Venezuela US Relations: Venezuela rounds up US oil bosses after Guaido meets Trump

Six US oil executives were abruptly taken by police in Caracas on Wednesday, just hours after opposition leader Juan Guaido met with President Donald Trump, their attorneys and families said.

The six men are executives of US refiner Citgo and were under house arrest.

They were awaiting trial on corruption charges. Prosecutors have accused them of engaging in corruption by benefiting from a proposed, though never executed, plan to refinance Citgo bonds through offering a 50% stake in the company as collateral.

But many believe the six executives, five of whom are naturalized US citizens, are being used political bargaining chips by Nicolas Maduro's regime, as relations between the US and Venezuela have soured.

They were arrested in 2017, after being lured to Caracas by officials of Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA, Citgo's parent company, to attend a work meeting.

The men spent two years in a prison of Venezuela's intelligence agency Sebin until later last year, they were transferred to house arrest.

Veronica Vadell Weggeman, daughter of one of the executives, wrote on Twitter that her father was taken without warning.

Carlos Anez, one of the executives' stepson, said he was told the men were being taken to Venezuela's intelligence agency Sebin for medical exams, but that they have not heard from them since.

"Police came to the apartment, told my father that they had to take him, to bring a change of clothes, they took his GPS off his ankle and took him away," Anez said.

"At this time we know that they are in the Helicoide (Sebin headquarters), all together in the same cell, even though the house arrest has not been revoked by the court," said Jesus Loreto, one of the men's lawyers.

Hours before the men were taken, Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido was in Washington, where he attended Trump's State of the Union address and later visited the Oval Office.

While the executives were in prison, Juan Guaido entered into a political clash with Nicolas Maduro, leading months-long protests and garnering the support of 50 nations for his unsuccessful bid to dislodge Maduro from power.

Among these efforts was Guaido's move to take control of Houston-based Citgo and name a new company board, after Washington recognized him as the country's legitimate president.

Maduro blasted both Guaido and Trump shortly after the two met.

"Trump offends and disrespects the Venezuelan people by proffering violent threats against its integrity and against the constitutional, legitimate and democratic government of President Nicolas Maduro," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters in Caracas.

In a separate statement, Maduro's regime said Guaido was a traitor, denouncing the "shameful complicity of those dedicated to selling their homeland for humiliating crumbs tossed to them by their boss, Mr Trump."

Read more at: Venezuela rounds up US oil bosses after Guaido meets Trump | News | DW | 06.02.20

EU versus Trump Middle East Peace Plan: Borrell travels to US, after trashing Trump peace plan

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell will visit the US on Thursday and Friday for meetings with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, national security advisor Robert O'Brien and senior advisor to the president, Jared Kushner. Earlier this week, Borrell was highly negative in a statement about the Israel-Palestine peace deal announced by president Donald Trump, but prepared by his son-in-law Kushner.

Read more at: Borrell travels to US, after trashing Trump peace plan

USA State of the Union: Fact-checking (Pinokkio) President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address - by Glenn Kessler, Salvador Rizzo and Sarah Cahlan

President Trump’s State of the Union speech once again was chock-full of stretched facts and dubious figures. Many of these claims have been fact-checked repeatedly, yet the president persists in using them. Here, in the order in which he made them, are 31 statements by the president.

The president can certainly brag about the state of the economy, but he runs into trouble when he repeatedly makes a play for the history books.

Our database of Trump claims shows he has made a variation of this claim some 260 times. There are several metrics one could look at, but the current economy falls short, according to experts we consulted. The unemployment rate reached a low of 3.5 percent under Trump, but it was as low as 2.5 percent in 1953. Trump has never achieved an annual growth rate above 3 percent, but in 1997, 1998 and 1999, the gross domestic product grew 4.5 percent, 4.5 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively. But even that period paled against the 1950s and 1960s. Growth between 1962 and 1966 ranged from 4.4 percent to 6.6 percent. In 1950 and 1951, it was 8.7 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

Read more at: Fact-checking President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address - The Washington Post

USA - State of the Nation: Partisan passions overtake Trump’s State of the Union speech

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump highlighted economic gains and his reelection bid in a sweeping State of the Union address Tuesday, but his impeachment overshadowed the text as the traditional address to a joint session of Congress devolved into theatrical outbursts and unmasked partisan disdain. Republican lawmakers loudly chanted “four more years!” before Trump began speaking, setting an intensely political tone for an address that offered few major policy proposals

Read more at:
https://www.registerguard.com/news/20200205/partisan-passions-overtake-trumps-state-of-union-speech

The Netherlands; Turkish immigrants will have to formally 'inburger' from 2021: says Government minister

Turkish immigrants will have to formally ‘inburger’ from 2021: minister

Read more at :
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/02/turkish-immigrants-will-have-to-formally-inburger-from-2021-minister/

Britain: Climate protests shut BP's London headquarters on CEO's first day

Climate protesters forced BP to temporarily shut down its London headquarters on Wednesday, the first day in office for the oil and gas company's new CEO Bernard Looney.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-bp-climate/climate-protests-shut-bps-london-headquarters-on-ceos-first-day-idUKKBN1ZZ1CB

Weapons Industry: India seeks shift from buying weapons to exporting them

India's arms imports account for nearly 10% of the global total, with Russia being the country's main supplier. However, New Delhi is now seeking to become a big exporter of weapons to the rest of the world.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/india-seeks-shift-from-buying-weapons-to-exporting-them/a-52270331

USA: Donald Trump acquitted by Senate in Kangeroo style impeachment trial, without witnesses, on both charges

U.S. President Donald Trump has been acquitted of both charges in his Senate impeachment trial.

On the first article of impeachment, the charge of abuse of power, the vote was 52 to 48.

On the second article, the charge of obstruction of Congress, the vote was 53 to 47.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney voted with Democrats to convict on 1st of 2 charges.

Romney called Trump's actions "perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of oath of office that I can imagine."

Romney also sided with Democrats in calling for more witness testimony in Trump's impeachment trial, a move Republicans blocked.
 

The impeachment drama that has consumed Washington since September comes to an end as the Republican president pivots toward the election in November.

Trump said he would make a statement about the acquittal tomorrow, but tweeted his immediate reaction.  

Read more at: Donald Trump acquitted by Senate on both charges in impeachment trial | CBC News

USA: State of the Union 2020: Trump addresses the nation - propaganda on steroids

This speech will be remembered for the bitter partisanship underlying it. From the snubbed handshake of Pelosi by Trump, to the awarding of the presidential Medal of Freedom to a man who has professionally insulted people, especially women, for decades; to the instantly viral clip of Pelosi ripping up Trump’s partisanship underlying it. Trump’s speech, we learned more tonight about the state of America’s disunion than anything else.

Read more: State of the Union 2020 live updates: Trump addresses the nation

Europe's future: Macron: Poland, Germany and France to lead Europe after Brexit

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for closer ties with Poland in shaping the European Union without Britain, in European security and relations with Russia.

Following talks in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Macron also called for a revival of trilateral ties with Germany, urging a summit meeting before the summer, following years of hiatus.

He said the three countries “bear responsibility for Europe's future” and should resume that role, especially after Britain's departure last week.

Later in the day. after talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Macron said his trip to Poland was “pretty special, a few days after Brexit, because it also shows our will, between strategic partners, big European powers, being able to ... reactivate a productive dialogue and make our Europe stronger, more sovereign, more united.”

Duda said the 27-member EU should become more efficient and attractive “so that no one will want to leave it.”

Read more at: Macron: Poland, Germany and France to lead Europe after Brexit | Euronews

EU (average) unemployment at 20-year low

Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, has released figures showing that unemployment in the EU is at its lowest since 2000.

The average unemployment rate in the 28 EU states was 6.2 percent in December 2019, the lowest in almost 20 years. The Czech Republic (2.0 percent) as well as Germany and the Netherlands (both 3.2 percent) had the lowest while Greece (16.6 percent) and Spain (13.7 percent) had the highest.

Read more: EU unemployment at 20-year low

The Netherlands will give citizens up to Euro 4,000 ($4,400) for buying new electric vehicles

The Netherlands will support greener forms of transport this year by giving drivers money towards the cost of a new electric vehicle (EV). This goes for private buyers of both new and used cars.

According to a report from Dutch news organization RTL

 if you live in the Netherlands and buy a new electric car after July 1 this year, you could receive €4,000 ($4,425) towards its cost from the government. If you buy a used, second-hand EV, you could be eligible for €2,000 ($2,211).

Click here to check out the listing of electric cars in the Netherlands

 Read more at: The Netherlands will give citizens up to $4,400 for buying new electric vehicles

Super Bowl Miami: Jennifer Lopez & Shakira Rock Miami for Super Bowl Halftime Show

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira just brought Miami to its knees with a Super Bowl Halftime performance for the ages ... one which Shak opened, and J Lo tied up in the end.

  
The two Latina singers were co-headliners Sunday during the big game, and things kicked off with Shakira taking the stage with a crew of dancers behind her and the color red flooding the space. She ran through a medley of her hits fairly quickly, but with flash to spare.

Some of her songs she touched on ... "She Wolf," "Empire," "Whenever, Wherever" and eventually ... "Hips Don't Lie." Latin rap star Bad Bunny came out to join her at one point.

Note EU-Digest: the half-time show was not only a great spectacle, but also a fantastic promotion for its great variety of ethnic groups, which make Miami one of the most vibrant cities in the US, and a popular tourist destination for people from all over the world, with its tropical climate, beautiful beaches and super cuisine. 

Read more at: Jennifer Lopez & Shakira Rock Miami for Super Bowl Halftime Show

2020 US Elections: Iowa Caucus: Are 2020 Democrats Being Too Cautious?

Heading into tonight’s Iowa caucus, the clock may be ticking faster on the Democratic presidential candidates than they believe.

All of the leading contenders have campaigned energetically and extensively across the state during the past few days, but none have moved to sharply contrast themselves with their rivals.

None of the candidates has offered a sustained challenge to Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has surged to the lead in most Iowa polls and delivered an impressive show of strength on Saturday night with a raucous rally here that attracted some 3,000 people. Nor has former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg or Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota delivered much of an argument against former Vice President Joe Biden, though he leads them in the competition for moderate voters. “I think this is a pillow fight compared to previous caucuses,” says Jeff Link, a longtime Democratic strategist in Iowa.

Note EU-Digest: Democrats better take off the gloves in order to win against a dirty street fighter with no scruples. 

Read more at: Iowa Caucus: Are 2020 Democrats Being Too Cautious? - The Atlantic

USA: Donald Trump Jr: ‘Here We Go Again With Instagram Censorship’

Donald Trump Jr. took to Instagram stating Monday that he was censored and shadow banned by the social media platform.

The President’s son posted a screenshot Monday morning of his father’s campaign video that aired during the Super Bowl. It reads, “Give me a break. Here we go again with the @Instagram censorship.”

“As we’ve gotten closer to the caucuses/primaries I’ve seen my numbers drop but this ad, which was one of the most talked about from the #SuperBowl put out by the President, to only have 57,000 views and 265 comments on my account after being up for four hours is literally unprecedented,” Trump Jr. wrote.

Note EU-Digest: the truth is that Trump's Ad at the super-bowl low numbers is that very few people in the US were interested to hear the propaganda nonsense coming from the Republicans about Trump. 

Read more at: Donald Trump Jr: ‘Here We Go Again With Instagram Censorship’ | The Daily Caller

Britain: 'Size matters', EU warns UK as it leaves - by Eszter Zalan

As the UK was preparing to leave the EU at midnight on Friday (31 January) after 47-years of membership, the EU's top officials pledged to reinforce the EU's role in the "ever-louder cacophony of the world".

In an op-ed published on the day the UK ends its membership, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, EU Parliament president David Sassoli and EU Council president Charles Michel said the post-Brexit period would mark a "new dawn for Europe".

The member states of Europe will continue to join forces and build a common future. In an age of great power competition and turbulent geopolitics, size matters," they said after returning from a retreat in France to talk about the EU's future.

"No country alone can hold back the tide of climate change, find the solutions to the digital future or have a strong voice in the ever-louder cacophony of the world. But together, the European Union can," they argued.

Read more: 'Size matters', EU warns UK as it leaves

Britain: We need to stay close to the EU – for the good of the economy and the cultural ties that bind us

So it is done. On Friday night, 47 years of British membership of the European Union and its forebears came to an end. It was a moment that will irrevocably shape the course of our nation’s history, but in quite what direction it is impossible to tell. The paradox of Brexit lives on.

Britain has taken a monumental decision from which there is no retreat in the foreseeable future. And yet, three and a half years on from the referendum that heralded our departure, nothing of substance about what it means for our future has been resolved. Brexit continues to be defined by its champions’ hostility to the EU, rather than a realistic vision of what we could become.

Brexit will also fundamentally alter our role in the world. Britain’s most pressing diplomatic challenge will be how to deal with the US at a time when there has never been a more hostile president. Trump lobbied for Brexit because he regarded it as in America’s interests.

He saw in it the potential to weaken Europe, while rendering Britain more compliant with American demands. Trump has already demonstrated that he expects high fidelity, if not subservience, from Britain in his approach to Iran and Palestine. Which side will Britain choose if Trump decides to ramp up US tariffs and sanctions with the EU?

In the coming months, Britain will have to pick a careful path in the shadow of an increasingly for-or-against-us president. US bullying over the Huawei “security risk” and digital taxes on the technology giants is a sure sign of things to come. The other big challenge concerns Britain’s future dealings with China and other authoritarian regimes such as Russia, Brazil, Israel, Turkey and some of the Gulf states.

The government covets a trade deal with China and investment from Beijing, but how will it trade off China’s bulging chequebook with its deplorable record on human rights and free speech? And how would greater cooperation sit with a US that is increasingly hostile to China? If Johnson creates a diplomatic gulf with Europe through the course of the Brexit negotiations, it would be to our peril. Britain could find itself caught between two superpowers without the protective shield of European solidarity to fall back upon.

Read more at: We need to stay close to the EU – for the good of the economy and the cultural ties that bind us | Opinion | The Guardian

Coronavirus latest: Rescue flight lands in France as European cases rise to 23

European coronavirus cases have risen to 23 as a plane carrying 254 evacuees from Wuhan landed in France — including 36 people with symptoms.

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/22/watch-live-who-director-general-statement-on-coronavirus-outbreak

Global Unrest: Staving off ‘doomsday’: As America barks and Europe drifts, Iran’s nuclear programme and belligerence grow - by Borzou Daragahi

he Europeans are arguing with the Russians and the Chinese, but are also squabbling among themselves over how to deal with Iran. The Americans are hectoring everyone. France and Germany worry about London breaking ranks and joining Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, a move which would destroy faltering efforts to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal forged over years of diplomacy and actively being sabotaged by the United States.

Meanwhile, day by day, Iran’s nuclear programme grows. Last weekend Iran surpassed the threshold of 1,200kg of stockpiled reactor-grade uranium which, if Tehran were to make a headlong rush towards weaponisation, could be used to fuel a single nuclear warhead.

“Iran is increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium with full speed,” Ali Asghar Zarean, an Iranian atomic energy official, boasted last weekend.
Though the threat of an all-out war has receded following the assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and retaliatory airstrikes on a US airbase in Iraq, experts and diplomats say the crisis between Washington and Tehran is far from over.

The situation remains fraught with many dangers, a potentially explosive slow-burning crisis which could eventually overshadow all others.

“There’s a consensus that we want things to cool down a bit,” a senior European foreign policy official tells The Independent. “We may end up in a doomsday scenario, but we’re not there yet. We’re trying to avoid that.”

Indeed, as bad as the situation with Iran is, it could easily get far worse. The potential sources of friction between Washington and Tehran and their respective allies are many.

Iranian-backed forces and allies in Syria are conquering Idlib province in an unrelenting offensive that has “appalled and horrified” Washington, James Jeffrey, US Syria and Isis envoy, told reporters on Thursday.

Iranian-backed forces and allies in Syria are conquering Idlib province in an unrelenting offensive that has “appalled and horrified” Washington, James Jeffrey, US Syria and Isis envoy, told reporters on Thursday.

In Yemen, Iranian-allied Houthi fighters are holding their own against US-backed Saudi forces and their local allies. And in Iraq and Lebanon, Iran’s allies are suppressing protests tacitly supported by Washington.

Iranian lawmakers and officials, insisting they are being backed into a corner, are also increasingly warning they could leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the five-decades-old agreement by which countries forego atomic weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear technology. Western diplomats are not taking the threat lightly.

Read more: Staving off ‘doomsday’: As America barks and Europe drifts, Iran’s nuclear programme and belligerence grow | The Independent

Addictions: My Life Without Sugar

My plan was to have a sugar-free month. But now I feel so much better that I can’t imagine going back.

Read more at:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/my-life-without-sugar?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Global Political Calendar: Trump's last State of the Union address?

French President Emmanuel Macron visits Poland, U.S. President Donald Trump delivers State of the Union address, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov starts Latin American trip, and Irish House of Representatives election starts.

Read more at: French President Emmanuel Macron visits Poland, U.S. President Donald Trump delivers State of the Union address, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov starts Latin American trip, and Irish House of Representatives election starts.Global Political Calendar: Trump's last State of the Union address? - CGTN

Middle East; Arab League rejects Trump′s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan

The Arab League has rejected a Middle East peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump. It said the plan would not lead to a just deal for both sides.

Read more at;
https://www.dw.com/en/arab-league-rejects-trumps-israeli-palestinian-peace-plan/a-52225651

The US Presidency: Will American Democracy Survive The Trump Swamp?

The Republicans in the Senate have voted down the possibility of calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump. If they proceed to acquit him of abuse of power and obstruction of justice, the notion of three co-equal, mutually checking branches of government is at an end.

Read more  at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johntorpey/2020/01/31/will-american-democracy-survive-the-trump-swamp/#4b2acd556900

Wall Street Meltdown Expected : ‘Godfather’ of technical analysis says stock-market downturn is going to get worse: ‘I am looking at a 10% drop maybe a little bit more’

It is going to get worse before it gets better for the stock market, says prominent technical analyst Ralph Acampora.

Read more at:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/godfather-of-technical-analysis-says-stock-market-downturn-is-going-to-get-worse-i-am-looking-at-a-10-drop-maybe-a-little-but-more-2020-01-31

EU-Scotland relations: Scotland asks EU to 'leave a light on' in Brussels after Brexit

Many in Scotland have an eye on independence from the UK, a move they see as opening a path to joining the European Union.

Read,more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/31/scotland-asks-eu-to-leave-a-light-on-in-brussels-after-brexit

USA: the impeachment "trial": Alan Dershowitz Wants to Save Donald Trump by Ending America

After months of insisting Donald Trump committed no wrong on his “perfect” call, Republicans have found their way to the inevitable endgame: arguing that the president is above the Constitution that he is sworn to uphold.

For months, Trump’s defenders claimed he never conditioned the release of military aid on Ukraine’s announcement of investigations into Joe Biden and Russian conspiracy theories, as alleged in the articles of impeachment. Trump’s legal team opened their argument on Saturday by declaring that no witness heard Trump link the aid to Ukraine’s manufacturing of dirt on Biden. But on Sunday, the nation learned that former National Security Adviser John Bolton heard the president admit he’d done just that.

For a moment, the president and his allies seemed flummoxed. Trump issued a series of tweets asserting that he “NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens.” Fox News began frantically suggesting that Bolton, of all people, was a secret agent of the left-wing “deep state.” On Monday, Trump’s lawyers resumed their defense in the Senate by arguing that there was no evidence of a quid pro quo in the “House record,” as if the nation remained ignorant of the Bolton account, which appeared on the top of every newspaper, website, and newscast.

But, apart from challenging credulity, the response created an obvious problem for Trump and his supporters: It amounted to a compelling argument for bringing Bolton, and even the president himself, before Congress to give sworn testimony, so as to allow the senatorial jury to decide who was telling the truth.

Alan Dershowitz Wants to Save Donald Trump by Ending America

USA - Middle East Policy Trump Administration:Trump’s Middle East plan is a policy of apartheid and settler colonialism: by Mehdi Hasan

What’s so interesting about the current moment, of course, is that Donald Trump — there’s always a silver lining to Donald Trump’s awfulness. And that is that he takes any issue, and he’s so extreme on it — he’s so extreme even by American presidential standards — that he forces people off whatever fence they were sitting on. And I think what he’s done in the last 24 hours, with the help of his son-in-law, with the help of Netanyahu and MBS of Saudi Arabia, who has also endorsed this plan, is the he’s forced people to basically take off the blinkers and recognize this for what it is. The conflict now is no longer Israel versus Palestine, as it’s often set up — as Professor Khalidi pointed out, it’s not; it’s a one-sided war — but it’s apartheid. And Americans now have to decide: Do they support apartheid, or do they not support apartheid? There’s no more nonsense about two-state solutions and all of that rubbish. That’s gone. That’s finished, finally over. No one pretends it’s still there on the table. It’s: Do you support apartheid, or do you not support apartheid? That is what we should be asking Democratic presidential candidates, and that is what journalists should be discussing in the media, in their op-eds, in their cable news discussion panels.

Red more: Trump’s Middle East plan is a policy of apartheid and settler colonialism: Mehdi Hasan – Alternet.org

Brexit: Huge surge in Britons applying for non-UK passports

More than 350,000 UK citizens have opted to apply for post-Brexit insurance policy since 2016

Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/30/brexit-730000-britons-acquired-non-uk-eu-irish-passports-since-2016?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

CORONA VIRUS: BREAKING: WHO declares global emergency over coronavirus

The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency on Thursday. The new virus from China has been exported to more than a dozen countries, and the number of cases spiked tenfold in a week.

The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.

China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. To date, China has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is.

Read the full story

Big Pharma: Players in the Pharmaceutical Industry (Big Pharma)

The term “Big Pharma” is used quite often to describe massive pharmaceutical companies that make literally billions of dollars every year to keep Americans regularly supplied with a medicine cabinet’s worth of pills. But when we say Big Pharma, who are the players in the pharmaceutical industry? Who is responsible for flooding neighborhoods and communities with addictive medication? Who are the agencies responsible for keeping them in check?

There are two sides to the coin of this conversation: the pharmaceutical industry, which is responsible for the development, manufacturing, and marketing of drugs for use as medications; and Big Pharma, the colloquial (and often pejorative) term used to describe faceless corporations that push hugely overpriced drugs onto hapless and desperate consumers.

Some of the names of the biggest players in the industry may be familiar. Others may not ring as many bells, but with their market value, the relative anonymity works to their advantage. The Motley Fool provides a list of the companies doing the best business:

Read more at: Players in the Pharmaceutical Industry (Big Pharma)

Britain: Into the Brexit unknown, a dis-United Kingdom exits the European Union

The United Kingdom leaves the European Union an hour before midnight on Friday, casting off into an uncertain Brexit future that also challenges Europe's post-World War Two project of forging unity from the ruins of conflict.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-preview/into-the-brexit-unknown-a-dis-united-kingdom-exits-the-european-union-idUKKBN1ZS205

Middle East: How Far Can Turkey Challenge NATO and the EU in 2020? - Carnegie Europe - by Marc Pierini

In their dealings with Turkey in 2020, NATO and the European Union will sit across a more assertive interlocutor than ever before, but one they can hardly ignore.

NATO leaders will have to cope with the actual deployment of Russian S-400 missiles, the possible acquisition of Russian fighter aircraft, the continuing Turkish military operations in northern Syria, and an incipient military deployment in Libya.

EU leaders will deal with ongoing issues, such as Syrian refugees in Turkey, the expulsion of jihadists of EU origin, and drilling operations around Cyprus, as well as new topics like the agreement with Libya on maritime boundaries, the implications for EU businesses resulting from eventual U.S. sanctions, and the consequences of Brexit for Turkey’s relations with the UK and the EU.

The number and seriousness of these issues, as well as the potential for more adverse developments in Turkey’s policies, justify a firm, resolute, and yet cooperative policy from NATO and the European Union.

President Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power since November 2002. 

Erdoğan himself was prime minister from March 2003 until August 2014 and president of the republic thereafter. One of the main achievements during that period was a notable increase in prosperity,

 resulting in the creation of a new middle class; a massive development of transportation, irrigation, and social infrastructure; and a military buildup. 

This is illustrated in a list of 824 projects launched and/or completed in the 2010–2019 period.

The presidency’s operating mode is one mixing bold initiatives producing visible results in the public space with the steady elimination of freedom of expression and a tight control of the media and the judiciary, as illustrated in contentious events like the 2019 municipal elections and the Gezi trial.

Read more at: How Far Can Turkey Challenge NATO and the EU in 2020? - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

USA: White House tries to block incriminating book by former national security adviser Bolton

The White House on Wednesday objected to the publication of a book by President Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton depicting Trump as playing a central role in a pressure cam…

Read more at:
https://www.france24.com/en/20200129-usa-donald-trump-impeachment-john-bolton-national-security-advisor-book-ukraine-biden

Scotland; Scottish parliament votes to hold new independence referendum

Scotland's parliament also voted to keep the European Union flag flying outside the parliament building after Brexit.

Read more at :
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/29/scottish-parliament-votes-to-hold-new-independence-referendum

Brexit: 'You'll be missed': Brexit deal approved by MEPs ahead of UK departure

MEPs today approved the Brexit deal by 621 votes to 49.

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/29/brexit-meps-set-to-back-withdrawal-agreement-in-historic-vote

US Economy: Dow Drops Over 450 Points on Coronavirus Fears

The Dow industrials fell more than 450 points and crude oil slumped as the coronavirus spread from China to other countries, intensifying concerns it would deliver a fresh setback to the outlook for world economic growth.

Read more at:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-slide-on-coronavirus-fears-11580119666

McConnell says Republicans do not have votes to block witnesses

Trump’s defense team and his Republican allies have argued against the inclusion of  witnesses at impeachment trial

Read more at :
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/28/trump-impeachment-john-bolton-witnesses-chuck-schumer?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

Israel-Palestine-USA: World leaders react to Trump and Netanyahu's convoluted Middle East plan with little enthusiasm

Two prosecuted "leaders"-Middle East  plan

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said the bloc will "study and assess" Trump's proposals on the basis of its commitment to a "negotiated and viable two-state solution that takes into account the legitimate aspirations of both the Palestinians and the Israelis."

Germany, the EU's most powerful player, echoed Borrell's point by calling for a balanced approach.

"Only a negotiated two-state solution, acceptable to both sides, can lead to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.

Hesameddin Ashena, an adviser to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, said on Twitter: "This is a deal between the Zionist regime (Israel) and America. Interaction with Palestinians is not on its agenda.
 This is not a peace plan but a plan of imposition and sanctions."

Later, Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement said the proposal was the "treason of the century" and bound to fail.

Jordan warned against "annexation of Palestinian lands" with the kingdom's foreign minister warning against the "dangerous consequences of unilateral Israeli measures that aim to impose new realities on the ground".

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said "a thousand no's" to the plan.
"After the nonsense that we heard today we say a thousand no's to the Deal of The Century," Abbas said at a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered.

Numan Kurtulmus, deputy chairman of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK), also slammed Trump's statements on Jerusalem, saying: "No, Trump! Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state and the heart of the Islamic world!"

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN supports two states living in peace and security within recognised borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.

"The United Nations remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements and realizing the vision of two States - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines."

EU-Digest
 

Cuba Earthquake: South Florida feels massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake centered near Cuba

People all over Miami say they felt buildings swaying after a massive earthquake measuring 7.7 magnitude was centered between the island nations of Cuba and Jamaica on Tuesday.

The United States Geological Survey reports the quake began at 2:10 p.m. and was centered 86 miles northwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and 87 miles west-southwest of Niquero, Cuba.

A tsunami warning was not issued for any region, but the National Weather Service says waves up to 3 feet above tide level are possible for Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, Honduras and the Cayman Islands.

Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell says those in eight buildings in the Brickell and downtown areas self-evacuated and the building department was onsite. The Stephen P. Clark Government Center has been closed as a precaution.    

Read more at: South Florida feels massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake centered near 

U.S. Republican Senator Murkowski says almost 'time' to decide on additional impeachment information

Moderates U.S. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said on Monday she is curious about what former White House national security adviser John Bolton has to say, following reports of his manuscript, and it is nearly time to consider whether senators weighing evidence in the impeachment trial need additional information.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-impeachment-murkowski/u-s-republican-senator-murkowski-says-almost-time-to-decide-on-additional-impeachment-information-idUKKBN1ZQ22X

Britain: Brexit explained: how it happened and what comes next

Confused by the whole 1,300-day Brexit saga? This summary sets out how and why it happened, and what can be expected in 2020 and beyond

Read more  at:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/jan/27/brexit-explained-how-it-happened-and-what-comes-next?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

France: Seven things we learned in France in 2019

 Read more at:
Seven things we learned in France in 2019 - The Local

Italy - elections: Salvini faces setback in Italian regional election

The Italian far-right leader had focused heavily on campaigning in the Emilia-Romagna region.

Read  more at;
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51259290

Natural Disasters: The most earthquake-prone countries in the world

Earthquakes are a deadly danger in places where tectonic plates bump, slide, and cleave. Some countries have more to worry about than others.

Read more at
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-earthquake-prone-countries-in-the-world-2018-12

Holocaust: Netherlands PM Rutte apologizes for WWII persecution of Jews for first time

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday apologized for the first time on behalf of the government for the war-time persecution of Jews, saying little was done to protect them from the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany.

"Since the last survivors are still among us, I apologize today in the name of the government for what the authorities did at that time," Rutte said. "Our government did not act as the guardian of justice and security."

Of the 140,000 Jews living in the Netherlands at the time, only 38,000 survived World War II. However, authorities never recognized their own role in facilitating the persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany.

Note EU-Digest:  Was this apology by the Dutch PM a sincere gesture or more of a political P.R. statement? The Dutch Government at the time of the occupation, was one which was established by, and collaborating with the Nazi's, they obviously would or could do very little in stopping the atrocities committed by the Nazi's. This in contrast to the Dutch resistance forces, which fiercely attacked the Nazi occupiers in the Netherlands throughout the war.

Read more at: Netherlands apologizes for WWII persecution of Jews for first time | News | DW | 26.01.2020

Corona Virus: More than 2,000 now infected with coronavirus; 56 dead in China

0More than 2,000 people globally have been infected with a new coronavirus, the vast majority of them in China, where 56 people have died from the disease, according to figures released on Sunday.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-china-health/more-than-2000-now-infected-with-coronavirus-56-dead-in-china-idUKKBN1ZP02B

A Trump 2020 Coup d'etat ?: How Trump Could Lose the Election and Remain President - by Daniel Block

Emperor Trump

At the end of his congressional testimony in February, Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former fixer, floated a nightmarish possibility.

“Given my experience working for Mr. Trump,” Cohen said, “I fear that if he loses in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power.”

Cohen’s comments may seem hyperbolic, but they are worth taking seriously. In the aftermath of 2018, Trump told reporters, “Republicans don’t win, and that’s because of potentially illegal votes.” In a 2016 presidential debate, Trump refused to say whether he would accept defeat. “I’ll keep you in suspense,” he declared. Since that election, Trump has routinely said that his popular vote defeat was the product of “millions and millions” of illegal ballots. Now, facing potential legal jeopardy from ongoing investigations into hush-money payments and any number of apparent financial crimes, he might reasonably conclude that staying in office is the only way to avoid being indicted.

So what would it look like if Trump refused to concede? Is there really a way he could stay in office? It’s unlikely. For starters, successful autocrats rarely lose elections. “They take steps to rig it well in advance,” said Steven Levitsky, a comparative political scientist at Harvard University and the coauthor of How Democracies Die. They pack electoral authorities, jail opponents, and silence unfriendly media outlets. America’s extremely decentralized electoral system and powerful, well-funded opposition makes this very difficult to pull off. 

The U.S. also lacks the kind of politicized military that lets some discredited autocrats, like Venezuela’s Nicholás Maduro, hang on. “I can’t imagine the military accepting an effort to turn them into a partisan arm of the executive,” said Robert Mickey, a political scientist at the University of Michigan who researches the history of authoritarianism in the American South. 

But while nationwide cheating may be impossible, the Republican Party has proven more than willing to violate democratic norms where it has local control, and not every powerful institution is as neutral as the military. There is a sequence of events, each individually plausible, that would allow Trump to remain president despite losing the election—breaking American democracy in the process.

“I think we know that Trump will certainly, no matter what the result is, be likely to declare that there was fraud and that he was the rightful victor,” said Joseph Fishkin, a law professor at the University of Texas who studies elections.

Let’s assume that Fishkin is right. Here’s what could keep Trump in power.

Read more at: How Trump Could Lose the Election and Remain President | Washington Monthly

Coronavirus | About | Prevention and Treatment | CDC

CDC Coronavirus: About prevention and treatment - Describes how to reduce your risk of getting coronavirus infection, and how to relieve symptoms if you get infected.

Read more at :
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/prevention.html

Neo-Nazi Rinaldo Nazzaro running US militant group The Base from Russia

Read more at: 
Neo-Nazi Rinaldo Nazzaro running US militant group The Base from Russia - BBC News

Brexit: EU presidents von der Leyen and Michel sign UK withdrawal deal ahead of Brexit day

Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel have signed the Brexit deal on behalf of the European Commission and European Council, part of the process to ensure a smooth UK exit from the EU next week.

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/24/eu-presidents-von-der-leyen-and-michel-sign-uk-withdrawal-deal-ahead-of-brexit-day

WTO - Alternate Trade Dispute: China, Canada among WTO members backing alternate trade dispute scheme

China, Canada among WTO members backing alternate trade dispute scheme | CBC News

Turkey earthquake: At least 14 dead as buildings collapse

At least 14 people are killed and buildings collapse after the 6.8 magnitude quake. Casualty mumbers increasing by the hour

Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51245088

Development aid versus military spending - a lopsided disaster - by RM

There is something terribly wrong when you look at these charts, in particular when you compare that to what our political and corporate executive "leaders" want you to believe, about all the good they do in promoting health, peace and prosperity around the world.

If we look at the  5 largest economies in the world, and their latest official figures, re: their military budgets this is what we see. Mind you, these "official" figures are just the top of the iceberg, governments do have a history of hiding some military expenditures in other budgets.

China :  $ 146 billion
EU:           220
India           53
Russia        69
USA         639
Total    $ 1.1  trillion

Please note that the figures above do not include the overall global expenditures, as to military spending, which was $ 1.8 trillion in 2018

 In comparison the total amount of development aid provided to countries in need (OECD figures), to military expenditures  is quite alarming.

 One thing is certain, however, politicians, corporate executives and economists should keep in mind what Abraham Lincoln once said: "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time ".  

This EU-Digest report can only be copied or  republished if EU-Digest is quoted as the source

Global Economy: Global stocks steady as caution on China virus continues; euro hits seven-week low after ECB announcement

Stocks made a barely positive start in early Asian trade on Friday after the world's health body called it a little too early to declare a coronavirus outbreak a global emergency.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-global-markets/global-stocks-steady-as-caution-on-china-virus-continues-euro-hits-seven-week-low-after-ecb-idUKKBN1ZN02O

Israel - The Holocaust - World Holocaust Forum: Israelis want action on anti-Semitism, not words

Around 200,000 Holocaust survivors are still alive in Israel today. On Thursday, some of them took center stage at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem alongside the likes of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prince Charles.

They came to the World Holocaust Forum to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Those who could, walked around the hallways of Yad Vashem, talking to anyone who was willing to hear their stories —and people listening intensely, with great interest mixed with sorrow.

Read more at: World Holocaust Forum: Israelis want action on anti-Semitism, not words | World| Breakings news and perspectives from around the globe | DW | 23.01.2020

The Apocalypse: Doomsday Clock nears apocalypse over climate and nuclear fears say Atomic Scientists

The Mayans prophesy of the USA

The symbolic Doomsday Clock, which indicates how close our planet is to complete annihilation, is now only 100 seconds away from midnight.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) said on Thursday that the change was made due to nuclear proliferation, failure to tackle climate change and "cyber-based disinformation".

The clock now stands at its closest to doomsday since it began ticking 1947.

The idea began in 1947 to warn humanity of the dangers of nuclear war.

Former California Governor Jerry Brown, another member of the panel, said: "Dangerous rivalry and hostility among the superpowers increases the likelihood of nuclear blunder. Climate change just compounds the crisis. If there's ever a time to wake up, it's now."

One person who openly denied the "doomsday" prediction was Donald Trump when he spoke to an audience of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

After touting America's strong economy, the President told his audience Americans reject the prophets of doom who predicted overpopulation in the 1960s, mass starvation in the 1970s, and the end of oil in the 1990s.

"They are the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune tellers,” he said. “And they want to see us do badly but we don't let that happen.”

"What President Trump said today in Davos was phenomenal,” said  Climate Depot's Marc Morano, a vocal skeptic of man-made climate change. "President Trump is the greatest challenge to the entire global warming establishment, and not just becasue of his polices, but because he is willing to challenge the narrative and tell them to their face at the actual conference what it's like."

All we can say is: "time will tell".

EU-Digest

Pollution: Trump rolls back US water pollution controls

he Trump administration is set to scrap protections for America's streams and wetlands, repealing Barack Obama's Waters of the United States regulation.

The move, expected Thursday, will dismantle federal protections for more than half of wetlands and hundreds of small waterways in the US.

The White House says the change will be a victory for American farmers.
But critics say the change will be destructive - part of Mr Trump's wider assault on environmental protections.

Read more at: Trump rolls back US water pollution controls - BBC News

Britain-Trade tensions rise as US threatens car tariffsBritain-Trade tensions rise as US threatens car tariffs

Mr Javid said the UK would not back down over the tax which will hit US firms like Apple, Amazon and Facebook.

trade deal with the EU would take priority over one with the US after the UK leaves the EU this month, he added.

Read more: Trade tensions rise as US threatens car tariffs - BBC News

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia denies it hacked Jeff Bezos' phone after media report implicates crown prince - by Charles Riley and Shimon Prokupecz

UN experts said they are "gravely concerned" by information they have received suggesting that a WhatsApp account belonging to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was used to deliver spyware to the mobile phone of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

"The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr. Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia," the experts said in a statement Wednesday.

The statement was released by UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who specializes in extrajudicial killings and conducted an investigation into the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and David Kaye, a UN special rapporteur focused on freedom of expression. The pair called for an investigation into the allegations.

The UN experts released their statement after media outlets including CNN Business reported that a forensics team hired by Bezos had concluded that the CEO's mobile phone had been compromised and that the hack originated from an account controlled by bin Salman. A source told CNN that the forensics team had reached its conclusion with "medium to high" confidence. The story was first reported by The Guardian.

Tuesday night, before the UN experts released their statement, Bezos declined through a representative to comment to CNN Business on the Guardian's story. Amazon (AMZN) declined to comment when contacted by CNN Business. Facebook (FB), which owns WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UN experts' statement; nor did a lawyer who represents Bezos.

On Wednesday, Bezos tweeted a photo of himself attending a memorial service for Khashoggi in 2019.

The photo marked Bezos's first public remark since reports of the WhatsApp breach came to light.

The revelation casts a new shadow over the future king, whose efforts to overhaul Saudi Arabia's economy and attract foreign investment have been frustrated by global concern over his alleged role in the murder of Khashoggi in the country's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Sources previously told CNN that the CIA has concluded that bin Salman personally ordered the killing, which bin Salman has consistently denied.

Read more at: Saudi Arabia denies it hacked Jeff Bezos' phone after media report implicates crown prince - CNN

EU, US agree pharmaceuticals mutual recognition - or, could it mean letting the "US Pharma Fox" into the "EU Pharma Chicken Coup" ?

US Big Pharma Price Gauging

The EU and the United States have completed a Mutual Recognition Agreement, with both sides agreeing to reduce barriers and increase trade in pharmaceuticals as part of ongoing EU-U.S. trade talks.

Last week's recognition by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Slovakia, the last outstanding EU Member State, marked the full implementation of the EU-U.S. Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for inspections of manufacturing sites for human medicines in their respective territories. This is expected to make it faster and less costly for both sides to bring medicines to the market.

The agreement would ensure high quality medicines for the benefit of patients, assured the EU's Commissioner in charge of Health and Food Safety,Vytenis Andriukaiti: "It means that, on both sides of the Atlantic, the authorities in charge of medicines can now rely on inspections results to replace their own inspections."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now completed the capability assessments of the 28 EU competent authorities.

This Mutual Recognition Agreement is underpinned by 'robust evidence' that the EU and the U.S. have comparable procedures to carry out good manufacturing practice inspections for human medicines.

Together, Europe and the United States account for more than 80% of global sales of new medicines. As a result of the full implementation of this agreement, the Commission says both the industry and public authorities on both sides will be able to free resources that could be used to inspect facilities in other large producing countries.

The pharmaceutical industry is a strategic sector in which EU-U.S. regulatory cooperation is much more advanced than in most other sectors. Since May 2014, teams from the EU executive, EU national competent authorities, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have been auditing and assessing the respective supervisory systems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now assessed positively all national competent authorities of the EU.

From now on, a batch testing waiver will start to apply.

This means that qualified persons in the EU pharmaceutical company will be relieved of their task for carrying out the quality controls when carried out already in the United States.

The Mutual Recognition Agreement implementation work will now continue with view to expanding the operational scope to veterinary medicines, human vaccines and plasma derived medicinal products.

2017 marked the entry into operation of an agreement between the EU and the U.S. to recognise inspections of manufacturing sites for human medicines conducted in their respective territories. This agreement strengthens reliance upon each other's inspection expertise and resources.

Initially it applied between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and those EU Member States that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had assessed. This has been gradually extended to all EU countries and now the regulatory authorities in all 28 EU Member States were recognised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Meanwhile, the EU made the same determination about U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2017.

Read more at: EU, US agree pharmaceuticals mutual recognition — EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics

EU - Frontex: Thousands apply for EU border guard posts

The EU border agency, Frontex's recruitment drive launched last October to fill 700 new border guard positions has attracted a massive number of applicants from across southern and central EU states.

Some 7,500 applicants had applied for the 700 positions, which is part of a much larger bid to create a standing corps of 10,000 guards under the agency's aegis over the next several years.

"For the first time, and this is also new, and we are also making preparations for that, for the first time, Frontex staff will put on European Union uniforms, not to represent their nations, but to represent the entire European Union," Fabrice Leggeri, the head of the Warsaw-based agency, told reporters on Friday (17 January).

Many applicants appear to be retired military personnel, seeking a possible second career complete with generous EU salaries and perks.

Leggeri said the agency had expanded the scope of potential applicants in order not to deplete existing national border guard agencies.

Once recruited, the 700 will still have to undergo a six-month training exercise before being deployed in the field at the EU's external borders early next year.

Although most appear to come from what Leggeri described as "new" and southern EU states, he also noted some had applied from Nordic EU countries.

Political masters and law makers at the EU institutions, in early 2019, reached an agreement to boost the agency's mandate in the wake of a wider shift to clamp down on the EU's external borders.

That agreement included creating a standing corps of 10,000 guards by 2027 and dovetailed into an agency that primarily saw itself as doing law enforcement work.

Read more: Thousands apply for EU border guard posts

North Korea abandons nuclear freeze pledge, blames 'brutal' U.S. sanctions - Reuters

North Korea said on Tuesday it was no longer bound by commitments to halt nuclear and missile testing, blaming the United States’ failure to meet a year-end deadline for nuclear talks and “brutal and inhumane” U.S. sanctions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set an end-December deadline for denuclearization talks with the United States and White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said at the time the United States had opened channels of communication.

O’Brien said then he hoped Kim would follow through on denuclearization commitments he made at summits with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Read more at: North Korea abandons nuclear freeze pledge, blames 'brutal' U.S. sanctions - Reuters

Switzerland - Davos: Trump in his Davos speech plays down the threat of climate change - by Ishaan Tharoor

In the buildup to the World Economic Forum, the focus was all on climate change. On its first day, the forum’s organizers announced an ambitious agenda that would enlist a broad consortium of banks, companies and civic leaders to make this year’s event a “tipping point” for global climate action.

In the hour that preceded an address from President Trump, an envoy from Pope Francis urged the throng of gathered billionaires, corporate executives, politicians and celebrities to recognize their “moral responsibility” to safeguard future generations. Simonetta Sommaruga, the president of the Swiss Confederation, went to the dais and warned of “a world on fire.” 

She told the crowd, which included figures such as former U.S. vice president Al Gore and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We need politicians to take action in their own country and internationally to ensure that the ecological balance is ensured and global warming is stopped.”

In the first of two speeches Tuesday, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenage climate activist, once more scolded political leaders and media elites, accusing them of not making expressly clear the scale of the catastrophe facing the planet. “Without treating it as a real crisis, we cannot solve it,” she said.

Then Trump spoke. 

He used his plenary moment — the forum’s first speech by a major world leader — to take a victory lap of sorts, celebrating the U.S. economic “boom” under his watch. “America is flourishing, and, yes, America is winning again like never before,” Trump declared in what was essentially a 30-minute campaign stunt, albeit devoid of the familiar xenophobic demagoguery.

Read more at: Trump in his Davos speech plays down the threat of climate change - The Washington Post

Weather -Spain: Storm Gloria kills 4, disrupts travel

8A storm raging through much of eastern Spain has claimed at least four lives and cut off power to hundreds of thousands. Alicante Airport was also temporarily shut, disrupting over 200 flights.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/spain-storm-gloria-kills-4-disrupts-travel/a-52081614

Switzerland - Davos: Trump attacks environmental 'prophets of doom' at Davos 2020

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday assailed environmental “prophets of doom”, delivering an uncompromising message in Davos after Swedish teenage campaigner Greta Thunberg slammed government inacti…

Read more at:
https://www.france24.com/en/20200121-donald-trump

CARIBBEAN - USA Relations: Caribbean leaders boycott Pompeo talks as row grows over US relations

Trinidad and Tobago PM joins Barbadian counterpart in turning down meeting with US secretary of state in Jamaica.

Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/21/mike-pompeo-boycott-caribbean-visit?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

USA - Trump Impeachment: Mitch McConnell’s latest bid to save Trump is about to blow up in his GOP colleagues’ faces: report

In a commentary for MSNBC, contributor Steve Benen echoed former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake who made the case that history will not look kindly upon Republican senators who are planning to give Donald Trump a pass in his impeachment trial, saying they are all on trial now.

Read more at:
https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/mitch-mcconnells-latest-bid-to-save-trump-is-about-to-blow-up-in-his-gop-colleagues-faces-report/

US Tech Transfer: First to China, Now to the Middle East

The shortsightedness of the United States in allowing arms production facilities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is unbelievable.

Read more at:
https://www.theglobalist.com/united-states-saudi-arabia-china-technology-transfer-arms-trade/

Denmark-Estonia relations: Danske Bank Money Laundering Probe Expands

The Estonian Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Thursday it expanded the investigation into money laundering through Danske bank’s Estonian branch from two to more than 10 cases that are involving suspicious transactions worth US$ 2 billion.

Prosecutors were previously looking into suspect money flows worth $300 million relating to two separate cases.  

After media broke the story about extensive money laundering in the Estonian branch of Denmark’s biggest bank, Danske launched an investigation into 15,000 of its customers and 200 billion euro (US$222 billion) worth of transactions.

In 2018, the bank admitted that it 6,200 customers had hit the most risk indicators and that most of them have been found to be suspicious. Most of the customers were from Russia and other post-Soviet countries.

The bank closed its branches in the Baltics and promised to cooperate with investigators.

The scandal also triggered worldwide probes and lawsuits.

Read more: Estonia: Danske Bank Money Laundering Probe Expands

USA: Another Trump advisor bites the dust: Trump Russia adviser escorted from White House amid security probe

Andrew Peek had only been in the job since November. His predecessors, Fiona Hill and Tim Morrison, testified in President Trump's impeachment probe.

Read more at:
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-russia-adviser-andrew-peek-leave-white-house-security-probe-2020-1

Corona virus -Just the basics: The new coronavirus outbreak

With the confirmation that a new coronavirus in China has been transmitted between humans, here's a quick look at what you need to know.

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-wuhan-canada-1.5433625

Britain: Immune discovery 'may treat all cancer'

Research is at an early stage but scientists said it had huge potential for destroying cancers.

Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51182451

EU plans to refocus ′Sophia′ naval mission on Libya

Following a meeting of EU foreign ministers, the EU's foreign policy chief has said EU countries have agreed to "refocus" the bloc's Mediterranean naval mission on enforcing an arms embargo on Libya.

Read more at :
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-plans-to-refocus-sophia-naval-mission-on-libya/a-52067545

U.S. Trustworthiness Rating Dives in 2020 Best Countries Report

The world’s trust in a country entering an election year with its impeached president facing trial in the Senate and stirring global alarm over the U.S. killing of an general, has dropped by more than 50% since 2016, the sharpest drop of any country assessed in the 2020 Best Countries report.

Additionally, the United Kingdom has experienced the second-greatest drop in the world’s trust since 2016, according to Best Countries data. Last December’s elections firmly entrenched Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his vow to push forward with Brexit and take the country out of the European Union

By contrast, America’s neighbor to the north, Canada, is seen as the world’s most trustworthy country, according to the report, a position the nation has held since the annual global survey

The Top 5 Countries in the World 
Switzerland 
Japan 
Germany 
Australia

Read more: U.S. Trustworthiness Rating Dives in 2020 Best Countries Report | Best Countries | US News

EU-Turkey relations: EU denies reports of further Turkey aid cuts

Media reports about massive cuts in funding "are completely wrong and misleading," an EU spokesman has said. The bloc cut pre-accession funds to Turkey in 2017 and is not planning further cuts.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-denies-reports-of-further-turkey-aid-cuts/a-52060306

British territory Gibraltar 'could stay in Schengen Area after Brexit'

Gibraltar's chief minister, Fabian Picardo, says the territory should remain accessible to the rest of the EU after January 31

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/18/british-territory-gibraltar-could-stay-in-schengen-area-after-brexit

Switzerland-Davos 2020: American politics is the biggest risk facing the world right now, say experts

American politics is the biggest threat facing the world in 2020 and the looming presidential election will stress the country's institutions, influence economic and foreign policy and further divide an already polarized electorate, with potentially huge consequences for the climate, business and investors.

That's the view of experts at consultancies Eurasia Group and Control Risks.

The World Economic Forum, which is preparing to hold its annual meeting of political leaders and CEOs next week in Davos, is also warning of increased turbulence this year from trade conflicts and political polarization that makes it harder to tackle global challenges.

Control Risks says that President Donald Trump's campaign for a second term will drive decision-making in foreign policy, increasing the chance that investors will be caught off guard by populist moves favoring US factory workers or farmers.

"The campaign will focus foreign policy on managing crises, distracting US attention from non-urgent issues and geographies. Trump's thirst for deliverable 'wins' before the election, meanwhile, will amplify foreign leverage in trade and security relations," Control Risks wrote in a recent report.

Eurasia Group, which has designated US politics as the top risk for the first time in its annual assessment of the state of the world, warns that the election will be the most divisive in over a century, with the outcome likely to be viewed as illegitimate by roughly half the population.

The analysts expect the result to be contested, no matter which candidate triumphs.

"The 2020 election is an American Brexit — a maximally polarized vote where the risk is less the outcome than the political uncertainty of what the people voted for," Eurasia Group says in its report.

 "It's uncharted political territory, and this time in a country where uncertainty creates shock waves abroad."

In preparing its report ahead of the Davos meeting, the World Economic Forum surveyed 750 global experts and decision makers who named economic confrontations and national political polarization as the top risks in 2020.

Taken together, the reports depict a world facing thorny problems with few obvious solutions. Increasingly fractious politics in developed countries is undermining the rules that have underpinned trade and globalization for decades, giving elected leaders license to act unilaterally and stoking conflicts such as the trade war between the United States and China.

Read more: Davos 2020: American politics is the biggest risk facing the world right now, say experts

US Presidential Elections: Six Lessons for US Democrats they should use from Boris Johnson’s December victory in Britain

Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party won the British general election on December 12, 2019 in a landslide and won their largest number of seats since 1983 while Labor received the lowest number of seats since 1935.

Since the next “big” election to be held will be held in the United States, in just over 10 months from now. What can U.S. Democrats learn from the 2019 victory by Boris Johnson, so that they can prevent Donald Trump’s reelection in November 2020?

And to be quite clear. So far the Democrats have run a dismal campaign, very much like the labor party did in Britain's elections.

Here are 6  suggestions from the Boris Johnson Playbook

Lesson 1:  Focus on a top class experienced, seasoned candidate who is appealing to most people 
Lesson 2: Stop complaining about the distortions of the voting system. It won’t change!
Lesson 3: Yes, liars win elections
Lesson 4: The top candidate matters above all - no confusing messages
Lesson 5: Simple messages win
Lesson 6: Don’t overrate leaders’ morals

Beyond getting their own party’s base to turn up to vote, the Democratic nominee must appeal to a sufficient number of Independents. That is no small task.

So far, no candidate seems to be able to be ideologically exciting and politically sober at the same time to accomplish this task.

Perhaps, this is Mission Impossible for the Democrats - unless, a knight on a white horse comes riding out into the open who is able to defeat the "evil one".

EU-Digest 

Iran-US Relations: Iran Plays Chess, the US Backgammon - by James M. Dorsey

Iranians play chess, Americans play backgammon when it comes to warfare, military strategy and conflict management.

That is becoming increasingly obvious in the U.S-.Iranian tit-for-tat on an Iraqi gameboard.

Hobbled by harsh U.S. economic sanctions and a weak military hand, Iran has perfected the art of asymmetric warfare and carefully calibrated operations as well as acts of political violence, an approach that the United States 40 years after the 1979 Iranian revolution has yet to come to grips with.

Iran’s firing of missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq in its initial military response to the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani deftly served multiple purposes while leaving the door open to de-escalation.

The Iranian missiles targeting the bases, part of what Iran dubbed Operation Harsh Revenge, were launched as millions crowded the streets of the city of Kerman for the funeral of Mr. Soleimani, the third day of a mass outpouring of mourning, public anger and calls for revenge.

Using guided precision missiles, Iran was careful to demonstrate its capability while not causing further U.S. and/or Iraqi casualties that almost certainly would have provoked a harsh U.S. response.

Driving the point home, Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the missile attacks as a “slap in the face” of the United States.

Mr. Khamenei went on to say that Iran’s real revenge would be the expulsion of U.S. forces from the Middle East. “Military actions in this form are not sufficient for that issue. What is important is that America’s corrupt presence must come to an end in this region,” he said.

In a televised address, Mr. Trump, flanked by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and several members of the military top brass. appeared to respond positively to the Iranian overture, cloaking it as Iran “standing down.”

Amid the bluster justifying the killing of Mr. Soleimani, promises to impose additional sanctions against Iran, vows that Iran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and extolling American military and economic might, Mr. Trump insisted that “the United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”

Iran hopes that the scare of an escalating tit-for-tat that gets out of control will energize efforts to bring the United States and the Islamic Republic back to the negotiating table.

Dialing down tension at best buys the United States and Iran time.
It does not solve anything.

While Mr. Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, insisted this week that the Trump administration’s goal was to “contain and confront” Iran, Iran itself Iran retains a vested interest in strategic escalation.

It may hope that the current crisis is the monkey wrench that breaks the logjam but will seek to again push things to the brink if it is disappointed.

Read more at: Iran Plays Chess, the US Backgammon - The Globalist