World News Review

Who supports Trump’s conviction?

Darren Samuelsohn and Beatrice Jin — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 06:01:27 -0500

Here’s POLITICO’s analysis of how senators would vote if the House impeached the president.

Greta Thunberg Joins Youth Activists on TIME Panel at Davos to Say ‘Pretty Much Nothing’ Has Been Done on Climate Change

Suyin Haynes — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:46:27 -0500

Greta Thunberg no longer has to worry about being heard on the issue the climate change, she told a room full of adults Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “I’m being heard all the time,” she said.

The 17-year-old Swedish climate activist’s comment was met with chuckles from the audience, but her wry smile soon turned to a serious message. “In general, the science and the voice of the young people is not at the center of the conversation, and it needs to be,” she said. “Because this is about us and our future, and future generations, and of course those who are already being affected today.”

She added that “pretty much nothing has been done, since the global emissions of CO2 have not reduced” since she started staging school strikes to raise awareness of the climate crisis since August 2018.

Thunberg’s message, of young people demanding action rather than empty promises, was echoed by fellow youth activists on TIME’s panel at the 2020 World Economic Forum. Titled “Forging a Sustainable Path Towards a Common Future,” the event on Tuesday morning was moderated by TIME CEO and Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal.

Thunberg was joined on stage by three other young activists who have worked to make a difference in their communities: Salvador Gómez-Colón, 16; Autumn Peltier, 16; and Natasha Mwansa, 18.

All four activists used the platform and the global stage of the World Economic Forum to emphasize that collaboration with political leaders should take the form of meaningful action, rather than merely lip service. “Even for me, people are awarding me,” said Peltier. “I don’t want your awards. If you’re going to award me, award me with helping me find solutions and award me with helping me make change.”

Peltier is an Eagle Clan Anishnaabekwe from the Wikwemikong First Nation in Northern Ontario, Canada. In 2019, she was named the Chief Water Commissioner by the Anishinabek Nation, representing 40 First Nations in Ontario, many of which lack clean drinking water. Peltier told the panel that the role, which was previously held by her aunt Josephine, means having a seat at the table when decisions are made and being able to advocate for the Great Lakes.

Jason Alden—Bloomberg via Getty ImagesFrom left to right, Edward Felsenthal, TIME CEO and Editor-in-Chief; Natasha Mwansa, child and women’s rights activist; Salvador Gomez-Colon, founder of Light & Hope for Puerto Rico; Greta Thunberg, climate activist; and Autumn Peltier, chief water commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation, take part in a TIME panel on the opening day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020.

Gómez-Colón spoke of his moving experience distributing hundreds of solar lamps to Puerto Ricans without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and the power of youth resilience in the wake of natural disasters. “In Puerto Rico with all the fair share of natural disasters and political crises we’ve had, we’ve seen youth stepping up. Around the world, we’ve seen our generation standing up for the world we want to see, even when our leaders aren’t really taking charge,” Gómez-Colón said. “We’re not waiting five, 10, 20 years to take the action we want to see. We’re not the future of the world, we’re the present. We’re acting now, we’re not waiting any longer.”

Fellow panelist, journalist and women’s rights advocate Mwansa also emphasized the importance of including young people in decision-making. “Young people are no longer just seen as being young, we’re actually being involved in the whole system and we’re being asked what we want to do,” Mwansa, who is from Zambia, said. “The older generation has a lot of experience, but we have ideas, we have energy and we have solutions for the ‘now’ problems and the ones that are coming up.”

While Mwansa spoke of seeing hopeful and positive change as a result of collaboration between youth activists and older leaders, other panelists implored leaders to look to the example of young people and push for radical rethinking of systems of power. “I’d like to assume that our politicians right now will see the tide shifting and will see the work that we’re doing,” Gómez-Colón said. “I think people need to start thinking about how we can make our world a better place for everyone, and see ourselves, instead of through our borders, as citizens of the world.”

Thunberg took the opportunity to remind world leaders of the statistics outlined in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in October 2018, which pointed to a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius as a threshold at which the planet would see the worst effects of climate change. The report warned that if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continues, the 1.5°C threshold could be passed as early as 2030.

“These numbers aren’t anyone’s political views, this is the current best available science,” said Thunberg, noting that the responsibility of removing CO2 from the air would fall heavy on future generations. “Every fraction of a degree matters. Since last summer, I’ve been repeating these numbers over and over again in almost every speech. But I don’t think I have once seen any media outlet or person in power communicate this and what it means. I know you don’t want to report about this. I know you don’t want to talk about this. But I assure you I will continue to repeat these numbers until you do.”

In December 2019, TIME recognized Thunberg as Person of the Year, making her the youngest person in the franchise’s history to be selected. “Thunberg’s wake-up call is a necessary jolt,” Felsenthal wrote about the choice. “It is up to us all to meet it with solutions.”

The discussion concluded with the activists urging for more support for youth movements, at a time when they appear to be gaining greater attention and momentum worldwide, from the protests against inequality in Chile to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. “Even the fact that us youth have to be up here trying to create awareness and make change feels kind of wrong,” Peltier said.

Gómez-Colón added: “Just because we are all teenagers doesn’t mean we don’t have the maturity, the knowledge or the drive to take action and impart positive change in the world we live in.”

Australian bushfires hit coal output, hazardous conditions to return

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:44:12 -0500

Mining giant BHP Group said on Tuesday that poor air quality caused by smoke from Australia's bushfires is hurting coal production, as authorities said a reprieve from hazardous fire conditions would end within days.

Australian bushfires scathe sanctuary for rare bee species

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:44:12 -0500

Bees swarm around Peter Davis as he unloads his precious, buzzing cargo into their new home in a part of South Australia's Kangaroo Island that was not devastated by recent bushfires.

4 people dead and almost 300 infected as China confirms new coronavirus can be spread by humans

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:41:44 -0500

Officials in China are racing to contain the spread of a new coronavirus that has left at least four people dead and sickened hundreds after it was confirmed the infection can spread between humans.

Greta Thunberg calls on world leaders to listen to young activists

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:41:04 -0500

Greta Thunberg, who has inspired a new generation of activists to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, urged world leaders to listen to young people on Tuesday.

Lesbian couple 'overwhelmed with anger' after wedding venue turns them away

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:38:28 -0500

A South African wedding venue is facing criticism after the owners declined to host a lesbian couple's wedding because of their Christian beliefs.

China virus fears grow as human transmission and fourth death confirmed

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:37:56 -0500

With millions of Asians traveling on Tuesday for the Lunar New Year holiday, authorities in China confirmed that a new virus could be spread through human contact, reporting 15 medical staff had been infected and a fourth person had died.

Taiwan confirms first case of infection from new coronavirus

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:37:56 -0500

Taiwan on Tuesday confirmed the first case of infection from the new coronavirus, a woman in her 50s who had returned to the island after working in the Chinese city of Wuhan where the outbreak began.

Chinese New Year 2020: Rats, luck and why you should avoid medicine, laundry and crying children

Telegraph Reporters — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:37:35 -0500

Driver 'intentionally' rams car carrying 6 teenagers, killing 3, authorities say

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:36:50 -0500

A California man "intentionally rammed" his vehicle into a car carrying six teenage boys, killing three and injuring the others, before driving off, authorities said.

N. Korea’s New 'Blunt' Foreign Minister May Reinforce Foreign Policy Realignment

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:34:09 -0500

North Korea has appointed a former military officer with a blunt-speaking reputation to be the country’s new foreign minister, the latest evidence Pyongyang may be realigning its foreign policy after apparently losing hope in nuclear talks.

North Korea has notified foreign embassies in Pyongyang that Ri Son Gwon has been named as foreign minister, a diplomatic source confirmed to VOA. The story was first reported by NK News, a Seoul-based online publication with contacts in North Korea.

The move comes as North Korea continues to boycott nuclear talks, amid frustrations Washington has not offered enough concessions. The appointment of Ri as foreign minister may be the latest evidence North Korea will take a hardline approach in 2020.

A former army colonel, Ri has relatively little diplomatic experience and apparently no history working on nuclear issues. Most recently, he was the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, which handles relations with the South.

He has led North Korean delegations for inter-Korean talks, including in 2018. During those talks, Ri gained a reputation for straightforward and sometimes standoffish behavior, according to South Korean media reports.

FILE - The head of the North Korean delegation Ri Son Gwon, center, is greeted by an unidentified South Korean official as Ri crosses to the South side for the meeting with South Korea at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, Oct. 15, 2018.

Policy still dictated by Kim

However, many analysts cautioned against reading too much into Ri’s reputation or background.“

North Korean diplomats can be both blunt or charming, depending on the situation. So his reported bluntness is secondary” to whatever message North Korea wants him to convey, says Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a Korea specialist who teaches at King’s College London. “

Policy decisions will still come from Kim Jong Un, not from the foreign minister. So in terms of substance, it does not matter much who is the foreign minister,” he adds.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, agrees that the new foreign minister’s past experience and policy positions are “less important than what he is empowered to do by the Kim regime.”“

Will he be entrusted with restarting denuclearization talks with Washington and inter-Korean exchanges with Seoul? Or will it be his job to stonewall [U.S. Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo and [U.S. North Korea envoy Stephen] Biegun while overseeing a pressure campaign including the demolition of South Korean-built tourism facilities at Mt. Kumgang? Recent signs from North Korea are not encouraging,” Easley said.

North Korea has not formally announced Ri as new foreign minister. It is not clear what happened to his predecessor, Ri Yong Ho, a career diplomat who served in the position for about four years. Some analysts have suggested that Kim may be reprimanding Ri for the failed nuclear talks. “

I agree that it’s a way to show displeasure with the lack of progress,” says Pacheco Pardo. “If there was a deal, I don’t think we would have seen the changes in personnel.”

Stalled talks

Kim Jong Un had set an end-of-year deadline for the U.S. to make a new offer in nuclear talks. After the deadline passed without any U.S. concessions, many analysts had expected him to lay out a starker “new path” for his country.

But Kim’s New Year’s comments were more pessimistic than provocative. Kim warned of a “long-term” standoff with the U.S. and said he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests. But he also did not rule out talks altogether.

Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times. In June 2018, they signed a vague agreement to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The talks have been stalled since February 2019, when a Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump ended abruptly in no deal.

There are signs that the Trump-Kim diplomacy has reached its limit. Earlier this month, a North Korea foreign ministry official said that while the two men’s relationship remains “not bad,” talks would not resume unless the United States first unconditionally accepts the North’s demands.

Two Predawn Explosions Hit the Swedish Capital Leaving 1 Injured

Time — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:33:28 -0500

(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — Two predawn explosions minutes apart rocked suburban Stockholm on Tuesday, damaging buildings and slightly injuring one person. Explosives were used, but authorities have ruled out terrorism.

Following the blasts at housing complexes on the Swedish capital’s northwestern outskirts, some 50 people were evacuated. The explosions, which damaged balconies, windows, doors and the interiors of several apartments, took place some 500 meters (yards) apart.

Sweden in recent years has seen explosions and shootings linked to feuding criminal gangs. Police did not explicitly link Tuesday’s blasts to gangs but did not explain why terrorism was ruled out.

Tuesday’s blasts occurred eight days after a predawn explosion rocked central Stockholm, damaging buildings and parked cars but causing no injuries. That explosion occurred outside the entrance to a building housing a business and several apartments and led to the evacuation of dozens of apartments.

Police have not made any arrests and are looking for video surveillance which could be used in the investigation. It was not clear what kind of explosives were used in Tuesday’s blasts.

Prince Harry arrives in Canada to prepare for non-royal life

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:33:18 -0500

Britain's Prince Harry has arrived in Canada to join his wife Meghan as the couple prepare for a new life after agreeing to stop using their royal titles as part of a deal to end a crisis in the Windsor family.

Van Gogh self-portrait is genuine, experts decide

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:33:06 -0500

A portrait that has puzzled art experts for decades is finally declared a real Van Gogh.

Rescuer opens home to baby flying foxes orphaned by Australian bushfires

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:31:22 -0500

(This story corrects Davies' designation in para 5 to coordinator from founder, and adds dropped word in para 11)

In forest monastery, Buddhist abbot faces bushfire with a smile

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:31:22 -0500

Buddhist monk Phra Mana helped build his bush monastery with his bare hands three decades ago, but when Australia's worst wildfires in generations threatened to destroy it he stood up to fate with a smile.

Ofsted chief criticises schools for ‘gaming’ system to boost results

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:31:21 -0500

Amanda Spielman urges headteachers to focus on more rounded education

China jails former Interpol head Meng Hongwei for 13½ years

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:30:23 -0500

Case raises concerns over Beijing’s influence over global organisations

Indonesia Moving Capitol Out of Jakarta

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:26:45 -0500

Indonesia unleashed a flood of announcements about moving its capital out of Jakarta, from a possible $40 billion from the world’s biggest tech investor, to a new advisory panel that includes former UK premier Tony Blair. Last week’s announcements were meant as a reassurance about the expensive move as Indonesia makes foreign investment a priority again. However one group that has not been reassured are environmentalists.

They say the cure may not be any better than the disease. The world’s fourth biggest nation is moving the capital because of climate change.
Jakarta is a polluted megacity sinking under the pressure of water pumping. However the next destination is Borneo, Asia’s biggest island, where the environment has been wracked by mines, plantations, oil spills, and forest fires to clear land for oil palms.
Environmentalists worry this strain will only worsen as millions arrive in Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island shared with Malaysia and Brunei.“

Regardless of the rationale for the move, it is important to note that simply moving the capital out of Jakarta will not necessarily address mounting problems in the city,” the World Resources Institute said in a blog post. “Likewise, moving the capital to another city could heighten environmental and social impacts.”

The institute estimates that clearing the amount of land needed for a capital in Borneo would release 48 million tons of carbon dioxide, about the same annual footprint of 9.3 million drivers.

The social impact has been seen in other nations that decided to move their capitals. When Brazil moved the government from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia, it printed money to fund the move, leading to a decades-long hyperinflation crisis with prices increasing 80% a month.
When Myanmar moved the government from Yangon to Naypyidaw, residents tended to stay put, leaving the new capital sparse.

Those are two problems Indonesia fears from the move -- that residents will stay in an overcrowded Jakarta, and that the government can’t afford to build a capital in Kalimantan.

That’s why the nation is trying to reassure investors. In addition to Blair, the panel advising Indonesia about the capital move will include Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Masayoshi Son, the head of SoftBank, the world’s biggest tech investor.

The panel’s “role is to provide advice and promotion, and the most important thing is to build trust from the world internationally,"
Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, said.

He also said Indonesia will study the environmental impact of its decision, particularly for the archipelago nation’s all-important fishing sector.“

[W]e will collect [data from] fisheries experts, the policy will come out after the study results come out,” he said.

Still environmentalists worry. They say hosting a capital city would threaten biodiversity in Kalimantan, where there are protected species like orangutans. And the island is already at the heart of several climate controversies. A global hunger for palm oil has motivated businesses to burn down ancient rainforests and plant palm trees.
Despite the government’s promised moratorium on planting licenses, these fires contributed to a 43% increase in deforestation in East Kalimantan in 2018 versus 2017, according to the World Resources Institute.

Critics also question whether an exit would diminish Jakarta’s traffic and overpopulation, which cause air pollution, water pumping, floods, land subsidence, and overall resource drain. Just this month, flash floods have killed at least 50 in the city and displaced more than 100,000.

New China virus: Warning against cover-up as number of cases jump

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:26:26 -0500

Beijing's top leaders urge transparency as it is confirmed the coronavirus can pass between people.

Teruel province on red weather alert, with 50cm of snow forecast

Victoria Torres Benayas — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:26:10 -0500

The remnants of so-called “Storm Gloria,” which has already claimed three lives in Spain, were today continuing their journey toward the southeast of the peninsula, gradually shedding its strength, according to the Aemet state meteorological service. But the province of Teruel was still on a red weather alert today, due to a forecast of 50 centimeters of snowfall. In total, 29 provinces in the north and the east are still on weather warnings due to snow, heavy seas, rain and winds.

Seguir leyendo.

WHO says expects further spread of new coronavirus in China

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:25:19 -0500

The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that the new coronavirus was likely to spread to other parts of China and possibly other countries in the coming days.

Prosecutors detail case against father in Dutch farm children case

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:23:00 -0500

Dutch prosecutors on Tuesday laid out their case against a father accused of depriving his children of their freedom by detaining them for nine years in an isolated farmhouse.

Iranian MP says Iran would be protected if it had nuclear arms: ISNA

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:20:02 -0500

Iran would be protected from threats if it had nuclear weapons, Iranian lawmaker told parliament on Tuesday, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency, adding that Iran should build missiles with "unconventional" warheads.

China tries to stop spread of deadly virus at worst time of year

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:18:31 -0500

Iran seeks help reading downed plane's black boxes in new standoff

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:16:17 -0500

Iran said it had asked the U.S. and French authorities for equipment to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian airliner, potentially angering countries which want the recorders analyzed abroad.

Analysis: Trump's team badly miscalculated on the Ukraine

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:13:25 -0500

It was the worst street corner for a drug deal.

Trump's team badly miscalculated on Ukraine

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:13:25 -0500

It was the worst street corner for a drug deal.

Trump's team thought Ukraine was an easy mark. It was a bad miscalculation - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:13:00 -0500

LIVE Score, India vs Japan, U19 World Cup 2020: India thrash Japan by 10 wickets, storm into quarter-finals - Firstpost

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:12:11 -0500

LIVE Score, India vs Japan, U19 World Cup 2020: India thrash Japan by 10 wickets, storm into quarter-finals Firstpost

GOP issues proposed rules as impeachment trial set to begin in earnest

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:11:33 -0500

The impeachment trial is set to begin in earnest on Tuesday.

Ofsted warns schools are putting exam grades ahead of well-rounded education

Telegraph Reporters — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:11:32 -0500

Schools 'gaming' system to boost league table position are failing children, warns Ofsted head

Camilla Turner — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:11:32 -0500

Iranian MP announces $3 million award for 'whoever kills Trump': ISNA

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:10:25 -0500

An Iranian lawmaker announced a 3 million dollar award to "whoever kills Trump", Iranian semi-official News agency reported.

Trump impeachment: What happens next?

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:08:34 -0500

Here is what to look out for next as the proceedings advance in U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate:

Trump's Senate trial begins as a polarized America looks on

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:08:34 -0500

Donald Trump's impeachment trial begins in earnest in the Senate on Tuesday in a rare use of the constitutional mechanism for ousting a president that has only deepened the polarization of U.S. voters ahead of presidential elections in November.

LIVE Score, India vs Japan, U19 World Cup 2020: Ravi Bishnoi, Kartik Tyagi's heroics bundle out Japan for 41 - Firstpost

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:08:25 -0500

LIVE Score, India vs Japan, U19 World Cup 2020: Ravi Bishnoi, Kartik Tyagi's heroics bundle out Japan for 41 Firstpost

Cases of deadly coronavirus spike as officials confirm human-to-human spread

Eric Baculinao and Dawn Liu and Yuliya Talmazan — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:08:00 -0500

The outbreak comes ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday during which hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel.

Disney+ to launch a week earlier than planned in the UK - BBC News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:07:59 -0500

Disney+ to launch a week earlier than planned in the UK BBC News
Best Sci-Fi Movies On Disney+ | Screen Rant Screen Rant
Disney+ European Launch Date Brought Forward, Pricing Revealed Yahoo Entertainment
Disney+ is launching a week early in the UK and parts of Europe The Verge
Disney Plus Set for Earlier Launch in U.K. & Western Europe Variety
View full coverage on Google News

'Start Here': McConnell lays out impeachment trial road map

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:06:37 -0500

It's Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2019. Here's what you need to know to start your day.

Trump lawyers call for immediate acquittal in legal, political defense

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:05:30 -0500

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday rejected the Democratic-led House of Representatives' impeachment charges and called for their immediate dismissal by the Republican-led Senate in a memo offering a legal and political case against his removal.

As Trump Pressures South Korea, His Ambassador Feels the Heat

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:05:08 -0500

As U.S. president, Donald Trump is compiling a growing list of statements that have made many South Koreans uneasy. But as diplomatic tension increases between the United States and South Korea, it is Trump's ambassador to Seoul who is at the center of the storm.

Ambassador Harry Harris, a retired Navy admiral, is tasked with trying to sustain U.S.-South Korea relations even while helping push Trump's demand that Seoul drastically increase how much it contributes toward the cost of the U.S. military presence on the peninsula.

Perhaps predictably, it's been a bumpy ride.

For a second consecutive year, negotiators failed to reach an agreement before the military cost-sharing deal expired on December 31. At one point during this year's negotiations, the U.S. side stormed out, accusing South Korea of being "unresponsive" to U.S. requests.

The two sides haven't been able to resolve their differences during six rounds of talks. If they can't reach a deal soon, local Korean workers at U.S. military bases could be furloughed.

FILE - President Donald Trump arrives to speak to troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea, June 30, 2019.

Trump's tough approach

No U.S. official has pushed South Korea harder, at least publicly, than Trump, who has for years complained that South Korea is a "freeloader" that is not paying enough for U.S. protection.

Trump has reportedly used an Asian accent to mock South Korea's president over the issue. In a speech last year, Trump suggested South Korea was "rich as hell and probably doesn't like us too much."

When discussing the alliance, Trump routinely gets basic facts incorrect, such as the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, the amount that South Korea pays for their upkeep, and the number of years the U.S. military has been in the country.

Harris criticized

But many South Korean media and politicians have directed their ire at Harris, who they see as too eager to push Trump's cost-sharing demands.

On the margins of South Korean society, some criticism of Harris, a Japanese-American, has taken on a racial component.

In recent months, small groups of fringe, anti-U.S. protesters have targeted Harris in a series of provocative demonstrations. At one event, protesters broke into Harris' residential compound, chanting for the ambassador to "go home."

That same loosely organized student group, which includes some members with pro-North Korea leanings, later held a small demonstration during which protesters plucked out fake mustache hairs from a large photo of Harris.

FILE - A protester plucks face mustache from a picture of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris during a rally to denounce the United States' policies near the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 13, 2019.

Harris' mustache

Harris' facial hair created international headlines last month, when a reporter for the Korea Times, an English language newspaper, asked the ambassador if he would shave his mustache in order to improve relations with the Korean people.

"My mustache, for some reason, has become a point of some fascination here," Harris said last week during a briefing with foreign media. "I have been criticized in the media here, especially in social media, because of my ethnic background, because I am a Japanese-American."

The controversy comes as South Korea and Japan are engaged in a bitter trade dispute rooted in historical tensions over Japan's use of forced labor during its brutal colonial occupation of Korea.

While Harris acknowledged those tensions, he said it is a mistake to "take that history and put it on me simply because of accident of birth."
'Blown out of proportion'

Foreign media jumped on the story, with some outlets reporting South Koreans were in an "uproar" over the ambassador's mustache.

Those kinds of headlines struck many South Koreans as bizarre, since neither Harris' facial hair nor his Japanese heritage had been a major topic of mainstream South Korean political discussion.

The whole issue has been "blown out of proportion," said Lee Sang-sin, who studies South Korean public opinion at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "

It is quite possible that some Koreans - probably extreme left-wing, pro-North Korea factions - joke about the mustache. But they are not a significant part of the political discourse in Korea," Lee said.

Protesters stage a rally to denounce a recent U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris's briefing near the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 20, 2020.

Too outspoken?

But many South Koreans do take issue with Harris' overall approach, saying he is too outspoken.

Last week, Harris prompted a major backlash when he urged South Korea to consult with the United States on its plan to resume individual tours to North Korea - an initiative, he suggested, could violate international sanctions on Pyongyang, depending on what items the tourists bring to the North.

South Korea's government shot back, accusing Harris of making "very inappropriate" comments and declaring that Seoul's policy toward North Korea is a matter of national sovereignty.

A prominent ruling party lawmaker, Song Young-gil, compared Harris' attitude to that of a Japanese governor-general in the colonial era. "

Frankly, he seems to have lost trust among officials and politicians here," declared a Monday editorial in the Korea Times."

The point is not his mustache," the editorial continued. "South Koreans would not have cared that much about his mustache if he was a ‘normal' ambassador."

'Perfect storm'

But the situation may not improve as long as Trump takes such a firm stance on alliance issues like cost-sharing.

Harris is in "arguably a more difficult situation than any previous ambassador has faced," said Jeffrey Robertson, who studies diplomacy at Seoul's Yonsei University. "I'm not sure anyone could (make things better). It's really a perfect storm at the moment."

In his comments to foreign media last week, Harris acknowledged the South Korean frustration, but suggested that he serves at the pleasure of the president. "

My job as ambassador is to represent the interests of the U.S. and our government's view on (defense) burden sharing is well known," he said. "And I am going to reflect that view."

Isn’t That Special: Trump, Impeachment and American Exceptionalism

John F. Harris — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:04:26 -0500

The Senate trial of President Donald John Trump gets underway in earnest Tuesday, and the occasion calls for some reflections appropriate to the majesty of the occasion. Perhaps a meditation on American exceptionalism.

Whoa, there, why the sour face? Aren’t you feeling exceptional?

Don’t you believe the constitutional exercise underway highlights how this country has been ordained by history to play a special role in the affairs of mankind? Isn’t it true that the USA is just plain better than those other countries that are not the USA?

As it happens, the question of whether to evict Trump from office, with its apparently foreordained answer, finds both sides in a sullen, recriminatory mood, hardly a triumphal one. No one is feeling especially special.

Partisans on either side of the Trump question would be hard-pressed to invoke impeachment to make a case to other countries—as Americans historically have been prone to do—about the superiority of our system and the infection-prone political culture that surrounds it.

But let’s give it a try: Discordant as it may seem, this is a fine moment—just as the old jalopy seems to be sputtering—for a revival of American exceptionalism as an idea at the center of national and even global politics.

Specifically, the trial and election that will follow this fall represent a vivid opportunity for progressives to stake a claim on American exceptionalism. This would be a turnabout from the past generation, in which exceptionalism was a stick for conservatives to use against people who allegedly do not believe in it.

Liberals are not likely ever to embrace a brand of American exceptionalism of the sort espoused by Ronald Reagan, one based on the conviction that a Higher Power favors the United States. “I have always believed,” he said in 1982, “that this anointed land was set apart in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the earth who had a special love of faith and freedom.”

But there are other, more secular strains of American exceptionalism, and they are fast becoming more relevant. The question of the age is how to hold concentrated power accountable to rule of law and to the public interest. Democrats see Trump’s defiance of the House majority during the impeachment inquiry as the most immediate front in this campaign. But the same question echoes on multiple fronts: The implacable rise of authoritarian governments around the world; the problem of bringing to heel technology with unprecedented capacity for surveillance and manipulation.

These problems summon a different kind of American exceptionalism, rooted not in faith but in the historical record. The United States from its first days saw itself with a special responsibility. It required the efforts of exemplary citizens, not divine intercession, to transcend despotism and corruption of the old world. “Commerce, luxury, and avarice have destroyed every republican government,” said John Adams to his friend Benjamin Rush in 1808, after leaving the presidency. “ We mortals cannot work miracles; we struggle in vain against. . .the course of nature.”

That is a pessimism that echoes in the sulphurous climate of 2020, in which one doesn’t sense leaders of either party feeling exuberant about their circumstances.

Trump defenders see a president who promised to Make America Great Again—the very slogan, with its forlorn “again,” highlighting the fragile nature of exceptionalism—and for his efforts is being harassed on flimsy charges by agents of national decline.

The Democrats who say Trump must go, but know he won’t go as a result of this trial, have had their confidence in the basic foundations of governance shaken in even more fundamental ways. First he wins the office in flukish circumstances without majority support. Than he brazenly tightens his grip so that Republicans in an ostensibly separate branch of government are forced to tolerate or even celebrate his abuses of power. As the opposition sees it, the muscles of accountability, and institutional responsibility, on which constitutional democracy depends are severed.

Repairing these muscles is not likely the work of the next two weeks, the expected length of Trump’s trial. But the long-term effort of reviving faith, among liberals and conservatives alike, that politics is on the level, and that the country is not facing decline, would be aided by a creative and credible brand of exceptionalism.

Democrats are understandably wary of an idea that historically has been an effective weapon. In 1988, George H.W. Bush used his Republican nomination speech to say that Democrat Michael Dukakis did not believe in exceptionalism, and instead saw the United States “as another pleasant country on the U.N. rollcall, somewhere between Albania and Zimbabwe.”

And in truth Democrats are allergic to notions of exceptionalism that invite jingoism. “I believe in American exceptionalism,” Barack Obama said in his first year in office, “just as the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”

What Obama and liberals reject, however, is a brand of exceptionalism that implies America can do as it likes. What needs rediscovery is that brand that believes that national pride can be infused with humility.

The best essay I’ve read on American exceptionalism was from the late historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (a friend, who has been invoked in this column before). He began his 1986 book “The Cycles of American History” with an essay on this theme: “The Theory of America: Experiment or Destiny.” The early leaders of the country were virtually unanimous, Schlesinger wrote, in understanding the improbable nature of the new American republic. These leaders were in the main deeply read in the history of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. They knew that the early republics had died, replaced by centuries of monarchy, feudalism, and theocratic rule. They knew that most Europeans believed—and many hoped—that the new country would fail. It infused them with “this urgent sense of the precariousness of the national existence.”

But how this precariousness would be surmounted was a source of division from the start. Believers in destiny felt that America represented a “New Jerusalem.” The 18th Century preacher Jonathan Edwards believed, as Schlesinger quotes, “the Latter-Day Glory is probably to begin in America.”

But adherents to the idea of America as an experiment believed that a new system of government was the work of mortals, and sustaining it would be constantly tested by the weaker elements of human nature. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln asked whether a government conceived in liberty “can long endure.”

The notion of American destiny inclines the mind toward entitlement: We are doing God’s will in the world. The notion of experiment inclines toward restraint: America must live up to its own ideals, a higher standard than the rest of the world. One tradition points toward regarding power as creating its own legitimacy; The other points toward rule of law and consent. One emphasizes indomitability; the other contingency and an enduring fragility.

In his exhortations to national greatness, Trump sometimes invokes mystical notions of leadership. “I alone can fix it,” he vowed at his Cleveland nominating speech in 2016. He fits, if crudely, in the tradition of America as destiny.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the impeachment drama several times has quoted Benjamin Franklin, who said the Founders had created “a republic, if you can keep it.” She was placing herself in the tradition of America as experiment.

She was also invoking her own brand of American exceptionalism. But there surely are a lot of people out there who find the example of America—at its best—more appealing than most of the alternatives the world has to offer.

MAGA stops, TV and the pope: How Pence plans to sidestep impeachment

Gabby Orr and Darren Samuelsohn — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:04:03 -0500

Halfway through Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial, on the same day the Senate refused to dismiss two charges against him, Vice President Al Gore arrived at an airport hangar in St. Louis to greet Pope John Paul II before he returned to Rome.

This time, Mike Pence is going straight to Rome himself.

The current vice president will meet with Pope Francis in Vatican City this week while his own boss’ impeachment trial is underway — ditching Washington for a trip that will keep him thousands of miles away from the high-stakes saga threatening to upend not only Trump’s political future, but increasingly his own.

Apart from Trump himself, few politicians have as much to gain or lose over the next few weeks as the man second in line for the presidency. Though the outcome of Trump’s trial has appeared preordained for weeks — conviction and removal from office would require an unrealistic 20 Republican defections— potential witnesses and new evidence released by House Democrats last Tuesday could entangle the vice president in a mess he has deliberately tried to sidestep as he considers a White House bid of his own in 2024.

But despite his best efforts, Pence keeps getting pulled into the scandal at the heart of impeachment — that the president withheld financial aid as leverage to pressure Ukraine to announce politically advantageous probes. Pence met with Ukraine’s president in Trump’s place during the period the aid was being withheld, Trump has suggested reporters press Pence about his communications with the Ukrainian leader and several figures have accused Pence of knowing about the scheme, which the vice president denies.

“It’s trickier for him to be in all-on defense mode when he’s been implicated in the underlying allegations,” said Michael Feldman, a former senior adviser to Gore.

Pence’s predicament in some ways mirrors the situation Gore had to navigate in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Clinton’s No. 2 faced the dicey issue of having to castigate his boss for moral shortcomings — something he begrudgingly did at the urging of his aides — while simultaneously running to succeed him. In Pence’s case, Trump still has a second term he’s trying to win, meaning his vice president won’t be making any public moves of his own until after this November, once it’s clear he’d be campaigning in 2024 as an incumbent or a former officeholder.

Pence is also grappling with other unknowns. If new witnesses are called during the Senate trial, such as former White House national security adviser John Bolton, will they further implicate him in the administration's effort to pressure Ukraine for political help? Could new evidence stain his reputation right as he is thinking about his own future presidential aspirations?

“If there came a point where Mike was seriously forced to weigh his own career against his loyalty to Trump,” mused a person close to the vice president, “that would be one hell of a twist.”

Five Pence allies and administration officials who spoke with POLITICO on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic described Pence as loyal from the start — and to the end. He believes his own capacity for future success will be determined by Trump’s survivability now. To help Trump stay afloat, Pence plans to go to the mat for him during the Senate trial on television and on the campaign trail, but not on Capitol Hill. People familiar with his plans said the vice president, whom the White House has previously dispatched to the Senate’s weekly closed-door conference lunches to promote Republican unity, will avoid directly discussing impeachment with members of the upper chamber during the trial.

In a statement about his plans, Pence spokeswoman Katie Waldman said: “While radical congressional Democrats focus on overturning the will of the American people through a partisan impeachment based upon a sham investigation, the vice president will continue his aggressive schedule traveling across America advancing the winning agenda of the Trump-Pence administration that is keeping America prosperous and safe.”

Behind the scenes, Pence has declined to discuss contingency plans. But despite the improbability of Trump’s removal, a vice president can’t just go to sleep during an impeachment trial. If a two-thirds majority, or 67 senators, votes to convict Trump, Pence would immediately assume the most powerful post in the country.

“The president ceases to be president upon the moment of conviction,” said Michael Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor and impeachment expert who early in his career served as deputy media director for Gore’s first Senate campaign.

Planning an Oval Office takeover was out of the question for Gore, too. One week after the House voted to impeach Clinton, he told CNN the president was “more likely to be hit by a meteor than he is to make a decision to resign.” On other occasions, Gore told reporters he felt badly for the Clintons and was confident the Democratic president would “finish his term with a distinguished record”

“The chief job description for a vice president is absolutely loyalty and to work in advance of the president's agenda,” Gerhardt said. “I don’t see how you have a vice president preparing to be president unless the president is planning to resign.”

If he can help it, Pence will do everything in his power to avoid such an occurrence.

Like Gore was to Clinton, the former Indiana governor has been a stalwart ally to the man who put him in power. The day the White House released a transcript of Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he urged Zelensky to “look into” unsubstantiated claims against Joe Biden and his youngest son, Pence declared on Fox Business that Trump “did nothing wrong” and only “spoke about issues that were appropriate” with the Ukrainian leader.

As House managers were delivering the two articles of impeachment against Trump on Thursday, Pence continued his defense of Trump in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Recalling then-Sen. Edmund Ross’ critical decision to buck his party and vote against President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment in 1868, the vice president suggested Senate Democrats should “stand up to the passions of their party” and oppose conviction. (A historian who recently published a book about the Johnson trial says the Ross analogy is far off the mark, noting that the Kansas senator engaged in a “quid pro quo” in exchange for his vote favoring the president’s acquittal).

Then there is the uniquely Trumpian reason that Pence can’t been seen as eyeing the Oval Office — the president demands unquestioning loyalty from his subordinates.

“I can’t imagine anything that would drive Trump more crazy than watching his VP scheme openly behind his back, so expect him to go out of his way to defend the president as much as possible,” said a former White House official, noting that Pence remained above the fray even when Trump tried to distance himself from the Ukraine controversy by suggesting reporters question his vice president instead.

“I think you should ask for Vice President Pence’s conversations, because he had a couple conversations also,” Trump said during a late September news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Pence claimed in October that he was working with White House attorneys to release the transcripts of his phone calls with Zelensky, but none of them have yet been made public.

Still, the vice president has been sucked into the impeachment scandal in other ways. Last May, Pence canceled plans to attend Zelensky’s inauguration, resulting in a three-person delegation led by then-Energy Secretary Rick Perry to go in his place. The decision to pull Pence from the trip to Kiev came directly from Trump, according to Jennifer Williams, a top Pence national security aide who testified about the matter last November to House impeachment investigators. She added that she never received an explanation for the reversal.

Additional details about Pence’s knowledge of the administration’s pressure campaign on Ukraine came to light last week when Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, sat for an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. The Soviet-born businessman, who helped Giuliani navigate his way through the Ukraine political world, explained that the decision to not send Pence to Zelensky’s swearing-in came after the incoming administration made it clear they wouldn’t be opening an investigation into Biden, a top 2020 Democratic presidential contender.

“I remember Rudy going, ‘OK, they’ll see,’” Parnas said. “And basically, the next day … to my awareness, Trump called up and said to make sure Pence doesn’t go there.”

In September, when the president called off travel plans to Poland that included an expected meeting with Zelensky, he sent Pence in his place. After Pence met with the Ukrainian leader, he was asked whether the two discussed Biden. The vice president replied only that the conversation covered U.S. financial support for the Eastern European country and “corruption.”

Parnas later claimed that Pence “couldn't have not known” when he met with Zelensky that the withholding of U.S. aid to Ukraine was linked to the country’s refusal to announce investigations into Trump’s rivals.

Pence and Parnas were photographed together as part of a group that included Trump and Giuliani at the White House’s annual Hanukkah party in 2018. Still, Pence and his aides insist the vice president has no relationship with Parnas, whose documents and recent interviews have fanned the impeachment flames heading into the president’s Senate trial.

“I don’t know the guy,” Pence said Thursday to reporters traveling with him in Central Florida. The vice president added that Parnas’ charge that he was aware of the Trump team’s outreach to Ukraine to obtain a Biden probe was “completely false.”

Pence chief of staff Marc Short also shot back at Parnas, who was indicted in October on campaign finance charges, arguing that he “will say anything to anybody who will listen in hopes of staying out of prison.”

Part of Pence’s balancing act will include sticking to a series of previously scheduled campaign events in key 2020 states. In addition to his overseas trip to Italy to see the pope — which will also include a stop in Israel — the vice president was in Memphis this past weekend to tour a civil rights museum and deliver remarks honoring Martin Luther King Jr. ahead of the federal holiday commemorating the civil rights leader’s birthday. Next week, he will travel to Iowa for a series of campaign events with military veterans and evangelical conservatives.

“Because it’s an election year, he will be on the campaign trail since a lot of that stuff is planned in advance,” said a former Pence aide. “But a lot of people will be watching what he’s doing, which will obviously cause him to have an even more loyal posture since you don’t want anyone to misconstrue your intentions.”

Gore was similarly under close scrutiny by reporters, voters, and the president’s Democratic allies while the Senate deliberated the articles of impeachment against Clinton. The former vice president kept a packed schedule. He swore in a new batch of 34 senators, delivered remarks at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and visited Iowa to discuss pork production, domestic violence, education, drugs and alcohol abuse.

In one-on-one interviews — something Pence will do during his overseas trip this week, according to people familiar with his plans — Gore portrayed himself as Clinton’s biggest cheerleader.

“I know there is a big disconnect between part of the Republican party, including the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, for example, and the rest of the American people where President Clinton is concerned,” Gore told the Associated Press in Des Moines on Jan. 9, 1999, two days into the president’s trial and a little more than a week after the Tennessee Democrat filed the official paperwork required to run for the White House.

It wasn’t easy for the vice president to run a presidential campaign and mount a full-scale defense of his boss. He was chided for campaigning on the administration’s accomplishments while barely addressing the president’s controversial actions.

Gore’s difficulties could be foretelling as Pence sets out to make his case for a second term. The vice president’s detractors say he similarly champions Trump’s record without even acknowledging the omnipresent scandals.

And interestingly enough, some of the people who went after Gore over the issue will be deciding Trump’s fate.

“It is hard for Vice President Gore to take credit for everything going well and take none of the blame for the national embarrassment that Bill Clinton has caused,” future Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander told The Washington Post at the time, as he plotted his own ill-fated White House bid.

'There may be more tickets out of Iowa than ever before'

Natasha Korecki — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:02:54 -0500

The Iowa caucuses have ended a long line of weak White House bids, traditionally culling the presidential primary field to just two or three viable candidates.

But this year’s unique dynamics have a very real scenario shaping up that could mean at least a half dozen — or maybe more — candidates move to New Hampshire and beyond.

Poll after poll shows a cluster of four hopefuls at the top — Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg — with the possibility of delivering no clear winner among them.

Beyond that, Amy Klobuchar is demonstrating late polling strength, validated by Sunday’s high-profile endorsement from the New York Times. Then there’s Andrew Yang, who has money and the motive to keep campaigning at least through New Hampshire, the state where he figures to be strongest.

Finally, there’s virtually no Iowa outcome that would cause billionaire Tom Steyer to pull the plug, according to his team. Already armed with resources, Steyer is showing strength in Nevada and South Carolina.

“If you look historically, only three candidates have come out of Iowa earning delegates in the modern era; there’s never been more than three who have broken the 15 percent threshold,” said Jeff Berman, a delegate guru now with the Steyer team who was a key figure in Barack Obama’s successful 2008 campaign.

In 2020, Berman said, “There may be more tickets out of Iowa than ever before.”

The probability that Iowa fails to produce a breakout frontrunner and instead sends through more than a half-dozen candidates is the latest turn in a tumultuous primary that began with a historically large and diverse field. It's indicative of a contest that's long from settled; with just two weeks until the Feb. 3 caucuses, there's still a looming question over what, exactly, the Iowa results will mean.

Aides with Klobuchar, Steyer and Yang indicated that there's almost no scenario that would cause their candidate to drop out before New Hampshire. With a low delegate count, especially compared to Super Tuesday states, Iowa’s influence is its ability to propel a candidate’s national narrative — either beating expectations or notching a first win — and building subsequent momentum.

And a new rule change to the caucuses that for the first time will provide raw vote totals, in addition to final delegate counts, will arm campaign aides with new data to spin.

Steyer’s campaign is already saying a raw vote count may be more reflective of a candidate’s strength in the state than the final result, which hands out delegates only to those who achieve 15 percent support or higher. In the past, that meant if a candidate didn't reach 15 percent in Iowa, they were awarded nothing and their supporters aligned behind a different candidate.

“Now we will be able to accurately see caucus results below the 15 percent threshold, which can show public support,” Berman said. “It’s right that we’ll be moving forward out of Iowa in any event and we look to keep building strength.”

A senior adviser with Buttigieg’s campaign said Iowa will still have a culling effect. The person predicted the public will view candidates with the highest delegate counts as having credible campaigns, helping separate frontrunners from the pack.

“I think Iowa will still have a pretty significant effect in defining a top tier,” the Buttigieg adviser said. “Some people have endless resources and they’ll use that the way they want to. But for most candidates that aren’t viewed as viable or in a top tier coming out of Iowa, it’s going to be very hard to stay in the race.”

A senior adviser with Biden's campaign called the reporting of raw votes in the 2020 caucuses "uncharted waters" and said it was possible one candidate could claim victory using one metric and another candidate could claim victory using a different metric.

Both the Iowa Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee stress that despite the changes in how numbers are reported, it’s the final delegate count that matters in determining who wins the nomination.

Despite the cavalry of candidates coming out Iowa, the state may have already served its purpose, said veteran Democratic strategist Jeff Link. That's because the Democratic field has shrunk considerably since more than two dozen candidates announced their candidacies in 2019.

“I think if we go from 24 to six or 7," Link said, "then Iowa has done its job."

Many candidates who have since dropped out have blamed rules imposed by the Democratic National Committee for preventing them from reaching what they called unattainable small dollar fundraising goals. But Link argued he’s seen a correlation between those who gain ground in the first caucus state and those who don’t.

“It’s a chicken and an egg question. Those who didn’t make the debate stage were probably struggling to gain traction in Iowa,” he said, pointing to Kamala Harris as an example. “She was as on the debate stage, raising lots of money and then she just didn’t click on a clear message.”

Link also held up Cory Booker and Steve Bullock as examples. “Was it the debate criteria or was it that they just didn’t get something going in Iowa? They just feed into each other.”

How the economy could make or break Trump in 2020

Ben White — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:02:17 -0500

President Donald Trump launches into the fourth year of his presidency this week with some strong economic numbers to support his case for reelection: Unemployment is low, job growth remains solid, wages are rising and the stock market is soaring.

But the Trump economy features a soft underbelly that Democrats are preparing to exploit and — depending how the numbers tilt this year — could wind up undermining the president’s best argument for four more years.

Manufacturing remains in recession. Economies in some swing states lag the stronger national numbers. Businesses are preserving cash instead of deploying it for expansion. And the president has not delivered the “YUGE“ growth numbers he promised on the campaign trail.

As year four unfolds, several key numbers and trends will determine just how much the economy will help Trump overcome impeachment, low approval ratings and serious shortcomings with women and minority voters.

“The stock market he’s got. Wages he’s got. The consumer side of the economy is working really well,” said Gary Cohn, Trump’s first National Economic Council director. “The soft underbelly is [that] capital expenditure is not there.“

“He stood there in Pennsylvania and talked about bringing steel mills back and what’s happened is we’ve cut steel lines,” Cohn said. “We gave companies a big tax cut then took it away with tariffs. These are the pieces that are missing. I think he could have had it all. And he doesn’t have it all.”

Here’s a guide to some of the key economic trends and numbers in Trump’s fourth year that could help determine if he survives the rest of the chaos that swirls around his presidency each day.

Manufacturing

U.S. manufacturing fell into recession for all of 2019, according to data from the Federal Reserve, with industrial production dropping 1.3 percent for the year — a sore spot for a president who promised his tough approach to trade would return robust factory growth to the American heartland. Industrial production dropped 0.3 percent in December alone.

The worst case scenario for Trump on this front is that approval of the new NAFTA deal and a truce in the tariff battle with China fail to revive the manufacturing sector. Factories showed some positive signs early last year only to fall back again, hit by a strike at GM and a big hit from Boeing halting production of its 737Max jets.

But there are at least some signals that the worst could be past.

Completing the first phase of the China trade deal “in theory ought to boost the manufacturing sector in the short term,” Pantheon Macroeconomics chief U.S. economist Ian Shepherdson said in a note to clients. China’s commitment to boost its purchases of U.S. factory goods by $33 billion relative to 2017, before the trade war began, amounts to a 1.5 percent increase in manufacturing.

That’s “not a macro game-changer, but not trivial, either,” he said. On the downside, much of the existing China tariffs remain in place, a continuing drag on manufacturing costs.

Key date to watch: Feb. 3. The next manufacturing report from the Institute for Supply Management comes out the first weekday in February. Can the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the China deal help push the index back above 50, into expansion territory? That would be a big win for the White House, especially if it’s sustained and Trump can talk about real manufacturing growth.

Jobs and economic growth

Trump is on solid ground bragging about job creation under his watch, with the three-month average still close to 200,000 new jobs a month and unemployment at a historically low 3.5 percent. He has not, however, delivered year after year of economic growth above 4 percent — as he promised during the campaign and when touting the 2017 tax cut bill.

U.S. economic growth nearly hit 3 percent for 2018 after the tax bill unleashed a wave of initial corporate spending. But growth slowed again in 2019 as the trade war intensified and the rest of the world slowed down, with the fourth quarter not expected to exceed 2 percent.

Trump badly needs more robust GDP numbers to tout on the trail. And at least some of his more ardent economic supporters think he could get them. Residential construction spiked to a 13-year high in December and consumer spending remains strong.

New homes often come along with spending on other durable goods and can help drive up GDP even in the face of continuing trade pressure and other worries that could mount over the outcome of the election in the second half of the year.

“It’s highly likely that there’s very strong growth at least in the first half of the year that is sort of tempered later by threats over election uncertainty, which tend to slow things down a bit,” said conservative economist Kevin Hassett, who formerly served as chair of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers. “Also, it’s worth noting that wages are growing faster for those without a college degree than with a college degree.” That, presumably, would help Trump among his blue-collar base.

Key dates to watch: July 30, when the initial estimate of second-quarter GDP is released. Most estimates for the first quarter are still around 2 percent. If Trump is going to get a 2020 bump in GDP that he can take into the heart of the campaign season, this is likely when it would come.

Oct. 2: This will be the final jobs report before Election Day. The numbers will be important all year, but the final reading of the campaign cycle will indicate whether the trends in job growth and low unemployment remain steady. If the numbers soften — as some economists expect — and unemployment is rising, it wouldn’t be deadly for Trump but it could deliver some nasty headlines and make his pitch to voters more difficult.

Swing-state jobs numbers

While the national jobs numbers look strong, that’s not entirely the case in some key swing states such as Pennsylvania where the unemployment rate is ticking up and hit 4.3 percent in November. Among the drivers: plant closings and threatened layoffs like those made by Allegheny Technologies, which said it could lay off at least 100 workers due to tariffs on imported steel used in making final products.

Unemployment in Michigan is also higher than the national average, at 4.0 percent. Swing-state Wisconsin is in better shape at just 3.3 percent. Ohio may only barely be a swing state anymore but it also boasts a jobless rate of 4.2 percent that has been rising for the last few months.

Ohio was also on track for a net job loss in 2019, the first time since the Great Recession, according to the Columbus Dispatch, which also called into question Trump’s claims of bringing automotive jobs to the state.

These numbers will likely only matter if a Democrat can go into these states and make the case that Trump has not actually improved economic matters much, if at all, despite his robust Make America Great Again claims.

“The question is whether Joe Biden or somebody can go in there and come up with something different and something better,“ Cohn said. “And frankly they’d start with most of the women and minorities in the world hating Trump and they’d have to add to that.”

Key dates to watch: Swing-state employment figures will come from monthly reports on job trends that lag behind the national figures. Moves in the wrong direction, especially in the Midwest, will create an opening for the eventual Democratic nominee as Election Day approaches.

Eight Indian tourists die in Nepal after lighting gas heater in hotel

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:02:12 -0500

Eight Indian tourists including four children died of suspected suffocation in a hotel in Nepal on Tuesday, police said, after trying to keep warm by using a gas heater during the night.

Voters give Trump's job performance low marks

Steven Shepard — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:01:24 -0500

On the third anniversary of his inauguration and on the brink of a historic Senate impeachment trial, voters are still giving President Donald Trump low marks on his third-quarter report card.

According to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, just over two-in-10 voters — 21 percent of respondents — give Trump an "A" grade for the job he has done as president, and another 17 percent give him a "B." The 38 percent who give Trump an "A" or a "B" is equal to the 38 percent of voters who give Trump an "F" in the new poll.

Ten percent of voters surveyed assigned Trump a "C" grade and 11 percent gave him a "D." The remaining 3 percent were undecided.

Opinions of Trump’s job performance are little changed over the past year. The percentage of voters who gave Trump an "A" or "B" when POLITICO/Morning Consult last conducted the "report card" survey, at the midpoint of Trump’s term, was slightly lower: 34 percent, compared to 38 percent in the new poll. But the combined percentage who gave Trump a "D" or "F" ticked up a point, from 48 percent a year ago to 49 percent now.

Voters are sharply divided by party on Trump’s job performance. More than seven-in-10 Democratic voters, 71 percent, give Trump an "F" grade, while only a combined 5 percent give Trump an "A" or "B." Among GOP voters, eight-in-10, 80 percent, give Trump an "A" or "B," and just 13 percent give him a "D" or "F."

Roughly half of independent voters, 51 percent, give Trump a "D" or "F" — substantially more than the 31 percent who give Trump an "A" or "B."

The poll also asked voters to grade Trump on 10 different issues. The president earns the highest marks on jobs and the economy: 46 percent give him an "A" or "B" grade on those subjects, while the percentages who give him a "D" or an "F" are 33 percent and 36 percent, respectively.

Trump’s worst marks come on climate change and global warming: Only 21 percent give him an "A" or "B" rating, while 54 percent give the president, who has denied the existence of climate change, a "D" or "F."

POLITICO reported last week that Trump chewed out his health secretary, Alex Azar, over the GOP’s low ratings on health care — and the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows voters aren’t enamored with the president’s handling of the issue. Only 27 percent of voters surveyed give Trump an "A" or "B" grade when it comes to dealing with health care, while 50 percent give him a "D" or "F."

The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll was conducted Jan. 10-12, surveyed 1,996 registered voters via online interviews. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Morning Consult is a nonpartisan media and technology company that provides data-driven research and insights on politics, policy and business strategy.

More details on the poll and its methodology can be found in these two documents: Toplines | Crosstabs

Chile needs to speed up constitutional reform

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:00:27 -0500

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A partial and defective US-China trade truce

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:00:27 -0500

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Taiwan president complains to Pope Francis about Chinese pressure

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:59:56 -0500

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has written to Pope Francis to complain about Chinese pressure on the island Beijing claims as its own, saying China seeks to threaten its democracy and freedom.

India Now Has World’s Largest Derivatives Exchange by Volume - Bloomberg

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:58:00 -0500

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Death toll from coronavirus outbreak in China's Wuhan rises to six: state TV

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:56:44 -0500

The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak has risen to six in China's central city of Wuhan as of Jan. 20, the city's mayor told state television.

Pyjamas in public: Chinese city apologises for 'shaming' residents

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:55:44 -0500

The local authority said it was trying to promote "civilised" behaviour - but later apologised.

China confirms almost 300 cases of coronavirus and fourth death in rush to contain mystery disease

Nicola Smith — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:55:12 -0500

European luxury stocks blasted over virus worries as UBS hit by lowered guidance - MarketWatch

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:55:00 -0500

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Man strangles coyote to death after it attacks his son

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:54:07 -0500

A New Hampshire man killed a coyote with his bare hands Monday after it grabbed his 2-year-old son by his jacket hood and dragged him to the ground.

UK jobs market strengthens ahead of Bank of England rate decision

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:52:35 -0500

A string of weak data had led investors to bet on an interest rate cut as soon as next week

CNN reporter: No evidence of Trump's story about his portrait

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:51:08 -0500

CNN's Daniel Dale gives examples of President Donald Trump's dishonesty throughout the impeachment process.

Palace to update guidance after new titles made it seem like Meghan is divorced

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:49:43 -0500

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Spanish prime minister announces date of meeting with Catalan premier

Carlos E. Cué — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:48:26 -0500

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet with Catalan premier Quim Torra the first week of February in Barcelona to discuss issues relating to Catalonia. The meeting is part of the agreement the leader of the Socialist Party (PSOE) made with the separatist Catalan Republican Left (ERC) in order to ensure he could be sworn back into office by Congress. The ERC agreed to abstain from Sánchez’s investiture bid on the condition that the PSOE commit to negotiations about the political situation in Catalonia and the future of the region.

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Davos 2020: Climate skeptic Trump to open climate-focused WEF

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:45:00 -0500

Despite climate topping the agenda at this year's World Economic Forum, prominent climate change skeptic Donald Trump is one of the first speakers. He and activist Greta Thunberg are set to lay out competing visions.

Missing teen found less than a mile from where she was last seen

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:44:48 -0500

The body of a Montana teen missing since New Year's Day was found Monday less than a mile from where she was last seen.

Trump, Greta and unicorns: What to watch for at Davos on Tuesday

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:42:26 -0500

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum kicked off on Tuesday in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

How Nigeria's cricket team 'shocked the world' - BBC News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:39:06 -0500

How Nigeria's cricket team 'shocked the world' BBC News

Countries around world gear up response to new coronavirus - Associated Press

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:38:07 -0500

Countries around world gear up response to new coronavirus Associated Press

At a seminal moment of US history, 100 senators are serving as jurors to decide whether to remove Trump from office. They are braced for an opening clash.

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:36:45 -0500

President Donald Trump's Senate trial will open in an atmosphere of acrimony Tuesday that will underscore how his impeachment, far from purging political corruption, is likely to tear even deeper national divides.

Greta Thunberg: 'Nothing has been done' to tackle the climate crisis

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:33:46 -0500

Greta Thunberg took the stage at the World Economic Forum Tuesday to admonish world leaders for doing "basically nothing" to reduce carbon emissions despite evidence of a looming climate catastrophe.

Greta Thunberg at Davos: 'Nothing has been done' to tackle the climate crisis

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:33:46 -0500

Greta Thunberg took the stage at the World Economic Forum Tuesday to admonish world leaders for doing "basically nothing" to reduce carbon emissions despite evidence of a looming climate catastrophe.

Greta Thunberg: 'Nothing has been done' to tackle the climate crisis - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:33:00 -0500

Greta Thunberg: 'Nothing has been done' to tackle the climate crisis CNN
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Africa's World Cup draw: When is the Fifa event and how can I watch? - Goal.com

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:26:00 -0500

Africa's World Cup draw: When is the Fifa event and how can I watch? Goal.com

Historic Trump impeachment trial to begin

Our Foreign Staff — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:22:57 -0500

Donald Trump impeachment trial: US Senate set to hear opening arguments

Our Foreign Staff — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:22:57 -0500

Tunisia's designated PM vows to tackle economic, social ills

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:20:25 -0500

Tunisia's new designated prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh said he would form a smaller cabinet than in previous governments and combat poverty and marginalization of poorer regions.

The Titanic will be protected by a treaty between US and UK

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:18:58 -0500

The underwater ruins of the RMS Titanic will now have the protection of an international treaty.

McConnell proposal envisions speedy impeachment trial for Trump

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:16:27 -0500

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Monday proposed rules that would execute a potentially quick impeachment trial for President Donald Trump, with no guarantee that witnesses or new evidence would be allowed.

China sentences ex-boss of Interpol to 13 years for bribes

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:15:47 -0500

China has sentenced the former president of Interpol to 13 years and six months in prison on charges of accepting more than $2 million in bribes

BOJ raises growth forecast, signals status quo on policy outlook

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:14:31 -0500

The Bank of Japan nudged up its economic growth forecasts on Tuesday and was cautiously optimistic about the global outlook, though it said ongoing risks meant it was far to soon to consider scaling down its massive stimulus program.

Trump, Greta and unicorns - What to watch for at Davos on Tuesday

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:14:29 -0500

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum kicked off on Tuesday in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

French workers cut power to world's largest food market in pension protest - Reuters

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:10:00 -0500

French workers cut power to world's largest food market in pension protest Reuters

French workers cut power to world's largest food market in pension protest

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:09:01 -0500

French energy workers protesting against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform cut power on Tuesday to the world's largest wholesale fresh food market, Rungis near Paris, the hardleft CGT union's energy branch said.

Virus outbreak prompts Chinese travel firms to offer free cancellations

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:08:55 -0500

Chinese travel booking platforms from Trip.com to Alibaba Group's Fliggy said on Tuesday they would offer free cancellations on bookings made for Wuhan amid mounting fears over a viral outbreak in the central Chinese city.

China virus sends shiver through markets as risks mount

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:07:05 -0500

Global shares took a beating on Tuesday, wiping out all gains made at the start of the week as mounting concerns about a new strain of coronavirus in China sent a ripple of risk aversion through markets.

Philippines investigates suspected case of Chinese virus

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:02:34 -0500

Philippine health authorities are investigating the case of a five-year old Chinese boy with a travel history to Wuhan, the central city where a new coronavirus was first discovered, after he showed flu-like symptoms before arriving in the country.

Thousands of armed protesters turn out for Trump-supported gun rally

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:02:32 -0500

Virginia's Lobby Day against the state's gun control bills attracted thousands of gun rights activists. The governor issued a state of emergency banning all weapons.

China confirms 291 cases of new coronavirus as of January 20: state media

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:00:22 -0500

China confirmed 291 cases of patients infected with the new coronavirus as of Jan. 20, state media reported Tuesday.

Greta Thunberg says world leaders are running out of time to tackle climate emergency - CNBC

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:00:00 -0500

Greta Thunberg says world leaders are running out of time to tackle climate emergency CNBC

Meghan Markle Used Royal Instagram to Subtly Make Political Statements - TMZ

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:00:00 -0500

4 people dead as China confirms new coronavirus can be spread by humans

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:59:25 -0500

Officials in China are racing to contain the spread of a new coronavirus that has left at least four people dead and sickened hundreds after it was confirmed the infection can spread between humans.

China and HK shares fall on spread of Sars-like virus

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:58:54 -0500

Consumer stocks down as Beijing confirms first case of human-to-human transmission

Iran Acknowledges Two Russian-Made Missiles Targeted Ukraine Jet

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:57:33 -0500

The new preliminary report by Iran's Civil Aviation Organization however stopped short of blaming the TOR-M1 for the crash of the Boeing 737-800, flown by Ukraine International Airways.

For days after the Jan. 8 shootdown, Iran denied that it fired missiles at the plane, initially blaming a technical malfunction and engine fire for the crash.

However, after the U.S. and Canada blamed missile fire for the crash, Iran's armed forces said anti-aircraft fire from the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard had downed the flight.

The new report identified the missiles fired at the aircraft as coming from the TOR-M1. In 2017, Iran received the delivery of 29 TOR-M1 units from Russia under a contract worth an estimated $700 million.

However, the report said "the impact of these missiles on the accident and the analysis of this action under is under investigation."

Surveillance footage earlier obtained by The Associated Press showed two missiles were fired at the plane. The two minutes of black-and-white footage purportedly shows one missile streaking across the sky and exploding near the plane. Ten seconds later, another missile is fired. Some 20 seconds after the first explosion, another strikes near the plane. A ball of flames then falls from the sky out of frame.

The footage corresponded with AP reporting, appeared genuine and matched geographic features of the area. It also explained how so many people filmed the shoot down: the first explosion drew their attention so they turned their mobile phone cameras to the predawn sky.

The Tor short-range air defense system, code-named the SA-15 by NATO, was designed during Soviet times to shoot down aircraft and precision guided weapons.

It is mounted on a tracked vehicle and carries a radar and a pack of eight missiles. Each vehicle can operate independently. Tor has a range of up to 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) and can hit aerial targets at altitudes of up to 6 kilometers (about 19,700 feet).

Tor missiles explode near their target, taking it down with shrapnel that devastates engines, fuel tanks and other vital components.

In other developments on Tuesday, South Korea Defense Ministry announced its anti-piracy unit operating in the Gulf of Aden was temporarily expanding its mission to the Strait of Hormuz. A ministry statement said the decision was meant to help ensure the safe passage of South Korean vessels and nationals through the waterway. It said the unit's expanded operation will include the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

The ministry said the unit will conduct an independent operation but will cooperate with a U.S.-led coalition if necessary. Already, a U.S.-led operation is surveilling the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all the world's oil passes. A French-led naval coalition is also being created.

The missions began after mysterious explosions last summer targeted oil tankers near the strait, attacks the U.S. blamed on Iran. Tehran denied being involved, though it did seize tankers amid wider tensions with the West over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.

Iranian Aviation Authorities Say Military Shot 2 Missiles at Ukrainian Plane

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:57:33 -0500

Iran's civil aviation authority said Tuesday the country's military fired two missiles at a Ukrainian commercial jet that went down shortly after taking off from Tehran earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board.

A Civil Aviation Organization report identified the missiles as being the TOR-M1 model, a type of Russian-made, surface-to-air missile.

It also said it has requested technical assistance from the U.S. Transportation Safety Board and its French counterpart BEA to help read the black box flight data recorders recovered from the crash site.

Iran says so far the United States and France have not responded positively to a request to provide the equipment necessary to carry out the work.

Iran initially said mechanical problems caused the commercial jetliner to go down, before admitting days later that Iranian military personnel shot down the plane. The revelation sparked days of protests in Iran as people expressed their anger at the country's leaders.

The downing of the plane happened hours after Iran fired missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq and was bracing for a U.S. counterstrike that never came. Iran’s missile attacks were in retaliation for what the United States called a self-defensive strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3.

The Hang Seng is having its worst day in nearly two months

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:55:23 -0500

Hong Kong stocks are having their worst day in nearly two months.

Meng Hongwei: China sentences ex-Interpol chief to 13 years in jail

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:50:12 -0500

In 2018, he vanished on a trip back to China from France and was later accused of corruption.

What the royal 'deal' will look like for Prince Harry and Meghan - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:47:21 -0500

BOJ holds fire, nudges up growth forecast on receding global risks

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:38:14 -0500

The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady and nudged up its economic growth forecasts on Tuesday, as the government's stimulus package and receding pessimism over the global outlook took some pressure off the central bank to top up stimulus.

Fukushima says radiation poses no threat to Olympic torch relay

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:33:19 -0500

Fukushima prefecture, home to the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, on Tuesday reassured participants and spectators at the Olympic torch relay this year that they would not need to worry about radiation exposure.

Scare grows over China virus as human transmission and fourth death confirmed

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:31:07 -0500

French Workers Cut Power to World's Largest Food Market in Pension Protest - The New York Times

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:31:00 -0500

French Workers Cut Power to World's Largest Food Market in Pension Protest The New York Times

The Briefing: Sign up for two-minute audio news updates on WhatsApp, Apple, Spotify and Alexa twice a day

Telegraph Reporters — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:30:50 -0500

China's national health commission to hold briefing on coronavirus Wednesday: notice

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:30:37 -0500

China's national health commission will hold a briefing on the coronavirus outbreak at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday, according to a notice issued by the cabinet's press office.

In an Olympic year, Japan faces decision over contaminated Fukushima water

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:29:49 -0500

At the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant north of Tokyo, workers in protective suits are still removing radioactive material from reactors that melted down after an earthquake and tsunami knocked out its power and cooling nearly nine years ago.

China Sentences Ex-President of Interpol Meng Hongwei to 13 Years for Bribes

Associated Press — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:29:36 -0500

(BEIJING) — China has sentenced the former president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, to 13 years and six months in prison on charges of accepting more than $2 million in bribes.

Meng was elected president of the international police organization in 2016, but his four-year term was cut short when he vanished after traveling to China from France in late 2018.

Interpol was not informed and was forced to make a formal request to China for information about Meng’s whereabouts amid suspicion he had fallen out of political favor with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Meng’s wife, who remains in France with their two children, has accused Chinese authorities of lying and questioned whether her husband was still alive.

Grace Meng is now suing Interpol, accusing it of failing to protect him from arrest in China and failing to look after his family. Meng’s lawyers last year filed a legal complaint in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, she said Interpol “breached its obligations owed to my family” and “is complicit in the internationally wrongful acts of its member country, China.”

A statement Tuesday from the No. 1 Intermediary Court in the northern city of Tianjin said Meng accepted the verdict and would not appeal. In addition to his prison sentence, he was fined 2 million yuan ($290.000) .

It said Meng, 66, admitted he abused his position to accept 14.4 million yuan ($2.1 million) in bribes while serving in various offices, including as a vice minister of public security and maritime police chief, often in exchange for favors and using his influence with other officials.

Meng has already been fired from his positions and expelled from the Communist Party. The relatively light sentence was likely a result of what the court called his cooperative attitude and willingness to admit to and shore remorse for his crimes.

While serving at Interpol, Meng retained his title as China’s vice minister of public security. It wasn’t clear when or how he had crossed Xi, who has leveraged a wide-ranging campaign against corruption at all levels to eliminate or intimidate political rivals.

As a long-serving vice minister of public security, Meng served for a time under Zhou Yongkang, the former security chief who was sentenced to life in prison, becoming the most powerful figure to fall in Xi’s anti-graft campaign.

Iran acknowledges Russian-made missiles targeted Ukraine jet

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:29:05 -0500

Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that its armed forces fired two Russian anti-aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed after taking off from Tehran's main airport earlier this month, killing all 176 people on board. For days after the Jan. 8 shootdown, Iran denied that it fired missiles at the plane, initially blaming a technical malfunction and engine fire for the crash.

LIVE Score, India vs Japan, U19 World Cup 2020: Speed..r Kartik Tyagi provides India two early breakthroughs - Firstpost

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:28:08 -0500

LIVE Score, India vs Japan, U19 World Cup 2020: Speed..r Kartik Tyagi provides India two early breakthroughs Firstpost

Fears of China’s Coronavirus Prompt Australia to Screen Flights - The New York Times

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:26:00 -0500

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Prince Harry joins Meghan and Archie in Canada after finalizing a deal to step away from royal duties

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:21:59 -0500

According to People, Prince Harry landed at Vancouver International Airport on Monday night after weeks of negotiation.

Iran seeks help reading plane's black boxes amid pressure to hand them over

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:17:42 -0500

Iran has asked the U.S. and French authorities for equipment to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian airliner, a request that will add to international frustration at Tehran's failure to send the recorders abroad for analysis.

CityFibre buys TalkTalk’s FibreNation unit for £200m

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:16:25 -0500

Takeover by Goldman-backed telecoms group was delayed by UK general election

Father and 4-year-old son shot in head while wrestling when man's gun discharges

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:15:20 -0500

A 36-year-old father and his 4-year-old son were rushed to hospital after being accidentally shot in the head when a gun discharged while they were play wrestling togethe

Rape victim comes forward after 40 years as she directly appeals for two witnesses name her attackers

Verity Bowman — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:14:31 -0500

Chinese sentences ex-boss of Interpol to 13 years for bribes

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:12:35 -0500

China has sentenced the former president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, to 13 years and six months in prison on charges of accepting more than $2 million in bribes. Meng was elected president of the international police organization in 2016, but his four-year term was cut short when he vanished after traveling to China from France in late 2018. Interpol was not informed and was forced to make a formal request to China for information about Meng's whereabouts amid suspicion he had fallen out of political favor with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei jailed for bribery - The Guardian

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:11:10 -0500

Former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei jailed for bribery The Guardian

Toxic water: A river slowly poisoned by pollution

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:08:48 -0500

Hundreds of US-bound migrants stopped from entering Mexico

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:08:43 -0500

US-bound migrants who waded across a river are forced back and rounded up by the security forces.

Thunberg tells Davos climate awareness is only first step

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:05:28 -0500

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) - Climate activist Greta Thunberg told the world's political and business leaders Tuesday that the global movement sparked by her school strike was only the very beginning in the fight against global warming and much more has to be done.

“It wasn't only me, but all these ...

Iran confirms two missiles fired at Ukraine airliner

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:05:19 -0500

Iran has confirmed two missiles were fired at a Ukrainian airliner brought down this month, in a catastrophic error that killed all 176 people on board and sparked angry protests. The country's civil aviation authority said it has yet to receive a positive response after requesting technical assistance from France and the United States to decode black boxes from the downed airliner. The Kiev-bound Ukraine International Airlines plane was accidentally shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on January 8.

Thailand's opposition Future Forward Party not guilty of opposing monarchy: court

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:04:56 -0500

Thailand's Constitutional Court on Tuesday found key figures of the opposition Future Forward Party not guilty of opposing the country's monarchy, an allegation that could have seen the high-profile party banned.

Trump impeachment trial set to open in US Senate

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:04:20 -0500

What we can expect in the trial starting on Tuesday, from the key players to unusual rules in place.

Chinese court jails former Interpol chief for 13-1/2 years over graft

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:01:15 -0500

A court in China on Tuesday jailed former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei for 13-1/2 years and fined him 2 million yuan ($290,000) for receiving bribes and abuse of official positions.

Prince Harry leaves UK for Canada to reunite with Meghan, Archie

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 03:00:50 -0500

Harry and Meghan will no longer be "working members" of Britain's royal family.

Arizona police say 3 children found dead at home - Fox News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:59:56 -0500

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Key events in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's extradition case

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:58:39 -0500

Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, will appear in a Vancouver, Canada, courtroom on Monday for the first day of her extradition trial, a process expected to take months - possibly years - to decide whether she can be extradited from Canada to the United States.

Huawei CFO's lawyer attacks U.S. extradition case in Canadian trial

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:58:39 -0500

A lawyer for Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou argued on Monday that "double criminality" was at the center of a trial to decide whether she can be extradited to the United States, a case that has strained relations between Ottawa and Beijing.

Monarchy and Illuminati: why a Thai opposition party faced court

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:57:58 -0500

A Thai court on Tuesday acquitted a high-profile opposition party from an allegation it was seeking to overthrow the monarchy.

Parents of Irish girl found dead in Malaysia sue resort owner - The Guardian

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:57:00 -0500

Parents of Irish girl found dead in Malaysia sue resort owner The Guardian

Thai court could dissolve opposition party on anti-monarchy allegations

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:56:57 -0500

Thailand's Constitutional Court is to decide on Tuesday whether to dissolve the opposition Future Forward Party, in a ruling that could strengthen the military-backed government's majority in parliament.

Boeing seeks to borrow $10 billion or more amid 737 MAX crisis: source

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:55:18 -0500

Boeing Co is in talks with banks about borrowing $10 billion or more amid rising costs for the U.S. planemaker after two crashes involving its 737 MAX jetliner, a source told Reuters on Monday.

This could be the most expensive Super Bowl ever

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:54:12 -0500

The Super Bowl matchup is set with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, and this highly anticipated game has sent ticket prices soaring.

Impeachment trial, World Economic Forum: 5 things you need to know Tuesday - USA TODAY

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:53:58 -0500

Impeachment trial, World Economic Forum: 5 things you need to know Tuesday USA TODAY
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Man deliberately left his father's ashes in a subway station restroom, police say

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:53:50 -0500

A man has been arrested in Japan after allegedly abandoning his father's cremated remains in a subway station restroom.

Hong Kong leader in Davos charm offensive as protests persist

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:52:08 -0500

For Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam this week's World Economic Forum in Davos is a chance to convince global business and political leaders that the Asian financial hub is back on track.

Macron saves EU blushes on digital tax threats

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:47:42 -0500

France and US have agreed to suspend tariffs until the end of the year

Davos braces for Trump-Greta showdown as climate change tops agenda

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:47:00 -0500

It's the first time the two are attending the same event since the teenager famously stared down Trump at the UN last year. The annual jamboree is taking place against the backdrop of Australia's worst ever bushfires.

Paranoid Prince Harry Made a Ridiculous Accusation Against Victoria Beckham - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:46:34 -0500

Paranoid Prince Harry Made a Ridiculous Accusation Against Victoria Beckham Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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Nine injured in Somali bombing flown to Turkey for treatment

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:45:49 -0500

Nine people injured in a bomb attack on Saturday in Somalia, including three Turkish nationals, were being flown to Turkey on Tuesday for medical treatment, Turkey's ambassador to Mogadishu said.

Fire kills Uzbek laborers in Siberian village

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:42:05 -0500

A fire killed 11 people, most of them laborers from Uzbekistan, in a wooden building in Siberia early on Tuesday, emergency services and Russian news agencies said.

Thai Opposition Future Forward Party Avoids Being Disbanded, But Its Troubles Are Far From Over

Amy Gunia — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:40:09 -0500

Thailand’s upstart new opposition party avoided being disbanded on Tuesday when the country’s constitutional court found it and its leaders not guilty of attempting to overthrow the monarchy.

The case also accused the party of links to the Illuminati, a secret society that conspiracy theorists say seeks world domination.

But, the Future Forward Party and its founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit still face a raft of legal challenges from the military-led Thai government. The Future Forward Party swept to power in 2019 elections, buoyed by young voters supportive of its calls for democratic reform and curtailment of military power.

Human rights observers applauded the decision, and called for the government to drop the remaining charges against the party.

“While we welcome today’s decision, [the FFF] remains at risk of dissolution and is still facing a myriad of other politically motivated charges,” Charles Santiago, a Malaysian lawmaker and the chair of the regional human rights group ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said in a statement after the ruling.

“If Thailand’s government wants to restore faith into its so-called ‘return to democracy’ it should immediately drop all politically motivated charges against the [FFP] and democracy activists.”

More than 25 legal cases have been brought against the Future Forward Party [FFP], which is Thailand’s third-biggest political party, and its members. The party’s charismatic, billionaire leader, Thanathorn, was disqualified from parliament over allegations that he breached media shareholding rules intended to create a level playing field among political candidates.

Although Thailand maintains a democratic facade, the former general who seized control of the government in a 2014 military coup was installed as prime minister in 2019 elections that critics say were stacked in the military’s favor and fraught with accusations of voting irregularities.

Experts say that the military-led government, which is backed by the country’s monarchy, is targeting the FFP with politically-motivated charges because it sees the party as a threat to its grip on power.

“The government and the military, which are obviously closely intertwined, view Future Forward as a party with the potential to challenge for power,” Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, told TIME before the ruling. “And the past two decades…have shown that the military, its allies, and its favored political parties will brook no real challenge to their party.”

Russian Jehovah's Witness gets suspended sentence for extremism - spokesman

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:40:00 -0500

Russian Jehovah's Witness gets suspended sentence for extremism - spokesman

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:40:00 -0500

A court in the Russian Far East on Tuesday handed a six-year suspended jail sentence to a Jehovah's Witness, Grigoriy Bubnov, after finding him guilty of extremist activity, a spokesman for the religious group said. Jehovah's Witnesses have been under pressure for years in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin. Orthodox scholars have cast them as a dangerous foreign sect that erodes state institutions and traditional values, allegations they reject.

An inside look at drug-fueled “personal growth” weekends in a Madrid villa

Alberto G. Palomo — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:39:18 -0500

The session starts and the 12 participants gather to introduce themselves. One of them is Fernando, 55, who works in a shelter housing program in Ciudad Real and wants “to put his life in order” and improve his feelings about the state of humanity. Franka, 52, is finding it hard to get past her separation and cries as she admits to a tobacco and marijuana addiction. Then there is Taylor, a 22-year-old American who is wandering aimlessly around Europe and seeking direction.

Seguir leyendo.

Mississippi state penitentiary inmate dies during investigation into infrastructure and violence

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:36:53 -0500

An inmate was found dead last week in a Mississippi state penitentiary at the center of a violence spike and infrastructure woes, a county coroner told CNN Monday.

Tuesday morning news briefing: Prince Harry arrives 'home' in Canada

Danny Boyle — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:36:31 -0500

China confirms mysterious virus can spread between humans

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:35:29 -0500

• China's new SARS-like virus spreads • This may explain origins of new virus

BOJ Governor Kuroda's comments at news conference

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:34:59 -0500

How Trump Twisted Iran Intel to Manufacture the 'Four Embassies' Threat - The Daily Beast

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:34:00 -0500

How Trump Twisted Iran Intel to Manufacture the 'Four Embassies' Threat The Daily Beast
Iran Could Still Strike Back at the U.S. National Review
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Britain's Prince Harry arrives in Canada

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:32:48 -0500

Britain's Prince Harry has arrived in Canada to begin a new life with his wife Meghan and son Archie after sparking a crisis in the Windsor family by unexpectedly announcing earlier this month that they would be stepping down from royal duties.

New China virus: Fourth person dies as human-to-human transfer confirmed

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:30:41 -0500

Authorities say two cases of infection in Guangdong were a result of human-to-human transmission.

Lemon: Impeachment trial to begin under cover of darkness - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:29:19 -0500

Lemon: Impeachment trial to begin under cover of darkness CNNView full coverage on Google News

Social entrepreneurs meet at World Economic Forum in Davos

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:29:00 -0500

Social entrepreneurship can have a huge impact, whether providing access to healthcare, clean energy solutions or improving education. DW's Manuela Kasper-Claridge met some outstanding founders in Davos.

New China virus: Cases triple as infection spreads to Beijing and Shanghai - BBC News - BBC News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:27:26 -0500

'Hostage justice'? Japan fights back with an internet FAQ

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:26:55 -0500

Japan on Tuesday published a list defending how it treats people accused of crimes, the latest move in its struggle to counter accusations of "hostage justice" after ex-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape to Lebanon.

Iran confirms two missiles shot at Ukraine airliner

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:21:00 -0500

Iran has released the first results of its investigation into the downing of a Ukraine International Airlines flight. All of the 176 passengers and crew on the flight were killed in the incident.

Iran confirms two missiles shot down Ukraine airliner

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:21:00 -0500

Iran has released the first results of its investigation into the downing of a Ukraine International Airlines flight. All of the 176 passengers and crew on the flight were killed in the incident.

Indonesia Fights Growing Pressure from China to Let it Use Use Disputed Waters

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:18:15 -0500

China is raising pressure on Indonesia over rights to use a contested tract of sea and challenging the militarily weaker Southeast Asian country to consider options from friendly dialogue to strong protests.

Indonesia spotted as many as 63 "trespassing" Chinese vessels in 30 locations within its maritime exclusive economic zone last month, the research platform East Asia Forum says in a January 15 report. Another spate followed in early January. Chinese coast guard vessels had escorted some, media reports from Jakarta say.

Though not a first between the two big Asian countries, this escalation near Indonesia’s Natuna Islands raises the specter of a new flash point in a normally quiet part of the broader, heavily disputed South China Sea.

"On the Indonesian side, I think that there’s a growing sense at the security level that China is becoming a more problematic actor," said Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor of politics and international studies at International Christian University in Tokyo.

China may hope Indonesia will bargain over the tract of sea that’s near the 272 tiny Natuna islands northwest of Borneo, possibly in exchange for economic aid, Asia scholars say.

But if Indonesia fears talks would validate China’s claim, it might instead make diplomatic protests instead or get help from powerful Western-allied countries that already resent China's maritime expansion.

"I think you’ll see a lot more of China pushing not just on us but on Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and others through incursions and get us to eventually acknowledge their right to a negotiation, and I think this is why we’re still very much resisting the notion that we should come and talk to the Chinese about this," said Evan Laksamana, senior researcher for the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Jakarta.

"And I think China also doesn’t want to make (the coordinates of its claim) that clear yet, so that’s why these are kind of gradual, low-level incursions, that of course I think will escalate if Indonesia doesn’t respond strongly and forcefully and provide actual diplomatic protest notes so that under international law we always challenge China’s incursions," Laksamana said.

South China Sea Territorial Claims

China vies separately with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines over parts of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea north of the Natuna Islands. China uses a nine-dash line, sourcing it to maritime records from dynastic times, to claim about 90% of the waterway that multiple countries value for its fisheries and undersea fossil fuel reserves. The nine dashes cut into the Indonesian exclusive economic zone, or EEZ.

Indonesia and China are in a new phase of testing each other’s bottom line, said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Competing ship movements will continue "for a while", he believes. "In recent years, I think both China and Indonesia came to the realization that the Natuna Island EEZ and nine-dash line, they do intersect one another, so they are literally testing the water now," Oh said.

Friction between the two sides dates back to 2016, when Indonesian President Joko Widodo showed signs of taking a harder line in the maritime dispute compared to his predecessors.

Authorities in his government have burned dozens of foreign fishing boats found in the EEZ. Vessels from the two countries entered a standoff in 2016 when Indonesian authorities tried to arrest a private boat operator but a Chinese coast guard vessel intervened. Indonesia said then that China had officially included waters near the Natuna Islands on a territorial map. Two years later Indonesia opened a Natuna Islands military base for up to 1,000 personnel.

China hinted this month that the two sides should talk.

"I can tell you that China and Indonesia have always carried out dialogue through diplomatic channels," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing January 7 as quoted on his ministry’s website. "We believe the Indonesian side also can see the issue from the vantage of bilateral relations and regional stability and resolve disputes with the Chinese side."

China often offers aid and investment to ease rifts with smaller countries.

Before Widodo took office in 2014, Indonesia normally said little about Chinese vessels near the Natuna Islands. China had invested in Indonesia’s infrastructure and bought oil from its palm plantations. Indonesian officials today have been cautious on any deals to accept infrastructure aid under Beijing’s $1 trillion, Belt and Road Initiative aimed at building trade routes across Asia.

Indonesia indicated it would assert its maritime claim without dialogue.

Maritime and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo made a working visit January 15 to the Natuna Islands "in order to follow up President Jokowi's instructions that Indonesian sovereignty is not negotiable," according to a statement on the ministry’s website. Jokowi is the president's nickname.

Indonesia protested diplomatically over the December ship movements and China replied that it had rights to use those waters.

Jakarta might look to Australia, Japan and the United States for help such as "capacity building", Nagy said. Eventually, he said, nothing will be settled. That way China can show it’s not being influenced by smaller countries and Indonesian people won’t see their government as a pushover, he said.

China would avoid any moves that might incite anger among Indonesian people, the source of deadly anti-Chinese riots in 1998, Nagy added.

China: Ex-Interpol chief Meng Hongwei jailed for bribery

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:18:00 -0500

The former head of Interpol had admitted to accepting over $2 million in bribes.

China: Ex-Interpol chief Meng Hongwei sentenced to 13 years in jail

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:18:00 -0500

The former head of Interpol had admitted to accepting over $2 million in bribes. Meng disappeared last year while on a trip to China and was later arrested and expelled from the Communist party.

Asia markets slide as concerns over coronavirus take hold - MarketWatch

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:16:00 -0500

Asia markets slide as concerns over coronavirus take hold MarketWatchView full coverage on Google News

4 people dead as China confirms Wuhan coronavirus can be spread by humans - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:15:00 -0500

China virus outbreak spooks global markets as fourth death reported

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:14:10 -0500

China reported a fourth death from a new coronavirus on Tuesday as the number of cases continued to rise, sending jitters through Asian markets as hundreds of millions of Chinese prepared to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Australia to screen some China flights, warns new virus difficult to stop

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:14:10 -0500

Australia will begin screening passengers arriving from a Chinese city in a bid to stop the spread of a new virus, the country's chief medical officer said on Tuesday, although authorities warned that an outbreak would be hard to prevent.

Germany’s spending finally. But how green is it?

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:14:00 -0500

Germany’s green package belies years of underinvestment.

As virus spreads to more Chinese cities, WHO calls emergency meeting

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:13:51 -0500

An outbreak of a new coronavirus has spread to more Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing and Shanghai, authorities said on Monday, and a fourth case has been reported beyond China's borders.

Factbox: New coronavirus outbreak spreads in China

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:13:51 -0500

Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) say a new strain of coronavirus is behind the outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan that has now spread to other parts of the country.

Hong Kong leads Asian markets lower on credit downgrade and coronavirus fears - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:11:00 -0500

Hong Kong leads Asian markets lower on credit downgrade and coronavirus fears CNN
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Air transit hub UAE ready to handle coronavirus cases: ministry

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:10:09 -0500

The United Arab Emirates, a major international transit hub, has made sure its airports and ports are ready to handle coronavirus cases following an outbreak of a new virus in China, state news agency WAM reported.

Qualcomm's new mobile chipsets pack more features for the non-5G crowd - Engadget

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:08:01 -0500

Highlights: BOJ Governor Kuroda's comments at news conference

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:07:33 -0500

South Korea Naval Unit to Expand Operations to Strait of Hormuz

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 02:03:36 -0500

A South Korean anti-piracy unit has temporarily expanded its mission to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route at the center of soaring tensions between Iran and the United States.

South Korea's Defense Ministry announced the expansion Tuesday, saying it was meant to help ensure the safe passage of South Korean vessels and nationals through the waterway.

South Korea has conducted anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 and is expanding to the strait that connects the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf. Tensions in waters around the Arabian Peninsula have soared since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal and a U.S. airstrike earlier this month killed Iran's top general.

Iran was accused of sabotaging oil tankers in the Persian Gulf last year, allegations it denied. It seized a British-flagged oil tanker after an Iranian oil tanker was seized by authorities in Gibraltar over suspected sanctions violations. Both ships were released weeks later.

The United States last week warned of threats to commercial vessels in and around the Persian Gulf following the latest tensions.

The South Korean ministry's statement said the unit will work independently but cooperate with a U.S.-led coalition if necessary. It said two South Korean soldiers will be liaison officers at the International Maritime Security Construct headquarters.

Observers say the decision suggested South Korea considered both its relations with Iran and chief ally United States, which has asked it for a contribution to help guard oil tankers.

The South Korean naval unit refers to a 4,400-ton-class destroyer with 300 troops and a helicopter, according to the navy.

According to the statement, the Strait of Hormuz is a shipping lane for more than 70 percent of South Korean oil imports and South Korean vessels sail through the area about 900 times annually. It said about 25,000 South Korean nationals live in the Middle East.

Family of Irish girl who died in Malaysia seek inquest: lawyer

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:58:29 -0500

The parents of an Irish girl who was found dead in Malaysia last year have asked authorities in Kuala Lumpur to conduct an inquest into the death, their lawyer said on Tuesday.

Conor McGregor calls Trump a 'phenomenal' president on Twitter - Fox News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:55:54 -0500

Conor McGregor calls Trump a 'phenomenal' president on Twitter Fox News
Coach - Conor McGregor to fight again before summer ESPN
Khabib Nurmagomedov Will Fight Conor McGregor Under One Condition Essentially Sports
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Paul Stanley Sends A Message To Conor McGregor In Public Metalheadzone
View full coverage on Google News

FirstFT: Today’s top stories

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:53:44 -0500

Your daily briefing on the news

S. Korea naval unit to expand operations to Strait of Hormuz

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:52:59 -0500

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A South Korean anti-piracy unit has temporarily expanded its mission to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route at the center of soaring tensions between Iran and the United States.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced the expansion Tuesday, saying it was meant to ...

Court: Thai Opposition Party Not Guilty of Opposing Monarchy

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:51:36 -0500

The ruling was a relief for the opposition, which has said the anti-monarchy charges were politically motivated to suppress dissent against Thailand's government headed by a former military junta leader.

The court rejected the claims the party sought to overthrow the monarchy, based on social media posts and academic publications by key members since before the party was founded.

The dismissed complaint also alleged the party was linked to the Illuminati, a secret society that conspiracy theorists believe seeks world domination.

"The accused have not acted in their rights and liberties to overthrow the constitutional monarchy," said Taweekiat Meenakanit, one of the nine judges.

But Taweekiat noted that the party should revise wording in its manifesto, which states that it abides by "democratic principle per the Constitution", to say "democratic system with the king as head of state".

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 67, is a constitutional monarch, but in traditional culture, the monarch is revered as the country's protector and insulting the king is a criminal offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Seeking to abolish the monarchy is considered a grave offense.

Founded two years ago, Future Forward Party came third in last year's general election, which the opposition says was manipulated to favour the pro-military Palang Pracharat Party.

Its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 41, has emerged as the most prominent opponent to the government that last year reinstalled former junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha, 65, as prime minister five years after he staged a military coup.

At the party's headquarters in Bangkok, supporters broke into cheers after the verdict was delivered.

"This should not have been a case in the first place. I would like to stress that neither Thanathorn, myself, nor the party, want to undermine the constitutional monarchy," said Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, the party's secretary-general.

But analysts said Future Forward could still be dissolved on one of the other legal cases it faces.

One case alleges that Future Forward violated electoral laws governing by accepting loans from party leader, auto-parts billionaire Thanathorn.

"The bottom line is Future Forward's days are numbered," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University.

"Because they stand against the military junta, stand for reforms and a new kind of Thailand that the conservative establishment won't accept."

Germany: More and more people work multiple jobs

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:50:00 -0500

Over 3 million people in Germany work more than one job, many because of financial difficulties. Opposition politicians are calling for a raise to the minimum wage.

Potential Link Between Marijuana and Heart Risks Discovered by Cardiologists - SciTechDaily

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:48:00 -0500

Myanmar government-appointed panel finds 'war crimes' but no 'genocide' against Rohingya

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:47:45 -0500

A government-appointed panel established in Myanmar to probe allegations of abuses in Rakhine state in 2017 that drew global outrage said on Monday they had found no evidence of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

China says virus spreading between humans as WHO set to meet

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:47:40 -0500

China has confirmed human-to-human transmission in the outbreak of a new SARS-like virus as the number of cases soared and authorities Tuesday said a fourth person had died. The news came as the World Health Organization said it would consider declaring an international public health emergency over the outbreak. The coronavirus, which has spread to three other Asian countries and infected more than 200 people in China, has caused alarm because of its genetic similarities to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.

China confirms fourth coronavirus death, as WHO prepares to meet - Al Jazeera English

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:47:00 -0500

China confirms fourth coronavirus death, as WHO prepares to meet Al Jazeera English
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Windrush scandal: 'A billion pounds can't buy back my happiness'

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:41:52 -0500

Chiplyn Burton was denied entry back into the UK after a trip to Jamaica in the 1970s.

More Precautions Taken as 4th Death Blamed on China Virus

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:39:11 -0500

Heightened precautions were being taken in China and elsewhere Tuesday as governments strove to control the outbreak of a novel coronavirus that threatens to grow during the Lunar New Year travel rush.

Anxieties around the disease grew after Chinese government expert Zhong Nanshan revealed on state television late Monday that the virus can be spread between humans. Authorities had previously said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

So far, four people have died, and more than 200 have been infected. The new type of coronavirus appears to have originated in the central city of Wuhan, which has reported 198 cases and all of the fatalities. Others who have been diagnosed in Beijing, Shanghai and southern Guangdong province had also visited Wuhan.

Internationally, four cases of coronavirus have been confirmed among Chinese travelers in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

Concerned about a global outbreak similar to SARS, a different coronavirus that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003, numerous nations have adopted screening measures for travelers arriving from China, especially those from Wuhan.

Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said his country will be increasing airport screening. Australia receives a significant number of travelers from China, including three direct flights a week from Wuhan into Sydney, and these flights will be met by border security and biosecurity staff for assessments, Murphy told reporters.

Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and other places with extensive travel links to China are also enacting stricter screening measures. At least three U.S. airports have started screening incoming airline passengers from central China.

"We need to step up our caution levels as the number of patients is continuing to rise in China," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a meeting with the health minister and others from related ministries.

"Please take every possible precaution," Abe said.

The first cases identified late last month were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. The first patients were suspected to have contracted the virus from animals, but human-to-human transmission was confirmed late Monday.

Zhong, a government expert who helped expose the scale of SARS, told state broadcaster CCTV that two people in Guangdong province caught the virus from family members.

Fifteen medical workers have also tested positive for the virus, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission announced in the notice. Previously, the commission said no one who came into close contact with patients, including health professionals, were infected.

Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed government departments Monday to promptly release information on the virus and deepen international cooperation.

When SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, first infected people in southern China, the Chinese government initially tried to conceal the severity of the epidemic, which ended up killing nearly 800 people. The cover-up was exposed by a high-ranking physician.

Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said Chinese authorities have responded much more quickly this time.

"Our underlying assumptions are, the force of infection is very different now ... because so many public health measures have been undertaken and so many interventions have been executed," Leung told reporters at a briefing.

Leung, who was heavily involved in the response to SARS, said modeling shows that cases will multiply over the coming weeks but the outbreak will gradually lose momentum as precautionary measures take effect.

Initial symptoms of the novel coronavirus include fever, cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath.

On the Weibo social media platform, which is widely used in China, people posted prevention advice such as wearing masks and washing hands. Some people said they had canceled their travel plans and were staying home for Lunar New Year.

Everyone entering Beijing United Family Hospital on Tuesday was required to have their temperature checked as soon as they entered the door. The hospital provided surgical masks to all patients, who were told they had to wear them. All nurses, doctors and cleaning staff were also wearing masks.

China Confirms Coronavirus Tied to 4 Deaths Can Be Transmitted Among People

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:39:11 -0500

Chinese health experts have confirmed that a new coronavirus that has now killed four people is contagious, raising fears that the virus could spread quickly among people.

China's National Health Commission said the virus, which causes a type of pneumonia, can be transmitted person-to-person and not just from animals to people, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier Monday, Chinese health officials confirmed 136 new cases of the newly discovered virus -- a huge spike -- over the past three days, including the first cases in the capital, Beijing, and Shanghai.

Heath officials in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, say the number of cases now exceeds 200, with most of the confirmed cases described as mild. The latest confirmed fatality is an 89-old man in Wuhan.

South Korean health officials said Monday they confirmed a case in a 35-year-old woman who flew from Wuhan to Incheon, South Korea. Thailand and Japan have also confirmed cases.

Indonesia’s Health Ministry says it has increased health screenings of passengers from China at airports and ports to try to prevent the spread of the virus into Indonesia. The ministry’s disease control and prevention director general, Anung Sugihantono, told VOA that the Health Ministry is monitoring travelers, particularly those from China, with a thermal scan as well as distributing health alert cards.

On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started screening passengers arriving from Wuhan at three U.S. airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Airports in Japan, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore are also doing the same.

Chinese and U.S. health officials are particularly concerned because many of the 1.4 billion Chinese citizens are expected to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday that starts Jan. 25, both inside China and beyond.

A coronavirus is one of a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. SARS, which also started in China, killed nearly 800 people globally during an outbreak nearly 20 years ago.

Chinese health experts say they know little about the new strain, dubbed 2019-nCoV. They suspect the outbreak started in a Wuhan seafood market, which also sold other animals such as poultry, bats, marmots and wild game meat. The World Health Organization has said an animal source seemed to be "the most likely primary source" with "some limited human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts." The WHO is convening an emergency committee Wednesday to discuss the situation.

Doctors in Wuhan, China's seventh most populous city, have stepped up screening for suspected cases of pneumonia. They are urging people to be more conscious of their hygiene and to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.

Health officials are urging caution but say there is no reason to panic. The WHO is not recommending against travel to China, and China's National Health Commission says the current outbreak is "preventable and controllable."

Of the new cases announced in the past few days, all involve adults ages 25 to 89. About half are male (78) and half are female (75), according to the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, which translated the Wuhan health commission's statement.

Sasmito Madrim in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Total to build 800MW solar plant for Qatar World Cup at “world lowest” price - RenewEconomy

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:35:24 -0500

Total to build 800MW solar plant for Qatar World Cup at “world lowest” price RenewEconomy

Iran asks U.S., France for equipment to download downed plane's black boxes

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:34:08 -0500

Russell Crowe tweets photos showing how rain has helped his Australia property heal from fires

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:26:58 -0500

Actor Russell Crowe's rural New South Wales property, which was scorched by the massive bushfires that have been burning through Australia, underwent a dramatic transformation after recent heavy rains in the area.

Tuesday briefing: Convicted terrorists to face polygraph tests - The Guardian

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:25:00 -0500

Tuesday briefing: Convicted terrorists to face polygraph tests The Guardian

Hong Kong leads losses in Asia amid credit downgrade and coronavirus fears - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:24:00 -0500

Hong Kong leads losses in Asia amid credit downgrade and coronavirus fears CNN
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Prince Harry leaves for Canada in 'symbolic' departure: reports

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:21:08 -0500

Britain's Prince Harry has left the UK to rejoin his wife Meghan and son Archie in Canada, British media reported, as the couple start a new life after their shock exit from the royal fold. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are bowing out entirely from representing the British monarchy, in a crisis that has shaken the centuries-old institution. The prince boarded an evening flight to Vancouver after attending a UK-Africa investment summit in London, in what is expected to be one of his final official engagements as a working royal, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Three children 3 and younger found dead at Phoenix home; cause of death unclear - NBC News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:21:00 -0500

Three children 3 and younger found dead at Phoenix home; cause of death unclear NBC News
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Schumer: GOP trial rules 'nothing short of national disgrace'

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:20:10 -0500

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to give House impeachment managers and President Donald Trump's legal team each 24 hours divided over two days for their opening arguments in the Senate's impeachment trial, a move that indicates Senate Republicans are pushing to finish the trial as quickly as possible -- ahead of the President's February 4 State of the Union address.

Proposed rules: Trial's opening arguments cut to 2 days per side

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:20:10 -0500

Alan Dershowitz: Trump impeachment is a 'motion-to-dismiss' case, save for 'political' considerations - Fox News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:19:28 -0500

Hundreds in River 'No-Man's Land' After Mexico Troops Block Way

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:17:32 -0500

Hundreds of Central American migrants were stranded in a sort of no-man's land on the river border between Guatemala and Mexico after running up against lines of Mexican National Guard troops deployed to keep them from moving en masse into the country and on north toward the U.S.

Naked children played amid the sand and trash Monday evening as clothing and shoes hung from the trees to dry along the Suchiate River, normally a porous waterway plied all day by rafts ferrying people and goods across. Men grilled a fish over a small fire below the border bridge, and migrants bedded down under blankets on the banks or dry sections of the riverbed without knowing what might come next.

The path forward was blocked Monday by Mexican troops with riot shields, and about 100 National Guard agents continued to form a barrier with anti-riot gear into the night. But a return home to impoverished and gang-plagued Honduras, where most of the migrants are from, was unthinkable.

"We are in no-man's land," said Alan Mejia, whose 2-year-old son was cradled in his arms clad only in a diaper as his wife, Ingrid Vanesa Portillo, and their other son, 12, gazed at the riverbanks. Mejia joined in five previous migrant caravans but never made it farther than the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

"They are planning how to clear us out, and here we are without water or food," said a desperate Portillo. "There is no more hope for going forward."

Unlike was often the case with previous caravans, there was no sign of humanitarian aid arriving for those stuck at the river.

Throngs waded across the Suchiate into southern Mexico on Monday hoping to test U.S. President Donald Trump's strategy to keep Central American migrants away from the U.S. border. The push also challenged Mexico's ramped-up immigration policing that began last year in response to threats of economic tariffs from Trump, a change that effectively snuffed out the last caravan in April.

Some scuffled with National Guard troops on the riverbank while others slipped through the lines and trudged off on a rural highway, with most taken into custody later in the day. Still others were taken into custody on the spot or chased into the brush. Some migrants hurled rocks at the police, who huddled behind their plastic shields and threw some of the rocks back.

Most of the migrants, however, stayed at the river's edge or stood in its waters trying to decide their next move after being blocked earlier in the day from crossing the bridge linking Tecun Uman, Guatemala, with Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico.

"We never thought they would receive us like that," said Melisa Avila, who traveled from the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa with her 12-year-old son and was resigning herself to the prospect of spending the night outdoors. "They treated us like dogs."

In an approach that developed after the first migrant caravan in late 2018, Mexican officials seem to be succeeding in their effort to blunt large-scale incursions by breaking up the mass of people repeatedly and into increasingly smaller groups. Over the weekend, government officials convinced about 1,000 people they should enter legally via the bridge.

The National Immigration Institute issued a statement saying it would detain any migrants in the country illegally, hold them in detention centers and deport those who did not legalize their status. Any who made it through and continued north could expect a gauntlet of highway checkpoints.

As feared, children suffered in the chaos. On the Mexican bank an unconscious 14-year-old girl was carried away for medical attention Monday.

Later along the highway, a mother sobbed after realizing her youngest daughter had been separated when migrants tried to escape authorities. Another migrant who had been helping her by carrying the 5-year-old ran in another direction when the migrants scattered and she hadn't been able to locate them.

Back at the river, Avila, who had befriended the woman at a shelter in Tecun Uman, walked along the bank showing everyone a picture of the daughter.

"Have you seen this little girl?" Avila asked other migrants. "Blue pants, beige shirt and little pink shoes."

The Guatemalan government issued new data saying that 4,000 migrants had entered that country through the two primary crossings used by the migrants last week, and over the weekend nearly 1,700 entered Mexico at two crossings. It said 400 had been deported from Guatemala.

The Immigration Institute said late Monday in a statement that about 500 migrants had entered irregularly and announced the "rescue" of 402 of them — using the term it frequently employs to describe migration detentions; It said the latter were taken to holding centers and offered medical care.

The institute said five National Guard troops were hurt but did not give details.

While Mexico says the migrants are free to enter if they do so through official channels — and could compete for jobs if they want to stay and work — in practice, it has restricted such migrants to the impoverished southernmost states while their cases are processed by a sluggish bureaucracy.

When the rocks began flying at the river Monday, Elena Vasquez, , fearful for the safety of her two wailing sons, bolted back to the Guatemalan side where she would later spend the night. Exhausted after a week on the road, the 28-year-old from Olancho, Honduras, vowed to endure and hoped Mexican authorities would have a change of heart.

"I am going to wait as long as necessary. God will open the gates for us," Vasquez said.

"Necessity forces one day more on us," she continued. "We will have to wait and see what happens."

China tries to stop the spread of a deadly new virus at the worst possible time of year

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:16:11 -0500

Governments around the world have always struggled to stop the spread of disease, from the deadly swine flu which struck the globe in 2009, to ongoing attempts to rein in Ebola in West Africa.

Lindsey Graham: senator who became Trump’s loudest impeachment bulldog

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:15:48 -0500

In no single member of Congress has the transformation from Trump skeptic to true believer been so remarkableTo mount his defense at his Senate impeachment trial, Donald Trump will dispatch a bespoke legal team. But the president will also rely on some help from inside the room.The majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who has promised a thumb on the scale for Trump, would seem to be the best friend any allegedly criminal president could ask for.But the senator who has emerged as Trump’s impeachment bulldog by protesting the president’s innocence most loudly is South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham.“This thing will come to the Senate, and it will die quickly, and I will do everything I can to make it die quickly,” Graham said last month. “I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind. I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.”Much has been made of how Trump brought the Republican party to heel. But in no single member of Congress has the transformation from Trump skeptic to true believer been so remarkable as in Graham.About 20 Republican defections would be required to convict Trump in the Senate and remove him from office. No one is predicting that will happen, but Trump could still sustain political damage if the trial features new witness testimony or other evidence about his alleged wrongdoings.Graham has placed himself at the front of the coalition of Trump defenders to ensure that will not happen. It’s a long way from where he used to stand.The senator was once an open enemy of the president, decrying Trump’s attacks on his friend John McCain, the late Arizona senator, and tweeting in May 2016: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.” Graham did not vote for Trump that year, instead casting his ballot for the independent candidate Evan McMullin.But the political gravity of Trump’s victory soon bent Graham in his direction. As the pair became golfing buddies, the emotional temperature of Graham’s tweets about the president rose. Then came the moment that wholly redeemed Graham in the eyes of the White House.In public confirmation hearings for the supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who stood accused of sexual assault, Graham broke with the subdued tone of Republican colleagues to angrily attack Democrats.“What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open, and hope you win in 2020,” Graham told Democrats. By the time impeachment rolled around, there was seemingly nothing Trump could say that Graham would not enthusiastically amplify. When Trump called the impeachment inquiry a “lynching”, Graham said: “This is a lynching in every sense. This is un-American.”Graham’s transformation has fed a cottage industry of think pieces. But the short version notes that Graham, 64, who has served in Congress for nearly three decades, is up for re-election this year in a state Trump won by 14 points and where the president remains very popular.Had Graham lost the faith – and endorsement – of Trump this fall, he could have been vulnerable to a Republican challenger in a Senate primary contest. And having Trump on his side won’t hurt Graham in the general election, when he will face a former head of the Democratic national committee.If there is a line Graham will not cross in his cultivation of Trump’s favor, no one else can see it. In November, Graham requested documents for a judiciary committee inquiry into the activities in Ukraine of Hunter Biden, former vice-president Joe Biden’s son. Republicans have sought to deflect criticism of Trump by pursuing conspiracy theories about the Bidens advanced by the president.The elder Biden is not only a former Senate colleague of Graham but a beloved friend. In an on-camera interview a teary-eyed Graham once called Biden “as good a man as God ever created”.Asked in November about Graham’s now impugning his son, Biden chalked it up to politics.“They have him under their thumb right now,” he said of the Trump administration’s hold on Graham’s political future.“I am disappointed, and quite frankly I’m angered by the fact – he knows me,” Biden said. “He knows my son. He knows there’s nothing to this.”In the House, Trump had a clamorous kennel of bulldog defenders, representatives like Jim Jordan and Devin Nunes, who could turn any discussion of alleged extortion by Trump into an outraged harangue about the sins of Hunter Biden.The Senate dynamic will be different. Instead of making speeches, the senators must sit and listen and may only submit questions in writing. The deliberation that would precede a final vote has by precedent unfolded behind closed doors and out of the public eye.Graham is uniquely experienced for the task at hand, having served as an impeachment manager when he was in the House and Bill Clinton was in the congressional crosshairs. At the time, he argued that hearing from witnesses and taking evidence were essential to a fair hearing.As recently as October, Graham seemed like a potential member of the group of moderate Republican senators who might entertain the idea that Trump had acted improperly.Asked by Capitol Hill reporters whether anything could sway him on impeachment, Graham said: “Sure. Show me something that is a crime. If you could show me that Trump actually was engaging in a quid pro quo, outside the phone call, that would be very disturbing.”Graham now says the Senate should call no witnesses and move to dismiss the impeachment trial as quickly as possible.“Lindsey is about to go down in a way that I think he’s going to regret his whole life,” Biden said. “I say Lindsey, I’m just embarrassed by what you’re doing. For you. I mean, my Lord.”

Mitch McConnell: ruthless operator determined to triumph for Trump

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:15:48 -0500

As the president’s impeachment trial opens, the Senate majority leader looks like the ideal figure to have on side For all the hidden pitfalls that a Senate impeachment trial might hold for Donald Trump, he has so far enjoyed the steady support of elected Republicans, and in particular the chamber’s most powerful Republican, Mitch McConnell.But the majority leader’s backing for Trump represents more than just one more vote in the “acquit” column.As one of the most capable – and ruthless – tacticians in the history of the US Senate, McConnell, the political infighter who became legendary for frustrating the agenda of Barack Obama and monkey-wrenching a supreme court nomination, looks like the ideal figure for Trump to have in charge at this most tenuous moment.After weeks of vexed attempts by the two parties to settle on ground rules for the Senate impeachment trial, McConnell was expected to muscle through a resolution to open the proceedings early Tuesday afternoon..It seemed no accident, for those familiar with McConnell’s track record, that the ground rules represented what he has said he wanted all along.Repeatedly over his 13-year tenure as the Senate Republican leader, McConnell has engaged the opposition in slippery combat – over tax cuts or the debt ceiling or campaign finance reform – and emerged the victor. He blocked dozens of federal judges nominated by Obama and then changed Senate rules to accelerate the confirmation of 185 federal judges nominated by Trump … and counting.Where no path to outright victory was apparent, McConnell has brandished procedural rules with unprecedented relish, escalating what once were seen as fraternal political arguments into winner-take-all clashes and, critics say, crippling the institution in the process.Unlike most senators, McConnell has never been known to muse about a future presidential run; instead, his well-known lifelong dream was one day to become Senate majority leader, a dream that came true in early 2015. “He has always been a creature of the Senate,” his wife, Elaine Chao, the labor secretary, has said. “He has incredible respect and understanding of the Senate.”But the job McConnell faces in Trump’s impeachment trial is unusual. The matter at hand is a trial of sorts, not a piece of legislation. The procedures are different, and sketchier, leaving open the possibility of Republican defections. The national focus is expected to be unusually intense, perhaps increasing the temptation among some Republicans to take a turn in the national spotlight by stepping ever so slightly out of line.While the US constitution and Senate lay out broad rules for an impeachment trial, rules that govern standards of evidence and the admission of witnesses are left for the Senate to decide, creating a political showdown even before the trial proper gets under way.The uncertainty also creates room for operators like McConnell to … operate. During the trial, McConnell could have the power to guide the process toward a swift close, or to put an end to Democratic calls for additional witnesses and testimony.Significantly, Trump and McConnell seem to be closely aligned, with McConnell saying he would coordinate with Trump’s lawyers and Trump praising the legislator’s leadership.“I’m not an impartial juror,” McConnell said flatly in December. “This is a political process. There is not anything judicial about it. Impeachment is a political decision.”That kind of pugnacious, sometimes bordering on troll-worthy, speech, is a McConnell trademark. In a widely quoted declaration in 2010, he said: “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”While he shocked Democrats and some Republicans by refusing to take up Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the supreme court in March 2016, months before either party had even nominated a candidate to replace Obama, he made it a point for boasting on the campaign trail.“One of my proudest moments was when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr President, you will not fill the supreme court vacancy,’” he told a crowd in Kentucky that year, to enthusiastic cheers. McConnell later casually reversed himself on the underlying debate, saying he would install a Trump-nominated justice in the run-up to 2020, given the opportunity.For all his political talents, McConnell’s performance as majority leader has been imperfect. He failed to deliver the repeal of Obama’s healthcare law, once the keystone Republican party promise to its base. And he couldn’t prevent Trump from initiating a damaging government shutdown over border wall funding in late 2018. McConnell consistently rates as one of the least popular senators in the country, with a 49% home-state disapproval rating.But ever since winning his first Senate race in 1984, McConnell has gained more power, and held it more closely. The only child of a chemicals executive and a homemaker growing up in Georgia and Kentucky, McConnell overcame a bout with polio and little natural retail political talent to chart his career.He began as a moderate, supporting collective bargaining for public employees and even some abortion rights, before hitching his fate to the increasingly conservative right wing of the party. He arrived on Capitol Hill as a Senate aide in 1969 and won his first race, for a county executive seat in Kentucky, in 1976.In his 2014 book on McConnell, The Cynic, the journalist Alec MacGillis describes how “a guileless young man who was conspicuously uninformed about the mechanics of politics grew into a steely influence broker, proud of his growing sway on Capitol Hill”.“It is he who symbolizes better than anyone else in politics today,” wrote MacGillis, “the transformation of the Republican party from a broad, nationwide coalition spanning conservatives, moderates, and even some liberals into an ideologically monolithic, demographically constrained unit that political scientists judge without modern historical precedency.”

Sending back climate refugees may violate right to life: U.N. body

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:15:34 -0500

Governments need to take into account the climate crisis when considering the deportation of asylum seekers, the United Nations said in a landmark ruling that could pave the way for future climate refugees.

Rudy Giuliani says Lev Parnas 'misled' him and 'lied stupidly'

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:14:00 -0500

Rudy Giuliani is "heartbroken" over recent comments made by his former associate Lev Parnas, who says he worked closely with Giuliani in Ukraine as part of an attempt to find damaging information about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday night, Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyer, said he was once "close to" Parnas, but was "misled by him." In October, Parnas and his business partner Igor Fruman were arrested and charged with campaign finance violations. Last week, Parnas made several public accusations against Giuliani, President Trump, and Attorney General William Barr, implicating all of them in the Ukraine scheme that is central to Trump's impeachment.While Fruman did not cooperate with House impeachment investigators, Parnas did, turning over documents and other materials. Parnas said while he was in Ukraine trying to find dirt on the Bidens, he "wouldn't do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani and the president." Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney, refuted this, saying Parnas "in very large part did not tell the truth" and "lied stupidly."Giuliani told Ingraham he would not discuss all of Parnas' accusations, but did deny ever talking about his Ukraine investigation with Barr and said Parnas' account of a meeting during a 2018 White House Hanukkah party was a lie. In November, CNN reported that Parnas told two people close to him that during the celebration, Trump let Parnas and Fruman know he wanted them to go on a "secret mission" to Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Giuliani said this was "absolutely untrue," as they were never pulled into a private meeting.Parnas posted a photo taken at the party on social media, showing him posing with Trump, Giuliani, Fruman, and Vice President Mike Pence. Trump has repeatedly denied knowing Parnas; Parnas has promised to keep releasing pictures of the two of them together. More stories from theweek.com The strongest case for Joe Biden Under McConnell's rules, Trump's impeachment trial could last well past midnight or end immediately San Francisco Giants' Alyssa Nakken becomes MLB's 1st female coach

Michael Avenatti being held in same cell that housed Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, lawyer says - NBC News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:11:00 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:08:58 -0500

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Uber sells Indian food delivery business to Zomato

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:08:49 -0500

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Factbox: Abuse of power, obstruction - the charges against Trump explained

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:07:19 -0500

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday may begin to hear opening arguments in an impeachment trial to determine whether to remove President Donald Trump from office on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress in its investigation of his dealings with Ukraine.

Vegas-area police: Baby boy found dead in trash bin

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:05:47 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:04:24 -0500

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Iran seeks gear from U.S., France to download downed plane's black boxes

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:01:42 -0500

Iran has made requests for equipment from U.S. and French authorities so it can download information from the black boxes on a downed Ukrainian passenger plane but Tehran has not received a positive response, the civil aviation body said.

Iran asks U.S., France for equipment to download downed plane's black boxes

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:01:42 -0500

Iran has requested equipment it says it needs from U.S. and French authorities to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian passenger plane but Tehran had not yet received a positive response, the Iranian civil aviation body said. Canada, Ukraine and other nations who had citizens on the flight in which all 176 people aboard were killed when it was accidentally shot down on Jan. 8, have asked Iran to send the flight data and voice recorders to experts abroad for analysis. Tehran has given mixed signals about whether they would be handed over.

Emerging market inflation hits near-six-year high

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 01:00:59 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:57:21 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:56:33 -0500

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A 3-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion in a California wilderness park. The animal was euthanized

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:55:49 -0500

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Thai court says opposition Future Forward Party not guilty of opposing monarchy

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:54:49 -0500

Buckle Up: What to Watch as Impeachment Trial Takes Off

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:54:19 -0500

Senators like to float above messy politics in what's known by some as the dignified "upper chamber," home of Congress' cooler heads and lofty rhetoric.

But as a court of President Donald Trump's impeachment, the Senate beginning Tuesday might seem more like the economy cabin of an oversold flight on an especially tense, mandatory work trip.

Rock star legal teams will cram the airy well of the chamber just a few feet from each other and Chief Justice John Roberts. Four television screens take up rarified space. Staff will snap up seats near the wall. A podium stands at the center aisle.

As for phones, it's worse than airplane mode: They are banned from the chamber. That maroons 100 chatty senators — including four Democrats in the heat of a nomination fight — for the serious constitutional business of the impeachment trial, for hours at a time.

"I'm going to be stuck in Washington for God knows how long," Sen. Bernie Sanders told supporters in Des Moines Monday night.

What to watch — and whom — when the trial gets underway around 1 p.m. EST Tuesday:

GROUND RULES

But first, naturally, some talk from senators.

The Senate opens with debate on the structure and rules of the proceedings. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing a condensed, two-day calendar for opening arguments on the articles passed by the House on Dec. 18. They charge Trump with abusing power by pressuring Ukraine to help him politically, and obstructing Congress when it tried to find out what happened.

McConnell's ground rules are outlined in a four-page resolution that must be voted on as one of the first orders of business. It pushes off any votes on witnesses until later in the process, rather than up front, as Democrats had demanded. But McConnell's plan on witnesses lines up with the organizing resolution that set the structure of President Bill Clinton's trial in 1999.

DRAWING THE CURTAIN

"At all times," according to Senate rules, a majority of senators present can vote to close the proceedings and debate in private. That would mean the cameras shut off and everyone who's not a member of the Senate kicked out of the chamber until the senators choose to reopen it.

Senators did that at various points during the Clinton trial. McConnell then argued that members of the chamber listen to each other better in private.

A LONG HAUL

After the four days of opening arguments — maximum 24 hours per side — senators will be allowed up to 16 hours for questions to the prosecution and defense, followed by four hours of debate. Only then will there be votes on calling other witnesses.

Senate rules say the trial must proceed six days a week — all but Sunday — until it is resolved.

OFF THE TRAIL, OFF THE GRID

Watch a coterie of Democratic senators who literally would rather be somewhere else — specifically Iowa and New Hampshire — ahead of their party's kickoff votes for the right to try to unseat Trump in the November election.

Watch Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for signs of fatigue from flying between Washington and these places and coping with being off the internet for hours at a time.

Also look for the surrogates, video calls to supporters and ads designed to give them a measure of presence in the early nominating states.

THE PROSECUTORS

Leading the case for the House is Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of Californian and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York. Five other Democrats round out the prosecution team, a group House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she chose in part for their experience with the law.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., has worked on three impeachment inquiries, starting with the one that helped persuade President Richard Nixon to resign. Rep. Val Demings of Florida is not a lawyer, but she is a former police chief and a member of both committees deeply familiar with the case against Trump. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is a lawyer and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, so he's close to Pelosi's ranks.

Pelosi also chose two freshmen who helped flip the House from GOP control in 2018. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas is a former judge. And Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado is a retired Army Ranger who was one of the seven new members with national security backgrounds to call for Trump's impeachment over his conduct with Ukraine.

FOR THE PRESIDENT

Trump cast some big personalities for seats at the defense table.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone and personal lawyer Jay Sekulow are expected to lead the argument that Trump committed no crimes, that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense and that the president is a victim of a political "witch hunt" by Democrats.

Bringing experience both in constitutional law and the politics of impeachment, he's adding retired law professor Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr, the independent counsel who investigated Clinton. The team also will include Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general.

The team, less experienced in the Senate than the House prosecutors as a whole, visited the Senate chamber Monday, in part to test the equipment they expect to use for audio-visual presentations.

Look for signs of tension involving the president's outside legal team and lawyers within the White House. Dershowitz on Sunday tried to distance himself from the president.

THE NUMBERS

100: The total number of senators.

53: The Republican majority.

51: The number of senators who must agree on almost anything to make it happen during an impeachment trial.

Four: The number of Republican senators who must join Democrats to get to the magical 51.

2/3: The proportion of senators required to convict and remove a president from office. So 67 members of the Senate would have to vote to convict if every senator is voting.

THE GANG

Both sides will be keeping tabs on the Senate's moderates for an emerging gang of three to four who could influence the outcome on such matters as whether to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton. That vote won't be taken for days if not weeks.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has been meeting with a small number of GOP colleagues who want to consider witness testimony and documents that weren't part of the House impeachment investigation. Watch GOP Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for signs of whether this group can stick together and force the Senate to consider additional material.

Biden accepts Sanders apology over unofficial surrogate’s blistering op-ed - Fox News

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:51:10 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:49:00 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:48:42 -0500

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Thai court acquits opposition party of opposing monarchy

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:48:00 -0500

The ruling means major Thai opposition Future Forward Party will not be banned on charges of sedition. However, the party still faces several more legal challenges that could yet see it dissolved.

Sean Hannity says Republicans shouldn't give impeachment trial 'one iota of legitimacy' - CNN

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:48:00 -0500

Coronavirus: shares in Asia Pacific fall sharply as fears mount - The Guardian

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:48:00 -0500

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Trump's Senate trial will open with acrimony Tuesday that will underscore how his impeachment is likely to tear even deeper national divides

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:40:57 -0500

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Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:40:00 -0500

Mexico murder rate reaches record high

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:40:00 -0500

The number of homicides recorded last year in the Central American country rose to 34,582. President Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018 pledging to reduce violence in the murder-plagued country.