| People Can't Believe Trump Thinks Putin's Support In Impeachment Fight Is A Good Thing Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:32 PM PST  "You don't need to hear from Americans with first-hand knowledge who worked with me. Believe Putin!" tweets conservative commentator Bill Kristol.
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| A Festive Warning for World's Favorite Liquor Posted: 21 Dec 2019 04:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Growing up in the U.K. in the 1980s, the Christmas season was associated with particular foods and drinks. Pies made from fruit "mincemeat"; the same dried fruits cooked into Christmas pudding; grandparents passing round glasses of sherry.Believe it or not, that nostalgic memory hints at a long-term risk to the most bullish corner of the global liquor market: China's sorghum-based firewater, baijiu.The past few years have seen extraordinary growth for baijiu makers. Kweichow Moutai Co., the maker of the most prestigious brand, overtook Diageo Plc to become the world's biggest distiller by market capitalization in 2017. Now it's in a whole other league, overtaking even Anheuser-Busch InBev SA and PepsiCo Inc. on that measure and within spitting distance of taking Coca-Cola Co.'s crown as the world's largest beverage company.What's more, this success has been built on the back not of a valuation bubble, but of relatively pedestrian assumptions about earnings. Kweichow Moutai is on a lower price-earnings multiple than Brown-Forman Corp., Davide Campari-Milano SpA and Remy Cointreau SA. Luzhou Laojiao Co. is cheaper on that measure than any major western distiller.What could possibly put a cloud on the horizon of this thriving market? The most serious looming risk is embodied in those nostalgic memories of a British Christmas: demographics.Throughout baijiu's boom, it's struggled to shake the perception that it's primarily a drink for older men. Its former image as an unofficial currency of corrupt government officials has receded since a campaign against official graft in the early years of President Xi Jinping's reign. Still, the connotations of rich older men exchanging drunken toasts remain, even if the drinkers in the stereotype are now more likely to be employed in the private than the public sector."Many young people still think that baijiu isn't for them, that no matter the flavor, it's not a drink for the young," according to a China Daily article this year. "Drinking baijiu is increasingly seen as a dated behavior by younger Chinese uninterested in banquets and bravado," wrote Jing Daily, a site specializing in the Chinese luxury market.That association with oldsters is a problem Spain's sherry industry has been enduring for several decades. In the 1970s and 1980s, exports to the U.K., the Netherlands and the U.S. boomed in an unprecedented manner, to the point that bodega conglomerate Rumasa was reported to account for as much as 2% of Spanish GDP.Since then it's been in long-term decline. Sherry's core consumers outside Spain have reached a more abstemious age or died out, while younger drinkers shun a product they associate with their grandparents. For all that many wine connoisseurs sing its praises and lament sherry's fall from grace, it's hard to see the glory days returning.This trajectory is a common one in the alcohol business, which lives and dies on the changing demographics of its consumers. One reason Japan's brewers have been so desperate to acquire overseas businesses while Vietnamese ones have been M&A targets is that beer is drunk by thirsty workers, and Japan's labor force is declining while Vietnam's is rising. The same goes for clear spirits like baijiu. Its success is hard to separate from the fact that China's population of men aged 40 to 60 increased by more than half over the past two decades, adding about 78 million people to the core baijiu-drinking market. That demographic is set to stagnate over the coming decade, though, before beginning an accelerating decline after 2030.To the extent that the industry is making any inroads with women and younger people, it's in lower-cost, lighter-flavored "rice aroma" products where margins are tighter. The giant listed baijiu-makers specialize in the complex, higher-cost "sauce aroma" and "strong aroma" varieties such as Maotai and Luzhou Laojiao, which is quite a different product.This needn't be the end of the world. The drinks market's best defense against unfavorable demographics is "premiumization" — counting not on a larger number of consumers, but a small group paying more and more. Premiumization is already the strategy of the high-end listed baijiu companies, so there's no reason they can't keep going with it.Still, chasing the luxury market is notoriously expensive in marketing terms, and baijiu makers for years have been able to rely on a product that sells itself.Major distillers typically dedicate a third or more of their revenue to selling, general and administrative costs — mostly marketing and distribution. Baijiu makers are far more thrifty, one reason their profit margins are so much fatter than those of peers. As their core demographic ages out of its drinking habit, though, they're likely to have to spend more and more converting younger drinkers.Every cellar manager knows that liquors can get better with age, but the process of maturation has to be carefully monitored and cultivated if the precious drink isn't to turn into drain-cleaner. Marketing departments of baijiu companies will have to be no less careful over the coming decades maintaining the shine on their storied brands. To contact the author of this story: David Fickling at dfickling@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. He has been a reporter for Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Guardian.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Syria violence spikes as aid groups warn of disaster Posted: 21 Dec 2019 11:22 AM PST  A surge in violence Saturday left 12 civilians dead in Syria's last major opposition bastion as aid groups warned of a humanitarian catastrophe if cross-border aid stops reaching the region. Heightened regime and Russian bombardment on the northwestern province of Idlib since December 16 has already forced tens of thousands of vulnerable people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. The jihadist-dominated Idlib region hosts some three million people including many displaced by years of violence in other parts of Syria.
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| North Korea: U.S. will 'pay dearly' if human rights criticism continues Posted: 21 Dec 2019 09:35 AM PST  There were no weapons tests this time, but North Korea once again made some trans-Pacific waves Saturday.Pyongyang's state news agency, KCNA, issued a statement attributed to a foreign ministry spokesman warning the United States in response to Washington's recent decision to join several other states in condemning North Korea's human rights abuses in an annual United Nations General Assembly resolution Wednesday. The KCNA statement said if the U.S. continued to call out North Korea's human rights problems, Washington would "pay dearly."It's not clear what exactly the threat entails, but it does seem to fall in line with Pyongyang's rhetoric of late that indicates North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un is gearing up to throw the possibility of diplomacy out of the window unless the U.S. makes some denuclearization concessions soon.It's the first statement from North Korea's foreign ministry since U.S. Special Envoy Stephen Biegun publicly urged Pyongyang to resume negotiations, a sentiment echoed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday. But it doesn't look like North Korea is ready to budge. Read more at Reuters.More stories from theweek.com Porn is evil. Don't ban it. Elizabeth Warren's attack on Buttigieg's wine cave fundraiser 'plays into hands' of GOP, former Obama campaign aide says Trump is now attacking Christianity Today — and its editor is doubling down
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| Moscow wonders where winter has gone Posted: 21 Dec 2019 09:33 AM PST  Winters in Moscow usually look like something out of a picture book: the Russian capital is covered in snow, people go skiing, and temperatures are well below freezing. For the past two weeks, temperatures in Moscow have easily topped four degrees Celsius and are expected to move as high as 7C next week -- compared to the normal average for December of around minus 6C. Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been reluctant to acknowledge the link between human activity and global warming.
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| With no choice but Trump, voter sues over Minnesota primary Posted: 21 Dec 2019 09:13 AM PST ![With no choice but Trump, voter sues over Minnesota primary]( "With no choice but Trump, voter sues over Minnesota primary") A Minnesota voter frustrated because President Donald Trump would be the only name on the state Republican primary ballot in March is challenging the move and muddying the launch of the state's first presidential primary in decades. Jim Martin, of Lake Elmo, a small business operator and political independent, filed a lawsuit over the primary rules, the Star Tribune reported. Martin said he doesn't want to participate in a "Soviet-style" election in which the political parties dictate who the voters can elect. "I want to be in an American election," Martin said.
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| Sudan government off of U.S. religious freedom blacklist Posted: 21 Dec 2019 08:35 AM PST  The United States dropped Sudan from its list of nations that severely violate religious freedoms, signaling increased support for Sudan's newly created transitional government. Sudan's joint military-civilian body was established in August after a popular uprising ousted former authoritarian president Omar al-Bashir.
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| Iran's Missile Forces: Just How Deadly? Posted: 21 Dec 2019 08:30 AM PST  Iran has heavily invested in these capabilities.
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| Guatemala bus crash kills at least 20 people Posted: 21 Dec 2019 08:22 AM PST  A trailer truck collided with a passenger bus in eastern Guatemala early Saturday, killing at least 20 people and leaving a dozen wounded, according to the national disaster agency. Volunteer firefighters told reporters the truck appeared to have collided with the bus from behind in the municipality of Gualan, roughly 150 kilometers (95 miles) east of Guatemala City. The national disaster agency said the bus had been headed from the northeastern Peten region to the capital.
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| US Space Force launched by Donald Trump Posted: 21 Dec 2019 08:16 AM PST  The US Space Force, America's first military service in more than 70 years, has been officially launched by Donald Trump. Unveiling the plans at an army base near Washington DC, the US president said space was the world's newest war-fighting domain". The move comes 35 years after the Reagan administration extended the Cold War into space with his Strategic Defence Initiative. "Amid grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital," Mr Trump said. "We're leading, but we're not leading by enough, but very shortly we'll be leading by a lot. The Space Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground." Costing $40 million in its first year, the Force will be funded out of $738bn (£567bn) annual US military budget. NASA Greatest Achievements and Discoveries, in Pictures Led by Air Force General Jay Raymond, who currently runs SpaceCom, the scheme will employ around 16,000 civilian and military personnel. The initiative reflects a growing concern among US military chiefs at the activities of both the Chinese and Russians in space. It represents an escalation in tension in space even though the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which says exploration should only be for peaceful purposes. Earlier this year Mike Pence, the US vice president, said the US needed to counter the use of airborne lasers and anti-satellite missiles. At the beginning of this month, Vladimir Putin told his defence chiefs that American expansion in space posed a threat to Russian interests. Mr Trump's announcement is the culmination of work being done in the US in recent years, much of it being carried out by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The Agency has been co-operating with Boeing to produce a reuseable space plane called the Phantom Express. Donald Trump congratulates United States Space Force's first Chief of Space Operations, Gen. John Raymond American scientists ave also been working on hypersonic technology, developing missiles capable of flying at five times the speed of sound. Experts regard the technology as the new space race, given that Russia and China have also invested heavily in hypersonics. Fearing that the US would be left behind, the administration awarded a $480 million contract to Lockheed Martin to work on a similar weapon. However, there has been some scepticism in Washington over the amount being spent by normally loyal Republican senators like Joni Ernst of Iowa. Experts such as Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, have also questioned the necessity of the programme. "The trouble is it means different things to different people. The White House has one vision of Space Force and the military has a different view.," he told the Telegraph. "Once you have an independent bureaucracy, it will want to justify itself. It will see itself as a rival to the Air Force and want a comparable budget. While it would have some positive impact on some military careers, it will also generate unnecessary budget waste."
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| 6 die in Las Vegas apartment building fire; 13 injured Posted: 21 Dec 2019 08:10 AM PST  A fire in a three-story apartment building in downtown Las Vegas where residents were apparently using their stoves for heat killed six people and forced some residents to jump from upper-floor windows to escape the heavy smoke before dawn Saturday, authorities said. Investigators reported that the fire started around a first-floor unit's stove and that residents had told them that there was no heat in the building, which sits a few blocks from downtown Las Vegas' touristy Fremont Street District. Firefighters arriving at the scene began treating injured and using ladders to rescue numerous people already jumping or hanging from windows, fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.
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| Rouhani Visits Japan as U.S. Seeks to Cut Off Iran’s Exports Posted: 21 Dec 2019 07:37 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Hassan Rouhani paid the first visit by an Iranian president to Japan in 19 years, just as the U.S. strengthens enforcement of its sanctions in a standoff over nuclear development.Japan, which is walking a tightrope between its tradition of friendly ties with Iran and reliance on the U.S. as a military ally, is keeping the visit low key. Formerly one of Iran's biggest customers, Japan hasn't imported any oil from the country since May, according to government and ship-tracking data.President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to step up enforcement of Iran sanctions by increasing pressure on global shippers, Chinese state-owned enterprises and exporters of raw materials used in metals production, U.S. officials told Bloomberg this week.Since Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran has refused to buckle to American demands for a more comprehensive agreement and has moved forward with efforts to enrich uranium. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to ease tensions, including by making the first visit to Iran by a sitting Japanese premier in 40 years.Abe told Rouhani he was very concerned about rising tensions in the Middle East and urged him to stick to the terms of the nuclear agreement. Through an interpreter, Rouhani criticized the U.S. for withdrawing from the deal.The two leaders didn't hold a joint press conference, and the Rouhani was back in Tehran by Saturday evening after being in Japan for less than 24 hours.Upon his return Rouhani said that the Japanese government had offered a "new proposal" on the issue of "breaking sanctions," and that Iran presented its own plan for countering the penalties. Negotiations in Tokyo lasted several hours and both countries planned to continue their talks on the subject of sanctions, he said."We had very substantial discussions and negotiated for maybe three to four hours last night," Rouhani said in a statement to reporters upon his arrival in Tehran, which was shown on state TV. He also welcomed a decision by Japan, conveyed during his visit, not to join the U.S.-led naval coalition in the Persian Gulf.Abe was expected to explain Japan's plans to dispatch a Self-Defense Forces unit, which will include a vessel, to the Middle East on an intelligence-gathering mission, according to documents distributed by the Foreign Ministry ahead of the meeting.(Updates with Rouhani comments in Tehran from seventh paragraph.)\--With assistance from Aaron Clark and Ramsey Al-Rikabi.To contact the reporters on this story: Isabel Reynolds in Tokyo at ireynolds1@bloomberg.net;Emi Nobuhiro in Tokyo at enobuhiro@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Shamim Adam, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Buttigieg playing catchup in reaching Nevada voters of color Posted: 21 Dec 2019 07:25 AM PST  Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg tackled issues of racial disparity as he met with Nevada's communities of color Saturday, though the small-town Indiana mayor encountered tough questions and skepticism from some voters. Buttigieg met in the afternoon with about a dozen black voters and community leaders at a soul food restaurant in North Las Vegas. Attendees asked him how he'd address racial disparities, particularly in the criminal justice system, and assure black voters they aren't taken for granted.
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| Macron vows to keep fighting extremism in West Africa Posted: 21 Dec 2019 07:10 AM PST  France's President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to boost the fight against Islamic extremism in West Africa as French troops killed 33 Islamic extremists in central Mali. Saturday was Macron's second day of his three-day trip to Ivory Coast and Niger that has been dominated by the growing threat posed by jihadist groups. "We must remain determined and united to face that threat," Macron said in a news conference in Abidjan.
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| House vote locks in impeachment as issue in '20 Hill races Posted: 21 Dec 2019 06:57 AM PST  The day after nearly every House Democrat voted to impeach President Donald Trump, the chief of the House Republican campaign committee said the political fallout was clear. "Last night their obsession with impeachment finally came to a head, and they basically ended their majority," Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer said Thursday. "Max Rose is done," he continued, listing him among freshmen Democrats from districts Trump captured in 2016 who he said won't survive next November's elections.
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| Cyprus hails US law boosting energy, security cooperation Posted: 21 Dec 2019 06:38 AM PST ![Cyprus hails US law boosting energy, security cooperation]( "Cyprus hails US law boosting energy, security cooperation") A new U.S. law geared toward boosting energy and security cooperation in the east Mediterranean is indicative of the significance that Washington attaches to the region, Cyprus' foreign minister said Saturday. Nikos Christodoulides said that the passing of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 also sends out "significant diplomatic and political messages" about how the U.S. perceives a growing energy partnership between Cyprus, Greece and Israel. Cyprus, Greece and Israel have since 2016 forged closer relations based on natural gas deposits discovered in the eastern Mediterranean.
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| 10 things you need to know today: December 21, 2019 Posted: 21 Dec 2019 06:33 AM PST ![10 things you need to know today: December 21, 2019]( "10 things you need to know today: December 21, 2019") 1.President Trump on Friday signed the National Defense Authorization Act, a $738 billion compromise defense policy bill that establishes Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. military and gives federal workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The bill took months to be finalized thanks to debates about Trump's border wall plans, which eventually took a hit in the end. Still, Trump treated the bill as a victory, touting both Space Force and parental leave. The bill will also have an international affect; it contains a provision sanctioning individuals and businesses aiding in the construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would reroute Russian gas bound for Western Europe. The U.S. has opposed the project, arguing it will make Europe too reliant on Russia energy. [The Hill, RFERL] 2.Senior Trump administration officials threatened a presidential veto if Democrats had refused to drop language in the year-end $1.4 trillion spending package that passed through the House and Senate this week and was signed by President Trump on Friday night, administration and congressional officials told The Washington Post. Congress included a provision that would have required the White House to release Pentagon funding for Ukraine within 45 days, but the administration reportedly considered that a non-starter and suggested Trump would veto the spending package if it remained. House Democrats agreed to the demand, ultimately opting to avoid the threat of a government shutdown. The White House's decision to withhold aid from Ukraine this summer is at the heart of the House's decision to impeach Trump. 3.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday formally invited President Trump to deliver his 2020 State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Per the White House, Trump accepted. Pelosi's letter came just two days after she led the House of Representatives in impeaching Trump, and his SOTU speech could well take place in the middle of his Senate trial depending on the Senate's scheduling decisions. When former President Bill Clinton was impeached, his 1999 State of the Union likewise coincided with his Senate trial. He did not mention impeachment in his address. [Politico, The Week] 4.Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean was indicted by a grand jury Friday for the death of Atatiana Jefferson, whom he fatally shot in her own home in October while she played video games with her young nephew. Dean was previously charged with murder, and indictment is the next step toward trial. The county prosecutor's office has announced plans to "prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law," though a trial date has yet to be announced. Dean, who is white, shot Jefferson, who was black, while conducting a welfare check because a neighbor called a non-emergency line after noticing an open door on Jefferson's house late at night. [NBC News, The Daily Beast] 5.Major protests continued in Hong Kong and India on Saturday. In Hong Kong, riot police clashed with pro-democracy, anti-government protesters in the city's shopping malls, which resulted in the arrests of multiple demonstrators who had gathered five-months after protesters and bystanders were beaten by an armed mob at a train station. Demonstrators have criticized police for not responding quickly enough to the incident. The death toll during northern India's protests against a new citizenship law implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government, meanwhile, rose to 17 after three people died Saturday during clashes between demonstrators and police. The law allows religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to become Indian citizens if they can show they were victims of persecution, but critics argue the law is a violation of India's secular constitution and attempts to marginalize the country's Muslim community. [Reuters, The Associated Press] 6.The U.K. House of Commons on Friday voted 358 to 234 in favor of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit bill. This major step toward Britain's departure from the European Union, planned for the end of January 2020, comes just a week after Johnson's Conservative Party dramatically swept the general elections. Six Labour Party members broke ranks to vote "yes," but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn opposed the measure, and critics to Johnson's left have accused him of perpetrating an "executive power-grab." The bill will undergo further consideration in the House of Commons in early January before proceeding to the House of Lords. [Politico, The Week] 7.The Department of Housing and Urban Development released Friday its estimate of annual homelessness in the United States, concluding that the number of homeless people in the country increased 2.7 percent over the last year. The jump is reportedly strongly tied to California's housing crisis, especially in Los Angeles and San Francisco. California alone experienced an estimated 16.4 percent increase in homelessness, despite the state's efforts to counter the issue. Washington, D.C., and 29 other states, however, reported declines in the number of homeless people. Meanwhile, veteran homelessness dropped 2.1 percent, homeless families with children declined 4.8 percent, and homeless youth and children decreased 3.6 percent. [The New York Times, NBC News] 8.New York prosecutors Friday announced the arrests of 96 members and associates of MS-13 following a two-year investigation in Long Island's Suffolk County, which has long been a stronghold for the gang. Officials said the crackdown is the largest against MS-13 in New York's history. The investigation was multi-layered, ranging from the local to federal level. Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said the indictment "decimated" the gang's leadership and drug suppliers in the area, thwarted several murder plots, and gave authorities insight into the gang's structure and recruiting patterns. But Sini also cautioned MS-13 will likely "attempt to recalibrate" and said authorities "have to stay vigilant.' [The Associated Press, Fox News] 9.Experts Thomas Lovejoy of George Mason University and Carlos Nobre of the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil said Friday that deforestation and other changes in the Amazon are threatening to turn the rainforest into a savanna and release billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. The trends reportedly could soon become difficult to reverse. "The precious Amazon is teetering on the edge of functional destruction and, with it, so are we," Lovejoy and Nobre wrote in an editorial published by Science Advances. "Today, we stand exactly in a moment of destiny: The tipping point is here, it is now." [Science Advances, The Washington Post] 10.Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, the newest chapter in the Star Wars franchise, opened Thursday night to a $40 million North American box office haul. It's the fifth-highest preview performance of all time, but below the $57 million earned by The Force Awakens and $45 million for The Last Jedi. Disney anticipates Rise of Skywalker will end up with at least $160 million in its debut weekend. It also got particularly dismal reviews from critics across the board, culminating in a 57 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Cats, the other anticipated movie in previews Thursday, meanwhile ended up with 19 percent. [Hollywood Reporter, Rotten Tomatoes]More stories from theweek.com Porn is evil. Don't ban it. Elizabeth Warren's attack on Buttigieg's wine cave fundraiser 'plays into hands' of GOP, former Obama campaign aide says Trump is now attacking Christianity Today — and its editor is doubling down
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| Second Amendment Sanctuary push aims to defy new gun laws Posted: 21 Dec 2019 06:23 AM PST  A standing-room only crowd of more than 400 packed the meeting room, filled the lobby and spilled into the parking lot recently in rural Buckingham County, Virginia. The vast majority favored a proposal to protect their right to carry firearms: declaring the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary. Similar scenes have played out across Virginia over the last six weeks.
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| Airstrikes on rebel-held town in northwestern Syria kill 8 Posted: 21 Dec 2019 06:21 AM PST  Airstrikes on a rebel-held town killed eight people and wounded more than a dozen Saturday in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, the last remaining rebel stronghold in the war-torn country, opposition activists said. The latest casualties in the town of Saraqeb came as government forces captured two new villages on the southern edge of Idlib. The province has been the center point of a government push under the cover of airstrikes, according to opposition activists and pro-government media.
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| US heads to court to build Trump border wall in Texas Posted: 21 Dec 2019 06:17 AM PST  Three years into Donald Trump's presidency, the U.S. government is ramping up its efforts to seize private land in Texas to build a border wall. Trump's signature campaign promise has consistently faced political, legal, and environmental obstacles in Texas, which has the largest section of the U.S.-Mexico border, most of it without fencing. The agency says it's ready to file many more petitions to take private land in the coming weeks.
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| Turkish parliament OKs controversial Libya military deal Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:55 AM PST  Turkey's parliament approved a security and military deal with Libya's U.N.-supported government Saturday on the heels of a controversial maritime agreement earlier this month that has drawn international ire. The deal allows Turkey to provide military training and equipment at the request of the Libyan government that controls the capital, Tripoli, and some of the country's west. Forces loyal to a rival government based in Libya's east opened a fierce new assault on the capital last week and on Friday, they gave the militias defending Tripoli a three-day deadline to pull out.
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| AP FACT CHECK: Trump's distorted letter to Dems and history Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:20 AM PST  The closing passage in President Donald Trump's impeachment-eve letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the ring of truth to it. On matters central to the case against him, to his legacy and to his ego, Trump got much wrong. The Democrats did not shut him out of their impeachment process, but rather invited him in.
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| Afghan official: Hundreds of IS members, family detained Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:19 AM PST  The Afghan government said Saturday it has detained about 700 Islamic State group fighters and family members in eastern Afghanistan over the past six months. The Afghan intelligence service, the National Directorate for Security, said among the 700 are at least 75 women and 159 children. The NDS said all of the fighters and family members were transported to the NDS compound in Kabul.
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| Spain's Vox party under pressure to back 'Spaxit' after EU court ruling Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:08 AM PST  Spain's far-Right Vox party is under pressure to back a Brexit-style exit from the EU, after the European Court of Justice ruled a jailed Catalan separatist leader should have parliamentary immunity. Supporters of the populist party called for "Spaxit" on social media since EU judges in Luxembourg ruled Oriol Junqueras, who was sentenced to 13 years for sedition, should be freed. The decision led to Carles Puigdemont, the former president of the Catalan regional government, and Antoni Comin, both of whom are living in self-imposed exile in Belgium, to be accredited as MEPs by the European Parliament, "Because of EU courts, terrorists and rapists (who have raped women again) were released. Now they are slapping us in the face by making Puigdemont an MEP," Santiago Abascal, the president of Vox, said. "Spain (as other countries do) should not abide by any judgement of those who attack our sovereignty and security," he wrote on Twitter. "Vox is not going to allow any more humiliations." Vox, which enjoyed a surge in support in November's elections in Spain,calls for the repatriation of powers from Brussels to national governments but has not publicly backed Spaxit. Its manifesto called for the Article 50 clause triggered by Britain to leave the EU to be safeguarded from future negotiations over the EU treaties. The EU's top court ruled on Thursday that Mr Junqueras, one of nine pro-independence leaders jailed in Spain after an illegal independence referendum, is entitled to parliamentary immunity after he was elected to the European Parliament in May. It rejected Madrid's arguments that Mr Junqueras did not qualify as an MEP because he had not sworn an oath to the Spanish constitution.
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| House Votes to Impeach, Brexit Mandate in Action: Weekend Reads Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.It was an eventful week in global politics. The U.S. House voted to make Donald Trump the third president in history to be impeached. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson began exercising the Brexit mandate voters awarded him a week ago. And in Hong Kong, pro-democracy protests looked set to roll into 2020. Dig deeper on these and other topics with the latest edition of Weekend Reads, and click here for the latest installment of QuickTake by Bloomberg's Behind the Candidate series, charting a day in the life of Carly Reilly, Andrew Yang's finance director.Dear Readers: Balance of Power will take a two-week break. We will resume publication Jan. 6. Happy Holidays! Even as Client No. 1 Is Impeached, Giuliani Needs to Make DealsRudy Giuliani used to be renowned for talking with any reporter who could get hold of his number. But now he's more likely to respond by text or call back with his lawyer on the line, if he responds at all. Stephanie Baker digs into why. After Johnson Gets Brexit Done, a Bigger Battle Begins in EuropeAs Brexit enters its final phase, the European Union is preparing to navigate the most complex negotiation in its history: its future relationship with Britain. Richard Bravo takes a closer look. Brexit Britain Is Still the Promised Land for Desperate MigrantsAs the U.K. prepares to leave the EU, asylum seekers are trying harder to get there. Caroline Alexander and John Ainger report on the plight of those attempting to complete the epic journey.Life After Corbyn? The Politicians Vying to Become Labour LeaderThe U.K. Labour Party is looking for a new leader after Jeremy Corbyn announced his plan to resign in the wake of last week's heavy election defeat. Jessica Shankleman, Greg Ritchie and Alex Morales profile some of the potential candidates to replace him. Mysterious Bags of Cash Trigger Major Hong Kong Protest ArrestsWhile China says America and other foreign forces are funding Hong Kong's protests, Shelly Banjo, Alfred Liu and Kiuyan Wong followed the money and found a different story. Merkel's Paths to Power Don't Guarantee a Strong GovernmentAngela Merkel's future has caused Germany much angst. While the center still holds, the chancellor doesn't have many options to build a stable coalition, Raymond Colitt reports.How Climate Change Primed Chileans for an UprisingUnder the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, Chile became one of the first countries in the world to cede the management of its water utilities to foreign companies. Laura Millan Lombrana and Sebastian Boyd explain how the disputes over dwindling water supplies that followed helped spark a popular revolt against the country's neoliberal economic model. The Volatile Economics of the Vanilla Marketplace in MadagascarOver a wide river and down a rutted, muddy track in the hills of Madagascar, impoverished farmers haggle with buyers from international corporations over a price for the most flamboyantly mercurial commodity on the planet: vanilla. Monte Reel describes how the oily bean that makes its way into so many of our modern foods exposes the genius and insanity of globalized commerce.And finally… From "crashing" a supercar to soaking in hot springs to eating their way around the world, photo editors Aeriel Brown, Leonor Mamanna, and Evan Ortiz have selected their favorite luxury photographs of 2019. To contact the author of this story: Kathleen Hunter in London at khunter9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'The Great British Bake Off' Can Win Any Culture War Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It is a place where heritage and culture stand proud, enriched but not diluted by the traditions of immigrants. Some of its denizens roam the world, exploring foreign cultures; others stick close to home; neither invites scorn.An island of confident identity in a fractured and contentious world, it celebrates cosmopolitan curiosity and deep-rooted traditions, local custom and diverse origins. It is a big tent—quite literally.I refer, of course, to "The Great British Bake Off" or, as it is known on American shores, "The Great British Baking Show."(1)A baking competition held in a giant white tent decked out with Union Jack bunting and a dozen kitchens' worth of equipment, the program is an institution in the U.K. It has been credited with sparking a boom in home baking and raising standards in the shops. The 10th season aired this fall and, available on Netflix, the show has attracted passionate U.S. fans as well.(2) Earlier this month, Florida-based TV critic Andy Dehnart, who covers non-scripted programming on his site Reality Blurred, named it "the reality TV show of the decade."Set in the countryside, with establishing shots of sheep grazing, songbirds chirping and bees buzzing among the wildflowers, the program could be peddling nostalgia for village life in England's green and pleasant land. The jokes are silly puns and double entendres, gentle and exceedingly British.Commentators on both sides of the Atlantic emphasize its good nature as a respite from political conflict. A British critic calls it "a weekly therapy session. It is a last remnant of sanity in an increasingly crazy country; an oasis of niceness in a desert of vileness."The welcoming atmosphere is "so different from the picture Brexit painted, that the British want their nation back and that they want us out," Chetna Makan, a 2014 contestant who moved to the U.K. from Mumbai, told the New York Times. With its polyglot mix of regional accents, class backgrounds and national origins, the show is not nostalgic. But it is still "The Great British Bake Off," unabashedly so. And therein lies its cultural genius.In the famous tent, we see a culture changing without losing coherence or rejecting the past. You can keep your nation, the show suggests, while adding new elements. The constant reinforcement of Britishness, from Union Jack cakes and Gran's old recipes to Dr. Who references and Liverpool pride, is as essential to the program as cardamom and caster sugar. GBBO, as fans refer to it, rejects the choice between openness and national identity.Each week's show has a theme, with challenges that winnow the contestants down from 12 to a final three. The episode may spotlight a type of baking, such as bread or pastry; an ingredient or its absence, as in Spice Week or Vegan Week; or historical or national specialties, for example, Tudor Week or Danish Week.Elaborating the theme, contestants bake three challenges, two of which they know beforehand. The dreaded "technical challenge" requires making something most have never baked before, and often have never heard of. They get ingredients and what is called, with British understatement (or is it British irony?), a "pared down" recipe. "Make the dough," is a typical instruction.Unlike most U.S. cooking competitions, with their professional chefs and substantial winner-take-all cash prizes, the show is in the great tradition of British amateurism, minus the aristocratic presumptions. Contestants bake because they love it, and, although everyone wants to win, they play fair and help each other out.Bakers include retirees and full-time parents (male as well as female), and a wide range of professions, from builder to geography teacher, garden designer to veterinary surgeon, with the occasional student juggling exams. (The show shoots mostly on weekends.) The winner gets a glass cake platter and, along with the other finalists, a bouquet of flowers. That's it.Of course, success brings another valuable currency: public renown. Many finalists go on to at least semi-professional status, writing cookbooks and columns and appearing on TV. But career advancement seems a rare motivation, and coming in second doesn't make you a loser.One of the most beloved contestants, the charming young Liam Charles, finished fifth in 2017. He now hosts his own show and judges another. "Being in the tent" is an honor — and a memorable experience — in its own right.Treating baking as a common venture where good ideas can come from anyone or anywhere, the show welcomes global citizens and the flavors they introduce. At the same time, it celebrates distinctively British baking and honors British history. The show's inclusive spirit embraces local traditions and the people who made them. It's as patriotic as it is cosmopolitan.Maybe it takes an American (or an Indian immigrant) to recognize that Victoria sponge, Chelsea buns, sausage rolls, Battenberg cake, millionaire's shortbread and parkin (which I had to Google) are culturally specific treats. Traditional British baking, it turns out, can be pretty yummy — or scrummy, as former judge Mary Berry would say."Before the bake-off, it was nearly impossible to find classic British sweets like Victoria sponge sandwiches, Eccles cakes and Bakewell tarts unless you or your granny made them at home," writes New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark. The show has introduced a new generation to old-fashioned baking.It also reminds viewers of how once-exotic ingredients became as British as Yorkshire pudding. When charged with making a ginger cake, Rahul Mandal, the eventual winner in 2018, explained that his mother back in India was surprised at the assignment. "In India we normally use ginger for savory things," said the self-effacing research engineer. "The first time I had ginger cake," he recalled, "was during a Bonfire Night celebration."For non-Brits, he's referring to the Nov. 5 festivities marking the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up parliament and kill the king. Ginger may not be British, but ginger cake certainly is.A cooking contest alone can't mend a society's divisions, of course. But the success of this one suggests they may not be as deep as they seem. Food is, after all, one of the most powerful tribal markers, with dietary customs and taboos separating us from them. A hit show dedicated to the idea that specifically British baking can meld old and new, regional and national, local and foreign, without losing its distinctive identity is a powerful indicator of cultural health.(1) Pillsbury, which owns the trademark Bake-Off in the U.S., runs an annual recipe contest with that name.(2) This chart explains the complicated history of where which seasons originated and where they can now be seen.To contact the author of this story: Virginia Postrel at vpostrel@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Katy Roberts at kroberts29@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She was the editor of Reason magazine and a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, the New York Times and Forbes. Her next book, "The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World," will be published in 2020.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'The Great British Bake Off' Can Win Any Culture War Posted: 21 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It is a place where heritage and culture stand proud, enriched but not diluted by the traditions of immigrants. Some of its denizens roam the world, exploring foreign cultures; others stick close to home; neither invites scorn.An island of confident identity in a fractured and contentious world, it celebrates cosmopolitan curiosity and deep-rooted traditions, local custom and diverse origins. It is a big tent—quite literally.I refer, of course, to "The Great British Bake Off" or, as it is known on American shores, "The Great British Baking Show."(1)A baking competition held in a giant white tent decked out with Union Jack bunting and a dozen kitchens' worth of equipment, the program is an institution in the U.K. It has been credited with sparking a boom in home baking and raising standards in the shops. The 10th season aired this fall and, available on Netflix, the show has attracted passionate U.S. fans as well.(2) Earlier this month, Florida-based TV critic Andy Dehnart, who covers non-scripted programming on his site Reality Blurred, named it "the reality TV show of the decade."Set in the countryside, with establishing shots of sheep grazing, songbirds chirping and bees buzzing among the wildflowers, the program could be peddling nostalgia for village life in England's green and pleasant land. The jokes are silly puns and double entendres, gentle and exceedingly British.Commentators on both sides of the Atlantic emphasize its good nature as a respite from political conflict. A British critic calls it "a weekly therapy session. It is a last remnant of sanity in an increasingly crazy country; an oasis of niceness in a desert of vileness."The welcoming atmosphere is "so different from the picture Brexit painted, that the British want their nation back and that they want us out," Chetna Makan, a 2014 contestant who moved to the U.K. from Mumbai, told the New York Times. With its polyglot mix of regional accents, class backgrounds and national origins, the show is not nostalgic. But it is still "The Great British Bake Off," unabashedly so. And therein lies its cultural genius.In the famous tent, we see a culture changing without losing coherence or rejecting the past. You can keep your nation, the show suggests, while adding new elements. The constant reinforcement of Britishness, from Union Jack cakes and Gran's old recipes to Dr. Who references and Liverpool pride, is as essential to the program as cardamom and caster sugar. GBBO, as fans refer to it, rejects the choice between openness and national identity.Each week's show has a theme, with challenges that winnow the contestants down from 12 to a final three. The episode may spotlight a type of baking, such as bread or pastry; an ingredient or its absence, as in Spice Week or Vegan Week; or historical or national specialties, for example, Tudor Week or Danish Week.Elaborating the theme, contestants bake three challenges, two of which they know beforehand. The dreaded "technical challenge" requires making something most have never baked before, and often have never heard of. They get ingredients and what is called, with British understatement (or is it British irony?), a "pared down" recipe. "Make the dough," is a typical instruction.Unlike most U.S. cooking competitions, with their professional chefs and substantial winner-take-all cash prizes, the show is in the great tradition of British amateurism, minus the aristocratic presumptions. Contestants bake because they love it, and, although everyone wants to win, they play fair and help each other out.Bakers include retirees and full-time parents (male as well as female), and a wide range of professions, from builder to geography teacher, garden designer to veterinary surgeon, with the occasional student juggling exams. (The show shoots mostly on weekends.) The winner gets a glass cake platter and, along with the other finalists, a bouquet of flowers. That's it.Of course, success brings another valuable currency: public renown. Many finalists go on to at least semi-professional status, writing cookbooks and columns and appearing on TV. But career advancement seems a rare motivation, and coming in second doesn't make you a loser.One of the most beloved contestants, the charming young Liam Charles, finished fifth in 2017. He now hosts his own show and judges another. "Being in the tent" is an honor — and a memorable experience — in its own right.Treating baking as a common venture where good ideas can come from anyone or anywhere, the show welcomes global citizens and the flavors they introduce. At the same time, it celebrates distinctively British baking and honors British history. The show's inclusive spirit embraces local traditions and the people who made them. It's as patriotic as it is cosmopolitan.Maybe it takes an American (or an Indian immigrant) to recognize that Victoria sponge, Chelsea buns, sausage rolls, Battenberg cake, millionaire's shortbread and parkin (which I had to Google) are culturally specific treats. Traditional British baking, it turns out, can be pretty yummy — or scrummy, as former judge Mary Berry would say."Before the bake-off, it was nearly impossible to find classic British sweets like Victoria sponge sandwiches, Eccles cakes and Bakewell tarts unless you or your granny made them at home," writes New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark. The show has introduced a new generation to old-fashioned baking.It also reminds viewers of how once-exotic ingredients became as British as Yorkshire pudding. When charged with making a ginger cake, Rahul Mandal, the eventual winner in 2018, explained that his mother back in India was surprised at the assignment. "In India we normally use ginger for savory things," said the self-effacing research engineer. "The first time I had ginger cake," he recalled, "was during a Bonfire Night celebration."For non-Brits, he's referring to the Nov. 5 festivities marking the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up parliament and kill the king. Ginger may not be British, but ginger cake certainly is.A cooking contest alone can't mend a society's divisions, of course. But the success of this one suggests they may not be as deep as they seem. Food is, after all, one of the most powerful tribal markers, with dietary customs and taboos separating us from them. A hit show dedicated to the idea that specifically British baking can meld old and new, regional and national, local and foreign, without losing its distinctive identity is a powerful indicator of cultural health.(1) Pillsbury, which owns the trademark Bake-Off in the U.S., runs an annual recipe contest with that name.(2) This chart explains the complicated history of where which seasons originated and where they can now be seen.To contact the author of this story: Virginia Postrel at vpostrel@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Katy Roberts at kroberts29@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She was the editor of Reason magazine and a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, the New York Times and Forbes. Her next book, "The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World," will be published in 2020.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| New Lebanon PM meets with parliamentarians on road ahead Posted: 21 Dec 2019 03:50 AM PST  Lebanon's new prime minister held consultations Saturday with parliamentary blocs in which they discussed the shape of the future government and said afterward that legislators all had one concern: To get the country out of its "strangling" economic crisis. Hassan Diab, a university professor and former education minister, will have to steer Lebanon out of its worst economic and financial crisis in decades. "Lebanon is in the intensive care unit and needs efforts" by all sides, from political groups to protesters, Diab said.
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| Berlin outraged after Donald Trump hits gas pipeline project with sanctions Posted: 21 Dec 2019 03:35 AM PST  Berlin has accused Washington of interfering in German internal affairs, after Donald Trump signed off on US sanctions against companies building a Russian natural gas pipeline to Germany. "The Federal Government rejects such extraterritorial sanctions," Ulrike Demmer, a spokeswoman, said in Berlin on Saturday. "They affect German and European companies and constitute an interference in our domestic affairs." The US is an outspoken opponent of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will transport natural gas about 750 miles from Russia, through the Baltic Sea and into Germany. The sanctions will hit any company working with Russia's state-owned Gazprom to complete the project. On Saturday, Switzerland-based Allseas, which operates ships laying sections of the undersea pipeline, said it was suspending work on the £8.5 billion project, which is well advanced. Washington and Eastern European countries oppose the project because it will increase the EU's heavy dependence on Russian gas imports. The pipeline will double Russian energy imports into Germany and, the US fears, give the Kremlin leverage over the EU and its leading economy. Nord Stream gas pipeline The project also bypasses Ukraine, raising fears it would cost the country valuable gas transit fees it currently receives from Moscow. Ms Demmer said the US measures were "particularly incomprehensible" because Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement in principle Thursday on the future transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory. The German-Russian Chamber of Commerce insisted last week that the pipeline was important for energy security and urged retaliatory sanctions against the United States if the bill passes. Chancellor Angela Merkel has admitted she would not retaliate. She said on Wednesday, "I see no alternative to conducting talks, though very firm talks, (to show that) we do not approve of this practice." The European Commission said it would carefully examine the sanctions to see how they affected EU companies. "In principle, the EU rejects sanctions against EU companies that do legitimate business," a spokesman said. Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved the sanctions, with the Senate voting Tuesday to send the measure to Trump's desk. Iran, Malaysia, Turkey and Qatar are considering trading among themselves in gold and through a barter system as a hedge against any future economic sanctions on them, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday. At the end of an Islamic summit in Malaysia, Mahathir praised Iran and Qatar for withstanding economic embargoes and said it was important for the Muslim world to be self-reliant to face future threats.
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| Pope denounces 'rigidity' as he warns of Christian decline Posted: 21 Dec 2019 03:03 AM PST  Pope Francis warned Saturday that "rigidity" in living out the Christian faith is creating a "minefield" of hatred and misunderstanding in a world where Christianity is increasingly irrelevant. Francis called for Vatican bureaucrats to instead embrace change during his annual Christmas greetings to the cardinals, bishops and priests who work in the Holy See. Francis' message appeared aimed at conservative and traditionalist Catholics, including within the Vatican Curia, who have voiced increasing opposition to his progressive-minded papacy.
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| Hero who used narwhal tusk to stop UK attack praises victims Posted: 21 Dec 2019 02:17 AM PST  A mysterious figure who used a rare narwhal tusk to help subdue a knife-wielding extremist on London Bridge last month has been identified as a civil servant in Britain's Justice Ministry. Darryn Frost broke his silence Saturday, telling Britain's Press Association that he and others reacted instinctively when Usman Khan started stabbing people at a prison rehabilitation program at Fishmongers' Hall next to the bridge on Nov. 29. Frost used the rare narwhal tusk that he grabbed from the wall to help subdue Khan even though the attacker claimed to be about to detonate a suicide vest, which turned out to be a fake device with no explosives.
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| Weakened and Unstable Trump Gives Korea the Jitters Posted: 21 Dec 2019 02:06 AM PST  SEOUL–The impeachment of President Donald Trump has come at a moment when his administration is getting nowhere in critical talks on the Korean Peninsula and there's a growing risk Kim Jong Un will resume long-range missile tests by the end of the month. So there's palpable fear we'll soon return to the days of "fire and fury," rhetorically at least, as Trump, feeling cornered, will try to distract from his troubles by lashing out at North Korea or petulantly pulling American troops out of the South. Or both.Kim Jong Un's Ugly Christmas Surprise: A Return to Threats of War"Kim Jong Un had said he would give the USA a Christmas present," says Michael Shim, a businessman. "What could that be–a long-range nuclear-tipped missile heading towards the United States?" The concern is not that Kim would launch such an attack, but that he would prove once again that he has given up nothing and still has that intercontinental ballistic ability, which Trump has vowed he'll never tolerate. It doesn't calm anyone's nerves to learn that U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun, after failing to meet with the North Koreans, went to Beijing to ask China if it can please persuade Kim not to make good on his threats to return to nuclear-and-missile tests.Vastly complicating matters, Trump also is embroiled in a long-running dispute with South Korea over how much Seoul should pay for U.S. bases and forces. He's demanded South Korea fork over $5 billion, about five times as much as this year, but U.S. negotiator James DeHart has failed to get anywhere with the South Korean government of President Moon Jae-in.The liberal Moon and the conservative Trump have shared common cause in their quest to come to terms with Kim, but the spirit of cooperation between Trump and Moon, like Trump's professed "love" for Kim, may not endure.Trump might return to the hardline policy of two years ago when he denounced Kim as "Rocket Man" and threatened the north with obliteration, and Pyongyang certainly is aware of that."North Korea is not necessarily happy," says Choi Jin-wook, former president of the Korea Institute for National Unification. "It has been dependent on Trump's initiative to make a breakthrough. If Trump is weak or out, the U.S. policy toward North Korea will be even tougher."A former official with South Korea's National Intelligence Service puts the North's dilemma more bluntly. "Rocket Man worries that Trump feels so frustrated that he seeks a scapegoat," he says. "As for Moon, he's pathetic–already dead meat politically." Nevertheless, rising numbers of anti-American demonstrators are protesting U.S. demands for South Korea to pay more for the bases and demanding U.S. forces get out. At one gathering across the street from the U.S. embassy, about 200 people recently chanted "close the bases" and "go home" in Korean–a portent perhaps of much larger protests as talks on pay for the bases drag on.Right-left tensions are heating up in the South even as Kim's concerns in the North are driving him to resume intimidating tactics by testing the North's latest devices capable of raining plenty of his own fire and furry on the southern half of the peninsula.Pyongyang isn't expected to conduct its seventh nuclear test–its sixth was in September 2017–right away. But another test of a long-range ballistic missile or the launch of a satellite employing missile technology does appear highly possible, and Trump previously has cited the fact Kim stopped those tests in 2017 as a triumph for his diplomacy."Reversible steps are being reversed, and North Korea is essentially 'renuclearizing,'" says Vipin Narang at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Narang says the latest tests of launch facilities at the Sohae site near the Chinese border are "for the development of a new strategic system" even though the site had been "cosmetically dismantled as a "denuclearization step.'"Is Trump Getting Ready to Sell Out South Korea and Japan?Kim will be looking for endorsement of whatever he's got in mind at a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party set for next week just before the January 1 deadline he has set for the U.S. to come up with a new proposal for denuclearization, presumably including relief from sanctions and a "peace declaration" proclaiming an end to the Korean War."It is possible that Kim Jong Un is convinced the situation will not change," Fyodor Tertitskiy, a senior researcher at Seoul's Kookmin University, told NK News here, and he will "start passing instructions on how to adapt to this new reality"–i.e., that the U.S. will go on demanding denuclearization as a prerequisite for a dealNuke negoatiator Biegun, while in Seoul, made clear the U.S. would not agree to any deadline while it continued looking for talks. Rather, he said, "We have a goal to fulfill the commitments the two leaders made" at their summit in Singapore, where they signed a brief statement professing "unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."Trump declared at the time that the North Korea problem had been "solved."It's "time for us to do our jobs," said Biegun, addressing the North. "Let's get this done. We are here, and you know how to reach us."While Biegun waits and Trump fumes, speculation is rife about a dramatic turn for the worst.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Russian State TV Backs Trump’s Wild Impeachment Attacks Posted: 21 Dec 2019 02:01 AM PST  Russian state media have joined President Vladimir Putin in delivering a full-throated defense of impeached U.S. President Donald J. Trump. Such support would have been implausible for any other U.S. leader, much less one who claims to be "tough on Russia." But bluster aside, Trump has been reluctant to sign off on additional Russian sanctions. Pro-Kremlin experts, lawmakers and talking heads believe President Trump would do away with most of the sanctions in record time if not for the U.S. Congress.Russia's State TV Calls Trump Their 'Agent'Bolstering these assumptions is the case of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project between Russia and Germany. On Friday, Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains a provision sanctioning Nord Stream 2. But the project is just weeks away from completion and analysts doubt the imposition of sanctions at this late stage can be effective, much less halt the project. The Trump administration meanwhile is opposing the bipartisan Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act, or "DASKA," meant to punish Russia for its interference in the 2016 election and deter it from such actions in the future. The administration called the bill "unnecessary" in a 22-page letter to Congress. "The Trump administration stood up in defense of Russia against DASKA sanctions," Russian media concluded. The Kremlin is likewise continuing to stand up for President Trump. During President Vladimir Putin's annual news conference in Moscow, he claimed that the impeachment was based on "absolutely made up" allegations. Echoing the GOP, the Russian president said, "The party that lost the [2016] election, the Democratic Party, is trying to achieve results by other methods, other means." On Friday, Trump touted Vladimir Putin's endorsement on his Twitter feed.The chairman of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) foreign affairs committee Leonid Slutsky called impeachment "the revenge of the Democrats for the defeat in the 2016 presidential election."Supporting Trump, Russian state media attacked the Democrats, but saw pure comedy in the GOP making ill-conceived comparisons between Donald Trump and Jesus Christ while likening the impact of the impeachment to the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Novaya Gazeta, which is not part of the state media, concluded that Trump is obviously guilty and many Republicans realize he's been deserving of impeachment for quite some time. Nonetheless, the GOP defends the president in order to preserve the party, while many of the Democrats are "honest people who are ready to sacrifice themselves in the name of the ideas of the founding fathers." Novaya Gazeta opined that re-election in 2020 "is in Trump's pocket," but the moral victory belongs to the Democrats.)One of the Kremlin's top propagandists, Vladimir Soloviev, heaped praise upon Trump and rattled off a list of bogus defenses in his coverage of the impeachment proceedings. During his show, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, the host favorably mentioned a "documentary film" based on the Ukrainian exploits of the U.S. president's private lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani. The show was quickly slapped together in order to defend Trump's pursuit of fictitious "dirt" against Joe Biden, along with the allegations that Ukraine—not Russia—interfered in the U.S. elections.Soloviev proceeded to accuse the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden of "conspiring" with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European leaders to remove Viktor Shokin—the corrupt former Prosecutor General of Ukraine. Defending President Trump by echoing his talking points, Soloviev exclaimed: "There was no quid pro quo!"The claim that Ukraine and not Russia interfered in U.S. elections is a Kremlin-spawned conspiracy theory that reportedly was conveyed to President Trump personally by Vladimir Putin during their secretive meeting at the G-20 summit in 2017. Trump was so impressed by the tale of the Russian president (whom he calls "my friend"), he would say: "The Russians didn't do anything. The Ukrainians tried to do something," according to The Washington Post. The Kremlin's fable further blossomed, when it started to be widely accepted and frequently reiterated by the GOP.Vladimir Soloviev praised Trump's letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, calling the U.S. president a "highly educated" writer of "multiple bestsellers," who wrote the letter "for future generations." Soloviev surmised that when it comes to the upcoming presidential race of 2020, "Trump is defeating all potential candidates." Soloviev theatrically complained: "Here's what I can't understand. Why do they hate Trump so much?" The Atlantic Council's expert appearing on the show, Ariel Cohen, explained that Trump is a political outlier, who boasted about grabbing women by their private parts. The Russian state TV host immediately jumped in to defend President Trump as an alleged proponent of "free love."Throughout the segment, pro-Kremlin propagandists criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greta Thunberg, but found no fault in Trump. During one of his previous shows, Soloviev said he was troubled, saddened by "insulting" anti-Trump ads, featuring prominent actors and celebrities. He urged respect towards the American president, although he's shown very little in the past. On his earlier shows, Soloviev described President Trump as "Donald Ivanovich" and "Trumpushka," joked about the U.S. president sending the Republicans to Moscow in order to make deals with Russian hackers, questioned which "Motherland"—the U.S. or Russia—"geriatric" Trump would serve and pondered whether Trump would end up fleeing to Russia like the former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.With respect to President Trump's Democratic opponents in the upcoming presidential race, the Russian state media have only one clear favorite: Tulsi Gabbard. Vladimir Soloviev asked: "Who would be the ideal candidate from the Democrats?" "John F. Kennedy," replied Andrey Sidorov, deputy dean of World Politics at Moscow's State University. "Kamala Harris," suggested the Atlantic Council's expert Ariel Cohen. Soloviev disagreed: "No, it should be Gabbard." Pro-Kremlin TV pundit and Rossiya Segodnya state news agency CEO Dmitry Kiselyov shares Soloviev's affinity for Tulsi Gabbard, having aired a "getting to know her" profile on his weekly show, Vesti Nedeli.Notably, Tulsi Gabbard refused to take a principled stand in the vote on two articles of impeachment against Trump, merely voting "present." Gabbard's failure to condemn the atrocities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and non-fulfillment of her Congressional duties with respect to entering a meaningful impeachment vote demonstrate the absence of moral clarity, a quality that is highly prized by the Kremlin. Russia's state media outlet, RT, aired President Trump's speech at his Michigan rally, wherein the American president claimed that by proceeding with the impeachment, "House Democrats have branded themselves with an eternal mark of shame." Meanwhile, Russian state television branded the American president as the Kremlin's "agent"—an "eternal mark of shame" indeed.Germans Aim to Kneecap U.S. Sanctions on RussiaRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Israel Threatens Iran, Says Syria Could Become Their Version of Vietnam Posted: 21 Dec 2019 01:37 AM PST  Israel's new Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has warned Iran that Syria will become its version of Vietnam, where its forces will sink in the sand under Israeli airstrikes.
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| China's military gets new rules to improve safety after series of fatal accidents Posted: 21 Dec 2019 01:30 AM PST  China's military has introduced two new regulations to improve safety that will take effect from January 1, following a series of fatal accidents as it tries to modernise.Details of the safety management and military documents regulations " signed off by President Xi Jinping " were not released.But official news agency Xinhua said the safety management rules focused on risk assessments, safety checks and supervision of training activities, as well as how to handle and investigate accidents.It said the military documents regulations clarified responsibilities for archival work at all levels in the People's Liberation Army and sought to standardise that work during wartime.China's military has been spending big on defence, with its budget rising to 1.18 trillion yuan (US$168.59 billion) in 2019 " up 7.5 per cent from last year. But critics say its safety record also needs attention.The PLA has seen a number of fatal accidents amid a push to boost combat readiness driven by Xi, who wants the country's military to become a world-class modern fighting force by 2035.Days after China marked the 70th anniversary of communist rule with a huge military parade in Beijing on October 1, three airmen were killed when a transport helicopter crashed in central Henan province. One of them, a pilot, had taken part in the National Day parade.Just eight days later there was another air force crash, this time on the Tibetan Plateau, where a J-10 fighter jet on a low-altitude flying drill crashed into a mountain, a source told the South China Morning Post earlier. The pilot was said to have survived.In March, a navy plane crashed in southern Hainan province, killing two crew members.And at least 12 crew members were said to have died when what was believed to be a new type of refuelling plane modified from the Y-8 transport aircraft crashed in Guizhou province in January 2018 " the worst accident in recent years.Zhou Chenming, a military expert based in Beijing, said the new regulations were needed to standardise practices across the PLA and reduce the number of accidents. He said accidents happened regularly during day-to-day operations across the military.The new rules indicated a shift away from a heavy focus on hardware development towards personnel training, according to Timothy Heath, a senior international defence research analyst with the Rand Corporation, a US think tank."The strengthening of rules and regulations can help the PLA improve its level of competence and professionalism," Heath said.Training has been stepped up across the PLA since Xi became general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, and chairman of its Central Military Commission, in late 2012 " in line with his ambitions to build the PLA into a modern fighting force.As part of the overhaul, the country's military academies and schools were restructured to streamline the armed forces and make it easier to coordinate policy. Beijing has also poured more research and development funding into the defence industries.A PLA soldier jumps through a ring of fire during a military exercise in Shihezi in the Xinjiang region early this month. Photo: Reuters alt=A PLA soldier jumps through a ring of fire during a military exercise in Shihezi in the Xinjiang region early this month. Photo: ReutersMalcolm Davis, an expert on the Chinese military with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the new regulations could help the PLA to more effectively carry out its duties."We focus on the equipment side of PLA modernisation, which understandably is the most easily discernible indicator for capability development," Davis said. "But the training of skilled personnel and building professionalism is critical if the PLA is to avoid hollow forces."Charlie Lyons Jones, a researcher specialising in China's military modernisation also from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, agreed that the new rules would help improve performance."Given the PLA's lack of combat experience, these internal management systems are supposed to provide troops with clear guidance on how to maximise performance while ensuring safety during training and large-scale exercises," he said."Keeping good, honest records on the results of training and exercises is another important way for the PLA to learn from its successes and mistakes," he said.However, he noted that whether the new regulations would translate into a combat-ready force that could perform its missions safely and effectively remained to be seen.This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2019 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 23 dead as protests grow against India citizenship law Posted: 21 Dec 2019 01:01 AM PST  Violent protests against India's citizenship law that excludes Muslim immigrants swept the country over the weekend despite the government's ban on public assembly and suspension of internet services in many parts, raising the nationwide death toll to 23, police said. Nine people died in clashes with police in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, said state police spokesman Pravin Kumar. Around a dozen vehicles were set on fire as protesters rampaged through the northern cities of Rampur, Sambhal, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnore and Kanpur, where a police station was also torched, Singh said.
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| The decade that shook America Posted: 20 Dec 2019 11:30 PM PST  2010 to 2020 was a contradictory decade that will confound future historians with a simple question: how did America go from Obama to Trump?Lin-Manuel Miranda was touring his award-winning musical, In the Heights, to his parents' homeland of Puerto Rico. Donald Trump was awarding first prize on his reality TV show, The Apprentice, to a corporate lawyer turned mobile cupcake entrepreneur.The year was 2010 and, in the decade that followed, these two hustlers from New York with fiercely devoted followings would come to represent the two faces of America.Miranda produced Hamilton, a musical megahit that with hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway recast America's founding fathers as people of colour in a hymn to the immigrant nation. Trump smashed and grabbed his way into the political class, and the White House, with a nationalist, nativist message that promised to build a border wall to keep Mexicans out and make America great (white) again.Open, inclusive and endlessly curious, Miranda personified a progressive sensibility and social consciousness around gender, race and the environment, largely associated with America's booming coastal cities. Trump, revelling in ignorance and narcissism, embodied a populist rage against change, political correctness and liberal elites, gaining traction in small towns and rural areas that felt left behind.As 2019 drew to a close, America's existential crisis was the yawning, ever-growing chasm between these two tribes. With an assist from gerrymandering, blue states got bluer and red states got redder; Republicans became more white and more male while Democrats diversified. The parties were more polarised on issues such as abortion and the climate crisis than anyone could remember.Words such as "unprecedented" still had some life in them just over a decade ago when Barack Obama, on the verge of his signature healthcare reform known as Obamacare, hosted a poetry jam at the White House. Fresh from Broadway success, Miranda tried out a song "about the life of somebody who embodies hip-hop – treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton". Far-fetched as the idea seemed, Hamilton took flight as theatre's hottest ticket, featuring songs that caught on with school children across the country.The musical that cast black actors as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other slave-owning founding fathers also became synonymous with the Obama years. First lady Michelle Obama called it "the best piece of art in any form that I have ever seen in my life" and recently tweeted that Miranda "painted as honest a portrait of our country as I've ever seen".Obama performed a freestyle rap with Miranda in the White House Rose Garden. And introducing him at Hamilton showcase in March 2016, he declared: "In the character of Hamilton, a striving immigrant who escaped poverty, made his way to the New World, climbed to the top by sheer force of will and pluck and determination, Lin-Manuel saw something of his own family, and every immigrant family."> Obama was such a rupture in the master narrative of the white, wealthy male being the only possible US leader.> > Halifu OsumareHamilton made its off-Broadway debut at New York's Public Theater in February 2015. Four months later and three miles away, Trump rode down an escalator at Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for US president, declaring: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best … They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."It was the pivot point, the moment that ensured this would be a broken-backed, contradictory decade that would confound future historians with a simple question: how did America go from Obama, its first black president, to Trump, champion of racist conspiracy theories about his predecessor's birthplace?Halifu Osumare, professor emerita in the department of African American and African studies at University of California, Davis, says: "It really shows the extreme schizophrenia of this country and how race is still very much a part of the original sin to portray itself in the world as the beacon of democracy that is always looking at the inalienable rights of the individual while at the same time reinforcing racial difference and hierarchy."I think that Barack Obama was such a rupture in the master narrative of the white, wealthy male being the only possible leader for this country, the original sin of America erupted with Donald Trump and we had permission for the violent racist past to re-emerge."Osumare, a black popular culture scholar, points to the white nationalist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, that erupted in deadly violence in 2017 as an example of this re-emergence. "We were in denial during the Obama administration about it because it seemed that the election of the first black president meant that we were moving into a post-racial society. But we saw very quickly the backlash where that underbelly of racism re-emerged with Donald Trump."The anti-Obama backlash had been evident in the stirrings of the conservative Tea Party movement. Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin were congressional staffers at the time. They would later become progressive organisers, co-founders of the group Indivisible and authors of the book We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump.Greenberg says of the Tea Party: "We had a lot of personal experience with them and what was really clear was that it was a white identity grievance movement. Sure, they had signs that were about the debt or the deficit but it was code for their sense that somewhere some undeserving other was getting something that their tax dollars were going for."She adds: "[Trump] threw out the dog whistles and just used a bullhorn and it turned out that enough people within the Republican party were into that that he was able to seize the nomination and seize control of the party."Wielding his bullhorn, Trump also seized control of the White House in November 2016. It was a moment of reckoning for America, forcing white liberals to confront a storied racism (see The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates) that many had believed would inevitably wither away.There were other forces in play. The opioid crisis. The highest suicide rate since the second world war. Declining life expectancy. Automation and factory closures ripping the hearts out of communities. Cavernous inequality, pitting the top 1% against the bottom 99%, a natural conclusion of Ronald Reagan's "trickle down" economics."The Obama presidency was much less radical than it needed to be in order to halt the trends which led us to Trump. That doesn't mean that it's all Obama's fault; most of it is not his fault," said Timothy Snyder, a history professor at Yale University, says."But I think the eight years of Obama were in large measure a kind of self-congratulatory illusion instead of the very tough remaking of politics that probably had to happen if we weren't going to get a Trump."The 2008 financial crisis, which saw vast sums of money spent to rescue Wall Street, produced aftershocks that found populist expression in outsiders such as 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, targeting corporate power from the left, and Trump, scapegoating immigrants and elites from the right. They reshaped politics and put the centrism of Bill Clinton and company in retreat.Jamie Raskin, a Democratic congressman from Maryland, says: "The Democratic party moved left and the Republican party moved right and we have a contest between duelling populisms now in America. We've got an authoritarian, racially tinged populism, and we've got a progressive economic and social populism, and that's the battle for the soul of America."The question is, will the centre hold and where is the centre? Is the centre somewhere between these two populisms or is it inside one of them?"But along with Trump's gaudy escalator ride, something else happened in June 2015 that gave hope to Raskin and millions of others. The US supreme court legalised same-sex marriage nationwide. It was a win for the America of Hamilton. Not even Trump, wildly popular with Christian evangelicals, has suggested trying to overturn the decision.Raskin recalls: "When I first ran for state senate in 2006, one of my planks was marriage equality. I'll never forget, when I made my announcement speech, a woman came up to me and said, 'Jamie, great speech but one thing, you've got to take out all that stuff in there about gay marriage because it's never going to happen and even the gay candidates don't talk about it, and it makes you sound like you're really extreme. like you're not in the political centre.'"That was when I had an epiphany and I said, 'Thank you for telling me because it makes me realise it's not my goal to be in the political centre … I think that progressive impulse has really taken over the Democratic party. The country has become far more progressive on a whole bunch of issues that were considered taboo in 2010."This was reflected in protest movements that have rattled old hierarchies: Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, Extinction Rebellion. Not long after Trump, who had bragged about groping women without their consent, was elected to the White House, the MeToo movement caught fire, holding Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and other predatory men to account and demanding to know why victims had gone unheard for so long.David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker magazine, notes: "We are a contradictory people, and just one example is that at a time when a proven misogynist is the president, a MeToo phenomenon happens and moves us forward."MeToo thrived on social media. But so too did disinformation, fake news, invasions of privacy, downright lies and Russian propaganda. Perhaps the biggest winners of the decade were Facebook and Google, which defied regulation, raked in billions of dollars and changed the way we live now. Big tech enabled and incentivised people to pick fights, strike the snarkiest pose and flaunt the worst of themselves, often behind a cloak of anonymity. The giants became as influential as nations but without UN obligations.These echo chambers were reinforced by cable news networks that seemed to occupy alternative universes, offering radically different chyrons and commentaries on everything from Robert Mueller's Russia investigation to judge Brett Kavanaugh's supreme court confirmation to House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into Trump over his alleged attempt to bribe Ukraine to investigate one of Trump's key political opponents.The reality TV president exploited these post-truth fractures to deny science and withdraw America from the Paris climate accords, which may prove the most consequential decision of the decade. With this and a thousand other egregious acts, he could always rely on support from Fox News, which perfected its model during the Obama years then seemingly tethered itself to Trump's White House.David Brock, founder and chairman of Media Matters for America, a progressive media watchdog, says: "Fox has given the conservative side a whole set of counter-facts and a whole different reality that they can live in that has destroyed the consensus in the country, destroyed the notion that we are operating from the same set of facts and then kind of arguing how to interpret them… I don't think we'd be here in the moment we're in without Fox."Social media plays an auxiliary role, Brock argues. "You can definitely see that the producers at Fox are paying attention to these far-right extreme websites and social media outlets: Breitbart, the Daily Caller, 4chan, 8chan and Reddit. Of course, the Trump campaign was very adept at exploiting all that and they got a leg up on the Democrats digitally in 2016 and they still have it."Niall Ferguson, an author, historian and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution thinktank at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, has a different emphasis. "Cable news has been around a while; that wasn't new," he argues. "What was new was Facebook and Google's dominance of news consumption through news feed and search and, of course, the advent of targeted political advertising."I strongly believe that without social media – and certainly be more precise and say Facebook – Trump wouldn't have won. That was much more important than Fox. I think the big tech companies totally changed the structure of the public sphere and it's still the case that many people don't get that."> I think the big tech companies totally changed the structure of the public sphere.> > Niall FergusonThe rise of social media played a big part in the collapse of America's local newspapers, devouring advertising revenue and creating "news deserts". Facebook and other social media are "unquestionably" responsible for accelerating political tribalisation and a breakdown of a shared reality, Ferguson argues."It's not just polarisation; it's atomisation now. The most striking difference between 2016 and 2012 at the national aggregate level was the depressed African American turnout. That didn't happen just by accident. That was the core objective of the Trump social media campaign and it worked."This is the big difference that this decade will be remembered for, and also the fact that during this decade the big tech companies basically were unrestrained by any regulation and were able to take the implications of financing online content with ads to the illogical reductio ad absurdum of having Russians post political content anonymously on American social media."America's "cold civil war", as veteran journalist Carl Bernstein characterises it, has been described as a more profound threat to national security than any external foe. Combined with Trump's manta of "America first", which shakes the trust of old allies in Nato and beyond, the US is widely seen to be ending the decade in a far weaker position than where it began.Ferguson published Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire in 2004, soon after George W Bush's disastrous war in Iraq – still arguably a greater blow to America's standing, and to trust in leaders, than anything Trump has said, done or tweeted."The real story of the last 10 years has been that there are two ways of managing imperial decline," the British-born historian says. "You could do it a kind of refined, law professor way as Obama did, giving lectures and then taking actions like not intervening in Syria. Or you can just walk away with complete insouciance as Trump has. I think it's really actually two flavours of the same ice cream."The past decade witnessed the deaths of former president George HW Bush and Senator John McCain and, some argue, the Republican party as they knew it when it became consumed by a personality cult. The bipartisan unity that followed the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks now seems a relic from a different era.Back in 2010, Leon Panetta was the director of the CIA, planning the raid that would kill Osama Bin Laden the following year. He says: "Those who wanted to undermine America and our democracy and create distrust have been very successful. Whether it's the terrorists of 9/11 or whether it's Putin and Russia, I think the objective of creating a divided America that began to lack trust in the institutions of our democracy: that was their goal and, if you look at America today, they've largely succeeded."The Atlantic magazine closed the decade with a cover story headlined How to Stop a Civil War. For many in the US, it is ending with a looming, pit-of-the-stomach sense of dread – of a potentially violent election, of future conflict with China, of apocalyptic global heating. In the short term, the November 2020 election will determine whether Trump was a four-year aberration – last time he did lose the popular vote by nearly three million after all – or the crass messenger of a more profound shift in direction."Oceans rise, empires fall," sings King George III in Hamilton. Will future historians see in this decade the decline of the American empire?Panetta says: "I think we're very much at a crossroads where there are really two paths. One is that we really could be an America in renaissance, if we could get our act together and deal with these challenges. Or we could be an America in decline. And right now, my sense is that we're are clearly moving on the wrong path of an America in decline."
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| Syria says possible drone attacks hit 3 oil, gas facilities Posted: 20 Dec 2019 11:18 PM PST ![Syria says possible drone attacks hit 3 oil, gas facilities]( "Syria says possible drone attacks hit 3 oil, gas facilities") Near-simultaneous attacks believed to have been carried out by drones hit three government-run oil and gas installations in central Syria, state TV and the Oil Ministry said Saturday. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted the Homs oil refinery — one of only two in the country — as well as two natural gas facilities in different parts of Homs province. Syria has suffered fuel shortages since earlier this year amid Western sanctions blocking imports, and because most of the country's oil fields are controlled by Kurdish-led fighters in the country's east.
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| How Putin Got a New Best Friend Forever in Africa Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on TwitterAlpha Conde of Guinea had a favor to ask Vladimir Putin when the two presidents met at the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in October."I would like, if possible, to spend most of our meeting in a one-in-one format because I have things to say to you that are not worth discussing in such a large group," the 81-year-old West African leader said."My pleasure," Putin, 67, replied as aides began to herd the several dozen officials and reporters in attendance out of the room, leaving him and Conde alone with their respective translators.While neither side has revealed exactly what was said, Conde has made no secret of his interest in finding a way to stay in power after his second -- and legally last -- term ends next October. This week, he unveiled a proposed new constitution that could allow him to extend his rule. Both the U.S. and France, Guinea's former colonial ruler, are urging Conde to avoid risking civil unrest by changing the landmark constitution that allowed the former academic and long-time opposition leader to become the country's first democratically elected head of state in 2010.Russia, on the other hand, is throwing its weight behind Conde's undeclared campaign. That makes Guinea, holder of the world's largest deposits of bauxite, a key raw material for making aluminum, the latest focus in a renewed tug-of-war among global powers for influence and profit across resource-rich Africa.The U.S., western Europe and China have advantages over Russia in other areas of the continent. But in Guinea, the Kremlin is leveraging a mix of old Soviet ties, new capitalist might in the form of aluminum giant United Co. Rusal and Putin's popularity among other leaders.Putin is widely viewed as a kind of "guru" in Africa, Viktor Boyarkin, a former diplomat and ex-Rusal security chief who's known Conde for a decade, said in an interview in Moscow. "People come to him for advice."Initially hailed when he came to power for ushering in democratic rule, Conde has cracked down in recent years as opposition has grown. In August, the International Monetary Fund called the poor, mainly Muslim nation of 13 million "a fragile country with heightened risks of social and political instability."The same day Putin discussed possible constitutional changes in Moscow, fueling speculation that he was seeking ways to remain in power beyond the end of his term in 2024, Conde unveiled plans for a new version of Guinea's basic law that would lengthen the presidential term. He said the new document would need to be approved in a national referendum."A new constitution would allow him to seek a third mandate if he wishes," said Aboubacar Sylla, a government spokesman. "The president has never spoken about a third mandate and before a referendum can be held it's not even an issue."But opponents said the plan is proof their fears that Conde plans to stay in power are justified. "This confirms his intentions," Sidya Toure, the president of opposition group Union of Republican Forces and a former prime minister, told Guineenews.Back in January, Putin's envoy to Guinea had stunned local opposition groups and foreign governments alike by backing constitutional changes to extend Conde's rule. In a speech broadcast on state television, then-Ambassador Alexander Bregadze called Conde "legendary" and argued that constitutions shouldn't be considered immutable works akin to "The Bible or Koran."Four months later, Rusal hired the ambassador as its country chief in Guinea. Rusal, which was run by billionaire Oleg Deripaska until U.S. sanctions imposed over his ties to Putin forced him to step down in 2018, sources about 40% of its bauxite from Guinean mines.Russian AdviceBoyarkin is consulting Conde's administration ahead of the possible extension to his rule, according to three people with direct knowledge of the efforts. Boyarkin denied being an "adviser" to Conde. That may have something to do with being blacklisted by the U.S. a year ago over his ties to Deripaska, which prompted him to give up ownership of Bureau Legint, a Russian consultancy working in Guinea.Boyarkin said his only activity in Guinea now is offering advice and his "high-level" contacts to foreign companies pursuing investment opportunities, including hydroelectric and mining projects. Sylla, the government spokesman, declined to comment on any connections to Conde.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia isn't involved in anything to do with Guinea's "internal affairs."Still, Russia's embrace of Conde has put it at odds with the U.S. and France, both of which have mounted public and private diplomatic campaigns to get him to step down at the end of his term.In August, during a tense exchange in southern France, French President Emmanuel Macron told Conde he was concerned about the tensions that a possible third term could cause in Guinea and warned he'd be watching closely, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Conde replied tersely that he'll rely on his own counsel, the people said. Sylla, the Guinean government spokesman, said Conde hasn't discussed the possibility of a third term either with Macron or Putin. A spokeswoman for the French president didn't respond to requests for comment on the meeting.U.S. PressureFrance has also been working with countries bordering Guinea to "safeguard the spirit" of the Guinean constitution and ensure the next elections are "free, peaceful and transparent," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said earlier this year.U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo delivered a similar message during Conde's trip to Washington in September, stressing the importance of "regular, democratic transitions of power," according to the State Department.A few weeks later, just before Conde met with Putin, mass demonstrations against changing Guinea's constitution erupted in Conakry. At least 14 protesters and one policeman have been killed in clashes since, according to Human Rights Watch.Opposition leaders say Guineans are growing increasingly suspicious of Russia's role because it's starting to look like the Kremlin is blatantly interfering in their politics."We originally thought Bregadze's comment on the constitution was the personal position of an ambassador close to Conde," said Cellou Dalein Diallo, who lost the 2015 presidential election but refused to recognize the results over what he called massive vote-rigging. "But now we don't know because Russia hasn't denied this position."Boyarkin blames the protests mainly on "outside forces" and has nothing but praise for Conde. "I consider him a savior for Guinea."Manafort TiesBoyarkin also has influential ties elsewhere. The U.S. Treasury, imposing sanctions on him a year ago, described Boyarkin as a former military-intelligence officer, something he would neither confirm nor deny.In 2008, he worked with Paul Manafort, a former chairman of U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign who was later jailed for financial crimes, on African political-consulting projects Boyarkin declined to elaborate on.Boyarkin said he joined Rusal in 2008 and stopped working for Deripaska in 2016.Boyarkin's relationship with Conde -- he says they met in 2008 -- has been good for the Russian aluminum company. After Conde came to power, Boyarkin says he helped resolve a dispute with the government, successfully averting a $1 billion claim filed by the military junta that preceded him.In the public part of his meeting with Putin, Conde praised Russia for "always being a friendly country.""Since the days of the Soviet Union, you have been alongside us, protecting us," he told Putin.\--With assistance from Brad Cook, Yuliya Fedorinova, Baudelaire Mieu and Katarina Hoije.To contact the reporters on this story: Henry Meyer in Moscow at hmeyer4@bloomberg.net;Ilya Arkhipov in in Moscow at iarkhipov@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Gregory L. White at gwhite64@bloomberg.net, Tony HalpinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Plans for impeachment trial get foggy before holiday break Posted: 20 Dec 2019 09:59 PM PST  President Donald Trump is in sunny Florida after his historic impeachment, while plans for his speedy trial back in Washington remained clouded. Senate leaders jockeying for leverage have failed to agree on procedures for the trial. Trump is still expected to be acquitted of both charges in the Senate, where Republicans have the majority, in what will be only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history.
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| India Banks May Ask Customers to List Their Religion, Times Says Posted: 20 Dec 2019 09:37 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Indian banks may ask depositors and customers to list their religion, The Times of India reported.The information may be required after the Reserve Bank of India made changes to a banking law that allows selected non-residents to open bank accounts and own property, the report said. Amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Regulations will let immigrant Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- all minorities from neighboring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan -- own property and open accounts in India. Muslims from those countries were excluded, as were atheists and people from other neighboring countries or regions such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Tibet, the paper said.Citizenship LawThe changes are similar to a new law introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government that bars Muslims from neighboring countries from seeking Indian citizenship. That law, seen as a precursor to a nationwide citizenship register to weed out illegal migrants, has led to large-scale violent protests that have crossed religious lines, and drawn a crackdown by authorities.The protests comes amid India's slowest economic growth in more than six years, rising unemployment and growing unease fueled by a series of surprise government decisions. Modi and Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah scrapped seven decades of autonomy for the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, and announced plans for a nationwide registry that would require people to prove their citizenship. The law has raised fears about potential damage to the ethos of secularism and religious equality enshrined in India's Constitution.Before the amendments to the banking law, a foreigner could open accounts regardless of religion or country of origin. Foreigners who resided in India for more than six months — and who weren't citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China, Iran, Nepal, or Bhutan -- previously were able to buy residential property, the Times report said.The changes were made last year but went unnoticed, the report said. The RBI didn't respond to questions from the Times, the paper said.To contact the reporter on this story: Archana Chaudhary in New Delhi at achaudhary2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Michael S. ArnoldFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump escapes chill of Washington for Florida holiday Posted: 20 Dec 2019 09:27 PM PST  President Donald Trump has escaped the chill of Washington and his impeachment to celebrate Christmas and New Year's in sunny Florida with family and friends. One thing he isn't celebrating is the delay in his Senate impeachment trial. It's got him "mad as hell," according to one ally.
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| North Korea: US will 'pay dearly' for criticising our human rights record Posted: 20 Dec 2019 07:56 PM PST  North Korea reacted angrily to criticism from the United States over its human rights record, saying America would "pay dearly" for its "malicious words". The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday condemned North Korea's "long-standing and ongoing" violations of human rights in an annual resolution, sponsored by dozens of countries including the US, that Pyongyang's UN envoy rejected. KCNA, North Korea's state news agency, said on Friday that comments from the US would only aggravate tensions on the Korean peninsula. In a statement attributed to a foreign ministry spokesperson, North Korea on Friday warned that if the US dared to take issue with the North's system of government by citing human rights problems, it would "pay dearly". The North Korean Foreign Ministry statement is its first since Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, publicly urged Pyongyang on Monday to return to talks. There has been no direct response from North Korea to Biegun's request. North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests in recent weeks and analysts have said that the secretive state may be preparing for an intercontinental ballistic missile test that could put it back on a path of confrontation with the US. North Korea has repeatedly called for the US to drop its "hostile policy" before more talks, as its self-imposed year-end deadline for denuclearisation negotiations approaches.
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| Australia battles 'catastrophic' wildfires as PM rushes home Posted: 20 Dec 2019 07:45 PM PST  Australia's most populous state was paralyzed by "catastrophic" fire conditions Saturday amid soaring temperatures, while one person died as wildfires ravaged the country's southeast, officials said. "Catastrophic fire conditions are as bad as it gets," New South Wales Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters. Areas in western Sydney were forecast to hit 47 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit).
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| Donald Trump signs off on sanctions against Russian pipeline Nord Stream 2 Posted: 20 Dec 2019 07:36 PM PST  President Trump has signed off on sanctions against companies building a Russian natural gas pipeline to Germany that Congress fears will give the Kremlin dangerous leverage over America's European allies. The sanctions, which are opposed by the European Union, were included in a sprawling defence spending bill that Mr Trump signed at a ceremony on Joint Base Andrews, an air force installation outside Washington. They target companies building the nearly $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea with the aim of doubling deliveries of Russian natural gas to Europe's leading economy, Germany. US lawmakers have warned that the pipeline would enrich a hostile Russian government and vastly increase President Putin's influence in Europe at a time of heightened tension across the continent. Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved the sanctions, with the Senate voting on Tuesday to send the measure to Mr Trump's desk. Nord Stream gas pipeline Mr Trump, who has been accused by Democratic opponents of being soft on Mr Putin, had little choice but to give his approval. The sanctions were inserted into a much wider $738 billion annual Pentagon funding bill and, given the level of congressional support, a veto would likely have been overturned. The US measures have angered Moscow and the European Union, which says it should be able to decide its own energy policies. Heiko Maas, Germany's foreign minister, discussed the issue during a phone call on Friday with Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State. Mr Pompeo expressed "strong opposition" to the project, a State Department spokeswoman said in a statement. The German-Russian Chamber of Commerce insisted last week that the pipeline was important for energy security and urged retaliatory sanctions against the US if the bill passes. The US sanctions target pipe-laying vessels for Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream, a Russia-Turkey pipeline, and include asset freezes and revocation of US visas for the contractors. One major contractor that could be hit is Swiss-based Allseas, which has been hired by Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom to build the offshore section. The power of Gazprom, which is closely integrated with the Russian state, is at the center of concerns about the pipeline in the United States, and also in eastern and central European countries. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican ally of Mr Trump, said that halting Nord Stream 2 should be a major security priority for the US and Europe alike. "It's far better for Europe to be relying on energy from the United States than to be fueling Putin and Russia and dependent on Russia and subject to economic blackmail," he told the Senate last week. However, Senator Rand Paul, another Republican, voted against the bill, objecting to its bid to "sanction Nato allies and potentially American energy companies."
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| Judge revokes grazing permit for ranchers pardoned by Trump Posted: 20 Dec 2019 07:29 PM PST  A judge on Friday revoked the grazing permit of two ranchers who were pardoned last year by President Donald Trump on an arson conviction for setting fire to federal lands. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon ruled in the long-running case after hearing arguments from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which granted a 10-year grazing permit to Dwight and Steven Hammond after Trump's July 2018 pardon.
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| Bolsonaro: a year of anti-establishment uproar in Brazil Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:45 PM PST  Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has had a combative first year leading Brazil after vowing to "liberate" the country from the left and "globalization," while pushing his pro-gun and religion agenda. "I always dreamed of liberating Brazil from the nefarious ideology of the left," he said during a visit to Washington in March. In September, as hugely damaging wildfires raged in the Amazon eliciting worldwide alarm, Bolsonaro warned the United Nations to stay out of Brazil's affairs.
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| Man who kidnapped Wisconsin teen: She was 'terrified of me' Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:39 PM PST  A man convicted of kidnapping a Wisconsin girl and killing her parents told police after his arrest that he never thought Jayme Closs would escape because she was petrified, and that after holding her captive for two weeks, he believed he'd get away with his crimes, according to a transcript of a police interview. "I know that she was just (expletive) terrified of me," Jake Patterson said following his arrest in January. The transcript of Patterson's interview with authorities was among hundreds of pages of investigative documents released Friday by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
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