| Lawmakers caution against unilateral strike on Iran Posted: 19 Sep 2019 04:40 PM PDT  Despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's declaration Wednesday that the weekend attacks on Saudi oil facilities represent "an act of war" by the regime in Tehran, the appetite in Washington for a military conflict with Iran appears limited.
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| The Latest: Top Iranian officials get US visas for UN event Posted: 19 Sep 2019 04:37 PM PDT  Iran says its president and foreign minister have received visas from the United States to attend next week's U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. A spokesman at Iran's mission to the U.N said Thursday that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif would arrive in New York on Friday, and President Hassan Rouhani on Monday.
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| Pompeo favours 'peaceful resolution' to crisis after Saudi oil attack Posted: 19 Sep 2019 04:27 PM PDT  The US wants a peaceful solution to the crisis sparked by attacks on Saudi oil installations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, after Iran raised the spectre of "all-out war". Pompeo has blamed Iran for the dramatic weekend assault on two facilities, condemning an "act of war" which knocked out half the kingdom's oil production. The rhetoric has raised the risk of an unpredictable escalation in a tinderbox region where Saudi Arabia and Iran are locked in a decades-old struggle for dominance.
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| US military presenting range of options to Trump on Iran Posted: 19 Sep 2019 03:23 PM PDT  The Pentagon will present a broad range of military options to President Donald Trump on Friday as he considers how to respond to what administration officials say was an unprecedented Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia's oil industry. In a White House meeting, the president will be presented with a list of potential airstrike targets inside Iran, among other possible responses, and he also will be warned that military action against the Islamic Republic could escalate into war, according to U.S. officials familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity. Any decision may depend on what kind of evidence the U.S. and Saudi investigators are able to provide proving that the cruise missile and drone strike was launched by Iran, as a number of officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have asserted.
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| Leon Panetta: Response needed after 'act of war' in Saudi Arabia Posted: 19 Sep 2019 03:02 PM PDT ![Leon Panetta: Response needed after 'act of war' in Saudi Arabia]( "Leon Panetta: Response needed after 'act of war' in Saudi Arabia") Officials suspect Iran may be responsible for the drone-and-missile attack in Saudi Arabia, which Iran denies doing, but words escalated on Thursday.
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| US expels 2 Cuban diplomats, citing 'influence operations' Posted: 19 Sep 2019 02:11 PM PDT ![US expels 2 Cuban diplomats, citing 'influence operations']( "US expels 2 Cuban diplomats, citing 'influence operations'") The U.S. is expelling two Cuban diplomats and is restricting travel of members of Cuba's permanent mission to the United Nations days before world leaders gather for the annual U.N. General Assembly. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus says the Cuban diplomats who are being expelled are attached to the U.N. mission. Ortagus says in a statement that the diplomats tried to "conduct influence operations against the United States." The statement gives no details and the diplomats' names weren't released.
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| China's Growing Clout Looms Over Trump’s Dinner With Australia’s Leader Posted: 19 Sep 2019 02:03 PM PDT ![China's Growing Clout Looms Over Trump's Dinner With Australia's Leader]( "China's Growing Clout Looms Over Trump's Dinner With Australia's Leader") (Bloomberg) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's lavish visit to the White House on Friday -- including the second State Dinner of Donald Trump's presidency -- comes at a critical time as both nations seek to counter China's growing influence in the South Pacific.A day of meetings and the formal Rose Garden dinner -- the first for an Australian leader since 2006 -- give Morrison the opportunity to remind Trump that new challenges to regional security are emerging seven decades after their nations' alliance was cemented in World War II.While China's growing economic might is the main catalyst of Trump's trade war, diplomats in Washington and Canberra are increasingly concerned about Beijing's geopolitical ambitions. There are signs China's influence is spreading beyond the South China Sea to the Pacific Islands, a region traditionally under U.S. hegemony and on Australia's doorstep."Both countries have taken a long time to recognize the gravity of the challenge China poses in Asia and must now make hard choices to place real resources behind new initiatives in the region," said Ashley Townshend, director of the foreign policy and defense program at the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre.China's growing influence in the region was displayed in the past week, when the Solomon Islands broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of Beijing.Military BasesSince 2011, China has spent at least $1.6 billion in loans and aid to develop 265 projects in the Pacific Islands, according to research by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute. While that's dwarfed by the $8.6 billion spent by Australia and the U.S., mainly on programs to improve governance, education and health services, China has gained an advantage by funding and building much-desired transport and utility infrastructure.The U.S. is concerned Beijing's end-game is to lure nations into debt traps as leverage to establish military bases in the region.Both Morrison and Trump are trying to counter China's growing reach. Late last year, Australia unveiled a A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) infrastructure fund for the region, while the U.S. joined a group that includes Japan, the European Union and the Asian Development Bank to fund projects. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo last month visited Micronesia, where he held security talks with the Pacific Island leaders.But according to Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra, more needs to be done."It's really difficult to stop China in its tracks in the Pacific and we're seeing that for some of these nations it's very easy to be swayed by money," said Davis. In his talks with Trump, "Morrison needs to make sure he makes every point a winning point. The U.S. needs to engage more resources in the region, that means a military step up as well as increased investment and foreign aid."Pollution, Moon CooperationTrump administration officials say their defense discussions with Australia will also involve joint work on top foreign policy priorities of the president, including Australian assistance in maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. weighs a response to the recent attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities that U.S. officials have blamed on Iran. The leaders will also discuss joint efforts to address North Korea's nuclear weapons program, according to a U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss the upcoming meeting.But the White House also envisions discussions on cooperation in space, with an anticipated memorandum of understanding between NASA and Australia's space agency on joint efforts to return to the moon by 2024, as well as automation and robotics technologies. This push comes despite Trump in June raising questions about NASA's efforts to return to the moon -- even though he previously directed the agency to pursue that mission.The leaders are also expected to roll out joint programs to address recycling and waste management, with a particular eye toward reducing plastic waste in oceans that threaten the Great Barrier Reef and U.S. shorelines.And Australia and the U.S. will seek to further counter Chinese influence by rolling out a new plan to improve the supply and security of rare earths -- the vital elements needed in components for missile systems and consumer electronics. U.S. officials have surveyed sites in the Australian Outback region for new supplies after China signaled it could restrict shipments as part of the ongoing trade war. Earlier this summer, Trump ordered the Pentagon to spur production of a slew of rare-earth magnets used in consumer electronics, military hardware and medical research, amid concerns China will restrict exports of the products.Warm WelcomeThe last time an Australian leader received such a welcome in Washington was in 2006 when John Howard was hosted to a State Dinner by his close friend George W. Bush. Howard, who was visiting Washington when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred in 2001, was one of the first global leaders to pledge support for America's war against al-Qaeda in the Middle East.Morrison's visit will include an elaborate welcome ceremony on the South Lawn, a gift exchange, a bilateral meeting that includes the two countries' first ladies in the Oval Office, a State Department Lunch hosted by Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence, and a midday press conference at the White House.Morrison's invite is another sign that relations with the U.S. president are off to a good start. Four months ago, Trump tweeted his congratulations to Morrison for a "GREAT WIN!" in Australia's election, which like the president's own victory came as a surprise to pundits. Both are conservatives with a strong Christian voter base. The only other State Dinner Trump has hosted was for French President Emmanuel Macron in April 2018.Australia has stood with American forces in every major conflict in the past 100 years. The Pine Gap facility in central Australia hosts a joint U.S.-Australia defense station used in global surveillance. Since the Howard-Bush era, the alliance between the Five Eyes intelligence partners has deepened. In 2011, then President Barack Obama secured a deal to base about 2,500 Marines in the northern Australian port of Darwin.Morrison's government last month announced it would send military personnel, a frigate and surveillance plane to aid the U.S.-led coalition to protect ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.Government officials in Canberra believe the red-carpet treatment for Morrison shows Trump recognizes Australia as an ally that pulls its weight and regards it as a model trading partner.Morrison is expected to meet intelligence officials at the Pentagon, inspect an Ohio paper-recycling mill built by Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, attend an anti-terrorism event hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in New York, and meet with other global leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, which he is scheduled to address on Wednesday.To contact the reporters on this story: Jason Scott in Canberra at jscott14@bloomberg.net;Justin Sink in Washington at jsink1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Edward Johnson, Joshua GalluFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Border wall, Iran, Space Force among hurdles for $700 billion U.S. defense bill Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:48 PM PDT ![Border wall, Iran, Space Force among hurdles for $700 billion U.S. defense bill]( "Border wall, Iran, Space Force among hurdles for $700 billion U.S. defense bill") Disputes between U.S. Republicans and Democrats over President Donald Trump's proposed border wall, Space Force and his ability to launch a war with Iran are among the biggest obstacles Congress faces in passing a massive annual defense policy bill. Members of the House of Representatives and Senate formally launched on Thursday this year's negotiations on the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, the $700 billion bill that sets policy for the Pentagon.
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| Whistleblower Complaint Being Suppressed by Trump or Someone ‘Close’ to Him, Schiff Says Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:07 PM PDT  REUTERSFollowing a closed-door briefing with the intelligence community's inspector general on Thursday, members of Congress told reporters that they learned no substantive details about a whistleblower's complaint that reportedly involves President Donald Trump making a "promise" to an unknown foreign leader—but were told that the complaint's subject "relates to one of the most significant and important of the DNI's responsibilities to the American people."Only minutes after that briefing's conclusion, The New York Times reported that Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community's inspector general, told members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that the complaint related to "multiple acts," far beyond the scope of a single alleged conversation with a foreign leader.But specifics of the complaint—and even public confirmation that it concerns actions by the president—are still being withheld from Congress, committee members said.Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told reporters after the briefing that he believes the details of the complaint—which would normally be shared with Congress—are being suppressed, either by President Trump himself or someone "close" to him and "above the pay grade" of acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire."I don't think this is a problem of the law," Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said. "The problem lies elsewhere. And we're determined to do everything we can to determine what this urgent concern is, to make sure that the national security is protected and to make sure that this whistle-blower is protected."Fellow House Intelligence member Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) told reporters after the whistleblower briefing that "we've got a very grave situation on our hands. The standard that has to be met by the IG... urgent, is talking about fire, as he referred to it.""This whistleblower has done everything according to the book," Speier said. "And the potential for reprisals for this whistleblower are great"The complaint in question, first filed with Atkinson's office in mid-August and reported by the Washington Post, reportedly concerns a "promise" made while Trump was speaking with another world leader. In the five weeks preceding the complaint's filing, Trump had conversations with at least five foreign leaders, including President Vladimir Putin of Russia, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar.Legally, such a complaint must involve mismanagement, waste, abuse, or a danger to intelligence operations or public safety, or relate to an intelligence activity that violates U.S. law.—With additional reporting by Sam Brodey.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Blast in Yemen kills 6 government troops, Saudi officer Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:06 PM PDT ![Blast in Yemen kills 6 government troops, Saudi officer]( "Blast in Yemen kills 6 government troops, Saudi officer") Yemeni security officials said Wednesday an explosion targeting a government military convoy killed at least six Yemeni troops and one Saudi Arabian officer. The blast took place in the eastern Hadramawt province, far from the part of Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels, and also wounded at least 13 soldiers, many of them Saudi. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but al-Qaida's branch in Yemen has carried out similar attacks in the area.
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| Court calls US "enhanced interrogation techniques" torture Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:04 PM PDT  A federal court in San Francisco has taken the unusual step of using the word "torture" to describe the treatment of a Palestinian man while he was in CIA custody following the Sept. 11 attacks. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals used the word in a 2-1 ruling to describe the harsh interrogation methods used against a prisoner known as Abu Zubaydah while he was held in clandestine CIA detention facilities overseas. Zubaydah has been held without charge since September 2006 at the detention center on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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| Rival UN resolutions on Syria cease-fire go down to defeat Posted: 19 Sep 2019 01:00 PM PDT ![Rival UN resolutions on Syria cease-fire go down to defeat]( "Rival UN resolutions on Syria cease-fire go down to defeat") Rival humanitarian resolutions calling for a cease-fire in Syria's last rebel stronghold in Idlib were defeated in the Security Council Thursday, reflecting the deep divisions that have prevented the U.N.'s most powerful body from taking action to end the eight-year Syrian conflict. The double defeat left Idlib still facing what U.N. deputy humanitarian chief Ursula Mueller called an "alarming" humanitarian situation in Idlib as winter approaches. The key issue was the insistence by the vast majority of council members that a resolution demand that all counter-terrorism operations comply with international humanitarian and human rights law and ensure the protection of civilians.
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| Russian prosecutors call for jailed actor to be freed Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:49 PM PDT  Russian prosecutors on Thursday asked a court to free a jailed actor and give him a non-custodial sentence in a case that has sparked protests and a star-studded solidarity campaign, in an apparent climbdown for the authorities. Actor Pavel Ustinov, 23, was this week sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for violence against police at an opposition protest, despite his insistence he was simply a bystander. The conviction sparked a major solidarity campaign, with supporters from film stars to priests, and saw hundreds of people demonstrate outside President Vladimir Putin's administration on Wednesday and Thursday.
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| US confident it will determine who behind Saudi attacks Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:25 PM PDT  The United States is confident that it will be able to determine who was behind the weekend attacks on Saudi oil facilities, the Pentagon said Thursday. Indications are that Iran was behind the strikes but the United States will let Saudi Arabia announce who was responsible, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said. "As of this time, all indications we have are that Iran is in some way responsible for the attack on the Saudi oil refineries," he told reporters.
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| A Clash Over Obama's Legacy? Democratic Voters Don't Want to Hear It Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:16 PM PDT  In some of the tensest moments of the 2020 debates, a viewer might have concluded that Democrats were poised for a large-scale clash over the legacy of President Barack Obama.There have been heated arguments about whether to stick with Obama's architecture for health care policy or to pursue a single-payer system, and flashes of direct criticism over his record on immigration. In televised debates, Democratic rivals like Julian Castro have pressed his former vice president, Joe Biden, to repudiate the large-scale deportations carried out under Obama's watch.There have also been defiant professions of loyalty, delivered as if Obama were under siege from fellow Democrats. Biden, the Democratic front-runner, has made these moments a hallmark of his candidacy: "I stand with Barack Obama all eight years, good, bad, indifferent," he said at the last debate.Yet among the vast majority of Democratic voters, there is little appetite for a brawl over the merits of Obama's record. And while Obama's consensus-seeking liberalism appeals to many Democratic voters, few appear to be thinking about the 2020 primary as a forum for determining which candidate would follow Obama's exact policy blueprint.Interviews with Democratic voters and party leaders found near-unanimous admiration for the former president and his policies, a sense of nostalgia for what they recall as his dignified conduct -- and, at the same time, a hunger for something new.Obama remains immensely popular among Democrats: In a poll published Tuesday by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, nine in 10 Democrats said they viewed him in positive terms. More than three-quarters said they believed Obama "did as much as was possible at the time in addressing the issues facing the country."Obama has kept a low profile in the presidential race, meeting privately with many of the Democratic candidates but telling associates that he does not see it as his place to direct the party's future. He has expressed interest, at different times, in rising stars like former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana. Obama had issued a warm statement about Biden's entry into the primary but had declined to endorse him or anyone else.Some of the aura around Obama surrounds Biden, too, granting him much of the party's good will."He was with President Obama," said Tajshiek Nehemiah, 31, who watched Biden deliver a speech in Birmingham, Alabama, last Sunday. "I like the way he spoke as vice president, what he stood for, what he believes."But Democrats supporting other candidates have no difficulty reconciling that preference with their affection for Obama. And they do not necessarily connect the social problems the left is most focused on, like economic inequality and health care costs, to the agenda Obama pursued on those issues."I love Obama," Maureen Conboy, a lawyer in New York, said Monday after watching Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts give a speech in Washington Square Park. "He made mistakes but he's honest, he really cared -- you could just tell he's a good person."Conboy also said that was the past."I think re-litigating what happened, making this about Obama, the Obama administration, is the wrong thing," she said, adding, "We've got to look forward, and if it's Biden, we're going to do nothing but looking back."Patrick Dillon, Obama's former deputy political director in the White House, said many Democrats shared that mindset. He said candidates had to offer new ideas, but saw little evidence that skepticism of Obama was growing."I think every candidate has to talk about how they're going to build forward from the Obama legacy," said Dillon, who is married to O'Rourke's campaign manager but is not working for the campaign. "The notion of 'building on' seems to have won the conversation, versus the notion of aggressively reassessing or tearing down."A spokesman for Obama declined to comment.That any Democrat might consider running as an Obama clone underscores his unusual political stature. No recent former president has enjoyed a comparable glow immediately after leaving office. Even relatively popular presidents were seen as more tainted: for Ronald Reagan, there was Iran-Contra; for Bill Clinton, the lurid ripples of impeachment.Obama is different, especially for Democrats. If elements of his political ethos have gone out of vogue -- his peacemaking with Wall Street, for instance, or his championing of free-trade agreements -- the Democratic candidates who have departed from his approach have shown no desire to make that split explicit.The two most prominent liberals in the race, Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have couched their calls for sweeping policy change within praise for Obama, all but erasing disagreements they had with him in the past. In demanding a single-payer health care system, they have praised the Affordable Care Act and called "Medicare for All" a logical next step. Whether Biden can successfully brand that stance as a rejection of Obama, as he attempted to do at the last debate, remains to be seen.For now, the liberals' approach has worked with some Democrats in the early-voting states. Zach Simonson, a Democratic county chairman in Wapello County, Iowa, said if Democrats took the view that Obama "made zero mistakes, or that he didn't even leave anything unfinished, then we have nothing to run on but undoing the Trump presidency.""We can't be the party of 'Make America 2016 Again,'" Simonson said. "Being for hope and change and progress is the best way to carry on the Obama legacy."JoAnn Hardy, a party leader in Iowa's Cerro Gordo County, said she saw Biden as "best positioned to carry on Obama's legacy" because of their close relationship. But she said she believed all the candidates had "respect for Obama and his policies.""I think some of those proposing policies different from Obama are just moving the policies another step toward realization," Hardy, who is neutral in the race, said.Blunter criticism of Obama has been left to more desperate candidates, like Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, who have sought traction by courting activists with intense but narrow grievances about Obama-era policies, particularly on immigration, trade and national security.John Anzalone, a pollster for Biden who worked for Obama, said there was no strong Democratic constituency for such criticism. According to his research, Anzalone said, primary voters were pining not just for Obama as a person but for his steady, pragmatic approach, something he suggested Biden was well positioned to provide."They wish they could get back to the normalcy of someone like Barack Obama," Anzalone said.Obama's enduring popularity owes much to his status as the first black president of the United States. And Biden's standing in the race flows from his role as Obama's steadfast defender, with his lead built on strong support from African-Americans."He had no problem with defending the president when asked to do so," said Lashunda Scales, an Alabama Democrat who is president pro tempore of the Jefferson County Commission. She wasn't making an endorsement, she said, but added, "that, to me, said a lot about his character."But African-American voters are far from uniform in preferring Biden, or in seeing the primaries as a referendum on Obama.Elizabeth Bowens, a retired hospitality worker in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said that she disliked the contentious tone of the Democratic race and that she longed for the Obama years. "Him and Michelle, that's a beautiful couple," she said.But Bowens did not seem to be leaning toward Biden."It's time for a woman," she said.To Obama's sharpest critics on the left -- chiefly activists and policy experts concerned with issues like financial regulation, drone warfare, immigration and criminal justice -- his Teflon reputation can be frustrating.Matt Stoller, a fellow at the liberal Open Markets Institute who is a scathing critic of Obama's economic record, said he saw Democrats as caught between their personal reverence for Obama and the reality that the country faces "existential crises" -- on matters like climate change and economic inequality -- that Obama did not resolve.At some point, Stoller said, Democrats might face a stark choice between Obama's center-left policy framework and the agendas of liberal candidates they now favor. But Stoller acknowledged no such test had yet arrived."I'm still waiting for that moment when Democrats are going to have to make that choice," he said.There is no guarantee that it will ever arrive. And the choice Democratic primary voters see before them now has less to do with Obama's policies than with the immediate challenge of ousting President Donald Trump.Susan Chase, a retiree in Southport, North Carolina, said candidates who attacked Obama would not get her vote, and she criticized Sen. Kamala Harris for attacking Biden in the first debate. But that does not mean she will vote for Biden."Part of me says it's time for something really new and different," Chase said, "but then the other part says we've got to have somebody who can beat Trump."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| UPDATE 1-EU's Juncker says on Brexit: "I think we can have a deal" Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:00 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-EU's Juncker says on Brexit: "I think we can have a deal"]( "UPDATE 1-EU's Juncker says on Brexit: \"I think we can have a deal\"") A Brexit deal is possible, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday, adding that if the Irish border backstop which the British government wants removed could be replaced with alternatives, it would not be needed. "I think we can have a deal" Juncker said in an interview with Sky News, adding that he didn't know if the chances of a deal were more than 50-50. The contentious backstop - an insurance policy to keep the sensitive Irish border open and free of border controls under any circumstances after Brexit - has so far proven to be the main stumbling block in the tortuous Brexit talks.
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| As Amazon Burns, Brazil’s Bolsonaro to Address UN on Environment Posted: 19 Sep 2019 11:57 AM PDT ![As Amazon Burns, Brazil's Bolsonaro to Address UN on Environment]( "As Amazon Burns, Brazil's Bolsonaro to Address UN on Environment") (Bloomberg) -- Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is determined to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York City next week, despite aides' concerns over his recovery from surgery and a potentially hostile reception from European delegates.The president's doctors are due to give their final assessment of his readiness to travel on Friday, but barring an absolute ban Bolsonaro will go, according to his spokesman, Otavio Rego Barros. First lady Michelle Bolsonaro intends to travel with the president, he added. "I am 100% certain that the president will go to New York," Rego Barros said. "He is pouring his heart into his speech to present our country its potential as well as to clarify all this issues relating to Brazil and the environment."Bolsonaro on Wednesday met the small group of advisers helping him to write his speech, including his foreign minister, Ernesto Araujo; his minister for institutional security, General Augusto Heleno; and his son Eduardo, the president's nominee to become Brazil's next ambassador to the U.S.Given the recent global controversy over his government's handling of the fires burning in the Amazon rainforest -- and Bolsonaro's abrasive comments to the leaders of France and Germany -- there's an unusual degree of interest in Brazil's address to the UNGA this year.Amazon Gold and Army Suspicion Fuel Bolsonaro's Rainforest RageThis will be Bolsonaro's second great opportunity to speak to the international community, following his debut at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. In a seven-minute speech, Bolsonaro sought to tout his government's reformist credentials to global investors.At the occasion, he also said Brazil is one of the most environmentally-friendly nations and that critics have much to learn from the South American country in this area -- assertions he's likely to repeat at the UN.To contact the reporter on this story: Simone Iglesias in Brasília at spiglesias@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Bruce Douglas, Walter BrandimarteFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Everything You Need To Know About The Global Climate Strike Posted: 19 Sep 2019 11:40 AM PDT  This Friday, people all over the world will participate in the Global Climate Strike to demand that politicians treat climate change as a moral and ethical obligation rather than solely an environmental issue. After 16-year-old Greta Thunberg made global headlines last year for her solitary protests outside of the Swedish parliament, millions of young people have joined her in organizing climate protests. Just this week, Thunberg testified before Congress, telling lawmakers, "You're not trying hard enough. Sorry." Now, activists are planning a weeklong event to demand climate justice, starting with Friday's strike.Ahead, everything you need to know about the Global Climate Strike. What is the Global Climate Strike?Students across the world plan to walk out of their schools on Friday, September 20, just ahead of a U.N. emergency climate summit, and adults plan to walk out in solidarity as well. "Together, we will sound the alarm and show our politicians that business as usual is no longer an option. The climate crisis won't wait, so neither will we," according to the organizers' website.People around the world will protest in different ways: "Some will spend the day in protest against new pipelines and mines, or the banks that fund them; some will highlight the oil companies fueling this crisis and the politicians that enable them. Others will spend the day in action raising awareness in their communities and pushing for solutions to the climate crisis that have justice and equity at their heart." When is the Global Climate Strike happening? September 20, with events throughout the week to coincide with the U.N. emergency climate summit on September 23 in New York City. To cap off the week of action, there will be another strike on Friday, September 27. Where is the Global Climate Strike happening?There are nearly 5,000 events happening all over the world. Below are the major strikes in the U.S.Boston: 11:30 a.m., Boston City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall SquareChicago: 11 a.m., Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St.Los Angeles: 12 p.m., Pershing Square, 532 South Olive St.New York City: 12 p.m., Foley Square, 1 Federal PlazaPhiladelphia: 12 p.m., Philadelphia City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd.Portland: 10:30 a.m., Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Ave.San Francisco: 9 a.m., Nancy Pelosi's office, San Francisco Federal Building, 90 7th St.Seattle: 9 a.m., Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave.Washington, D.C.: 11 a.m., John Marshall Park, marching to Capitol Hill Who is Greta Thunberg and what does she have to do with the strike?Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager, first began protesting outside of Swedish parliament alone when she was 15 in 2018. The publicity brought her a lot of attention and soon after, students around the world joined her to call for climate justice. Her mother Malena Ernman reportedly gave up her international career as an opera singer after learning about the effects of aviation on climate change from Thunberg. Thunberg has Asperger's syndrome, which she has called a "superpower" because she says it makes her view the world differently.Recently, Thunberg met with former president Barack Obama, testified before Congress, and Hillary Clinton tweeted about her. And by all accounts, she's just getting started. She has said she was inspired by the March for Our Lives protests, in which students walked out of their schools to urge politicians to pass gun laws. "It proves you are never too small to make a difference," she said of the spread of student strikes after her protest.> Fridays for future. The school strike continues! climatestrike klimatstrejk FridaysForFuture pic.twitter.com/5jej011Qtp> > — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) September 16, 2018 What does the Global Climate Strike hope to achieve?According to the organizers: "Our hotter planet is already hurting millions of people. If we don't act now to transition fairly and swiftly away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy for all, the injustice of the climate crisis will only get worse. We need to act right now to stop burning fossil fuels and ensure a rapid energy revolution with equity, reparations, and climate justice at its heart." How can I join the Global Climate Strike?You can find a strike near you on the Global Climate Strike website. There is also a list of ways to help if your employer won't let you join the strike. What is the international Earth Strike? Earth Strike is a grassroots movement that demands immediate climate action from politicians worldwide. The organization is holding a strike on Friday, September 27, the 57th anniversary of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, the book widely credited with starting the modern environmental movement. The Global Climate Strike supports the Earth Strike and encourages everyone to join on both September 20 and 27.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?The 2020 Candidates' Plans To Fight Climate ChangeThe Teens Behind The Climate Summit In MiamiWhy 2020 Has To Be The Climate Change Election
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| Zarif Warns of ‘All-Out War’ If U.S. or Saudis Strike Iran Posted: 19 Sep 2019 11:29 AM PDT ![Zarif Warns of 'All-Out War' If U.S. or Saudis Strike Iran]( "Zarif Warns of 'All-Out War' If U.S. or Saudis Strike Iran") (Bloomberg) -- Iran's foreign minister warned that any U.S. or Saudi strike on his country in response to the attacks on the kingdom's critical oil facilities would lead to "all-out war."In an interview with CNN, Javad Zarif reiterated that Iran wasn't involved in the weekend attacks and hoped to avoid a conflict. He said Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition for four years and claimed responsibility, had the capability to carry out such a sophisticated operation."I cannot have any confidence that they did it because we just heard their statement," Zarif said. "I know that we didn't do it. I know that the Houthis made a statement that they did it."Saudi and U.S. officials have said that the drones and missiles used were made by Iran, had never before been deployed by Iranian proxy groups, and came from a northerly direction, ruling out Yemen as a launch site. But they stopped short of saying the strikes were launched directly from or by the Islamic Republic, claims that could have propelled a drift toward war. The attacks caused an unprecedented surge in oil prices.Asked what the consequence of a U.S. or Saudi military strike on Iran would be, Zarif said: "All-out war," CNN reported."I make a very serious statement about defending our country," he said. "I am making a very serious statement that we don't want to engage in a military confrontation."The attacks have damped speculation that President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, could meet at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. The U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iran after exiting the 2015 nuclear deal, kicking off a year of increasingly fraught relations. Nevertheless, Iranian officials signaled they had their visas to travel to New York.The disputed weekend attacks sent tensions in the Gulf soaring to new heights.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday after visiting the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, as the allies plot their next move.Talking to reporters, Pompeo said he'd gathered "important information about how it is we should think about proceeding," adding that Trump still wants a peaceful resolution to the issue.Pentagon officials were more direct, saying they would defer to Saudi authorities."We're going to allow the Saudis to make the declarations of where the attacks came from," Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman told reporters Thursday. He added that 'all indications" are that Iran is "in some way responsible."Trump, who as a candidate campaigned to end America's foreign wars, initially declared the U.S. "locked and loaded" for a response, and on Thursday said it was possible there wouldn't be a "peaceful solution."But he's also announced a tightening of sanctions on Iran, adding to the sense that he's working to avoid another military conflict in the Middle East.(Updates with Pentagon comments starting in 11th paragraph)\--With assistance from Tony Capaccio and Glen Carey.To contact the reporter on this story: Shaji Mathew in Dubai at shajimathew@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Bill Faries, Larry LiebertFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.K. Port of Dover Says It’s 100% Ready for No-Deal Brexit Posted: 19 Sep 2019 11:28 AM PDT ![U.K. Port of Dover Says It's 100% Ready for No-Deal Brexit]( "U.K. Port of Dover Says It's 100% Ready for No-Deal Brexit") (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. The Port of Dover -- through which a sixth of the U.K.'s trade in goods flows -- can cope with any disruption thrown up by a no-deal Brexit, Chief Executive Officer Doug Bannister said, suggesting some of the direr predictions of chaos are wide of the mark."The Port of Dover is 100% ready," he said in an interview in his harbor-side office with views of the town's castle, its famous white cliffs, its all-important port, and -- across the English Channel -- France. "Ferry operators: 100% ready. Calais, Dunkirk: 100% ready."Bannister's assessment is a boost to the government's efforts to portray Britain as Brexit-ready, even after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced by Parliament to publish details of "worst-case scenario" projections under no-deal Brexit planning dubbed Operation Yellowhammer. That portrayed a country in crisis, with nationwide protests, shortages of some medicines and fresh foods, and a huge drop-off in trade flowing through Dover.Even so, Bannister said he still has no clarity on what "the rules of the game" will be after Brexit. By that, he said he means details from both the British and French governments about what documentation will be required with freight consignments -- and when it'll be needed. What duties will be payable and when by? What format will the information need to be submitted in? It's as close as he came to criticism of the government.Business Will Adapt"Once the rules of the game are known business will adapt, and they will adapt very, very swiftly," he said. And when does he expect them? "If the run-up to March 29 is any indicator of when that might be, it will be on the day," he said-- a reference to the original deadline for Brexit.Johnson has pledged to take Britain out of the European Union "do or die," with or without a deal, on Oct. 31 -- even after Parliament legislated to force him to delay Brexit should he fail to secure a new agreement. If Britain does crash out of the bloc, and some of the direst predictions come true, Dover could be the most visible manifestation of chaos. The port handles 120 billion pounds ($150 billlion) of trade per year, processing 120 ferry-loads and 10,000 trucks a day. Add two minutes to the time it takes to process each truck, and the traffic would back up 17 miles.Among other things, the Yellowhammer document projected a drop in the flow of lorries through Dover of as much as 60% immediately after a no-deal Brexit, recovering only to 50%-70% of pre-Brexit transit in three months. Delays could reach 2.5 days.Bannister said he's not expecting that scenario to pan out, though he did recognize the figures. Nor does he expect it to be plain sailing. Reality, he said, is likely to end up somewhere in between.Disruption Expected"We're anticipating that there's going to be disruption: whether it's a day, two days, a week, two weeks, a month, two months, nobody can really predict," he said. He said he felt the Yellowhammer prediction represented a "worst, worst case scenario."The CEO said there may be some drop-off in traffic immediately after Brexit because companies that built up stock will be able to run that down. That happened in the run-up to March 29, when volumes in the first quarter were over 5% higher than the previous year, while in the second quarter they were 9% lower.Bannister said the government is preparing five sites dotted across southeastern England and away from the port itself, where freight trucks will be able to make export declarations and undergo veterinary and sanitary checks before heading to Dover. He's been told those sites will be ready by Oct. 31. In theory, they should sift through trucks and funnel only those with the correct paperwork to the port."Whether they'll be successful or not, we need to see on the day," he said.French CooperationWhile U.K. authorities have agreed to simplified customs procedures for the first six months after Brexit to ensure no friction, "we still don't have clarity on what will be the checks the French authorities will do in Calais," said Bannister.Delays across the channel -- where there is overflow parking for 300 lorries -- could lead to backups in Dover once those spaces fill up. Nevertheless "we've got deep experience in managing traffic flows through disrupting times," he said.For Dover's Member of Parliament, Charlie Elphicke, it's important to stick to the Oct. 31 deadline for Brexit. Like Bannister, he acknowledged in an interview that "no one knows what disruption there might be on the French side," but pointed out that any delays would be damaging to Europeans as well as to the British."I am confident common sense will prevail," he said.To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US dials back Iran rhetoric and seeks 'peaceful resolution' over Saudi attack Posted: 19 Sep 2019 11:18 AM PDT  Mike Pompeo says goal is to 'get back on the diplomatic path' following Trump's remarks that the US was 'locked and loaded'Mike Pompeo departs from al-Bateen Air Base in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/APThe US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has said Washington and its allies were seeking a "peaceful resolution" with Iran in the wake of the attack on Saudi oil facilities, making clear that Washington would limit its initial response to further sanctions.Pompeo's remarks, made on his return trip to Washington after visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, mark a significant cooling of rhetoric after Donald Trump had warned the US was "locked and loaded" and Pompeo had said the attack, which he blamed on Iran, was "an act of war".The Pentagon said its goal was "to deter conflict and get back on the diplomatic path" and stopped short of definitively blaming Tehran for the air strikes which knocked out half Saudi Arabia's oil production, deferring to Riyadh to make that assessment."As of this time all indications are that Iran is in some way responsible," spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said, before adding: "We're not going to get ahead of the Saudi investigation in their assessment of this."Iran has insisted the attack on a Saudi oil field and refinery was launched from Yemen by Houthi rebels, who have claimed responsibility. Any reprisal attack on Iran by the US or Saudi Arabia, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned, would lead to "all-out war"."I make a very serious statement about defending our country. I am making a very serious statement that we don't want to engage in a military confrontation," Zarif told CNN. "But we won't blink to defend our territory."Asked about Zarif's comments, Pompeo sought to defuse the stand-off."I was here in an act of diplomacy. While the foreign minister of Iran is threatening all-out war and to fight to the last American, we're here to build out a coalition aimed at achieving peace and a peaceful resolution to this," the secretary of state said. "That's my mission set, what President Trump certainly wants me to work to achieve, and I hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran sees it the same way. There's no evidence of that from his statement, but I hope that that's the case."Multiple reports from the White House have portrayed Trump as extremely reluctant to be drawn into another conflict as he campaigns for reelection while seeking to draw down troop levels in Afghanistan and Syria.Pompeo repeated Trump's warning that Washington would impose further sanctions on Iran, which is already subject to a US oil and banking embargo, arguing that they were effective in cutting Iranian financing for its regional allies and its missile programme."The president's direction to us, to continue to prevent them having the capacity to underwrite Hizbullah, Shia militias in Iraq, their own missile program, all the things that they have done to pose a threat to the world, that's the mission set with our economic sanctions," he said.Pompeo was speaking after consulting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the Trump administration's closest allies in the region, particularly in the wake of Israeli elections that threw Binyamin Netanyahu's political future in question.Trump had made clear that Saudi Arabia would have to take the lead role in any response for Saturday's attacks. But Saudi officials have made it clear they did not want to trigger a full-scale conflict.The Pentagon said the focus of its own response was to explore "potential ways to look at mitigating future attacks".Trump's decision not to retaliate against Iran drew criticism from Republican hawks like the South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who said that US inaction "was clearly seen by the Iranian regime as a sign of weakness".Most Trump critics applauded US restraint, claiming that the US had under no obligation to Riyadh, but blamed Trump's rhetorical bluster and his policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran for driving the region to the brink of conflict."US inaction will be perceived as weakness," said Suzanne Maloney, deputy director of the foreign policy programme at the Brookings Institution. "Let me be clear: I'm not advocating war. The point is that [Trump] engaged in a stupid, unnecessary, incredibly dangerous bluff and the Iranians have called him on it."
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| In Israel, calls for unity reveal deep divisions after vote Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:44 AM PDT  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief rival, Benny Gantz, on Thursday each called for the formation of a unity government following Israel's inconclusive national election. "There is no choice but to form a broad unity government," Netanyahu said in a video statement. After failing to form a coalition following April's election, Netanyahu called Tuesday's vote, only to see the country emerge with another political stalemate.
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. consulting with Saudi Arabia on ways to counter threats from north Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:39 AM PDT  The U.S. military said on Thursday it was consulting with Saudi Arabia on ways to mitigate threats from the north after Saturday's attack on Saudi oil facilities, which U.S. officials have blamed on Iran. Billions of dollars spent by Saudi Arabia on cutting edge Western military hardware mainly designed to deter high altitude attacks proved no match for low-cost drones and cruise missiles used in a strike that crippled its giant oil industry. "Clearly there was an attack on this oil facility and U.S. Central Command is in consultation with the Saudis to discuss potential ways to look at mitigating future attacks," Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters during a press conference.
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| UPDATE 1-Outgoing Speaker Bercow: would not rule out second Brexit referendum Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:35 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Outgoing Speaker Bercow: would not rule out second Brexit referendum]( "UPDATE 1-Outgoing Speaker Bercow: would not rule out second Brexit referendum") Outgoing speaker of the British House of Commons John Bercow would not rule out a second referendum to solve the country's Brexit impasse, he told an audience in Zurich on Thursday. "We could leave the European Union with a deal, without a deal if that was the explicit choice of Parliament or we could resolve to seek an extension of Article 50 with a view to a mechanism to resolve the matter," Bercow said about the options facing Britain as it struggles to implement a 2016 vote to quit the EU. The lawmaker has been a champion of Britain's parliament in its attempts to rein in Prime Minister Boris Johnson over Brexit.
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| Saudi coalition launches attacks on Yemeni ‘military targets’ in first operation since oil facilities attack, says local media Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:34 AM PDT  The Saudi-led military coalition has reportedly carried out attacks on targets in Yemen – its first response since an assault on oil facilities that the US has blamed on Iran.The strikes hit areas north of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, Saudi state TV reported.
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| Russian prosecutors call for jailed actor to be freed Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:26 AM PDT Russian prosecutors on Thursday asked a court to free a jailed actor and give him a non-custodial sentence in a case that has sparked protests and a star-studded solidarity campaign, in an apparent climbdown for the authorities. Actor Pavel Ustinov, 23, was this week sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for violence against police at an opposition protest, despite his insistence he was simply a bystander. The conviction sparked a major solidarity campaign, with supporters from film stars to priests, and saw hundreds of people demonstrate outside President Vladimir Putin's administration on Wednesday and Thursday.
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| Israel defends checkpoint shooting as video raises concern Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:07 AM PDT  Israeli police said Thursday that security guards at a checkpoint near Jerusalem were in "immediate danger" when they shot and killed a Palestinian woman carrying a knife, after a widely circulated video of the shooting raised concerns about excessive force. The video of the shooting early Wednesday appears to show a private security guard firing at the woman from several meters (yards) away at the Qalandia checkpoint, just outside Jerusalem. Palestinians have carried out dozens of stabbing attacks against Israeli security forces and civilians in recent years.
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| EU's Juncker says on Brexit: "I think we can have a deal" Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:03 AM PDT ![EU's Juncker says on Brexit: "I think we can have a deal"]( "EU's Juncker says on Brexit: \"I think we can have a deal\"") A Brexit deal is possible, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday, adding that if the Irish border backstop which the British government wants removed could be replaced with alternatives, it would not be needed. "I think we can have a deal" Juncker said in an interview with Sky News, adding that he didn't know if the chances of a deal were more than 50-50. Juncker reiterated that he didn't have a special attachment to the backstop - the plan to ensure the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland remains open after Brexit.
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| Court to Rule on Parliament Suspension Next Week: Brexit Update Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:55 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. Boris Johnson is not ruling out a further suspension of Parliament if the Supreme Court doesn't block it when it announces its decision next week. But the prime minister's team also said it will comply with what the judges decide, potentially restricting his options as he prepares for another showdown with lawmakers over Brexit.Key Developments:Third and final day of Supreme Court hearings into the suspension of Parliament has finishedA ruling is expected early next weekGovernment said it must know the court's decision before declaring what it will do if it losesFormer premier John Major told the court it would be "naive" to believe Johnson on his reasons for suspending ParliamentBritain has given EU negotiators some ideas in writing on how to reach a deal, but this does not yet constitute a formal blueprintBercow Warns Johnson Over Breaking Law (5:50 p.m.)Speaker of the House John Bercow said crashing out of the European Union without a deal isn't an option if Parliament doesn't agree, because the law says it cannot happen. At an event in Zurich honoring Winston Churchill, he said legislation passed this month "is not an aspiration… it is the law of the land.''The speaker sees only three scenarios for the U.K. -- leaving with a deal, leaving without a deal with the approval of Parliament, or seeking an extension. But he's not making any predictions. "Anyone who predicts with great conviction or even a modest assurance the denouement of this long running saga is either an extraordinarily clever person or a reckless fool.''Johnson: 'We Are Making Some Progress' (4:15 p.m.)Speaking to reporters during a visit to Wiltshire, southwest England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government is "making progress" in talks with the European Union."I don't want to exaggerate the progress that we are making, but we are making progress," Johnson said, according to the Press Association. "We need to find a way whereby the U.K. can come out of the EU and really be able to do things differently, not remain under the control of the EU in terms of laws and trade policy, this is the problem with the current agreement."The prime minister said it's still "vital" that the U.K. prepares in case it leaves the bloc without a deal.Varadkar to Meet Johnson in New York (4:10 p.m.)Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he'd be meeting Boris Johnson next week in New York "to try and get a deal," in comments to staff at an event in Carlow, southeast Ireland broadcast by RTE. Both leaders are attending the United Nations General Assembly. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also said she plans to hold talks with Johnson there.Varadkar said the gap between the European Union and U.K. remains "wide," though the "mood music is good" after his meeting with Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster on Wednesday, the Press Association reported."If I were to assess the situation, I would say there is a real willingness to find a deal," Varadkar said.Court Openly Struggles With Role (4 p.m.)After two days debating whether Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament was lawful, the Supreme Court openly struggled with what they could do about it.Several of the justices peppered David Pannick, a lawyer opposed to the so-called prorogation, with questions that tested the limits of their power, and the constitution. The final 15 minutes of the three-day hearing provided some of the clearest insights into the court's thinking.Court President Brenda Hale said the lawyers in the case should "make no assumptions" about the ruling. "This court will produce an answer as soon as it humanly can."Court Will Aim to Rule Early Next Week (3:15 p.m.)The Supreme Court will aim to announce its ruling on Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament "early next week," President Brenda Hale said at the close of three days of hearings."None of this is easy," she said. "We will have to decide what the answer is and we will have to decide one way or the other what the consequences are."Pannick Asks For Parliament to be Recalled (2:55 p.m.)David Pannick, the attorney for Gina Miller, asked the court to "encourage" the prime minister to recall Parliament next week if the judges find against him."We would expect in the light of a declaration in our favor that the prime minister will ensure that Parliament resumes as soon as possible next week," Pannick said. "Let Parliament sort out the problem."He asked the court to give its decision as quickly as possible and provide its reasons later. "This court will produce this answer as soon as it humanly can," Court President Brenda Hale replied.U.K. and Irish Finance Ministers Meet (2:30 p.m.)U.K. Chancellor Sajid Javid and his Irish counterpart Paschal Donohoe will "exchange perspectives" on Brexit at a meeting in Dublin today.In a joint statement, Donohoe said their third meeting in eight weeks would help both sides understand each others views on the U.K.'s split from the EU.For his part, Javid reiterated that the U.K. will leave the EU on Oct. 31 while noting that Ireland "is an essential partner" for the U.K.Government Lays Out Options If It Loses (1 p.m.)In its submission to the court, the government laid out its potential options in the event judges find its decision to suspend Parliament unlawful. The scenarios depend on the wording of the ruling, it said.Scenario 1: The court could rule against the government, but its reasoning might still allow it to keep Parliament suspendedScenario 2: The court could require Johnson to advise the Queen to recall Parliament earlier than planned -- it's currently scheduled to resume on Oct. 14. A Queen's speech laying out the government's agenda would still take place before any other businessScenario 3: A ruling quashing the suspension could mean Parliament was never actually prorogued and remains in session -- an argument the Scottish claimants have made. But it's this outcome that could provoke the most controversial response from the government; Johnson's lawyer didn't rule out a second suspension it it happensMajor's Lawyers Highlight Risks (12:45 p.m.)Lawyers for former Prime Minister John Major said a ruling in favor of Boris Johnson's government would be the thin end of the wedge.It risks creating a scenario where the prime minister could suspend Parliament whenever he wanted -- including when faced with a no-confidence vote in the legislature, the lawyers said, or if politicians tried to pass a law which limited the government's power to suspend.Barnier to Meet 'MPs For A Deal' Group (12:30 p.m.)EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will meet Labour MPs Stephen Kinnock and Caroline Flint in Brussels on Thursday, after he asked to discuss their cross-party campaign to get a Brexit deal through Parliament."Despite the political rhetoric, much of the withdrawal agreement is not contentious, it was the lack of clarity over the future relationship which was the sticking point," Kinnock said in a statement. Theresa May's deal with the EU "provides a solid and realistic basis on which to build in order to reach a compromise that can pass in the Commons and avert a catastrophic no-deal crash-out."The politicians, who lead the "MPs for a Deal" group in Parliament, say they want the U.K. to leave with a divorce agreement and are trying to help broker one that can pass through the House of Commons.BOE Warns of 'Entrenched Uncertainty' on Brexit (12:20 p.m.)The Bank of England kept interest rates unchanged, warning that "political events could lead to a further period of entrenched uncertainty" as the impasse over Brexit continues.U.K. Sends EU Written 'Ideas' (12:10 p.m.)The U.K. and EU confirmed Thursday that the British government has now submitted some ideas in written form about how it sees changes to the Brexit deal, which has been one of the bloc's key requests.However, it's clear that the texts, which a spokesman described as "non-papers" -- EU jargon for an informal discussion document -- aren't the U.K.'s full proposals, which will come at a later of date."We have now shared in written form a series of confidential technical non-papers which reflect the ideas the U.K. has been putting forward," the spokesman said. "We will table formal written solutions when we are ready, not according to an artificial deadline, and when the EU is clear that it will engage constructively on them as a replacement for the backstop."The "artificial deadline" appears to refer to the idea put forward by Finland, that the U.K. should submit written proposals by the end of September.Government Doesn't Rule Out Another Suspension (12 p.m.)The government told the Supreme Court that it would still consider suspending Parliament a second time -- even if it loses the current case."Depending on the court's reasoning it would still either be open or not open to the prime minister to consider a further prorogation," according to the document, which was tweeted by opposition lawyer Jolyon Maugham.This is a question that has been repeatedly put to government lawyers over the last two days. The government also said that it can't reveal its position until the court has given a full ruling.Lawyer Told Off for Politicizing Case (11:50 a.m.)Ahead of former Prime Minister John Major's intervention, the judges have been hearing from lawyers from around the U.K.Ronan Lavery, representing Raymond McCord, whose son was killed in political violence that dogged Northern Ireland for decades, was told off by the judges for what they called an attempt to politicize the hearing -- something the judges have been at pains to avoid."Don't abuse our politeness and don't abuse Lady Hale's patience," Judge Nicholas Wilson said to Lavery. Wilson said he was "worried" that people watching the case online may mistakenly think the case was about Brexit.Confusion Over Government's Court Plan (11 a.m.)There's significant confusion over whether the government will actually publish what it plans to do if it loses the Supreme Court case on Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament.While staff in the Supreme Court said the document would be published by the attorney general, his office said that wasn't the case. And government lawyers told reporters the document would be published "at some point this morning" by the Supreme Court itself. Meanwhile, all parties to the case have seen the document filed to the court.Anti-Brexit Lib Dems Leapfrog Labour in Poll (10:45 a.m.)The Liberal Democrats leapfrogged the main opposition Labour Party in a poll of voting intention published late Wednesday.The party, which held its conference this week, has agreed to revoke Article 50 -- blocking Brexit -- if it wins the next election. While that may account for some of the rise, a higher media profile as a result of television coverage of the conferences often gives parties a boost in the polls.The YouGov survey for the Times newspaper saw Boris Johnson's Conservatives unchanged on 32% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats on 23% -- up four points on the week before -- and Labour down two points on 21%.Coveney: 'Growing Frustration' in EU at U.K. (10:30 a.m.)Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told reporters in Dublin there's "growing frustration" within the European Union over the U.K.'s failure to bring forward concrete proposals to replace the contentious backstop, and that a "significant gap" remains between the two sides.British ideas to replace the backstop, the fallback measure to keep the Irish border free of checks after Brexit, lack credibility so far, Coveney said.Coveney also commented on his meeting with the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, calling the discussions with leader Arlene Foster "positive" but stressing there was no breakthrough. Foster said late Wednesday (see Earlier) the DUP's 10 lawmakers in the House of Commons are prepared to be "flexible" in finding a solution to the impasse over the Irish border.'Naive' to Believe Johnson: Ex-PM Major Tells Court (10 a.m.)The third and final day of Supreme Court hearings into Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament gets under way shortly, with Thursday's highlight expected to be -- in political terms -- the extraordinary spectacle of a former prime minister arguing that the incumbent can't be trusted.Lawyers for former Conservative Prime Minister John Major will say the court shouldn't believe Johnson's public comments on his reasons for proroguing Parliament, even going so far as to say the court would be "naive" to do so. Johnson, who leads the same party, has long argued that he suspended Parliament to kick off a new domestic agenda, while his legal opponents say he did it to stymie the legislature ahead of Brexit.In documents prepared for trial, Major's lawyer, Edward Garnier, focused on the lack of a government witness statement to support its position -- something the judges have also questioned."The court is under no obligation to approach this case on the artificially naive basis that the handful of disclosed documents, the contents of which nobody has been prepared to verify with a statement of truth, should nevertheless be assumed to be entirely accurate and complete," he wrote.Barclay: Both Sides Must Be Flexible (9 a.m.)In a speech to business leaders in Spain, Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said the U.K. wants to secure a divorce deal with the European Union, but warned that both sides must accept a degree of risk to achieve one. The backstop must be dropped from any agreement, he said, urging the European Commission to be "creative and flexible.""A rigid approach now at this point is no way to progress a deal and the responsibility sits with both sides to find a solution," Barclay said, adding that he will meet the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier for talks on Friday.Securing a Brexit deal is also "the best way" for the U.K. government to navigate the Brexit impasse in the British Parliament, Barclay said. Boris Johnson's administration will always abide by the law, he said, referring to legislation passed in Parliament requiring the government to seek a Brexit extension if it can't get a deal next month. But he also warned that the law "does not close the door" to a no-deal divorce."The U.K. wants a deal. But time is short -- there are just 42 days before we leave. But it is sufficient for a deal," Barclay said. "But any deal must acknowledge and reflect the political reality in the United Kingdom. Simply that means that the backstop has to go."Barclay also said the U.K. will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court, which concludes three days of hearings in London on Thursday over whether Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks was lawful.Foster Says DUP Ready to Help Break Impasse (Earlier)Arlene Foster, leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, said its 10 lawmakers in the House of Commons are prepared to be "flexible" in finding a solution to the impasse over the Irish border."We are prepared to be flexible and look at Northern Ireland specific solutions achieved with the support and consent of the representatives of the people of Northern Ireland," Foster said in a speech in Dublin on Wednesday evening.But she told reporters it would be "madness" to erect barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain to achieve a deal, and said the DUP is continuing to talk with the British government about the best way forward.Earlier:On Brexit, the Political Will to Avert No-Deal Is Ebbing FastJudges Hem Boris Johnson in Further in Supreme Court CaseGrim Tidings from Both Sides of the Talks: Brexit BulletinBrexit to Stay BOE's Hand as Officials Wait for Clarity: Chart\--With assistance from Dara Doyle, Thomas Penny, Franz Wild, Christopher Elser, Anthony Aarons, Charles Penty, Kitty Donaldson, David Goodman, Jill Ward, Peter Flanagan and Ian Wishart.To contact the reporters on this story: Jeremy Hodges in London at jhodges17@bloomberg.net;Jonathan Browning in London at jbrowning9@bloomberg.net;Fergal O'Brien in Zurich at fobrien@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| EU wary of Brexit crash landing at high-stakes October summit Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:48 AM PDT ![EU wary of Brexit crash landing at high-stakes October summit]( "EU wary of Brexit crash landing at high-stakes October summit") Britain finally put some documents on the table on Thursday to break an impasse in its Brexit talks with the EU, but the bloc is worried that London is banking too much on a meeting of the 28 national leaders next month to get a deal across the line. Sidestepping technical hurdles that take time to clear and pinning hope on top-level talks is a risky strategy that failed two former British prime ministers, both of whom were forced to quit over their country's thorny divorce from the bloc. The leaders of the bloc's 27 other countries fear that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, known for his loose attention to detail, will arrive at the Oct. 17-18 summit in a blaze of bravado, calling on them to overlook missing details and seal a more general, political deal.
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| Israel’s Homegrown Houdini Finally Hits Limit to Political Magic Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:30 AM PDT ![Israel's Homegrown Houdini Finally Hits Limit to Political Magic]( "Israel's Homegrown Houdini Finally Hits Limit to Political Magic") (Bloomberg) -- Benjamin Netanyahu's unrivaled deftness as an Israeli political operator has deserted him.The nation's longest-serving prime minister is holding on for his political life following a disappointing showing in Tuesday's near dead-heat election, and his political messaging is largely to blame. He trotted out tried-and-true tactics like bashing Arabs and a narrative of his own indispensability, but this time they came up short.Netanyahu, whose previous political escape acts earned him the nickname "the magician," highlighted his stature on the world stage, especially his close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, who boosted the prime minister's standing by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Israeli control over the war-won southern Golan Heights.Netanyahu also appealed to nationalists with renewed vows to annex West Bank territory the Palestinians claim for a state, as well as screeds against Israeli Arabs and the left.These themes didn't work because "he's maxed out his potential," said Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst at the Mitvim research center who worked for the leftist Democratic Union early in its campaign."He didn't have any new arguments, he got all the votes he could in the past on these arguments. Everybody knows these things," Scheindlin said.With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's Likud party trailed Benny Gantz's Blue and White bloc, with 31 of parliament's 120 seats to 33. The outcome of the vote is still inconclusive, however, because neither party has the support of a parliamentary majority of 61 lawmakers.Several developments late in the campaign may have hurt Netanyahu's portrayal of his global influence, said Professor Camil Fuchs, a statistician involved in polling. These would include Trump's stated willingness to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, an idea Netanyahu stridently opposed, and a report that Russian leader Vladimir Putin left him waiting for three hours after he flew to Sochi to meet him."I imagine that was a crack in his narrative," Fuchs said.The anti-Arab messaging backfired completely.The Netanyahu camp delivered a steady tattoo of warnings against the prospect of a left-wing government that would rely on the support of Arab parties, at one point warning that Arabs "want to destroy us all." It also launched an effort, which foundered in parliament, to equip party operatives with body cameras at the polls to counter unproven claims of widespread Arab voter fraud.Arab voters tend to display their displeasure with the Israeli government in one of two ways: they either boycott elections or turn up in higher numbers, Fuchs said.In April, Arab voters stayed home, dejected over a new law on Israel's Jewish character they see as racist, and disappointed that the joint list of Arab parties had splintered, diluting its ability to protect their interests. This time, based on voters' stated intentions before the elections, Arab turnout got a big bump from the camera campaign, which was viewed as an attempt to intimidate Arabs from voting, he said.It energized them even more than the drumbeat of anti-Arab messaging they're used to from previous campaigns because it involved action against the Arab community, and not just talk, Fuchs said."They are trying to physically block our rights and make us vote less, so we have to vote," was the thought that galvanized turnout, he said. Arab turnout soared to 60% from 49% in April.A Netanyahu confidant, lawmaker Miki Zohar, acknowledged the camera proposal was a dud."The campaign of cameras didn't help us, it hurt us," Zohar said.Netanyahu's prospects of lining up a parliamentary majority of 61 were also hurt by polling that showed the social democratic Labor-Gesher alliance slipping dangerously close to the threshold for entering parliament, according to Fuchs. "There was a mobilization in Tel Aviv and places like it" because if Labor-Gesher didn't get into Knesset, "the chance of Netanyahu getting 61 would have significantly risen," he said.Turnout rose in these secular areas, while some people who had originally thought to vote for other parties ended up switching to Labor-Gesher, he said.On election day, Netanyahu convened what was billed as an emergency Likud party meeting amid reports of high turnout in Arab and liberal areas of the country. His Twitter account was plastered with warnings like this:"Voters, have you lost your minds? Go out now and vote Likud in order to stop a left-wing government with the Arab parties?"The prime minister isn't giving up, though. After pledging on election night to put together a right-wing, religious government, on Thursday, he urged Gantz to join in a national unity government, a notion his rival has ruled out in the past because of the corruption allegations tainting the prime minister."He's been able to pull rabbits out of hats throughout his history," said Shalom Lipner, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who has served seven Israeli prime ministers. "If and when we reach the point of history when he's become passe, this will be how the prelude looks, but that doesn't mean we're at that point yet."To contact the reporters on this story: Amy Teibel in Jerusalem at ateibel@bloomberg.net;Ivan Levingston in Tel Aviv at ilevingston@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, ;Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Mark WilliamsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Bercow: no-deal Brexit out of question without parliament support Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:16 AM PDT ![Bercow: no-deal Brexit out of question without parliament support]( "Bercow: no-deal Brexit out of question without parliament support") A no-deal Brexit before October 31 is out of the question without parliamentary support, Britain's House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said in Zurich on Thursday. "We have a bill that says there should be no no-deal Brexit before October 31 without the will of the British parliament," Bercow said, speaking at an event at the University of Zurich on Thursday evening.
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| Hong Kong Police ‘Tortured’ and Beat Protesters, Amnesty Says Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:01 AM PDT ![Hong Kong Police 'Tortured' and Beat Protesters, Amnesty Says]( "Hong Kong Police 'Tortured' and Beat Protesters, Amnesty Says") (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong police beat pro-democracy protesters in custody and committed acts that amount to "torture" during recent demonstrations, Amnesty International alleged in a new report that could fuel further unrest.Police used "unnecessary and excessive force" in making arrests, beat a protester for declining to answer a question and then pinned him to the floor, shined laser pens in the eyes of people who had been detained, and threatened to electrocute a man's genitals after he refused to unlock his phone, the human rights group said.Amnesty said it released its findings after an investigation that included interviews with 21 arrested protesters, corroborating interviews with health care workers who treated demonstrators, and lawyers representing people who had been detained. Out of 21 protesters interviewed, 18 were hospitalized for injuries or illnesses related to their arrest and detention, the group said, adding that it also reviewed medical records.The Hong Kong Police said it would not comment on individual cases. In a statement released to Bloomberg News, it said police officers would give warning of their intention to use force when circumstances allowed. Officers are required to use a "high level of restraint at all times," it said.The rights group said it shared its findings with the Hong Kong Commissioner of Police on Sept. 18, but had not yet received a response. Contacted on Thursday, police didn't have an immediate comment.The group, which also shared its research with several members of the city's Legislative Council, said it was publicizing its findings anyway given the "gravity of the abuses," escalating violence on both sides and the possibility the "situation could deteriorate further in the coming weeks" ahead of protests planned to coincide with the Oct. 1 anniversary of 70 years of Communist rule in China.Hong Kong's 100 Days of ProtestsPolice have previously defended their tactics as necessary against radical protesters who have thrown bricks and petrol bombs at riot police over the course of often-violent demonstrations that have included the vandalizing of subway stops and the setting ablaze of street barricades.Chief Executive Carrie Lam this week defended her government and police from allegations of improper behavior, saying the administration condemns all violence and all judicial proceedings were conducted in an "impartial manner.""We act in accordance, in strict accordance, with the law based on the facts, so nobody should speculate or allege either my government or the police for being selective in the work that we are doing," she said Tuesday before a meeting of the city's Executive Council.Sustaining Momentum"The evidence leaves little room for doubt – in an apparent thirst for retaliation, Hong Kong's security forces have engaged in a disturbing pattern of reckless and unlawful tactics against people during the protests," Nicholas Bequelin, its East Asia director, said in a statement. "This has included arbitrary arrests and retaliatory violence against arrested persons in custody, some of which has amounted to torture."The report comes as U.S. lawmakers ramp up pressure on Hong Kong's government and could fuel more protests or support for a movement that has seized on aggressive police tactics to sustain its momentum, including the case of a woman who was hit in the eye.Dissatisfaction with the police has become an increasingly important motivating factor in bringing demonstrators onto the streets, according to a survey led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "Since mid-July, it had actually become the most important motivation for people to participate in the protests," researchers said.How Hong Kong's Sky-High Home Prices Feed the Unrest: QuickTakeHong Kong police have come under international criticism as protests over since-scrapped legislation allowing extraditions to China shifted into calls for greater democratic accountability, and clashes between officers and demonstrators became increasingly violent.The United Nations Human Rights Office said in August that police were using tear gas "in ways that are prohibited by international norms and standards" and "creating a considerable risk of death or serious injury." Then-U.K. foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt announced a ban on export licenses for crowd control equipment in June.U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also made calls to ban crowd control equipment exports and has said it was "alarming to watch the Hong Kong police with support from Beijing intensify their use of force against the protesters."The Amnesty report also alleges that:In several cases, protesters were "severely beaten in custody and suffered other ill-treatment amounting to torture." Many required hospitalization.Some violence appears to have been "meted out as 'punishment' for talking back or appearing uncooperative."Some arrested demonstrators were zip-tied and had their gas masks removed, and forced to sit in areas where tear gas was repeatedly being fired.One person was taken to a separate room by officers after refusing to answer a question, beaten, and then held to the ground by an officer's knee. He was later hospitalized with a bone fracture and internal bleeding.Several detained protesters had laser pointers shined directly into their eyes -- after people shined laser pens at officers during protests.Officers hit demonstrators with batons or fists while making arrests, "even when they were not resisting" or were already restrained. One was hospitalized with a fractured rib.To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Shamim AdamFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UK PM Johnson says some progress being made in Brexit talks Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:53 AM PDT ![UK PM Johnson says some progress being made in Brexit talks]( "UK PM Johnson says some progress being made in Brexit talks") British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday some progress was being made in Brexit talks but that Britain should still prepare to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 without a deal. "I think we are making some progress," Johnson said in a broadcast clip, adding that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's saying on Wednesday that he was not "emotionally attached" to the Irish backstop was encouraging. Britain wants the backstop - designed to protect the open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after Brexit - removed from the withdrawal agreement with the EU.
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| Supreme Court to rule next week on UK parliament suspension Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:24 AM PDT  Britain's Supreme Court announced Thursday it will rule next week on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in shutting down parliament in the final weeks before Brexit. If the verdict goes against the premier, it could see parliament rapidly reassemble and would inevitably trigger questions about the prime minister's position if he was found to have mislead the monarch. Johnson, who took office on July 24, insists suspending or proroguing parliament was a routine and long-overdue move to launch a fresh legislative programme.
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| WHO congratulates India on e-cigarette ban Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:07 AM PDT  The World Health Organization congratulated India on Thursday for its ban on electronic cigarettes, the latest evidence of a global backlash against a technology touted as safer than regular smoking. In a tweet, the UN body's South-East Asia office said that India was the sixth country in the region to ban e-cigarettes after North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and East Timor. A spokesman for WHO said that e-cigarette regulation should fit the capabilities of each country, welcoming the outright ban in India. "WHO has been consistent that if e-cigarettes cannot be regulated effectively they should be banned," said Tarik Jašarević. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, a prominent opponent of smoking, also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "recognizing this epidemic and putting the health of your citizens first". Citing health concerns, the Indian government announced on Wednesday a ban on the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and storage of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes | How different countries and the WHO approach regulation It came a day after New York became the second US state to outlaw flavoured e-cigarettes, and a week after President Donald Trump said his administration was considering a ban. E-cigarettes heat up a liquid, flavoured with anything from bourbon to bubble gum and usually containing nicotine, into vapour - hence "vaping" - which is inhaled. The technology have been pushed by producers, and also by some governments including in Europe as a safer alternative to tobacco - and as a way to kick the habit. The vapour is missing the estimated 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke but does contain a number of substances that could potentially be harmful. Critics say that apart from being potentially harmful in themselves, savvy marketing and the flavours available have turned millions of children into vapers - and into potential future smokers. The sale of tobacco remains legal in India, prompting accusations that Modi's main aim is to protect India's domestic industry, on which some 45 million people depend for their livelihood. India is also the world's third-largest producer of tobacco and exports around a billion dollars worth of the producr annually, with the government holding stakes in several tobacco firms, including ITC. India is also the world's second-largest consumer of traditional tobacco products, although chewing - which still causes cancer - is much more common than smoking, killing nearly 900,000 people a year, according to the WHO.
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| From DNA, scientists create skull of Neanderthal cousin Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:05 AM PDT  Scientists say they've deciphered features of the skull and some other details of a mysterious, extinct cousin of Neanderthals by analyzing its DNA. The genetic material came from the finger bone of a female member of the Denisovans, a population known mostly from small bone fragments and teeth recovered in Siberia's Denisova Cave. Denisovans may have occupied that cave from more than 200,000 years ago to around 50,000 years ago.
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| The Latest: Israel's president: Coalition talks start Sunday Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:28 AM PDT  Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, says he will begin consultations Sunday with all of the parties elected to parliament. Neither of the two largest parties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and challenger Benny Gantz's Blue and White, have a clear path to a majority. The consultations are expected to last two days.
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| Russia detains shaman on mission to 'banish Putin' Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:26 AM PDT  Russian police on Thursday said they had detained a Siberian shaman trekking towards Moscow on a mission to expel "demon" President Vladimir Putin, picking up a crowd of supporters on the way. Police in the eastern Siberian region of Buryatia told Interfax they had detained Alexander Gabyshev, the shaman, on a highway near Lake Baikal and would put him on a flight back to his home region where he is "wanted for committing a crime". Gabyshev's eccentric bid to walk from his home city of Yakutsk to Moscow, a distance of over 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles), has seen a group of followers join him on the way.
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| Siberian shaman walking to Moscow to 'cast out' Putin arrested Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:07 AM PDT  A popular Siberian shaman walking to Moscow to "cast out" Vladimir Putin and sparking protests along the way has been arrested in an early morning raid on his camp on Lake Baikal. Around 6am, dozens of masked men with batons and assault rifles suddenly seized Alexander Gabyshev, a shaman who has already trekked more than 1,700 miles from his native Yakutia region, from his tent near the world's deepest lake. Refusing to answer questions, they loaded him and his pull-cart into vans and drove off toward Ulan-Ude, supporters who were camping with the "warrior shaman" said. They believe he could face prison time on charges of extremism, which have sometimes been levelled against Kremlin critics. "It was a silent special operation," fellow traveler Viktor Yegorov said in a video. "This is how operations to seize terrorists, criminals or other people who pose a danger to the state are done." The interior ministry in Ulan-Ude said in a statement a man born in 1958 had been arrested and would be sent by plane to Yakutia, where he was "wanted for committing a crime". No one with Mr Gabyshev's name and birth year is included on the Yakutia or nationwide wanted lists, however. Viktor Yegorov and Mr Gabyshev rest at a camp near Lake Baikal this week Credit: YouTube The traveller, who said he became a shaman while "living in the woods" after his wife's death from cancer, in March began a 4,500-mile walk from Yakutia to Moscow, where he claims Mr Putin is a "demon" ruling in the name of dark forces. "Democracy should be without fear," he said in one interview. "A sorcerer has imposed an illusion of fear and a depression on the whole country, but a sorcerer of light like myself can clear up this apparition." His power-to-the-people message has been quick to win admirers in towns across Siberia, where living standards are low and many still turn to shamans for help with problems. Like a Russian Forest Gump, he has attracted dozens of followers to walk with him part of the way. A viral video of him at a "Russia without Putin" rally in Chita calling for "people's gatherings" to approve laws brought him national attention. Late last month, a group of shamans from Ulan-Ude tried to stop Mr Gabyshev, arguing that spiritual leaders shouldn't get involved in politics. Police also confiscated two supply vehicles accompanying the Yakut shaman's party. A gathering of Mr Gabyshev's supporters in Ulan-Ude on September 9 to complain about the seizures turned into a mass protest against the results of elections the day before. While the ruling United Russia party received fewer votes in almost all regions thanks in part to a tactical voting campaign by the liberal opposition, its candidates nonetheless kept control of regional parliaments and posts, including in Ulan-Ude, amid complaints of violations. After three days, the protest was broken up and 17 were detained. Mr Gabyshev did not enter the city. Mr Gabyshev carries a yurt and stove in his pull-cart Credit: VK Commentators were quick to condemn and ridicule Mr Gabyshev's arrest, wondering how the authorities could be afraid of a simple shaman. "If someone makes a voodoo doll of Vladimir Putin is that extremism or a crime?" asked Natalya Semyonova, a member of the opposition Yabloko party in Ulan-Ude. "Let's introduce a criminal article against sorcery and shamanism!" Alexei Tsydenov, head of the region, said "everyone needs to slow down" in a cryptic Facebook post on Thursday. His spokesman later said Mr Tsydenov had been referring to the recent protests rather than the shaman's arrest.
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| Air raid sirens tested across Saudi capital as country prepares for conflict escalation with Iran Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:40 AM PDT  Air raid sirens were tested across the Saudi Arabian capital on Thursday as the country prepared for a possible escalation with Iran, following a weekend attack on its oil fields raised the stakes in the conflict. Text messages were sent out to residents ahead of the 1pm tests in Riyadh and neighbouring provinces, which civil defence said was to ensure the sirens were "effective and ready." The US and Saudi are considering their response to Saturday's assault on key oil facilities which left the kingdom reeling. Asked whether military retaliation was being considered, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi's ambassador to Germany, said "everything is on the table." Donald Trump, the US president, has struck a more cautious note, saying there were many options short of war with Iran. Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Malik shows the remains of the missiles allegedly used in the attack against Aramco oil facility Credit: STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX He said there was "plenty of time to do some dastardly things . . . We'll see what happens." The Trump administration has reportedly been briefed on a number of possible options for retaliatory action against Iran, which is believed to be behind the assault, including a cyberattack or physical strike on Iranian oil facilities or Revolutionary Guard Corp assets. "The US stands with Saudi Arabia and supports its right to defend itself," Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, tweeted from Jeddah following a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mr Pompeo said the attack on the world's largest oil processing plant and knocked out half of Saudi's production, was "of a scale we've just not seen before". "The Iranian regime's threatening behavior will not be tolerated," he added. Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said any US or Saudi military strike against Iran would result in "all-out war". "'Act of war' or agitation for war?" he said in a tweet. "For their own sake, they should pray that they won't get what they seek." In an interview later with CNN, he said: "I am making a very serious statement that we don't want war; we don't want to engage in a military confrontation... But we won't blink to defend our territory." Riyadh, which said it is still investigating the assault, on Wednesday displayed the remnants of 25 Iranian drones and missiles it said were used in the strike as undeniable evidence of Iranian aggression. Strikes against Saudi oil plants Lt Col Turki al-Maliki, a Saudi military spokesman, said the kingdom had recently intercepted 282 ballistic missiles and 258 UAVs or drones. The bulk of these are likely to have come from Yemen. The Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, but Riyadh said the missiles had been fired from the north, not Yemen to the south. One working theory being considered by US intelligence is that the cruise missiles were launched from Iran and programmed to fly around the northern Persian Gulf through Iraqi air space instead of directly across the gulf where the US has much better surveillance. Such a hypothesis would explain how they were not picked up and intercepted by Saudi's costly missile defence system. American military officials have visited the Aramco sites in Khurais and Abqaiq, eastern Saudi Arabia, to inspect and collect the debris for intelligence. The UN has also sent an international team of experts to Saudi to investigate. Residents in Riyadh told the Telegraph they were worried that the tense situation may spill over into war. "We have had strikes on Saudi, even on Riyadh, before. But this feels different. The Houthis, we can deal with," said Khaled, who did not wish to give his last name. "But Iran is another matter."
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| US drone strike 'kills 30 Afghan farmers' Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:17 AM PDT  A U.S. drone strike intended to hit an Islamic State (Isil) hideout in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians resting after a day's labor in the fields, officials said on Thursday. The attack on Wednesday night also injured another 40 people after accidentally targeting farmers and laborers who had just finished collecting pine nuts at Wazir Tangi in eastern Nangarhar province, three Afghan officials told Reuters. "The workers had lit a bonfire and were sitting together when a drone targeted them," tribal elder Malik Rahat Gul told Reuters by telephone from Wazir Tangi. Afghanistan's Defense Ministry and a senior U.S official in Kabul confirmed the drone strike, but did not share details of civilian casualties. Taliban control in Afghanistan "U.S. forces conducted a drone strike against Da'esh (Isil) terrorists in Nangarhar," said Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. "We are aware of allegations of the death of non-combatants and are working with local officials to determine the facts." About 14,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, training and advising Afghan security forces and conducting counter-insurgency operations against Isil and the Taliban movement. Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Nangarhar, said at least nine bodies had been collected from the site. Haidar Khan, who owns the pine nut fields, said about 150 workers were there for harvesting, with some still missing as well as the confirmed dead and injured. Jihadist Isil fighters first appeared in Afghanistan in 2014 and have since made inroads in the east and north where they are battling the government, U.S. forces and the Taliban. The exact number of IS fighters is difficult to calculate because they frequently switch allegiances, but the U.S. military estimates there are about 2,000. There was no word from Isil on the attack. There has been no let-up in assaults by Taliban and Isil as Afghanistan prepares for a presidential election this month. In a separate incident, at least 20 people died in a suicide truck bomb attack on Thursday carried out by the Taliban in the southern province of Zabul. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in fighting across Afghanistan after the collapse of U.S.-Taliban peace talks this month. The Taliban has warned U.S. President Donald Trump will regret his decision to abruptly call off talks that could have led to a political settlement to end the 18-year-old war. The United Nations says nearly 4,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the first half of the year. That included a big increase in casualties inflicted by government and U.S.-led foreign forces.
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| Philippines declares new polio outbreak after 19 years Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:15 AM PDT ![Philippines declares new polio outbreak after 19 years]( "Philippines declares new polio outbreak after 19 years") Philippine health officials declared a polio outbreak in the country on Thursday, nearly two decades after the World Health Organization declared it to be free of the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said at a news conference that authorities have confirmed at least one case of polio in a 3-year-old girl in southern Lanao del Sur province and detected the polio virus in sewage in Manila and in waterways in the southern Davao region. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund expressed deep concern over polio's reemergence in the country and said they would support the government in immunizing children, who are the most susceptible, and strengthening surveillance.
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| Putin Is Afraid to Boost Government Spending Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:15 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Russia, which has the biggest budget surplus among major economies, will loosen its purse strings – but only very slightly. The government's proposals to cautiously increase spending over the next three years are unlikely to solve President Vladimir Putin's political problems.Tight fiscal policies are falling out of fashion around the world. In Russia's immediate neighborhood, budget surpluses are increasingly frowned upon. The European Central Bank is exhorting euro area governments to spend more to counteract a slowdown in growth. The Netherlands is clearly listening: It's about to pass a stimulus budget for next year. The German government is under heavy pressure to spend more to ward off a recession. In eastern European countries that are not euro members, the ones with more expansionary fiscal policies appear to be enjoying stronger economic growth. The Czech Republic recently approved a draft 2020 budget that promises significant spending increases. On Russia's eastern border, Japan is going for more stimulus next year. Financial resources are cheap and trade wars are creating risks for growth. Trying to boost domestic demand through increased government spending makes sense.Based on economic data alone, Russia is even more overdue for a major spending boost than any of its neighbors. In January through August, its budget surplus reached 3.7% of gross domestic product; the government plans to bring it down to 1.7% GDP by the end of the year. Russia's National Wellbeing Fund, which absorbs the additional revenues the government receives when the oil price is higher than $41.6 per barrel, now stands at almost $123 billion. Meanwhile, economic growth is slower than previously projected at a mere 0.9% in the second quarter. Russians' real incomes keep dropping: In the first half of 2019, they went down 1.3% year on year. If this isn't a case for unleashing more spending, it's hard to say what would be.Besides, there's mounting political pressure for a fiscal stimulus. Putin's popularity has sunk back to levels that preceded the annexation of Crimea, which sent his approval ratings soaring. Russians' propensity to take part in protests stands at roughly twice the 2017 level. Moscow, the country's capital and biggest city, is especially restive after a summer of protests that were put down with an unusual show of force. Putin is worried; in a meeting with economic officials in late August, he complained about declining incomes. Yet the Russian government's budget proposal for 2020 through 2022 doesn't eliminate the budget surplus, it just lowers it to 0.8% GDP (rather than 1.2% as planned in June) and then to 0.2% in 2022. The government also has decided against tweaking the fiscal rule that diverts revenues to the National Wellbeing Fund and only allows spending from it after its size exceeds 7% GDP. That will likely happen next year, but the Russian Central Bank recommends that the government invest the excess in the global financial markets rather than inside Russia, warning that any other scenario would increase inflation risks and not necessarily lead to faster growth.The government doesn't appear to have much faith in its ability to spend effectively. One reason for the high budget surplus so far this year is that the funding of Putin's 12 so-called "national projects," aimed at delivering visible improvements to public services and infrastructure, is behind schedule. Russia's economic managers, both in the cabinet and at the Central Bank, feel more secure supporting proven austerity policies than expansion. They're understandably worried that any fiscal stimulus might be squandered and plundered given widespread corruption, the appetite for graft among state companies headed by Putin's friends and the predatory behavior of Russia's vast law enforcement apparatus.In a recent speech, Elvira Nabiullina, governor of the Central Bank, stressed that government spending, including on "national projects," cannot lead to faster growth unless Russia's economic climate becomes more conducive to private enterprise. "Business and not government create economic growth," she said. Yet Russia's level of economic freedom, as measured by the Heritage Foundation, remains below the global average.Without oil revenues, the picture looks very different. Russia still runs a significant non-oil deficit – about 5.8% GDP this year; it's down from 9.1% in 2016, but the government would like to reduce it to 5.5% in 2022. Russia's oil and gas dependence continues to cast a shadow on any long-term development plans.The caution of Russia's economic and monetary authorities is in line with recommendations from the International Monetary Fund which said in a report published last month that "the neutral fiscal stance is appropriate, and the focus in the coming years should be on engineering a further growth-friendly shift in the composition of taxes and spending while boosting the credibility of the fiscal rule."Russia is just not a country where a spending boost could help the economy grow faster and make its citizens better off, despite its overflowing budget and low indebtedness (Russia's government debt stands at about 14% of GDP, according to the IMF). Putin's economic team continues to hold off action because it doesn't believe in any of the available alternatives. Putin, despite his political worries, largely appears to agree: His demands for growth- and income-boosting solutions aren't aggressive and he's not making changes to the government lineup to signal his dissatisfaction. This creates a window of opportunity for the anti-Putin opposition. Continued stagnation should lead to more protests; the Kremlin's ability to suppress them will be tested more and more often in the near future.To contact the author of this story: Leonid Bershidsky at lbershidsky@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephanie Baker at stebaker@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Leonid Bershidsky is Bloomberg Opinion's Europe columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| President Trump's Iran Nightmare: Iran's Navy Could Do Some Serious Damage Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:10 AM PDT  Key Point: Iran's naval forces are some of the smallest but most aggressive in the region.
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| Only Congress Has Authority to Lock and Load on Iran Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:00 AM PDT ![Only Congress Has Authority to Lock and Load on Iran]( "Only Congress Has Authority to Lock and Load on Iran") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- After the attacks on Saudi oil fields Saturday, President Donald Trump tweeted: "There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed."Vice President Mike Pence echoed the remark, down to the diction: "In the wake of this unprovoked attack, I promise you, we're ready. We're locked and loaded and we're ready to defend the interests of our allies."If it is verified that Iran was behind the attack, should the U.S. take military action in response? It was an attack on the Saudis, not on America. There are no treaty obligations to treat an attack on the kingdom as an attack on the U.S. It has the means to respond itself. Striking at Iran could lead to a major military conflict and destabilize the region. This administration has not inspired confidence in its ability to manage any such conflict well.All of these are good reasons to refrain from an aggressive response, even if, as Trump has also suggested, the Saudis would reimburse the U.S. for our trouble. We're not their mercenaries.But there's another question to be answered before deciding whether to strike Iran: Who should make the decision? The answer has to be Congress. The Constitution gives the legislative branch, not the president, the power to decide whether to go to war.Even Alexander Hamilton, the Founder most supportive of broad claims of executive authority, acknowledged the president's limits in initiating war. In 1798, he wrote that the president had the power "to repel force by force" and "to repress hostilities within our waters." He added, "Anything beyond this must fall under the idea of reprisals and requires the sanction of that Department which is to declare or make war." In other words: Congress.In an 1801 article, Hamilton argued strenuously that if another country has made war on the U.S., the president may use force without congressional approval. But he also noted that the "plain meaning" of the Constitution is that only the legislature may shift the nation from a state of peace to a state of war.While it is true that modern presidents have tended not to acknowledge that they need congressional approval before going to war, enough of the original understanding of the proper division of authority has survived that presidents have often asked for that approval anyway. President George H.W. Bush got Congress to bless military action to drive Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991. President George W. Bush obtained congressional approval for the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. President Barack Obama sought congressional authorization for military action against Syria, and stood down when that authorization was not forthcoming.Trump administration officials have sometimes hinted, or reportedly claimed, that they believe Congress has already given them authorization to use force against Iran. The argument is that the 2001 authorization for the use of military force against those who perpetrated or aided in the 9/11 attacks covers Iran today. That law has been stretched to the point of abuse, aided by the refusal of Congress to take any action to update it. But to apply it to Iran would be absurd. It would more readily authorize attacks against Saudi Arabia, homeland of 15 of the 19 hijackers, than attacks on its behalf.Go back to Hamilton's distinction. An attack on Saudi oil fields is not an attack on us: It does not move us into a state of war by itself, the way an attack on America would. There is no need for immediate action: The administration is on its own account deliberating over what to do. So far it has merely tightened sanctions, a step that falls well short of war. However harsh sanctions may be in effect, they merely preclude undertaking certain economic transactions with the Iranian regime.It would be imprudent in the extreme for Congress to bless military action against Iran to retaliate for an attack on the Saudis, but it would be constitutionally permissible. Absent congressional action, it wouldn't be. America isn't locked and loaded until Congress says so.To contact the author of this story: Ramesh Ponnuru at rponnuru@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.Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a senior editor at National Review, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to CBS News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Only Congress Has Authority to Lock and Load on Iran Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:00 AM PDT ![Only Congress Has Authority to Lock and Load on Iran]( "Only Congress Has Authority to Lock and Load on Iran") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- After the attacks on Saudi oil fields Saturday, President Donald Trump tweeted: "There is reason to believe that we know the culprit, are locked and loaded depending on verification, but are waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed."Vice President Mike Pence echoed the remark, down to the diction: "In the wake of this unprovoked attack, I promise you, we're ready. We're locked and loaded and we're ready to defend the interests of our allies."If it is verified that Iran was behind the attack, should the U.S. take military action in response? It was an attack on the Saudis, not on America. There are no treaty obligations to treat an attack on the kingdom as an attack on the U.S. It has the means to respond itself. Striking at Iran could lead to a major military conflict and destabilize the region. This administration has not inspired confidence in its ability to manage any such conflict well.All of these are good reasons to refrain from an aggressive response, even if, as Trump has also suggested, the Saudis would reimburse the U.S. for our trouble. We're not their mercenaries.But there's another question to be answered before deciding whether to strike Iran: Who should make the decision? The answer has to be Congress. The Constitution gives the legislative branch, not the president, the power to decide whether to go to war.Even Alexander Hamilton, the Founder most supportive of broad claims of executive authority, acknowledged the president's limits in initiating war. In 1798, he wrote that the president had the power "to repel force by force" and "to repress hostilities within our waters." He added, "Anything beyond this must fall under the idea of reprisals and requires the sanction of that Department which is to declare or make war." In other words: Congress.In an 1801 article, Hamilton argued strenuously that if another country has made war on the U.S., the president may use force without congressional approval. But he also noted that the "plain meaning" of the Constitution is that only the legislature may shift the nation from a state of peace to a state of war.While it is true that modern presidents have tended not to acknowledge that they need congressional approval before going to war, enough of the original understanding of the proper division of authority has survived that presidents have often asked for that approval anyway. President George H.W. Bush got Congress to bless military action to drive Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991. President George W. Bush obtained congressional approval for the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. President Barack Obama sought congressional authorization for military action against Syria, and stood down when that authorization was not forthcoming.Trump administration officials have sometimes hinted, or reportedly claimed, that they believe Congress has already given them authorization to use force against Iran. The argument is that the 2001 authorization for the use of military force against those who perpetrated or aided in the 9/11 attacks covers Iran today. That law has been stretched to the point of abuse, aided by the refusal of Congress to take any action to update it. But to apply it to Iran would be absurd. It would more readily authorize attacks against Saudi Arabia, homeland of 15 of the 19 hijackers, than attacks on its behalf.Go back to Hamilton's distinction. An attack on Saudi oil fields is not an attack on us: It does not move us into a state of war by itself, the way an attack on America would. There is no need for immediate action: The administration is on its own account deliberating over what to do. So far it has merely tightened sanctions, a step that falls well short of war. However harsh sanctions may be in effect, they merely preclude undertaking certain economic transactions with the Iranian regime.It would be imprudent in the extreme for Congress to bless military action against Iran to retaliate for an attack on the Saudis, but it would be constitutionally permissible. Absent congressional action, it wouldn't be. America isn't locked and loaded until Congress says so.To contact the author of this story: Ramesh Ponnuru at rponnuru@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.Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a senior editor at National Review, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to CBS News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran threatens 'all-out war' if US strikes Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:41 AM PDT ![Iran threatens 'all-out war' if US strikes]( "Iran threatens 'all-out war' if US strikes") Iran threatened "all-out war" if the U.S. strikes its soil.
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| Lebanon concludes Israeli drones were on attack mission Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:35 AM PDT  A Lebanese government investigation concluded that two Israeli drones were on an attack mission when they crashed in the capital last month, one of them armed with 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) of explosives, Lebanon's defense minister said Thursday. Elias Bou Saab said investigations show the drones came from over the Mediterranean Sea on Aug. 25, with one drone crashing on the roof of the militant group Hezbollah's media office in southern Beirut, while the other exploded and crashed into a nearby plot of land 42 minutes later. Speaking at a press conference in Beirut to present the findings of the investigation, Bou Saab said it was "the most dangerous act of aggression by Israel" since the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
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