Bhinneka News Online: Tuesday Morning Briefing: Trump to speak before U.N. General Assembly

Tuesday, 24 September 2019

Tuesday Morning Briefing: Trump to speak before U.N. General Assembly

Politics

With Iran on his mind, President Trump to speak before U.N. General Assembly. Trump is expected to make his case for keeping pressure on Iran at a United Nations General Assembly speech made more dramatic by attacks on Saudi oil facilities that rattled the Middle East and raised concerns about a broader war. The path to reduce tensions in the region has become smaller and the moment has come for Iran to help defuse the crisis, France’s president told his Iranian counterpart.

Trump denies pressuring Ukraine. The growing flap over whether Trump used his office to seek re-election help from his Ukrainian counterpart poses political risks, and some opportunities, for Democratic White House front-runner Joe Biden. Trump denied trying to coerce Ukraine into investigating rival Biden, but wavered about whether he would release a transcript of a phone call that some Democrats say is grounds for his impeachment. A trip to the U.S. that began as an opportunity for Ukraine to burnish relations with a powerful international backer has turned into a diplomatic tightrope walk for President Zelenskiy, who fears being dragged into the Washington bear pit.

World

UK Supreme Court rules that Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament was unlawful. The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had acted unlawfully when he advised Queen Elizabeth to suspend parliament weeks before Brexit - and therefore the suspension was void. 'Consider your position', said the leader of the opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn to Boris Johnson after the Supreme Court ruling.

Hong Kong leader says police under extreme pressure. Carrie Lam said the city’s police force, which has been accused of beating activists and using excessive force during protests, is under extreme pressure and acknowledged it will be a “long road” toward healing rifts.

Netanyahu and Gantz in unity talks; may rotate as Israel prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz launched negotiations over a proposed Israeli unity government and a key politician said the focus was on who would lead it first under a rotation deal.

Business

AB InBev Asia unit raises $5 billion in world's second-largest 2019 IPO. AB InBev raised about $5 billion in a Hong Kong IPO of the brewer’s Asia-Pacific unit after pricing it at the bottom of a marketed range, as investors backed a deal seen as offering value despite the city being hit by anti-government protests.

After Thomas Cook collapse, UK prime minister asks why bosses got paid millions. After the collapse of Thomas Cook left tens of thousands of Britons reliant on the government to bring them home, Prime Minister Boris Johnson questioned whether the travel firm’s bosses should have paid themselves so much ahead of its demise.

Nintendo's Mario takes driving seat in race for mobile hit. Nintendo is set to bring one of its most successful franchises to mobile for the first time with the global launch of Mario Kart Tour, in a test of the gaming firm’s strategy to drive growth beyond consoles.

Starbucks wins, Fiat loses fights against EU tax orders. Starbucks won an appeal against an EU demand to pay up to $33 million in back taxes to the Netherlands, while Fiat Chrysler lost its appeal to pay back a similar amount of levies to Luxembourg.

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Climate Change

Aviation emissions to take center stage at Montreal gathering as protests loom

A global deal to curb carbon emissions from flying will take center stage as the U.N. aviation agency’s triennial assembly opens in Montreal under the shadow of protests led by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg later in the week. The plan, known as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation and the first of its kind for a single industry, is a medium-term scheme to help airlines avoid adding to their net emissions from 2020.

3 min read

'You have stolen my dreams,' an angry Thunberg tells U.N. climate summit

Teenage activist Greta Thunberg angrily denounced world leaders for failing to tackle climate change, unleashing the outrage felt by millions of her peers in the heart of the United Nations by saying: “How dare you?”

6 Min Read

David Attenborough criticizes Australia on climate, coal policy

British naturalist Sir David Attenborough has criticized Australia for changing its rhetoric on climate policy, saying the government’s support for new coal mines showed the world it did not care about the environment.

3 min read