| Why is the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower scandal so serious? Posted: 24 Sep 2019 05:30 PM PDT  * Reports that Trump urged a foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden have rocked Washington and intensified calls for impeachment * Live blog: Democrats ramp up pressure over UkraineDonald Trump at the United Nations in New York on Monday. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersDonald Trump is facing on one of the most perilous periods of his historically perilous presidency.Reports that he urged a foreign leader to investigate Joe Biden, seen as his main rival in the 2020 presidential election, have rocked Washington and intensified calls for Trump to be impeached.Trump is set to meet Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the leader in question, in New York on Wednesday.On Thursday, Democrats on the House intelligence committee will grill Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence (DNI). Maguire has refused to release details of a whistleblower's complaint said to relate to a phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy, despite intensifying calls from Democrats and even some Republicans. How did this begin?A whistleblower, working in US intelligence, filed a formal complaint in August. The unnamed whistleblower is said to have seen or heard something that raised "urgent concern".Reporting has since revealed that the complaint was based on a series of events, including a 25 July call between Trump and Zelenskiy. Complaints of this nature are usually reported to Congress within seven days. Maguire, who was appointed by Trump, has refused to do so. What happened on the call?Numerous news outlets have reported that Trump pressured Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump asked Zelenskiy eight times to investigate Hunter Biden.On Sunday, Trump confirmed he discussed the Bidens with Zelenskiy, and accused the pair – without offering any evidence – of corruption."The conversation I had was largely congratulatory, was largely corruption, all of the corruption taking place," he said. "Was largely the fact that we don't want our people, like Vice-President Biden and his son, [contributing] to the corruption already in the Ukraine." Why is Ukraine involved?There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Joe Biden or Hunter Biden. The allegations relate to Biden Jr's time on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, which was owned by a businessman who was being investigated by Ukraine's top prosecutor.In 2016 the US and a number of other western countries pressured Ukraine to remove the prosecutor. Biden was vice-president at the time.Trump's push for the Bidens to be investigated relates to the prosecutor's removal. Trump's assertions appear to be politically motivated. Joe Biden is favorite to win the Democratic nomination for president and polls show him beating Trump comfortably. Why is this so serious?It is illegal for a political campaign to accept a "thing of value" from a foreign government. Democrats say an investigation into a political opponent – for which Trump appears to have been pushing – would amount to a thing of value.It has also been suggested that Trump may have threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine. About a month after the call, the US delayed $250m in such assistance. The money was released this month, after the existence of the whistleblower complaint became public.On Monday, at the United Nations in New York, Trump said of the call: "It's very important to talk about corruption. If you don't talk about corruption, why would you give money to a country that you think is corrupt? … It's very important that on occasion you speak to somebody about corruption."The following day, the president confirmed that he had withheld military aid – but claimed he did so over concerns the US was contributing more than its fair share compared with other countries.Trump also continued to seek to cast doubt on the whistleblower's motivations, tweeting: "Who is this so-called 'whistleblower' who doesn't know the correct facts. Is he on our Country's side. Where does he come from?" Will the Trump-Zelenskiy transcript be released?Amid the growing calls for an impeachment inquiry, Trump on Tuesday tweeted that he had ordered the release of an unredacted transcript of the call the following day.Democrats are arguing that in addition the the transcript of the call, the full whistleblower complaint should be released to Congress. What are Democrats saying?The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Tuesday announced the US House of Representatives would begin a formal impeachment inquiry into the president. "The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the constitution," Pelosi said in a formal address in Washington on Tuesday evening. "The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law."Pelosi had long resisted pressure from the Democratic rank-and-file to impeach Trump over his links to Russia. But the Ukraine revelations only intensified calls for impeachment. Also on Tuesday, the Senate unanimously approved a Democratic resolution calling for the DNI to turn over the whistleblower complaint to Congress. * This story was updated on Tuesday 24 September with Pelosi's announcement and other political developments.
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| Trump vows pressure on Iran but Europeans keep hope for summit Posted: 24 Sep 2019 05:01 PM PDT  European leaders held out hope Tuesday of arranging a last-minute summit to ease tensions between Iran and the United States, but President Donald Trump vowed no let-up in pressure. With world leaders gathered in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron made a fresh push for Trump to meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Escorting a smiling Rouhani to a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Macron said that time was running short.
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| Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry into Trump over Ukraine scandal Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:57 PM PDT  Investigation will cast a dark cloud over Trump's already norm-shattering presidency as he faces re-electionSpeaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the US House of Representatives would begin a formal impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, setting the stage for an extraordinary constitutional clash over allegations that the president sought the help of a foreign country to harm a political rival."The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the constitution," Pelosi said in a formal address in Washington on Tuesday evening. "The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law."Impeachment is a rare and dramatic escalation that will reshape Trump's already norm-shattering presidency as he seeks re-election. It is also freighted with political risks in a nation deeply divided over this president.Trump delivered a bellicose response on Twitter, accusing Democrats of "presidential harassment"."Such an important day at the United Nations, so much work and so much success, and the Democrats purposely had to ruin and demean it with more breaking news Witch Hunt garbage," Trump tweeted from New York as he attended the UN general assembly there. "So bad for our Country!"After months of resistance in the face of calls from many fellow Democrats in Washington, Pelosi appeared to have determined that Trump's alleged conduct and his administration's refusal to comply with congressional requests for information and testimony had forced the House's hand, leaving members no choice but to move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry.Pelosi said on Tuesday that the chairs of six key House committees already involved in investigating Trump and his administration would make recommendations to the House judiciary committee, which has the authority to handle impeachment. Their reports could help form articles of impeachment brought against the president.Launching an impeachment inquiry does not necessarily mean that the House will vote to charge the president with "high crimes and misdemeanors", though that is the likely outcome of such a process. If the House does charge the president, the articles of impeachment would then be sent to the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans who rarely break with Trump.Pelosi's announcement follows allegations that Trump pressured the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a July phone call to investigate the son of Joe Biden, the former vice-president and the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination to compete for the White House in the 2020 presidential election.Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN general assembly on Tuesday. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersTrump has admitted that he discussed Biden on a call with Zelenskiy but has denied any suggestion of a "quid pro quo", even as it was reported that he ordered his staff to withhold nearly $400m in aid to Ukraine days before his call with Zelenskiy.The allegations came to light after a whistleblower working in US intelligence filed a formal complaint reportedly related to the phone call. The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, refused to release the details of the complaint.Maguire is due to testify on Thursday, his deadline for turning over the whistleblower complaint to Congress."In light of recent reporting on the whistleblower complaint, I want to make clear that I have upheld my responsibility to follow the law every step of the way," Maguire said in a statement on Tuesday evening. "I look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to find a resolution regarding this important matter."Trump on Tuesday ordered the unredacted transcript of his summer call with Zelenskiy to be released on Wednesday, the same day the pair are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly."You will see it was a very friendly and totally appropriate call," Trump tweeted. "No pressure and, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo!"> There is really no other remedy other than impeachment> > Democratic congresswoman Pramila JayapalLater he added: "They [the Ukrainian government] don't know either what the big deal is. A total Witch Hunt Scam by the Democrats!" Speaking earlier on Tuesday, Pelosi said Trump did not have to explicitly threaten aid to be guilty of an impeachable offense. "There is no requirement there be a quid pro quo in the conversation," she said, adding that the "sequence" of events suggested that the president acted improperly. Later that afternoon, the Senate, in a rare act of bipartisanship, unanimously approved a resolution calling for the DNI to turn over the whistleblower complaint to Congress.Pelosi's change of heart came as Democrats from across the party amplified their calls from impeachment after revelations of the whistleblower complaint, which the intelligence community's internal watchdog, Gen Michael Atkinson, deemed credible and an "urgent concern". The White House has refused to share the complaint with Congress as typically required by law, arguing that the allegations do not fall within the intelligence community whistleblower statute.For months, Pelosi had stubbornly resisted calls for Trump's impeachment, telling colleagues at various points that the president was "not worth" impeaching and that she would rather see him "in prison" than impeached.The House judiciary committee had been conducting an "impeachment investigation" that centered on the revelations contained in the special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as several other allegations against Trump, his administration and his financial ties. But now the inquiry has the full support of the speaker, as well as several once reluctant members of Congress.The rising sun illuminates the US Capitol Building in Washington. Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty ImagesRepublicans said Pelosi's announcement was a rhetorical exercise."She cannot unilaterally decide we're in an impeachment inquiry," the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, said in brief remarks after Pelosi's address. "What she said today made no difference with what's been going on."Adam Schiff, the head of the House permanent select committee on intelligence, said on Tuesday that the whistleblower would like to speak to the panel and had requested guidance from the Maguire on how to do so.> The majority of Americans, at this point in time, do not want to see this> > Democratic congressman Jeff Van DrewImpeachment is a course of action with few precedents. Only two presidents have ever been impeached – Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Neither were convicted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned before a vote on impeachment in the full House could be taken.In the 24 hours preceding Pelosi's formal address, dozens of Democrats, including those in districts that voted for Trump, endorsed a plan to move forward with impeachment. Pelosi informed a Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon of her plans."There is really no other remedy other than impeachment," said the congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Washington progressive and an early backer of impeaching the president.But not all Democrats support impeachment. Congressman Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey said an impeachment inquiry would distract from Democrats' legislative priorities and deepen the political divides in the country."I want to do what's right. I don't want to tear the country apart," he told reporters after the closed-door meeting. "The majority of Americans, at this point in time, do not want to see this."
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| Macron says conditions in place for Trump, Rouhani talks Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:53 PM PDT ![Macron says conditions in place for Trump, Rouhani talks]( "Macron says conditions in place for Trump, Rouhani talks") French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he believed that the conditions for the leaders of the United States and Iran to meet were now in place, but it was still up to them to decide whether to move forward. "I believe that the conditions in this context for a rapid return to negotiations have been created," Macron told reporters after meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and President Donald Trump earlier on Tuesday.
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| China denounces UN aviation emissions plan in blow to industry efforts Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:52 PM PDT ![China denounces UN aviation emissions plan in blow to industry efforts]( "China denounces UN aviation emissions plan in blow to industry efforts") China has denounced a landmark U.N. deal that caps emissions from international flights, in a setback for an industry eager to placate the growing international movement to curb air travel's impact on the environment. In a paper posted ahead of the U.N. aviation agency assembly that kicked off on Tuesday, China - once a critical early supporter of the 2016 U.N. plan - joined Russia in arguing the proposal would unfairly penalize emerging and developing countries because it raises costs. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which holds its assembly every three years in Montreal, set out the major climate initiative at its last full gathering in 2016, but aviation leaders are under pressure to do more after overall carbon emissions hit record highs last year.
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| The Latest: Polish leader touts record on climate change Posted: 24 Sep 2019 05:37 PM PDT |
| Trump Uses UN Speech to Hit China Over Trade Weeks Before Talks Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:47 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Donald Trump used his speech at the United Nations General Assembly to reiterate complaints about China's trade practices just weeks before negotiators from both sides are due to meet in Washington.After vowing to reach a quick trade deal with the U.K. following its departure from the European Union, Trump said two decades of expectations that freer trade with China would prompt the world's second-biggest economy to be more market-friendly had failed."Not only has China declined to adopt promised reforms, it has embraced an economic model dependent on massive market barriers, heavy state subsidies, currency manipulation, product dumping, forced technology transfers and the theft of intellectual property and also trade secrets on a grand scale," Trump said Tuesday at the UN.Trump went on to defend his imposition of tariffs, saying he won't accept a "bad deal," and then shifted to the unrest in Hong Kong, putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to find a peaceful solution."How China chooses to handle the situation will say a great deal about its role in the world in the future," Trump said. "We are all counting on President Xi as a great leader."Ahead of next month's trade talks, China has targeted American farmers -- an important political constituency for Trump -- in its retaliation for U.S. tariffs, drastically cutting its purchases of soybeans and other commodities. Trump has responded with a bailout for farmers that so far totals about $28 billion.Trade was just one area of Trump's speech in which he spelled out his "America First" policies. The president's remarks featured boasts about U.S. might, complaints about its adversaries and warnings against uncontrolled migration and unregulated social media. He urged other countries to defend their borders and reject the erasure of nationalist identities."The future does not belong to globalists, the future belongs to patriots," he said.\--With assistance from Josh Wingrove.To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Faries in New York at wfaries@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at mshepard7@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Brendan ScottFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| They said it: Leaders at the UN, in their own words Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:29 PM PDT  Here, The Associated Press takes the opposite approach and spotlights some thoughts you might not have heard — the voices of leaders speaking at the United Nations who might not have captured the headlines and the airtime on Tuesday, the first day of 2019 debate.
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| South Korean leader calls for closer ties with North Korea Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:12 PM PDT  Moon, who has long pushed for closer ties between the Koreas, also told leaders gathered at the U.N. General Assembly in New York that his nation "will guarantee the security of North Korea. Despite a string of summits between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim, there is a lingering standoff over how to get the North to abandon its nuclear and missile program. Trump, after trading insults with Kim in 2017, became the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a North Korean leader in 2018.
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| Trump attacks globalism and urges action on Iran at UN Posted: 24 Sep 2019 04:02 PM PDT  President Donald Trump stood before world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and rejected "globalism" and liberal immigration policies while exhorting the world to act against Iran's "bloodlust." His speech and subsequent meetings had to compete with news from Washington that the House is moving forward with an impeachment inquiry. In his address, Trump took aim at China, Venezuela and what he called a "growing cottage industry" of radical activists intent on pushing for open borders that harm national security and sovereignty. In a later meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he fended off fresh questions from reporters about his attempts to press Ukraine's president to investigate the family of political rival Joe Biden.
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| Canada officials misled Huawei executive, lawyers argue Posted: 24 Sep 2019 03:35 PM PDT  * Meng Wanzhou 'led to believe case was immigration-related' * Company CFO was in fact held on US arrest warrantHuawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is out on bail and remains under partial house arrest, leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver on Monday. Photograph: Canadian Press/Rex/ShutterstockLawyers for Meng Wanzhou – the Huawei executive at the centre of an extradition battle that has poisoned relations between Canada and China – have argued that officials misled her when she was detained at Vancouver airport.Before Meng was formally arrested on 1 December, she was questioned for nearly three hours by Canadian border agents. She was also asked to surrender her electronic devices, which border agents searched.By leading her to believe her detention and questioning were immigration-related – and not the result of a US arrest warrant – police in effect violated her rights under Canada's charter, her legal team said in court filings."There [was] nothing routine about this," Meng's lawyer, Richard Peck, told the court, accusing the government of engaging in a "covert criminal investigation" under the pretext of immigration issues.Canada's attorney general has defended law enforcement's handling of the case, telling the court that an arrest warrant can be executed after a person has passed through customs – as was the case with Meng. The government also argued that the sharing of information between border security agents and the FBI, while Meng was still being questioned, was lawful."There is no evidence that the conduct of officials, either Canadian or foreign, has compromised the fairness of the extradition proceedings," said the government in a court filing.Meng's legal team are demanding the release of additional documentation, which they believe supports the claim her arrest was constitutionally problematic.Government lawyers have rejected the request, telling the court they have already provided the defence with handwritten notes from police and border officers, as well as video footage from the airport. Any requests for additional information were merely a "fishing expedition" by the defence, they said."No purpose would be served in providing further disclosure," the attorney general said in court filings.The strategy to fight her arrest on constitutional grounds is separate from the broader extradition fight, which is scheduled to begin on 20 January.For months, Meng has been fighting extradition to the United States, where she faces fraud charges. American officials allege she misled bankers about her company's dealings in Iran.If Justice Heather Holmes of the British Columbia supreme court sides with Meng in this particular case, the extradition proceedings against her would probably have to be thrown out – avoiding what many experts believe will be a costly, multi-year legal fight.In addition to souring relations between the United States and China, Meng's arrest has also significantly damaged the relationship between Canada and China. Once close to signing a free trade deal, China has since detained two Canadians – Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor – on espionage charges and halted canola and pork imports from Canada.
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| Pakistan PM warns of war with India over disputed Kashmir Posted: 24 Sep 2019 03:33 PM PDT  Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan warned in blunt terms Tuesday of possible war between Pakistan and India over what he called a brutal Indian crackdown in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. The nuclear-armed rivals, which have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, have been locked in a worsening standoff since August 5, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who Khan called a "racist," stripped the portion of Kashmir that India controls of its limited autonomy. "For 50 days, the people of Kashmir have been locked down by 900,000 soldiers," Khan said, describing mass arrests, non-functioning hospitals and "a total news blackout" in the region.
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| Sanders Won’t Say If Biden’s Son Is Off Limits: Campaign Update Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:02 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders said it was too early to say whether he would refrain from criticizing Joe Biden's son for his business dealings with a Ukrainian energy company."I know I'm a little bit old-fashioned, I like to see the evidence before I talk about things. I read the papers. I read what I read, but I don't know enough to say at this point to make any definitive statement," he said at a news conference in Davenport, Iowa, when asked whether Hunter Biden should be off limits as a talking point for Democratic candidates on the campaign trail.Sanders' attitude toward Biden could be a departure from his decision during the 2016 campaign not to go after Hillary Clinton for the email scandal over which she was repeatedly assailed by Donald Trump.Trump pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter Biden's business activities when he was a director of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company. That phone conversation has led to a congressional investigation and calls from many Democrats to begin impeachment proceedings. Trump has repeatedly said, without evidence, that Hunter Biden was involved in corruption and that Joe Biden, then vice president, intervened to further his son's business interests.Sanders also reiterated his support for impeachment proceedings against Trump, joining fellow 2020 candidates and Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. Biden said Tuesday he would back impeaching Trump if the White House refuses to comply with congressional demands for information about the president's interactions with Ukraine's president.Warren Climbs Into Lead in New Hampshire (1:31 p.m.)Days after she moved into the lead in Iowa, Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren inched ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden in a New Hampshire poll.Warren has the support of 27% of New Hampshire voters likely to participate in the February primary, up 19 percentage points from the same survey in May, according to a poll by Monmouth University. Biden came in a close second at 25%, down 11 points from May. The result is within the poll's 4.6 percentage-point margin of error. Bernie Sanders, who won the state against Hillary Clinton in 2016, slipped 6 points to 12%. It was the first time Warren surpassed both Sanders and Biden in the Granite State.The Massachusetts senator's lead in New Hampshire comes after she topped the Iowa poll on Saturday, with 22% compared with Biden's 20%. Though the result is within the poll's 4 percentage point margin of error, it was the first time Warren has led Biden in the Iowa Poll series.In New Hampshire, Pete Buttigieg's support increased by 1 point to 10%. The remainder of the field polled in the single digits. Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard had 2% support, making the cutoff to be the 12th Democratic candidate to qualify for the October debate.The Monmouth University poll was conducted by telephone from Sept. 17-21 with 401 likely New Hampshire primary voters out of 664 registered voters. -- Misyrlena EgkolfopoulouWarren Targets Collins' Maine Senate Seat (12:47 p.m.)Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is increasing her campaign organizing in Maine, throwing her weight behind an effort to unseat Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican.Warren's campaign said it was focusing its resources on keeping the House and taking back the Senate, including in "Maine, which has a competitive Senate race, and Georgia, where there will be two Senate seats up for election."Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is running against Collins for a seat that could be critical to the Democrats' push to win a Senate majority. A Gravis poll in June showed Collins well ahead with 44%, while Gideon had 30%.Collins has drawn fire from Democrats for her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and from Republicans for voting against Donald Trump's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.Along with Maine and Georgia, the Warren campaign is targeting Texas and Florida. -- Misyrlena EgkolfopoulouWarren Bolsters Campaign Plans After Poll Surge (11:30 a.m.)Fresh off a first-place standing in the latest Iowa Poll, Elizabeth Warren is stepping up her campaign organization.In an email to supporters Tuesday, her campaign announced it's hiring state directors and organizers in states that have nominating contests in March, including Illinois and California, as well as Michigan, a crucial swing state in 2020.Warren is also launching an eight-figure digital and TV advertising campaign in the first four nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina."Right now, our biggest expense as a campaign is our staff, but as the campaign heats up, it will be on media to reach potential voters," Warren's campaign manager Roger Lau said in the email.Warren polled at 22% in an Iowa Poll released Saturday, compared with 20% for Joe Biden, who was within the survey's margin of error of 4 percentage points. -- Misyrlena EgkolfopoulouButtigieg Says Impeaching Trump Not His Focus: (10:49 a.m.)Pete Buttigieg praised the seven swing-district Democrats who called for impeaching President Donald Trump, describing their opinion column in the Washington Post as "important" in part because they represent parts of the country that could tip the House majority in 2020.But he said impeachment is not his focus when talking to voters, and expressed doubt that it would move people to support Democrats."My message is: Yeah, he needs to be impeached, now let's get you some health care," Buttigieg told reporters aboard his Iowa bus tour Tuesday morning.The presidential candidate from Indiana said voters have made up their minds about Trump and suggested that impeachment proceedings will reinforce their views. He said the party must be able to do two things at once."If you don't already think, having seen this president confess to corruption and wrongdoing and probably criminality, that he shouldn't be in office, then obviously you're making up your mind on something else. So let's find the something else," he said, adding that "the main conversation" with voters should be about policy and paychecks.Buttigieg's remarks came the morning after a town hall in Dubuque in eastern Iowa, where he took 10 audience questions, none of which were about impeachment. -- Sahil KapurGabbard Condemns New DNC Debate Qualifications (9:18 a.m.)Tulsi Gabbard slammed as "arbitrary" the Democratic National Committee's new polling qualifications for the fifth debate between candidates vying to be the party's presidential nominee.The congresswoman from Hawaii, who did not meet the criteria to take the stage in this month's debate and was one qualifying poll away from making the next session on Oct. 15-16, told Fox News Tuesday that the rules are spurring "a lack of transparency and a lack of trust in the process."The DNC announced Monday that to make the cut for November's debate candidates must show they've received donations from at least 165,000 unique contributors, up from 130,000. Those must include at least 600 donors per state in at least 20 states.And contenders also must meet one of two polling thresholds: either 3% or more in any four national or single-state polls or at least 5% in two polls from the first four primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. In the September and October debates, candidates needed to have 2% support in four approved polls. -- Caitlin WebberCOMING UPThe United Food and Commercial Workers union will host forums in Iowa and Michigan with Democratic presidential candidates on Sept. 29 and Oct. 13. Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have confirmed that they will attend.\--With assistance from Caitlin Webber, Sahil Kapur and Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou.To contact the reporter on this story: Emma Kinery in Davenport, Iowa at ekinery@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, Max BerleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| NATO leader: Tricky times show need for international groups Posted: 24 Sep 2019 03:06 PM PDT |
| Mother of Navy veteran held in Iran says he lost appeal Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:20 PM PDT ![Mother of Navy veteran held in Iran says he lost appeal]( "Mother of Navy veteran held in Iran says he lost appeal") The mother of a U.S. Navy veteran from California sentenced to 10 years in prison by the government of Iran said Tuesday that he has lost his appeal, and she is worried he is being forgotten by the U.S. government. Joanne White, speaking Tuesday through a family spokesman, says she is worried that her son is being forgotten by the U.S. government. Michael White was the first American known to be imprisoned in Iran after Trump took office.
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| Impeachment: how does it work and what happens next? Posted: 24 Sep 2019 03:09 PM PDT  Donald Trump will be the fourth president to face a formal impeachment inquiry, following Nancy Pelosi's announcement * Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry into Trump over Ukraine scandalDisplayed on a monitor, Donald Trump addresses the United Nations general assembly in New York City on the day that congressional Democrats announced an impeachment inquiry. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, making him the fourth president in US history to face such an extraordinary investigation.All three precedent cases resulted in impeachment or in the resignation of the president. What is happening?After months of pressure from a significant portion of her caucus to greenlight impeachment proceedings, Pelosi finally came around on Tuesday, after 24 hours in which more than 30 House Democrats joined the call to open an impeachment inquiry.The surge happened after Congress learned of a whistleblower report filed by a member of the intelligence community focusing on a conversation or conversations that Trump had with the president of Ukraine. The conversations reportedly involved the former vice-president Joe Biden, Trump's potential 2020 opponent. Democrats allege that Trump delayed military aid and pressured Ukraine for information about Biden. Trump denies wrongdoing. How does the procedure work?Pelosi said that the six congressional committees currently investigating potential impeachable offenses by Trump would continue to do so. Based on their findings, the judiciary committee could draft and approve articles of impeachment against Trump, which then would go to the House floor for a vote. If the articles are passed, the Senate will hold a trial on the matter, with a two-thirds majority required to convict and remove the president.As things stand,Trump's removal from office would thus require the partisan defection of about 20 Republican senators. What's next?It appears that a lot of additional information about the Ukraine affair is about to come to light. The House intelligence committee has announced that the whistleblower wishes to testify, and could do so as early as this week, meaning that the public could soon learn the details of the allegations against Trump – and see what evidence there is.In a rare unanimous vote, the Senate on Tuesday approved a resolution calling on the White House to turn over the whistleblower's report.Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he would release a transcript on Wednesday of a phone call with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, despite earlier vows by Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani that no such transcript would be released. What might Trump be impeached for?That's an important question. Trump could conceivably face impeachment for a wide range of alleged misconduct including personally profiting from the presidency, violating campaign finance laws, inappropriately diverting funds to build a border wall or dangling pardons to induce lawbreaking.But some commentators have warned that Congress should focus on a narrow group of alleged offenses, not only to avoid the perception of a partisan expedition but also to avoid setting a precedent that could radically expand the scope for future impeachment inquiries.The editors of the Lawfare blog have argued for articles of impeachment that would avoid areas of policy disagreement and be tied only to Trump's conduct while in office, for which there is the most strong evidence, and on which the constitution is most plain.They recommend five articles: obstruction of justice and abuse of law enforcement institutions and personnel; prosecution of political opponents; abuse of foreign policy authorities; efforts to obstruct or impede congressional investigations; and lying to the American public. What are the political implications?Anybody's guess. The conventional wisdom is that the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998 backfired on Republicans, who saw Clinton's popularity rise while they suffered heavy losses in the subsequent election. But the causality there is unclear and we don't have the counterfactual.Pelosi's longstanding reservations about impeachment, which she made clear repeatedly after the Mueller report was released in redacted form, appeared to be rooted in concerns that impeachment proceedings would make Democrats seem unfocused on the work of governing and possibly help Trump's re-election bid. She might have a point: "On average, in all polls since the start of 2017, 38.5 percent of the public favored impeachment and 55.7 percent opposed it," according to FiveThirtyEight.But for many Democrats, such concerns have gradually paled in comparison with Trump's alleged criminality.> At this point, the bigger national scandal isn't the president's lawbreaking behavior - it is the Democratic Party's refusal to impeach him for it.> > — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 22, 2019 Who has been impeached?Two presidents, Bill Clinton (1998) and Andrew Johnson (1868). (Congress may also impeach judges.) Articles of impeachment were passed against Richard Nixon by a congressional committee, but Nixon resigned before the House of Representatives could vote on the matter, meaning that technically he was not impeached.Both Johnson and Clinton were impeached in the House but then acquitted in the Senate and remained in office. What can a president be impeached for?"Treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors", the constitution says. Needless to say, there's debate over what all those terms mean.Johnson was charged with breaking the law by removing the US secretary of war, which, in the aftermath of the civil war, was not his decision as president to make. Clinton was charged with obstruction of justice and with perjury, for allegedly lying under oath to a federal grand jury about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.Had Nixon not resigned, he might have been convicted in the Senate on one of three charges: obstruction of justice, abuse of power or defiance of subpoenas. In any case, President Gerald Ford, who was Nixon's vice-president and who succeeded him, pardoned Nixon of any crimes a month after Nixon resigned. How long do impeachment proceedings take?There isn't much precedent, but the Clinton case proceeded through Congress relatively quickly, in about three months. That example may be misleading, however, owing to the years-long investigation of Bill and Hillary Clinton, including the Lewinsky affair, by the special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, which preceded it. Starr handed his report and research to the House judiciary committee, which therefore had no need to conduct a time-consuming investigation of its own.
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| US patience with Iran not inexhaustible, warns Saudi Arabia Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:35 PM PDT  Saudi minister says military response to attack on oil facilities still being considered 'When push comes to shove there comes a point when even America's patience runs out,' said the Saudi foreign affairs minister, Adel al-Jubeir. Photograph: Amr Nabil/APSaudi Arabia has said that US patience with Iran is not inexhaustible and warned military options are still being considered following the attack on the Aramco oil facilities earlier this month.The Saudi foreign affairs minister, Adel al-Jubeir, also said the UN-commissioned report into the origins of the attack will be available fairly soon, and described the EU's Monday statement ascribing responsibility to Iran as "very significant".His remarks suggest Saudi Arabia is still putting private pressure on Donald Trump's administration not to limit his response to the 14 September attack to further sanctions and the deployment of additional troops to defend the oil facilities.Jubeir said: "We want to mobilise international support, and we want to look at a whole list of options – diplomatic options, economic options and military options – and then make the decision."Speaking on the margins of the UN general assembly in New York, he said: "This action will have consequences and Iran must know this."He added: "When push comes to shove there comes a point when even America's patience runs out – and Iran must be aware of that."The attacks temporarily knocked out over 5 per cent of global oil production and caused petroleum prices to rise.Also at the UN, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said he was hoping for a breakthrough with Iran over the possibility of reopening talks in the coming hours, but the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, denied he was willing to drop his demand that US sanctions are lifted before talks can begin.Macron told the general assembly: "I am not naive at all and I don't believe in miracles. I believe it takes courage to build peace and that is why it is important for the United States, Iran and the signatories of the agreement to show this courage."But Jubeir set out a series of tough conditions for renegotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, including fresh restrictions on its nuclear program after 2025, a 24/7 inspection regime all over the country and restrictions on its ballistic missile program.The demand, he said was "no nukes, no missiles and no terrorism", adding: "The Europeans were coming round to this being the objective. We believe appeasement does not work with Iran. We believe that when Europeans did not take a strong position after the attacks on the pipelines and oil field in Shaybah (in August), this emboldened and encouraged Iran."Although Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais facilities, Riyadh, Washington and the EU have laid the blame on Iran.The US said it had expected Monday's statement by the UK, France and Germany, stating that Iran was behind the attack, because European and US investigators are examining weapons fragments together in Saudi Arabia."I really appreciate that our allies … have come forward and recognised publicly the truth," the US assistant secretary of state for the near east, David Schenker, told journalists."This did not come as a major surprise. The Brits and the French are on the ground with us with the Saudis and the UN, part of the investigative team in Saudi Arabia," Schenker said. "We have been transparent in terms of chain of custody … of all the equipment that we now have from the attack. And we're exploiting it together."Even before we have finished this investigation, the evidence that is emerging is incontrovertible."The US has been insistent that it would not carry out a retaliatory strike, but would beef up Saudi defences and increase other forms of pressure on Iran.Trump on Tuesday called on other nations to join the US in pressuring Iran after the attacks, but said there was still a path to peace.
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| 'Witch Hunt garbage': Trump blasts news of Pelosi's impeachment inquiry Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT !['Witch Hunt garbage': Trump blasts news of Pelosi's impeachment inquiry]( "'Witch Hunt garbage': Trump blasts news of Pelosi's impeachment inquiry") "Such an important day at the United Nations, so much work and so much success, and the Democrats purposely had to ruin and demean it with more breaking news Witch Hunt garbage," Trump wrote on Twitter moments after Pelosi concluded her announcement.
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| UPDATE 1-Pakistan's Khan says he is mediating with Iran after Trump asked him to help Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:53 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Pakistan's Khan says he is mediating with Iran after Trump asked him to help]( "UPDATE 1-Pakistan's Khan says he is mediating with Iran after Trump asked him to help") Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump had asked him to help defuse tensions with Iran and that he had already spoken with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in an attempt to mediate. The United States blames Iran for an attack on the world's biggest crude oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 14 and has said they will present evidence to back that up. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015, has claimed responsibility.
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| UPDATE 2-Huawei CFO fighting U.S. extradition says her rights were violated Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:45 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Huawei CFO fighting U.S. extradition says her rights were violated]( "UPDATE 2-Huawei CFO fighting U.S. extradition says her rights were violated") Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou returned to a Vancouver court on Tuesday as her lawyers argued that Canadian authorities abused their powers and violated her rights to gather evidence against her, a claim the government denies. Meng, 47, was detained at Vancouver's airport on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, where she is charged with bank fraud and accused of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's business in Iran. Meng was searched and questioned by border officials at the airport after she landed on a flight from Hong Kong.
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| Pelosi announces official impeachment inquiry against Trump Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:45 PM PDT ![Pelosi announces official impeachment inquiry against Trump]( "Pelosi announces official impeachment inquiry against Trump") Trump responded that the Democrats were distracting from important work being done at the United Nations.
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| Another fine mess: Brexit-dogged Johnson's UN trip goes awry Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:29 PM PDT |
| Boris Johnson Attacks Historic Court Ruling and Vows to Deliver Brexit Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:26 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit and sign up to our Brexit BulletinA defiant Boris Johnson hit back at the U.K.'s top judges and vowed to take the country out of the European Union next month, despite suffering an unprecedented legal defeat over his Brexit strategy in the highest court in the land.In a sweeping rebuke to the prime minister, Britain's Supreme Court ruled that Johnson broke the law when he decided to suspend Parliament for five weeks in the run-up to the Oct. 31 deadline for leaving the EU.He gave Queen Elizabeth II "unlawful" advice to pause the legislature and his decision wrecked the ability of Britain's elected politicians to fulfill their crucial democratic role overseeing his government's actions, the court found.Johnson said he would "obviously" respect the verdict, but retaliated immediately. "I have to say that I strongly disagree with what the justices have found," he said in a pooled interview in New York. "I don't think that it's right, but we will go ahead and of course Parliament will come back."Privately, some in Johnson's team went further. On a phone call, Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg accused the judges of staging a power-grab, effectively overthrowing the constitution by ruling on the way Parliament operates, according to two people familiar with the matter. Rees-Mogg was one of the ministers who traveled to meet Queen Elizabeth to ask her formally to suspend Parliament.What NextThe ruling marks an extraordinary constitutional moment and an unprecedented political crisis for the U.K. It blows a hole in Johnson's political authority and calls into question his ability to remain in office as the Queen's principal adviser. Senior politicians, including the former Conservative Prime Minister John Major, demanded that he apologize to Parliament. While the opposition was quick to call for his resignation, Johnson's aides say he won't go.Johnson will fly home early from the meeting of the United Nations in New York. After the court's decision, Parliament will reconvene on Wednesday, and the coming days could hold even more shocks.The question now is what the crisis means for Brexit. Johnson's opponents began legal action because they feared his decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks ahead of Brexit day would rob them of the chance to pass laws to stop him taking Britain out of the EU without a deal.Johnson says he is determined to deliver Brexit by the end of next month, whatever the cost, even if it means leaving with no agreement in place to cushion the blow.Undeterred"The most important thing is we get on and deliver Brexit on Oct. 31 and clearly the claimants in this case are determined to frustrate that and to stop that," Johnson said. "I think it would be very unfortunate if Parliament made that objective which the people want more difficult, but we will get on."But MPs moved quickly earlier this month, taking control of the House of Commons agenda and passing a new law designed to stop Johnson carrying out his no-deal Brexit threat.How Brexit Has Unleashed a U.K. Constitutional Crisis: QuickTakeWith Parliament now set to reconvene earlier than Johnson had planned, there will be many more potential opportunities for politicians to tie the prime minister's hands and dictate the shape of Brexit.Further court battles could lie ahead. Johnson's team have threatened to ignore the new law that was designed to stop a no-deal divorce by forcing him to seek a Brexit delay by Oct. 19 if he is unable to reach agreement with the bloc.If they did, it would likely trigger another court challenge. Johnson's aides are also braced for attempts in Parliament to pass laws potentially canceling Brexit altogether.The fate of the U.K.'s split from the EU is far from certain.In New York, the prime minister has been meeting with EU leaders in an attempt to persuade them to give ground so a deal can be done. Officials on both sides regard it as a make-or-break round of talks for the chances of getting a deal.Yet the Supreme Court ruling showed Johnson's weakness and may make the EU less likely to offer a compromise, a fact he is aware of. If Johnson decides to play hardball and fight on to deliver Brexit without a deal on Oct. 31, it is still not clear that his opponents in Parliament, or the courts, will be able to stop him.(Adds Rees-Mogg attack on court ruling.)\--With assistance from Jessica Shankleman, Robert Hutton and Alex Morales.To contact the reporters on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'War continues' despite new constitution committee: Syria Posted: 24 Sep 2019 02:08 PM PDT  The creation of a UN-backed constitution-writing committee for Syria does not mean the country is ending its military operations, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Tuesday. The United Nations on Monday announced the long-awaited formation of the committee which will include the government and opposition, but it remained to be seen if the step could finally end the civil war. The committee is to include 150 members -- a third picked by the regime, an equal number by the opposition, and the remaining third by the United Nations.
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| Freeland calls acceptance of Syrian envoy unacceptable. Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:54 PM PDT ![Freeland calls acceptance of Syrian envoy unacceptable.]( "Freeland calls acceptance of Syrian envoy unacceptable.") Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she and her political staff were unaware her Department of Global Affairs approved Waseem Ramli to become an honorary consul general in Montreal. Canada severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2012.
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| Trump under growing threat as more Democrats urge impeachment Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:34 PM PDT  * Ukraine scandal grows after Trump confirms he withheld aid * Democrats meet behind closed doors to discuss whether to actDonald Trump at the UN on Tuesday. After months of procrastination among Democratic leaders, some believe that impeachment is now inevitable. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersDonald Trump was at greater risk of impeachment than at any time in his presidency on Tuesday, after reports that he apparently sought to blackmail a foreign government by withholding military aid unless it helped investigate a political opponent.Even as the president took centre stage at the United Nations in New York to venerate his nationalist ideology, Democrats met behind closed doors on Capitol Hill in Washington to decide whether the time had come to seek his removal from office.Trump ordered White House staff to withhold nearly $400m in aid to Ukraine days before he pressured the country's president to investigate Joe Biden, the former US vice-president and frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, according to the Washington Post.On Tuesday afternoon, Biden, in an address delivered from Wilmington, Delaware, the state he represented in the Senate, said that Congress would have "no choice but to initiate impeachment" if the president refused to comply with requests from Congress for information about dealings with Ukraine. It was further than the former vice-president has gone before in supporting impeachment calls."I can take the political attacks. They'll come and they'll go and in time they'll soon be forgotten," Biden said. "But if we allow a president to get away with shredding the constitution, that will last forever."The scandal appeared to cut through with greater force and clarity than the drawn-out saga of his alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. There was a sense of gathering momentum as more Democrats came out in favour of impeachment.Article 1 of the United States constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power to initiate impeachment and the Senate the sole power to try impeachments of the president. A president can be impeached if they are judged to have committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" – although the constitution does not specify what "high crimes and misdemeanors" are.The process starts with the House of Representatives passing articles of impeachment. A simple majority of members need to vote in favour of impeachment for it to pass to the next stage. With a full house, that requires 218 of the 435 representatives to vote. Democrats currently control the house, with 235 representatives.The chief justice of the United States then presides over the proceedings in the Senate, where the president is tried, with senators acting as the jury. For the president to be found guilty two-thirds of senators must vote against them. Republicans currently control the Senate, with 53 of the 100 senators.Three presidents have previously been impeached, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Andrew Johnson in 1868, though neither were removed from office. Richard Nixon was also impeached, but resigned in 1974 before there was a formal vote.Martin Belam"I truly believe the time to begin impeachment proceedings against this president has come," John Lewis, a hero of the civil rights movement and moral authority in the party, told the House of Representatives. "To delay or to do otherwise would betray the foundation of our democracy."There was also support from an influential group of seven first-term members of Congress with military or national security backgrounds, who said that "if true", the president's actions would "represent an impeachable offense".Meanwhile, Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, who forced the White House to eventually release the aid to Ukraine, told reporters the time to act was now. The Connecticut senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy backed impeachment. Media reports said Biden himself would announce his support for impeaching Trump if the White House did not cooperate with Congress's whistleblower investigation.After months of procrastination among Democratic leaders, some believe that impeachment is now inevitable, setting the stage for a vicious 2020 election. > I truly believe the time to begin impeachment proceedings against this president has come> > John LewisAll eyes were on Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, who has repeatedly said an impeachment inquiry should be bipartisan and supported by the American people. Pelosi still lacks support from Republicans and a majority of the people. She was due to hold meetings with key committee chairs. It was reported that she would then announce a formal impeachment inquiry.Trump scorned the idea of impeachment, as it overshadowed his typically bellicose "America first" UN address. He told reporters: "I think it's ridiculous. It's a witch-hunt. I'm leading in the polls. They have no idea how they stop me, the only way they can try is through impeachment … It's nonsense …when you see the readout of the call, which I assume you'll see at some point, you'll understand. That call was perfect."He later said that he would release the "fully declassified and un-redacted transcript" of the call on Wednesday.Impeachment has only been enforced against two previous presidents, most recently Bill Clinton. Like Clinton, Trump would almost certainly not be convicted by the Senate, which is controlled by his party, and so would remain in power. Richard Nixon resigned before impeachment could be carried out. In the 1860s, Andrew Johnson survived a Senate trial.On 25 July the US president, Donald Trump, called Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. During the course of the call he reportedly asked the Ukrainian leader eight times to investigate former vice-president Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter for corruption. It is additionally reported that Trump ordered his staff to withhold nearly $400m in aid to Ukraine days before the call took place. Biden is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination and take on Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump confirmed he discussed the Bidens with Zelenskiy, and accused the pair – without offering any evidence – of corruption.A US intelligence community whistleblower filed a report after becoming alarmed at Trump's behaviour in the matter. The White House is refusing to release the substance of the whistleblower complaint, setting up a confrontation with Congress over the release of information. Complaints of this nature are usually reported to Congress within seven days.Trump's personal lawyer, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, has admitted asking the Ukrainians to investigate the Bidens. It is illegal for a political campaign to accept a "thing of value" from a foreign government. Democrats say an investigation into a political opponent – for which Trump appears to have been pushing – would amount to a thing of value.The Ukraine scandal came to light last week when an intelligence community whistleblower filed a report after becoming alarmed at Trump's behaviour. The White House is refusing to release the substance of the complaint.According to the Post, Trump ordered acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to suspend a near $400m payment "at least a week" before a 25 July call with Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Trump reportedly asked the Ukrainian leader to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who was once on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.The company was investigated for corruption. As vice-president, Biden was part of successful international efforts to have Ukraine's chief prosecutor dismissed.There is no evidence of corruption in the Ukraine by either Joe or Hunter Biden.On Tuesday, Trump confirmed that he withheld military aid – but claimed he did so over concerns the US was contributing more than its fair share compared with other countries.> Joe Biden and his son are corrupt, but the fake news doesn't want to report it because they're Democrats> > Donald TrumpA day earlier, he attempted to turn the tables and say the true corruption lay with Biden and the media."Joe Biden and his son are corrupt, but the fake news doesn't want to report it because they're Democrats," Trump said. "If a Republican ever did what Joe Biden did … they'd be getting the electric chair by right."Most congressional Republicans have either defended the president or remained silent.Democratic chairs of three House committees have demanded the White House turn over all documents related to "efforts to influence a foreign country to interfere with our upcoming election".Trump is due to meet Zelenskiy at the UN on Wednesday.
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| Trump to UN: 'I will never fail to defend America’s interests' Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:30 PM PDT  President Donald Trump bucked globalism in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, underscored his vision of "America First" nationalism and implored other countries to follow suit. Wise leaders put the good of their own people and their own country first," Trump said. In his third address to the United Nations as president, Trump touched on familiar go-it-alone themes and made his case on closed borders, trade and foreign policy.
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| Trump to UN: 'I will never fail to defend America’s interests' Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:30 PM PDT  President Donald Trump bucked globalism in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, underscored his vision of "America First" nationalism and implored other countries to follow suit. Wise leaders put the good of their own people and their own country first," Trump said. In his third address to the United Nations as president, Trump touched on familiar go-it-alone themes and made his case on closed borders, trade and foreign policy.
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| UPDATE 1-Ireland's Varadkar says no Brexit agreement reached in meeting with PM Johnson Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:20 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Ireland's Varadkar says no Brexit agreement reached in meeting with PM Johnson]( "UPDATE 1-Ireland's Varadkar says no Brexit agreement reached in meeting with PM Johnson") Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday he had held a good meeting with Britain's Boris Johnson but they had not reached an agreement on how to resolve their differences over Brexit. No agreements by any means, but we got into some more details," Varadkar told reporters following the meeting with his British counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. A UK government official said the pair spent some time discussing the issue of consent for Northern Ireland in any solution to the contentious issue of dealing with the UK-EU border on the island of Ireland.
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| What the Law Says About Impeachment and Trump’s Ukraine Phone Call Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:20 PM PDT ![What the Law Says About Impeachment and Trump's Ukraine Phone Call]( "What the Law Says About Impeachment and Trump's Ukraine Phone Call") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- If it's true (and we may soon find out) that Donald Trump froze U.S. government aid to Ukraine and made it clear to the Ukrainian president that he would unfreeze it if Ukraine were to investigate Joe Biden, that is certainly an outrage. Depending on how you define the term, it may also be a "high crime" deserving of impeachment under the Constitution. But is it a crime under existing federal law? The answer turns out to be tricky. And if history is a guide, the question will be hotly debated in any process of impeachment.It is not uncommon for the U.S. government, including the president, to make aid to foreign governments conditional on certain conduct. Indeed, during the Barack Obama administration, U.S. aid to Ukraine was delayed while the U.S. pushed Ukraine to remove its top prosecutor, who had turned a blind eye to numerous corruption investigations. Biden's role in that pressure is one of the things Trump says he wanted Ukraine to investigate.What makes Trump's alleged conduct so terrible is not that he froze aid to Ukraine for a policy purpose. What makes Trump's alleged conduct outrageous is the appearance that he was doing it for his own personal benefit. Joe Biden is at present the leading Democratic contender to face Trump in 2020. So an investigation of Biden would not serve the national interest, but Trump's personal interest.And herein lies a crime — at least, possibly. It is illegal for a government official to solicit a bribe. That includes situations in which a public official extracts a bribe from somebody in exchange for taking an official act that falls within his governmental authority. (There are other bribery and extortion-related statutes, but this one is most relevant.)It could be argued that Donald Trump wanted to extract a payoff from the president of Ukraine — namely, an investigation that would cast a negative light on Biden, a prospective political opponent. If Trump communicated that he would unfreeze aid to Ukraine in exchange for that payoff, he was offering to perform an official governmental act in exchange for the payoff. Put another way, Trump extorted the president of Ukraine by demanding a bribe in the form of action against Biden. True, political advantage is not the same thing as an envelope of cash or a gold watch. But to a president seeking re-election, dirt on the leading rival could be even more valuable.The first key element here is that an investigation of Biden wasn't in the U.S. national interest but only in Trump's personal interest. If the president extracts a commitment from a foreign government that is in the national interest, that doesn't constitute extortion under the law. That's just foreign policy. So, we can expect Trump's defenders to say that Trump wasn't seeking personal gain. That may be what Trump had in mind when he told reporters at the United Nations that even if he had asked Ukraine to investigate Biden, there wouldn't have been anything wrong with it. But would a rational person really believe it was purely a coincidence that Trump was seeking dirt on his strongest presidential rival? A second key element is that Trump was proposing a quid pro quo: In exchange for the Biden probe, he would unfreeze aid to Ukraine. The crime of extortion requires a proposed exchange. In his defense, Trump can be expected to maintain, as he has already said, that he did not himself link the Biden investigation to the Ukraine aid. But even without a smoking-gun connection, and even when a corrupt deal is struck implicitly, the government can still prosecute extortion or bribery on a quid pro quo basis. Circumstantial evidence can be enough to prove a criminal exchange. Under conditions where both presidents knew that the question of aid was on the table, it would be reasonable to infer that when Trump brought up the Biden investigation he was suggesting a deal.Of course, many students of the Constitution believe that an impeachable offense need not also be a statutory crime. I'm one of them. But the impeachment efforts against Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton showed that once the impeachment ball gets rolling, there's a strong tendency for the public and the House of Representatives to start talking about presidential conduct in terms of whether a statute has been violated. And, of course, the same was true of Robert Mueller's report, which discussed Trump's conduct in relation to criminal statutes even though Mueller balked at drawing the conclusion that seemed obviously to follow from his analysis.It's possible that creative lawyers can come up with other statutes that Trump might have violated, but the extortion statutes seem to come close to capturing the essence of what Trump is alleged to have done. Expect to hear a lot more about this in the days and weeks to come.To contact the author of this story: Noah Feldman at nfeldman7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Sarah Green Carmichael at sgreencarmic@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include "The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President." For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran leader: No meeting with US as long as sanctions remain Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:04 PM PDT  Iran's president said Tuesday he'd consider meeting "at any level" to explore what the Trump administration seeks in a nuclear deal — but not until sanctions against his country are lifted. On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Hassan Rouhani reiterated that he would not even consider meeting with President Donald Trump while the crippling sanctions, imposed since 2018 in the wake of Trump's pullout from a nuclear deal, were in place. Rouhani spoke to a small group of U.S. media leaders shortly before Trump took center stage at the U.N. General Assembly, whose members heard the American president blast what he called Iran's "bloodlust" and rising aggression.
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| ‘No One Is Above the Law’: Pelosi Now Backs Impeachment Inquiry Posted: 24 Sep 2019 01:03 PM PDT  Justin SullivanHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi told fellow Democrats in the House on Tuesday that she supports the launch of impeachment proceedings into the president, in what represents a historic black mark for an administration not yet through its first three years in office. The inquiry was prompted by allegations that Trump pressured Ukrainian officials to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son in exchange for military aid, though Pelosi has instructed several committees to compile impeachable offenses on other fronts as well. Ukraine Likely to Reopen Probe of Hunter Biden Firm: SourcesOnly three presidents have been subjected to formal impeachment proceedings while in office, none as they were facing re-election. "Today, I am announcing the House of Representatives moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry," Pelosi declared after a hour-long meeting of her members. "The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law." Several sources said that the Speaker is not conditioning the move on impeachment on President Trump producing a whistleblower complaint that prompted questions of whether he leveraged military aid to compel a foreign government to damage a political rival. The speaker said that the Director of National Intelligence had a choice before testifying before Congress on Thursday: "He will have to choose whether to break the law or honor his duty to the Constitution."At the heart of Pelosi's support for impeachment proceedings is Trump's call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Details of the call have been reported by several news outlets, came to light in the wake of the complaint from an anonymous whistleblower who has attempted to get their report before lawmakers. The Trump administration moved last week to block that complaint from reaching the House Intelligence Committee, even though such complaints require a congressional review if they are deemed urgent—which the whistleblower's complaint was. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced on Tuesday—before Pelosi's appearance—that his committee might see testimony from the whistleblower as soon as this week. The whistleblower is reportedly aiming to speak to members of the GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee, which will see testimony from the acting Director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire, on Thursday.Meanwhile, Trump tweeted from the United Nations General Assembly that he would release an un-redacted transcript of his phone call with Zelensky as soon as Wednesday. Speaking at The Atlantic magazine festival in D.C. earlier Tuesday, Pelosi made clear that transcripts were the beginning, not the end, of attempts to get to the bottom of the Ukraine matter and that there were other issues that would inform impeachment proceedings beyond what happened in Ukraine. This week's turn of events has pushed Pelosi into territory that seemed unimaginable just days ago. The longtime House Democratic leader has worked to quell the brewing impeachment movement in her caucus from the moment she took the speaker's gavel in January. She managed to pull off that feat even as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report detailed possible obstruction of justice by the president and the administration stonewalled Democrats' subpoenas for documents and testimony to learn more. That obstruction helped swelled the ranks of House Democrats who backed impeachment. But the past few days have brought the number to a near-critical mass and lawmakers said on Tuesday that there was full support for the speaker's announcement. "I think that the most important thing that I think I would just convey to you is that unlike any other caucus meeting, there was broad consensus. I did not hear one word of dissent," said Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL). "And that's the first time that I recall, that's occurred in a discussion of the President."There's Never Been a Whistleblower Case Like This BeforePelosi's reluctance to move forward—rooted in the belief that an impeachment proceeding based on these topics would backfire politically—frustrated the party's progressive base but largely satisfied the moderates who delivered Democrats their majority in 2018.The calculus has clearly changed, due to a string of explosive news reports detailing activity by Trump that would be far easier to work into an impeachment case than what Mueller outlined.Indeed, those same reluctant moderates have, in the past 24 hours, come out in droves to express support for impeachment. Freshman House Democrats who flipped seats that were long held by Republicans—and that Trump won in 2016—voiced support for impeachment based on the Ukraine story, though many said they'd back impeachment if the Ukraine allegations were proven by congressional investigators. At the same time, progressive holdouts closely allied with Pelosi jumped on the impeachment train, too, signaling that they privately had the speaker's backing. As of Tuesday afternoon, a majority of House members were publicly supportive of impeachment. With reporting by Jackie KucinichRead 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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| Egypt court sentences plane hijacker to life in prison Posted: 24 Sep 2019 12:49 PM PDT ![Egypt court sentences plane hijacker to life in prison]( "Egypt court sentences plane hijacker to life in prison") An Egyptian court has sentenced a man who hijacked a domestic EgyptAir flight and ordered it to land in Cyprus to life in prison. Alexandria Criminal Court on Tuesday served up Seif Eddin Mustafa's sentence after he was convicted of hijacking a civilian plane and taking passengers hostage. Mustafa hijacked the flight in March 2016 using a fake suicide belt and diverted it to Cyprus.
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| Biden Calls for Impeachment Investigation of Trump for ‘Abuse of Power’ Posted: 24 Sep 2019 12:33 PM PDT  Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesFormer Vice President Joe Biden has joined the deluge of Democrats calling for the initiation of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump if he refuses to comply with congressional investigations into his administration."Using its full constitutional authority, Congress, in my view, should demand the information it has a legal right to receive," Biden said on Tuesday afternoon, speaking from his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. If Trump refuses to cooperate, he continued, "Donald Trump will leave Congress, in my view, with no choice but impeachment. That would be a tragedy, but a tragedy of his own making.""I can take the political attacks," Biden said, "but if we allow a president to get away with shredding the U.S. Constitution, that will last forever."Biden's call for Trump's impeachment makes him the highest-profile Democrat to join the swell of elected officials and presidential candidates—including centrists and so-called "frontline" Democrats, who hold seats in districts Trump won in 2016—supporting an impeachment investigation into the president.The groundswell comes days after the Washington Post first reported that Trump was the subject of a whistleblower complaint filed with the intelligence community's inspector general, which allegedly addresses multiple attempts by Trump to pressure the Ukrainian government into investigating Biden himself. The complaint has not yet been turned over to Congress, despite provisions of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act requiring the director of national intelligence to forward such complaints to the Senate and House intelligence committees.Hunter Biden, the former vice president's son, is a former adviser and member of the board of director for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that has been the subject of corruption investigations by that country's government. Biden, as vice president, pressured the Ukrainian government on behalf of the United States to fire the investigator who was accused of blocking international corruption investigations, including probes of Burisma, and had pushed its government to pull back on its reliance on Russian natural gas.Ukraine Likely to Reopen Probe of Hunter Biden Firm: SourcesTrump has since accused Biden, without offering evidence, of pressuring Ukraine into firing the investigator in order to protect his son. He admitted on Monday he asked the Ukrainian government to investigate his top-polling political rival, even as he denied it was wrong to do so."You're going to see because what we are doing is we want honesty and I think with the new president you're going to see much more honesty in the Ukraine and that's what we're looking for," Trump told reporters in New York City, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. "We want to make sure that country is honest. It's very important to talk about corruption. If you don't talk about corruption, why would you give money to a country that you think is corrupt?"Minutes before Biden's address, Trump announced on Twitter that he was authorizing "the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript" of his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was during this call that Trump is alleged to have pressured Zelensky up to eight times to investigate Biden's connection with Burisma.In another tweet, Trump characterized the call as "a very friendly and totally appropriate call," with no explicit requests that Zelensky investigate the Bidens in exchange for military aid. On Monday evening, the Post reported that Trump had ordered acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to withhold $400 million in congressionally appropriated military aid to Ukraine ahead of his call with Zelensky.Trump Impeachment: House Dems Are Discussing a 'Select Panel' to Handle the TaskBiden, who has accused Trump of an "overwhelming abuse of power," had nonetheless been one of the last holdouts among his party's presidential candidates on the issue of impeachment. In October 2018, Biden cautioned fellow Democrats against impeachment, and held off supporting impeachment proceedings against the president as late as Sunday."He could be impeached, but I'm not making that judgment now," Biden told reporters over the weekend. "The House should investigate this. This appears to be an overwhelming abuse of power to get on the phone with a foreign leader who is looking for help from the United States and ask about me and imply things if that's what happened."Earlier in the day, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) issued a stronger statement on impeachment than he had previously, saying that he "hopes very much that Judiciary Committee will move forward with an impeachment inquiry." "Today, I call upon the Judiciary Committee to demand all of the information that they need from the Trump administration," Sanders said in Davenport, Iowa. "Enough is enough," he said, adding that Congress needs to demonstrate that they can "walk and chew bubble gum at the same time."In June, Sanders said that the committee should begin an inquiry, but he has previously also expressed concern that sole focus on impeachment could take away from messaging Democrats could do on issues of health care, climate change, and wages. As frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination and, in Biden's case, the target of the alleged corruption at the center of the scandal, Biden's and Sanders' calls add new urgency to the question of a formal impeachment investigation by the House of Representatives.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been reluctant to cosign impeachment efforts—telling reporters that Trump is "just not worth it." But as statements in support of the effort cascaded from nearly every corner of the Democratic Party, she announced on Tuesday morning that she would consult with committee chairs, House Democratic leadership, and the party caucus before making a public statement later later that afternoon.Although the majority of House Democrats now support an impeachment inquiry—a number growing seemingly by the minute—the question of Trump's potential removal from office lies with the Republican-held Senate. There leadership has been much quieter on the question of impeachment.Asked on Tuesday if he would take up articles of impeachment if the House did the same, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the question "quite premature."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| Huawei CFO fighting U.S. extradition says her rights were violated Posted: 24 Sep 2019 12:29 PM PDT  Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou returned to a Vancouver court on Tuesday as her lawyers argued that Canadian authorities abused their powers and violated her rights to gather evidence against her, a claim the government denies. Meng, 47, was detained at Vancouver's airport on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, where she is charged with bank fraud and accused of misleading HSBC Holdings Plc about Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's [HWT.UL] business in Iran. Meng was searched and questioned by border officials at the airport after she landed on a flight from Hong Kong.
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| Up against it, Johnson receives Trump's support Posted: 24 Sep 2019 12:21 PM PDT  Boris Johnson may be under siege at home, facing calls to resign after a court ruled he acted unlawfully, but in New York the British leader could rely on the support of his chum Donald Trump. The sensational news that Britain's Supreme Court had decided the prime minister was wrong to shut down parliament amid a Brexit impasse broke around 5:30 am (0930 GMT) in the US financial capital. Would Johnson fly back to Britain to deal with the crisis or stick to his busy day of meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly ahead of his speech in front of the world body later Tuesday?
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| Merkel Climate Plan Faces Carbon Price Boost Amid Criticism Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:18 AM PDT ![Merkel Climate Plan Faces Carbon Price Boost Amid Criticism]( "Merkel Climate Plan Faces Carbon Price Boost Amid Criticism") (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's $60 billion climate package is likely to be upgraded by parliament amid growing criticism that it's too timid, according to people with direct knowledge of the government's legislative strategy.The price imposed on carbon-dioxide emissions could double from the current proposal of 10 euros a ton from 2021, in anticipation of expected challenges particularly from the opposition Green party, according to one person from Merkel's party who asked not to be named. "We will have to rework it," the parliamentary whip from Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, Michael Grosse-Broemer, told reporters in Berlin on Tuesday, specifically citing opposition from the Greens, who have leverage to block or slow the legislation in Germany's upper house of parliament.Merkel flew to New York this week to present her government's plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions at the United Nations's climate week, though at home the plan was pilloried as insufficient to meet Germany's obligations to the global Paris agreement. The package, including a carbon-pricing mechanism, taxes on airline tickets and reductions on train travel, was meant to put Europe's largest economy back on track in fighting climate change.The complex set of measures now needs to be approved by the lower house, or Bundestag, as well as the upper chamber, or Bundesrat. While Merkel's coalition of her Christian Democrat-led bloc and the Social Democrats has a majority in the Bundestag, it lacks one in the Bundesrat, made up of representatives of the country's 16 states. There, the Greens are represented in nine of the states and the party's co-leader, Annalena Baerbock, this week signaled action."We Greens will do everything to put forward measures that are necessary to fight climate change," Baerbock told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "We're in the opposition in the Bundestag, but in the Bundesrat we'll continue to push our proposals for a genuine shift on transportation and an end to fossil-fueled combustion engines."One person in Merkel's bloc said that the carbon pricing had intentionally been set so low in anticipation of negotiations with the Greens.According to the original plan, CO2 emissions for transport and buildings will start at 10 euros a ton in two years and rise to 35 euros in 2025.The landmark package also met with criticism among Social Democrats, the junior coalition partner. Karl Lauterbach, an SPD lawmaker and one of 14 candidates seeking to become the party's new leader, called the carbon price "much too low, unfortunately utterly ineffective," he tweeted on Sunday.To contact the reporters on this story: Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.net;Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Raymond ColittFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| What Is the United Nations? Its History, Its Goals and Its Relevance Posted: 24 Sep 2019 12:09 PM PDT ![What Is the United Nations? Its History, Its Goals and Its Relevance]( "What Is the United Nations? Its History, Its Goals and Its Relevance") Now in its seventh decade, the United Nations is well known throughout the world. But how many people know what it does or how it works? Or why, as nearly 200 leaders converge this week for the 74th session of its annual General Assembly, the institution has struggled to keep the promise of its founders: making the world better and more peaceful?From the Ashes of World War IIThe United Nations Charter was signed at a conference in San Francisco in June 1945, led by Britain, China, the Soviet Union and the United States.When the Charter took effect on Oct. 24 of that year, a global war had just ended. Much of Africa and Asia was still ruled by colonial powers.After fierce negotiations, 50 nations agreed to a Charter that begins, "We the peoples of the United Nations."That opening line is notable because today, the U.N. can, to some, seem to serve the national interests of its 193 members -- especially the most powerful. Their priorities can stand in the way of fulfilling the Charter's first two pledges: to end "the scourge of war" and to regain "faith in fundamental human rights."Human Rights: Aspirations versus RealityIn 1948, the U.N. proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These include the right to not be enslaved, the right to free expression, and the right to seek from other countries asylum from persecution. According to the United Nations Foundation, it is the most translated document in the world.However, many of the rights expressed -- to education, to equal pay for equal work, to nationality -- remain aspirational.General Assembly: Big Podium, Small PowersEach fall, the U.N. General Assembly, the main decision-making body of the organization where each member has one vote, becomes the stage where presidents and prime ministers give speeches that can be soaring, cliched, or somewhere in between. Despite the recommended 15-minute time limit, many leaders exceed it. Some have delivered long, incoherent tirades, such as one given by Moammar Gadhafi, the Libyan strongman, in 2009. (The longest General Assembly speech ever given was by Fidel Castro, at four hours and 29 minutes, on Sept. 26, 1960.)At last year's General Assembly, President Donald J. Trump delivered a speech that sharply criticized multilateralism, a cornerstone of the international cooperation espoused by the U.N. "America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination," he declared. In 2017, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatened the United States or its allies.The General Assembly speeches offer plenty of star power, but critics contend that they amount to little more than a glorified gabfest.For the rest of the session, the General Assembly is the arena where largely symbolic diplomatic jousts are won and lost. Hundreds of resolutions are introduced annually. While some earn a great deal of attention -- like one in 1975 that equated Zionism with racism -- they are not legally binding.In principle, nations small and large, rich and poor, have equal voice in the Assembly. But the genuine power resides elsewhere.Security Council: Powerful but Often ParalyzedThe 15-member Security Council is by far the most powerful arm of the U.N. It can impose sanctions, as it has done against North Korea over its nuclear arsenal and missiles, and authorize military intervention, as it did against Libya in 2011.Critics say it also is the most anachronistic part of the organization. Its five permanent members, known as the P5, are the victors of World War II: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The other 10 members are elected for two-year terms, with seats set aside for different regions of the world.Efforts to expand the permanent membership to include powers that have emerged since 1945 -- such as India, Japan and Germany -- have been stymied. For every country that vies for a seat, rivals seek to block it.Any member of the permanent five can veto any measure, and each has regularly used this power to protect either itself or allies. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has cast a veto 16 times on council resolutions, many concerning Israeli-Palestinian relations. Russia has done so 22 times in that period.Problems Keeping the PeaceThe Security Council's job is to maintain international peace. Its ability to do so has been severely constrained in recent years, largely because of bitter divisions between Russia and the West.The council has been unable to defuse major conflicts, particularly those in which permanent members have a stake. Most recently, its starkest failure has been the handling of the nearly 9-year-old conflict in Syria, with Russia backing the government of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States, Britain and France supporting some opposition groups.It also failed to halt the fighting in Yemen between its Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition, despite a disastrous humanitarian situation and reports from its own investigators of war crimes on both sides.North Korea, an ally of China, has also consistently defied the United Nations, ignoring prohibitions against its nuclear program and missile tests.Secretary-General: Global Reach, Vague RoleThe Charter is vague in defining the duties of the secretary-general, the United Nations' top official. Nine people have held the position, all men. The secretary-general is expected to show no favoritism to any particular country, but the office is largely dependent on the funding and goodwill of the most powerful nations.The Security Council -- notably its five permanent members -- chooses the secretary-general, by secret ballot, to serve a maximum of two five-year terms. It is difficult for the secretary-general to remain independent of the P5's influence.Without a military force, the secretary-general's coercive power is limited, but the position enjoys a bully pulpit. The current secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, a Portuguese politician now in his third year, has sought most conspicuously to advance international cooperation against warming temperatures. At a climate summit Guterres convened Monday, he told participants that without more aggressive action their grandchildren would suffer, and "I refuse to be an accomplice in the destruction of their one and only home."Goals Endangered: Climate Change and the 2030 ObjectivesThe U.N. Climate Action Summit at the General Assembly on Monday meant to highlight concrete promises by leaders to wean the global economy from fossil fuels to avoid the worst effects of global warming. The United States, having vowed to pull out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the pact among nations to jointly fight climate change, said nothing at all. A host of countries made only incremental promises.In 2015, the General Assembly also unanimously endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals, a 17-item list of 2030 objectives that includes addressing climate change, pollution, poverty and hunger; and eliminating gender discrimination. Guterres is using part of this year's General Assembly to sound the alarm that the deadline could be missed. "We are not on track," he said. "We are not doing enough."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Macron tells U.S., Iran: show courage to build peace Posted: 24 Sep 2019 12:00 PM PDT ![Macron tells U.S., Iran: show courage to build peace]( "Macron tells U.S., Iran: show courage to build peace") The United States and Iran need to take a leap of faith and show some courage to build peace, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, as he urged them and key powers to negotiate to avoid a wider conflict across the Middle East. Today the risk is (that things) flare up because of a miscalculation or a disproportionate response," Macron said in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly.
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| Coalition forces in Iraq say attacks 'will not be tolerated' Posted: 24 Sep 2019 11:30 AM PDT  U.S.-led coalition forces in Baghdad said Tuesday that attacks on coalition personnel and facilities in Iraq "will not be tolerated," adding that coalition forces retain the right to self-defense. No coalition or U.S.-occupied facility was struck in Monday night's attack in which two Katyusha rockets were fired into the heavily fortified Green Zone, according to a statement issued by the coalition and Iraqi security forces. The rockets landed few hundred meters (yards) away from the U.S. Embassy compound's perimeters, triggering alert sirens that sounded across the capital's Tigris River.
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| Trump vows to release ‘fully declassified’ transcript of call with Ukrainian president Posted: 24 Sep 2019 11:22 AM PDT  Donald Trump said he would release "fully declassified and unredacted transcript" of his call with the president of Ukraine just hours before Nancy Pelosi was set to deliver a major statement on investigations into the president.In a tweet before House Democrats were set to convene and discuss launching formal impeachment proceedings into Mr Trump, the president tweeted: "I am currently at the United Nations representing our Country, but have authorised the release tomorrow of the complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript of my phone conversation with President Zelensky of Ukraine."
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| Labour Rules Out Election Until No-Deal Off Table: Brexit Update Posted: 24 Sep 2019 11:16 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. The U.K. Supreme Court dealt an unprecedented legal rebuke to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, branding his controversial decision to suspend Parliament unlawful and giving lawmakers another chance to frustrate his plans for Brexit.Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told his party's annual convention he wants a general election, but only after the threat of a no-deal exit from the EU on Oct. 31 is off the table.Key Developments:Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calls on Johnson to resignSupreme Court found Johnson unlawfully suspended Parliament to frustrate its ability to "carry out its constitutional functions"Johnson promises to push on with Brexit and says U.K. needs an electionSpokesman for Attorney General Geoffrey Cox's office said the government "acted in good faith"House of Commons Speaker John Bercow says Parliament to resume 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday Pound risesVaradkar: Gap With U.K. on Brexit Still 'Very Wide' (7 p.m.)Following his meeting with Boris Johnson in New York, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told broadcaster RTE that while the talks were "more detailed" than before, the gap with the U.K. on Brexit "remains very wide."The two leaders plan to meet again in the near future, Varadkar said.Cox: Government Acted 'In Good Faith' (6:30 p.m.)Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, himself a distinguished lawyer, has come in for criticism over the suspension of Parliament. His office insisted he believed the move was lawful."The Government acted in good faith and in the belief that its approach was both lawful and constitutional," the Attorney General's Office said in a statement. "These are complex matters on which senior and distinguished lawyers have disagreed."The government was "disappointed" by the Supreme Court ruling but will "respect" its decision, it said.Conservative Calls for Rees-Mogg to Resign (6:25 p.m.)George Young, the former Conservative chief whip in the House of Lords, said Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg "needs to go'' for the government to regain trust of Parliament because it would be "less than credible" if no one resigned.Young, who entered Parliament in 1974, told the BBC that Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who provided the government's legal advice, should also "consider his position." Young resigned his position in Johnson's government over the decision to suspend Parliament.Earlier Tuesday, Sky News reported Cox's advice to the government that suspending Parliament was lawful, citing a leaked document. Rees-Mogg, alongside Chief Whip Mark Spencer, traveled to Scotland this month to advise the Queen she should dissolve Parliament.Varadkar Says 'Good' Meeting With Johnson (6:20 p.m.)Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said his meeting with Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York was "good.""No agreements by any means, but we got into some more details," he told Bloomberg.Labour to Refuse to Back Conference Recess (6:15 p.m.)The opposition Labour Party will refuse to back a recess next week for the Conservative Party's annual conference unless the premier requests a delay to Brexit from Brussels.Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn held talks on Tuesday with opposition leaders to discuss the next steps, his office said, adding that Labour doesn't plan to trigger a no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson's government in the next two days. Labour also said that for now, the priority is to ensure steps are taken to lock in a delay to Brexit. It would then seek to secure an early general election.Labour said it will use whatever mechanisms available to hold Johnson to account, and reiterated Corbyn's call for the prime minster to resign.Johnson 'Cautiously Optimistic' About Brexit Deal (6 p.m.)Before their meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar expressed their desire for a Brexit deal."We remain cautiously optimistic, but still cautious," Johnson said.Varadkar told reporters the Irish government is "very keen that there be a deal, that the U.K. should be able to leave the European Union in an orderly fashion." But he warned there were "certain guarantees" Ireland expects the U.K. government to honor. That comment likely refers to commitments by then Prime Minister Theresa May that Brexit would not lead to a hard border on the island of Ireland or damage the peace process in Northern Ireland."It certainly will," Johnson interjected.BCC Warns of 'Chilling Effect' of Labour Policies (5:55 p.m.)Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said Corbyn's "recipe for deep intervention and unprecedented overreach into the way that businesses are run would have a chilling effect on both confidence and investment."He warned that if Labour "pushes too far" they could undermine employment and investment at a time when the uncertainty of Brexit is already hitting companies."At a moment of critical national importance, Jeremy Corbyn should be extending the hand of friendship to businesses - not insisting that its us versus them," he said.Trump Praises Johnson's 'Progress' (5:45 p.m.)President Donald Trump said the U.S. and U.K. can "quadruple" trade after Brexit at the start of a meeting with Boris Johnson in New York."It's not easy and he's doing a really good job. He's going to make really great progress,'' Trump said. "The results are going to start to show in November. But it looks to be like he's making good progress.''"We're going to be discussing trade,'' Trump said. "We can quadruple out trade with the U.K. and I think we can really do a big job."U.K. Sends Fourth Proposals Text to Brussels (5:25 p.m.)The U.K has sent a fourth set of informal proposals to the European Commission, laying out alternative arrangements to the infamous backstop, two EU diplomats said on condition of anonymity.The document will be discussed between EU and British negotiators on Wednesday, and the Commission will then debrief member states on any progress achieved.Last week, three similar "non-papers" sent by the U.K were summarily rejected. The Commission said they were neither legally operational solutions for keeping the Irish border open, nor did they meet the objectives of the backstop.Labour Plans State-Owned Drugs Maker (5:15 p.m.)Corbyn pledged to start a state-owned drugs manufacturer if elected, to drive down costs for the National Health Service.He said private drugs companies will have to make their products more affordable in order to access public research funding. "We will create a new publicly owned generic drugs manufacturer to supply cheaper medicines to our NHS saving our health service money and saving lives," Corbyn said.Corbyn Greeted by Standing Ovations (5.10 p.m.)Delegates in the hall, who have been cheering every time Corbyn's name was mentioned in the run-up to the speech, were pumped up by the time he appeared.To chants of "Oh, Jeremy Corbyn" and "Johnson out," the packed conference hall gave him multiple standing ovations. They particularly approved of his plans to re-nationalize utilities and bring down medicine prices.Johnson to Push on With Brexit (4:50 p.m.)At his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, reporters asked Johnson whether he plans to resign for misleading the Queen, the prime minister replied: "Let's be absolutely clear. We respect the judiciary in our country, we respect the court.""We need to get on with Brexit," Johnson said, adding that he disagrees "profoundly" with the Supreme Court's judgment. He said the government has a "dynamic domestic agenda" to get on with and intends to do so.Separately, Johnson also reiterated that the state-run National Health Service is "not for sale" in any free-trade deal with the U.S.Labour wants election, but Not Yet, Corbyn Says (4:45 p.m.)labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held his line that an election should only take place once the risk of a no-deal Brexit has gone."This crisis can only be settled with a general election. That election needs to take place as soon as this government's threat of a disastrous No Deal is taken off the table," Corbyn said in a speech to Labour's annual conference."After what has taken place no one can trust this government and this Prime Minister not to use this crisis of their own making and drive our country over a No Deal cliff edge in five weeks' time," Corbyn said.Johnson Says U.K. Needs General Election (2:30 p.m.)Johnson told reporters in New York the U.K. needs a general election. He criticized opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has resisted demands for a snap poll -- because he doesn't trust Johnson not to use it to force through a no-deal Brexit."Jeremy Corbyn is talking out of the back of his head and we must have an election," Johnson said. The prime minister will hold a conference call with Cabinet ministers at 6 p.m. before his speech to the United Nations. He will then fly back to the U.K.Delivering a speech earlier to business leaders, Johnson reiterated that he disagrees with the Supreme Court's judgment."We in the U.K. will not be deterred from getting on and delivering on the will of the people to come out of the EU on Oct. 31," he said. "Because that it was we were mandated to do."Johnson's Office Says He Won't Resign (1:30 p.m.)Johnson's office, briefing reporters in New York City, insisted the prime minister will not resign, despite calls from opposition parties (see 11:10 a.m.).Johnson will return to the U.K. after delivering his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, scheduled for 8 p.m. local time, they said.Johnson Pledges to 'Get On' With Brexit (1:15 p.m.)Speaking in New York City, where he is due to address the United Nations General Assembly, Johnson stood by his commitment to deliver Brexit by Oct. 31, blaming the claimants who brought the case to the Supreme Court for seeking to "frustrate" Brexit."Obviously this is a verdict that we will respect and we respect the judicial process," Johnson said in a pooled TV interview. "I have to say that I strongly disagree with what the justices have found. I don't think that it's right but we will go ahead and of course Parliament will come back.""The most important thing is we get on and deliver Brexit on Oct. 31 and clearly the claimants in this case are determined to frustrate that and to stop that," Johnson said. "I think it would be very unfortunate if Parliament made that objective which the people want more difficult, but we will get on."Corbyn to Give Speech This Afternoon (12:45 p.m.)Jeremy Corbyn's office confirmed to journalists in Brighton that the opposition leader will make his conference speech at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, a day earlier than scheduled. Deputy Leader Tom Watson -- who had been due to speak on Tuesday afternoon -- would now speak place on Wednesday, they said.But Watson -- who was subject to an attempt by Corbyn supporters to abolish his position at the start of the party's conference -- tweeted that he wouldn't make the speech."I will be with all Labour colleagues in Parliament tomorrow," Watson wrote. "I'll have to save the speech until the next conference."Parliament to Resume Wednesday: Bercow (12:20 p.m.)Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow said the House of Commons will meet at 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday. He emphasized it would not be a recall, but a "resumption" because the Supreme Court ruled suspension unlawful.There will be no Prime Minister's Questions, a usual fixture on the agenda on Wednesdays, but Bercow said "for the avoidance of doubt, there will be full scope for urgent questions, ministerial statements and applications for emergency debates."Emergency debates are what Members of Parliament used to seize control of the agenda earlier this month to pass legislation to block a no-deal Brexit.Corbyn Moves Speech Forward to Tuesday (12:15 p.m.)After Parliament was recalled to sit on Wednesday, Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn will make his speech to the party's annual conference on Tuesday, his office said in Brighton. Corbyn had been due to speak on Wednesday. No time was given for the rescheduled speech.'Perfectly Obvious' Johnson Was Lying: Grieve (11:50 a.m.)Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve, who was kicked out of the parliamentary Conservative Party for voting against Boris Johnson on Brexit, said it was "perfectly obvious" that the prime minister's stated reason for suspending Parliament was "bogus and untrue.""I'm not surprised by the judgment because of the gross misbehavior by the prime minister," Grieve told the BBC. "He should be pausing and reflecting on the untold damage he is doing to our institutions."Farage Turns Fire on Johnson's Key Adviser (11:40 a.m.)Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, after the Supreme Court ruled the suspension of Parliament for five weeks was unlawful."The calling of a Queen's Speech and prorogation is the worst political decision ever. Dominic Cummings must go," Farage said on Twitter.Cummings has been a lightning rod for criticism of Johnson and has been criticized by opposition lawmakers, as well as some from the prime minister's Conservative Party, for overseeing an uncompromising hard-Brexit operation in Johnson's office.Rudd: PM Withheld Legal Advice from Cabinet (11:35 a.m.)Amber Rudd, who quit Boris Johnson's government this month after accusing him of not working toward a deal with the European Union, said the prime minister had not shown the legal advice on suspending Parliament to the rest of the Cabinet."This is an astonishing moment and I regret that the PM, who entered office with such goodwill, went down this route," Rudd said on Twitter, urging Johnson to "work with Parliament" to pass a Brexit deal.EU Not Commenting on U.K. Court Ruling (11:15 a.m.)The European Commission won't comment on the U.K.'s "internal constitutional matters," its spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud told reporters in Brussels. "Our interlocutor remains the government of the U.K.," she said.Calls Mounting for Johnson to Resign (11:10 a.m.)Other party leaders backed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's call for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign."Boris Johnson isn't fit to be prime minister," Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said on Twitter. "He's misled Queen and country, and unlawfully silenced the people's representatives. I'm on my way to resume my duties in the Commons and stop Brexit altogether."Liz Saville Roberts, leader of the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru, said: "There is no question, the prime minister must resign immediately and a crash out Brexit stopped once and for all." The Scottish Nationalist Party's Joanna Cherry said if Johnson "had a shred of integrity, he would jump before he is pushed."Corbyn Says Johnson Should Quit (11:05 a.m.)Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanded Parliament be recalled and called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign after announcing the Supreme Court's verdict to a standing ovation from delegates at his party's annual conference in Brighton."It demonstrates a contempt for democracy and an abuse of power by him," Corbyn said. He said he'd be in touch immediately with House of Commons Speaker John Bercow "to demand that Parliament is recalled so that we can question that prime minister and demand that he obeys the law that's been passed by Parliament."Corbyn then invited Johnson "to consider his position" to a further standing ovation and chants of "Johnson Out!" from the delegates.Bercow: Parliament Must Reconvene Without Delay (11 a.m.)Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow called for Parliament to reconvene."As the embodiment of our Parliamentary democracy, the House of Commons must convene without delay," Bercow said in a statement. " To this end, I will now consult the party leaders as a matter of urgency."Court Says Parliament Suspension 'Unlawful' (10:45 a.m.)The U.K.'s top judges dealt an unprecedented legal rebuke to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, branding his controversial decision to suspend Parliament unlawful. Parliament must decide what happens next and should meet as soon as possible, judge Brenda Hale said in unanimous ruling.The landmark decision Tuesday is a boost for MPs seeking to prevent Johnson pulling the country out of the European Union by Oct. 31 without a deal. By limiting the prime minister's power to suspend Parliament in the future, the judges also deprived Johnson of one of his last weapons to force through Brexit before his self-imposed deadline.The decision to prorogue parliament was "unlawful, void and no effect" Judge Brenda Hale, president of the Supreme Court, said in the decision."The decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification," she said.No Evidence of Criminality by Brexit Campaign Group (10 a.m.)The U.K.'s National Crime Agency said it found no evidence of criminality after investigating possible offenses around foreign involvement in funding for the 2016 EU referendum campaign.Brexit campaign group Leave.EU and the businessman Arron Banks will face no further action, the agency said. Even so, election watchdog the Electoral Commission said in a statement: "We are concerned about the apparent weakness in the law, highlighted by this investigation outcome, which allows overseas funds into U.K. politics."Labour's Long-Bailey Keeps 'Leave' Option Open (9:30 a.m.)Labour's Business spokeswoman Rebecca Long-Bailey suggested the party could campaign for 'Leave' in a second referendum if it secures the right deal with the European Union after winning a general election. In a Bloomberg TV interview, she denied the party has a "wait-and-see" approach, saying Labour wants a "credible" Brexit deal."The decision that was made yesterday at conference, that was about assessing that final deal and determining as a party how we would campaign in such a people's vote," Long-Bailey said. The assessment of the deal is needed because "it could be 70% of what we've asked for; it could be 50% of what we've asked for, it could be 100%."In a speech to the party's conference Tuesday, Long-Bailey will announce a ramp up in spending on electric vehicles and offshore wind if Labour comes to power. Labour will spend 3.6 billion pounds ($4.5 billion) to expand the electric vehicle charging network, as well as offering 2.5 million people interest free loans to help buy electric cars. She'll also announce plans to build 37 offshore wind farms, with the government holding a 51% stake, according to Labour.Leadsom: We'll Obey Law But Seek to Leave on Time (Earlier)Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom insisted the government will abide by the law blocking a no-deal Brexit, but will still seek to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 even if Boris Johnson can't reach a new Brexit deal."There's a huge amount of work to negotiate a deal," Leadsom said in an interview with BBC Radio. "Should we not get a deal, then we will be seeking to leave the European Union without a deal on the Oct. 31, but we will of course, always, abide by the law. The government always abides by the law."She didn't say how it would be possible to both abide by the law -- which says the prime minister must seek an extension from the EU by Oct. 19 if he can't reach a deal -- while also leaving without a deal on Oct. 31."We had a referendum over three years ago now, we've got to get on and deliver on it and Boris Johnson is the only person who is going to do that," she said.Earlier:As Johnson Fights for Brexit Deal, Leaders Ask If He's for RealBoris Johnson Urges EU to Recognize He Has Compromised on BrexitCorbyn Wins Labour Backing for His Wait-and-See Brexit Approach\--With assistance from Jonathan Browning, Jeremy Hodges, Franz Wild, Jessica Shankleman, Tim Ross, Josh Wingrove and Nikos Chrysoloras.To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in New York at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in Brighton at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Alex Morales in Brighton, England at amorales2@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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| Israel's main parties begin talks on coalition government Posted: 24 Sep 2019 11:06 AM PDT  Negotiators for Israel's two largest parties met Tuesday to discuss the possibility of forming a unity government, part of a long-shot effort to break the political deadlock following last week's national elections. The meeting between party representatives came a day after Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the rival Likud party held their first working meeting since the vote. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin brought them together in hopes of breaking an impasse that could lead to months of political limbo and potentially force a third election in less than a year.
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| U.S. leads condemnation of China for 'horrific' repression of Muslims Posted: 24 Sep 2019 11:01 AM PDT ![U.S. leads condemnation of China for 'horrific' repression of Muslims]( "U.S. leads condemnation of China for 'horrific' repression of Muslims") The United States led more than 30 countries on Tuesday in condemning what it called China's "horrific campaign of repression" against Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang at an event on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly that was denounced by China. Sullivan said it was incumbent on U.N. member states to ensure the world body was able to closely monitor human rights abuses by China and added that it must seek "immediate, unhindered, and unmonitored" access to Xinjiang for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR).
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| Germany €54 Billion Climate Package Might Be Too Little Too Late Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:54 AM PDT ![Germany €54 Billion Climate Package Might Be Too Little Too Late]( "Germany €54 Billion Climate Package Might Be Too Little Too Late") Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, unveiled an ambitious climate package to the tune of €54 billion, buoyed by public protests on Germany's inability to hit its upcoming emissions target of 2020. In 2002, Germany promised that by 2020, it would reduce its carbon emissions by 40% from 1990 levels.
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| Yemeni tribal leaders say Saudi-led airstrikes kill 13 Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:51 AM PDT ![Yemeni tribal leaders say Saudi-led airstrikes kill 13]( "Yemeni tribal leaders say Saudi-led airstrikes kill 13") Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's rebels on Tuesday killed at least 13 civilians, including children, when they hit a residential building in southern Dhale province, tribal leaders and health officials said. The airstrikes in the district of Qataba also wounded at least 10 others, they said.
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| Canadian PM Trudeau says he deplores that Brexit interferes with UK leadership on world stage Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:44 AM PDT ![Canadian PM Trudeau says he deplores that Brexit interferes with UK leadership on world stage]( "Canadian PM Trudeau says he deplores that Brexit interferes with UK leadership on world stage") Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that Britain's focus on Brexit is undermining the country's needed leadership in global affairs. "We've seen the instability and the challenges that the UK continues to go through as it is wrapped up with this issue," Trudeau said when asked to comment on Tuesday's UK Supreme Court decision while campaigning on the west coast.
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| Bolsonaro Slams Socialism, Urges Respect for Amazon Policy at UN Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:38 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Jair Bolsonaro asserted Brazil's sovereignty over the Amazon and attacked the legacy of socialism in Latin America in a defiant speech to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.In a 30-minute address that cemented the rupture of the country's tradition of multilateralism, Bolsonaro said he was rebuilding the nation after it had slid to the "brink" of socialism under previous administrations. He trumpeted Brazil's environmental policies and said that those who questioned his record were concerned with exploiting the country's mineral wealth."The Amazon is not being devastated or destroyed by fire, as the lying media claims," he said.Amid the huge international outcry over the fires raging through the Amazon rainforest, Bolsonaro offered no concessions in a speech largely aimed at his domestic base. He insisted once more on his government's right to develop the region and questioned the motives of his critics, both among Brazil's indigenous communities and European lawmakers.In a pointed rebuttal to France and Germany -- both publicly concerned over the rise in deforestation -- Bolsonaro used his speech to point out that the two European countries use over 50% of their land for agriculture, whereas Brazil uses just 8%. In addition, he said that "radical environmentalism" represented a step back and called on the UN to defeat this ideology."It is a fallacy to say that the Amazon is a world heritage and it's a mistake, as scientists have testified to say, that our rainforests are the lungs of the world," he said. "They questioned that which is most sacred to us: our sovereignty!"Marina Silva, a former Brazilian environment minister and presidential candidate, said that the speech had caused deep embarrassment and indignation. "The address failed to acknowledge the serious problems our country is facing and showed our complete alienation with this persecutory delusion toward socialism as if we were still in the Cold War," she said.Opening UpWhile the theme of socialism dominated the speech, Bolsonaro also mentioned his government's efforts to open up the Brazilian economy which he said was reacting following almost two decades of fiscal irresponsibility and generalized corruption."There can be no political freedom without economic freedom," he said. "Free markets, concessions and privatizations are now present in Brazil."In particular Bolsonaro mentioned the trade deal reached between the European Union and Mercosur, the South American customs union, a deal which is now under threat due to the Europeans' opposition to Bolsonaro's environmental policies. He added he is looking forward to visit Asian and Arab countries in the search for more partnerships.Closing CommentsHis closing remarks focused once again on the pernicious influence of leftwing thought which he blamed for his stabbing on the campaign trail last September."Ideology invaded the human soul in order to expel God and the dignity that he clothed us with," he said.Finally, he called on the United Nations to act as group of individual countries and not in the service of some "abstract global interest".After the speech Bolsonaro told reporters waiting at his hotel that he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening.(Adds comments from Marina Silva in eighth paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Aline Oyamada in New York at aoyamada3@bloomberg.net;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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| Furor over Trump puts Ukraine's leader in a tough spot Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:35 AM PDT  Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the comedian elected Ukraine's leader in April, took office pledging to focus on ending the separatist fighting in the country's east, fomented by Russia. It is a supremely delicate position for Zelenskiy, a 41-year-old political novice trying to deal simultaneously with two powerful figures with outsize influence over his country's future: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump is suspected of pressuring Zelenskiy over the summer to investigate political rival Joe Biden's family at the same time Trump was withholding nearly $400 million in military aid to the Eastern European country.
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| Lebanese tourist in Europe mistakenly ID'd as 'terrorist' Posted: 24 Sep 2019 10:31 AM PDT  A Lebanese journalist, his wife and their friends had been touring southern Europe on a cruise ship when on the fourth day, while docked in the Greek island of Mykonos, a receptionist came on deck to tell the 65-year-old man that immigration officers would like to talk to him. Mohammed Saleh went down, thinking it was a matter that would only take a few minutes.
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