https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-13/china-s-exports-hold-up-though-imports-slow-more-than-forecast
逆差又創新高，點解要反擊？
China’s monthly trade surplus with the U.S. rose to a record in June, underlining the imbalance at the heart of an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
The trade surplus with the U.S. stood at $28.97 billion, the highest in any month in data back to 1999. Exports climbed to $42.62 billion, also a high, the customs administration said on Friday.
While multiple factors will have influenced the data, including a rush by some manufacturers to sell goods before tariffs imposed this month hit, there’s little sign that the U.S. deficit with China will improve any time soon. As tax cuts fuel the U.S. expansion and a slowing Chinese economy may cool domestic demand, the almost-$340 billion annual gap will continue to provide the backdrop to the standoff.
國際時事政治選舉集中理性討論區（四）
Filibuster_HK
1001 回覆
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反而CPTTP/ EU-JP trade deal 華文媒體無點報，可以分享多啲
Brexit progress suggests no deal with EU is unlikely - PM's spokeswoman
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-may/brexit-progress-suggests-no-deal-with-eu-is-unlikely-pms-spokeswoman-idUSKBN1K91DQ
LONDON (Reuters) - The progress Britain has made in talks to leave the European Union suggests that the country will not crash out of the bloc without a deal, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday.
“On ‘no deal’, we have always said that that isn’t something we want or hope for, and the progress of talks so far suggests that is not where we will end up,” the spokeswoman told reporters.
UK's new Brexit envoy optimistic, as EU warns of Brexit crash
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-negotiations/uks-new-brexit-envoy-optimistic-as-eu-warns-of-brexit-crash-idUSKBN1K9239
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - London’s new Brexit minister said he was confident he could reach a deal, on his first trip to Brussels on Thursday as the EU warned business to get ready for Britain crashing out of the bloc without agreed terms to cushion the economic disruption.
Brexit campaigner Dominic Raab, appointed to the government last week after his predecessor quit over Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposals to stay close to EU trading rules, said Britain was ramping up preparations for a “no deal” but focused above all on selling her ideas to EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
Raab said Britain was on track and he would bring new “energy, vigor and vim” to talks as they get down to wire to find a deal before EU leaders meet at a summit in October.
“We’ve only got 12 weeks really left to nail down the details of the agreement, so I set out our proposals,” Raab said after meeting Barnier. “I’m sure in good faith, if that energy and that ambition is reciprocated, as I’m confident it will be, we will get there.”
EU officials and diplomats have welcomed last week’s proposals as a welcome if overdue starting point for negotiations on an outline of post-Brexit relations that is to accompany a binding treaty on the immediate aspects of withdrawal. But Barnier will also be posing many questions on just how some issues, notably around customs and sharing regulatory standards would work.
Theresa May: I will never accept EU's ideas on Irish Brexit border
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/19/theresa-may-i-will-never-accept-eus-ideas-on-irish-brexit-border
Theresa May is to tell the European Union it is time to drop what she feels is their inflexible view on an Irish border solution and “evolve” their position to break the impasse in Brexit talks.
In a speech in Belfast on Friday she is expected to brand the bloc’s calls for regulatory alignment north and south of the border as a “backstop” solution in the event of no deal as “unworkable”, and repeat her assertion that a border down the Irish Sea is unacceptable to any British prime minister.
“The economic and constitutional dislocation of a formal ‘third country’ customs border within our own country is something I will never accept, and I believe no British prime minister could ever accept,” she will say.
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-may/brexit-progress-suggests-no-deal-with-eu-is-unlikely-pms-spokeswoman-idUSKBN1K91DQ
LONDON (Reuters) - The progress Britain has made in talks to leave the European Union suggests that the country will not crash out of the bloc without a deal, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday.
“On ‘no deal’, we have always said that that isn’t something we want or hope for, and the progress of talks so far suggests that is not where we will end up,” the spokeswoman told reporters.
UK's new Brexit envoy optimistic, as EU warns of Brexit crash
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-negotiations/uks-new-brexit-envoy-optimistic-as-eu-warns-of-brexit-crash-idUSKBN1K9239
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - London’s new Brexit minister said he was confident he could reach a deal, on his first trip to Brussels on Thursday as the EU warned business to get ready for Britain crashing out of the bloc without agreed terms to cushion the economic disruption.
Brexit campaigner Dominic Raab, appointed to the government last week after his predecessor quit over Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposals to stay close to EU trading rules, said Britain was ramping up preparations for a “no deal” but focused above all on selling her ideas to EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
Raab said Britain was on track and he would bring new “energy, vigor and vim” to talks as they get down to wire to find a deal before EU leaders meet at a summit in October.
“We’ve only got 12 weeks really left to nail down the details of the agreement, so I set out our proposals,” Raab said after meeting Barnier. “I’m sure in good faith, if that energy and that ambition is reciprocated, as I’m confident it will be, we will get there.”
EU officials and diplomats have welcomed last week’s proposals as a welcome if overdue starting point for negotiations on an outline of post-Brexit relations that is to accompany a binding treaty on the immediate aspects of withdrawal. But Barnier will also be posing many questions on just how some issues, notably around customs and sharing regulatory standards would work.
Theresa May: I will never accept EU's ideas on Irish Brexit border
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/19/theresa-may-i-will-never-accept-eus-ideas-on-irish-brexit-border
Theresa May is to tell the European Union it is time to drop what she feels is their inflexible view on an Irish border solution and “evolve” their position to break the impasse in Brexit talks.
In a speech in Belfast on Friday she is expected to brand the bloc’s calls for regulatory alignment north and south of the border as a “backstop” solution in the event of no deal as “unworkable”, and repeat her assertion that a border down the Irish Sea is unacceptable to any British prime minister.
“The economic and constitutional dislocation of a formal ‘third country’ customs border within our own country is something I will never accept, and I believe no British prime minister could ever accept,” she will say.
Congo's Kabila says election on track but stays mum on own future
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-congo-politics-kabila/congos-kabila-says-election-on-track-but-stays-mum-on-own-future-idUSKBN1K91X1
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila said in a speech on Thursday that a presidential election in December would go ahead as planned, but he declined to say whether he would defy term limits to stand for re-election.
Kabila is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term in the election but has refused publicly to rule out a run. Some of his allies have in recent weeks advanced a legal argument they say would justify his candidacy.
If Kabila does step down, it would mark Congo’s first democratic transition since independence from Belgium in 1960, after decades marked by authoritarian rule, coups and catastrophic civil wars.
The deadline for candidates to declare they will run is in just under three weeks. But in an address before a joint session of parliament, Kabila avoided saying whether he would stand.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-congo-politics-kabila/congos-kabila-says-election-on-track-but-stays-mum-on-own-future-idUSKBN1K91X1
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila said in a speech on Thursday that a presidential election in December would go ahead as planned, but he declined to say whether he would defy term limits to stand for re-election.
Kabila is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term in the election but has refused publicly to rule out a run. Some of his allies have in recent weeks advanced a legal argument they say would justify his candidacy.
If Kabila does step down, it would mark Congo’s first democratic transition since independence from Belgium in 1960, after decades marked by authoritarian rule, coups and catastrophic civil wars.
The deadline for candidates to declare they will run is in just under three weeks. But in an address before a joint session of parliament, Kabila avoided saying whether he would stand.
反侵反到傻撚到
加拿大拎支那鋼轉賣美國係咪唔郁得連屌都唔屌得
加拿大拎支那鋼轉賣美國係咪唔郁得連屌都唔屌得
South Korea's Park Geun-hye given more jail time over spy funds
https://www.dw.com/en/south-koreas-park-geun-hye-given-more-jail-time-over-spy-funds/a-44757713
A court in South Korea found former President Park Geun-hye guilty on Friday of misusing government funds and interfering in a 2016 parliamentary election.
Park was sentenced to an additional eight years in prison, meaning the 66-year-old now faces a total of 32 years in prison. In April, she was given a 24-year prison sentence after being found guilty of separate corruption and abuse of power charges.
The case before the Seoul Central District Court on Friday concerned illegal payments Park received from South Korea's National Intelligence agency, amounting to some 3.3 billion won ($2.9 million; €2.5 million).
South Korean court holds government accountable for 2014 Sewol ferry sinking
https://www.dw.com/en/south-korean-court-holds-government-accountable-for-2014-sewol-ferry-sinking/a-44743667
A court in South Korea recognized the government's co-responsibility for the first time on Thursday over the Sewol ferry disaster that killed hundreds of passengers, many of whom were students.
Inadequate safety measures on board as well as botched rescue efforts were responsible for the 2014 disaster that killed 304 people.
The Seoul Central District Court ordered the government and the ferry operator Chonghaejin Marine to pay the families 200 million won ($175,000; €151,000) for each victim. They were also ordered to pay additional compensation to the victims' families ranging from 5 million won to 80 million won.
It was not immediately clear whether the ferry operator and the government would appeal the decision.
https://www.dw.com/en/south-koreas-park-geun-hye-given-more-jail-time-over-spy-funds/a-44757713
A court in South Korea found former President Park Geun-hye guilty on Friday of misusing government funds and interfering in a 2016 parliamentary election.
Park was sentenced to an additional eight years in prison, meaning the 66-year-old now faces a total of 32 years in prison. In April, she was given a 24-year prison sentence after being found guilty of separate corruption and abuse of power charges.
The case before the Seoul Central District Court on Friday concerned illegal payments Park received from South Korea's National Intelligence agency, amounting to some 3.3 billion won ($2.9 million; €2.5 million).
South Korean court holds government accountable for 2014 Sewol ferry sinking
https://www.dw.com/en/south-korean-court-holds-government-accountable-for-2014-sewol-ferry-sinking/a-44743667
A court in South Korea recognized the government's co-responsibility for the first time on Thursday over the Sewol ferry disaster that killed hundreds of passengers, many of whom were students.
Inadequate safety measures on board as well as botched rescue efforts were responsible for the 2014 disaster that killed 304 people.
The Seoul Central District Court ordered the government and the ferry operator Chonghaejin Marine to pay the families 200 million won ($175,000; €151,000) for each victim. They were also ordered to pay additional compensation to the victims' families ranging from 5 million won to 80 million won.
It was not immediately clear whether the ferry operator and the government would appeal the decision.
Donald Trump to invite Vladimir Putin to the White House
https://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-to-invite-vladimir-putin-to-the-white-house/a-44755833
Just three days after his controversial summit in Helsinki, President Donald Trump is said to have asked his national security advisor to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the White House. The White House announced the plan on Twitter, indicating that the meeting could take place before the end of the year.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that Trump had asked National Security Adviser John Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in the autumn.
https://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-to-invite-vladimir-putin-to-the-white-house/a-44755833
Just three days after his controversial summit in Helsinki, President Donald Trump is said to have asked his national security advisor to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the White House. The White House announced the plan on Twitter, indicating that the meeting could take place before the end of the year.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that Trump had asked National Security Adviser John Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in the autumn.
真係完全跟reagan玩法
痴線佬
痴線佬
When is a nation not a nation? Somaliland’s dream of independence
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/20/when-is-a-nation-not-a-nation-somalilands-dream-of-independence
// When you are in Somaliland, there is never any question that you are in a real country. After all, the place has all the trappings of countryhood. When I arrived at the airport, a customs officer in a Somaliland uniform checked my Somaliland visa, issued by the Somaliland consulate in Washington DC. At the airport, there was a Somaliland flag. During my visit, I paid Somaliland shillings to drivers of cabs with Somaliland plates who took me to the offices of ministers of the Somaliland government.
But, according to the US Department of State, the United Nations, the African Union and every other government on Earth, I was not in Somaliland, a poor but stable and mostly functional country on the Horn of Africa. I was in Somalia. //
// Even among unrecognised states, Somaliland is a special case – it is both completely independent and politically entirely isolated. Unlike South Sudan before its independence, Somaliland’s claim for statehood is based not on a redrawing of colonial borders, but an attempt to re-establish them. Unlike Taiwan, it is shackled not to a richer, more powerful country, but a poorer, weaker one. Unlike Palestine, its quest for independence is not a popular cause for activists around the world. //
// As the names of their countries suggest, there’s little ethnic or linguistic difference between the people of Somalia and Somaliland. The entity that today calls itself the Republic of Somaliland owes its existence to two main factors: its proximity to Yemen and its abundance of sheep. In the late 19th century, Britain (with the support of Italy) and France (with the support of Russia) were locked in a struggle for control of the Nile. As a means of both countering French influence and ensuring a regular supply of mutton for its garrison at the Yemeni port city of Aden, Britain signed a series of agreements with tribes in northern Somalia.//
// So why has Somaliland been more successful and stable than its southern neighbour, even with virtually no assistance from the international community? The fact that is is largely populated by only one clan has helped it avoid tribal conflicts, unlike some other countries in the region. Most Somalilanders also point to the role of clan elders. In addition to a president and a traditional elected parliament, Somaliland has an unelected upper house of elders, somewhat similar to Britain’s House of Lords, which has a consultative role on certain legislation and is entrusted with settling disputes between the country’s subclans. “It’s the elders who really made this peace,” Mohamed Omar Hagi, a UK-based Somali activist, told me.//
// he argument against Somaliland’s independence rests largely on factors beyond the country’s control. Somaliland officials are used to hearing that if their independence were recognised, it would set off a domino effect for nationalist movements, destabilising the continent. If Somaliland were independent, what would stop other regions from trying the same thing?//
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/20/when-is-a-nation-not-a-nation-somalilands-dream-of-independence
// When you are in Somaliland, there is never any question that you are in a real country. After all, the place has all the trappings of countryhood. When I arrived at the airport, a customs officer in a Somaliland uniform checked my Somaliland visa, issued by the Somaliland consulate in Washington DC. At the airport, there was a Somaliland flag. During my visit, I paid Somaliland shillings to drivers of cabs with Somaliland plates who took me to the offices of ministers of the Somaliland government.
But, according to the US Department of State, the United Nations, the African Union and every other government on Earth, I was not in Somaliland, a poor but stable and mostly functional country on the Horn of Africa. I was in Somalia. //
// Even among unrecognised states, Somaliland is a special case – it is both completely independent and politically entirely isolated. Unlike South Sudan before its independence, Somaliland’s claim for statehood is based not on a redrawing of colonial borders, but an attempt to re-establish them. Unlike Taiwan, it is shackled not to a richer, more powerful country, but a poorer, weaker one. Unlike Palestine, its quest for independence is not a popular cause for activists around the world. //
// As the names of their countries suggest, there’s little ethnic or linguistic difference between the people of Somalia and Somaliland. The entity that today calls itself the Republic of Somaliland owes its existence to two main factors: its proximity to Yemen and its abundance of sheep. In the late 19th century, Britain (with the support of Italy) and France (with the support of Russia) were locked in a struggle for control of the Nile. As a means of both countering French influence and ensuring a regular supply of mutton for its garrison at the Yemeni port city of Aden, Britain signed a series of agreements with tribes in northern Somalia.//
// So why has Somaliland been more successful and stable than its southern neighbour, even with virtually no assistance from the international community? The fact that is is largely populated by only one clan has helped it avoid tribal conflicts, unlike some other countries in the region. Most Somalilanders also point to the role of clan elders. In addition to a president and a traditional elected parliament, Somaliland has an unelected upper house of elders, somewhat similar to Britain’s House of Lords, which has a consultative role on certain legislation and is entrusted with settling disputes between the country’s subclans. “It’s the elders who really made this peace,” Mohamed Omar Hagi, a UK-based Somali activist, told me.//
// he argument against Somaliland’s independence rests largely on factors beyond the country’s control. Somaliland officials are used to hearing that if their independence were recognised, it would set off a domino effect for nationalist movements, destabilising the continent. If Somaliland were independent, what would stop other regions from trying the same thing?//
2月
中国对美国进口高粱展开双反调查，贸易争端升级
5月
中国终止对美国进口高粱的反倾销调查
中国商务部表示，在今年2月启动调查后，已收到大量下游用户的反映：反倾销关税可能会影响他们的生活成本。
算唔算支那反擊
https://reut.rs/2uz0Olo
算唔算粒聲唔出
Facebook investigates data firm Crimson Hexagon
https://lihkg.com/thread/659239/page/28
Facebook has suspended a US-based analytics firm while it investigates concerns about the collection and sharing of user data.
Crimson Hexagon, based in Boston, describes itself as offering “consumer insights” and has contracts with government agencies around the world.
Facebook said it was looking into whether some of these deals were in violation of its policies on surveillance.
The network said it had not found any evidence so far that data had been improperly obtained.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Crimson Hexagon has "contracts to analyse public Facebook data for clients including a Russian nonprofit with ties to the Kremlin and multiple US government agencies”.
Crimson Hexagon works with a data set that includes, according to its own website, more than one trillion social media posts take from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others. It boasts of being able to analyse more than 160m photographs posted online every day.
https://lihkg.com/thread/659239/page/28
Facebook has suspended a US-based analytics firm while it investigates concerns about the collection and sharing of user data.
Crimson Hexagon, based in Boston, describes itself as offering “consumer insights” and has contracts with government agencies around the world.
Facebook said it was looking into whether some of these deals were in violation of its policies on surveillance.
The network said it had not found any evidence so far that data had been improperly obtained.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Crimson Hexagon has "contracts to analyse public Facebook data for clients including a Russian nonprofit with ties to the Kremlin and multiple US government agencies”.
Crimson Hexagon works with a data set that includes, according to its own website, more than one trillion social media posts take from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others. It boasts of being able to analyse more than 160m photographs posted online every day.
Former Farc rebels take seats in Colombia congress
https://bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44909273
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has welcomed former Farc rebels as they took their seats at the opening session of parliament.
He said he was happy to see ex-rebels who fought the state for over five decades now respecting the constitution.
The new members of congress took up their seats on Friday as part of the peace deal reached in 2016.
The president urged his successor, Ivan Duque, to defend peace in Colombia.
"Today we are witnessing a true milestone in our history," said Mr Santos, who ends his term in office next month.
The Farc, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is now a political party known as the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force.
It has five seats in the Senate and five in the House of Representatives.
https://bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44909273
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has welcomed former Farc rebels as they took their seats at the opening session of parliament.
He said he was happy to see ex-rebels who fought the state for over five decades now respecting the constitution.
The new members of congress took up their seats on Friday as part of the peace deal reached in 2016.
The president urged his successor, Ivan Duque, to defend peace in Colombia.
"Today we are witnessing a true milestone in our history," said Mr Santos, who ends his term in office next month.
The Farc, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is now a political party known as the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force.
It has five seats in the Senate and five in the House of Representatives.
Russia sanctions bill gains bipartisan traction in Senate
https://politico.com/story/2018/07/20/senate-russia-sanctions-bill-rubio-van-hollen-734904
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) are stepping up a push for action on their bipartisan proposal to hit Russia with automatic new sanctions if it interferes in future U.S. elections.
Rubio and Van Hollen have asked bipartisan leaders of the Banking and Foreign Relations committees, which share jurisdiction over sanctions legislation, to hold a hearing on and mark up their plan to impose new penalties on Moscow within 10 days after the director of national intelligence determines that further electoral meddling has occurred.
Introduced in January, the Rubio-Van Hollen bill picked up eight new cosponsors on Thursday, evenly divided between both parties. The bill’s momentum has grown steadily since Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) mentioned it on Tuesday as one option on the table for the Senate to respond to President Donald Trump’s warm posture toward Vladimir Putin’s government, although some senators have raised concerns that its broad reach may hit U.S. allies.
https://politico.com/story/2018/07/20/senate-russia-sanctions-bill-rubio-van-hollen-734904
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) are stepping up a push for action on their bipartisan proposal to hit Russia with automatic new sanctions if it interferes in future U.S. elections.
Rubio and Van Hollen have asked bipartisan leaders of the Banking and Foreign Relations committees, which share jurisdiction over sanctions legislation, to hold a hearing on and mark up their plan to impose new penalties on Moscow within 10 days after the director of national intelligence determines that further electoral meddling has occurred.
Introduced in January, the Rubio-Van Hollen bill picked up eight new cosponsors on Thursday, evenly divided between both parties. The bill’s momentum has grown steadily since Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) mentioned it on Tuesday as one option on the table for the Senate to respond to President Donald Trump’s warm posture toward Vladimir Putin’s government, although some senators have raised concerns that its broad reach may hit U.S. allies.
Iran supreme leader says "obvious mistake" to negotiate with U.S. - website
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-iran-nuclear-usa-khamenei/iran-supreme-leader-says-obvious-mistake-to-negotiate-with-u-s-website-idUKKBN1KB0C6?
(Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday it would be an “obvious mistake” to negotiate with the United States as Washington was unreliable.
“The word and even the signature of the Americans cannot be relied upon, so negotiations with America are of no avail,” Khamenei said in a meeting with Foreign Ministry officials, adding that negotiations with Washington would be an “obvious mistake”, according to his official website.
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-iran-nuclear-usa-khamenei/iran-supreme-leader-says-obvious-mistake-to-negotiate-with-u-s-website-idUKKBN1KB0C6?
(Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday it would be an “obvious mistake” to negotiate with the United States as Washington was unreliable.
“The word and even the signature of the Americans cannot be relied upon, so negotiations with America are of no avail,” Khamenei said in a meeting with Foreign Ministry officials, adding that negotiations with Washington would be an “obvious mistake”, according to his official website.
North Korea: US calls on Russia and China to tackle breaches of oil sanctions
https://theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/20/north-korea-mike-pompeo-russia-china-oil-sanctions
The US has urged Russia and China to clamp down on repeated breaches of the oil sanctions regime imposed on North Korea, saying America had evidence of at least 89 illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers this year.
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, was speaking at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, the day after Russia and China at the UN sanctions committee rejected a US call to step up sanctions saying it needed further evidence of North Korean sanctions evasion.
The Russian and Chinese decision at the UN was the first fissure in the international alliance putting pressure on Pyongyang to act on its commitment to end its efforts to become a nuclear power and effectively delayed further discussions on extra sanctions for as long as six months.
The US claims on the basis of intelligence that North Korea using ship-to-ship transfers in international waters has breached a cap of 500,000 barrels of refined oil a year – imposed by the security council in December. The US had demanded an immediate halt to all further oil transfers. “Strict enforcement of sanctions” was critical to achieving the goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation, Pompeo said.
https://theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/20/north-korea-mike-pompeo-russia-china-oil-sanctions
The US has urged Russia and China to clamp down on repeated breaches of the oil sanctions regime imposed on North Korea, saying America had evidence of at least 89 illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers this year.
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, was speaking at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, the day after Russia and China at the UN sanctions committee rejected a US call to step up sanctions saying it needed further evidence of North Korean sanctions evasion.
The Russian and Chinese decision at the UN was the first fissure in the international alliance putting pressure on Pyongyang to act on its commitment to end its efforts to become a nuclear power and effectively delayed further discussions on extra sanctions for as long as six months.
The US claims on the basis of intelligence that North Korea using ship-to-ship transfers in international waters has breached a cap of 500,000 barrels of refined oil a year – imposed by the security council in December. The US had demanded an immediate halt to all further oil transfers. “Strict enforcement of sanctions” was critical to achieving the goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation, Pompeo said.
我check International Trade Administration啲report, 睇黎睇去都睇唔出你講呢句點黎
用以下幾個ITA今年Q1出入口report為例:
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-us.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-canada.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/exports-Canada.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/exports-china.pdf
今年Q1, 美國有20%鋼材自加拿大入口, 有1.6 million metrics tons(mmt), 即係1600萬公噸
(同樣, 佢地有52%鋼材出口去加拿大, 1.2 mmt, 即係1200萬公噸)
今年Q1, 加拿大有91%鋼材向美國出口, 有1.6 mmt, 即係1600萬公噸
(同樣, 佢地有60%鋼材自美國入口, 有1.2 mmt, 即係1200萬公噸)
今年Q1, 加拿大得7%鋼材自中國入口, 得142 thousand metric tons, 即係14萬2千公噸
如果你睇中國個出口report, 由於量太少, 會直頭搵唔到加拿大
即係咁, 到底加拿大點樣填嗰千幾萬公噸差額, 轉口傾銷中國鋼材去美國
上述report都睇得出, 何解美國重徵加拿大鋼材關稅, 搞到加拿大報復, 又谷高返美國鋼材關稅, 係on9行為, 雙方係自己鋼材第一出入口國, 大家一齊推高鋼材關稅=大家一齊食貴貨=大家相關產業成本上升(所有要用鋼材本地生產嘅行業)=攬炒
仲未計美國係用「國家安全」為由, 去收加拿大鋼材關稅, 加拿大人唔扯火先奇
最後我又要提多句, 2002年, Bush都玩過鋼材關稅, 佢最後玩成點, 大家可以去wiki睇下
用以下幾個ITA今年Q1出入口report為例:
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-us.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-canada.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/exports-Canada.pdf
https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/exports-china.pdf
今年Q1, 美國有20%鋼材自加拿大入口, 有1.6 million metrics tons(mmt), 即係1600萬公噸
(同樣, 佢地有52%鋼材出口去加拿大, 1.2 mmt, 即係1200萬公噸)
今年Q1, 加拿大有91%鋼材向美國出口, 有1.6 mmt, 即係1600萬公噸
(同樣, 佢地有60%鋼材自美國入口, 有1.2 mmt, 即係1200萬公噸)
今年Q1, 加拿大得7%鋼材自中國入口, 得142 thousand metric tons, 即係14萬2千公噸
如果你睇中國個出口report, 由於量太少, 會直頭搵唔到加拿大
即係咁, 到底加拿大點樣填嗰千幾萬公噸差額, 轉口傾銷中國鋼材去美國
上述report都睇得出, 何解美國重徵加拿大鋼材關稅, 搞到加拿大報復, 又谷高返美國鋼材關稅, 係on9行為, 雙方係自己鋼材第一出入口國, 大家一齊推高鋼材關稅=大家一齊食貴貨=大家相關產業成本上升(所有要用鋼材本地生產嘅行業)=攬炒
仲未計美國係用「國家安全」為由, 去收加拿大鋼材關稅, 加拿大人唔扯火先奇
最後我又要提多句, 2002年, Bush都玩過鋼材關稅, 佢最後玩成點, 大家可以去wiki睇下
Cuba aims to build socialism, not communism, in draft constitution
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-assembly/cuba-aims-to-build-socialism-not-communism-in-draft-constitution-idUSKBN1KB0ML
HAVANA (Reuters) - A draft of Cuba’s new constitution omits the aim of building communism, recognizes private property and opens the door to gay marriage, in a sign of changing times, although it keeps the Communist Party as the guiding force of the one-party system.
Cuba’s national assembly is this weekend debating a draft of the document to replace its Soviet-era constitution, reflecting political, social and economic changes designed to make its brand of socialism sustainable and implementing new ones too.
Once lawmakers have approved the draft, it will be submitted to a popular consultation. The final document, which could include changes, will then be put to a national referendum.
Laying out the new constitution to lawmakers on Saturday, the secretary of the council of state, Homero Acosta, said it included the recognition of private property, something long stigmatized by the Communist Party as a vestige of capitalism.
That change should give greater legal recognition to the micro businesses that have flourished in the wake of market reforms to the ailing state-run economy that have fostered a small but vibrant private sector and attempted to rake in more foreign investment.
Under the new constitution, the president will no longer be the head of the council of state and council of ministers. Instead it creates the position of prime minister and designates the president of the assembly also as head of the council of state, Cuba’s highest executive body.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-assembly/cuba-aims-to-build-socialism-not-communism-in-draft-constitution-idUSKBN1KB0ML
HAVANA (Reuters) - A draft of Cuba’s new constitution omits the aim of building communism, recognizes private property and opens the door to gay marriage, in a sign of changing times, although it keeps the Communist Party as the guiding force of the one-party system.
Cuba’s national assembly is this weekend debating a draft of the document to replace its Soviet-era constitution, reflecting political, social and economic changes designed to make its brand of socialism sustainable and implementing new ones too.
Once lawmakers have approved the draft, it will be submitted to a popular consultation. The final document, which could include changes, will then be put to a national referendum.
Laying out the new constitution to lawmakers on Saturday, the secretary of the council of state, Homero Acosta, said it included the recognition of private property, something long stigmatized by the Communist Party as a vestige of capitalism.
That change should give greater legal recognition to the micro businesses that have flourished in the wake of market reforms to the ailing state-run economy that have fostered a small but vibrant private sector and attempted to rake in more foreign investment.
Under the new constitution, the president will no longer be the head of the council of state and council of ministers. Instead it creates the position of prime minister and designates the president of the assembly also as head of the council of state, Cuba’s highest executive body.
U.S. launches campaign to erode support for Iran's leaders
https://reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran/u-s-launches-campaign-to-erode-support-for-irans-leaders-idUSKBN1KB0UR
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has launched an offensive of speeches and online communications meant to foment unrest and help pressure Iran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups, U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.
More than half a dozen current and former officials said the campaign, supported by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, is meant to work in concert with U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to economically throttle Iran by re-imposing tough sanctions. The drive has intensified since Trump withdrew on May 8 from a 2015 seven-nation deal to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The current and former officials said the campaign paints Iranian leaders in a harsh light, at times using information that is exaggerated or contradicts other official pronouncements, including comments by previous administrations.
A review of the State Department’s Farsi-language Twitter account and its ShareAmerica website - which describes itself as a platform to spark debate on democracy and other issues - shows a number of posts critical of Tehran over the last month.
“Outcome one is capitulation, forcing Iran to further curtail not only its nuclear program but also its regional ambitions,” Sadjadpour said. “Outcome two is the implosion of the Islamic Republic.”
But some U.S. officials and other experts cautioned that by fueling turmoil in Iran, the U.S. administration could foster greater authoritarian rule and a more aggressive foreign policy, raising the threat of a U.S.-Iran confrontation.
https://reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran/u-s-launches-campaign-to-erode-support-for-irans-leaders-idUSKBN1KB0UR
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has launched an offensive of speeches and online communications meant to foment unrest and help pressure Iran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups, U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.
More than half a dozen current and former officials said the campaign, supported by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, is meant to work in concert with U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to economically throttle Iran by re-imposing tough sanctions. The drive has intensified since Trump withdrew on May 8 from a 2015 seven-nation deal to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The current and former officials said the campaign paints Iranian leaders in a harsh light, at times using information that is exaggerated or contradicts other official pronouncements, including comments by previous administrations.
A review of the State Department’s Farsi-language Twitter account and its ShareAmerica website - which describes itself as a platform to spark debate on democracy and other issues - shows a number of posts critical of Tehran over the last month.
“Outcome one is capitulation, forcing Iran to further curtail not only its nuclear program but also its regional ambitions,” Sadjadpour said. “Outcome two is the implosion of the Islamic Republic.”
But some U.S. officials and other experts cautioned that by fueling turmoil in Iran, the U.S. administration could foster greater authoritarian rule and a more aggressive foreign policy, raising the threat of a U.S.-Iran confrontation.
Dominic Raab: We can get Brexit deal done by October
https://bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44913982
A deal with the EU can be reached by October but the UK is preparing for the possibility of no deal, the new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has said.
He said he would return to Brussels for talks on Thursday and strain "every sinew" to get "the best deal".
But a responsible government puts plans in place in case talks do not end well, he told the BBC.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said there must be a "serious stepping up of negotiations" to avoid no deal.
Mr Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show if the "energy, ambition and pragmatism" the UK brought to negotiations was reciprocated, a deal would be done in October. He noted that 80% of the withdrawal agreement was already settled. And he said it was "useful" that EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier had raised questions about the prime minister's blueprint for the UK's future trading relationship with the EU.
"Actually the fact Michel Barnier is not blowing it out of the water but asking questions is a good, positive sign - that's what we negotiate on."
Earlier Mr Raab suggested to the Sunday Telegraph that he was still persuading other cabinet ministers that the government's "pragmatic" strategy for leaving the EU was the "best plan" and that the UK could refuse to pay its so-called divorce bill, a payment from the UK to the EU estimated to be about £39bn, if it does not get a trade deal.
https://bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44913982
A deal with the EU can be reached by October but the UK is preparing for the possibility of no deal, the new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has said.
He said he would return to Brussels for talks on Thursday and strain "every sinew" to get "the best deal".
But a responsible government puts plans in place in case talks do not end well, he told the BBC.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said there must be a "serious stepping up of negotiations" to avoid no deal.
Mr Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show if the "energy, ambition and pragmatism" the UK brought to negotiations was reciprocated, a deal would be done in October. He noted that 80% of the withdrawal agreement was already settled. And he said it was "useful" that EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier had raised questions about the prime minister's blueprint for the UK's future trading relationship with the EU.
"Actually the fact Michel Barnier is not blowing it out of the water but asking questions is a good, positive sign - that's what we negotiate on."
Earlier Mr Raab suggested to the Sunday Telegraph that he was still persuading other cabinet ministers that the government's "pragmatic" strategy for leaving the EU was the "best plan" and that the UK could refuse to pay its so-called divorce bill, a payment from the UK to the EU estimated to be about £39bn, if it does not get a trade deal.
Trump-Russia: Carter Page surveillance documents released
https://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44916853
The FBI believed Donald Trump's foreign policy aide Carter Page had "been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government" during the 2016 election campaign, according to newly released documents.
Mr Page's relationships with Russian intelligence officials are highlighted in court applications which led to him being put under surveillance.
He has denied the accusations. Mr Trump has now said it looked like his campaign was illegally spied on.
The surveillance applications were granted and renewed by several different judges sitting in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
What was released?
The FBI released the previously secret document on Saturday night., following Freedom of Information requests by several US outlets. It contains 412 pages of heavily redacted material which includes the surveillance applications, their later renewals, as well as warrants surrounding the investigation into Mr Page.
According to the documents, "the FBI believes that the Russian government's efforts are being co-ordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with" Mr Trump's presidential campaign.
It also said Mr Page "has established relationships with Russian government officials, including Russian intelligence officers".
https://bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44916853
The FBI believed Donald Trump's foreign policy aide Carter Page had "been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government" during the 2016 election campaign, according to newly released documents.
Mr Page's relationships with Russian intelligence officials are highlighted in court applications which led to him being put under surveillance.
He has denied the accusations. Mr Trump has now said it looked like his campaign was illegally spied on.
The surveillance applications were granted and renewed by several different judges sitting in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
What was released?
The FBI released the previously secret document on Saturday night., following Freedom of Information requests by several US outlets. It contains 412 pages of heavily redacted material which includes the surveillance applications, their later renewals, as well as warrants surrounding the investigation into Mr Page.
According to the documents, "the FBI believes that the Russian government's efforts are being co-ordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with" Mr Trump's presidential campaign.
It also said Mr Page "has established relationships with Russian government officials, including Russian intelligence officers".
The Week That Broke Brexit: A Telegraph Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG-P90AQDMw
講May姐位幾好睇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG-P90AQDMw
講May姐位幾好睇
Ethiopian prime minister calls for multiparty democracy
https://www.dw.com/en/ethiopian-prime-minister-calls-for-multiparty-democracy/a-44779968
The prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, said on Sunday that his country faced "no option" but to pursue multiparty democracy.
Abiy's chief of staff tweeted the remarks during a meeting the prime minister held with leaders of more than 50 national, regional and political parties, some from overseas, who were demanding reforms to Ethiopia's election law.
"Given our current politics, there is no option except pursuing a multiparty democracy supported by strong institutions that respect human rights and rule of law." Chief of Staff Fitsum Arega wrote on Twitter.
Although Ethiopia allows competing parties, the country has been ruled by a single coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, since it rose to power in 1991.
Abiy's favorable comment on multiparty democracy in Ethiopia follows the government's decision to lift a ban on opposition groups that were considered terrorist groups.
https://www.dw.com/en/ethiopian-prime-minister-calls-for-multiparty-democracy/a-44779968
The prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, said on Sunday that his country faced "no option" but to pursue multiparty democracy.
Abiy's chief of staff tweeted the remarks during a meeting the prime minister held with leaders of more than 50 national, regional and political parties, some from overseas, who were demanding reforms to Ethiopia's election law.
"Given our current politics, there is no option except pursuing a multiparty democracy supported by strong institutions that respect human rights and rule of law." Chief of Staff Fitsum Arega wrote on Twitter.
Although Ethiopia allows competing parties, the country has been ruled by a single coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, since it rose to power in 1991.
Abiy's favorable comment on multiparty democracy in Ethiopia follows the government's decision to lift a ban on opposition groups that were considered terrorist groups.
Iraq's protests: What you need to know
https://www.dw.com/en/iraqs-protests-what-you-need-to-know/a-44779555
July has witnessed soaring temperatures in southern Iraq that have boiled over into popular mass mobilization against corruption, wretched services and unemployment.
Mass protests that started in Basra two weeks ago have since spread to nine predominately Shiite southern provinces and the capital, Baghdad.
Provincial governorate buildings have been sieged, political party offices stormed, Shiite militias attacked, an airport torched, and oil and port facilities blocked. At least a dozen protesters have been killed and hundreds wounded, either by militia or unknown gunmen. Hundreds more have been arrested and internet and social media curtailed in a bid to stop the protests.
At their core, the protests represent a rejection of the post-2003 corrupt political elites that have ruled the oil-rich country, or more precisely, pilfered and wasted its resources.
It is not difficult to understand why Iraqis are angry. Basic services are lacking, unemployment is high and corruption is rampant. Meanwhile, Iraq's oil exports have more than doubled in the past decade to 3.9 million barrels a day. A quarter of the population lives in poverty and cut off from narrow patron-client relationships that are a key feature of Iraq's political economy.
https://www.dw.com/en/iraqs-protests-what-you-need-to-know/a-44779555
July has witnessed soaring temperatures in southern Iraq that have boiled over into popular mass mobilization against corruption, wretched services and unemployment.
Mass protests that started in Basra two weeks ago have since spread to nine predominately Shiite southern provinces and the capital, Baghdad.
Provincial governorate buildings have been sieged, political party offices stormed, Shiite militias attacked, an airport torched, and oil and port facilities blocked. At least a dozen protesters have been killed and hundreds wounded, either by militia or unknown gunmen. Hundreds more have been arrested and internet and social media curtailed in a bid to stop the protests.
At their core, the protests represent a rejection of the post-2003 corrupt political elites that have ruled the oil-rich country, or more precisely, pilfered and wasted its resources.
It is not difficult to understand why Iraqis are angry. Basic services are lacking, unemployment is high and corruption is rampant. Meanwhile, Iraq's oil exports have more than doubled in the past decade to 3.9 million barrels a day. A quarter of the population lives in poverty and cut off from narrow patron-client relationships that are a key feature of Iraq's political economy.
German politicians allied against Steve Bannon
https://www.dw.com/en/german-politicians-allied-against-steve-bannon/a-44781925
Plans by US far-right figure Steve Bannon to influence the European Parliament's 2019 election have been met with alarm across Germany's political spectrum. Bannon has become a controversial figure, known for his ties to the campaigns for the UK to leave the European Union and the election of US President Donald Trump.
"We have to fight now, with good arguments, confident and true," said Michael Roth, a center-left Social Democratic (SPD) lawmaker and minister of state for Europe in an interview with Die Welt newspaper.
Europe should not "be afraid of nationalist campaigns with which Mr. Bannon would like to force Europe to its knees…our values are stronger than his hate and his lies."
https://www.dw.com/en/german-politicians-allied-against-steve-bannon/a-44781925
Plans by US far-right figure Steve Bannon to influence the European Parliament's 2019 election have been met with alarm across Germany's political spectrum. Bannon has become a controversial figure, known for his ties to the campaigns for the UK to leave the European Union and the election of US President Donald Trump.
"We have to fight now, with good arguments, confident and true," said Michael Roth, a center-left Social Democratic (SPD) lawmaker and minister of state for Europe in an interview with Die Welt newspaper.
Europe should not "be afraid of nationalist campaigns with which Mr. Bannon would like to force Europe to its knees…our values are stronger than his hate and his lies."
Trump and Iran's Rouhani trade angry threats
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44919772
US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have traded hostile warnings, amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Mr Trump tweeted that Iran "will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before" if it threatened the US.
Mr Rouhani earlier said that war with Iran would be "the mother of all wars".
President Rouhani's comments, made to Iranian diplomats, did leave open the possibility of future good relations with the US.
Mr Trump's angry rhetoric has echoes of his Twitter barrages against North Korea's Kim Jong-un, whom he branded a "madman" who "will be tested like never before", before engaging in a testy exchange over whose nuclear button was bigger.
Their verbal hostilities nonetheless evolved into ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44919772
US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have traded hostile warnings, amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Mr Trump tweeted that Iran "will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before" if it threatened the US.
Mr Rouhani earlier said that war with Iran would be "the mother of all wars".
President Rouhani's comments, made to Iranian diplomats, did leave open the possibility of future good relations with the US.
Mr Trump's angry rhetoric has echoes of his Twitter barrages against North Korea's Kim Jong-un, whom he branded a "madman" who "will be tested like never before", before engaging in a testy exchange over whose nuclear button was bigger.
Their verbal hostilities nonetheless evolved into ongoing diplomatic negotiations.