| U.S. may balk at trial over Russian interference in 2016 election Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:54 PM PST |
| Netanyahu Within Range of Forming Government on Third Try Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:32 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is within striking distance of forming Israel's next government, exit polls showed, an outcome that bodes well for his efforts to stay out of court but less so for the prospects of Israeli-Palestinian peace.Recently indicted in three graft cases, Netanyahu had gambled on repeat elections to win a majority in parliament and possibly keep himself out of jail. In the third election in less than a year, the strategy finally may have paid off.Israel Heads to 3rd Election in Year as Dysfunction Persists (1)Exit polls released by three television stations showed Netanyahu's Likud party and its religious and nationalist allies eclipsing the opposing camp led by former military chief Benny Gantz. Public opinion polls had suggested that Netanyahu's prospects improved in the final stretch ahead of Monday's race, and Likud appears to have won as many as 37 seats in parliament, five more than it did in the September vote. Gantz's Blue and White bloc appeared roughly steady around 33 seats.With Israel's political landscape so fragmented, it's camps, not individual parties, that ultimately count. According to the exit polls, Netanyahu's alliance captured 59 of parliament's 120 seats, while Gantz's opposing camp won 54 or 55. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's six to eight seats could allow Gantz to pull even, but any government Blue and White formed would have to rest on the support of the Joint List of Arab parties, something both factions have ruled out.Netanyahu is close to victory after plunging his country into a yearlong political crisis while he maneuvered to stay in power and postpone his trial."It's a victory against all odds," he told jubilant supporters cheering and waving flags of the country and of the premier's Likud party. Some supporters chanted, "Mandelblit go home," a reference to Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit, who indicted the prime minister in November.Trial DueChannel 12 reported that Netanyahu has already reached out to potential partners, who have agreed to join him in government. Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu's lawyers will ask to delay the start of his trial from March 17."He's been hinting that there's a couple of Blue and White members who will join his government," said Simon Davies, a Tel Aviv-based pollster at Number 10 Strategies. "It looks pretty likely that he'll form a government."The exit polls were met with silence at Blue and White headquarters. The mood turned a bit more upbeat when Gantz addressed supporters."These were not the results we expected," he said, while urging his followers "not to be broken.""I vow, and we vow, to continue to put the State of Israel above all, because this is not about us, it's about our country," Gantz said, promising to do whatever possible to advance peacemaking with Israel's neighbors.Late SurgeNetanyahu had consistently trailed Gantz in polls throughout the campaign until the last leg, when the discourse turned nastier and more personal. The prime minister insinuated the former military chief was unstable, and his campaign was hurt by a leaked tape of a Gantz adviser calling his boss a potential "danger" to Israel. A close Netanyahu aide was heard in a leaked recording saying "hate is what unites" the right-wing camp, a comment Netanyahu called "unacceptable."After official results are in later this week, President Reuven Rivlin will begin consultations with the various parties that made it into parliament to see who they recommend be given the first chance to form a governing coalition.If borne out in the final tally, the results would take Israel back to where it was in May 2019, when Netanyahu could have formed a tenuous, 60-seat government after the April ballot, but instead disbanded parliament and engineered the September re-vote seeking a more stable mandate. That re-vote delivered another inconclusive result.The political uncertainty has spooled out across a year in which Israel has confronted Iran-backed militants in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria. Decisive action has been put off on many fronts, and while the economy has been robust, risks are piling up.A narrow government of about 60 seats would set the stage for a potentially rocky term where Netanyahu would have to navigate his legal woes, confrontations with Iran and its proxies, and the Trump administration's proposal for Middle East peace. That blueprint heavily favors Israel, which would be allowed to annex chunks of West Bank territory over the objections of the Palestinians, who want the territory for their hoped-for state and have rejected the Trump plan.But the plan's call for Palestinian statehood -- no matter how limited -- will anger some of Netanyahu's nationalist allies.Trump Offers Mideast Plan That Palestinians Say Is Non-StarterPalestinians were upset by the apparent outcome."It is obvious that settlement, occupation and apartheid have won the Israeli elections," Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said on Twitter. "Netanyahu's campaign was about the continuation of the occupation and conflict. Which will force the people of the region to live by the sword: continuation of violence, extremism and chaos."Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for the Palestinian Hamas group that controls the Gaza Strip, said "the identity of any upcoming Israeli government will not change the nature of the conflict with this occupier," which must be defeated.While Gantz shares many of Netanyahu's views on security, Palestinians -- despairing of the prospect of another Netanyahu term -- had said they were willing to give the general a chance.Netanyahu has been anxious to hold on to power in hopes of winning a reprieve from trial on bribery and fraud charges. The prime minister has been weakened by what he says are baseless graft allegations cooked up by left-wing opponents. A fifth term would give him the opportunity to try to push through legislation shielding an incumbent leader from prosecution.Netanyahu Indicted as Political Crisis Paralyzes Israel (3)Netanyahu is accused of illicitly accepting about $290,000 in gifts over a decade from wealthy friends, and scheming to win sympathetic press coverage by shaping rules to benefit media moguls. The prime minister and his backers say he's the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt by opponents who deplore his nationalist agenda. He's the first sitting Israeli leader to face criminal charges."Israelis voiced their support for the man they perceive to have brought them security and prosperity," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute research center. "At the same time, the country is heading toward constitutional uncertainty. On March 17th the prime minister's trial will begin and the country will find itself in the unprecedented situation in which the man in charge of institutions of law and order will begin his fight to clear his name in court."(Updates with comments from Netanyahu in sixth paragraph, Gantz in 10th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Alisa Odenheimer, Yaacov Benmeleh, Ivan Levingston, Saud Abu Ramadan and Fadwa Hodali.To contact the reporter on this story: Amy Teibel in Jerusalem at ateibel@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Michael S. ArnoldFor 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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| Trump Tells Drug Companies ‘Get It Done’ on Virus Treatments Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:06 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump sought to show his personal engagement in the fight against coronavirus, meeting with drug company executives on Monday to elicit promises of new medicines and announcing he'll visit federal health agencies later in the week.At the White House meeting, executives from Gilead Sciences Inc., Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Sanofi, Pfizer Inc. and other manufacturers told Trump they were making rapid progress on vaccines and antivirals to combat the coronavirus, which has infected about 100 people in the country and killed six.The manufacturers said they hope to have antiviral treatments ready within months and vaccines by next year. Gilead Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel O'Day told Trump that his company may test a promising antiviral in Washington State, where all six deaths from the virus have occurred."It's a very optimistic meeting. I didn't realize you were that far advanced," Trump said. "Get it done. We need it."Vice President Mike Pence said Trump will visit the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, on Tuesday and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta later this week. At a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday evening, Trump promised that "we're working hard on it and we're going to come up with some really great solutions."We're going to reduce the severity of what's happening, the duration of the virus," Trump said. "We will bring these therapies to market as rapidly as possible."Airport ScreeningsPence said at a briefing for reporters at the White House that South Korea has begun screening all passengers bound for the U.S. from any of their airports for infection. Italy will implement similar screening within 12 hours, Pence said.The exit screening will entail "multiple temperature checks in the airports for people before they are boarding," Pence said at a briefing for reporters with federal health officials.The U.S. has restricted travel from China and Iran to prevent infected people from entering the country. Asked if those restrictions would be expanded, Pence said "the president was very clear we're going to follow the facts and listen to the experts every step of the way.""The American people should know that we are saying you should not travel to certain sections of Italy and South Korea," Pence said. "We'll allow the caseload in those countries to define" that guidance is expanded.The Washington deaths have been centered around a nursing home near Seattle in Kirkland, where there are a large number of suspected patients. In total, there are at least 18 cases in the state, with at least 14 in King County and four in Snohomish County.A top U.S. disease expert said the coronavirus is likely becoming a pandemic, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he expects more cases after the state identified its first patient.(Updates with additional Trump remarks beginning in fifth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Jordan Fabian in Washington at jfabian6@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, John HarneyFor 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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| U.S. Sues to Tap Crypto Accounts Tied to North Korean Hack Posted: 02 Mar 2020 04:23 PM PST |
| China says North Korea is suffering `negatively' from virus Posted: 02 Mar 2020 04:14 PM PST |
| US sanctions, charges two Chinese linked to N. Korean hack Posted: 02 Mar 2020 03:03 PM PST  US authorities on Monday sanctioned two Chinese citizens and accused them of of laundering more than $100 million in cryptocurrency stolen in a 2018 cyberattack linked to North Korea. Tian Yinyin and Li Jiadong are accused of working with Lazarus Group, sponsored by North Korea and blamed for the April 2018 hack of an unnamed cryptocurrency exchange in which about $250 million was stolen. "The North Korean regime has continued its widespread campaign of extensive cyberattacks on financial institutions to steal funds," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
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| WRAPUP 6-Coronavirus spreading fast outside China, airports to increase screenings Posted: 02 Mar 2020 02:24 PM PST |
| Guatemala sentences ex congress president to 30 years Posted: 02 Mar 2020 02:17 PM PST |
| A Global Economic Shock Needs a Global Solution Posted: 02 Mar 2020 02:16 PM PST |
| Israel's Netanyahu: a master political survivor Posted: 02 Mar 2020 02:08 PM PST  Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is a veteran right-winger, who has spent years outlasting his political opponents. The 70-year-old is also the first premier in Israeli history to be indicted in office, accused of corruption charges that threatened to end his political career. The Likud party leader prefers the title "Mr Security" and has stayed in power with a mix of divisive populism and the image of a world statesman close to foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin -- and especially US President Donald Trump.
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| US envoy salutes anti-Putin rally in Moscow Posted: 02 Mar 2020 01:30 PM PST  A US envoy on Monday hailed the thousands of Russians who took to the streets to criticize President Vladimir Putin, saying they showed bravery. Russia's opposition called the rally in central Moscow on Saturday, the fifth anniversary of the assassination of leading liberal Boris Nemtsov, to warn Putin not to try to stay in power indefinitely. Jim Gilmore, the US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, the East-West body set up during the Cold War to resolve crises and promote democratic standards, said he wanted to "congratulate the thousands of brave Russians who marched on Saturday."
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| Airlines Request Slot Leniency From Airports To Deal With Coronavirus Posted: 02 Mar 2020 01:22 PM PST  Amid a worldwide slump in passenger and cargo traffic due to the fast-spreading novel coronavirus, airlines are asking airport authorities to suspend rules governing the use of takeoff and landing slots as they cut back flight schedules.Under slot allocation rules at more than 200 airports worldwide, airlines must operate at least 80% of their allocated slots under normal circumstances or risk losing the slot to competitors the following season.The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging airport governing bodies to relax the slot rules for the remainder of the flying season due to the respiratory illness spreading around the world because carriers need flexibility to adjust their schedules.Suspending the requirement through October will allow airlines to respond to market conditions with appropriate capacity levels, avoiding the need to run empty services in order to maintain slots. Aircraft can be reallocated to other routes or parked, while crews can have certainty about their schedules, IATA said.Regulators have already been waiving the slot rules on a rolling basis during the COVID-19 crisis, primarily for operations to China and Hong Kong."The world is facing a huge challenge to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while enabling the global economy to continue functioning. Airlines are on the front line of that challenge and it's essential that the regulatory community work with us to ensure airlines are able to operate in the most sustainable manner, both economically and environmentally, to alleviate the worst impacts of the crisis," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement.On Sunday, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases outside China doubled to nearly 2,000, while new cases in China are declining after a monthlong quarantine program in large parts of the country. Overall there have been more than 80,000 cases and 2,900 deaths, most of them in China.Many companies are limiting corporate travel and many industry conferences have been canceled in the past two weeks, while leisure travelers are also opting to stay home to avoid contracting the flu-like disease.The impact on many airlines has been swift and severe. Some are offering to temporarily waive change fees for customers who book in the next few weeks. IATA said one of its members has experienced a 26% reduction in business across its entire network, while a major carrier reported bookings to Italy have collapsed to zero and refunds are growing. Many carriers report 50% no-shows.Carriers such as Deutsche Lufthansa AG are reacting with cost-saving measures, such as offering crews unpaid leave, freezing pay increases and grounding aircraft.Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific has taken the most dramatic steps so far. It has parked about half its passenger fleet, or about 120 planes, and scrubbed about three-quarters of its weekly flights in March, according to the South China Morning Post. On Monday, Lufthansa curtailed schedules for group airlines even further as part of an effort to trim short- and medium-haul flights by 25%. Lufthansa Airlines is reducing frequencies on various routes to Italy from Germany this month and SWISS will probably reduce flights to and from major tourist destinations in Italy until the end of April, the company said. Austrian Airlines is reducing its flight program to Italy in March and April by 40%, and Eurowings is reducing flights to Venice, Bologna and Milan until Sunday. Brussels Airlines is reducing flights to Rome, Milan, Venice and Bologna by 30% until March 14.Lufthansa Group airlines are also reducing long-haul flights between Germany and Hong Kong and Seoul, South Korea, from Thursday through April 24. Flight suspensions to mainland China and Tehran, Iran, remain in effect through April 24 and April 30, respectively.Airline analysts over the weekend said they are watching whether airlines start canceling flights on the North Atlantic and U.S. domestic market to gauge how far the crisis is reaching.On cue Monday, British Airways said it was reducing the number of flights from London to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in the second half of March due to lower demand. It previously canceled flights to mainland China, as well as some flights to Italy, Singapore and South Korea.Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) also said it was suspending daily flights between JFK and Milan, with service scheduled to resume May 1. And Delta's summer seasonal service between JFK and Venice, previously scheduled to begin April 1, has been pushed back to May 1. The airline's daily flights between Rome and both JFK and Atlanta continue to operate as scheduled.The pull-down of passenger planes is also reducing capacity for shippers and their cargo, forcing them to look for other options. That could be especially problematic for areas outside China where economic activity and trade are still proceeding and transport demand remains high. All-cargo carriers will likely be in hot demand around the world, beyond just the China market — but the uncertainty about the disease makes it difficult to predict where and when all-cargo demand will climb.Airlines are girding for financial losses this year if the outbreak isn't contained soon. The reduction in international corporate travel is especially worrisome because airlines depend on it for profits. Airlines could also lose significant revenue during the domestic spring break season that begins this week and runs through mid-April.Airlines "can stimulate demand by lowering fares to attract leisure customers, but replacing high-value customers with leisure customers means earnings will come under pressure," Cowan equity analyst Helane Becker wrote in a note.A silver lining for airlines is that jet fuel prices have decreased to about $1.45 globally compared to $1.60 to $1.77 at the end of January and between $1.81 and $2.06 at the end of November.Image by Free-Photos from PixabaySee more from Benzinga * Oilpatch Trucking Company Dalmac Shuts Down As Bankruptcy Looms * FTL Service At LTL Rates: Pooling Protects Loads And Bottom Lines * Freight Futures Daily Curve: 3/2(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Bloomberg tells AIPAC he'll 'never impose conditions' on military aid to Israel Posted: 02 Mar 2020 12:30 PM PST  Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg on Monday pledged to support Israel's security and constrain Iran's nuclear program at the annual pro-Israel AIPAC summit in Washington, while also criticizing Sen. Bernie Sanders for boycotting the annual event, which has been a lightning rod in the 2020 Democratic primary. Bloomberg was the only 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference in Washington, a move criticized by progressives and some Democrats not aligned with the group's views. "I can't tell you how glad I am to be at AIPAC," he said.
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| UN drastically curtails women's conference for 12,000 people Posted: 02 Mar 2020 12:17 PM PST |
| More testing sheds light on how virus is spreading in US Posted: 02 Mar 2020 12:13 PM PST  An increase in testing for the coronavirus began shedding light Monday on how the illness has spread in the United States, including in Washington state, where four people died at a nursing home and some schools were closed for disinfection. Seattle officials announced four more deaths, bringing the total in the U.S. to six. In Seattle, King County Executive Dow Constantine declared an emergency and said the county was buying a hotel to be used as a hospital for patients who need to be isolated.
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| The Latest: 6 deaths from virus in Washington state Posted: 02 Mar 2020 12:03 PM PST  Washington state health authorities now say six people have died from coronavirus. At a news conference Monday Dr. Jeff Duchin from Public Health – Seattle & King County – said five of the deaths were people from King County and one was a person from Snohomish County, north of Seattle. Researchers said earlier that the virus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in Washington state.
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| Iraq crisis deepens after PM-designate steps down Posted: 02 Mar 2020 12:02 PM PST  Protest-torn Iraq on Monday faced more political gridlock after prime minister-designate Mohammed Allawi withdrew overnight, accusing lawmakers of obstructing his attempt to form a government. Oil-rich but poverty-stricken Iraq has for five months been rocked by the biggest wave of anti-government demonstrations since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled former dictator Saddam Hussein. The mostly youthful protesters demand the ouster of Iraq's entire political elite, which they accuse of being inept, corrupt and beholden to powerful neighbour Iran.
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| Iranians fearful and struggling to cope as virus spreads Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:55 AM PST  Cooped up at home for days because of Iran's coronavirus outbreak, Parmis Hashemi was desperate, so her mother took her shopping -- even though they only had one mask between them. Schools have been shut across the country as part of measures aimed at stemming the rapid spread of COVID-19, the virus that has now claimed 66 lives out of more than 1,500 cases in Iran.
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| Leaked documents suggest Huawei violated Iran sanctions Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:44 AM PST  Internal documents reviewed by Reuters show that Huawei shipped computer equipment made by Hewlett-Packard to Iran's largest mobile operator in 2010. The documents provide strong evidence that Huawei was involved in alleged trade sanction violations. They could potentially be used to strengthen the United States' multifaceted case against Huawei.
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| What's Next for Pete Buttigieg? Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:42 AM PST  Pete Buttigieg lost his primary bid Sunday night when he dropped out of the Democratic presidential race, yet there's little question that the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, won his personal campaign to become a national political figure.Buttigieg had tried before to become a power broker in national politics. His early efforts failed: In his race to become the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Buttigieg stepped aside before the vote was tallied to avoid a potentially low vote total.Three years later, he is leaving the primary race on very different footing, as one of the most prominent figures in the Democratic Party and as a politician with a devoted following and a defined brand who even taught much of the country how to say his difficult-to-pronounce surname. (It's Boot-EDGE-EDGE, in case you missed all of the campaign signs.)Buttigieg's accomplishments go beyond his strong finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two voting states. His bid gave Buttigieg a place in the history books as the country's first gay major presidential candidate."Sometimes the longest way around really is the shortest way home," he joked after he took the stage for his exit speech in South Bend on Sunday evening. "We were never supposed to get anywhere at all."But few expect Buttigieg to remain at home for long. Here's some ideas for what he could consider next:A flight from South Bend?His mayoral term ended in January, and those close to Buttigieg see no obvious political next step in Indiana for the former mayor of a relatively Democratic enclave in a Republican state. In 2018, Joe Donnelly, then a Democratic senator from Indiana, lost his reelection fight by nearly 6 points -- a harbinger of how hard it can be even for a popular figure like Buttigieg to win statewide.It was a political issue faced by another Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, who spent most of her professional career in Arkansas before becoming the nation's first lady. She moved to New York, a state with easy residency laws and with many more Democratic voters, to mount her successful Senate bid.A place on the ticket?Buttigieg's departure from the race leaves behind a field dominated by septuagenarians. At 77, former Vice President Joe Biden is now the youngest male candidate in the field. Having Buttigieg as a fresh face on a ticket could help allay the fears of voters who are worried about electing an older president.If a Democrat wins, Buttigieg would almost certainly be on the list for a Cabinet post, perhaps for a job drawing on his military service, like defense secretary, or on his language fluency, like ambassador to the United Nations.For his part, Buttigieg promised to do everything in his power "to ensure we have a new Democratic president come January" -- a vow that would certainly be fulfilled by a spot on the Democratic ticket. "There is simply too much at stake to retreat to the sidelines at a time like this," he said.Something issue-oriented?After John Edwards ended his 2004 presidential campaign, he took over as director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- a perch that allowed him to tour major universities and promote his agenda. By February 2005, Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, was back in New Hampshire to headline a state party fundraiser.Buttigieg could find a similar kind of job -- a position at a think tank or in academia that would allow him to further his agenda, to address possible Democratic voters and to keep making trips to early voting states. One idea suggested by some supporters would be a post that would let him engage more directly with voters of color, a core part of the Democratic Party base that he failed to win over in large numbers.Another presidential bid?During his remarks Sunday night, supporters chanted "2024, 2024," prompting a tight smile from Buttigieg. If Trump wins reelection, Buttigieg will certainly be on the list for those considered likely prospects for another run for the Democratic nomination. With a deep donor network and a field operation in early voting states, Buttigieg could enter the field with some strength, assuming he doesn't stumble in the next four years or so.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| UN envoy for Libya resigns as truce appears to crumble Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:28 AM PST  The U.N. envoy for Libya announced his resignation on Monday, as a fragile cease-fire in the North African country continued to crumble. Ghassan Salame tweeted he was stepping down as special representative for Libya because of his health. Salame was appointed in July 2017, and had recently been mediating three-tiered talks between Libya's warring sides on economic, political and military tracks.
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| The worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century: 5 questions on Syria answered Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:19 AM PST  Remember former President Barack Obama's infamous red line speech in 2012? In that speech, the president made it clear that the U.S. would not stand for the use of chemical or biological weapons by President Bashar al-Assad against opposition forces in Syria. But, despite subsequent evidence of the use of these weapons by Assad's forces, the U.S. declined to directly confront the regime.A complex, devastating conflict has continued ever since, killing close to 400,000 Syrians and forcing millions from their homes. It has involved a range of players over nine years: the Assad-controlled government regime, various rebel opposition groups, the Islamic State, Syria's Kurdish minority and major international powers, including the United States, Iran, Turkey, Russia and the European Union. Consequently, some confusion about current events and what they mean is understandable. So, here are some answers to key questions about why Syria is back in the news. 1\. What's going on right now?The war in Syria has resulted in more than 11 million people displaced. Over half of these displaced people are refugees, with the vast majority currently hosted in the regional states of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.The war has now reached a crisis point. Since December, the Russian-backed Assad regime has significantly increased air and ground assaults on civilian sites in Idlib province, causing destruction and mass displacement. Idlib is considered the remaining stronghold of the rebel opposition to Assad's regime. Lying in the northeast of Syria bordering Turkey, it is home to approximately 3.5 million people. The United Nations has repeatedly called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Nonetheless, the assaults continued. 2\. How many people are fleeing?Since December, nearly 950,000 people, an estimated 80% of whom are women and children, have fled their homes because of ground and air assaults by the Russian-backed Assad forces during an uncharacteristically cold winter. Many live in makeshift displaced persons camps in northern Syria. Reports show that women are burning plastic to keep warm, and babies and children are dying due to the cold.The U.N. estimates that close to 2 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance. While aid is being delivered, it is insufficient to meet the needs of families for food, clean water and heating. Local aid workers have also been killed. 3\. Why is this considered a humanitarian crisis?Until early January, humanitarian assistance was coming from international organizations into Syria through Iraq. Aid is currently coming in through Turkey, as it affords the most feasible route for people to seek refuge and for humanitarian assistance to get through to Syria. However, Turkey has effectively closed its borders to those fleeing from Idlib, noting it already hosts over 3.6 million Syrian refugees. Some reports put the death toll around Idlib in the thousands. The U.N. has recorded hundreds of deaths in Idlib and Aleppo due to the recent attacks, which are backed militarily by Russia. Many medical facilities and schools have been targeted or impacted.Experts claim that the attacks are part of a strategy to explicitly target civilians. Such targeting of civilians, schools and hospitals could be war crimes – grave violations of the law of war. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry and European courts are investigating crimes committed during the Syrian conflict. 4\. Who is involved in this fight?The conflict in Syria started with a peaceful uprising in 2011 against the four-decade authoritarian rule of the Assad family. Since then, it has become increasingly complicated, involving a number of countries near and far.Iran has remained a steadfast supporter of Assad throughout the conflict, although its exact military and financial support is difficult to track. In 2015, Russia, a historic ally of the Assad family, directly entered the conflict to support the government through airstrikes. It controls much of the airspace in northern Syria today. The United States entered the war as part of a coalition in 2014. It has supported Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units, in a joint fight against the Islamic State, which had gained power in parts of Syria. The United States' support of the Syrian Kurds has consistently rattled Turkey, which links the group to its own Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist group by neighboring Turkey, the European Union and the United States. In October, President Donald Trump ordered the removal of U.S. military personnel from northern Syria, abandoning the traditional support by the U.S. for Syrian Kurds and opening up advantages for the Assad regime and Russia. In response, Turkey intervened militarily to undermine the Syrian Kurds and create a safe zone along its borders. These actions infuriated Turkey's western allies because it heightened the conflict in parts of the north that had been peacefully governed by the Syrian Kurds. While Turkey and Russia do not agree on Syria, they have been coming closer since 2015, even overcoming crises like the downing of a Russian aircraft by Turkish forces near the Syrian border. Turkey, the United States and European Union states are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, known as NATO. Deepening a divide between Turkey and NATO is considered by experts to be in the interest of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. 5\. What now?The humanitarian crisis is grave, and the situation in flux. With the fighting around Idlib continuing, international tensions are flaring. After 33 Turkish soldiers died in an attack by Russian-backed Syrian forces on Feb. 27, Turkey called for NATO to meet and has retaliated in Syria. Russia has denied any involvement in the specific assault. Neither Turkey nor Russia appears to be decreasing their interventions in Syria. With Russia wielding a veto power on the United Nations Security Council, the institution responsible for addressing threats to international peace and security has been unable to effectively intervene to halt the conflict and protect civilians.Many experts contend that the war could be in its final throes and some victory for Assad is no longer in question. For now, the Trump administration has indicated it has no intention of reengaging in Syria to protect the people of Idlib. However, in such a complex conflict, the delicate balance of interests can be disrupted. For example, Turkey has opened its borders for Syrian refugees to flow into Europe, creating a potential renewed crisis for the European Union. Turkey has asked NATO for military support for a no-fly zone over Idlib, but has gained no traction so far. Experts agree that the best route to protect civilians would be such a zone and argue the United States must play a role. Others are calling for an EU-NATO intervention to protect the people of Idlib. The EU is meeting to discuss the crisis.For now, Turkey is taking on the Syrian forces alone and claiming some success. Russia and Turkey are set to meet to discuss the conflict on March 5.[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: * Why the US has nuclear weapons in Turkey – and may try to put the bombs away * Are Syrian refugees a danger to the West?Shelley Inglis 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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| Klobuchar is ending her presidential bid, will endorse Biden Posted: 02 Mar 2020 11:02 AM PST  Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar ended her Democratic presidential campaign on Monday and plans to endorse rival Joe Biden in an effort to unify moderate voters behind the former vice president's White House bid. Klobuchar was the third presidential candidate to drop out of the race in less than 49 hours, following Pete Buttigieg's departure late Sunday and Tom Steyer's exit late Saturday. Klobuchar outlasted several better-known and better-funded Democrats, thanks to a better-than-expected third-place finish in in New Hampshire.
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| Big Super Tuesday prizes a study in contrasts over voting Posted: 02 Mar 2020 10:54 AM PST  The two biggest states participating in Super Tuesday represent another story aside from what happens in the Democratic primary: Voting rights. California and Texas are the most populous states in the nation and the biggest delegate prizes on Tuesday for the presidential contestants. Deeply Democratic California has taken several steps in recent years to make it easier to register and vote, including pre-registration for teenagers, community drop-off centers for early voting and the ability to register on Election Day.
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| EU, Britain launch tough post-Brexit relationship talks Posted: 02 Mar 2020 10:35 AM PST  British and EU trade negotiators held the first day of what could be months of talks aimed at forging a new post-Brexit relationship on Monday, with timing tight and the sides far apart on key issues. The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier and UK counterpart David Frost met in Brussels, launching several months of intense closed-door negotiations involving around 100 officials on each side. A UK spokesman said Frost and members the UK delegation met Barnier and his task force for around two hours.
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| Libya peace efforts thrown further into chaos as UN envoy quits Posted: 02 Mar 2020 10:17 AM PST  Move follows Ghassan Salamé's failure to get nations to use their leverage to end civil warInternational efforts to broker a Libyan ceasefire have been plunged further into chaos by the unexpected resignation of Ghassan Salamé, the UN special envoy to the country.Salamé's move, amid UN-led talks in Geneva, is an admission that he has been unable to persuade major powers to use their leverage to end the civil war between Khalifa Haftar, the leader of so-called Libyan National Army forces in the country's east, and the UN-recognised government of Fayez al-Sarraj, based in the capital, Tripoli.Last week Salamé said powerful nations had not stuck to commitments made at a peace conference in Berlin in January, to use their influence to end interventions by external powers. His decision to quit is likely to by followed by a further rise in political violence, and the continuation of an oil depot blockade that has led Libya's oil production to grind to a halt.A United Nations arms embargo, recently endorsed again by the UN security council, has been flagrantly violated, with no attempt to hold the major culprits, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, in any way accountable.UN reports repeatedly identified the sources of breaches of the arms embargo but then held back from naming the relevant country.Salamé, in post for two years, has been frustrated by the willingness of European powers including France to covertly back Haftar along with Russia. Posting his resignation statement on his personal Twitter account, Salamé said he had spent two years trying to reunite the country and curb the influence of outsiders, but that he could no longer continue because of health reasons."My health no longer allows this rate of stress," Salamé wrote, adding that he had asked the UN secretary general, António Guterres, to relieve him of his post. A former diplomat and academic, Salamé cut a desolate figure at the end of political talks in Geneva, admitting he had made little practical progress in persuading the two sides to end hostilities that started when Haftar launched an assault on Tripoli last April. He also hit out at the performance of major powers since the Berlin conference, saying: "Did I get the kind of support needed since then? My answer is: no. I need much more support. They have many ways of putting pressure on those who violate the ceasefire, on those who violate the arms embargo, on those who do not come to Geneva political talks, on those who give orders to sabotage the military or political talks. They could be doing all this. Did they do it the way they committed to do it? My answer is no."
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| WHO medics, aid flown into Iran as virus toll jumps to 66 Posted: 02 Mar 2020 09:49 AM PST A plane carrying UN medical experts and aid touched down Monday in Iran on a mission to help it tackle the world's second-deadliest outbreak of coronavirus as European powers said they would send further help. The World Health Organization said a flight arrived from Dubai carrying medical supplies and experts on a fact-finding mission and to "provide guidance on strengthening and scaling up the response to the ongoing outbreak." Germany, France and Britain, for their part, said they would send emergency medical supplies including testing equipment, body suits and gloves as well as five million euros ($5.5 million) to help tackle the outbreak.
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| Virus death toll tops 3,000 as airlines cut flights Posted: 02 Mar 2020 09:40 AM PST  The global death toll from the new coronavirus topped 3,000 on Monday, as airlines cancelled or reduced flights and stock markets swung wildly. More people died in China, Iran and the United States from the virus, which has now infected nearly 90,000 people with cases in more than 60 countries. With fears of a pandemic on the rise after the virus first emerged in China late last year, the World Health Organization urged all countries to stock up on critical care ventilators to treat patients with severe symptoms.
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| 5 key questions ahead of critical Super Tuesday primaries Posted: 02 Mar 2020 09:32 AM PST  Tuesday is the biggest day of the primary calendar, when 14 states from the Atlantic to the Pacific vote on the Democratic presidential nominee. The roster includes the nation's two most populous states, California and Texas, and nearly one-third of all the delegates at July's Democratic National Convention are up for grabs. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has long promised that he could substantially expand the electorate beyond traditional Democratic voters, but that hasn't happened in the first four contests.
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| Saudi Arabia announces first case of coronavirus Posted: 02 Mar 2020 09:31 AM PST  Saudi Arabia on Monday confirmed its first case of coronavirus after one its citizens who had returned from COVID-19 hotspot Iran tested positive. The health ministry said the man, tested after entering the country through Bahrain, had been "isolated in a hospital". Saudi Arabia is the last Arab state in the Gulf to report a confirmed case of COVID-19.
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| Merkel Hits Out at Erdogan Amid Migration Spat at Greek Border Posted: 02 Mar 2020 09:12 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Angela Merkel hit out at Recep Tayyip Erdogan, criticizing the Turkish president for conducting policy at the expense of refugees, amid tensions along the Greek border over uncontrolled migration flows.While opening the possibility of additional German or European Union assistance for Turkey to deal with migrants, the German chancellor said Erdogan was making a mistake by putting the lives of civilians at risk. Her comments came as EU officials in Brussels struggled to come up with a response to Erdogan's encouragement to people hosted in the country to seek refuge in Europe."I understand the Turkish government and President Erdogan that he expects more from Europe," Merkel told reporters in Berlin. "However, I find it unacceptable that President Erdogan and his government is now not expressing this dissatisfaction to us, the EU, but taking it out on the backs of the refugees. That's the wrong way."The rapidly evolving crisis came after Turkey told millions of migrants and asylum seekers hosted on its soil that it won't stand in the way if they want to leave. As thousands of desperate people flocked toward the border, clashes erupted with Greek security forces seeking to hold them back over the past five days.Merkel said she would continue to speak with Turkish counterparts in an effort to resolve the situation and would offer bilateral support if a deal couldn't be reached on the EU level. Meanwhile, the EU's crisis response mechanism decided to continue engaging Turkish authorities in an effort to uphold a 2016 accord that stemmed the flow of migrants in exchange for financial assistance, according to the minutes of a meeting in Brussels on Monday, seen by Bloomberg."The period of single-sided sacrifice has come to an end," Erdogan said in televised remarks on Monday. "The number of people who are headed towards Europe since the moment we opened our borders has reached hundreds of thousands. This figure will soon reach millions."Bloomberg reporters on both sides of the border between Greece and Turkey can't confirm Erdogan's claim that hundreds of thousands of people have left the country. The International Organization for Migration has also given much lower figures of people stranded in no-man's land between Greece and Turkey.Erdogan's threat that he will essentially stop applying his accord with the EU to prevent migration flows came after he unsuccessfully sought the bloc's backing for his military campaign in Syria. The EU has yet to come up with a response, prompting Erdogan to proclaim that Turkey is unable to host any more people fleeing a clampdown from Syria's regime.The Greek government said that it has stopped more than 24,000 from trying to cross its borders between Saturday and Monday, and arrested 183 who made it. On Sunday, Athens invoked an emergency clause of European treaties, seeking extra EU assistance, and suspended accepting asylum applications, in a move the UN's refugee agency said has no legal basis.The EU's border control agency agreed to deploy officers from across the bloc to help Greek security forces, while the heads of EU's main institutions will visit the country's frontier with Turkey on Tuesday, ahead of an extraordinary meeting of foreign affairs ministers later in the week.\--With assistance from Sotiris Nikas, Paul Tugwell and Onur Ant.To contact the reporters on this story: Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.net;Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.net;Nikos Chrysoloras in Brussels at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Richard Bravo, Nikos ChrysolorasFor 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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| Esper: US to start initial troop pullback from Afghanistan Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:53 AM PST  Warning that it will be a "long, windy, bumpy road" to peace in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday he has approved the start of an American troop withdrawal even as the Taliban said it would continue attacks against Afghan forces. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, Esper said he wasn't sure if the drawdown had begun, but he said it must start within 10 days of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement that was announced on Saturday. Esper said Gen. Scott Miller, the U.S. commander in Kabul, will begin the withdrawal to about 8,600 troops from the current total of nearly 13,000, and then will stop and assess conditions.
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| Putin proposes to enshrine God, heterosexual marriage in constitution Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:38 AM PST  Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to parliament a number of constitutional changes, including amendments that mention God and stipulate that marriage is a union of a man and woman. Shortly afterwards, the lower house unanimously approved the constitutional reform bill in a first reading after less than two hours of debate. Ahead of a second and key reading set for next week, Putin submitted 24 pages worth of new proposals, said State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
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| No handshake for Merkel as Germany coronavirus cases reach 150 Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:17 AM PST  Germany's interior minister rebuffed Chancellor Angela Merkel's attempt to shake hands with him on Monday as the number of novel coronavirus cases in the country rose to 157 with Berlin reporting its first infection. When Merkel reached out to greet Horst Seehofer at a meeting on migration in Berlin, he smiled and kept both his hands to himself. Health experts have recommended avoiding handshakes as a way of preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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| Japanese mothers struggle to cope after virus shuts schools Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:11 AM PST  Keiko Kobayashi brought her 7-year-old son to her Tokyo office on Monday after his school, like most others in Japan, suddenly closed for four weeks in a government effort to slow the rapid spread of the new virus. "I was shocked by the news of the school closures, and thought, what should I do?" said Kobayashi, a senior manager at a multinational staffing service provider. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a plan last Thursday to close schools across Japan from Monday until the end of the month.
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| Why Washington Carriers Aren't Panicking Over First US Coronavirus Death Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:10 AM PST  Washington trucking companies aren't panicking despite the first U.S. death from the coronavirus in the state Saturday and growing strains on intermodal carriers struggling with disruptions in shipments from China, an industry official said."We're a highly resilient industry even in the face of a potential pandemic," said Sheri Call, executive vice president of the Washington Trucking Associations.Call spoke to FreightWaves shortly after Washington State health officials announced that a woman infected with the novel coronavirus had died in a hospital near Seattle.President Donald Trump addressed the death in a news conference Saturday as the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. reached 15. He announced new travel restrictions for Iran and wouldn't rule out more restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border.Washington's governor, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency but has yet to take more drastic steps to limit the movement of people or goods."It's a state of emergency, but not for trucking," Call said. Still, Washington carriers aren't immune to the growing supply chain disruptions from the coronavirus. Intermodal carriers are getting hit by disruptions of Chinese shipping to West Coast ports, Call said."They're starting to see a deeper impact," Call said. "Large volumes of freight from China aren't arriving."But Call is hoping the disruptions are short-lived. She noted that truckload carriers have yet to see a dip in volumes because of coronavirus and said she remains bullish on Washington trucking, fuelled by growing volumes of international trade."We're preparing for a bright future for freight," Call said.But she agreed that the ultimate impact of coronavirus remains unknown and that her carriers are closely monitoring developments.Call said carriers aren't worried about the prospect of coronavirus sidelining drivers but acknowledged "there's no contingency plan for that."Image Sourced from PixabaySee more from Benzinga * Special Report: Coronavirus Impact On Freight * FreightCasts Weekly Recap (2/24-3/1) * Weekly Freight Market Update From SONAR – Mar 1, 2020(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Half of world's sandy beaches at risk from climate change Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:03 AM PST  Scientists say that half of the world's sandy beaches could disappear by the end of the century if climate change continues unchecked. Researchers at the European Union's Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, used satellite images to track the way beaches have changed over the past 30 years and simulated how global warming might affect them in the future. "What we find is that by the end of the century around half of the beaches in the world will experience erosion that is more than 100 meters," said Michalis Vousdoukas.
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| Johnson Orders Inquiry Into Facts of U.K. Home Office Row Posted: 02 Mar 2020 08:01 AM PST |
| Putin Adds New Changes to Constitution, Wooing Traditionalists Posted: 02 Mar 2020 07:56 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The Kremlin added new amendments to the package of constitutional overhauls President Vladimir Putin made last month, appealing to issues likely to boost public support for a plan widely viewed as a bid by the Russian leader to extend his two-decade-old rule.An updated 24-page list of amendments submitted Monday includes a clause that classifies a marriage as a union of a man and a woman, said Pyotr Tolstoy, deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament, official news agencies reported. The changes also introduce a mention of God, describe Russia as a successor state to the Soviet Union and bar ceding any Russian territory except for border delimitations or criticizing Moscow's role in the Second World War, state media reported.The State Duma, the lower chamber, unanimously approved the initial proposals just days after Putin unveiled them in a surprise announcement in January. The revised plan including the latest changes is scheduled for final votes in the Duma on March 10 and 11, and to a nationwide ballot on April 22.The original amendments, the most dramatic since the constitution was adopted in 1993, would reduce the power of the presidency, giving somewhat more authority to the parliament and strengthening the State Council, now a largely ceremonial body. The overhaul could create options for Putin to retain control after his current term -- his last under constitutional limits -- ends in 2024.The traditionalist-appealing measures such as safeguarding the sanctity of heterosexual marriage are "needed to ensure as many people as possible come to vote," said Alexei Makarkin, deputy director of the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow. "But the other amendments are more important -- they're about the division of power."So far, the Kremlin's efforts to drum up public enthusiasm for the proposals have met limited success. A poll released last week by the independent Levada Center said only 25% of Russians were ready to support the plan, while 10% said they would vote against it and another 37% hadn't made up their minds. Another 23% said they wouldn't participate. The proposals need to win a majority to take effect, according to the Kremlin plan.To contact the reporters on this story: Henry Meyer in Moscow at hmeyer4@bloomberg.net;Stepan Kravchenko in Moscow at skravchenko@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Gregory L. White at gwhite64@bloomberg.netFor 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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| Israel missile hits car in Syria after sniper attack attempt Posted: 02 Mar 2020 07:43 AM PST |
| Coronavirus Hits Come Fast For Aviation Sector Posted: 02 Mar 2020 07:41 AM PST  The airline industry is becoming a leading indicator of the global economic contraction now projected for the first quarter, and possibly for the full year, as the new coronavirus escapes containment efforts in China.German companies seem particularly aggressive in trying to cut expenses in line with declining revenue trends as passenger demand dries up. On Friday, Fraport AG, which operates the large European hub in Frankfurt, Germany, and has activities in 30 airports around the world, followed German flagship carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG in announcing a series of cost containment measures.The airport operator said it is freezing all new hiring except for exceptional circumstances, and offering administrative and operational employees voluntary unpaid leave or temporary reduced working hours to align resources a massive slump in passenger and cargo traffic at Frankfurt Airport.Fraport has about 20,000 employees and the entire airport supports more than 80,000 jobs. The company said it is evaluating other steps to reduce costs and will issue guidance for the current fiscal year when it releases financial results on March 13. Lufthansa Group this week announced it will park 23 aircraft, reduce short- and long-haul operations, freeze new hiring and training, and encourage workers to take reduced work hours. In the past two weeks, the company's stock has dropped 23%.The coronavirus is hitting the German aviation sector just as it prepares for an April increase in Germany's aviation tax. British Airways is also implementing a hiring freeze and cutting flights. The coronavirus is now in 60 countries. On Friday, Italy, Iran and South Korea announced 3,500 new cases, more than 10 times the number of new cases in China and double the number of cases announced Thursday. Preliminary indications are that for every person infected the disease gets passed on to two more people, on average, according to health authorities.Travel demand is falling fast as people look to reduce their chances of exposure to the coronavirus, and airlines are reacting with reduced schedules. Some countries are banning travel to certain destinations and the U.S. government has raised its warning level for travel to Italy and Iran.Tokyo Disneyland is now closed. The Swiss government ordered all events with more than 1,000 people canceled, ending a popular ski marathon, next week's Geneva International Motor Show and a big watch convention. Amazon said it is even restricting non-essential domestic travel within the US.After previously shutting down operations in China, where the new coronavirus originated and where there are about 80,000 confirmed cases, airlines are reducing flights to other parts of Asia, including South Korea, Japan and Singapore. Fewer passenger aircraft in the air means fewer options for companies to ship cargo. Dedicated all-cargo carriers could benefit by the new market dynamic, but that assumes that the disease doesn't force manufacturers to halt production as part of quarantine efforts to control the outbreak. Earlier this month, the International Air Transport Association estimated airlines would generate almost $30 billion less revenue this year. That amount is certain to increase as the coronavirus reaches pandemic proportions.Meanwhile, investment bank JP Morgan forecast the global economy will shrink in the first quarter because of the crisis. And Goldman Sachs on Thursday said S&P 500 companies, on average, won't generate any earnings growth this year as the impact of the coronavirus spreads. Buckle up.Image Sourced from PixabaySee more from Benzinga * First Nations Group, Canadian Officials Reach Unspecified Deal On Pipeline * Fetch Robotics Democratizes Warehouse Automation * Volumes Jump For First Time in 2020 But Coronavirus Uncertainty Looms(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Bloomberg Criticizes Sanders’s AIPAC Position as ‘Dead Wrong’ Posted: 02 Mar 2020 06:58 AM PST |
| Italy faces recession as coronavirus hits economy Posted: 02 Mar 2020 06:44 AM PST  Italy's economy performed woefully in 2019 and is set to do even worse this year due to the coronavirus, with the threat of recession looming large, experts said Monday. "In the best scenario for Italy, we expect zero growth (in 2020) with a negative first quarter followed by a slow recovery," OECD chief economist Laurence Boone said. Europe had fared badly across the board recently, weighed down by Brexit and US President Donald Trump's protectionist threats.
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| Supreme Court will decide the fate of Obama health care law Posted: 02 Mar 2020 06:37 AM PST  The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide a lawsuit that threatens the Obama-era health care law, a case that will keep health care squarely in front of voters even though a decision won't come until after the 2020 election. The court said it would hear an appeal by 20 mainly Democratic states of a lower-court ruling that declared part of the statute unconstitutional and cast a cloud over the rest. For the more than 20 million people covered under "Obamacare," nothing changes while the Supreme Court deliberates.
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| In defense of 'endless' wars Posted: 02 Mar 2020 06:14 AM PST  As the two-decade-long U.S. war in Afghanistan comes to its technical end with a peace deal signed between the U.S. and the Taliban, both poles of the current political spectrum have concluded, along with most of the country, that the massive investment of resources and lives in this conflict was materially, not to mention morally, fruitless. Western confidence has been undermined, and the belief that prosperous democracies can project their power for good now seems anachronistic — naive to some, arrogant to others. There is a consensus: It is time to "end our endless wars."However, it is dangerous to draw such an unqualified conclusion. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair learned from Kosovo — where intervention stopped a war — and Rwanda — where calls for intervention went unheeded and up to a million people were butchered — that inaction can in fact be shameful, and this fostered a categorical conviction in righteous humanitarian intervention that propelled them into the follies of this millennium's first decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. The belief that liberalism can be forced on societies at gunpoint was then handed a crusading energy by the shock of 9/11. But now, the received wisdom is intervention does not work, but what if this new conviction propels us into the next decade's disaster? Why must we swing between such unnuanced extremes?It is important we understand that sometimes failing to intervene is the more costly decision, both morally and in terms of national self-interest.When it comes to the Afghan war, the mistake was not in the intervention itself, rather in how it was managed. Soon after the initial invasion crippled the Taliban and sent it into hiding, its leadership consistently asked to meet at the negotiating table, but were rebuffed. Understandably, Washington's blood was up after September 2001, and the Bush administration was categorical: "We do not negotiate with terrorists."This was a mistake. Talks could have brought a reduction in NATO involvement under better terms than are being agreed now. The intervention could have been conducted with a pragmatism that acknowledged the impossibility of all-out military victory and brought the Taliban to the table early. The NATO presence could still have brought the country what it did: huge improvements in agriculture, infrastructure projects like the successful Dahla Dam rebuild, the social empowerment of women, and health initiatives like the one that vaccinated children nationwide.Writing in The Atlantic, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is right to decry the "approach to foreign policy that relies on the U.S. military to achieve the impossible, instead of doing the hard work of statecraft." But this isn't, as she claims, an argument for ending the endless wars: We can, and should, ask the military to do the possible, while running intensive statecraft at the same time.Many think the cost of military intervention is simply too high — but there are times when the cost of doing nothing is far greater. This is the case, for example, in Syria, where more than 1 million internal refugees face what the U.N. calls the "biggest humanitarian horror story of the 21st century."Learning the wrong lessons from Western intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Obama administration chose not to provide the rebels who rose up in 2011's Arab Spring with the support necessary to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A stronger U.S. commitment early on could have prevented ISIS from rising in Syria — and prevented the huge, expensive war against ISIS that followed. It would also have helped stem the tide of refugees that continues to fuel de-democratizing forces across Europe. It could also have meant the end of the rapacious, vindictive Assad, who now terrorizes his people for daring to resist him. Intervening in Syria now would be a mistake, and this is another lesson: To be effective, intervention must be timely.The U.S. did maintain a limited troop presence in Northeastern Syria, but, to President Trump, these troops were simply more Americans involved in an endless war. As far as he saw it, the generals and national security advisers who urged him to let them stay were just repeating the conventions that got the U.S. too deeply involved in the Middle East to begin with. So, Trump got the troops out — and all hell broke loose. Turkey and Assad moved to fill the vacuum, America's Kurdish allies were betrayed, ISIS fighters escaped captivity, and a million homeless Syrians now face devastation.In Libya, another country whose civil war seems to be reaching a nightmarish crescendo after a botched Western intervention, the problem was not in the intervention per se, but in, as former President Obama himself diagnosed, "failing to plan for the day after." That failure, he contends, was his worst mistake as president. Obama shared Trump's instinct for retrenchment — most people agree with them both today — but here he directly admits that instinct was wrong: It was more investment, not less, that would have prevented today's Libyan hellscape. But why did Obama fail to commit fully after Moammar Gaddafi was toppled? Surely it was the mistakes made in Iraq and Afghanistan that drained, and continue to drain, Western governments of the confidence in their ability to do good through action.There are many examples of effective intervention and long-term presence, and they're not obscure: Japan, Taiwan, and Eastern Europe have their own, complex, imperfect stories, but each is a relatively stable, prosperous beneficiary of many decades of political and military investment. The United Nations Command in South Korea maintains a presence amid a war that has technically never ended since its outbreak in 1950.Another, lesser known example is the British-led United Nations involvement in Sierra Leone, in which military intervention ended a violent decade-long civil war. The Revolutionary United Front, whose leaders were convicted of war crimes in 2009, was bearing down on Freetown, the country's capital, but the British intervention stopped them short and brought peace. What's more, long-term engagement in the conflict's wake bolstered institutions and restored stability. Sierra Leone is still a country with problems, but it is no longer a country at war. It is no coincidence that this successful campaign began in 2000, at the height of Western confidence, before the tragedy of 9/11 turned intervention from something undertaken with discernment, strategy, and planning, into a solipsistic exercise in emotional therapy, craving glorious, impossible, all out victory."The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish ... the kind of war on which they are embarking," wrote the Prussian General Carl Von Clausewitz, in Vom Kriege (On War), 200 years ago, "neither mistaking it for, nor trying to turn it into, something that is alien to its nature." Failing to heed this guidance led to mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan, but heeding it, as Western governments could have done in Syria soon after the Arab Spring by giving decisive support to legitimate democratic forces, can lead to intervention that works.After the Afghanistan chapter closes, the world will continue to present Western governments with stark and urgent decisions on whether they should intervene. If the horror currently developing in Idlib province were unfolding, instead, in 1999, then Washington, intoxicated with recent successes and moral certitude, would be working much harder to protect the refugees — and that would be the right thing to do. Caution is always appropriate, but the window of opportunity is invariably narrow, and closing fast.As a broader geopolitical strategy, well-judged intervention plus its sometimes-necessary accompaniment — indefinite military effort — can help keep the forces of totalitarianism at bay; not everywhere, and never without diplomatic engagement. Rather than vacillating between opposite doctrines that say intervening is good or not, or realistic or not, democracies should be engaging their collective thought to get better at it. We must remember that the destructive force behind the Afghanistan conflict was the collapse of the Twin Towers, not the principle of intervention itself, or even that of endless war.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com Coronavirus might be the end of international travel as we know it It's not 1972 and Bernie Sanders isn't George McGovern Americans are growing less confident in Trump's coronavirus response, poll shows
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| 'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini Talks About Possible 40% Fall In Global Markets, Scapegoats, Trump Posted: 02 Mar 2020 06:07 AM PST  In an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel last week, Nouriel Roubini, who is famous for correctly predicting the 2008 financial crisis, said he believes the world markets will take a major hit from the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.Coronavirus Impact Not Limited To China "First, it is not an epidemic limited to China, but a global pandemic. Second, it is far from being over. This has massive consequences, but politicians don't realize it."He says if the Chinese economy shrinks by 2% in the first quarter, the growth rate to recover in the remaining three quarters would have to be 8% to reach the 6% expected growth rate pre-coronavirus.If China were to grow at 6% from Q2 2020, then the growth for the year would be between 2.5-4%. According to Roubini, "This rate would essentially mean a recession for China and a shock to the world."Political Response Is Inadequate Roubini said in the interview that fiscal remedies to the epidemic are limited. He noted that countries like Italy do not have any "leeway." German politicians were "not even thinking about stimulus, despite the country so exposed to China." Central banks have limited options as in Europe, and Japan rates are already in negative territory. "This crisis is a supply shock that you can't fight with monetary or fiscal policy."Chinese Need A Scapegoat 'Dr. Doom' shared his views on the possible political outcomes of the virus outbreak, "I don't expect a revolution, but the government will need a scapegoat." He expressed fears of looming military conflict over Taiwan, Hong Kong, or even Vietnam. "They'll crack down on protesters in Hong Kong, or send fighters over Taiwanese air space to provoke the U.S. military. It would only take one accident in the Strait of Formosa and you would see military action."Trump Is Not Getting Re-Elected Talking about the US election, Roubini predicted Trump "will lose the election, that's for sure." He based his opinion on chances of war between U.S. and Iran. He said that the U.S. government wants regime change in Iran and they "will bomb the hell out of Iranians." War could lead to an oil price rise and Trump's defeat in elections. Asked if a war against Iran is needed to defeat Trump, He replied, "Absolutely, and it's worth it. Four more years of Trump means economic war!"Global Equities Will Tank "I expect global equities to tank by 30 to 40 percent this year." prophesied Roubini. His advice to investors? "Put your money into cash and safe government bonds, like German bonds."And what if he was proven wrong? "If I am wrong and equities go up by 10 percent instead, that's also OK." He added that his motto is "Better safe than sorry!"Photo Credit: World Economic Forum via Wikimedia.See more from Benzinga * Nike Closes Down Office In Netherlands For Disinfection After Employee Tested Positive For Coronavirus * Verizon, Walmart Might Turn Some Stores Into 5G Healthcare Hubs * Starbucks Reopening Restaurants In China After Temporarily Closing Them Down Due Coronavirus Outbreak(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Roubini: Iran chaos, not coronavirus, will be the event that ‘dooms’ Trump in the fall Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:54 AM PST  Regional conflict sowed by Iran is a bigger threat to the world and Trump than the coronavirus, Nouriel Roubini told Yahoo Finance.
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| Cannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana Industry News Stories Of The Week Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:46 AM PST  Cannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana Industry News Stories of the WeekWelcome to the Cannabis Countdown. In this week's rendition, we'll recap and countdown the top 10 Marijuana Industry News stories for the week of February 24th - March 1st, 2020.Without further ado, let's get started.* Yahoo Finance readers, please click here to view full article.10\. Pot Pandemic: Markets Tumble As Coronavirus Fears Intensify, These Cannabis Firms Could Get HitCoronavirus Spooks Markets, Dow Drops 1,000 Points Leading Wall Street to its Worst Day in 2 YearsThe cannabis sector got hammered this week as concerns over the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) intensified. These Pot Stocks could be in for a rough year if the situation continues to get worse.READ FULL CORONAVIRUS ARTICLE9\. VIDEO: CEO Interview with Steve Giblin of TransCanna Holdings CEO Steve Giblin Explains What Makes TCAN a Golden Investment OpportunityTCI host, Miss Universe Canada 2019 and Cannabis Crusader Alyssa Boston interviews Steve Giblin, CEO of TransCanna Holdings (CSE: TCAN) (OTC: TCNAF) (FRA: TH8).WATCH FULL TCAN CEO INTERVIEW8\. New Research Using LSD Microdosing Uncovers Possible Breakthrough For Alzheimer's Disease For Decades Now Researchers Have Failed to Find an Effective Treatment for Alzheimer's DiseaseBiomedical startup Eleusis may have made a major Alzheimer's breakthrough using LSD microdosing.READ FULL LSD MICRODOSING ARTICLE7\. Vermont House Approves Legal Marijuana Sales Vermont Legalized Recreational Marijuana Consumption and Home Growing in 2018The Vermont House has voted 90-54 in favour of a bill that seeks to legalize recreational cannabis sales at dispensaries across the state.READ FULL VERMONT ARTICLE6\. NFL May Soon Do Away With Player Suspensions For Cannabis Use Team Owners Approve Terms to End Cannabis Player Suspensions in the National Football LeagueThe new CBA between the NFL owners and the NFLPA would reform the National Football League's marijuana testing policy.READ FULL NFL CANNABIS ARTICLE5\. Canadians Can Lose Nexus Passes Over Legal Cannabis Use In Canada: U.S. Document Instructions Were Intended Only For Supervisors at U.S. Border and Weren't Supposed to be CirculatedCannabis use may be legal in Canada, but if U.S. border guards find out about it, a person could have their Nexus pass taken away or not granted in the first place, secret instructions issued to managers at U.S. border posts say.READ FULL NEXUS PASS ARTICLE4\. In Major Shift, UN Drug Chief Questions Whether Control Treaties Involving Cannabis Are Out of Date President Cornelis P. de Joncheere Discussed the Developments Taking Place with Regard to CannabisThe president of the narcotics enforcement agency of the United Nations is questioning whether the agency's decades-old drug conventions are outdated, given global policy developments in recent years involving drugs such as cannabis.READ FULL UN CANNABIS ARTICLE3\. Concerns Looming Over Coronavirus Impact On Cannabis Industry, But Some Firms Could Gain From Fallout Marijuana Companies Likely to Join Other Industries Feeling the Fallout From Coronavirus OutbreakThere will be many companies hurt by the virus industry experts predicted, mostly caused by temporary shutdowns of Chinese manufacturing plants. On the flip side, some U.S. companies might be able to step in and fill the void.READ FULL CORONAVIRUS ARTICLE2\. Banning CBD Products Would Be "A Fool's Game," FDA Chief Admits Hemp and its Derivatives Have been Federally Legal in the U.S. Since Passage of 2018 Farm BillProducts containing cannabidiol (CBD) are here to stay, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn acknowledged on Wednesday, calling it "a fool's game" to attempt to pull the products off the market.READ FULL CBD FDA ARTICLE1\. Locations Announced For 10 New Legal Weed Stores in Toronto Ontario has Long Been Criticized for Having Too Few Legal Pot Shops to Effectively Combat the Black MarketHobo Cannabis, a Vancouver-based marijuana company from the Donnelly Group, announced plans to open a total of 15 new stores across Ontario today -- 10 of which will be located within the GTA.READ FULL ONTARIO CANNABIS ARTICLEImage Sourced from PixabaySee more from Benzinga * Cannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana Industry News Stories Of The Week * Cannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana Stock News Stories Of The Week * Cannabis Countdown: Top 10 Marijuana Industry News Stories Of The Week(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Report: War crimes committed by almost all sides in Syria Posted: 02 Mar 2020 05:41 AM PST  Investigators for the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council said on Monday that they had found evidence of war crimes in Syria committed by nearly all sides in the conflict during the second half of last year and into January. The investigators turned up war crimes by Russian forces, Syrian government troops, al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria and Turkey-backed Syrian fighters. The Commission of Inquiry for Syria has been tracking and chronicling human rights abuses and violations since shortly after Syria's war began in 2011.
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