that he will not delay Brexit, and confirmed Parliament will be suspended until Oct. 14.In response, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the prime minister didn't accept the votes in the House of Commons against a no-deal Brexit.Lib Dems Would Revoke Article 50 If Elected (11:45 p.m.)Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson said her party would revoke Article 50 -- keeping the U.K. in the European Union -- if it was elected to government.She also called for a second referendum pitching any Brexit deal the government reaches with Brussels against remaining in the bloc. Swinson said her party will vote for a general election only once the prime minister has secured an extension from the EU. "This is about the national interest.""I don't think there is a majority for any specific type of Brexit in the country," she said. "We want to stop Brexit."Corbyn: PM Has No Mandate for No-Deal Brexit (11:10 p.m.)Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to Johnson's statement by accusing the prime minister of pursuing a no-deal Brexit with no mandate to do so, and calling the government's negotiations with the European Union a "sham."Corbyn demanded the government produce its proposals for a new Brexit deal. Asked by Johnson why Labour wasn't backing an election, Corbyn replied: "Because we are the responsible party and we don't want to crash out with no deal."Corbyn accused Johnson of shutting down Parliament to avoid scrutiny. "We are not walking into traps laid by this prime minister," he said.Johnson: 'I Will Not Ask for Another Delay' (11 p.m.)Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated that he's prepared to leave the European Union without an agreement if necessary, and that he "will not ask for another delay." That has enraged opposition lawmakers, who complain he's refusing to acknowledge the legislation that passed into law earlier blocking a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31.Johnson: Election 'Only Way to Break Deadlock' (10:50 p.m.)Prime Minister Boris Johnson is delivering his pitch for an early general election, accusing the Labour Party of "preposterous cowardice" for not voting for one in his speech to the House of Commons."They have a constitutional duty to oppose the government and seek to replace it," Johnson said. Labour are "abrogating their fundamental responsibility."He needs two-thirds of MPs -- 434 of them -- to vote for this. Last week he got 298, and there's no reason to think he'll get any closer this week.MPs Back Corbyn Motion on No-Deal Bill (9 p.m.)Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's motion (see 7:45 p.m.) was passed in the House of Commons without a formal vote. It means Parliament expects the government to comply with legislation that passed into law on Monday demanding it seek a Brexit extension if there's no divorce deal reached with Brussels.Raab: No-Deal Bill Is 'Flawed Legislation' (8:55 p.m.)Closing the debate for the government, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the bill blocking a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31 is "flawed legislation" that weakens the U.K.'s hands in negotiations with the European Union. The prime minister will not go to Brussels to negotiate a Brexit delay, Raab said, reiterating that the government is committed to leaving the EU with or without a deal on Oct. 31.The government "will always respect the rule of law," Raab told the House of Commons, but he indicated it would be seeking legal advice on the legislation, echoing his previous comments.Raab also urged the opposition parties to support an early general election when it comes to a vote later on Monday. An election is "constitutionally the correct course of action" and the only way to break the deadlock in Parliament, Raab said.Corbyn: Government Must Adhere to Rule of Law (7:45 p.m.)In the House of Commons, Members of Parliament are debating whether the prime minister can ignore the legislation -- which entered law earlier on Monday (see 3:24 p.m.) -- intended to stop the U.K. leaving the European Union without an agreement on Oct. 31. The debate was requested by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an effort to exploit divisions in Johnson's administration.Opening the debate, Corbyn said the government must give an unequivocal assurance to Parliament that it will adhere to the law, adding that many people are "truly frightened" about the prospect of a no-deal Brexit."The fact that Parliament is compelled to pass a law to ensure the will of Parliament is upheld shows what extraordinary times we now live in," Corbyn said. "The House has rejected no deal, businesses and trade unions are united in rejecting no deal, and there is no majority for it across the country."MPs Vote to Force Govt to Publish No-Deal Plans (7:35 p.m.)Members of Parliament voted 311 to 302 in favor of Dominic Grieve's motion (see 5:05 p.m.), which seeks to force the government to publish its preparations for a no-deal Brexit, as well as correspondence and documents related to the decision to suspend Parliament by Sept. 11.Grieve used a so-called humble address mechanism, the same one used by politicians -- ultimately successfully -- to get the government's Brexit planning papers at the end of 2017.Gove Says Grieve Motion Unprecedented (7:15 p.m.)Closing the debate for the government, Michael Gove, the minister in charge of no-deal Brexit planning, called Grieve's motion (see 5:05 p.m.) unprecedented because it would force the government to give up communications potentially in violation of privacy regulations.MPs are now voting on the motion.Cox: Government Can't Force Staff to Comply (6 p.m.)In the House of Commons, Dominic Grieve presented his motion demanding the publication of government papers on no-deal plans, along with communications between government advisers on the suspension of Parliament (see 5:05 p.m.).In response, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox questioned whether the government had the right to force employees to comply with Grieve's demands, given his motion includes private email addresses and other communications.Grieve disagreed, and said Cox's response was evidence of a "slide towards a government that will not respect the conventions without which orderly government in this country cannot take place."Commons to Debate Johnson Obeying Law (5:12 p.m.)Bercow also granted an emergency debate on the question of whether government ministers should obey the law.The debate was requested by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in an effort to exploit divisions at the top of the Johnson administration about whether the government can simply ignore the law blocking a no-deal Brexit passed by Parliament last week.Read more: Defiant Johnson Pushes On With Brexit Plan as Court Threat LoomsBercow Grants Debate on No-Deal Brexit Plan (5.05 p.m.)House of Commons Speaker John Bercow granted an emergency debate intended to force the publication of communications between government officials about the suspension of parliament.The motion, brought by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, also requests the publication of all the paperwork about Operation Yellowhammer, the government's planning for a no-deal Brexit.The parliamentary device that opposition MPs are using, a "humble address," is the same one used successfully to get the government's Brexit planning papers at the end of 2017.The proceedings were delayed by almost an hour-and-a-half of tributes to Bercow by MPs after he announced he would be stepping down.MP Questions Timing of Bercow's Departure (4 p.m.)Former cabinet minister Rory Stewart, reacting to Bercow's announcement, questioned the timing of his departure at such a crucial juncture."Whatever people's view of him we are in a very unstable situation and in desperate need of stability at the moment," Stewart said in an interview. "With an unwritten constitution the whole thing is so dependent on personality at the moment. So it's unfortunate he's gone, I would rather he'd stayed until next year."Bercow said leaving on Oct. 31 would be "least disruptive" because he would stay in post for the votes on Johnson's legislative program -- a potentially major flashpoint in Parliament and an opportunity for the premier's opponents to try to oust him or force an election.Bercow Quits as Commons Speaker (3:38 p.m.)John Bercow announced he is to stand down as Commons speaker by Oct. 31, the current Brexit deadline. In a surprise announcement to members of Parliament, he said he would quit later on Monday if they vote to trigger a snap general election. This isn't likely as the main opposition parties are set to vote against the prime minister's plan for a national poll.So Bercow said his term in office will come to an end at the end of next month. This would be "the least disruptive and most democratic action," he said. An election will be held among MPs to choose a new speaker. After finishing his emotional statement, Bercow received applause and tributes from politicians across the House.His exit is a potential blow to those MPs who have been working to avoid a no-deal Brexit as he has repeatedly made time for them to take action to limit the government's room for maneuver."I wish my successor in the chair the very best of fortune in standing up for the rights of honorable and right honorable members individually and for Parliament institutionally," Bercow said.Profile of John Bercow, the government's Brexit nemesisAnd It's Law (3:24 p.m.)The anti-no deal Brexit backed last week by rebel Tories has now become law, the House of Lords Speaker Norman Fowler announced.The new law requires the prime minister to seek a three-month Brexit extension to Jan. 31. The only way he could avoid a delay would be to get Parliament's approval for a no-deal Brexit or a divorce deal by Oct. 19. Read more about it here.However, Johnson has said he would rather die than seek a delay and the government is already consulting its lawyers, seeking loopholes in the bill to get around it, according to a person familiar with the matter.Expelled Tory MP Says Party is Bad for U.K. (2:15 p.m.)Margot James, one of 21 Members of Parliament expelled from the Conservative Party last week for rebelling over Brexit, said it would be bad for the country if the Tories win a majority."I'm afraid that is the conclusion I have reached," James, a former minister, told BBC TV on Monday. "Under the current leadership, with the current policy I think it would be a bad thing for the country for it to be returned with a majority."James went further, saying that former Prime Minister Theresa May's government was "turbulent," and Johnson's administration is "even more chaotic." In more than nine years as an MP, she said, the only government she served in that was progressive and tackled the country's challenges was the five-year coalition with the Liberal Democrats.Johnson to Return to Domestic Agenda (1:50 p.m.)Boris Johnson plans to switch focus to the domestic agenda after the suspension of Parliament as he seeks to build support for the expected general election, according to a person familiar with the matter.The campaign will have a similar style to Johnson's messaging during the summer, the person said. While Parliament wasn't sitting, Johnson regularly announced new funding and policy promises for his campaign priorities of crime, health and schools.Government lawyers are exploring ways for the prime minister to get around the law, passed last week, that requires him to delay Brexit if he hasn't got a deal. Part of the reason for that is to show the prime minister will do everything in his power to deliver Brexit on Oct. 31, the person said.Read more: Johnson Is Campaigning Again, But What Exactly Is He Selling?Applications for Emergency Debates at 3:30 p.m. (1 p.m.)The timings of the votes in Parliament will become clear at 3:30 p.m. and traders should brace themselves for a late night.That's because Speaker John Bercow has agreed to hear two applications for emergency debates today. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will apply for a debate to ensure the law barring a no-deal Brexit is respected by the prime minister after Johnson's insistence he will not extend negotiations with the EU.The other application is being made by former Conservative Dominic Grieve. He wants the government to publish its assessment of no-deal preparedness.If the speaker grants both debates, that adds another six hours to this afternoon's proceedings, pushing back the time of the vote on whether the U.K. should hold an election.Opposition Plot Their Path to Election (12:44 p.m.)There is some reluctance to commit to any specific plan or date for an election at this stage as they await Johnson's next move. A lot will depend on how things play out.U.K. and Ireland Flag 'Significant Gaps' (12:15 p.m.)Johnson and Varadkar held two meetings lasting more than an hour in total on Monday morning, according to a joint statement from their two governments."While they agreed that the discussions are at an early stage, common ground was established in some areas although significant gaps remain," the statement said.Both nations remain "committed" to securing an agreement between the U.K. and the European Union, and also to restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland, they said.Johnson's Parliament Suspension Draws Criticism (12 p.m.)Johnson's decision to suspend -- or prorogue -- Parliament at the close of business on Monday stoked the anger of opposition MPs.Labour's Catherine West described the decision as "utterly irresponsible at a time of political crisis.'' Her colleague Alison McGovern said that, rather than "being suspended and sent away," the conference recess could be canceled to deal with the tight Brexit timetable. "Anyone who says this is normal has got it wrong,'' she said on Twitter.In the House of Lords, opposition lawmakers said they would boycott the prorogation ceremony, which involves dressing in ermine and the use of 12th Century Norman French.The close of business may not happen until after midnight. While that would be Tuesday in the real world, in the House of Lords it will still be considered Monday.Government Confirms Parliament Suspension (11:45 a.m.)Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, said Parliament will be suspended once Monday's business has been completed.Opposition Parties Agree To Stick To Plan (11:40 a.m.)Opposition leaders agreed to stick to their plan to oppose Boris Johnson's call for a general election when it's voted on later on Monday, the Labour Party said in a statement (see 9:45 a.m.)."All leaders agreed that they would not support Boris Johnson's ploy to deny the people their decision by crashing us out of the EU with No Deal during a general election campaign," Labour said. "They agreed to work together today to hold the government to account in Parliament."Talks Continue as EU Seeks U.K. Proposals (11:30 a.m.)"Technical meetings" on Brexit will continue this week between Johnson's envoy David Frost and the European Commission, commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva told reporters in Brussels.The EU is still looking for concrete proposals from the U.K., Andreeva said. While there were "some ideas" from the U.K. last week on a joint Northern Ireland-Ireland agri-food area, proper solutions "were not presented," she said.Read more: With the U.K. in Turmoil, Brexit Talks Are Slipping BackwardWhat We Learned When Boris Met Leo (10:50 a.m.)The bottom line from the press conference between Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his U.K. counterpart, Boris Johnson, is that little really new emerged.Standing in the rain in Dublin, both restated previously held positions. Varadkar was probably more forceful than expected, and appeared less conciliatory than in his outings with Theresa May.At times, during his opening statement, it felt like the Irish premier was lecturing Johnson -- as he warned the British leader he faces a "herculean task" in achieving trade deals with the EU and US after Brexit and told him there's no such thing as a clean break from the bloc. Such messages won't play well with the hardliners in Johnson's Conservative party, who believe the EU is effectively trying to trap the U.K.Varadkar may be merely setting out his stall before a tough renegotiation, but it didn't feel like compromise is in the air. Varadkar seemed determined not to inject more false optimism into the process after the U.K.'s reaction to mildly encouraging words from Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron.'Ideal' Time for a Brexit Deal, Johnson Says (10:06 a.m.)Johnson says the U.K. has "an ideal" amount of time to achieve a deal with the EU as the tight timetable will focus minds. "We can make a huge amount of progress," he said before talks with Varadkar in Dublin.But Varadkar said Johnson's key demand, to remove the Irish border backstop, is not "ideal for us" and not "attractive."Johnson Says Deal Can Be Done By Oct. 18 (10 a.m.)Johnson told Varadkar he is determined to find a deal by Oct. 18, when the next European Council meets. Not to do so "would be a failure of statecraft," Johnson said.Johnson said he wanted to "manage expectations" that there would be a "breakthrough" on the Irish backstop at the talks in Dublin today.He assured Varadkar that the U.K. "would never, ever" impose checks at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.Varadkar Wants Guarantees, Not Promises (9:50 a.m.)Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he needs guarantees, not promises, to fix the problem of the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit."We are open to alternatives but they must be realistic, legally binding and workable," Varadkar said before talks with Johnson in Dublin. He added that no proposals have yet been received from the U.K. "What we can't do and will not do is agree to the replacement of a legal guarantee with a promise," he said.Varadkar says he believes a deal with the U.K. "is possible."Opposition Parties Discuss Strategy (9:45 a.m.)Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will host a meeting of the smaller opposition parties this morning. Attendees including the Scottish Nationalist Party, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, according to two people familiar with the matter.They will discuss the timing of the election and strategy for tackling Johnson, including a possible impeachment if he presses ahead with no-deal against the will of Parliament.Welsh Party Eyes Johnson Impeachment (9:30 a.m.)Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, said opposition groups should be prepared to impeach Boris Johnson if he ignores legislation forcing him to seek another delay to Brexit."It only takes one MP to make the accusation of High Crimes and Misdemeanors against a public official for the impeachment process to begin," Plaid said in a statement on Monday. "Once the accuser has presented his or her proofs to the Commons and if the House agrees that there is a case to answer, a committee is established to draw up articles of impeachment."The House of Lords, who act as judges in the case, then appoint prosecutors to try the case, and if there is a conviction the Commons decides the sentence, the party said. The procedure was last used – unsuccessfully – on Henry Dundas, the minister for war, in 1806, according to the House of Commons Library.Ireland Favors Brexit Extension (Earlier)Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said his country is in favor of an extension to Brexit talks so long as it "creates the space" for solutions to be found. He warned that in a no-deal Brexit, "we would put in place the kind of arrangements that would be needed to ensure that we would stay inside the single market."Efforts are focusing on how to keep the U.K.-Ireland border open while dropping the contentious Irish backstop policy from the deal brokered by Theresa May. Johnson has suggested maintaining common standards on agri-foods. Donohoe said that while that idea, "when fleshed out, would clearly have merit," it's also not enough to get a deal."This is something that only covers off a portion of the trade between the United Kingdom and Ireland on the island of Ireland and would not be a solution that would deal with all of the other issues we have to manage in terms of the flow of trade and also the protection of the Good Friday Agreement," Donohoe said.Asked about alternative arrangements such as trusted trader programs that the U.K. is promoting, Donohoe said: "We have yet to see examples of how they would work not only on our own island but indeed anywhere else in the world."Earlier:Defiant Johnson Pushes On With Brexit Plan as Court Threat LoomsWith the U.K. in Turmoil, Brexit Talks Are Slipping BackwardBritain's Steve Bannon Is Tearing Johnson's Tories Apart\--With assistance from Ian Wishart, Dara Doyle and Alex Morales.To contact the reporters on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net;Tiago Ramos Alfaro in London at talfaro1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Tiago Ramos AlfaroFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UN chief: Islamic State remains resilient in Afghanistan Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:07 PM PDT  Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Islamic State extremist group remains resilient in Afghanistan despite "a high pace" of operations against it by government and international forces — and is urging all armed groups not to interfere in the upcoming presidential election. The U.N. chief said in a report to the Security Council circulated Monday that between mid-June and early September 183 incidents were attributed to Islamic State fighters — nearly double the 93 incidents during the same period in 2018. Guterres' report was written before U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly ended a nearly yearlong effort to reach a political settlement with the Taliban on Saturday.
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| U.S. Charges Chinese Professor Accused of Theft to Help Huawei Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:03 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The Chinese professor a Silicon Valley startup accused in a civil lawsuit of stealing its trade secrets for Huawei Technologies Co. now faces a federal criminal charge, as the U.S. escalates its crackdown on the telecom giant.Bo Mao, a professor at Xiamen University in China and a visiting professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Arlington, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud against a California technology startup to obtain its "property" on behalf of a Chinese telecommunications company.The prosecution is the latest in a series of moves against Huawei by the U.S. The government is pursuing criminal cases against the networking company for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions on Iran and stealing trade secrets from T-Mobile US Inc. It has banned Huawei's technology and accused the company of helping Beijing carry out espionage. Huawei has denied any wrongdoing and accused the U.S. of singling it out for political reasons.Mao's case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Solomon in Brooklyn, New York, who is also prosecuting the Iran case.Mao, initially held without bail after prosecutors argued he posed a flight risk and could obstruct justice, was freed last month on a $100,000 bond after he agreed to waive indictment, according to court records. A waiver of indictment can signal a guilty plea, possibly along with an agreement to cooperate with prosecutors.John Marzulli, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue in Brooklyn, declined to comment. Marion Bachrach, a lawyer representing Mao, didn't return a voicemail seeking comment. Jeff Carlton, a spokesman for the University of Texas at Arlington, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on Mao.Read More: Huawei Iran-Sanctions Evidence Is Too Risky for China to SeeWhile federal prosecutors in Texas didn't identify the Chinese telecom company or its alleged victim, their complaint parallels the allegations CNEX Labs Inc., a Silicon Valley startup, made against Huawei in the civil case. In that case, CNEX accused Mao of helping Huawei steal the technology by entering into an agreement with CNEX to obtain a circuit board, purportedly for academic research, in 2016.Acting with another professor in the U.S., prosecutors alleged, Mao emailed the U.S. startup, seeking to buy its proprietary technology "to build an experimental program," according to an email they cited. The startup later agreed to provide the technology, they said."It is clear that Bo Mao secretly provided the Victim Company's proprietary information to Company 1 in violation of the agreement," prosecutors said, in apparent respective references to CNEX and Huawei.Huawei lost the civil trade-secrets case in June, though the jury declined to award damages to CNEX. CNEX contended that Huawei had posed as a potential customer to get secret details of its plans and, when that didn't work, persuaded Mao and Xiamen University to work as a research partner with CNEX to obtain the plans surreptitiously.Mao was arrested on federal charges on Aug. 14. His case was transferred from Fort Worth, Texas, to Brooklyn and assigned to U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly, who is also presiding over the Iran case.She scheduled a Sept. 11 hearing for Mao.The case is U.S. v. Mao, 19-cr-392, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).\--With assistance from Susan Decker.To contact the reporter on this story: Patricia Hurtado in Federal Court in Manhattan at pathurtado@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter Jeffrey, Peter BlumbergFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Parliament deals British PM Brexit blow before suspension Posted: 09 Sep 2019 04:48 PM PDT  British MPs rejected a second attempt by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday to call an early election to break the Brexit deadlock, in a final show of defiance before he controversially suspends parliament. After a tumultuous few days that exposed Johnson's weakness in the face of hostile lawmakers, the House of Commons again refused to grant a snap poll that might have bolstered his position. MPs had earlier also voted to demand the government publish confidential documents about Britain's readiness to leave the EU on October 31 without a divorce deal.
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| UPDATE 2-North Korea follows offer of talks with new projectile launches Posted: 09 Sep 2019 04:11 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-North Korea follows offer of talks with new projectile launches]( "UPDATE 2-North Korea follows offer of talks with new projectile launches") North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles on Tuesday morning, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, hours after a senior diplomat announced Pyongyang would be willing to resume negotiations with the United States later in September. The projectiles were launched from South Pyongan province towards the east, the JCS said in a statement.
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| North Korea Tests More Weapons After Floating Fresh U.S. Talks Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:58 PM PDT ![North Korea Tests More Weapons After Floating Fresh U.S. Talks]( "North Korea Tests More Weapons After Floating Fresh U.S. Talks") (Bloomberg) -- North Korea fired at least two "unidentified projectiles" into its eastern seas, South Korea said, hours after Pyongyang expressed willingness to restart nuclear talks with the U.S.The projectiles were launched early Tuesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The incident came hours after top North Korean diplomat Choe Son Hui issued a statement saying the country would be willing to hold talks "at the time and place to be agreed late in September."The North Korean statement, published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, cited recent comments by U.S. officials expressing a desire for negotiations and made no mention of any new concessions. The remarks, which follow a speech Friday by lead U.S. negotiator Stephen Biegun, represented some of the regime's most positive remarks about talks since President Donald Trump's June 30 meeting with Kim Jong Un.The two leaders agreed at the historic meeting on the Demilitarized Zone to restart working-level talks within two to three weeks. In the months since, North Korea has stepped up launches of short-range ballistic missiles and repeatedly signaled a willingness to break off negotiations.Trump sounded a cautious note in response to questions about the North Korean statement, citing the regime's continued freeze on nuclear weapons testing. "We'll see what happens, but I always say having meetings is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump told reporters. \--With assistance from Nick Wadhams.To contact the reporters on this story: Shinhye Kang in Seoul at skang24@bloomberg.net;Justin Sink in Washington at jsink1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Peter PaeFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UK's Labour won't back an election until no-deal is off the table - Corbyn Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:20 PM PDT ![UK's Labour won't back an election until no-deal is off the table - Corbyn]( "UK's Labour won't back an election until no-deal is off the table - Corbyn") Britain's opposition Labour Party will not vote for an election until the possibility of a no-deal Brexit at the end of October has been taken off the table, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Monday. "Until ... no-deal has been taken off the table... we will not vote to support the dissolution of this house and a general election," Corbyn told parliament in a debate about holding an early election. Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31.
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| Report: Over 120 Syrian churches damaged by war since 2011 Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:13 PM PDT  A Syrian war monitor associated with the opposition said Monday that over 120 Christian places of worship have been damaged or destroyed by all sides in the country's eight-year conflict. Some of the attacks were deliberate, such as the Islamic State group using bulldozers to destroy the ancient Saint Elian Monastery in Homs province in 2015. Christians made up about 10 percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million, who co-existed with the Muslim majority and enjoyed freedom of worship under President Bashar Assad's government.
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| Election is the only way to break Brexit deadlock, says UK's Johnson Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:03 PM PDT ![Election is the only way to break Brexit deadlock, says UK's Johnson]( "Election is the only way to break Brexit deadlock, says UK's Johnson") An election is the only way to break the deadlock over Brexit, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament on Monday, ahead of a vote on whether a snap election should be held. Johnson said that if parliament did not vote for an election, he would go to the EU summit next month seeking to agree a deal, but would not ask for another delay to Brexit.
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| Hong Kong Stonewalls China's Trillion-Dollar Easing Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:00 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The longer Hong Kong protests drag on, the less likely China will be to unleash the trillion-dollar stimulus markets seem to want. Beijing has become painfully aware that its easy-money policies of the past inflated asset bubbles and widened the wealth gap. Any repeat endeavors could risk stoking social unrest on the mainland. Over the past decade, China flooded its economy with big-ticket outlays. There was the 4 trillion yuan ($561 billion) package after the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., followed by interest-rate cuts in 2014 and 2015, and 3.5 trillion yuan of shantytown redevelopment projects from 2015 to 2018, to name a few. Lately, however, China has been conspicuously timid with its monetary tools, even as deflation hangs over the country's producers and the trade-war standoff deepens. Sure, Beijing lowered banks' required reserve ratio on Friday; but an outright cut to its benchmark lending rate is nowhere in sight. In fact, one could argue that the central bank bought itself some time to delay any weighty monetary-policy decisions, after last month's tweak to the rate lenders offer their best clients. On the fiscal side, Beijing has found a new way to finance construction projects: Issuance of special-purpose municipal bonds has hit record highs this year. Yet infrastructure spending hasn't picked up. That's because the Ministry of Finance has been diligently auditing local governments, sometimes bi-weekly, to ensure money is spent in the right places.What explains this change of tune? China increasingly sees Hong Kong's sky-high home prices as the root cause of city's turmoil, which has continued for 14 consecutive weeks. Even the country's liaison office in the former British colony cited minsheng, or people's livelihood, as a valid concern.Beijing wants to prevent Hong Kong's discontent from spreading to the mainland, aware that China is now a society of extreme income inequality, too, as measured by the Gini coefficient. Home prices in the first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have more than doubled since 2013; as a result, young Chinese, just like their counterparts in Hong Kong, may find that climbing the middle-class ladder is getting harder. In that light, the hesitation of the People's Bank of China to unleash an ambitious stimulus program makes sense. Whenever the central bank reopens its taps, a sizable chunk of hot money goes into real estate. The latest mini-easing proved no exception: Property investment shot up, while the manufacturing sector, hit hardest by China's trade war with the U.S., remains anemic. President Xi Jinping's mantra, "apartments are to be lived in, not speculated on," hasn't been heeded. Meanwhile, China is using its strict audit system to discourage local governments from relying too heavily on the property market, a problem that beset Hong Kong. Last year, the city collected a quarter of its fiscal revenue from land sales, compared with roughly a third for an average mainland municipality. To its credit, Beijing wants to prevent moral hazard: If a large chunk of government revenue comes from land sales, local officials are incentivized to keep the property bubble aloft, for instance, by nudging regional banks to dole out easy financing to developers. Shenzhen is now hailed as a model socialist city, in part because personal-income and corporate taxes account for almost all of its fiscal coffers. Commentators have lamented that China's reserve ratio cuts and infrastructure spending are too little, too late. They're missing the point. With the People's Republic of China about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, social stability is foremost on Beijing's mind – and that means eschewing the generous stimulus packages that tend to benefit the wealthy and sow the seeds of unrest.To contact the author of this story: Shuli Ren at sren38@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Rachel Rosenthal at rrosenthal21@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. She previously wrote on markets for Barron's, following a career as an investment banker, and is a CFA charterholder.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Hong Kong Stonewalls China's Trillion-Dollar Easing Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:00 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The longer Hong Kong protests drag on, the less likely China will be to unleash the trillion-dollar stimulus markets seem to want. Beijing has become painfully aware that its easy-money policies of the past inflated asset bubbles and widened the wealth gap. Any repeat endeavors could risk stoking social unrest on the mainland. Over the past decade, China flooded its economy with big-ticket outlays. There was the 4 trillion yuan ($561 billion) package after the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., followed by interest-rate cuts in 2014 and 2015, and 3.5 trillion yuan of shantytown redevelopment projects from 2015 to 2018, to name a few. Lately, however, China has been conspicuously timid with its monetary tools, even as deflation hangs over the country's producers and the trade-war standoff deepens. Sure, Beijing lowered banks' required reserve ratio on Friday; but an outright cut to its benchmark lending rate is nowhere in sight. In fact, one could argue that the central bank bought itself some time to delay any weighty monetary-policy decisions, after last month's tweak to the rate lenders offer their best clients. On the fiscal side, Beijing has found a new way to finance construction projects: Issuance of special-purpose municipal bonds has hit record highs this year. Yet infrastructure spending hasn't picked up. That's because the Ministry of Finance has been diligently auditing local governments, sometimes bi-weekly, to ensure money is spent in the right places.What explains this change of tune? China increasingly sees Hong Kong's sky-high home prices as the root cause of city's turmoil, which has continued for 14 consecutive weeks. Even the country's liaison office in the former British colony cited minsheng, or people's livelihood, as a valid concern.Beijing wants to prevent Hong Kong's discontent from spreading to the mainland, aware that China is now a society of extreme income inequality, too, as measured by the Gini coefficient. Home prices in the first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have more than doubled since 2013; as a result, young Chinese, just like their counterparts in Hong Kong, may find that climbing the middle-class ladder is getting harder. In that light, the hesitation of the People's Bank of China to unleash an ambitious stimulus program makes sense. Whenever the central bank reopens its taps, a sizable chunk of hot money goes into real estate. The latest mini-easing proved no exception: Property investment shot up, while the manufacturing sector, hit hardest by China's trade war with the U.S., remains anemic. President Xi Jinping's mantra, "apartments are to be lived in, not speculated on," hasn't been heeded. Meanwhile, China is using its strict audit system to discourage local governments from relying too heavily on the property market, a problem that beset Hong Kong. Last year, the city collected a quarter of its fiscal revenue from land sales, compared with roughly a third for an average mainland municipality. To its credit, Beijing wants to prevent moral hazard: If a large chunk of government revenue comes from land sales, local officials are incentivized to keep the property bubble aloft, for instance, by nudging regional banks to dole out easy financing to developers. Shenzhen is now hailed as a model socialist city, in part because personal-income and corporate taxes account for almost all of its fiscal coffers. Commentators have lamented that China's reserve ratio cuts and infrastructure spending are too little, too late. They're missing the point. With the People's Republic of China about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, social stability is foremost on Beijing's mind – and that means eschewing the generous stimulus packages that tend to benefit the wealthy and sow the seeds of unrest.To contact the author of this story: Shuli Ren at sren38@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Rachel Rosenthal at rrosenthal21@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. She previously wrote on markets for Barron's, following a career as an investment banker, and is a CFA charterholder.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Venezuela's Maduro may push anti-Trump petition at UN, US believes Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:49 PM PDT  Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro may present a petition against US President Donald Trump at the United Nations despite opposition charges that the signatures have been gathered through threats to withhold food aid, US diplomats say. Maduro, who remains in charge in Venezuela despite a half-year US-backed effort to remove him, has not yet announced if he will head to New York for the annual UN General Assembly later this month. "Our diplomats have been hearing that Maduro plans to present a petition against President Trump, signed by millions of Venezuelans, at UNGA, if he actually attends," a US official said.
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| UN human rights chief cites continued abuses in Venezuela Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:33 PM PDT  The United Nations' chief human rights official said Monday that millions of Venezuelans continue to suffer rights violations, including dozens of possible extrajudicial killings carried out by a special police force. Non-governmental organizations report that the Special Action police force carried out 57 suspected extrajudicial killings in July alone within Caracas, Michelle Bachelet said in an oral presentation on Venezuela to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
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| Britain's Corbyn to accuse Johnson of hijacking Brexit Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:30 PM PDT ![Britain's Corbyn to accuse Johnson of hijacking Brexit]( "Britain's Corbyn to accuse Johnson of hijacking Brexit") Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will accuse Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday of hijacking Brexit to lead Britain out of the European Union without a deal and shift power and wealth "to those at the top". Johnson, a main leader of the campaign to leave the EU in 2016, has promised to deliver Brexit with or without an agreement by Oct. 31, a strategy at odds with many in parliament which has voted against a so-called no-deal departure. Corbyn, an instinctive critic of the EU, has been at the forefront of efforts to stop a no-deal Brexit, backing a law to force the government to seek a delay if no deal is reached at a summit of the bloc's leaders on Oct. 17-18.
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| Syria says Israel was behind airstrike in country's east Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:15 PM PDT  Unknown warplanes targeted an arms depot and posts of Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria, near the Iraqi border, killing at least 18 fighters in a nighttime attack, Syrian opposition activists said Monday. A Syrian security official said Israeli jets staged the airstrikes, but denied there were any casualties. The attack comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East and the crisis between Iran and the U.S. in the wake of the collapsing nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
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| Trump Agriculture Trade Official Calls Xi ‘Communist Zealot’ Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:15 PM PDT ![Trump Agriculture Trade Official Calls Xi 'Communist Zealot']( "Trump Agriculture Trade Official Calls Xi 'Communist Zealot'") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Agriculture Department's top trade official called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "communist zealot," as he warned farmers the Asian leader is a tough adversary in negotiations.Ted McKinney, the department's undersecretary for trade, offered the provocative characterization of the Chinese leader Monday at a sensitive time in U.S.-China relations. After a summer of bombast and tariff escalation the two sides have agreed to hold face-to-face working-level staff talks in the coming weeks and a ministerial meeting in Washington in early October.Throughout the trade conflict and even as economic relations have deteriorated, Trump has also been careful in his personal dealings with Xi.McKinney offered a harsh assessment of the Chinese leader as he defended Trump's trade war during a speech to the National Farmers Union, which has been critical of the tariff fight and the economic losses it has caused U.S. agricultural producers."Let me just tell you what: Mr. Xi Jinping is a communist zealot. He sees himself very much in the spirit of Mao Zedong," McKinney said in remarks to 380 farmers the group gathered in Washington to lobby the government.He also aired complaints the Asian nation suppresses church attendance. McKinney said that members of the Department's Foreign Agricultural Service, which has diplomatic representatives stationed around China, have reported that Xi's government has stepped up a crackdown on church attendance."Chinese nationals are not allowed to go to church: No, no, no, no, no, no -- off limits," McKinney said.McKinney nonetheless said he was "encouraged" that trade talks are moving in the right direction. Earlier in the year "we were negotiating very well," he said."I hope we can pick up where we last left off. But I'm only 50-50," McKinney said.McKinney was appointed to the U.S. Agriculture Department post after serving as Indiana's state agriculture director, a job he was hired for by then-Indiana governor Mike Pence.To contact the reporter on this story: Mike Dorning in Washington at mdorning@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Ex-UK PM May's Brexit negotiator Robbins to join Goldman Sachs Posted: 09 Sep 2019 01:42 PM PDT ![Ex-UK PM May's Brexit negotiator Robbins to join Goldman Sachs]( "Ex-UK PM May's Brexit negotiator Robbins to join Goldman Sachs") Former British Prime Minister Theresa May's chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins will join Goldman Sachs' investment banking division after a sabbatical, the Cabinet Office said on Tuesday. Robbins, a politically impartial government employee, spearheaded May's negotiations on a deal with the European Union that would manage the country's departure from the bloc. Robbins, 44, has attracted criticism from prominent Brexit supporters who accused him of being too pro-EU.
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| Moroccan journalist denies charges of illegal abortion Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:55 PM PDT  A judge ruled that a Moroccan journalist remain in custody after she appeared Monday in a packed courtroom on charges that she had an illegal abortion after becoming pregnant while single. The case has gained attention among journalists and rights groups. The 28-year-old Hajar Raissouni has been jailed since Aug. 31.
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| Israeli leader claims to find new Iranian nuke site Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:50 PM PDT  Israel's prime minister on Monday unveiled what he said was a previously undisclosed Iranian nuclear weapons site, further escalating a showdown between the two enemy countries. Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement came as the U.N. nuclear watchdog held a meeting in Vienna, where he's hoping the agency will take tougher action against Iran. It also came in the final stages of Israeli national elections, drawing criticism from opponents that the sudden press conference was a campaign stunt.
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| Colombia to tell UN that Venezuela harbors 'terrorists' Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:35 PM PDT  A reportedly leaked intelligence report indicates that President Nicolás Maduro's socialist government is harboring Colombian rebels inside Venezuela, allegations that dovetail with evidence Colombian officials say they will present this month to the United Nations. Bogota-based Semana magazine on Sunday published a report it said was based on Venezuelan documents showing how a top military official under instructions from Maduro ordered generals to provide support to a so-called "Red Group" at "training zones" inside Venezuela.
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| UPDATE 2-Trump says he could meet with Iranian President Rouhani Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:19 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Trump says he could meet with Iranian President Rouhani]( "UPDATE 2-Trump says he could meet with Iranian President Rouhani") U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he could meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and that he had no problem with such an encounter. No problem with me," Trump told reporters at the White House. Trump has stepped up sanctions against Iran since he withdrew from a 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six world powers, saying the agreement left open a path for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and did not address what the United States calls Iran's malign activities in the region.
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| UN agency lays backpacks for every child killed in conflict Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:18 PM PDT  The U.N. children's agency has laid 3,758 school backpacks in rows reminiscent of a graveyard on the lawn of U.N. headquarters in New York — one for each child who died in a conflict zone last year. UNICEF said it wants the installation, which ends Thursday, to dramatize the grave scale of child deaths in conflict and to spur world leaders meeting at the U.N. in late September to provide greater protection for children.
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| Netanyahu accuses Iran of destroying secret 'nuclear site' Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:59 AM PDT  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of having a previously undisclosed site aimed at developing nuclear weapons that it destroyed. Iran destroyed the site located near the city of Abadeh, south of Isfahan, sometime between late June and late July after realising that Israel had detected it, Netanyahu alleged. In an address on live television, with photos of the alleged site on a screen behind him, Netanyahu referred to an intelligence trove he had previously announced last year.
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| UPDATE 1-Pompeo looking forward to completed U.S.-Japan trade deal at U.N. General Assembly Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:56 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Pompeo looking forward to completed U.S.-Japan trade deal at U.N. General Assembly]( "UPDATE 1-Pompeo looking forward to completed U.S.-Japan trade deal at U.N. General Assembly") U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was looking forward to a completed U.S.-Japan trade agreement at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month. The United States and Japan last month agreed in principle on core elements for a trade deal that U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said they hoped to sign in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting.
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| 1 week after Dorian struck, controversies erupt in Bahamas as death toll mounts Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:29 AM PDT  As Bahamian officials continue to sort through the widespread destruction left by Hurricane Dorian, confusion and uncertainty has been rampant during much of the initial recovery process.While the official death toll has slowly ticked upwards, residents, reporters and officials recognize that the final number will be far more staggering than what is being currently reported. As of Monday, the official tally is at 44 fatalities. By eyewitness accounts, the total will be hundreds, if not thousands.As some have questioned the government's truthfulness in the current death toll reports, Duane Sands, the Bahamas' minister of health, told the Miami Herald that calculating the fatality total isn't currently a higher priority than helping survivors get back on their feet. A Bahamas coroners team carries a body out of The Mudd neighborhood in the Marsh Harbor area of Abaco, Bahamas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Dorian, the most powerful hurricane in the northwestern Bahamas' recorded history, has killed at least 44 people in Bahamas as of Sunday, Sept. 8, according to the government. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) "I am actually a bit concerned that the focus has been for some people the body count," Sands told the Herald. "It is not the priority. The priority is find those people for their loved ones who are missing them ... To put food in people's bellies, water in their throat."Sands added that officials have heard all the estimates and noted the large amount of missing people."We have to prepare for whatever inevitability and so whether it's 1,000, or 2,000, or 500 body bags, we need to have the ability to make sure that every single remain can be treated with dignity and managed appropriately," he said. "We are talking about a massive, multi-island operation."On Friday, the financial services ministry of the Bahamas called the situation a "humanitarian crisis" in a statement. Assistance has trickled in from all over the world, as countries have pledged financial support.Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs, wrote on Twitter that the country is "extending an immediate disaster relief of $1 million."The United States Coast Guard has been among the many government and private agencies working to help coordinate rescue and relief efforts on the islands. More than 300 people have been rescued by the Coast Guard since the rescue efforts began.On Sunday, controversy arose when over 100 Bahamians were forced to disembark from a rescue ferry traveling to Florida. According to a video posted on social media by WSVN reporter Brian Estin, an announcement was made over the ferry's loudspeaker that any traveler without a visa would be forced to disembark.The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) denied responsibility on Monday for the stranded hurricane victims."It breaks my heart because it's like when you raise somebody's hopes and then you pop the balloon," CBP Florida spokesman Michael Silva said. "It raised the expectations of these poor people who have been through an unimaginable situation with the hurricane."According to Silva, the CBP of Florida is doing everything it can to support those who arrive to the state. In Entin's video posted on Twitter, a woman says she was originally told a visa and police record weren't needed to enter the U.S."I think this is terrible," the woman said. "Now they've taken that back and that's really ridiculous ... they said 130 people had to come off."> That's it. We're leaving - all Bahamian evacuees without a visa taken off. The Bahamians who remain are in shock. No one understands why the rule was changed at the last minute. The parents and kids now stuck on the island. pic.twitter.com/Jvd3D6MTZW> > -- Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 9, 2019Hundreds of people at Abaco island's Marsh Harbour still await aid from boats and harbor their own hopes of leaving the area. Yachts and private boats were being used to help evacuate people, while Dorval Darlier, a Haitian diplomat, urged the crowd to let women, children and the sick be evacuated before men, according to The Associated Press.Avery Parotti, a 19-year-old bartender, told the AP that her home was destroyed during the storm."There's nothing left here. There are no jobs," she said.In the city of Freeport, an animal shelter saw about 270 cats and dogs killed during the storm, according to an employee at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama. Tip Burrows, the executive director of the Humane Society, told CGNT that they have never seen such destruction on the island."My heart is broken for the sheltered animals that we lost," Burrows said. "I feel so bad for the people who entrusted their animals to us and ultimately we couldn't protect them."Elsewhere on the island of Grand Bahama, an oil spill triggered by Dorian spewed crude oil over the ground as heavy winds knocked the tops off of five storage tanks belonging to the Norwegian company Equinor ASA."According to the information we have right now, the roofs of five tanks are gone," the company said in a statement on Sunday. "We do not know if they are being carried away by the winds or fallen in the tanks."There were no staff members on the grounds because the company shut down operations in advance of the storm. In the statement, Equinor added that the recovery efforts have been made more difficult by damage dealt to the infrastructure.AccuWeather National Weather Reporter Jonathan Petramala was at the scene and said the black oil splattered around was a terrible contrast for an environment that was so beautiful before Dorian arrived.Petramala spoke to a local guide named Cranston Mcdonald, who said the oil spill was something "I've never seen in the Bahamas.""It takes it to another level of what the hurricane has done," Mcdonald said.On Sunday, the company pledged to clean up any spilled oil and said that security personnel were at the company site identifying hazards.The United Nations and other aid organizations have begun to respond to massive need for assistance. On Sunday, nearly 1.5 tons of supplies that will provide drinkable water arrived to islands, which UNICEF approximates will assist people for two weeks. Youssouf Abdel-Jelil, the UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the dire need for safe water in helping families who survived the storm now survive the recovery."Almost five days after the hurricane struck, safe drinking water is now the most urgent and valuable lifesaving item, especially for mothers and children," Abdel-Jelil told the U.N. "Damaged infrastructure makes the delivery of humanitarian aid extremely challenging. The most vulnerable families, especially children, are likely to be the hardest to reach."?
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| Boris Johnson Faces Parliament Defeat on Snap Election: Trader’s Guide Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:23 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson will suspend Britain's Parliament on Monday night for five weeks. Before that, his opponents are hoping to inflict two more defeats on him.This is what's coming, on a day that saw the pound rally to the highest level against the dollar since July, before paring gains after House of Commons Speaker John Bercow announced he was stepping down.Before 7.15 p.m.: Document ReleaseAn emergency debate aimed at forcing the government to release details onits no-deal Brexit planningdiscussions that took place ahead of the decision to suspend parliament for so longSince Johnson expelled 21 Conservative members of parliament, he's a long way short of having a majority, and he's likely to lose.Before midnight: Snap General ElectionIn the final debate of the evening, Johnson will make a second attempt to get Parliament to vote for a snap general election. He needs two-thirds of MPs -- 434 of them -- to vote for this. Last week he got 298, and there's no reason to think he'll get any closer this week.The pound may get a limited boost if the attempt gets voted down, according to Brendan McKenna, a currency strategist at Wells Fargo Securities in New York. That result would probably increase the probability of avoiding a no-deal Brexit, given the bill that was just passed, he said.Johnson could make a statement after the second vote. When that business has finished, Parliament will be "prorogued," in a ceremony involving a statement from Queen Elizabeth II being read in the upper House of Lords. Parliament will be suspended.If all goes as expected, on the six votes that Johnson has tried to win in Parliament since becoming prime minister, he will have been defeated every time.(Adds currency analyst comment in final section.)\--With assistance from Susanne Barton.To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Flavia Krause-JacksonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UK Medical Cannabis, CBD Company Cannaray Announces Series A Funding Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:20 AM PDT ![UK Medical Cannabis, CBD Company Cannaray Announces Series A Funding]( "UK Medical Cannabis, CBD Company Cannaray Announces Series A Funding") Medical marijuana and CBD company Cannaray announced the closing Monday of a 7.8-million pounds sterling ($9.64 million) Series A funding round. Cannaray's strategy has been made "Brexit-proof" with the setup of a subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland, and the company said it is progressing with plans to establish distribution and manufacturing capabilities within the U.K.
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| Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:13 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 a North Carolina state court has 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 court is likely to reverse a partisan gerrymander only when that 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.Many states choose judges in partisan elections. In eight states, supreme court justices are 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.) The North Carolina state Superior Court that decided this case was also elected in a partisan vote.So the fact that a Democratic majority court overturned the Republican legislature's partisan gerrymandering is mostly a function of the quirky fact that the North Carolina court had a majority of Democrats at a moment when its legislature was in the hands of Republicans.Judicial elections aren't themselves easy to gerrymander, because they are statewide. 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 judges to the state's political apparatus. That might make a state 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 for the voters themselves to 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 nonpartisan 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 courts will save us from ourselves.(Removes erroneous reference to North Carolina's governor in fifth paragraph. Corrects name of the North Carolina Superior Court in article published Sept. 5. )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.
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| Gerrymandering Is a Cancer State Courts Can't Cure Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:13 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 a North Carolina state court has 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 court is likely to reverse a partisan gerrymander only when that 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.Many states choose judges in partisan elections. In eight states, supreme court justices are 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.) The North Carolina state Superior Court that decided this case was also elected in a partisan vote.So the fact that a Democratic majority court overturned the Republican legislature's partisan gerrymandering is mostly a function of the quirky fact that the North Carolina court had a majority of Democrats at a moment when its legislature was in the hands of Republicans.Judicial elections aren't themselves easy to gerrymander, because they are statewide. 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 judges to the state's political apparatus. That might make a state 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 for the voters themselves to 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 nonpartisan 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 courts will save us from ourselves.(Removes erroneous reference to North Carolina's governor in fifth paragraph. Corrects name of the North Carolina Superior Court in article published Sept. 5. )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.
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| Egypt wants Sudan off US terror list Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:06 AM PDT ![Egypt wants Sudan off US terror list]( "Egypt wants Sudan off US terror list") The U.S. named Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1993. In one of its last acts, the Obama administration began a formal process to de-list Sudan. Sameh Shoukry said Egypt is now working with Washington to end Sudan's international pariah status.
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| US Promises To Sanction Purchasers Of Iranian Oil Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:34 AM PDT ![US Promises To Sanction Purchasers Of Iranian Oil]( "US Promises To Sanction Purchasers Of Iranian Oil") The Trump administration reaffirmed its policy that no more temporary waivers will be granted to countries that continue to rely on imports of Iranian oil. According to the news service Reuters, Sigal Mandelker, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told reporters at a press gathering in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 8 that countries continuing to violate U.N. and U.S. trade sanctions with Iran by importing that country's oil risk being sanctioned themselves. The Trump administration stopped granting the waivers on May 2.
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| North Korea offers to resume talks with the US in late September Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:26 AM PDT  North Korea on Monday said it was ready to resume disarmament talks with the United States in late September, raising the possibility of a breakthrough in a lengthy stalemate over the fate of Pyongyang's nuclear and weapons programme. Choe Son-hui, the country's vice foreign minister, made the announcement through North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, saying Pyongyang had taken note of Washington's repeated calls for talks. "We are willing to comprehensively talk about all the issues we have discussed until now with the United States at an agreed time and place in late September," she said, according to the South Korean newswire, Yonhap. "I want to believe that the US will come up with an alternative that meets the interests of both the DPRK (North Korea) and the US, and is based on a way of calculation acceptable to us," Ms Choe added, warning that a failure to do so could "spell an end to bargaining." Choe Son-hui, the North Korean vice foreign minister, has signalled Pyongyang may come back to the table Credit: Artyom Korotayev/TASS The move signals a potential easing of tensions since the North tested a series of short-range ballistic missiles in July and August in frustration at the lack of diplomatic progress with the US and South Korea. Pyongyang said the missiles were fired in protest at US-South Korea joint military drills, which it views as a rehearsal for war. The North has also been angered by Seoul's acquisition of new US weapons, and Washington's refusal to make concessions over tough economic sanctions. The apparent U-turn follows repeated snubs of recent calls by Washington to come back to the table for working level talks, even after an unprecedented meeting between Donald Trump, the US president and Kim Jong-un on the border between South and North Korea on June 30. Mr Trump had hoped to revive negotiations aimed at dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes which had stalled after the collapse of his summit with Kim in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in February. On Sunday, Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, said the US was still optimistic about getting denuclearisation talks back on track. North Korea has tested a series of short-range missiles in recent months Credit: KCNA via KNS/AFP "We know Chairman Kim has continued to make the commitment to denuclearise. We are hopeful that in the coming days or perhaps weeks we'll be back at the negotiating table with them. That's the best outcome," Mr Pompeo said in an interview with ABC's "This Week." He said that despite the short-range missile tests, which he called disappointing, Kim had not violated earlier commitments he made to President Trump and the US goal remains a verified denuclearised North Korea. "I think President Trump would be very disappointed if Chairman Kim doesn't return to the negotiating table or conducts missile tests that are inconsistent with the agreements that they made when the two of them were together these three times," he said. The US president has consistently played down the weapons launches, stressing that there have been no nuclear or long-range missiles tests, and announcing to reporters in August that he had received a "very beautiful letter" from Kim.
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| World tourism numbers up 4% in first half of 2019: UN Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:21 AM PDT  International tourist arrivals rose by 4.0 percent in the first half of 2019, but trade tensions and Brexit uncertainty could hinder growth, the UN World Tourism Organization said Monday. Worldwide destinations received 671 million foreign visitors between January and June, almost 30 million more than in the same period last year, the Madrid-based United Nations body said in a statement. The Middle East and Asia posted the biggest tourism growth.
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| Opposition declares tactical victory as ruling party loses 13 seats on Moscow city council Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:16 AM PDT  Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has claimed a "historic" victory for his tactical voting campaign after Kremlin-backed candidates lost 13 seats on the Moscow city council following major protests and revelations of corruption. Candidates supported by the ruling United Russia party and mayor Sergei Sobyanin kept a narrow majority of 25 seats but lost several embarrassing district races even though liberal opposition candidates were barred from Sunday's vote. With opposition support, the communists and Left-leaning A Just Russia, both of which rarely challenge the Kremlin in parliament, won 13 and three seats, respectively, while the old-guard liberal party Yabloko returned to the city council with four seats. The result will put the Kremlin on edge ahead of the 2021 parliamentary elections, where the ruling party must retain a majority to ensure either reforms to keep Vladimir Putin in office or a smooth transition of power as his presidential term limit comes to an end. On Monday, Mr Navalny told viewers of his popular YouTube channel that the fractious opposition would never fully unite but had realised the "power of collective action" to challenge Mr Putin's rule. "I hope that you enjoyed electing (city council) deputies. It's a new feeling, isn't it, when it's not Putin and Sobyanin but rather us deciding who will be deputy," he said. "It's a good feeling. Let's get used to it." He claimed candidates backed by his "smart voting" campaign would have won a majority if not for electoral fraud in four districts where the ruling party won narrow victories. The electoral commission has dismissed most of the hundreds of violations reported by independent observers around Russia. Almost two dozen liberal opposition candidates were refused registration on technicalities this summer, prompting tens of thousands to repeatedly take to the streets. More than 2,700 were arrested. Protesters face off with riot police at a demonstration to demand independent candidates be registered Credit: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty All of United Russia's candidates ran as nominal independents given the party's poor ratings. Mr Navalny called on supporters to cast their ballots for a "smart voting" list of candidates, mostly communists, he believed had the best chance of defeating them. Several well-known Kremlin critics argued the tactic would help legitimise the unfair elections, but one survey suggested the majority of protesters agreed with Mr Navalny. "We are here for competition, we would like to choose someone," teacher Darya Kozyreva, a supporter of barred candidate Ilya Yashin, said after casting her vote for a communist endorsed by the smart voting campaign. Meanwhile, United Russia also attempted to claim victory in Moscow and around the country. The national party head said its candidates had "knocked out everyone," winning the governorship in 16 regions and majorities in 12 of 13 regional parliaments. But an analysis of preliminary results showed that United Russia had gotten on average 16 per cent fewer votes than last election and was set to lose parliamentary seats in almost all regions. This was despite allegations of ballot-stuffing and attacks on observers in St Petersburg and elsewhere. The Khabarovsk region on the Chinese border became the first province where another faction would control the executive and legislative branches after the nationalist Liberal Democrat party won a parliamentary majority thanks largely to a popular governor it managed to elect last year. Mr Putin casts his ballot on Sunday Credit: Alexey Nikolsky/Kremlin pool/EPA-EFE/REX The biggest black eye for United Russia was the defeat of Moscow party boss Andrei Metelsky, who lost the seat he had held on the city council since 2001 to a communist backed by Mr Navalny's "smart voting" campaign. On Monday, Mr Metelsky said this result had been "seriously affected" by Mr Navalny's investigation showing that he owned a huge real estate portfolio including a hotel chain in Austria, findings he has denied. Days before the vote, jewellery maker Bendes announced it would create 45 diamond-encrusted "Moscow city council 2019" ruby rings to represent the 45 deputies. Analyst Yekaterina Schulmann said the smart voting campaign had turned protest anger into a city council victory that could hold the mayor more accountable. "(Mr Navalny) channeled this sea of popular dissatisfaction into one flow and made it into a firehose of anger that can knock almost anyone down," she said. The authorities would be forced to change their tactics or the electoral rules by the 2021 vote or risk Mr Navalny becoming a kingmaker, Ms Schulmann added.
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| World tourism numbers up 4% in first half of 2019: UN Posted: 09 Sep 2019 09:42 AM PDT  International tourist arrivals rose by 4.0 percent in the first half of 2019, but trade tensions and Brexit uncertainty could hinder growth, the UN World Tourism Organization said Monday. Worldwide destinations received 671 million foreign visitors between January and June, almost 30 million more than in the same period last year, the Madrid-based United Nations body said in a statement. The Middle East and Asia posted the biggest tourism growth.
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| Move Over, Kim Jong Un: It’s Time to Talk about South Asia Posted: 09 Sep 2019 09:37 AM PDT  The nuclear danger in India and Pakistan deserves just as much effort and attention as North Korea and Iran.
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| US ‘pulled out top covert source inside Kremlin amid fears over Trump's handling of intelligence' Posted: 09 Sep 2019 09:36 AM PDT  The US government extracted one of their most senior covert sources inside the Russian government in 2017 amid fears over how Donald Trump was handling intelligence, a US broadcaster has alleged. The secret removal took place amid fears over the individual's safety and was successful, according to CNN, which broke the news. The decision reportedly came just weeks after a May 2017 meeting when Mr Trump is said to have discussed highly classified intelligence with Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey Kislyak, then the Russian ambassador to America. CNN referred to a person said to be directly involved in discussions claiming the removal was driven in part by concerns over the handling of intelligence by Mr Trump and his administration. The CIA did not deny the source had been extracted in a comment given to CNN but categorically denied the suggestion that Mr Trump's handling of intelligence "drove" the operation. An unnamed US official told CNN that there was media speculation about the existence of such a covert source at the time, which could have posed risks. The name and former position of the source reportedly extracted is not known. CNN said it was holding back details to protect the person in question. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands in 2018 Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais The development is yet another twist in US-Russia relations under Mr Trump, which have dominated the US political landscape since he took office in January 2017. A special counsel investigation lasting almost two years revealed the extent of Russian election meddling in the 2016 presidential election, but concluded no Trump campaign figure had criminally conspired with the Kremlin. Intelligence sources tend only to be extracted – or 'exfiltrated' – when they are in immediate danger. Such high-level assets can take years to cultivate and are hard to replace, according to experts. CNN alleged that there were concerns in the US intelligence community about how Mr Trump and his administration were handling classified material and talking to senior Russian government figures. One incident said to have raised concerns was the May 2017 meeting in the Oval Office. The intelligence Mr Trump discussed with Mr Lavrov and Mr Kislyak was about the terror group Isil in Syria and had been provided by Israel. CNN claimed that the decision to extract the source was taken after this meeting. Donald Trump criticised CNN on Twitter minutes after the report was aired Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci A second episode said to have again raised concerns was Mr Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in July 2017. The pair met at the G20 summit in Hamburg. Mr Trump took the unusual step of confiscating the interpreter's notes after the meeting. Brittany Bramell, the CIA director of public affairs, told CNN: "CNN's narrative that the Central Intelligence Agency makes life-or-death decisions based on anything other than objective analysis and sound collection is simply false. "Misguided speculation that the President's handling of our nation's most sensitive intelligence—which he has access to each and every day—drove an alleged exfiltration operation is inaccurate." White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said: "CNN's reporting is not only incorrect, it has the potential to put lives in danger." The Daily Telegraph has approached the CIA and the US Director of National Intelligence for comment. Mr Trump criticised CNN's "bad information and fake news" in tweets on Monday morning shortly after the report appeared, though made no direct comment on the claims.
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| The New Problems with Putin's Old Political System Posted: 09 Sep 2019 09:16 AM PDT  There remains no mechanism for selecting a successor to Vladimir Putin or for ensuring that the current system can perpetuate itself through this middle of the twenty-first century.
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| France says 'time has come' to ease tensions with Russia Posted: 09 Sep 2019 09:14 AM PDT  France said the time had come to start bringing Russia in from the cold as senior ministers held talks in Moscow on Monday for the first time since the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, said a landmark prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine at the weekend had created a "window of opportunity" to ease tensions. "The time is right to work towards reducing the distrust between Russia and Europe, who ought to be partners on a strategic and economic level." He welcomed "a new state of mind, which we have not seen for several years." He stressed, however, that it was still too early to lift international sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 over Crimea and its support for armed pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Mr Le Drian and Florence Parly, the French defence minister, held talks with their Russian counterparts as part of France's ongoing efforts to reset relations with Russia. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, invited Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, to his summer residence on the Riviera last month in a gesture towards ending Moscow's isolation. The two leaders met at Fort Bregancon near the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas Credit: Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS Mr Macron wants to take the lead on bringing Russia back into conversation with the West despite tension over Moscow's support for the Assad regime in Syria and its policies on Iran and Libya. France is also concerned about Russia's role in the Central African Republic, a mineral-rich former French colony torn by sectarian violence. Russia is training government troops and says it wants to restore peace, but the French fear that it may exploit resources and create further instability. Downing Street believes Mr Macron's efforts to broker a rapprochement are premature given Moscow's role in the Skripal poisonings, which prompted further international sanctions last year. EU member states such as Poland also distrust overtures to Russia while it still controls Crimea and the conflict continues in eastern Ukraine. Mr Macron's critics at home accuse him of burying allegations that Russia attempted to meddle in France's 2017 election and showing weakness towards Moscow as Mr Putin cracks down on dissent at home.
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| 2020 Candidates With Military Experience Struggle to Break Through Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:33 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Three Democratic 2020 candidates could boast of military service in America's longest-running wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But that experience is doing nothing for them in the current race.Of the three veterans remaining in the Democratic campaign, Pete Buttigieg hasn't cracked double digits in national polling. Tulsi Gabbard failed to qualify for the third debate in Houston on Thursday. Joe Sestak, a retired admiral, has 0% support in an aggregate of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics. A fourth, Seth Moulton, dropped out in August.The combat veterans all launched their presidential bids by emphasizing their military expertise. But they have failed to catch fire with voters, even though U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan after 18 years and many Democrats have expressed frustration with presidents of both parties for failing to end overseas armed interventions such as those in Syria and Iraq.Among the top candidates, Democratic front-runner Joe Biden and President Donald Trump both got deferments that helped them avoid service in the Vietnam war. Bernie Sanders was a conscientious objector. Elizabeth Warren, 70, and Kamala Harris, 54, didn't serve either, but it is less expected of female candidates of their generations.Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said that while military service was a highly valued attribute when Democratic voters hewed to the center, it is less appealing now that the party is being pushed left by Sanders and Warren, whose focus on economic issues better reflects Americans' concerns.Trump and other presidents without military experience sometimes face a skeptical Pentagon and have to serve as commander-in-chief. Trump walked into a wall of criticism this weekend after announcing that secret talks with the Taliban were to be held at Camp David but that he canceled them after a U.S. soldier was killed.A generation ago, military experience "would be a selling point even within a Democratic primary," Murray said. "Here's somebody that could appeal to 'middle America.' What we're seeing is a Democratic primary where a large chunk of those voters are saying, 'Appealing to the middle is not a part of the calculation for me.'"The armed forces are one of the most highly esteemed institutions in the country, according to a 2017 Gallup poll, with 78% of Americans who profess a "great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the military."That was a factor during the 2018 midterms when a crop of Democratic candidates with military or national security experience helped their party get a majority in the House of Representatives by winning tight races in swing districts.But foreign affairs rarely are a priority in recent presidential primaries. While every post-World War II president until Bill Clinton in 1992 had military experience, it has mattered less since then. The last veteran to clinch the Democratic nomination was John Kerry in 2004. For Republicans, it was John McCain in 2008.In this election, Democratic voters can choose from the largest-ever field of candidates with a variety of policy proposals and experience, making military experience just one credential among many, according to Loren DeJonge Schulman, the Leon E. Panetta Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a non-partisan defense think tank."Though the military is the most trusted institution in the country, this is not a time in the presidential race where veteran's status is going to make a massive difference in vote share, or in donor networks," Schulman said in an email.In response, all three veterans still in the race now talk about their policies and other elements of their resume beyond their service.Buttigieg highlights his tenure as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, at least as much as his time as a Navy intelligence officer in Afghanistan."Being a community organizer is one way of showing who you are," Buttigieg said during an MSNBC appearance in July. "Holding a different kind of office is one way of showing who you are. But serving in the military says something about who you are. And faking a disability in order to avoid serving in the military definitely says something about who you are."He was referring to Trump, who got a medical deferment for bone spurs, a claim some have found dubious given how many young men of privilege found ways to avoid serving in Vietnam. Trump, however, continues to enjoy high support among military veterans, according to a recent Pew Research survey.Tulsi Gabbard, a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard, served tours of active duty in Iraq and Kuwait. In August, she withdrew from the campaign trail for two weeks to participate in a National Guard training mission in Indonesia.The Hawaii representative has called for an end to U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and has attacked Trump's "chicken-hawk Cabinet," for inflaming tensions with Iran.These positions helped her make the debate stage in June and July, even though she will not participate in the Houston debate on Thursday.Joe Sestak, who served 31 years in the Navy, says he has focused on kitchen-table issues in his campaign."To me, when I'm running, I am trying to make the argument, it isn't because I'm a vet," Sestak said. The country, he said, "wants somebody who they feel is accountable to them."The former Pennsylvania representative, a latecomer to the race, hasn't qualified for any debate so far and could have trouble sustaining his campaign.To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Max BerleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UN atomic watchdog confirms Iran installing new centrifuges Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:32 AM PDT  The United Nations' atomic watchdog confirmed Monday that Iran is preparing to use more advanced centrifuges, another breach of limits set in the country's slowly unraveling nuclear deal with major powers. Iran had already announced the step, its latest violation of the 2015 agreement as it tries to pressure European signatories to find a way to maintain oil shipments and ease the toll of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian economy. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported its inspectors verified the installation of new centrifuges.
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| UPDATE 2-Speaker Bercow, champion of Britain's parliament in clash with Johnson, bows out Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:30 AM PDT  House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, champion of Britain's parliament in its move to rein in Prime Minister Boris Johnson over Brexit, said on Monday he would stand down, issuing a warning to the government not to "degrade" parliament. Bercow, known for his thundering cries of "Order! Order!" and his scathing put-downs of misbehaving lawmakers, has been the target of fury from Johnson's government, which accused him of breaking rules to let lawmakers force a delay to Britain's exit from the EU.
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| UPDATE 5-North Korea says willing to resume U.S. talks this month, launches more projectiles Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:23 AM PDT ![UPDATE 5-North Korea says willing to resume U.S. talks this month, launches more projectiles]( "UPDATE 5-North Korea says willing to resume U.S. talks this month, launches more projectiles") SEOUL/WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Monday it was willing to restart nuclear talks with the United States in late September but warned that dealings between the sides could end unless Washington takes a fresh approach. Within hours of the announcement, North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles east from its South Pyongan province, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The launches followed repeated short-range missile tests by North Korea since its leader Kim Jong Un agreed in a June 30 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to reopen working-level talks stalled since their failed February summit in Hanoi.
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| 'Time is of the essence' in Iran co-operation: UN nuclear watchdog Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:21 AM PDT  The UN nuclear watchdog's acting head urged Iran Monday to respond quickly to its concerns as the country abandons further agreed limits to its nuclear activities. Cornel Feruta was addressing the quarterly board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a day after meeting high-level Iranian officials in Tehran. Earlier Monday, the IAEA confirmed that Iran was installing advanced centrifuges, a move that puts further pressure on the troubled 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
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| UK parliament Speaker John Bercow announces intention to quit Posted: 09 Sep 2019 07:38 AM PDT ![UK parliament Speaker John Bercow announces intention to quit]( "UK parliament Speaker John Bercow announces intention to quit") John Bercow, Speaker in Britain's House of Commons, announced on Monday that he would be standing down from the role. Bercow has helped bend parliamentary rules to give lawmakers opposed to a no-deal Brexit the chance to try to prevent Britain leaving the European Union without a deal on Oct. 31.
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| There’s Still a Path Forward With the Taliban Posted: 09 Sep 2019 07:36 AM PDT ![There's Still a Path Forward With the Taliban]( "There's Still a Path Forward With the Taliban") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- President Trump is taking a lot of criticism for abruptly cancelling talks he had hoped to sponsor between the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan at Camp David. But he was right to do so – his announcement sent a signal that the Taliban must demonstrate in far more concrete ways a commitment to a peaceful negotiation to end nearly two decades of war.I say this from experience. When I headed the NATO mission in Afghanistan as supreme allied commander for all global operations from 2009-2013, I studied the Taliban closely. The movement's name itself simply means "students" in Pashtun, and it is a movement that learned about taking and using power - enough to dominate Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Russian-backed central government before 9/11. Taliban leaders facilitated and protected al-Qaeda, and provided support in the attacks against the U.S. I found them to be tenacious, determined, resilient and utterly implacable foes who took the long view. "The Americans have all the watches, but we have all the time," was a favorite saying.The new peace agreement thus far, painstakingly negotiated by U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad - a skilled former ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations - was between the U.S. and the Taliban only. The Camp David meeting was supposed to be a turning point, wherein the Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban could come together, echoing former President Bill Clinton's bringing together of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the government of Israel in 2000, also at Camp David. (That attempt, too, died stillborn.)The deal on the table reportedly included a U.S. withdrawal of its 14,000 troops, including a down-payment of around 5,000 leaving within a few months after the accord was completed. The Taliban were to provide guarantees that there would be no return to creating "safe havens" for groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (which is rising in prominence within Afghanistan). There was also a provision to free thousands of Taliban prisoners being held by the Afghan government. All of this was to be cemented with a prolonged cease-fire – and it was that portion of the agreement that the Taliban failed to honor, continuing their attacks and killing another U.S. service member last week.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo evidently continues to believe that there is a path forward for the talks. But the Taliban have been consistent in their loathing of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, calling its leaders "stooges" and at times refusing to even begin a conversation with hit until all U.S. troops have left. How can this go forward?First, the U.S. needs to recognize the Taliban for what it is: A deeply unpopular theocracy (polling consistently shows them with less than 10% approval ratings nationwide) with brutal norms of behavior (particularly against women and girls) that aren't going to change anytime soon. Instead of using the Ronald Reagan line about the Soviet Union, "trust, but verify," with the Taliban Washington must "verify, then trust." That means demanding a full cease-fire for at least a six month cooling-off period before beginning any U.S. troop withdrawal. It also means the Taliban must be willing to sit with the Afghan government to at least initiate a conversation about a peaceful end to the conflict.The U.S. should also be willing to keep a minimum level of troops in the country for a significant period of time, and to finance the Afghan security forces. When I commanded the NATO mission, we had 150,000 troops in country, a number now reduced by 85% to about 14,000 U.S. and 5,000 allied forces. Casualties to U.S. and allied troops are likewise far below what we experienced a decade ago. The Afghan security forces are taking 95% of all casualties, and the NATO mission is in support, not in the lead – providing training, logistics, intelligence and some limited special-forces and air operations. Washington also needs to recognize the role Pakistan has played in supporting the Taliban for decades, and continue to pressure the Pakistanis to encourage the insurgents to come to the bargaining table.Most insurgencies end not on a battlefield or at a formal surrender, but in a negotiation. There is still time to avoid a Vietnam-like outcome, with helicopters lifting off the roofs of Afghan government buildings ferrying off the survivors. A better model is the end of the insurgency in Colombia in the mid-2010s, in which the FARC rebels came in from the jungle after five decades, stacked their weapons peacefully, and were given the opportunity to compete in free elections.If the Taliban are unwilling to accept a peaceful outcome – including a full cease-fire while negotiations are underway – the U.S. should walk away from the table. Artificial deadlines would be a tragic mistake. The NATO allies should continue to support our Afghan partners with a limited military mission and sufficient funding to keep the military pressure on the Taliban. That is the only path to a lasting and just peace.To contact the author of this story: James Stavridis at jstavridis@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is also an operating executive consultant at the Carlyle Group and chairs the board of counselors at McLarty Associates.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| CORRECTED-UPDATE 2-Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Brazil in November for BRICS summit Posted: 09 Sep 2019 07:20 AM PDT ![CORRECTED-UPDATE 2-Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Brazil in November for BRICS summit]( "CORRECTED-UPDATE 2-Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Brazil in November for BRICS summit") Brazil's Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Brazil in November, as the two nations seek to strengthen political and economic ties at a time of global trade tensions. The visit is expected to take place during a summit of BRICS countries, a grouping of nations including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Mourao said during a conference in Sao Paulo hosted by the Brazil-China Business Council. The BRICS summit this year, scheduled for Nov. 13-14 in Brasilia, will be hosted in Brazil for the third time.
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| The last places on Earth with no internet Posted: 09 Sep 2019 06:45 AM PDT  I just came back from a week offline. I was in Indonesia, on a two-masted pinisi, sailing east. The ship had no Wi-Fi at all. None of the places we docked – to meet friendly locals, to snorkel, to see Komodo dragons – were connected. When we were close to the coastline, I spotted the occasional mobile mast, and a couple of guilty looking fellow passengers checked texts – but, generally, the mood was analogue, the atmosphere news-free and the only chatter human to human. It was only the third time in perhaps five years that I've been in a place or situation for any length of time without the opportunity to connect to (or trap myself in) the net. Old habits returned, like curiosity, patience and thoughtfulness. After all, we text and even email one another without saying as much as "hello". We stop WhatsApp exchanges without "goodbyes". We share our fake news on Facebook and saturate our pics on Instagram. Going back to real-time, real-life conversation was like being reborn ca. 1985. Being off grid frees up so much time – according to Ofcom, the typical UK adult spends 23.5 hours online per week. I wonder how much this actually increases when we find ourselves on a beach, on a city break, far from loved ones. Our will tends to be week when Wi-Fi is made available. But it's getting harder and harder to escape online temptations. Almost all buses and trains are internet-friendly, and aeroplanes are getting there, for a price. Mobile masts on mountain tops spread their communications over remote valleys. Powerful relayers bounce satellite services across deserts. Apparently, 93 per cent of Greenland's population have access to Wi-Fi (though that might be largely because they can't go very far for most of the year). Being unconnected is a human rights problem in some countries, for some people. For most Western travellers, however, an offline escape might be the one chance to delink from bills and other burdens, the woes of Brexit, the pesterings and pettinesses of family and work, the arguments and self-promotions of friends and acquaintances, routine, ruts and rivalries. Here are some suggestions for those looking for the luxury of a low-tech holiday. Greenland: big on beauty, short on Wi-Fi Credit: GETTY Countries where you might struggle to connect Greenland Notwithstanding the fact that Greenland's householders are connected, this huge icy country is, according to its own tourist board, a "chance to unplug from the world wide web and get in touch with marvellous natural surroundings, yourself and your travel companions – and it's probably better to come to Greenland with this mindset." Visitgreenland.com notes that it's possible to purchase Wi-Fi in most places "albeit at a higher price than you're likely used to". Nuuk library offers limited free internet access for all, and accommodations like the fine Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat, Hotel Qaqortoq, Vandrehuset and Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk offer their guests free Wi-Fi in their rooms. Greenland: rugged, untamed and not a tourist in sight China Despite having the largest number of internet users in the world, China's internet censorship is pretty extreme. The so-called "Great Firewall of China" involves authorities monitoring internet access and blocking website content. Facebook (banned since the 2009 Ürümqi riots), Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, and Reddit are all on the blacklist, while Google's China subsidiary is severely limited. You can't access most foreign websites in China Credit: getty Cuba Internet was introduced to Cuba back in the late 90s but its development has been piecemeal. Most public access, and tourist access at hotels, is through scratchcards that seem designed to malfunction – long passwords are easily rubbed off if you scratch a little too hard, and the minutes purchased never seem to be quite as many as promised. Mobile phones work but it's expensive to call home. Web censorship has eased off, but in July the government moved to shut down gamers' private network SNet. In Cuba, a special permit is required to go online Credit: marcin jucha - Fotolia Iran The Iranian government uses speed throttling – reducing bandwidth to slow down downloads – to frustrate users and limit communications. This happens in the lead-up to elections and whenever there is political upheaval as during the Arab spring. About half of the Iranian population has some kind of internet connection, mainly in the cities. Wealthy Iranians use VPNs to get round censorship of popular social media and news sites. Iranian hard-liners have called for tighter Internet censorship, including the blocking of Instagram, even while members of the political class are keen users. Iran: the world's friendliest nation, according to you North Korea Internet is strictly controlled in North Korea. Permission is only with special authorisation, mainly for government reasons, and access to the global internet is limited to a small group of elites. Nonetheless, the smart phone market is growing fast, and local clones of successful Western phones are improving. Foreign visitors can make international phone calls and go online by purchasing an international USIM card, available at the airport and a few other locations for a very un-Communist €200–250 euros. Note that the Foreign Office currently advises against travel to North Korea. things facts you didn't know about north korea Turkmenistan "The number of places where you can't access the internet continue to diminish and, aside from pockets where physical geography, such as rock formations, blocks a mobile data signal, it's increasingly political actions and economic challenges, rather than technology, that keeps a place offline," said Mark Weeks, MD EMEA, Akamai. "As smartphone penetration creeps up, even in developing nations, the idea of large-scale internet black spots becomes less likely as providers combine wireless, fixed and mobile technologies to bring the internet wherever there's demand. Just as it's no longer possible to blame being on a transatlantic flight or being on the tube for being offline, claiming that you're beyond the reach of the internet on a beach or in the countryside is fading into the past. People who want a true digital detox holiday, will increasingly have to learn the self-restraint to turn off their own phones." The press and communication system of Turkmenistan is state-controlled, which means most social media apps are blocked, what you are seeing is heavily filtered and also that you are being watched while you're trying to access your emails. Roaming charges for foreign phone users are sky-high. Some five-star hotels have fast Wi-Fi. Vietnam According to a survey by Cable, a UK broadband and mobile provider, Vietnam's average broadband speed was "10 times slower than Singapore". Vietnamese internet accessibility is blocked by the government, especially to sites that are critical of the government. Information about overseas political opposition, religious topics or human rights is also sometimes blocked. Others Bhutan, Central African Republic, Chad, Lesotho, Malawi, Solomon Islands, Somalia and South Sudan have limited, slow, dysfunctional wifi networks and, in rural areas, very limited mobile phone coverage. So, digital nomads: stay away! Accommodation offering a digital detox Hoteliers are now waking up to the fact that some of their high-paying guests need a break from the phone and the net (of course, dingy hostels and old-school seaside B&Bs; were always ahead of this curve). Business people who spend too much of their life in Hyatts and Hiltons and wired-up conference spaces understand "luxury" to mean less rather than more. Sometimes the service is optional. For instance, a silver switch next to the beds in the Villa Stéphanie spa resort in Baden-Baden activates a copper grid in the walls that blocks all wireless internet signals. At the starkly beautiful Fabriken Furillen hotel, located on a remote peninsula in Gotland, Sweden, guests can book into the Wi-Fi-free and off-grid Hermit's Cabin; the nightly rate decreases every day as you prove yourself up to the challenge. In Spain's paradores, and in similar colonial-era and medieval buildings that have been turned into tourist accommodation, signals struggle to get through the thick walls and/or down into the buried patios. The country's Vincci chain of hotels is offering a digital detox package, including massage, candlelit dinner, "thermal circuit" and the increasingly on-trend "voluntary submission of electronic devices". One of Spain's historic parador hotels In Chile's posh adventure-oriented Tierra Patagonia, there are no TVs, no phone reception and no Wi-Fi beyond the common areas. Keeping screens outside bedrooms and encouraging people to enjoy the vistas and natural spectacles is an approach increasingly found across South American wildlife lodges, Amazon river retreats and in the more isolated East African safari camps. Britain, so avid for its 5G, also boasts plenty of lodgings that deliver an off-grid break. Skiary Guesthouse, on the road-free shores of Loch Hourn, has no electricity but does have board games, home-cooked meals and whisky. Lit by paraffin-fuelled lamps, warmed by a driftwood-burning stove, it's ideal for switching off. There are also no TVs, phones or Wi-Fi in any of the 200-odd UK properties owned by the Landmark Trust. What's more, many of them are truly eccentric, you could stay in a ruined castle in Warwickshire, a water tower in Norfolk, or a Pineapple in Dunmore, Scotland. See more UK ideas at visitbritain.com/gb/en/places-stay-uk-grid-romance 16 incredible Landmark Trust properties Stop surfing and feel the waves Sadly, or wonderfully – depending on your point of view – Wi-Fi is now widely available on cruise ships, ferries, long distance buses and even in taxis. This revolution has taken place in the last decade, with the larger cruise lines competing over who has the fastest connections. Some Antarctic cruises, using former expedition vessels, only offer internet on one or two computers and the connection tends to be slow, expensive and hit and miss. Weather and satellites can affect the service, and you might be restricted to using a specific URL and sending only emails – which could be charged per size/byte. Thus, a large hi-res photo of a lovely berg could cost £500 to send! Don't expect easy access on an Antarctic cruise Credit: GETTY Greek inter-island ferries, Amazon riverboats, UK canal barges and traditional tall ships and Indonesian pinisis have resisted the pressure to provide their passengers with net services. Those opting to cross the oceans aboard cargo ships have also enjoyed a digital detox, with the connections available at best patchy. As one passenger reported, "My screensaver was now the restless Pacific", as he happily swapped virtual entertainment for a pod of orcas. Enjoy the clouds – instead of the Cloud Only a handful of airlines offer free inflight Wi-Fi, including Emirates, JetBlue, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Philippine Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines and Nok Air. Most airlines charge well above terrestrial rates for making calls and for connection to the net, even while offering heaps of films, music and games free of charge. As Alain de Botton has noted, air travellers are missing out on the wonders of the sky: "There is not much talk about the clouds that are visible up here. No one seems to think it remarkable that somewhere above an ocean we are flying past a vast white candy-floss island that would have made a perfect seat for an angel or even God himself in a painting by Piero della Francesca. In the cabin, no one stands up to announce with requisite emphasis that if we look out the window, we will see that we are flying over a cloud, a matter that would have detained Leonardo and Poussin, Claude and Constable." Flying is surely the ideal opportunity to look out of the window and enjoy one of the everyday miracles of modern travel. Perhaps one day selected seats will come with a digital detox as part of the experience. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryanair try to charge for the right to go offline. The sky is still (largely) Wi-Fi free Credit: GETTY The unconnected town: Green Bank, Virginia In this US township (pop. 143), internet and bluetooth are outlawed, and you can't make a call on your mobile, or send texts. It is part of a federally mandated zone where the needs of a government high-tech facility come first – in this case the huge Robert C. Byrd telescope, which looms over tiny Green Bank.
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| Killings, torture still going on in Venezuela - UN rights chief Posted: 09 Sep 2019 06:42 AM PDT ![Killings, torture still going on in Venezuela - UN rights chief]( "Killings, torture still going on in Venezuela - UN rights chief") The United Nations human rights chief said on Monday that extrajudicial killings appeared to be continuing in Venezuela and the Special Action Forces (FAES) presumed to be responsible had received support from the highest levels of government. Michelle Bachelet told the U.N. Human Rights Council that alongside possible executions, her office had documented cases of torture of soldiers and others arbitrarily held and urged the government of President Nicolas Maduro to punish perpetrators. Bachelet who issued a report in early July detailing witness accounts of death squads run by the FAES, said non-governmental organization Monitor de Victimas (Victims' Monitor) had found 57 new presumed executions by FAES members in Caracas that month.
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