Erdoğan chides Bolton and calls on US to hand over Syria bases
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/08/erdogan-us-bolton-turkey-syria-withdrawal-kurdish
Turkey has asked Washington to hand over its bases in Syria as the Trump administration appeared to reverse plans to withdraw from the country’s north-east on Tuesday, jeopardising Ankara’s plans to launch a widespread military operation targeting Kurdish groups.
The fresh row between the two Nato allies broke out as the US national security adviser, John Bolton, was in Ankara to row back on a surprise announcement by Donald Trump in December that US forces would leave imminently, abandoning Kurdish proxies who had led its ground war against the Islamic State terror group. Turkey views those same Kurdish groups as mortal foes.
In a scathing speech to parliament, delivered while Bolton was still in the Turkish capital, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the US envoy had “made a serious mistake” and that Turkey would never agree to a compromise that protected the Kurdish militia, known as the YPG, whose members helped a US-led coalition push Isis out of most of Syria’s east.
“Elements of the US administration are saying different things,” said Erdoğan. “The YPG and the PKK can never be representatives of the Kurdish people.”
Signalling the rift, Erdogan appeared to snub Bolton by not meeting with him, leaving the US National Security Adviser to instead hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, Ibrahim Kalin, and other officials at Ankara’s presidency complex.
國際時事政治選舉新聞張貼及討論區（五）
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U.S.-China trade talks extend into evening of second day: source
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/u-s-china-trade-talks-extend-into-evening-of-second-day-source-idUSKCN1P215V
BEIJING (Reuters) - A second day of U.S.-China trade talks in Beijing extended into Tuesday evening, a source with knowledge of the meetings said, as the world’s two largest economies looked to resolve a bitter trade dispute.
The source confirmed to Reuters that talks were “ongoing”, but few other details had emerged.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross predicted on Monday that Beijing and Washington could reach a trade deal that “we can live with”.
But he said that immediate trade issues would be easiest to tackle while enforcement issues and structural reforms, such as intellectual property rights and market access, would be more challenging.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/u-s-china-trade-talks-extend-into-evening-of-second-day-source-idUSKCN1P215V
BEIJING (Reuters) - A second day of U.S.-China trade talks in Beijing extended into Tuesday evening, a source with knowledge of the meetings said, as the world’s two largest economies looked to resolve a bitter trade dispute.
The source confirmed to Reuters that talks were “ongoing”, but few other details had emerged.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross predicted on Monday that Beijing and Washington could reach a trade deal that “we can live with”.
But he said that immediate trade issues would be easiest to tackle while enforcement issues and structural reforms, such as intellectual property rights and market access, would be more challenging.
Trump to press U.S. border 'crisis' in televised address
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shutdown/trump-to-press-u-s-border-crisis-in-televised-address-idUSKCN1P20AR
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will make his case to Americans on Tuesday that a “crisis” at the U.S. border with Mexico requires a wall in a prime-time address aimed at building support for a campaign promise that has sparked an 18-day government shutdown.
Trump’s Oval Office remarks, scheduled for 9 p.m. will be the president’s latest attempt to convince Democrats, not to mention furloughed government workers, to support his push for a steel barrier on the U.S. southern border that he says is needed to curb the flow of drugs and illegal immigration.
All the major U.S. television networks agreed to air Trump’s speech, prompting Democrats, who say a wall would be expensive, inefficient and immoral, to seek equal time.
“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” said a joint statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shutdown/trump-to-press-u-s-border-crisis-in-televised-address-idUSKCN1P20AR
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will make his case to Americans on Tuesday that a “crisis” at the U.S. border with Mexico requires a wall in a prime-time address aimed at building support for a campaign promise that has sparked an 18-day government shutdown.
Trump’s Oval Office remarks, scheduled for 9 p.m. will be the president’s latest attempt to convince Democrats, not to mention furloughed government workers, to support his push for a steel barrier on the U.S. southern border that he says is needed to curb the flow of drugs and illegal immigration.
All the major U.S. television networks agreed to air Trump’s speech, prompting Democrats, who say a wall would be expensive, inefficient and immoral, to seek equal time.
“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” said a joint statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
DR Congo opposition candidate Fayulu says results 'not negotiable'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46804798
Mr Fayulu said the "Congolese people already know" the result of the vote, which took place on 30 December.
The election outcome was initially expected to be announced on Sunday.
The poll is to establish a successor to Joseph Kabila, who is stepping down after 18 years as president.
Mr Kabila has promised that the polls, which were supposed to have taken place two years ago, will be DR Congo's first orderly transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
His preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Shadary, is facing strong opposition from Mr Fayulu, an ex-oil tycoon, and Felix Tshisekedi, son of a veteran opposition leader.
On Tuesday, Mr Fayulu said DR Congo's National Electoral Commission (Ceni) must "publish the provisional results of the presidential election in the near future," adding: "The election results are not negotiable."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46804798
Mr Fayulu said the "Congolese people already know" the result of the vote, which took place on 30 December.
The election outcome was initially expected to be announced on Sunday.
The poll is to establish a successor to Joseph Kabila, who is stepping down after 18 years as president.
Mr Kabila has promised that the polls, which were supposed to have taken place two years ago, will be DR Congo's first orderly transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
His preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Shadary, is facing strong opposition from Mr Fayulu, an ex-oil tycoon, and Felix Tshisekedi, son of a veteran opposition leader.
On Tuesday, Mr Fayulu said DR Congo's National Electoral Commission (Ceni) must "publish the provisional results of the presidential election in the near future," adding: "The election results are not negotiable."
Government shutdown: Trump appeals to US TV audience over wall
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46792676
US President Donald Trump is set to argue that an immigration "crisis" requires his long-promised wall along the Mexican border.
Mr Trump will make his case in his first speech from the Oval Office at 21:00EST (0200 GMT Wednesday), ahead of a trip to the border on Thursday.
A partial government shutdown has been in effect for 17 days after lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse.
The president is insisting that $5bn (£4bn) be included for the border wall.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a tweet that Mr Trump would use his visit to the border on Thursday to "meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46792676
US President Donald Trump is set to argue that an immigration "crisis" requires his long-promised wall along the Mexican border.
Mr Trump will make his case in his first speech from the Oval Office at 21:00EST (0200 GMT Wednesday), ahead of a trip to the border on Thursday.
A partial government shutdown has been in effect for 17 days after lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse.
The president is insisting that $5bn (£4bn) be included for the border wall.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a tweet that Mr Trump would use his visit to the border on Thursday to "meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis".
Manafort shared polling data on 2016 election with elusive Russian – Mueller
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/08/manafort-russian-poll-share-konstantin-kilimnik-trump-investigation-2016-election-latest
Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared polling data on the 2016 election with a Russian man linked to Moscow’s intelligence agencies, according to special counsel Robert Mueller.
Manafort, 69, is also accused of covering up other meetings and contacts with the Russian, an elusive consultant named Konstantin Kilimnik who worked for Manafort on election campaigns for pro-Kremlin politicians in eastern Europe.
Attorneys for Manafort disclosed the allegations in a court filing in Washington on Tuesday. They appeared in sections of the filing that were meant to be redacted, but where text underneath blacked-out lines could be copied and viewed.
A spokesman for Manafort’s team did not respond to a message asking if the faulty redactions were accidental. The document was later refiled to court with effective redactions.
In the court document made public on Tuesday, Manafort’s attorneys denied allegations that the former Trump aide lied to Mueller’s team about several topics since he began cooperating with the inquiry. They blamed his false statements on a failure to recall certain details and his lack of access in jail to records that could jog his memory.
Manafort’s attorneys did not deny that Manafort gave Kilimnik the data, instead stating that he had not lied about it but was merely “unable to recall specific details prior to having his recollection refreshed”.
The attorneys also confirmed that Manafort had met Kilimnik in Madrid, claiming he “had not initially remembered” the meeting but recalled it when confronted with records showing the two were in the Spanish capital at the same time.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/08/manafort-russian-poll-share-konstantin-kilimnik-trump-investigation-2016-election-latest
Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared polling data on the 2016 election with a Russian man linked to Moscow’s intelligence agencies, according to special counsel Robert Mueller.
Manafort, 69, is also accused of covering up other meetings and contacts with the Russian, an elusive consultant named Konstantin Kilimnik who worked for Manafort on election campaigns for pro-Kremlin politicians in eastern Europe.
Attorneys for Manafort disclosed the allegations in a court filing in Washington on Tuesday. They appeared in sections of the filing that were meant to be redacted, but where text underneath blacked-out lines could be copied and viewed.
A spokesman for Manafort’s team did not respond to a message asking if the faulty redactions were accidental. The document was later refiled to court with effective redactions.
In the court document made public on Tuesday, Manafort’s attorneys denied allegations that the former Trump aide lied to Mueller’s team about several topics since he began cooperating with the inquiry. They blamed his false statements on a failure to recall certain details and his lack of access in jail to records that could jog his memory.
Manafort’s attorneys did not deny that Manafort gave Kilimnik the data, instead stating that he had not lied about it but was merely “unable to recall specific details prior to having his recollection refreshed”.
The attorneys also confirmed that Manafort had met Kilimnik in Madrid, claiming he “had not initially remembered” the meeting but recalled it when confronted with records showing the two were in the Spanish capital at the same time.
Trump administration says it will provide food stamps in February despite shutdown
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shutdown-foodstamps/trump-administration-says-it-will-provide-food-stamps-in-february-despite-shutdown-idUSKCN1P3005
(Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Tuesday it would keep providing food assistance to poor Americans in February despite a partial U.S. government shutdown, but warned it had no solution in place for March if the funding shortfall continues.
The announcement provides a reprieve for the roughly 40 million people whose food stamps have been threatened by the shutdown, triggered last month by President Donald Trump’s demand that lawmakers include billions of dollars for his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall in any legislation to fund some government agencies.
The partial shutdown has affected a broad swatch of the federal government, including national parks, airline security screening, housing assistance and the release of economic data. About 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the so-called Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program would receive funding for February thanks to a legal provision that allows money to be allocated within 30 days of a shutdown.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shutdown-foodstamps/trump-administration-says-it-will-provide-food-stamps-in-february-despite-shutdown-idUSKCN1P3005
(Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Tuesday it would keep providing food assistance to poor Americans in February despite a partial U.S. government shutdown, but warned it had no solution in place for March if the funding shortfall continues.
The announcement provides a reprieve for the roughly 40 million people whose food stamps have been threatened by the shutdown, triggered last month by President Donald Trump’s demand that lawmakers include billions of dollars for his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall in any legislation to fund some government agencies.
The partial shutdown has affected a broad swatch of the federal government, including national parks, airline security screening, housing assistance and the release of economic data. About 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the so-called Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program would receive funding for February thanks to a legal provision that allows money to be allocated within 30 days of a shutdown.
MPs bid to force government to reveal its plan B sooner passes
MPs have successfully managed to dramatically cut the amount of time Theresa May has to reveal her plan B if her deal is rejected in parliament next week.
They have voted to pass an amendment making the change tabled by Dominic Grieve, the Tory backbencher and former attorney general.
Before, the prime minister had 21 calendar days to come back to parliament to present her next steps.
Now it will be three sitting days in parliament.
MPs voted by 308 to 297 to pass the law change.
Source: Skynews
https://news.sky.com/story/live-brexit-deal-critics-trying-to-deny-reality-pms-deputy-11602548?
MPs have successfully managed to dramatically cut the amount of time Theresa May has to reveal her plan B if her deal is rejected in parliament next week.
They have voted to pass an amendment making the change tabled by Dominic Grieve, the Tory backbencher and former attorney general.
Before, the prime minister had 21 calendar days to come back to parliament to present her next steps.
Now it will be three sitting days in parliament.
MPs voted by 308 to 297 to pass the law change.
Source: Skynews
https://news.sky.com/story/live-brexit-deal-critics-trying-to-deny-reality-pms-deputy-11602548?
Spain Andalusia: Far right strike landmark deal
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46813096
A coalition of rightwing parties will rule Spain's most populous region, Andalusia, for the first time in 36 years under a deal with the far right.
The conservative Popular Party (PP) will rule along with the centre-right Citizens.
Vox, an anti-immigrant party which won seats in Andalusia last year, will not be part of the new government, but has agreed to support the coalition.
The defeat of the left in the southern region has rocked Spanish politics.
Andalusia had been a bastion of the Socialist party (PSOE), which returned to national power last year as a fragile minority government after seven years of PP rule.
Wednesday's deal between the PP and Vox came amid continuing indignation over Vox's policies, with nearly 100 feminist organisations signing a manifesto pledging opposition to the far right's stance on gender equality and violence against women.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46813096
A coalition of rightwing parties will rule Spain's most populous region, Andalusia, for the first time in 36 years under a deal with the far right.
The conservative Popular Party (PP) will rule along with the centre-right Citizens.
Vox, an anti-immigrant party which won seats in Andalusia last year, will not be part of the new government, but has agreed to support the coalition.
The defeat of the left in the southern region has rocked Spanish politics.
Andalusia had been a bastion of the Socialist party (PSOE), which returned to national power last year as a fragile minority government after seven years of PP rule.
Wednesday's deal between the PP and Vox came amid continuing indignation over Vox's policies, with nearly 100 feminist organisations signing a manifesto pledging opposition to the far right's stance on gender equality and violence against women.
Iran confirms it has detained US navy veteran Michael White
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/09/iran-confirms-detention-navy-veteran-michael-white
Iran has confirmed it is holding a US navy veteran, Michael R White, at a prison in the country, making him the first American known to be detained under Donald Trump’s administration.
White’s detention ratchets up the rising tension between Iran and the US, which under Trump has pursued a maximalist campaign against Tehran that includes pulling out of its nuclear deal with world powers.
While the circumstances of White’s detention remain unclear, Iran in the past has used its detention of westerners and dual nationals as leverage in negotiations.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, reported the confirmation, citing a foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/09/iran-confirms-detention-navy-veteran-michael-white
Iran has confirmed it is holding a US navy veteran, Michael R White, at a prison in the country, making him the first American known to be detained under Donald Trump’s administration.
White’s detention ratchets up the rising tension between Iran and the US, which under Trump has pursued a maximalist campaign against Tehran that includes pulling out of its nuclear deal with world powers.
While the circumstances of White’s detention remain unclear, Iran in the past has used its detention of westerners and dual nationals as leverage in negotiations.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, reported the confirmation, citing a foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi.
May loses grip on Brexit deal after fresh Commons humiliation
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/09/may-loses-grip-on-brexit-deal-after-fresh-commons-humiliation
Theresa May’s room for manoeuvre should her Brexit deal be rejected next week was further constrained on Wednesday night, after the government lost a second dramatic parliamentary showdown in as many days.
An increasingly boxed-in prime minister must now set out her plan B within three working days of a defeat next Tuesday, after the rebel amendment passed.
There were furious scenes in the House of Commons as the Speaker, John Bercow, took the controversial decision to allow a vote on the amendment, tabled by the former attorney general Dominic Grieve.
A string of MPs, including the leader of the house, Andrea Leadsom, repeatedly intervened to question the Speaker’s approach. Some accused him of being biased against Brexit.
But parliament went on to back Grieve as the prime minister was defied by Conservative rebels determined to hand control of the Brexit process to MPs if next week’s vote is lost.
The fresh defeat, which followed a separate backbench amendment to the finance bill on Tuesday, means the government will have to return to parliament swiftly with a plan.
An accelerated timetable will also pile the pressure on Labour to move quickly. The motion setting out the government’s plan can be amended by MPs hoping to push their own alternative proposals, from a second referendum to a harder Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn’s party will have to decide which to back.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/09/may-loses-grip-on-brexit-deal-after-fresh-commons-humiliation
Theresa May’s room for manoeuvre should her Brexit deal be rejected next week was further constrained on Wednesday night, after the government lost a second dramatic parliamentary showdown in as many days.
An increasingly boxed-in prime minister must now set out her plan B within three working days of a defeat next Tuesday, after the rebel amendment passed.
There were furious scenes in the House of Commons as the Speaker, John Bercow, took the controversial decision to allow a vote on the amendment, tabled by the former attorney general Dominic Grieve.
A string of MPs, including the leader of the house, Andrea Leadsom, repeatedly intervened to question the Speaker’s approach. Some accused him of being biased against Brexit.
But parliament went on to back Grieve as the prime minister was defied by Conservative rebels determined to hand control of the Brexit process to MPs if next week’s vote is lost.
The fresh defeat, which followed a separate backbench amendment to the finance bill on Tuesday, means the government will have to return to parliament swiftly with a plan.
An accelerated timetable will also pile the pressure on Labour to move quickly. The motion setting out the government’s plan can be amended by MPs hoping to push their own alternative proposals, from a second referendum to a harder Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn’s party will have to decide which to back.
Rosenstein expected to depart DOJ in coming weeks
https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/Politics/rosenstein-expected-depart-doj-coming-weeks-attorney-general/story?id=60252611
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave his role in the coming weeks, multiple sources familiar with his plans told ABC News.
Rosenstein has communicated to President Donald Trump and White House officials his plan to depart the administration around the time William Barr, Trump's nominee for attorney general, would take office following a Senate confirmation.
Sources told ABC News Rosenstein wants to ensure a smooth transition to his successor and would accommodate the needs of Barr, should he be confirmed.
Rosenstein apparently had long been thinking he would serve about two years, and there was no indication that he was being forced out at this moment by the president.
https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/Politics/rosenstein-expected-depart-doj-coming-weeks-attorney-general/story?id=60252611
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave his role in the coming weeks, multiple sources familiar with his plans told ABC News.
Rosenstein has communicated to President Donald Trump and White House officials his plan to depart the administration around the time William Barr, Trump's nominee for attorney general, would take office following a Senate confirmation.
Sources told ABC News Rosenstein wants to ensure a smooth transition to his successor and would accommodate the needs of Barr, should he be confirmed.
Rosenstein apparently had long been thinking he would serve about two years, and there was no indication that he was being forced out at this moment by the president.
Trump walks out of shutdown talks with a 'bye-bye'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46818218
President Donald Trump has walked out of a meeting with Democratic leaders as negotiations broke down on the 19th day of a US government shutdown.
The Republican president ended talks after Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer stuck by their refusal to fund his planned US-Mexico border wall.
Mr Trump called his meeting with the pair "a total waste of time".
Some 800,000 federal workers will go without pay this week for the first time since the shutdown began.
The president tweeted afterwards that he had said "bye-bye" to the top Democrats.
Outside the White House the blame game was in full flow from both sides after Wednesday's meeting in the Situation Room, a conference centre in the West Wing basement.
Mrs Pelosi, who is speaker of the House of Representatives, said the legion of unpaid federal employees were "collateral damage" to Mr Trump.
"The president seems to be insensitive to that," she said. "He thinks maybe they could just ask their father for more money. But they can't."
Mr Schumer told reporters the president had abruptly left when Mrs Pelosi said she would not approve any wall funding.
The Senate Democratic leader said: "He [Mr Trump] asked Speaker Pelosi, 'Will you agree to my wall?' She said no.
"And he just got up and said, 'Then we have nothing to discuss,' and he just walked out.
"Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his way."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46818218
President Donald Trump has walked out of a meeting with Democratic leaders as negotiations broke down on the 19th day of a US government shutdown.
The Republican president ended talks after Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer stuck by their refusal to fund his planned US-Mexico border wall.
Mr Trump called his meeting with the pair "a total waste of time".
Some 800,000 federal workers will go without pay this week for the first time since the shutdown began.
The president tweeted afterwards that he had said "bye-bye" to the top Democrats.
Outside the White House the blame game was in full flow from both sides after Wednesday's meeting in the Situation Room, a conference centre in the West Wing basement.
Mrs Pelosi, who is speaker of the House of Representatives, said the legion of unpaid federal employees were "collateral damage" to Mr Trump.
"The president seems to be insensitive to that," she said. "He thinks maybe they could just ask their father for more money. But they can't."
Mr Schumer told reporters the president had abruptly left when Mrs Pelosi said she would not approve any wall funding.
The Senate Democratic leader said: "He [Mr Trump] asked Speaker Pelosi, 'Will you agree to my wall?' She said no.
"And he just got up and said, 'Then we have nothing to discuss,' and he just walked out.
"Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn't get his way."
Michael Cohen to testify publicly before Congress in February
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/10/michael-cohen-congress-house-testimony-trump
Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer and aide Michael Cohen says he has accepted an invitation from a top House Democrat to testify publicly before Congress next month.
His testimony before the House oversight and reform committee on 7 February will be the first major public oversight hearing for Democrats, who have promised greater scrutiny of Trump after winning control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections.
Cohen said in a statement: “I look forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/10/michael-cohen-congress-house-testimony-trump
Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer and aide Michael Cohen says he has accepted an invitation from a top House Democrat to testify publicly before Congress next month.
His testimony before the House oversight and reform committee on 7 February will be the first major public oversight hearing for Democrats, who have promised greater scrutiny of Trump after winning control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections.
Cohen said in a statement: “I look forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired.”
US will expel every last Iranian boot from Syria, says Mike Pompeo
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/10/us-expel-every-last-iranian-boot-syria-mike-pompeo
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has vowed the US and its allies will “expel every last Iranian boot” from Syria as he sought to reassure Middle Eastern nations it was not withdrawing from the region despite Donald Trump’s call for troops to return home.
In a keynote speech delivered in Cairo, pitched as the centrepiece of his nine-country regional tour, Pompeo called for a common stand against Tehran. “It’s time for old rivalries to end, for the sake of the greater good of the region,” he said.
The US would “use diplomacy and work with our partners to expel every last Iranian boot” from Syria and bolster efforts “to bring peace and stability to the long-suffering Syrian people”, he said.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/10/us-expel-every-last-iranian-boot-syria-mike-pompeo
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has vowed the US and its allies will “expel every last Iranian boot” from Syria as he sought to reassure Middle Eastern nations it was not withdrawing from the region despite Donald Trump’s call for troops to return home.
In a keynote speech delivered in Cairo, pitched as the centrepiece of his nine-country regional tour, Pompeo called for a common stand against Tehran. “It’s time for old rivalries to end, for the sake of the greater good of the region,” he said.
The US would “use diplomacy and work with our partners to expel every last Iranian boot” from Syria and bolster efforts “to bring peace and stability to the long-suffering Syrian people”, he said.
DR Congo presidential election: Church questions results
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46827760
The influential Catholic Church has questioned the official results of the Democratic Republic of Congo's controversial presidential election.
Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was named the winner on Thursday.
However, the Church, which posted 40,000 election observers, says the result does not match its findings.
The runner-up, opposition candidate Martin Fayulu, has told the BBC he will mount a legal challenge against the official vote count.
"The result is a coup and not the truth from the ballot," he said on Thursday. "The Congolese want change."
He accused Mr Tshisekedi of reaching a power-sharing deal with the ruling party, a claim the veteran figure has denied.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46827760
The influential Catholic Church has questioned the official results of the Democratic Republic of Congo's controversial presidential election.
Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was named the winner on Thursday.
However, the Church, which posted 40,000 election observers, says the result does not match its findings.
The runner-up, opposition candidate Martin Fayulu, has told the BBC he will mount a legal challenge against the official vote count.
"The result is a coup and not the truth from the ballot," he said on Thursday. "The Congolese want change."
He accused Mr Tshisekedi of reaching a power-sharing deal with the ruling party, a claim the veteran figure has denied.
Trump visits border amid US shutdown wall row
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46827555
US President Donald Trump has threatened again to declare a national emergency to fund a border wall without Congress's approval.
"I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency," he told reporters as he headed to an event at the border.
He also said Mexico would "indirectly" pay for the wall - contradicting an earlier campaign memo.
The government has been in partial shutdown for 20 days, leaving about 800,000 federal employees without pay.
President Trump refuses to sign legislation to fund and reopen the government if it does not include $5.7bn (£4.5bn) for a physical barrier along the US-Mexico border.
But budget talks have come to a standstill as Democrats - who control the House of Representatives - refuse to give him the money.
Republican leaders insist the party stands behind the president, although some Republican lawmakers have spoken out in favour of ending the shutdown.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46827555
US President Donald Trump has threatened again to declare a national emergency to fund a border wall without Congress's approval.
"I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency," he told reporters as he headed to an event at the border.
He also said Mexico would "indirectly" pay for the wall - contradicting an earlier campaign memo.
The government has been in partial shutdown for 20 days, leaving about 800,000 federal employees without pay.
President Trump refuses to sign legislation to fund and reopen the government if it does not include $5.7bn (£4.5bn) for a physical barrier along the US-Mexico border.
But budget talks have come to a standstill as Democrats - who control the House of Representatives - refuse to give him the money.
Republican leaders insist the party stands behind the president, although some Republican lawmakers have spoken out in favour of ending the shutdown.
Macedonia parliament agrees to change country's name
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46846231
Macedonia's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to change the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev narrowly secured the two-thirds majority needed in the historic vote amid a boycott by opposition nationalists.
Protesters outside parliament denounced what they called an act of treason.
The name change is aimed at ending a 27-year dispute with Greece, which has its own region called Macedonia.
The Greek parliament must now give its approval under a deal signed by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Mr Zaev in June.
That will lift Athens' veto on Macedonia's bids to join Nato and the European Union.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46846231
Macedonia's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to change the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev narrowly secured the two-thirds majority needed in the historic vote amid a boycott by opposition nationalists.
Protesters outside parliament denounced what they called an act of treason.
The name change is aimed at ending a 27-year dispute with Greece, which has its own region called Macedonia.
The Greek parliament must now give its approval under a deal signed by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Mr Zaev in June.
That will lift Athens' veto on Macedonia's bids to join Nato and the European Union.
Leader of Venezuela Congress says he is prepared to assume presidency
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/leader-of-venezuela-congress-says-he-is-prepared-to-assume-presidency-idUSKCN1P51U6
CARACAS (Reuters) - The leader of Venezuela’s opposition-led congress said on Friday he was prepared to assume the country’s presidency on an interim basis and call elections, just one day after leftist President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a disputed second term.
Juan Guaido, a lawmaker from the hard-line Popular Will opposition party who was elected to head the National Assembly on Jan. 5, said he would only take office with support of the armed forces. He also called for protests on Jan. 23, the anniversary of the fall of a military dictatorship in 1958.
“It should be the people of Venezuela, the armed forces, and the international community that give us a clear mandate to assume” the presidency, Guaido said in a speech to supporters outside the United Nations (U.N.) program office in Caracas.
The Supreme Court and an all-powerful legislature called the Constituent Assembly have stripped Congress of its powers, meaning it does not have the capacity to remove the president as would a legislature in many countries.
Guaido’s comments, however, caused some confusion.
Luis Almagro, head of regional diplomatic group the Organization of American States, tweeted that Guaido had assumed the interim presidency of Venezuela. Guaido did not respond to a message seeking clarification.
The country’s perennially fractured opposition has made numerous failed attempts over the past 20 years to remove the ruling socialists. Now, opposition leaders have disavowed Maduro’s second term as illegitimate, and have called for the National Assembly to declare the presidency vacant.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/leader-of-venezuela-congress-says-he-is-prepared-to-assume-presidency-idUSKCN1P51U6
CARACAS (Reuters) - The leader of Venezuela’s opposition-led congress said on Friday he was prepared to assume the country’s presidency on an interim basis and call elections, just one day after leftist President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a disputed second term.
Juan Guaido, a lawmaker from the hard-line Popular Will opposition party who was elected to head the National Assembly on Jan. 5, said he would only take office with support of the armed forces. He also called for protests on Jan. 23, the anniversary of the fall of a military dictatorship in 1958.
“It should be the people of Venezuela, the armed forces, and the international community that give us a clear mandate to assume” the presidency, Guaido said in a speech to supporters outside the United Nations (U.N.) program office in Caracas.
The Supreme Court and an all-powerful legislature called the Constituent Assembly have stripped Congress of its powers, meaning it does not have the capacity to remove the president as would a legislature in many countries.
Guaido’s comments, however, caused some confusion.
Luis Almagro, head of regional diplomatic group the Organization of American States, tweeted that Guaido had assumed the interim presidency of Venezuela. Guaido did not respond to a message seeking clarification.
The country’s perennially fractured opposition has made numerous failed attempts over the past 20 years to remove the ruling socialists. Now, opposition leaders have disavowed Maduro’s second term as illegitimate, and have called for the National Assembly to declare the presidency vacant.
F.B.I. Opened Inquiry Into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html
In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.
The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.
(...)
The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, took over the inquiry into Mr. Trump when he was appointed, days after F.B.I. officials opened it. That inquiry is part of Mr. Mueller’s broader examination of how Russian operatives interfered in the 2016 election and whether any Trump associates conspired with them. It is unclear whether Mr. Mueller is still pursuing the counterintelligence matter, and some former law enforcement officials outside the investigation have questioned whether agents overstepped in opening it.
The criminal and counterintelligence elements were coupled together into one investigation, former law enforcement officials said in interviews in recent weeks, because if Mr. Trump had ousted the head of the F.B.I. to impede or even end the Russia investigation, that was both a possible crime and a national security concern. The F.B.I.’s counterintelligence division handles national security matters.
(...)
If the president had fired Mr. Comey to stop the Russia investigation, the action would have been a national security issue because it naturally would have hurt the bureau’s effort to learn how Moscow interfered in the 2016 election and whether any Americans were involved, according to James A. Baker, who served as F.B.I. general counsel until late 2017. He privately testified in October before House investigators who were examining the F.B.I.’s handling of the full Russia inquiry.
“Not only would it be an issue of obstructing an investigation, but the obstruction itself would hurt our ability to figure out what the Russians had done, and that is what would be the threat to national security,” Mr. Baker said in his testimony, portions of which were read to The New York Times. Mr. Baker did not explicitly acknowledge the existence of the investigation of Mr. Trump to congressional investigators.
(...)
The F.B.I. conducts two types of inquiries, criminal and counterintelligence investigations. Unlike criminal investigations, which are typically aimed at solving a crime and can result in arrests and convictions, counterintelligence inquiries are generally fact-finding missions to understand what a foreign power is doing and to stop any anti-American activity, like thefts of United States government secrets or covert efforts to influence policy. In most cases, the investigations are carried out quietly, sometimes for years. Often, they result in no arrests.
重點: 原來FBI唔只調查涉嫌妨礙司法公正(criminal), 個調查原來係二合一, 研究埋Trump係咪foreign agent(counterintelligence)
Trump可能係史上第一個, FBI會懷疑佢係foreign agent, 仲開埋file嘅總統
而且既然呢啲調查咁敏感, 但NYT又報到出黎, 可能就快到End Game, 啲source要開始唧牙膏畀公眾知, 準備個底去present?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/fbi-trump-russia-inquiry.html
In the days after President Trump fired James B. Comey as F.B.I. director, law enforcement officials became so concerned by the president’s behavior that they began investigating whether he had been working on behalf of Russia against American interests, according to former law enforcement officials and others familiar with the investigation.
The inquiry carried explosive implications. Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence.
(...)
The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, took over the inquiry into Mr. Trump when he was appointed, days after F.B.I. officials opened it. That inquiry is part of Mr. Mueller’s broader examination of how Russian operatives interfered in the 2016 election and whether any Trump associates conspired with them. It is unclear whether Mr. Mueller is still pursuing the counterintelligence matter, and some former law enforcement officials outside the investigation have questioned whether agents overstepped in opening it.
The criminal and counterintelligence elements were coupled together into one investigation, former law enforcement officials said in interviews in recent weeks, because if Mr. Trump had ousted the head of the F.B.I. to impede or even end the Russia investigation, that was both a possible crime and a national security concern. The F.B.I.’s counterintelligence division handles national security matters.
(...)
If the president had fired Mr. Comey to stop the Russia investigation, the action would have been a national security issue because it naturally would have hurt the bureau’s effort to learn how Moscow interfered in the 2016 election and whether any Americans were involved, according to James A. Baker, who served as F.B.I. general counsel until late 2017. He privately testified in October before House investigators who were examining the F.B.I.’s handling of the full Russia inquiry.
“Not only would it be an issue of obstructing an investigation, but the obstruction itself would hurt our ability to figure out what the Russians had done, and that is what would be the threat to national security,” Mr. Baker said in his testimony, portions of which were read to The New York Times. Mr. Baker did not explicitly acknowledge the existence of the investigation of Mr. Trump to congressional investigators.
(...)
The F.B.I. conducts two types of inquiries, criminal and counterintelligence investigations. Unlike criminal investigations, which are typically aimed at solving a crime and can result in arrests and convictions, counterintelligence inquiries are generally fact-finding missions to understand what a foreign power is doing and to stop any anti-American activity, like thefts of United States government secrets or covert efforts to influence policy. In most cases, the investigations are carried out quietly, sometimes for years. Often, they result in no arrests.
重點: 原來FBI唔只調查涉嫌妨礙司法公正(criminal), 個調查原來係二合一, 研究埋Trump係咪foreign agent(counterintelligence)
Trump可能係史上第一個, FBI會懷疑佢係foreign agent, 仲開埋file嘅總統
而且既然呢啲調查咁敏感, 但NYT又報到出黎, 可能就快到End Game, 啲source要開始唧牙膏畀公眾知, 準備個底去present?
Giuliani 今個星期話Trump唔會再答Muller問會唔會都有關呢
緊急狀態令，軍隊戒嚴，暫停國會同法院職能，無限期押後選舉
其實我認為答左一次已經玩完
本來問之前就已經知答案, 問你就只係睇下你會唔會自首/為左捉你錯處, 隊多條偽證罪畀你
而Trump有同Manafort互通料, 當Manafort唔知原來Mueller一路知佢鳩up畀流料嘅時候, 邏輯上可以合理假設Trump啲答案會有類似破綻
本來問之前就已經知答案, 問你就只係睇下你會唔會自首/為左捉你錯處, 隊多條偽證罪畀你
而Trump有同Manafort互通料, 當Manafort唔知原來Mueller一路知佢鳩up畀流料嘅時候, 邏輯上可以合理假設Trump啲答案會有類似破綻
Macron seeks to turn 'anger into solutions' in open letter to France
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/macron-seeks-to-turn-anger-into-solutions-in-open-letter-to-france
Emmanuel Macron has launched a two-month “great national debate” in France with a 2,330-word open letter to the country.
The French president hopes the nationwide public consultation will take the sting out of the widespread public anger behind the rise of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement and the civil unrest across France.
In the letter, Macron said he was open to ideas and suggestions but insisted the government would not go back on previous reforms or key measures in his 2017 election campaign.
“No questions are banned,” Macron writes. “We won’t agree on everything, that’s normal, that’s democracy. But at least we’ll show that we are a people who are not afraid to speak, to exchange views and debate. And perhaps we’ll discover that we might even agree, despite our different persuasions, more often than we think.”
Macron has been rocked by the ferocity of almost two months of angry protests by gilets jaunes. On Saturday a ninth weekend of demonstrations took place across France.
The letter, to be published in French newspapers on Monday, marks the start of a nationwide consultation in which citizens are invited to give their views on four central themes: taxation; the organisation of the state and its public administration; ecological transition; and citizenship and democracy.
Macron’s missive asks a number of questions, including: what taxes should be reduced?; what spending cuts might be a priority?; is there too much administration?; how can the people be given a greater say in running the country?
Macron said the proposals collected during the debate would build a new “contract for the nation”, influence political policymaking and establish France’s stance on national, European and international issues.
“This is how I intend, with you, to transform anger into solutions,” he wrote.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/macron-seeks-to-turn-anger-into-solutions-in-open-letter-to-france
Emmanuel Macron has launched a two-month “great national debate” in France with a 2,330-word open letter to the country.
The French president hopes the nationwide public consultation will take the sting out of the widespread public anger behind the rise of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement and the civil unrest across France.
In the letter, Macron said he was open to ideas and suggestions but insisted the government would not go back on previous reforms or key measures in his 2017 election campaign.
“No questions are banned,” Macron writes. “We won’t agree on everything, that’s normal, that’s democracy. But at least we’ll show that we are a people who are not afraid to speak, to exchange views and debate. And perhaps we’ll discover that we might even agree, despite our different persuasions, more often than we think.”
Macron has been rocked by the ferocity of almost two months of angry protests by gilets jaunes. On Saturday a ninth weekend of demonstrations took place across France.
The letter, to be published in French newspapers on Monday, marks the start of a nationwide consultation in which citizens are invited to give their views on four central themes: taxation; the organisation of the state and its public administration; ecological transition; and citizenship and democracy.
Macron’s missive asks a number of questions, including: what taxes should be reduced?; what spending cuts might be a priority?; is there too much administration?; how can the people be given a greater say in running the country?
Macron said the proposals collected during the debate would build a new “contract for the nation”, influence political policymaking and establish France’s stance on national, European and international issues.
“This is how I intend, with you, to transform anger into solutions,” he wrote.
Greek government crisis over Macedonia name change
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46855088
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said he will call a confidence vote after his governing coalition split over the Macedonia name change.
Defence Minister Panos Kammenos withdrew his party's support, signalling his opposition ahead of an expected vote in the Greek parliament.
The two countries recently agreed that Greece's northern neighbour would be called North Macedonia, therefore ending a 27-year-long row.
Macedonia has ratified the deal.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46855088
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said he will call a confidence vote after his governing coalition split over the Macedonia name change.
Defence Minister Panos Kammenos withdrew his party's support, signalling his opposition ahead of an expected vote in the Greek parliament.
The two countries recently agreed that Greece's northern neighbour would be called North Macedonia, therefore ending a 27-year-long row.
Macedonia has ratified the deal.