Top Stories Today – August 23, 2019
Top Stories Today – August 23, 2019
US officials confirm Israeli strike in Iraq
Israel was responsible for the bombing of an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq lost month, US officials have confirmed, an attack that would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s years-long campaign against Iranian military entrenchment across the region. The confirmation comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is strongly hinting that his country is behind recent airstrikes that have hit bases and munitions depot belonging to Iran-backed paramilitary forces operating in Iraq.
The mystery attacks have not been claimed by any side and have left Iraqi officials scrambling for a response, amid strong speculation that Israel may have been behind them. Earlier this week, the deputy head of the Iraqi Shiite militias, known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces, openly accused Israeli drones of carrying out the attacks, but ultimately blamed Washington and threatened strong retaliation for any future attack. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, known for his strong allegiance to Iran, warned of a “strong response” if it is proven that Israel was behind the recent airstrikes in Iraq. The Associated Press
As global economic picture dims, solutions seem out of reach
As global leaders gather on two continents to take account of a darkening economic outlook, this is the picture they face. Factories are slumping, many businesses are paralyzed, global growth is sputtering and the world’s two mightiest economies are in the grip of a dangerous trade war. Barely a year after most of the world’s major countries were enjoying an unusual moment of shared prosperity, the global economy may be at risk of returning to the rut it tumbled into after the financial crisis of 2007-2009.
Worse, solutions seem far from obvious. Central banks can’t just slash interest rates. Rates are already ultra-low. And even if they did, the central banks would risk robbing themselves of the ammunition they would need later to fight a recession. High government debts make it politically problematic to cut taxes or pour money into new bridges, roads and other public works projects. The Associated Press
Bolsonaro tells the world not to interfere over Amazon fire
Amid growing international criticism over the wildfires raging through the Amazon, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday admitted farmers could be illegally setting the rainforest ablaze but told foreign powers not to interfere.
French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary General António Guterres both took to Twitter to express concern about the fires that have reached a record number this year, devastating vast swathes of forest considered a vital bulwark against climate change. Bolsonaro responded angrily to what he regarded as meddling. Macron wants Amazon fires to be No. 1 topic at G-7 summit. He said “Our house is burning. Literally,” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Thursday. “The Amazon rainforest, the lungs which produces 20% of our planet’s oxygen, is on fire. It is an international crisis.” Reuters, The Voice of America
Global stocks higher ahead of US Fed chairman’s speech
Global stock markets rose Friday ahead of a closely watched speech by the US Federal Reserve chairman at a gathering of global central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Market benchmarks in London, Frankfurt, Shanghai and Tokyo all advanced.
Investors are looking to Jerome Powell’s speech Friday for hints as to whether last month’s first Fed rate cut in a decade likely marked the start of a period of easier credit. Two regional Fed presidents said they see no need for a change. Most investors expect a cut in September to shore up US economic growth amid a tariff war with Beijing and weakening global growth. The Associated Press
N Korea: Ready for dialogue or stand-off
North Korea warned Friday it is “ready for dialogue or stand-off” with the United States, warning it has given Washington “enough time” to change its approach to stalled nuclear talks. In a message in the Korean Central News Agency, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho also said it would be a “miscalculation” if Washington imposed more sanctions on Pyongyang.
“We have already given ample explanation enough to be understood by the US side and we have also given it enough time out of maximum patience,” Ri said. “We are ready for both dialogue and stand-off.” The statement warned North Korea could “remain the biggest threat to the US” for a long time. The Voice of America
China will not sit idly if US sells fighter jets to Taiwan
China “will not sit idly by” if the US proceeds with a sale of advanced F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan, a Chinese general said, while warning of other potential countermeasures in addition to punishing foreign firms involved in the deal.
Beijing considered the sale a violation of previous US commitments to China regarding the island it considers its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary, Maj. Gen. Chen Rongdi, chief of the Institute of War Studies at the Academy of Military Sciences, said. He did not elaborate on what additional measures China might take. “China will not sit idly by,” Chen said Thursday at a forum sponsored by China’s official journalists’ association. “Of course, we don’t rule out additional measures.” The Voice of America
US major telecoms reach agreement to combat robocalls
Twelve major telecommunications firms and attorneys general from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., announced new efforts Thursday to combat the scourge of illegal robocalls. In the deal, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and the other firms agreed to deploy call-blocking technology at the network level and provide other tools, like call labeling, for customers who want more screening options, all free of charge.
There is no timeline for putting the anti-robocall principles into practice. The Federal Communications Commission, which approved rules in June to encourage telecoms to block illegal robocalls by default and deploy other technologies, congratulated the parties for reaching agreement. Americans receive billions of robocalls a month, and robocall scammers bilked customers out of an estimated $9.5 billion in 2017. NPR, The Associated Press via The Week
Overstock CEO steps down over affair with Russian agent
Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne resigned Thursday, a week after divulging having been in a romantic relationship with convicted unregistered Russian agent Maria Butina. The strange press release also slammed the “deep state.” Byrne said in his resignation letter that he is in the “sad position of having to sever ties” with the company, effective today, although he contends that “I did what was necessary for the good of the country.”
He added that he acknowledged his role in the Butina investigation because he “felt my duty as a citizen precluded me from staying silent any longer,” and he now plans on “disappearing for some time.” Overstock’s share prices jumped 10 percent on the news. The New York Times, CNN via The Week