United States
US lawmakers introduce bill to stop tear gas sales to Hong Kong: South China Monitoring Post, 11 September 2019
US congressional representatives announced legislation on Tuesday calling for a ban on sales of riot control equipment to Hong Kong law enforcement services, as unrest in the city entered its fourth month. If passed, the bill would prohibit US companies from exporting so-called non-lethal crowd control items like tear gas, as well as defence articles and services, to Hong Kong, where the local police force is facing growing criticism of its response to protests.
Titled the PROTECT Hong Kong Act, Tuesday’s bill is sponsored by Representatives James McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, Christopher Smith, Republican of New Jersey, and Ro Khanna, Democrat of California. The ban would take effect 30 days after the legislation’s enactment. Click here to read....
Donald Trump says he would consider ‘interim deal’ with China: Financial Times, 13 September 2019
President Donald Trump said he would consider doing an “interim deal” with China after suggestions that his team were pitching the idea to reduce tensions with Beijing. Senior Trump administration officials have debated removing or reducing some tariffs on Chinese imports in a bid to reduce trade tensions with Beijing, potentially paving the way for a new ceasefire between the world’s two largest economies.
People briefed on the matter said the idea being discussed within the administration was to return to the status quo earlier this year, when tariffs were in place on $250bn of Chinese goods but no more than that. In return, China would agree to resume purchases of US agricultural goods and possibly even make some new commitments on intellectual property protection. Click here to read....
U.S. designates Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Noor Wali Mehsud as global terrorist: The Hindu, 12 September 2019
The United States has slapped sanctions on the chief of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Noor Wali Mehsud and designated him as a global terrorist, as the Trump administration unveiled new tools to pursue terror suspects, their financiers and supporters globally. Mehsud was designated as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The US actions seek to deny these terrorists the resources to plan and carry out attacks. All of their property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them, the statement said. Interestingly, Mehsud’s designation came on the same day India described Pakistan as the “epicentre” of global terrorism. Click here to read....
Pentagon ordered to offer options as US rules out 'knee jerk' response to Saudi attack: CNN, 18 July 2019
US defence officials were ordered to plan potential responses to the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities in a Monday meeting with President Donald Trump, but the White House is waiting for the Kingdom's rulers to decide on a response before charting a path forward, administration officials and sources familiar their thinking tell CNN.
Two US defence officials said that the Pentagon was instructed to "plan" at the White House meeting, but added that no detailed choices were presented. A source familiar with White House discussions said the administration feels time is on its side as it builds a case against Iran, which has denied responsibility for the attacks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night to consult with rulers there and the source said nothing will be done until Pompeo has returned and Trump's national security team has assembled. Click here to read....
Russia
Opposition parties score big wins in closely-watched Moscow elections: Russia Today, 9 September 2019
The ruling United Russia party suffered a blow from three opposition parties whose candidates claimed nearly half of Moscow City Council’s seats during a contentious vote in the metropolis of 12 million people. With all the votes counted, United Russia managed to retain a slim majority in the 45-member city council, but its share dropped to 25. The Communists, their long-time competitors, came second and won a remarkable 13 seats, up from just five in 2014.
Yabloko, Russia’s oldest liberal party, took four seats while the center-left Fair Russia won three. United Russia, whose candidates were formally running as independents, lost nearly a third of districts to their opposition rivals. The voter turnout was slightly above 21 percent. Click here to read....
The Moscow vote follows opposition rallies which sprang up after election officials disqualified numerous liberal candidates, citing failure to collect enough signatures of genuine voters. Almost every weekend, since late July, tens of thousands joined authorized and unauthorised protests, some of which ended up in scuffles with police. Click here to read....
Protests are sometimes positive, give authorities a jolt, says Putin: Russia Today, 5 September 2019
Mass protests can be a positive thing, Russia’s president has said, as they give the authorities a jolt which is occasionally needed. Youths, however, should focus on constructive things, not just protesting everything, he added.Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok on Thursday, Vladimir Putin explained his stance on the mass protests which have shaken Russia’s capital and a few other large cities recently, “I believe that people have the right to express their point of view during the protests. Sometimes this leads to a positive result, because it shakes the authorities,” Putin stated.
The protesting, however, must be done “within the framework of the established rules and laws” and have a constructive – not destructive – seed in them. Many young people who showed up for the recent protests have had that “positive mindset”, Putin said, adding that some of these people can surely make their way into big politics. Click here to read....
Only ‘morons’ argue Far East territories are ‘burden’ for Russia – Putin: Russia Today, 4 September 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that only ‘morons’ would suggest that the resource-rich but remote and sparsely-populated Far East territories exist only to drain money and can be discarded.The exchange happened during a meeting with officials on Russky Island in the Primorsky Region, which is part of the nation’s Far East, on Wednesday. The governor of the neighboring Yakutia Region, Aysen Nikolayev, began his speech by saying that although the Far East territories are vital for Russia, the locals “until recently” have felt neglected by Moscow.
The remote and sparsely-populated Far East territories comprise 41 percent of Russia’s landmass, but only 5.6 percent of the country’s population. The area is rich with a multitude of economic resources, ranging from gold, diamonds and oil to timber and fish. Despite its vast potential, the region remained underdeveloped for decades, and the ongoing population flight exacerbated the situation. In recent years, the government has launched several programs aimed at revitalizing the Far East and boosting its economy, including providing free land for citizens to develop. Click here to read....
Russian Foreign Ministry Confirms Presidential Envoy Met Taliban Delegates in Moscow: Sputnik News, 13 September 2019
Russian Foreign Ministry Second Asian Department Director Zamir Kabulov, who is the Russian president's special representative for Afghanistan, has received a delegation of the Taliban group in Moscow, the Russian side emphasized the need to resume the US-Taliban talks, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
For the past several months, the Taliban movement and the United States were negotiating a peace deal, which was expected to ensure the withdrawal of foreign troops in exchange for movement's guarantee that it would cut ties to terrorist organizations and ensure that the country would not become a safe haven for terrorists. The talks, however, excluded the Afghan Government as the Taliban reportedly considers it a US puppet.
In recent weeks, the movement carried out several deadly terrorist attacks, thus undermining the peace process. Click here to read....
European Union(EU)
MPs look to bring back May's Brexit deal with vote on referendum: The Guardian, 10 September 2019
Members of Parliament (MP) looking to stop no deal are exploring ways to bring back a version of Theresa May’s Brexit deal plus a vote on a second referendum in the last two weeks of October, amid concerns Boris Johnson will still try to pursue a no-deal departure. Several sources told the Guardian that MPs will spend the next few weeks working on ways to bring back the deal – with added concessions to Labour – to the House of Commons via a backbencher or a temporary prime minister.
MPs working on the options said more Tory and former Tory MPs were now open to backing a Brexit deal with a second referendum added, taking parliament closer to a cross-party majority for the plan. One former Tory MP said the option was under consideration and would “certainly have to be linked to a referendum”. He added: “We will know in those two weeks whether it is possible or not.” Click here to read....
China warns the UK could be committing 'hostile action' if it sends carrier into territory: The Telegraph, 9 September 2019
Britain has been warned by China that the deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth to the South China Sea could be viewed as a “hostile action”. The MoD plans to send Britain’s new aircraft carrier to the Asia Pacific region on her first operational deployment, due in 2021. The government is keen to assert freedom of navigation through international waters and, alongside US and Australian allies, has been forthright in defending such actions against an increasingly belligerent China.
Speaking in London last week Major General Su Guanghui, China’s Defence Attaché to the UK, said: “If the US and UK join hands in a challenge or violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China, that would be hostile action”. Click here to read....
France to give more people iodine tablets after expanding nuclear security cordon: EuroNews, 18 September 2019
France will give out free iodine tablets to around 2.2 million people living close to nuclear plants to help protect them from radiation in case of an accident. The country's nuclear regulator agency ASN said on Tuesday people living within 10-20 kilometres from one of French company the EDF's 19 nuclear plants, as well as some 200,000 institutions including schools, will receive a letter in the incoming days informing them they can pick up the tablets from the nearest pharmacy.
Previously, France distributed iodine tablets to people living within a 10 kilometre radius from a nuclear plant but has now decided to widen the radius. Click here to read....
France's Macron wants to take a tougher stand on immigration: The Local, 17 September 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron said France needs to toughen up on immigration. He argued that the government must end its current "lax" approach in order to stop voters from drifting to the far right.
Setting out his priorities for the second half of his mandate on Monday evening, Macron said that his centrist Republic on the Move (LREM) party risked being seen as "bourgeois" unless it tackled the issue of immigration, "By claiming to be humanist we are sometimes too lax," he told a meeting of his ministers and ruling party representatives, claiming that France's asylum laws were being "misused" by people-smuggling networks and "people who manipulate" the system. Click here to read....
Africa
South Africa's President Ramaphosa condemns 'anti-foreigner violence': BBC, 4 September 2019
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned a wave of looting and violence mostly targeting nationals of other African countries. "There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries," he said on Tuesday.
Dozens of people were arrested in Johannesburg on Monday. At least five people have been killed in the unrest. Other African governments have issued warnings to their citizens over the violence. Click here to read....
UN warns of Burundi atrocities as "divine" ruler eyes 2020 election: Reuters, 4 September 2019
Burundi is at risk of a new wave of atrocities as it approaches a 2020 election with an unresolved political crisis and a president who is increasingly portrayed as a “divine” ruler, U.N. investigators said in a report on Wednesday.
Burundi’s government, which has refused to cooperate with or recognize the U.N. investigation, had no immediate comment in response to a Reuter’s request. The report by the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Burundi said there was a climate of fear and intimidation against anyone who did not show support for the ruling CNDD-FDD party. Click here to read....
Nigerian officials ponder next move in $9bn energy scandal: The Guardian, 4 September 2019
Nigeria’s top government officials have met to discuss their next move in the $9bn (£7.4bn) energy scandal that is poised to cost their economy dear. As they exited Monday’s high-level meeting, chaired by Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo, the participants remained tight-lipped, refusing to comment on the talks.
The gathering included minister of state for petroleum Timipre Sylva, Mele Kyari, the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and the minister of information Lai Mohammed, who last Thursday announced that the government was ready to negotiate a settlement to prevent the seizure of $9bn in assets, following last month’s UK court decision to enforce an order against the country for breach of contract. Click here to read....
Pope heads to Mozambique to help consolidate peace: Reuters, 4 September 2019
Pope Francis heads to Mozambique on Wednesday to encourage the country’s fragile peace, starting a three-nation African tour where climate change, poverty and corruption will also be high on the agenda.
The former Portuguese colony emerged from 15 years of civil war in 1992 but it was only last month that President Filipe Nyusi of the ruling Frelimo party and the leader of the Renamo opposition, Ossufo Momade, signed a permanent ceasefire.
With elections scheduled for October, some fear violence may break out. “He is coming at a time when we Mozambicans are trying to consolidate peace,” said Manuela Muianga, a biologist and disaster relief manager in the capital, Maputo. Click here to read....
Robert Mugabe: Zimbabweans remember the 'liberator and oppressor': BBC, 6 September 2019
Robert Mugabe divided opinion when he was alive and that has not changed after his death. Zimbabweans are reflecting on the legacy of the man who was their leader for 37 years. Using the hashtag #RIPMugabe some are hailing him as a hero; a defender of the dignity of black people, while others say he was a liberator who turned oppressor.
A Zimbabwean lawyer, activist and critic of the governing Zanu-PF party, Fadzayi Mahere, reflected the mixed views about Mr Mugabe's legacy. Click here to read....
Hundreds of Nigerians to take free evacuation from South Africa: Reuters, 10 September 2019
At least 640 Nigerians have signed up to take free flights home from South Africa after xenophobic attacks on foreigners, a spokeswoman for Nigeria’s president said on Tuesday.
Private Nigerian airline Air Peace plans to operate two flights with Boeing 777 aircraft, the first leaving Lagos late on Tuesday to return on Wednesday with evacuees. The plane can carry roughly 300 passengers. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday called for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians wanting to return home, and Air Peace offered free flights last week. Click here to read....
Egypt says no 'breakthrough' with Ethiopia over Nile dam: Associated Press, 15 September 2019
Egypt on Sunday said negotiations over an upstream Nile dam being built by Ethiopia have not led to any "breakthrough." Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters that talks over the $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam had stopped for more than a year before restarting in Cairo earlier in the day.
The long-running dispute centers on the filling and operation of what will be Africa's largest hydroelectric dam. Click here to read....
France's Foreign Minister Pledges Support for 'New Sudan': VOA, 16 September 2019
France’s foreign minister announced 60 million euros in aid for Sudan’s transitional authorities during a visit to Khartoum on Monday, while offering to help Sudan rebuild relations with international lenders and tackle its foreign debt.
“We are in a new Sudan, a Sudan which is at a key moment in its history, and France is at the side of this new Sudan,” Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters, paying tribute to peaceful protests that led to the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir in April. Click here to read....
Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt named world's most dangerous places: africanews, 18 September 2019
Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt were named among the world’s most dangerous places to live and work in, for expatriates. The latest Expat Insider Survey, done by InterNations, polled 20,259 expats representing 182 nationalities and living in 187 countries or territories, covering topics such as quality of life, cost of living, personal finance, safety and security and more.
South Africa and Nigeria, along with Brazil were the worst rated destinations in the safety and security category, which covers peacefulness, personal safety and political stability. Click here to read....
