| Russian poison victim Alexei Navalny’s health improving while remaining in coma, says German hospital Posted: 28 Aug 2020 04:12 PM PDT  Alexei Navalny, the vocal Vladimir Putin critic who was poisoned last week, is improving but remains comatose. Officials at the Berlin hospital where Navalny was flown to say he is being treated with an antidote called atropine, reported The Associated Press on Friday. Days later, Navalny was transferred to Charité Hospital in Berlin, where doctors found traces of cholinesterase inhibitors in his system.
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| UN calls for action to increase women in peacekeeping Posted: 28 Aug 2020 04:09 PM PDT |
| Libya's Tripoli- based gov suspends minister after shooting Posted: 28 Aug 2020 02:56 PM PDT  Libya's Tripoli-based government has suspended its interior minister following a shooting at a demonstration in the capital earlier this week, the United Nations-supported government said Friday. Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga will face an investigation over 'violations' committed against protesters, the government said in a statement. On Sunday, at least six people were abducted and others wounded when armed men in military uniforms opened fire on a demonstration in Tripoli against deteriorating economic conditions, according to a Wednesday statement by Amnesty International.
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| Health experts decry Trump's shunning of virus rules Posted: 28 Aug 2020 02:22 PM PDT  Public health experts expressed concern Friday about President Donald Trump's largely mask-free, socially un-distanced Republican convention event on the White House lawn, saying some of his 1,500 guests may have inadvertently brought and spread the coronavirus to others. "There almost certainly were individuals there who were infected with COVID-19 but don't know it," said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University.. "I worry about these individuals infecting one another and most certainly going back to their home," said Wen, who previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner.
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| Carter Center, pushing for fair elections, turns focus to US Posted: 28 Aug 2020 01:57 PM PDT  The Carter Center, an organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, has worked for decades to ensure fair elections in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Countries that are at risk of "backsliding" are "often characterized by polarization, a lack of public trust, ethnic or racial divisions and injustice, and fears that election results won't be seen as credible or could trigger violence," the Carter Center said in a statement. "Given the scale of problems today – including deep polarization, lack of confidence in elections, obstacles to participation by minority groups and others, persistent racial injustice, and the COVID-19 pandemic – the Center has decided that it should try to improve elections here at home, drawing on its global experience observing troubled elections and its knowledge of international standards," said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander.
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| Trump, at NH rally, sows fears about 'thugs,' 'anarchists' Posted: 28 Aug 2020 01:31 PM PDT  Fresh off accepting the Republican Party's nomination, President Donald Trump said Friday he was the only thing standing between "democracy and the mob," as he lashed out at protesters who accosted his supporters as they left the White House the night before. Looking to close his Democratic rival's lead with just over two months until Election Day, Trump was launching an aggressive travel schedule — and continuing to flout coronavirus guidelines. Trump opened his rally with a rant against demonstrators who confronted those leaving his convention speech on the South Lawn.
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| UN refugee agency urges Greece to probe alleged pushbacks Posted: 28 Aug 2020 01:06 PM PDT |
| Top general says no role for military in presidential vote Posted: 28 Aug 2020 01:00 PM PDT  The U.S. armed forces will have no role in carrying out the election process or resolving a disputed vote, the top U.S. military officer told Congress in comments released Friday. The comments from Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, underscore the extraordinary political environment in America, where the president has declared without evidence that the expected surge in mail-in ballots will make the vote "inaccurate and fraudulent," and has suggested he might not accept the election results if he loses. Trump's repeated complaints questioning the election's validity have triggered unprecedented worries about the potential for chaos surrounding the election results.
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| GOP portrayal of urban mayhem doesn't always match reality Posted: 28 Aug 2020 12:58 PM PDT  At almost every turn at the Republican National Convention, speakers from the president on down portrayed American cities like Portland, Oregon, New York and Chicago as lawless Democratic wastelands that have been overrun with violence, looting and destruction that is forcing residents to flee for safer locales. In downtown Portland this week, tourists from Texas enjoyed gyros at a food cart, a couple from the suburbs soaked up the afternoon sun and a recent transplant from Indiana strummed an acoustic guitar outside a shuttered Apple store, in front of a mural that's dedicated to Black people killed by police. "It's a pretty day and we feel just perfectly safe as long as we've got our masks on," said Benjamin Green, a warehouse forklift operator from Beaverton, Oregon.
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| Brexit talks will go down to wire, Angela Merkel suggests as leaders are called in to get deal done Posted: 28 Aug 2020 12:43 PM PDT  Angela Merkel has hinted she expects Brexit talks to go down to the wire as she said they would keep her staff occupied until the end of 2020. The German Chancellor used her annual summer press conference to say she expects the Brexit trade talks to keep her team "busy until the end of the year", which is also the end of the Brexit transition period. "The crucial weeks are now approaching to clarify the future relationship" between the UK and the EU, Merkel said. The comments come after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator has started urging leaders in the bloc's national capitals to appeal to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to step in on the talks. The German presidency of the EU council removed Brexit from the agenda of a meeting of deputy EU ambassadors scheduled for next week suggesting the mood in Brussels is that more senior figures are being requested to step in.
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| Ecuador couple certified as oldest married pair, nearly 215 Posted: 28 Aug 2020 12:33 PM PDT  Julio Mora slipped away from his parents to secretly marry Waldramina Quinteros one February day. There are longer marriages, but at the moment no other between people so old, according to Guinness World Records — just short of a combined 215 years. Mora was born on March 10, 1910, and Quinteros on October 16, 1915.
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| NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week Posted: 28 Aug 2020 12:26 PM PDT  None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. CLAIM: More than 128 million people tuned in to watch the Republican National Convention's opening day, compared to just over 20 million who watched the Democratic National Convention. In fact, available metrics show more viewers tuned into the first night of the DNC than the first night of the RNC.
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| House Democrats launch contempt proceedings against Mike Pompeo Posted: 28 Aug 2020 12:13 PM PDT  Committee says secretary of state has refused to comply with subpoenas for documents connected to Ukraine scandalCongressional Democrats have launched contempt proceedings against Mike Pompeo for his refusal to comply with subpoenas for documents connected to the Ukraine scandal that led to Donald Trump's impeachment.The move is the culmination of a long-running struggle over Congress's authority to conduct oversight of government agencies. The secretary of state, who was a fierce advocate of congressional rights when he was a Republican representative from Kansas, has ignored a string of demands for documentation from the Democrat-controlled House foreign affairs committee (HFAC).Experts and former officials questioned what impact a resolution declaring Pompeo in contempt would have on a secretary of state determined to defy Congress and undermine its authority, other than to register frustration at his behaviour and the erosion of the constitutional division of power.A state department spokesperson dismissed the contempt announcement as "political theatrics" and said the documents could be available to the HFAC, but gave a different version of the conditions attached from those laid down in a letter Pompeo sent to the committee on Thursday.In that letter, the secretary of state said the documents would be handed over if Engel could confirm he was "substantively investigating" Ukraine's alleged "corrupt influence" on US foreign policy – an apparent reference to a conspiracy theory that has been debunked by US intelligence agencies.The spokesperson said on Friday the relevant documents would be produced to Engel on the "only condition being that he send a letter explaining what foreign policy issue he is investigating that requires these documents".Pompeo has swept away a raft of norms as secretary of state. In May, he orchestrated the firing of the inspector general who had been looking into his use of departmental resources for personal errands and his declaration of an emergency to get around a congressional block on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.This week, he took part in the Republican national convention with a filmed address from Jerusalem, while on a visit as secretary of state, in what legal scholars said was a likely violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits public funds from being used for electoral purposes."He seems to think the office he holds, the department he runs, the personnel he oversees and the taxpayer dollars that pay for all of it are there for his personal and political benefit," Eliot Engel, the HFAC chair, wrote.The trigger for the contempt proceedings was Pompeo's refusal to deliver to the HFAC documents about US policy towards Ukraine that the state department provided to the Republican-controlled Senate in the run-up to the impeachment of Trump.At the end of July, Engel issued another subpoena for documentation on the alleged use of state department resources to collect material to supply to the Senate aimed at discrediting Trump's challenger for the presidency, Joe Biden."From Mr Pompeo's refusal to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry to his willingness to bolster a Senate Republican-led smear against the president's political rivals to his speech to the RNC, which defied his own guidance and possibly the law, he has demonstrated alarming disregard for the laws and rules governing his own conduct and for the tools the constitution provides to prevent government corruption," Engel said.The HFAC published a letter Pompeo sent to Engel on Thursday, in which the secretary of state said he would hand over the material if the committee opened an investigation in line with a Republican-led Senate inquiry into allegations of Ukraine exerting influence on Obama administration policy towards the country through Biden's son, Hunter. Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, from 2014 to 2019."If you can confirm by letter that the committee is, in fact, substantively investigating identical or very similar corruption issues involving Ukraine and corrupt influence on US foreign policy, the department is ready to commence production of documents," Pompeo said in the letter.No evidence of any such evidence has been found, and the head of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, has issued a warning that a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine has been "spreading claims about corruption..to undermine former Vice President Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party."The HFAC said Pompeo was seeking to involve the committee in a smear campaign being pursued by Senate Democrats."I want no part of it," Engel wrote. "Under no circumstances will I amplify Putin's debunked conspiracy theories or lend them credence. And I won't stand by and see the committee or the House treated with such disdain by anyone."A state department spokesperson issued a statement setting out less onerous conditions for the delivery of the documents."We have previously offered to provide copies of these documents to Chairman Engel, with the only condition being that he send a letter explaining what foreign policy issue he is investigating that requires these documents," the spokesperson said. "Once this letter is received, the Department will produce the documents. This press release is political theatrics and is an unfortunate waste of taxpayer resources."Former officials expressed concern the HFAC contempt proceedings might ultimately serve to underline the impotence of a Congress in the face of a defiant, rule-breaking executive.Rori Kramer, the former deputy assistant secretary of state in the bureau of legislative affairs, said of Engel's announcement: "That's wonderful but there's not as much teeth as there used to be with congressional oversight."It's really shocking. Four years ago, it would have been completely bizarro Twilight Zone, that Congress could subpoena you and hold you in contempt, and the answer of the administration would be: "I don't care"," said Kramer, who is now director of US advocacy at the American Jewish World Service."The people who work for the people who say we don't care about oversight [see that] and then his senior leadership and/or political appointees also don't follow the rules… and it's a race to the bottom."
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| Nikki Haley, Bobby Jindal and on-and-off relationships with Indian American identity Posted: 28 Aug 2020 11:25 AM PDT  After Nikki Haley's Republican National Convention speech this week, critics have pointed out that embracing one's roots can, itself, come across like a political act. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was born Nimrata Randhawa to Indian immigrants from Punjab and goes by the childhood nickname "Nikki."
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| EU's Borrell urges Russia not to intervene in Belarus Posted: 28 Aug 2020 11:11 AM PDT  The EU urged Russia on Friday not to intervene in Belarus after President Vladimir Putin vowed military support for the country's embattled leader.
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| Victims of shooting during Kenosha protests engaged gunman Posted: 28 Aug 2020 10:22 AM PDT  A man known for his love of skateboarding, a Texas transplant to the state and a college student acting as a volunteer medic were killed or wounded this week by a 17-year-old gunman during a night of protests on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, has been charged with fatally shooting two protesters and wounding a third. Attorneys representing Rittenhouse have said he acted to defend himself.
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| College towns growing alarmed over outbreaks among students Posted: 28 Aug 2020 10:08 AM PDT  As waves of schools and businesses around the country are cleared to reopen, college towns are moving toward renewed shutdowns because of too many parties and too many COVID-19 infections among students. With more than 300 students at the University of Missouri testing positive for the coronavirus and an alarming 44% positivity rate for the surrounding county, the local health director Friday ordered bars to stop serving alcohol at 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m. Iowa's governor has ordered all bars shut down around The University of Iowa and Iowa State, while the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, did the same in the hometown of the state's flagship university.
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| Health agencies' credibility at risk after week of blunders Posted: 28 Aug 2020 09:58 AM PDT  The credibility of two of the nation's leading public health agencies was under fire this week after controversial decisions that outside experts said smacked of political pressure from President Donald Trump as he attempts to move past the devastating toll of the coronavirus ahead of the November election. The head of the Food and Drug Administration grossly misstated, then corrected, claims about the lifesaving power of a plasma therapy for COVID-19 authorized by his agency. Trump's own factual misstatements about COVID-19 are well documented, but the back-to-back messaging blunders by public health officials could create new damage, eroding public trust in front-line agencies.
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| US plans further troop reductions in Iraq by November Posted: 28 Aug 2020 09:48 AM PDT  The United States plans to reduce its military force in Iraq from the current 5,200 to about 3,500 by November, U.S. officials said Friday. The cut would be in line with President Donald Trump's repeated call to bring troops home and his reelection campaign pledge to end what he calls "endless wars." The plan to shrink the U.S. force in Iraq was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
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| United States Corporations, Governments and Non-Profits Join Global Push for One Trillion Trees Posted: 28 Aug 2020 09:27 AM PDT  New York, Aug. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, 26 forward-looking companies, cities and organizations across the United States announced they will help combat extreme heat and wildfires – as well as other adverse effects of climate change – by conserving, restoring and growing more than 855 million trees. Healthy forests are a critical nature-based solution for the climate crisis and these pledges mark the launch of the U.S. chapter of 1t.org, the global trillion trees movement.The U.S. is home to the first regional chapter of 1t.org. Pledges demonstrate an advancement of conservation, restoration and reforestation goals within the U.S. and internationally, a significant effort and achievement toward the trillion trees goal. Trees pledged will cover 2.8 million acres.American Forest Foundation, Arbor Day Foundation, Bank of America, Mastercard, Microsoft, National Association of State Foresters, National Forest Foundation, Salesforce, and the cities of Detroit and Dallas are among those who have committed to invest in creating healthy forests.The World Economic Forum and American Forests are leading the initiative and will provide individuals and organizations in the U.S. with the tools and technical assistance they need to create and bring their pledges to life. As independent and non-partisan institutions, they are supported by the 1t.org U.S. Stakeholder Council, a bipartisan group of senior-level representatives from government, business, civil society and academia who are informing the strategic direction of the initiative.Healthy and resilient forests are a key part of efforts to combat the negative impacts of climate change. Studies have shown trees can reduce temperatures by 9 degrees and energy costs by $7.8 billion a year. The chance of extreme wildfires occurring also decreases dramatically when forests are managed properly by, for example, planting specially-selected tree species in burned areas and using novel planting techniques for resilience to future wildfires.Investing in forests will also help improve the economy and public health. In the U.S. alone, every $1 million invested in tree planting and other forest restoration activities creates almost 40 jobs. Globally, sustainable management of forests would create $230 billion in business opportunities and 16 million jobs worldwide by 2030. From a health perspective, trees absorb 17.4 million tons of air pollutants a year, helping to prevent 670,000 cases of asthma and other acute respiratory symptoms annually."The 1t.org U.S. Chapter launches at a perfect time," said Jad Daley, President & CEO of American Forests. "It unites the diverse organizations and people working for trillion trees so that we can do more, and do it better, by working together. And it aligns with the trillion trees movement quickly building in the US, including bi-partisan Congressional support for historic forest conservation legislation and bold new commitments from corporations and NGOs to help address carbon emissions with reforestation.""We have seen enormous energy and enthusiasm to conserve and restore our forests," said Justin Adams, Director of Nature Based Solutions, World Economic Forum. "A nature-positive recovery is crucial to a great reset of our society and economy. Putting trees at the heart of this reset will help ensure it is sustainable for us and future generations."In America, forests and forest products currently capture 15% of the nation's carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Conserving, restoring, and growing trees can enable US forests to capture nearly double the emissions.The World Economic Forum launched 1t.org at the Annual Meeting 2020 in Davos, Switzerland. It is designed to support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 whose goals are to accelerate global restoration of degraded ecosystems, to fight the climate crisis, enhance food security, provide clean water and protect biodiversity on the planet.American Forests is the first national non-profit conservation organization created in the U.S. Since its founding in 1875, the organization has been the pathfinders for the forest conservation movement. Its mission is to create healthy and resilient forests, from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. The organization advances its mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building.1t.org uses UpLink, a digital platform to crowdsource innovations and accelerate the delivery of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The UpLink Trillion Trees Challenge was launched on the platform on July 1, 2020, and called for solutions, initiatives, fresh perspectives and ideas. Winning submissions will be invited to present at the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2020 in September.For video statements and quotes from the pledging entities, as well as b-roll footage, go to https://us.1t.org/press-toolkit/ Attachments * World-Economic-Forum_logo * 1t logo US CONTACT: Jill Schwartz American Forests 202-903-1135 jschwartz@americanforests.org
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| Uganda lightning strike kills 10 children playing football in Arua Posted: 28 Aug 2020 08:27 AM PDT  The children were playing football when heavy rains forced them to take shelter in a grass-thatched hut.
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| Beirut residents determined to save heritage lost to blast Posted: 28 Aug 2020 08:21 AM PDT  For the past decade, art collector Nabil Debs has been working on turning his 19th century ancestral home in a historic neighborhood of Beirut to a hotel and art gallery. Within seconds, his lifelong dream came crashing down, along with the two-story building's stone facade and front balcony as a massive explosion tore through Beirut, shearing off facades, blasting holes in buildings, doors, stones and shattering glass across the capital. The Aug. 4 blast resulting from nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrates igniting at the port of Beirut killed more than 180 people and wounded nearly 6,000.
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| Coronavirus: Is the rate of growth in Africa slowing down? Posted: 28 Aug 2020 08:12 AM PDT  The overall rate of increase may be changing, but there have still been sharp rises in some countries.
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| Five years after refugee influx, Merkel 'would do the same' Posted: 28 Aug 2020 07:51 AM PDT  Five years after Germany controversially took in hundreds of thousands of migrants, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday she would do the same again as she rides a wave of popularity for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
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| World leaders praise Japan PM Abe's contributions to ties Posted: 28 Aug 2020 07:33 AM PDT  World leaders wished Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a rapid recovery on Friday and praised his contributions to bilateral relations during his years as Japan's longest-serving leader. Abe announced Friday that he is stepping down because of a health problem. UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman said he wishes Abe a full recovery and salutes "the prime minister's distinguished career ... and his consistent and constructive engagement with the U.N. to address global challenges."
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| Strengthening Tropical Storm Maysak to strike Japan, South Korea next week Posted: 28 Aug 2020 07:17 AM PDT  As what's left of Bavi, once a formidable typhoon, unravels over eastern China and Russia, AccuWeather forecasters will shift their attention to the Philippine Sea and East China Sea for another tropical development threat into next week.An area of low pressure that is currently meandering over the Philippine Sea organized and strengthened Friday, becoming a tropical depression and then eventually Tropical Storm Maysak. This tropical feature is also referred to as Julian in the Philippines.Some waves of rain are expected to dissipate across Luzon in the Philippines as Maysak moves northward into the weekend.However, this trajectory will bring Maysak nearer to the southern Ryuku islands by Sunday. The infrared satellite image above shows Tropical Storm Maysak churning and strengthening east of the Philippines late on Friday, August 28. (Photo/RAMMB) This same zone is an environment favorable for further tropical strengthening, as it contains both warm waters and low wind shear.Wind shear is the change of speed and direction of wind at different levels in the atmosphere, and it plays an important role in the development and longevity of tropical systems.AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls expects slow but steady strengthening to continue, with Maysak likely to become a typhoon by early next week as it reaches the Ryukyu Islands.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPA tropical cyclone in the West Pacific is designated as a typhoon once sustained winds reach 104 km/h (64 mph). This is equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic or East Pacific ocean basins.The Ryukyu Islands can first expect increasingly rough seas and wet weather, but the current track has the islands of Okinawa to Amami Oshima near or just to the east of the center of the storm while it's strengthening. These areas could be slammed with wind gusts of over 120 km/h (75 mph), coastal flooding and heavy downpours Monday and Tuesday.By midweek, Maysak is forecast to move northward through the East China Sea, missing China for the most part but slamming western Japan and the Korean Peninsula again.The most likely target for the brunt of Maysak's impacts will be near landfall, which is currently forecast for southern South Korea on Wednesday.Should Maysak make landfall in South Korea, it would be the fourth named tropical system to do so thus far in 2020, a feat that would tie the record number of landfalls in the country in one year. Maysak is expected to bring with it damaging winds up to 175 km/h (110 mph) as well as heavy rainfall that can lead to flooding and mudslides in the already saturated area.While Maysak is forecast to be influenced by a front in Russia after Wednesday and will likely lead to a loss of wind intensity for the system as it moves northward, rain and strong winds are likely to extend into North Korea, far northeastern China and far southern Russia. A bicyclist stops to view fallen trees from a typhoon on a main road in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. A typhoon damaged homes and other buildings, flooded roads and toppled utility poles on the Korean Peninsula before weakening to a tropical storm. (AP Photo/Cha Song Ho) Many of these areas were hit hard by heavy rain and damaging winds from Bavi this week. The most recent tropical system in the West Pacific basin strengthened into a typhoon on Monday and peaked in strength on Wednesday with winds equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.Reports of downed trees and power lines, damage to buildings, flooded roadways, travel delays and power outages were common across the Korean Peninsula as the storm moved through on Thursday.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Iranian man sentenced to nine years in prison for beheading daughter while she slept in 'honour killing' Posted: 28 Aug 2020 06:25 AM PDT  An Iranian has been sentenced to nine years in jail for beheading his teenaged daughter in her sleep, local media reported Friday, adding that the mother wants him executed. The so-called "honour" killing of 14-year-old Romina Ashrafi on May 21 sparked widespread outrage, with media condemning "institutionalised violence" in the Islamic republic. Media said Romina was decapitated at the family home in the village of Talesh in the northern province of Gilan. "Despite the judicial authorities' insistence on a 'special handling' of the case, the verdict has terrified me and my family," Rana Dashti, the mother, told ILNA news agency. "I don't want my husband to return to our village ever again," she said, calling for the verdict to be reviewed and changed to "execution". Having lived with the man for 15 years, Dashti said she now fears for the life of the rest of her family. Ebtekar newspaper said at the time of Romina's killing that Iran's "eye for an eye" retributive justice does not apply to a father who kills his child, for which the customary sentence is jail time and fines. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has "expressed his regrets" following the girl's killing and called for the speedy passing of several anti-violence bills. Romina had reportedly run away after the father refused to give permission for her to marry a man 15 years her senior. But she was detained by authorities and taken home, despite having pleaded with a judge that she feared for her life if returned. The man she wanted to marry, Bahman Khavari, was sentenced to two years in prison, local media said, without specifying the charge. The legal age of marriage for women in Iran is 13.
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| Biden, Harris prepare to travel more as campaign heats up Posted: 28 Aug 2020 06:23 AM PDT  After spending a pandemic spring and summer tethered almost entirely to his Delaware home, Joe Biden plans to take his presidential campaign to battleground states after Labor Day in his bid to unseat President Donald Trump. No itinerary is set, according to the Democratic nominee's campaign, but the former vice president and his allies say his plan is to highlight contrasts with Trump, from policy arguments tailored to specific audiences to the strict public health guidelines the Biden campaign says its events will follow amid COVID-19. "He will go wherever he needs to go," said Biden's campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman.
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| Focused on pandemic, Merkel has no time for retirement plans Posted: 28 Aug 2020 06:04 AM PDT  German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that the decision not to run for office again in 2021 has allowed her to focus on tackling the coronavirus pandemic and other pressing problems during her final year in office. Merkel has seen her approval ratings rise during the pandemic but ruled out seeking a fifth term and remained coy about her post-retirement plans.
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| Hospital: Russia's Navalny still in coma but improving Posted: 28 Aug 2020 06:00 AM PDT  Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is still in an induced coma from a suspected poisoning but his condition is stable and his symptoms are improving, the German doctors treating him said Friday. Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Aug 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing. Last weekend, he was transferred to the Charité hospital in Berlin, where doctors found indications of "cholinesterase inhibitors" in his system.
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| Egypt police arrest leader of outlawed Muslim Brotherhood Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:38 AM PDT |
| Deadly firefight in Lebanon prompts warnings of more trouble Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:29 AM PDT |
| One coup leads to another, history shows – though many in Mali hope theirs was the very rare 'good coup' Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:22 AM PDT  Immediately after Mali's unpopular president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was removed on Aug. 18 by the military in a swift and bloodless coup, many Malians celebrated.Keita's ouster came after years of corruption, mismanagement and failed promises. Credible allegations of fraud and election-related violence further fueled popular anger after his contested reelection in March. After his ouster, there was a veritable jubilee among the citizen protesters who had demonstrated since June to demand Keita's resignation. They flocked to the streets holding signs reading "This isn't a coup, it's a revolution" and "mission accomplished." Some countries have seen democracy take root after an autocratic regime was ended by a coup, including Nigeria in 2010 and even Mali itself, back in 1991. But there are very few "good coups." Overthrowing a corrupt leader is an easy fix for the moment, but history shows the price is almost always political and economic instability – and, usually, another military coup. Coup riskI am a quantitative political analyst who uses coup data and a machine learning system called CoupCast to examine why coups happen and predict where they are likely to occur. According to data collected by the research network I work with, there have been 466 coup attempts in 95 countries since Jan. 1, 1950. This data clearly shows that so-called "coup events" – that is, both failed and successful coups – substantially increase the risk of another coup event in the future.Once a country has had a single coup event, it will have, on average, five such events over 70 years. Between 1950 and 2020 we find only 19 examples of countries that experienced just one coup, among them South Korea, Iran and Zimbabwe. Thirteen countries have had at least 10 coup attempts since 1950, with Bolivia topping the list at 22.Research suggests a new authoritarian regime is most likely to emerge after a coup – and it may well use violent repression to assert its power in an unstable era.Mali follows this pattern. Until President Amadou Touré was overthrown in a 2012 coup, its government was relatively stable. The post-coup period was characterized by popular anger, lack of political progress and economic troubles. By April of this year, Coupcast placed Mali among the countries most likely to see a coup event in 2020. Why coups beget coupsJust one coup attempt can increase a country's coup risk for up to 25 years, CoupCast's data analysis shows. Most countries will have another coup before their quarter-century of consequences ends. When that happens, it adds another 25 years of risk. Countries can become trapped in cycles of coups and post-coup crises.At that point, coup risk can be diminished only by a long period of political stability. Both South Korea and Uruguay, for example, long ago surpassed the risk phase to become stable democracies. Even after the restoration of civilian rule, though, coups can leave a precedent for military involvement in politics. Once generals have had a taste of political influence, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop further interference. Coup events also negatively affect a country's economy by decreasing foreign economic investment and diminishing domestic productivity. Such economic downturns feed into the coup cycle. As the economy crumbles, popular discontent rises and additional military interventions become more likely. Mali was only eight years into its 25-year coup risk window when Pres. Keita was overthrown. Now the clock starts again. Hopes on the ground are high that the country will see a better future under a new leader. But history gives much reason to be cautious.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Mali's predictable coup leaves an unclear path to civilian rule * Another mutiny turned coup: Mali is no stranger to military unrestClayton Besaw is a research associate with the One Earth Future Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes peace and security in post-conflict countries.
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| The US has lots to lose and little to gain by banning TikTok and WeChat Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:22 AM PDT  The Trump administration's recently announced bans on Chinese-owned social media platforms TikTok and WeChat could have unintended consequences. The orders bar the apps from doing business in the U.S. or with U.S. persons or businesses after Sept. 20 and require divestiture of TikTok by Nov. 12.The executive orders are based on national security grounds, though the threats cited are to citizens rather than the government. Foreign policy analysts see the move as part of the administration's ongoing wrestling match with the Chinese government for leverage in the global economy.Whatever the motivation, as someone who researches both cybersecurity and technology policy, I am not convinced that the benefits outweigh the costs. The bans threaten Americans' freedom of speech, and may harm foreign investment in the U.S. and American companies' ability to sell software abroad, while delivering minimal privacy and cybersecurity benefits. National security threat?The threats posed by TikTok and WeChat, according to the executive orders, include the potential for the platforms to be used for disinformation campaigns by the Chinese government and to give the Chinese government access to Americans' personal and proprietary information. The U.S. is not the only country concerned about Chinese apps. The Australian military accused WeChat, a messaging, social media and mobile payment app, of acting as spyware, saying the app was caught sending data to Chinese Intelligence servers.Disinformation campaigns may be of particular concern, due to the upcoming election and the impact of the alleged "sweeping and systematic" Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The potential for espionage is less pronounced, given that the apps access basic contact information and details about the videos Americans watch and the topics they search on, and not more sensitive data.But banning the apps and requiring Chinese divestiture also has a national security downside. It damages the U.S.'s moral authority to push for free speech and democracy abroad. Critics have frequently contended that America's moral authority has been severely damaged during the Trump administration and this action could arguably add to the decline. Protecting personal informationThe administration's principal argument against TikTok is that it collects Americans' personal data and could provide it to the Chinese government. The executive order states that this could allow China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage. Skeptics have argued that the government hasn't presented clear evidence of privacy issues and that the service's practices are standard in the industry. TikTok's terms of service do say that it can share information with its China-based corporate parent, ByteDance.The order against WeChat is similar. It also mentions that the app captures the personal and proprietary information of Chinese nationals visiting the United States. However, some of these visiting Chinese nationals have expressed concern that banning WeChat may limit their ability to communicate with friends and family in China.While TikTok and WeChat do raise cybersecurity concerns, they are not significantly different from those raised by other smart phone apps. In my view, these concerns could be better addressed by enacting national privacy legislation, similar to Europe's GDPR and California's CCPA, to dictate how data is collected and used and where it is stored. Another remedy is to have Google, Apple and others review the apps for cybersecurity concerns before allowing new versions to be made available in their app stores. Freedom of speechPerhaps the greatest concern raised by the bans are their impact on people's ability to communicate, and whether they violate the First Amendment. Both TikTok and WeChat are communications channels and TikTok publishes and hosts content. While the courts have allowed some regulation of speech, to withstand a legal challenge the restrictions must advance a legitimate government interest and be "narrowly tailored" to do so. National security is a legitimate governmental interest. However, in my opinion it's questionable whether a real national security concern exists with these specific apps.In the case of TikTok, banning an app that is being used for political commentary and activism would raise pronounced constitutional claims and likely be overturned by the courts. Whether the bans hold up in court, the executive orders instituting them put the U.S. in uncomfortable territory: the list of countries that have banned social media platforms. These include Egypt, Hong Kong, Turkey, Turkmenistan, North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Russia and China. Though the U.S. bans may not be aimed at curtailing dissent, they echo actions that harm free speech and democracy globally. Social media gives freedom fighters, protesters and dissidents all over the world a voice. It enables citizens to voice concerns and organize protests about monarchies, sexual and other human rights abuses, discriminatory laws and civil rights violations. When authoritarian governments clamp down on dissent, they frequently target social media.[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter.] Risk of retaliationThe bans could also harm the U.S. economy because other countries could ban U.S. companies in retaliation. China and the U.S. have already gone through a cycle of reciprocal company banning, in addition to reciprocal consulate closures. The U.S. has placed Chinese telecom firm Huawei on the Bureau of Industry Security Entity List, preventing U.S. firms from conducting business with it. While this has prevented Huawei from selling wireless hardware in the U.S., it has also prevented U.S. software sales to the telecom giant and caused it to use its own chips instead of buying them from U.S. firms. Over a dozen U.S. companies urged the White House not to ban WeChat because it would hurt their business in China. Other countries might use the U.S. bans of Chinese firms as justification for banning U.S. companies, even though the U.S. has not taken action against them or their companies directly. These trade restrictions harm the U.S.'s moral authority, harm the global economy and stifle innovation. They also cut U.S. firms off from the high-growth Chinese market. TikTok is in negotiations with Microsoft and Walmart and an Oracle-led consortium about a possible acquisition that would leave the company with American ownership and negate the ban. Oversight, not banishmentThough the TikTok and WeChat apps do raise some concerns, it is not apparent that cause exists to ban them. The issues could be solved through better oversight and the enactment of privacy laws that could otherwise benefit Americans. Of course, the government could have other causes for concern that it hasn't yet made public. Given the consequences of banning an avenue of expression, if other concerns exist the government should share them with the American public. If not, I'd argue less drastic action would be more appropriate and better serve the American people.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * TikTok is a unique blend of social media platforms – here's why kids love it * Facebook's 'pivot' is less about privacy and more about profitsJeremy Straub is the associate director of the NDSU Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research and a Challey Institute Faculty Fellow. He has received funding related to cybersecurity from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. National Security Agency and the North Dakota State University. The views presented are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of NDSU or funding agencies.
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| When plants and their microbes are not in sync, the results can be disastrous Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:21 AM PDT  Many of us have heard about inflammatory bowel disease, a debilitating condition that is associated with an abnormal collection of microbes in the human gut – known as the gut microbiome. My lab recently found that, like humans, plants can also develop this condition, known as dysbiosis, with severe consequences. As part of this study, my colleagues and I discovered that some genes and processes involved in controlling dysbiosis in plants may be similar to those in humans. Discovery of dysbiosis in the plant kingdom opens new possibilities for stimulating innovation in plant health and global food security.I am a plant microbiologist interested in how plants and microbes interact with each other. Although our research in the past has centered on molecular details of pathogenic infections, this work led my lab into the fascinating world of plant microbiome. Do plants have microbiomes?When scientists say that human "gut bacteria" should be well balanced, they are referring to the genetic material of all the microbes living in human digestive systems, or the gut microbiome. Do plants have microbiomes as well? The answer is yes.In fact, the parts of the plant that grow aboveground, called phyllosphere, and those parts that grow below, called rhizosphere, provide one of the largest habitats for microbe colonization on Earth. Both are vital for human life on Earth.The phyllosphere takes up carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, which is necessary to build biomass and is a primary source of food, fuels, fibers and medicines. Photosynthesis also releases oxygen for animals and humans to breathe, which is why plants are often considered to be the lungs of our planet. The rhizosphere, on the other hand, takes up water and nutrients from soil.Numerous studies have shown that plant microbes help plants extract nutrients from the soil and cope with drought, pathogens, insects and other stresses. Ecological studies have also noted that the greater diversity of microbes living on plant leaves, the more productive the plants seem to be. Today, most plant scientists believe global strategies to ensure crop productivity and food security must consider plants' microbiome. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that up to 40% of food crops are lost due to plant pests and diseases annually, and the United Nations General Assembly declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. How do plants keep microbiota healthy?Given the importance of microbiota – the specific community of microbes living on or near plants – for plant health, we reasoned that plants must have evolved a sophisticated genetic network to select the right mix of microbes. If that is true, then knowing which plant genes influence the types of microbes surrounding the plant could guide future research to optimize plant microbiomes to help plants grow better, stronger and to produce more biomass and yield.Indeed, my group has now identified some of these "microbiota-controlling" genes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that several genes involved in plant immunity and water balance are critical for selecting and maintaining a healthy microbiota inside Arabidopsis plant leaves. When we removed these identified genes from plants, the Arabidopsis plant mutants could not host the correct mix of microbes and displayed symptoms of dysbiosis, including dead or yellowing leaves. As far as we know, this was the first time the negative effects of dysbiosis have been causally documented in the plant kingdom.[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversation's newsletter.] Interesting features of 'sick' plantsMy colleagues and I observed some notable dysbiosis features in our mutant Arabidopsis plants. First, dysbiosis mutants tend to have an abnormally high level of microbes living inside the leaves. Second, there is a drastic change in the diversity of microbes. For example, in normal Arabidopsis plant leaves, there are all kinds of bacteria living inside the leaf. In contrast, overall diversity of bacteria is greatly reduced in the dysbiotic mutants, suggesting that healthy plants promote microbial diversity, presumably to increase the benefits to plant health.Third, while bacteria that belong to the phylum Fermicutes are abundant inside wild-type Arabidopsis leaves, the abundance is significantly reduced in our genetic mutants. In addition, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of harmful bacteria inside the dysbiosis mutant leaves. We find it interesting that some of these microbiota changes are also observed in inflammatory bowel disease human patients, suggesting conceptual parallels in the development of dysbiosis in humans and plants. What's next?We are excited about our identification of several plant genes and processes involved in preventing dysbiosis. The microbiota-controlling genes we identified in Arabidopsis are found in the genomes of many other plants, suggesting our findings may have broad applicability. In the future, we could experiment with changing these host genes, which may lead to microbiota-based approaches that improve plant health. For example, gene-editing technologies could be used to create a healthy biome in plant leaves by enhancing expression of specific genes. A synthetic healthy microbiome may be formulated as a probiotic to prevent dysbiosis in plants, much as probiotics have been promised to improve human gut microbiome health.Of note, mutations in genes related to a person's immune system, are a well-known risk factor for the development of inflammatory bowel disease in humans. Perhaps, future research will find more shared characteristics in how plants and humans interact with their respective microbiota in order to prevent disease. The ease of genetic studies in plants, such as Arabidopsis, also offers the possibility that researchers will be able to identify more genes involved in preserving microbiota health in people and plants.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Tapping the 'plant microbiome' to improve farming and plant health * Bees seeking bacteria: How bees find their microbiomeSheng-Yang He receives funding from Howard Hughes Medical institute, National Institutes of General Medical Sciences, Michigan State University
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| Katrina to COVID: New Orleans' Black community pounded again Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:13 AM PDT  Levee breaches from Hurricane Katrina dumped six feet of water into the New Orleans home of Mary Duplessis and her husband in 2005. The Black community of New Orleans, already economically lagging behind white residents before Katrina, was pummeled by the Category 3 storm that made landfall Aug. 29, 2005 and by the lengthy rebuilding process. Images of residents, mostly Black, on top of roofs, cars and at the Superdome stadium became the most iconic of a storm that revealed to the world a city starkly divided into haves and have-nots.
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| Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to resign for health reasons Posted: 28 Aug 2020 04:35 AM PDT  Just days after becoming the longest-serving leader of the Japanese government, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Friday he would be resigning due to his health. "Even though there is one year to go in my tenure and there are challenges to be met, I have decided to stand down as prime minister," Abe told a press conference in Tokyo on Friday. Abe, 65, apologized for being unable to fulfill his duties during the coronavirus pandemic as well as failing to achieve certain goals during his tenure, including the release of Japanese prisoners abducted years ago by North Korea and a territorial dispute with Russia.
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| Russian navy conducts major maneuvers near Alaska Posted: 28 Aug 2020 04:19 AM PDT  The Russian navy conducted major war games near Alaska involving dozens of ships and aircraft, the military said Friday, the biggest such drills in the area since Soviet times. Russia's navy chief, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, said that more than 50 warships and about 40 aircraft were taking part in the exercise in the Bering Sea, which involved multiple practice missile launches. "We are holding such massive drills there for the first time ever," Yevmenov said in a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry.
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| UN urges probe of death threats against Nobel laureate Mukwege Posted: 28 Aug 2020 03:24 AM PDT  The United Nations rights chief called Friday on the Democratic Republic of Congo to swiftly investigate death threats against Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege and bring those responsible to justice.
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| Rights groups call for release of Jordanian cartoonist Posted: 28 Aug 2020 03:15 AM PDT |
| Consultations to name new PM in Lebanon to begin on Monday Posted: 28 Aug 2020 02:38 AM PDT  The office of Lebanon's president said Friday that binding consultations with members of Parliament to designate a new prime minister will begin early next week. Monday's consultations will coincide with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Lebanon, a former French protectorate. The blast, the most destructive single incident in Lebanon's history, killed more than 180 people, wounded nearly 6,000 and left nearly 300,000 people homeless.
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| Media watchdog urges Libyan gov't to release reporter Posted: 28 Aug 2020 02:24 AM PDT |
| Monsoon rains wreak havoc across Pakistan, killing 63 people Posted: 28 Aug 2020 01:29 AM PDT  Heavy rains hit parts of Pakistan for a fifth straight night, bringing more flooding to the financial capital Karachi and towns and villages and leaving at least 63 people dead, officials said Friday. About 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain have fallen in Karachi since Sunday, when monsoon rains began lashing the coastal city, forcing authorities to use boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded streets. Forty-seven people were killed this week in Karachi in rain-related incidents, according to Murad Ali Shah, chief minister of southern Sindh province.
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| UAE implicated in lethal drone strike in Libya Posted: 28 Aug 2020 01:25 AM PDT  BBC finds evidence that a UAE drone killed 26 unarmed cadets in Libya's capital Tripoli.
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| In searing new ad, father of Navy SEAL killed in Yemen accuses Trump of 'playing big man going to war' Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:08 PM PDT  A Gold Star father whose son was the first U.S. service member to die in combat under the Trump administration is urging people not to vote for President Trump this November, saying he cannot be trusted "with your kid's life or your own."Bill Owens' son, Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens, was killed in January 2017, just days after Trump's inauguration. A 36-year-old married father of three, he was shot by al Qaeda militants during a raid in Yemen, a mission that later came under intense scrutiny.In an ad for VoteVets released Thursday, Owens said Trump didn't order this raid "in the Situation Room with all the intelligence assembled, but sitting across a dinner table from Steve Bannon. There was no vital interest at play, just Donald Trump playing big man going to war." Since his son's death, Trump has "assailed our country's core values," Owens said, before accusing Trump of kneecapping the U.S. Postal Service to undermine voting and defending Russian President Vladimir Putin amid reports Russia put bounties on the heads of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.Now, at least 180,000 people have died of coronavirus in the U.S., and Owens said that "200,000 Americans will have died before we vote. They and Ryan have one thing in common -- it didn't have to be, but for Donald Trump. If you hear one thing, let it be this: Don't trust Donald Trump with your kid's life or your own." More stories from theweek.com McConnell inexplicably claims that Democrats want to tell Americans 'how many hamburgers you can eat' 5 more scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention The X-Files is getting an animated comedy spinoff
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| Virus lockdown brings new misery to long-suffering Gaza Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:03 PM PDT  Ahmed Eissa, a father of two living in the Gaza Strip, was already struggling to make ends meet on $7 a day, dealing with frequent electricity cuts and worried that another war might break out. Then the coronavirus found its way into the impoverished Palestinian territory, just as Israel was tightening its blockade in a standoff with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, and a strict lockdown has confined everyone to their homes. The restrictions imposed by Hamas are aimed at averting what many fear would be an even bigger catastrophe: a wide-scale outbreak in a population of 2 million people confined to a territory where the health care system has been devastated by years of war and isolation.
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| Boris and Covid Could Be the End of the U.K. Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:00 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Britain, it's said, has had the worst of both worlds when it comes to the coronavirus. It has the highest excess death rate in Europe and the deepest drop in growth among the Group of Seven countries.And yet the virus's most enduring impact may be to the country's constitutional settlement: The pandemic has driven a bigger wedge between independent-minded Scots and the rest of the country. Scotland's pandemic response has seemed like the height of competence compared to the frenzy of U-turns in London, and this has strengthened support for Scottish independence. If not handled carefully, Boris Johnson's most enduring legacy won't be Brexit, or his much-criticized handling of the crisis, but the dismantling of Britain's three-centuries-old union. The independence movement looked mortally weakened after the 2014 referendum, in which Scots voted to remain in the U.K. But according to a new poll, support for independence is now more than 55% — no doubt because of the growing perception that the Scottish National Party is a model of responsibility when compared with Johnson's government.This is partly due to the world-class communications machine run by Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister. Her daily press conferences have given her visibility and she's proved far nimbler than Johnson, leading on policy changes while Westminster follows. A YouGov poll in mid-August showed almost three-quarters of Scots think Sturgeon is doing very or fairly well. Johnson scores 20%.In reality, Scotland's record on the virus has been only marginally better than England's. The SNP too has reversed course and suffered embarrassments. In Scotland, some 46% of Covid-19 deaths occurred in care homes — much higher than the number in England. But unlike Johnson (or his ministers), Sturgeon's U-turns didn't come straight after public pledges not to change policy, so Scots still largely trust what they're told.It also helps the SNP that Britain's constitutional settlement can seem confusing. In the 1990s, Scotland and Wales were given their own parliaments and control over a large number of policy areas, from health care to education and transport. That allows Sturgeon to blame Westminster, which still retains power in many other areas, for problems but take credit for good news.The pandemic has highlighted the flaws in this relationship and the breakdown in trust between Scotland and England over the years. Now Johnson has to fix their union or lose it altogether. His best chance may be to give the Scottish government more rope, not less, so that the failings are more easily attributable. But that can also become a slippery slope toward independence.Since Johnson was elected, he has regularly championed the union in speeches and parliamentary appearances. His party, after all, is the Conservative and Unionist Party. In a trip to Scotland last month, Johnson reminded Scots that his government's furlough scheme helped saved 900,000 jobs there and that the British military helped them build a temporary hospital. The problem is that Johnson's mistakes have undermined his credibility and the attention has all felt a bit too late and panicked.Scotland does very well as part of the union. It can spend and borrow more because it's funded in part by the English taxpayer and the U.K. Treasury. Per capita public spending in Scotland is 17% higher than the U.K. average, whereas spending in England is 3% lower. New Scottish government statistics show the gap between what it raises in taxes and what it spends — more than 15 billion pounds ($20 billion) — was widening even before the pandemic.Brexit makes the SNP's case for independence even harder as it would probably create trade barriers with the rest of the U.K. Scottish membership of the European Union, if it was offered, would also mean substantial budget cuts and tax hikes.Although the economic logic pulls against independence, the emotional tug toward it may be more powerful, just as it was with Brexit. The SNP argues that Scottish interests are best served by elected Scottish officials in charge of all Scottish policy. If the SNP wins next year's Scottish parliamentary elections on a campaign to secure a second referendum, or Indy2 as it's called, it will be hard for London to refuse. And things could get worse. If the U.K. leaves the EU without a trade deal in December, any resulting trade problems will be seized on by the SNP, since most Scots opposed Brexit. Any agreement that sells out the interests of Scottish fisherman in favor of English bankers will similarly play into SNP hands. Trade talks with the U.S. and other countries will also be closely watched. If Johnson weakens U.K. food standards to win an American trade deal, it will be another fillip for Sturgeon.But all is not lost yet. Polls show a majority of Scots see independence as a distraction from the important issues facing the country, including the economy and education. The SNP has been in power for more than a decade and its record has been poor. For example, Sturgeon pledged to make improving Scottish schools her top priority, but Scotland's education is still a sore spot. Johnson needs to highlight those failings better, while making the positive case for unity — and not just in Scotland. A YouGov poll back in 2011 found only 40% in England and Wales were opposed to Scottish independence. A Lord Ashcroft poll in October found that 51% of English adults polled "wouldn't mind either way" if Scotland voted to leave the union. Only 43% thought Scotland should remain part of the union, while 41% didn't have a view. That apathy ought to alarm Tories, as independence would leave Britain a much-diminished power. Johnson set out to separate Britain from the union it couldn't tolerate — with Europe — and reinforce the one it thought was indestructible. If he's not careful, he'll lose two unions for the price of one. That's not a bargain but a calamity. (Adds more recent polling data to 15th paragraph)This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump lashes Biden, defies pandemic on White House stage Posted: 27 Aug 2020 10:21 PM PDT  President Donald Trump blasted Joe Biden as a hapless career politician who will endanger Americans' safety as he accepted his party's renomination on the South Lawn of the White House. While the coronavirus kills 1,000 Americans each day, Trump defied his own administration's pandemic guidelines to speak for more than an hour to a tightly packed, largely maskless crowd. Facing a moment fraught with racial turmoil, economic collapse and a national health emergency, Trump delivered a triumphant, optimistic vision of America's future Thursday.
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| GOP convention takeaways: What virus? Fear motivates Posted: 27 Aug 2020 10:18 PM PDT  President Donald Trump refused to allow the coronavirus to deny him the crowd he craved for the Republican National Convention. Trump made one thing abundantly clear in his speech accepting his party's renomination: He will try to turn political orthodoxy on its head again by trying to paint himself as an outsider even though he is the head of government. In his 2016 convention address, Trump declared "I alone can fix it."
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| AP Analysis: Trump wields fear in pitch for 4 more years Posted: 27 Aug 2020 10:17 PM PDT  As he laid out his case for reelection, President Donald Trump deployed a powerful, and familiar, political tactic: fear. In a tradition-defying convention address delivered from the White House, Trump painted a grim portrait of violence in American cities run by Democrats and populated by voters who largely oppose him.
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