July 25, 2018.
Imran Khan: The World Cup-winning cricket captain hoping to become Pakistan's new prime minister
Legendary sportsman and philanthropist seeking to lead PTI to victory at the polls has attracted criticism over right-wing views
Joe Sommerlad
Imran Khan, Pakistan’s legendary World Cup-winning cricket captain, is vying to become the country’s new prime minister as voters go to the polls on Wednesday.
Leader of the centre-right Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mr Khan, 65, is running on an anti-corruption platform against the conservative Pakistan Muslim League (PML).
His opposition is the party of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, jailed over a scandal relating to the undisclosed channelling of funds through offshore companies to bankroll the acquisition of luxury flats in London, which was exposed by the Panama Papers leak in 2015.
An interim government under PML’s current president Shehbaz Sharif, younger brother of the disgraced PM, has run the country since his incarceration.
Mr Khan founded PTI in 1996 and has served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since 2013, proving himself an outspoken figure on many divisive social issues.
Critics of his candidacy suggest he has received excessive support as the preferred candidate of the country's powerful military. He has also faced criticism for courting a group of independent political veterans known as "electables" who will offer their allegiance to the party of the highest bidder, rather than backing candidates best equipped to serve the public.
Born in Lahore on 5 October 1952, the only son of affluent civil engineer Ikramullah Khan Niazi and his wife Shaukat Khanum, Imran Khan was sent to England as a boy and educated at Aitchison College in Worcester before attending Keble College, Oxford.
Isis claims huge suicide bomb attack during Pakistan election
He made his cricketing debut for Pakistan aged 18 in 1971. An extremely gifted all-rounder, Mr Khan captained the national side between 1982 and 1992, leading them to glory at the 1992 World Cup at the tail end of an illustrious career that saw him make 3,807 runs and take 362 wickets.
He played for Worcestershire in English county cricket and was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2010, the same year a big screen biopic, Kaptaan: The Making of a Legend, hit cinemas.
After retiring from the sport Mr Khan turned his hand to philanthropy, working to promote immunisation programmes in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand and founding the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust in honour of his mother.
The trust opened Pakistan’s first dedicated cancer hospital in 1991.
Like Liberian footballer George Weah and Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, Mr Khan subsequently decided to put his national fame to political use, founding PTI and making headlines through his persistent criticism of General Pervez Musharraf during the period of military rule between 1999 and 2008.
More controversially, he has been critical of progressive feminist causes, advocated embracing radical religious groups (including some linked to the Taliban, earning him the nickname “Taliban Khan”) and pledged to uphold the country’s strict blasphemy laws, which can leave critics of Islam facing the death penalty.
In 2013, he led PTI protests against alleged vote rigging in that year’s general election after his party received just 19 per cent of the vote and played an integral role in calling for the criminal investigation into the business affairs of Nawaz Sharif over the Panama Papers affair.
Pakistan general election: vote turns violent after suicide bombing
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Mr Khan has also been a vocal opponent of American military intervention in Afghanistan and the use of drone strikes, saying US president Donald Trump “neither understands the history of Pakistan nor the character of the Afghan people”.
In his personal life, Imran Khan has enjoyed a reputation as something of a playboy, known for his friendship with Mick Jagger and marriage to journalist Jemima Goldsmith in 1995.
She converted to Islam and the couple had two children together before divorcing in 2004, after which she became a subject of British tabloid fascination over her relationships with actor Hugh Grant and comedian Russell Brand.
He has been married twice since: to Rehman Khan – another journalist, who has written an as-yet-unpublished and potentially explosive memoir about their 10 months together – and to spiritual adviser and mother of five Bushra Manika since February of this year.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Death Valley Burns at a High of 127 Degrees as Heat Radiates Across U.S. Southwest - TIME
Death Valley Burns at a High of 127 Degrees as Heat Radiates Across U.S. Southwest
Humberto Berlanga, center, wipes sweat from his face while waiting in the heat in line at the Gold & Silver Pawn shop, July 24, 2018, in Las Vegas.
By ANITA SNOW / AP 10:37 PM EDT
(PHOENIX) — Scorching heat radiated across the U.S. Southwest on Tuesday, setting record highs in California’s Death Valley, Thermal and Palm Springs in a week that forecasters say could prove to be the region’s hottest this year.
The National Weather Service said a new high of 127 degrees (52.7 Celsius) was set at California’s Death Valley. Weather service forecaster Chris Outler in Las Vegas said the record broke the previous one of 126 (52 Celsius) registered for the day in 1916.
He said Las Vegas reached a high of 112 (44 Celsius) on Tuesday, but that wasn’t a record for the day.
The weather service said other record highs set Tuesday included 122 (50 Celsius) in Thermal, in California’s Coachella Valley, and 121 (49.4 Celsius) in Palm Springs.
Forecaster Andrew Deemer said the Phoenix high of 116 (46 Celsius) on Tuesday was tied with the previous record set in 2014.
A high of 124 degrees (51 Celsius) was forecast in Death Valley and was expected to nudge up a few more degrees on Thursday as Arizona and parts of California, Utah and Nevada remained under an excessive heat warning. Highs up to 111 were expected Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Phoenix was also forecast to be among the hottest urban areas in the Southwest, with highs passing 100 (38 Celsius) by midmorning and hitting 113 (46 degrees) by early afternoon.
“The hottest weather of the year will persist the next several days with near record highs for many locations,” the National Weather Service in Phoenix said. “After this period of hot and dry weather for the majority of the area, better moisture will arrive back into the region late in the week.”
Forecasters extended the excessive heat warning for Arizona’s Grand Canyon through Thursday, with highs in the South Rim area expected in the low 90s.
The weather agency uses a complicated formula that varies from region to region to declare an excessive heat warning, including close to record or record-breaking temperatures.
In California, power grid operators called for cutbacks in electricity usage as parts of the U.S. Southwest dealt with another day of scorching heat.
With triple-digit temperatures forecast across the region, the California Independent System Operator Corp. urged people to ease off blasting air conditioners or using washing machines or other appliances during the peak power usage times of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also urged people to stay out of the sun.
“When temperatures are high, even a few hours of exertion may cause severe dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county’s interim health officer.
Children, the elderly and pets shouldn’t be left in homes without air conditioning or in cars even with open windows because temperatures can quickly soar to life-threatening levels, he said.
Phoenix on Monday recorded a sweltering 115 degrees (46 Celsius), breaking the previous record for the day, according to the weather service office.
With some of the highest Southwest temperatures over the next few days expected in Phoenix, officials cautioned people to stay hydrated and take advantage of cooler indoor buildings.
“Nationwide, heat is the #1 heat-related killer,” the weather service in Phoenix said on its website.
Humberto Berlanga, center, wipes sweat from his face while waiting in the heat in line at the Gold & Silver Pawn shop, July 24, 2018, in Las Vegas.
By ANITA SNOW / AP 10:37 PM EDT
(PHOENIX) — Scorching heat radiated across the U.S. Southwest on Tuesday, setting record highs in California’s Death Valley, Thermal and Palm Springs in a week that forecasters say could prove to be the region’s hottest this year.
The National Weather Service said a new high of 127 degrees (52.7 Celsius) was set at California’s Death Valley. Weather service forecaster Chris Outler in Las Vegas said the record broke the previous one of 126 (52 Celsius) registered for the day in 1916.
He said Las Vegas reached a high of 112 (44 Celsius) on Tuesday, but that wasn’t a record for the day.
The weather service said other record highs set Tuesday included 122 (50 Celsius) in Thermal, in California’s Coachella Valley, and 121 (49.4 Celsius) in Palm Springs.
Forecaster Andrew Deemer said the Phoenix high of 116 (46 Celsius) on Tuesday was tied with the previous record set in 2014.
A high of 124 degrees (51 Celsius) was forecast in Death Valley and was expected to nudge up a few more degrees on Thursday as Arizona and parts of California, Utah and Nevada remained under an excessive heat warning. Highs up to 111 were expected Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Phoenix was also forecast to be among the hottest urban areas in the Southwest, with highs passing 100 (38 Celsius) by midmorning and hitting 113 (46 degrees) by early afternoon.
“The hottest weather of the year will persist the next several days with near record highs for many locations,” the National Weather Service in Phoenix said. “After this period of hot and dry weather for the majority of the area, better moisture will arrive back into the region late in the week.”
Forecasters extended the excessive heat warning for Arizona’s Grand Canyon through Thursday, with highs in the South Rim area expected in the low 90s.
The weather agency uses a complicated formula that varies from region to region to declare an excessive heat warning, including close to record or record-breaking temperatures.
In California, power grid operators called for cutbacks in electricity usage as parts of the U.S. Southwest dealt with another day of scorching heat.
With triple-digit temperatures forecast across the region, the California Independent System Operator Corp. urged people to ease off blasting air conditioners or using washing machines or other appliances during the peak power usage times of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also urged people to stay out of the sun.
“When temperatures are high, even a few hours of exertion may cause severe dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county’s interim health officer.
Children, the elderly and pets shouldn’t be left in homes without air conditioning or in cars even with open windows because temperatures can quickly soar to life-threatening levels, he said.
Phoenix on Monday recorded a sweltering 115 degrees (46 Celsius), breaking the previous record for the day, according to the weather service office.
With some of the highest Southwest temperatures over the next few days expected in Phoenix, officials cautioned people to stay hydrated and take advantage of cooler indoor buildings.
“Nationwide, heat is the #1 heat-related killer,” the weather service in Phoenix said on its website.
The Queen has a secret speech if World War 3 breaks out. This is what it says - Independent
The Queen has a secret speech if World War 3 breaks out. This is what it says
Posted March 24, 2018 by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
The Queen has many planned speeches, including one that the Queen will read to the citizens of Britain in the event of nuclear war, a prospect that was made more real through the actions of Russia in the last few months.
In September 2017, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkow warned that Russia was preparing its forces for war in Eastern Europe.
In an address to Ukrainian parliament he said:
There are no signs at the moment that Moscow would be ready to pull back from Donbass or leave Crimea.
In fact, there is more and more evidence for its preparations for an offensive war of continental proportions.
And of course, there's the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal on British soil, which was led to Prime Minister Theresa May giving 23 diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers" just one week to leave the UK.
In reference to the UK's response to the poisoning of Skripal, Russian ambassador to the UK Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko has said the government's response has been "absolutely unacceptable" and is being considered a "provocation".
And that's all before we even consider North Korea, the Trump administration and the ongoing fight against ISIS.
With that in mind, lin 2017 the BBC reported the Queen already has a speech written in the eventuality of World War 3. This is what it says.
The Queen's Speech.
The speech was originally written in 1983, during the height of the Cold War, and was made public in 2013 under the 30-year rule by the National Archives.
Certain aspects of the speech are now outdated, such as Prince Andrew being in action for the Royal Navy, but it remains a prescient and sobering text.
Written as if The Queen was broadcasting the message at midday on Friday 4 March 1983, she starts by reflecting on the recent joys of Christmas before personally sharing the sadness she felt when World War II was announced.
The BBC quote the speech as saying:
I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father's [George VI's] inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939 [at the start of the World War II].
Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.
But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all, the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.
She adds that the terror now comes from technology rather than soldiers or airmen.
We all know that the dangers facing us today are greater by far than at any time in our long history.
The enemy is not the soldier with his rifle nor even the airman prowling the skies above our cities and towns but the deadly power of abused technology.
Her Royal Highness goes on to emphasise the importance of family in such troubling times before concluding:
My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.
As we strive together to fight off the new evil, let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.
God Bless you all.
The speech was devised as part of the war gaming exercise which envisioned how the UK would respond to a potential nuclear attack from the Soviet Union.
We certainly hope that we never have to hear a version of this speech, but if you want to read it you can find it below:
When I spoke to you less than three months ago we were all enjoying the warmth and fellowship of a family Christmas. Our thoughts were concentrated on the strong links that bind each generation to the ones that came before and those that will follow. The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth.
Now this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.
I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father's inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939. Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.
We all know that the dangers facing us today are greater by far than at any time in our long history. The enemy is not the soldier with his rifle nor even the airman prowling the skies above our cities and towns but the deadly power of abused technology.
But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength. My husband and I share with families up and down the land the fear we feel for sons and daughters, husbands and brothers who have left our side to serve their country. My beloved son Andrew is at this moment in action with his unit and we pray continually for his safety and for the safety of all servicemen and women at home and overseas.
It is this close bond of family life that must be our greatest defence against the unknown. If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country's will to survive cannot be broken.
My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.
As we strive together to fight off the new evil let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.
God bless you all.
Posted March 24, 2018 by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
The Queen has many planned speeches, including one that the Queen will read to the citizens of Britain in the event of nuclear war, a prospect that was made more real through the actions of Russia in the last few months.
In September 2017, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkow warned that Russia was preparing its forces for war in Eastern Europe.
In an address to Ukrainian parliament he said:
There are no signs at the moment that Moscow would be ready to pull back from Donbass or leave Crimea.
In fact, there is more and more evidence for its preparations for an offensive war of continental proportions.
And of course, there's the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal on British soil, which was led to Prime Minister Theresa May giving 23 diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers" just one week to leave the UK.
In reference to the UK's response to the poisoning of Skripal, Russian ambassador to the UK Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko has said the government's response has been "absolutely unacceptable" and is being considered a "provocation".
And that's all before we even consider North Korea, the Trump administration and the ongoing fight against ISIS.
With that in mind, lin 2017 the BBC reported the Queen already has a speech written in the eventuality of World War 3. This is what it says.
The Queen's Speech.
The speech was originally written in 1983, during the height of the Cold War, and was made public in 2013 under the 30-year rule by the National Archives.
Certain aspects of the speech are now outdated, such as Prince Andrew being in action for the Royal Navy, but it remains a prescient and sobering text.
Written as if The Queen was broadcasting the message at midday on Friday 4 March 1983, she starts by reflecting on the recent joys of Christmas before personally sharing the sadness she felt when World War II was announced.
The BBC quote the speech as saying:
I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father's [George VI's] inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939 [at the start of the World War II].
Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.
But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all, the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.
She adds that the terror now comes from technology rather than soldiers or airmen.
We all know that the dangers facing us today are greater by far than at any time in our long history.
The enemy is not the soldier with his rifle nor even the airman prowling the skies above our cities and towns but the deadly power of abused technology.
Her Royal Highness goes on to emphasise the importance of family in such troubling times before concluding:
My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.
As we strive together to fight off the new evil, let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.
God Bless you all.
The speech was devised as part of the war gaming exercise which envisioned how the UK would respond to a potential nuclear attack from the Soviet Union.
We certainly hope that we never have to hear a version of this speech, but if you want to read it you can find it below:
When I spoke to you less than three months ago we were all enjoying the warmth and fellowship of a family Christmas. Our thoughts were concentrated on the strong links that bind each generation to the ones that came before and those that will follow. The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth.
Now this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.
I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father's inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939. Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.
We all know that the dangers facing us today are greater by far than at any time in our long history. The enemy is not the soldier with his rifle nor even the airman prowling the skies above our cities and towns but the deadly power of abused technology.
But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength. My husband and I share with families up and down the land the fear we feel for sons and daughters, husbands and brothers who have left our side to serve their country. My beloved son Andrew is at this moment in action with his unit and we pray continually for his safety and for the safety of all servicemen and women at home and overseas.
It is this close bond of family life that must be our greatest defence against the unknown. If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country's will to survive cannot be broken.
My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.
As we strive together to fight off the new evil let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.
God bless you all.
EU prepares retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. goods - Reuters
JULY 25, 2018
EU prepares retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. goods
Johan Ahlander, Paul Carrel
STOCKHOLM/BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Commission is drawing up a list of $20 billion of U.S. goods to hit with duties if Washington imposes tariffs on imported cars, European Union trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on the eve of her boss’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom attends an interview with Reuters in Geneva, Switzerland June 4, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse - RC1E163C7000
Malmstrom is in Washington for talks on trade, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker due on Wednesday to meet Trump in a bid to stop the United States from extending its import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum to cars and car parts.
“We hope that it doesn’t come to that and that we can find a solution. If not, the EU Commission is preparing a rather long list of many American goods. It would be around $20 billion,” Malmstrom told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Wednesday.
In response to the U.S. metals tariffs, the EU has already imposed its own import duties on 2.8 billion euros ($3.3 billion) worth of U.S. goods, including products like bourbon and motorcycles that are made in some of the electoral districts that supported Trump.
Malmstrom said the next potential round of EU tariffs would not target specific U.S. states.
“No, now it’s more general goods such as agricultural products, machinery, high-tech products and other things,” she said.
The Commission briefed EU countries last week on the bloc’s possible response, saying in theory it could hit 9 billion euros of U.S. goods, according to EU sources.
Metal coils are seen at ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent, Belgium, May 22, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
However, some EU diplomats said the Commission was also looking at going for double that amount - to the level Malmstrom is suggesting - at half the duty rate.
A formal proposal would only come after the U.S. Commerce Department completed its investigation into whether car imports threaten national security. The report’s deadline is February 2019, but it is now expected by late August/early September.
MODERATED OPTIMISM
The European Commission, which handles trade policy on behalf of the EU’s 28 members, has insisted that Juncker is seeking to open a dialogue with Trump, rather than to negotiate.
EU officials have also downplayed the idea that Juncker is arriving with a novel trade offer.
EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger suggested the EU would be ready to discuss mutual tariff cuts provided the Washington lifts punitive metals tariffs first.
He told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that the two could try to forge a lighter version of the planned U.S.-European trade deal known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). TTIP negotiations were stalled after Trump’s 2016 election victory.
Business confidence in Oettinger’s homeland, Germany, the largest EU exporter of cars to the United States, weakened in July, with the threat of a trade war increasing uncertainty.
Trump on Tuesday tweeted that the EU was coming to negotiate a trade deal.
“I have an idea for them. Both the U.S. and the E.U. drop all Tariffs, Barriers and Subsidies! That would finally be called Free Market and Fair Trade! Hope they do it, we are ready - but they won’t!” Trump wrote.
Malmstrom indicated she was not expecting a breakthrough.
“Basically, I’m an optimistic person, but heading in to this I’m moderately optimistic. But one must always try,” she told the Swedish newspaper.
She added that she did not think the U.S. proposal to drop tariffs, barriers and subsidies was serious, pointing out that the U.S. has laws, such as the Buy American Act, protecting its industries and agricultural policies supporting its farmers.
“We tried earlier in TTIP negotiations to make the United States loosen those laws,” Malmstrom said. “It was completely impossible. They did not move a millimeter.”
Writing by Philip Blenkinsop, editing by Larry King
EU prepares retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. goods
Johan Ahlander, Paul Carrel
STOCKHOLM/BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Commission is drawing up a list of $20 billion of U.S. goods to hit with duties if Washington imposes tariffs on imported cars, European Union trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on the eve of her boss’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom attends an interview with Reuters in Geneva, Switzerland June 4, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse - RC1E163C7000
Malmstrom is in Washington for talks on trade, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker due on Wednesday to meet Trump in a bid to stop the United States from extending its import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum to cars and car parts.
“We hope that it doesn’t come to that and that we can find a solution. If not, the EU Commission is preparing a rather long list of many American goods. It would be around $20 billion,” Malmstrom told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Wednesday.
In response to the U.S. metals tariffs, the EU has already imposed its own import duties on 2.8 billion euros ($3.3 billion) worth of U.S. goods, including products like bourbon and motorcycles that are made in some of the electoral districts that supported Trump.
Malmstrom said the next potential round of EU tariffs would not target specific U.S. states.
“No, now it’s more general goods such as agricultural products, machinery, high-tech products and other things,” she said.
The Commission briefed EU countries last week on the bloc’s possible response, saying in theory it could hit 9 billion euros of U.S. goods, according to EU sources.
Metal coils are seen at ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent, Belgium, May 22, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
However, some EU diplomats said the Commission was also looking at going for double that amount - to the level Malmstrom is suggesting - at half the duty rate.
A formal proposal would only come after the U.S. Commerce Department completed its investigation into whether car imports threaten national security. The report’s deadline is February 2019, but it is now expected by late August/early September.
MODERATED OPTIMISM
The European Commission, which handles trade policy on behalf of the EU’s 28 members, has insisted that Juncker is seeking to open a dialogue with Trump, rather than to negotiate.
EU officials have also downplayed the idea that Juncker is arriving with a novel trade offer.
EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger suggested the EU would be ready to discuss mutual tariff cuts provided the Washington lifts punitive metals tariffs first.
He told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that the two could try to forge a lighter version of the planned U.S.-European trade deal known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). TTIP negotiations were stalled after Trump’s 2016 election victory.
Business confidence in Oettinger’s homeland, Germany, the largest EU exporter of cars to the United States, weakened in July, with the threat of a trade war increasing uncertainty.
Trump on Tuesday tweeted that the EU was coming to negotiate a trade deal.
“I have an idea for them. Both the U.S. and the E.U. drop all Tariffs, Barriers and Subsidies! That would finally be called Free Market and Fair Trade! Hope they do it, we are ready - but they won’t!” Trump wrote.
Malmstrom indicated she was not expecting a breakthrough.
“Basically, I’m an optimistic person, but heading in to this I’m moderately optimistic. But one must always try,” she told the Swedish newspaper.
She added that she did not think the U.S. proposal to drop tariffs, barriers and subsidies was serious, pointing out that the U.S. has laws, such as the Buy American Act, protecting its industries and agricultural policies supporting its farmers.
“We tried earlier in TTIP negotiations to make the United States loosen those laws,” Malmstrom said. “It was completely impossible. They did not move a millimeter.”
Writing by Philip Blenkinsop, editing by Larry King
A majority thinks Russia has dirt on Trump, a new poll shows - CNBC News
A majority thinks Russia has dirt on Trump, a new poll shows
By a 51-to-35 percent margin, U.S. voters are convinced the Russian government has dirt on Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll.
His overall approval rating now sits at 38 percent, compared with 58 percent disapproval, according to the poll.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows that Trump's rating is underwater by nearly 10 points.
John W. Schoen | @johnwschoen
Published on July 24, 2018
CNBC.com
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018.
Grigory Dukor | Reuters
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018.
It's been a week since President Donald Trump’s widely panned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a new poll shows that a majority of Americans believes the Kremlin has compromising information on the American leader.
By a 51-to-35 percent margin, U.S. voters are convinced the Russian government has dirt on Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll.
At a press conference in Helsinki on July 16, Trump stunned the world by accepting Putin's denial that Russia attacked the 2016 U.S. election, thus contradicting the findings of 17 U.S. intelligence agencies.
“I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia,” Trump said. He tried to walk it back a day later by saying he had misspoken.
Trump’s performance at the summit, widely criticized on Capitol Hill by both parties, has raised further suspicions that Moscow has collected compromising material on the president as part of a wider campaign to influence the American political system. Allegations of the existence of such material surfaced with the disclosure of a dossier compiled by a former British intelligence officer who was paid by Democrats to collect damaging information on Trump during the 2016 campaign.
The new poll also showed a decline in Americans' approval of Trump's overall job performance. His approval now sits at 38 percent, compared with 58 percent disapproval. His approval rating fell five points from a June 20 Quinnipiac poll that followed the president’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows that Trump's rating is underwater by nearly 10 points.
Republicans largely stand behind the president when it comes to Russia. Only 18 percent of GOP voters believe that Moscow has such information on Trump; some 70 percent say they don’t think the allegations are true, the latest Quinnipiac poll found.
Another silver lining for the president: Voters overall aren't convinced that Trump himself colluded with Russia to interfere in the election, by a 48-to-39 percent margin. But they’re divided on whether the Trump campaign in general did so; some 46 percent say it did, and 44 percent say it did not.
Overall, voters deemed the Helsinki summit a failure for the U.S., by a 52-to-27 percent margin. Some 73 percent believe the summit was a success for Russia. Trump was not acting in the best interest of the U.S., according to 54 percent of voters surveyed. And 78 percent of voters said Trump should defend all of America's NATO allies.
The Helsinki summit left 68 percent of American voters "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about President Trump's relationship with Russia.
By a 51-to-35 percent margin, U.S. voters are convinced the Russian government has dirt on Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll.
His overall approval rating now sits at 38 percent, compared with 58 percent disapproval, according to the poll.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows that Trump's rating is underwater by nearly 10 points.
John W. Schoen | @johnwschoen
Published on July 24, 2018
CNBC.com
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018.
Grigory Dukor | Reuters
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018.
It's been a week since President Donald Trump’s widely panned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a new poll shows that a majority of Americans believes the Kremlin has compromising information on the American leader.
By a 51-to-35 percent margin, U.S. voters are convinced the Russian government has dirt on Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll.
At a press conference in Helsinki on July 16, Trump stunned the world by accepting Putin's denial that Russia attacked the 2016 U.S. election, thus contradicting the findings of 17 U.S. intelligence agencies.
“I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia,” Trump said. He tried to walk it back a day later by saying he had misspoken.
Trump’s performance at the summit, widely criticized on Capitol Hill by both parties, has raised further suspicions that Moscow has collected compromising material on the president as part of a wider campaign to influence the American political system. Allegations of the existence of such material surfaced with the disclosure of a dossier compiled by a former British intelligence officer who was paid by Democrats to collect damaging information on Trump during the 2016 campaign.
The new poll also showed a decline in Americans' approval of Trump's overall job performance. His approval now sits at 38 percent, compared with 58 percent disapproval. His approval rating fell five points from a June 20 Quinnipiac poll that followed the president’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows that Trump's rating is underwater by nearly 10 points.
Republicans largely stand behind the president when it comes to Russia. Only 18 percent of GOP voters believe that Moscow has such information on Trump; some 70 percent say they don’t think the allegations are true, the latest Quinnipiac poll found.
Another silver lining for the president: Voters overall aren't convinced that Trump himself colluded with Russia to interfere in the election, by a 48-to-39 percent margin. But they’re divided on whether the Trump campaign in general did so; some 46 percent say it did, and 44 percent say it did not.
Overall, voters deemed the Helsinki summit a failure for the U.S., by a 52-to-27 percent margin. Some 73 percent believe the summit was a success for Russia. Trump was not acting in the best interest of the U.S., according to 54 percent of voters surveyed. And 78 percent of voters said Trump should defend all of America's NATO allies.
The Helsinki summit left 68 percent of American voters "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about President Trump's relationship with Russia.
American Airlines, Delta and Cathay Pacific bow to China Taiwan pressure - BBC News
July 25, 2018
American Airlines, Delta and Cathay Pacific bow to China Taiwan pressure
American Airlines, Delta and Cathay Pacific have become the latest carriers to change how they refer to Taiwan online, bowing to pressure from China.
Beijing set 25 July as a deadline for companies and airlines to remove references to Taiwan as anything but a Chinese territory on their websites.
The US carriers just lists Taipei, but Cathay refers to it as part of China.
Taiwan has been self-ruling since 1949 but China regards it as a breakaway province to be reunited one day.
The move was dismissed by the White House in May as "Orwellian nonsense", but many global carriers including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Qantas decided to comply with the demand coming out of one of the world's biggest aviation markets.
A number of US airlines, however, held out and currently United Airlines continues to list the city of Taipei as being in "TW" on their website.
American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told the BBC in an email response: "Like other carriers, American is implementing changes to address China's request. Air travel is global business, and we abide by the rules in countries where we operate".
Cathay Pacific told the BBC in a statement the carrier was a registered airline "of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China. HKSAR is also where our operations are based. We must comply with the regulations and requirements of the relevant civil aviation authorities."
The issue has always been highly sensitive for Beijing, but in recent years it has become increasingly active in clamping down on perceived violations of its territorial claims.
Taipei is listed without giving any country name on the American Airlines website
In April, China's Civil Aviation Administration wrote to more than 40 airlines worldwide telling them to abide by its laws and regulations and sovereignty claims, and threatening sanctions should they not fall in line.
Beijing demanded that neither Taiwan and Hong Kong nor Macau should be listed as separate places in for instance drop-down menus of company websites.
China warns Western firms over Taiwan
British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa, Air France and Singapore Airlines all list Taipei as in "Taiwan, China". Australia's Qantas in June also gave in to Chinese demands leading to the government in Canberra criticising Chinese "pressure" over the situation.
"Private companies should be free to conduct their usual business operations free from political pressure of governments," Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at the time.
Just before the deadline, United lists Taipei as being in 'TW'
China's vociferous defence of its territorial claims is not just directed at the airline industry.
Earlier this year US clothing company GAP apologised for selling T-shirts with a map of China which did not show Taiwan and other disputed territories.
Japanese retail chain Muji recently has been fined in China for listing Taiwan as a country on some of its packaging.
Hotel chain Marriott also briefly had its Chinese website suspended for listing Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as separate countries in a customer questionnaire.
American Airlines, Delta and Cathay Pacific bow to China Taiwan pressure
American Airlines, Delta and Cathay Pacific have become the latest carriers to change how they refer to Taiwan online, bowing to pressure from China.
Beijing set 25 July as a deadline for companies and airlines to remove references to Taiwan as anything but a Chinese territory on their websites.
The US carriers just lists Taipei, but Cathay refers to it as part of China.
Taiwan has been self-ruling since 1949 but China regards it as a breakaway province to be reunited one day.
The move was dismissed by the White House in May as "Orwellian nonsense", but many global carriers including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Qantas decided to comply with the demand coming out of one of the world's biggest aviation markets.
A number of US airlines, however, held out and currently United Airlines continues to list the city of Taipei as being in "TW" on their website.
American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told the BBC in an email response: "Like other carriers, American is implementing changes to address China's request. Air travel is global business, and we abide by the rules in countries where we operate".
Cathay Pacific told the BBC in a statement the carrier was a registered airline "of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China. HKSAR is also where our operations are based. We must comply with the regulations and requirements of the relevant civil aviation authorities."
The issue has always been highly sensitive for Beijing, but in recent years it has become increasingly active in clamping down on perceived violations of its territorial claims.
Taipei is listed without giving any country name on the American Airlines website
In April, China's Civil Aviation Administration wrote to more than 40 airlines worldwide telling them to abide by its laws and regulations and sovereignty claims, and threatening sanctions should they not fall in line.
Beijing demanded that neither Taiwan and Hong Kong nor Macau should be listed as separate places in for instance drop-down menus of company websites.
China warns Western firms over Taiwan
British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa, Air France and Singapore Airlines all list Taipei as in "Taiwan, China". Australia's Qantas in June also gave in to Chinese demands leading to the government in Canberra criticising Chinese "pressure" over the situation.
"Private companies should be free to conduct their usual business operations free from political pressure of governments," Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at the time.
Just before the deadline, United lists Taipei as being in 'TW'
China's vociferous defence of its territorial claims is not just directed at the airline industry.
Earlier this year US clothing company GAP apologised for selling T-shirts with a map of China which did not show Taiwan and other disputed territories.
Japanese retail chain Muji recently has been fined in China for listing Taiwan as a country on some of its packaging.
Hotel chain Marriott also briefly had its Chinese website suspended for listing Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as separate countries in a customer questionnaire.
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