Friday, July 13, 2018
China Vows to Retaliate Against the Trump Administration’s Threat of Another $200 Billion in Tariffs - TIME
China Vows to Retaliate Against the Trump Administration’s Threat of Another $200 Billion in Tariffs
Posted: 11 Jul 2018 07:06 PM PDT
(BEIJING) — China’s government vowed Wednesday to take “firm and forceful measures” as the U.S. threatened to expand tariffs to thousands of Chinese imports like fish sticks, apples and French doors, the latest salvo in an escalating trade dispute that threatens to chill global economic growth.
China gave no details, but it has plenty of options to retaliate that could extend beyond additional tariffs on U.S. imports. There are fears that Beijing could attempt to disrupt operations of American automakers, retailers and others that see China as a key market.
The spiraling conflict stems from Washington’s complaint that Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology and concerns that plans for state-led development of Chinese champions in robots and other fields might erode American industrial leadership.
A possible second round of tariff hikes announced Tuesday by the U.S. Trade Representative targets a $200 billion list of Chinese goods. That came four days after Washington added 25 percent duties on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods and Beijing responded by increasing taxes on the same amount of American imports.
The abrupt escalation is “totally unacceptable,” said a Commerce Ministry statement. It said Beijing would take unspecified “necessary countermeasures” to protect its “core interests.”
Asked what Beijing would do, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying gave no details but said, “We will take firm and forceful measures.”
The USTR, the federal agency that oversees international trade policy and negotiations, said it was responding to Beijing’s decision to retaliate instead of changing its policies. President Donald Trump has threatened higher tariffs on more than $500 billion of goods, or nearly all of China’s annual exports to the United States.
The USTR will accept public comments on the latest round of tariffs and hold hearings Aug. 20-23 before reaching a decision after Aug. 31, according to a senior U.S. official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
The first U.S. tariff list focused on Chinese industrial products, an attempt to reduce the direct impact on American consumers.
The new list includes vacuum cleaners, furniture, auto and bicycle parts, French doors and plywood. It left untouched U.S.-branded smartphones and laptop computers.
That “will hit the Chinese export sector hard,” said Rajiv Biswas of IHS Markit in a report.
China imports far less from the U.S. than the U.S. imports from China. That means China’s imports of U.S. goods are so small that Beijing “cannot match fresh U.S. tariffs,” said Vishnu Varathan of Mizuho Bank in a report.
China bought $130 billion of U.S. goods last year. Both governments have raised tariffs on $34 billion worth of each other’s goods and already said they are considering additional charges on another $16 billion. That would leave China only $80 billion for further retaliation.
Instead, Beijing has other ways to disrupt American companies’ operations. Regulators can deny or cancel licenses or launch lengthy tax, environmental or anti-monopoly investigations.
Companies are watching U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Inc., which has waited months for Chinese regulators to decide whether to allow its proposed $44 billion acquisition of NXP Semiconductors. All other major governments have approved the deal.
The economic impact of the conflict already is spreading.
The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said this week its member companies are rearranging the global flow of their goods to make sure any bound for the United States don’t pass through China.
Members of Congress are increasingly questioning Trump’s tactics. They warned tariffs on imports raise consumer prices and expose U.S. farmers and manufacturers to retaliation.
“Tonight’s announcement appears reckless and is not a targeted approach,” said Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch in a statement.
Envoys from the two sides last met June 3 when Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross visited Beijing for talks with Vice Premier Liu He. They have given no indication when they might meet again.
Chinese leaders have tried without success to recruit support from Europe and other governments. They criticize Trump’s tactics but share U.S. complaints about Beijing’s industrial policies.
Investors had been taking the trade war in stride but Tuesday’s announcement appeared to dent that optimism.
On Wednesday, China’s main stock index lost 1.8 percent and Japan’s market benchmark fell 1.1 percent. Hong Kong’s main index shed 1.3 percent.
The conflict is “far from over,” warned Hannah Anderson of JP Morgan Asset Management in a report, “and the impact will be global.”
London mayor says the UK is not afraid to call out Trump: ‘We think you’re wrong’ - CNBC News
London mayor says the UK is not afraid to call out Trump: ‘We think you’re wrong’
“The great thing about our city is you can have a fraternal and positive relationship with a country and its citizens but disagree in a mature and adult way with the president,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC’s Wilfred Frost on Friday morning.
Shortly after arriving in the U.K. on Thursday afternoon, Trump sought to reignite a long-running feud with London’s mayor.
The U.S. president has decided not to tour the U.K.’s capital city during his working visit after hundreds of thousands of Britons vowed to take to the streets to protest against him.
Sam Meredith | @smeredith19
Published July 13, 2018
CNBC.com
President Donald Trump should understand the U.K. will always be prepared to challenge his views in a respectful way — regardless of whether his feelings get hurt, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC Friday.
“The great thing about our city is you can have a fraternal and positive relationship with a country and its citizens but disagree in a mature and adult way with the president,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC’s Wilfred Frost on Friday morning.
“One of the great things about having a best friend as we do with America is we can call you out when we think you’re wrong … I think we shouldn’t be afraid of doing so,” he added.
The U.S. president is currently visiting the U.K. as part of a working visit to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May, Queen Elizabeth II and several other business leaders. He is then expected to travel to Scotland for a weekend of golf.
Long-running feud
Shortly after arriving in the U.K. on Thursday afternoon, Trump sought to reignite a long-running feud with London’s mayor.
“Take a look at the terrorism that is taking place. Look at what is going on in London. I think (Khan) has done a very bad job on terrorism,” Trump told The Sun newspaper in an interview published late Thursday.
“I used to love London as a city. I haven’t been there in a long time … But when they make you feel unwelcome, why would I stay there?”
The U.S. president has decided not to tour the U.K.’s capital city during his working visit after hundreds of thousands of Britons vowed to take to the streets to protest against him.
The main “Stop Trump” rally is expected to attract around 70,000 people on the streets of London on Friday.
Khan: Trump’s presidency is ‘interesting’
When asked what one word he would use to describe Trump’s time in office, Khan replied: “Interesting.”
He went onto add: “It is not for me to respond to the tweets President Trump sends or some of the interviews he gives where he mentions me and he talks about me in ways which I find surprising.”
Meanwhile, a “Trump Baby” blimp was seen flying beside U.K. Parliament on Friday morning, after organizers raised more than £30,000 ($40,000) to pay for its manufacture and inflation.
A 20-foot-tall blimp depicting President Donald Trump as a baby in London on Friday July 13, 2018.
CNBC's Hollie Wong
A 20-foot-tall blimp depicting President Donald Trump as a baby in London on Friday July 13, 2018.
Khan has since defended his decision to grant permission for it to be flown as part of a protest against Trump’s visit.
The balloon depicting the U.S. leader as giant baby is tethered to the grounds of Parliament Square Gardens and will be restricted from floating higher than 30 meters (98 feet). It will fly between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m London time.
“The great thing about our city is you can have a fraternal and positive relationship with a country and its citizens but disagree in a mature and adult way with the president,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC’s Wilfred Frost on Friday morning.
Shortly after arriving in the U.K. on Thursday afternoon, Trump sought to reignite a long-running feud with London’s mayor.
The U.S. president has decided not to tour the U.K.’s capital city during his working visit after hundreds of thousands of Britons vowed to take to the streets to protest against him.
Sam Meredith | @smeredith19
Published July 13, 2018
CNBC.com
President Donald Trump should understand the U.K. will always be prepared to challenge his views in a respectful way — regardless of whether his feelings get hurt, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC Friday.
“The great thing about our city is you can have a fraternal and positive relationship with a country and its citizens but disagree in a mature and adult way with the president,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan told CNBC’s Wilfred Frost on Friday morning.
“One of the great things about having a best friend as we do with America is we can call you out when we think you’re wrong … I think we shouldn’t be afraid of doing so,” he added.
The U.S. president is currently visiting the U.K. as part of a working visit to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May, Queen Elizabeth II and several other business leaders. He is then expected to travel to Scotland for a weekend of golf.
Long-running feud
Shortly after arriving in the U.K. on Thursday afternoon, Trump sought to reignite a long-running feud with London’s mayor.
“Take a look at the terrorism that is taking place. Look at what is going on in London. I think (Khan) has done a very bad job on terrorism,” Trump told The Sun newspaper in an interview published late Thursday.
“I used to love London as a city. I haven’t been there in a long time … But when they make you feel unwelcome, why would I stay there?”
The U.S. president has decided not to tour the U.K.’s capital city during his working visit after hundreds of thousands of Britons vowed to take to the streets to protest against him.
The main “Stop Trump” rally is expected to attract around 70,000 people on the streets of London on Friday.
Khan: Trump’s presidency is ‘interesting’
When asked what one word he would use to describe Trump’s time in office, Khan replied: “Interesting.”
He went onto add: “It is not for me to respond to the tweets President Trump sends or some of the interviews he gives where he mentions me and he talks about me in ways which I find surprising.”
Meanwhile, a “Trump Baby” blimp was seen flying beside U.K. Parliament on Friday morning, after organizers raised more than £30,000 ($40,000) to pay for its manufacture and inflation.
A 20-foot-tall blimp depicting President Donald Trump as a baby in London on Friday July 13, 2018.
CNBC's Hollie Wong
A 20-foot-tall blimp depicting President Donald Trump as a baby in London on Friday July 13, 2018.
Khan has since defended his decision to grant permission for it to be flown as part of a protest against Trump’s visit.
The balloon depicting the U.S. leader as giant baby is tethered to the grounds of Parliament Square Gardens and will be restricted from floating higher than 30 meters (98 feet). It will fly between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m London time.
Just wait – Trump's trade war will soon have fallout - Guardian
Just wait – Trump's trade war will soon have fallout
Barry Eichengreen
As with Brexit, the economic effects of uncertainty over tariffs will take time to appear
Fri 13 Jul 2018 19.16 AEST Last modified on Fri 13 Jul 2018 19.35 AEST
An employee welds the joint on a steel pipe at the SAW Pipe Mills
Donald Trump’s trade war, which began with steel and aluminium tariffs, may end up having wider economic fallout. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images
Donald Trump’s phony, blowhard’s trade war just got real.
The steel and aluminium tariffs that the Trump administration imposed at the beginning of June were important mainly for their symbolic value, not for their real economic impact. While the tariffs signified that the US was no longer playing by the rules of the world trading system, they targeted just $45bn of imports, less than 0.25% of GDP in an $18.5tn US economy.
On 6 July, however, an additional 25% tariff on $34bn of Chinese exports went into effect, and China retaliated against an equivalent volume of US exports. An angry Trump has ordered the US trade representative to draw up a list of additional Chinese goods, worth more than $400bn, that could be taxed, and China again vowed to retaliate. Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on $350bn worth of imported motor vehicles and parts. If he does, the EU and others could retaliate against an equal amount of US exports.
Could Trump's tariff race shift the global economic balance?
Mohamed El-Erian
We are now talking about real money: nearly $1tn of US imports and an equivalent amount of US export sales and foreign investments.
The mystery is why the economic and financial fallout from this escalation has been so limited. The US economy is humming along. The purchasing managers’ index was up again in June. Wall Street has wobbled, but there has been nothing resembling its sharp negative reaction to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930. Emerging markets have suffered capital outflows and currency weakness, but this is more a consequence of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes than of any announcements emanating from the White House.
There are three possible explanations. First, purchasing managers and stock market investors may be betting that sanity will yet prevail. They may be hoping that Trump’s threats are just bluster, or that the objections of the US Chamber of Commerce and other business groups will ultimately register.
But this ignores the fact that Trump’s tariff talk is wildly popular with his base. One recent poll found that 66% of Republican voters backed Trump’s threatened tariffs against China. Trump ran in 2016 on a protectionist vow that he would no longer allow other countries to “take advantage” of the US. His voters expect him to deliver on that promise, and he knows it.
Second, the markets may be betting that Trump is right when he says that trade wars are easy to win. Other countries that depend on exports to the US may conclude that it is in their interest to back down. In early July, the European commission was reportedly contemplating a tariff-cutting deal to address Trump’s complaint that the EU taxes American cars at four times the rate the US taxes European vehicles.
But China shows no willingness to buckle under US pressure. Canada, that politest of countries, is similarly unwilling to be bullied; it has retaliated with 25% tariffs on $12bn of US goods. And the EU would contemplate concessions only if the US offers some in return – such as eliminating its prohibitive tariffs on imported light pick-up trucks and vans – and only if other exporters like Japan and South Korea go along.
Third, it could be that the macroeconomic effects of even the full panoply of US tariffs, together with foreign retaliation, are relatively small. Leading models of the US economy, in particular, imply that a 10% increase in the cost of imported goods will lead to a one-time increase in inflation of at most 0.7%.
This is simply the law of iterated fractions at work. Imports are 15% of US GDP. Multiply 0.15 by 0.10 (the hypothesised tariff rate), and you get 1.5%. Allow for some substitution away from more expensive imported goods, and the number drops below 1%. And if growth slows because of the higher cost of imported intermediate inputs, the Fed can offset this by raising interest rates more slowly. Foreign central banks can do likewise.
Still, one worries, because the standard economic models are notoriously bad at capturing the macroeconomic effects of uncertainty, which trade wars create with a vengeance. Investment plans are made in advance, so it may take, say, a year for the impact of that uncertainty to materialise – as was the case in the UK following the 2016 Brexit referendum. Taxing intermediate inputs will hurt efficiency, while shifting resources away from dynamic hi-tech sectors in favour of old-line manufacturing will depress productivity growth, with further negative implications for investment. And these are outcomes that the Fed cannot easily offset.
So, for those who observe that the economic and financial fallout from Trump’s trade war has been surprisingly small, the best response is: just wait.
• Barry Eichengreen is professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former senior policy adviser at the International Monetary Fund.
Barry Eichengreen
As with Brexit, the economic effects of uncertainty over tariffs will take time to appear
Fri 13 Jul 2018 19.16 AEST Last modified on Fri 13 Jul 2018 19.35 AEST
An employee welds the joint on a steel pipe at the SAW Pipe Mills
Donald Trump’s trade war, which began with steel and aluminium tariffs, may end up having wider economic fallout. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images
Donald Trump’s phony, blowhard’s trade war just got real.
The steel and aluminium tariffs that the Trump administration imposed at the beginning of June were important mainly for their symbolic value, not for their real economic impact. While the tariffs signified that the US was no longer playing by the rules of the world trading system, they targeted just $45bn of imports, less than 0.25% of GDP in an $18.5tn US economy.
On 6 July, however, an additional 25% tariff on $34bn of Chinese exports went into effect, and China retaliated against an equivalent volume of US exports. An angry Trump has ordered the US trade representative to draw up a list of additional Chinese goods, worth more than $400bn, that could be taxed, and China again vowed to retaliate. Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on $350bn worth of imported motor vehicles and parts. If he does, the EU and others could retaliate against an equal amount of US exports.
Could Trump's tariff race shift the global economic balance?
Mohamed El-Erian
We are now talking about real money: nearly $1tn of US imports and an equivalent amount of US export sales and foreign investments.
The mystery is why the economic and financial fallout from this escalation has been so limited. The US economy is humming along. The purchasing managers’ index was up again in June. Wall Street has wobbled, but there has been nothing resembling its sharp negative reaction to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930. Emerging markets have suffered capital outflows and currency weakness, but this is more a consequence of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes than of any announcements emanating from the White House.
There are three possible explanations. First, purchasing managers and stock market investors may be betting that sanity will yet prevail. They may be hoping that Trump’s threats are just bluster, or that the objections of the US Chamber of Commerce and other business groups will ultimately register.
But this ignores the fact that Trump’s tariff talk is wildly popular with his base. One recent poll found that 66% of Republican voters backed Trump’s threatened tariffs against China. Trump ran in 2016 on a protectionist vow that he would no longer allow other countries to “take advantage” of the US. His voters expect him to deliver on that promise, and he knows it.
Second, the markets may be betting that Trump is right when he says that trade wars are easy to win. Other countries that depend on exports to the US may conclude that it is in their interest to back down. In early July, the European commission was reportedly contemplating a tariff-cutting deal to address Trump’s complaint that the EU taxes American cars at four times the rate the US taxes European vehicles.
But China shows no willingness to buckle under US pressure. Canada, that politest of countries, is similarly unwilling to be bullied; it has retaliated with 25% tariffs on $12bn of US goods. And the EU would contemplate concessions only if the US offers some in return – such as eliminating its prohibitive tariffs on imported light pick-up trucks and vans – and only if other exporters like Japan and South Korea go along.
Third, it could be that the macroeconomic effects of even the full panoply of US tariffs, together with foreign retaliation, are relatively small. Leading models of the US economy, in particular, imply that a 10% increase in the cost of imported goods will lead to a one-time increase in inflation of at most 0.7%.
This is simply the law of iterated fractions at work. Imports are 15% of US GDP. Multiply 0.15 by 0.10 (the hypothesised tariff rate), and you get 1.5%. Allow for some substitution away from more expensive imported goods, and the number drops below 1%. And if growth slows because of the higher cost of imported intermediate inputs, the Fed can offset this by raising interest rates more slowly. Foreign central banks can do likewise.
Still, one worries, because the standard economic models are notoriously bad at capturing the macroeconomic effects of uncertainty, which trade wars create with a vengeance. Investment plans are made in advance, so it may take, say, a year for the impact of that uncertainty to materialise – as was the case in the UK following the 2016 Brexit referendum. Taxing intermediate inputs will hurt efficiency, while shifting resources away from dynamic hi-tech sectors in favour of old-line manufacturing will depress productivity growth, with further negative implications for investment. And these are outcomes that the Fed cannot easily offset.
So, for those who observe that the economic and financial fallout from Trump’s trade war has been surprisingly small, the best response is: just wait.
• Barry Eichengreen is professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former senior policy adviser at the International Monetary Fund.
China industrial park explosion kills 19 - BBC News
July 13, 2018
China industrial park explosion kills 19
The blast occurred at a plant which makes chemicals for the food and pharmaceutical industries
An explosion at an industrial park in China's Sichuan province has left 19 people dead and 12 others injured, officials say.
In a statement quoted by Reuters, the authorities in Jiang'an county said the blast happened at a chemical plant run by Yibin Hengda Technology.
Photos on Chinese social media showed a huge fire and plumes of smoke rising from the facility.
It is not clear what caused the explosion.
According to Xinhua the fire, which broke out on Thursday evening, had been put out early on Friday. Those injured in the blast were in a stable condition.
Authorities have begun an investigation, the news agency said.
The cause of the blast is not yet known
Yibin Hengda makes chemicals for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
According to local media reports, the three-storey buildings of the factory burnt down to their steel frames and nearby buildings had their windows shattered.
The accident follows previous high-profile disasters at chemical plants in China.
In 2015, 173 people died in an explosion at a chemical warehouse in the north-eastern port city of Tianjin.
An official investigation into the blast found that corruption, political connections and official collusion allowed corners to be cut and safety systems to be overridden.
China industrial park explosion kills 19
The blast occurred at a plant which makes chemicals for the food and pharmaceutical industries
An explosion at an industrial park in China's Sichuan province has left 19 people dead and 12 others injured, officials say.
In a statement quoted by Reuters, the authorities in Jiang'an county said the blast happened at a chemical plant run by Yibin Hengda Technology.
Photos on Chinese social media showed a huge fire and plumes of smoke rising from the facility.
It is not clear what caused the explosion.
According to Xinhua the fire, which broke out on Thursday evening, had been put out early on Friday. Those injured in the blast were in a stable condition.
Authorities have begun an investigation, the news agency said.
The cause of the blast is not yet known
Yibin Hengda makes chemicals for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
According to local media reports, the three-storey buildings of the factory burnt down to their steel frames and nearby buildings had their windows shattered.
The accident follows previous high-profile disasters at chemical plants in China.
In 2015, 173 people died in an explosion at a chemical warehouse in the north-eastern port city of Tianjin.
An official investigation into the blast found that corruption, political connections and official collusion allowed corners to be cut and safety systems to be overridden.
Why Brussels is keeping quiet on May's White Paper - BBc News
July 13, 2018
Why Brussels is keeping quiet on May's White Paper
Katya Adler
Europe editor
@BBCkatyaadler on Twitter
PM Theresa May has set out her plans for Brexit - but EU bigwigs are in no hurry to comment for now
Even the president of the United States now sees fit to weigh in on the Brexit path Theresa May is taking.
Donald Trump has said, amongst other things, that if the prime minister is successful in her plan - formalised on Thursday in a White Paper - then that would make a future trade deal with the US far less likely.
So how come key player Brussels remains so uncannily quiet about the paper?
Brussels badgered the UK for months and months and months about coming up with a detailed proposal on how it envisions the future EU-UK relationship after Brexit. Now they have it, surely they have an opinion about it?
As far as official responses go, the most we got from Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, was that he and his colleagues now need time to analyse the White Paper in detail.
On the one hand: fair enough. It is a very dense document.
But I feel the EU is hiding behind the paper's 98 pages of Brexit tech-talk.
In private, EU diplomats make no secret at all of their rejection of large chunks of the White Paper.
Plan 'delivers the Brexit UK voted for' - May
Trump: Brexit plan could kill US trade deal
Brussels has said since the beginning of Brexit negotiations that the UK can't pick and choose the "best parts" of EU membership and walk away from the rest when it leaves. Yet that's exactly how the White Paper is interpreted in EU circles.
There is no way Michel Barnier will accept it as is.
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, must calculate the best time to criticise the White Paper
For Theresa May to get that "deep and special" access to the EU in trade terms, Brussels will certainly expect more concessions. But EU leaders are biding their time. Trying to calculate not if, but when, and how to get their criticisms across.
They're very aware of the febrile political atmosphere in the UK and think if they make a quick comment or criticism of the White Paper, they'd be adding fuel to the fire.
So if the EU is so keen for a soft Brexit - (of course we know, deep down, it would prefer no Brexit at all) - what concessions is Brussels prepared to make now to help shore up the prime minister's position in the political maelstrom at home?
Worryingly few, is the answer if you're a fan of Theresa May or her White Paper.
The EU still believes it holds pretty much all the cards in Brexit negotiations. I don't expect real whiffs of EU concessions before the last minute of the 11th hour this autumn.
Can Theresa May hang on till then? And if she can, is she politically strong enough to strike a deal with Brussels and then sell it back home?
Frankly, no one knows - and in the meantime, Brussels is stepping up contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit. Not because the EU or Downing Street wants that - they really do not - but because the time allotted under EU law for a withdrawal agreement to be agreed and signed off by both parties is fast running out.
In the meantime, EU diplomats try to sound upbeat: the White Paper is a great springboard from which to re-start face-to-face Brexit negotiations, they say.
Those talks begin again behind closed doors on Monday.
Why Brussels is keeping quiet on May's White Paper
Katya Adler
Europe editor
@BBCkatyaadler on Twitter
PM Theresa May has set out her plans for Brexit - but EU bigwigs are in no hurry to comment for now
Even the president of the United States now sees fit to weigh in on the Brexit path Theresa May is taking.
Donald Trump has said, amongst other things, that if the prime minister is successful in her plan - formalised on Thursday in a White Paper - then that would make a future trade deal with the US far less likely.
So how come key player Brussels remains so uncannily quiet about the paper?
Brussels badgered the UK for months and months and months about coming up with a detailed proposal on how it envisions the future EU-UK relationship after Brexit. Now they have it, surely they have an opinion about it?
As far as official responses go, the most we got from Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, was that he and his colleagues now need time to analyse the White Paper in detail.
On the one hand: fair enough. It is a very dense document.
But I feel the EU is hiding behind the paper's 98 pages of Brexit tech-talk.
In private, EU diplomats make no secret at all of their rejection of large chunks of the White Paper.
Plan 'delivers the Brexit UK voted for' - May
Trump: Brexit plan could kill US trade deal
Brussels has said since the beginning of Brexit negotiations that the UK can't pick and choose the "best parts" of EU membership and walk away from the rest when it leaves. Yet that's exactly how the White Paper is interpreted in EU circles.
There is no way Michel Barnier will accept it as is.
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, must calculate the best time to criticise the White Paper
For Theresa May to get that "deep and special" access to the EU in trade terms, Brussels will certainly expect more concessions. But EU leaders are biding their time. Trying to calculate not if, but when, and how to get their criticisms across.
They're very aware of the febrile political atmosphere in the UK and think if they make a quick comment or criticism of the White Paper, they'd be adding fuel to the fire.
So if the EU is so keen for a soft Brexit - (of course we know, deep down, it would prefer no Brexit at all) - what concessions is Brussels prepared to make now to help shore up the prime minister's position in the political maelstrom at home?
Worryingly few, is the answer if you're a fan of Theresa May or her White Paper.
The EU still believes it holds pretty much all the cards in Brexit negotiations. I don't expect real whiffs of EU concessions before the last minute of the 11th hour this autumn.
Can Theresa May hang on till then? And if she can, is she politically strong enough to strike a deal with Brussels and then sell it back home?
Frankly, no one knows - and in the meantime, Brussels is stepping up contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit. Not because the EU or Downing Street wants that - they really do not - but because the time allotted under EU law for a withdrawal agreement to be agreed and signed off by both parties is fast running out.
In the meantime, EU diplomats try to sound upbeat: the White Paper is a great springboard from which to re-start face-to-face Brexit negotiations, they say.
Those talks begin again behind closed doors on Monday.
Trump: Brexit plan 'will probably kill' US trade deal - BBC News
July 13, 2018
Trump: Brexit plan 'will probably kill' US trade deal
Mr Trump's interview comes as protesters - both anti and pro-Trump - prepare to march on Friday
Donald Trump has said the UK will "probably not" get a trade deal with the US, if the prime minister's Brexit plan goes ahead.
He told The Sun the PM's plan would "probably kill the deal" as it would mean the US "would be dealing with the European Union" instead of with the UK.
Downing Street has not yet reacted to Mr Trump's remarks.
Theresa May has been making the case for a US free trade deal with Mr Trump, on his first UK visit as president.
She said Brexit was an "unprecedented opportunity" to create growth in the UK and US.
Mr Trump also said that former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson - who disagrees with the PM on Brexit and resigned this week - would make a "great prime minister", adding "I think he's got what it takes".
In his interview, he also renewed his criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan over last year's terror attacks in London, saying he had done "a terrible job".
It comes ahead of a day of planned, and widespread, anti-Trump protests across the UK, including one in Parliament Square which involves a giant inflatable of Mr Trump as a baby. Some pro-Trump events are also taking place.
The US president and his wife, Melania, were given a red carpet reception at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire on Thursday evening.
They were at a black-tie dinner with Mrs May as news broke of his interview with the newspaper, which said it was conducted while he was in Brussels.
After it was published, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president "likes and respects Prime Minister May very much", adding that he had "never said anything bad about her".
Mays greet Trumps for UK black-tie dinner
Mr Trump - who has been a long-time supporter of Brexit - told The Sun that the UK's blueprint for its post-Brexit relations with the EU was "a much different deal than the people voted on".
He said the Brexit proposals Mrs May and her cabinet thrashed out at the PM's country house Chequers last week "would probably end a major trade relationship with the United States."
"We have enough difficulty with the European Union," he said, saying the EU has "not treated the United States fairly on trading".
'I told May how to do it'
He also said Mrs May had not listened to his advice on how to do a Brexit deal, saying: "I would have done it much differently.
"I actually told Theresa May how to do it but she didn't agree, she didn't listen to me. She wanted to go a different route," he said.
Tom Newton Dunn, the Sun journalist who interviewed Mr Trump, said the US president seemed "sensitive" and knew about the "Trump baby" inflatable.
"He's really quite stung by the criticism he's been getting," said Mr Newton Dunn. "He knew all about the baby blimp. I think it hurt him."
The Sun journalist who interviewed Donald Trump says the president "really cares" what people in Britain think of him.
The BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, said Mr Trump's interview had "driven a bulldozer" through Mrs May's claim that the UK would be able to get decent trade deals with the wider world, while sticking to the EU rules.
But Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said things had "moved on" since Mr Trump's interview - which was carried out before he arrived in the UK - and the mood at Thursday night's dinner was "fantastically positive and did focus a lot on trade".
The government does not see Mr Trump's behaviour as "rude", said Sir Alan, adding: "Donald Trump is a controversialist. That's his style."
Trump raises questions over Brexit plans
How we're welcoming Donald Trump to the UK
Queen and US presidents through history
And Chancellor Philip Hammond said he is sure there will be "very positive" talks between Mr Trump and the PM later today.
Protesters near Blenheim Palace making their feelings known on Thursday
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan defended his decision to allow the giant Trump baby inflatable to fly over London, saying: "The idea that we limit the right to protest because it might cause offence to a foreign leader is a slippery slope".
And, responding to Mr Trump's criticism of his response to terrorism, Mr Khan said it was "interesting" that he "is not criticising the mayors of other cities" which have also experienced terror attacks.
Meanwhile, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said the PM "should be standing up to [Mr Trump]" after he "slagged her off", instead of holding his hand.
Mr Trump briefly held Mrs May's hand as they went up the stairs
Mr Trump's comments came on the same day the UK government published its proposal for its long-term relationship with the EU.
The plan is aimed at ensuring trade co-operation, with no hard border for Northern Ireland, and global trade deals for the UK. Mrs May said the plan "absolutely delivers on the Brexit we voted for".
But after ministers reached an agreement on the plan at Chequers a week ago, leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned from the cabinet.
Reality Check: The rules on protest balloons
'Trump Baby' balloon banned from Turnberry
Why US presidents love the home of golf
Some of Mr Trump's supporters and protesters have been explaining their motivation
Mrs May and Mr Trump are watching a joint counter-terrorism exercise by British and US special forces at a military base.
The pair will then travel to Chequers - the PM's country residence in Buckinghamshire - for talks also being attended by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Extra security is in place to police protests planned for the second day of Mr Trump's visit.
The president and first lady will travel to Windsor on Friday afternoon to meet the Queen, before flying to Scotland to spend the weekend at Mr Trump's Turnberry golf resort. This part of the visit is being considered private.
Trump: Brexit plan 'will probably kill' US trade deal
Mr Trump's interview comes as protesters - both anti and pro-Trump - prepare to march on Friday
Donald Trump has said the UK will "probably not" get a trade deal with the US, if the prime minister's Brexit plan goes ahead.
He told The Sun the PM's plan would "probably kill the deal" as it would mean the US "would be dealing with the European Union" instead of with the UK.
Downing Street has not yet reacted to Mr Trump's remarks.
Theresa May has been making the case for a US free trade deal with Mr Trump, on his first UK visit as president.
She said Brexit was an "unprecedented opportunity" to create growth in the UK and US.
Mr Trump also said that former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson - who disagrees with the PM on Brexit and resigned this week - would make a "great prime minister", adding "I think he's got what it takes".
In his interview, he also renewed his criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan over last year's terror attacks in London, saying he had done "a terrible job".
It comes ahead of a day of planned, and widespread, anti-Trump protests across the UK, including one in Parliament Square which involves a giant inflatable of Mr Trump as a baby. Some pro-Trump events are also taking place.
The US president and his wife, Melania, were given a red carpet reception at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire on Thursday evening.
They were at a black-tie dinner with Mrs May as news broke of his interview with the newspaper, which said it was conducted while he was in Brussels.
After it was published, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president "likes and respects Prime Minister May very much", adding that he had "never said anything bad about her".
Mays greet Trumps for UK black-tie dinner
Mr Trump - who has been a long-time supporter of Brexit - told The Sun that the UK's blueprint for its post-Brexit relations with the EU was "a much different deal than the people voted on".
He said the Brexit proposals Mrs May and her cabinet thrashed out at the PM's country house Chequers last week "would probably end a major trade relationship with the United States."
"We have enough difficulty with the European Union," he said, saying the EU has "not treated the United States fairly on trading".
'I told May how to do it'
He also said Mrs May had not listened to his advice on how to do a Brexit deal, saying: "I would have done it much differently.
"I actually told Theresa May how to do it but she didn't agree, she didn't listen to me. She wanted to go a different route," he said.
Tom Newton Dunn, the Sun journalist who interviewed Mr Trump, said the US president seemed "sensitive" and knew about the "Trump baby" inflatable.
"He's really quite stung by the criticism he's been getting," said Mr Newton Dunn. "He knew all about the baby blimp. I think it hurt him."
The Sun journalist who interviewed Donald Trump says the president "really cares" what people in Britain think of him.
The BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, said Mr Trump's interview had "driven a bulldozer" through Mrs May's claim that the UK would be able to get decent trade deals with the wider world, while sticking to the EU rules.
But Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said things had "moved on" since Mr Trump's interview - which was carried out before he arrived in the UK - and the mood at Thursday night's dinner was "fantastically positive and did focus a lot on trade".
The government does not see Mr Trump's behaviour as "rude", said Sir Alan, adding: "Donald Trump is a controversialist. That's his style."
Trump raises questions over Brexit plans
How we're welcoming Donald Trump to the UK
Queen and US presidents through history
And Chancellor Philip Hammond said he is sure there will be "very positive" talks between Mr Trump and the PM later today.
Protesters near Blenheim Palace making their feelings known on Thursday
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan defended his decision to allow the giant Trump baby inflatable to fly over London, saying: "The idea that we limit the right to protest because it might cause offence to a foreign leader is a slippery slope".
And, responding to Mr Trump's criticism of his response to terrorism, Mr Khan said it was "interesting" that he "is not criticising the mayors of other cities" which have also experienced terror attacks.
Meanwhile, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said the PM "should be standing up to [Mr Trump]" after he "slagged her off", instead of holding his hand.
Mr Trump briefly held Mrs May's hand as they went up the stairs
Mr Trump's comments came on the same day the UK government published its proposal for its long-term relationship with the EU.
The plan is aimed at ensuring trade co-operation, with no hard border for Northern Ireland, and global trade deals for the UK. Mrs May said the plan "absolutely delivers on the Brexit we voted for".
But after ministers reached an agreement on the plan at Chequers a week ago, leading Brexiteers Boris Johnson and David Davis resigned from the cabinet.
Reality Check: The rules on protest balloons
'Trump Baby' balloon banned from Turnberry
Why US presidents love the home of golf
Some of Mr Trump's supporters and protesters have been explaining their motivation
Mrs May and Mr Trump are watching a joint counter-terrorism exercise by British and US special forces at a military base.
The pair will then travel to Chequers - the PM's country residence in Buckinghamshire - for talks also being attended by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Extra security is in place to police protests planned for the second day of Mr Trump's visit.
The president and first lady will travel to Windsor on Friday afternoon to meet the Queen, before flying to Scotland to spend the weekend at Mr Trump's Turnberry golf resort. This part of the visit is being considered private.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Cave rescue: The Australian diving doctor who stayed with the boys - BBC News
Cave rescue: The Australian diving doctor who stayed with the boys
11 July 2018
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
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.
Media captionWife 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.
Peter Gleeson
@PeterGleeson63
Adelaide doctor Richard Harris stopped his holiday to help those Thai boys. If ever a bloke deserved to be Australian of the Year it’s this man. He’s what embodies the true spirit of this country
9:33 PM - Jul 10, 2018
Dan Baxter
@dannybaxter27
Dr Richard Harris, who was the last person out of the Thai cave should be awarded Australian of the Year 🇦🇺
1:13 PM - Jul 11, 2018
105
Sophy Symonds
@sophy_symonds
Replying to @deirdreheenan
Thank you Dr. Richard Harris. You're a true hero and so does everyone from the rescue team. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
9:10 PM - Jul 10, 2018
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.
11 July 2018
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
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.
Media captionWife 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.
Peter Gleeson
@PeterGleeson63
Adelaide doctor Richard Harris stopped his holiday to help those Thai boys. If ever a bloke deserved to be Australian of the Year it’s this man. He’s what embodies the true spirit of this country
9:33 PM - Jul 10, 2018
Dan Baxter
@dannybaxter27
Dr Richard Harris, who was the last person out of the Thai cave should be awarded Australian of the Year 🇦🇺
1:13 PM - Jul 11, 2018
105
Sophy Symonds
@sophy_symonds
Replying to @deirdreheenan
Thank you Dr. Richard Harris. You're a true hero and so does everyone from the rescue team. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
9:10 PM - Jul 10, 2018
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.
Donald Trump tweeted about being a 'very stable genius' and everyone is making the same joke - Independent
July 12, 2018
Donald Trump tweeted about being a 'very stable genius' and everyone is making the same joke
Posted 6 months ago by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
Donald Trump's latest Twitter rant is rather bizarre.
In the wake of Michael Wolff's damning claims in his latest book and the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election, Mr. Trump decided to set the record straight on a few things.
At around 7:30 am US time the President decided to post three tweets touching on subjects including Russia, so-called 'fake news', Hillary Clinton, mental stability, reality TV and his own intellect.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....
10:19 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....
10:27 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
10:30 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Although it's impressive that he managed to get all of those subjects into just three tweets, the fact that he decided to go on that sort of rant at that time of day has raised some red flags with many people online.
Thankfully, you can always rely on Twitter to break down the situation.
Tony Posnanski
✔
@tonyposnanski
Nothing says “mentally stable” like these dandies at 7:30am on a Saturday from the president.
10:32 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Brian Klaas
✔
@brianklaas
The thing about mentally stable geniuses is that they never have to tell people that they are mentally stable geniuses...
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
10:38 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Well, you’ll show ‘em. Nothing says stable like a midnight tweet about “Sloppy Steve” followed by a 7:00 a.m. tweet calling “hoax” on an investigation that has already led to charges against 4 people. Except maybe maniacal laughter. Try some of that too. https://t.co/X7c8LOhR30
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 6, 2018
Brian Klaas
✔
@brianklaas
The President of the United States calling himself a “stable genius” is one for the history books. What a dangerous buffoon.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
10:34 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Gissur Simonarson
✔
@GissiSim
Nothing more stable than tweeting a rant like this as the most powerful man in the world.
10:32 PM - Jan 6, 2018
30
19 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Jamie Ross
✔
@JamieRoss7
I hope now Trump has assured us that he's mentally stable in an unhinged and furious Twitter rant we can now just lay it to rest.
10:46 PM - Jan 6, 2018
There's always a joke or two to be had in these situations too.
Matt Haig
✔
@matthaig1
After years of feeling mentally unstable I have just looked at Trump's tweets and feel mentally stable.
10:52 PM - Jan 6, 2018
John Schindler
✔
@20committee
Very Stable Genius will be the opening act for Whiskey Steve and the Confederate Elves on their 2018 World Tour.
10:46 PM - Jan 6, 2018
I am also a very stable genius who, like most very stable people, is very comfortable bragging about my very stable genius status.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 6, 2018
Bec Shaw
✔
@Brocklesnitch
Changing my tinder bio to 'mentally stable genius'
10:44 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Oliver Willis
✔
@owillis
Remember how every Saturday Obama had to tweet that he was smart and definitely not insane?
10:41 PM - Jan 6, 2018
“‘Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius.’ I like the way that rolls out...’Wile E. Coyote, SOOOOPER Genius!’” pic.twitter.com/5kzzJKqcNt
View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Keith Olbermann
✔
@KeithOlbermann
“‘Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius.’ I like the way that rolls out...’Wile E. Coyote, SOOOOPER Genius!’”
10:46 PM - Jan 6, 2018
James O'Malley
✔
@Psythor
“Then he claimed he was a ‘very stable genius’”.
10:48 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Anyone for some Brain Force?
Matthew Champion
✔
@matthewchampion
stable genius starter kit
10:52 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Still, while it is fun to make jokes about a rather bizarre Twitter rant, we have to remember that this is the reality we live in now...
Mark_Coughlan
✔
@Mark_Coughlan
A Reuters red alert to every newsroom in the world. This is the world we live in, guys.
10:41 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Donald Trump tweeted about being a 'very stable genius' and everyone is making the same joke
Posted 6 months ago by Greg Evans in news
UPVOTE
Donald Trump's latest Twitter rant is rather bizarre.
In the wake of Michael Wolff's damning claims in his latest book and the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election, Mr. Trump decided to set the record straight on a few things.
At around 7:30 am US time the President decided to post three tweets touching on subjects including Russia, so-called 'fake news', Hillary Clinton, mental stability, reality TV and his own intellect.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....
10:19 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....
10:27 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
10:30 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Although it's impressive that he managed to get all of those subjects into just three tweets, the fact that he decided to go on that sort of rant at that time of day has raised some red flags with many people online.
Thankfully, you can always rely on Twitter to break down the situation.
Tony Posnanski
✔
@tonyposnanski
Nothing says “mentally stable” like these dandies at 7:30am on a Saturday from the president.
10:32 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Brian Klaas
✔
@brianklaas
The thing about mentally stable geniuses is that they never have to tell people that they are mentally stable geniuses...
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
10:38 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Well, you’ll show ‘em. Nothing says stable like a midnight tweet about “Sloppy Steve” followed by a 7:00 a.m. tweet calling “hoax” on an investigation that has already led to charges against 4 people. Except maybe maniacal laughter. Try some of that too. https://t.co/X7c8LOhR30
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 6, 2018
Brian Klaas
✔
@brianklaas
The President of the United States calling himself a “stable genius” is one for the history books. What a dangerous buffoon.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
10:34 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Gissur Simonarson
✔
@GissiSim
Nothing more stable than tweeting a rant like this as the most powerful man in the world.
10:32 PM - Jan 6, 2018
30
19 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Jamie Ross
✔
@JamieRoss7
I hope now Trump has assured us that he's mentally stable in an unhinged and furious Twitter rant we can now just lay it to rest.
10:46 PM - Jan 6, 2018
There's always a joke or two to be had in these situations too.
Matt Haig
✔
@matthaig1
After years of feeling mentally unstable I have just looked at Trump's tweets and feel mentally stable.
10:52 PM - Jan 6, 2018
John Schindler
✔
@20committee
Very Stable Genius will be the opening act for Whiskey Steve and the Confederate Elves on their 2018 World Tour.
10:46 PM - Jan 6, 2018
I am also a very stable genius who, like most very stable people, is very comfortable bragging about my very stable genius status.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) January 6, 2018
Bec Shaw
✔
@Brocklesnitch
Changing my tinder bio to 'mentally stable genius'
10:44 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Oliver Willis
✔
@owillis
Remember how every Saturday Obama had to tweet that he was smart and definitely not insane?
10:41 PM - Jan 6, 2018
“‘Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius.’ I like the way that rolls out...’Wile E. Coyote, SOOOOPER Genius!’” pic.twitter.com/5kzzJKqcNt
View image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Keith Olbermann
✔
@KeithOlbermann
“‘Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius.’ I like the way that rolls out...’Wile E. Coyote, SOOOOPER Genius!’”
10:46 PM - Jan 6, 2018
James O'Malley
✔
@Psythor
“Then he claimed he was a ‘very stable genius’”.
10:48 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Anyone for some Brain Force?
Matthew Champion
✔
@matthewchampion
stable genius starter kit
10:52 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Still, while it is fun to make jokes about a rather bizarre Twitter rant, we have to remember that this is the reality we live in now...
Mark_Coughlan
✔
@Mark_Coughlan
A Reuters red alert to every newsroom in the world. This is the world we live in, guys.
10:41 PM - Jan 6, 2018
Trump repeats attack on Germany on second day of Nato summit - Financial Times
July 12, 2018
Trump repeats attack on Germany on second day of Nato summit
US ‘pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe’, president writes on Twitter
Donald Trump is approached by British prime minister Theresa May at dinner on Wednesday on the first day of the Nato summit © AP
Demetri Sevastopulo and Michael Peel in Brussels 2 HOURS AGO Print this page13
Donald Trump has launched another stinging attack on Germany on the second day of the Nato summit in Brussels, singling out Berlin for not spending more on defence.
“Presidents have been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Germany and other rich NATO Nations to pay more toward their protection from Russia. They pay only a fraction of their cost. The U.S. pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe, and loses Big on Trade!” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning.
The renewed attack came the day after the US president stunned leaders at the annual Nato summit by saying Germany was “captive” to Moscow because of its Russian gas imports, in televised remarks that Mr Trump would have known would be widely broadcast.
In his early Thursday morning posts on Twitter, Mr Trump repeated his criticism that Nato was protecting its members from Russia while Germany was paying Moscow “billions of dollars” for gas imports. “Not acceptable!” he said.
Mr Trump also repeated calls for Nato members to go beyond a commitment to spend 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence — a target agreed by the alliance in 2014 — and to boost spending to 4 per cent. Mr Trump made a similar demand at last year’s Nato summit and again in private on Wednesday. The White House said the call for 4 per cent spending, even more than the US spends now, was not a formal proposal.
Nato members had played down tensions on Wednesday but the US president was widely condemned for the way he had attacked Germany in public. At a press conference Jens Stoltenberg, Nato secretary-general, highlighted some of the issues that the alliance members had agreed in a declaration. “For a quarter of a century, many of our countries have been cutting billions from their [defence] budgets, now they are adding billions,” he said.
John Kerry, the former US secretary of state, described Mr Trump’s comments as “disgraceful [and] destructive”. His criticism echoed the views of many foreign policy experts and officials who agree that Nato needs to spend more but argue that the alliance must demonstrate unity, particularly to avoid playing into the hands of Russia.
“What was on display in Brussels today was not the behaviour of a strong, principled, and wise leader. Enough,” Mr Kerry said on Wednesday.
After lambasting Germany on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump later told reporters who were allowed briefly to attend his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that relations between the two countries were “tremendous”.
The US president also reportedly avoided antagonising the other 28 Nato leaders at the official summit dinner on Wednesday evening. According to one European diplomat, Mr Trump was very polite, although some of the guests had been braced for the US president to erupt at any moment.
Merkel defends Germany's freedoms at Nato meeting
The diplomat said “no one wanted to rock the boat” and the other leaders had “massaged” Mr Trump by focusing on questions about his recent summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
Mr Trump will hold private meetings with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia, before leaving Brussels for the UK, where he will spend three days before travelling to Helsinki for his first formal summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Follow Demetri Sevastopulo and Michael Peel on Twitter: @dimi and @mikepeeljourno
Trump repeats attack on Germany on second day of Nato summit
US ‘pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe’, president writes on Twitter
Donald Trump is approached by British prime minister Theresa May at dinner on Wednesday on the first day of the Nato summit © AP
Demetri Sevastopulo and Michael Peel in Brussels 2 HOURS AGO Print this page13
Donald Trump has launched another stinging attack on Germany on the second day of the Nato summit in Brussels, singling out Berlin for not spending more on defence.
“Presidents have been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Germany and other rich NATO Nations to pay more toward their protection from Russia. They pay only a fraction of their cost. The U.S. pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe, and loses Big on Trade!” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning.
The renewed attack came the day after the US president stunned leaders at the annual Nato summit by saying Germany was “captive” to Moscow because of its Russian gas imports, in televised remarks that Mr Trump would have known would be widely broadcast.
In his early Thursday morning posts on Twitter, Mr Trump repeated his criticism that Nato was protecting its members from Russia while Germany was paying Moscow “billions of dollars” for gas imports. “Not acceptable!” he said.
Mr Trump also repeated calls for Nato members to go beyond a commitment to spend 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence — a target agreed by the alliance in 2014 — and to boost spending to 4 per cent. Mr Trump made a similar demand at last year’s Nato summit and again in private on Wednesday. The White House said the call for 4 per cent spending, even more than the US spends now, was not a formal proposal.
Nato members had played down tensions on Wednesday but the US president was widely condemned for the way he had attacked Germany in public. At a press conference Jens Stoltenberg, Nato secretary-general, highlighted some of the issues that the alliance members had agreed in a declaration. “For a quarter of a century, many of our countries have been cutting billions from their [defence] budgets, now they are adding billions,” he said.
John Kerry, the former US secretary of state, described Mr Trump’s comments as “disgraceful [and] destructive”. His criticism echoed the views of many foreign policy experts and officials who agree that Nato needs to spend more but argue that the alliance must demonstrate unity, particularly to avoid playing into the hands of Russia.
“What was on display in Brussels today was not the behaviour of a strong, principled, and wise leader. Enough,” Mr Kerry said on Wednesday.
After lambasting Germany on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump later told reporters who were allowed briefly to attend his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that relations between the two countries were “tremendous”.
The US president also reportedly avoided antagonising the other 28 Nato leaders at the official summit dinner on Wednesday evening. According to one European diplomat, Mr Trump was very polite, although some of the guests had been braced for the US president to erupt at any moment.
Merkel defends Germany's freedoms at Nato meeting
The diplomat said “no one wanted to rock the boat” and the other leaders had “massaged” Mr Trump by focusing on questions about his recent summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
Mr Trump will hold private meetings with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia, before leaving Brussels for the UK, where he will spend three days before travelling to Helsinki for his first formal summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Follow Demetri Sevastopulo and Michael Peel on Twitter: @dimi and @mikepeeljourno
Trump Nato: Leaders to tackle Afghanistan conflict - BBC News
July 12, 2018
Trump Nato: Leaders to tackle Afghanistan conflict
Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (C) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (3R) are at the summit
Nato leaders plan to turn their attention to the conflict in Afghanistan, on the second day of a Brussels summit so far dominated by demands from President Donald Trump.
Taliban militants reportedly killed up to 30 soldiers in attacks on Afghan army posts on Thursday.
Mr Trump has urged Nato allies to commit at least 4% of their annual output (GDP) to military spending.
Nato states are currently working towards a target of 2%.
The US leader also singled out Germany for criticism over its defence spending.
Nato leaders are hoping for a more conciliatory tone from Mr Trump on Thursday.
But in early-morning tweets from Brussels, the US president resumed his criticism.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Presidents have been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Germany and other rich NATO Nations to pay more toward their protection from Russia. They pay only a fraction of their cost. The U.S. pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe, and loses Big on Trade!
4:03 PM - Jul 12, 2018
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....On top of it all, Germany just started paying Russia, the country they want protection from, Billions of Dollars for their Energy needs coming out of a new pipeline from Russia. Not acceptable! All NATO Nations must meet their 2% commitment, and that must ultimately go to 4%!
4:12 PM - Jul 12, 2018
He earlier accused Germany of being held prisoner to imported Russian energy, saying it is "totally controlled" by Moscow.
EU figures suggest Russia is responsible for between 50% and 75% of Germany's gas imports but gas makes up less than 20% of Germany's energy mix for power production.
How much of Germany's gas comes from Russia?
What does the US contribute to Nato?
Can Nato survive President Donald Trump?
President Trump's next stop after Belgium is the UK, where he will arrive early afternoon to begin a two-day working visit, which is expected to spark public protests.
Media captionTrump baby blimp ready to take first steps
What's the plan for Afghanistan?
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani will be present for the second day of talks, and Nato's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hopes the bloc will agree to fund Afghan security forces until 2024.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has already confirmed that the UK will send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan.
The US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces in September 2017 - bringing its total to 15,000.
Image copyrightEPA
Image caption
The Taliban and Afghan forces held a brief ceasefire during Eid celebrations in June
US officials have said Washington is planning a strategic review, a year after Mr Trump agreed to remain involved in the 17-year conflict.
The US-led invasion drove the hardline Taliban from power in 2001, as part of a crackdown on Islamist militants after the 9/11 attacks in the US.
Thousands of Nato troops were deployed and a long, bloody conflict followed as the ousted militants fought back.
In 2014, Nato formally ended the combat mission, handing over to Afghan forces, whom it had trained.
Since then, the Taliban have made substantial territorial gains across the country. A BBC study from January found the group is openly active in 70% of Afghanistan, and controls or threatens more territory than before the foreign troops left.
Taliban 'threaten 70% of Afghanistan'
The cost of Trump's air war in Afghanistan
On Thursday, officials in Afghanistan said the Taliban had launched an attack on a number of army posts in the northern province of Kunduz.
Earlier, dozens of Islamic religious scholars met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Afghanistan's war and called on the Taliban to renounce violence.
Is Nato still expanding?
Nato leaders will discuss the alliance's ties with Georgia and Ukraine. Both countries want to join Nato, but their bids are not expected to make progress.
Media captionTrump tells Nato chief that Germany is "totally controlled by Russia"
That is because Nato rules prevent countries with a border conflict from joining and both countries have disputes with Russia.
By contrast, a ceremony will be held for Macedonia after it was invited to begin accession talks on Wednesday.
Macedonia: The country waiting for Nato's invitation
What will Trump do in the UK?
He will spend time with the Queen and prime minister, before flying to Scotland to spend the weekend at his golf resort.
Thousands of people are expected to protest against his visit across the UK.
Why Trump's UK visit will be unlike any other
Pomp and protest as Trump visit stokes UK culture war
Mr Trump is due to hold his first summit with Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, on 16 July.
He shocked some by quipping that the Nato gathering might prove tougher than next Monday's summit with Mr Putin.
Trump Nato: Leaders to tackle Afghanistan conflict
Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (C) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (3R) are at the summit
Nato leaders plan to turn their attention to the conflict in Afghanistan, on the second day of a Brussels summit so far dominated by demands from President Donald Trump.
Taliban militants reportedly killed up to 30 soldiers in attacks on Afghan army posts on Thursday.
Mr Trump has urged Nato allies to commit at least 4% of their annual output (GDP) to military spending.
Nato states are currently working towards a target of 2%.
The US leader also singled out Germany for criticism over its defence spending.
Nato leaders are hoping for a more conciliatory tone from Mr Trump on Thursday.
But in early-morning tweets from Brussels, the US president resumed his criticism.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Presidents have been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Germany and other rich NATO Nations to pay more toward their protection from Russia. They pay only a fraction of their cost. The U.S. pays tens of Billions of Dollars too much to subsidize Europe, and loses Big on Trade!
4:03 PM - Jul 12, 2018
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
....On top of it all, Germany just started paying Russia, the country they want protection from, Billions of Dollars for their Energy needs coming out of a new pipeline from Russia. Not acceptable! All NATO Nations must meet their 2% commitment, and that must ultimately go to 4%!
4:12 PM - Jul 12, 2018
He earlier accused Germany of being held prisoner to imported Russian energy, saying it is "totally controlled" by Moscow.
EU figures suggest Russia is responsible for between 50% and 75% of Germany's gas imports but gas makes up less than 20% of Germany's energy mix for power production.
How much of Germany's gas comes from Russia?
What does the US contribute to Nato?
Can Nato survive President Donald Trump?
President Trump's next stop after Belgium is the UK, where he will arrive early afternoon to begin a two-day working visit, which is expected to spark public protests.
Media captionTrump baby blimp ready to take first steps
What's the plan for Afghanistan?
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani will be present for the second day of talks, and Nato's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hopes the bloc will agree to fund Afghan security forces until 2024.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has already confirmed that the UK will send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan.
The US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces in September 2017 - bringing its total to 15,000.
Image copyrightEPA
Image caption
The Taliban and Afghan forces held a brief ceasefire during Eid celebrations in June
US officials have said Washington is planning a strategic review, a year after Mr Trump agreed to remain involved in the 17-year conflict.
The US-led invasion drove the hardline Taliban from power in 2001, as part of a crackdown on Islamist militants after the 9/11 attacks in the US.
Thousands of Nato troops were deployed and a long, bloody conflict followed as the ousted militants fought back.
In 2014, Nato formally ended the combat mission, handing over to Afghan forces, whom it had trained.
Since then, the Taliban have made substantial territorial gains across the country. A BBC study from January found the group is openly active in 70% of Afghanistan, and controls or threatens more territory than before the foreign troops left.
Taliban 'threaten 70% of Afghanistan'
The cost of Trump's air war in Afghanistan
On Thursday, officials in Afghanistan said the Taliban had launched an attack on a number of army posts in the northern province of Kunduz.
Earlier, dozens of Islamic religious scholars met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Afghanistan's war and called on the Taliban to renounce violence.
Is Nato still expanding?
Nato leaders will discuss the alliance's ties with Georgia and Ukraine. Both countries want to join Nato, but their bids are not expected to make progress.
Media captionTrump tells Nato chief that Germany is "totally controlled by Russia"
That is because Nato rules prevent countries with a border conflict from joining and both countries have disputes with Russia.
By contrast, a ceremony will be held for Macedonia after it was invited to begin accession talks on Wednesday.
Macedonia: The country waiting for Nato's invitation
What will Trump do in the UK?
He will spend time with the Queen and prime minister, before flying to Scotland to spend the weekend at his golf resort.
Thousands of people are expected to protest against his visit across the UK.
Why Trump's UK visit will be unlike any other
Pomp and protest as Trump visit stokes UK culture war
Mr Trump is due to hold his first summit with Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, on 16 July.
He shocked some by quipping that the Nato gathering might prove tougher than next Monday's summit with Mr Putin.
Stormy Daniels arrested in Ohio - lawyer - BBC News
July 11, 2018
Stormy Daniels arrested in Ohio - lawyer
Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, says she had a sexual relationship with President Donald Trump
US porn star Stormy Daniels has been arrested in a strip club in Columbus, Ohio, according to her lawyer.
Ms Daniels was arrested for allegedly letting a customer touch her on stage "in a non sexual manner", lawyer Michael Avenatti tweeted.
Ms Daniels became embroiled in a row with President Donald Trump after saying she slept with him in 2006, an allegation which he denies.
Her lawyer called the arrest "a setup" and "politically motivated".
The president and the porn star: Why this matters
The conflicting statements in the Stormy Daniels saga
A Columbus police spokesperson has yet to respond to requests for confirmation about the arrest at the Sirens club in the north of the city.
Mr Avenatti tweeted that Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, had been performing "the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs".
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
Just rcvd word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio whole performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs. This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta
2:47 PM - Jul 12, 2018
He said he expected her to be released on bail shortly and charged with a misdemeanour and vowed to "vehemently contest all charges".
An Ohio law known as the Community Defense Act proscribes anyone touching a nude or semi-nude dancer, unless they are related.
Sirens tweeted last month to say Ms Daniels would make two "exclusive appearances" at the venue on the nights of 11 and 12 July.
A person who answered the phone at Sirens declined to comment.
Ms Daniels says she was paid $130,000 (£98,000) shortly before the 2016 presidential election to keep quiet about her alleged sexual encounter with Mr Trump.
She is trying to free herself from a non-disclosure agreement signed before the election, and suing over a "defamatory" tweet by the US president earlier this year. Mr Trump denies all allegations.
Stormy Daniels arrested in Ohio - lawyer
Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, says she had a sexual relationship with President Donald Trump
US porn star Stormy Daniels has been arrested in a strip club in Columbus, Ohio, according to her lawyer.
Ms Daniels was arrested for allegedly letting a customer touch her on stage "in a non sexual manner", lawyer Michael Avenatti tweeted.
Ms Daniels became embroiled in a row with President Donald Trump after saying she slept with him in 2006, an allegation which he denies.
Her lawyer called the arrest "a setup" and "politically motivated".
The president and the porn star: Why this matters
The conflicting statements in the Stormy Daniels saga
A Columbus police spokesperson has yet to respond to requests for confirmation about the arrest at the Sirens club in the north of the city.
Mr Avenatti tweeted that Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, had been performing "the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs".
Michael Avenatti
✔
@MichaelAvenatti
Just rcvd word that my client @StormyDaniels was arrested in Columbus Ohio whole performing the same act she has performed across the nation at nearly a hundred strip clubs. This was a setup & politically motivated. It reeks of desperation. We will fight all bogus charges. #Basta
2:47 PM - Jul 12, 2018
He said he expected her to be released on bail shortly and charged with a misdemeanour and vowed to "vehemently contest all charges".
An Ohio law known as the Community Defense Act proscribes anyone touching a nude or semi-nude dancer, unless they are related.
Sirens tweeted last month to say Ms Daniels would make two "exclusive appearances" at the venue on the nights of 11 and 12 July.
A person who answered the phone at Sirens declined to comment.
Ms Daniels says she was paid $130,000 (£98,000) shortly before the 2016 presidential election to keep quiet about her alleged sexual encounter with Mr Trump.
She is trying to free herself from a non-disclosure agreement signed before the election, and suing over a "defamatory" tweet by the US president earlier this year. Mr Trump denies all allegations.
Cave rescue: Key questions answered - BBC News
July 12, 2018
Cave rescue: Key questions answered
Certain details about the rescue are only now coming to light
After 17 days underground, all the Thai boys and their football coach have safely escaped from the Tham Luang cave complex.
A team of Thai and international divers mounted a dangerous and complicated rescue to bring the boys out, and details of the bid are still emerging now.
BBC correspondent Jonathan Head has answered some of the core questions about the boys, the rescue attempt, and what happens next.
Why did the kids go so deep into the cave?
We will not know that until we hear from them and their assistant coach, Ekkapol "Ake" Chantawong.
On that Saturday they were scheduled to play a match, which was cancelled, according to head coach Nopparat Kanthawong. He scheduled a training session instead.
The boys were keen cyclists so on the Facebook chat group through which they communicated with the parents, coach Ake suggested they cycle to the football field.
There was no suggestion there that they would go on to the caves.
A Facebook photo shows the coach with some of the young footballers
Saturday was the 16th birthday of Pheeraphat 'Night' Sompiengjai, and a local shop said the boys spent more than 700 baht (US$22) on food to celebrate, a large sum in this area.
Coach Nop describes Ake as being very kind-hearted and devoted to the boys. He thinks the boys persuaded him to go with them into the caves. The caves are well-known in the area and had been explored by the boys before.
The best guess is they went quite deep, which is easy when they are dry, got caught by rising flood water, and were forced to go even deeper.
What kind of communication have the children had with their parents and why are they not being allowed to see them?
The official explanation is they are weak from their ordeal and potentially vulnerable to infection.
These are now very precious lives in Thailand. A massive effort has been made to get them out alive. The Thai authorities are taking no chances.
The boys give peace signs as they recover in hospital
Perhaps they also wanted to avoid the excitement of seeing their parents again. Thais are generally less physical than westerners. Hugging is unusual.
And the parents are from poor, marginal communities, used to being told what to do by officials, and probably grateful for the lengths the government went to in rescuing them. They would not protest.
They were allowed to see them through windows, and are gradually being allowed in, wearing gloves and facemasks, to stand in the same room.
Will coach Ake face any disciplinary proceedings?
At this stage that seems unlikely. The parents say they have forgiven him, and they are grateful for the efforts he is reported to have made to keep their spirits up in the caves, in particular through meditation, which he learned during 12 years as a monk.
Meet the Thai boys who were trapped in a cave
How did the boys survive underground?
Coach Nop said Ake may be asked to go back to being a monk for a while, something Thais typically do as a kind of penance, or to replenish or cleanse themselves spiritually.
Such a move would make a lot of sense to Thais, and he would likely be allowed to resume life as normal after that.
Also Thailand typically does not have a 'blame culture', where a culprit must be found for any misadventure. There is a more fatalistic acceptance of things going wrong, less public clamour for accountability.
How did they survive so long with so little food, and lose so little weight?
The boys were in the caves nine days before they were found. They may have had a little food from what they bought to celebrate Night's birthday. They are passionate football players, very fit, and with the training they have had a tight-knit team.
This would have helped them ration their food carefully and support each other, perhaps with songs.
Child psychiatrist: "It will be a challenge for these children to go back to normal life"
Coach Ake taught them to meditate, say Thai navy divers, and gave them more food than he ate. He also told them to drink water dripping from the rocks, rather than polluted ground water.
During their last six to eight days they were being fed, initially high-protein gels, but later more normal food, which might have allowed them to start putting on a little weight before coming out.
Were they in the dark the whole time?
Most of the time. They went in with cheap torches, which would not have lasted long. It is likely they were in the dark for most of the first nine days of their ordeal.
Once they were found a Thai army doctor and at least three divers stayed with them, equipped with good torches. Even so they were mostly in the dark, and had to wear sunglasses when they were first brought out.
Rescuers brought them food, light and letters from their parents to help them cope
Were they sedated in any way?
The Thai authorities are being very coy about this.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said they had been lightly sedated. But the BBC has spoken to a number of people involved in the operation who say the boys were heavily sedated, and only semi-conscious.
The logic for this would be the fear their rescuers had that they would panic when wearing diving equipment for the first time in darkness and swirling cave water, endangering the lives of all of them.
The two British cave divers who led the rescue effort, John Volanthen and Richard Stanton, are believed to have asked for Australian Richard Harris, a cave diver and anaesthetician, to assist in preparing the boys.
How the Thai boys were rescued
The heroes who saved the Wild Boars
How they carried semi-conscious or very drowsy boys through the technically challenging early stages of the journey out, with a lot of diving in narrow passages, we do not know.
At times they may have been strapped to a diver's body. Later they were strapped on to a stretcher and suspended from a rope pulley system attached to the cave roof.
The entire operation was complex, innovative and very bold. Nothing like it has been attempted before. Some of those involved described the tasks undertaken by the core divers, who carried the boys out, as superhuman.
Who has paid for this operation?
The Thai government, for most of it.
It is likely that the contribution by other countries, like the 30 US air force personnel who went to help, would have been funded by their own governments as a gesture of good will.
Many Thai businesses supported with transport and food. Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways offered free flights to some of the foreign divers coming in.
Thailand cave rescue: Meet the volunteer helpers
Could the Thais have done this on their own?
No, and few countries could. Cave diving is a very specialised skill, and expert cave rescuers are even rarer.
Thailand was fortunate that an experienced caver Vern Unsworth has explored the Tham Luang cave complex extensively, and lives nearby.
He was on the scene the day after the boys disappeared, and suggested that the Thai government needed to invite expert divers from other countries to help.
The Brits behind the Thai cave boys search
As it happened - Thai cave rescue
The Thai navy divers who went down initially struggled, because both their experience and equipment were for sea diving, which is very different. They were driven out of the caves by rapidly rising flood water, and finding the boys seemed a hopeless cause.
Once foreign divers arrived, from many different countries, the Thai authorities allowed them to devise first the search, and then the enormously complex rescue. It was a huge logistical operation involving hundreds of people, building guide rope and pulley systems, putting in power and communication cables.
It is to Thailand's credit that it was organised so well, and there was no attempt to diminish the foreign contribution.
Cave rescue: Key questions answered
Certain details about the rescue are only now coming to light
After 17 days underground, all the Thai boys and their football coach have safely escaped from the Tham Luang cave complex.
A team of Thai and international divers mounted a dangerous and complicated rescue to bring the boys out, and details of the bid are still emerging now.
BBC correspondent Jonathan Head has answered some of the core questions about the boys, the rescue attempt, and what happens next.
Why did the kids go so deep into the cave?
We will not know that until we hear from them and their assistant coach, Ekkapol "Ake" Chantawong.
On that Saturday they were scheduled to play a match, which was cancelled, according to head coach Nopparat Kanthawong. He scheduled a training session instead.
The boys were keen cyclists so on the Facebook chat group through which they communicated with the parents, coach Ake suggested they cycle to the football field.
There was no suggestion there that they would go on to the caves.
A Facebook photo shows the coach with some of the young footballers
Saturday was the 16th birthday of Pheeraphat 'Night' Sompiengjai, and a local shop said the boys spent more than 700 baht (US$22) on food to celebrate, a large sum in this area.
Coach Nop describes Ake as being very kind-hearted and devoted to the boys. He thinks the boys persuaded him to go with them into the caves. The caves are well-known in the area and had been explored by the boys before.
The best guess is they went quite deep, which is easy when they are dry, got caught by rising flood water, and were forced to go even deeper.
What kind of communication have the children had with their parents and why are they not being allowed to see them?
The official explanation is they are weak from their ordeal and potentially vulnerable to infection.
These are now very precious lives in Thailand. A massive effort has been made to get them out alive. The Thai authorities are taking no chances.
The boys give peace signs as they recover in hospital
Perhaps they also wanted to avoid the excitement of seeing their parents again. Thais are generally less physical than westerners. Hugging is unusual.
And the parents are from poor, marginal communities, used to being told what to do by officials, and probably grateful for the lengths the government went to in rescuing them. They would not protest.
They were allowed to see them through windows, and are gradually being allowed in, wearing gloves and facemasks, to stand in the same room.
Will coach Ake face any disciplinary proceedings?
At this stage that seems unlikely. The parents say they have forgiven him, and they are grateful for the efforts he is reported to have made to keep their spirits up in the caves, in particular through meditation, which he learned during 12 years as a monk.
Meet the Thai boys who were trapped in a cave
How did the boys survive underground?
Coach Nop said Ake may be asked to go back to being a monk for a while, something Thais typically do as a kind of penance, or to replenish or cleanse themselves spiritually.
Such a move would make a lot of sense to Thais, and he would likely be allowed to resume life as normal after that.
Also Thailand typically does not have a 'blame culture', where a culprit must be found for any misadventure. There is a more fatalistic acceptance of things going wrong, less public clamour for accountability.
How did they survive so long with so little food, and lose so little weight?
The boys were in the caves nine days before they were found. They may have had a little food from what they bought to celebrate Night's birthday. They are passionate football players, very fit, and with the training they have had a tight-knit team.
This would have helped them ration their food carefully and support each other, perhaps with songs.
Child psychiatrist: "It will be a challenge for these children to go back to normal life"
Coach Ake taught them to meditate, say Thai navy divers, and gave them more food than he ate. He also told them to drink water dripping from the rocks, rather than polluted ground water.
During their last six to eight days they were being fed, initially high-protein gels, but later more normal food, which might have allowed them to start putting on a little weight before coming out.
Were they in the dark the whole time?
Most of the time. They went in with cheap torches, which would not have lasted long. It is likely they were in the dark for most of the first nine days of their ordeal.
Once they were found a Thai army doctor and at least three divers stayed with them, equipped with good torches. Even so they were mostly in the dark, and had to wear sunglasses when they were first brought out.
Rescuers brought them food, light and letters from their parents to help them cope
Were they sedated in any way?
The Thai authorities are being very coy about this.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said they had been lightly sedated. But the BBC has spoken to a number of people involved in the operation who say the boys were heavily sedated, and only semi-conscious.
The logic for this would be the fear their rescuers had that they would panic when wearing diving equipment for the first time in darkness and swirling cave water, endangering the lives of all of them.
The two British cave divers who led the rescue effort, John Volanthen and Richard Stanton, are believed to have asked for Australian Richard Harris, a cave diver and anaesthetician, to assist in preparing the boys.
How the Thai boys were rescued
The heroes who saved the Wild Boars
How they carried semi-conscious or very drowsy boys through the technically challenging early stages of the journey out, with a lot of diving in narrow passages, we do not know.
At times they may have been strapped to a diver's body. Later they were strapped on to a stretcher and suspended from a rope pulley system attached to the cave roof.
The entire operation was complex, innovative and very bold. Nothing like it has been attempted before. Some of those involved described the tasks undertaken by the core divers, who carried the boys out, as superhuman.
Who has paid for this operation?
The Thai government, for most of it.
It is likely that the contribution by other countries, like the 30 US air force personnel who went to help, would have been funded by their own governments as a gesture of good will.
Many Thai businesses supported with transport and food. Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways offered free flights to some of the foreign divers coming in.
Thailand cave rescue: Meet the volunteer helpers
Could the Thais have done this on their own?
No, and few countries could. Cave diving is a very specialised skill, and expert cave rescuers are even rarer.
Thailand was fortunate that an experienced caver Vern Unsworth has explored the Tham Luang cave complex extensively, and lives nearby.
He was on the scene the day after the boys disappeared, and suggested that the Thai government needed to invite expert divers from other countries to help.
The Brits behind the Thai cave boys search
As it happened - Thai cave rescue
The Thai navy divers who went down initially struggled, because both their experience and equipment were for sea diving, which is very different. They were driven out of the caves by rapidly rising flood water, and finding the boys seemed a hopeless cause.
Once foreign divers arrived, from many different countries, the Thai authorities allowed them to devise first the search, and then the enormously complex rescue. It was a huge logistical operation involving hundreds of people, building guide rope and pulley systems, putting in power and communication cables.
It is to Thailand's credit that it was organised so well, and there was no attempt to diminish the foreign contribution.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Trump Nominates Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court - Fortune
July 10, 2018
Trump Nominates Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court
President Donald Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh as his Supreme Court nominee Monday night, in a primetime televised event. Judge Kavanaugh, a U.S. Circuit Court judge for Washington, D.C., would fill the vacant seat left by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his departure in late June.
Calling Trump’s Supreme Court nomination an “honor and privilege,” Kavanaugh addressed a crowd in the White House’s East Room alongside his wife and two daughters. “A judge must interpret the law, not make the law,” Kavanaugh said. If approved by the Senate, he would become the fifth conservative justice on the nation’s highest court.
On the issues, Kavanaugh seems to tick many of the boxes of interest to Trump, who included him on a list of potential Supreme Court picks published by the White House in November 2017.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Tonight, it was my honor and privilege to nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. #SCOTUS
12:54 PM - Jul 10, 2018
Age was an important factor in making Trump’s Supreme Court list; Kavanaugh is 53 years old, which would guarantee a measure of longevity on the court, if he is approved by Congress.
Kavanaugh’s views on impeachment could be controversial and of interest to Trump. The Supreme Court nominee argued in the past that President Bill Clinton could have been impeached for lying to and misleading both his staff and the public at large. But after working in the George W. Bush administration, Kavanaugh’s stance has softened, reports The Washington Post. Kavanaugh now reportedly believes court proceedings against a sitting president should be deferred until after he or she is out of office.
“The indictment and trial of a sitting President, moreover, would cripple the federal government, rendering it unable to function with credibility in either the international or domestic arenas,” Kavanaugh wrote in a 2012 piece titled “Separation of Powers During the FortyFourth Presidency and Beyond” for the Minnesota Law Review.
In addition to opposing abortion rights, Kavanaugh is also reportedly against net neutrality, according to an article from Motherboard.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh will become Trump’s second Supreme Court appointment. Justice Neil Gorsuch was Trump’s Supreme Court pick in 2017.
Kavanaugh was among four potential nominees Trump interviewed for the lifetime appointment. The list also included Amy Coney Barrett, Amul Thapar and Raymond Kethledge. Thomas Hardiman, a runner up for Gorsuch’s seat, also reportedly met with Trump, reports TIME.
Trump Nominates Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court
President Donald Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh as his Supreme Court nominee Monday night, in a primetime televised event. Judge Kavanaugh, a U.S. Circuit Court judge for Washington, D.C., would fill the vacant seat left by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his departure in late June.
Calling Trump’s Supreme Court nomination an “honor and privilege,” Kavanaugh addressed a crowd in the White House’s East Room alongside his wife and two daughters. “A judge must interpret the law, not make the law,” Kavanaugh said. If approved by the Senate, he would become the fifth conservative justice on the nation’s highest court.
On the issues, Kavanaugh seems to tick many of the boxes of interest to Trump, who included him on a list of potential Supreme Court picks published by the White House in November 2017.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Tonight, it was my honor and privilege to nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. #SCOTUS
12:54 PM - Jul 10, 2018
Age was an important factor in making Trump’s Supreme Court list; Kavanaugh is 53 years old, which would guarantee a measure of longevity on the court, if he is approved by Congress.
Kavanaugh’s views on impeachment could be controversial and of interest to Trump. The Supreme Court nominee argued in the past that President Bill Clinton could have been impeached for lying to and misleading both his staff and the public at large. But after working in the George W. Bush administration, Kavanaugh’s stance has softened, reports The Washington Post. Kavanaugh now reportedly believes court proceedings against a sitting president should be deferred until after he or she is out of office.
“The indictment and trial of a sitting President, moreover, would cripple the federal government, rendering it unable to function with credibility in either the international or domestic arenas,” Kavanaugh wrote in a 2012 piece titled “Separation of Powers During the FortyFourth Presidency and Beyond” for the Minnesota Law Review.
In addition to opposing abortion rights, Kavanaugh is also reportedly against net neutrality, according to an article from Motherboard.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh will become Trump’s second Supreme Court appointment. Justice Neil Gorsuch was Trump’s Supreme Court pick in 2017.
Kavanaugh was among four potential nominees Trump interviewed for the lifetime appointment. The list also included Amy Coney Barrett, Amul Thapar and Raymond Kethledge. Thomas Hardiman, a runner up for Gorsuch’s seat, also reportedly met with Trump, reports TIME.
One Thing Trump Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Won't Change Is the Supreme Court's Harvard-Yale Monopoly - Fortune
One Thing Trump Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Won't Change Is the Supreme Court's Harvard-Yale Monopoly
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy to Retire
Effective July 31, 2018.
Brett Kavanaugh is officially President Trump’s Supreme Court Justice nominee, and he’s a fairly conventional pick for a very unconventional president.
Tather than pivoting away from the establishment as he has sought to do in other political matters, Trump has chosen a nominee that has Ivy League establishment credentials—like every other Justice currently on the bench.
Nine of the nine Justices, including outgoing Justice Kennedy, received their law degree from an Ivy League school. Five of the Justices went to Harvard, three to Yale, and Justice Ginsburg attended Harvard before transferring to and graduating from Columbia Law School. Kavanaugh, who received his degree from Yale Law, will continue this trend, albeit rebalancing the distribution between Harvard and Yale on the bench.
This is not simply a trend of the current Supreme Court bench: Every Supreme Court Justice appointed since the ‘80s has attended an Ivy League law school, and all of them went to Harvard or Yale—with the exception of Justice Ginsburg.
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was appointed by then-President Reagan in 1981, received her law degree from Stanford University. She was the last Justice appointed who did not go to an Ivy League school, and was also the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She retired in 2006.
Justice William Rehnquist who served on the Supreme Court from 1972 until his death in 2005, also received his law degree from Stanford University. And Justice John Paul Stevens, who served from 1975 until his retirement in 2010, graduated from Northwestern University School of Law.
Of the 114 Justices who have served on the Supreme Court to date, more than half have attended an Ivy League school at the undergraduate, graduate, or law school level. Between 1950 and 2009, 70% of the Justices fell into this category.
While Harvard and Yale (and Columbia) are undoubtedly some of the most well-regarded and prestigious universities in the country, many have expressed concern about the homogeneity of the Court’s makeup.
Dan Glickman, the Vice President of the Aspen Institute and a former Congressman and Secretary of Agriculture, summed up the critical view in a 2016 article:
“When an individual is able to, through force of intellect, matriculate and excel at Harvard or Yale Law they prove beyond a shadow of a doubt they are among the top minds in America’s legal community. However, there is a certain cloistered nature to joining this elite community. People of this pedigree often live in a world that does not necessarily parallel the life experiences of most Americans. And that is where more diversity is needed.”
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy to Retire
Effective July 31, 2018.
Brett Kavanaugh is officially President Trump’s Supreme Court Justice nominee, and he’s a fairly conventional pick for a very unconventional president.
Tather than pivoting away from the establishment as he has sought to do in other political matters, Trump has chosen a nominee that has Ivy League establishment credentials—like every other Justice currently on the bench.
Nine of the nine Justices, including outgoing Justice Kennedy, received their law degree from an Ivy League school. Five of the Justices went to Harvard, three to Yale, and Justice Ginsburg attended Harvard before transferring to and graduating from Columbia Law School. Kavanaugh, who received his degree from Yale Law, will continue this trend, albeit rebalancing the distribution between Harvard and Yale on the bench.
This is not simply a trend of the current Supreme Court bench: Every Supreme Court Justice appointed since the ‘80s has attended an Ivy League law school, and all of them went to Harvard or Yale—with the exception of Justice Ginsburg.
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was appointed by then-President Reagan in 1981, received her law degree from Stanford University. She was the last Justice appointed who did not go to an Ivy League school, and was also the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She retired in 2006.
Justice William Rehnquist who served on the Supreme Court from 1972 until his death in 2005, also received his law degree from Stanford University. And Justice John Paul Stevens, who served from 1975 until his retirement in 2010, graduated from Northwestern University School of Law.
Of the 114 Justices who have served on the Supreme Court to date, more than half have attended an Ivy League school at the undergraduate, graduate, or law school level. Between 1950 and 2009, 70% of the Justices fell into this category.
While Harvard and Yale (and Columbia) are undoubtedly some of the most well-regarded and prestigious universities in the country, many have expressed concern about the homogeneity of the Court’s makeup.
Dan Glickman, the Vice President of the Aspen Institute and a former Congressman and Secretary of Agriculture, summed up the critical view in a 2016 article:
“When an individual is able to, through force of intellect, matriculate and excel at Harvard or Yale Law they prove beyond a shadow of a doubt they are among the top minds in America’s legal community. However, there is a certain cloistered nature to joining this elite community. People of this pedigree often live in a world that does not necessarily parallel the life experiences of most Americans. And that is where more diversity is needed.”
Donald Trump's Personal Driver For 25 Years Sues For Unpaid Overtime - NDTV
Donald Trump's Personal Driver For 25 Years Sues For Unpaid Overtime
Noel Cintron, who is listed in public records as a registered Republican, sued the Trump Organization for about 3,300 hours of overtime that he says he worked in the past six years.
World | (c) 2018 Bloomberg | Christie Smythe and Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg | Updated: July 10, 2018 16:50 IST
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Donald Trump's Personal Driver For 25 Years Sues For Unpaid Overtime
Noel Cintron said that Donald Trump hadn't given him a "meaningful raise" in 12 years (Reuters)
Donald Trump's personal driver for more than 25 years says the billionaire real estate developer didn't pay him overtime and raised his salary only twice in 15 years, clawing back the second raise by cutting off his health benefits.
Noel Cintron, who is listed in public records as a registered Republican, sued the Trump Organization for about 3,300 hours of overtime that he says he worked in the past six years. He's not allowed to sue for overtime prior to that due to the statute of limitations.
"In an utterly callous display of unwarranted privilege and entitlement and without even a minimal sense of noblesse oblige," Trump and his businesses exploited the driver, Cintron says in the complaint.
The driver's allegations echo those of other Trump employees or contractors who have sued the president or his businesses over the years claiming he has underpaid them or failed to honor promises to compensate them for their work. They have included mortgage brokers, landscapers and electricians who say they were stiffed on commissions or fees.
Last year, one of Trump's luxury golf resorts in Florida was ordered by an appeals court to pay more than $32,000 to a supply company that claimed it wasn't paid for paint that was used to spruce up the property.
"Mr. Cintron was at all times paid generously and in accordance with the law," Trump Organization spokeswoman Amanda Miller said in a statement. "Once the facts come out we expect to be fully vindicated in court."
DONALD TRUMP WILL SEE YOU IN COURT
Cintron says he was required to be on duty for Trump starting at 7 a.m. each day until whenever Trump, his family or business associates no longer required his services. He worked as long as 55 hours per week, but was paid a fixed salary of $62,700 in 2003, $68,000 in 2006, and $75,000 in 2010, according to the complaint.
The wage bump in 2010 came with a catch, Cintron said. He was induced to surrender his health insurance, saving Trump approximately $17,866 per year in premiums, according to the lawsuit.
"President Trump's further callousness and cupidity is further demonstrated by the fact that while he is purportedly a billionaire, he has not given his personal driver a meaningful raise in over 12 years!" Cintron said.
Cintron, 59, lives in Queens, New York, his lawyer, Larry Hutcher, said in a phone interview. The driver started working for the Trump Organization about 30 years ago, and worked his way up to chauffeuring the president-to-be. He declined to comment to reporters outside his home.
Cintron said he was Trump's personal driver until the Secret Service took over.
In addition to the unpaid overtime, Cintron claims the Trump Organization failed to provide annual wage notices as required by New York law. Cintron is seeking about $200,000 in damages, Hutcher said.
COMMENT
The case is Cintron v. Trump Organization LLC, Supreme Court, State of New York (Manhattan).
Noel Cintron, who is listed in public records as a registered Republican, sued the Trump Organization for about 3,300 hours of overtime that he says he worked in the past six years.
World | (c) 2018 Bloomberg | Christie Smythe and Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg | Updated: July 10, 2018 16:50 IST
by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored
Shark Tank Cancelled After This (Viral Bee)
Foreigner Wins Huge US Lottery, Americans Furious (theLotter.com)
Donald Trump's Personal Driver For 25 Years Sues For Unpaid Overtime
Noel Cintron said that Donald Trump hadn't given him a "meaningful raise" in 12 years (Reuters)
Donald Trump's personal driver for more than 25 years says the billionaire real estate developer didn't pay him overtime and raised his salary only twice in 15 years, clawing back the second raise by cutting off his health benefits.
Noel Cintron, who is listed in public records as a registered Republican, sued the Trump Organization for about 3,300 hours of overtime that he says he worked in the past six years. He's not allowed to sue for overtime prior to that due to the statute of limitations.
"In an utterly callous display of unwarranted privilege and entitlement and without even a minimal sense of noblesse oblige," Trump and his businesses exploited the driver, Cintron says in the complaint.
The driver's allegations echo those of other Trump employees or contractors who have sued the president or his businesses over the years claiming he has underpaid them or failed to honor promises to compensate them for their work. They have included mortgage brokers, landscapers and electricians who say they were stiffed on commissions or fees.
Last year, one of Trump's luxury golf resorts in Florida was ordered by an appeals court to pay more than $32,000 to a supply company that claimed it wasn't paid for paint that was used to spruce up the property.
"Mr. Cintron was at all times paid generously and in accordance with the law," Trump Organization spokeswoman Amanda Miller said in a statement. "Once the facts come out we expect to be fully vindicated in court."
DONALD TRUMP WILL SEE YOU IN COURT
Cintron says he was required to be on duty for Trump starting at 7 a.m. each day until whenever Trump, his family or business associates no longer required his services. He worked as long as 55 hours per week, but was paid a fixed salary of $62,700 in 2003, $68,000 in 2006, and $75,000 in 2010, according to the complaint.
The wage bump in 2010 came with a catch, Cintron said. He was induced to surrender his health insurance, saving Trump approximately $17,866 per year in premiums, according to the lawsuit.
"President Trump's further callousness and cupidity is further demonstrated by the fact that while he is purportedly a billionaire, he has not given his personal driver a meaningful raise in over 12 years!" Cintron said.
Cintron, 59, lives in Queens, New York, his lawyer, Larry Hutcher, said in a phone interview. The driver started working for the Trump Organization about 30 years ago, and worked his way up to chauffeuring the president-to-be. He declined to comment to reporters outside his home.
Cintron said he was Trump's personal driver until the Secret Service took over.
In addition to the unpaid overtime, Cintron claims the Trump Organization failed to provide annual wage notices as required by New York law. Cintron is seeking about $200,000 in damages, Hutcher said.
COMMENT
The case is Cintron v. Trump Organization LLC, Supreme Court, State of New York (Manhattan).
An Israeli shell killed Amr Samour in Gaza, even though he wasn't a protester - NBC News
An Israeli shell killed Amr Samour in Gaza, even though he wasn't a protester
The life and death of a Palestinian parsley farmer illustrates why so many in Gaza risk their lives to protest Israel's blockade.
by F. Brinley Bruton and Wajjeh Abu Zarifa / Jul.09.2018 / 5:44 PM ET / Updated Jul.09.2018 / 5:47 PM ET
Image: Dunya Samour
Dunya Samour's husband Amr Samour was killed on March 30, the first day of the Great March of Return protests in the Gaza Strip. She sits with daughters Seema, 3, and Rawya, 7 months.F. Brinley Bruton / NBC News
BANI SUHEILA, Gaza Strip — Bright green stained what was left of parsley farmer Amr Samour’s body: The Israeli tank shell that blew off much of his torso had embedded the plant onto his skin and guts, according to his father.
“I recognized him through one side of his face,” said Wahid Samour, covering the left side of his own face with the palm of his hand.
Image: Wahid SamourWahid Samour, father of Amr Samour — a farmer who was killed on March 30, the first day of the Great March of Return protests.David Copeland / NBC News
“I cried and cried — we all did,” Wahid said, sitting in his living room in the southern Gaza Strip.
Soon after his oldest son’s death on March 30, the 55-year-old Wahid was rushed to the hospital with dangerously high blood pressure.
Even though he wasn't a protester, Amr was the first Palestinian killed during the months-long Great March of Return demonstrations shaking the Gaza Strip and Israel. Demonstrations turned violent, and at least 142 protesters have been killed by Israeli troops, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel has been widely criticized for using lethal force against largely unarmed protesters.
The rallies in Gaza are aimed in part at drawing attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade first imposed when Hamas, the militant group that governs the enclave and is sworn to Israel’s destruction, came to power in 2007. More than 13,000 protesters have been injured.
Israeli officials accuse Hamas of encouraging civilians to put themselves in harm’s way and then used them as cover to commit violence. Israel is also battling large fires caused by the flaming kites and arson balloons launched from Gaza that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock.
Drones combat flaming kites launched from Gaza
JUN.09.201801:05
But the 27-year-old Amr's death in a field near the fence with Israel illustrates why tens of thousands of fellow Palestinians have for months risked bullets and tear gas to protest the blockade of the enclave. Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment and information for this article.
Wahid said he believes soldiers guarding the 40-mile fence from what officials dubbed Palestinian “swarming attacks” should have known that his son was no threat.
“That area is very open area — they can see everything,” Wahid said. “They are shelling and shooting all the time, but this time it hit us.”
There is a growing sense that Israel and Hamas, which have fought three conflicts in the last 12 years, are headed toward another war. Meanwhile, the lives of ordinary Gazans are getting worse.
Gaza militants, Israel exchange fire as tensions increase
JUN.21.201801:16
Nearly half of the 2 million residents of the strip are out of work — 65 percent of those aged 30 and under. Some 70 percent of the population depends on humanitarian aid — similar to the proportion of those who are refugees or descendants of refugees driven from their homes after the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
Almost none of the water is clean, raw sewage is pumped straight into the sea and worsening power shortages mean Gazans have electricity for only around four hours a day.
Amr’s death means his widow and two children, as well as his extended family, can no longer depend on around 150 shekels ($40) a week he used to earn as a contract farmer. Now the burden of supporting the family of ten has fallen entirely onto Wahid, who has seen his salary from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’ rival in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, cut to around $300 a month. Some 60,000 fellow PA workers have had their salaries slashed in recent months.
Perversely, Amr’s death provided a lifeline for Wahid — a $3,000 payment from organizers of the March.
Despite his personal loss, Wahid said he supports the ongoing protests on the border fence, calling them “a good action.”
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“Israel closed everything, the sea links and air links,” he said. “In your country, you can drive from area to area — nobody stops you. Here we are in a cage.”
Cages come in different sizes. The cage Amr's widow Dunya Samour inhabits is smaller, but no less restrictive.
“I cannot taste anything,” she said, sitting in her one-bedroom unfinished apartment above her father-in-law’s house. “I am hating my life.”
Dunya, the mother of a seven-month-old and a three-year-old, remembered Amr as a “good husband who wanted a simple life,” but he left her deeply in debt after buying doors, windows and a bed for the young family's apartment.
“He promised he would improve the house,” Dunya, 23, said as she sat surrounded by her mother, two sisters and a phalanx of children. “He promised he would buy us a refrigerator.”
Image: PalestineWomen wave Palestinian flags and flash the victory gesture during a protest near the fence with Israel in the Gaza Strip on March 30.Mohammed Abed / AFP - Getty Images file
Despite the hardship and grief that blanket the household, guests were served glasses of orange fizzy drink on a plastic tray covered in pink roses, hospitality being de rigueur in households here. Everybody sat on cushions on lined up on the sides of the room.
Dunya’s future is uncertain. As the widow of a martyr, or “shahid,” she is ostensibly honored. But she has no source of income aside from her father-in-law, and the “martyr payment” did not come to her. While Dunya could in theory remarry, this is difficult, as taking the widow of a shahid as a bride is widely seen as a dishonoring a martyr’s memory.
While Dunya spends a lot of time thinking about the bare basics — milk, diapers, rice and meat once a week — her eyes flashed in anger when she talked about Israeli soldiers encamped on the fence around Gaza.
“They never respect the law,” she said. “They kill people who don't have weapons.”
Why protesters put their lives on the line by approaching Gaza fence
An end to this violent impasse looks far off, as Israel and much of the world have refused to deal with Hamas. Meanwhile, long-term talks aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state, including Gaza, the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967, have stalled.
Unlike his daughter-in-law, Wahid said he does not blame soldiers themselves for the death that beset his family.
“They are soldiers, and young boys — they don’t understand,” he said. “They don’t know the story of the Palestinians. They tell them we are all terrorists.”
The life and death of a Palestinian parsley farmer illustrates why so many in Gaza risk their lives to protest Israel's blockade.
by F. Brinley Bruton and Wajjeh Abu Zarifa / Jul.09.2018 / 5:44 PM ET / Updated Jul.09.2018 / 5:47 PM ET
Image: Dunya Samour
Dunya Samour's husband Amr Samour was killed on March 30, the first day of the Great March of Return protests in the Gaza Strip. She sits with daughters Seema, 3, and Rawya, 7 months.F. Brinley Bruton / NBC News
BANI SUHEILA, Gaza Strip — Bright green stained what was left of parsley farmer Amr Samour’s body: The Israeli tank shell that blew off much of his torso had embedded the plant onto his skin and guts, according to his father.
“I recognized him through one side of his face,” said Wahid Samour, covering the left side of his own face with the palm of his hand.
Image: Wahid SamourWahid Samour, father of Amr Samour — a farmer who was killed on March 30, the first day of the Great March of Return protests.David Copeland / NBC News
“I cried and cried — we all did,” Wahid said, sitting in his living room in the southern Gaza Strip.
Soon after his oldest son’s death on March 30, the 55-year-old Wahid was rushed to the hospital with dangerously high blood pressure.
Even though he wasn't a protester, Amr was the first Palestinian killed during the months-long Great March of Return demonstrations shaking the Gaza Strip and Israel. Demonstrations turned violent, and at least 142 protesters have been killed by Israeli troops, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israel has been widely criticized for using lethal force against largely unarmed protesters.
The rallies in Gaza are aimed in part at drawing attention to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade first imposed when Hamas, the militant group that governs the enclave and is sworn to Israel’s destruction, came to power in 2007. More than 13,000 protesters have been injured.
Israeli officials accuse Hamas of encouraging civilians to put themselves in harm’s way and then used them as cover to commit violence. Israel is also battling large fires caused by the flaming kites and arson balloons launched from Gaza that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock.
Drones combat flaming kites launched from Gaza
JUN.09.201801:05
But the 27-year-old Amr's death in a field near the fence with Israel illustrates why tens of thousands of fellow Palestinians have for months risked bullets and tear gas to protest the blockade of the enclave. Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment and information for this article.
Wahid said he believes soldiers guarding the 40-mile fence from what officials dubbed Palestinian “swarming attacks” should have known that his son was no threat.
“That area is very open area — they can see everything,” Wahid said. “They are shelling and shooting all the time, but this time it hit us.”
There is a growing sense that Israel and Hamas, which have fought three conflicts in the last 12 years, are headed toward another war. Meanwhile, the lives of ordinary Gazans are getting worse.
Gaza militants, Israel exchange fire as tensions increase
JUN.21.201801:16
Nearly half of the 2 million residents of the strip are out of work — 65 percent of those aged 30 and under. Some 70 percent of the population depends on humanitarian aid — similar to the proportion of those who are refugees or descendants of refugees driven from their homes after the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
Almost none of the water is clean, raw sewage is pumped straight into the sea and worsening power shortages mean Gazans have electricity for only around four hours a day.
Amr’s death means his widow and two children, as well as his extended family, can no longer depend on around 150 shekels ($40) a week he used to earn as a contract farmer. Now the burden of supporting the family of ten has fallen entirely onto Wahid, who has seen his salary from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’ rival in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, cut to around $300 a month. Some 60,000 fellow PA workers have had their salaries slashed in recent months.
Perversely, Amr’s death provided a lifeline for Wahid — a $3,000 payment from organizers of the March.
Despite his personal loss, Wahid said he supports the ongoing protests on the border fence, calling them “a good action.”
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“Israel closed everything, the sea links and air links,” he said. “In your country, you can drive from area to area — nobody stops you. Here we are in a cage.”
Cages come in different sizes. The cage Amr's widow Dunya Samour inhabits is smaller, but no less restrictive.
“I cannot taste anything,” she said, sitting in her one-bedroom unfinished apartment above her father-in-law’s house. “I am hating my life.”
Dunya, the mother of a seven-month-old and a three-year-old, remembered Amr as a “good husband who wanted a simple life,” but he left her deeply in debt after buying doors, windows and a bed for the young family's apartment.
“He promised he would improve the house,” Dunya, 23, said as she sat surrounded by her mother, two sisters and a phalanx of children. “He promised he would buy us a refrigerator.”
Image: PalestineWomen wave Palestinian flags and flash the victory gesture during a protest near the fence with Israel in the Gaza Strip on March 30.Mohammed Abed / AFP - Getty Images file
Despite the hardship and grief that blanket the household, guests were served glasses of orange fizzy drink on a plastic tray covered in pink roses, hospitality being de rigueur in households here. Everybody sat on cushions on lined up on the sides of the room.
Dunya’s future is uncertain. As the widow of a martyr, or “shahid,” she is ostensibly honored. But she has no source of income aside from her father-in-law, and the “martyr payment” did not come to her. While Dunya could in theory remarry, this is difficult, as taking the widow of a shahid as a bride is widely seen as a dishonoring a martyr’s memory.
While Dunya spends a lot of time thinking about the bare basics — milk, diapers, rice and meat once a week — her eyes flashed in anger when she talked about Israeli soldiers encamped on the fence around Gaza.
“They never respect the law,” she said. “They kill people who don't have weapons.”
Why protesters put their lives on the line by approaching Gaza fence
An end to this violent impasse looks far off, as Israel and much of the world have refused to deal with Hamas. Meanwhile, long-term talks aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state, including Gaza, the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967, have stalled.
Unlike his daughter-in-law, Wahid said he does not blame soldiers themselves for the death that beset his family.
“They are soldiers, and young boys — they don’t understand,” he said. “They don’t know the story of the Palestinians. They tell them we are all terrorists.”
Dissident Liu Xiaobo's widow Liu Xia 'allowed to leave China' - BBC News
July 10, 2018
Dissident Liu Xiaobo's widow Liu Xia 'allowed to leave China'
Liu Xia (right) with Liu Xiaobo in 2002
The widow of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo has been allowed to leave the country, boarding a flight for Germany, reports say.
Liu Xia, who had been under house arrest since her husband won the prize in 2010, took a plane to Berlin, family friends told the BBC.
Her husband, a university professor turned human rights campaigner, was jailed in 2009 for inciting subversion.
He died of liver cancer last year and his ashes were scattered at sea.
Liu Xia, a poet, has never been charged with any crime but said in May she was ready to die in protest at her continued detention.
A love that survived a labour camp
Liu Xiaobo in his own words
Obituary: Liu Xiaobo
Missing lawyer's wife speaks out
She is said to have suffered from depression after spending years under heavy surveillance.
How did she leave?
She took a Finnair flight from Beijing to Berlin at 11:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Tuesday, a friend, Ye Du, told news agencies.
While there was no immediate comment from its embassy, Germany had been urging China to allow Mrs Liu to leave.
Liu Xiaobo: China's most influential dissident
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Germany this week.
Western diplomats reportedly tried to visit Mrs Liu at her Beijing flat in May but were refused entry.
News of her departure comes three days before the anniversary of her husband's death.
How desperate had her situation become?
In May, she told her friend Liao Yiwu by phone that it was "easier to die than live".
"I've got nothing to be afraid of," she was quoted as saying. "If I can't leave, I'll die in my home. Xiaobo is gone, and there's nothing in the world for me now."
Liu Xia with a picture of her husband last year
Mr Liao also uploaded a recording of a phone conversation he had had in April with Mrs Liu, where she can be heard crying and saying: "I'm ready to die here."
Chinese authorities had maintained the dissident's widow was a free citizen but she had faced restrictions on her movements and had been kept under surveillance.
Patrick Poon, China Researcher at the human rights groups Amnesty International, said it was "wonderful news that Liu Xia is finally free and that her persecution and illegal detention at the hands of the Chinese authorities has come to an end".
He added: "The Chinese authorities tried to silence her, but she stood tall for human rights."
Amnesty further called for an end to the harassment of Liu Xia's family who remained in China.
"It would be most callous of the Chinese authorities to use Liu Xia's relatives to put pressure on Liu Xia to prevent her from speaking out in future," its researcher added.
Dissident Liu Xiaobo's widow Liu Xia 'allowed to leave China'
Liu Xia (right) with Liu Xiaobo in 2002
The widow of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo has been allowed to leave the country, boarding a flight for Germany, reports say.
Liu Xia, who had been under house arrest since her husband won the prize in 2010, took a plane to Berlin, family friends told the BBC.
Her husband, a university professor turned human rights campaigner, was jailed in 2009 for inciting subversion.
He died of liver cancer last year and his ashes were scattered at sea.
Liu Xia, a poet, has never been charged with any crime but said in May she was ready to die in protest at her continued detention.
A love that survived a labour camp
Liu Xiaobo in his own words
Obituary: Liu Xiaobo
Missing lawyer's wife speaks out
She is said to have suffered from depression after spending years under heavy surveillance.
How did she leave?
She took a Finnair flight from Beijing to Berlin at 11:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Tuesday, a friend, Ye Du, told news agencies.
While there was no immediate comment from its embassy, Germany had been urging China to allow Mrs Liu to leave.
Liu Xiaobo: China's most influential dissident
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Germany this week.
Western diplomats reportedly tried to visit Mrs Liu at her Beijing flat in May but were refused entry.
News of her departure comes three days before the anniversary of her husband's death.
How desperate had her situation become?
In May, she told her friend Liao Yiwu by phone that it was "easier to die than live".
"I've got nothing to be afraid of," she was quoted as saying. "If I can't leave, I'll die in my home. Xiaobo is gone, and there's nothing in the world for me now."
Liu Xia with a picture of her husband last year
Mr Liao also uploaded a recording of a phone conversation he had had in April with Mrs Liu, where she can be heard crying and saying: "I'm ready to die here."
Chinese authorities had maintained the dissident's widow was a free citizen but she had faced restrictions on her movements and had been kept under surveillance.
Patrick Poon, China Researcher at the human rights groups Amnesty International, said it was "wonderful news that Liu Xia is finally free and that her persecution and illegal detention at the hands of the Chinese authorities has come to an end".
He added: "The Chinese authorities tried to silence her, but she stood tall for human rights."
Amnesty further called for an end to the harassment of Liu Xia's family who remained in China.
"It would be most callous of the Chinese authorities to use Liu Xia's relatives to put pressure on Liu Xia to prevent her from speaking out in future," its researcher added.
World's 'oldest coloured molecules' are bright pink - BBC News
July 10, 2018
World's 'oldest coloured molecules' are bright pink
The pink pigments are the fossilised molecules of ancient sea organisms
Scientists have discovered what they say are the world's oldest surviving biological colours, from ancient rocks beneath the Sahara desert.
The 1.1 billion-year-old pigments have a bright pink hue, but range from blood red to deep purple in their concentrated form.
The pigments are fossilised molecules of chlorophyll produced by sea organisms, Australian scientists said.
Researchers ground shale rocks into powder to extract the pigment.
"Imagine you could find a fossilised dinosaur skin that still has its original colour, green or blue... that is exactly the type of discovery that we've made," Associate Prof Jochen Brocks from the Australian National University (ANU) told the BBC.
"These are actual molecules, the oldest coloured molecules in the world.
"When held against the sunlight, they are actually a neon pink."
'Amazing that colour can survive'
ANU PhD student, Dr Nur Gueneli, discovered the pigments after running an organic solvent through the powdered rock. Mr Brocks said the extraction process was "similar to a coffee machine".
Colours in nature - and how we see them
"I heard her screaming in the lab when it came out, and she ran into my office," Asst Prof Brocks said.
"At first I thought it had been contaminated. It is just amazing that something with a biological colour can survive for such a long time."
Scientists extracted the molecules from ancient shale rock
A mining company had found the rocks in a marine shale deposit in the Taoudeni Basin in Mauritania, West Africa about 10 years ago, after drilling a hole several hundred metres deep, he said.
An analysis of the pigments found they had been produced by cyanobacteria in the seas at the time. Prof Brocks said this contributed to understanding on the evolution of life forms on Earth.
The toxic colour from volcanoes
The pigment made of human remains
World's first colour film viewed
"Tiny cyanobacteria dominated the base of the food chain in the oceans a billion years ago, which helps to explain why animals did not exist at the time," he said.
"Life only became bigger about 600 million years ago because before that there was no sufficient food source."
The research, which also involved scientists in the US and Japan, has been published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America.
World's 'oldest coloured molecules' are bright pink
The pink pigments are the fossilised molecules of ancient sea organisms
Scientists have discovered what they say are the world's oldest surviving biological colours, from ancient rocks beneath the Sahara desert.
The 1.1 billion-year-old pigments have a bright pink hue, but range from blood red to deep purple in their concentrated form.
The pigments are fossilised molecules of chlorophyll produced by sea organisms, Australian scientists said.
Researchers ground shale rocks into powder to extract the pigment.
"Imagine you could find a fossilised dinosaur skin that still has its original colour, green or blue... that is exactly the type of discovery that we've made," Associate Prof Jochen Brocks from the Australian National University (ANU) told the BBC.
"These are actual molecules, the oldest coloured molecules in the world.
"When held against the sunlight, they are actually a neon pink."
'Amazing that colour can survive'
ANU PhD student, Dr Nur Gueneli, discovered the pigments after running an organic solvent through the powdered rock. Mr Brocks said the extraction process was "similar to a coffee machine".
Colours in nature - and how we see them
"I heard her screaming in the lab when it came out, and she ran into my office," Asst Prof Brocks said.
"At first I thought it had been contaminated. It is just amazing that something with a biological colour can survive for such a long time."
Scientists extracted the molecules from ancient shale rock
A mining company had found the rocks in a marine shale deposit in the Taoudeni Basin in Mauritania, West Africa about 10 years ago, after drilling a hole several hundred metres deep, he said.
An analysis of the pigments found they had been produced by cyanobacteria in the seas at the time. Prof Brocks said this contributed to understanding on the evolution of life forms on Earth.
The toxic colour from volcanoes
The pigment made of human remains
World's first colour film viewed
"Tiny cyanobacteria dominated the base of the food chain in the oceans a billion years ago, which helps to explain why animals did not exist at the time," he said.
"Life only became bigger about 600 million years ago because before that there was no sufficient food source."
The research, which also involved scientists in the US and Japan, has been published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America.
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