2019年12月4日星期三

Wednesday Morning Briefing: China warns U.S. over Uighur bill, raising doubts over early trade deal

Top Stories

China warned on Wednesday that the U.S. House of Representatives bill calling for a tougher U.S. response to Beijing’s treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority will impact bilateral cooperation, casting further doubts on a near-term deal to end the trade war. Expectations of a quick deal had receded already, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it might take until late 2020 to reach agreement.

NATO leaders gathered at a golf resort near London on Wednesday for a summit acrimonious even by the standards of the Trump era, aiming to tackle disagreements over spending, future threats including China, and Turkey’s role in the alliance. With Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron blowing hot and cold over NATO’s role, the 29-member military alliance is looking for reinvigoration as it marks the 70th anniversary of its Cold War-era founding.

How U.S. public opinion has evolved on impeachment of Trump. Public opinion always fractures along party lines when it comes to President Donald Trump, and the congressional impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office for personal political gain in his handling of Ukraine has done little to change that.

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris ended her 2020 presidential bid on Tuesday, abandoning a campaign that began with promise for a rising Democratic Party star but faltered as she struggled to raise money and make a compelling case for her candidacy. Harris’ abrupt departure further narrows the field of White House contenders two months before voting begins in Iowa.

High-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk testified at his defamation trial on Tuesday that his “pedo guy” Twitter message at the center of the case was not meant to be taken literally and was sent in response to an “unprovoked” insult he received from the man now suing him. Musk also apologized to the plaintiff from the witness stand in the packed Los Angeles courtroom.

World

Kim Jong Un mounted a white horse again as North Korea announced on Wednesday it will soon convene a rare meeting of the ruling party’s leaders, steps analysts say may signal preparations for a more confrontational stance with the international community. For the second time in two months, Kim visited North Korea’s sacred Mt Paektu on horseback, this time accompanied by senior military officers.

South Korean actor Cha In-ha has been found dead in his home, the country’s third young celebrity to die in the past two months amid growing debate about the intense social pressures artists face. In an unrelated case, K-pop star Kang Daniel’s management agency Konnect Entertainment said the former member of the hit boy band Wanna One had decided to take a break from his performing schedules due to “depression and panic attacks.”

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called on Wednesday for the release of any unarmed and innocent people who were detained during protests against gasoline price hikes, after two weeks of violent clashes. The unrest, which began on Nov. 15 after the government abruptly raised fuel prices by as much as 300%, spread to more than 100 cities and towns and turned political as young and working-class protesters demanded clerical leaders step down.

Colombian unions and student groups plan a third national strike on Wednesday amid fraught talks between protest leaders and the government over President Ivan Duque’s social and economic policies. The strike would be the latest demonstration in two weeks of protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of marchers and imperiled Duque’s proposed tax reform, which lowers duties on businesses.

Business

Google co-founders step aside as Pichai takes helm of parent Alphabet

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping aside as leaders of the Internet behemoth they founded 21 years ago, ending an extraordinary run that saw them build one of the world’s most valuable and influential companies.

6 min read

Investors urge Big Oil to follow 'poster child' Repsol's climate pledge

Investors cheered Spanish group Repsol’s pledge to slash net carbon emissions to zero by mid-century, saying they hope it will pile pressure on rival oil and gas companies to follow suit in the fight against climate change.

4 min read

No Santa Rally? Trade fears threaten Wall Street's end of decade

Wall Street’s poor start to December has some investors bracing for a choppy end-of-year as fears about the U.S.-China trade war resurface. The S&P 500 suffered its third successive decline on Tuesday, and is down almost 2% since closing at a record high last Wednesday.

4 min read

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