04-06-2018

INTERNATIONAL
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018
7
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, second from left, and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, right,
arrive to attend a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool)
China warns US trade deals
off if tariffs go ahead
China warned Sunday after another round of talks on a
sprawling trade dispute with Washington that any deals they
produce "will not take effect" if President Donald Trump's
threatened tariff hike on Chinese goods goes ahead, reports
UNB.
The warning came after delegations led by U.S. Commerce
Secretary Wilbur Ross and China's top economic official,
Vice Premier Liu He, wrapped up a meeting on Beijing's
pledge to narrow its trade surplus. Ross said at the start of the
event they had discussed specific American exports China
might purchase, but the talks ended with no joint statement
and neither side released details.
The White House threw the meeting's status into doubt
Tuesday by renewing a threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on
$50 billion of Chinese high-tech goods in response to complaints
Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand
over technology. The event went ahead despite that but Beijing
said it reserved the right to retaliate.
Tuesday's announcement revived fears the conflict
between the two biggest economies might dampen global
growth or encourage other governments to raise their own
barriers to imports.
"If the United States introduces trade sanctions including a
tariff increase, all the economic and trade achievements
negotiated by the two parties will not take effect," said the
Chinese statement, carried by the official Xinhua News
Agency.
The negotiating process should be "based on the premise"
of not fighting a "trade war," the statement said.
The American Embassy in Beijing didn't immediately
respond to a request for comment.
Trump is pressing Beijing to narrow its politically volatile
trade surplus with the United States, which reached a record
$375.2 billion last year.
Tensions eased after China promised on May 19 to "significantly
increase" purchases of farm goods, energy and other
products and services following the last round of talks in
Washington. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said
the dispute was "on hold" and the tariff hike would be postponed.
That truce appeared to end with Tuesday's surprise
announcement. It said the White House also will impose
curbs on Chinese investment and purchases of U.S. high-tech
goods and on visas for Chinese students.
US citizen shot to death in
Nicaragua's capital amid
unrest
A U.S. citizen was found shot to death in the capital Saturday as violence and social unrest continue to grip Nicaragua, reports
UNB. The body of Sixto Henry Vera was lying in a street beside two burned vehicles with a bullet wound to the head, the state
forensic medicine institute said. Employees at the Managua bar owned by Vera, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear
of reprisals, said he left late Friday to help a friend who was being attacked.
U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu offered condolences via Twitter on Saturday to "the family of a U.S. citizen who died," saying
the death of a U.S. citizen is of "great concern" for the embassy. Vera's death occurred at a tense time for Nicaragua. More
than 110 people have been killed in the country since mid-April amid clashes between forces loyal to President Daniel Ortega
and opposition groups demanding his removal. Streets across the country are often deserted after dark as armed groups circulate
in vehicles without license plates, shooting and robbing. On Wednesday, more than a dozen people died in shootings
that erupted around protests on Mothers' Day in Nicaragua. Gunmen firing into crowds sent thousands of demonstrators running
for cover at the marches, which were led by mothers of victims who died in recent protests. Civil society groups alleged
the attackers were members of paramilitary groups loyal to Ortega. Government officials blamed the opposition groups who
are seeking to oust Ortega.
2 climbers killed after fall from
Yosemite’s El Capitan
Officials say two people have been killed after they fell
while climbing El Capitan at Yosemite National Park,
reports UNB.
The National Park Service says it happened around 8
a.m. Saturday while the two people were climbing the
Freeblast Route. Park rangers and search and rescue
personnel responded to the scene but the climbers didn't
survive the fall. The names of the climbers were not
immediately released and officials would not provide
any additional information.
This is the second fatal incident in Yosemite National
Park in a little over a week.
Last week, a hiker fell to his death while climbing the
iconic granite cliffs of Half Dome in rainy conditions.
This Jan. 14, 2015, file photo, shows El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Calif. El Capitan is one of
the world's most technical and dangerous verticals. Ben Margot : AP 2015
Duterte tells
UN expert 'to
go to hell' over
criticism
The Philippine president
has lashed out at another
U.N. human rights expert
for making critical remarks
about his supposed role in
the expulsion of the
Supreme Court chief justice,
reports UNB.
President Rodrigo Duterte
dismissed the remarks of
Diego Garcia-Sayan and told
him in a televised speech
early Sunday not to meddle
in domestic problems and
"to go to hell." Duterte was
replying to a reporter's question
before flying on a visit to
South Korea.
Garcia-Sayan told
reporters in Manila on
Thursday that the unprecedented
ouster of Maria
Lourdes Sereno as chief justice
after Duterte lambasted
her in public is an attack on
judicial independence that
could put Philippine democracy
at risk.
Duterte has reacted similarly
against other U.N. rapporteurs
who raised alarm
over his deadly campaign
against illegal drugs.
4 killed, 4 hurt,
1 charged in
Missouri police
chase crash
A police chase in suburban
Kansas City ended with four
people dead, four seriously
injured and a driver charged
with murder, reports UNB.
On Friday, police in Independence
tried to pull over a
Jeep, which fled into Kansas
City and crashed into another
car at an intersection.
Police say car passengers
29-year-old Aaron Daniel
and 28-year-old Shawn
Johnson of Kansas City were
killed, plus a third person
whose name hasn't been
released.
Police say a 27-year-old
woman in the Jeep also died.
Three others in the Jeep and
another person in the car
were seriously injured.
The Jackson County Prosecutor's
Office says 24-yearold
Victoria Brown, of
Kansas City, is suspected of
being the Jeep's driver and
has been charged with three
counts of second-degree
murder.
Prosecutors say more
charges are expected.
Venezuela frees
more opposition
prisoners to
unite nation
The government freed
dozens more Venezuelan
opposition activists from jail
Saturday, bringing to
almost 80 the number of
prisoners whose release
authorities hope will unite
the fractured nation, reports
UNB.
Among the 40 people
released were two substitute
lawmakers, one of whom
had been held since 2014 for
allegedly inciting violence in
protests that year. The son
of a former defense minister
for the late Hugo Chavez
was also let go.
President Nicolas Maduro
said after being re-elected
May 20 in a contested victory
that chief among his conciliatory
measures would be
freeing anti-government
activists considered political
prisoners by the opposition.
On Friday, he released the
first 39, and authorities said
more releases could take
place next week.
Those being freed are
barred from speaking with
the press or on social media.
In May, Maduro's government
freed 20 people who
were arrested during
protests against widespread
blackouts. It also freed
Joshua Holt, a Utah man
who had been jailed nearly
two years earlier on
weapons charges that U.S.
officials considered bogus.
Qatar won't be part
of any military action
against Iran
A senior Qatari official said Sunday his
country will not be dragged into any conflict
with Iran, reports UNB.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Defense Khalid Al Attiyah told an international
security conference in Singapore that
Qatar has "a lot of differences" with Iran but
it does not mean "we go and fuel a war" in
the region.
"Is it wise to call the United States and to
call Israel to go and fight Iran? ... Whether
any third party is trying to push the region
or some country in the region to start a war
in Iran, this will be very dangerous," he said.
He did not name any party but could be
referring to Iran's rival Saudi Arabia, which
has also led a blockade of Qatar with its Persian
Gulf allies since June last year, accusing
Doha of supporting extremists and refusing
to cut ties with Tehran.
"Iran is next door. We should call Iran, put
all the files on the table and start to discuss
to bring peace rather than war," he said in a
speech.
Responding to a question whether Qatar's
air bases could be used to launch airstrikes
on Iran, al-Attiyah said that his country was
not a "fan of war" and supported engagement
and dialogue.
Qatar is hosting 10,000 U.S. troops stationed
at sprawling al-Udeid Air Base as
part of its campaign against the Islamic
State group and the war in Afghanistan.
Al Attiyah called for salvaging a 2015
nuclear accord between world powers and
Iran that offered Tehran sanctions relief for
curbs on its nuclear program. The U.S. withdrew
from the deal last month.
"Everyone should keep holding on to this
and advance with this. In my own judgement,
I think the United States is wiser than
to enter in a war with Iran," he said.
He also said Qatar is "firmly aligned"
against terrorism and has implemented
U.N. resolutions and penalties targeting
militants.
India, Pakistan trade fire in
Kashmir; 2 dead, 8 wounded
Indian officials say two paramilitary soldiers have been killed and eight civilians
wounded when Pakistani soldiers attacked dozens of forward posts along the highly
militarized frontier in disputed Kashmir, reports UNB.
The fighting comes barely a week after the two nuclear-armed rivals agreed to stop
trading fire along the volatile frontier and uphold a cease-fire accord dating back 15
years.
Top police officer S.D. Singh says authorities are first trying to evacuate sick and
injured villagers living near the frontier in bulletproof vehicles amid intense shelling
and automatic gunfire. Indian border guards say Pakistan "yet again blatantly" violated
the 2003-cease-fire agreement and they are retaliating. Pakistan did not immediately
comment.
India and Pakistan have a long history of bitter relations over Kashmir, which both
claim.
India and Pakistan have a long history of bitter relations over Kashmir,
which both claim.
(File: AFP)
Protests resume after
Palestinian paramedic’s
Gaza funeral
Thousands of Palestinians, including hundreds
of medical workers in white uniforms,
took part Saturday in the funeral procession
of a colleague who was shot dead by Israeli
troops the previous day along the Israel-
Gaza border, reports UNB.
Razan Najjar, a 21-year-old volunteer
paramedic, was shot as she tried to help
evacuate wounded near Israel's perimeter
fence with Gaza. She was the second woman
among more than 115 Palestinians who have
been killed by Israeli army fire since Gaza
border protests began in late March.
U.N. officials condemned the killing of
Najjar, saying that witness reports indicated
she wore clothing that clearly identified her
as a health worker.
"The killing of a clearly identified medical
staffer by security forces during a demonstration
is particularly reprehensible," said
Jamie McGoldrick, the local U.N. humanitarian
coordinator. After Najjar's funeral,
dozens of mourners headed to the fence and
started throwing stones at the Israeli soldiers
on the other side. The Palestinian Health
Ministry said five protesters were wounded
by Israeli fire.
Later Saturday, in a development that
threatened to collapse an informal cease-fire,
the Israeli military said two projectiles were
fired from Gaza. One was intercepted by the
Iron Dome defense system and the other
landed inside Gaza. Earlier this week, Gaza
militants fired a large barrage at Israel,
which responded with heavy strikes on Gaza
installations.
Early Sunday, the Israeli military said
fighter jets attacked three Hamas military
compounds in response to the rocket fire. It
said it struck a total of 10 targets, including
weapons manufacturing and storage sites.
Militants responded by firing another projectile
that was intercepted, the army said.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the Israeli
military said its troops shot dead a Palestinian
who tried to ram a tractor into its forces.
The military said its initial investigation
revealed that a 35-year-old Palestinian from
a village near Hebron tried to run over an
officer with a Bobcat tractor. The attacker
then turned around and tried to attack nearby
Israeli civilians, the military said. It said a
soldier opened fire, killing the assailant. No
Israeli troops were harmed.
Nearly half of
Afghan children
are not in school
A new report says nearly half of
Afghanistan's children are not attending
school because of war, poverty, child marriage
and other factors, reports UNB.
The study, released by the Education Ministry
and the U.N. children's agency on Sunday,
says 3.7 million, or 44 percent, of all
school-age children are not attending school.
It marks the first time since the U.S.-led
invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 that the rate
of attendance has declined, following years
of steady gains in education for boys as well
as girls, who were banned from attending
school under the Taliban.
The survey says girls account for 60 percent
of those being denied an education.
The Taliban have seized several districts
across the country in recent years, as the
U.S.-backed government has struggled to
combat the insurgency.