| Keeping Up With the Plot of the Trump-Kim Nuclear Show Posted: 02 Oct 2019 05:46 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Three meetings between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea resulted in no concrete plans to end Pyongyang's atomic ambitions. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have toned down hostile rhetoric since they first shook hands in Singapore in June 2018. They were cordial even after their second summit broke down in Hanoi in February, and took an historic stroll together into North Korea four months later. All the while, Pyongyang's nuclear program quietly advanced as U.S.-backed sanctions choked its moribund economy. The two countries can't agree on what the denuclearization of North Korea means and what rewards should be given, if any, in response to Pyongyang's moves toward disarmament. But Trump has invited Kim to the White House, while a top aide to Kim has touted the "mysteriously wonderful" chemistry between the two leaders.1\. What have they agreed to?The first summit resulted in a bare-bones declaration that contained four main items: To normalize ties between the U.S. and North Korea, formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, repatriate U.S. war remains and -- crucially -- "to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." But "work toward" is undefined. It's also unclear whether the U.S. nuclear umbrella over South Korea is included. U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo says that Kim accepted the "final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea." North Korea points out the agreement referred to the entire peninsula and insists U.S. weapons must go at the same time, or it would be left vulnerable to attack. A meeting between Kim and Trump within the Demilitarized Zone in June 2019 led to an agreement to resume working-level talks to work on details. After three months a date was finally set: Saturday, Oct. 5, with a "preliminary contact" the day before.2\. What does the U.S. want?To start, the U.S. wants North Korea to provide an inventory of weapons, facilities and fissile material it has produced. Kim's regime calls that akin to asking for a "target list." Further steps would include inspections, closing facilities and destroying weapons, and even surrendering nuclear material, according to proliferation experts. Past talks have faltered on the question of inspections and verification.3\. What does North Korea want?Kim wants "corresponding measures," or immediate rewards, for any steps his regime makes. In a televised New Year's address, Kim threatened to take a "new path" if Washington didn't relax crippling economic sanctions. He signaled that any deal might require weakening the U.S.-South Korean alliance, urging Seoul not to resume military exercises with the American side. And he made clear that he believed the denuclearization pledge includes "strategic assets" such as America's nuclear-capable planes and warships. But his language was less bellicose than past years, possibly reflecting his limited options.4\. What has North Korea offered?In Hanoi, North Korea offered to shut down parts of its Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has served as the crown jewel of its atomic program, in return for sanctions relief. The aging facility about 60 miles north of Pyongyang was once the main source of its fissile material, turning out roughly enough plutonium each year for one atomic bomb. But North Korea has since turned to uranium enrichment for weapons. Still, Yongbyon remains its main atomic research facility and a complete closure would affect its nuclear program.5\. How did the Hanoi summit end?Abruptly. Trump said he walked out after Kim insisted that sanctions be completely lifted. North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho disputed Trump's claim, saying that North Korea only asked that UN sanctions imposed during 2016 and 2017 be lifted. He also said Kim had pledged not to restart missile testing. The two sides, which do not have diplomatic relations, have also floated a deal to end the 1950-53 Korean War and talked about setting up liaison offices in the other's capital.6\. So has there been any progress?Small steps. In July 2018, North Korea released some 55 sets of remains of U.S. troops killed in the Korean War, but negotiations slowed over the remains of thousands of others. While Kim followed through on pledges to refrain from nuclear weapons tests and dismantle testing facilities, those were moves he had committed to before meeting Trump, having declared the testing phase complete. On the U.S. side, Trump suspended or scaled back military drills with South Korea, calling them expensive "war games." In doing so, he overruled then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. But the Trump administration also imposed extra sanctions on some North Koreans. Relations between North and South Korea improved somewhat, with a deal in September 2018 for removing land mines and some guard posts from the border zone. But Trump rejected as premature a proposal from South Korean President Moon Jae-in for confidence-building economic projects with North Korea. In June 2019, Trump praised a "beautiful" letter from Kim and asked via Twitter for a meeting when Trump would be in South Korea. Trump and Kim met in the DMZ, shook hands with him at the border and joined him in a brief walk north across the line to become the first sitting U.S. president to step foot in North Korean territory.7\. Where does China stand?The U.S.-China trade war has complicated cooperation between Washington and Beijing, but China has said it backs further meetings between Trump and Kim. The problem for Trump is that China -- as North Korea's dominant trading partner and sole security ally -- is key to maintaining the economic isolation the U.S. is relying on to force Kim back to the negotiating table. While China has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to international sanctions, the country has shown its limits; for instance, China joined Russia in blocking the UN Security Council committee that monitors sanctions from declaring that North Korea exceeded its annual import cap on refined petroleum products, the Associated Press reported in June. President Xi Jinping embarked on the first visit by a Chinese leader to North Korea in 14 years in June, saying he wished to "open a new chapter" in ties.8\. Is North Korea still dangerous?Trump declared after the first summit that North Korea was "no longer a nuclear threat." The prospect of war seems to have receded, but since the first meeting, North Korea likely produced enough fissile material for four or more atomic bombs and worked on making more missiles that could deliver a warhead to anywhere on the U.S. mainland. Satellite images released in March showed that North Korea was rebuilding a long-range rocket site it recently dismantled. In May, Kim started a series of military tests that has led to his state firing off about 20 ballistic missiles, including a test on Oct. 2 of what North Korea says was a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile. The tests have stopped just short of challenging Trump's bottom line by continuing a moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile firings and underground nuclear tests. Trump referred to the missiles tested as "some small weapons," saying the operation "disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me."9\. Why isn't the Korean War officially over?Because the parties involved in talks to end the war -- China, North Korea and the U.S.-led UN Command -- never were able to agree on a peace treaty. What was signed in 1953 was only an armistice, or truce. However, signing a treaty now without a disarmament deal carries risks for the U.S., because it could legitimize Kim's control over half of the peninsula and undermine the rationale for stationing 28,000 or so American troops in South Korea. Each side uses the continued threat of attack to justify its own military activities.(Clarifies dates of October meetings in first question)\--With assistance from David Tweed.To contact the reporters on this story: Jon Herskovitz in Tokyo at jherskovitz@bloomberg.net;Youkyung Lee in Seoul at ylee582@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Paul GeitnerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| North Korea says submarine-launched missile test succeeded Posted: 02 Oct 2019 05:30 PM PDT  North Korea says its test-firing of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile in the waters off its east coast was successful. The test-firing Wednesday was North Korea's first of a submarine-launched missile in three years, which occurred ahead of a restart of nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States this weekend. The Korean Central News Agency says the test of the Pukguksong-3 missile "ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces' threat to" North Korea.
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| Hong Kong Protests Set to Escalate as Shooting Stirs Anger Posted: 02 Oct 2019 05:28 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A Hong Kong police officer who fired a bullet into the chest of an 18-year-old protester may have inadvertently given new life to the months-long movement challenging Beijing's authority.Demonstrators hit the streets again on Wednesday following the release of videos showing the man getting shot at close range after striking the officer with a metal rod. The violent images, juxtaposed with a triumphant Chinese President Xi Jinping celebrating 70 years of Communist rule in Beijing, could now help drive momentum for the protests until local elections in November -- the next big date on the political calendar."People were expecting that the government and Beijing would have loved to see the end of everything by National Day," said Alvin Yeung, an opposition lawmaker. "And obviously, it was a failure -- it was chaotic, and finally a real bullet has been shot at a student, which is a turning point.""People are very angry and you can imagine that the general public, especially the younger protesters, will take their anger and turn it into real action, physical revenge," he said. "This unrest will continue and could escalate."Hong Kong police groups called on the government Wednesday to access powerful colonial-era laws to impose curfews and other measures to keep people off the streets. "In the face of such a massive series of rioting incidents, we cannot work alone without appropriate measures and support from the top level," Junior Police Officers' Association chairman Lam Chi-wai said in a statement.Over the last few months, pro-democracy demonstrators have seized on violent incidents to rally supporters in a movement that began four months ago to oppose a proposed bill allowing extradition to China. There was a high-profile suicide of a protester in June. A month later alleged triad members viciously attacked black-shirted demonstrators on the subway. Then in August a woman was reportedly hit in the eye with a non-lethal round, prompting other protesters to start wearing bloody eye-patches and spray paint "an eye for an eye" while storming the international airport.'More Determined'The anger was palpable during a protest in central Hong Kong on Wednesday, even as reports emerged that the shot protester was in stable condition and expected to survive. Police fired more than 1,400 rounds of tear gas on Tuesday -- more than half of the total fired since protests began June 9 -- and fired six live bullets, five as warning shots."The police force should be disbanded and get sanctioned for what they are doing," said a man surnamed Lee, who declined to give his full name as he chanted slogans with dozens of others. "We will fight on."The Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized some of the city's largest peaceful gatherings over the past few months, pledged a "large-scale mobilization" as a result of the shooting."We will be even more united, even more determined in our resistance," the group said in a Facebook post. "From now on, October 1st will be an anniversary for the suppression of Hong Kong people with live rounds."So far nobody has been killed in the protests, a fact that Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam called "quite remarkable" last week. She has defended the police force and commended officers for using restraint in the face of attacks by some protesters wielding metal bars, hammers, bricks, and Molotov cocktails.While Lam withdrew the bill that initially sparked the protests in June, she has refused to give in to other demands by the protesters -- including an independent inquiry into police violence. That stance is backed by China, which has ruled out allowing Hong Kong to pick a ruler who will stand up to Beijing.Samson Yuen, an assistant professor at Lingnan University who has conducted numerous surveys among protesters including this week, said demonstrators are consistently saying they are motivated by the inability to choose their own political leaders rather than economic factors, as the government insists."People are concerned about the illegitimacy of the system," he said. "The shooting will have a huge impact on the emotion among the protesters. And the fact that the police have insisted it was a right and reasonable action, this will definitely lead to a backlash among the protesters."Further ConcessionsMore recently, Lam's Beijing-backed administration has set up town-hall style dialogue sessions, including one last Thursday. But critics have said she isn't meaningfully engaging with the former colony's populace, because she isn't willing to make any further concessions.That approach -- digging in and hoping the protests die down -- could eventually prove successful if there's no major "intervening event" such as a fatality, according to Kevin Yam, a political commentator and member of the Progressive Lawyer's Group."I tend to think the government's strategy of waiting it out will work," he said. "And I mean 'work' in terms of the protests ebbing away, though obviously not working in terms of longer term unresolved issues."At the same time it's not even clear further concessions would achieve anything -- particularly as resentment builds among police and protesters each time violence escalates."Even at this point, if you set up an independent inquiry or have elections, I don't think that will solve the problem," said Ivan Choy, a senior politics lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "All the solutions are too late after three to four months of confrontations. If we had tried to use this in June or July, they might have worked. But doing them now won't."(Updates with curfew calls in fifth paragraph)\--With assistance from Fion Li and Chloe Whiteaker.To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Daniel Ten KateFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| EXPLAINER-N.Korea's suspected submarine missile 'pushes the envelope' Posted: 02 Oct 2019 05:03 PM PDT ![EXPLAINER-N.Korea's suspected submarine missile 'pushes the envelope']( "EXPLAINER-N.Korea's suspected submarine missile 'pushes the envelope'") North Korea fired what may be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Wednesday, which would be the first test in three years of what had been a relatively young but rapidly progressing programme to deliver nuclear weapons. The launch comes hours after the North announced it would resume nuclear talks with the United States this weekend, potentially ending a months-long deadlock that followed a vow by North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump to make progress. A missile was launched from the sea soon after 7 a.m. on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday) about 17 km (11 miles) northeast of the coastal city of Wonsan, the site of one of North Korea's military bases used for previous missile launches.
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| Boris Johnson’s New Brexit Plan Faces Litmus Test in Parliament Posted: 02 Oct 2019 04:33 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson will test his new Brexit plan on Thursday in the U.K. Parliament, optimistic he's got enough support from hard-line eurosceptics to finally get a deal over the line.With just 29 days to go before Brexit day, Johnson made a clear signal Wednesday he's ready to do a deal, unveiling a compromise with enough concessions to keep the European Union at the table.Within hours, Johnson's de facto deputy, Michael Gove, appeared confident of a "pretty solid majority" in Westminster behind the proposal. Speaking to ITV's Robert Peston show, he said there's a very good chance of the deal getting through the U.K. Parliament.The U.K. is due to exit the EU on Oct. 31 and Johnson says he will never agree to delaying Brexit beyond that date, even if it means leaving without a deal -- risking disruption at ports, to business supply chains, and to the security of food, fuel and water supplies. More than three years after Britain voted to leave the bloc, Johnson says most people just want Brexit done.On Wednesday, he threatened to walk away from the talks if the EU didn't agree with his plan to avoid the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland -- what he described as "essentially a technical issue."Johnson is hoping he can succeed in getting a deal through Parliament where his predecessor, Theresa May, failed three times. On Thursday, he will present the plan to his cabinet. Then either he or Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay will then take questions on it in Parliament.His proposal is to ditch the contentious "backstop" arrangement for the Irish border in May's deal and replace it with a regulatory border in the Irish Sea, effectively splitting Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. That's something May said no prime minister could ever accept, and that the most ardent Brexiteeers in Parliament refused to back -- until now.This time, Steve Baker, chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Conservative MPs, gave a broad welcome to the proposals, while Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, who have been propping the Conservatives up in government, also supported the proposal to replace the "backstop."Intractable IssueThe compromise moves a step closer to a Northern Ireland-only backstop -- something the European Union has long pushed for, said Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. "If the DUP and the Conservatives now accept the principle of some kind of border in the Irish Sea, it could be possible to get them to go the rest of the way," he said.By Wednesday evening, Johnson's language about this being a "final offer" had softened to a "broad landing zone," suggesting there could be more room for maneuver.Even so, opponents of a no-deal Brexit have so far been critical. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the deal is unacceptable and would allow the U.K. to deregulate, reducing workers' rights.Will Boris Johnson's Irish Border Plans End Brexit Impasse?While the EU welcomed some of the concessions in the U.K. proposal, in particular the pledge to make Northern Ireland follow EU rules for goods, food and livestock, the bloc is clear that the proposal is very far from acceptable in other areas, most notably on dividing the island into two separate customs zones and giving the assembly in Belfast the power of veto.Although Johnson insisted there would be no physical checks at the land border, it would require customs checks to take place somewhere.Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, gave a cautious welcome to the move Wednesday, triggering the start of a two-week negotiation to thrash out a deal, ahead of an EU Council meeting Oct. 17-18.Behind the scenes, EU officials are adamant that none of that's likely to fly, especially if the Irish government maintains its approach of not wanting anything to disrupt cross-border trade, a position that the EU supports. After speaking to Johnson Wednesday evening, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the proposals "don't meet the agreed objectives of the backstop," his office said in a statement.Johnson's plan is for politicians in the Northern Ireland Assembly to have a veto over the arrangements and give consent every four years to allow them to continue. In one area that the Irish government is sure to pick up, it is unclear what would happen if that consent didn't come -- the whole point of the backstop is to give certainty that there'll be no border checks in any circumstances.But the European side is encouraged the U.K. government has signaled that it's prepared to talk further and will aim to get more concessions to avoid having to carry out any customs checks crossing the Irish border. If it can't, then it will make clear that Wednesday's cautious optimism was misplaced and it'll move on to preparing for a Brexit delay beyond Oct. 31, officials said.To contact the reporters on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net;Ian Wishart in Brussels at iwishart@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Robert Hutton, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Graham Urges Foreign Leaders to Help Barr: Impeachment Update Posted: 02 Oct 2019 03:52 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The Democrats' impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is moving forward as several House committees are to receive private briefings Wednesday from the State Department inspector general on documents related to Ukraine.Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has been subpoenaed to provide documents by Friday to three House committees.Here are the latest developments:Graham Asks Foreign Leaders to Aid Barr Inquiry (6:50 p.m.)Senator Lindsey Graham has sent a letter urging the leaders of Australia, Italy and the U.K. to continue working with Attorney General William Barr in his inquiry into the origins of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election."That the attorney general is holding meetings with your countries to aid in the Justice Department's investigation of what happened is well within the bounds of his normal activities," Graham, a South Carolina Republican and Trump ally wrote in the letter. "He is simply doing his job."Barr, Pompeo and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani have all been drawn into a House impeachment inquiry after details of the administration's foreign contacts emerged.Barr is reviewing what U.S. intelligence agencies did in 2016 and has met with officials from Italy and Australia, the official said. Graham's letter to the prime ministers of the U.K., Italy and Australia was attached to a statement from the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is chairman. Congress Given Mystery State Documents (5:04 p.m.)A highly anticipated briefing by the State Department's inspector general that had been shrouded in mystery may turn out to be "a completely irrelevant distraction" from the House impeachment inquiry, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said afterward.Inspector General Steve Linick, who had asked to brief lawmakers, turned over a packet of material consisting of propaganda and disinformation that appeared to be aimed at undermining the Mueller investigation into Russian election interference and, in part, promoting conspiracy theories about former Vice President Joe Biden, Raskin said.The packet purports to come from the White House and is addressed to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. One Democratic aide said it included Trump hotel folders with alleged notes from interviews that took place at at the New York office of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, about debunked conspiracies related to Ukraine.Raskin said its actual provenance is unknown, but the inspector general got the documents in May and sent them to the FBI. He said the lawmakers had been expecting to get briefed on other matters.Raskin, who was in the briefing, said there was nothing in the material that directly relates to Trump's conduct or that of Secretary of State Michael Pompeo."The inspector general has no idea where it came from," Raskin said.White House to Preserve Phone Call Records (4:10 p.m.)Justice Department lawyers told a federal judge in Washington that the White House will preserve six categories of records related to Trump's telephone calls with foreign leaders.That concession came Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington in May, demanding that Trump comply with the federal Presidential Records Act.That potentially makes the records available if sought for the House impeachment inquiry as well.On Tuesday, CREW had asked Judge Amy Berman Jackson for a temporary order ensuring the White House didn't destroy the records while the group pursues its case.Jackson expressed reservations about CREW's lawsuit, according to a transcript of a telephone call with lawyers in the case Tuesday. Still, the judge upbraided Justice Department attorney Kathryn Wyer for failing to promise the information would be preserved while the lawsuit is pending.Wyer filed that assurance in writing Wednesday. The White House has asked Jackson to throw out CREW's case. -- Andrew HarrisEx-Ukraine Leader Denies Biden Pressured Him on Cases (3:35 p.m.)Former Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko says that Joe Biden never asked him to open or close any criminal cases, adding to the list of Ukrainian officials saying they never saw him do anything improper involving his son.Speaking to the news media for the first time on the matter, Poroshenko rebutted claims made by Trump and his allies that Biden, as U.S. vice president, sought the ouster of the country's prosecutor general in 2016 to stop an investigation of a natural gas company where Hunter Biden sat on the board."The former vice president, at least in personal conversations, didn't raise any requests to open or close any concrete cases," Poroshenko said in a statement to Bloomberg News in response to questions. Poroshenko made similar comments to CNN and the Los Angeles Times in recent days. -- Stephanie Baker, Daryna KrasnolutskaTrump Accuses Schiff of Helping Write Complaint (2:53 p.m.)Trump accused Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, of helping write a whistle-blower complaint that led to an impeachment inquiry."I think it's a scandal that he knew before," Trump said Wednesday at a White House news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. "I'd go a step further -- I think he probably helped write it."He added: "That's a big story. He knew long before and he helped write it, too."Trump's comment came after the New York Times reported that Schiff got an early account of what became the whistle-blower complaint that alleges Trump pressured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.Patrick Boland, a spokesman for Schiff, said the committee did not review or receive the complaint in advance. "Like other whistle-blowers have done before and since under Republican and Democratic-controlled Committees, the whistle-blower contacted the Committee for guidance on how to report possible wrongdoing within the jurisdiction of the Intelligence Community," Boland said. -- Jordan FabianState Watchdog to Detail Efforts to Punish Witnesses (2:39 p.m.)The State Department's inspector general is planning to brief lawmakers privately on efforts inside the department to punish officials who cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry of Trump, according to two people familiar with the matter.Steve Linick, the State Department's inspector general, is scheduled to meet with lawmakers Wednesday afternoon, just one day after Pompeo denounced a request from House committees to take testimony from five department officials.The inspector general's office declined to comment. -- Billy HousePerry Says He'll Answer Queries on Zelenskiy (1:19 p.m.)Energy Secretary Rick Perry told reporters in Chicago Wednesday he'll cooperate with House Democrats seeking information about his role in White House interactions with Ukraine's president. "We are going to work with Congress and answer all their questions," he said.Perry has met twice with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, including in May when he led a delegation to Zelenskiy's inauguration in place of Vice President Mike Pence.The energy secretary didn't answer a question about whether he was on the July 25 phone call with Trump and Zelenskiy that is central to the House impeachment inquiry. -- Ari NatterTrump Calls Whistle-Blower Source a 'Spy' (12:31 p.m.)Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the source or sources who revealed his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to a whistle-blower "was a spy" and said the country must learn the person's identity."He either got it totally wrong, made it up, or the person giving the information to the whistle-blower was dishonest," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "And this country has to find out who that person was because that person's a spy, in my opinion."He also said in a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the White House that whistle-blowers deserve protection only when their complaints are "legitimate." Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who helped to write U.S. whistle-blower protection laws, said Tuesday in a statement that the Zelenskiy whistle-blower "appears" to have followed the law "and ought to be heard out and protected.""Look, I think a whistle-blower should be protected if the whistle-blower is legitimate," Trump said. -- Jordan FabianTrump Says Inquiry Is Driving Stocks Down (11:48 a.m.)Trump said Democrats' impeachment inquiry is pushing down down the value of stocks, and that the party is intentionally trying to depress the market to defeat him in the 2020 election."All of this impeachment nonsense, which is going nowhere, is driving the Stock Market, and your 401K's, down," Trump tweeted on Wednesday. "But that is exactly what the Democrats want to do. They are willing to hurt the Country, with only the 2020 Election in mind!"U.S. stocks tumbled to the lowest since August on Wednesday after another disappointing report fueled fears that the American economy is slowing. The S&P 500 headed for the biggest two-day slump in two months as private payrolls fell short of estimates a day after a manufacturing gauge slumped to the lowest in a decade. -- Jordan FabianSchiff Warns Trump Against Stonewalling (11:34 a.m.)Any White House attempt to "stonewall" House Democrats' impeachment investigation will be considered evidence of obstruction of justice, Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters.Schiff said the whistle-blower deserves protection, and that Trump's tweets have been "a blatant effort to intimidate a witness.""We're not fooling around here now," Schiff said. "We don't want this to drag on for months and months and months." He added, "They will be strengthening the case if they behave that way."Schiff said Democrats are ready to go to court if necessary to enforce demands for information from the White House."It is hard to imagine a more corrupt course of conduct" than Trump's pressuring the Ukraine president to investigate political rival Joe Biden, Schiff said. Republicans who dismiss the call as not rising to the level of an impeachable offense "are going to have to answer, if this conduct doesn't rise to the level of concern the founders had, what conduct does?" -- Billy HouseHouse Chairmen Ready White House Subpoena (10:47 a.m.)Three House committee chairmen threatened on Wednesday to subpoena the White House if it fails to adhere by Friday to document requests related to allegations that Trump pressured Ukraine into investigating one of his leading political rivals.Representatives Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff and Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel publicly released a memo and draft subpoena Wednesday."Over the past several weeks, the committees tried several times to obtain voluntary compliance with our requests for documents, but the White House has refused to engage with—or even respond to—the committees," they said in the memo.The White House has refused to produce documents that were first requested more than three weeks ago on Sept. 9, the chairmen said. -- Billy HousePutin Defends Trump on Ukraine Call Claims (9:36 a.m.)Under political siege in Washington and facing an impeachment threat, Trump got support from one key figure -- Russian leader Vladimir Putin.Putin rode to Trump's defense Wednesday over allegations the U.S. president pressured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, now a leading candidate to challenge Trump in the 2020 presidential elections."From what we know, I don't see anything compromising at all," Putin told an audience at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow. "I didn't see that during this phone call Trump demanded compromising material from Zelenskiy at any cost and threatened him that he wouldn't help Ukraine."While the Kremlin has said it wouldn't like transcripts of Trump's calls with Putin to be released, the Russian leader appeared more relaxed about the prospect. Pointing to his past experience as a KGB spy, Putin said "any conversation can be published -- I always proceed from that."Putin added that after political controversy erupted in the U.S. over his Helsinki summit meeting with Trump last year, he told officials in Washington to publish details of their talks."We don't mind," Putin said. "I assure you that there's nothing there that would compromise President Trump."Key EventsHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff will hold a press conference in the Capitol at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. Trump holds his own press availability at 2 p.m. at the White House along with the president of the Republic of Finland.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he never met or talked by phone with Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, whose contacts in Ukraine are part of the impeachment inquiry. Zelenskiy said the Ukrainian transcript of his July 25 call with Trump is similar to the one released by the White House.Kurt Volker, who resigned last week as U.S. special representative to Ukraine, confirmed he'll testify in private Thursday in front of three House committees, according to an official from one panel.The chairmen of the three committees warned Pompeo to "immediately cease intimidating" State Department witnesses, hours after the secretary of state rejected the panels' plan to take testimony from several State officials.A Monmouth University poll showed that 63% of Americans say it's wrong for a U.S. president to request help from a foreign leader to investigate a political rival and about the same proportion believe Trump probably did just that.\--With assistance from Justin Blum, Tony Halpin, James Rowley, Billy House, Erik Wasson, Ari Natter, Mario Parker, Jordan Fabian, Daryna Krasnolutska, Stephanie Baker, Emily Wilkins and John Harney.To contact the reporters on this story: Steven T. Dennis in Washington at sdennis17@bloomberg.net;Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Venezuela asks UN to say US can’t invoke treaty to use force Posted: 02 Oct 2019 03:51 PM PDT  Venezuela is asking the U.N. Security Council to affirm that the United States and 10 other countries have no authority to use force against the South American nation by invoking the Inter-American Reciprocal Assistance Treaty. Venezuela's U.N. ambassador, Samuel Moncada, claimed in a letter to the council circulated Wednesday that the 1947 treaty is being used "as a tool" to implement the naval blockade threatened by President Donald Trump on Aug. 1.
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| Shadow of Writer's Murder Stalks Saudi Prince Posted: 02 Oct 2019 03:39 PM PDT  BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Not long ago, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, was hailed across the United States as a long-awaited agent of change who was opening up his conservative kingdom by ushering in an era of social and economic reforms.Tech giants gave him personal tours in Silicon Valley, Hollywood producers considered Saudi projects, and President Donald Trump praised the prince as an indispensable ally in fighting terrorism and blunting Iran's influence in the region.Then, a year ago Wednesday, Saudi agents killed and dismembered dissident Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Prince Mohammed emerged as a primary suspect, believed by Western intelligence agencies to have at least been complicit in the killing, if not to have ordered it.Suddenly his reputation was in tatters and his charm offensive undermined. Despite his denials of involvement, some international businesses began to shun the kingdom.Now, after recent drone and missile attacks on Saudi oil facilities raised doubts about the willingness of the United States to intervene on Saudi Arabia's behalf, Prince Mohammed, 34, the kingdom's de facto ruler, needs allies. But the suspicion that he is an accomplice to a gruesome murder continues to haunt him."Khashoggi is always going to be a stain on Mohammed bin Salman," said Hala Aldosari, a Saudi scholar and fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies. "It is not going to go away."Prince Mohammed has pushed ahead with his social reforms. Women are now allowed to drive and can travel without the express permission of a male relative. The prince is also pursuing plans to sell shares of the kingdom's oil monopoly, Saudi Aramco.Those changes have brought a flood of American financial firms back to the kingdom, although some of the tech and entertainment companies that Prince Mohammed had hoped would help him start new sectors have continued to keep their distance.The prince has ramped up his efforts to rehabilitate his reputation. In an interview with "60 Minutes" broadcast this week, he said that he accepted responsibility for the killing because it was carried out by Saudi agents and under his watch. He vowed not to repeat his missteps."Even prophets made mistakes," he said in the interview. "The important thing," he added, "is that we learn from these mistakes and not repeat them."The CIA concluded that Prince Mohammed, who oversees even minor issues in Saudi Arabia, had most likely ordered the killing, and the Senate passed a resolution holding him personally responsible for the crime. In the "60 Minutes" interview, the prince denied that he had given the order or that he had any advance knowledge of the plot.That declaration, however, is unlikely to change perceptions abroad.Even if Prince Mohammed was not involved in the killing, he allowed extensive efforts to cleanse the crime scene before the Turkish police were allowed to investigate, according to Turkish officials and a United Nations expert. He has pursued a catastrophic war in Yemen, creating a humanitarian disaster. And despite his much touted reforms at home, a number of prominent Saudi rights activists remain in detention or are on trial in the kingdom.Once a frequent guest in the West, the prince has not set foot in the United States or Europe since the killing. In July, an American law firm, Fein & DelValle, petitioned the International Criminal Court in The Hague to open an investigation into the prince in connection with Khashoggi's killing and "other crimes against humanity."And a year later, Khashoggi's killing has not been forgotten."Please," Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the broadcaster NPR when asked whether she would support U.S. military action against Iran in response to the strikes on Saudi oil facilities. "They're sitting across from the person who chopped up a reporter. I don't see any responsibility for us to protect and defend Saudi Arabia."On Wednesday, friends and colleagues of Khashoggi gathered for a moment of "unsilence" outside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, timed to mark the exact moment, 1:14 p.m., when the columnist for The Washington Post entered the consulate, never to return.Khashoggi's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, attended the ceremony, along with Agnes Callamard, the United Nations expert on extrajudicial killings who investigated Khashoggi's killing; and The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos.Saudi Arabia has other troubles. The attacks on the nation's oil facilities temporarily halved the kingdom's oil production and cut 5% of the world's oil supply, raising doubts about the kingdom's defenses. Saudi forces remain bogged down in the war in Yemen, and some U.S. lawmakers have sought to cut support for the war, which has led to thousands of deaths and pushed millions of people to the brink of starvation.But Trump has stood by the prince, playing down the importance of Khashoggi's killing and vetoing bipartisan legislation to end U.S. support to the war in Yemen.Questions about the sincerity of Prince Mohammed's public statements come as he faces some of his greatest challenges since his father, King Salman, ascended to the throne in 2015 and began delegating enormous power to his relatively young and inexperienced son.Advocates have highlighted the case of rights campaigner Loujain al-Hathloul, who was detained by Saudi security agents and subjected to torture, according to her family. When asked about the case on "60 Minutes," Prince Mohammed said that, if true, the accusations would be "very heinous," and he vowed to "personally follow up on this matter."Current and former U.S. officials have warned Prince Mohammed that he must ensure accountability in the Khashoggi case or risk more damage to his reputation and that of his nation.While some foreign companies and foundations cut ties with Saudi Arabia or scaled back projects after Khashoggi's killing, many still do business with the kingdom and are becoming less private about their involvement. Prince Mohammed's third annual investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative, will open in Riyadh this month and is expected to receive more Western guests than it did last year, when many top names dropped out as news of Khashoggi's killing spread.Among those who plan to attend is Larry Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, an investment firm, after withdrawing last year. He argued in a post on LinkedIn that business engagement could push the kingdom in the right direction."I believe greater economic integration and diversification will help Saudi Arabia build a more modern and sustainable economy and society for all of its citizens," he wrote. "I also believe that corporate engagement and public dialogue can help with that evolution."The U.S. government has a long history of working with autocrats in the Arab world and elsewhere, with concerns about human rights violations by American partners rarely taking priority over national security and economic interests.Saudi officials argue that the kingdom's decades-old relationship with the United States is broad and valuable to both nations -- encompassing business, oil policy, security in the Middle East and elsewhere, and the fight against terrorism."This is a very complicated Rorschach test of American foreign policy," Robert Satloff, the executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said of American reactions to Prince Mohammed. "There are a lot of different avenues to enter the anti-MBS universe."The Saudis, while condemning Khashoggi's killing, have criticized the unrelenting global focus on the case as one fueled by partisan politics in the United States and promoted by the kingdom's regional foes -- Iran, Turkey and Qatar.They have also cast the strikes on two Saudi oil facilities last month as attacks not just on Saudi sovereignty, but on the global economy.Inside the kingdom, Prince Mohammed is pressing ahead. Last week, Saudi Arabia began offering tourist visas, betting that an influx of foreign visitors would bring in more cash. And it is hosting high-profile entertainment and sporting events aimed at creating jobs and shedding the kingdom's reputation as hidebound by a hyper-conservative interpretation of Islam.While the prince has yet to make significant progress in his efforts to regain his standing in Washington, Satloff did not rule it out in the long term."It is still very early," he said. "What people are looking for is actions. The words are not sufficient."Prince Mohammed has vowed that justice would be done, but Saudi officials have refused to cooperate with international investigators, and the trial in Riyadh of 11 suspects in Khashoggi's killing has been shrouded in secrecy. Diplomats who have attended trial sessions have been sworn to silence.One year after the killing, the kingdom still has not revealed the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body, which agents cut up after his killing. Callamard, the United Nations official, said the Saudis have failed to take sufficient steps to address the crime."The main moves have been either of a public relations nature, to try to spin the issue, or to ignore the issue altogether," she said. "I think the expectation has been all along that people will move along and stop focusing on the issue, and that is not happening."Speakers at the memorial in Istanbul on Wednesday said that Khashoggi's voice against the oppression of dictators was only growing louder with his death."If they cannot stop oppressing us, we will not stop resisting," said Mohamed Soltan, a human-rights activist and friend of Khashoggi's. "We are smarter, and we are not restricted by the limitations of power, and history is on our side."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| UK Parliament would back Johnson's Brexit plan -Gove Posted: 02 Oct 2019 03:03 PM PDT ![UK Parliament would back Johnson's Brexit plan -Gove]( "UK Parliament would back Johnson's Brexit plan -Gove") A new Brexit plan from Prime Minister Boris Johnson would likely win enough support to be approved by Britain's Parliament, senior minister Michael Gove said on Wednesday, adding that Brussels should take confidence from that. The British Parliament rejected three times an earlier Withdrawal Agreement struck by former Prime Minister Theresa May, but some lawmakers from the most pro-Brexit wing of the ruling Conservatives and some opposition Labour lawmakers have signalled their backing for Johnson's new proposal. Northern Irish allies, the Democratic Unionist Party, have also welcomed the plan that was sent to Brussels earlier on Wednesday.
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| UPDATE 2-N.Korea says successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile Posted: 02 Oct 2019 03:00 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-N.Korea says successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile]( "UPDATE 2-N.Korea says successfully tested new submarine-launched ballistic missile") North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States. The launch on Wednesday was the most provocative by North Korea since it resumed dialogue with the United States in 2018 and a reminder by Pyongyang of the weapons capability it had been aggressively developing, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, analysts said.
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| Argentina Holocaust museum takes custody over Nazi artifacts Posted: 02 Oct 2019 02:29 PM PDT  The Museum of the Holocaust in Argentina's capital on Wednesday took custody of the largest collection of Nazi artifacts discovered in the country's history. Federal police and Interpol agents found the more than 70 Nazi objects hidden behind a bookcase in a collector's home north of Buenos Aires in 2017 as part of an investigation into artworks of illicit origins. The Nazi items include busts of Adolf Hitler, an instrument to measure people's heads to supposedly determine their racial purity and statues of the Nazi eagle with a swastika under its talons.
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| Donald Trump calls impeachment a 'coup' as Democrats demand documents from White House Posted: 02 Oct 2019 01:53 PM PDT  Donald Trump has accused his political enemies of attempting a "coup" by pursuing an impeachment inquiry against him in another escalation of rhetoric over the Ukraine scandal. The Democrats on Wednesday announced they would subpoena the White House for documents related to how Mr Trump urged Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. With polls suggesting Americans now support impeachment, Mr Trump's language over the inquiry has hardened, accusing the Democrat leading the probe of treason and hinting at the prospect of civil war. On Tuesday evening, Mr Trump tweeted: "As I learn more and more each day, I am coming to the conclusion that what is taking place is not an impeachment, it is a COUP, intended to take away the Power of the.... "....People, their VOTE, their Freedoms, their Second Amendment, Religion, Military, Border Wall, and their God-given rights as a Citizen of The United States of America!" In another tweet Mr Trump said that the Democrats were wasting the country's time on "BULLS***", and while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office he attacked the "corrupt" media for their coverage of the scandal. Adam Schiff, the Democrat chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has been a key target of Trump's attacks Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Yet the Democratic leadership shows no sign of slowing the pace of their probe, saying they did not want the inquiry to carry on for "months and months" before a decision on bringing forward articles of impeachment is made. In a press conference Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the inquiry and target of many of Mr Trump's attacks, and Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker, continued to condemn the president's actions. Mr Schiff said that any refusal by the Trump administration to hand over key documents will be taken as "evidence of obstruction of the lawful functions of Congress", an indication that could be one of the articles of impeachment eventually brought against Mr Trump. Ms Pelosi reached for lofty rhetoric as she defended her decision to start impeachment proceedings last week, saying at one point: "For what does it profit a man or a country if he gains the whole world and he suffers the loss of his soul?" Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker, launched impeachment proceedings in late September Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, has admitted for the first time that he was on the call where Mr Trump urged Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Mr Biden and his family - the conversation at the heart of the scandal. Mr Trump has been pushing the claim that Mr Biden called for the sacking of a Ukrainian prosecutor while US vice president to help his son Hunter Biden, who was then working for a Ukrainian gas company. The Bidens have vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The push for the prosecutor's dismissal was echoed by many Western countries. There is no evidence Mr Biden made the demand to help his son. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, weighed in with support for Mr Trump on Wednesday, saying there was "nothing compromising" in the call, which took place on July 25. Mr Putin also joked when asked whether Russia would meddle in the 2020 presidential election: "I'll let you into a secret - yes! We absolutely will... Just don't tell anybody." US congressmen on the committees involved in the impeachment inquiry were meeting the State Department's inspector general – a form of internal watchdog – on Wednesday after an unexpected request. The meeting was said to have been called for urgently by the inspector general and was about documents linked to the Ukraine scandal. By Wednesday afternoon it remained unclear what the documents contained. Meanwhile Mr Zelenskiy has denied knowing that US military aid to Ukraine had been halted when he talked to Mr Trump on July 25, undermining claims the US president held back the money to ensure the Bidens were investigated. Ukrainian authorities have also opened an investigation into illegal gambling allegations against a former Ukrainian prosecutor general who repeatedly met Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump's personal lawyer who was pushing claims over the Bidens.
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| Seven dead, dozens injured as anti-government protests in Iraq turn violent Posted: 02 Oct 2019 01:35 PM PDT  At least seven people died and dozens were injured on Wednesday in the second day of violent protests to rock cities across Iraq. Security forces in Baghdad and elsewhere fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse anti-government demonstrators demanding jobs, improved services and an end to corruption. The protests are the most serious challenge yet to Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi's nearly year-old government. Earlier, two others died and hundreds were wounded on Tuesday as demonstrations kicked off. On Wednesday, hundreds of heavily-armed security forces and riot police were deployed. The fortified central Green Zone - which hosts government offices and foreign embassies - was sealed off, just months after its celebrated reopening to the public. It been closed to most Iraqis since the 2003 invasion. Protesters are angry about high levels of unemployment and a lack of basic services Credit: REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani Residents said authorities also shut down social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. But groups of protesters continued to take to the streets, some of them calling for the fall of the government. The protests, organized on social media, began peacefully on Tuesday, driven by economic woes. They soon turned violent after security forces fought back demonstrators with water cannons and live ammunition, and protesters responded by setting fire to tires and bins. Bursts of heavy gunfire could be heard intermittently. Although most of the fatalities are among protesters, security and medical officials said the deaths include a police officer and a 10-year-old girl who was killed when she was hit by a car speeding away from a checkpoint. The protests began peacefully on Tuesday but soon turned violent Credit: AP Photo/Hadi Mizban The violence suggests the war-weary country could be facing a new round of political instability. Iraq has been caught in the middle of U.S.-Iran tensions, putting an additional strain on an already weak government in Baghdad, which hosts thousands of U.S. troops and powerful paramilitary forces allied with Iran. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad called for restraint from all sides. "The right to demonstrate peacefully is a fundamental right in all democracies, but there is no place for violence in demonstrations from any side," it posted on Twitter. Mr Abdul-Mahdi held an emergency national security meeting Wednesday. His office later said the meeting denounced the violence that accompanied the protests and said measures will be taken to protect citizens and public property and that the government will spare no effort to fulfill the demands of the protesters.
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| U.S. withholds U.N. aviation dues, calls for immediate whistleblower protections Posted: 02 Oct 2019 12:51 PM PDT ![U.S. withholds U.N. aviation dues, calls for immediate whistleblower protections]( "U.S. withholds U.N. aviation dues, calls for immediate whistleblower protections") The United States is withholding its dues to the U.N.'s aviation agency, arguing the body needs to move quickly with reforms like expanding public access to documents and giving greater protections to whistleblowers, U.S. government and aviation sources told Reuters this week. The United States has been advocating for greater transparency and protection for whistleblowers at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), after an insider's account of a 2016 cyberattack at the agency generated fallout when it was reported in the media this year. U.S. officials have accused ICAO of downplaying the severity of the breach and have called on the organization to be more open.
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| UK Brexit plan gets cool reception in Brussels Posted: 02 Oct 2019 11:37 AM PDT  Britain's new Brexit plan got a cool reception Wednesday in Brussels, where European officials highlighted problems and their chief negotiator warned it left "a lot of work" to be done. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker used a call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to share concerns about "problematic points" in the proposal, in particular London's proposed customs regime aimed at avoiding checks on the border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.
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| Greta Thunberg doesn't understand 'complex and different' modern world, says Putin Posted: 02 Oct 2019 11:08 AM PDT  At an energy forum in Moscow, the Russian president dismissed the Swedish teenage climate activist's viral U.N. speech — and took a swipe at her parents.
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| EU's Verhofstadt says initial reaction to UK proposals "not positive" Posted: 02 Oct 2019 11:02 AM PDT ![EU's Verhofstadt says initial reaction to UK proposals "not positive"]( "EU's Verhofstadt says initial reaction to UK proposals \"not positive\"") European lawmaker Guy Verhofstadt said his initial reaction to Brexit proposals set out by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were not positive, and thought they were possibly designed to shift blame on to Brussels if talks fail. Verhofstadt, head of the Brexit Steering Group which coordinates the European Parliament over Brexit, said the group would set out a more detailed response on Thursday. "I can tell you that the first reaction of the Brexit Steering Group was not positive, not positive in the sense that we don't think that this is really the safeguards that Ireland needs," he told reporters.
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| Fox Host David Asman Fawns Over Trump for Attacking Wrong Paper for NYT’s Border Moat Story Posted: 02 Oct 2019 11:00 AM PDT  Minutes after President Donald Trump unleashed a lengthy and vicious attack against the wrong newspaper for reporting on his desire for snake-filled moats and the ability to shoot migrants at the border, Fox Business Network host David Asman gushed over the president's unhinged and false remarks.Serving Wednesday as the "One Lucky Guy" on Fox's daytime talk show Outnumbered, Asman immediately applauded Trump for railing against the media and Democrats while speaking to reporters at the White House."I think that there is a phrase he will hear a lot of from the president," Asman declared. "Who are you going to believe, you know that phrase, who are you going to believe? The fake media or me? Are you going to believe the Democrats, or are you going to believe me? Are you going to believe the rumor mill, the Beltway, or me in the transcripts?"Asman went on to say it is a good strategy for Trump to go after the Washington Post because they "have been caught several times with the news that did not turn out to be true." During his White House remarks, the president blasted the Post for first reporting that he pressed aides and officials to place a moat at the border "stocked with snakes and alligators" and that he told his staff to order soldiers to shoot migrants in the legs."That is the Trumpian way right now," the Fox Business host said.That story, however, first appeared in The New York Times, and is excerpted from an upcoming book by two of the paper's reporters."I think he feels he is winning," Asman noted later. He added: "The sense is that he feels like he is winning. He thinks he has a jump on the media, that he has a jump on the Democrats by releasing the information that he has to show discrepancies and so forth, that is just my sense here. We were talking about his speech at the U.N., which was very low-key, and then he gave a presser after that Wednesday, and he did seem to be down. I think that he has regained his energy somewhat."As for the president's claim that the report is "fake news," Fox News—along with several other outlets—confirmed key aspects of the Times story."A source who was in the room at the time confirmed the conversation about shooting migrants in the legs to Fox News late Tuesday," the network noted in its report.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| France sees one-month window for US and Iran to engage talks Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:55 AM PDT  France's top diplomat judged Wednesday that Iran and the United States had just over a month to try to start a dialogue on easing tensions in the Middle East, before another expected move by Tehran to ramp up its nuclear activities. The comment by Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian came after it emerged that Iran's President Hassan Rouhani refused to take a call from Donald Trump during the UN summit in New York last month. The call was reportedly brokered by President Emmanuel Macron, who has been pushing to reduce the risk of a spiraling conflict in the Middle East after Washington pulled out of a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.
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| EU Says Johnson Proposal Has ‘Problematic Points’: Brexit Update Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:54 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit and sign up to our Brexit Bulletin.Boris Johnson sent the European Union his new blueprint for a Brexit deal on Wednesday, saying a no-deal divorce would be a "failure of statecraft" and threatening to walk away if the bloc doesn't engage. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said there are "problematic points" in the proposal that need more work.The next few days will be crucial. If Johnson fails to get a deal, he faces a showdown with Parliament and a battle in court. It could ultimately be up to the judges to decide if Johnson can make good on his threat to lead the country into a no-deal split. Signs are not positive, with the Irish government in particular saying the plans do not look like the basis for a deal.Key Developments:Johnson writes to Juncker setting out his plan to abolish and replace the contentious "backstop" arrangement for the Irish borderNorthern Ireland politicians will have a veto over the arrangements and will have to give consent every four years to allow them to continue, under the U.K. planJohnson says there will be no checks at or near the Irish borderJuncker welcomes "positive advances" but says there are difficulties, especially over customs rulesVaradkar says he doesn't see the plan as meeting Ireland's requirementsEU officials say the question now is whether this really is the final offer or an opening gambitJohnson vows to pursue no-deal exit if EU doesn't movePound reverses lossesVaradkar Doesn't See U.K. Plan Replacing Backstop (6.45 p.m.)The new proposals to handle Northern Ireland after Brexit "do not fully meet the agreed objectives of the backstop," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in a statement after speaking to Johnson by phone. Varadkar though did not dismiss them out of hand, adding he "would study them in further detail" and consult with the EU. Both men agreed to speak again next week, he said. Varadkar expects to speak to European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and other EU leaders "over the coming days."Barnier: Progress But Still Work to Do (6 p.m.)The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the U.K.'s Brexit proposal contains "progress," but more work is needed to ensure the principles of the so-called Irish backstop -- included to ensure no hard border and to protect the EU's single market -- are retained in any agreement."To be frank lots of work still needs to be done," Barnier told reporters in Brussels. "No-deal will never be the choice of the EU," he said, adding that talks would continue with the U.K.ERG's Baker Welcomes Brexit Proposal (5:40 p.m.)Steve Baker, chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Conservative MPs, has given a broad welcome to the proposals, in the latest sign that they're getting ready to support Johnson.He said there are other Brexit-related issues he wants to resolve, but this was a "fair and reasonable" offer, and he wants to back the prime minister.Irish Opposition Condemns Johnson Plan (5.20 p.m.)Boris Johnson's proposals for Northern Ireland after Brexit "are not realistic and fall very far short of what is required to protect the all-island economy, north-south cooperation and the Good Friday Agreement," Lisa Chambers, Brexit spokeswoman for Fianna Fail, Ireland's main opposition party, said.Fianna Fail props up Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's minority government, so her comments highlight how poorly the plan has been received in Dublin and emphasize how difficult politically it would be for Varadkar to accept the proposals.Juncker: U.K. Proposal Has 'Problematic Points' (5:10 p.m.)Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, gave a cautious welcome to Johnson's proposals, saying there were "positive advances" especially in the acceptance of an Irish Sea border.But in a statement following a phone call with Johnson, Juncker said there remained "problematic points." He emphasized the need to provide "legally operable solutions" that met the objectives of the existing backstop proposal for the Irish border.EU Unlikely to Reject U.K. Proposal Immediately (5 p.m.)Over the past 24 hours, EU officials have been scathing about the leaked contents of Johnson's proposal. Now it has been published, they're being much more circumspect. The bloc is unlikely to reject the blueprint out of hand -- at least not immediately -- in order to convince the British to come to the table and make further concessions, officials said.But if the U.K. doesn't signal it's ready to do that, expect some pretty damning verdicts in the days to come, they said. Even if the U.K. plan offers some glimmers of hope for the EU, major sticking points remain -- particularly on the proposal to keep Northern Ireland outside the EU's customs union.Corbyn, Farage Reject Johnson's Plan (4.15 p.m.)Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn rejected the U.K.'s Brexit proposals. "We believe this deal isn't acceptable," he told Sky News. He said he feared it would allow Britain to deregulate, reducing workers' rights.From the other end of the political spectrum, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage was equally scathing: "Boris only wants to change one part of the Withdrawal Agreement," he wrote on Twitter. "Despite his words there is no guarantee that we will leave the customs union, and any future trade deal needs good faith from the EU side. It's like putting your head in a crocodile's mouth & hoping for the best."Liz Saville Roberts, Westminster leader of the Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru, said Johnson's plan is "a fantasy deal, full of contradictions" that cause economic damage, including to the farming and manufacturing sectors in Wales.The 'What If' Dogging Johnson's Proposal (4 p.m.)Boris Johnson's plan doesn't set out what would happen if the Northern Ireland Assembly were to refuse consent for the arrangements, or withdraw it at some point in the future. Ireland has insisted on a backstop as an insurance policy against things going wrong, making this is a crucial gap, and one government officials briefing on the plan were unable to fill.The question of the assembly being unable to give consent is a live one. It has been suspended for almost three years after a row between the two main parties. It would need to return before July 2020 to give its consent.It's also clear that the noises from Johnson's office late Tuesday about this being a "final offer" were misleading. The emphasis today is on Johnson's line that his proposal sets out a "broad landing zone." This is an opening bid.VAT Plan Might Be Problematic (3:55 p.m.)One of the areas of contention in the proposal is what the U.K. plans to do about value-added tax on goods moving between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. At present, VAT is subject to EU rules.In the blueprint, the U.K. says that VAT wouldn't be paid at the border and wouldn't be subject to checks there. The two sides should "cooperate to minimize evasion and ensure payment of the tax in the country where it is due." It will be tricky for the EU to accept that level of trust and may insist on tougher controls.DUP Welcomes Johnson's Brexit Proposal (3:25 p.m.)The Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party, key players in Boris Johnson's efforts to get a divorce deal through Parliament, welcomed his proposal to replace the contentious Irish backstop."These proposals would ensure that Northern Ireland would be out of the EU customs union and the single market as with the rest of the United Kingdom," the DUP said in an emailed statement. The party also backed the principle of giving the Northern Ireland assembly a say on whether the arrangements come into force, and stay in force, every four years.The DUP has long opposed any Brexit outcome that treated Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the U.K., and its support for the proposal -- which removes the backstop as per their demands -- still represents a compromise because the province will stay in regulatory alignment to the EU."We would encourage all concerned to approach these discussions in a positive mindset within a spirit of wanting to secure a negotiated withdrawal agreement," the party said.N. Ireland to Get a Say Every 4 Years (3:20 p.m.)Under Johnson's proposal, Northern Ireland would remain in regulatory alignment with the EU for agricultural products as well as manufactured goods. But crucially, the U.K. proposed that the region be allowed to exit the arrangements if it wishes."The zone of regulatory compliance will mean that Northern Ireland will be, in significant sectors of its economy, governed by laws in which it has no say," according to the proposal, which was published by the U.K. government."That is clearly a significant democratic problem. For this to be a sustainable situation, these arrangements must have the endorsement of those affected by them, and there must be an ability to exit them."Johnson proposed that at the end of a transition period, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive – which currently isn't sitting – would be given a vote on whether to retain EU alignment. They'd also be given the opportunity to vote on it every four years thereafter.Johnson Sends His Plan to Juncker (3:10 p.m.)The prime minister wrote to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker with the details of his plan."There is now very little time in which to negotiate a new agreement," Johnson wrote. "The government wants to get a deal, as I am sure we all do. If we cannot reach one, it would represent a failure of statecraft for which we would all be responsible."He said the "broad landing zone" for a deal was clear and urged the EU to compromise.Germans Skeptical About Johnson's Plan (2:45 p.m.)The German Chancellery has not yet seen the full text of Johnson's proposal, but a government official sounded skeptical about its prospects after hearing Johnson's party conference speech.It would be no solution to move the Irish border just a few miles inland, the official said under the condition of anonymity. He also remained skeptical about a possible time limit for the backstop, arguing that this had been one of the EU's main points of criticism.For a final judgment, Chancellor Angela Merkel will wait for a phone call with EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker later today, the official said.U.K. Proposals 'Not Encouraging,' Irish PM Says (2 p.m.)Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the reported proposals from Prime Minister Boris Johnson were not encouraging and didn't form the basis for a deal.Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, he confirmed that Johnson's aides had briefed Irish officials yesterday, but he wanted to see the final proposals before offering a definitive verdict.He appealed to the U.K. To listen to the majority in Northern Ireland who, he said, don't want a return of customs posts.Business Is Disappointed With the Plan (1:40 p.m.)Leaving the European Union without a deal would be a "historic failure of statecraft," said the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry Carolyn Fairbairn."It's not clear the Government's proposals as reported move us forward. They cannot be the final destination," she added.Anti-Brexit Rebel Grieve Says Cummings Is Lying (12:35 p.m.)Dominic Grieve, until recently a Tory MP, accused Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings of telling "outright lies" for briefing that there was foreign funding for the efforts of Grieve and others to block a no-deal Brexit.The claim that there is a government investigation ongoing is untrue, Grieve said and "mercifully this country is not yet run as a police state by Mr Cummings."Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, standing in for Johnson at prime minister's questions, said it was right that efforts to block no-deal, including the Benn Act supported by Grieve, should be subject to scrutiny. Johnson has also raised questions about how the legislation was drafted.Johnson Calls Labour "Anti-Semitic Marxists" (12 p.m.)The prime minister took every opportunity throughout his speech, to attack his opponents in the Labour Party, in another sign he's on an election footing.Pitching himself as a champion of capitalism against Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn's socialism, Johnson describes Labour's social care plan as "deranged and ruinous" and "borrowed from the playbook of Bolivarian revolutionary Venezuela."He repeated his desire to get Brexit done, criticizing Labour's efforts to stop a no deal exit, calling the Labour leadership "fratricidal anti-Semitic Marxists". He also criticized Corbyn's plans for a four-day week and to end tax breaks for private schools.Johnson took another swipe at Parliament's refusal to give him an election. MPs are refusing, because they want to prevent a no-deal exit first."If Parliament were a laptop, then the screen would be showing the pizza wheel of doom," he told the conference.Johnson's Mother Voted for Brexit (11:55 a.m.)Boris Johnson brought some levity to the party conference by glossing over the divisions in his own family over Brexit.Johnson's brother Jo, a remainer, quit the cabinet – and will stand down from Parliament because he disagrees with the premier's course of action. The prime minister's sister and father also voted remain.But, "for keen students of the divisions in my family you might know that I have kept the ace up my sleeve," Johnson said. "My mother voted leave," he said, to applause from the floor.Johnson is Ready for No-Deal (11:55 a.m.)If the EU refuses to engage, then the country is ready for no-deal, he told the hall, to cheers."I hope very much that our friends understand that and compromise in their turn," Johnson told his audience in Manchester, England, Wednesday. "If we fail to get an agreement because of what is essentially a technical discussion of the exact nature of future customs checks, when that technology is improving the whole time, then let us be in no doubt that the alternative is no deal.""That is not an outcome we want. It is not an outcome we seek at all. But let me tell you this conference: it is an outcome for which we are ready."Johnson Sets Out 'Compromise' on Border (11:50 a.m.)Johnson said the Brexit plan he'll send to Brussels later today protects the peace agreement in Northern Ireland, involves no checks at the Irish border and represents a compromise for both sides."We will under no circumstances have checks at or near the border in Northern Ireland," Johnson said in his speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.He also said the regional assembly of Northern Ireland will have a role. The assembly is currently suspended."By a process of renewable democratic consent by the executive and assembly of Northern Ireland we will go further and protect the existing regulatory arrangements for farmers and other businesses on both sides of the border."It's a "compromise," he said.Let's Get Brexit Done (11:40 a.m.)"Lets's get Brexit done," Boris Johnson tells conference in Manchester, as he reiterated his call for an election.Taking the Plan to Brussels (11:25 a.m.)Johnson's speech will fire the starting gun for a round of diplomacy in Brussels. David Frost, the prime minister's EU envoy, will arrive at the European Commission mid-afternoon with copies of the plan for Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, and his team.European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is then expected to speak to Johnson by telephone.After a few hours of scrutiny, EU officials will brief and discuss the document with diplomats from the EU's 27 remaining countries. The meeting starts at 6.30 p.m. Brussels time and could last more than two hours. It's here that the first proper indication of what the bloc thinks of the blueprint will emerge.EU Officials Don't Like the Plan So Far (11 a.m.)The reaction in Brussels to Johnson's plan, as reported so far, is downbeat. Officials said it fails on two key measures -- the need to avoid checks on the island of Ireland and to protect the single market.The question now is whether this really is the final offer -- as Johnson says -- or is it an opening move. In any case, there's skepticism that the divide can be bridged in time, according to officials speaking privately.Opposition Parties Meet Again (10:45 a.m.)Opposition parties are meeting again on Wednesday. So far no action plan has been decided as different factions have different ideas about how to stop Johnson pursuing a no-deal exit.The Scottish National Party wants a vote of no-confidence now. Labour doesn't think that's the right approach."This is a PM that is clearly not doing things by the book," SNP member of Parliament David Linden told Sky.Varadkar's Limited Room for Maneuver (9:25 a.m.)Even if Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar wanted to embrace Boris Johnson's reported proposals to break the Brexit deadlock -- and there's no sign he does -- he has little scope to do so.The biggest opposition party, Fianna Fail, which keeps his administration in power, called the reported plans "unacceptable and unworkable," echoing the Irish government's initial response to the leaked proposals last night.We may hear similar language when Varadkar is questioned in parliament at his weekly round of leaders' question at noon in Dublin.Coveney Is Not Encouraged (9:20 a.m.)Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney reiterated that what he has seen of Boris Johnson's proposals are not encouraging."Essentially, if he's proposing customs checks on the island of Ireland then I don't think that's going to be the basis of an agreement," he told Sky News.Tory Chairman Urges EU Flexibility (Earlier)Conservative Chairman James Cleverly refused to confirm any details about Boris Johnson's Brexit blueprint in a series of media interviews, but said the plan is deliverable and the European Union now needs to move."This is a serious set of proposals which are a credible way forward," Cleverly told the BBC. "If some pragmatism and flexibility can be applied by the EU, and if British politicians who have said that they will vote for a deal if one is presented stick to their word, then we can leave on Oct. 31 with a deal."Cleverly also doubled down on his warning this week that there may be civil unrest if Brexit isn't delivered, telling BBC Radio 4 that voters "may regard disappointment in that as a trigger to use other methods to initiate change."Patel: U.K. Not Planning for Post-Brexit Disorder (Earlier)Home Secretary Priti Patel said that while the government is preparing for "every Brexit scenario," she's not planning for any disorder if the U.K. leaves the EU without a deal."If we have to leave with no deal, we'll be ready to leave with no deal," Patel told LBC radio on Wednesday. "That is the purpose of all the work that we are undertaking in government right now."Earlier:Boris Johnson Issues Ultimatum as EU Balks at His Brexit Plan'Corbynomics' Is More Popular Than You Think: Matthew GoodwinIt's My Deal or No Deal, Johnson to Tell EU: Brexit Bulletin\--With assistance from Stuart Biggs, Thomas Penny, Tim Ross, Kitty Donaldson, Dara Doyle, Tiago Ramos Alfaro, Jessica Shankleman, Arne Delfs, Robert Hutton, Alex Morales and Peter Flanagan.To contact the reporters on this story: Ian Wishart in Brussels at iwishart@bloomberg.net;Alex Morales in Manchester, England at amorales2@bloomberg.net;Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Boris Johnson to Suspend Parliament to Outline New Program Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:46 AM PDT ![Boris Johnson to Suspend Parliament to Outline New Program]( "Boris Johnson to Suspend Parliament to Outline New Program") (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will suspend Parliament on Oct. 8 so that he can outline a new legislative program, two weeks after the country's highest court ruled that his previous attempt to stop parliament sitting was unlawful.But unlike that suspension, this one will only last six days, before Parliament returns Oct. 14 for a Queen's Speech. "The government will set out its plans for the NHS, schools, tackling crime, investing in infrastructure and building a strong economy," Johnson said in an emailed statement. "We will get Brexit done on Oct. 31 and continue delivering on these vital issues."Members of Parliament who want to tie Johnson's hands further on Brexit now have just three sitting days in order to do so before the suspension begins. Rebel Conservatives and opposition parties already teamed up last month to pass a law against the government's wishes compelling Johnson to seek to delay the divorce if he's unable to secure a deal acceptable to both the EU and Parliament by Oct. 19.The announcement comes just over a week after the Supreme Court declared Johnson's previous suspension -- which was supposed to last 5 weeks -- "unlawful," saying that "no justification for taking action with such an extreme effect" had been given to the court. A four- to six-day suspension is the norm before a Queen's speech, the court ruled.To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Robert HuttonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 1-UK to suspend parliament for routine short period to launch policy programme Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:42 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-UK to suspend parliament for routine short period to launch policy programme]( "UPDATE 1-UK to suspend parliament for routine short period to launch policy programme") British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask Queen Elizabeth to suspend, or prorogue, parliament for a matter of days from next Tuesday to launch its new legislative agenda. Last week, Britain's Supreme Court ruled that Johnson's previous suspension of parliament was unlawful after critics argued it was being used to prevent lawmakers from scrutinising his Brexit plans, forcing parliament to reconvene amid angry scenes. "Through a Queen's Speech, the government will set out its plans for the NHS (health service), schools, tackling crime, investing in infrastructure and building a strong economy.
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| Taliban co-founder heads to Pakistan as US envoy visits Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:38 AM PDT  Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar was due in Pakistan Wednesday as US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad also visited, officials said, though it was unclear if they would meet for the first time since Donald Trump scuttled talks between Washington and the Islamist extremists. Insurgent spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the Pakistan visit would be the fourth leg of a tour that included Russia, China and Iran. Militant sources said the insurgents were set to arrive late Wednesday.
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| EXPLAINER-N.Korea's suspected submarine missile 'pushes the envelope' Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:38 AM PDT ![EXPLAINER-N.Korea's suspected submarine missile 'pushes the envelope']( "EXPLAINER-N.Korea's suspected submarine missile 'pushes the envelope'") North Korea fired what may be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Wednesday, which would be the first test in three years of what had been a relatively young but rapidly progressing programme to deliver nuclear weapons. The launch comes hours after the North announced it would resume nuclear talks with the United States this weekend, potentially ending a months-long deadlock that followed a vow by North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump to make progress. A missile was launched from the sea soon after 7 a.m. on Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday) about 17 km (11 miles) northeast of the coastal city of Wonsan, the site of one of North Korea's military bases used for previous missile launches.
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| Iran displays 300 ancient clay tablets returned by US Posted: 02 Oct 2019 10:36 AM PDT  The National Museum of Iran opened on Wednesday an exhibition of around 300 cuneiform clay tablets returned from the United States after a drawn-out legal saga. BC) in the south of Iran, these works belonged to a group of 1,783 clay tablets or tablet fragments returned to Iran by the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. In the 1930s, the university had received on loan around 30,000 tablets or tablet fragments found at Persepolis for research purposes, Iranian media reported.
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| Any errors in arrest of Huawei CFO were technical, Canadian government tells court Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:56 AM PDT  Any errors in the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada last December were technical in nature and do not meet the requirements to suspend her extradition proceedings to the United States, government lawyers said in court on Wednesday. Meng, 47, is charged in the United States with bank fraud and she is accused of misleading HSBC Holdings PLC bank about Huawei's business in Iran, which is under U.S. sanctions. Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition.
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| Barnier says UK proposals mark progress, but more work needed Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:50 AM PDT ![Barnier says UK proposals mark progress, but more work needed]( "Barnier says UK proposals mark progress, but more work needed") Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said new proposals from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson marked progress but lots of work was still needed for a new Brexit deal to be agreed. "There is progress, but to be frank lots of work still needs to be done to fulfil the three objectives of the backstop: no border, all-Ireland economy and protecting the single market," he told reporters.
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| More than 132,000 Sephardi Jews apply for Spanish citizenship as deadline expires Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:34 AM PDT  More than 132,000 Jews have applied for Spanish citizenship since the government offered residence to relatives of those expelled during the Inquisition more than 500 years ago. The deadline has now passed for Sephardi Jews - hailing from the Iberian peninsula - to claim rights to citizenship after the window for applications closed. Most have applied from South America. But in Britain the rules have created an unexpected opportunity for some members of the Jewish community to avoid the impact of Brexit by gaining a European passport. The total number of Jews applying to return is not far off the estimated 200,000 who are thought to have fled in the 1490 after facing the option of converting to Catholicism or being burned at the stake. The initiative in Spain has been coupled by a similar offer by the Portuguese government to atone for the persecution of Jews. Meanwhile in Austria last month the parliament ratified a law extending citizenship to descendants of Nazi victims who fled during and after Hitler's Third Reich. Figures from Spain's justice ministry show that by the end of August, one month before the September 30 deadline, 117 British Jews had applied for Spanish citizenship under the scheme introduced in 2015. It remains unclear how many more British Jews have applied in the final rush to meet the Spanish deadline that saw 72,000 applications flood in last month alone, more than in the previous four years combined. "Most of them were from citizens in Latin American countries, mainly Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela," Spain's justice ministry said. But more than 420 British Sephardic Jews have been granted Portuguese passports under that country's citizenship initiative, also launched in 2015. In 1492 the Catholic monarchs of Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, ordered the country's approximately 200,000 Jews to convert to Christianity under the aegis of the Inquisition. Unknown thousands opted for exile, some entering Portugal, which also imposed compulsory conversion or exile by the end of the 15th century. "It was a pragmatic decision," Londoner Adam Perry told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency of his decision to apply for Portuguese citizenship, adding that it was "also a form of protest action against Brexit, with which I deeply disagree". "The Spanish government's law helps Sephardic Jews to close a circle, healing a wound that was opened more than five centuries ago," Marcelo Benveniste told The Telegraph about his decision to apply in 2015. All four of Mr Benveniste's grandparents moved to Argentina from the Greek island of Rhodes, where they had continued to speak Ladino, a language also known as Judaeo-Spanish. Spain asks Sephardic Jews wishing to gain citizenship to show that they can speak Spanish, as well as proving their hereditary connections.
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| Trump ramps up attacks on Democrats over impeachment inquiry Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:31 AM PDT  Here are some of his Twitter pronouncements in the days since a whistleblower's explosive complaint brought scrutiny to a July 25 call in which Trump pressed the president of Ukraine to investigate a political rival. "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," he tweeted on September 24, moments after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched the impeachment inquiry.
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| Bahamians struggle to start over after Dorian’s devastation Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:30 AM PDT  Tanya Fox ignored evacuation warnings three years ago when Hurricane Matthew pummeled the Bahamas _ and survived in a nearby hotel. Or "Category Hell," as the United Nations chief later described it. Fox had never called anywhere but Grand Bahama home and she certainly didn't want to abandon it, even as the storm raged north across the Atlantic.
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| U.S. Treasury sanctions chief Mandelker leaving for private sector Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:29 AM PDT ![U.S. Treasury sanctions chief Mandelker leaving for private sector]( "U.S. Treasury sanctions chief Mandelker leaving for private sector") Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Treasury official who oversaw the Trump administration's aggressive use of sanctions as a foreign policy tool, has resigned to return to the private sector, the U.S. Treasury secretary said on Wednesday. As undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence since June 2017, Mandelker supervised the ramping up of sanctions against Iran, mainly aimed at strangling oil exports after the United States left the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with Iran. Mandelker had approached Mnuchin over the summer about her desire to return to the private sector, the secretary said.
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| What Boris Johnson Didn’t Say in His U.K. Tory Conference Speech Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:25 AM PDT ![What Boris Johnson Didn't Say in His U.K. Tory Conference Speech]( "What Boris Johnson Didn't Say in His U.K. Tory Conference Speech") (Bloomberg) -- Follow @Brexit, sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, and tell us your Brexit story. Boris Johnson's speech to the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday promised to deliver Brexit by Oct. 31 and made a broad brush pitch to voters for a looming U.K. election.While he touched on issues such as climate change, hospitals and policing, there was a lot he didn't talk about. There's no obligation for a party leader to make policy announcements, but he noticeably avoided key issues facing the country, including some that he championed during his leadership campaign.When Johnson took office in July, he said he had a plan to fix Britain's social care problem. An aging population is one of the biggest economic challenges and analysts say tax rises will be needed to cover the increasing need. But Johnson only gave it a passing nod, saying he would "solve" it -- without giving details.Cutting taxes was central to Johnson's leadership bid -- and a lodestar for the Conservative Party -- but he barely mentioned it. Neither did Johnson refer to High Speed Two, the north-south rail project that was commissioned by his predecessors but is hated by many grassroots Tories. The cost of the project has escalated and the government is currently reviewing it.Despite being foreign secretary for two years, Johnson also had little to say about the world beyond the U.K. and the EU. There was nothing on the current crises in the Middle East or Hong Kong, and no mention of the relationship with the U.S., even though it's the centerpiece for his post-Brexit trade policy.To contact the reporter on this story: Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Stuart BiggsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UK eurosceptic lawmaker welcomes Johnson's Brexit plan, still has some concerns Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:13 AM PDT ![UK eurosceptic lawmaker welcomes Johnson's Brexit plan, still has some concerns]( "UK eurosceptic lawmaker welcomes Johnson's Brexit plan, still has some concerns") The head of a group of eurosceptic lawmakers in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party welcomed the government's new Brexit plan on Wednesday but said he still had some concerns around elements of the deal. Steve Baker told BBC television that the proposals represented "a great place to be starting" but they only dealt with issues around the Northern Irish border and not the full scope of future ties with the EU.
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| Boris Johnson reveals his final Brexit offer to the EU Posted: 02 Oct 2019 09:10 AM PDT  The prime minister submitted his Brexit proposals to the EU on Wednesday after delivering a speech to Conservative party conference.
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| UN refugee chief asks Mexico to do more for asylum seekers Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:59 AM PDT ![UN refugee chief asks Mexico to do more for asylum seekers]( "UN refugee chief asks Mexico to do more for asylum seekers") The United Nations' top official for refugees is calling on Mexico to devote more resources to the country's badly overtaxed refugee aid agency. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi says that the number of people seeking asylum in Mexico is only expected to grow as the United States makes it more difficult to seek asylum there. In 2014, Mexico received 2,100 requests for asylum.
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| Echoes of the Nixon tapes? The transcripts that could doom Trump Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:59 AM PDT  Experts say the Ukraine call could be the tip of the iceberg – how many more compromising conversations have there been?Donald Trump's shallow knowledge, short attention span and tendency to wing it have been brutally exposed on the world stage. Photograph: Patrick Semansky/APWhat did the president say and when did he say it?Donald Trump's politically catastrophic phone call with the leader of Ukraine, sufficient to prompt an impeachment inquiry, might just be the tip of an iceberg that could doom his presidency.On Monday it emerged that Trump urged Australia's prime minister during a recent phone call to help the US attorney general gather information that he hopes will undermine Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion with Russia.The White House restricted access to the call's transcript to a small group of presidential aides, the New York Times reported, noting this was an unusual decision similar to the handling of the July call in which he pressed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to dig for dirt on a political rival.It raised questions: how many more compromising conversations have there been? Will the transcripts inevitably leak out with the help of more whistleblowers? And could their combined effect be enough to persuade Senate Republicans it is time to dump Trump, just as an incriminating tape led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon?"I think the conversations between Trump and world leaders stored in the White House server are critical, and could very well seal his fate," said Chris Whipple, author The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency."A single conversation, recorded in black and white by a notetaker, has already been a game-changer. Trump's mafia-style shakedown of the president of Ukraine has moved the needle dramatically. If there are other, similarly damning conversations to be found in the White House server, impeachment could gain critical mass in a hurry. And even this Senate might convict when confronted with that kind of evidence: Facts are stubborn things."Whipple added: "The House must move quickly to preserve the notes of those conversations."Unlike Nixon, or indeed any other US president in history, Trump had no prior political or military experience. His shallow knowledge, short attention span and tendency to wing it have been brutally exposed on the world stage. The public comments at a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, siding with the Russian president against his own intelligence agencies, were bad enough.Trump shakes hands with Putin after their conversation at the summit in Helsinki in 2018. Photograph: Jussi Nukari/Rex/ShutterstockBut what he has said on the line from the Oval Office, White House residence or Air Force One, with officials typically producing a rough transcript straight away, may be worse.According to CNN, the president's phone calls with Putin and the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman so alarmed White House officials that aides took "remarkable steps to keep from becoming public". This included storing reconstructed transcripts of the calls on "a highly classified computer system" normally intended for closely guarded government secrets.Last week the Washington Post reported that in 2017, Trump told Russian officials in the Oval Office that he was "unconcerned about Moscow's interference in the 2016 US presidential election because the United States did the same in other countries, an assertion that prompted alarmed White House officials to limit access to the remarks to an unusually small number of people."Then there was the Ukraine call with its request for an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden, a potential opponent in next year's presidential election. White House officials moved the summary of it to a "standalone computer system reserved for codeword-level intelligence information, such as covert action," according to an intelligence community whistleblower's complaint.A note in the complaint's appendix said: "According to White House officials I spoke with, this was 'not the first time' under this administration that a Presidential transcript was placed into this codeword-level system solely for the purpose of protecting politically sensitive – rather than national security sensitive – information."Indeed, the transcripts appeared to have been concealed to avoid embarrassment rather than security reasons. Democrats pursuing impeachment would give much to get their hands on this material, not least the content of the president's dialogues with Putin, to whom his continued deference remains one of the great mysteries of the age.Adam Schiff, the chair of the House intelligence committee, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday: "If those conversations with Putin or with other world leaders are sequestered in that same electronic file that is meant for covert action, not meant for this, if there's an effort to hide those and cover those up, yes, we're determined to find out."But whereas the White House was quick to release a rough transcript of the Ukraine conversation, implying a failure to comprehend its gravity, it is unlikely to be so forthcoming next time. Putin has already warned against it and independent observers warn that such disclosures would set a dangerous precedent, given foreign leaders' expectations of confidentiality.Yet secrets find a way, and the political momentum could become irresistible. Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in the governance studies programme at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, told an audience there on Monday: "It is very interesting how this issue may begin with Ukraine but end with Russia or Saudi Arabia or another country because it has now come out that there are hidden communications."It reminds me of the revelation of the White House taping system during Watergate. Again, it was a throwaway: to was something that nobody ever even knew about, nobody knew it was going to happen. Once it was out there everybody said, 'Oh, my god! This can do it.'"The West Wing tapes included the "smoking gun" evidence that Nixon told aides to order the CIA to shut down the FBI's investigation into a break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex. It confirmed testimony by John Dean, the former White House counsel, that Nixon tried to cover up the burglary. The president's once seemingly invincible support among Republicans collapsed and he was forced to resign before he could be impeached.While Nixon's offence was purely domestic, Trump directly solicited the intervention of a foreign power, an act that history may judge to be more heinous. While Nixon's fate was sealed by big and clunky tapes, the key to Trump's downfall may be locked in a hi-tech computer server.Kamarck added: "Now, I would assume that at some point in this process a subgroup of Democrats and Republicans with the properly high security clearances are going to have a look at that server and they're going to have to say, 'What's in here? Is it all covert operations and military movements, or is it something else?'"What makes you suspicious is that server began to be used the day after the famous meeting between Trump and the Russian foreign minister and the Russian ambassador, where they threw out the Americans and let the Russians stay. So there's just a lot more to happen here."
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| UN investigator says Saudi royal adviser should be tried for Khashoggi killing Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:56 AM PDT ![UN investigator says Saudi royal adviser should be tried for Khashoggi killing]( "UN investigator says Saudi royal adviser should be tried for Khashoggi killing") Supporters of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi called for justice a year after his death and a U.N. investigator said Saud al-Qahtani, a key adviser to the kingdom's crown prince, should be put in the dock. Eleven Saudi officials are on trial in Riyadh for the killing of Khashoggi, a former royal insider turned critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which took place inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 2018. The trial is being held behind closed doors but six sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters more than one of the defendants had mentioned Qahtani's name.
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| Calls for UN investigation on anniversary of Khashoggi murder Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:48 AM PDT  Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos joined activists in Istanbul Wednesday for a memorial service outside the Saudi consulate where journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered a year ago. International rights groups renewed calls for a full United Nations investigation into the killing. Saudi journalist Khashoggi, a columnist for the Post, was strangled and dismembered at Saudi Arabia's consulate on October 2, 2018 when he went to obtain documents required for his marriage to Turkish citizen Hatice Cengiz.
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| UPDATE 1-Putin backs Trump in U.S. domestic row, jokes about election meddling Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:41 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Putin backs Trump in U.S. domestic row, jokes about election meddling]( "UPDATE 1-Putin backs Trump in U.S. domestic row, jokes about election meddling") Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sided with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in the domestic political storm raging in the United States, and briefly joked that Moscow would hack the U.S. presidential election in 2020. Putin said Trump, who faces an impeachment inquiry over accusations that he pressured Ukraine's president to dig up dirt on a political rival ahead of the November 2020 election, had done nothing wrong by looking into possible cases of corruption.
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| Iran’s Rouhani Upbeat on European Plan to Save Nuclear Deal Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:31 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Iran's president gave an upbeat assessment of a European plan to ease the crisis over the 2015 nuclear deal that has threatened to tip the Gulf region into war.In a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Hassan Rouhani said he found the main terms of a four-point proposal, spearheaded by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, to revive the embattled accord "acceptable."The plan calls for Washington to remove sanctions on Iran, allowing the Islamic Republic to export its oil and collect the revenue, in return for an Iranian commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons and help ensure Gulf security, he said. The original framework of nations that signed the deal would be reconstituted, including the U.S.The comments are the strongest signal yet from Iran that discussions with Europe to find a way out of the nuclear crisis are making progress after months of deadlock. But major challenges remain, especially over sequencing. In public at least, Iran insists it won't talk until sanctions are lifted, while President Donald Trump has said Tehran must offer concessions to get the penalties eased.The U.S. wants a more comprehensive agreement that also covers Iran's missile program and support for Middle East proxy forces.'Risk Worth Taking'To make progress, "either the U.S. accepts that some degree of sanctions relaxation is necessary at first," said Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council of Foreign Relations. "Or the Iranians come to the conclusion that there's a risk worth taking in having some degree of direct contact" with a U.S. administration they don't trust. Rouhani, who's under intense pressure from hardliners in Tehran to abandon an accord that's not delivering the hoped-for economic benefits, said more work was needed on the wording of the plan during expected negotiations with European countries.Since Trump ended U.S. participation in the deal last year and reimposed sweeping sanctions, tensions have risen in the oil-rich Gulf. Tankers have been attacked and seized, drone aircraft downed by either side and there's been an escalation in fighting between Iranian and U.S. allies involved in the Yemen war.Why Tensions Between U.S., Iran Fuel Fears of War: QuickTakeMacron and other world powers made frantic but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to broker some sort of meeting between Rouhani and Trump at the United Nations General Assembly last week.In a speech to commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei again admonished U.S. officials, saying their so-called "maximum pressure" strategy against Iran had failed.Iran would carry on scaling back its compliance with the nuclear deal's limits on enrichment while Europe attempts to meet Tehran's demands, he said."We will continue to reduce our commitments and we should do so resolutely," Khamenei said, according to his official website.UN MeetingThe Macron plan includes a $15 billion credit line that would enable Iran to export oil and would also restore the P5+1 framework of nations -- France, the U.K., Russia, China, Germany and the U.S. -- that were signatories to the nuclear accord.Rouhani said his European counterparts had asked him at the UN summit to offer alternative suggestions for the plan's phrasing so that they could be discussed and negotiated by European and Iranian ministers.Speaking to reporters as he left cabinet with Rouhani, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif appeared more cautious. Macron's proposal "doesn't reflect our viewpoints" and needed "negotiations to precisely discuss the issues," he said.Zarif praised the French president's enthusiasm for a deal, though, and said he's been sent a formal invitation to visit Tehran."We will continue to maintain contacts, including the calls with France," Zarif said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.Ahead of the UN meeting, there had been growing speculation that Trump would meet Rouhani in New York. But talks never materialized amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran after an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.The U.S. and leading European nations blamed the strike on Iran, which in turn pointed to the Yemeni Houthi rebels it assists in their four-year war with a Saudi-led coalition.Impoverished and shattered Yemen is currently the top battleground in the tussle for influence between Shiite Muslim Iran and Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia.The oil-facility attacks rammed home the dangers of letting the war fester on, spurring attempts to build on recent cease-fire pledges and move to talks.To contact the reporter on this story: Arsalan Shahla in Tehran at ashahla@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Paul AbelskyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Ukraine, Russia eye revival of stalled peace talks Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:30 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky could meet for the first time as early as this month, in talks aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Hopes for the meeting follow an agreement this week between Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators on a roadmap for the regions held by Russian-backed separatists. Preparations for what are known as the "Normandy talks" come after negotiators from all sides on Tuesday adopted plans to provide special status for Ukraine's separatist-held territories and hold elections there.
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| Tunisian electoral commission wants jailed candidate to talk Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:29 AM PDT  Tunisia's electoral commission is calling for the country's jailed presidential candidate to be allowed televised interviews so he can communicate with voters before the Oct. 13 election. Despite that and no political experience, he advanced to the second round in the election along with a relatively unknown law professor, Kais Said. The head of the electoral commission, Nabil Bafoun, on Wednesday said he was in contact with national judicial officials as well as the judge in Karaoui's case, who has ruled against freeing the candidate.
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| Johnson’s Five Principles in His Bid to Break Brexit Deadlock Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:20 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson set out the principles of his Brexit proposal in a letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, saying he hopes the plan could form the basis for "rapid negotiations."Failure to get a deal "would represent a failure of statecraft for which we would all be responsible," the British prime minister wrote. "Our predecessors have tackled harder problems: we can surely solve this one."Johnson then went on to outline the five principles that guide his proposal:Compatibility with the Northern Ireland peace agreement: this, Johnson wrote, is the "highest priority for all."It conforms with areas of longstanding U.K.-Irish cooperation, including a common travel area encompassing the two nations.It creates the potential for an all-Ireland regulatory zone covering goods and agricultural products "ensuring that goods regulations in Northern Ireland are the same as those in the rest of the EU."The principle of consent: The Northern Ireland assembly would be given a say before the regulatory zone came into force, and every four years thereafter.Northern Ireland would be fully part of the U.K. customs territory after the end of a transition period -- not the EU Customs Union -- and the U.K. would be in charge of its own trade policy.To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Stuart BiggsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UK proposes new Brexit plan to avoid customs checks in Ireland Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:14 AM PDT  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday proposed a new Brexit plan aimed at removing the need for customs checks at the Irish border, calling the EU-backed approach a "bridge to nowhere". Johnson's plan, published by the UK government, says the revised agreement "should make a firm commitment to avoiding customs checks, regulatory checks, or related physical infrastructure at the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland". In an accompanying letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Johnson says his deal "removes the so-called backstop," an EU-backed plan that ensures the Irish border stays open by keeping Britain temporarily aligned to EU customs rules.
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| The Latest: Curfews imposed in some Iraqi cities amid unrest Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:13 AM PDT  Security officials say authorities have imposed a curfew in several southern Iraqi cities following violent confrontations between anti-government protesters and security forces. The officials say a curfew was imposed in the city of Nasiriyah, southeast of the capital, where four protesters were killed on Wednesday, as well as in Amara and Hilla. Anti-government protests that erupted on Tuesday over poor services, unemployment and corruption and have quickly escalated after government forces opened fire on demonstrators.
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| Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says she is 'political plaything' in open letter to Iranian government from prison Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:11 AM PDT  Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has accused Iran of using her and her daughter as politicians' "playthings" in an open letter released from her prison cell in Tehran. The British-Iranian charity worker, who has been imprisoned since 2016, released the letter in Farsi appealing for Iran's rulers to free her and end her "bitter" separation from her five-year-old daughter, Gabrielle. It is the first time Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has published such an open letter and it is unclear how she was able to smuggle the words out Tehran's Evin prison. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, confirmed it was genuine. It is her first solo open letter, having written one jointly with another prisoner in 2018 to threaten a hunger strike. The 40-year-old frames the letter as an address to Iran's government from one of its own citizens and asks why Tehran would treat an Iranian mother so harshly. "I am the mother of a 5-year-old child who has been deprived by my country of being with her since she was just six months," she writes. She contrasts her own situation with that of Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian woman who was recently freed from US prison after being convicted of breaking American sanctions by sending banned technology to Iran. Negar Ghodskani was freed from US prison last month Credit: Sherburne County Sheriff's Office via AP Ms Ghodskani's case became a national issue in Iran after she gave birth to baby boy while in prison in Australia awaiting extradition to the US. A US judge ruled last month that she should be released on time served and she is now back in Iran. "Those who, according to Iran, are human rights abusers corrected the error of separating a mother from her child," she wrote. "But the authorities of my own country have chosen to take retribution on me." Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, floated the idea earlier this year of a prisoner swap, in which Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be freed in return for Ms Ghodskani's release. He also suggested she could be freed if Britain agreed to pay Iran £400 million owed for a decades old arms deal. In her letter, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe accused the Iranian government of trying to "auction" her. "My child and I are the playthings of politicians, inside and outside our homeland, who have used us as tools to try to achieve their own political goals," she wrote. She wrote of the pain of being separated from Gabriella, who she is allowed to see once a week in a visiting room at Evin prison. The child lives in Tehran with Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family and has forgotten how to speak English. Javad Zarif floated a prisoner swap Credit: ATTA KENARE / AFP "Every Sunday morning, my heart beats faster than ever to see my daughter in the Evin prison meeting room. I am overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety in my chest. The door of the meeting room opens and my daughter calls out my name and hugs me. "This is the most beautiful and exciting hug in the world. But on these days it is never long before she slips out of my hands and disappears into the foggy mist of prison." Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 on charges of planning to topple the Iranian government. The charity worker has always maintained she travelled to Iran to visit family. Boris Johnson raised her case while meeting Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran, at the UN in New York last month. Iran is also holding two British-Australian women, Jolie King and Kylie Moore-Gilbert, prisoner in Tehran. Ms Moore-Gilbert has been sentenced to 10 years in prison while Ms King, a blogger who was arrested this summer while travelling in Iran with her boyfriend, has not been charged.
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| Putin jokes that Moscow plans to meddle in the 2020 election Posted: 02 Oct 2019 08:00 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appeared to revel in the ongoing political maelstrom in the U.S., jokingly admitting to plans for future election meddling. When asked whether Russia would interfere in the 2020 election cycle, Putin leaned into the microphone onstage and mimicked a whisper: "I'm going to tell you a secret. The quip at the Russian Energy Week panel elicited laughter and applause as Putin discussed why he believes the allegations made by former special counsel Robert Mueller, who concluded that Moscow mounted an aggressive effort to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, were untrue.
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| Putin says 'nothing compromising' in Trump call to Ukraine leader Posted: 02 Oct 2019 07:51 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday defended Donald Trump over accusations the US leader pressured Kiev to dig up dirt on a rival, saying there was "nothing compromising" in transcripts of the call. "I see nothing compromising in the conversation between Trump and (Ukrainian leader Volodymyr) Zelensky," Putin said of the phone call that has sparked an impeachment probe in the US. "President Trump turned to a colleague with a request to investigate possible corruption relating to members of the former administration," the Russian leader said at an energy forum in Moscow.
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