| 64 US troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following Iran's missile attack Posted: 30 Jan 2020 05:30 PM PST  The number of injured troops with mild TBIs from Iran's missile attack has steadily risen from under a dozen to nearly six times that figure.
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| UN Security Council urges immediate end to fighting in Yemen Posted: 30 Jan 2020 04:14 PM PST ![UN Security Council urges immediate end to fighting in Yemen]( "UN Security Council urges immediate end to fighting in Yemen") The U.N. Security Council called Thursday for an immediate end to a "significant" escalation in fighting in Yemen between Houthi Shiite rebels and the Saudi-led military coalition supporting the government. The council statement followed a briefing Tuesday by the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths.
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| Venezuela's Guaidó angles for Trump meeting at end of trip Posted: 30 Jan 2020 03:30 PM PST  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó wraps up an international tour with a rally in Miami on Super Bowl weekend with the looming question whether the opposition leader can score an important meeting with President Donald Trump. Guaidó's ability to win face time with Trump in a symbolically important meeting will test the young political leader's standing with his most important international ally. "If Trump does not meet with Guaidó, that would raise serious questions about the administration's continuing commitment to Venezuela's interim president," said Michael Shifter, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think tank.
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| Carter says Trump Mideast plan violates international law Posted: 30 Jan 2020 03:01 PM PST  Jimmy Carter said Thursday that President Donald Trump's Middle East plan would violate international law and urged the United Nations to stop Israel from annexing Palestinian land. "If implemented, the plan will doom the only viable solution to this long-running conflict, the two-state solution," said Carter, who brokered the landmark 1978 Camp David Accords that brought peace between Israel and Egypt.
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| "Dawn of a new era": UK's Johnson "respectfully" marks Brexit day Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:30 PM PST !["Dawn of a new era": UK's Johnson "respectfully" marks Brexit day]( "\"Dawn of a new era\": UK's Johnson \"respectfully\" marks Brexit day") Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hail Brexit day on Friday as "the dawn of a new era" and pledge to unite Britain in an address to the nation which he hopes will draw a line under years of angry debate over the European Union. On the day the United Kingdom ends its more than 40-year membership of the EU, Johnson, the face of the Brexit campaign, wants to avoid seeming triumphalist. When Britain leaves, little will change immediately.
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| Boris Johnson Urges U.K. to ‘Unite And Level Up’ After Brexit Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:30 PM PST ![Boris Johnson Urges U.K. to 'Unite And Level Up' After Brexit]( "Boris Johnson Urges U.K. to 'Unite And Level Up' After Brexit") (Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson will urge the U.K. to come together after the years of division over Brexit as it finally leaves the European Union on Friday."The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning," Johnson will say in a video message to be released by his office at 10 p.m., an hour before Britain leaves the bloc. "This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act."Earlier in the day, the prime minister, who is determined to move the national conversation on from Brexit, will meet with his cabinet in Sunderland, northeast England, as part of an effort to show he's interested in parts of the country where his Conservative Party hasn't historically been strong."This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances -- your family's life chances -- should depend on which part of the country you grow up in," Johnson will say, according to his office. "This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up."To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Stuart BiggsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Estranged husband accused of killing Jennifer Dulos dies Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:22 PM PST  Fotis Dulos, 52, had been hospitalized since Tuesday when he was found at his home in Farmington, Connecticut, following an apparent suicide attempt. "It's been a truly horrific day for the family filled with difficult decisions, medical tests and meeting the requirements to determine death," attorney Norm Pattis said. "To those who contend that Mr. Dulos' death reflects a consciousness of guilt, we say no," he added.
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| The House just used its most powerful weapon to stop Trump from a war with Iran Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:09 PM PST  The House voted to cut off funding from the Pentagon for military action against Iran, a drastic move that could stop any war.
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| US hits Iran with new sanctions, keeps some waivers in place Posted: 30 Jan 2020 01:30 PM PST  The Trump administration said Thursday that it will continue — at least for now — its policy of not sanctioning foreign companies that work with Iran's civilian nuclear program. Brian Hook, U.S. envoy to Iran, said the U.S. would renew for 60 days sanctions waivers that permit Russian, European and Chinese companies to continue to work on Iran's civilian nuclear facilities without running afoul of U.S. sanctions.
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| How Trump's Failed Maximum Pressure Policy Played a Role in Suleimani's Assassination Posted: 30 Jan 2020 01:24 PM PST  A military escalation with a maximalist political stance only further increases perceptions of U.S. regime-change policy in Iran without concern for the violent consequences stemming from such a campaign.
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| White House Prepares to Expand Ability to Use Land Mines Posted: 30 Jan 2020 01:06 PM PST ![White House Prepares to Expand Ability to Use Land Mines]( "White House Prepares to Expand Ability to Use Land Mines") (Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration is preparing to loosen rules on the U.S. military's ability to use land mines, even after more than 150 countries signed a treaty banning them, according to a person familiar with the matter.The current U.S. policy on land mines, adopted by former President Barack Obama in 2014, has been to refrain from using them outside the Korean Peninsula and not assist countries outside the peninsula from deploying them.Land mines can remain active for decades. According to the United Nations, every day mines are responsible for deaths or severe injuries, including the loss of limbs. Those casualties prompted three-quarters of the world's countries to bar the use of anti-personnel land mines in 1997. The U.S. never signed onto that treaty, although an American, Jody Williams, shared the Nobel Peace Prize that year for her work to eliminate the weapons."They restrict the movement of people and humanitarian aid, make land unsuitable for cultivation, and deny citizens access to water, food, care and trade," according to the UN's Office for Disarmament Affairs.CNN earlier reported the Trump administration's plans.At a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in response to a question about the policy that "there will be a change coming out. I'm not going to comment on it until it is." The White House declined to comment.It's not clear what prompted the administration to change course on land mines. CNN reported that former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis launched a review of the policy in 2017 and concluded that prohibiting their use outside of Korea "increased risk to mission success" and could increase U.S. casualties.The UN said that land mines treaty has resulted in a sharp decline in casualties, and the destruction of more than 40 million stockpiled mines.The Trump administration's plans drew alarm from Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who has sought to reduce the use of land mines and assist those injured by the weapons. He said he asked the Pentagon to hold off on making a decision. "Congress must be consulted before any decision that would reverse the gains we have made toward ending the carnage caused by land mines," he said in a statement.(Updates with Leahy comment in final two paragraphs.)\--With assistance from Josh Wingrove and Glen Carey.To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Bill FariesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Defense secretary says Trump 'very concerned' about Iran attack brain injury victims Posted: 30 Jan 2020 12:53 PM PST  Defense secretary says Trump 'very concerned' about Iran attack brain injury victims originally appeared on abcnews.go.comA week after President Donald Trump seemed to minimize the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) suffered by service members following Iran's missile attack on a base in Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday that Trump is now "very concerned. ...
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| Experts on Dershowitz's impeachment defense: Quid pro whoa Posted: 30 Jan 2020 12:45 PM PST  Alan Dershowitz delivered a stunning defense of President Donald Trump in the Senate that would essentially make it impossible to impeach a president for anything he might do to boost his reelection prospects. Dershowitz said on Thursday that his remarks have been misinterpreted, but Democrats seized on them as they pressed their case for Trump's removal from office for tying the release of military aid to Ukraine to an investigation of his political rivals. As novel as it was, his premise in many ways tracked the views of Trump who has said he was not bound by some constitutional constraints that other presidents have readily accepted.
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| AP exclusive: Law firm dumps Maduro official amid outcry Posted: 30 Jan 2020 12:34 PM PST  A U.S. law firm that was hired for $12.5 million by a top official in Nicolás Maduro's government has decided to dump the controversial Venezuelan client amid a major outcry by critics who accused it of carrying water for a socialist "dictator," The Associated Press has learned. The AP reported Monday that Foley & Lardner had agreed to represent Maduro's Inspector General Reinaldo Muñoz. Filings with the Justice Department showed Foley & Lardner, which has offices in Washington, in turn paid $2 million to hire influential lobbyist Robert Stryk to help its client ease U.S. sanctions on Maduro's government and engage the Trump administration in direct talks.
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| Despite pressure, US renews exemptions for Iran nuclear deal Posted: 30 Jan 2020 12:15 PM PST  The United States on Thursday extended exemptions to let an internationally backed nuclear deal with Iran go forward, even as it announced new sanctions to step up pressure. President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, sending tensions soaring with Iran and leading Tehran to curb compliance, but European powers still back the deal. Brian Hook, the US pointman on Iran, said that the United States would for another 60 days issue exemptions in its sweeping sanctions to let Russian and other companies implement it without fear of punishment by Washington.
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| AP Interview: French ex-president regrets, shrugs off Brexit Posted: 30 Jan 2020 12:07 PM PST  Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who has spent much of his 93 years working to forge a united Europe, is remarkably blasé about Brexit. Barely 24 hours before Britain becomes the first country to quit the European Union, Giscard d'Estaing called it a "step backward" geopolitically, but took the long view. "We functioned without Britain during the first years of the European Union ... So we will rediscover a situation that we have already known," he told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.
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| House votes to curb Trump’s military action on Iran Posted: 30 Jan 2020 12:02 PM PST  The Democratic-led House passed legislation to repeal the 2002 war authorization for Iraq and to bar funding for military action in Iran, in an effort to reclaim Congress's war powers amid regional tensions.
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| UN envoy slams violations of pledge to end foreign meddling in Libya Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:57 AM PST  A UN envoy accused "unscrupulous" foreign actors Thursday of continuing to meddle in Libya's conflict, in violation of commitments made at an major international summit in Berlin this month. Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were among dignitaries at the conference.
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| House Votes to Repeal 2002 Military Authorization in Bid to Rein in Trump on Iran Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:51 AM PST ![House Votes to Repeal 2002 Military Authorization in Bid to Rein in Trump on Iran]( "House Votes to Repeal 2002 Military Authorization in Bid to Rein in Trump on Iran") WASHINGTON -- The House on Thursday moved to block President Donald Trump from taking military action against Iran without the approval of Congress, voting to repeal a 2002 war authorization and to bar him from using federal funds to mount an unauthorized strike against the country.The bipartisan votes reflected a Congress that has grown weary of military conflict and skeptical of the president's expansive war-making power after years of intractable hostilities in which thousands of U.S. troops have died. It amounted to another attempt by the Democratic-led House to place a constitutional check on Trump as the Senate was on the brink of deciding whether to convict him of impeachable offenses and remove him from office.The measures, opposed by the vast majority of Republicans, were all but certain to die in the Republican-controlled Senate.But in voting to repeal the 2002 law, the House was moving to reclaim congressional war powers by revoking a measure that three successive presidents have used to justify all manner of strikes without securing prior approval from the legislative branch.The law "allows war without end; this country can't tolerate that," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. and a leading anti-war voice in her party who sponsored Thursday's measure repealing it. "Congress has a responsibility to do their job and follow the Constitution and debate and vote on the use of the force in matters of war and peace."Congress passed the resolution in 2002 to authorize the use of military force in Iraq against Saddam Hussein's regime, which President George W. Bush said at the time possessed weapons of mass destruction. But it has been invoked by his successors for a variety of reasons -- President Barack Obama used it in 2014 as the legal justification for airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State -- leading Democrats and some Republicans to argue that it now serves only to provide presidents cover to circumvent Congress and order unauthorized strikes.Robert O'Brien, Trump's national security adviser, initially said a U.S. strike this month that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the most important general in Iran, was justified by the 2002 law, though the administration has since said the strike was a matter of self-defense under international law and pursuant to the president's constitutional powers as commander in chief.As escalating tensions with Iran brought the two countries to the brink of war, House Democrats pledged to impose another check on Trump's war powers in an effort to prevent a future dash toward military action."The need to hold this president in check has never been higher," said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. and the sponsor of the measure to block funding for a military strike on Iran unless authorized by Congress. "The worst thing we could do is let this president off the hook."Trump campaigned promising to disentangle the United States from endless wars. He has moved on a variety of fronts to scale back the country's military presence in hot spots around the globe, pulling troops out of Afghanistan, northern Syria and South Korea.But like other presidents before him, Trump is unwilling to have his war powers constrained by Congress. The administration has threatened to veto both of the measures the House passed Thursday, arguing they would hinder the president's ability to defend the country and its interests.In the White House's statement warning that Trump would veto the repeal of the 2002 authorization, administration officials contended that the resolution "has long been understood to authorize the use of force for" addressing threats emanating from Iraq, "as well as threats directed by Iran," language that Democrats cited as a dangerous reading of the law that underscored the urgency of getting rid of it.The House passed both measures as part of its version of the annual defense policy bill in July, but they were cut out of the final package after lawmakers had to negotiate with Republicans to reconcile the package with a far less confrontational version passed in the Senate.During the negotiation process, the White House, intent on creating the Space Force as the sixth branch of military and maintaining the ability to divert military construction funds to pay for the border wall, had initially been open to considering a repeal of the 2002 authorization of military force, according to three people familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity to discuss private discussions. But the Pentagon intervened, and the repeal was taken off the table, the people said.Trump at first appeared to give Republicans permission to support the measure Wednesday morning, writing on Twitter with the message that, "I want everyone, Republican and Democrat, to vote their HEART!"But by the evening, he reversed his stance, tweeting that the repeal was an attempt by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "take away authority Presidents use to stand up to other countries and defend AMERICANS.""Stand with your Commander in Chiefs!" the president added.Republican lawmakers on Thursday adopted a similar argument, contending that both amendments would shackle Trump's presidential prerogatives as commander in chief and endanger the nation's security.Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would "prefer a new and updated" authorization but described repealing the current one without a replacement as irresponsible.To do so, McCaul said, "endangers not only the United States' national security but our coalition partners, most notably Iraq."Fewer Republicans voted for both measures Thursday than when the House put up similar measures in a defense policy bill last year. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who voted for a similar Iran amendment in July, for example, declined to support Khanna's measure Thursday."In the context of the current state of affairs, I don't want to make a political statement that somehow we're not united as a nation in our stand in holding the line against Iran," Roy said in a brief interview.But more libertarian-minded groups and lawmakers backed the measures. Both FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy group, and Americans for Prosperity, the right-wing advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers, announced that votes against the amendment repealing the 2002 authorization would negatively impact the ratings they assign lawmakers."As commander in chief, the president can and should always project U.S. force to protect American lives and sovereignty," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, wrote in an op-ed before the vote."But Congress also must play its own war-powers role," he added, by passing a new authorization "that reflects clear, limited priorities in the Middle East, not more endless war."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| Congresswoman eyes document on border detention of Iranians Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:46 AM PST  A U.S. congresswoman was working Thursday to verify a document showing that despite agency denials, Customs and Border Protection agents were ordered to detain Iranian and Iranian-American travelers at the U.S.-Canada border in Washington state early this month. As many as 200 travelers with links to Iran were detained for as long as 12 hours as they crossed the border from Canada into Washington state the weekend of Jan. 5-6, following a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, according to U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who is trying to authenticate the document. CBP said at the time it had not targeted Iranian-Americans based on their country of origin or issued any such directive to its officers.
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| US awaits Iraq's okay to deploy Patriots to protect troops Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:42 AM PST  The United States is awaiting a green light from the Iraqi government to deploy Patriot missile defense systems to protect US troops from Iranian missile attacks, Pentagon chief Mark Esper said Thursday. Iran launched 11 missiles at a US air base at Ain al-Assad and another at a base in Erbil on January 8 in retaliation for the killing days earlier of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad. No US troops were killed but dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries from the explosions, and Washington wants to deploy Patriot missiles to better protect the bases, which house some of the 5,200 US military personnel deployed in Iraq.
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| UN envoy: Countries backing Libya peace fuel conflict Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:29 AM PST ![UN envoy: Countries backing Libya peace fuel conflict]( "UN envoy: Countries backing Libya peace fuel conflict") The U.N. envoy for Libya on Thursday accused some countries that approved a plan to restore peace to the north African country less than two weeks ago of stepping up weapons deliveries to its rival governments in hopes of a military victory. Salame did not name countries violating a U.N. arms embargo, the Jan. 12 truce called by the presidents of Russia and Turkey, and the 55-point road map to peace approved by leaders of 12 world powers and other key countries in Berlin on Jan. 19.
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| Putin vows to give voters a say on constitutional changes Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:21 AM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Thursday that the country's voters will have a final say on his proposed constitutional amendments, changes widely seen as crafted to let Putin stay in power well beyond the legally mandated end of his presidency in 2024. "It is necessary that people come to the polling stations and say whether they want the changes or not, " Putin said at a meeting with municipal officials in a Moscow suburb. "Only after the people speak out, I will either sign or not sign" the amendments into law, Putin added.
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| Has Trump proposed a Middle East peace plan – or terms of surrender for the Palestinians? Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:06 AM PST  January 28, 2020, is a date that will be remembered in Middle Eastern history – but it will take some time before anyone knows for sure how it will be remembered.The day didn't start well for Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel's longest-serving prime minister also became the country's first prime minister to be indicted while still in office. He faces multiple charges of corruption.But Netanyahu didn't have much time to sulk. Just a few hours later, he was standing alongside Donald Trump as the pair unveiled the U.S. administration's long-anticipated plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, written in no small part in coordination with – and deeply in tune with – Netanyahu's policies.The fact that the plan's unveiling came as both men face intense domestic scrutiny – the press conference interrupted coverage of Trump's impeachment – should not be overlooked.I have been following developments in the Middle East for a long time as a U.S. State Department official, a lifelong student and now a professor of Israeli history, and as a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel. I know how complex the issues are and how past attempts at peace have fallen well short. In black and white …Trump's plan comprises two different goals.The first – fostering Israeli-Palestinian peace, or at least coexistence – is there in black and white for all to read.The second – tying Trump and Netanyahu's respective domestic critics into knots – is everywhere between the lines.While the Trump administration worked on the plan in coordination with Israel and "friendly" Arab states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, it crucially did not involve the Palestinians. Palestinian resistance to the very development of this plan – out of suspicion, weakness and resentment – was met not with a carrot but a stick, with the U.S. cutting all aid to Gaza and the West Bank in February 2019.As a result, positions in the plan that might have been viewed as difficult compromises, had they been negotiated, are instead rightly seen as terms of surrender. Yes, the plan gives Palestinians a path to limited statehood, but only after ceding on the core issues of Israeli settlements, refugees and control of much of Jerusalem.The plan was successfully kept behind the curtains while being drafted, but it now steps out onto a complicated stage. Relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have for some years been in utter political stalemate, even as the two have maintained working-level security cooperation. In Hamas-run Gaza, Israel has been in a long war of attrition, mixing ongoing less-than-total violence with tacit mutual understandings aimed at managing the conflict.Meanwhile, Israel's ties with several Sunni Arab states, especially in the Gulf, have been deepening, united by a desire to ward off Iran and its Shia proxies in Lebanon and what remains of Syria. Jordan, structurally weak but strategically important due to its location and links to Arab and Islamic actors, balances contending forces with skill and jitters.Internal Palestinian politics are riven by the bitter rivalry between the nationalist Palestinian Authority and the Islamist group Hamas and by discontent with the Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas' hold on power amid claims of corruption and mismanagement in the Palestinian semi-government.Israeli politics is stalemated, too, and headed for its third round of parliamentary elections in less than a year, spurred by fallout from Netanyahu's corruption scandals and a fragmented opposition.Many Israelis are alienated by Netanyahu's endless legal troubles and divisive politics, but others are kindled by his attacks on political opponents. Meanwhile the Israeli left has failed to recover the credibility it lost on security issues following the collapse of 2000's Camp David talks and the ensuing Second Intifada. As for Trump, he remains popular in Israel – including among centrists, who don't necessarily follow day-to-day U.S. politics and look unfavorably on former President Barack Obama's handling of the Middle East.At home, Trump's policies on Israel do not reflect that of the majority of American Jews, who tend to be politically liberal and supportive of a mutually negotiated two-state solution. Rather, Trump's views chime with that of the smaller but more fervent American Jewish right, and above all with the millions of evangelicals who are a key plank of the president's base.Into all this drops the 180-page peace plan – whose heart is creating a legally recognized but geographically tiny and fragmented Palestinian state without full military powers – something that falls way short of Palestinian aspirations. Some parts of the plan are not unreasonable, and the many failed attempts at peacemaking to date call for fresh thinking. But the problems in this plan are very real.It stakes out strong positions on the three hard issues that have bedeviled negotiations time and again: Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.The Trump plan leaves all Israeli settlements in place and proposes a networks of roads and tunnels to help Palestinian move around the cantons that would make up their state. It also freezes Jerusalem's status quo and makes permanent Israel's security barrier between the city's east and west. As for the Palestinians who fled or were forced out of their homes in the 1948 war and their descendants, the plan says they are to be financially compensated. A few will be absorbed into Israel, but most will be integrated into either the envisioned Palestinian state or their current country of residence – which includes the Arab states that have refused to absorb them to date.These stances will be politically helpful to Netanyahu and congenial to many Israelis, who want to end the country's occupation of the Palestinians, if their own personal security can be assured.To the Palestinians, they represent bitter pills, each of which would be hard enough to swallow on its own.Reaction to the plan has led to talk of a possible reconciliation between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, something Israel has been trying to avoid – and put security forces on alert for further violence.Another problem is in the thinking that is evident in the plan's title, "Peace to Prosperity." Blueprints for economic development are woven throughout. The ideas are laudable. But the notion that the most fervently committed Jews and Arabs will trade away their deepest convictions for financial gain is as unlikely to take hold now as it did in the Oslo Accords of the 1990s. … and red lines all overSo what happens now?Netanyahu has announced he will begin to annex territory, in a move his main political challenger, former Army Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, described as "reckless and irresponsible," even as he says he accepts the plan's broad outlines for an eventual settlement. The Palestinians for their part have rejected the proposals and taken to the streets in protest.The plan raises some serious, immediate questions: How much unilateral action will Netanyahu take without paying a domestic price – especially with Israelis returning to the polls in March? And what responses are open to the Palestinians, other than the tried-and-failed turns to violence and appeals to the U.N. – neither of which will move Israeli public opinion in their direction? Above all, the questions we should be asking are: What does this or any plan do concretely to improve the lives of people in the region? What practical steps could be taken to make viable coexistence – peace is too strong a word – further down the line possible or at least avert new violence triggered by thwarted expectations? There is no easy solution to the bitter Israel-Palestinian conflict. Unilateral annexation by Israel will only further Palestinian resentment and rejectionism. Too many people, in Washington as well as the Middle East, view the conflict in terms of ideological dreams and agendas, paying little heed to the real needs of people on the ground, Israeli and Palestinian alike. Should this plan become, like so many of its predecessors, a political football on both sides of the ocean, the people who make their homes and live their lives on politicians' playing fields will lose. [ Insight, in your inbox each day. You can get it with The Conversation's email newsletter. ]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Limiting Senate inquiry ignores Founders' intent for impeachment * The impact of Brexit on relations between the UK and Gulf countriesYehudah Mirsky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| US finds ally in Mexico as asylum policy marks first year Posted: 30 Jan 2020 10:37 AM PST  The Perla family of El Salvador has slipped into a daily rhythm in Mexico while they wait for the U.S. to decide whether to grant them asylum. The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday that it started making Brazilians wait in Mexico. Others, like the Perlas, became entrenched in Mexican life.
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| Egyptian archaeologists unveil ancient tombs, artifacts Posted: 30 Jan 2020 10:35 AM PST  TUNA AL-GABAL, Egypt (AP) — Archaeologists on Thursday unveiled 16 ancient Egyptian tombs filled with sarcophagi and other artifacts from a vast burial ground. Egypt's Antiquities Ministry announced the discoveries in the village of Tuna al-Gabal, near the Nile Valley city of Minya in central Egypt. Among the new treasures presented: 20 sarcophagi made from limestone and etched with hieroglyphic texts, five wooden coffins, hundreds of amulets and 10,000 blue funerary statues, known as ushabti figurines, which are fixtures in the ancient tombs of the area.
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| Syrian filmmaker denounces UN over hospital bombings Posted: 30 Jan 2020 10:20 AM PST  Waad al-Kateab, the director of Oscar-nominated Syrian film "For Sama," demonstrated outside the United Nations headquarters on Thursday to denounce the bombings of hospitals in her war-torn country. "Shame, UN, shame," "Shame, (UN Secretary-General Antonio) Guterres, shame," chanted the filmmaker, whose autobiographical documentary is in the running for this year's Academy Awards. Addressing some dozen protesters belonging to the NGO Physicians for Human Rights, Waad al-Kateab read out messages from doctors testifying to the devastation caused by the bombing of hospitals in rebel-held areas of Syria.
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| Pompeo sees Brexit 'benefits' on eve of Britain's EU departure Posted: 30 Jan 2020 10:07 AM PST  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo predicted Thursday that Brexit would bring "enormous benefits" to the United States and the UK, as he wound down a visit to Britain on the eve of its historic departure from the European Union. The chief US diplomat also played down a dispute about Britain's decision to plug in Chinese technology into its next-generation mobile network, suggesting that Washington would continue sharing intelligence with London.
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| House backs measures asserting congressional war powers Posted: 30 Jan 2020 10:04 AM PST  Refocusing a debate on war and peace in the midst of the Senate impeachment trial, the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday approved measures reasserting congressional authority over war powers. In separate votes, the House passed a proposal to repeal the 2002 congressional authorization for the war in Iraq as well as a plan to prevent tax dollars from being used to take military action against Iran without congressional approval. Repeal of the 2002 authorization was approved by a 236-166 vote, while the funding measure on Iran passed 228-175.
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| U.S. House Votes to Limit Trump’s Military Options Against Iran Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:57 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Congress is once again trying to curb President Donald Trump's military options, even after tensions with Iran have lessened since the U.S. strike that killed an Iranian general.The Democratic-led House passed two bills Thursday, though neither is likely to advance in the Republican-led Senate. The first measure, which passed 228-175, was introduced by California Democrat Ro Khanna and would ban the use of federal funds for military action against Iran not authorized by Congress.The second, which passed 236-166, was introduced by Representative Barbara Lee and would repeal a 2002 military authorization the Trump administration cited as part of the justification for the strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in early January.Trump gave mixed signals on the measures, initially tweeting on Wednesday that Republicans and Democrats should "vote their HEART" on the two bills. He later said that Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi was trying to take away a president's ability to confront other countries and lawmakers should "stand with" the commander-in-chief.The vote comes at a historic time in Congress, with the Senate currently occupied with Trump's impeachment trial. Thursday's House debate, just as the Senate prepared to resume consideration of the charges against Trump, meant that Congress's two weightiest constitutional duties -- impeachment and war -- were being discharged simultaneously at opposite ends of the Capitol.Veto ThreatLee has consistently advocated for the repeal of both the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (or AUMF) in Iraq and the 2001 authorization in Afghanistan, both passed under President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.Lawmakers of both parties questioned President Barack Obama's use of the authorizations to justify a continued troop presence in the Middle East. That concern has been amplified under Trump, a president with little foreign policy experience. While Trump campaigned on ending U.S. military commitments in the Middle East, he has kept troops in the region, citing continuing threats from terrorists and Iran.The Senate has shown some willingness to buck Trump on foreign policy, passing bills regarding Saudi Arabia and Yemen but failing to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto. Trump reluctantly signed measures supporting protests in Hong Kong after they passed both chambers almost unanimously.The Trump administration said the president would veto both measures if they pass the Senate, arguing that they would damage his ability to establish a deterrent against Iranian aggression and would violate the Constitution by limiting the commander-in-chief's authority over the military."The 2002 AUMF provides critical authorities for the United States to defend itself and its partner forces as they carry out their missions against terrorist threats emanating from Iraq and in support of a stable, democratic Iraq," the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement. "The arbitrary termination of the authorization would embolden our enemies."Even so, Trump's first Wednesday tweet appeared to give Republicans a green light to vote for at least one of the measures:That tweet elicited quick responses from several Republicans. Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, tweeted that he would vote to repeal the 2002 Iraq war authorization.Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, also said in a tweet that he'd back the repeal."Thank you for being the only President in recent decades who hasn't started a war. The troops truly appreciate your efforts," he wrote. "As the lead Republican cosponsor of the original bill to repeal the 2002 AUMF in Iraq, I will be voting my heart, and my vote will be yes."War PowersTrump's second Wednesday tweet, however, more closely resembled his customary demands for party unity in the face of perceived affronts.Other measures to curb a president's unilateral military options have attracted interesting coalitions, and nowhere is that more apparent than the Senate companion bill to Khanna's measure. That bill was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and Utah Senator Mike Lee, a conservative and close Trump ally.A Senate bill to repeal the existing authorizations also has bipartisan cosponsors: Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine and Indiana Republican Todd Young.Kaine has also attracted Republican support for another measure he introduced after the Soleimani killing to constrain Trump's war powers regarding Iran. That resolution is on hold during the impeachment trial, and while Kaine says it has the votes to pass the Senate, it probably wouldn't withstand a veto. The House passed a similar measure this month but would have to vote again on the version passed by the Senate.To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.net;Roxana Tiron in Washington at rtiron@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Anna Edgerton, Larry LiebertFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US reports 1st case of person-to-person spread of new virus Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:44 AM PST  For the first time in the U.S., the new virus from China has spread from one person to another, health officials said Thursday. The latest case — the sixth in the country — is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from the epicenter of an outbreak in China. There have been previous cases in China and elsewhere of the virus spreading between people in a household or workplace.
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| Mr. Stop Brexit won't give up despite UK's departure from EU Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:40 AM PST  Britain is leaving the European Union on Friday night, but a persistent protester known as Mr. Stop Brexit is not giving up the fight. Steve Bray, who received his nickname from the British press, has been a thorn in the side of hardcore Brexit supporters — and the bane of TV reporters - for more than two years. Journalists found it all but impossible to question politicians without recording Bray chanting "Stop Brexit!" as well.
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| Iraq says joint operations with US-led coalition resume Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:33 AM PST  Joint military operations with the U.S.-led coalition to counter the Islamic State group have resumed after a nearly three-week pause, an Iraqi military statement said Thursday. Meanwhile, anti-government protesters called for 1 million Iraqis to take to the streets Friday in what they said was a "last chance" for the protest movement to build on momentum gained after followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr packed up and left last week. The pause in joint anti-IS operations came amid heightened tensions after a Washington-led airstrike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad.
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| Meghan McCain: Don’t Dismiss Dershowitz. He ‘Helped a Serial Killer Get Off.’ Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:32 AM PST  The View's Meghan McCain on Thursday warned her co-hosts not to dismiss Trump impeachment legal team member Alan Dershowitz so much—following the widespread mockery he's received over his recent arguments— insisting his reputation is nothing to laugh at since he once "helped a serial killer get off."During the impeachment trial's Q&A; session on Wednesday, Dershowitz essentially argued a president could engage in corrupt acts—like, say, a quid pro quo with Ukraine—if he believes it "will help him get elected in the public interest.""Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest, and mostly you're right," Dershowitz argued. "Your election is in the public interest, and if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment."On Thursday's edition of The View, the majority of the table roundly dismissed the famed attorney's argument, mockingly wondering if Dershowitz was asserting that Trump could "nuke the Ukraine to make Putin happy" if the president could claim it was in the "public interest."'Oh God!': Whoopi Goldberg Threatens to 'Cut Off' Rambling Dershowitz in Contentious InterviewCo-host Sunny Hostin, a lawyer herself, took issue with Dershowitz's "disingenuous argument" excusing corruption."So the way I think about it is, let's say you kill someone, let's say you murder someone and that someone happens to also be a really bad person, so you're like, you know, helping the world in a sense because you've taken this bad person out of the world," Hostin stated. "But you still killed someone, so you're still guilty of a crime, right?"After Hostin added that he made an argument "any first-year law student would shoot down" and the other hosts wondered aloud what happened to Dershowitz over the years, McCain jumped in to offer a defense of the famed attorney."I'm not a lawyer, I don't know," the conservative host said. "I will say that Alan Dershowitz helped a serial killer get off, O.J. Simpson, so he must be a pretty good lawyer because he did a really good job with that.""I think O.J. Simpson is guilty so he must be a pretty good lawyer so we're laughing at him all the time and I don't think, like. that's a person to be laughed at," McCain concluded.While Simpson was eventually acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, he has never been accused of being a "serial killer." McCain's interesting defense of Dershowitz comes a day after the retired Harvard Law professor appeared on The View for a rambling, off-the-rails interview that featured the hosts and audience loudly groaning at his positions.Meghan McCain Opens Up About 'The View' Drama With Abby Huntsman and Whoopi Goldberg: 'We All F*ck Up'Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| AP Exclusive: Woman who says Trump raped her seeks his DNA Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:29 AM PST  Lawyers for a woman who accuses President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s are asking for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she says she wore during the encounter. Carroll filed a defamation suit against Trump in November after the president denied her allegation. The White House and Trump's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
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| US-Israeli woman pardoned by Putin flies home with Netanyahu Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:24 AM PST  A US-Israeli woman jailed for drug trafficking in Russia flew into Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday after she was pardoned by President Vladimir Putin. Israeli TV stations screened live coverage of 26-year-old Naama Issachar's arrival at Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv. Russia freed her from prison shortly before Netanyahu met Putin at the Kremlin to discuss US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan.
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| EXPLAINER-Through the Brexit looking glass: What changes and what stays the same? Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:23 AM PST ![EXPLAINER-Through the Brexit looking glass: What changes and what stays the same?]( "EXPLAINER-Through the Brexit looking glass: What changes and what stays the same?") Brexit is the United Kingdom's biggest geopolitical move in decades. What will change and what will stay the same when Britain officially leaves the European Union on Friday at 2300 GMT? While the United Kingdom remains a member in all but name, it loses its vote in the meetings in Brussels that ultimately decide EU policy on matters ranging from financial services to the definition of a European-made car.
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| Pentagon seeking Iraqi permission to deploy missile defenses Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:20 AM PST  The United States has asked Iraq for permission to put Patriot missile systems at bases hosting U.S. troops to improve defenses against attacks like the Jan. 8 Iranian missile strike that caused brain injuries to more than 50 U.S. troops, Pentagon officials said Thursday. "That is one of the matters we have to work on and work through" with the Baghdad government, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told a Pentagon news conference.
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| Britain's Brexit divorce is here – but the bickering over alimony payments and who gets the house is only beginning Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:12 AM PST  On Jan. 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally ceases to be a member of the European Union, 1,317 days after citizens of the U.K. narrowly voted to do so in their Brexit referendum. So what happens now? Does it mean the U.K. and EU are officially divorced?As with many relationships, it's complicated. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other "leave" proponents will be keen to celebrate finally getting "Brexit done" after years of frustrating negotiations. But as an expert in the EU and Brexit, I believe that "it is only half-time," as Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar put it. The thorny negotiations are about to start.On Feb. 1, Brexit's impact on the United Kingdom will be limited. Yes, the country will no longer be part of the European Union and its members of the European Parliament will officially step down. But, until Dec. 31, the U.K. will remain in the union's single market and customs union. It will continue to contribute to the EU budget. And it will still have to follow the EU's rules and regulations. This is all part of the so-called transition period – which could last as long as three years.By joint agreement, the EU and the U.K. can extend this transition period once for either 12 or 24 months. The United Kingdom, however, ruled out this option in December. So, absent a change on this front, the two parties will have fewer than 11 months to negotiate the future terms of their relationship.This is an extremely tall order for such a short period of time. London and Brussels need to reach an agreement on their terms of trade, as well as a host of other sensitive issues. These include law enforcement and security, data sharing, access to fishing waters, aviation standards and safety. Comprehensive trade agreements are notoriously difficult to negotiate. For reference, the recent EU-Canada accord took seven years. As long as the end of 2020 remains the deadline, London and Brussels could only realistically strive for a minimal deal before the U.K. is on its own, leaving many issues to be resolved for later years.Furthermore, the EU is a formidable negotiator. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made it clear that the United Kingdom faces clear choices. The more London diverges from EU rules and regulations, the more restricted its access to the EU's single market. This matters a lot as the EU currently accounts for 45% of all U.K. exports and 53% of all its imports.Moreover, the trade talks will have far-reaching ramifications. Once out of the EU, the U.K. will have to negotiate trade agreements with other countries, especially the United States – which is, after all, the United Kingdom's second-largest trading partner after the EU. And the very different approaches to food regulations in the EU and the U.S. could hinder Britain's ability to reach an agreement with both key partners.Additionally, any other third country will first want clarity on the future terms of the EU-U.K. trade relationship before embarking on serious negotiations with Britain. Finally, in a broader sense, leaving the European Union will present a stark challenge for the future of the United Kingdom's foreign policy. London will reclaim some independence of action, but it could struggle to exercise influence in a new era of Great Power rivalry involving China, the EU and the U.S.Thus, far from having completed Brexit, the United Kingdom will still face major decisions and challenges in the coming year.[ Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter. ]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Britain is about to leave the EU – what's next? * America has a unique 300 year old view of free trade – UK must recognise this to strike a dealGarret Martin receives funding from the European Union for the Transatlantic Policy Center, a Jean Monnet Center of Excellence based at American University.
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| Israel's path to annexation is lined with legal thorns Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:08 AM PST  Israel has vowed to quickly annex large parts of the occupied West Bank after getting a green light from President Donald Trump, whose newly unveiled Mideast initiative heavily favors Israel and has been rejected by the Palestinians. Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war, lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
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| Pompeo says UK trade talks with be contentious, particularly on food Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:02 AM PST  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned on Thursday that trade talks with Britain would be contentious, particularly over agriculture, and he hoped that food safety would not be used as a ruse to protect certain industries. Food standards, and the prospect that Britain would have to accept imports of chlorine-washed chicken from the United States in any trade deal between the two has become a symbol of what pro-EU Britons say will be a weak negotiating hand after Brexit. Britain leaves the European Union on Friday to enter a transition period that runs until the end of this year, enabling it to open trade talks with the United States and others.
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| Commentary: Who Pays For IMO 2020? Posted: 30 Jan 2020 08:46 AM PST ![Commentary: Who Pays For IMO 2020?]( "Commentary: Who Pays For IMO 2020?") The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented its low-sulfur fuel mandate on January 1, 2020. The scale of the pollution problem is highlighted in a 2018 study by Goldman Sachs. The marine sector is responsible for 90% of the sulfur-dioxide generated by all modes of transportation.
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| UN agency halts operations at troubled Libya migrant center Posted: 30 Jan 2020 08:45 AM PST ![UN agency halts operations at troubled Libya migrant center]( "UN agency halts operations at troubled Libya migrant center") The U.N.'s refugee agency in Libya announced Thursday it is suspending its operations at a jam-packed migrant facility over safety concerns as deadly fighting near the capital intensifies. The U.N. first opened its transit center in Tripoli as an alternative to Libya's notorious detention sites for migrants ostensibly awaiting repatriation or resettlement. Detention facilities in Libya, run by a patchwork of militias, have become synonymous with the abuse and exploitation of desperate asylum-seekers at the hands of fighters and smugglers.
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| Aiming at Trump, Biden says a president's character matters Posted: 30 Jan 2020 08:26 AM PST  With four days until the Iowa caucuses, Joe Biden is looking beyond his Democratic rivals and taking square aim at President Donald Trump as the two men campaign within miles of each other on the same day. "In November, America will have the chance to answer the question: Does the character of a president matter?" Biden said as he delivered a sweeping address on why Trump must be defeated. "I don't believe we are the dark angry nation that Donald Trump sees in his tweets in the middle of the night," Biden later added.
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| Brexit fight takes over pop charts on eve of departure Posted: 30 Jan 2020 08:17 AM PST  Having fought a titanic political contest for three years over Brexit, Britain's "leavers" and "remainers" are now doing battle in the pop charts on the eve of their EU departure. The piece from Beethoven's ninth symphony is performed by the Johann Strauss Orchestra, led by Dutch conductor Andre Rieu, and has shot to the top of the country's iTunes download chart. Britain opted to leave the EU by a margin of 17.4 million to 16.1 million votes in the seismic 2016 referendum.
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| AP-NORC poll: GOP more fired up for 2020, Democrats anxious Posted: 30 Jan 2020 08:16 AM PST  When it comes to the 2020 presidential election, Democrats are nervous wrecks and Republican excitement has grown. On the verge of the first votes being cast in a primary contest with no clear leader, 66% of Democrats report anxiety about the election, compared with 46% of Republicans. Republicans, meanwhile, are more likely than Democrats to declare excitement about the race, and the share of enthusiastic Republicans appears to be rising.
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| Family of dead Mexican forest guardian say people are afraid Posted: 30 Jan 2020 08:08 AM PST  Relatives of an anti-logging activist who was found dead don't know whether he was slain or died accidentally, but they said Thursday that they are sure of one thing: Something bad is happening to human rights and environmental activists in Mexico, and people are afraid. The body of Homero Gómez González was discovered Wednesday in a holding pond near the mountain forest reserve that he long protected, where monarch butterflies spend the winter. "Something strange is happening, because they're finishing off all the activists, the people who are doing something for society," said Amado Gomez, the dead man's brother.
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| UN halts Tripoli refugee centre operations over safety fears Posted: 30 Jan 2020 07:43 AM PST  The United Nations said Thursday it was suspending its operations at a refugee reception centre in Tripoli over safety fears as the conflict in the war-ravaged country worsens. The UN refugee agency's chief of mission in Libya, Jean-Paul Cavalieri said the decision had been taken after the organisation learned that military and police training exercises were taking place just outside the facility. "We fear that the entire area could become a military target, further endangering the lives of refugees, asylum seekers and other civilians," he said in a statement.
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| Trump's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Brexit will be 'fantastic' for the United States Posted: 30 Jan 2020 07:10 AM PST  Brexit will be "fantastic" for the United States because it will allow the UK to abandon European standards, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
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| EU27 give quiet, final nod to Brexit agreement Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:19 AM PST ![EU27 give quiet, final nod to Brexit agreement]( "EU27 give quiet, final nod to Brexit agreement") Brexit cleared its final formal hurdle on Thursday as the 27 European Union member states that Britain will leave behind approved the withdrawal agreement reached last October after more than three years of tortuous negotiations. The European Council, which brings together the EU's heads of state or government and sets the bloc's policy agenda, said in a statement that the decision was adopted by written procedure, shorthand for an email from each member state. British Brexit Party lawmakers cheered and waved mini Union Jack flags, while others lamented Britain's divorce from the EU on Jan. 31 after nearly half a century of membership, many struggling to hold back tears.
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