world news: 2019-05-12

Saturday 18 May 2019

Iran blames ‘unacceptable’ US sanctions for spike in tensions as White House advisors push for forceful response

Iran’s foreign minister has hit out at “unacceptable” sanctions imposed by the US as an international deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions continues to unravel amid a spike in tensions.Mohammad Zarif defended Iran’s right to respond to the US pullout from the nuclear deal last year.“We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for. We have exercised maximum restraints,” he said during a visit to Tokyo. In other comments carried on the semi-official Mehr news agency, Mr Zarif was quoted as saying: “A multilateral deal cannot be treated unilaterally.”The spat over the nuclear deal has been heightened by a number of events this week, including a drone attack on a Saudi Arabian oil pipeline claimed by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, allegations of acts of sabotage perpetrated against oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the dispatch of US warships to the region.The Saudis – Iran’s biggest rival in the region – blamed Tehran for ordering the Houthi attack. A Saudi-led coalition has been waging an air war against the Houthis since 2015, with both the US and Riyadh accusing Iran of providing weapons to the Houthis. Tehran has denied this.Saudi Arabia’s deputy defence minister Khalid bin Salman tweeted: “The attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran’s regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region”.The longest-simmering issue is the Donald Trump-mandated withdrawal from the nuclear pact and the cranking up of sanctions against Iran by Washington. Iran has issued a number of veiled threats about enriching its uranium stockpiles to weapons-grade levels, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying the “the next steps are easier” than what has come before.Iran recently threatened it might resume higher enrichment by 7 July, beyond the level permitted by the current deal between Tehran and world powers, claiming that its programme is for peaceful purposes. White House advisor John Bolton in particular has long-standing concerns about Iran, writing in The New York Times in 2015 that the US should think about bombing Iran as the country “will not negotiate away its nuclear programme” – although an agreement was approved the next year.Mr Bolton was reportedly behind a push to update military plans surrounding the use of aggression by Iran, including sending as many as 120,000 troops to the region in the wake of an attack by Tehran on US interests or a significant move in its nuclear programme.Speaking on Thursday, Mr Trump said that he was the one to rein in 70-year-old Mr Bolton. “I’m the one who tempers him, which is OK,” he said.“I have John Bolton and I have people who are a little more dovish than him,” Mr Trump added.In a tweet on Wednesday, the president denied any infighting between members of his team. “There is no infighting whatsoever,” Mr Trump wrote. “Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision – it is a very simple process.However, Mr Trump is said to be getting frustrated with officials like Mr Bolton and secretary of state Mike Pompeo over a push for a confrontation with Iran, according to The Washington Post. “They are getting way out ahead of themselves, and Trump is annoyed,” a senior administration official said.Mr Trump is not inclined to respond forcefully unless there is a “big move” from the Iranians, the paper quoted a White House official as saying, with the president believed to be loath to go against his long-standing promise to end costly foreign wars by the US. The Democratic US House speaker Nancy Pelosi meanwhile said on Thursday that the the Trump administration “must realise” it does not have congressional authorisation to go to war against Iran.Washington sent ships and warplanes into the Gulf last week, citing an increased threat from Tehran, and the state department warned all non-essential government staff to leave Iraq.British forces in Iraq were also placed on high alert on Thursday, following the decision.However, Major General Chris Ghika, the British deputy commander of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the US-led coalition fighting Isis, had a day earlier disputed claims from the White House that forces in the Middle East are facing an increased threat from Iran or its allies.Maj Gen Ghika told reporters during a video conference from coalition headquarters in Baghdad on Tuesday, that there “has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria”.

Woman with 2 kids in car drives through site of deadly crash in Texas

A woman is expected to be charged for driving through a deadly crash investigation with two children in her vehicle in northwest Harris County.

EU ready to negotiate trade with US, including cars

The European Union said Friday it is prepared to negotiate a limited trade deal, including on cars, with the US, after President Donald Trump held off imposing auto tariffs. "We note that US postpones decision on car tariffs for 180 days," European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom tweeted. In another tweet, Malmstrom said she would discuss the issue with EU trade ministers next week before meeting on May 27 with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

How One Father Learned to Live Again After the Death of His 2-Year-Old Daughter

Jayson Greene tells the story of his 2-year-old daughter's death and the aftermath in an affecting new memoir, 'Once More We Saw Stars.'

Photos of the Euro-spec Ford Focus ST Wagon

Two US death row inmates executed

A Tennessee man who killed his wife and an Alabama man convicted of a quadruple murder were executed by lethal injection Thursday. Donnie Edward Johnson, 68, was convicted in 1984 of murdering his wife, Connie Johnson, in Memphis, Tennessee, by stuffing a plastic garbage bag down her throat and suffocating her. Michael Brandon Samra, 41, was convicted in 1998 for his involvement in the murders of Randy Duke, Duke's girlfriend Dedra Mims Hunt, and Hunt's six-year-old and seven-year-old daughters.

Trump says 'good chance' Democrats will back his immigration, border plan

A day after unveiling a plan to shift to a "merit-based" immigration system, the Republican president said there was a "good chance" that Democrats would back him and provide funding to manage record migrant flows along the U.S.-Mexico border. "The Democrats now realize that there is a National Emergency at the Border and that, if we work together, it can be immediately fixed. Such talk of bipartisan cooperation on the explosive immigration issue for years has ended in failure and finger-pointing.

De Blasio Is the Ferris Bueller of Democratic Presidential Candidates

The most rational response to the news that New York City mayor Bill de Blasio wants to be president is to ask, “Of what?”When informed that he wants to be president of the United States and not of, say, the local organic-hemp co-op, perhaps the next best response would be to take a page from the South and say, “Bless his heart.”One of the more charming things about de Blasio is his amiable lack of self-awareness. He seems to have no idea that he doesn’t impress anybody. The obliviousness is somewhat understandable. He did get elected — twice. But his victories have more to do with the dysfunction of New York City politics than with any strength on his part. In 2013 he won the Democratic primary — which assured victory in the fall — in the lowest election turnout in decades. After 3 percent of New Yorkers voted for him, he saw a landslide.He must bring a similar perspective to his poll numbers. According to a Quinnipiac survey released this month, 76 percent of New Yorkers don’t think de Blasio should run for president — and it’s not because they’re desperate to keep him on the job.It was famously said of George H. W. Bush that he was the kind of guy who was born on third base and thought he’d hit a triple. This was always more than a little unfair to the elder President Bush, given that at 17 he signed up to become one of the youngest combat pilots in the Pacific during World War II and went on to work harder at politics and public service than arguably any president since (with the possible exception of Jimmy Carter). But the barb drew blood because it sounded clever and exploited the always reliable American resentment against affluent political dynasties.The same dynamic isn’t at work with de Blasio. He didn’t grow up poor, but he didn’t grow up rich either. Politically, he is the consummate example of someone born — or in this case elected — on home plate who can’t understand why no one in the stands is cheering his home run. When he was poised to win reelection, he was asked by New York magazine why he wasn’t more popular. He admitted that he was somewhat mystified. Given the strength of the economy and the low crime rate, “You’d assume they’d be having parades out in the streets” in his honor, he said.They’re not, because he is a Ferris Bueller. In the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris (Matthew Broderick) jumps out in front of a parade and acts like he’s leading it. De Blasio inherited the successes of Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, two mayors who wrestled the city back from the brink of social and economic collapse.“De Blasio’s record as mayor doesn’t have a policy theme,” writes Nicole Gelinas in City & State New York. “It’s just a mishmash of half-executed ideas that add up to a city little different than it was before he got here. Even his biggest accomplishments, rather than striking out in a bold new direction, are building on existing trends.”Worse, de Blasio takes credit for the successes of his predecessors on crime, poverty, and the economy but refuses to take responsibility for the growing problems on his watch, from abysmal mass transit to an exploding homeless population.And that points to the real problem with de Blasio: He’s lazy. He’s famous for being asleep on the job — literally. He often oversleeps, arriving late for important events such as funerals or, in one case, an event in his own residence. “Some voters have a perception that he has an up-at-the-crack-of-noon attitude,” political strategist Gerry O’Brien told the New York Post.This laziness isn’t just physical but intellectual. Like the president of a college chapter of the Young Socialists, de Blasio is the sort of politician who thinks rolling out of bed and announcing something is the same thing as doing something, that boldness in rhetoric is a substitute for boldness of action. New Yorkers — even very liberal New Yorkers — see that.Still, it makes sense that de Blasio is running, because in a field of 24 (and counting) contenders, and with no future political prospects in his home state, he’s got little to lose. He can raise money from rubes who haven’t been burned already, get on a bunch of TV shows, and — who knows? — he lucked out before. Maybe he’ll stumble to the front of another parade.© 2019 Tribune Content Agency LLC

Susan Collins has faith Kavanaugh won't uphold Alabama abortion law

The senator from Maine stands by her belief that Kavanaugh will be compelled by court precedent when it comes to abortion rights.

Barr asks Pelosi if she's got her handcuffs after joke about locking up Trump administration members

If Attorney General William Barr is worried about being held in contempt of Congress, he didn’t show it Wednesday.At an event outside the West Front of the Capitol honouring slain law enforcement officers, Barr approached House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last week joked about locking up members of the Trump administration in “a jail down in the basement of the Capitol.”According to a person who witnessed the exchange, Mr Barr shook Ms Pelosi’s hand and said loudly, “Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?”Ms Pelosi smiled and responded that the House sergeant at arms was present should it be necessary to arrest anyone, the person said, adding that Mr Barr “chuckled and walked away.”A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The exchange comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over investigations on issues including Russian election interference, the president’s financial records and his financial separation policy. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of stonewalling their requests.Last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Barr in contempt of Congress for not providing the full, un-redacted report from special counsel Robert Muller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that the House would likely vote on that citation next month. If the chamber votes in favour, then lawmakers will have to decide whether to try to compel Barr with fines, the courts or the prospect of jail time.At a Washington Post Live event last week, Ms Pelosi joked about locking up administration officials for not complying with subpoenas – even though no jail or detention area has existed on the Capitol grounds since 1877.“Let me just say that we do have a jail down in the basement of the Capitol,” Ms Pelosi said to laughter. “But if we were arresting all of the people in the administration, we would have an overcrowded jail situation, and I’m not for that.”The Washington Post

Take a Good Look at the Ford Focus ST Wagon, Because You Won't Be Able to Buy One

Of all the versions of the Focus that us Americans don't get, this one stings the worst.

Austrian government teeters after video of far-right leader

Austria's coalition government teetered on the brink of collapse on Saturday after video footage published by German newspapers apparently showed Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache discussing state contracts with a potential Russian backer in return for political support.

from Reuters: World News https://reut.rs/2EicbmZ

Michael Flynn Helped Robert Mueller in WikiLeaks, Obstruction Probes

Jonathan Ernst/ReutersPresident Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn told Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team about top Trump campaign officials discussing plans to reach out to WikiLeaks after the group released emails stolen from Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager during the 2016 presidential contest, according to newly unredacted court documents. In a filing concerning Flynn’s sentencing unredacted in federal court Thursday, prosecutors outlined his extensive cooperation in the Russia probe after he pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI in December 2017. In addition to providing investigators with evidence of “potential efforts to interfere or otherwise obstruct” the Russia investigation, Flynn is said to have given Mueller’s team insider information about discussions concerning WikiLeaks in Trump’s campaign. While the unredacted Mueller Report detailed communications between WikiLeaks and figures within Trump’s orbit in the run-up to the 2016 election, the special counsel did not offer any conclusions about direct coordination between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks on the group's release of emails stolen from Clinton campaign manager John Podesta by Russian intelligence. Mueller Report Reveals Shocking New Details About Trump, Russia, ObstructionAccording to the court filing, however, Flynn filled investigators in on the reaction within the Trump campaign to news of WikiLeaks’ dump of Podesta’s emails—and they discussed making an overture in response. “The defendant relayed to the government statements made in 2016 by senior campaign officials about Wikileaks to which only a select few people were privy,” prosecutors wrote. He “recalled conversations with senior campaign officials after the release of the Podesta emails, during which the prospect of reaching out to Wikileaks was discussed.” Flynn is said to have also filled Mueller in on “multiple instances, both before and after his guilty plea, where either he or his attorneys received communications from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of that cooperation.” “The defendant even provided a voicemail recording of one such communication,” the filing states. Prosecutors appear to be referencing a voicemail left for Flynn’s lawyer after the former national security adviser withdrew from a joint defense agreement he had with the president early on in the Russia investigation. In the November 2017 voicemail, which was detailed in the Mueller Report, a lawyer for Trump urged Flynn’s lawyer to provide “some kind of heads up” if Flynn was preparing to provide “information that implicates the president.” Flynn’s sentencing has yet to be determined by Judge Emmet Sullivan, but Mueller’s team has argued for a reduction in his sentence in light of his cooperation. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Launches 2020 White House Run

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday announced a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, joining a large field of 22 other candidates.“As president I will take on the wealthy. I will take on the corporations. I will not rest until this government serves working people,” de Blasio said in his announcement video message. “Doesn’t matter if you live in a city or a rural area, a big state, small state. Doesn't matter what your ethnicity is. People in every part of this country felt stuck or even like they're going backwards.”De Blasio reminded voters that he raised New York City's minimum wage to $15 per hour and fought to provide workers with guaranteed paid sick leave and health care. He also touted that New York sent lawyers to the border to assist undocumented immigrants in dealing with the Trump administration and took steps to fight climate change when Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement.The Democratic mayor, who is serving his second term, also did not mince words on the current president, calling President Trump a "bully" and saying he "must be stopped."“I'm a New Yorker. I've known Trump's a bully for a long time," de Blasio said. "I know how to take him on. Don’t back down in the face of a bully, confront him . . . I’ve beaten him before and I will do it again.”Trump wasted no time clapping back at the mayor of his home city, tweeting that de Blasio is the "worst mayor in the U.S.," and New York City "hates him.""He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he’s your man," the president wrote.Over three-fourths of New York City voters said de Blasio should not bother running for president, according to a Quinnipiac University poll."Bill de Blasio is a liberal extremist who wants the government to control everything from your health care to what you eat," Republican National Committee Communications director Michael Ahrens said in a statement. "Americans can rest assured that he won't win, but unfortunately his socialist policies fit right in with the rest of his comrades in the race."The new presidential candidate plans to hit the campaign trail Thursday in Iowa and will travel to South Carolina this weekend.

Iranian missiles on small boats spotted in Persian Gulf: US official

A US official said Thursday that Iranian missiles loaded on small boats in the Persian Gulf were among the "threats" that have triggered a beefed-up military deployment in the region. The person was confirming reports in The New York Times saying that Washington reacted to aerial photos from US intelligence agencies showing traditional boats carrying Iranian missiles in the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways. The fully-assembled missiles were loaded on the boats by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which the US has designated a "foreign terrorist organization," the newspaper reported.

Trump's financial report shows earnings and losses but misses tax return details

As the president continues to refuse to release tax documents, this filing is a yearly requirement and showed mixed business results Donald Trump’s 2018 financial disclosure report was released on Thursday. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump’s 2018 financial disclosure report was released on Thursday by the Office of Government Ethics, shedding light on the president’s earnings and losses in the second year of his presidency. The form, which is required to be filed annually, offered a rare glimpse into the president’s sprawling finances and showed mixed results for his businesses. According to the report, Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort, which Trump visits a lot during the winter, incurred a drop in income by 10% when compared with the previous year. The filing, which spanned 88 pages, also showed Trump obtained a new 30-year mortgage in 2018 for a property he owned in West Palm Beach near his Mar-a-Lago estate. The eight-bedroom house is listed as being available for rent for about $81,000 a month. The disclosure comes as Trump continues to draw scrutiny for his refusal to release his tax returns, despite an effort by Democrats in Congress to obtain them. Trump broke with a 40-year precedent in 2016 by becoming the first major-party presidential nominee in that time not to share his tax returns. Whereas the president’s tax returns would offer a clearer picture of how much money he is personally bringing in, the disclosures released on Thursday instead offer a glimpse of the number of properties he and his businesses own. Revenues at other Trump-owned properties, such as his Doral golf resort in Florida and another golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, rose slightly from 2017. The Washington-based Trump International Hotel also held steady, reporting $40.84m in revenues last year, a slight increase from 2017. Trump’s involvement with his eponymous DC hotel has been the subject of legal challenges due to the heavy presence of foreign officials who stay there while traveling to the nation’s capital. Nearly 200 members of Congress – all of them Democrats – filed a lawsuit against Trump, arguing he is violating the emoluments clause of the US constitution by accepting financial benefits from foreign governments. Last month, a federal district judge ruled in favor of allowing the case to proceed to the evidence-gathering phase. The justice department moved this week to appeal the decision and halt all proceedings, arguing they placed an undue burden on the president. Trump’s complex web of finances has been the next major investigative front for Democrats on Capitol Hill, who since assuming the House majority in January have subpoenaed dozens of witnesses and documents. Democrats have said more transparency around Trumps finances would better illustrate if he holds any conflicts of interest as he considers legislation or other decisions, as well as if he is subject to foreign influence.

Boeing seeks regulators' OK, says 737 MAX software update complete

Boeing said Thursday that it completed its software update on the 737 MAX after two deadly crashes resulted in a global grounding of the aircraft. The proposed fix, which addresses a problem with a flight handling system thought to be a factor in both crashes, must now win approval from US and international regulators before the planes can return to service. US airlines have targeted August as the date they expect to resume flying on the 737 MAX.

The Latest: Retired fisherman saved plane crash passengers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Latest on the midair collision of two sightseeing floatplanes in Alaska that killed six people (all times local):

Photos of the Euro-spec Ford Focus ST Wagon

U.S. Treasury's Mnuchin rejects subpoena for Trump tax returns

In a widely expected move, Mnuchin rejected a demand for the documents from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, saying the panel lacks "a legitimate legislative purpose" for obtaining the tax records that Democrats view as critical to their efforts to investigate Trump and his presidency. "We are unable to provide the requested information in response to the committee's subpoena," Mnuchin said in a letter to Neal, released ahead of a 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) deadline for delivering the documents. Neal later issued a statement, saying he was "consulting with counsel on how best to enforce the subpoenas moving forward." Hours earlier, the Democratic chairman had said he was inclined to turn to federal court to obtain Trump's tax returns, if the administration missed the deadline.

Flynn gave info on attempts to obstruct Mueller probe: court filing

The attempts to obstruct Mueller's probe were made by people associated with the administration of President Donald Trump or with Congress, according to the filings, which were unsealed at prosecutors' request. Flynn "informed the government of multiple instances, both before and after his guilty plea, where either he or his attorneys received communications from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of that cooperation," Mueller wrote in a memo originally submitted under seal ahead of Flynn's planned sentencing on Dec. 18, 2018. In some instances, the SCO was unaware of the outreach until being alerted to it by the defendant," he wrote, using the acronym for the Special Counsel's Office.

AOC calls Alabama's abortion ban 'a brutal form of oppression'

“Abortion bans aren’t just about controlling women’s bodies,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted. “They’re about controlling women’s sexuality. Owning women.”

Huawei's HiSilicon says it has long been preparing for U.S. ban scenario

Huawei Technologies' chip arm HiSilicon said on Friday it has long been prepared for the "extreme scenario" that it could be banned from purchasing U.S. chips and technology, and is able to ensure steady supply of most products. HiSilicon, which mainly designs chips for Huawei equipment, made the comments in a letter to staff attributed to President He Tingbo dated "the small hours of May 17", shortly after the United States officially banned Huawei from buying U.S. technology without special approval. HiSilicon has been secretly developing back-up products for years in anticipation of the unlikely scenario that Huawei may one day be unable to obtain advanced chips and technology from the United States, He said in the letter.

Expert: Fetal abduction rare yet endures over 30 years

DETROIT (AP) — The grisly act is rare, yet it's common enough to have a name: fetal abduction.

Marlen Ochoa Lopez: Three arrested after murdered teenager 'had baby cut from womb'

Three people have been charged in the death of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, a 19-year-old who was murdered days before she was due to give birth in Chicago. Clarisa and Desiree Figueroa have been charged with murder after Ochoa-Lopez’s body was allegedly found in a bin in their backyard. 40-year-old Piotr Bobak, Clarisa Figueroa’s boyfriend, has been charged with concealment of a homicide.Having sold Ochoa-Lopez used baby clothes in the past, Clarisa Figueroa, 46, allegedly lured the expectant mother back to her home with an offer of free clothes via Facebook. When Ochoa-Lopez arrived, police believe Ms Figueroa and her 24-year-old daughter Desiree strangled the young woman to death with a cord and cut the baby from her womb, according to prosecutors.Hours after, first responders received a call from Ms Figueroa, who claimed her newborn child was not breathing. The boy was taken to the hospital, and remains in a grave condition.Police did not connect the disappearance of Ochoa-Lopez and Ms Figueroa’s ill child until May 7, when friends of Ochoa-Lopez provided police access to her Facebook account. At that point, authorities saw that Ochoa-Lopez and Ms Figueroa had corresponded the day of the disappearance, and DNA tested the young child. The DNA test determined that the child was that of Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yiovanni Lopez.A warrant allowed the police to search the Figueroa home, where they found cleaning supplies and evidence of blood in the bathroom and hallway, according to AP News. “Words cannot express how disgusting and thoroughly disturbing these allegations are,” said police superintendent Eddie Johnson, when announcing the Figueroa’s would be charged with murder.Ms Figueroa had allegedly wanted to raise another child after her adult son had passed from natural causes two years prior.

Brexit compromise talks collapse after six weeks

Britain's Labour opposition pulled the plug Friday on six weeks of Brexit compromise talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, blaming her evaporating authority as her premiership nears its death throes. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the gaps between them could not be bridged -- and he had no confidence that her successor would stick to any bargain they might have reached. The discussions have "gone as far as they can," Corbyn said in a letter to May.

2020 Democrats Warn of U.S.-Iran Risks as Trump Pressures Tehran

“It would be an absolute disaster,” said Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Sanders said he was trying to rally fellow lawmakers to make it clear to President Donald Trump that he cannot involve the country in a military conflict without authorization. “The president has to understand that the Constitution mandates that it’s Congress that decides when we go into war, not the president alone,” Sanders said.