Bhinneka News Online: Monday Morning Briefing: Trump says he discussed Biden in call with Ukraine's President Zelensky

Monday, 23 September 2019

Monday Morning Briefing: Trump says he discussed Biden in call with Ukraine's President Zelensky

Highlights

Trump says he discussed Joe Biden and his son in a call with Ukraine's president. Trump’s statement to reporters about his July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came as the Democratic leader of a key congressional panel said the pursuit of Trump’s impeachment may be the “only remedy” to the situation. An aide to President Zelensky was quoted as saying any investigation in Ukraine would be conducted transparently.

Climate activists plan to block traffic in U.S. capital. Activists seeking to pressure U.S. politicians to fight climate change aim to blockade major traffic hubs in the U.S. capital, drawing attention to a U.N. Climate Summit that will be attended by leaders from about 60 countries.

Justin Trudeau pushes on with campaign after severe blow from blackface photos. The ruling Liberals were knocked off course when Time magazine published a picture of Canada's prime minister in brown makeup at a 2001 “Arabian Nights” party when he was a 29-year-old teacher. Two other images and a video of him in blackface later surfaced.

'Game of Thrones' and 'Fleabag' take top Emmy honors on night of upsets. Longtime Emmy darling HBO scored more wins than any other network at Sunday’s awards, taking home 34 trophies including best drama series for the final season of its global hit “Game of Thrones.” The fantasy drama closed its run with a fourth Emmy award for best drama series while British comedy “Fleabag” was the winner for best comedy series on a night that rewarded newcomers over old favorites.

UK

The world’s oldest travel firm Thomas Cook has collapsed, stranding more than half a million holidaymakers around the globe and sparking the largest peacetime repatriation effort in British history. About 50,000 tourists are stranded in Greece, mainly on islands, a Greek tourism ministry official told Reuters. Here is a look at why it collapsed and what happens now.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cautioned that there would be no Brexit breakthrough at talks with European leaders in New York as gaps remained but said significant progress had been made on striking a deal. The opposition Labour Party will vote to decide its Brexit strategy, with leader Jeremy Corbyn heading for a showdown with his members over whether the party should back staying in the EU.

World

Hong Kong cleaned up and train services in the city resumed, after another weekend of sometimes violent protests that saw pro-democracy activists vandalize a railway station and a shopping mall. Nearly 50 people were arrested in the weekend clashes, police said, bringing the total number of arrested in the protests since June to 1,556. The city is on edge ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic on Oct. 1, with authorities eager to avoid scenes that could embarrass the central government in Beijing.

At least 35 civilians attending a wedding party were killed and 13 people wounded during a raid by Afghan government forces on a militant hideout nearby, two officials in southern Helmand province said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said new U.S. sanctions, under which Iran’s central bank was blacklisted for a second time, pointed to U.S. “desperation” in face of Iranian resistance. The United States on Friday imposed another round of sanctions on Iran, including on its central bank which was already blacklisted, following the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi oil facilities that Riyadh and U.S. officials have blamed on Iran.

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Business

At shuttered Ohio plant, workers still hope for new GM vehicle

When asked about reports General Motors may turn its shuttered Lordstown, Ohio, plant into a battery factory, “Buffalo” Joe Nero snorts and points at the vast complex that until six months ago made the Chevrolet Cruze. “You can’t support a plant like this making batteries. We need a new vehicle allocated to us,” said Nero, 62, who has worked at five plants over 42 years with the No. 1 U.S. automaker. The United Auto Workers union, which went on strike last week, agrees.

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Markets face major risks over lax climate forecasts, top investors warn

Financial markets risk major disruptions by relying on business-as-usual forecasts that underestimate the impact of climate-change policies that are expected to abruptly tighten next decade, a leading group of investors has warned.

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Vivendi holds onto Mediaset stake as withdrawal right deadline expires: sources

Vivendi has decided not to exercise withdrawal rights over its Mediaset holding as a deadline to liquidate the stake in the Italian broadcaster expired at the weekend, two sources close to the matter said.

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