Leaked national report describes possibly thousands of deaths of indigenous women as genocide.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2QDIbGO
Friday, 31 May 2019
Huawei is too close to Chinese government: U.S. defense chief
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Saturday that technology firm Huawei was too close to the Chinese government, adding that Washington was concerned about cyber attacks and the theft of intellectual property.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2W4N255
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2W4N255
U.S. defense chief says China threatens Asia's stability
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan suggested on Saturday that China was responsible for a range of destabilizing activities in Asia, stirring already heightened tensions between the world's two largest economies.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2I9kSRp
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2I9kSRp
North Korea's Kim visits factories linked to missile launches
The factories have innocuous names, but analysts say several ostensibly civilian facilities visited by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently are also used to build ballistic missile launchers and other weapons.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2QEa55J
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2QEa55J
Mexico Responds To President Trump's Threat To Put Tariffs On All Mexican Goods
Epoch Times: Mexican President Responds to Trump’s Tariff on Mexican Goods to Curb Illegal Immigration
Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador has responded to President Donald Trump in a letter on May 30 after Trump imposed a tariff on Mexico to curb the heavy flow of illegal aliens at the southwest border.
On late May 30, Trump announced that the United States will impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods coming from Mexico from June 10, which will gradually increase “until the illegal immigration problem is remedied.”
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The U.S. is a sovereign state and can do what it wants with its border. It is not like President Trump's position on the border is unknown. He has made his position very public for a long time on what he thinks and what he will do. The question that remains unanswered is .... what will Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador now do?
More News On Mexico Responding To President Trump's Threat To Put Tariffs On All Mexican Goods
Mexico pushes dialogue on Trump tariff threats -- AP
Trump’s Tariff Threat Sends Mexico, Lawmakers and Businesses Scrambling -- The New York Times
Mexican president lashes out at Trump in angry letter, says he turned U.S. into anti-immigrant country 'overnight' -- FOX News
Mexico Responds: "We Won't Act Desperately" -- Zero Hedge
Mexico, U.S. business groups urge Trump to back down on tariff threat -- Reuters
Trump urges Mexico to 'finally do what must be done' on immigration -- Reuters
Trump defends tariffs: 'Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades' -- The Hill
Mnuchin, Lighthizer Reportedly Opposed Trump's Mexico Tariffs -- Zero Hedge
Auto industry dented by latest Trump tariffs -- AFP
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2QBskbS
In swipe at China, U.S. defense chief warns of Asia instability
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan suggested on Saturday that China was responsible for a range of destabilizing activities in Asia, stirring already heightened tensions between the world's two largest economies.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2Xh1tUV
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2Xh1tUV
U.S. tariff threat backs Mexican president into corner, facing Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to slap punitive tariffs on all Mexican trade if Mexico does not stop illegal immigration has punched a gaping hole in his Mexican counterpart's hands-off approach to diplomacy, with potentially ruinous consequences.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2QFfwl0
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2QFfwl0
Queensland road accidents take 13 lives in a week
Police investigating whether deaths of mother and four children in Monday’s crash were part of a murder-suicide
Thirteen people have lost their lives in crashes on Queensland’s roads this week.
The death of a 20-year-old woman in a crash on the New England Highway near Crows Nest on Friday comes at the end of a dreadful week for the state.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2W1zIyx
Saudi king says attacks by Iran-backed groups threaten global oil
Saudi Arabia's King Salman said on Saturday that attacks on Saudi oil assets last month by Iran-backed groups are a threat to global oil supplies and regional security.
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2I9JLwu
from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2I9JLwu
UK's Chagos Islands descendants feel like 'lost nation'
Evicted from their homeland, Chagos Islands families living in the UK are divided by immigration law.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2XkRDBB
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2XkRDBB
Venezuela crisis: What happened to uprising against Maduro?
A beleaguered people say they had hopes their misery would end but now they go back to one thing - survival.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/30XMxgV
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/30XMxgV
Sayyida Salme: The tragic life of Zanzibar's rebel princess
Sayyida Salme is a little known 19th Century princess who fled Zanzibar after scandalising the royals.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2ELHoil
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2ELHoil
MacKenzie Bezos: Novelist and Amazon shareholder
What do we know about the novelist who is the third-richest woman in the world?
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2XkRCO3
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2XkRCO3
Tiananmen 30 years on - China's great act of 'forgettance'
Older people are not allowed to remember; the younger generation aren't even allowed to know.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2ELPojr
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2ELPojr
Fukushima diary, part one: 'I'm finally home'
The mayor of Okuma, home of the damaged nuclear power plant, has been in exile for eight years – here he writes about finally returning
The residents of Okuma were among more than 150,000 people who were forced to flee their homes after the March 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. As one of the wrecked plant’s two host towns, Okuma, was abandoned for eight years before authorities declared that radiation levels had fallen to safe levels, allowing residents to return. Even now, 60% of Okuma remains off-limits, and only a tiny fraction of the pre-disaster population of 11,500 has returned since their former neighbourhoods were given the all clear in April. A month later, Okuma’s mayor, Toshitsuna Watanabe, and his colleagues returned to work at a new town hall. In the first of a three-part diary for the Guardian, Watanabe describes his feelings when, after years of displacement, he and other residents ended their nuclear exile.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2YZZhle
Bill Cosby drops defamation case against sexual assault accusers
Spokesman said Cosby dropped the case against seven women ‘to focus on other matters’
Disgraced actor and comedian Bill Cosby has dropped his countersuit legal action against seven women who accused him of sexually assaulting them, it was announced on Friday.
Court papers filed on Friday afternoon show the four-year defamation case in Massachusetts is now over. Cosby’s insurer, AIG, had settled with the women last month for an undisclosed sum.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2YXWp8v
Toronto Raptors stun Golden State Warriors in first NBA Finals
Pascal Siakam's playoff career-high 32 points ensured two-time defending champions Warriors were beaten in opening game.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Ifgh02
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Ifgh02
Budapest boat tragedy: Hopes of finding missing S Koreans fade
Chances of locating more survivors 'very slim' as relatives of South Korean victims depart for Hungary's capital.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2MlC4bN
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2MlC4bN
US: Barr says Mueller 'could've reached decision' on obstruction
Attorney general says Special Counsel Robert Mueller could have made a judgment call even if he could not indict Trump.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2wssmth
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2wssmth
Philippines ships 69 containers of dumped rubbish back to Canada
Tonnes of waste loaded onto ship after long campaign urging Canada to take it back; will reach Vancouver in 20 days.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2ELYmgy
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2ELYmgy
Iraq: Series of deadly explosions hit Kirkuk
At least six improvised explosive devices go off, killing several people and wounding more than a dozen, military says.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Z1LgDU
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Z1LgDU
Saudi king blasts Iran for 'naked aggression' in the Gulf
King Salman also presses the international community to 'use all means' to stop Tehran from regional meddling.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2I8YBmZ
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2I8YBmZ
Sudan army says protest site a threat, closes Al Jazeera office
Military rulers warn action to be taken against 'unruly elements' at Khartoum sit-in, main point of protest movement.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2I7IjL4
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2I7IjL4
US-China competition to loom over key defence gathering
Beijing dispatches top military brass to Singapore to deliver ‘highly anticipated’ speech at annual Shangri-La Dialogue.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Mkb3pi
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Mkb3pi
Trump to threaten Mexico with tariffs over immigration: report
Washington Post reports the US president is preparing to threaten Mexico with tariffs if it doesn't do more at border.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EIjMv4
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EIjMv4
Nicaragua gov't says it released 50 more political prisoners
Country's opposition has made the release of hundreds of political prisoners a condition of dialogue with the gov't.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2MjZYoe
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2MjZYoe
Bolton to present evidence Iran was behind Gulf tanker attacks
Bolton says he could present evidence to UN 'as early as next week' that shows Tehran's involvement the attacks.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2WkPmdr
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2WkPmdr
Tech giants rebuff UK's WhatsApp spying proposal
Apple, Google and others say spy agency's 'ghost' proposal to eavesdrop on encrypted services is a threat to security.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2wvmMGE
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2wvmMGE
Judge rejects US administration move to start wall construction
Ruling comes as Trump announces he will make a 'dramatic' statement on the border this week.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2WdwFrP
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2WdwFrP
Kushner in Israel as US peace plan faces new political hurdle
Trump adviser Jared Kushner visits Israel to discuss Israel-Palestine peace plan with PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2VXYVda
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2VXYVda
At least five killed in fresh attacks in Syria's northwest
Medics say women and children among those killed in government-led attacks in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2WvvRhf
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2WvvRhf
Turkey's Erdogan reveals new judicial reforms amid bid to join EU
After years of criticism of a crackdown on dissident following a 2016 attempted coup, Erdogan announces reforms.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2IcTfap
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2IcTfap
Brexit Britain set to wield little influence in new-look Europe
Far-right MEPs want British representatives to join their ranks, but Brexiters have little interest or influence.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Whss6r
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Whss6r
India's Modi sworn in for second term as prime minister
Thousands attend as Bharatiya Janata Party leader assumes office in New Delhi ceremony after landslide election win.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Ml2Jpj
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Ml2Jpj
Race hate crimes against children on the rise in UK: Research
A prominent British children's charity found that racially-motivated crimes against minors occur at an average of 29 incidents a day.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2HMKgNZ
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2HMKgNZ
Austria gets first female chancellor after video scandal
Brigitte Bierlein will lead an interim administration until new elections are held following the government's collapse.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2QwJE1R
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2QwJE1R
Denied abortions, Latin American child rape survivors petition UN
Groups on behalf of young rape survivors from Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua call on region to provide abortion access.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2XbDSFg
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2XbDSFg
Is Netanyahu buying time?
New elections will be held in Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to cobble together a coalition government.
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EJgWWB
from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EJgWWB
Thursday, 30 May 2019
‘The people applaud him’: Amlo receives in-flight serenade from passenger
Mexican president was thanked with an ode while aboard a low-cost flight to Tepic
When Andrés Manuel López Obrador put his presidential Boeing up for sale last year and pledged to travel economy class around Mexico, it was part of a budget-slashing populist push to get closer to the people.
Related: Mexican minister resigns after causing 38-minute flight delay
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Wf7WmX
Model on cover of New Zealand budget says she moved to Australia over cost of living
Vicky Freeman says she moved abroad because she wasn’t earning enough to pay rent in Auckland
The model on the front of New Zealand’s much-hyped “wellbeing” budget has left New Zealand because the cost of living was too high.
New Zealander Vicky Freeman, an actor and model, appeared on the front of Thursday’s budget document , smiling and carrying her daughter on her back.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2wCBR9H
Tony Abbott gets $100,000 raise on backbencher's salary now he's a retired PM
Scott Morrison has announced changes to taxpayer-funded travel rules for all former prime ministers
All former prime ministers will be eligible for taxpayer-funded international travel under rule changes made by Scott Morrison – a privilege previously only extended to Malcolm Turnbull.
The changes allow Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, John Howard and Paul Keating to apply to the current prime minister for approval for themselves and a spouse or de facto partner to travel internationally.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2XdesqZ
Idlib casualties mount as assault leaves aid efforts in the balance
Increased airstrikes and shelling by Syrian regime claim lives of an estimated 40 civilians in 48 hours
The recent escalation in the Syrian regime bombardment of Idlib has killed at least 10 more civilians.
The deaths were reported on Wednesday, 24 hours after a senior UN official had warned the security council that aid efforts in the enclave were in danger of being “overwhelmed”.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/30OMsfz
Latin American rape survivors who were denied abortions turn to UN
Women from Nicaragua, Ecuador and Guatemala who suffered child rape take cases to UN human rights committee
Four women from Latin America whose lives were put at risk when they were not allowed abortions after being raped as girls are taking their cases to the UN human rights committee.
The women, from Nicaragua, Ecuador and Guatemala, filed cases against their governments on Wednesday for failing to provide appropriate healthcare and denying them abortions, even when it was their legal right to have one.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2XcAA4x
Congo Ebola response must be elevated to maximum level, UN told
Charities call for outbreak to be put on a par with crises in Yemen, Syria and Mozambique as death toll reaches 1,287
The UN has been urged by charities to ramp up Ebola prevention work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the highest level of emergency response.
Only three crises – Yemen, Syria and Mozambique – are treated as the equivalent of a level-three response, activated when agencies are unable to meet needs on the ground.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Mdx8Wr
Childish Gambino choreographer urges fans to step up for young rural Africans
Sherrie Silver, who was behind acclaimed video This is America, launches virtual dance ‘petition’ to promote investment in farming
She made a name for herself as the choreographer behind one of the most controversial yet critically acclaimed music videos of last year.
Now Sherrie Silver, the creative force behind the dance moves in Childish Gambino’s This Is America, is using her success to drive a social media campaign promoting investment in young people in rural Africa.
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2QvuMRb
This is America choreographer Sherrie Silver aims to 'make farming cool' – video
Meet 24-year-old Sherrie Silver, the mastermind behind Childish Gambino's provocative video, which has attracted more than 540m views on YouTube to date. Now the award-winning choreographer is driving a social media campaign to promote investment in rural Africa's young people. Silver, who moved to London from Rwanda at the age of five, talks about why she believes farming is so empowering
Continue reading...from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2ws6Sgc
Tweets For Today
#UPDATE Israel's parliament voted to hold new elections only months after April polls in an unprecedented move provoked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to remain in power despite failing to form a coalition https://t.co/0e46JW6Dk0— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 29, 2019
"The work speaks for itself" - US Special Counsel Robert Mueller says any testimony would not go beyond the written Russia-Trump report, saying it's "not appropriate to speak further" https://t.co/SEYS08F8aN pic.twitter.com/suhG1RYa63— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) May 29, 2019
China wants to become a major power in an increasingly accessible Arctic. Planning begins now. https://t.co/KdytcuckyM— War on the Rocks (@WarOnTheRocks) May 30, 2019
Russia ‘probably’ not adhering to nuke test ban, DIA director says https://t.co/OmyvUggItr pic.twitter.com/iCIUxeEt07— Military Times (@MilitaryTimes) May 30, 2019
More ships? More planes? Don’t grow the military just for the sake of growing warns joint chiefs chairman@MilitaryTimeshttps://t.co/gac4x1HDWI pic.twitter.com/WfwfZF945B— Military Times (@MilitaryTimes) May 29, 2019
The more you look the more disturbing it gets pic.twitter.com/vS3bgVKzgu— Top Pictures (@TopInternetPics) May 27, 2019
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2W2EQlK
Picture Of The Day
US Army troops in an LCVP landing craft approach Normandy's 'Omaha' Beach on D-Day in Colleville Sur-Mer, France June 6 1944. As infantry disembarked from the landing craft, they often found themselves on sandbars 50 to 100 yards away from the beach. To reach the beach they had to wade through water sometimes neck deep
WNU Editor: The above picture is from this post .... Haunting photos capture the terror and tension on assault boats before troops stormed ashore on D-Day – as well as the brutal fighting that ensued (Daily Mail).
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2ws6L4j
Cuba To Legalize Private Wi-Fi Networks
DW: Cuba legalizes private Wi-Fi networks, router imports
Thousands of Cubans who built their own data networks at home can now apply for a license, but control over the internet itself stays under state control. Cuba has been one of the least-connected places on the planet.
Cuba's Ministry of Communication (Mincom) announced new measures on Wednesday to allow wired or wireless private networks for the transfer of data and the importation from overseas of equipment, such as routers and servers.
It means that from the end of July, people will be able legally to go online with their own computers and phones and share signals with others, but it does not limit state control over the internet.
Cuba's telecoms monopoly, Etecsa, remains the only internet provider on the island.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: These are just half measures. This is also just one more example on why Cuba is a backward nation. Global communication networks is what makes the world go round, a fact that the leadership in Cuba cannot understand.
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/30VzTig
The Future Of Drone Warfare Is Being Played Out In Yemen
An Iranian-built drone, used by Houthi rebels in Yemen, and captured by the Arab Coaliton. Victor Besa / The National
NPR: In Yemen Conflict, Some See A New Age Of Drone Warfare
In January, a group of high-level military commanders gathered at an air base in Yemen. It was far from the frontlines of the country's ongoing civil war.
Then, without warning, a small drone appeared out of the sky and exploded, spraying the group with shrapnel. According to news reports, the blast killed several, including the Yemeni government's head of military intelligence.
"It's pretty scary because it's clear that these guys had no idea what had just happened," says Nick Waters, a researcher with the U.K.-based online investigative group Bellingcat who has been tracking the Yemen conflict.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I concur with the above analysis. Future drones will be small, cheap to build, and very deadly.
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2HLHEjC
U.S. Sends Islamic State Prisoners In Syria To Iraq For Trial And Punishment
Men suspected of being ISIS fighters walk toward a screening point in Syria’s Deir Ezzor province on March 6, 2019. (File photo: AFP)
Reuters: Exclusive: Islamic State suspects sent by U.S. from Syria to Iraq
BAGHDAD/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. forces have quietly sent at least 30 suspected foreign Islamic State fighters captured in Syria last year and in late 2017 to stand trial in Iraq, interviews with the men, Iraqi sources and court documents show.
Three of the men have been convicted of IS membership and sentenced to death by Iraqi courts, while five have been given life sentences. Four of them told Reuters they were tortured in prison, a claim Reuters was unable to verify.
Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) denied that detainees were transferred to their custody from Syria in 2017 and 2018, and denied the detainees’ claims of torture.
Read more ....
Update #1:US reportedly sending ISIS fighters captured in Syria to Iraq (The Hill)
Update #2: US quietly sends Islamic State foreign fighters for rough justice in Iraq (Sydney Morning Herald)
WNU Editor: France is also doing the same transfers .... France hands Islamic State suspects to Iraq, which sentences them to hang (SFGate).
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2EEpTk4
Will Russia Stay Neutral If U.S. And Iran Go To War?
© Sputnik / Dmitriy Vinogradov
Pyotr Kortunov and Abdolrasool Divsallar, Moscow Times: Russia Unlikely to Stay Neutral if U.S. and Iran Go to War
As U.S. tensions with Iran are changing course toward a possible military confrontation, the Russian factor is becoming more crucial.
Russia's Middle East policy is marked with balancing acts that secure the country's role as an agile and effective balancing power. The fall of the Islamic Republic could undermine Moscow's capacity for balancing in the Middle Eastern region. It has the potential to cripple Russia's policy in Syria by giving more freedom of action to U.S.-allied groups, further weakening the recovering Assad government.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Russia will not get directly involved. What they will do is sell weapons and intelligence to Iran .... unless the U.S. gives a better offer.
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2ws8kPA
U.S., Israeli, And Russian National Security Advisers To Meet In Jerusalem Next Month
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks during an interview at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
Reuters: Top U.S., Israeli, Russian security officials to meet in Jerusalem in June: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House national security adviser John Bolton and his Israeli and Russian counterparts will meet in Jerusalem in June to discuss regional security issues, the White House said on Wednesday.
In a brief statement, the White House said Bolton, Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, would take part in the meeting.
Read more ....
Update: Bolton to Meet Israeli, Russian Counterparts in Jerusalem in June - White House (Sputnik)
WNU Editor: The White House statement is here .... Statement by the Press Secretary Regarding the Trilateral Meeting of the National Security Advisors from the United States, Israel, and Russia. What will be discussed? My guess is Iran and Syria.
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2YX7pCW
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 29, 2019
Mountain Pass mine in California. Photograph: David Becker/Reuters
Tom Fish, Express: China news: Did China just issue threat about Earth's rare minerals CRUCIAL to US?
CHINA has threatened that products using its rare earth minerals should not be used against China’s development, in a warning aimed at the US tech industry.
Fears China will weaponise its rare earth minerals monopoly as a weapon in the trade war have again intensified. It comes after the Chinese government warned products made from the materials should not be used against the country’s development. And the comment has been interpreted as a thinly-veiled threat aimed at US tech giants reliant on the materials.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 29, 2019
If China cuts rare earth supplies, what can the US do? -- Stephen Bryen, Asia Times
US-China trade: what are rare-earth metals and what's the dispute? -- Kalyeena Makortoff, The Guardian
Are rare earth minerals China's trump card in its trade war with US? -- BBC News
Why the fears of a U.S.-China tech cold war are overblown -- James Pethokoukis, The Week
Why Trump Dismissed North Korea's Missile Tests -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest
Will the US lead? Or let China and Russia dominate nuclear energy -- David Gattie, The Hill
Will Iran Adopt a 'Massive Retaliation' Doctrine? -- Abdolrasool Divsallar, LobeLog
Ankara has much to lose in high stakes Russian-backed offensive in Idlib -- Simon Waldman, The National
Africa's road to free trade -- Dirk Kaufmann, DW
Game of EU Thrones -- Harold James, Project Syndicate
EU Elections: Populist Wave in Europe Shows No Sign of Ebbing -- Rick Moran, PJ Media
Greece's Bad-Debt Monster Is Alive and Kicking -- Elisa Martinuzzi, Bloomberg View
Sebastian Kurz, the stone-faced chancellor -- Norbert Mappes-Niediek, DW
Is Trump now launching a currency war, too? -- William Pesek, Asia times
Did Mueller Just Hand Democrats What They Need to Impeach Trump? -- Hunter DeRensis, National Interest
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2KbjAYY
World News Briefs -- May 29, 2019 (Evening Edition)
Reuters: Israel faces new election as Netanyahu misses deadline to form governing coalition
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli lawmakers voted to dissolve parliament early on Thursday, paving the way for a new election after veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government before a midnight deadline.
The ballot is widely expected to take place in September, the second this year. It represented unprecedented upheaval, commentators said, even in a country used to political infighting, and dealt a blow to Netanyahu, who had claimed victory in the last vote, held on April 9.
Read more ....
MIDDLE EAST
Israel heads to election as Netanyahu fails to form govt.
In UAE, Trump’s adviser warns Iran of ‘very strong response’.
No negotiations with U.S., says Iran's Supreme Leader.
Iran 'almost certainly' behind ship attacks off UAE, says Bolton.
Iran's Rouhani suggests U.S. talks possible if sanctions lifted.
Tehran ready for possibility of war with US, but hopes for dialogue – Iran's deputy FM.
US, Russia discuss peace plan that would end Syria's isolation.
At least 14 civilians killed in air raid on Syria's Idlib. More than 20 civilians killed in attacks on Syria's northwest.
Syrian military 'burning farmland in rebel-held north'.
Iran 'almost certainly' behind ship attacks off UAE, says Bolton.
Iran's Rouhani suggests U.S. talks possible if sanctions lifted.
Tehran ready for possibility of war with US, but hopes for dialogue – Iran's deputy FM.
Iraq condemns 7th Frenchman to death for IS membership.
Israel tightens Gaza fishing curbs after new fire balloons.
ASIA
Pentagon chief in Asia for 'candid' talks on China expansion.
North Korea accuses U.S. of 'evil ambition,' says use of strength not a U.S. monopoly.
North Korea steps up UN campaign for return of seized ship.
Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of new abuses in Rakhine.
Pakistan MP accuses officials of lying about clash between activists, military.
Afghanistan opens probe into sexual favour allegations.
Papua New Guinea PM Peter O'Neill formally resigns.
Beijing wants more Russian gas as Gazprom’s mega pipeline to China nears completion.
Nusrat Jahan Rafi: 16 charged in Bangladesh for burning girl alive.
AFRICA
Madagascar leader sees parliament win amid fraud complaints.
S.Africa slashes cabinet size, appoints 50% women.
Sudanese protesters strike over civilian rule, challenging army.
Congo Ebola response must be elevated to maximum level, UN told.
Nigerian troops repel Boko Haram attack on key town.
Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari begins second term.
Botswana's new president 'drunk on power' - Khama.
Angola ex-rebel chief Savimbi to be buried on Saturday: family.
Kushner meets Moroccan king on trip to press US peace plan.
EUROPE
U.S. believes Russia conducting low-level nuclear tests: official.
Serbs protests against police actions in northern Kosovo.
Merkel seeks to scotch rumours of a rift with chosen successor.
British judge says Boris Johnson must face misconduct charges.
EU to demand 'clarifications' from Italy over budget: source.
Hells Angels biker gangs banned by Netherlands court.
Former Belgian king Albert II agrees to DNA test in paternity case.
Viennese repair Holocaust survivor photos.
Real Madrid 'most valuable club in Europe', says KPMG.
AMERICAS
Mueller reveals charging Trump was 'NOT AN OPTION' because of Justice Department rules as special counsel resigns saying he did NOT clear the president – triggering Democrats to ramp up impeachment calls as Trump tweets 'The case is closed!'.
Charging US president with a crime was 'not an option': Mueller.
'All options are on the table': House Judiciary chair Jerry Nadler will NOT rule out impeaching Trump but stays silent on forcing Mueller to testify as Pelosi tried to hold back demands for action.
After several quiet years, tornadoes erupt in United States.
Poll: Biden has 18-point lead on Democratic field, Sanders only other contender in double digits.
Trump supporters build US-Mexico barrier.
US high court takes up case of Mexican shot by border patrol.
Shocking video captures the moment a man sets himself on fire and calmly strolls around a lawn outside the White House - while police frantically try to douse the flames engulfing his body.
Colombia's top court orders release of ex-rebel wanted by US.
Argentina abortion: Crowds gather to back pro-choice bill.
Mexico: Arrest warrant issued for former Pemex chief.
25% of Americans say they worry about money ‘all the time’.
TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
Iraq repatriates nearly 200 children of Turkish jihadists.
'Most wanted jihadist' returned to Egypt.
Over 400 IS group-linked French nationals detained in Syria, Paris says.
The Yazidi family reunited after being IS slaves.
Former Navy judge named to oversee Guantánamo military court.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
U.S. stocks fall as trade concerns spark growth fears.
Chinese media raise rare earths threats after US ups trade war ante with Huawei blacklist.
U.S. risks ‘devastating’ blow from China’s rare earths monopoly.
German firms find US less reliable than China as trading partner after getting caught between Trump and a hard place to do business.
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2Xf3JMs
Amnesty International Report Says Myanmar Military Is Committing War Crimes Again
Photo: Satellite images show buildings and historical sites have been damaged in Rakhine State. (Supplied: Amnesty International)
BBC: Myanmar military accused of fresh war crimes in Rakhine
Myanmar's army is committing fresh war crimes against ethnic groups in Rakhine state, according to human rights group Amnesty International.
In a new report, Amnesty accuses the army of carrying out extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary arrests amid an operation against an ethnic Buddhist guerrilla force.
The army has denied the allegations.
Soldiers were previously accused of mass human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine in 2017.
More than 70,000 people fled the country as a result of the crackdown on the ethnic minority group.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The amnesty International report is here .... Myanmar: Military commits war crimes in latest operation in Rakhine State (Amnesty International).
More News On Amnesty International claims That The Myanmar Military Is Committing War Crimes Again
Myanmar's military 'unleashes campaign of violence' in Rakhine State, Amnesty International warns -- ABC News Online
Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of new abuses in Rakhine -- France 24
Amnesty International Report Says Myanmar Military Is Again Committing War Crimes -- NPR
Myanmar military committing war crimes in Rakhine: Amnesty -- Al Jazeera
Myanmar’s Military Is Still Committing War Crimes Against the Rohingya -- VICE News
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2JLQGyZ
Russia's Nuclear Arsenal Is A Threat
Image: Wikimedia
Mark B. Schneider, National Interest: Russia's Massive Nuclear Weapons Arsenal Is a Threat
And America needs to take notice.
The U.S. mainstream view of Russia has changed quite a bit in the last twenty years, particularly in the last five. We have moved from the fantasy that there was no threat from Russia after the demise of the Soviet Union to a recognition of a serious Russian threat to the U.S. and its allies, including a nuclear threat in the last two years of the Obama administration and the Trump administration. However, characterizing the relationship between the U.S. and Russia as “competition” as it now appears in U.S. Government documents, does not go far enough. Lockheed and Boeing compete; Russia threatens preemptive nuclear attack. It is unilaterally trying to create a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet states in the classic 19th Century sense while building the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. There is no competition here but rather a serious threat from Russia.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The current global nuclear weapons inventory can be viewed here .... 2018 Estimated Global Nuclear Warhead Inventories (Arms Control Association).
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2WbDfPz
U.S. Intelligence: Russia Might Be Violating Nuclear Test Ban Treaty By Conducting Secret Tests On Arctic Island
Russian servicemen drive Yars RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile systems during the Victory Day parade, which marks the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, in May. (Reuters)
Warzone/The Drive: U.S. Says Russia Might Be Setting Off Very Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons On This Arctic Island
Such tests would be in violation of an international nuclear test ban treaty that Russia has signed and ratified.
The U.S. government says that Russia may be conducting low-yield nuclear testing at a remote site above the Arctic Circle in violation of its obligations under the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, or CTBT. The allegation comes at a time when arms control deals between the two countries appear especially fragile. At the same time, the two nuclear-armed nations are actively working to modernize and diversify their arsenals.
The Wall Street Journal was first to report the accusation on May 29, 2019, citing a U.S. intelligence assessment and comments from U.S. Army Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The claims reportedly center around activities at Novaya Zemlya, an archipelago in Russia’s far north, where the country has conducted nuclear weapon testing in the past and that continues to support nuclear weapons development programs.
Read more ....
WU Editor: Russia has been quick to respond .... Russia Slams US Accusations Over Abidance by Nuclear Testing Moratorium (Sputnik).
More News On U.S. Intelligence Believing That Russia Might Be Violating The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty By Conducting Secret Tests On An Arctic Island
U.S. Says Russia Likely Conducting Low-Yield Nuke Tests, Defying Test Ban Treaty -- WSJ
Russia likely violating nuclear test ban treaty by conducting secret operations on island, officials say -- FOX News
The US says Russia has been cheating on an arms control treaty and secretly testing low-yield nukes to strengthen its arsenal -- Business Insider
U.S. believes Russia conducting low-level nuclear tests -official -- Reuters
Russia suspected of nuclear testing, says USA -- 9News
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2woQld4
Syrian War News Updates -- May 29, 2019
The slivers that make what is left of Syria’s last rebel-held bastion have gone up in flames in recent days, with government planes destroying acres of farmland.
Satellite photos, released by the Colorado-based Maxar Satellites on Tuesday, showed fires ravaging olive groves and orchards and subsequently destroying vital crops including wheat and barley at the height of harvest seasons in the villages of Kfar Nabudah and Habeet on the periphery of Idlib province.
The Associated Press reported that Kfar Nabudah fell from opposition control and into the hands of Bashar al-Assad's regime Sunday, while the infernos were sparked from an acute bombing campaign nearby. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday marked the heaviest day of air strikes since launching a major campaign against the rebel-held territory almost one month ago.
Read more ....
Syrian War News Updates -- May 29, 2019
Syrian military 'burning farmland in rebel-held north' -- BBC
Satellite images show fields in northwest Syria on fire -- Reuters
Satellite images show crops on fire in Syria rebel enclave -- AP
Satellite images reveal strikes on Syria's Idlib province -- CNN
Idlib casualties mount as assault leaves aid efforts in the balance -- The Guardian
More than 20 civilians killed in attacks on Syria's northwest -- Al Jazeera
Syrian regime forces 'drop banned cluster bombs' on Idlib and target hospitals -- SKY News
Bombed, beaten and trapped: Syrian journalists swept up in Assad's Idlib assault -- Middle East Eye
Is the Syrian regime about to retake Idlib? -- AFP
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2MgUqed
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Has A Midnight Deadline To Form A Coalition Or Face A New Election
Daily Mail: Netanyahu has just hours to agree a coalition or Israel could be plunged into its second election in months after row over ultra-orthodox serving in army
* Voters could be forced to go to the polls just months after an April 9 election
* PM Benjamin Netanyahu wants to keep ultra-Orthodox military exemption policy
* But far-right former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman wants to overturn it
* Without the five seats of Lieberman's party, Netanyahu cannot muster a majority
* If coalition deal not made, President Rivlin may select another MP to form one
Benjamin Netanyahu has just hours to cobble together a coalition or Israel could be plunged into its second snap election of the year.
Israelis could be forced to go to the polls just months after an April vote if the country's squabbling conservative parties can't agree a deal by midnight.
As the deadline loomed, there was no sign of a breakthrough in talks with far-right former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Crisis has struck following a row between the leaders over policy which allows ultra-Orthodox men exemption from military conscription.
Read more ....
More News On The Possibility Of A New Israeli Election
Hours to Deadline: Lieberman Digs in His Heels, Netanyahu Aims to Dissolve Knesset: Live Updates -- Haaretz
Netanyahu hours away from deadline for forming coalition govt -- Reuters
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu faces midnight deadline to form new government -- DW
Hours before deadline, Likud accuses Liberman of seeking to replace Netanyahu -- Times of Israel
Netanyahu's decade-long rule in doubt as coalition talks falter -- The Guardian
from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2JKEkr6
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Footage posted to social media shows chaotic scenes in Senegal's capital, Dakar. from BBC News https://ift.tt/4LItBfF
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with Senator John McCain on Capitol Hill in 2016. NATO photo CNBC: NATO is considering na... -
DAKAR, Dec 17 (IPS) - Masters of Laws student Khoudia Ndiaye will graduate from Senegal's University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) next year....
