| Corbyn Seeks to Use Britain’s NHS as Election Battleground Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:44 PM PST ![Corbyn Seeks to Use Britain's NHS as Election Battleground]( "Corbyn Seeks to Use Britain's NHS as Election Battleground") (Bloomberg) -- Jeremy Corbyn renewed his assault on the government's plan for Britain's National Health Service, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson said all his parliamentary candidates pledged to vote for his Brexit deal -- two key issues that are set to dominate the general election that's now less than four weeks away.Writing in the Observer newspaper, Jeremy Corbyn accused Boris Johnson's government of holding secret talks with the Trump administration with the aim of opening the U.K. drugs market further to U.S. companies as part of an Anglo-U.S. post-Brexit trade deal. The opening line of his column: "There is a plot against our NHS.""Our public services are not bargaining chips to be traded in secret deals," Corbyn wrote. "I pledge a Labour government will exclude the NHS, medicines and public services from any trade deals -- and make that binding in law."Corbyn is trying to maintain the initiative that swung his way last week after his surprise announcement to promise free fiber broadband to the nation. It derailed Johnson's own plans to assault the air waves, and dominated the national conversation. He even went so far as to compare his proposed new British Broadband company to the post-World War II establishment of the sacred political cow that is the NHS.That announcement had the added spice of targeting the nationalization of BT Group Plc's Openreach unit -- Margaret Thatcher, the historical touchstone for many of the Conservative Party faithful, sold off a chunk of the old British Telecommunications in 1984. The sale, she said, was the most important fact behind Britain embracing the concept of shareowning popular capitalism.Still, the latest polls suggest Corbyn has a lot more work to do before he can overhaul Johnson's Conservatives come the Dec. 12 polling day.YouGov/Times: Tories (45%) vs Labour (28%). Lead widens to 17 pointsOpinium: Tories (44%) vs Labour (28%). Lead widens to 16 pointsDeltapoll/Mail on Sunday: Tories (45%) vs Labour (30%). Lead widens to 15 pointsSavanta Comres/Telegraph: Tories (41%) vs Labour (33%). Lead narrows to 8 pointsAccording to John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University, a 10-point advantage should be enough for the Tories to win an overall parliamentary majority.Both surveys were taken during a week in which Nigel Farage vowed that his Brexit Party would contest every Labour-held seat in the country, after promising to withdraw his candidates from any Conservative-held constituency.In an interview with the Telegraph newspaper, Johnson sought to woo any wavering pro-Brexit voters by saying that every Conservative candidate has vowed to back his Brexit deal in Parliament if he wins a majority."I am offering a pact with the people: if you vote Conservative you can be 100% sure a majority Conservative government will unblock Parliament and get Brexit done," Johnson was reported saying.(Adds comment from Johnson in Telegraph from first paragraph)\--With assistance from Cara Moffat.To contact the reporter on this story: James Ludden in New York at jludden@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Matthew G. Miller at mmiller144@bloomberg.net, Linus ChuaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Venezuelans March in Biggest Anti-Maduro Protest in Months Posted: 16 Nov 2019 01:13 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Supporters of Juan Guaido staged their biggest protest in Caracas in months as Venezuela's opposition leader seeks to revive his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.A week after Maduro's ally Evo Morales was toppled in Bolivia, Guaido is seeking to boost thinning crowds that have grown apathetic since a botched uprising in April failed to remove Maduro. "I'm here because we cannot continue living like this," said hairdresser Maribel Risquez, 51, one of thousands of protesters in the capital on Saturday. "My 25-year-old son died of lung cancer because we couldn't find the medicines he needed. We have to protest without fear until we change this government."Venezuela has been relatively quiet as Guaido lost momentum while violent protests wracked Latin American countries from Ecuador to Chile. He drew crowds of hundreds of thousands early this year, but many followers now doubt that he can unseat Maduro.Guaido's approval rating stood at 42% this month, down from more than 60% in February, according to a survey by Caracas pollster Datanalisis."We will remain in the streets until we have free elections," Guaido said in a speech to the rally. "We're going to achieve Venezuela's freedom."He called on his followers to protest in their neighborhoods on Monday and to join a student march on Thursday. Police RaidSeveral miles across town, Maduro called in by phone to a march by his supporters describe events in Bolivia as "a fascist coup.""In Venezuela there will be no coup, because the people will defend democracy," he said.On Friday night, masked police broke into the office of Popular Will, Guaido's party, and detained dozens of members for an hour while they stole from them, party leader Roland Carreno said."We call on the authorities to guarantee the right to peaceful assembly in today's demonstrations and to refrain from harassing demonstrators, journalists and organizers," the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Twitter.The U.S. and more than 60 other nations recognize Guaido as Venezuela's head of state, but the country's armed forces and top court remain loyal to Maduro.Morales quit as Bolivia's president on Nov. 10 following allegations of electoral fraud that led to violent protests. Senator Jeanine Anez, who took over after he fled the country, recognized Guaido as Venezuela's head of state.Guaido, who said he spoke with Anez, marched with part of his followers to the Bolivian embassy in Caracas. "I celebrate that Bolivia got ahead of us and they have achieved the path to democracy," he said.Guaido and his team appeared outside a Caracas airbase on April 30 to announce an uprising, which fizzled within hours when military leaders ignored the call and security forces took control of the streets. Since then, more than a dozen opposition lawmakers have had their legislative immunity stripped, several have left the country and others are hiding out in local embassies or safe houses.While a recent economic liberalization means severe shortages of goods have eased, the large majority of Venezuelans still can't afford them. Power, water and gasoline outages are an everyday occurrence across the country and inflation is running at an 11,000% annualized rate, according to Bloomberg's Cafe con Leche index.While declining oil sales and U.S. sanctions have limited Maduro's ability to operate, he recently began negotiations with opposition splinter groups, a strategy critics say is meant to give his administration sufficient legitimacy to avoid further measures and continue governing.(Updates with Guaido quotes in sixth paragraph, Maduro in eighth)\--With assistance from Fabiola Zerpa.To contact the reporters on this story: Patricia Laya in Caracas at playa2@bloomberg.net;Alex Vasquez in Caracas Office at avasquez45@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Cancel at dcancel@bloomberg.net, Tony Czuczka, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| One dead as petrol protests spread in Iran Posted: 16 Nov 2019 12:07 PM PST  One person was killed and others injured in protests that spread Saturday across Iran after a surprise decision to impose petrol price hikes and rationing in the sanctions-hit country. The death occurred Friday in the central city of Sirjan, where protesters had tried to set a fuel depot ablaze but were thwarted by security forces, semi-official ISNA news agency reported. Protests erupted hours after it was announced the price of petrol would be increased by 50 percent for the first 60 litres and 300 percent for anything above that each month.
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| Government leak highlights China's crackdown on Muslims Posted: 16 Nov 2019 11:09 AM PST ![Government leak highlights China's crackdown on Muslims]( "Government leak highlights China's crackdown on Muslims") An anonymous member of the Chinese political establishment leaked over 400 pages of internal documents to The New York Times, which provide an "unprecedented inside view" into Beijing's crackdown on China's Muslim population.The Times notes that the most detailed discussion on the "indoctrination camps" in Xianjing, where as many as one million members of ethnic groups that practice Islam are being held, are found in a directive that outlines how party officials should handle minority students returning home in the summer of 2017 to find that their family members had been sent to Xianjing. Officials were advised to tell the students their relatives were "in treatment" after exposure to radical Islam, and respond with increasingly firm replies when pressed on their matter, highlighting the narrative the government had carved out to justify the internment."If they don't undergo study and training, they'll never thoroughly and fully understand the dangers of religious extremism," one of the answers said. "No matter what age, anyone who has been infected by religious extremism must undergo study."A series of internal speeches by Chinese President Xi Jinping also stood out in the document. Xi said officials should show "absolutely no mercy" and use the "organs of dictatorship" to root out Islamic extremism in the country. He was careful, however, to say there should be no discrimination against certain ethnic groups like the Uighurs, and that Islam should not be restricted as a religion. Many people argue that both of these things have come to fruition regardless. Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com The coming death of just about every rock legend The president has already confessed to his crimes Why are 2020 Democrats so weird?
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| ‘We Must Be As Harsh as Them’: Leaked Docs Reveal China’s Mass Incarceration of Muslims: NYT Posted: 16 Nov 2019 10:21 AM PST  HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via GettyHundreds of internal Chinese government documents obtained by The New York Times reveals striking new details about the execution of the country's mass detention of ethnic minorities over the past three years in the Xinjiang region.The rare leak of documents, described in the newspaper's bombshell report as "one of the most significant leaks of government papers from inside China's ruling Communist Party in decades," details how Chinese authorities have contained as many as one million Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominately Muslim minorities into internment camps and prisons.The camps, which began in 2016, were described as China's answer to fighting Islamic extremism.While the party has pushed back on international criticism of the camps by describing them as "job-training centers," the documents show the coercive nature of the camps that top government officials knew tore families apart, fueled ethnic tensions and hurt economic growth. Cannibalism, Torture and Death: Inside China's Genocidal Re-Education Camps"Children saw their parents taken away, students wondered who would pay their tuition and crops could not be planted or harvested for lack of manpower," the report states. "Yet officials were directed to tell people who complained to be grateful for the Communist Party's help and stay quiet."According to the documents, President Xi Jinping first laid the groundwork for the camps in a series of April 2014 speeches to party officials and during a trip to Xinjiang. The trip came just weeks after Uighur militants reportedly killed 31 people, and stabbed more than 150, at a train station in Kunming. "The methods that our comrades have at hand are too primitive," Xi said during one talk in Urumqi, according to the report. "None of these weapons is any answer for their big machete blades, ax heads and cold steel weapons."He added: "We must be as harsh as them and show absolutely no mercy."While Xi called for an all-out "struggle against terrorism, infiltration and separatism" using the "organs of dictatorship" after the train attack, the documents do not indicate he directly ordered the detention centers. But his harsh rhetoric combined with terrorist attacks abroad fueled the toxic beliefs that minority communities could be eradicated, The New York Times notes. In one example, the 2017 London Bridge attacks spurred party officials to condemn Britain's policy of by putting "human rights above security," and prompted Xi to urge leaders in Xinjiang to respond to extremism like America's "war on terror" campaign. "In recent years, Xinjiang has grown very quickly and the standard of living has consistently risen, but even so ethnic separatism and terrorist violence have still been on the rise," Xi said in a speech to party officials, according to The New York Times. "This goes to show that economic development does not automatically bring lasting order and security."Trump Blames China's Xi Jinping for Sabotaging the Kim Jong Un SummitThe rise of the camps, the newspaper reported, didn't until until August 2016, when Chen Quanguo was promoted from the party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region to governor of Xinjiang. The new leader was eager to "remobilize" Xi's goals for increasing security and rapidly expanded the region's internment camps. Chen also distributed Xi's speeches to justify his aggressive approach, and even told officials to "round up everyone who should be rounded up.""The struggle against terror and to safeguard stability is a protracted war, and also a war of offense," Chen said in an October 2017 speech to the regional leadership, according to the leaked papers.Soon after, authorities started to arrest anyone who displayed "symptoms" of radicalism or anti-party views, without any judicial rationale or explanation, the Times reported.Party leaders even displayed dozens of signs to highlight such behaviors to other Chinese citizens, some including common Uighurs practices like wearing long beards, giving up smoking or drinking, studying Arabic or praying outside mosques. Woman Sent to Labor Camp in China's Latest Abuse OutrageTo justify the discriminatory practices, authorities cited ongoing terrorism attacks abroad and the possibility of such attacks in China. Whenever local officials expressed doubts about the camps they believed would hurt economic growth, the documents reveal Chen would have them fired or jailed.In one instance, one county leader ordered the release of 7,000 camp inmates, writing in a 15-page confession he believe the crackdown harmed ethnic relations. After the release, Chen had the leader detained, stripped of power, and prosecuted. According to the Times, the documents indicated that about 900,000 people have been put into these camps, a number previously unknown due to the campaign's secrecy. 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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| Lebanese police to boost security near banks amid unrest Posted: 16 Nov 2019 09:39 AM PST  Lebanese security forces will boost measures near the country's banks that have been closed for more than a week over fears by employees for their safety amid nationwide unrest, police said Saturday. Lebanon's financial troubles have worsened since mass protests began on Oct. 17 over a plunging economy, and snowballed into calls for the entire political elite to step down. Banks reopened Nov. 1 after a two-week closure because of the mass anti-government protests.
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| Protests Erupt Across Iran After Gasoline-Price Increase Posted: 16 Nov 2019 08:14 AM PST ![Protests Erupt Across Iran After Gasoline-Price Increase]( "Protests Erupt Across Iran After Gasoline-Price Increase") (Bloomberg) -- Protests erupted in cities across Iran, leaving at least one person dead, after the government unexpectedly hiked gasoline prices, the semi-official Iranian Student's News Agency reported.The fatality occurred during clashes in Sirjan in the southern province of Kerman on Friday, ISNA reported, citing the city's acting governor, Mohammad Mahmoudabadi. Protests spread on Saturday to Tehran, where motorists blocked highways and intersections with their vehicles in a dense snowfall, according to the Fars news agency.A special economic commission decided late Thursday to boost gasoline prices by as much as three times and also to ration the motor fuel, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The price increase came without any prior warning.The protests highlight the challenges that Iran's ruling establishment faces as it struggles to reverse an economic downturn triggered by U.S. sanctions. President Hassan Rouhani's government is under immense pressure to offset the impact of a severe plunge in oil exports and avert a national crisis.The International Monetary Fund forecasts that Iran's government deficit will widen as a percentage of gross domestic product, from 2.7% in 2018 to 4.5% this year and 5.1% in 2020. The oil price Iran needs to balance its budget will more than double over the same period, as U.S. sanctions curb sales of the country's most important export, according to the IMF.Read: QuickTake: Iran's Nuclear ProgramIran's Supreme Economic Council, a body comprising Rouhani, the head of the judiciary and the leader of Iran's parliament, met on Saturday in response to anger at the fuel-price increase. On Sunday, Iran's parliament plans to debate a bill to reverse the price increase and effectively nullify the decision, Aliasghar Yousefnejad, a lawmaker and member of the parliamentary executive board, told the state-run IRNA in an interview.It's unclear whether parliamentary votes can overrule rulings by the Supreme Economic Council. The last time Iran introduced fuel rationing was in 2007 during hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second term. That prompted protests at petrol stations and some were even set on fire. Rouhani's government ended the policy in 2015.Iran is just the latest -- if most populous -- Middle Eastern nation to see public outrage over bread-and-butter issues like living expenses transform in recent months into potent political protests. Demonstrators have forced leaders in Lebanon and Algeria to resign and toppled a regime in Sudan. Hundreds of people have died in Iraq as security forces there cracked down on protests that have pushed the government to the brink of collapse.Officials condemned the protesters. Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri told state television that demonstrators who blocked roads and fought with security forces "certainly have roots outside the country, and we have seen in these past two days cyberspace being used to try and provoke people."Dump Truck ProtestUnder the new pricing, most passenger vehicles will be limited to 60 liters of gasoline a month at 15,000 rials a liter, IRNA reported. Any purchases above that amount will be priced at 30,000 rials a liter. Taxis, buses and trucks will have larger fuel allocations. Before Thursday night's decision, gasoline prices were fixed at 10,000 rials a liter.Officials said the increase is necessary to raise funds for the country's state welfare program, which supports 18 million families. However, the surprise announcement provoked widespread criticism and alarm on social media.Fars posted a video purporting to show onlookers cheering as a dump truck emptied a full load of bricks and dirt on to the Imam Ali highway in Tehran. Demonstrations have flared in Iran's second-largest city of Mashhad and in oil-rich Khuzestan province, home to a large ethnic Arab population, IRNA reported. Police also clashed with protesters in the northwestern city of Tabriz, according to the Khabar Online website.Neighboring Iraq ordered two of its biggest border crossings closed to travelers -- though not to goods -- along its southern frontier with Iran. It did so at Tehran's request, the Iraqi Border Ports Commission said in a text message.(Updates with parliamentary vote on the price increase in sixth, seventh paragraphs)\--With assistance from Khalid Al-Ansary.To contact the reporter on this story: Abeer Abu Omar in Dubai at aabuomar@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: James Amott at jamott@bloomberg.net, Bruce Stanley, Sara MarleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Sudanese court sets verdict in al-Bashir trial for December Posted: 16 Nov 2019 08:11 AM PST ![Sudanese court sets verdict in al-Bashir trial for December]( "Sudanese court sets verdict in al-Bashir trial for December") A Sudanese court says it will deliver its verdict in the trial of former President Omar al-Bashir on corruption and money laundering charges next month. The court says following testimonies from defense witnesses on Saturday, it will declare the verdict on Dec. 14. Al-Bashir is accused of money laundering following the seizure of millions of U.S. dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds from his home.
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| Palestinian militant groups come to blows over Israel diplomacy Posted: 16 Nov 2019 08:10 AM PST  Tensions between Gaza's two largest Palestinian militant groups have spilled into the open as Islamic Jihad supporters angrily accused Hamas of not coming to their aid in this week's fighting with Israel. Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group backed by Iran, fired more than 400 rockets into Israel this week in retaliation for Israel's assassination of one of their senior leaders. But Hamas, the dominant force in Gaza, stayed out of the fighting. Senior Hamas officials were accosted by Islamic Jihad supporters when they tried to visit a mourning tent for Baha Abu al-Ata, the assassinated Jihad commander. Some Jihad supporters threw stones at the Hamas leaders' cars. The clashes, which were broken up by Hamas policemen, were a rare public show of the fractures between the two groups. An Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells Credit: AFP Hamas did belatedly fire fire two rockets into Israel early on Saturday morning, the Israeli military said. Both rockets were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome missile system and Israeli warplanes struck Hamas targets in response. An Israeli official said it was not clear yet who gave the order for the rockets but it may have been a face-saving gesture as Hamas tried to fend off allegations that it had stood by and left Islamic Jihad to fight alone. Islamic Jihad usually cooperates with Hamas but also sometimes tries to outflank the larger group and present itself as the true armed resistance to Israel by firing rockets. That impetuousness has at times been a source of frustration for Hamas, which has been engaged in quiet indirect negotiations with Israel for more than year. About | Hamas The two mortal enemies have held stop-start talks towards a deal in which Israel loosens its 12-year blockade of the Strip, in return for Hamas halting rocket fire and keeping the border quiet. But Israeli officials say those understandings have been interrupted several times recently by al-Ata's rocket fire from Gaza, including an attack that sent thousands fleeing from a music festival this summer. Israel's military described al-Ata as an obstacle to "different diplomatic arrangements", a coded way of referring to an understanding with Hamas. Palestinian pupils hold a commemorative picture of their late classmate Moaz Abu Malhous at his school in Deir al-Balah town in central Gaza Strip, on November 16, 2019, two days after he was reportedly killed in an Israeli strike. Credit: AFP Which is why early on Tuesday morning Israel fired a missile into his home in the Shajaiyah neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing al-Ata and his wife. In the fighting that followed Israel focused its fire on Islamic Jihad and tried to avoid striking Hamas. A total of 34 people, of whom 18 were militants, were killed in Gaza. Eight civilians, including five children were killed in one Israeli strike. Israeli said it was targeting an Islamic Jihad commander but acknowledged Friday it may have been a case of faulty intelligence.
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| Political Unpredictability Is Now the New Normal: Weekend Reads Posted: 16 Nov 2019 05:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.The U.S. impeachment hearings, the chaos in Bolivia and Britain's snap elections have one thing in common: They all underscore how leaders who test the limits of traditional political norms can trigger unpredictable results that aren't easy to fix.With Donald Trump, witnesses gave evidence exposing a pursuit of personal interests and disdain of custom that have turned years of work from career officials on its head. The decision by Bolivia's Evo Morales to step down as president, after facing accusations of electoral fraud he denies, has created a rift among Latin American governments. And U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pushed his country into a ballot that could open the way to Britain leaving the U.K., a new referendum that could scrap Brexit, or further political deadlock.Meanwhile in Hong Kong, lawmakers fear that increasingly violent protests against the mainland's influence may fuel a deeper crackdown by Beijing, and Spain's acting prime minister needs the help of a man behind bars if he wants to form a new government. We hope you enjoy these and other stories from this edition of Weekend Reads.Trump's Shadow Ukraine Policy Laid Bare in Impeachment OpenerThe first public impeachment hearing against Donald Trump laid out how a handful of loyalists led by Rudy Giuliani wrested control of U.S. policy from seasoned diplomats, all to achieve the president's political ends, Nick Wadhams reports.Read Ryan Teague Beckwith's list of all the ways the GOP has come to Trump's defense.How Trump's Trade War Went From Method to MadnessIt started with a carefully calibrated algorithm targeting Chinese products to rebalance trade between the world's two biggest economies. As Shawn Donnan and Jenny Leonard report, however, the model didn't account for the unpredictability of Trump.Jared Kushner Helped Put Cadre on the Map, Then Held It BackWhen Cadre, which styles itself as the Amazon of real-estate, hooked the interest of SoftBank, it thought it had finally got its chance. But the refusal of co-founder Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, to divest killed the opportunity, Caleb Melby, Gillian Tan and David Kocieniewski report.Battle Lines Are Drawn in Boris Johnson's Big Election GambleThe U.K. is about to hold a once-in-a-lifetime election in one of the most charged political climates anyone can recall. And as this deep dive lays out, almost everything about this vote is unusual and unpredictable. Morales Exit Throws Political Hand Grenade Into Latin AmericaThe toppling of Evo Morales in Bolivia is creating shock waves from Buenos Aires to Washington and pitting governments against each other. Juan Pablo Spinetto reports how the crisis is widening differences between Latin America's socialists and conservatives.The Man to Put Sanchez Back in Power Is Sitting in Catalan JailPedro Sanchez faces an unusual obstacle in forming a new government in Spain. Rodrigo Orihuela tells the story of Catalan separatist leader Oriol Junqueras, who's serving 13 years in jail but still has the ultimate word on how his party will vote.Pressure Grows on Britain to Return Its Last African ColonyAt a time when British politicians are evoking the U.K.'s imperial past as it prepares to quit the European Union, the country is under international pressure to give up its last African colony. Pauline Bax walks us through this sign of diminished U.K. power. Hong Kong Protest Violence Risks Empowering Hawks in BeijingHong Kong lawmaker Lam Cheuk-Ting took a drastic measure to resist a growing crackdown on elected leaders. Blake Schmidt, Iain Marlow, and Aaron Mc Nicholas report on Lam's fears it could get worse as the protests there become more violent. Devastating Fires Fail to Shake Australia Climate Change InertiaAustralia's record on climate change is getting tougher for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to defend. Jason Scott reports how his government is refusing to discuss whether global warming has contributed to a longer dry season as bushfires ravage the country's east coast.And finally … At the Shenzhen headquarters of the Chinese genetics company BGI Group, there's no excuse for poor health: Co-founder Wang Jian, a 65-year-old geneticist Wang Jian, wants the more than 6,000 employees to be walking advertisements for their genetic research. BGI Group is now racing toward a world where your DNA informs your medical — and maybe some personal — decisions. As Matthew Campbell and Dong Lyu explain, things could get weird. To contact the author of this story: Michael Winfrey in Prague at mwinfrey@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Turkey Is the World’s New Nuclear Menace Posted: 16 Nov 2019 05:00 AM PST ![Turkey Is the World's New Nuclear Menace]( "Turkey Is the World's New Nuclear Menace") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Sometimes it's hard to tell friend from foe, even if he is standing right next to you. And if you take President Donald Trump literally (yes, I know, we've been warned not to do that) he was suffering from such myopia during Wednesday's press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Turkey, as everyone knows, is a great NATO Ally, and a strategic partner of the United States around the world," he said. "And I look forward to continuing to find common ground, harness common purpose, and to advance the vital interests of our people and the abiding friendship between our nations."Remarkable flattery from the same man who tweeted this a month ago:So, is Turkey friend or foe? The answer at the moment, unfortunately, is "Yes." The Turks have launched an offensive against America's best allies in the war against Islamic State, the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Front, and purchased the cutting-edge S-400 missile defense system from Russia. The U.S. and Europe have responded with sanctions, including booting the Turks from the Pentagon's F-35 fighter program. Erdogan hit back with threats to flood Europe with captured Islamic State terrorists. Standing beside Trump on Wednesday, he accused the U.S. Congress of using "historical developments and allegations" to "dynamite our reciprocal and bilateral relations."So, how does one deal with such a frenemy? For advice, I reached out to Chuck Wald, a retired 4-star Air Force general who served as deputy commander of the U.S. European Command in the 2000s. Wald, a distinguished fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, has been a leading voice of caution in dealing with the Turks and, understandably for a former combat pilot, has particular concerns about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's reliance on Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. That base, in addition to hosting military aircraft, (reportedly) has around 50 American B61 nuclear bombs. Here is a lightly edited transcript of our exchange: Tobin Harshaw: General, I know that given the current tensions between Turkey and the U.S., you have qualms about the NATO presence at Incirlik. Can you explain?Chuck Wald: Under Erdogan, Turkey has been a thorn in our side for the last half decade. Throughout 2014, Ankara adamantly refused to grant the U.S. permission to use Incirlik for our military operations against ISIS, which was sweeping across Syria and Iraq at an alarming pace. Eventually, after a year of prodding, the Turks begrudgingly gave in; however, we still had to contend with their sporadic demands to halt operations. When the coup attempt happened in 2016, Erdogan ordered all U.S. assets grounded for several days while he accused us of masterminding the attempt to remove him from power.While these issues took place a few years ago, we saw recently how Erdogan routinely threatened to attack our Kurdish allies in Syria even while U.S. forces were still operating in those areas. Then, when our troops were in the process of withdrawing, reports emerged that Turkish forces started firing on those positions. Consequently, Turkey's actions should be raising serious questions about whether U.S. and NATO forces should remain at Incirlik.TH: If NATO did pull those assets out, where would they relocate in a way that wouldn't harm European security or cause logistical nightmares?CW: A few years ago, I wrote an op-ed calling for the building of a new airfield in Iraq, specifically in territory controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government, as part of our efforts then to defeat ISIS and drive it from the country.I think that the most pressing concern for the U.S. now is that we have nuclear capabilities at Incirlik that no longer serve the same strategic purpose that they did in the past. Given the growing strain of anti-Americanism in Turkey and Erdogan's willingness to move closer toward Russia, we urgently need to relocate those weapons. Ideally, their new home should be on European soil, with one option being Aviano Air Base in Italy. From a logistical standpoint, this shouldn't be too difficult.The U.S. also has the 39th Air Wing stationed at Incirlik. These forces, too, should be up for relocation. Readily available basing alternatives exist in Cyprus and Greece. The Greeks, in particular, have been clamoring for a deeper U.S. military presence over the last few years and have increasingly demonstrated that they want a greater role within NATO. Therefore, relocating the 39th Air Wing to Greek soil would effectively kill two birds with one stone.TH: One of the great successes of NATO, beyond the obvious of protecting Western Europe from the Soviet Union, was keeping Turkey and Greece off of each other's throats. Would a rebalancing of assets along the lines you suggest threaten to re-ignite that dangerous rivalry?CW: First, I think that there's a misperception that NATO has kept Greece and Turkey at arms' length. In fact, Athens and Ankara almost went to war in 1964, but for President Lyndon B. Johnson's direct intervention. Ten years later, they did, and NATO stood on the sidelines because it deemed that Article V, the mutual defense pact, did not apply to conflicts between member states. Today, Greece has taken many steps to demonstrate to NATO that it can be its "new southeastern bulwark," such as holding military exercises in increasing frequency, size and complexity. The contrast couldn't be starker between how Turkey has moved further away from NATO in the last five years.Will rebalancing assets re-ignite tensions? That's hard to say, because tensions aren't exactly stone-cold right now, given Turkey's continued naval provocations in Cypriot waters and Erdogan's regular complaints about the sovereignty status of some Greek islands that are located close to the Turkish shoreline.TH: More broadly, how can Turkey stay in NATO if it can't be trusted at Incirlik?CW: Unfortunately, the truth is NATO doesn't have a suspension or ejection mechanism for its members. Incirlik aside, we've seen how Turkey has been actively operating against NATO interests for far too long now, buying Russian S-400s despite repeated warnings, allowing foreign fighters free passage en route to joining ISIS in Syria, etc.I think that Turkey's case should push NATO to put in place a long overdue system for handling those rare instances where a member is demonstrably no longer acting in accordance with NATO values or, worse, now presents a threat to the organization's security interests.TH: Trump lauded Turkey's contribution to NATO at his press conference with Erdogan on Wednesday. How effectively do you think the administration is dealing with Turkey issues? Do you think the president opened the door to Turkey's incursion into northern Syria?CW: The fact that Turkey is acting counter to the best interests of the U.S. and NATO regarding Syria and the Kurds is an added reason for us to hold Turkey accountable for their actions. For example, we should not give an inch regarding the S-400/JSF issue.TH: The Turkey problem aside, what is the greatest threat Europe and NATO face right now?CW: Russia.TH: Was expanding NATO to include the post-Soviet states in the early 2000s a mistake? It certainly angers Russian President Vladimir Putin.CW: No, at the time it seemed to be the exact right thing to pursue. Subsequently, Putin's actions and objectives have run totally counter to those of the U.S. and the NATO alliance. We all would like things to return to what we considered normal a few years ago, in a more collaborative world. The reality of today's geopolitics must be addressed and nations we previously hoped to count as allies, or at least friends, have now become adversaries.TH: Finally, I know you are very concerned about climate change. Can you explain briefly why you see global warming as a national security threat, and what the military specifically can do to deal with it?CW: A little over 10 years ago, I testified in front of the U.S. Senate that "climate change has the potential to create sustained natural and humanitarian disasters on a scale and at a frequency far beyond those we see today." I think it's become increasingly clear here in the U.S. — with California's persistent wildfires, more frequent and severe hurricanes hitting the coasts, extreme flooding in the mid-west states — that those fears are already being borne out in real time.Globally, climate change is already creating food and water shortages though land loss, droughts and flooding. Those shortages inevitably spur mass migrations, which can spark or exacerbate political disputes between adjacent nations. Diseases that were previously only found in certain places may spread to other areas as environmental conditions change. As the resources necessary for human societies become scarcer, open conflict between states becomes a very real possibility. This is readily apparent in the South China Sea, where growing competition over hydrocarbon exploration rights and fishing stocks has already seen tensions flare between China and its neighbors.I participated in a study for the Center for Naval Analysis in 2008 that addressed many of the issues and challenges the U.S. and our allies would face due to climate-change effects. We identified both mitigation and adaptation steps that we regarded as imperative for the Defense Department to address and implement. We are beginning to see many of those predicted effects, and it will be costly, in terms of both time and dollars for the military.Generally speaking, the Pentagon should be finding ways to reduce its carbon footprint, improve its energy efficiency, and prepare for the wide spectrum of missions that climate change will spur both here in the U.S. and internationally.To contact the author of this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Jonathan Landman at jlandman4@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Tobin Harshaw is an editor and writer on national security and military affairs for Bloomberg Opinion. He was an editor with the op-ed page of the New York Times and the paper's letters editor.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on streets of Hong Kong for clean-up operation Posted: 16 Nov 2019 03:13 AM PST  China's People's Liberation Army troops appeared on the streets of Hong Kong yesterday as part of a clean-up mission that risked a backlash from pro-democracy protesters who have brought the city to a standstill in recent months. The appearance of the PLA soldiers outside their barracks - even dressed in shorts and t-shirts - to help clear away barricades and debris from another night of protests could be seen as an incremental raising of the political stakes from Beijing. Demosistō, a pro-democracy organisation, said the clean-up operation could set a "grave precedent" if the city's government invites the military to deal with internal problems. A member of Chinas People's Liberation Army (PLA) stands guard inside Osborn Barracks in Kowloon Tong in Hong Kong on November 16, 2019. - China's President Xi Jinping warned on November 14 that protests in Hong Kong threaten the "one country, two systems" principle governing the semi-autonomous city that has tipped into worsening violence with two dead in a week. Credit: AFP Hong Kong's city government clarified that it did not request assistance from PLA forces which have remained in their barracks during five months of protests, issuing a statement describing the deployment as a "voluntary community activity" by the military. Foreign envoys and security analysts estimate up to 12,000 troops are now based across Hong Kong - more than double the usual garrison number following an additional deployment last August. Chinese troops have appeared on streets only once since the 1997 handover to help clear up after a typhoon in 2018. It was not clear how many were involved yesterday, but by late afternoon, the PLA soldiers had left the streets outside Baptist University beside their barracks in Kowloon Tong. An anti-government protesters stands at a blocked outlet of the Cross Harbour Tunnel near the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong Credit: Reuters The PLA garrison in Hong Kong said that when some residents began cleaning, some troops "helped clear the road in front of the garrison gate". Clashes between protesters and police have become increasingly violent, with China warning that any attempt at independence for Hong Kong will be crushed. Chinese state media has repeatedly broadcast comments made on Thursday by President Xi Jinping, in which he denounced the unrest and said "stopping violence and controlling chaos while restoring order is currently Hong Kong's most urgent task". Read More | Hong Kong crisis The clean-up followed some of the worst violence seen this year, after a police operation against protesters at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Tuesday. The authorities have since largely stayed away from at least five university campuses that had been barricaded by thousands of students and activists who stockpiled petrol bombs, catapults, bows and arrows and other weapons.
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| U.K. Police Open Fraud Probe After Complaints Against Tories Posted: 16 Nov 2019 03:06 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.Scotland Yard is investigating complaints of electoral fraud after accusations that the ruling Conservative party offered enticements to Brexit Party candidates not to run for some contested seats in the December election. The Metropolitan Police Service's Special Enquiry Team is investigating any potential criminal activity, the London-based force said in a statement on Saturday. It didn't give any further details on the cases.The investigation comes after Charlie Falconer, the former Labour Party cabinet minister in charge of Britain's courts, asked the Metropolitan Police to probe reports about Brexit Party candidates allegedly being approached by the Conservative Party to persuade them to withdraw their candidacy and offering inducements.Falconer's letter, addressed to Commissioner Cressida Dick, cited comments from Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage alleging intimidation by the Conservatives as well as offers of jobs and peerages to senior figures. Falconer questioned the integrity of the election and asked for an investigation into whether the law may have been broken.Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, who is in charge of no-deal Brexit preparations, reiterated to the BBC's Today program on Saturday that the Tories aren't engaging in pacts or negotiations with other political parties ahead of the Dec. 12 vote. He said he wasn't aware of any offers of jobs or peerages to Brexit Party candidates and that he didn't know about the specific allegations.To contact the reporter on this story: James Amott in London at jamott@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew Davis at abdavis@bloomberg.net, Sara MarleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Four dead in Iran fuel protest after government hikes pump prices up to 300 per cent Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:55 AM PST  Four people were left dead in Iran following clashes between riot police and protesters in several Iranian cities after the government raised the price of petrol by up to 300 per cent. The deaths occurred in separate incidents in the southern cities of Sirjan, Behbahan and Shiraz, while video footage showed protestors had attacked a military barracks used by the regime's feared Bajis militias in Tehran, setting it on fire. Thousands of angry motorists parked their vehicles on major thoroughfares and highways in protest at the price hikes, urging others to stop and "join the national anti-regime movement" as they drove by. Iran's chief public prosecutor, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, called the protestors "saboteurs" and warned they would face "severe punishment" if arrested. He has also alleged that foreign powers were behind the protests. At a glance | Key players in Tehran But in a sign of that the Rouhani government's increasing political isolation over the decision, a leading establishment cleric Grand ayatollah Golpaygani called for the decision to be reversed, describing it as "a matter of great regret" and "deplorable". Video footage from the city of Shiraz showed protesters over-running a police station and setting banks on fire, while chanting "death to the dictator" against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's Interior Minister Abdulreza Rahmani Fazli announced the sudden 300 percent increase in the price of gasoline last Friday, saying that it was a decision by the country's High Council for Economic Coordination. The aim was to generate revenue for the central government, which has lost billions of dollars of income from recently reimposed international sanctions on oil exports. Fuel for unrest: a huge petrol price rise triggered protests across Iran Credit: REX "The decision to raise the price of gasoline is aimed at creating social justice for more than 60 million Iranians, in particular the very low income families, fight fuel smuggling, reduce the amount of subsidies and strengthening our economic power," the minister said. The government has also cut petrol subsidies to thousands of poor people in a nation where many families make a living as informal taxi drivers. Despite the subsidy cuts and price-rises, fuel in Iran still remains among the cheapest in the world thanks to the country having the fourth-largest oil reserves. A highway is blocked by vehicles as protests block the roads following fuel price increase in Tehran, Iran, 16 November 2019. Credit: REX Iran affairs expert Dr. Reza Taghizadeh, formerly of Glasgow University, says the public reaction to the price rise has been inevitable, given the dire economic conditions of the country. "It appears that the common element of these protests is exactly the same as what we are currently witnessing in Iraq, Lebanon and Chile and that is general poverty and the failure of their governments to provide the basic needs of populations. "Although the trigger force in Iran is the rise of price of gasoline, the protests in more than 37 major cities are political and against a system of government that is corrupt, undemocratic and resists change", he said.
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| Car bomb kills at least 18 in Syrian town held by Turkey Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:52 AM PST  A car bomb exploded Saturday in a northern Syrian town controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters, killing at least 18 people and wounding several others, Syrian opposition activists and Turkey's Defense Ministry said. Northern Syria has been hit by several explosions that have killed and wounded scores of people over the past month. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 19 people, including 13 civilians, were killed Saturday in the town of al-Bab in Aleppo province.
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| After North Korean defector and her son die, a spotlight on their hardships in freedom Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:22 AM PST  After North Korean defector and her son die, a spotlight on their hardships in freedom originally appeared on abcnews.go.comKim Eunju escaped North Korea in 2005, disillusioned with the communist regime. She still vividly remembers that night when uniformed officers raided her home in Chongjin, Hamgyeongbuk-do, searching for petroleum that she had been smuggling from China to sell in the local market. It was the family's lifeline bringing just enough bread to the table to survive. ...
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| Russia Loves the Impeachment Hearings Because GOP Is Parroting Kremlin Propaganda Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:21 AM PST  Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily BeastAs Russia's state media watch impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald J. Trump they're loving what they see. They don't think the man they brag about getting elected is in much danger. They listen in delight as Republicans parrot conspiracy theories first launched by Russians. And they gloat about the way Trump removed U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, because they blame her for promoting democratic "color revolutions" that weakened Moscow's hold on the former Soviet empire. Best of all, from the Kremlin's point of view, they see Trump pushing Ukraine back into the Russian fold.Republicans Thought Yovanovitch Would Be a Pushover. She Beat Them Up InsteadSo while the historical impeachment inquiry, after two days of public hearings, has been deemed by some pundits to lack "pizzazz," the Kremlin is having a ball. Instead of disseminating their usual conspiracy theories, the Russians watch gleefully as the Republicans do that for them. From the long-debunked "Crowdstrike" cyber plot positioning Ukraine as the fall guy for what undoubtedly was Russian interference in the 2016 elections, to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories centering around Jewish financier and philanthropist George Soros, rivers of Russian dezinformatsiya are flowing down from the President of the United States and the GOP, through the impeachment hearings, to Trump's cult-like devotees. The Kremlin also enjoys the Trump-GOP treatment of the Mueller report as a colossal hoax, or even a joke, letting Russian President Vladimir Putin off the hook, and putting him in a position to make light of the whole matter.During a public appearance for Russian Energy Week, Putin "jokingly" promised to interfere in the upcoming presidential elections in the United States. Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged to "solve the problem" of the American elections in 2020. When President Trump pulled a news report out of his pocket at his Louisiana rally featuring the picture of Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko denying there was a quid pro quo of security assistance for an investigation of Joe Biden and his son, Olga Skabeeva, the host of Russian state television news show 60 Minutes, complained with sharp irony: "When we—here in Russia—were electing Trump, we were certain that to express his gratitude, he would carry a picture of Putin in his pocket." This desensitizing mirth mirrors Trump's infamous public dare: "Russia, if you're listening," but treating a serious matter as a joke does not diminish its real gravity.Russian experts and state media propagandists constantly reiterate that President Trump cannot and will not be impeached, because the Republicans are controlling the Senate. On 60 Minutes, Skabeeva mockingly told some sacrificial Ukrainian panelists: "We appointed Trump and you can't unseat him." Leading Russian state media outlets repeatedly publicize the name of the alleged whistleblower. State TV channel Rossiya-1 smeared Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch as a Soros-linked architect of post-Soviet color revolutions. The co-host of 60 Minutes, Evgeny Popov, warned Ukraine of the threat if faces if it does not cooperate with Trump's demands: "If Trump gets re-elected, and you don't investigate Biden... [Ukraine] won't get anything from America. Not a thing."The Kremlin is eager to help Trump, in fact, because his presidency has proven to be exceedingly beneficial for the Kremlin—having brought chaos into American politics, undermined trust in democratic institutions, weakened transatlantic alliances, delivered Syria into the hands of Putin, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thereby elevating the international image of Russia as a global force to be reckoned with. State Dept. Aide Says He Overheard Sondland Tell Trump Ukraine President Would Do 'Anything'The ongoing impeachment inquiry is a twofold gift for the Kremlin. On the one hand, President Trump and the Republican Party are doing Putin's work by assailing U.S. intelligence agencies, career diplomats and institutions. On the other hand, the impeachment inquiry revealed an unprecedented rift between the United States and Ukraine—America's strategic partner that enjoyed decades of strong bipartisan support.Witnesses in the impeachment inquiry laid bare President Trump's reported indifference toward Ukraine's plight of deterring Russian aggression—treating this fledgling democracy as a mere tool for his personal needs, while disregarding national interests of the United States. The statement of State Department aide David Holmes revealed a candid assessment by Gordon D. Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, who surmised that President Trump couldn't care less about Ukraine or its war with Russia. Holmes wrote in his opening statement that—according to Ambassador Sondland—President Trump "did not give a s--t about Ukraine," concerning himself instead with "big stuff" that could benefit him personally, "like the Biden investigation."In stark contrast to Trump's ambivalence, Putin hungers after the restoration of Russia's control and influence over Ukraine. As the late Zbigniew Brzezinski once said, "Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire." During National Security Council staffer Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's deposition in the ongoing impeachment probe, he reaffirmed a geopolitical reality that none of Russia's post-Soviet neighbors are of greater significance than Ukraine. Putin could not possibly envision a sweeter gift than Ukraine falling away from the West into the welcoming—albeit bloodied—hands of the Kremlin. Popov on 60 Minutes urged all Ukrainians to "finally sober up and understand that the only country willing to lovingly cover Ukraine with its nuclear shield is Russia." (Note that when the Soviet empire collapsed, Ukraine was left with a substantial nuclear arsenal which it gave up in exchange for an agreement with Russia that its territorial integrity would remain inviolable—an agreement Putin trampled on when he annexed Crimea and launched the war in eastern Ukraine.)During a press conference at the BRICS Summit (an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on Thursday, Putin told Ukrainians: "Don't look for happiness overseas, don't look across the oceans... but make deals with your neighbors."Using the treasure trove of documents released during the impeachment inquiry, Russia's master propagandists are weaponizing the information to demoralize the Ukrainians. State TV hosts, experts and talking heads are browbeating visiting Ukrainian guests and audiences by painting a picture where the West is merely using Ukraine for its own ends—predicting Trump will soon abandon the country just as he did America's Kurdish allies in Syria. There is a common thread permeating the Russian media blitz: Ukraine is all alone and has nowhere left to turn, except to Russia."Everyone is laughing at you," scoffed Skabeeva, addressing a Ukrainian panelist on 60 Minutes. Maksim Yusin, the editor of international politics at the leading Russian business daily Kommersant exclaimed, "Ukraine is toxic, everyone will want to avoid it now." When Ukrainian panelist Alexander Goncharov said that his country is relying on the support of Republicans, the hosts and other panelists broke out in uproarious laughter. "Listen to Rand Paul," said the co-host of 60 Minutes, playing the clip of the Kentucky senator bluntly stating: "I wouldn't give them anything." The Kremlin is poised to reap more rewards from the presidency of Donald Trump—and suddenly, Ukraine seems to be within reach.Appearing on the Russian state TV program, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, analyst Dmitry Drobnitsky said that Trump is fulfilling the dreams of anti-American strategists by withdrawing U.S. forces from the Middle East and retreating to domestic affairs. Drobnitsky predicted: "If Trump manages "to defeat his enemies and gets re-elected, he will start doing whatever he wants—and the world will see 'Trump unchained.' He will fulfill all of his promises." The host, Vladimir Soloviev, threw in another prediction: "And after that, his daughter will become the next president." The Kremlin sees another trump card in its future.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Germany arrests woman, accused of joining IS, on return home Posted: 16 Nov 2019 01:24 AM PST ![Germany arrests woman, accused of joining IS, on return home]( "Germany arrests woman, accused of joining IS, on return home") A German woman accused of joining the Islamic State group in Syria and marrying an IS fighter has been arrested on arrival in Germany. Federal prosecutors said the woman, identified only as Nasim A., was arrested Friday evening. Prosecutors say she traveled to Syria in late 2014 and married an IS fighter.
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| Sudanese officials: 6 troops killed in Yemeni rebel attack Posted: 16 Nov 2019 01:23 AM PST ![Sudanese officials: 6 troops killed in Yemeni rebel attack]( "Sudanese officials: 6 troops killed in Yemeni rebel attack") Officials in Sudan said on Saturday an attack by Yemeni rebels killed six members of a Sudanese paramilitary force that's been fighting in Yemen. Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition that includes the Sudanese forces have fought Yemen's civil war to a stalemate. The United Arab Emirates and Sudan have been pulling out troops in recent months, though they say they aren't quitting the Saudi-led alliance.
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| Iraqi protesters seize key square in Baghdad Posted: 16 Nov 2019 12:44 AM PST  Anti-government protesters seized control of a strategic square in central Baghdad on Saturday, as they inched closer toward their goal of reaching the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of government, after days of violent clashes with security forces. An activist involved in the protest movement was shot dead early in the morning, security officials and activists said, in northwest Baghdad.
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| Protests erupt in Iran after petrol price hike: state media Posted: 15 Nov 2019 11:01 PM PST  Sporadic protests erupted in cities across Iran, state news agency IRNA said on Saturday, a day after the government announced a surprise decision to ration petrol and hike its price. The demonstrations on Friday night were "severe" in Sirjan in central Iran as "people attacked a fuel storage warehouse in the city and tried to set fire to it," the news agency reported. IRNA said "scattered" protests also broke out in other cities including Mashhad, Birjand, Ahvaz, Gachsaran, Abadan, Khoramshahr, Mahshahr, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas.
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| Bolivian interim leader meets UN envoy amid violence fears Posted: 15 Nov 2019 09:07 PM PST  Bolivia's interim president met with a U.N. envoy to discuss the country's crisis Saturday, a day after security forces fired on supporters of former President Evo Morales in a clash that killed eight people and raised fears that violence could escalate. On leaving the meeting with interim leader Jeanine Áñez, U.N. envoy Jean Arnault said the United Nations is concerned about the violence in Bolivia and hopes it can contribute to an accelerated pacification process leading to elections.
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| Israel strikes Hamas targets after 2 rockets fired from Gaza Posted: 15 Nov 2019 04:45 PM PST  Israel said its aircraft hit military sites for Gaza's Hamas rulers early Saturday after two rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave. This was Israel's first strike against Hamas since the start of this week's cross-border fighting with another Gaza militant group, the Iran-backed Islamic jihad. The worst bout of fighting in months began Tuesday after Israel's targeted killing of a senior Islamic Jihad commander in an airstrike.
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