Trump, Putin talk Palestinian peace efforts, North Korea's nukes - Fox News

12/2/2018

Trump, Putin talk Palestinian peace efforts, North Korea's nukes

By Matt Richardson | Fox News

Napolitano: Is Trump naive to think of Putin as his partner?

Judge Andrew Napolitano sits down with former State Department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf. They discuss President Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone on Monday to address a series of topics ranging from the recent Russian plane crash to North Korea's nuclear threats, the White House said.

Among the issues discussed: a potential peace deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis. “President Putin noted that he would meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas later today, and President Trump said that now is the time to work toward an enduring peace agreement,” the White House said.

Abbas reportedly later told Putin that he would not work with the U.S. “in any form.”

“We state that from now on we refuse to cooperate in any form with the U.S. in its status of a mediator, as we stand against its actions,” Abbas said to Putin, according to a report from Haaretz.

Following Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last year, Abbas has encouraged Putin to assist in peace talks cleaming the U.S. could “no longer play a leading role.”

Putin met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month.

Discussions of relations between the Israelis and Palestinians came amid heightened tensions after Israel shot down an Iranian drone that had entered the country during the weekend.

Trump also “reiterated the importance” of taking more steps to ensure North Korea is denuclearized, the White House said without elaborating.

The plane crashed near Moscow, killing 71 people.

The conversation between Trump and Putin came a day after a plane crash in Moscow killed all 71 people on board. Regarding the crash of Saratov Airlines Flight 703, Trump told Putin that the U.S. was standing by to assist Russian officials in their probe of the deadly event.

Putin, who is currently running for re-election, has denied Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump. The president has denied “collusion” with the Kremlin in order to win, labeling the subsequent probe into Russian interference a “witch hunt.”

Fox News’ Kelly Chernenkoff and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

The Inventor of Prepaid Debit Cards Is Going Mobile - Bloomberg

The Inventor of Prepaid Debit Cards Is Going Mobile

Steve Streit runs payment systems that are the backbone for Apple Pay Cash, Uber, Intuit, and more.

By

February 13, 2018, 4:00 AM GMT+11

It was 2012, and payment systems entrepreneur Steve Streit could see that banking was moving to mobile. He also knew that his company couldn’t get there in time.

In what may have seemed like an unorthodox move, Streit, the founder and chief executive officer of the country’s largest prepaid card provider, Green Dot Corp., decided to acquire the failing location-based dating app Loopt for $43 million—not for its technology but for its talent. Loopt’s co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, stayed on for a time to lead Green Dot’s mobile development program. (He went on to become president of the famed tech incubator Y Combinator.) Streit’s gamble paid off last year when he announced that Green Dot would power Apple Inc.’s new person-to-person payments offering, Apple Pay Cash.

Other deals followed the Loopt acquisition. Now “we’re the bank of Apple and Uber and Intuit,” Streit says. “People that don’t know they’re using a Green Dot account are using a Green Dot account.”

Streit grew up in 1960s North Miami and studied broadcast management at the University of Florida before dropping out in his senior year for a job as a late-night radio DJ. In 1999, with online shopping on the rise, he abruptly switched gears and created a prepaid debit card teenagers could use to shop online. Kids were only moderately interested in his invention, but it quickly took off among adults who didn’t have a bank account or credit history. A decade later, Green Dot went public. “We’re actually one of the most distributed and ubiquitous banks in the entire country,” Streit says. Last year, to expand the company’s reach, it acquired competitor UniRush, founded by the former rap mogul Russell Simmons.

Steven Kwok, an analyst at Keefe Bruyette & Woods Inc., reserves particular praise for Green Dot’s recent innovations. “They’ve been able to transform themselves over time from just a regular prepaid provider to almost a financial-services company,” he says. “They focused on using their capital to invest in these acquisitions. It fit together nicely.”

Green Dot’s mobile payments platform will be especially valuable as technology companies seek to push into financial services. “It’s very rare that you have a bank that speaks tech,” Streit says. “That is why I think we’ve been so successful.”

Commonwealth leaders 'begin secret talks on who should replace the Queen' - Independent

13/2/2018

Commonwealth leaders 'begin secret talks on who should replace the Queen'

Prince Charles is not hereditary heir to position that monarch has held since 1953 coronation

Chris Baynes

The Queen was proclaimed Head of Commonwealth at her coronation Senior Commonwealth officials are to hold secret talks in London about who will succeed the Queen as its head, it has been reported.

The “high level” group was set to discuss the sensitive issue during an all-day summit on Tuesday before reporting their conclusions later this year, according to insiders.

The meeting’s agenda, seen by the BBC, includes consideration of “wider governance”, which sources told the broadcaster was code for the succession.

Queen bans plastic straws and bottles on royal estates

The Queen was proclaimed Head of the Commonwealth at her coronation in 1953, when she was head of state in seven of the organisation’s eight members.

But it is not a hereditary position that will pass automatically to the Prince of Wales when the monarch dies. Charles will be head of state in only 15 of the 53 nations and territories that now make up the Commonwealth.

Any decision about the future would have to be made by the Commonwealth heads of government at the time of the Queen’s death, but there is no formal process for choosing her successor.

While many Commonwealth figures presume there will be no realistic alternative to Charles, there has in the past been talk of electing a ceremonial leader to improve the organisation’s democratic credentials.

According to documents seen by the BBC, the high level group will not just confine itself to bureaucratic changes.

One insider said: “I imagine the question of the succession, however distasteful it may naturally be, will come up.”

The agenda for the meeting is reported to say: “Discussions will take into consideration the issues raised in the first session and also the wider governance considerations of the Commonwealth.”

The high level group is expected to report to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in April, which is likely to be the last that the 91-year-old Queen will attend.

The group is chaired by Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati. It also consists of Lord Howell, former British energy secretary; Louise Frechette, former United Nations Deputy Secretary General; Robert Hill, former Australian defence minister; Dame Billie Miller, former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados; Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian finance minister; and George Vella, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malta.

The Independent has approached the Commonwealth and the UK Foreign Office for a comment.

Melting ice sheets are hastening sea level rise, satellite data confirms - Guardian

Melting ice sheets are hastening sea level rise, satellite data confirms

Research shows that pace of melting in Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated

Associated Press

Tue 13 Feb 2018 19.57 AEDT Last modified on Tue 13 Feb 2018 20.04 AEDT

The new research suggests he world’s oceans will be on average at least 60cm higher by the end of the century. Photograph: Jonnie Hughes/BBC/Silverback Films/Jonnie Hughes

Melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up the already fast pace of sea level rise, new satellite data shows.

At the current rate, the world’s oceans will be on average at least 60cm (2ft) higher by the end of the century, according to research published in Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.

Based on 25 years of satellite data, however, the research shows that the pace has quickened. It confirms scientists’ computer simulations and is in line with predictions from the UN, which releases regular climate change reports.

Weatherwatch: Extreme flooding on rise in Europe over past 20 years

Read more

“It’s a big deal” because the projected sea level rise is a conservative estimate and it is likely to be higher, said the lead author, Steve Nerem of the University of Colorado.

Other scientists said even small changes in sea levels can lead to flooding and erosion. “Any flooding concerns that coastal communities have for 2100 may occur over the next few decades,” said Katy Serafin, a coastal flooding expert at Oregon State University.

Sea level rise is causing by warming waters and the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. Of the 7.5cm rise in the past 25 years, about 55% is from warmer water expanding, and the rest is from melting ice.

The process is accelerating, however, and more than three-quarters of the acceleration since 1993 is due to melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, the study shows.

There are two factors that affect sea level rise: year-to-year fluctuations caused by natural events and larger long-term trends linked to man-made climate change. Nerem’s team removed the natural effects of the 1991 Mt Pinatubo eruption that temporarily chilled the planet, and the climate phenomena El Niño and La Niña, and found the accelerating trend.

Sea level rise rather than temperature is a better gauge of climate change in action, according to Anny Cazenave, the director of Earth science at the International Space Science Institute in France, who edited the study. Cazenave is one of the pioneers of space-based sea level research.

Global sea levels were stable for about 3,000 years until the 20th century, when they rose increasingly quickly because of global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels, said Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute in Germany.

Two feet of sea level rise by the end of the century “would have big effects on places like Miami and New Orleans, but I don’t still view that as catastrophic” because those cities can survive – at great expense, Nerem said.

When a storm such as Superstorm Sandy in 2012 strikes, however, sea level rise on top of storm surge can lead to record damages, researchers said.

George Soros pledges extra £100,000 to fight Brexit after 'smear campaign' - Independent

12/2/2018

George Soros pledges extra £100,000 to fight Brexit after 'smear campaign'

Over £70,000 in donations also flood in to crowdfunding page attempting to mobilise public opinion against Brexit

Ashley Cowburn Political Correspondent @ashcowburn

Billionaire financier George Soros has pledged an additional £100,000 to support efforts to fight Brexit as donations flooded in to a group attempting to mobilise public opinion against withdrawal.

The investor's move comes after Mr Soros drew anger from Brexiteers last week when it was revealed he was donating £400,000 to the campaign group Best for Britain in an attempt to halt withdrawal from the EU.

The involvement of Mr Soros, who has an estimated net worth of $25.2bn (£18bn), making him the 29th richest person in the world according to Forbes, is understood to have emerged after he entertained six Conservative donors at his house in Chelsea.

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But after a sustained attack, Mr Soros, through his Open Society Foundations (OFS), announced on Sunday he would match donations – to a maximum of £100,000 - given to the Best for Britain campaign.

The group’s crowdfunding page “your right to fight Brexit” has already raised over £70,000 since Thursday last week, with over 2,000 individuals donating to the cause.

The organisation says raising £75,000 will allow Best for Britain to campaign on social media and reach tens of thousands of new people.

How George Soros is targeted by conspiracy theorists and antisemites

Eloise Todd, the organisation’s CEO, said: “We live in a democracy, and the right to freedom of speech is precious. Elements of the right-wing press don’t seem to agree.

“The UK’s future with the EU is not a done deal, there is still a vote to come and people across the country deserve to know the truth about the options on the table: one of which is staying and leading in the EU.

“George Soros and his foundation is kindly offering to help match-fund to give Best for Britain more support so we can make sure this message gets out: the biggest decision on Brexit is yet to come.”

Mr Soros also told the Guardian: “I am happy to take the fight of those who have tried to use a smear campaign, not arguments, to prop up their failing case.”

His donation also comes after a poll for The Independent found that three-quarters of the public had little idea as to what Theresa May wants overall, but also specifically in relation to critical areas like trade and immigration.

South Africa: ANC 'decides Zuma must go' - BBC News

13/2/2018

South Africa: ANC 'decides Zuma must go'

President Zuma's time in office has been overshadowed by corruption allegations

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) will formally ask for President Jacob Zuma to resign after he refused to do so earlier, reports say.

The reported decision to "recall" him followed marathon talks by senior party officials that continued into the early hours of Tuesday.

If Mr Zuma, 75, still does not budge, he will face a vote of confidence in parliament that he is expected to lose.

In power since 2009, he has been dogged by corruption allegations.

The ANC has not officially confirmed its plans but party sources have described them to South African media outlets and Reuters news agency.

Six reasons why Zuma is under pressure

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Mr Zuma has resisted increasing pressure to quit since December, when Cyril Ramaphosa replaced him as leader of the ANC.

It is unclear how Mr Zuma will respond to the formal request to step down, which is expected to be issued later on Tuesday.

Earlier, Mr Ramaphosa left the meeting of the ANC's national executive committee to travel to Mr Zuma's residence, where he is said to have told the president he would be recalled if he did not step down. He later returned to the ANC conclave.

What has Mr Zuma done wrong?

Mr Zuma's presidency has been overshadowed by allegations of corruption which he has always vehemently denied.

Media captionThe Zuma presidency: Scandals and successes

In 2016, South Africa's highest court ruled that Mr Zuma had violated the constitution when he failed to repay government money spent on his private home.

Last year the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that he must face 18 counts of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to a 1999 arms deal.

More recently, Mr Zuma's links to the wealthy India-born Gupta family, who are alleged to have influenced the government, have caused his popularity to plummet.

Both Mr Zuma and the Guptas deny the allegations.

How likely is Mr Zuma to quit?

Correspondents say it will be very difficult for him to resist a formal request to resign but he would not be legally obliged to do so and could technically carry on as president despite losing the faith of his party.

However, he would then be expected to face a confidence vote in parliament. This has already been scheduled for 22 February.

Mr Zuma has survived other such votes but he is not expected to pull it off again. A confidence vote would be considered a humiliating process for him and the party.

South African media are calling President Zuma's seemingly inevitable exit "Zexit".

His predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, resigned in 2008, also after a power struggle with his deputy.

The deputy in question was Jacob Zuma, who took over the presidency the following year.

Why is this happening now?

The ANC was badly rattled by its performance at the 2016 local elections when it won its lowest share of the vote since coming to power under the late Nelson Mandela in 1994.

It wants to project a fresh image for next year's general election. Having served two terms in office (South African presidents are elected by parliament), Mr Zuma cannot legally return to power in any case.

On Monday, opposition parties called for an early election.

"Anyone from the ANC that wants to lead this country, must get their mandate from the people of South Africa," Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane told reporters.

Olympics: Kim Jong-un calls for further reconciliation - BBC News

13/2/2018

Olympics: Kim Jong-un calls for further reconciliation

This handout photo by KCNA shows Kim Jong-un, who appears to be supported by Ms Kim Yo-jong on his left and Mr Kim Yong-nam on his right

North Korea's leader has called for a "further livening up" of the "warm climate of reconciliation" with the South created by the Winter Olympics.

Kim Jong-un, whose nuclear bomb and missile tests have stoked international tension, praised the South for hosting his state at the games in Pyeongchang.

Kim's apparent Games charm offensive was led by his sister Kim Yo-jong.

South Korean President President Moon Jae-in has meanwhile said the US is open to talking with the North.

He did not elaborate and may have been referring to a remark by US Vice-President Mike Pence on his flight back to Washington from the Games.

"If you want to talk, we'll talk," Mr Pence was quoted as saying by the Washington Post.

While the North's attendance at the Games has been seen as marking a major warming in relations, there have also been concerns that it has allowed it to win a propaganda victory.

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A history of North Korea at the Olympics

North Korean cheerleaders mesmerise crowds

What else did Mr Kim say?

He thanked the South for "specially prioritising" the North's attendance at the Games, North Korean state news agency KCNA reports.

Ms Kim's visit has been one of the most talked-about aspects of the Games

He also gave "important instructions" on how to "liven up" the "warm climate of reconciliation and dialogue".

A picture released by the agency shows Mr Kim flanked by his sister and the North's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam, both linking arms with him.

How big a propaganda coup has the North scored?

Ms Kim and Mr Kim Yong-nam made up the most senior delegation from the North to visit the South since the Korean War in the 1950s.

The two states have never signed a peace treaty and are in a constant state of mutual distrust.

On Saturday, Ms Kim handed over a letter from her brother to President Moon, inviting him to visit Pyongyang. If the summit goes ahead, it will be the first meeting in more than a decade between Korean leaders.

Ms Kim's appearance at the Games has been widely criticised, as she is on a US sanctions list over alleged links to human rights abuses in North Korea.

She headed the North's delegation and has now returned home.

You could almost feel the ripple of excitement as Kim Yo-jong walked into the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. Necks craned and mobile phones were held aloft to catch a glimpse.

I found myself, along with others, leaning as far as I could over the balcony to try to see her in the VIP box below. The faces around the stadium all said one thing: she's here, on South Korean soil.

She has given the secretive regime a human face.

Her country is subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU over its weapons programmes and Japan has said it remains sceptical about the "charm offensive".

"I am aware that some people argue that because North Korea is engaging in dialogue we should reward them," Foreign Minister Taro Kono said before the Games.

"Frankly I think this view is too naive. I believe that North Korea wants to buy some time to continue their nuclear missile programme."

What does the US make of the North's overtures?

Mr Pence stressed the US would continue imposing sanctions and putting pressure on Pyongyang.

North Korea's presence at the Games raised concerns about a propaganda victory

"The point is, no pressure comes off until they are actually doing something that the alliance believes represents a meaningful step toward denuclearization," Mr Pence told the Post.

"So the maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify."

Mr Pence came face to face with Ms Kim at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, but they did not interact.