Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Donald Trump's China Tariffs Don't Apply to Ivanka - Fortune

Donald Trump's China Tariffs Don't Apply to Ivanka

EUROPE FIGHTS BACK AGAINST U.S. TARIFFS
THIS GIANT 'BABY TRUMP' BALLOON WILL FLY OVER LONDON DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S VISIT
DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCES THE U.S. WILL ESTABLISH A SPACE FORCE
By MCKENNA MOORE July 9, 2018
Despite her father’s rallying cry to “buy American and hire American,” 100% of Ivanka Trump’s fashion products were made overseas—at least until early 2017.

And now her goods are avoiding the sweeping tariffs enacted by President Trump in his trade war with China. On Friday morning, Trump implemented $34 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods ranging from auto parts to medical devices, according to the Huffington Post.

Clothing and shoes, like those imported by Ivanka Trump’s company, were spared.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative explained that the goods to be levied with tariffs were chosen based on what would disrupt the U.S. economy the least and have the least impact on consumers. Snopes, the fact checking website, pointed out that imposing tariffs would have a large impact on American consumers because 35% of all apparel imported in 2016 came from China. And 72% of shoes sold in the U.S. are from China, according to the South China Morning Post, citing the American Apparel and Footwear Association.

Many others in the U.S. are already feeling the effects of the tariffs. Soybeans, which represent a huge slice of American agricultural exports, are being targeted as well as cigarettes and dairy products, among other products.

US prepares to impose new tariffs on additional $200B worth of Chinese goods - Fox News

July 11, 2018

US prepares to impose new tariffs on additional $200B worth of Chinese goods
Samuel Chamberlain By Samuel Chamberlain | Fox News

US begins process for tariffs on $200B in Chinese products
'Special Report' panel reacts to the strategy behind the Trump administration's new charges on Chinese products.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it has started the process of implementing fresh tariffs on $200 billion worth of imported Chinese goods.

The move marked the latest escalation of the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing. On Friday, the U.S. slapped 25 percent taxes on $34 billion in Chinese imports, most of them industrial goods that the Trump administration says receive subsidies or other unfair support from Beijing. China quickly responded by imposing tariffs on $34 billion in U.S. products.

In a statement, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that the new 10-percent tariffs were in response to what he called China's "retaliation and failure to change its practices."

"This is an appropriate response under the authority of Section 301 to obtain the elimination of China’s harmful industrial policies," Lighthizer added.

More than 6,031 product lines are affected by the new proposed tariffs, including seafood, fruits and vegetables, grains, tobacco, car rearview mirrors and burglar alarms.

Lighthizer's office will hear public comments on the plan and will reach a decision after Aug. 31, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, responded to Lighthizer's announcement with dismay.

"Although I have supported the administration’s targeted efforts to combat China’s technology transfer regime, tonight’s announcement appears reckless and is not a targeted approach," Hatch said in a statement. "We cannot turn a blind eye to China’s mercantilist trade practices, but this action falls short of a strategy that will give the administration negotiating leverage with China while maintaining the long-term health and prosperity of the American economy."

All told, Trump has threatened eventually to slap tariffs on up to $550 billion in Chinese imports — more than China actually exported to the United States last year — if Beijing won't relent to U.S. pressure and continues to retaliate.

The White House has complained that China has used predatory practices in a relentless push to grant Chinese companies an unfair advantage in the industries of the future, including robotics, electric cars and biopharmaceuticals. These tactics include the outright theft of trade secrets, government subsidies to homegrown tech firms and demands that U.S. and other foreign companies hand over technology if they want access to China's vast market.

A senior administration official told Fox News that China has been "non-responsive" to U.S. actions and has insisted that Beijing does not see any way America has been hurt by Chinese policies. The official added that China has warned the U.S. that future actions would be met with "economic attacks" on American markets.

Fox Business Network's Andrew Lawrence, Fox News' Jason Donner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Will Donald Trump meet Boris Johnson? 'Not sure,' says U.S. ambassador - Reuters

JULY 11, 2018 / 5:44 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Will Donald Trump meet Boris Johnson? 'Not sure,' says U.S. ambassador
Reuters Staff

LONDON (Reuters) - The U.S. Ambassador to London on Wednesday said he was unsure whether President Donald Trump would meet Boris Johnson, who resigned from Prime Minister Theresa May’s government, during his upcoming trip Britain.

Trump on Tuesday said that his visit comes during a time of “turmoil” in Britain but added he might speak to former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, whose resignation deepened a crisis in May’s government, during the trip which begins on Thursday.

When asked directly if Trump would meet Boris, U.S. Ambassador Woody Johnson told BBC Radio: “Is he going to make time? I’m not sure. That’s not on the schedule, but the president makes his own schedule.”

“We’ll make everything possible. If the president wants to do something, we’ll make it possible.”

Boris Johnson’s decision to quit at the start of the week, along with Brexit minister David Davis and other officials, threatened to destabilize May’s government and her plans for a business-friendly Brexit, agreed with top ministers last week.

But Woody Johnson said May had shown strong leadership and that the trip would enhance the special relationship between the United States and Britain.

“We’re extremely confident in the ability of the UK to plough through this issue with Brexit and move on,” he said.

“She was the first foreign dignitary to visit the U.S. when he became president. So I think that symbolizes how he considers the importance of her leadership in this country right now.”

Reporting by Alistair Smout, editing by Guy Faulconbridge

Ambulance: The Story of the 2014 War on Gaza - Al Jazeera

Ambulance: The Story of the 2014 War on Gaza
During the 2014 war on Gaza, a Palestinian filmmaker joins an ambulance crew as they try to save lives.
28 Jul 2016 13:25 GMT War & Conflict, Gaza, Palestine, Israel

Mohamed Jabaly, 24, aspires to make films in Gaza City, despite the lack of water and electricity, and closed borders that are part of every "normal" day under the seven-year Israeli blockade of Gaza. While many young people dream of leaving Gaza, Mohamed wants to help.

When he hears the news of a new Israeli offensive on Gaza in July 2014 he decides he cannot merely "wait for death" but must do something. He joins an ambulance crew to document the war. Mohamed comes of age among broken bodies, terrified families, and the constant risk of sudden death. He had never witnessed the effects of violence up close.

Within the first few days of war, he finds himself helping victims of a massacre. "It felt like being in the middle of a theatre play. I saw blood. I tasted the pain in the eyes of women, fear in the faces of children. To whom could I show these images that are not merely images?" he says.

The ambulance team is led by captain Abu Marzouq, who saved lives in many of Gaza's wars. At first, the captain is intense and a little intimidating, and each day Abu Marzouq and the crew are in the eye of the storm. When four nine-year old boys are hit by a missile on a Gaza beach, they are one of the first ambulance crews to arrive.

Mohamed cannot tell his family what he's going through. He begins to feel close to his crewmates, who joke and encourage one another despite the fear. Abu Marzouq takes Mohamed into his confidence, and Mohamed discovers a man full of life and love for his co-workers.

Mohamed Jabaly [Al Jazeera]
DIRECTOR'S VIEW

By Mohamed Jabaly

The film is a personal story, as seen through my own eyes and the people with whom I worked during the war. The film is about human connections and does not seek to campaign for any political party or policy, nor assign blame. This is not because I don't see the urgency of the political debate or the importance of accountability, but because I am a storyteller who believes that personal stories can open the way and show us what we have in common: human decency and human dignity.

My war experience was very hard and I am still trying to understand my feelings. The filmmaking process forces me to do this and this is a good thing. I travelled to Norway in October 2014 to participate in a conference and screen some of my short films. Actually, I should have been in Norway earlier but the war prevented me from going. I was supposed to stay for only one month but, after only one week, Egypt closed the border with Gaza. I went from being stuck inside Gaza to being stuck outside of Gaza. My Norwegian hosts and friends were very generous and understanding. They also helped me to come out of myself and urged me to make this film.

Abu Marzouq, captain of the ambulance team [Al Jazeera]
But I was thinking of home all the time. I was walking around with the burden of war inside of me. When I was filming the ambulance team, I knew how important it was to make this film - everybody knew that - but I didn't know when or how to do it. The ambulance crew asked me again and again, "When will you finish this film? We need to see ourselves. We need to see how we are working during the war".

It was a heavy responsibility but it also gave me a feeling of pride that I might be able to contribute something.

The people of Gaza know how hard is to live under constant attack, but not everyone sees the details up close. Few people are really on the front line, close to everything. Even though I myself had lived through two wars and two Intifadas before, nothing prepared me for my experience during the last war in 2014. Every phone call was bad news - one after the other. And it got worse and worse. It could have been my family or my neighbours. Our ambulance could be hit at any time. It was the first time in my life that I had been so close to a situation like this. I began to understand that each TV image was just a small part of a bigger story. Even though I had lived in Gaza all my life, I was shocked every day, moment after moment.

When people in Gaza see this film, I think they too will be shocked. They will be sad, remembering the war and everything they have lost. But I think they will also feel glad that this war will be remembered, that no one can say it never happened. No one can erase or deny our pain. The world must remember.

Both inside and outside of Gaza, people will see how we survive. The film must also remind people we are still alive; that we can still smile and that we remain hopeful. The best thing about the war was that I gained a new family in the ambulance crew. I learned what hard work and courage really looks like. And I felt and received real love.

Cave rescue: The Australian diving doctor who stayed with the boys - BBC News

July 11, 2018

Cave rescue: The Australian diving doctor who stayed with the boys

Dr Richard Harris spent three days underground with the young Thais and their coach
It was his rare combination of talents that led Australian doctor Richard Harris deep into the Tham Luang cave in Thailand.

When the Wild Boars football team was located deep inside the cave, after being missing for a week, the Adelaide anaesthetist abandoned his holiday in Thailand and volunteered to help.

He went in to assess the boys' health and stayed with them for three days.

It was under his direction that the weakest boys were first led out with the others successfully following in the complex operation.

Dr Harris, known as Harry, is believed to have been one of the last rescuers out of the cave.

The heroes who saved the Wild Boars'
How the operation unfolded
The rescue in pictures
Seventeen days in darkness
But relief and celebration were suddenly cut short by personal tragedy - on Wednesday it emerged that Dr Harris's father had died shortly after the rescue's finish.

The Adelaide doctor is globally renowned for his cave-diving expertise
His employer, South Australia's ambulance service, said his family's grief had been "magnified" by the physical and emotional demands of the rescue operation.

"It has been a tumultuous week with highs and lows," Dr Andrew Pearce from MedSTAR said, asking for privacy.

"Harry is a quiet and kind man who did not think twice about offering his support on this mission."

'Integral part of the rescue'
Dr Harris was specifically identified by British divers and requested by the "highest levels" of the Thai government to join the rescue, according to the Australian government.

Divers stayed with the boys after they were found deep inside the cave
"He was an integral part of the rescue attempt," said Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop who added that the doctor was internationally renowned for his cave rescue expertise.

"[The Australians] have been a big help, especially the doctor," the leader of the rescue mission, acting Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotanakorn told an Australian Nine News reporter on Wednesday.

"Very good. The very best," he said in reference to Dr Harris.

Wife and father remember 'hero' Thai diver: "He loved helping others"
His friend Sue Crowe told the BBC the doctor was an unassuming and selfless family man, whose calm presence would have comforted the boys in the cave.

"He is brilliant with children, and he would have made sure that they were prepared in the best possible way from a cave-diving perspective," she said.

"He would have been the perfect person to support them."

Joy and relief as Thai cave boys rescued
The heroes who saved the Wild Boars'
On social media, there has been an outpouring of gratitude directed towards him.

Many have called for him to be made Australian of the Year - the nation's highest civic honour - while the government has indicated there will be some formal recognition.

Image Copyright @PeterGleeson63@PETERGLEESON63
Report
Image Copyright @dannybaxter27@DANNYBAXTER27
Report
Image Copyright @sophy_symonds@SOPHY_SYMONDS
Report
The experienced diver, also an underwater photographer, has completed several cave-diving expeditions in Australia, New Zealand, Christmas Island and China.

One tragic expedition in 2011, involved the retrieval of the body of his friend, Agnes Milowka, who ran out of air during a cave dive in South Australia.

Dr Harris had previously led cave rescue operations
Ms Bishop said the doctor is also known to authorities for his work on medical assistance teams in natural disasters in the Pacific region, and has taken part in Australian aid missions in Vanuatu.

"[He] is an extraordinary Australian and he has certainly made a big difference to the rescue effort here in Thailand," she said.

She also praised his diving partner, Craig Challen, a vet from Perth who accompanied Dr Harris into the caves.

The pair were part of a team of 20 Australians, including police and navy divers, who assisted in the operation.

Trump Nato: Germany's defence spending attacked - BBC News

July 11, 2018

Trump Nato: Germany's defence spending attacked

Mr Trump was talking at a breakfast meeting
US President Donald Trump has suggested Germany's imports of Russian natural gas are a security concern, as he and other Nato leaders gather for a summit.

At talks in Brussels with Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, he said it was a "very bad thing for Nato" that Germany was "totally controlled by Russia".

He suggested 70% of Germany's gas imports were Russian but the latest official figure was actually 50.75%.

He has accused Europeans of failing to pay enough for Nato operations.

The Brussels summit comes less than a week before Mr Trump is due to hold his first summit with Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, reviving concerns among US allies over his proximity to the Russian president.

President Trump shocked some by quipping that the Nato summit might prove harder than next Monday's summit with Mr Putin.

Can Nato survive Donald Trump?
What does the US contribute to Nato?
Macedonia: The country waiting for Nato's invitation
US tariffs a dangerous game, says EU
European Council President Donald Tusk accused him of criticising Europe "almost daily", tweeting: "Dear America, appreciate your allies, after all you don't have that many."

Mr Tusk said the EU spent more than Russia on defence, and as much as China.

Media caption"Appreciate your allies... you don't have that many," Trump is warned
America, he added, did not and would not have a better ally than the EU, reminding Mr Trump that European troops had also fought and died in Afghanistan after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.

On the Putin summit, Mr Tusk said pointedly: "It is always worth knowing who is your strategic friend and who is your strategic problem."

What exactly did Trump say about Germany?
Germany has the EU's biggest economy and has long been accused by US administrations of failing to contribute its fair share to Nato operations but Mr Trump was particularly stinging.

"Ultimately Germany will have almost 70% of their country controlled by Russia with natural gas, so you tell me - is that appropriate?" he asked at Wednesday's breakfast meeting with Mr Stoltenberg.

"Germany is totally controlled by Russia because they will be getting from 60 to 70% of their energy from Russia, and a new pipeline, and you tell me if that's appropriate because I think it's not and I think it's a very bad thing for Nato."

He went on to accuse Germany of only spending "a little bit over 1%" of its economic output on defence compared to the 4.2% spent by the US "in actual numbers".

Germany actually spends 1.24% and the US 3.5%, according to the latest Nato estimate.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen rejected Mr Trump's accusations of Russian control, Reuters news agency reports.

"We have a lot of issues with Russia without any doubt," she was quoted as telling a side event at the Nato summit just after Mr Trump spoke.

"On the other hand, you should keep the communication line between countries or alliances and opponents without any question."

What is the spending row about?
President Trump has said the US is being "taken advantage of" by other members of the Nato alliance, which was set up in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union, of which Russia is the main successor state.

His main objection is that all but a handful of member states have still not increased their defence budgets to meet a goal of spending at least 2% of their annual economic output on defence by 2024.

Image Copyright @realDonaldTrump@REALDONALDTRUMP
Report
Of Nato's 29 members, just five meet that target this year: the US, Greece, Estonia, the UK and Latvia. However, several, such as Poland and France are close to the mark.

Why are Nato countries worried?
Some in Nato fear Mr Trump's repeated blunt demands could harm morale, furthering the agenda of President Putin whom they accuse of seeking to destabilise the West.

The Trumps flew into Belgium on Tuesday
Some have expressed fears for the future of Nato itself, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated Europe may no longer be able to rely on its US ally.

Despite that, US officials told Reuters news agency the president was expected to reaffirm US support for Article 5 of the Nato treaty, which states that an attack against one ally is considered an attack on all members.

After the Nato summit on Wednesday, President Trump will spend four days in the UK before his summit with the Russian leader.

PM's new cabinet meets amid Brexit turmoil
What's the Nato row got to do with the EU?
Mr Trump has linked the issue of US military spending to the EU's trade surplus with the US, complaining that the bloc "makes it impossible for our farmers and workers and companies to do business in Europe" and then "want us to happily defend them through Nato".

The EU is America's biggest export market, taking $501bn (£378bn) in goods and services in 2016, the latest year recorded by the Office of the US Trade Representative.

The trade office's figures say US imports from the EU rang in at $592bn- leaving a $91bn goods and services trade deficit.

Trade wars, Trump tariffs and protectionism explained
Last month, the US raised fears of a trade war by slapping tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada, Mexico and other US allies. The EU hit back with tariffs on products including motorcycles and orange juice.