Síntesis informativa - 14 de agosto 2020
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Trump Encourages Racist Conspiracy Theory About Kamala Harris
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday encouraged a racist conspiracy theory that is rampant among some of his followers: that Senator Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic vice-presidential nominee born in California, was not eligible for the vice presidency or presidency because her parents were immigrants.
Netanyahu Drops Troubled Annexation Plan for Diplomatic Gain
JERUSALEM — For the past 16 months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had doggedly pursued a right-wing dream that he saw as securing his legacy: annexing West Bank territory that the Palestinians counted on for a future state, potentially dealing a death blow to a two-state solution. The announcement in Washington that the United Arab Emirates had agreed to a “full normalization of relations” with Israel in exchange for Mr. Netanyahu’s agreement to “suspend” his annexation push amounted to a breathtaking turnabout for the veteran Israeli premier.
For Palestinians, Israel-U.A.E. Deal Swaps One Nightmare for Another
With annexation of the West Bank off the table and Arab diplomacy turned inside out, the Palestinian struggle, once focused against Israel, now is to remain relevant. “This agreement is very damaging to the cause of peace,” said Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian mission to the United Kingdom, speaking from London, “because it takes away one of the key incentives for Israel to end its occupation — normalization with the Arab world.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/world/middleeast/palestinians-israel-uae-annexation-peace.html
U.S. Retail Sales Increased in July, Though Growth Slowed
Even as coronavirus infections continued to spread, in-person school re-openings were scrapped and unemployment stayed near historic levels, Americans kept shopping in July with retail sales rising 1.2 percent from June, reflecting a rare bright spot in the battered economy.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/08/14/business/stock-market-today-coronavirus
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RUSSIA TODAY
Erdogan threatens to cut diplomatic ties with UAE and shut its embassy over deal on normalizing relations with Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he is considering breaking off all diplomatic ties with the UAE after the Gulf nation announced a landmark deal establishing formal relations with Israel.
https://www.rt.com/news/498010-erdogan-uae-israel-deal/
'We are a sovereign country': PM Babies tells Pompeo Czechs will decide for themselves what to do with their nuclear plant & Huawei
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has rejected US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s push to limit his country’s contacts with Russian and Chinese firms and grant a nuclear power plant construction contract to an American firm.
https://www.rt.com/news/498015-sovereign-czech-pompeo-huawei/
Taiwan to raise defense spending next year 'to ensure national security & regional peace'
Taiwan unveiled a T$42.1 billion ($1.4 billion) increase in next year’s planned defense spending on Thursday. President Tsai Ing-wen’s cabinet is proposing T$453.4 billion in military spending for the year beginning January 2021, compared to the T$411.3 billion budgeted for 2020 – an increase of 10.2 percent, Reuters said, citing its calculations.
https://www.rt.com/newsline/497883-taiwan-raise-defense-spending/
Three rockets fall inside Iraqi base housing US troops
Three unguided projectiles have landed on the premises of Al-Balad military airbase, which houses US troops, Iraqi authorities confirmed. No information on damage or potential casualties was immediately available.
https://www.rt.com/newsline/497970-iraq-balad-base-attack/
'Strategic stupidity & dagger in the backs of Muslims': Iran denounces UAE-Israel deal on 'normalization' of relations
Tehran has blasted the Israel-UAE agreement to establish diplomatic ties as a "dangerous" step, and warned that it would only bolster the Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation.
https://www.rt.com/news/497987-iran-uae-israel-deal/
US seizes 4 Iranian gas tankers en route to Venezuela after threatening to disrupt deliveries - WSJ
Washington has captured four Iranian cargo vessels on the high seas, taking hold of several fuel tankers on their way to Venezuela “without the use of military force,” the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.
https://www.rt.com/news/497980-us-seize-iranian-ships-wsj/
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THE GUARDIAN
Seven top oil firms downgrade assets by $87bn in nine months
Analysis by the climate finance thinktank Carbon Tracker shows that in the last three month alone, companies including Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Total, Chevron, Repsol, Eni and Equinor have reported downgrades on the value of their assets totalling almost $55bn.
Lockdowns have triggered the sharpest collapse in demand for fossil fuels in 25 years, causing energy commodity markets to crash to historic lows.
The oil market collapse, which reached its nadir in April, has forced companies to reassess their expectations for prices in the coming years.
Iran and Turkey denounce UAE over deal with Israel
Iran’s foreign ministry denounced the Washington-brokered deal as an act of “strategic stupidity from Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv” and said it was a “dagger … unjustly struck by the UAE in the backs of the Palestinian people and all Muslims”.
Hostility towards Iran shared by Israel and several Middle East states has been a critical factor in their budding relations in recent years, boosted by Washington’s attempts to gather a coalition of autocratic Arab leaders against Tehran and its allies.
The new alliance has broken the status quo in which Israel was mostly isolated by its neighbours as a pariah.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/14/iran-and-turkey-denounce-uae-over-deal-with-israel
China's billion dollar pig plan met with loathing by Argentinians
The plan to turn Argentina into one of China’s main pork suppliers is being sold to the public by authorities as a $3.5bn (£2.7bn) investment that will generate $2.5bn in annual pork exports and provide 9,500 new jobs.
This would practically double Argentina’s current 350,000 sows and boost production from 700,000 yearly tonnes today to 900,000 tonnes in four years’ time. Each plant will be an integrated installation, from the processing of grain for animal feed to hog rearing, slaughterhouse and packaging.
Environmental author Soledad Barruti, who delivered the 200,000 signatures to foreign ministry officials handling the China negotiations, said: “Public sensibility is heightened by the coronavirus pandemic, which just happens to have originated from animal contagion. So it’s not surprising, considering how large-scale intensive pig farming is already associated in the public’s mind with the spread of diseases, that so many are rejecting the idea.”
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AL JAZEERA
Netanyahu says West Bank annexation plans still 'on the table'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he agreed to delay annexation in the occupied West Bank as part of a normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but the plans remain "on the table".
Israel and the UAE agreed on Thursday to normalise diplomatic ties in a landmark deal - brokered by the United States - according to which Tel Aviv had pledged to halt annexation of Palestinian lands.
Israel, UAE announce normalisation of relations with US help
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement - brokered by the United States - to work towards a "full normalisation of relations", a deal the Palestinians called a "treacherous stab in the back".
Under the agreement announced by the US President Donald Trump on Thursday, Israel said it has agreed to "delay" the annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, but the plan "remains on table".
Lebanon parliament approves sweeping powers for the army
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanon's parliament has approved a state of emergency that grants sweeping powers to the army, citing the exceptional circumstances in the country following a massive explosion in Beirut last week.
The cabinet had declared a two-week state of emergency on August 5, the day after the Beirut blast that left at least 200 dead and some 6,000 injured. Parliament on Thursday voted for the emergency declaration eight days in, as is legally required, though it could have also voted it down.
The state of emergency allows the army to curb free speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press, as well as to enter homes and arrest anyone deemed a security threat.
Thousands form 'lines of solidarity' with protesters in Belarus
Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the capital of Belarus for a fifth consecutive day of protests against an election they say was rigged to extend the rule of the country's longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Large groups of people formed long "lines of solidarity" in several areas of Minsk on Thursday to demonstrate against a crackdown on rallies that followed the vote.
Pakistan army chief to visit Saudi Arabia in quest to smooth ties
Pakistan's army chief will visit Saudi Arabia this weekend, officials said, seeking to calm diplomatic strains over Kashmir as financial support for Islamabad hangs in the balance.
The two countries are traditionally close and Saudi Arabia in 2018 gave Pakistan a $3bn loan and $3.2bn oil credit facility to help its balance of payments crisis.
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GLOBAL TIMES
Once peaceful means fail, the mainland won't fear a military showdown in the Taiwan Straits
Video
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1197709.shtml
Confucius Institute label shows US a petty superpower: Global Times editoria
The US Department of State on Thursday decided to designate the Confucius Institutes US Center as a foreign mission.
The US has found faults with Confucius Institutes for quite a long time. Some US senators have promoted suppression and crackdowns on certain institutes in their respective constituencies. However, demanding that Confucius Institutes must register as foreign missions is likely to have an extensive and long-term impact
It is another step taken by the US to "decouple" from China in the field of people-to-people exchanges and it has an opportunistic motive - that is, it aims to maintain China-US tension by creating new disputes between the two countries for the sake of this year's presidential election
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1197758.shtml
Pompeo alienates Germany, now sows discord in Eastern Europe
"EU-China - A strategic outlook" published in March 2019 outlines the strategy of the European Commission: The key words "cooperation partner" and "negotiation partner" stand for continued engagement. "Economic competitor" stands for eye level and "systemic rival" finally acknowledges that the two political systems are most likely going to remain different indefinitely.
Needless to say, we don't appreciate attempted extortion, such as the threat that military intelligence will not be shared if Germany includes Huawei in its 5G network. US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell tweeted within hours of taking office in Germany: "German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately."
Three US Republican senators even sent a letter vowing "crushing legal and economic sanctions" to the operators of a small German port for provisioning Russian vessels assisting with constructing the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
"Soft power" as a US asset took decades to build but will be quickly ruined. It is up to China to acquire more soft power by persistently being a more responsible global citizen than the US. Currently, that bar couldn't be much lower.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1197763.shtml
Apple should practice caution as it nears $2 trillion
Apple's spot at the top might be short-lived as its $44 billion China market is threatened by the Trump administration's WeChat ban. Once its surging stock price turns sour, many negative factors currently neglected by investors may erupt all at once.
Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has reportedly found that the iPhone-maker abused its dominant position in the mobile app marketplace and will order Apple to resolve multiple regulatory breaches.
Apple has been fined $506 million by a federal jury in Texas for "willfully" infringing a total of five patents on cellular standards, and the firm could be fined up to $26 billion as the EU investigates Apple's voice assistant Siri, according to media reports.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1197691.shtml
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LE MONDE
Rapprochement historique entre Israël et les Emirats arabes unis
Un accord, engagé sous les auspices de la Maison Blanche, prévoit une normalisation des relations en échange de la suspension du projet israélien d’annexer une partie des territoires palestiniens occupés.
Louis Imbert
Les chancelleries occidentales ont rapidement exprimé leur soulagement, Paris se félicitant du rapprochement de « deux partenaires essentiels dans la région », et de la décision israélienne de suspendre l’annexion, « qui doit devenir une mesure définitive ». De même, le premier ministre britannique, Boris Johnson, a salué « une excellente nouvelle » : « J’espérais profondément que l’annexion ne se poursuivrait pas en Cisjordanie », précise-t-il.
La Turquie accuse la France de jouer au « caïd » en Méditerranée orientale
A la suite du déploiement de deux avions Rafale et de deux navires de guerre français en signe de soutien à la Grèce, Istanbul rejette sur Athènes et Paris la responsabilité d’une « escalade » en Méditerranée.
Ces déclarations interviennent dans un contexte de tensions croissantes entre Ankara et Paris, qui s’opposent sur la Méditerranée orientale, la Libye et la Syrie. Jeudi, Paris a annoncé le déploiement de deux avions Rafale et de deux navires de guerre en Méditerranée orientale en signe de soutien à la Grèce, qui accuse la Turquie de mener des recherches énergétiques illégales dans ses eaux.
Un drone américain s’écrase dans le nord du Niger
C’est le troisième appareil sans pilote que les Etats-Unis perdent dans le pays, depuis le début de l’année, en raison de « défaillances mécaniques ».
Washington a commencé à faire voler ses engins sans pilote depuis l’aéroport de Niamey en 2013, d’abord pour fournir un soutien en renseignement aux forces françaises, engagées depuis le mois de janvier de cette année-là contre les groupes islamistes ayant pris le contrôle du nord du Mali, puis dans le cadre de la lutte anti-djihadiste en général. Le Niger a ensuite autorisé la construction d’une importante base américaine de drones à Agadez, donnant aux Etats-Unis une plateforme de surveillance pour l’ensemble du Sahel. La base de Dirkou, proche de la Libye, est aussi utilisée par l’armée américaine pour ses drones armés depuis l’an dernier. La France possède quant à elle une base sur l’aéroport de Niamey, d’où décollent des avions de chasse et des drones récemment armés.
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DEUTSCHE WELLE
Iran, Turkey slam UAE over agreement with Israel
Iran has said the establishment of diplomatic ties between its arch-rival Israel and the United Arab Emirates is a "dagger in the back" of all Muslims, while Turkey said the UAE had "betrayed" the Palestinian cause.
Iran and Turkey on Friday resoundingly condemned the normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The agreement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state, and the third Arab country following Egypt and Jordan, to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel.
In Thursday's announcement, Israel and the UAE said deals including travel, trade, embassies and security cooperation are expected in the coming weeks.
https://m.dw.com/en/israel-uae-relations/a-54564050
Germany backs Belarus sanctions ahead of EU meeting
Germany and the European Commission have both expressed support for sanctions on Belarusian officials following the mass arrests of demonstrators. A special session of top EU diplomats will decide on the next steps.
https://m.dw.com/en/belarus-eu-sanctions/a-54564440
US Senators threaten German port town of Sassnitz over Nord Stream 2 gas project
Three US senators are threatening the ferry port on the island of Rügen with "crushing" sanctions to prevent the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Fearing financial ruin, the people of Sassnitz are defiant.
https://m.dw.com/en/us-sanctions-nord-stream-2-gas/a-54565504
Turkey's Erdogan threatens Greece over energy exploration dispute in Mediterranean
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Greece will pay a "heavy price" if Turkey's gas exploration vessel in the eastern Mediterranean is attacked. The threat comes amid escalating tensions over energy resources.
Turkey on Monday sent the vessel to explore off the coast of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, accompanied by several Navy ships. Greece responded by sending its own military vessels to monitor the situation
UN human rights experts demand probe into Beirut deadly explosion
Nearly 40 UN human rights experts have called for a swift and independent probe into the Beirut port blast. The group has raised concerns over “irresponsibility” and “impunity” in Lebanon.
https://m.dw.com/en/un-human-rights-experts-demand-probe-into-beirut-deadly-explosion/a-54562455
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BLOOMBERG
Iran Condemns Israel-UAE Agreement, Calling It ‘Dangerous’
Iran criticized a historic agreement to normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, calling it a “dangerous move” and a “foolish mistake” that could lead to the escalation of tensions in the region.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-14/iran-condemns-israel-uae-agreement-calling-it-dangerous?srnd=premium
Fortnite Maker Sues Apple and Google Over App Store Dispute
Apple Inc. and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores on Thursday, prompting lawsuits by the game’s creator, Epic Games Inc. The moves escalate a dispute between the companies that had been brewing in recent weeks.
Mexico Central Bank Cuts Key Rate for What May Be Last Time
Mexico’s central bank cut its key interest rate to a four-year low with one board member seeking a smaller reduction than the rest amid expectations that the current easing cycle is ending as inflation reemerges. Banco de Mexico, led by Governor Alejandro Diaz de Leon, lowered borrowing costs by a half point to 4.5%, in line with 22 of 24 estimates in a Bloomberg survey. One of five board members at the bank voted for a quarter-point cut, in line with forecasts from two of the 24 economists in the poll.
Apple Alum Builds App to Help Millions in Indian Slums Find Jobs
Apna aims to help migrant laborers from rural areas find jobs in cities.
Parikh, a 32-year-old Apple Inc. alum with an MBA from Stanford, has created Apna, which he envisions as a sort of LinkedIn for non-English-speaking, nonaffluent Indians.
Game Makers Give Apple the Antitrust Grilling Congress Didn’t
Over the past several days, however, video-game developers ranging from Epic Games Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Facebook, have ensured that Apple doesn’t dodge scrutiny over its App Store practices and policies.
Baidu’s Revenue Shrinks Under Pressure from ByteDance in Ads
Baidu Inc.’s quarterly revenue shrank 1% and its projections suggest sales could slide again, as rivals like ByteDance Ltd. continue to chip away at its core advertising business.
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EL PAÍS
El uso del glifosato divide al Gobierno mexicano y aflora las tensiones dentro del Gabinete
La sustancia enfrenta al titular de Medio Ambiente con el de Agricultura y recuerda la polémica en Colombia, donde a pesar de estar prohibida el Ejecutivo insiste en su uso
La renta básica del coronavirus da impulso político a Bolsonaro
La ayuda de 111 dólares mensuales, que llegó a la mitad de los hogares brasileños en julio, vence este mes. El Gobierno y el Congreso negocian cómo prorrogarla
Pero la pandemia está cambiando esas percepciones. Su discurso anticiencia, negacionista y a veces obstruccionista ante la enfermedad ha mermado su apoyo entre los más pudientes mientras las ayudas directas de dinero han impulsado su popularidad entre los más vulnerables. Las encuestas indican que en las últimas semanas ha ganado apoyo en el noreste
Muere Darío Vivas, el jefe del Gobierno de Caracas, a causa de la covid-19
Darío Vivas, figura importante del chavismo, había anunciado su positivo a la enfermedad en julio pasado
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PÁGINA 12
En Bolivia ya hay fechas para las elecciones presidenciales
La presidenta de facto de Bolivia, Jeanine Áñez, promulgó este jueves la Ley de Elecciones que determina la fecha definitiva -luego de dos postergaciones- de los comicios presidenciales para el 18 de octubre, casi un año después de que quedaran sin efecto los resultados de la votación de 2019 que llevaron al país a una crisis institucional aún no resuelta.
La nueva ley cuenta con el apoyo del expresidente Evo Morales pero no con el de la Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), organización que salió a las calles para manifestar su rechazo a la última postergación de los comicios, que estaban previstos para el 6 de septiembre.
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/285041-en-bolivia-ya-hay-fechas-para-las-elecciones-presidenciales
La trama de corrupción de Odebrecht golpea a Peña Nieto
Andrés Manuel López Obrador llegó a la presidencia de México, en su tercer intento, enarbolando la bandera de la lucha contra la corrupción y prometiendo una consulta ciudadana para decidir si se debía enjuiciar a los ex presidentes del periodo neoliberal. Dos años después, los vericuetos de la política podrían darle una oportunidad, al menos parcial, de hacerlo sin desgastarse en el camino, en una acción que podría además sumar unos cuantos puntos en las elecciones intermedias de junio de 2021.
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/284965-la-trama-de-corrupcion-de-odebrecht-golpea-a-pena-nieto
Marcha atrás por el coronavirus en Perú: restauran el toque de queda y prohíben reuniones sociales
Tras un rebrote de casos de coronavirus, Perú restauró el toque de queda dominical y prohibió las reuniones sociales. Luego de seis semanas de desconfinamiento gradual, el gobierno de Martín Vizcarra retornó a medidas más restrictivas para luchar contra la pandemia.
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/284943-marcha-atras-por-el-coronavirus-en-peru-restauran-el-toque-d
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EL TIEMPO
Alto asesor de Donald Trump visitará Colombia este 17 de agosto
Estados Unidos confirmó este jueves que Robert O’Brien, consejero de Seguridad Nacional del presidente Donald Trump iniciará este 17 de agosto su visita a Colombia y Panamá.
La visita de O’Brien a ambos países tiene que ver con una agenda que adelanta el gobierno estadounidense en tres aspectos: combatir el coronavirus, cooperación económica y lucha contra el narcotráfico.
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LA JORNADA
Tramo 5 del Tren Maya solo tiene un interesado en construirlo
Ciudad de México. Solo un consorcio se postuló para la licitación de la construcción del Tramo 5 del Tren Maya, el cual correrá de Tulum a Cancún, informó este jueves el Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (Fonatur).
El organismo a cargo de Rogelio Jiménez Pons detalló que la propuesta de las empresas Greenfield SPV VIII S.A.P.I. de C.V.; BlackRock México Infraestructura II S. de R.L. de C.V.; Promotora y Desarrolladora Mexicana S.A. de C.V.; Promotora y Desarrolladora Mexicana de Infraestructura S.A. de C.V.; PRODEMEX Construcciones SA de CV y Constructora de Infraestructura Nacional S.A. de C.V. fue la única en el concurso público APP-021W3N003-E160-2020 “Proyecto carretero Tulum-Cancún (Carretera Federal MEX-307 ́Reforma Agraria – Puerto Juárez ́) en su tramo Tulum – Playa del Carmen – Entronque Aeropuerto de Cancún”.
AMLO: aceleran México-Argentina la vacuna para AL
Ciudad de México. Con el acuerdo alcanzado entre México y Argentina, la Fundación Slim y la farmacéutica AstraZeneca se garantizará el acceso regional a la vacuna contra el Covid-19 entre seis y siete meses antes de lo previsto. Si bien originalmente se elaborarán 150 millones de dosis el potencial de producción será de 400 millones, con una población latinoamericana –excluyendo a Brasil, que tiene su propia ruta– de 421 millones de personas, aseveró el canciller Marcelo Ebrard.
Víctimas de la masacre de Acteal suscribirán acuerdo con Federación
Ciudad de México. La organización civil Las Abejas recordó que el próximo 3 de septiembre un grupo de 30 víctimas de la masacre de Acteal suscribirá un Acuerdo de Solución Amistosa con el Estado mexicano, con el acompañamiento de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), lo cual “sienta un precedente en la historia de México”.
