國際時事政治選舉新聞張貼及討論區（七）

North Korea fires projectiles into sea: South Korea military
https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-fires-projectiles-into-sea-south-korea-military/a-49735180

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that two unidentified projectiles were fired by their North Korean neighbors.

The ministers added that the projectiles originated from near the North Korean city of Wonsan and went a total of 430 kilometers (267 miles) before landing into the sea off its east coast.

The reported firing comes as US and North Korean officials work to restart nuclear talks, and as the North has also sharply criticized planned joint military drills between US and South Korean troops. North Korea's last weapons testing was in May.

A United States official also confirmed the reports but refused to say when the incidents occurred.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said the White House was aware of a "short-range projectile launched from North Korea. We have no further comment."



The North "fired one unidentified projectile at 5:34 a.m. and the other at 5:57 a.m., from Wonsan areas into the East Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

"Our military is closely monitoring the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture," The South's Yonhap news agency quoted the Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying.

Trump was not exonerated by my report, Robert Mueller tells Congress
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49100778

US President Donald Trump's claim that he was "totally exonerated" by special counsel Robert Mueller was rejected by Mr Mueller in a hearing on Wednesday.

Mr Mueller said he had not exonerated Mr Trump of obstruction of justice.

However Mr Trump criticised Mr Mueller's performance and said: "This was a great day for me."

Mr Mueller spent two years probing alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, but did not establish collusion in a crime.

However he concluded that Russia interfered in the election on Mr Trump's behalf.

Italian premier denies Russian influence over government

https://www.dw.com/en/italian-premier-denies-russian-influence-over-government/a-49734825

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (pictured) faced questions on Wednesday from the country's parliament over allegations that Matteo Salvini's League party, a coalition partner in Conte's government, had sought illicit funds from Russia.

"There are no elements at this stage that could reduce the trust I have in all members of the government," Conte told the upper house Senate.

The scandal over the alleged ties between Russian money and the League began with a series of high-profile media reports.

Italian news magazine L'Espresso reported in February that Salvini's former spokesman, Gianluca Savoini, had held talks in Moscow last October with Russian businessmen about a possible oil deal to covertly divert 58 million euros ($65 million) to the League.

This was followed by US website Buzzfeed, which posted an audio recording this month of the Moscow meeting where Savoini can be heard discussing a covert oil transaction. Buzzfeed said it was unclear whether or not the proposed deal was finalized.

Savoini, a former journalist, is married to a Russian and is president of the Lombardy-Russia association. He is considered one of the League's main contacts with Moscow.

Prosecutors are now investigating Savoini's meeting, which prompted the Italian parliament to address the topic during Wednesday's session.

Boris Johnson overhauls cabinet on first day as PM

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49102466

Boris Johnson has given key cabinet roles to leading Brexiteers after becoming the UK's new prime minister.

Dominic Raab and Priti Patel return to government as foreign secretary and home secretary respectively.

Sajid Javid has been named as the new chancellor as more than half of Theresa May's old cabinet, including leadership rival Jeremy Hunt, quit or were sacked.

Earlier, Mr Johnson said the Brexit "doomsters and gloomsters" were wrong and the UK would leave on 31 October.

Speaking outside No 10, he said the UK would meet that deadline "no ifs, no buts", adding: "The buck stops with me."

Mr Johnson then turned his attention to a radical overhaul of the government, with 17 of Mrs May's former senior ministers being axed or stepping down.

Announcing his departure, Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt said he had been offered an alternative role but had turned it down.

Factbox: Who has UK PM Johnson appointed to his cabinet?
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-cabinet-factbox/factbox-who-has-uk-pm-johnson-appointed-to-his-cabinet-idUSKCN1UJ2MH

*Finance minister: Sajid Javid replaces Philip Hammond

*Interior minister: Priti Patel replaces Sajid Javid

*Foreign minister: Dominic Raab replaces Jeremy Hunt

*Brexit minister: Stephen Barclay remains

*Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Michael Gove replaces David Lidington

*Defence minister: Ben Wallace replaces Penny Mordaunt

*Trade minister: Liz Truss replaces Liam Fox

*Health minister: Matt Hancock remains

*Environment minister: Theresa Villiers replaces Michael Gove

*Education minister: Gavin Williamson replaces Damian Hinds

*Culture minister: Nicky Morgan replaces Jeremy Wright

*Business minister: Andrea Leadsom replaces Greg Clark

*Housing minister: Robert Jenrick replaces James Brokenshire

*Work and Pensions minister: Amber Rudd remains

*Justice minister and Lord Chancellor: Robert Buckland replaces David Gauke

*International development minister: Alok Sharma replaces Rory Stewart

*Transport minister: Grant Shapps replaces Chris Grayling

*Attorney General: Geoffrey Cox remains

*Leader of the House of Commons: Jacob Rees-Mogg replaces Mel Stride

Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló to quit after weeks of protest

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/25/puerto-rico-governor-ricardo-rossello-to-quit-after-weeks-of-protest

Puerto Rico’s embattled governor has announced his resignation following almost two weeks of continuous mass protest on the island tied to a leaked text message scandal that saw him gradually abandoned by his own party. Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation – set for 2 August – was announced late on Wednesday.

A crowd of demonstrators outside the governor’s mansion in Old San Juan erupted into cheers and singing after his announcement on Facebook Live just before midnight.

Addressing the protests, Rosselló said, “The demands have been overwhelming and I’ve received them with highest degree of humility.”

Rosselló said he would be replaced by his justice secretary, Wanda Vázquez, a former prosecutor who headed the US territory’s office of women’s affairs. Vázquez is next in line to succeed Rosselló after secretary of state Luis Rivera Marín resigned over the scandal earlier in the month.

“What I wish most is peace and progress for my people,” the governor said in a pre-recorded message that also sought to tout his record, and ignore allegations his administration has been plagued by corruption.

Hundreds of thousands have lined the streets of Puerto Rico during some of the largest demonstrations in the US territory’s history. The protests began in response to hundreds of pages of leaked text messages between Rosselló and 11 members of his inner circle, who partook in a series of homophobic and sexist jokes. Others mocked the victims of Hurricane Maria.

Tunisia's president Beji Caid Essebsi dies aged 92
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/25/tunisia-president-beji-caid-essebsi-dies

Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisia’s president and a major figure in the country’s transition to democracy after the Arab spring, has died.

Politicians and social media users had been calling for greater transparency about the president’s health since he was admitted to hospital in May amid fears for the country’s stability.

Tunisia is often described as the lone success story of the revolutions of 2011 because of its slow but steady progress towards democracy, despite extended economic problems.

Essebsi had appeared feeble in a video of a meeting at the defence ministry released by his office on Monday. He died in a military hospital on Thursday morning, his office said.

Essebsi, who at 92 was the oldest head of state after the Queen, has been a major figure in Tunisian politics since the uprisings that led to the overthrow of the longtime despot Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Ben Ali took power in 1987 after ousting Essebsi’s mentor, Habib Bourguiba, who led Tunisia to independence from France in 1956 and ruled afterwards.

The unexpected fall of Ben Ali in Tunisia triggered the Arab spring uprisings against authoritarian leaders across the Middle East, including in nearby Libya and Egypt.

Essebsi, who served as an adviser to Bourguiba and then as his foreign minister, returned to active politics after a break of two decades to serve as interim prime minister in the chaotic aftermath of Ben Ali’s ousting.

Though an affirmed secularist, Essebsi handed over power to a government led by Tunisia’s Islamists, an act many analysts say was crucial in ensuring stability in the small north African country.

He subsequently reached out to Islamist leaders to avoid a political breakdown before launching his own party, the secularist Nidaa Tounes (Call of Tunis) party, and bid to win the presidency. The former lawyer won the country’s first democratic presidential election in 2014.

Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be 'sensational', says top diplomat
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49125925

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be "sensational" now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America's ambassador to the UK has said.

Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to "get things done".

He played down the PM's criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him "stupefyingly ignorant".

And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK's ability to strike a trade deal with the US.

The US president has welcomed Mr Johnson's rise to power, saying he would do a "great job" and even suggesting he was "Britain Trump".

A supporter of Brexit, Mr Trump was critical of former Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU.

There have also been tensions over climate change and the US president's views on race and immigration, while a recent row over the leaking of British diplomatic cables led to the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador in Washington.

Woody Johnson told Radio 4's Today his job was to focus on the "things we agree on".

"We're going to have bumps in the road, no question, but we are two great countries," he said.

"If we look forward optimistically between our two countries, we're going to lift all the people in this country - to independence and all the things you voted for in the referendum."

"I think that's what the president wants and what your new prime minister wants too," he added.

Boris Johnson's Brexit policy 'unacceptable' - EU negotiator

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49118107

Top European officials have rebuffed the Brexit policy of Boris Johnson after his first speech to UK MPs.

The new prime minister said he was committed to "getting rid" of the Irish border backstop, which has long been a bone of contention in negotiations.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said removing the backstop guarantee was unacceptable.

Mr Johnson also spoke on the phone with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Mr Juncker reiterated the EU's position that the already-negotiated withdrawal agreement was the best one possible – though he said the commission would be available over the coming weeks if the UK wanted to hold talks.

After the speech, Mr Barnier sent a note to European leaders, repeating the EU's position that getting rid of the backstop was "of course unacceptable", and labelling Mr Johnson's speech "rather combative".

But he added that despite disagreements over the backstop, the EU was prepared to "work constructively, within our own mandate", and was prepared to analyse "any UK idea on withdrawal issues that are compatible with the existing withdrawal agreement".

Concerning the possibility of a no deal, he said it would not be "the EU's choice" but "we have to be ready for a situation where he [Mr Johnson] gives priority to the planning for 'no deal', partly to heap pressure on the unity of the EU27."

"In any case, what remains essential on our side is to remain calm, stick to our principles and guidelines and show solidarity and unity of the 27."

He added that he would "remain available throughout the summer for talks with the UK".

Palestinian leader Abbas says agreements with Israelis to stop

https://www.dw.com/en/palestinian-leader-abbas-says-agreements-with-israelis-to-stop/a-49753004

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed the recent Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes as "ethnic cleansing" and said he would cut cooperation with Israeli authorities.

"We announce the leadership's decision to stop implementing the agreements signed with the Israeli side," he said after meeting other Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday.

Israelis and Palestinians cooperate on a range of issues, from water supply to security considerations. Abbas did not specify which deals might be discontinued. In his statement, he also said Palestinians would immediately form a committee to implement the decision.

The 84-year-old leader has made such threats in the past and failed to act on them, although it is rare for Abbas to speak with such clarity on the issue.

Guatemala signs migration deal with US after Trump threats

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49134544

The US and Guatemala have signed a migration agreement, days after US President Donald Trump threatened the Central American country with tariffs.

Under the deal, migrants from Honduras and El Salvador who pass through Guatemala would be required to stop and seek asylum there first.

Migrants who failed to do so would then be ineligible for asylum in the US.

Mr Trump said that in exchange Guatemalan farm workers would get easier access to work on US farms.

The Guatemalan government says the agreement will last for two years, and will be reviewed every three months.

It said neither side was obliged to make any funding available under the plan.

Trump threatens French wine in retaliation for digital tax

https://www.dw.com/en/trump-threatens-french-wine-in-retaliation-for-digital-tax/a-49766157

US President Donald Trump has vowed to retaliate against France's planned digital tax , threatening to increase tariffs on the country's iconic drink.

"We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron's foolishness shortly. I've always said American wine is better than French wine!" Trump tweeted on Friday, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Later in the Oval Office, Trump explained that the US may impose a tax on French wine, but other options are being considered as well.

Trump, a famous teetotaler, also explained his comment about preferring American wine, saying: "I don't drink wine. I just like the way they look."

The US is the largest export market for French wine. In 2018, the US made up nearly a quarter of all French wine exports, amounting to €3.2 billion ($3.6 billion).

US Supreme Court gives go-ahead for Trump wall funding

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49135255

The US Supreme Court has given President Donald Trump permission to use $2.5 billion (£2 billion) of Pentagon funds for a section of wall on the southern border.

The court ruled by five votes to four to block a ruling by a federal judge in California that barred the president from spending the money on the wall.

The wall, dividing the US and Mexico, was Mr Trump's major campaign promise during the 2016 election.

It is fiercely opposed by Democrats.

The decision by the Supreme Court means that the money will be used for wall projects in California, Arizona and New Mexico.

The court in California had argued that Congress had not specifically authorised the funds to be used for constructing the wall.

In a tweet, Mr Trump described the ruling as a "big victory."

Trump Targets China Over WTO ‘Developing Nation’ Crackdown

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-26/trump-targets-china-in-memo-on-wto-developing-nation-crackdown?srnd=premium-asia

President Donald Trump opened another chapter in the trade war with China, ordering his top trade negotiator to pressure the World Trade Organization to crack down on countries the U.S. doesn’t think should be allowed to declare themselves developing nations.

Trump singled out China in a memo to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, saying that “the United States has never accepted China’s claim to developing-country status, and virtually every current economic indicator belies China’s claim.”

The president, who has long been a vocal critic of the institution, called the WTO “broken” in a tweet that followed release of the memo. But analysts said it was unclear what power the U.S. had to effect any change or to use it as justification for tariffs or other potential remedies, given that decisions at the WTO are made by consensus and the issue has long been a point of contention.

Russia protests: Thousand arrests at Moscow rally

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49125045

Police in Moscow have detained more than 1,000 people at a rally, in one of the biggest crackdowns in years.

Demonstrators were dragged away from the city hall as security forces used batons against the crowd.

People were protesting against the exclusion of opposition candidates from local polls. The opposition say they were barred for political reasons.

Some of the candidates banned from standing in the 8 September election had been detained earlier.

Officials disqualified about 30 people, saying they had failed to collect enough valid signatures to stand.

At least 1,074 arrests were made at the banned rally, officials say, while monitors reported 1,127 detentions.

Moscow's Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, has called the demonstration a "security threat", and promised to maintain public order.

Anger is widespread among opposition supporters at the way the city is run and the ruling United Russia party.

Trump’s ‘rat-infested’ attack on lawmaker was racist, says Pelosi

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49141521

Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi has accused US President Donald Trump of "racist attacks" in tweets about an African American lawmaker.

Mr Trump attacked Democratic Rep Elijah Cummings and his Maryland district on Twitter.

The president described Mr Cummings' majority-black district in Baltimore as a "rodent-infested mess".

Mr Cummings was a "bully", Mr Trump wrote, for criticising the treatment of migrants at the US-Mexico border.

As chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Mr Cummings has instigated a series of investigations into the Trump administration's policies, including its handling of migrants at detention centres.

Ms Pelosi led Democratic legislators in defending Mr Cummings and condemning Trump's tweets.

The tweets, Ms Pelosi wrote, were "racist attacks" on Mr Cummings, whose district's population is more than 50% black according to US census data.

Hammond plots with Labour to kill Johnson’s no-deal Brexit

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/27/hammond-plots-with-starmer-to-kill-no-deal-brexit

The former Tory chancellor Philip Hammond held private talks with Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer shortly before Boris Johnson entered Downing Street last Wednesday, to plot cross-party moves aimed at preventing the new prime minister agreeing to a no-deal Brexit.

The meeting in the House of Commons – which took place shortly after Hammond had resigned from the government – is evidence of the fierce backlash Johnson faces from MPs of all parties if he tries to defy parliament and take the UK out of the EU without an agreement on 31 October.

It is understood that the former political opponents Hammond and Starmer agreed to work together through the summer recess with other leading parliamentarians who oppose no deal, including former Tory ministers Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve, to thrash out how best to use parliamentary votes to torpedo no deal.

On Saturday night Starmer confirmed that Johnson’s arrival in No 10 had spurred more cross-party discussions at high levels involving senior Tories sacked by Johnson, or who chose to resign, as opponents of no deal prepared a cross-party counter-offensive against his new hard-Brexit cabinet and government.

“The political direction of travel under Boris Johnson is clear,” said Starmer, “and so it is more important than ever that we build a strong cross-party alliance to stop a no-deal Brexit.

“That work will intensify over the summer, before parliament resumes in September.”

The plans being hatched include amending Brexit-related legislation that has to pass through parliament before the UK can leave the EU in a way that would force the Johnson to ask for a further extension to the UK’s membership if no Brexit agreement has been reached by early October.

A “last resort” option is for Hammond and other Tory Remainers to vote for a no-confidence motion in their own government if no deal still appears on the cards.

Donald Trump's intelligence chief Dan Coats resigns

https://www.dw.com/en/donald-trumps-intelligence-chief-dan-coats-resigns/a-49779882

The US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Dan Coats, announced on Sunday that he would be leaving his post. It was the latest high-ranking resignation in Donald Trump's team and his departure comes just two weeks after Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned from his post.

Trump announced Coats' resignation and thanked him for his service, saying the departure would be effective August 15. The US president will nominate John Ratcliffe, a Texas Republican member of the House of Representatives.

"John will lead and inspire greatness for the country he loves," Trump said.

A former Republican senator from Indiana, Coats was appointed director of National Intelligence in March 2017. He was the fifth person to hold the post, which was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to oversee and coordinate the country's 17 intelligence agencies.

In his two-year tenure, Coats clashed with Trump, as the DNI director took a harder line toward Russia that sharply contrasted with the president's conciliatory approach.

The two also clashed on North Korea. Coats told Congress in January that the hermit nation was unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons, contradicting Trump' statement Pyongyang no longer posed a threat.

By contrast, Ratcliffe is seen as a Trump ally. The Texas Republican has questioned the legitimacy of the Mueller report into Russian election interference and urged investigation into potential wrongdoing during the Obama administration.

Alexei Navalny: Jailed Russian opposition leader discharged from hospital
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49144327

A doctor for Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition figure, says he has been discharged from hospital.

Mr Navalny, who was detained last week, will now be transferred back to jail.

Initial reports suggested that he had suffered an acute allergic reaction, resulting in a swollen face, eye problems and rashes on his body.

His doctor said she opposed his discharge, saying he'd never suffered from allergies before and may have been exposed to "some toxic agent".

Before Mr Navalny was released from hospital, his medical team said they were able to gain access to him and had arranged for samples of his hair and T-shirt to be tested independently.

Speaking to AFP, Mr Navalny's doctor Anastasia Vassilieva said he was "not allergic to anything".

"It was a toxic reaction to a chemical, it was definitely some chemical agent," she said. "It's absurd to call it an allergy."

She added that he "needs to be under close medical supervision", and should be allowed to call his relatives.

US to reduce Afghanistan forces by 2020

https://www.dw.com/en/us-to-reduce-afghanistan-forces-by-2020/a-49795183

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that US President Donald Trump directed him to reduce US combat troop numbers in Afghanistan by the next presidential election in 2020.

Speaking during an event in Washington, Pompeo said that the troop drawdown was an "unambiguous" directive from President Trump, although he did not provide a specific timeline or any troop numbers.

"End the endless wars, draw down, reduce," said Pompeo, adding that the reduction would also apply to forces from other countries currently in Afghanistan.

"We hope that overall the need for combat forces in the region is reduced," Pompeo said. "It won't just be us."

The US formally ended its Afghan combat mission in 2014, however, around 14,000 US troops remain to provide air support and training to Afghan security forces.

The US is currently negotiating with the Taliban over an end to the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan. The Taliban has said that direct talks with the Afghan government in Kabul is contingent on the complete withdrawal of foreign forces.

Democrats take on Trump in debate: Live analysis
https://www.politico.com/2020-election/live-updates-and-analysis/democratic-debate-2019-detroit-online/

Triple talaq: India criminalises Muslim 'instant divorce'

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49160818

India's parliament has approved a bill that makes the Muslim practice of "instant divorce" a criminal offence.

"Triple talaq", as it's known, allows a husband to divorce his wife by repeating the word "talaq" (divorce) three times in any form, including email or text message.

The Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional in 2017.

Supporters say the new measure protects Muslim women. Opponents say the punishment is harsh and open to misuse.

Men found in breach of the new law can be jailed for up to three years.

The bill was first tabled in 2017 but stalled in the upper house of parliament, where some MPs called it unfair.

India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supports the bill, while the main opposition Congress party opposes it. But the BJP doesn't have a majority in the upper house. On Tuesday, the bill was passed by 99 votes to 84 after a number of walkouts and abstentions.

North Korea 'fires two ballistic missiles' - S Korean media

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49173514

North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea's military is quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

The launch was made from the Hodo peninsula on Wednesday morning local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told the agency.

The missiles flew 250km (155 miles) and reached a height of 30km before landing in the Sea of Japan, JCS added.

North Korea has so far made no comments on the issue.

Japan's Ministry of Defence said that no ballistic missiles had reached its territory.

JCS said Wednesday's missiles were a "different type from previous models".

Boris Johnson: EU must scrap the backstop to avoid a no-deal Brexit
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/30/johnson-varadkar-clash-over-irish-backstop-phone-call-brexit

Boris Johnson has said it is up to the EU to compromise to avoid a no-deal Brexit, after his demands for the backstop to be scrapped were met with a flat refusal from the Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

In comments that showed he is preparing to blame the EU if the UK ends up leaving without a deal, Johnson said he was not aiming for a no-deal Brexit but the situation was “very much up to our friends and partners across the Channel”.

“They know that three times the House of Commons has thrown out that backstop, there’s no way that we can get it through, we have to have that backstop out of the deal, we cannot go on with the withdrawal agreement as it currently is,” he said.

“If they understand that then I think we are going to be at the races. If they can’t compromise, if they really can’t do it, then clearly we have to get ready for a no-deal exit.”

He said it was “up to the EU, this is their call if they want us to do this” but “unless we are determined to do it they won’t take us seriously in the course of the negotiations”.

Earlier, Johnson clashed with Varadkar in their first phone call since he entered Downing Street in which the taoiseach said the EU was united in the view that it cannot be scrapped.

Johnson finally spoke to Varadkar almost a week after becoming prime minister, telling him the UK would never put physical checks or infrastructure at the border with Northern Ireland after Brexit but demanding the backstop be scrapped.

Democratic debate: Biden under fire from rival candidates and protesters – live
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/jul/31/democratic-debates-2019-live-news-tonight-joe-biden-kamala-harris-cory-booker-latest