國際時事政治選舉新聞張貼及討論區（七）

US imposes sanctions on Iran's foreign minister

https://www.dw.com/en/us-imposes-sanctions-on-irans-foreign-minister/a-49837737

The United States on Wednesday put sanctions on Iran's foreign minister, in a highly unusual move that effectively closes diplomatic avenues amid already heightened tensions between the two countries.

The US Treasury said it was imposing sanctions on Mohammad Javad Zarif because he acted on behalf of the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Javad Zarif implements the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader, and is the regime's primary spokesperson around the world. The United States is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its recent behavior is completely unacceptable," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The smooth-talking, US educated diplomat has been Iran's chief interlocutor on the international stage and the main point person on the country's civilian nuclear industry, which the United States says is a covert weapons program. He is widely considered one of the most popular figures inside Iran.

The US Treasury said in a statement Zarif spreads "the regime’s propaganda and disinformation" through social media and his ministry has coordinated with one of Iran's "most nefarious state entities," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) elite Quds force.

The US sanctions block any of Zarif's assets in the United States and prohibit US institutions from doing business with him. They also potentially subject any foreign institution that conducts a significant transaction with him to US sanctions.

Hamza bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, believed dead – reports
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/31/hamza-bin-laden-son-of-osama-bin-laden-has-died-reports

Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza, who was trying to lead an al-Qaida resurgence, is believed dead, according to US reports.

NBC News reported the US had received intelligence that he had died, citing three American officials. The New York Times, quoting two unnamed officials, also reported Hamza bin Laden had been killed sometime over the past two years, and it had taken time to confirm the death.

The report said the US had a hand in the death of the al-Qaida heir, thought to have been aged about 30.

Hamza bin Laden had been seeking to stage attacks on western targets with the aim of restoring al-Qaida’s status at the vanguard of extreme jihadist groups, after many years of decline and eclipse by Islamic State. He was thought to have been based in Pakistan’s tribal areas, along the border with Afghanistan.

“They were clearly grooming him to be a next generation successor,” said Peter Bergen, an al-Qaida expert and director of international security programme at the New America foundation. “Ayman al-Zawahiri [al-Qaida’s official leader] hasn’t been a particularly effective leader. He’s got a sort of charisma deficit. And they were trying to put this guy forward.”

Although Hamza bin Laden had made public statements in recent years, Bergen raised questions over whether he was an operational leader. While al-Qaida affiliates have been active in Syria, Yemen and Africa, central al-Qaida, which was behind the 9/11 attacks, has not carried out significant operations.

North Korea launches third 'projectile' in eight days

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49199157

North Korea has fired an unidentified short-range projectile twice, South Korean officials say, in the country's third weapons test in just over a week.

The launches happened in an area on the country's eastern coast early on Friday.

They are seen as a reaction to planned military exercises between South Korea and the US due this month.

Meanwhile, the UK, France and Germany have called on North Korea to engage in "meaningful" talks with the US.

After a closed-door meeting at the UN Security Council, the countries said international sanctions need to be fully enforced until Pyongyang had dismantled its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The launches happened at 02:59 (17:59 GMT Thursday) and 03:23 local time from the Yonghung area in South Hamgyong province into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The area appears to be a launch site that has not been used before, said Ankit Panda, adjunct senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists.

UK plans to create up to 10 freeports to boost post-Brexit trade

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-freeports/uk-plans-to-create-up-to-10-freeports-to-boost-post-brexit-trade-idUSKCN1UR5SD

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain plans to create up to 10 freeports to boost trade and manufacturing by cutting cost and bureaucracy after it leaves the European Union, the government said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who took office last month with a pledge to deliver Brexit by the end of October “no ifs or buts”, promoted the idea of freeports during his campaign.

Ports and airports around the country will be able to bid to become one of the freeports, the government said, announcing it had created a new Freeports Advisory Panel, including tax and technology specialists, to help set them up.

Freeports, also sometimes known as free trade zones, are areas where imported goods can be held or processed free of customs duties before being exported again. They can also be used to import raw materials and make finished goods for export.

“We are exploring freeports as an innovative way to drive growth and support thousands of high-skilled jobs across the UK,” Rishi Sunak, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said in a statement.

“We will focus on those areas that could benefit the most, as we look to boost investment and opportunity for communities across the country.”

Mozambique political leaders sign peace pact

https://www.dw.com/en/mozambique-political-leaders-sign-peace-pact/a-49856229

President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade signed the deal Thursday in Gorongosa National Park in a rugged wildlife region used by Renamo for more than 40 years as its base.

The location had "tremendous symbolic value," said Swiss ambassador Mirko Manzoni, who is also a personal envoy of the UN secretary general.

"Gorongosa was where the war started and now it is where it ends," Mozoni said, referring to a war between Renamo and the ruling Frelimo party that claimed a million lives after Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

A deal reached in Rome in 1992 was declared void in 2013 by Renamo when government forces raided its bush camp. Fresh talks began in 2016.

Trump to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49199559

US President Donald Trump has announced fresh tariffs of 10% on another $300bn of Chinese products from 1 September.

The move is the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the two countries.

It came after the latest round of bilateral talks showed little sign of a breakthrough.

Investors reacted to the news with dismay. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones share index fell sharply, tumbling about 1%.

Mr Trump tweeted that the tariffs applied to "the remaining 300 Billion Dollars of goods and products coming from China into our Country".

He also criticised China for not honouring promises to buy more US agricultural products and attacked Chinese President Xi Jinping for failing to do more to stem sales of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

In later remarks, the president told reporters the 10% tariff was a short-term measure and that tariffs could be lifted further in stages to more than 25%.

"Somebody should have done this with China a long time ago," he added.

The new levy is likely to affect a wide range of goods, from smartphones to children's clothing.

Brecon and Radnorshire by-election: Lib Dems beat Conservatives
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-49200636

The Liberal Democrats have won a closely-fought Brecon and Radnorshire parliamentary by-election.

Jane Dodds overturned an 8,038 majority by Conservative Chris Davies to win by 1,425 votes.

Mr Davies stood again after being unseated by a petition that followed his conviction for a false expenses claim.

Labour were beaten into the fourth place by The Brexit Party.

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Brexit will happen on 31 October 'whatever the circumstances' - No 10

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/05/brexit-will-happen-on-31-october-whatever-the-circumstances-no-10

Brexit will take place on 31 October “whatever the circumstances”, Downing Street has said, refusing to say whether Boris Johnson would regard a vote in parliament against a no-deal departure as sufficient reason to change course.

Quizzed repeatedly at a media briefing, the prime minister’s spokesman also declined to say whether the government would consider allowing no deal to happen if it were amid an election campaign, or if Johnson lost a no-confidence vote in the Commons.

The spokesman said he could not comment on hypothetical situations. But asked whether, as a matter of broader principle, Johnson could commit to respecting votes in parliament, he also declined to answer.

He pointed out that a no-deal departure was simply the consequence of legislation as it stood: “The legal default, as put in place by parliament, is that the UK will leave on 31 October, with or without a deal.”

The comments, which indicate a further ratcheting up of the new government’s rhetoric on no deal, began when the spokesman was asked whether it now appeared to be too late for the UK to depart with a new agreement.

Johnson currently has no Brexit talks scheduled with European leaders, having set down the unilateral condition that the EU must first ditch the backstop insurance clause for the Irish border, something Brussels has long insisted is impossible.

The spokesman said: “It is my job to set out the PM’s position, and that is that the UK will be leaving the EU on 31 October whatever the circumstances. There are no ifs or buts.

“We must restore trust in our democracy and fulfil the repeated promises of parliament to the people by coming out of the EU on 31 October. Politicians cannot choose which votes to respect. They promised to respect the referendum result. We must do so.”

Article 370: India strips disputed Kashmir of special status

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49231619

India's government has revoked part of the constitution that gives Indian-administered Kashmir special status, in an unprecedented move likely to spark unrest.

Article 370 is sensitive because it is what guarantees significant autonomy for the Muslim-majority state.

There has been a long-running insurgency on the Indian side.

Nuclear powers India and Pakistan have fought two wars and a limited conflict over Kashmir since 1947.

Pakistan has condemned India's decision to revoke the special status of its part of Kashmir as illegal, saying it would "exercise all possible options" to counter it.

"India is playing a dangerous game which will have serious consequences for regional peace and stability," said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Trump jabs Fed, calls China's currency move 'major violation'

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-markets-trump/trump-jabs-fed-calls-chinas-currency-move-major-violation-idUSKCN1UV1CD

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump slammed China’s decision to let its yuan currency breach the key seven-per-dollar level for the first time in more than a decade, calling it “a major violation” and jabbing the U.S. central bank.

“China dropped the price of their currency to an almost a historic low. It’s called ‘currency manipulation.’ Are you listening Federal Reserve? This is a major violation which will greatly weaken China over time!” Trump tweeted.

China’s action signals it may be willing to tolerate more currency weakness, which could further inflame an ongoing trade conflict with the United States that sparked anew last week after Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports.

Trump has also criticized the Fed for not making a big enough cut in U.S. interest rates last week in response to monetary policy moves taken by China and Europe, and has ramped up pressure on the U.S. central bank to act.

US officially labels China a 'currency manipulator'
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49244702

The US has officially named China as a "currency manipulator", a statement which will intensify tensions between the world's two largest economies.

The announcement by the US Treasury follows a sharp fall in the value of the Chinese yuan against the dollar.

The drop caught markets off-guard as Beijing usually supports the currency.

Last week, China pledged to retaliate after US President Donald Trump vowed to impose 10% tariffs on $300bn (£246.7bn) of Chinese imports.

On Monday, the yuan passed the seven-per-dollar level for the first time since 2008, prompting Mr Trump to accuse China on Twitter of manipulating its currency.

The US Treasury department defines currency manipulation as when countries deliberately influence the exchange rate between their currency and the US dollar to gain "unfair competitive advantage in international trade".

A weaker yuan makes Chinese exports more competitive, or cheaper to buy with foreign currencies. The US government said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will now engage with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) "to eliminate the unfair competitive advantage created by China's latest actions".

Pakistan vows to fight India's 'illegal' Kashmir move

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49258923

Pakistani PM Imran Khan has vowed to fight India's decision to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir's autonomy, including at the UN Security Council.

Mr Khan said the move was in breach of international law, adding that he feared ethnic cleansing by India.

The region remains locked down, a day after India announced the move.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, but each country controls only part of it.

There is a long-running separatist insurgency on the Indian side, which has led to thousands of deaths over three decades. India accuses Pakistan of supporting insurgents - an accusation Pakistan denies, saying it gives only moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris who want self-determination.

Kyrgyzstan troops storm ex-President Almazbek Atambayev's home
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49273236

Security forces in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan have stormed the home of former President Almazbek Atambayev in an attempt to detain him.

Mr Atambayev's supporters clashed with the troops and one officer died from gunshot wounds, officials said.

It is understood Mr Atambayev is still inside his compound, on the outskirts of the capital Bishkek.

Mr Atambayev has been accused of corruption, which he denies. Parliament stripped him of immunity in June.

According to Kyrgyzstan's national security committee (GKNB), special forces armed "only with rubber bullets" were undertaking a "special operation to detain" the former president on Wednesday.

The GKNB said that as the troops moved in, Mr Atambayev's supporters fired back with live ammunition.

The health ministry said 36 people were injured in the clashes in Koi Tash village, including several members of the security forces.

5Stars’ motion to block Turin-Lyon high-speed link rejected by Italian senate
https://www.politico.eu/article/5stars-motion-to-block-turin-lyon-high-speed-link-rejected-by-italian-senate/

Italy's fragile coalition government split during a failed parliamentary effort Wednesday to block the controversial Turin-Lyon high-speed rail link.

A motion filed by the co-ruling 5Star Movement to stop the infrastructure project, known as Trasporto Alta Velocità (TAV), was rejected by a wide majority in the Italian Senate.

Another motion presented by the Democratic Party, Italy's largest opposition party, calling on the government to swiftly move forward on the infrastructure project, did get majority support. The League, the 5Stars' partner in government, sided with the opposition on both motions.

The project, which is partly funded by the European Commission, received a de facto go-ahead last month when the Italian government missed the deadline to communicate to Brussels its intention to withdraw.

After earlier trying to stop the TAV, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte publicly expressed his change of heart on the project in a Facebook video.

The parliamentary vote on Wednesday opened yet another fracture within Italy's squabbling coalition over a core item of the 5Stars' government agenda. The party insists that the 270-kilometer rail line running from Turin to Lyon in France is too expensive and environmentally harmful. The League backs the project.

Ahead of the vote, Massimo Garavaglia, a government undersecretary from the League, and Vincenzo Santangelo, his 5Stars counterpart, addressed lawmakers expressing opposite views on the project.

Senator Stefano Patuanelli, the sponsor of the 5Stars' motion, then said the country has every right to "change its mind on a costly and obsolete infrastructure project."

參院撑高鐵 意大利執政聯盟爭拗惡化

http://europechinese.blogspot.com/2019/08/blog-post_8.html?fbclid=IwAR120CBE2qwESQUCvCfW5SnWth07C-w2VpRyWCrET2_xS6w-1Pgpe-qJ7FY

Italy government crisis: Salvini calls for snap election

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49287219

Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's League party, has called for a snap election, saying differences with coalition partners cannot be mended.

A failed attempt by the Five Star Movement to derail plans for a high-speed rail link showed the coalition could no longer govern, he said.

Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio said his party did not fear another election.

Mr Salvini's right-wing party is well ahead in opinion polls, due mainly to his stance against illegal immigration.

Mr Salvini is also very active on social media and has developed a "man of the people" image, pushing for tax cuts despite Italy's €2.3tn (£2.1tn) debt mountain, which is second only to Greece's in the EU.

In last year's election, Five Star won twice as many votes as the League, but polls suggest the proportions have been reversed.

In European elections held in May the League came top with 34% of the votes in Italy, whereas Five Star got about 17%.

Italy's Salvini says will submit no-confidence vote
https://www.dw.com/en/italys-salvini-says-will-submit-no-confidence-vote/a-49964202

Kashmir dispute: Residents attend Friday prayers amid lockdown

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49289680

A security lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir remains largely in place although residents have been allowed to attend Friday prayers in some local mosques.

However the main mosque in Srinagar is closed and tight restrictions continue.

Thousands of troops are still patrolling the streets four days after the Indian government revoked the Muslim-majority state's autonomy.

The area has been under a virtual communications blackout since Sunday.

Some people have reported that they are now able to access the internet, and mobile phone signals appear to be active in some parts of Srinagar - the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir. But connectivity is yet to be fully restored.

However, the BBC's Aamir Peerzada in Srinagar says that a curfew imposed on Monday remains in place. PM Narendra Modi has promised Kashmiris that they will be able to celebrate the religious holiday of Eid al-Adha on Sunday.

North Korea fires two missiles into the sea after Trump letter

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49301767

North Korea has fired two unidentified missiles into the sea, its fifth such launch in recent weeks.

The launch, from near the eastern city of Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province, sent missiles into the Sea of Japan.

The launches come after US President Donald Trump said he had received a "very beautiful letter" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Mr Trump said Mr Kim was unhappy with the current US-South Korea joint military exercises.

North Korea has fired a series of missiles and rockets since Mr Trump and Mr Kim agreed during a meeting in June to restart denuclearisation negotiations.

Shortly before the latest launches, the US president spoke of a letter he had received from the North Korean leader.

"It was a very positive letter," Mr Trump told reporters at the White House. "I think we'll have another meeting. He really wrote a beautiful, three-page - I mean great from top to bottom - a really beautiful letter."

No 10 cancels staff leave, hinting at likelihood of snap election

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/09/no-10-cancels-staff-leave-raising-possibility-of-snap-election

Boris Johnson’s chief of staff cancelled all leave for government advisers until 31 October in a missive on Thursday night, raising further speculation the government is planning for a forced snap election in the aftermath of the UK leaving the EU with no deal.

Special advisers were emailed by Johnson’s senior adviser Edward Lister on Thursday night, saying there was “some confusion about taking holiday”. They were told none should be booked until 31 October, with compensation considered “on a case by case basis” for those who had already booked leave, though the email said advisers were free to spend their weekends “as you wish”.

“There is serious work to be done between now and October 31st and we should be focused on the job,” the email said. The directive angered many recipients, who say staff are exhausted and are facing an unprecedented workload in September and October.

One recipient described the email as “posturing” and said special advisers, known as “spads”, are being used as part of the PR war to convince the public the government is serious about no deal.

Johnson himself also wrote to all members of the civil service telling them the government’s main focus was now to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. In the letter, Johnson said he wanted to underline that the UK would be leaving on 31 October “whatever the circumstances” and that the civil service must prepare “urgently and rapidly” as its top priority.

“I know many of you have already done a great deal of hard work in mobilising to prepare for a no deal scenario, so that we can leave on 31 October come what may,” the letter said.

“Between now and then we must engage and communicate clearly with the British people about what our plans for taking back control mean, what people and businesses need to do, and the support we will provide.”

Thousands rally at election protest in Moscow, leading activist arrested
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-protests/thousands-rally-at-election-protest-in-moscow-leading-activist-arrested-idUSKCN1V00CV

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Muscovites staged Russia’s biggest political protest for years on Saturday, rallying to demand free city-wide elections in spite of a government crackdown.

Hours before the demonstration, police detained one of the leading opposition activists, Lyubov Sobol, who is on a hunger strike. Masked men raided her office and the police said they had information she and other activists were plotting a “provocation” at Saturday’s rally.

Protesters filed through metal detectors with flags and banners, staging their fourth major protest in a month calling for opposition-minded candidates forced off the ballot to be allowed to run in a city election next month.

Jeffrey Epstein: Financier 'found dead in cell' in New York

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49306032

Financier Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, US media report.

His body was discovered at 07:30 local time (11:30 GMT) on Saturday at a facility in New York.

He was reportedly on suicide watch following an earlier incident in which he was found injured in his cell.

Epstein, 66, had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was being held without bail.

Last month, shortly after he was denied bail, he was found semi-conscious in his cell with injuries to his neck. He was treated at a nearby hospital, reports say, before being returned to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.

The facility is widely considered to be one of the most secure in the country.

Epstein's death comes a day after hundreds of pages of court documents were released that revealed new allegations against him and some of his associates.

Epstein was accused of paying girls under the age of 18 to perform sex acts at his Manhattan and Florida mansions between 2002 and 2005.

He was arrested on 6 July after landing in New Jersey on his private jet. He avoided similar charges in a controversial secret plea deal in 2008, and instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

That plea deal was closely scrutinised in recent weeks and, last month, US Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned over his role in it.

'His conduct left an impression that lingered': the life of Jeffrey Epstein
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/10/jeffrey-epstein-life-profile

Moscow protests: Opposition rally 'largest since 2011'

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49305129

Tens of thousands have attended Moscow's largest opposition rally since 2011, independent monitors say.

Up to 60,000 people reportedly gathered in the rain to demand fair elections.

The protest was officially authorised but dozens of people were arrested as they moved to other parts of the city, many outside President Vladimir Putin's offices in the city centre.

Unauthorised rallies on the last two Saturdays saw hundreds detained. This is the fifth demonstration in a month.

Many Muscovites are unhappy that opposition candidates have been banned from running in municipal elections in September, but anger has increased after apparent incidences of police brutality in previous weeks.

Protests in solidarity with Moscow in several other Russian cities on Saturday also saw dozens of people detained.

Yemen conflict: Southern separatists seize control of Aden

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49308199

Yemeni separatists have taken effective control of the port city of Aden after days of fighting with troops loyal to the internationally backed government.

Forces aligned with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) - which wants an independent south - said they had seized control of military camps and the presidential palace.

The government said it was a "coup".

The action has fractured the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels that both sides have fought in.

The coalition called for an immediate ceasefire in the city and said it would "use military force against anyone who violates it", Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA reported.

The separatists agreed to the ceasefire, which was due to come into effect early on Sunday.

Guatemala elects new president to inherit Trump migration bind

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guatemala-election/guatemala-elects-new-president-to-inherit-trump-migration-bind-idUSKCN1V105L

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemalans on Sunday elect a new president who will face a major challenge after the country agreed with Washington to act as a buffer against illegal immigration under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Threatened with economic sanctions if it said no, the outgoing government signed an agreement in July to make Guatemala a so-called safe third country for migrants despite the endemic poverty and violence plaguing the Central American nation.

Voters must choose between conservative Alejandro Giammattei and his center-left rival, former first lady Sandra Torres. Both veteran political campaigners have criticized the deal, but will probably be unable to do much to stop it.

A CID-Gallup opinion poll of 1,216 voters conducted between July 29 and Aug. 5 gave Giammattei the advantage going into the run-off vote, with 39.5% support, versus 32.4% for Torres. The poll had a margin of error of 2.8 points.