國際時事政治選舉新聞張貼及討論區（六）

Macedonia and Greece: Clashes in Athens over neighbour's name change
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46938371

Protesters have clashed with police in the Greek capital Athens at a big rally to oppose the government's deal with Macedonia on changing its name.

Police fired tear gas at some of those attending a protest which attracted tens of thousands to the city.

The deal, which is yet to be approved, designates Greece's northern neighbour as Republic of North Macedonia.

Organisers had said as many as 600,000 people were expected to take part in Sunday's demonstrations.

The actual numbers fell far short - with police estimating 60,000 in the capital at 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT).

Israeli military strikes Iranian targets in Syria
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-israel-strikes/israeli-military-strikes-iranian-targets-in-syria-idUSKCN1PE0Y2

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel’s military said on Monday it struck Iranian Quds targets inside Syria and warned Syrian forces not to attack Israeli territory or forces.

Syrian state media cited a Syrian military source as saying Israel launched an “intense attack through consecutive waves of guided missiles”, but that Syrian air defenses destroyed most of the “hostile targets”.

Witnesses in Damascus said loud explosions rang out in the night sky for nearly an hour.

“We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory,” Israel’s military said in a statement.

The Quds Force is in charge of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ overseas operations.

The strikes followed cross-border attacks on Sunday in which Syria said it repelled an Israeli air attack. Israel said it intercepted a rocket fired at the Golan Heights.

“We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier.

'No solutions' to Irish backstop in May's Brexit call with cabinet
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/20/theresa-may-cross-party-consensus-brexit-backstop-tory-split

Theresa May is expected to reject calls to forge a cross-party consensus on Brexit when she lays out her plan B to parliament on Monday, choosing instead to back new diplomatic efforts in Brussels to renegotiate the Irish backstop.

The prime minister held a conference call with her bitterly divided cabinet from the country retreat of Chequers on Sunday evening.

Cabinet sources said the consensus on the 90-minute call was to renew efforts to find acceptable changes to the backstop arrangement but that the conversation was light on specifics. One said there were “no actual solutions” proposed during the call.

“It is difficult to know – as ever – what she will do,” another said. “But the broad agreement is on the need to bring DUP and Tory rebels on board.”

Despite her claim in the wake of last week’s significant defeat in parliament that she would speak to “senior parliamentarians” from all parties to seek a compromise, government sources insisted her overriding priority was to prevent a historic split in the Tory party.

Several senior Conservative MPs have suggested they could form a breakaway party if May opted to support a customs union – one of Labour’s central demands, which is also backed by Tory supporters of a Norway-style soft Brexit.

Whitehall sources said the prime minister’s chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, had counselled her to consider a customs union after last week’s catastrophic defeat, when her deal was rejected by an overwhelming majority of 230 votes.

But when the government tables a formal statement on Monday, setting out its next steps, it is instead expected to focus on seeking changes to the Irish backstop in order to win over Jacob Rees-Mogg’s European Research Group and the DUP.

Remainer MPs trying to steal Brexit, says Liam Fox
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46936405

Giuliani says Trump pursued Moscow tower throughout '16, raising questions
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/giuliani-says-trump-pursued-moscow-tower-throughout-16-raising-questions-idUSKCN1PE0TX

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump pursued a business deal to erect a tower bearing his name in Moscow throughout 2016, his attorney said on Sunday, raising new questions for congressional investigators looking into possible ties between the president and Russia.

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he may have continued to pursue the project and had discussions about it with his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, until as late as October or November 2016, when Trump was closing in on his election victory against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“It’s our understanding that they (the discussions) went on throughout 2016,” Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Probably up to, could be up to as far as October, November,” he said. “But the president’s recollection of them is that the thing had petered out quite a bit.”

The Moscow deal ultimately did not materialize but Giuliani’s remarks suggest that Trump’s discussions about the project with Cohen may have dragged on months longer than had been publicly known.

“That is news to me. And that is big news,” Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, also said on “Meet the Press.” “It’s remarkable that we’re two years after the fact and just discovering it today.”

我諗真啲, 原來有方法
就係UK再次兼併愛爾蘭, 然後帶埋愛爾蘭脫歐
咁就迎刃而解

Kamala Harris, a former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney who was elected to the Senate two years ago, officially launched her campaign for president on Monday.

Harris, the first African-American to enter the 2020 presidential race and the first black senator from California, made the announcement on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” She simultaneously released a video teasing the formal start of her campaign at a rally this Sunday in Oakland, California, Harris’ birthplace and the city that cultivated her political rise.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/21/kamala-harris-2020-campaign-1116076

Giuliani walks back statements on Trump Tower Moscow talks
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/21/giuliani-trump-tower-moscow-michael-cohen-1116640

Rudy Giuliani on Monday walked back statements he made this weekend concerning potential conversations between then-candidate Donald Trump and Michael Cohen about plans to construct a Trump Tower in Moscow ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Giuliani, the former New York mayor and current attorney for the president, said during an interview Sunday on NBC that discussions between Trump and his ex-fixer regarding the project may have lasted up until Election Day.

“It's our understanding that they went on throughout 2016,” Giuliani said, adding that “there weren't a lot of them, but there were conversations. Can't be sure of the exact dates, but the president can remember having conversations with him about it."

Giuliani sought to retract those remarks in a statement to reporters Monday.

“My recent statements about discussions during the 2016 campaign between Michael Cohen and then-candidate Donald Trump about a potential Trump Moscow ‘project’ were hypothetical and not based on conversations I had with the President,” Giuliani said.

“My comments did not represent the actual timing or circumstances of any such discussions. The point is that the proposal was in the earliest stage and did not advance beyond a free non-binding letter of intent.”

PM May tries to tweak defeated Brexit plan, refuses to rule out no-deal
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu/pm-may-tries-to-tweak-defeated-brexit-plan-refuses-to-rule-out-no-deal-idUSKCN1PF0NU

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May sought to break the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit on Monday by proposing to seek further concessions from the European Union on a plan to prevent customs checks on the Irish border.

With little time left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29, there is no agreement in London on how and even whether it should leave the world’s biggest trading bloc, and a growing chance of a dramatic ‘no-deal’ exit with no provisions to soften the economic shock.

After her Brexit divorce deal with Brussels was rejected by 432-202 lawmakers last Tuesday, the biggest defeat in modern British history, May has been searching for a way to get a deal through.

She told parliament she could not take a “no-deal” Brexit off the table as there was no approved alternative, and the EU would be unlikely to postpone Britain’s exit date - determined by the “Article 50” withdrawal notice - without an exit plan.

“No-deal will only be taken off the table by either revoking Article 50, which turns back the results of the referendum - the government will not do that - or by having a deal, and that is what we are trying to work out,” May said.

She said another referendum would strengthen the hand of those seeking to break up the United Kingdom and could damage social cohesion by undermining faith in democracy.

Brexit: Theresa May scraps £65 fee for EU citizens to stay in UK
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46950719

Report reveals an undeclared North Korean missile base headquarters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-missiles/report-reveals-an-undeclared-north-korean-missile-base-headquarters-idUSKCN1PF24C

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of 20 undeclared ballistic missile operating bases in North Korea serves as a missile headquarters, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published on Monday.

“The Sino-ri missile operating base and the Nodong missiles deployed at this location fit into North Korea’s presumed nuclear military strategy by providing an operational-level nuclear or conventional first strike capability,” the report said.

The discovery of an undeclared missile headquarters comes three days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he “looks forward” to another summit to discuss denuclearization with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February.

“The North Koreans are not going to negotiate over things they don’t disclose,” said Victor Cha, one of the authors of the report. “It looks like they’re playing a game. They’re still going to have all this operational capability,” even if they destroy their disclosed nuclear facilities.

Russia acknowledges new missile but says it does not breach treaty
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-missiles/report-reveals-an-undeclared-north-korean-missile-base-headquarters-idUSKCN1PF24C

GENEVA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia has recognized the existence of a cruise missile system that has prompted Washington to say it will quit the 1987 INF disarmament treaty, but has denied that it violates the pact, U.S. officials and NATO diplomats said on Monday.

Two weeks before the planned U.S. withdrawal from the treaty, which keeps nuclear-capable missiles out of Europe, Washington’s disarmament ambassador in Geneva said there was still time for Russia to destroy the system.

But after a session of the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, Russian diplomat Alexander Deyneko told Reuters: “We shall not yield to any ultimatums like to liquidate or to eliminate (a) missile that doesn’t fall within the range of the treaty prohibitions.”

New France-Germany treaty aims to revive EU
https://www.dw.com/en/new-france-germany-treaty-aims-to-revive-eu/a-47172186

As they mark the 56th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty in the German city of Aachen on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel will sign a new friendship treaty that is designed to deepen the Franco-German friendship, bring ties to a "new level" and improve the lives of citizens in both countries.

The idea isn't new. Paris, in particular, has regularly suggested renewing the treaty in the decades since it was first signed, despite the fact that amendments have been added over the years.

With their signatures, the governments agreed on mandatory consultations, close political cooperation and a broad-based youth exchange. Since then, more than 8.4 million young German and French citizens have taken part in exchange programs in both countries.

The essence of the Elysee Treaty, which merely describes a cooperation process, does not need to be changed — but this new extension is intended to send a political message, namely that Berlin and Paris want to tackle the next stage in Franco-German cooperation and prepare the ground for EU reform. At the same time, the intensified partnership is seen as a challenge to the rising populism and nationalism in Europe.

White House forging ahead with State of the Union planning
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/22/white-house-planning-state-of-the-union-1119849

The White House is forging ahead with plans to hold President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in the House chamber next Tuesday, according to two administration officials, daring Speaker Nancy Pelosi to nix the event.

Senior White House aides said they put no stock in Pelosi’s letter requesting a delay of the annual event because of security concerns related to the government shutdown. They insist the Homeland Security Department and U.S. Secret Service are prepared to secure the address, which traditionally is attended by senior representatives from all three branches of government.

“The security concerns have been addressed,” a White House official said. “We’re moving forward.”

White House officials are aware that Pelosi has the final say over whether the speech will take place in the House chamber. But they intend to move forward as planned until Pelosi scuttles the event, a move that they believe would be seen as political.

For now, Congress has not approved a joint resolution authorizing an appearance by the president next Tuesday, so there is nothing scheduled for Pelosi to cancel. The resolution would need the support of House Democrats, who have followed taken their lead from Pelosi's lead during the shutdown.

No-deal Brexit 'means hard border' - European Commission
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-46961982

It is "obvious" there will be a hard border in Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the European Commission's chief spokesman has said.

Margaritis Schinas made the comments at the commission's daily media briefing.

If he was pushed to speculate what might happen in a no-deal scenario, he said, it was "pretty obvious you will have a hard border".

However, the Irish government has repeated its stance that it will "not accept a hard border on this island".

In a statement, the office of Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said: "Regardless of Brexit, the British government will always have responsibilities as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement to ensure that, even in a no deal, there will not be a return to a border."

'Hola, I'm Mike Pence': U.S. VP delivers message of support to Venezuelans
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-venezuela/hola-im-mike-pence-u-s-vp-delivers-message-of-support-to-venezuelans-idUSKCN1PG1W9

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence issued a video message of support to Venezuelans on Tuesday to encourage those who are protesting against President Nicolas Maduro and underline U.S. backing for opposition leader Juan Guaido.

In a taped video message in English with a few Spanish words and phrases mixed in, Pence, who has lashed out at Maduro before, declared him a "dictator" who has no rightful claim to power.

“On behalf of President Donald Trump and all the American people, let me express the unwavering support of the United States as you, the people of Venezuela, raise your voices in a call for freedom,” Pence said after offering a greeting of “hola,” which means “hello” in Spanish.

“Nicolas Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power. He has never won the presidency in a free and fair election, and has maintained his grip of power by imprisoning anyone who dares to oppose him.”

Top White House adviser says no trade meetings with China canceled
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-kudlow/top-white-house-adviser-says-no-trade-meetings-with-china-canceled-idUSKCN1PG2L0?il=0

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top economic adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pushed back against reports that a preliminary trade meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials was canceled, saying the story was not true.

“With respect, the story is not true,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told CNBC.

The Financial Times, citing people briefed on the talks, reported earlier on Tuesday that the Trump administration had rejected an offer from China for preparatory trade talks this week ahead of high-level negotiations scheduled for next week.

Merkel and Macron sign Treaty of Aachen to revive EU
https://www.dw.com/en/merkel-and-macron-sign-treaty-of-aachen-to-revive-eu/a-47172186

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday signed a new friendship treaty that is designed to deepen the Franco-German friendship, bring ties to a "new level" and improve the lives of citizens in both countries.

The treaty was signed in the German city of Aachen, as France and Germany marked the 56th anniversary of the Elysee Treaty.

The idea isn't new. Paris, in particular, has regularly suggested renewing the treaty in the decades since it was first signed, despite the fact that amendments have been added over the years.

The Treaty of Aachen will be the "foundation of cooperation between our countries," said Merkel before the signing the new friendship pact.

"Seventy-four years, a single human lifetime, after the end of World War II, what seems self-evident is being called into question again," she said. "That's why, first of all, there needs to be a new commitment toward our responsibility within the European Union, a responsibility held by Germany and France."

French President Emmanuel Macron hit out at those "spreading lies" about the treaty and stressed the importance of French-German reconciliation.

"Those who forget the value of French-German reconciliation are making themselves accomplices of the crimes of the past. Those who ... spread lies are hurting the same people they are pretending to defend by seeking to repeat our history," Macron said.

Judiciary Has Funds to Operate Through Jan. 31

https://www.uscourts.gov/news/2019/01/22/judiciary-has-funds-operate-through-jan-31

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) now estimates that federal courts can sustain funded operations through Jan. 31, 2019. The Judiciary continues to explore ways to conserve funds so it can sustain paid operations through Feb. 1. No further extensions beyond Feb. 1 will be possible. The Judiciary previously had revised its estimate for exhausting available funds from Jan. 18 to Jan. 25.

The extensions have been achieved through a multi-pronged strategy of deferring non-critical operating costs and utilizing court filing fees and other available balances. Most of the measures are temporary stopgaps, and the Judiciary will face many deferred payment obligations after the partial government shutdown ends.

In recent weeks, courts and federal public defender offices have delayed or deferred non-mission critical expenses, such as new hires, non-case related travel, and certain contracts. Judiciary employees are reporting to work and currently are in full-pay status.

Should funding run out before Congress enacts a new continuing resolution or full-year funding, the Judiciary would operate under the terms of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which permits mission critical work. This includes activities to support the exercise of the courts’ constitutional powers under Article III, specifically the resolution of cases and related services. Each court would determine the staff necessary to support its mission critical work.

In response to requests by the Department of Justice, some federal courts have issued orders suspending or postponing civil cases in which the government is a party, and others have declined to do so. Such orders are published on court internet sites. Courts will continue to conduct criminal trials.

The Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system remains in operation for electronic filing of documents, as does PACER, which enables the public to read court documents.

Courts have been encouraged to work with their district’s U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshal, and Federal Protective Service staff to discuss service levels required to maintain court operations. The General Services Administration has begun to reduce operations and courts are working with their local building managers to mitigate the impact on services.

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

就黎法院都乾塘

US shutdown: Trump says Pelosi 'afraid of the truth'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46980127

US President Donald Trump says he will deliver a speech to Congress next week, despite calls from top Democrats for it to be postponed over security risks.

Mr Trump insists the State of the Union will happen on 29 January since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already invited him to address Congress this month.

Mrs Pelosi said that was before the shutdown dragged into day 33.

She shot back in a second letter that the lower chamber would not authorise the address before the shutdown ends.

The president told reporters on Wednesday that Mrs Pelosi had cancelled the speech "because she doesn't want to hear the truth".

"She's afraid of the truth," Mr Trump said. "She doesn't want the American public to see what's going on."

Juan Guaidó: US backs opposition leader as Venezuela president
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-46980913

US President Donald Trump has said he recognises Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president.

The announcement came minutes after the 35-year-old declared himself acting leader in Caracas on Wednesday.

A number of South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia and Peru, have also recognised Mr Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate president.

It comes amid mass protests against President Nicolás Maduro who has overseen years of economic freefall.

Hyperinflation, power cuts and shortages of basic items have driven millions of people out of Venezuela.

Mr Maduro was sworn in for a second term earlier this month, after a vote marred by an opposition boycott and widespread claims of vote-rigging.

留名

https://twitter.com/CBCAlerts/status/1088138725891166208
加拿大支持Guaidó

https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/1088184788622761997
歐盟理事會主席希望EU國家會一齊支持Guaidó

P.S. EU未出statement(應該未夾好意向), 所以以上唔係EU官方立場

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/01/23/venezuela-juan-guaido-declares-himself-president-amid-protests/2658642002/
俄佬支持Maduro

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1088176704428769280

Maduro自稱火雞支持佢

https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1088189358308581387
據報Venezuela國防部長唔支持Guaidó
不過又無話支持Maduro, 我估係騎緊牆?

同場加映:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/23/venezuela-president-maduro-breaks-relations-with-us-gives-american-diplomats-72-hours-to-leave-country.html
Maduro: 美國佬同我躝

Maduro isolated as Latin American nations back Venezuela opposition leader
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-latam/maduro-isolated-as-latin-american-nations-back-venezuela-opposition-leader-idUSKCN1PI01J

LIMA (Reuters) - Most Latin American nations recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president on Wednesday, leaving Nicolas Maduro ever more isolated as he faces unrest at home and threats from the United States.

Longstanding leftist allies Bolivia and Cuba were the only countries in the region to explicitly voice support for Maduro as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Peru backed Guaido.

The United States and Canada also recognized Guaido - the 35-year-old leader of Venezuela’s opposition-dominated National Assembly - as Venezuela’s legitimate ruler.

However, Mexico - once a vocal member of the Lima Group regional bloc created to pressure Maduro to enact democratic reforms - struck a discordant note under new leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, saying it would not take sides and branding support for Guaido a violation of sovereignty.

中國仲未出聲支持Maduro
仲有Mexico, Bolivia 同Cuba

https://twitter.com/CNN_Oppmann/status/1088222578584547328

古巴話支持Maduro

俄佬個D就話出口啫
佢出要真金白銀出架喎