國際時事政治選舉集中理性討論區（三）

Trump blasted at home and abroad for plan to impose steel, aluminum tariffs

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/01/trump-steel-tariffs-432143

President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum reverberated across the world Thursday, spurring retaliatory threats from some of the nation’s closest allies and sending stock prices plummeting on investors’ fears of the global economic fallout.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called Trump's decision "a blatant intervention to protect U.S. domestic industry" under the guise of national security. He said he would submit a proposal in the next few days to hit back at the U.S.

The timing of the announcement also embarrassed Mexico and Canada, longtime allies and trading partners, which are in the midst of the seventh round of talks with the U.S. to renegotiate NAFTA.

Trump unveiled the planned tariffs, to be finalized next week, during a listening session at the White House with steel and aluminum industry leaders after a chaotic 24-hour period of debate among key members of his administration who appeared to push conflicting agendas.

The president’s decision, which fulfills a campaign promise to get tough on U.S. trading partners, pivots off of a pair of Commerce Department investigations that determined imports of steel and aluminum are eating away at domestic production capacity in those two sectors and pose a threat to U.S. national security interests.

GOP vs Trump

GOP boos Trump decision on tariffs

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/376362-gop-boos-trump-decision-on-tariffs

Republicans loudly booed President Trump’s announcement Thursday that he will impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

GOP lawmakers joined business groups in declaring that slapping 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum will hurt consumers by raising prices and leading trading partners to retaliate against U.S. goods.

Opposition came from GOP leaders in the House and Senate, rising Republican stars and hardline conservatives. Republicans in the last week had repeatedly urged Trump to not impose tariffs, arguing that doing so would destroy more jobs than they would save.


Baffled Republicans distance themselves from Trump on guns

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/376331-baffled-republicans-distance-themselves-from-trump-on-guns
House conservatives say they are baffled by President Trump’s recent support for a string of Democratic-backed gun control ideas, with some lawmakers even questioning how committed he is to protecting the Second Amendment.

House Republicans expressed a mix of shock, frustration and disappointment that Trump endorsed a Democratic “wish list” of gun control proposals during a meeting on Wednesday at the White House. The ideas he spoke favorably of included imposing new age limits on gun purchases and taking guns away from dangerous people.

侵侵有自己一套理念
根本侵侵先係反建制
班死左膠根本唔明侵侵用心良苦

NRA's chief lobbyist: Donald Trump does not want gun control

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/02/nra-chief-lobbyist-chris-cox-donald-trump-does-not-want-gun-control

The US National Rifle Association’s chief lobbyist has claimed Donald Trump has reversed his position on gun control, just a day after the US president held a televised meeting with lawmakers in which he said he supported increased background checks for gun buyers.

Chris Cox tweeted late on Thursday night that he had met Trump and the vice-president, Mike Pence, and they “don’t want gun control”. They also “support strong due process”, he added.

The NRA, which endorsed Trump early and gave more than $30m to back his bid for the White House, has been one of the his staunchest supporters. Trump’s public remarks infuriated some NRA members. They appeared to suggest he was open to gun control policies that the group had long opposed. “Every word of it was a betrayal,” said one NRA member.

'People are slowly dying': PNG earthquake sparks state of emergency

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/02/people-are-slowly-dying-png-earthquake-sparks-state-of-emergency

Nearly five days after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea, the worst-hit regions remained largely cut off on Friday, with aid only just starting to arrive in some affected areas and the government declaring a state of emergency.

The Red Cross estimated an initial 2000 people were in urgent need of emergency supplies, while Reuters reported that the death toll had climbed to 31 and would probably rise further.

A state of emergency was declared in the provinces of Southern and Western Highlands, Hela and Enga, allowing extra funding to be released by neighbouring countries and aid organisations including the Red Cross.

While the region has no major urban centres, around 670,000 people live within 100km of the epicentre, according to the Red Cross.

Kenyan conservationists protest as Chinese company starts work on railway

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/01/kenyan-conservationists-protest-as-chinese-company-starts-work-on-railway

A proposed extension of the Chinese-built railway – Kenya’s biggest infrastructure project since independence – through the vast wildlife reserve on the outskirts of Nairobi has been tied up in legal battles since 2016.

However last week, cranes, heavy machinery and scores of workers from the China Road and Bridge Corporation set up inside the park borders, working furiously inside an area cordoned off and protected by armed rangers.

A coalition of interested parties first appealed to the national environment tribunal in 2016 to complain about the way in which an impact study was carried out, citing lack of public participation. The tribunal ordered construction be stopped until the case could be heard, which it was required by law to do.

However, in 2017, the government tried to amend the law imposing an automatic halt to a project when a complaint is lodged at the environmental tribunal – burying the change in an unrelated prevention of torture act.

When conservationists learned of this they complained to the high court, which suspended the amendment. While the protesters insist the stop order is still in place, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) insists construction is taking place legally.

KWS spokesman, Paul Gathitu, told AFP that the Chinese construction company had appealed to the high court, arguing this automatically invalidated the stop order while that case was ongoing.

地震果陣個國家無存在感仲衰過個國家本身多戰亂恐襲 伊拉克阿富汗地震傳媒幾快有反應 PNG地震三日後先有傳媒報

其實BBC同The Guardian都有報，澳洲傳媒都有，不過東南亞各島國真係無咩存在感，已經唔講咩Pulau之類

CITI: 'Don’t waste your time' with Italy's spectacularly complicated election

http://uk.businessinsider.com/citi-italian-election-and-italexit-2018-2

LONDON — Investors shouldn't bother trying to make money on Italy's upcoming election because it is simply too complicated, analysts at Citi have told clients.

"While investors are increasingly receiving views on the pending Italian election (including ours), our humble suggestion is to stop reading stuff (apart from this quick note of course) and quietly wait for March 5th," Citi analysts Mauro Baragiola and Tina Fordham wrote in a note circulated on Monday.

"We think that i) the combination of the technicalities of the Rosatellum along with ii) the large number of undecided voters make (historically) already unreliable polls even less reliable. Whatever "experts" might say this week, it is highly unlikely to be accurate next week."

"We believe that, after having scared investors in 2016, Italian politics has become somewhat irrelevant as investors (correctly) no longer fear an Italexit. Whatever the election outcome, we would simply expect Italy to go back to being the chaotic country that has disappointed investors and partners for a long time," the pair write.

Opinion polling for the Italian general election, 2018 (wiki)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_Italian_general_election,_2018

Party based (Parties with 10% or more)
PD - 21.3
Forza Italia - 15.9
Lega Nord - 14.8
M5S - 26.3

Coalition based
Centre-left - 26.3
Centre-right - 37.5
M5S - 26.3

由於太多不確性，不如睇吓John Oliver點樣笑鳩仲好
https://youtu.be/LdhQzXHYLZ4?t=630

Burkina Faso attack: Ouagadougou sees gunfire and explosion

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43257453

Gunfire and an explosion have been heard near the army headquarters and the French embassy in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou.

Witnesses have reported seeing armed men getting out of a car and opening fire before heading towards the embassy.

"An attack is under way," the French ambassador tweeted.

Pictures from the scene show a cloud of black smoke rising into the sky. It is unclear who is behind the violence.

The national police have issued a statement saying special forces are in action.

MI5 agents can commit crime in UK, government reveals

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/02/mi5-agents-are-allowed-to-commit-in-uk-government-reveals?

MI5 agents are allowed to carry out criminal activity in the UK, the government has acknowledged for the first time.

The prime minister was on Thursday forced to publish the text of a direction to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office, the spying watchdog, on governing “security service participation in criminality”.

It instructs the IPCO to oversee the participation of MI5 agents in criminal activity, which was previously conducted by the now-defunct office of the Intelligence Services Commissioner, under a secret order referred to as the “third direction”.

However, guidance about when British spies can commit crimes, and how far they can go, remains confidential.

Report said to fault FBI’s former No. 2 for approving improper media disclosure, misleading inspector general

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/report-said-to-fault-fbis-former-no-2-for-approving-media-disclosure-misleading-inspector-general/2018/03/01/f1e532c0-1ce3-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html?

The Justice Department inspector general is preparing a damaging report on former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, alleging he was responsible for approving an improper media disclosure, two people familiar with the matter said. One of the people said McCabe will also be accused of misleading investigators about his actions.

The report is a part of Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s broad review of the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

During that work, inspector general’s investigators found that McCabe had authorized the disclosure of information to the Wall Street Journal for an October 2016 story that examined feuding inside the FBI and Justice Department around the handling of a separate investigation into Clinton’s family foundation, two people familiar with the case said.

Those probing the matter believe that McCabe, who stepped down in January, misled them when they initially inquired about the subject, though one person familiar with the forthcoming report said McCabe disputes that he intentionally misled investigators.

Trump steel tariffs: Trade wars are good, says Trump

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43257712

US President Donald Trump has said "trade wars are good", amid controversy over his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

He tweeted that the US was "losing billions of dollars on trade" and would find a trade war "easy to win".

On Thursday he said steel imports would face a 25% tariff and aluminium 10%.

Canada and the EU said they would bring forward their own countermeasures. Mexico, China and Brazil have also said they are considering retaliatory steps.

Critics argue that the tariffs would fail to protect American jobs and would ultimately put up prices for consumers.

Isis follower tried to create jihadist child army in east London

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/02/isis-follower-umar-haque-jihadist-child-army-east-london--radicalise

Umar Haque, 25, taught an Islamic studies class despite the fact that he had no teaching qualifications and was employed as an administrator. He was allowed to supervise classes of 11- to 14-year-olds on his own, during which he re-enacted attacks on police officers and showed students videos of beheadings.

Haque attempted to radicalise at least 110 children with whom he was in contact at the Lantern of Knowledge school and Ripple Road mosque, both in east London. Thirty-five of those children are receiving long-term support.

The schools watchdog, Ofsted, is now facing questions over how it was able to rate the £3,000-a-year school as “outstanding” after an inspection held at a time when Haque was preaching hate to the children.

Haque was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey on Friday of a range of offences, including plotting terrorist attacks and collecting information useful for terrorism. He had previously admitted four charges of collecting information useful for terrorism, and one count of disseminating a terrorist document.

Europe pushes back against Donald Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs

http://www.dw.com/en/europe-pushes-back-against-donald-trumps-proposed-steel-and-aluminum-tariffs/a-42807578

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday accused US President Donald Trump of exhibiting "war-like behavior," after Washington announced it would impose punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

"None of this is reasonable, but reason is a sentiment that's very unevenly distributed in the world," Juncker told reporters in the German city of Hamburg.

According to news agency Reuters, EU officials began drawing up a list of $3.5 billion-worth (€2.8 billion) of US goods that would be subject to a 25 percent tariff. Unnamed sources said the measures aimed to "rebalance" bilateral trade, should Trump follow through with his plan to impose a 25 percent levy on steel and 10 percent levy on aluminum.

UN warns situation in DR Congo reaching 'breaking point'

http://www.dw.com/en/un-warns-situation-in-dr-congo-reaching-breaking-point/a-42808193

More than 40 people have been killed in ethnic clashes between Hema herders and Lendu farmers in the village of Maze, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Bunia, the provincial capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) northeastern Ituri province.

Land disputes have reignited a largely dormant conflict between the communities over the past two months. At least 30 people were killed during two days of clashes in February.

The two groups were involved in a bloody war that killed thousands between 1998 and 2003.

Commenting on this most recent incident, local army spokesman Jules Ngongo, said: "It was a case of reprisals by the two communities. According to our information, there were cases of people being decapitated." Ngongo said he could not yet provide an accurate death toll.

捉蟲入乜乜

假才子: 意大利大選有幾複雜？

作者用幾個表去解釋，所以去佢個blog會易睇D

https://nonintellect.blogspot.hk/2018/03/blog-post.html

// 意大利選舉制度的特點是複雜和多變。多變，是在意國真的經常修改選舉制度，今次大選會用的制度是今年1月才通過的，跟上屆的不同，所以意媒其實都不肯定自己做的 seat projection 對不對。複雜，是因它注重選舉結盟，幾個黨可以組成一張名單參選，點票時會計算他們的總票數，令越多政黨組成的名單越有利，但議席又逐個黨分返開計，而且選舉時是同一張名單不代表選舉後一定繼續合作，真是好鬼亂龍。 //

// 第三個列表，中間一行列出了各黨的自身立場和合組名單。但須留意的是，前進黨+兄弟黨+北方聯盟+我們與意大利的合組名單，預計取得295席，依然不及過半的315席。當然，離選舉還有幾日，加上民調不一定準，雖然很小，這個右派合組名單可以取得過半議席的機會仍然是有的。

最後，就算組成聯合政府了，政黨之間肯定有一大堆 give and take 的妥協，沒有一個政黨可以完全實現政綱，於是連政綱是真是假都沒人知。偏偏今次個個政黨都提出又減稅又加福利的政綱，以意大利政府已經身陷財赤債台高築，根本不可能實現。最頂的開版圖就是意國網民諷刺政客的改圖，左邊是「選舉承諾」，右邊是「現實」，雖則也是諷刺兄弟黨黨魁 Giorgia Meloni 的官方宣傳照對比一般意媒照片肯肯定是PS過啦......

總括來說，就是從民調到選舉，從選舉到組成政府，從組成政府到實現政綱，都存在大堆變數，所以意大利大選真係好鬼複雜。花旗銀行建議不要浪費時間去理解，可能真的是正確見解。 //

Russians were paid to attend Putin’s star-studded election rally

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/04/russians-were-paid-to-attend-vladimir-putin-election-campaign-rally

Multiple reports before Saturday’s rally indicated that tens of thousands of Russians had been strongarmed into attending the event. University students, state employees, and workers at private companies were among those who came under pressure, according to opposition websites and social media posts.

“Organise yourselves into groups of no less than four, and photograph yourselves when you arrive at the stadium,” read an email, seen by the Guardian, which was sent to employees of a Moscow-based company. “Don’t forget to pick up your placards on Friday!” An employee at the company said he feared his wages would be cut if he did not comply.

Andrei Kondrashov, Putin’s campaign spokesman, denied anyone had been forced to attend the rally against their will.

“Men and women. 20-55 years old. March 3rd, rally/concert ‘For a Strong Russia’ in support of Vladimir Putin. Payment 500 roubles [£6],” read an announcement posted on Tuesday on a popular ”rent-a-crowd” website.

Those who answered the advertisement were met near the stadium on Saturday afternoon by a man who identified himself as Rodion. “We’ll all go to the stadium together, then meet back here and you’ll get your money,” he said, before handing out Russian Ecological party flags and scarves. No one present appeared to have any connection to the party. The move was an apparent bid to create the impression of broad support for Putin across Russia’s political spectrum.

South Korea to send special envoys to North for talks

http://www.dw.com/en/south-korea-to-send-special-envoys-to-north-for-talks/a-42817612

A team of special envoys from South Korea is to visit North Korea next week to discuss how to restart talks between Washington and Pyongyang on nuclear weapons, the presidential office in Seoul said on Sunday.

The Blue House in Seoul said the delegation to the North would be led by national security director Chung Eui-yong and hold talks with unidentified senior North Korean officials during a two-day visit. The team will also include South Korean spy chief Suh Hoon, who was instrumental in bringing about two previous inter-Korea summits in 2000 and 2007.

"The special delegates will have extensive discussions over issues including creating conditions for North-US talks to denuclearize the Korean peninsula and improving inter-Korea ties," presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan told reporters.

Following the trip, the delegation would fly to the US to report on the talks to officials in Washington, Yoon said.

Donald Trump threatens tax on European cars in tariff row

http://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-threatens-tax-on-european-cars-in-tariff-row/a-42816187

Donald Trump has pledged to tax European-made cars if the EU were to retaliate against upcoming US tariffs on steel and aluminum. On Friday, the EU said it was preparing tariffs of its own to counter the Trump-proposed hike, which is set to go into effect next week.

On Saturday, the president decried the trade imbalance with the EU and threatened to "simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US [sic]."

On Friday, however, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to impose tariffs on a wide array of American products in response to Trump's proposal.

"This is basically a stupid process, the fact that we have to do this," Juncker said in Hamburg. "But we have to do it. We will now impose tariffs on motorcycles, Harley Davidson, on blue jeans, Levis, on bourbon."

"We can also do stupid," Juncker added.

Pakistani ruling party gains control of senate

http://www.dw.com/en/pakistani-ruling-party-gains-control-of-senate/a-42814787

Pakistan's ruling party appears to have regained control of parliament's upper house — the Senate — after a day of secret voting by members of the federal parliament and representatives from four provincial assemblies, according to local media reports.

The strong showing for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party could reinvigorate the political fortunes of embattled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who has been at odds with the judiciary since the Supreme Court abruptly ended his grip on power last July when they disqualified him from office due to undeclared assets.

Italy election: Early exit polls point to hung parliament

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43272700

Initial projections say ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition is set to win the most seats in the lower house of parliament.

It is expected to get between 225-265 seats, polls say - below the 316 needed for an absolute majority.

Exit polls put the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in second place.　It has made significant gains and could emerge as the largest single party, with about 30% of votes and 195-235 seats.

The country's ruling centre-left Democratic Party stands in third place with a projected 115-155 seats - its prospects battered by public anger over unemployment and immigration.