| The Big Question on Hong Kong: How Will China Hit Back at Trump? Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:23 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. China is making a habit of issuing vague retaliation threats. So far, however, it hasn't actually done much.The foreign ministry gave another warning on Thursday after President Donald Trump signed bills backing Hong Kong's protesters, using language that mirrored a statement last week.China issued similar threats earlier this year after the U.S. approved arms sales to Taiwan, sanctioned companies over human-rights abuses in Xinjiang and put Huawei Technologies Co. on a blacklist."We suggest that the U.S. stops sticking obstinately to its course or China will take resolute countermeasures," the foreign ministry said. "The U.S. side will bear all responsibility for the consequences."Later, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang dodged questions on when China would reply or whether it would impact trade talks, telling reporters to "stay tuned.""What will come will come," he said.The failure to flesh out the details despite having weeks to prepare shows the difficulties China faces in hitting the U.S. without also hurting its own economy, which is growing at the slowest pace in almost three decades. Apart from implementing retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., China has largely stuck to a policy of "strategic composure" when it comes to other aspects of the relationship.Trade Talks ImpactMei Xinyu, a researcher at a think tank under China's Commerce Ministry, said that the Hong Kong issue will definitely be discussed at the trade negotiation table and China will likely ask the U.S. side to clarify its stance, or even make some promises on refraining from using the bill.He added that China will prepare some countermeasures at the same time, echoing the Foreign Ministry's remarks earlier, without elaborating on what specific measures will be taken."It'll bring a certain degree of uncertainty to the ongoing trade talks," Mei said. "But it won't necessarily make or break a deal."CitigroupWhile slowing down the trade talks is the most obvious way China could retaliate, it's clear that until now Beijing has tolerated a lot just to keep them on track. Without a phase one deal, China faces the prospect of another tariff hike in mid-December.There are other options, though most of them also carry the risk of backfiring economically.That's something President Xi Jinping may not want to risk with economic troubles mounting at home and the Hong Kong unrest showing no signs of abating.Unreliable EntitiesIt could hit out at U.S. companies by releasing a long-threatened "unreliable entities" list, stop buying American products, unload Treasuries or curb exports to the U.S. of rare earths, which are critical to everything from smart-phones to electronic vehicles.On the diplomatic side, China could take measures such as halting cooperation on enforcing sanctions related to North Korea and Iran, recalling the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. or downgrading diplomatic relations.Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of state-run Global Times, said in a tweet Thursday that China was considering putting the drafters of the law on a no-entry list."Hong Kong has increasingly become a card in China-U.S. trade war," E Zhihuan, chief economist at Bank of China (Hong Kong) Ltd, said at a briefing in Beijing. "Now that Trump has showed his card, how we should react tests our wisdom. It's a very complex and difficult situation."Trump himself had little choice but to sign the bills, which required sanctions against any officials deemed responsible for human rights abuses or undermining the city's autonomy, as well as banning the export of crowd-control items such as tear gas and rubber bullets to the city's police. Near-unanimous support in Congress meant lawmakers could override a veto, and Trump doesn't want to give Democrats an opening for attack ahead of the 2020 election.In signing the bills, Trump signaled to Xi that action wouldn't be imminent. He expressed concerns with unspecified portions of the new law, saying they risked interfering with his constitutional authority to carry out American foreign policy."I signed these bills out of respect for President Xi, China, and the people of Hong Kong," the president said in a statement Wednesday.Internal AffairsFor China, however, the bills represent an interference in their internal affairs and could even encourage protesters who have become increasingly violent in recent months. While the trade talks are separate, the overall relationship could suffer, according to He Weiwen, who previously served as a commercial attache at the Chinese consulates in New York and San Francisco."The U.S. has damaged China's sovereignty and China will of course retaliate," said He, who is now a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. "Sovereignty prevails over trade for China."When asked what China is likely to do, however, He didn't elaborate."I don't know what specific moves they will make," he said. "But there will likely be some consequences."\--With assistance from Yinan Zhao and Carolynn Look.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Peter Martin in Beijing at pmartin138@bloomberg.net;Lin Zhu in Beijing at lzhu243@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Jeffrey Black, James MaygerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| North Korea Tests Trump With Missiles, Signals More Coming Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:01 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles and could be planning even bigger moves, stepping up pressure as it threatens to walk away from sputtering nuclear talks unless President Donald Trump offers up concessions by year end.The two missiles were fired in rapid succession from North Korea's east coast Thursday, traveling a distance of about 380 kilometers (240 miles) and reaching a height of about 100 kms, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono told reporters. South Korea's Defense Ministry provided similar data on the flights and called the launches "regrettable."There may be more to come with the brisk movement of vehicles detected this month near an ICBM launch site, South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unidentified South Korean official. The movement appears to be associated with an engine test and South Korea is keeping a close eye on the situation, it said.The latest test came two years to the date since leader Kim Jong Un's regime last test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting all of the U.S. Kim put a brief freeze on testing after that and then resumed firing with a vengeance from May, sending off about two dozen missiles -- almost all of them short-range ballistic missiles."Kim considers Trump as his political hostage and sees himself in a position to dictate the terms of the deal by demonstrating his capability to influence Trump's chance for re-election," said Chun Yungwoo, South Korea's former chief envoy to international nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea.Kim Jong Un Bolsters Nuclear Threat to U.S. as Trump Talks StallNorth Korea released photos of the Thursday test. Kim, who has been on hand for many of the operations this year, attended the launch and "expressed great satisfaction over the results of the test-fire," the country's official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.The missiles tested appear to be North Korea's KN-25, a solid-fuel rocket designed to fired off in rapid succession from a mobile launcher that typically holds about four tubes. A series of shorter-range missile launches in recent months has improved North Korea's ability to make solid-fuel ballistic missiles that are easier to move, hide and fire than many of its liquid-fuel versions."These tests help improve their solid-fuel motors and not only is it good for their short-range systems, it would likely make their long-range missiles quicker and more powerful," said Melissa Hanham, a weapons expert and deputy director of the Open Nuclear Network.Kim's testing freeze ushered in unprecedented diplomacy with Trump, leading to historic meetings in Singapore, Vietnam and the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. But Kim and Trump have little to show for their negotiations, with the U.S. and North Korea unable to agree on what they mean by denuclearization.Since the talks have started, Kim has been busy churning out fissile material for bombs and developing new missile technology that could make the next big launch of an ICBM even more concerning to Pentagon military planners, weapons experts have said.Trump has brushed off North Korea's missile tests, which Japan and others say violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, signaling to Kim that he can continue developing his weapons program as long as he doesn't fire off another ICBM.Kim has given Trump until the end of the year to ease up on sanctions choking his state's paltry economy. In recent weeks his top cadres have been quoted in official media as expressing frustration by what they saw as U.S. inflexibility. The Trump team has said North Korea can only get rewards when it completely gives up nuclear arms -- a move Pyongyang has said would be tantamount to political suicide."We, without being given anything, gave things the U.S. president can brag about but the U.S. side has not yet taken any corresponding step," a spokesman for the State Affairs Commission headed by Kim said earlier this month. He added that the U.S. will face a "greater threat" if it does nothing.\--With assistance from Shinhye Kang and Sophie Jackman.To contact the reporters on this story: Jon Herskovitz in Tokyo at jherskovitz@bloomberg.net;Jihye Lee in Seoul at jlee2352@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Muneeza NaqviFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Assad approves $9.2 bln budget Posted: 28 Nov 2019 01:49 PM PST  Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday approved a $9.2-billion budget for his war-torn country, official media reported. The 2020 budget, approved by Syria's parliament before being signed off by Assad, sees the country's deficit rise by 54 percent compared to the current budget, acccording to pro-government newspaper Al-Watan. The country's devastating eight-year war has inflicted damage estimated by the United Nations last year at some $400 billion.
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| Ilhan Omar's Republican opponent in Twitter ban over 'hanging' posts Posted: 28 Nov 2019 12:33 PM PST  * Danielle Stella post featured 'stick figure hanging from gallows' * Republican aiming to unseat Omar charged with felony theftIlhan Omar introduces Bernie Sanders at a rally in Minneapolis earlier this month. Photograph: Evan Frost/APA campaign account for Danielle Stella, a pro-Trump Republican candidate for Congress, was banned from Twitter after it published a violent comment about the Democrat she hopes to unseat next year, Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar.Stella's campaign Twitter account, @2020MNCongress, featured at least two posts involving the idea of Omar being hanged, according to the Washington Times, which broke the story of her suspension.embedThe tweets concerned an unsubstantiated allegation that Omar – one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress – shared sensitive information with Qatar, which then wound up with Iran.A spokesperson for Omar previously told the Jerusalem Post of the claim: "Since the day she was elected, Saudi Arabian trolls and mouthpieces have targeted Omar with misinformation and conspiracy theories."An initial tweet from Stella's campaign account reportedly said: "If it is proven [Omar] passed sensitive info to Iran, she should be tried for treason and hanged."The Washington Times said the account "subsequently tweeted the link to an article that aggregated her remark, accompanied by a crude depiction of a stick figure hanging from gallows".The @2020MNCongress account cannot be viewed. Text on the page reads "account suspended" and "Twitter suspends accounts which violate the Twitter Rules".In a statement, Twitter told the Guardian: "The account was permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter Rules."Stella said in a statement: "My suspension for advocating for the enforcement of federal code proves Twitter will always side with and fight to protect terrorists, traitors, pedophiles and rapists."The Guardian revealed that Stella has been arrested twice this year over accusations that she shoplifted some $2,300 in goods from Target and $40 in items from a grocery, Stella has maintained her innocence.She has made claims about Omar before, claiming she broke the law by telling immigrants how to avoid authorities. Lawmakers who don't "uphold the rule of law", Stella said, should be kicked out of office.A spokesperson for Omar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Since winning election to Congress last year, Omar has attracted rightwing attacks and fringe conspiracy theories as well as outright threats of violence. The congresswoman said this April she faced an increase in death threats after Trump accused her of downplaying September 11.On 19 November, New York man Patrick Carlineo pleaded guilty in relation to calling Omar's office and telling a staffer: "Why are you working for her, she's a [expletive] terrorist. Somebody ought to put a bullet in her skull. Back in the day, our forefathers would have put a bullet in her [expletive]."Omar, who came to the US as a Somali refugee, appealed for "compassion"."As someone who fled a war zone, I know how destabilizing acts of political violence can be," she said in a letter to the judge. "That his threat of violence relied on hateful stereotypes about my faith only made it more dangerous … it was a threat against an entire religion, at a time of rising hate crime against religious minorities in our country."She added: "We must ask: who are we as a nation if we respond to acts of political retribution with retribution ourselves? The answer to hate is not more hate; it is compassion."
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| Johnson Says There’ll Be No U.S. Trade Deal if It Includes the NHS Posted: 28 Nov 2019 12:07 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.Boris Johnson is heading for a 68-seat majority in the House of Commons, a mandate not seen since the height of the Margaret Thatcher years, according to the most hotly-anticipated poll of the election campaign. A margin that size would allow him to ratify his Brexit deal ahead of the Jan. 31 deadline, and potentially give him some breathing space to compromise in subsequent trade negotiations with the European Union.The Prime Minister, who refused to attend a TV debate on climate change with other party leaders on Thursday evening, said he would walk away from a U.S. trade deal after Brexit if President Donald Trump insists on keeping the National Health Service on the table.Must Read: U.K. Election: The Key Party PromisesFor more on the election visit ELEC.Key Developments:YouGov: Conservatives on course for 43% (359 seats), Labour 32% (211 seats), Liberal Democrats 14% (13 seats), SNP 3% (43 seats), Brexit Party 3% (0 seats)Pound rises as much as 0.2% in London before paring gainsJohnson tells ITV the election is still "a very tight race" and there's a risk of a hung ParliamentThe Institute for Fiscal Studies said neither Conservatives nor Labour have credible spending plansLabour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and other party leaders debated climate change in a TV debate. Johnson didn't show up and hosts Channel 4 turned away Michael Gove, who had been sent as a substitute.Still 'a Very Tight Race,' Johnson Says (8 p.m.)Boris Johnson insisted in an interview with ITV that the election is still "a very tight race" in spite of polls showing his Conservatives winning a comfortable majority."There is a genuine risk that there could be a Corbyn, Sturgeon coalition," he said.Johnson: No U.S. Deal if NHS Included (7:15 p.m.)Boris Johnson insisted the National Health Service will not be on the table in trade talks with the U.S. after Brexit and said he would walk away if President Donald Trump insists on keeping it in the negotiations."Goodbye, we'd say see you then, that would be it," Johnson said when asked how he would respond if Trump insists on discussing U.S. access to the state funded health system. "There's be no point in continuing the conversation."Labour said on Wednesday that Johnson's Tories have been involved in secret talks with the U.S. and produced documents which they said showed the two sides have already discussed access for U.S. corporations and pharmaceutical companies to the service."The NHS is one of the greatest things about British society, it's loved and admired around the world. Why would you do something as stupid as that," Johnson said in an interview with ITV.Read More: Corbyn Accuses U.K. Tories of Secret NHS Talks With the U.S.Labour Donations Beat Tories in 2nd Week (3 p.m.)Donations to the Labour Party topped those to the Conservatives in the second week of the election campaign. In the week of Nov. 13-19, Labour reaped 3.49 million pounds ($4.5 million), compared to 2.97 million pounds for the Conservatives, according to a statement from the Electoral Commission. The Brexit Party was given 2.25 million pounds and the Liberal Democrats 251,000 pounds, the commission said.The Electoral Commission release, which only details donations of more than 7,500 pounds, includes a 2 million-pound gift for the Brexit Party from Christopher Harborne, a businessman. Most of Labour's total in the official data came from Unite, the labor union, which donated 3 million pounds, but the party said Wednesday it had also been given more than 2.5 million pounds in small donations in the month since the election was called -- 98% of it in amounts of 100 pounds or less.It's a turnaround from the first week of the campaign, when the Tory total of 5.7 million pounds eclipsed Labour's 218,500 pounds and the Liberal Democrats' 275,000 pounds.Liberal Democrats Step Up Attack on Johnson (12 p.m.)Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is driven by a "sense of Etonian entitlement" rather than any "burning desire to make people's lives better," as she seeks to position her party as the only one that can take seats off the Conservatives.In a speech titled "The Problem with Boris Johnson," Swinson said most people are in politics "for the right reasons" and suggested the prime minister doesn't care about ordinary people. "Boris Johnson only cares about Boris Johnson and he will do whatever it takes, sacrifice whatever or whoever is needed to get what he wants," Swinson said.The problem for Swinson is that polls show her message is not cutting through with voters. According to the latest YouGov projection, the Liberal Democrats are on course to gain just one extra seat in the Dec. 12 vote.Javid Says He's 'Confident' on Policy Costings (12 p.m.)Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said he's "confident" about the costings and funding for the Conservative Party's manifesto pledges, after the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank accused both Labour and the Tories (see 10 a.m.) of lacking credibility on their spending plans."We have been very clear with our spending commitments in this election," Javid told reporters during a campaign visit to Darlington, according to the Press Association. "We have a very detailed costings document -- the most detailed I would say that any party has published in any British election -- so I'm very confident about that."Javid also attacked Labour's plans, saying they would trigger a loss of confidence in the U.K. economy.IFS Says Tory, Labour Spending Plans Not Credible (10 a.m.)The Institute for Fiscal Studies offered a damning analysis of both the Conservatives' and Labour's election pledges, and warned voters to expect higher taxes than either party has outlined.Boris Johnson's Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour have outlined vastly different offerings for voters. While Corbyn is promising a generational shift in public spending along with sweeping nationalization plans, the ruling party is presenting a more fiscally conservative approach, offering themselves up as the responsible alternative to Labour's radical ideas.But according to the IFS, neither party has a "properly credible prospectus." In its assessment, the Tories will end up spending more than planned, and so will have to raise taxes or borrow more, and Labour won't be able to deliver on the investment plans on the scale it imagines. In the longer term, Labour would also need to raise more funding, and the IFS says it would have to hike income taxes on more than just the top 5% of earners.Read more: Think Tank Criticizes Fiscal Plans of Both Major PartiesLabour's 'Red Wall' Problem (9:30 a.m.)Wednesday night's YouGov poll showed Labour winning no new seats and watching the crumbling of its so-called red wall of districts in the north of England -- examples include Bishop Auckland, Great Grimsby and Bolsover -- which are traditionally Labour, but also strongly in favor of Brexit and now forecast to fall to the Tories.So far, Corbyn's party has focused on trying to ensure it doesn't lose votes to the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, and its policy to hold a second referendum on Brexit reflects that. But the YouGov poll shows Labour must now find a way to win support back from the Tories among voters committed to leaving the bloc. It's likely that the party will shift its message in the coming days.But there's plenty of uncertainty in the YouGov forecast. Of the predicted Conservative gains, 30 were by less than 5%. And the poll itself could change behavior. By offering a seat-by-seat prediction, it could enable voters who oppose Brexit or the Conservatives to see how best to vote against Johnson.Read more: Key Poll Predicts Big Majority for Johnson to Deliver BrexitHancock: Patents, Drugs Off Table in U.S. Talks (Earlier)Health Secretary Matt Hancock used his broadcast round to hit back at Labour's accusations (see Labour's Gardiner earlier) that a Conservative government would allow the National Health Service to be used as a negotiating chip in U.S. trade talks."We do want a trade deal with the U.S. and we have been absolutely clear that the NHS will not be part of it," Hancock told BBC radio. "We are crystal clear that it isn't an area on which we're prepared to give ground."He also said drug pricing will not be on the table during the negotiations, and ruled out discussions on changes to drug-patent rules."Why would we give the Americans more money for drugs when I spend my time battling to get drugs onto the NHS at a price the NHS can afford?" he said. "The point of trade deals is to get prices down, not to have prices up."Labour Keeps Up NHS Attack Line (Earlier)Labour's trade spokesman Barry Gardiner warned that Boris Johnson's approach to a U.S. trade deal would lead to further privatization on the National Health Service. His comments continued Labour's attack lines from Wednesday, when the opposition party published government accounts of meetings between British and American trade officials.Gardiner told BBC radio that the documents showed officials discussed longer patents to protect drug makers and, he said, illustrated how U.S. companies might get full market access to the U.K. health service."The potential cost of that to the NHS would just pull the guts out of the services that we were able to provide for people and force further privatization," he said. "This is how you destroy the health service from within. You force people to go private by not being able any longer to provide a full comprehensive range of services."Parties Likely to Break New Fiscal Rules (Earlier)U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid and his opposition rival John McDonnell are on course to break the fiscal rules they announced less than a month ago, according to research claims by the Resolution Foundation.Even a tiny downgrade to the economic outlook could force a Tory government to raise taxes, return to austerity or abandon its new rules, the London-based think tank said. A Labour government would find itself in a similar position and have to row back on several big manifesto commitments.Earlier:Key Poll Predicts Big Majority for Johnson to Deliver BrexitU.K. Election: The Key Party PromisesU.K. Parties Given Little Chance of Achieving New Fiscal RulesIs Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters: Therese Raphael\--With assistance from Jessica Shankleman, Robert Hutton and Fergal O'Brien.To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net;Andrew Atkinson in London at a.atkinson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Mark WilliamsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Bolivia to renew Israel ties after rupture under Morales Posted: 28 Nov 2019 10:56 AM PST  Bolivia said Thursday it will restore diplomatic ties with Israel, a decade after then-President Evo Morales severed relations because of an Israeli military offensive in Gaza. The renewal of ties with Israel was announced by interim Foreign Minister Karen Longaric as part of an overhaul of Bolivia's foreign policy following Morales' resignation this month. Many Israeli tourists visited Bolivia before Morales cut off relations with Israel, and the hope is that they will return, Longaric said.
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| Saudi laws continue to hold women back from travel despite MBS reforms Posted: 28 Nov 2019 09:58 AM PST  Scanning the departures board at Riyadh's international airport, Eman tried to find her gate as she struggled with an oversized suitcase. She had travelled countless times before but always with her father, who had taken care of everything. It was the first time the 26-year-old had flown alone and she was finding it all a bit daunting. "My father didn't like me going on trips without him or my brother, and I had always respected his wishes," Eman, who asked that her surname not be published, told the Telegraph. "He was worried about what I would do if I had too much independence." Under Saudi Arabia's guardianship system, women had to rely on the permission of male relatives to leave the country and, in some cases, even to leave the home. But a royal decree issued in August ruled that women over the age of 21 could travel abroad and apply for a passport without a guardian's permission. Eman felt emboldened by the decree to tell her father that she would be travelling alone this time for a business meeting in Beirut, where she hoped to find new clients for her fledgling beauty company. A Saudi woman displays her new driving license, at the General Department of Traffic in the capital, Riyadh, after the kingdom lifts the ban on women driving in June last year Credit: AP "He wants my business to succeed, but he is still a bit old-fashioned," she said. "The guardianship laws are partly about protecting women, but I think part of it is has always been about control." Things have been changing quickly in the ultra-conservative kingdom as the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushes to modernise the country. In less than a year, MBS, as he has become known, has dropped Saudi's draconian ban on women driving, done away with the "hai'a" which policed their dress and sanctioned mixed gender gatherings. But despite the reforms, women in Saudi told the Telegraph that the country's laws continue to work against them to prevent them from travelling. Male guardians can still file cases of filial "disobedience", a crime which can lead to forcible return to their male guardian's home or imprisonment in a women's shelter. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun (C) accompanied by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chryistia Freeland (R), arrives at Toronto Pearson International Airport after escaping her "abusive" family Credit: Reuters A legal provision known as "taghayyub" in Arabic, meaning "absent", could also be invoked if a woman runs away from home without permission. Just this month it was reported that Princess Basmah Bint Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, the youngest daughter of deposed King Saud, was arrested trying to board a flight from the city of Jeddah to Geneva. The princess' US lawyer said that following her detention the 55-year-old, who had campaigned for women's rights among other issues, "just fell off the radar" and has not been heard from since. "Even if they get to the airport with their documents and there is no physical restriction on their travel, women's fathers or husbands could call up airport officials and tell them that they had been 'disobedient'," Ms Begum said. "There are still many parts of the law that continue to work against women." Ms Begum said the decision marked a big step towards dismantling the guardianship system, but cautioned that women's rights were yet to be fully enshrined. "They decree does not appear to positively affirm women's right to travel abroad, as is their right under international law, and because it is not specific in its wording there are loopholes," she said. Dua (L) and Dalal (R) al-Showaiki used Twitter to document their escape from their family from Turkey In another example, divorced mothers also spoke of how they feared they would not be able to travel with their children. More often than not in Saudi men win primary custody in a divorce, meaning mothers are required to get the permission of the father to fly with their children. One woman, who holds dual Saudi-Canadian citizenship, said she wanted to her two children to see her parents in Ottawa but her ex-husband had not given her permission for them to go. The royal court decision followed a series of high-profile cases of Saudi women attempting to flee the kingdom. Critics say they likely put pressure on a crown prince increasingly concerned about his image abroad, which has already been dented by the mass arrest of women's rights activists and the brutal murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year. Eighteen-year-old Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun barricaded herself in a hotel room in Bangkok in January claiming she had been imprisoned and abused by her father back in Saudi and wanted to claim asylum. A few months later, sisters Dua, 22, and Dalal al-Showaiki, 20, escaped during a family holiday in Turkey, claiming they too had suffered at the hands of their father and were being forced into arranged marriages. The rights of women have been held back not only by the country's laws, but by its deep religious conservatism. In Saudi's male-dominant culture, men largely have ultimate authority over women and many are resistant to the reforms. Jawhara, 30, a housewife from Riyadh told this paper during a recent visit that she was lucky to have a supportive husband, but said there were many more women that do not. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has led the reforms to modernise Saudi but has also faced criticism for the mass arrest of women's rights activists Credit: AFP "I think modern families like mine will allow their daughters, sisters, mothers and wives to travel freely, but you must keep in mind the reserved parts of society which makes up a significant chunk of the country," she said, not wishing to give her full name. "While change from the top matters there must also be change within the society itself. Women will continue to try to escape as long as they're treated like second-class citizens and I am glad they now have the means to." The number of Saudis seeking asylum abroad has increased sevenfold in recent years. Saudis made at least 815 asylum claims worldwide in 2017, which includes both men and women, compared with 195 in 2012, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency's database. Rights group say this can be partly attributed to the opening up of social media in the kingdom, which has exposed women to freedoms experienced in the West. Toby Cadman, a British human rights lawyer who is helping Dua and Dalal's claim for asylum, told the Telegraph that he has been contacted by more than 10 Saudi women asking for help, several of which since the August decree. "I had one recently who was the daughter of a Saudi diplomat in Africa. The woman was unmarried and in her 30s, so still considered to be under the protection of her father," said Mr Cadman, co-founder of law firm Guernica 37. "She was effectively being kept under lock and key in the compound." Mr Cadman gave her the advice to try to escape, but her father had her passport and she was too afraid of the punishment she would receive if she was caught. "For her, and many others like her, it made little difference that the laws had changed," he said. In the case of Dua and Dalal, whose situation became public after they launched a Twitter campaign asking for help, the sisters' parents have gone to some lengths to bring them home. The father, whom they describe as controlling and abusive, asked the Saudi embassy to help facilitate their return. Staff told the sisters to come to the consulate to collect new passports, which Mr Cadman believes was a rouse. Mr Cadman said there were common themes in all the cases: men fearing a loss of control over the women under their "guardianship" and familial honour. "The new decree makes almost no difference at all to the average woman in Saudi," he said. "It cannot just be a change in the law, it needs to be a change in the mindset, a change in thinking. That will take some time." Additional reporting by Nadia al-Faour
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| Emmanuel Macron left isolated as Nato allies dismiss his claim organisation is 'brain dead' Posted: 28 Nov 2019 09:50 AM PST  Emmanuel Macron was left isolated by the leaders of other Nato countries on Thursday after he defended his claim that the organisation was "brain dead". The French President's stark appraisal of the transatlantic alliance was given short shrift by EU allies who want to bind Nato countries closer together in the face of threats from Russia and other aggressors. Ahead of a Nato meeting on the outskirts of London next week which will be attended by President Donald Trump and the leaders of the other 28 member countries, President Macron claimed his remarks served as a "wake-up call" to spur the alliance into redefining its strategic goals and asking "who's the enemy?" But The Daily Telegraph understands that Mr Macron's comments received no support in a Nato foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels last week, with Germany his harshest critic. EU leaders believe Europe needs still to rely heavily on Nato for its defence. European countries are keen to present a united front in the face of criticism of Nato from Mr Trump, who announced yesterday that he will reduce America's contribution to the Nato budget. Foreign Office sources suggested Mr Macron was trying to play to a domestic audience, as he is expected to urge allies to participate more in fighting the spread of Islamic fundamentalism in the Sahel region of West Africa following the deaths of 13 French soldiers in a helicopter collision. French President Emmanuel Macron said Nato must define its strategic priorities after meeting alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Credit: Chesnot/ Getty Images Europe "The questions I have asked are open questions, that we haven't solved yet," said the French president after a meeting in Paris with Nato's secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg. "Peace in Europe, the post-INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty) situation, the relationship with Russia, the Turkey issue, who's the enemy?," he asked. "As long as these questions are not resolved, let's not negotiate about cost-sharing and burden-sharing, or this that." "So we maybe needed a wake-up call. I'm glad it was delivered, and I'm glad everyone now thinks we should rather think about our strategic goals," said Mr Macron. In this month's the Economist, the French president warned that a lack of American willingness to defend its members had placed Europe "on the edge of the precipice". "I'd argue that we should reassess the reality of what Nato is in the light of the commitment of the United States," he said, pointing to its unexpected troop withdrawal from north-eastern Syria last month, forsaking its Kurdish allies. The Telegraph understands that President Macron's comments were widely felt by members attending the Nato Foreign Minister's meeting in Brussels last week to be mainly for a domestic audience and would not undermine the residual strength of the alliance.. On Thursday, Nato's chief said that "in uncertain times, we need strong multilateral institutions like Nato," and that he had "good and open discussions" with the French president. He praised France's role in Mali against an Islamist insurgency and where it suffered its worst military loss in almost 40 years this week when two helicopters collided. France is to undertake a review of its operation in the Sahel after 13 soldiers died in a helicopter crash in Mali this week Credit: DICOD/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX Britain has provided helicopters and around 100 security personnel to help France's 4,500-member Barkhane force in West Africa, and the US provides intelligence support. But Paris, which is acting "on behalf of everyone", will launch an in-depth review of its involvement with "all options on the table", said Mr Macron. "A bigger engagement by its allies is obviously something that would be quite positive," he said. US president Donald Trump has repeatedly accused European Nato members of failing to meet commitments to spend at least two percent of GDP on defence. By way of response, Mr Macron said that "our common enemy is the terrorism that has struck us all". "If some people want to see an example of what they term 'cost-sharing', they can come Monday to the ceremony France is organising" for the 13 soldiers killed in the Mali accident. "There they will see the cost." US President Donald Trump has berated Nato members for failing to meet their defence spending commitments Credit: UPI / Barcroft Media The US on Thursday announced it is to cut its contribution to Nato's operating budget with Germany meeting the shortfall. Washington was previously the biggest contributor, paying about 22 per cent. Now the US and Germany will both pay roughly 16 per cent. Mr Macron also defended French attempts to renew ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has riled EU leaders, calling for a "lucid, robust and demanding dialogue". Russia has called on the US and other countries to declare a moratorium on the deployment of short and mid-range nuclear missiles in Europe after a treaty banning such a move formally ended in August. Mr Macron said that while France had "absolutely not accepted" the proposal, "we shouldn't just brush it off". "Let's be serious, this is the security of Europe we're talking about," he said, adding that Europe must be involved in talks on any new pact.
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| Brexit Bulletin: Brutal Verdict Posted: 28 Nov 2019 08:11 AM PST  Days to General Election: 14(Bloomberg) -- Sign up here to get the Brexit Bulletin in your inbox every weekday.What's Happening? Boris Johnson's resounding poll lead piles on the misery for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.Voters, be warned: A leading U.K. think tank offered a damning analysis of both the Conservative and Labour election pledges, cautioning that Briton should expect higher taxes post-election than either party has outlined.In a brutal assessment of both manifestos for the Dec. 12 vote, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that "neither is a properly credible prospectus." The two parties offer vastly different options for voters — you can explore the competing plans right here.Corbyn is promising a generational shift in public spending along with sweeping nationalization plans, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives are presenting a more prudent approach, offering themselves up as the responsible alternative to Labour's radical ideas.All this came the morning after a much-anticipated poll put the Conservatives on track to win their biggest majority in more than three decades. The YouGov survey, which used a technique that stood up well in 2017, suggested the Tories would win 359 of the 650 seats in Parliament. That would be a gain of 42 on the last election, and a majority of 68. Labour would drop more than 50 seats to 211, the survey showed. There were caveats in the gloom for Labour: YouGov pointed to 30 seats it sees swinging to the Tories where the current margin is still less than 5%. Corbyn has two weeks to shift the momentum in those areas, which voted to leave the European Union and where he's losing votes to Johnson's pro-Brexit message.Today's Must-ReadsParty leaders (minus Johnson) will debate climate change on Channel 4 this evening. Slow news outlet Tortoise looks at what the manifestos say about the path to net-zero emissions. Is Jeremy Corbyn an antisemite? It no longer matters, Therese Raphael argues for Bloomberg Opinion. Labour's Brexit plan is far more attractive than Boris Johnson's, Martin Wolf writes in the Financial Times. "But do I trust Mr Corbyn's Labour with my country? No."Brexit in BriefChanging Tack | Labour will change its approach in Leave-voting areas in a bid to win over people who are skeptical about its Brexit policy, the BBC reports. The strategy will focus on trying to convince voters that Labour support for a new referendum is not a bid to remain in the EU "by the back door," the BBC said.Ghost of Columns Past | The prime minister came under fire for remarks made in columns published earlier in his career. Writing in the Spectator in 1995 he called single mothers "uppity and irresponsible" and working class men "feckless and hopeless." The Guardian reported that in 1999 he wrote a diary piece in the Independent describing young people's interest in money as "almost Nigerian."Sixteen-Year Low | Net migration to the U.K. from the EU fell to its lowest level since 2003 in the year through June, preliminary Office for National Statistics estimates published on Thursday show.Bouncing Back? | U.K. house prices increased at their fastest pace in more than a year this month, according to Nationwide Building Society. Values rose 0.5% in November from October, the biggest advance since July 2018. U.K. housing activity has been undermined by the ongoing Brexit process since the 2016 referendum.Cash Boost | Labour brought in £3.49 million ($4.5 million) in donations of more than £7,500 from Nov. 13-19, the Electoral Commission said. That compared to £2.97 million for the Conservatives, £2.25 million for the Brexit Party and £251,000 for the Liberal Democrats.Winning Streak | The pound headed for a fourth month of gains against the euro, reflecting growing confidence in the market that the Conservative Party will be able to secure a majority. Sterling traded at €1.1735 on Thursday afternoon, meaning one euro costs about 85 pence.Want to keep up with Brexit?You can follow us @Brexit on Twitter, and listen to Bloomberg Westminster every weekday. It's live at midday on Bloomberg Radio and is available as a podcast too. Share the Brexit Bulletin: Colleagues, friends and family can sign up here. For full EU coverage, try the Brussels Edition.For even more: Subscribe to Bloomberg All Access for our unmatched global news coverage and two in-depth daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.To contact the authors of this story: Fergal O'Brien in Zurich at fobrien@bloomberg.netAndrew Atkinson in London at a.atkinson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Adam Blenford at ablenford@bloomberg.net, Chris KayFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Seoul says North Korea has fired 2 short-range projectiles Posted: 28 Nov 2019 07:40 AM PST  The recent North Korea activities could indicate it wants to show what would happen if Washington fails to meet a year-end deadline.
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| 'Brexit election' feeds Northern Ireland's bitter divide Posted: 28 Nov 2019 07:25 AM PST  Britain's "Brexit election" may be hardening opinion about Northern Ireland's status, widening a gulf that characterised the province's bloody and still unsettled sectarian past. Political parties across the country are campaigning before polling on December 12, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson hoping to secure a majority to get his divorce deal approved. Historically, Protestant unionists have favoured remaining with Britain, while Catholic republicans have preferred unity with Ireland.
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| Republican running against Ilhan Omar banned from Twitter after calling for rival to be hanged Posted: 28 Nov 2019 07:24 AM PST  The Republican hoping to unseat Ilhan Omar has had her official Twitter account closed after she called for the high-profile Democrat to be hanged.Danielle Stella's campaign account tweeted: "If it is proved @ilhanMN passed sensitive info to Iran, she should be tried for treason and hanged", according to The Washington Times.
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| Europeans fear climate change more than terrorism, unemployment or migration Posted: 28 Nov 2019 06:30 AM PST ![Europeans fear climate change more than terrorism, unemployment or migration]( "Europeans fear climate change more than terrorism, unemployment or migration") Almost half of all Europeans fear climate change more than losing a job or of a terrorist attack, a study by the European Investment Bank (EIB) showed on Thursday as EU lawmakers declared a "climate emergency". The symbolic vote by lawmakers was designed to pressure for action against global warming at an upcoming United Nations summit.. The EIB survey of 30,000 respondents from 30 countries, including China and the United States, showed 47% of Europeans saw climate change as the number one threat in their lives, above unemployment, large scale migration and concerns about terrorism.
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| Iran: Europeans cannot invoke nuclear deal dispute mechanism Posted: 28 Nov 2019 06:26 AM PST  Iran said Thursday European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal such as France could not trigger a dispute mechanism in the agreement that could lead to UN sanctions being reimposed. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian raised the possibility Wednesday of invoking the mechanism, but Iran's foreign ministry said this would not be permissible. The deal "does not allow the European parties to invoke the mechanism as Iran is exercising its legal right in response to the United States' illegal and unilateral actions", ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, quoted by semi-official news agency ISNA.
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| Burundi Accuses Rwanda of Armed Attack, Threatens Retaliation Posted: 28 Nov 2019 06:05 AM PST ![Burundi Accuses Rwanda of Armed Attack, Threatens Retaliation]( "Burundi Accuses Rwanda of Armed Attack, Threatens Retaliation") (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on TwitterBurundi accused Rwanda of sending troops earlier this month to attack one of its military positions and pledged to "use legitimate defense" if its northern neighbor continues the hostility.Eight Burundian soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked their camp close to the Rwandan border on Nov. 16. The invaders retreated back into Rwanda after the attack, Burundi said. "Burundi avails itself of this opportunity to warn Rwanda against these repetitive and multifaceted attacks against Burundi and wants the international community to take note," the government's spokesman, Prosper Ntahorwamiye, told reporters on Thursday in Bujumbura. "In case of recidivism, the government of the Republic of Burundi reserves the right of legitimate defense."The Rwandan army's spokesman, Innocent Munyengango, dismissed the allegation and asked Burundi for evidence. "If we were to do it, it would be in broad daylight," he said by phone from the capital, Kigali.Burundi reported past incidents of aggression to the United Nations, the African Union and the East African Community but none of the international organizations responded or censured Rwanda for the alleged actions."If nothing is done, such acts by Rwanda against Burundi constitute a threat to the peace and security of the entire African Great Lakes region," Ntahorwamiye said.\--With assistance from Saul Butera.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Desire Nimubona in Bujumbura at dnimubona@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Helen NyamburaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UN expert: Zimbabwe hunger ‘shocking’ for country not at war Posted: 28 Nov 2019 05:29 AM PST ![UN expert: Zimbabwe hunger 'shocking' for country not at war]( "UN expert: Zimbabwe hunger 'shocking' for country not at war") Zimbabwe is on the brink of man-made starvation and the number of people needing help is "shocking" for a country not in conflict, a United Nations special expert on the right to food said Thursday. Hilal Elver said she found stunted and underweight children, mothers too hungry to breastfeed their babies and medicine shortages in hospitals during her 10-day visit to the economically shattered country. Zimbabwe's food crisis has the potential to spark fighting, the U.N. expert said.
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| Libya’s eastern parliament condemns deal with Turkey Posted: 28 Nov 2019 05:27 AM PST ![Libya's eastern parliament condemns deal with Turkey]( "Libya's eastern parliament condemns deal with Turkey") Libya's eastern parliament denounced Thursday a maritime and security cooperation deal between the Tripoli-based U.N.-backed government and Turkey as a "flagrant breach" of the country's security and sovereignty. This parliament is allied with the self-styled Libyan National Army, which launched an offensive under the command of Gen. Khalifa Hifter in April to capture the capital from the Government of National Accord led by Fayez Sarraj. Since 2015, Libya has been divided between two competing governments, in the east based in Benghazi and in the west in Tripoli.
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| Denmark court finds 3 men guilty for buying drones for IS Posted: 28 Nov 2019 05:10 AM PST ![Denmark court finds 3 men guilty for buying drones for IS]( "Denmark court finds 3 men guilty for buying drones for IS") A Copenhagen court has found three men guilty of helping a terror organization by buying drones and components on behalf of the Islamic State group. The items were meant to be used in combat actions in Syria and Iraq. The Copenhagen City Court said Thursday that the men, two of whom are Danish citizens, bought hobby planes, drones and thermal cameras as well as components, tools and accessories in Denmark between 2013 and 2017.
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| U.K. Think Tank Criticizes Fiscal Plans of Both Major Parties, Warns of Higher Taxes Posted: 28 Nov 2019 05:03 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.A leading U.K. think tank offered a damning analysis of both the Conservatives' and Labour's election pledges, and warned voters to expect higher taxes than either party has outlined.In a brutal assessment of both manifestos for the Dec. 12 vote, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that "neither is a properly credible prospectus."Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour have outlined vastly different offerings for voters. While Corbyn is promising a generational shift in public spending along with sweeping nationalization plans, the ruling party is presenting a more prudent approach, offering themselves up as the responsible alternative to Labour's radical ideas.The analysis comes a day after a much-anticipated poll put the Tory Party on track to win its biggest majority in more than three decades. The poll suggested it will win 359 of the 650 seats in Parliament, a gain of 42 on the last election -- and a majority of 68 -- while Labour will drop more than 50 seats to 211.The IFS sees problems with both parties' manifestos. In its assessment, the Tories will end up spending more than planned, and so will have to raise taxes or borrow more, and Labour won't be able to deliver on the investment plans on the scale it imagines. In the longer term, Labour would also need to raise more funding, and the IFS says it would have to hike income taxes on more than just the top 5% of earners.Responding to the IFS, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said that Labour accepted "with pride" claims that its plans are too ambitious. "We are ambitious for our country and will be investing on the scale needed to end austerity, tackle climate change and build our country's future," he said. Chancellor Sajid Javid, speaking to reporters during an election campaign visit to northeast England, said he's "confident" about the Conservatives' manifesto costings.Much of what's planned in the manifestos, and its impact on the public finances, depends on the performance of the economy. Brexit is a huge factor in that equation, and the IFS notes that if the Conservatives retain power and implement Brexit at the end of January, there's still the huge task of negotiating a settlement by the end of 2020. Failure could push the budget deficit to 4% of output, and the debt ratio "would once again rise sharply."Doubts CastEarlier Thursday, the Resolution Foundation released calculations showing the two parties are on course to break the fiscal rules they announced less than a month ago. Election pledges made in recent days mean both may find it hard to meet promises to keep revenue and day-to-day spending in balance, while even a tiny downgrade to the economic outlook could cause further problems, it said.At a briefing in London, IFS Deputy Director Carl Emmerson said the manifestos imply borrowing of just over 2% of GDP with debt remaining steady under the Conservatives, and 3.5% of GDP with rising debt under Labour. However, the Conservatives could potentially prove more damaging to the public finances as a no-deal Brexit and an accompanying economic downturn appeared more likely to happen under a Tory government.On tax, the IFS cast doubt on whether Labour's planned raid on corporations would raise as much as estimated. Companies could move abroad to avoid a proposed extension of the levy on financial transactions, it said. A proposal to force companies to hand over equity to worker-owned funds may do little to help employees if firms respond by reducing wages.The IFS also took aim at Labour's 58 billion-pound promise to compensate women born in the 1950s who lost out as a result of changes to the state pension age, saying it amounted to a "recipe for complete stasis in policy.""They would spend considerably more over a parliament on a group who are relatively well off on average than the additional sums they are providing to the much bigger group of much poorer working-age benefit recipients," Johnson said.(Adds comments from IFS briefing)To contact the reporters on this story: Fergal O'Brien in Zurich at fobrien@bloomberg.net;Andrew Atkinson in London at a.atkinson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Stirling at cstirling1@bloomberg.net, David Goodman, Lucy MeakinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Freed Houthi prisoners return to Yemen Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:57 AM PST  Welcoming 128 freed Yemenis at the airport in the capital, Sanaa, Houthi leader Muhammad al-Bukhaiti hailed their arrival as "a first practical step by the Saudis that builds trust." Dozens more released in Saudi Arabia earlier this week are expected to follow. "There's a positive environment now in Sanaa," Erika Trovar, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, which supervised the captives' arrival, told The Associated Press.
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| Turkey calls on NATO to support its security concerns Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:51 AM PST ![Turkey calls on NATO to support its security concerns]( "Turkey calls on NATO to support its security concerns") Turkey's foreign minister has called on NATO to support Ankara's security concerns, accusing allies of backing Baltic countries' security concerns but dismissing threats to Turkey from Syrian Kurdish fighters. Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments Thursday.
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| European Parliament declares symbolic "climate emergency" ahead of summit Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:40 AM PST ![European Parliament declares symbolic "climate emergency" ahead of summit]( "European Parliament declares symbolic \"climate emergency\" ahead of summit") European Union lawmakers declared a "climate emergency" on Thursday in a symbolic vote that heightens pressure for action against global warming at an upcoming summit. With increasingly erratic weather patterns from wildfires in Australia to floods in Europe being linked to climate change, governments are under scrutiny to find urgent solutions at the United Nations' summit in Spain on Dec. 2-13. "It is not about politics, it is a matter of our common responsibility," said parliament's environment committee chairman Pascal Canfin of the Renew Europe group.
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| Iraq announces 'crisis cells' to crack down on protests after Iran consulate burned down Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:26 AM PST  Iraq has declared it is setting up "crisis cells" in order to contain spiralling unrest in the country, after protesters burned down an Iranian consulate in the holy city of Najaf. The Iraqi military command said it was forming an emergency unit jointly led by military leaders and civilian governors in Iraq's southern provinces, as Tehran called for a "strong and effective" response. The torching of the consulate in Najaf, the southern holy city, on Wednesday night escalated violence in Iraq after weeks of mass demonstrations that aim to bring down a government seen as corrupt and backed by the Islamic Republic. Video showed crowds outside the consulate shouting "Out, out Iran!" and waving Iraqi flags as the building burned. The Iranian staff managed to escape out the back door before the building was set on fire. Mourners carry the coffin of a demonstrator who was killed at an anti-government protest, during a funeral at a cemetery in Najaf Credit: Reuters According to police in Najaf, 35 protesters and 32 members of the Iraqi security forces were wounded. Many were reportedly choked on tear gas that had been fired into the crowd. A curfew was imposed on the city on Thursday. Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the torching of the consulate, which was the strongest expression yet of the anti-Iranian sentiment in the country, saying that the purpose had been to harm bilateral relations between the countries. Violence across southern Iraq continued throughout the night, with security forces killing 16 protesters and wounding 90 in the last 24 hours. Most were demonstrators who had been blocking the Nasr Bridge in the oil-rich province of Nassiriya. Security forces moved in late Wednesday to open the main thoroughfare and fired live ammunition into the group to disperse them. Nasriyah (southern Iraq) IraqIraqProtestspic.twitter.com/FwxAuWsRY1— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil) November 28, 2019 Anti-government protests have gripped Iraq since October 1, when thousands took to the streets in Baghdad and the predominantly Shia south. The largely leaderless movement accuses the government of being hopelessly corrupt, and has also decried Iran's growing influence in Iraqi state affairs. At least 350 people have been killed so far by security forces, which have routinely used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds, sometimes shooting protesters directly with gas canisters, causing several fatalities. Fanar Haddad, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute, told Reuters the government might use the burning of the Iranian consulate as a pretext for an even more heavy-handed crackdown. "The downside from the protesters' point of view is this might reinforce the government's narrative that protesters are infiltrators, saboteurs and up to no good," he said. "It sends a message to Iran but also works to the advantage of people like Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (commander of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Force militia) giving a pretext to clamp down and framing what happened as a threat against Sistani."
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| The Latest: Death toll of Iraqi protesters at 40 in 24 hours Posted: 28 Nov 2019 04:16 AM PST  Iraqi officials say five anti-government protesters have been killed by security forces in the holy city of Najaf, amid tension following the burning of an Iranian consulate, bringing the death toll to 40 over 24 hours. Security and medical officials say five protesters were killed and 32 wounded late Thursday when security forces fired live rounds to repel them from setting alight a central mosque in Najaf.
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| Green Party manifesto 2019: A summary of key policies Posted: 28 Nov 2019 03:57 AM PST  The Green Party has revealed the details of its general election manifesto, titled If Not Now, When? The party has announced 10 new laws that would be ready to be implemented if co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley won an against-the-odds majority on Dec 12. Here is an at-a-glance look at what is in the 89-page manifesto. Environment The manifesto pledges a £100million-per-year investment plan to deliver a Green New Deal over the next 10 years. It would look to totally overhaul the use of fossil fuels by switching transport and industry to renewable energy sources, while upgrading household heating systems and planting 700 million trees within a decade. The party wants to use the measures to create a net-zero carbon economy by 2030. Brexit The pro-European Union party has re-committed itself to a second referendum and to campaign for Remain. It says staying in the bloc would help "lead the fight against the climate emergency". General Election 2019 | Key questions, answered Crime Restorative justice would be expanded to allow those affected by crimes to meet offenders as part of a bid to cut the prison population by 50%. Misogyny would be made a hate crime under a Green-led administration and the personal use of drugs, including some Class A substances, would be de-criminalised. Heroin would be available on prescription and cannabis clubs would be permitted, allowing marijuana to be grown and consumed by adults. Welfare The Greens would introduce a universal basic income, providing every UK citizen with £89 per week in state funding. It would provide a boost to those in work and leave no-one on benefits worse off, according to the manifesto. Health Party leaders have promised to increase funding for the NHS by at least £6 billion each year until 2030 - a 4.5% increase on the 2018/19 budget. Privatisation in the NHS would also be abolished, while mental health care would be put on an "equal footing" with physical care. Education The party pledges to boost education funding by at least £4 billion per year and to lay down a long-term aim of reducing classes to 20 pupils and below. Ofsted would be replaced with a "collaborative system of assessing" schools and a new law would put onus on teaching children about climate change. In higher education, tuition fees would be scrapped and those who paid £9,000 a year to study would have their debt wiped. General election 2019 | Manifestos
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| Kremlin: Macron says he is ready for dialogue on Putin's missile proposal Posted: 28 Nov 2019 03:34 AM PST ![Kremlin: Macron says he is ready for dialogue on Putin's missile proposal]( "Kremlin: Macron says he is ready for dialogue on Putin's missile proposal") The Kremlin said on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron had told Moscow he was ready to discuss a Russian proposal to impose a moratorium on the deployment of missiles in Europe, Interfax news agency reported. Russia has proposed a moratorium on the deployment of short and intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe after the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) banning such a move formally ended in August. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin may discuss the proposal at talks in Paris on Dec. 9, the TASS news agency reported.
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| North Korea test fires two missiles month before deadline for US to respond on talks Posted: 28 Nov 2019 03:21 AM PST  North Korea fired two "unidentified projectiles" on Thursday, Seoul said, as nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked. The projectiles were fired eastwards from South Hamgyong province and came down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. They added that the launch, the latest in a series by Pyongyang, was carried out at 16:59 pm local time - or the early hours on the east coast of the United States, during Thanksgiving, one of the country's biggest annual holidays. It was also one day short of the two-year anniversary of the North's first test of its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say is capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Pyongyang is banned from firing ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that Thursday's launch was the latest in a series of violations. "North Korea's repeated launches of ballistic missiles are a serious defiance to not only our country but also the international community," he told reporters in Tokyo. Thursday's launch came after Pyongyang fired what it called a "super-large multiple rocket launcher" system last month, and the JCS said the latest devices were presumed to be of a similar type. They flew 380 kilometres (236 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 97 kilometres, the JCS added. Nuclear negotiations between the US and the North have been at a standstill since the Hanoi summit between Donald Trump, the US president, and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, broke up in February. Pyongyang has since demanded Washington change its approach by the end of the year. "North Korea is growing anxious as its deadline approaches," said Shin Beom-chul of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "That's why it's carrying out these provocations, which is the typical North Korean playbook to get more concessions from the US."
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| Odds Tilt Toward Johnson in U.K. Election Bet Posted: 28 Nov 2019 03:03 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.Boris Johnson's biggest gamble may be paying off. According to a major poll of 100,000 British voters, the ruling Conservative Party is on course for its largest majority since Margaret Thatcher's victory in 1987.A lot can change before the vote on Dec. 12. But for Johnson, the YouGov research is a vindication of his strategy to agree on a new Brexit deal with the European Union and ask the country to give him a majority to finish the job.The pound gained as the prospect of a radical left-wing government led by Jeremy Corbyn recedes and the chances of an orderly Brexit grow.But risks remain. The Tories are ahead by less than 5% in many key seats, a margin Labour could overturn. The gaffe-prone Johnson must avoid tripping up in a televised debate against Corbyn — and needs to neutralize Labour claims that he would sell out the U.K.'s National Health Service to U.S. drug companies in a trade deal with President Donald Trump.Even if Johnson wins a big majority and fast-tracks his EU divorce through Parliament, he will have only 11 months to negotiate a new trade deal with the bloc.If that agreement can't be struck by the end of 2020, a no-deal Brexit will loom large once again.Global HeadlinesChina threat | After Trump signed a bill lending support to Hong Kong's protesters, China reiterated its intention to take "resolute countermeasures." Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state-run Global Times, said in a tweet that China could put the drafters of the bill on a no-entry list. But Beijing also must balance its anger over the measure against the need to secure a trade deal as soon as possible with the U.S.Thanksgiving rocket | North Korea today fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles with the projectiles landing in waters between it and Japan. While Pyongyang has avoided testing long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles for two years the regime is threatening to break off sputtering talks with the U.S. on its nuclear weapons program unless concessions are offered by the end of the year.Trade champion | Global trade is about to lose one of its most successful advocates. In an era of extraordinary political turbulence, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has deployed civility and consistency to deliver blockbuster market-opening agreements that will chart the bloc's course for decades. The Swede steps down on Saturday after cutting billions in tariffs despite (or perhaps because of) Trump's protectionist efforts.Iraq turmoil | The Iraqi holy city of Najaf was the latest scene of protests by the majority Shiite community against government corruption, poor services and Iranian influence. Demonstrators burned the Iranian consulate after police opened fire and then left the building with the diplomatic staff, al-Arabiya television reported. Iraqi security forces and Iranian-backed militias have killed at least 350 civilians since protests erupted last month, according to the nation's Human Rights Commission.Mapping Crimea | Apple sparked anger in Ukraine after some versions of its Maps application began showing Crimea as part of Russia. The Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, prompting international sanctions. "Stick to high-tech and entertainment. Global politics is not your strong side," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko tweeted to the company, which hasn't commented.What to WatchThe U.S. Justice Department's appeal of an order compelling former White House Counsel Don McGahn to comply with a House Judiciary Committee subpoena is set to be heard Jan. 3. Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey and former Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma are in Ethiopia this week as its aggressive digitization drive to create jobs attracts global interest.Tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally … A generation of Venezuelan children is missing out on an adequate education amid mass absenteeism, decaying buildings and an exodus of qualified teachers. As Matthew Bristow writes, 20 years into the nation's socialist experiment, classrooms are half-empty as the school system falls apart amid an economic crisis and hyperinflation. Out-of-school children of primary-school age reached 325,000 in 2017, data show, doubling from 2013. \--With assistance from Rosalind Mathieson, Kathleen Hunter, Richard Bravo and Iain Marlow.To contact the author of this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Halpin at thalpin5@bloomberg.net, Karl MaierFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 1-Iran dismisses French comments about nuclear deal's dispute mechanism Posted: 28 Nov 2019 02:52 AM PST ![UPDATE 1-Iran dismisses French comments about nuclear deal's dispute mechanism]( "UPDATE 1-Iran dismisses French comments about nuclear deal's dispute mechanism") Iran rejects as "irresponsible" comments by France that it is seriously considering triggering a mechanism within the Iran nuclear deal that could lead to U.N. sanctions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday. "Iran's scaling back of its nuclear commitments was implementation of its legal rights to react to America's illegal and unilateral exit of the deal and the European parties' failure to fulfil their obligations," Mousavi said in remarks quoted by state television.
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| East Africa struggles with heavy rains, with more to come Posted: 28 Nov 2019 12:59 AM PST  Flash flooding has hit the small but strategic East African nation of Djibouti, where the government and United Nations said the equivalent of two years' rain fell in a single day. Several regional countries including Kenya are struggling after such downpours, with more to come. Rainfall from October to mid-November has been up to 300% above average in the greater Horn of Africa region, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network.
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| UPDATE 6-N.Korea test fires rockets in Thanksgiving reminder of year-end deadline for U.S. Posted: 28 Nov 2019 12:56 AM PST ![UPDATE 6-N.Korea test fires rockets in Thanksgiving reminder of year-end deadline for U.S.]( "UPDATE 6-N.Korea test fires rockets in Thanksgiving reminder of year-end deadline for U.S.") Breaking a month-long lull in missile tests, North Korea fired two short range projectiles into the sea off its east coast on Thursday in what appeared to be the latest try out of its new multiple rocket launchers, South Korea's military said. The test-firing came as the clock ticks down on the year-end deadline that Pyongyang had given the United States to show flexibility in their stalled denuclearisation talks.
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| Seoul says North Korea has fired 2 short-range projectiles Posted: 28 Nov 2019 12:19 AM PST  North Korea on Thursday fired two short-range projectiles, likely from a "super-large" multiple rocket launcher, South Korea's military said, adding to tensions three days after the North said its troops conducted artillery drills near its disputed sea boundary with South Korea. The recent North Korea activities could indicate it wants to show what would happen if Washington fails to meet a year-end deadline set by its leader, Kim Jong Un, for the U.S. to offer a new proposal in their stalemated nuclear talks. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the projectiles were launched toward the North's eastern waters from northeastern South Hamgyong province.
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| Turkey: 2 soldiers killed in mortar fire from Syria Posted: 27 Nov 2019 11:54 PM PST ![Turkey: 2 soldiers killed in mortar fire from Syria]( "Turkey: 2 soldiers killed in mortar fire from Syria") A mortar attack targeting a Turkish military post near the border with Syria has killed two soldiers, Turkey's defense ministry said Thursday. The ministry said Turkish artillery units immediately returned fire across the border into northeastern Syria after the attack , which took place Wednesday evening near the Turkish town of Akcakale.
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| 40 Iraqi protesters slain in 24 hours as violence spirals Posted: 27 Nov 2019 11:16 PM PST  Security forces shot dead 40 anti-government protesters during 24 hours of bloodshed amid spiraling violence in the capital and Iraq's south, security and medical officials said Thursday, one day after an Iranian consulate was torched. Iran condemned the burning of its consulate in the holy city of Najaf as violence continued into the night across southern Iraq, where security forces had killed 36 protesters and wounded 245 since Wednesday evening, the officials said.
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| Is Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters Posted: 27 Nov 2019 11:15 PM PST ![Is Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters]( "Is Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- A lot of things about Britain today are what psychologists might describe as complex. Brexit? Don't get me started. The social care crisis? A mess. Addressing the climate emergency and homelessness? Neither is straightforward.Labour's anti-Semitism problem doesn't belong in this category. No venerable commission of experts is required to deliberate at length and produce an authoritative report on what to do. You don't have to balance weighty arguments on both sides. This should be easy: Zero tolerance; one strike and you're out.And yet for reasons on which we can only speculate, it hasn't been simple for Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour leader's failure to get a grip on anti-Semitism prompted an extraordinary intervention this week from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who normally stays removed from politics. Corbyn has tried to dismiss the complaints and change the subject to the National Health Service, but his record is impossible to ignore. It now threatens to contribute to a "Never Corbyn" vote that takes the Dec. 12 election away from the battleground of inequality where Labour would prefer to be fighting — something that might ease Boris Johnson's path to Downing Street.It is striking that Her Majesty's Opposition is being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over anti-Semitism. Nine Labour MPs have quit in protest over Corbyn's leadership on Brexit and anti-Semitism. The Jewish Labour Movement says there are more than 100 outstanding cases of anti-Semitism the party hasn't investigated, a figure Corbyn disputes.Corbyn himself has shown a disregard for the message his own actions convey. His scorn for Western imperialism, his criticism of the Israeli state and the the sea of Palestinian flags at Labour Party conferences all create an impression of bias he does little to dispel. Nearly half of Jews say they would "seriously consider" emigrating if Corbyn were elected, according to a poll by Survation commissioned by the Jewish Leadership Council, while 87% believe he's an anti-Semite.A BBC investigation in July featured former party officials who claimed that senior Labour figures interfered with a supposedly independent disputes office on the issue. Each time the problem bubbles over, Corbyn has the same response: All racism is evil and wrong and his party won't tolerate it. But it has.Whether or not Jeremy Corbyn himself holds anti-Semitic views is now beside the point. All of this has happened on his watch. Either Corbyn is unable to deal with the problem, which suggests he lacks the leadership skills to do so, or he doesn't regard it as the grave problem that nearly everyone else does. Either way his position is untenable.In a remarkably tin-eared televised interview with Andrew Neil this week, Corbyn refused to apologize for anti-Semitism within the party and claimed he's doing everything possible to tackle it. Such claims, wrote the Chief Rabbi, are a "mendacious fiction."Mervis couldn't have been blunter when he said the "very soul of our nation is at stake." He wasn't out on a limb here either. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Muslim Council of Britain and the Hindu Council of Britain all released statements of support. It may now be incumbent on members of a minority group, or any voter who cares about minority rights, to shun Labour at the polls — although it must be said that Johnson's Conservatives have had their own troubles with charges of Islamophobia. The Tory leader, who has compared burqa-wearing women to bank robbers and letterboxes, apologized on behalf of this party on Wednesday.It's impossible to say how the anti-Semitism row will affect an election that's primarily about Brexit and public services. Jews make up about half a percent of the U.K. population and, of course, don't vote as a block. A closely watched YouGov poll released Wednesday night, using methodology (known as MRP) that was remarkably accurate in 2017, predicted a Tory majority of 359 to 211 seats for Labour, a substantial gain for Johnson.The YouGov projections have the Conservatives comfortably holding heavily Jewish Finchley and Golders Green in London, but puts the Labour vote more than eight points higher than another recent poll in that constituency and so may be overestimating the Jewish support for Corbyn's party. In another area with a significant Jewish community, Chipping Barnet, the YouGov poll has Labour and the Tories even, but data scientist Abigail Lebrecht suspects the Labour vote may be overstated there too. QuicktakeCan an "MRP Poll" predict the election?There's also some evidence from focus groups by Tory tycoon and pollster Michael Ashcroft in leave-voting areas that the anti-Semitism charges may be hurting. People might not cast their votes on Dec. 12 on the issue alone, but it has an impact on how voters view Corbyn and the Labour brand.Corbyn has been a pivotal figure in modern British history without ever being in government. Had another leader been at the helm of the Labour Party over the past four years, Leave might not have won the Brexit referendum in 2016 (remember Corbyn was largely AWOL during the Remain campaign he supposedly supported). If not for his unpopular leadership and radicalism, Labour would probably be mounting a serious challenge to form a majority government after nine years of Tory rule.Britain certainly wouldn't be embroiled in a discussion of anti-Semitism. Corbyn has put the word on the radar. "A year ago people didn't know what anti-Semitism was," says James Johnson, who conducted hundreds of focus groups for former prime minister Theresa May. "If you brought it up people were unsure. They thought it had something to do with Jewish people and racism but weren't clear what it means. Now people know what it means. They know Corbyn is associated with it."Corbyn's indulgence of anti-Semitism has at least heightened public awareness. What impact it has on the vote two weeks from now is hard to separate from Brexit and other issues. But it's certainly damaged the Labour brand and raises serious questions about how long Corbyn's leadership can last.To contact the author of this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Is Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters Posted: 27 Nov 2019 11:15 PM PST ![Is Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters]( "Is Jeremy Corbyn an Anti-Semite? It No Longer Matters") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- A lot of things about Britain today are what psychologists might describe as complex. Brexit? Don't get me started. The social care crisis? A mess. Addressing the climate emergency and homelessness? Neither is straightforward.Labour's anti-Semitism problem doesn't belong in this category. No venerable commission of experts is required to deliberate at length and produce an authoritative report on what to do. You don't have to balance weighty arguments on both sides. This should be easy: Zero tolerance; one strike and you're out.And yet for reasons on which we can only speculate, it hasn't been simple for Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour leader's failure to get a grip on anti-Semitism prompted an extraordinary intervention this week from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who normally stays removed from politics. Corbyn has tried to dismiss the complaints and change the subject to the National Health Service, but his record is impossible to ignore. It now threatens to contribute to a "Never Corbyn" vote that takes the Dec. 12 election away from the battleground of inequality where Labour would prefer to be fighting — something that might ease Boris Johnson's path to Downing Street.It is striking that Her Majesty's Opposition is being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over anti-Semitism. Nine Labour MPs have quit in protest over Corbyn's leadership on Brexit and anti-Semitism. The Jewish Labour Movement says there are more than 100 outstanding cases of anti-Semitism the party hasn't investigated, a figure Corbyn disputes.Corbyn himself has shown a disregard for the message his own actions convey. His scorn for Western imperialism, his criticism of the Israeli state and the the sea of Palestinian flags at Labour Party conferences all create an impression of bias he does little to dispel. Nearly half of Jews say they would "seriously consider" emigrating if Corbyn were elected, according to a poll by Survation commissioned by the Jewish Leadership Council, while 87% believe he's an anti-Semite.A BBC investigation in July featured former party officials who claimed that senior Labour figures interfered with a supposedly independent disputes office on the issue. Each time the problem bubbles over, Corbyn has the same response: All racism is evil and wrong and his party won't tolerate it. But it has.Whether or not Jeremy Corbyn himself holds anti-Semitic views is now beside the point. All of this has happened on his watch. Either Corbyn is unable to deal with the problem, which suggests he lacks the leadership skills to do so, or he doesn't regard it as the grave problem that nearly everyone else does. Either way his position is untenable.In a remarkably tin-eared televised interview with Andrew Neil this week, Corbyn refused to apologize for anti-Semitism within the party and claimed he's doing everything possible to tackle it. Such claims, wrote the Chief Rabbi, are a "mendacious fiction."Mervis couldn't have been blunter when he said the "very soul of our nation is at stake." He wasn't out on a limb here either. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Muslim Council of Britain and the Hindu Council of Britain all released statements of support. It may now be incumbent on members of a minority group, or any voter who cares about minority rights, to shun Labour at the polls — although it must be said that Johnson's Conservatives have had their own troubles with charges of Islamophobia. The Tory leader, who has compared burqa-wearing women to bank robbers and letterboxes, apologized on behalf of this party on Wednesday.It's impossible to say how the anti-Semitism row will affect an election that's primarily about Brexit and public services. Jews make up about half a percent of the U.K. population and, of course, don't vote as a block. A closely watched YouGov poll released Wednesday night, using methodology (known as MRP) that was remarkably accurate in 2017, predicted a Tory majority of 359 to 211 seats for Labour, a substantial gain for Johnson.The YouGov projections have the Conservatives comfortably holding heavily Jewish Finchley and Golders Green in London, but puts the Labour vote more than eight points higher than another recent poll in that constituency and so may be overestimating the Jewish support for Corbyn's party. In another area with a significant Jewish community, Chipping Barnet, the YouGov poll has Labour and the Tories even, but data scientist Abigail Lebrecht suspects the Labour vote may be overstated there too. QuicktakeCan an "MRP Poll" predict the election?There's also some evidence from focus groups by Tory tycoon and pollster Michael Ashcroft in leave-voting areas that the anti-Semitism charges may be hurting. People might not cast their votes on Dec. 12 on the issue alone, but it has an impact on how voters view Corbyn and the Labour brand.Corbyn has been a pivotal figure in modern British history without ever being in government. Had another leader been at the helm of the Labour Party over the past four years, Leave might not have won the Brexit referendum in 2016 (remember Corbyn was largely AWOL during the Remain campaign he supposedly supported). If not for his unpopular leadership and radicalism, Labour would probably be mounting a serious challenge to form a majority government after nine years of Tory rule.Britain certainly wouldn't be embroiled in a discussion of anti-Semitism. Corbyn has put the word on the radar. "A year ago people didn't know what anti-Semitism was," says James Johnson, who conducted hundreds of focus groups for former prime minister Theresa May. "If you brought it up people were unsure. They thought it had something to do with Jewish people and racism but weren't clear what it means. Now people know what it means. They know Corbyn is associated with it."Corbyn's indulgence of anti-Semitism has at least heightened public awareness. What impact it has on the vote two weeks from now is hard to separate from Brexit and other issues. But it's certainly damaged the Labour brand and raises serious questions about how long Corbyn's leadership can last.To contact the author of this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.K. House Prices Rise at Fastest Pace in More Than a Year Posted: 27 Nov 2019 11:15 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on European markets? In your inbox before the open, every day. Sign up here.U.K. house prices increased at their fastest pace in more than a year this month, according to Nationwide Building Society.Values rose 0.5% in November from October, the biggest advance since July 2018, the mortgage lender said Thursday. From a year ago, values rose 0.8%, the highest since April, but still registering sub-1% growth for an 12th straight month.U.K. housing activity has been undermined by Brexit since the 2016 referendum, and the increased uncertainty caused by successive delays to the withdrawal from the EU has hurt the economy and taken a further toll on the market.The election next month may bring some clarity, although Nationwide cautioned against expecting too much impact on the market from the poll."It appears that housing market trends have not traditionally been impacted around the time of general elections," said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist. "Rightly or wrongly, for most home buyers, elections are not foremost in their minds while buying or selling their home."To contact the reporter on this story: David Goodman in London at dgoodman28@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net, Fergal O'BrienFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Boycott Black Friday and Save the World Posted: 27 Nov 2019 11:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- On London's Oxford Street last weekend, you could almost forget we were in the midst of a retail apocalypse. Christmas lights and a slew of special offers marking an ever earlier start to the imported bargain frenzy, Black Friday, brought out the crowds. Similar holiday cheer and promotions have spread elsewhere in Europe too.But European retailers face a new worry: shoppers deliberately staying away in order to safeguard the planet.Conspicuously skipping consumption is a long-term threat. But when it comes to Black Friday, the more shoppers who shun it the better.For European stores, introducing the crazy U.S. holiday shopping tradition has been an act of self-harm. If protests persuade stores to cut back on this margin-destroying activity, both the planet and profitability would benefit.To recap: Black Friday first reared its ugly head in the U.K. around the start of the decade when local chains responded to Amazon.com Inc.'s unleashing of post-Thanksgiving discounts onto the British public. The trend hit continental Europe later, but French and German have retailers have stepped up their participation over the past few years.As the phenomenon grew, so did resistance, with, for example, International Buy Nothing Day urging us to switch off from shopping. But this year the anti-consumerism movement is gaining traction.In France, where retailers are bracing for a Dec. 5 nationwide strike that may last longer, youth activists are joining with Extinction Rebellion to protest at shopping malls and elsewhere on Friday in an action called BlockFriday. Ecology Minister Elisabeth Borne has weighed in, warning people about the pollution generated by Black Friday between all of the extra delivery runs and packaging. "We can't at the same time call for a reduction in greenhouse gases and call for a consumer frenzy like that," she said. There's even a proposal by lawmakers to ban Black Friday promotions altogether.In Lyon, ethical-clothing specialist WeDressFair will for the second year close its store and website on Friday. Instead, customers can bring in their ripped jeans and shirts with missing buttons to be mended. They will also learn now to make more eco-friendly washing powder.These different initiatives underline the increasing focus on shopping's impact on the environment.The chief executive officer of Hennes & Mauritz AB, which has been seeking to make its clothing more sustainable since the 1990s, recently warned of the threat of consumer shaming. Associated British Foods Plc's Primark has been struggling in Germany, in part because some consumers there believe because it's cheap, it's got to be bad for the environment. To address the growing concerns about fast fashion, the chain has introduced clothing recycling stations in its stores and increased its use of sustainable cotton.ABF CEO George Weston has also argued that it is greener to shop in physical stores than it is to buy online. That's significant because Black Friday is still primarily a web-based phenomenon. Determining which is greener is not straightforward. There is some academic evidence to suggest that shopping online is actually more sustainable. But that is not always the case. When a whole range of factors are taken into account, including returns, ultra-fast delivery, subscription programs that encourage repeat purchases, collecting parcels by car and showrooming — where customers travel to stores to evaluate products before ordering — the picture is far less clear cut.Whether it's for environmental or commercial reasons, any break on the event is welcome. Deloitte estimates that the average discount in the U.K. this November is about 27%, similar to last year, although deals started earlier. Retailers may win some incremental sales, but given the difficult market conditions, that's not guaranteed. So, unless they are offering products that would have gone into the January sale anyway, or items specially made to be sold cheaply on Black Friday, this level of reduction means they will be sacrificing margin.Some store groups that previously embraced Black Friday have now rowed back, led by Asda, the U.K. arm of Walmart Inc. Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc is also getting less involved. Others, such as the electronics chains AO World Plc and Dixons Carphone Plc, plan promotions with suppliers months in advance.This year, the effect of Black Friday will be particularly pernicious. Falling after payday and kicking off the main spending weeks in the run up to the holiday, it will be difficult for retailers that offer discounts to return to full price. Add in Brexit uncertainty in the U.K. and the upcoming strikes in France, and it increases the potential for a highly promotional period.More conscious consumers are too late to prevent Black Friday from taking place in 2019. But if they force retailers to come to their senses in future, it won't just be the environment that wins.To contact the author of this story: Andrea Felsted at afelsted@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Melissa Pozsgay at mpozsgay@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the consumer and retail industries. She previously worked at the Financial Times.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Johnson’s Tories Set for Solid Majority: U.K. Campaign Trail Posted: 27 Nov 2019 10:59 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.Boris Johnson is on track to gain the biggest Conservative majority since the 1980s, according to the most hotly-anticipated poll of the general election campaign.The U.K. prime minister is heading for a 68-seat majority, a Tory mandate not seen since the height of the Margaret Thatcher years, according to YouGov. Such a result would allow him to pass his Brexit deal and take the U.K. out of the European Union.Must Read: We've Read the Manifestos So You Don't Have To. Here's What They SayFor more on the election visit ELEC.Coming up:9.30 a.m. The Institute for Fiscal Studies presents its analysis of election manifestos10 a.m. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab debates with Labour counterpart Emily Thornberry11 a.m. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sets out his environmental policies12.30 p.m.Defence Secretary Ben Wallace debates with Labour opposite number Nia Griffith7 p.m. Corbyn, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other party leaders debate climate change on Channel 4. The broadcaster has threatened to empty-chair Johnson if he doesn't show up7.30 p.m. Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson interviewed on ITVPolls:YouGov published seat-by-seat details of its so-called MRP poll. In 2017 this predicted the final result more accurately than standard surveysConservatives on course for 43% (359 seats), Labour 32% (211 seats), Liberal Democrats 14% (13 seats), SNP 3% (43 seats), Brexit Party 3% (0 seats), YouGov saidLatest Savanta ComRes poll for Telegraph: Tories 41% (-1), Labour 34% (+2), Lib Dems 13% (-2), Brexit Party 5% (no change)Anti-Brexit group Best for Britain released a separate MRP survey predicting a Conservative majority of 44 seatsLib Dem leader Jo Swinson's favorability ratings have fallen sharply, Ipsos Mori saidHere's a summary of recent pollsCatching Up:Johnson's top Downing Street aide Dominic Cummings warned of a very real risk of another hung parliamentThe Telegraph says Jeremy Corbyn has decided not to take part in two upcoming television debatesCorbyn accused the Tories of secret talks with the U.S. about the future of the National Health ServiceJohnson vowed to take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and apologized for any offense caused by incidents involving its membersThe Markets:The pound hit a one-week high in the wake of the YouGov poll, briefly touching $1.2951 in Asian tradingThese are the stocks to watch in the U.K. on what could be a busy ThursdayBookmaker Paddy Power put the chance of a Tory majority at 75% after the MRP poll was published, up from about 69%.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, Adam BlenfordFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Rebel attacks in eastern Congo kill several Ebola responders Posted: 27 Nov 2019 10:48 PM PST  Rebels killed four Ebola response workers in an overnight ambush in eastern Congo, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that the attack will give the waning outbreak new momentum in what has been called a war zone. "We are heartbroken that our worst fears have been realized," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. It was by far the deadliest such attack in the second-worst Ebola outbreak in history, the United Nations health agency said.
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| EU’s Anti-Trump Trade Champion Bids Farewell: Brussels Edition Posted: 27 Nov 2019 10:12 PM PST ![EU's Anti-Trump Trade Champion Bids Farewell: Brussels Edition]( "EU's Anti-Trump Trade Champion Bids Farewell: Brussels Edition") (Bloomberg) -- Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg's daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every weekday morning.As Jean-Claude Juncker's European Commission prepares to pass the torch to Ursula von der Leyen's team, global commerce is about to lose one of its more successful champions — Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom. In an era of extraordinary political turmoil, venom and unpredictability, she deployed her ordinariness with civility and consistency to deliver blockbuster market-opening agreements that will chart the bloc's course for decades. The 51-year-old Swede is stepping down after delivering billions in tariff cuts right under U.S. President Donald Trump's protectionist nose. Her successor, Ireland's Phil Hogan, has big shoes to fill. What's HappeningSteak Stakes | U.S. cattle farmers will move a step closer today to gaining significantly greater access to the EU beef market. The European Parliament is due to vote on giving the U.S. almost 80% of the EU's annual quota on hormone-free beef after the bloc persuaded Australia, Argentina and Uruguay — the main suppliers — to cede chunks of the import allotment.New Era | Von der Leyen, who takes office on Dec. 1, vowed to shift the EU's focus to geopolitics over the next five years, promised sweeping legislative proposals in areas from climate change to AI. In her keynote policy speech, the incoming Commission chief also defended NATO, in a direct rebuff to Emmanuel Macron. Here are the key actions she pledged. Tech Probe | France's plans to tax digital giants may take a hit next week when the U.S. announces the findings of its investigation into the levy. The probe is expected to lay out Washington's justification for retaliatory tariffs to force Paris to abandon a tax against what are mostly U.S. tech giants. Storage Rules | Can Amazon be faulted for storing third-party products that violate trademark rules? In a dispute at the EU's top court, cosmetics giant Coty says both Amazon and the seller are liable. A non-binding opinion today could provide clues on the judges' thinking and show whether there could be wider repercussions for companies with similar warehouses.In Case You Missed ItCar Woes | British automakers called on the next government to deliver a " world-beating Brexit trade deal" to bolster competitiveness and safeguard jobs. Their pleas come after they've spent more than 500 million pounds preparing for Brexit, with Nissan warning that tariffs on exports to the EU would most likely render its U.K. operations unviable.Tory Landslide | Boris Johnson's Conservative Party is on track to win its biggest majority in more than three decades, according to the most hotly anticipated poll of the general election campaign. In areas that opposed Brexit, the poll suggested the Conservatives still had sufficient support to hold their seats.China Challenge | Angela Merkel said Europe should set up an agency that certifies components for the region's 5G wireless networks to address safety concerns over equipment from Chinese suppliers, but spoke out against an outright ban for vendors like Huawei. Her call comes as EU nations are due by year-end to agree on bloc-wide measures to mitigate such risks.Who Pays? | Banks across Europe would be hurt by stricter rules on sovereign debt proposed by the German finance minister and some may need to change their holdings significantly. That's according to a study on who'll suffer most if Olaf Scholz's banking plans are implemented. Euro-area finance ministers are hoping to agree on a way forward next week.Chart of the DayWhile Europe's equity benchmark is set to record its best annual gain since 2009, it's been left in the dust by the top stock market worldwide: Greece. The country's shares have climbed 45% this year, rising from a low base after a decade of crisis. As Greek stocks get out of the doldrums, fund managers may start looking at the market again.Today's AgendaAll times CET.9:30 a.m. ECJ advocate general will give opinion concerning Amazon liability in certain trademark violations 12 p.m. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to meet Macron in Paris 12 p.m. ESM Managing Director Klaus Regling: "On the Record" with TU Dortmund journalists 12:30 p.m. Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis to unveil a "Country Health Profiles" report Competitiveness ministers meet in Brussels to discuss a sustainable space economy Antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager delivers keynote speech at a trade union conference in Copenhagen EU lawmakers will vote on resolutions on climate emergency and the crisis of the WTO appellate body EU lawmakers will vote on EU/U.S. agreement on allocation of share for high-quality beef imports Like the Brussels Edition?Don't keep it to yourself. Colleagues and friends can sign up here. We also publish the Brexit Bulletin, a daily briefing on the latest on the U.K.'s departure from the EU. For even more: Subscribe to Bloomberg All Access for full global news coverage and two in-depth daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.How are we doing? We want to hear what you think about this newsletter. Let our Brussels bureau chief know.\--With assistance from Stephanie Bodoni and Nikos Chrysoloras.To contact the authors of this story: Viktoria Dendrinou in Brussels at vdendrinou@bloomberg.netJonathan Stearns in Brussels at jstearns2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Vidya N Root at vroot@bloomberg.net, Chris ReiterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Will the New EU Commission Be French or German? Posted: 27 Nov 2019 09:00 PM PST ![Will the New EU Commission Be French or German?]( "Will the New EU Commission Be French or German?") (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The new European Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen received overwhelming support from the European Parliament on Wednesday. Born of French President Emmanuel Macron's improvisation and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's acquiescence, the commission will have to navigate the inclement waters of the Franco-German relationship.In July, Macron boldly proposed von der Leyen for the commission presidency over the party candidates who had campaigned for the job. Merkel assented, though she'd backed the political process: None of the campaigning candidates appeared capable of commanding a majority in the parliament. That body took it as a slight, and von der Leyen was approved only by a thin margin. Legislators then took barely veiled revenge on Macron by rejecting his chosen candidate for France's European commissioner, Sylvie Goulard. Macron was forced to name tech businessman and former minister Thierry Breton instead, who managed to squeak by. After the parliament spent weeks interviewing proposed commissioners and rejecting some — a demonstration to von der Leyen that she wasn't getting a free pass — it was finally ready on Wednesday to let her and the commissioners take office, a month later than previously scheduled. This doesn't mean it won't be a hurdle for von der Leyen going forward. The Greens, who abstained during the confirmation vote, will always demand more from the commission, and keeping the other centrist factions satisfied won't be a breeze given the growing rift between the center-left and the center-right even in Germany, where they govern together.But the von der Leyen commission will probably have a bigger problem with the European Council, comprised of national leaders, than with the parliament. There, France and Germany, the two countries meant to take the EU forward after Brexit, have been at loggerheads lately. Macron has blocked the opening of accession talks with potential new EU members, Albania and North Macedonia, and pushed a plan to make Europe militarily more independent from the U.S. Germany disagrees on both counts. On Wednesday, Merkel responded forcefully to Macron's criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as undergoing "brain death." She said to the German parliament: "Europe cannot currently defend itself alone, we are dependent on this transatlantic alliance and that's why it's right for us to work for this alliance and take on more responsibility."Macron's open bid for sole leadership in Europe is an irritant to Germans. According to a recent article in the New York Times, at a recent dinner to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Merkel told Macron she was "tired of picking up the pieces" after his attempts at creative disruption. "I have to glue together the cups you have broken so that we can then sit down and have a cup of tea together," Merkel reportedly said.This marks a low point in what generally has been a constructive relationship. In such a situation, von der Leyen's commission faces the likelihood of deadlock in the European Council on its key proposals. France and Germany will each try to use the commission's power to draft policies, and the large workforce that comes with that power, to back up their positions — that is, to satisfy Macron's impatience and Merkel's compromise-seeking caution.Merkel, of course, has promised to retire from politics in 2021 — but a more assertive German leader probably would clash even more energetically with Macron.In such a situation, the sheer balance of nationalities in key staff positions can be important. On Wednesday, Politico's Brussels Playbook, a well-informed newsletter about EU politics, reported that five commissioners' heads of cabinet (or chiefs of staff) — including Breton's — will be German, and not one will be French. Breton hasn't officially picked his head of cabinet yet, but even if the Politico report on him proves false, the balance would appear troubling for Macron. The senior staff positions are extremely powerful in EU decision-making, and if there's a strong German influence on the chief-of-staff level, it won't be easy for Macron to push his proposals.On the other hand, as things stand today, France has a disproportionately large number of senior EU bureaucrats and Germany a disproportionately small one. Of the 30 officials holding the top administrative grade, AD 16, five are French and only two German. More generally, 12.8% of the 2,600 officials in the top four grades are French and 12.6% are German, even though, based on the countries' populations, Germany's quota should be higher and France's lower. A balance of influence is difficult to achieve in the EU when there's little agreement on key issues, such as the bloc's future geopolitical role, its adherence to the transatlantic alliance, and key expansion and immigration policies. A lack of broad agreement and personal harmony among leaders turns the complex bureaucratic and inter-institutional processes into a series of mini-battles. Macron may have helped von der Leyen into the top EU job, but he appears intent on making it impossible for her to do anything meaningful as he keeps trying Merkel's patience with his escapades.To contact the author of this story: Leonid Bershidsky at lbershidsky@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Leonid Bershidsky is Bloomberg Opinion's Europe columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Indict Jair Bolsonaro over indigenous rights, international court is urged Posted: 27 Nov 2019 07:00 PM PST  * Brazil president encourages genocide, campaigners argue * Rights groups seek action by international criminal courtPresident Jair Bolsonaro. 'We believe there are elements that characterizse genocide,' said a former Brazilian justice minister. Photograph: Adriano Machado/ReutersBrazilian lawyers and an influential human rights group including six former government ministers are seeking to indict the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro at the International Criminal Court for encouraging genocide against Brazil's indigenous people. Brazil's Human Rights Advocacy Collective (CADHu) and the Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for Human Rights (Arns Commission) delivered an "informative note" to Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor at the international tribunal in the Hague late on Wednesday. It requested a "preliminary investigation of incitement to genocide and widespread systematic attacks against indigenous peoples" by Bolsonaro.Bensouda will now request information from governments of Brazilian states and other countries, the United Nations and other intergovernmental organisations, NGOs and other sources to decide whether to request authorisation for an investigation, the groups said.The non-partisan group of lawyers, former ministers and civil society activists said they had taken this drastic step against their own president because they believed Brazil faced an emergency situation."We believe there are elements that characterise genocide," said José Carlos Dias, a former justice minister under the centre-right president Fernando Henrique Cardoso.Dias presides the Arns Commission, a human rights group named after the late Cardenal Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, who helped victims of police and political repression during Brazil's military dictatorship."It is very sad to see the president of Brazil face this process but it is necessary to protect the rights of our people," Dias said. "The steps the government is taking remind me of the steps the dictatorship took."Since taking power in January, Bolsonaro has repeatedly denigrated Brazil's indigenous people – comparing them to animals in zoos and "prehistoric men" – and overseen efforts to to dismantle Funai, the already underfunded agency supposed to protect Brazil's more than 300 tribes. He has also pushed to open up indigenous reserves to mining companies.The document presented to the court argues that "under the pretext of developing the Amazon Region, the Bolsonaro administration is turning government policy into encouragement for attacks on Brazil's indigenous peoples and their lands".It says there was a "preconceived plan" behind the "mistreatment and disrespect" for the rights of Brazil's nearly one million indigenous people.The brief argues that Bolsonaro attacks traditional indigenous life because it is "hampering the national development plans that the president intends to promote through infrastructure projects, mining enterprises, logging activities and agribusiness ventures in forested regions".As a result "the living conditions and lifestyles of the indigenous peoples are being destroyed by river pollution and invasion of their lands by wildcat miners, loggers and land-grabbers," it says, noting the recent 29% increase in annual deforestation – the highest rate in a decade. Bolsonaro said after those devastating numbers emerged that Amazon fires and deforestation were cultural and would never end."We are facing a scenario of incitement of crimes against humanity," said Eloísa Machado, a professor of constitutional law at São Paulo's Getúlio Vargas Foundation and CADHu member.In preparing their brief, the lawyers analysed 33 comments and decisions by the president, including the dismissal of 21 of 27 superintendents at the environment agency Ibama and Bolsonaro's efforts to weaken Funai.They also cited Bolsonaro's attempt to discredit his own government's statistics, which he dismissed as "lies" after figures showed that deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon had surged to the highest level since the current monitoring method began."Bolsonaro's actions, words and omissions on environmental rights in Brazil may be categorised as attacks on its civilian population," the document says.Machado said they decided on an international court because any Brazilian investigation would fall under the prosecutor-general – chosen by Bolsonaro. "Our national justice system is not capable of an independent and impartial investigation into President Jair Messias Bolsonaro," she said.Juliana dos Santos, a CADHu lawyer said that "dehumanising" indigenous people was a "strategy to justify violence against populations and public policies designed to reduce the control of these populations over their land".
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| UK election poll predicts Conservative majority Posted: 27 Nov 2019 06:01 PM PST  Boris Johnson's Conservative Party would win a comfortable majority in Britain's parliament if the upcoming election were held this week, according to a poll by respected research firm YouGov. Britain votes on December 12, with Prime Minister Johnson hoping to secure a majority to be able to push through his Brexit deal to take the country out of the European Union. YouGov's poll, published Wednesday, said if the elections were held on Thursday the Conservatives would grab 44 seats from the main opposition Labour party to win a 68-seat majority.
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| Protesters Set Fire to Iran Consulate in Iraq Holy City: Arabiya Posted: 27 Nov 2019 05:28 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Dozens of Iraqi protesters in the holy city of Najaf besieged and burned the Iranian consulate there, al-Arabiya television reported.Police in charge of protecting the consulate opened fire on demonstrators and then left the building along with the Iranian diplomatic staff, al-Arabiya said. Later, police imposed a curfew in the city as firefighters took hours to put out the blaze.Iraq's foreign ministry condemned the attack on the consulate, saying the purpose of the attack was to "hurt the Iraqi-Iranian relations", al-Arabiya reported. Najaf is the home of Shiite Islam's top cleric Ali al-Sistani and is 200 kilometers south of Baghdad.The attack comes as Iraqis, mostly from the Shiite majority population, are protesting against government corruption, poor services and Iranian influence, calling for an overhaul of the ruling political class.Iraqi security forces and militias backed by Iran have killed at least 350 civilians since protests erupted last month in Iraq, OPEC's number-two oil producer, according to figures provided by the country's Human Rights Commission.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Nov. 18 that the U.S. is preparing to impose sanctions on any Iraqi official found to be corrupt and on those responsible for the deaths of peaceful protesters.(Adds comment from Iraqi foreign minister in third paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Zaid Sabah in Washington at zalhamid@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sebastian Tong at stong41@bloomberg.net, ;Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Jim SilverFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran arrests eight 'linked to CIA' in street unrest Posted: 27 Nov 2019 04:16 PM PST  Iran has arrested eight people it accused of CIA links and sending abroad information on recent urban unrest, days after the United States said it had received thousands of messages on a protest crackdown in the Islamic republic. New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused Tehran of "deliberately covering up" more than 140 deaths that it said came when security forces suppressed demonstrations against a sharp fuel price hike. Iran said that among the more than 500 people arrested were eight who were "linked to the CIA", state news agency IRNA said late Wednesday, citing the head of the intelligence ministry's counter-espionage department.
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| Furious China threatens retaliation over US law on Hong Kong Posted: 27 Nov 2019 04:05 PM PST  China threatened retaliation against Washington on Thursday after US President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, just as the world's top two economies edge towards a trade truce. Activists in the crisis-hit city hailed the move, saying it would help them pile pressure on Beijing-backed local authorities, and staged a "Thanksgiving" rally saluting Trump and US lawmakers. Trump signed the legislation under heavy pressure from Congress, where it attracted rare bipartisan support, and in a statement spoke of his "respect" for Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling for both sides to "amicably settle their differences".
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