World needs Huawei's 'advanced' technology, founder of Chinese telecom giant says

Abstract: BEIJING - The founder of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has hit back at U.S. efforts to blacklist the company, saying defiantly that the world cannot do without Huawei and its “more advanced” technology. “There’s no way the U.S. can crush us,” Ren Zhengfei said in an interview with the BBC. “The world cannot leave us because we are more advanced.” Ren, 74, also denounced as “politically motivated” the December arrest of his daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada at the request of the U.S. “But now that we’ve gone down this path, we’ll let the courts settle it.” The normally media-shy Huawei founder has been forced to step into the limelight in recent months as the company has come under increasing pressure over espionage concerns and the U.S.-led campaign to persuade other countries to ban its technology. Last year, security concerns prompted Australia to ban Huawei equipment from its future 5G network. New Zealand has also blocked its largest telecom carrier from using Huawei technology for the next generation network, while the Czech Republic has reportedly excluded it from a €20-million ($22-million) tender to build a tax portal. U.S. prosecutors are also charging Huawei with stealing trade secrets, saying it offered rewards to employees for stealing technology from other rivals. Ren shrugged off the growing pressure. “If the lights go out in the West, the East will still shine,” he said. “America doesn’t represent the world.” “Even if they persuade more countries not to use us temporarily, we can always downsize and become smaller.” Signs that U.S. efforts to convince its allies to shun Huawei technology could fall through are also growing. British intelligence concluded that security risks posed by using Huawei’s 5G equipment can be managed, The Financial Times reported on Monday. “Other nations can make the argument that if the British are confident of mitigation against national security threats then they can also reassure their publics and the U.S. administration that they are acting in a prudent manner to allow their telecommunications service providers to use Chinese components,” an unnamed source told the newspaper. New Zealand is also in talks to minimize the security risks posed by using Huawei equipment in 5G infrastructure instead of excluding it entirely. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that New Zealand’s security bureau was discussing Huawei security concerns with Spark, the domestic telecoms carrier that had been barred from using the Chinese firm’s equipment last year. She also added that the company had “never” been ruled out from potentially participating in the country’s 5G rollout.

china
u.s .
britain
eu
cybersecurity
technology
huawei
5g
ren zhengfei


As injuries hit record high, 80% of those hurt by deer in Nara Park are non-Japanese

Abstract: NARA - The number of people injured by wild deer at Nara Park, a major tourist attraction in the city of Nara, has hit a record high of 200 in the current fiscal year, with non-Japanese, many of them tourists, accounting for some 80 percent of those wounded, the Nara Prefectural Government said Tuesday. The number of those injured has quadrupled over the five years to fiscal 2018. The more than 1,000 deer that roam the park are designated as national treasures, and visitors can feed them with special crackers. Many of the injuries are believed to have occurred when tourists tried to take photos of themselves feeding the animals, often while teasing them — such as by holding the crackers out of reach. While injuries among non-Japanese continued to rise, those among Japanese have held steady. The number of foreign visitors to Nara Prefecture increased almost tenfold from 2012 to some 2.09 million in 2017. As of late January in fiscal 2018, which began last April, most of the 200 injuries were minor, such as bites, but eight people sustained serious wounds such as broken bones when deer charged into them. Between fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2017, a total of 10 people had suffered serious injuries. Last April, the Nara government began offering multilingual tips on how to safely feed the deer that live in the 600-hectare park, which encompasses the famous Todaiji temple and Kasuga Grand Shrine. To prevent harm, signs with tips in English, Chinese and Japanese advising tourists how to feed deer have been put up at the park and at nearby shops selling crackers. The panels tell feeders to give the deer crackers immediately rather than teasing them by withholding the food, as such behavior angers the animals. Visitors are also urged to show their hands to let the animal know when there are no more crackers. Since December, members of a civic group have given information about feeding deer to foreign tourists using translation devices and cautioned about possible injuries. “At first sight it seems that the deer are calm but, because they are wild, they can attack people,” said Akimasa Yoshimura, 60, the head of the group. “One of the good things about Nara is the opportunity for people to interact with deer. We would like to reduce trouble between them as much as possible so that they would like to come back again,” he said.


Japan seeks to upgrade forecasts of torrential 'guerrilla rainstorms' before 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Abstract: With an eye on the Tokyo Games, Japanese researchers are developing a new system to accurately forecast torrential downpours — known in Japan as “guerrilla rainstorms” — 30 minutes before they strike. Scientists have created a high-tech radar capable of producing a three-dimensional map of a rain cloud in 30 to 60 seconds. They say this is a significant improvement on existing systems that measure only parts of a cloud in up to five minutes. Along with the radar, installed last year at Saitama University, just north of Tokyo, the team is also using radio waves to estimate the amount of water vapor in the air to improve their forecasts. The waves slow down depending on the volume of vapor in the air, making for a more accurate forecast, said Katsuhiro Nakagawa, director of the Remote Sensing Laboratory at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology. Japan is one of the most seismically active regions in the world and routinely experiences severe natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods and landslides that kill dozens of people every year. Because of that, the nation has created sophisticated early warning technology and disaster mitigation systems, and regularly holds emergency drills in schools. Sudden, localized torrential rains can cause killer flash floods, submerge roads in low-lying areas or overflow drainage systems. Organizers of the Tokyo Games and the Rugby World Cup this year have voiced concern that extreme weather phenomena such as a typhoon or heat wave could throw events into chaos. “The summer Olympic/Paralympic Games are coming up. Particularly during summer, we see lots of guerrilla downpours,” said Nakagawa. “We believe our technology will be able to provide useful data so that people hosting outdoor events can hold them safely,” he said. In the future, the technology may assist organizers of other outdoor events, such as fireworks festivals and sporting competitions, or may result in precise, localized weather services released only in affected towns. Nakagawa said that with more research, he was hoping to offer an extended warning lead time before a severe downpour arrives.

weather
disasters
rain
saitama university
katsuhiro nakagawa


Japan to beef up law to enable handover of children to parents with custody when the other resists

Abstract: The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill revising the enforcement of civil law to enable the handover of a child to a parent who is awarded custody, even if the other parent refuses to abide by a court order to transfer guardianship. Currently, the law has no clear stipulation on such handovers, leaving court officials to rely on a clause related to asset seizure to enforce child custody orders. The current system has drawn criticism due to the fact it treats children as property. Legislation implementing the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, an international treaty providing a framework allowing the return of a child internationally abducted by a parent, will similarly be revised. At present, legislation requires a parent living with a child to be present when the child is handed over to the other parent, but the proposed revision will allow a transfer without both parents being there. The convention, to which Japan acceded in 2014, sets out rules and procedures for the prompt return of children under 16 to their country of habitual residence when they are taken or retained by one parent, if requested by the other parent. The bill to modify the Civil Execution Law also includes revisions to allow courts to obtain debtors’ financial information and bar registered crime syndicate members from acquiring foreclosed real estate properties in public auctions. The amendments are aimed at helping authorities seize money and properties from parents who fail to meet their court-ordered child support obligations and from people who do not pay compensation to crime victims. The revised execution law will make it easier for courts to require financial and public institutions to provide information on debtors, including data related to their savings and places of employment. Japan maintains a system of sole custody and, in a large majority of cases, when a dispute reaches court mothers are awarded custody after divorce. It is not unusual for children in Japan to stop seeing their fathers after their parents break up.

children
hague convention
courts
cabinet
divorce


Australians mark anniversary of Japan's deadly WWII air raid on Darwin

Abstract: DARWIN, Australia - The northern Australian city of Darwin on Tuesday marked the 77th anniversary of a Japanese air raid that killed hundreds during World War II. The Bombing of Darwin, which occurred on Feb. 19, 1942, was the first attack by Japanese forces on the Australian mainland and is estimated to have killed about 250 people, as well as destroying 30 aircraft and nine ships. Administrator of the Northern Territory Vicki O’Halloran said in remarks at a service that the arrival of the war in Darwin was responsible for “fundamentally changing Australia.” Darwin’s close proximity to present-day Indonesia and its build-up of military infrastructure made the port city a prime target for Japan. In addition to Australian ships, there were a number of U.S. Navy vessels in the harbor at the time of the attack. At 9:58 a.m. an air raid siren sounded and members of the Australian Defence Force re-enacted the exact moment 188 Japanese aircraft flew over Darwin Harbour. As the siren blared, fighter aircraft flew over the site of the service and army personnel simulated the Australian response to the bombing, using ceremonial howitzers to return fire using blanks. Brian Winspear, a former flight lieutenant in the Royal Australian Air Force, was in Darwin the day Japan’s forces attacked and was involved in the defense of the city. The 99-year-old said that during the war “we were supposed to hate the Japanese,” but his feelings toward the former wartime enemy have long since changed. “We’ve got enough problems in the world without hating anyone,” he said, proudly pointing out that he has owned 15 Japanese-made cars in his lifetime. Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner, the top elected official of the territory’s government, said in his remarks that with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Darwin in November, the city and its people “are now symbols of peace.” Abe’s visit, which included laying a wreath at a memorial to victims of the bombing together with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, marked the first visit to the city by a Japanese prime minister. Representatives from Japan also participated in Tuesday’s memorial service, including Shichiro Chiba, 65, whose uncle was killed when the Japanese submarine I-124 was sunk roughly 80 kilometers off the Darwin coast on Jan. 20, 1942, less than one month before the air raid. The submarine was hit by an Australian warship as it tried to torpedo a U.S. Navy fleet oiler. Also in attendance was Japanese Ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi and members of the Australian Japanese Association of the Northern Territory (AJANT). At a separate memorial ceremony held Monday in Darwin, Chiba and other relatives of Imperial Japanese Navy officers planted a birch tree to commemorate the 80 souls lost on board the submarine and to promote peace between Japan and Australia. Chiba and his wife, Tazuko, have traveled from Fukui Prefecture to Australia three times since a memorial plaque for the sunken submarine was unveiled in 2017. Chiba’s uncle, Chief Warrant Officer Toraichi Inoue, was 27 years old when he died. All crew onboard were killed when an Australian warship came to defend the U.S. ship under attack by the Japanese submarine, and they remain entombed in the vessel. “The plaque and tree in this place will be a memorial, not only for the descendant families, but for all of us and future generations, to show the history and connections between Australia and Japan,” Chiba said in a speech at the memorial service. The birch tree, a variety found in both Japan and Australia, was chosen by AJANT as a symbol of the strong bonds of reconciliation between the two former wartime enemy countries. “A tree is something in nature that represents growth resilience and beauty,” said AJANT President Yumiko Shaw, noting that the tree is also known for its healing and medicinal properties.

wwii
memorial
australia-japan relations
darwin


Tokyo plans traffic survey ahead of 2020 Olympics, and urges firms to adopt 'smooth biz' flexibility

Abstract: The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revealed plans to conduct a road traffic volume survey later this year, ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The survey will take place for several weeks around July 24, a year before the Olympic opening ceremony. The Tokyo government unveiled the plan at a meeting Monday with officials from major companies, while the businesses were asked to draw up measures to reduce traffic volume during the Olympic period. The meeting was organized jointly by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Keidanren, the nation’s biggest business lobby. Cooperation from businesses will be essential in ensuring smooth economic activities and a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said. The meeting was attended by about 600 officials from the human resources and logistics departments of Keidanren member companies. The Tokyo government expects companies to use teleworking, allow flexibility in work start times and streamline logistics activities. Collectively calling such activities “smooth biz,” Koike said the Tokyo government hopes to make this a “legacy” of the 2020 Games. The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to attract a total of about 10 million spectators. It is feared that heavy traffic congestion will cripple highways during the games, possibly paralyzing business activities. The Tokyo government and the organizing committee of the 2020 Games are considering introducing a toll surcharge of up to ¥3,000 for metropolitan expressways, where traffic volume is expected to double during the period.

tokyo
transportation
keidanren
tokyo 2020 olympics
2020 tokyo paralympics


Dispute panel dismisses Okinawa complaint over legality of U.S. base relocation work at Henoko

Abstract: A dispute resolution panel has rejected a complaint filed by the Okinawa governor over the central government’s authorization in October of landfill work for the relocation of the Futenma air base within the prefecture. Calling the move “illegal,” Gov. Denny Tamaki had urged the panel to look into land minister Keiichi Ishii’s decision enabling the central government to move ahead with the controversial landfill work required to build a replacement facility for Futenma. The panel under the internal affairs ministry is tasked with issuing recommendations when it recognizes the central government has illegally intervened in a municipality’s administration. However, Kazuhiro Tomikoshi, the head of the panel and a former president of the Tokyo High Court, said the five-member panel dismissed the case without substantially examining the legality of Ishii’s decision, as it does not fall within the panel’s remit. Tamaki said in a statement Monday he was “extremely disappointed” that his argument had been rejected. A senior official said the Okinawa Prefectural Government will examine the content of the panel’s decision and make preparations to take the case to court. The central and Okinawa governments have long been at odds over the relocation of the Futenma base from the built-up city of Ginowan to the less-populated Henoko coastal area of Nago. The central government has been pushing ahead with the relocation despite strong local opposition but had to halt the work after the prefectural government retracted its permission last August. Ishii then countered Okinawa’s move by authorizing the relocation work. Full-fledged land reclamation work in the Henoko coastal area began in December. Many local people have called for Futenma’s functions to be moved outside Okinawa Prefecture, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.


Amid swine fever outbreak, Japan's government and farmers divided over vaccinating pigs

Abstract: The government and domestic pig farmers are divided over whether vaccinations should be carried out to prevent any further spread of swine fever infections in the country. Many pig farmers near areas where the disease, also known as hog cholera, was recently confirmed are calling for their pigs to be vaccinated as soon as possible. On the other hand, the government argues that it’s still too early for vaccinations, noting that the move will affect pork exports. Since the first swine fever outbreak in Japan in 26 years was confirmed at a pig farm in Gifu Prefecture in September 2018, infections have also been found in four other prefectures — Aichi, Nagano, Shiga and Osaka. Earlier this month, infections were confirmed at several farms in the Aichi city of Tahara. Authorities in Gifu on Tuesday announced another incident of swine fever at a farm in the prefecture. On Friday, Katsumi Nakajima, head of the pig farmers association in Shizuoka Prefecture, and others urged agriculture minister Takamori Yoshikawa to decide on the use of swine fever vaccines. Noting that the prefectures of Shizuoka and Aichi are in the same economic region, Nakajima said, “Our farmers will never be able to recover if their pigs get infected and are culled.” Tahara is located near the border with Shizuoka. The ministry, however, remains opposed to vaccinations at the moment, with Yoshikawa saying that use of vaccines should be “the last resort.” Farms without infected pigs would also have to vaccinate their animals if they are located in areas subject to a vaccination program, and sales of meat from vaccinated pigs could be affected by any negative perceptions, industry officials cautioned. If pigs in Japan are vaccinated, the country will lose its status as being free of common swine fever (CSF), given by the World Organization for Animal Health. That, in turn, would probably lead many nations to restrict imports of Japanese pork, informed sources said. Japan has previously tried to prevent swine fever infections under a nationwide vaccination program. But the ministry changed its policy later, and the country spent 11 years from 1996 working on becoming free of the disease without using vaccines. A senior official at the ministry questioned the advisability of using vaccines at the cost of giving up the CSF-free status. The ministry is said to believe that there is a chance to stop the disease from spreading further through thorough hygiene control. It also suspects that many of the affected pig farms had not been taking basic steps — such as farmers changing out of rubber boots. But some pig farmers argue that maximum hygiene control measures have already been taken. Meanwhile, African swine fever, which is more powerful than CSF, is spreading in China. Effective vaccines against ASF have yet to be developed. A lawmaker in Japan’s ruling coalition has also stressed the need to boost hygiene controls, without depending on vaccines.


Monsanto's Roundup weed killer contributed to man's cancer, first U.S. federal trial told

Abstract: LOS ANGELES - The controversial weed killer Roundup was a “substantial factor” in the cancer of a U.S. man who woke up one day with a lump in his throat and was soon diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his lawyer said Monday, opening the first U.S. federal trial of its kind. Edwin Hardeman, of Sonoma County north of San Francisco, filed a complaint against Roundup’s manufacturer, Monsanto, in early 2016, a year after being diagnosed with the cancer. His is the first case to be heard in a U.S. District Court but follows the groundbreaking case last year of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson. Jurors in a California State Court last August unanimously found that Monsanto acted with “malice” and that its weed killers Roundup and Ranger Pro contributed “substantially” to Johnson’s terminal illness. Roundup, a brand owned by German chemical and pharmaceutical giant Bayer after its purchase of U.S.-based Monsanto last year, contains glyphosate that environmentalists and other critics have long maintained leads to cancer. Glyphosate is used in weed killers made by several companies, and is currently the most used herbicide around the world. Hardeman used Roundup extensively to treat his property from the 1980s until 2012. One of his lawyers, Aimee Wagstaff, told the court he would put the concentrate into a 2-gallon (7.5-liter) pump, dilute it with water and then spray. “On Christmas Day 2014 he wakes up and feels this lump in his throat,” Wagstaff said. “He goes to the doctor the next day.” He was diagnosed in February 2015 with the cancer, the same type as that of Johnson. Beside the lawyer sat Hardeman, 70, his features drawn and wrinkled, with brushed chestnut hair and a sparse white beard. A screen in the courtroom showed a picture of Hardeman’s throat, with the tumor visible. In another photo he is smiling with his wife, Mary, in front of the ocean. Another image showed a Monsanto factory. The first phase of the four-to-five week trial is to determine “whether the Roundup caused the plaintiff’s cancer,” District Judge Vince Chhabria said. If the jury concludes that it did, the next step will be to decide whether Monsanto has a liability. The plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the company concealed the risks. Monsanto, which has sold Roundup worldwide for more than 40 years, contends the products are not dangerous if the conditions of use are followed, as proven by hundreds of scientific studies. The earlier complainant Johnson was awarded $78 million but Monsanto asked an appeals court to toss the verdict.


Trump envisions 'signing summit' with China on trade

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to hold a “signing summit” with China’s President Xi Jinping to seal a trade deal, since negotiators are “very, very close” to an agreement. Cheering global stock markets, the comments Monday appeared to confirm that the dispute won’t ratchet up immediately, averting an even bigger impact on the global economy. Officials worked through the weekend and, citing progress in the four days of talks, Trump on Sunday extended the March 1 deadline, postponing for now a sharp increase in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Trump said he expected trade negotiators to resume quickly “and we’re going to have another summit.” “We’re going to have a signing summit, which is even better. So hopefully we can get that completed. But we’re getting very, very close,” he said at a meeting with U.S. governors. Trump said last week he expected to meet with Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in March. After exchanging punitive tariffs on more than $360 billion in total two-way trade, Trump and Xi declared a truce in December and agreed to hold off on further tariffs or retaliation for 90 days. The United States was poised to more than double the tariffs on the most recent and largest round of Chinese exports. Trump told the state governors late Sunday to expect “very big news over the next week or two.” Officials and economists worldwide have been watching the negotiations closely as the trade war has hit company profits, raising prices for importers and cutting sales for exporters, which could erode global growth if it is not resolved. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, has called the trade dispute a “major risk” to the global economy and billionaire investor Warren Buffet said Monday both countries would lose if they failed to resolve their differences. But even after four rounds of talks, progress toward achieving the more difficult parts of a deal has been unclear. The governments announced that China has pledged to resume or increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, but Washington is pushing for changes to the country’s industrial strategy and enforceable protections for American technology. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also insisted the deal will include a provision to keep Beijing from allowing its currency to weaken in order to circumvent U.S. tariffs, but economists have said the complexities and monitoring of such an agreement would be tough to get on paper. The confusion erupted in a bizarre Oval Office exchange between Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, an experienced trade lawyer and hardliner on China. Asked by a reporter about the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, due to be signed, Trump said he did not like MOUs because he wanted something more binding. Lighthizer explained that MOUs are in fact contracts, only to be contradicted by Trump, which caused China’s Vice Premier Liu He to laugh out loud. Bloomberg reported that Trump was angry with Lighthizer over the exchange and frustrated that he had not concluded a deal yet. But China has fast-tracked a new investment law that will eliminate the requirement for foreign enterprises to transfer proprietary technology to domestic joint venture partners — a key demand from Washington. It also includes other steps to level the business playing field that Western trading partners have long demanded. China’s parliament is expected to vote on the legislation in March — barely two months after debating a first draft.

china
trade
xi jinping
donald trump
robert lighthizer


U.K. flower sector fears Brexit could nip exports in the bud

Abstract: HOLBEACH, ENGLAND - For Sam Taylor, director of a family-run plant bulb and fresh flower business in eastern England, fears of post-Brexit delays to imports and exports are growing alongside his daffodils. “It’s the same as every business … we’re all concerned, we would like clarity,” the 41-year-old said Monday as uncertainty over Britain’s departure from the European Union continues to roil the country. “They need to bash their heads together and … just get on with it,” he added of British lawmakers, as they continue to disagree over a Brexit deal with less than five weeks until the U.K. is set to leave. Taylor’s Bulbs — a fourth-generation family business founded in 1919 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire — buys bulbs from the Netherlands and sends fresh daffodils in the opposite direction. The flowers, grown at the firm’s farm, currently leave in the late afternoon and arrive for auction in the Netherlands the following morning. Taylor is concerned by warnings that shipments could be stuck at British and European ports for days if Britain leaves the EU on March 29 without a divorce deal. Although the fresh flowers represent only a small slice of his overall business, he says delays could wipe out exports. “The product will not be fit for sale by the time it gets there,” he said. “It would be a market we’ve lost and that’s not great.” His next-day imports of bulbs from Europe could also become a thing of the past if ports are clogged. Taylor, who said he backed remaining in the EU in the 2016 referendum, fears customers used to receiving orders the next day might have to be more patient. “No one seems to carry any stock any more because it turns up the next day. But things might well have to change.”

trade
eu
u.k .
netherlands
flowers
brexit


Japanese parts suppliers in China hurt by U.S. trade war friction, JETRO survey shows

Abstract: Japanese companies that operate in China to supply parts and materials to exporters there are affected more by U.S.-China trade friction than other Japanese firms working in the country, according to the Japan External Trade Organization. A JETRO survey found that 37.3 percent of responding firms feel the dispute between the world’s biggest and second-largest economies has had negative effects on them. The same percentage of respondents answered the opposite. The questionnaire- and interview-based survey on protectionism was conducted by JETRO offices in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Qingdao, Wuhan, Chengdu and Guangzhou from last October to November. The survey covered 1,628 Japanese firms doing business in China. Of that number, 557 provided valid responses. Japanese companies in China export mainly to Japan and Southeast Asian countries. They have experienced only limited impacts from the dispute because the share of their U.S.-bound shipments is relatively small, according to the survey. Since the survey was conducted, however, “the impact of the trade friction may have expanded” among such Japanese companies, a JETRO official said.

china
u.s .
trade
tariffs
jetro
trade war


U.K. minister to head for Japan and try to convince Honda to reconsider Swindon plant shutdown

Abstract: LONDON - U.K. business secretary Greg Clark will travel to Japan to ask Honda Motors Co. to rethink its recent decision to close a car plant in his country, according to a British media report. Clark has launched a “last-ditch attempt” to get the major automaker to stay in Britain, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. The minister, who is considering offering financial assistance to Honda, is expected to directly ask Honda President Takahiro Hachigo to withdraw the plan to shut down the company’s only four-wheel vehicle factory in Europe, the paper reported. The firm recently decided it would close the company’s plant in Swindon, England, in 2021, a move that would slash 3,500 jobs. The decision came amid uncertainties stemming from the U.K.’s scheduled exit from the European Union on March 29. Honda did not directly attribute its decision to Brexit, saying the move was made to speed up its development of electrified cars. The company did acknowledge it is worried about possible parts supply disruptions. Britain set up a task force made up of people from the government and local businesses to discuss how to support workers affected by Honda’s plant closure. The Daily Telegraph quoted a task force source as saying that “once a viable package has been put together in a few weeks, Greg has got to get on a plane to Japan to make the case.” The source also said that “Greg needs to show Honda that the U.K. can offer stability and is still a good place to build cars,” according to the daily. Honda’s decision followed a Nissan Motor Co. announcement that it was canceling plans to produce its next-generation SUV at its Sunderland plant in northeastern England. Nissan said it needs to optimize its regional investment strategy while indicating Brexit uncertainty also played a role.


U.S.-China battle over Huawei comes to a head at tech show

Abstract: BARCELONA, SPAIN - A global battle between the U.S. government and Chinese tech company Huawei over allegations that it’s a cybersecurity risk overshadowed the opening Monday of the world’s biggest mobile industry trade fair. Huawei has an outsize presence at MWC Barcelona, from its displays in three separate show halls down to its red sponsorship logo adorning visitor pass lanyards. The focus at this year’s meeting is new 5G networks due to roll out in the coming years. But the dispute over Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of networking gear, is casting a pall. The U.S. government dispatched a big delegation to press its case with telecom executives and government officials that they should not use Huawei as a supplier over national security concerns. President Donald Trump’s administration says the Chinese government could use Huawei equipment to snoop on the world’s internet traffic — accusations Huawei has rejected, saying there has been no proof of a cybersecurity breach. In a fresh salvo, 11 U.S. senators on Monday called for the federal government to ban solar power inverters — advanced control systems — made by Huawei, saying they pose a national security threat to U.S. energy infrastructure. Huawei’s counteroffensive includes making its case directly to government officials, companies and journalists. It has unveiled a new folding 5G phone and its executives are speaking on keynote panels at the show. Formerly known as Mobile World Congress, the show is a key forum for lobbying and deal-making that is expected to draw 100,000 visitors. “The geopolitical tensions between the U.S.A. and China will undoubtedly be a hot topic,” said Shaun Collins, CEO of research firm CCS Insight. “There is little doubt that operators around the world are concerned that draconian sanctions on their ability to use Huawei’s 5G infrastructure could have detrimental effects on their 5G roll-out plans.” Behind closed doors, U.S. officials have been suggesting that Ericsson of Sweden and Finland’s Nokia should be preferred suppliers, but telecom providers like Huawei for its cheap but good quality equipment. That helps lower the cost to customers of using new 5G networks, which promise lightning fast download speeds and less signal lag — advancements that will help develop self-driving cars, factory robots and remote surgery. At Huawei’s sprawling main pavilion, lit in shimmering LED lights, the company showed off virtual reality racing games that use 5G to provide crisper graphics and quicker response times than 4G. “Definitely compared to other big global vendors, they’re cost efficient,” said Sharif Shah Jamal Raz, a vice president at Bangladesh mobile operator Robi Axiata, as he and his colleagues inspected Huawei’s display of network base stations and modular antennas. Trump tweeted last week that he wanted the U.S. to catch up in the 5G race through competition, “not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies.” Though he didn’t mention China or Huawei, the comments could be seen as a more toned-down approach to the company, which has long been blocked in the U.S. Guo Ping, one of three Huawei executives who take turns as chairman, told reporters Sunday that he read Trump’s tweet as an admission that the U.S. needs faster internet networks and is lagging in this respect. Guo stressed that his company “will never allow for backdoors in our equipment,” and it would never violate laws and regulations in countries where it operates. U.S. allies in Europe are still making their minds up on allowing Huawei gear in 5G networks and it’s not clear if Washington’s lobbying campaign is having an effect, with some viewing it as a calculation of technical risks rather than as part of a broader battle for tech supremacy between China and the U.S. The CEO of Ericsson, Borje Ekholm, said countries face “critical decisions” as they roll out 5G networks. “As we talk to our customers, they are feeling the uncertainty and they are concerned,” Ekholm said at the MWC show. A ban on Huawei could delay the rollout of 5G in Europe by two years, said Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone, one of the world’s biggest mobile operators. The “implication is suddenly you’ve got to do a massive swap of equipment. Hugely disruptive to national infrastructure, consumers (and) very, very expensive,” he said. The head of Britain’s government surveillance agency, Jeremy Fleming, said Monday that China’s tech dominance posed a complex strategic challenge. “We have to understand the opportunities and threats from China’s technological offer,” Fleming said in a speech in Singapore, according to a transcript. “We have to take a clear view on the implications of China’s technological acquisition strategy in the West.” The British government is carrying out a review of the risks involved with telecom infrastructure that will help it decide on Huawei’s role in 5G networks. U.K. cybersecurity officials have said previously they think the risks involved with Huawei can be managed. GSMA, an association that represents 750 mobile operators worldwide, is recommending a testing and certification regime for Europe to ensure confidence in network security. Guo called for the industry and governments to develop “clear and unified” cybersecurity standards and regulations, and said decisions should be made by technical experts rather than politicians.

u.s .
espionage
cybersecurity
telecoms
nokia
huawei
5g
mwc barcelona


Sony tries to reboot smartphone sales with movie-style screens for 4K filming and viewing

Abstract: BARCELONA, SPAIN - Sony Corp., having fallen way behind its South Korean and Chinese rivals in the smartphone sales race, aims to capitalize on its movie pedigree with new devices featuring 21:9 ratio screens, the dimensions used to film blockbusters. The company announced a new flagship Xperia 1 handset at the Mobile World Congress on Monday that has an HDR OLED screen, optimized using Sony’s Bravia TV technology. It also has the ability to take photos and record 4K video in a 21:9 ratio. Mitsuya Kishida, president of Sony Mobile Communications, said Sony has a rich heritage of meeting the technological demands of professional filmmakers in both sound and vision. “Our new Xperia will deliver genuine technologies with a multitude of professional grade features to create entertainment experiences that are only possible with Sony,” Kishida said at the trade fair. The company has also brought the 21:9 screen ration to two midrange smartphones: the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 plus. Ben Wood from CCS Insight said the handsets are nicely designed but it is hard to see how they will stand out from the crowd. “We are unconvinced that the 21:9 ratio is differentiated enough despite Sony’s strong credentials in content,” he said. Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore at PP Foresight said the new devices are a “step in the right direction, but Sony continued to face monumental challenges in competing with rivals who are rolling out new devices, rich with new features at punchy prices.” “In particular Asian smartphone makers who are moving at stealth mode and growing market share very quickly, as underlined by the latest announcements from Huawei and Xiaomi,” he said. The two Chinese companies both announced 5G devices at the event on Sunday. Huawei, which is challenging Apple for the No. 2 spot in smartphone sales, behind leader Samsung, created a buzz with a foldable smartphone.


Dollar firms to slightly over ¥110.80 in late Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar was slightly firmer above ¥110.80 in late Tokyo trading Tuesday, after cutting early gains in line with a drop in Tokyo stocks. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥110.83-83, up from ¥110.62-63 at the same time Monday. The euro was at $1.1349-1350, down from $1.1355-1355, and at ¥125.78-85, up from ¥125.62-62. The dollar moved around ¥111 in early trading, maintaining its overnight strength abroad that reflected hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal. The greenback trimmed the gains later in the morning as month-end dollar selling by Japanese exporters took the upper hand. The weakness of the Nikkei 225 stock average also weighed on the dollar, pushing down the currency to around ¥110.80 around noon. The dollar moved in a tight range in the afternoon amid a lack of trading incentives, traders said. Market players retreated to the sidelines to hear congressional testimony by the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman later Tuesday, an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said. “Yen buybacks were notably observed after the Japanese currency lost ground against currencies other than the dollar the previous day,” a currency broker said.


Tokyo stocks falter amid cautious mood

Abstract: Stocks turned lower Tuesday as investors refrained from active trading to wait for further details of progress in U.S.-China trade talks. The Nikkei 225 average lost 78.84 points, or 0.37 percent, to end at 21,449.39 after adding 102.72 points Monday. The Topix, which covers all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, fell 3.67 points, or 0.23 percent, to close the session at 1,617.20. It climbed 11.35 points Monday. After opening higher on the back of an extended rally on Wall Street overnight and the dollar’s rise above ¥111, the Tokyo market came under selling pressure as the greenback slashed gains and fell back below the level. Both equity indexes moved in negative territory throughout the afternoon session amid the wait-and-see mood over the U.S.-China trade issue, brokers said. Stocks suffered a decline after “the market had priced in recent positive trading factors,” said Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced “substantial progress” in the recent bilateral talks, delaying a planned tariff hike for U.S. imports from China. But details of the progress have not been released yet. Reported airstrikes by India in the Pakistan-controlled side of the disputed Kashmir region may have induced selling through algorithm-based automated trading systems, Otsuka also said. “Market participation appeared limited other than individual investors. Players were waiting for fresh trading incentives to emerge,” an official of a major brokerage firm said. Events that may draw market attention this week include congressional testimony by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as a U.S.-North Korean summit on Wednesday and Thursday. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,250 to 768 in the first section, while 107 issues were unchanged. Volume increased to 1.078 billion shares from 1.057 billion Monday. Oil names met with selling following a plunge in crude oil prices in New York. JXTG lost 1.25 percent, Idemitsu dropped 2.39 percent and Showa Shell fell 2.08 percent. Other major losers included clothing retailer Fast Retailing and mobile phone carrier KDDI. By contrast, drugmakers and power utilities were higher. Sumitomo Forestry gained more ground after Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. raised its investment rating for the company.

stocks
nikkei
tokyo stock exchange
topix


Japan's top three mobile carriers and Rakuten apply for 5G band allocation

Abstract: The country’s three major mobile carriers and e-commerce operator Rakuten Inc. have applied for the allocation of a mobile phone frequency band to introduce next-generation 5G wireless services, the communications ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will review plans by NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp., SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten before seeking final approval by an advisory panel to the minister on April 10, it said. Some of the carriers plan to start 5G services, capable of delivering speeds some 100 times faster than the current 4G networks, on a trial basis later this year, with full-scale rollout expected in 2020. The next-generation mobile networks are considered essential for new technologies such as autonomous driving and the “internet of things.” The telecommunications ministry has urged the mobile carriers to effectively exclude products made by Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. in their network facilities due to concerns about security breaches that have already prompted the United States and some other counties to ban the two Chinese companies from supplying infrastructure products. Rakuten plans to launch its 4G service in October and is building a network that can also be used for 5G communications.


Antitrust watchdog to question Amazon Japan over new rewards program

Abstract: Japan’s antitrust watchdog will question Amazon Japan over its plan to offer reward points on all products sold on its site, on the suspicion that small merchants will be forced to shoulder the cost of the points, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. The Japan Fair Trade Commission plans to start a full-fledged survey from Wednesday to determine whether the e-commerce operator gave smaller businesses and individual sellers the chance to negotiate the terms of the new system starting in May, they said. Failing to do so could be deemed as an abuse of Amazon’s superior bargaining position over the other parties, prohibited under the antimonopoly law. The company declined to comment on the issue. Industry minister Hiroshige Seko said at a news conference Tuesday that it would be a “big problem” if Amazon Japan has unilaterally changed contracts by abusing its superior position and is “coercing excessive burden” on suppliers. At present, customers only receive redeemable points when purchasing certain products, such as those supplied directly from Amazon. But Amazon Japan said Monday it is expanding the rewards program from May 23 to all products regardless of who sells them. The company has argued that the new program would not only be an incentive to consumers but will also help the sellers expand their business chances. The latest development comes as part of the Japanese watchdog’s strengthened regulatory scrutiny over technology giants, including Google LLC, Amazon, Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc., amid criticism by some observers that they are hindering fair competition by becoming too powerful in the market. Such major companies, also including Rakuten Inc. and Yahoo Japan Corp., are referred to as “platformers,” as they provide digital infrastructures or platforms, including search engines, social networking sites and e-commerce sites. They collect huge amounts of data to use them to develop new online services. If Amazon Japan does not cooperate in responding to the inquiries from the regulator, it could face a mandatory investigation under the antimonopoly law. The fair trade commission, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications are also working on new rules to ensure that transactions between companies and platformers are conducted in a transparent and fair manner.


U.S.-backed force in Syria conducts major evacuation from last Islamic State stronghold

Abstract: NEAR BAGHOUZ, SYRIA - U.S.-backed forces evacuated over 40 truckloads of people from the Islamic State group’s last Syria redoubt on Monday, as they sought to clear out civilians before a final push to crush the jihadis. The Syrian Democratic Forces slowed down their offensive on the final enclave due to the presence of civilians, with just a scrap of the IS “caliphate” remaining from a territory that once spanned Syria and Iraq. An AFP correspondent saw at least 46 trucks crammed with men, women and children approaching an SDF outpost, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the jihadi bastion. One vehicle was packed with women clad in black and men who covered their faces. Wounded people were also among the latest evacuees. Holdout IS fighters and civilians, mostly relatives of jihadis, are trapped inside less than half a square kilometer in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border. The Kurdish-led SDF evacuated nearly 5,000 men, women and children from the jihadi redoubt on Wednesday and Friday, but none over the weekend. Earlier Monday, SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said thousands remained inside the IS pocket. “According to what we heard from those who have left, there are nearly 5,000 people still inside,” said Bali. At the SDF screening point outside the village, SDF fighters expressed hope that Monday’s arrivals would be the last. “We want it to be over,” said 29-year-old Mazloum. “Every day we say, ‘today is the day,’ but we hope it will all end today and not tomorrow,” he said. Kurdish foreign affairs official Abdel Karim Omar said the SDF would announce the end of the IS proto-state “in the next few days. “But this does not mean that we have eliminated terrorism, which must be eradicated at the roots,” he said. Beyond Baghouz, IS still has thousands of fighters and sleeper cells across several countries. In Syria it retains a presence in the vast Badia desert, and the jihadis have claimed deadly attacks in SDF-held territory. Thousands of suspected IS fighters have attempted to blend in with civilians fleeing the crumbling caliphate. According to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around 46,000 people, including thousands of jihadis, have streamed out of the Baghouz pocket since early December. The SDF screens those exiting at an outpost outside the village to weed out potential IS fighters. After being vetted, women, children and men not suspected of belonging to the extremist group are transported north to the Kurdish-run camp of Al-Hol, while suspected jihadis are sent to SDF-held detention centers. The Observatory on Monday said 1,400 people, mainly IS relatives, were secretly transported from orchards on the outskirts of Baghouz to neighboring Iraq during the past 24 hours. Kurdish foreign affairs official Omar did not confirm the transfer, and denied the SDF was responsible. “In principle, we do not hand over any person passing through our territories to Iraqi authorities or any other party,” Omar said. Such transfers can only happen if they were trucked from Baghouz “by another party,” he explained, without specifying. Baghdad on Sunday said the SDF have transferred 280 Iraqi nationals accused of fighting alongside IS to Iraqi authorities. Fourteen suspected French jihadis were among those transferred, an Iraqi government source said on Monday. Iraqi President Barham Saleh said Monday that Iraqi courts would prosecute 13 suspected French jihadis, who were turned over to Iraq after being captured by the SDF. “Those who have engaged in crimes against Iraq and Iraqi installations and personnel, we are definitely seeking them and seeking their trial in Iraqi courts,” he told a news conference in Paris. The mass outpouring of men, women and children from the IS foothold has overwhelmed the Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp, six hours north of Baghouz. “The international community is not currently taking responsibility towards the large number of people leaving the last IS pocket, especially children,” Omar said. The International Rescue Committee said Friday that new arrivals had pushed the camp’s population to over 45,000, exacerbating already dire conditions at the crammed facility. At least 78 people, mostly children, have died on the way to the camp or shortly after arriving in recent weeks, the IRC said. A warehouse fire on Friday caused by a gas cylinder explosion “destroyed 200 family tents” and five larger ones and injured 16 workers, it said. The U.N.’s humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, warned Friday that the camp was struggling to keep up with the flood of evacuees.

conflict
terrorism
syria
iraq
islamic state
u.s.-led coalition
syrian democratic forces
baghouz


Global warming imperils stratocumulus clouds that deter hothouse Earth: scientists

Abstract: PARIS - Marine clouds that protect us from hothouse Earth conditions by reflecting sunlight back into space could break up and vanish if carbon dioxide in the atmosphere triples, researchers warned Monday. “Our results show that there are dangerous climate change thresholds of which we were unaware,” said Tapio Schneider, a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and lead author of a study detailing the findings. Stratocumulus clouds cover about 20 percent of subtropical oceans, mostly near western seaboards such as the coasts of California, Mexico and Peru. “When they disappear, Earth warms dramatically, by about eight degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) — in addition to the global warming that comes from enhanced greenhouse concentrations alone,” according to the study. A temperature increase of that magnitude would melt polar ice and lift sea levels dozens of meters. The last time the planet was that hot, some 50 million years ago during the Eocene Epoch, crocodiles roamed the Arctic. Even half that much warming would overwhelm humanity’s capacity to adapt, scientists say. A barely 1-degree increase since the mid-19th century — mostly in the last 50 years — has been enough to worsen heat waves, droughts and flooding, along with cyclones engorged by rising seas. The 2015 Paris climate treaty enjoins nations to cap the rise in temperatures at “well below” 2 degrees. A major U.N. report published in October, however, showed that even a 2 degree hike over the preindustrial benchmark will have dire impacts, such as the demise of shallow-water coral reefs that sustain a quarter of marine biodiversity. Since man-made global warming began, carbon dioxide concentration in the air has gone up nearly 45 percent, from 285 to 410 parts per million. Using an innovative approach to modeling the behavior of the stratus clouds, Schneider and his colleagues calculated that protective cloud cover could break up if carbon dioxide levels reached 1200 ppm, though the “tipping point” might be somewhat higher. Passing that threshold — three times present levels — may not be as far-fetched as it seems, scientists caution. Even after 30 years of dire warnings about the consequences of climate change, global greenhouse gas emissions are still climbing year-on-year. At current rates of carbon dioxide pollution — known as the “business as usual” scenario — “the 1,200 ppm value will be crossed by 2104,” said Malte Meinshausen, director of the Climate and Energy College at the University of Melbourne, citing a study to be published later this year. A second worry is that man-made global warming may trigger the release of carbon dioxide and methane — another powerful greenhouse gas — from natural sources such as permafrost, overwhelming our efforts to reduce emissions. The findings, published in Nature Geosciences, may solve a long-standing mystery about the early Eocene Epoch 50 million years ago, when temperatures were about 12 degrees warmer than today. Climate models indicate that carbon dioxide levels would have had to rise above 4,000 ppm to explain that level of warming, but geological evidence shows concentrations only 25-to-50 percent that high. This 1,000-to-2,000 ppm range, according to the new study, in precisely where planet-cooling clouds would disappear, boosting temperatures by up to 8 degrees. “A warming spike caused by the loss of stratus cloud decks could explain the appearance of the Eocene’s hothouse climate,” Schneider said. The study also helps plug a huge hole in current climate change models. How low clouds over tropical oceans respond to global warming is probably the largest contributor to uncertainties in climate predictions. Clouds have mostly “fallen through the computational cracks,” said Schneider. “The scales of motion in clouds are meters to tens-of-meters,” he explained. “The computational meshes of climate models are tens to hundreds of kilometers wide.” To get around that problem, the researchers created a small-scale model or a typical area above a subtropical ocean, simulating the clouds and their turbulent, ever-changing motion on supercomputers. In simulations, the cloud “decks” broke up when carbon dioxide levels hit 1,200 ppm, and did not reform until the concentration of carbon dioxide dropped well below that threshold.

global warming
emissions
paris climate accord


Public deserves 'robust' release of Robert Mueller probe findings, says ex-FBI chief Andrew McCabe

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe called on the Justice Department to make public special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report but said some classified materials and investigative methods need to be protected. “I would like to see that report turned over in its broadest and most robust sense — first and foremost to the Hill — so elected representatives can consider it for their oversight purposes, and finally, to be shared with the American public in the broadest way they can,” McCabe told Bloomberg TV on Monday. McCabe joins many Democrats, and some Republicans, saying they want the public to see the report. The former FBI official has been criticized by President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers as biased against the president, an assertion he has denied. McCabe, who is promoting his book “The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump,” was fired by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March, just before he was set to retire. Sessions said McCabe made an unauthorized disclosure to the media and lied under oath during an internal investigation. McCabe said he expects Mueller’s final report — to be delivered to Attorney General William Barr at the conclusion of Mueller’s probe — will give a complete rundown of the conclusions he had drawn from the investigation. “We all understand” there will be parts of that information that are classified, or sensitive in terms of sources and investigative methods, he said. But he said such public transparency issues have been addressed before, pointing to the intelligence agencies’ publicly released assessment of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. “We took an incredibly classified, sensitive document and we were able to boil it down to an unclassified product,” he said. “There is precedent there,” said McCabe, adding that he hopes that is ‘the path’ the Justice Department takes with the Mueller report. Asked if he trusts Barr’s judgment in handling this issue, McCabe said he assumes the attorney general will act “with honesty and he will work through those issues in the best way he can.” Barr will “make the right decision” when it comes to handling Mueller’s report, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said. “We can trust him to do that,” Rosenstein said at an event in Washington Monday. “We can count on him to do the right thing.”

u.s .
fbi
robert mueller
donald trump
jeff sessions
rod rosenstein
andrew mccabe
russia probe
william barr


Lawsuit accuses Trump of kissing campaign worker without her consent

Abstract: TAMPA, FLORIDA - A woman who worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign sued the president on Monday, accusing him of kissing her without consent before a 2016 rally in Tampa, Florida. Alva Johnson said in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Florida’s Middle District, that the alleged incident was “part of a pattern of predatory and harassing behavior towards women” by Trump. “This accusation is absurd on its face,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “This never happened and is directly contradicted by multiple highly credible eye witness accounts.” Trump has denied charges by a number of women who said he groped and kissed them over a period of years without permission. The lawsuit alleges the encounter occurred inside a campaign RV before a rally on Aug. 24, 2016. While leaving a meeting in the vehicle, Trump gripped Johnson by the hand and leaned in so close that she felt his breath, the lawsuit says. Johnson turned her head, trying to avoid a kiss, but Trump still managed to kiss the corner of her mouth, the lawsuit says. Johnson claims Trump had to move deliberately because her face was framed by a baseball cap. “She felt confused and humiliated,” the lawsuit said. High-profile Trump supporters including then-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump’s Florida campaign director, Karen Giorno, were in the RV at the time, the lawsuit said. Both told the Washington Post, which first reported the lawsuit, that they saw nothing inappropriate. Johnson is seeking financial damages and a court order to prohibit Trump “from grabbing, kissing or otherwise assaulting or harassing women without prior express consent.” According to the lawsuit, Johnson called her partner and her parents in tears the day of the encounter with Trump and described what had happened. She said fellow campaign workers subsequently joked about the kiss after Giorno shared details. In a phone interview on Monday, Johnson’s lawyer, Hassan Zavareei, rejected the White House denial and said the witness accounts were not credible. He said Johnson, 43, a mother of four living in Alabama, was not available for an interview and worries about her family’s safety as a result of the lawsuit. The lawsuit said Johnson also experienced discrimination as one of the campaign’s few female and African-American staff members. She earned less than her colleagues and experienced “a larger culture of racist and sexist behavior,” the lawsuit said.

u.s .
harassment
women
florida
donald trump
2016 u.s. presidential election


France's Emmanuel Macron welcomes U.S. reversal on keeping troops in Syria

Abstract: PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday welcomed Washington’s decision to leave American troops in Syria, a reversal by U.S. President Donald Trump that came after an outcry from coalition allies such as France. “On the U.S. decision, I can only but welcome this choice,” Macron told a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih. “The U.S. decision is a good thing. We will continue to operate in the region within the coalition.” In December, Trump ordered the withdrawal of all 2,000 troops in Syria after he said they had defeated Islamic State militants, an abrupt decision that sparked consternation among allies and was a factor in his defense secretary’s resignation. Macron had personally sought to convince Trump to maintain troops in Syria, French diplomats said at the time, warning him about the risks of pulling out too early. The United States will leave about 400 U.S. troops split between two different regions of Syria, a senior administration official said last Friday.

conflict
france
u.s .
syria
military
donald trump
emmanuel macron


May faces growing calls to delay Brexit

Abstract: LONDON - Prime Minister Theresa May faced mounting pressure Tuesday from her own government to delay Brexit after the main opposition Labour Party raised the prospect of a second referendum. May has steadfastly argued that she must keep the prospect of the U.K. crashing out the bloc without an agreement on March 29 on the table in order to wrest essential concessions from Brussels. But her talks with European leaders on Sunday and Monday in Egypt achieved no breakthrough and the 46-year relationship is approaching a messy breakup that could wreak havoc on global markets and create border chaos. That possibility is prompting a growing chorus of ministers to call on May to propose a short Brexit delay. “We implore the government to take that step this week,” three junior ministers wrote in Tuesday’s Daily Mail newspaper. “We must act immediately to ensure that we are not swept over the precipice on March 29,” they wrote. Culture and media minister Margot James told BBC radio she signed the letter because “we felt honor-bound to actually do something to help prevent such catastrophe.” It was co-written by business minister Richard Harrington and energy minister Claire Perry. Three more senior cabinet members published a similar letter over the weekend. The Daily Mail said as many as 15 ministers were “said to be ready to resign.” May huddled with her top team members before heading to Parliament to map out her strategy for the final 31 days of a process that began when Brexit won in a June 2016 vote. Her effective number two, David Lidington, said May and her Cabinet would hold a “free debate” about her next steps in Britain’s biggest political crisis in a generation. But he refused to confirm multiple newspaper reports saying she would offer a short Brexit date extension if her deal fails to win lawmakers’ support by a self-imposed March 12 deadline. “I am not going to predict what the PM will say later today,” Lidington said. The rebel ministers are all backing a proposed parliamentary amendment that would force May to set a new Brexit date if she fails to get better terms on the disputed issue of the Irish border. Lawmakers will get a chance to vote on the emergency measure on Wednesday. Any delay would likely infuriate powerful euroskeptics in both May’s government and party who fear Brexit either being watered down or reversed. And those still hoping to avert the split were boosted by the Labour Party’s conditional decision to back a second Brexit referendum on Monday. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had infuriated many party faithful by hedging his bets and simply offering to negotiate a deal that would keep Britain more closely bound to other 27 EU states. But he bowed to the pressure from the more EU-friendly wing of his party by offering a way to halt “a damaging Tory Brexit.” Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said the party on Wednesday would put its own Brexit deal proposal up for a Parliament vote. “If it doesn’t go through, we the Labour Party will either put down ourselves or support an amendment in favour of a public vote,” Starmer told BBC radio. “A public vote ought to be between the option on the one hand of a credible leave option and on the other hand remain.”

united kingdom
britain
eu
brexit
theresa may


U.S. veep Mike Pence and allies mull new steps against Maduro after deadly aid violence

Abstract: BOGOTA - Latin American countries are expected to announce measures to exert further pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday after he blocked the entry of hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid to his economically devastated country over the weekend. The Lima Group of nations is likely to reiterate its opposition to the use of force at the meeting in Bogota, attendees and diplomatic sources said. At least three people were killed and almost 300 wounded during protests and clashes on Saturday as U.S.-backed aid convoys attempted to enter Venezuela to deliver food and medicine. Opposition politician Juan Guaido, recognized by most Western nations as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, has urged the bloc to consider “all options” in ousting Maduro. Guaido will attend the gathering, as will U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Unlike the Lima Group, the Trump administration has so far declined to rule out the use of military force. “We have the responsibility to redouble and intensify our support,” Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said as the meeting began. “Venezuelans have never advanced so much towards the recovery of their democracy.” Trujillo also emphasized the need for peaceful resolution of Venezuela’s crisis. Reports that there is division in the Lima Group over the use of force are false, Peruvian Deputy Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela Martinez said at the opening of the meeting. Any new measures set to be taken by the United States are expected to be announced by Pence in his presentation to the group after 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT), after he meets with Guaido. The convoy of trucks with food and medicines was blocked during the weekend by soldiers and armed groups loyal to Maduro, who retains the backing of China and Russia, which have major energy sector investments in Venezuela. Maduro says the aid efforts are part of a U.S.-orchestrated coup. Trucks were met with tear gas and rubber bullets. Two went up in flames, which the opposition blamed on security forces and the Venezuelan government on “drugged-up protesters.” “We must have all options open to achieve liberation of the homeland,” Guaido said after the failed delivery. The opposition had hoped Venezuelan troops would balk at turning back supplies so desperately needed by a population increasingly suffering malnutrition and diseases. The Trump administration last month put sanctions on state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, known as PDVSA, to cut Maduro off from his government’s main source of revenues. A senior U.S. official said on Sunday that while Maduro may have succeeded in blocking the aid on Saturday, it came at huge costs. “He had to kill his own people in order to make sure they didn’t get humanitarian deliveries from willing international partners, and he had to do it on television,” the official said. Asked by reporters whether the United States would provide military force if requested by Guaido, the official said Pence would listen to his suggestions and take them back to U.S. President Donald Trump. The group has previously asked the U.S. to impose an oil embargo on Venezuela, a Peruvian diplomatic source said. The Chilean delegation is expected to push to maintain dialogue with Maduro but also to back commercial sanctions and further blocking of Venezuela’s participation in international groups, Chilean media reported. Brazil’s vice president has previously insisted that there is no military solution to the crisis.

u.s .
venezuela
nicolas maduro
humanitarian aid
donald trump
mike pence
juan guaido
lima group


Assad meets Khamenei in first Iran visit since Syrian war began

Abstract: AMMAN - Syrian President Bashar Assad made his first public visit to his closest regional ally Iran since the start of Syria’s war in 2011, meeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday and championing their alliance, state media reported. Syrian and Iranian state television showed Assad and Khamenei smiling and embracing. Syrian television said the two leaders agreed “to continue cooperation at all levels for the interests of the two friendly nations.” Khamenei was quoted as saying the two countries’ military victories in Syria had dealt “a harsh blow” to U.S. plans in the region. Assad regained the upper hand in Syria’s war with the help of Russian air power and Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces, retaking all main cities from rebels and militants backed variously by Western powers and Gulf Arabs. Sitting next to Assad was Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force — an overseas arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He has appeared on front lines across Syria, where his presence has infuriated Sunni-led insurgents who oppose what they view as Shiite Iran’s expansion in the region. It was Assad’s first known foreign visit other than to Russia since the war began and his first to Tehran since 2010. Iranian-backed Shiite militias have expanded their control over mainly Sunni areas around Damascus, southern and eastern Syria that bore the brunt of the heaviest bombardment and led to mass displacement or emigration to neighboring countries. Iran’s growing influence in Syria, where it has struck economic and trade deals, has also raised the prospect of a military confrontation with its archenemy Israel. Israel, regarding Iran as its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to escalate its fight against Iranian aligned forces in Syria after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Assad was quoted by Syrian state television as saying that any escalation by Western powers would not stop Iran and Syria from defending their own interests. Iranian state media said Khamenei praised Assad as a hero who had strengthened the alliance between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. “The Islamic Republic of Iran sees helping Syria’s government and nation as support for the resistance movement (against Israel) and is deeply proud of doing it,” Khamenei said. Assad was also briefed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about efforts by Russia, Iran and Turkey — supporters of the main sides in the Syrian civil war — to end the conflict. Syria wants Turkey, which has backed Sunni rebels and carved a sphere of influence in the northwest of the country, to remove its troops from Syrian territory and end its support for rebels. Efforts have so far failed to make progress toward a political settlement to end a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced about half of Syria’s prewar population of 22 million.

conflict
u.s .
syria
iran
bashar assad
ali khamenei


Rigging claims fly as Nigeria election results come in with Buhari in lead; 39 said dead in poll violence

Abstract: ABUJA - Nigeria’s main opposition camp on Monday accused the ruling party of trying to rig presidential elections as the incumbent cemented a lead, but monitors voiced concern about polling day problems and violence that caused dozens of deaths. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of President Muhammadu Buhari of colluding with the electoral commission in an attempt to “manipulate the results. PDP chairman Uche Secondus told reporters the APC was using security agencies and ministers to put pressure on the authorities. “It’s as if we are in the military era,” he added. The accusation, rejected by the APC as a “childish” attempt to discredit the commission and the process, came as Buhari — a former military ruler — took an early lead when first results were announced. With 10 states declared, Buhari was ahead by seven states to three, with 2,831,572 votes to the 2,076,490 for the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, of the PDP. To win, a candidate needs a majority of votes and at least 25 percent of support in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. A total of 72.7 million people were eligible to vote in the presidential poll as well as parliamentary elections held at the same time. The election — the sixth in the 20 years since Nigeria returned to democracy after decades of military rule — took place on Saturday, a week after a last-gasp postponement. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blamed logistical difficulties, which were not entirely ironed out by the weekend, forcing voting to go into a second day. The European Union said there were “serious operational shortcomings,”which saw polling units open late, leaving voters waiting for hours with no idea when voting would start. The Situation Room umbrella group of over 70 civil society organizations observing the vote called for an inquiry into what it said was INEC’s “poor management” of the process. It highlighted lapses in logistics, technology and security and said INEC had “not managed the election efficiently and significant shortcomings have been recorded. “The election has been a step back from the 2015 General Election and actions should be taken to identify what has gone wrong and what can be corrected,” it added. The head of the African Union observer mission, Ethiopia’s former prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, also said they were concerned “by the pattern of consistent postponement. The last two elections suffered similar delays, and Hailemariam said the latest postponement had “implications for citizens’ participation and turnout. “Last-minute election postponements should not become the norm in Nigeria,” added the National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute. Monitors Yiaga Africa said early indications put voter turnout at 36-40 percent. In the southeast state of Abia, where pro-Biafran separatist leaders had urged supporters to boycott the vote, turnout was just 18 percent. The election took place against a backdrop of fears about security across the country, as well as claims from both parties that the other was looking to rig the result. Neither produced evidence but INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu on Sunday said there were reports of ballot-snatching, vote-buying and violence. One election volunteer was killed by a stray bullet in the southern state of Rivers, where some INEC staff and even police were held hostage before being released unharmed. Other election staff were attacked in the southern state of Akwa Ibom and Kogi in the north central region. The Situation Room, which had some 8,000 monitors on the ground, said “at least 39 Nigerians” were killed in election-related violence in 11 states on Saturday and Sunday. Worst-affected was the oil-rich southern state of Rivers, where 16 people were killed. Previously, analysts SBM Intelligence said 233 people were killed in 67 incidents of election-related violence from last October to Friday — an average of two people per day. The Situation Room highlighted reports that just over a quarter of the nearly 120,000 polling units were under-policed, and said there were “shortfalls and gaps” in security elsewhere. At least six states saw disruption in polling. In the Okoto area of the country’s biggest city, Lagos, voters were chased away and ballot boxes were destroyed. In Osun state, ballot papers and boxes were destroyed at the local INEC office. There were also reports of some “partisan” security officials as well as “compromised” INEC staff and incidents involving the military, including blocking some voters. Police said separately that 128 people had been arrested across the country for electoral offenses, including murder, vote-buying and ballot box snatching.

corruption
elections
nigeria
muhammadu buhari
atiku abubakar


Trump accuses film-maker Spike Lee of 'racist hit' job

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday accused veteran film director Spike Lee of a “racist hit” job after he won his first competitive Oscar and urged voters to mobilize for the next election. Lee took home a statuette for best adapted screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman,” a stranger-than-fiction true story of an African-American police officer who managed to infiltrate the highest levels of the Ku Klux Klan. In an impromptu address that referred to America’s history of slavery and his own grandmother, who graduated from college “even though her mother was a slave,” Lee did not mention Trump but urged voters to “be on the right side of history” in the 2020 presidential election. “Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President,” Trump tweeted. The president boasted that he “has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!” In his comments, Lee gave “praise to our ancestors who have built this country into what it is today,” and said: “We will have love and wisdom regained. We will regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment. The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize.” In an apparent reference to Trump’s divisive presidency, Lee urged voters to “make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing!” That was a nod to his acclaimed 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” about simmering racial tensions in New York’s Brooklyn borough. For more than 30 years, Lee has captivated audiences — and sometimes angered them — with his provocative, frank depictions of black America infused with his signature mix of entertainment, activism and rage. His films often have had a political bent like “Do The Right Thing,” “Malcolm X” and “Jungle Fever.”

racism
african-americans
donald trump
spike lee
2020 u.s. presidential election
blackkklansman


In Colombia, Pence announces new sanctions on allies of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro

Abstract: BOGOTA - The Trump administration on Monday announced new sanctions on allies of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro as it struggles to find new ways to boost his opponent, Juan Guaido, after an effort to deliver humanitarian aid to the economically devastated nation faltered amid strong resistance from security forces who remain loyal to the socialist leader. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in the Colombian capital for an emergency summit of regional leaders to discuss the deepening crisis and immediately met with Guaido, who the U.S. and 50 other nations recognize as Venezuela’s rightful leader. In a speech to the group, Pence urged regional partners to freeze oil assets controlled by Maduro, transfer the proceeds to Guaido and restrict visas for Maduro’s inner circle. He said the U.S. was imposing more sanctions on four pro-government governors, including a close Maduro ally who negotiated the release of an American in jail more than two years. “It’s time to do more,” said Pence. “The day is coming soon when Venezuela’s long nightmare will end, when Venezuela will once more be free, when her people will see a new birth of freedom, in a nation reborn to liberated.” Pence’s appearance before the Lima Group comes at an important crossroads for the coalition of 14 mostly conservative Latin American nations and Canada that has joined forces to pressure Maduro. A month after Guaido declared himself interim president at an outdoor rally, hopes that support for Maduro inside the military would quickly crumble have faded. Over the weekend, security forces on the borders with Colombia and Brazil fired tear gas and buckshot on activists waving Venezuelan flags while escorting trucks with emergency medical and food kits. Four people have been reported killed and at least 300 wounded, although only a few were hospitalized. While Colombian authorities said more than 160 soldiers deserted their posts and sought refuge across the border over the weekend, the highest-ranking among them was a National Guard major. No battalion or division commanders have come forward to challenge Maduro despite almost daily calls by Guaido and the U.S. to do so. That’s left many asking what Guaido and the U.S. can do to break the stalemate. For now, the U.S. is showing no signs it is considering a military intervention to remove Maduro. During his visit, Pence repeated President Donald Trump’s threat that “all options are on the table” but gingerly avoided talking about the potential for military action. Instead, he stuck to traditional policy tools that so far have only hardened Maduro’s resolve. Foremost among them was the addition of four governors to a growing list of more than 50 Venezuelan officials under sanctions and blocked from doing business or having accounts in the U.S. The most prominent target was Rafael Lacava, the governor of central Carabobo state who played a key role negotiating the release last year of Joshua Holt, a Utah man who traveled to the South American country for love and ended up in jail, without a trial, for two years on what were seen as trumped-up weapons charges. Pence also said the U.S. would continue to search for places to pre-position aid for eventual delivery to Venezuela, and announced $56 million in new assistance to countries in the region helping to absorb an exodus of more than 3 million Venezuelans who have fled hyperinflation and shortages in recent years. “In the days ahead, the United States will announce even stronger sanctions on the regime’s corrupt financial networks. We will find every last dollar they have stolen and return that money to the Venezuelan people,” he said. Guaido, in his visit to the Colombian capital, was afforded all the trappings of a head of state. He posed for selfies with well-wishers upon arriving for the summit and stood before a pile of aid boxes stamped with the U.S. flag as he and Pence greeted a group of Venezuelan migrants, one of whom, an elderly man, wept as he shook hands with the U.S. vice president and pleaded for help. But his speech to the diplomats was short on specifics despite speculation he would request a military intervention as a close ally, Julio Borges, the opposition ambassador to the Lima Group, suggested on Sunday. “Being permissive with the usurpation of power would be a threat to democracy in all of America,” he said. Meanwhile, several Latin American leaders who have been staunchly behind Guaido also rejected the use of force. “Let’s hope that the pressure of the international community, dialogue and prudence will prevail,” said Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, who likened the crisis in Venezuela to what his country faced in the run up to the 1989 U.S. invasion to remove dictator Manuel Noriega. “Although the circumstances are similar, we must have the capacity to find a solution different than the one used back then.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in interviews on “Fox News Sunday” and CNN’s “State of the Union,” did not rule out U.S. military force but said “there are more sanctions to be had.” Any additional sanctions will increase the suffering of the Venezuelan people and may lead to more political violence, said Mark Weisbrot, the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, who advocates a negotiated end to the political crisis. “The ‘humanitarian aid’ this weekend was a public relations stunt, since the aid was just a tiny fraction of the food and medicine that they are depriving Venezuelans of with the sanctions,” Weisbrot said. “As the Trump administration admitted, it was an attempt to get the Venezuelan military to disobey Maduro. It was a farce, and it failed.”

u.s .
venezuela
colombia
nicolas maduro
donald trump
mike pence
juan guaido
lima group


U.N. court urges Britain to 'rapidly' give up Chagos Islands, home to key U.S. airbase

Abstract: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - Britain should quickly give up control of the Chagos archipelago, the Indian Ocean islands that house the secretive U.S. airbase at Diego Garcia but are claimed by Mauritius, the International Court of Justice said Monday. Judges in The Hague said in a legal “advisory opinion” on a decades-old dispute that Britain had illegally split the islands from Mauritius at independence in the 1960s, after which thousands of islanders were deported. The court’s view is not binding but it carries a heavy symbolic importance as it was specially tasked by the United Nations General Assembly to give its view on the row between London and Port Louis over the fate of the island chain. It also comes as a stunning blow to London in a case that goes to the heart of historic issues of decolonization and current questions about Britain’s place in the world as it prepares to leave the European Union. “The United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible, thereby allowing Mauritius to complete the decolonisation of its territory,” Chief Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said. Then colonial power Britain split off the islands from Mauritius — which lies around 2,000 km (1,200 miles) away — three years before Port Louis gained independence in 1968. It also paid Mauritius £3 million. Between 1968 and 1973 around 2,000 Chagos islanders were evicted, to Britain, Mauritius and the Seychelles, to make way for a huge base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands. The evictions were described in a British diplomatic cable at the time as the removal of “some few Tarzans and Man Fridays.” Diego Garcia is now under lease to the United States, playing a key strategic role in the Cold War before being used as a staging ground for U.S. bombing campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s. The U.N. General Assembly in 2017 adopted a resolution presented by Mauritius and backed by African countries asking the ICJ to offer legal advice on the island chain’s fate and the legality of the deportations. When judges heard the case in September, Mauritius argued that it was illegal for Britain to have broken up its territory while it was still the colonial power. Its case was backed by India. Britain, while apologizing for the “shameful” way it evicted thousands of islanders, insisted Mauritius was wrong to have brought the case to the ICJ. The United States meanwhile said the court had a “duty” not to take a position on the row. The judges said by a majority that because Britain had split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before independence “the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed. The Chagos Islanders have already taken their battle through the courts in Britain, where their supporters included the current Labour opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn. The legal opinion is only the 28th since the ICJ was set up in 1946 in the wake of World War II to provide a tribunal to resolve disputes between U.N. member states. Previous such opinions include one on Israel’s West Bank barrier in 2004, which judges said was illegal.

u.s .
u.n .
u.k .
icj
diego garcia
mauritius
chagos islands


In day of U-turns, Theresa May considers delaying Brexit while Labour's Corbyn backs second referendum

Abstract: LONDON/SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT - Theresa May is considering a plan to delay Brexit and stop the U.K. leaving the European Union with no deal next month, according to people familiar with the situation. The prime minister is expected to allow her Cabinet to discuss extending the deadline beyond March 29 at a crunch meeting on Tuesday, one of the people said. May would then reveal the Cabinet’s conclusions in an announcement to Parliament later in the day. While no final decision has been taken, putting off the U.K.’s scheduled withdrawal from the EU would be a huge political gamble. On one hand, it would avert mass resignations from pro-EU ministers in May’s team. But it would also risk a destabilizing backlash from euroskeptic Conservatives. Even with the premier likely to carry on with her attempts to get a deal done on time, a postponement would be a major climbdown for the U.K. leader, who has spent the past two years insisting that the U.K. will leave the EU on schedule. It comes within hours of another major U-turn: that of opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn deciding to back a second Brexit referendum. Corbyn, who bowed to pressure from his members of Parliament and agreed to support a new Brexit referendum, is a lifelong opponent of the U.K.’s European Union membership and has until now resisted attempts to get him to back a fresh vote on leaving the bloc — even though it is the policy the party agreed to last year. But nine lawmakers quit Labour last week in protest at his leadership, and there were reports that others might go unless he changed course. After a meeting with members of his shadow Cabinet on Monday afternoon, the Labour leader finally gave way. “One way or another, we will do everything in our power to prevent no-deal and oppose a damaging Tory Brexit based on Theresa May’s overwhelmingly rejected deal,” Corbyn told a meeting of Labour MPs on Monday evening, according to his office. “That’s why, in line with our conference policy, we are committed to also putting forward or supporting an amendment in favor of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit being forced on the country.” In just over a month, the U.K. is meant to be departing the union it’s belonged to for 40 years but the outlook has never looked more uncertain. May’s hands are increasingly tied by an unpopular divorce deal she sealed with the EU but that Parliament has rejected by a landslide. Brexit has proved to be such a divisive issue that both mainstream parties have suffered defections, businesses are panicking and voters are confused and exasperated. Corbyn’s U-turn — he has long resisted pressure to back a second plebiscite — comes as the U.K. is in the throes of political crisis. It’s unclear when Labour will even get a chance to show this support. There will be votes on Wednesday on the direction of Brexit, but no amendments have been presented yet. It’s not clear what kind of referendum Labour proposes. While the party’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Emily Thornberry said it would be a choice between leaving the EU with a negotiated deal or staying in, a person familiar with Corbyn’s position said this hadn’t been decided. But even with Labour’s support, another referendum is far from certain to happen. Even if all 246 Labour MPs voted for one — along with the 65 other opposition MPs who might back one, and around 10 members of May’s Conservative party — they would only just have a majority. In reality, at least 25 Labour MPs would disobey any instruction to vote for a referendum. When Corbyn set the policy out to MPs in a private meeting, at least one could be heard angrily denouncing it. A repeat of the referendum is only likely to happen if a significant number of Tories back one. That’s the idea behind a suggestion by Labour MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson — that they should offer to vote for May’s Brexit deal in exchange for her agreeing to a referendum on it. Delaying Brexit has the potential to split May’s Cabinet and her ruling party, triggering a rebellion from Brexit-supporting Tories who might even try to bring down her government. But May’s allies accept she has run out of time and must now choose between angering her pro-Brexit colleagues and alienating as many as 20 pro-European ministers who are threatening to quit to vote against her and stop a no-deal exit from the EU in Parliament on Wednesday. May will chair a Cabinet discussion on extending Brexit at 9:30 a.m. in London on Tuesday. May will update Parliament on the Cabinet’s decision after 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The government will propose a motion on the Brexit state-of-play by Tuesday night. The House of Commons will debate and vote on May’s Brexit motion on Wednesday. A political bust-up is certain to follow. If she doesn’t find a way to remove the threat of a no-deal departure next month, May is likely to suffer a spate of resignations. Cabinet ministers including Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and Business Secretary David Gauke have signaled they will quit rather than be part of a government that takes the U.K. out of the EU with no deal. If she does back a delay, May’s pro-Brexit colleagues will accuse her of betrayal and could even support a vote of no confidence in the government — potentially triggering a general election. May returned on Monday night from an EU summit in Egypt where one EU leader after another asked her whether she would delay Brexit. EU Council President Donald Tusk said it was the “rational” thing to do. May would have to ask the EU for an extension, and the bloc would probably say yes. What’s less certain is whether they would agree to a short delay, or force her into a longer one that would be even more politically toxic at home.

u.k .
referendums
u.k. parliament
labour
brexit
theresa may
jeremy corbyn


Global arms control architecture 'collapsing' with Russia-U.S. INF pullout, says U.N. chief Antonio Guterres

Abstract: GENEVA - The international arms control system is facing collapse, the United Nations chief said Monday, as he urged Russia and the U.S. to stop the imminent demise of a crucial nuclear treaty. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used an address to the U.N.’s Conference on Disarmament to warn that one of the cornerstones of diplomatic achievement over the last half century — arms control — was in “grave danger.” “I will be blunt. Key components of the international arms control architecture are collapsing,” Guterres said. The United States has already begun the process of withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, in response to Moscow’s deployment of the 9M729 missile, prompting Russia to announce its own withdrawal. “We simply cannot afford to return to the unrestrained nuclear competition of the darkest days of the Cold War,” Guterres said. “I call on the parties to the INF Treaty to use the time remaining to engage in sincere dialogue on the various issues that have been raised,” he added. “It is very important that this treaty be preserved.” The collapse of the 1987 treaty, which banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, has sparked fears of a new arms race in Europe. The U.S. withdrawal is not set to take effect until August, giving a six-month window to save the treaty, but few expect that to happen and NATO has warned the world should ready itself for the pact to be scrapped. Guterres recalled that despite a mutual lack of trust, the U.S., the former Soviet Union and later Russia agreed to a series of arms control agreements through a commitment to strict verification, which became “one of the hallmarks of international security.” He voiced hope that nations would recommit to the principles of verification and compliance to forge urgently needed deals covering nuclear weapons and new technologies like “hypersonic weapons that could be used to launch attacks at unprecedented speed.” U.N.-backed negotiations are underway to govern the use of so-called killer robots — weapons that can deploy lethal force without a human making the final decision to launch a strike. But those talks have moved at a glacial pace, with activists accusing major powers of dragging their feet. Guterres warned that new technologies are changing the arms control landscape “in ways we do not yet understand and cannot even imagine.” “We need a new vision for arms control in the complex international security environment of today,” he added.

u.s .
russia
u.n .
weapons
nuclear weapons
missiles
antonio guterres