Fox News’ Shep Smith Grills Embattled Puerto Rico Governor: Can You Name Anyone Who Supports You?

During his first television interview since the scandal broke out over leaked private chats that have resulted in near-unanimous calls for his resignation, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló struggled to come up with a single name when Fox News anchor Shepard Smith pressed him to offer up anyone who currently supports him.With hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans taking to the streets of San Juan on Monday to demand Rosselló’s resignation after the governor said he wouldn’t step down on Sunday, Smith pointed out that “corruption is rampant” on the island before highlighting why the profanity-laced leaked chats have caused such backlash.“So attacks on women, attacks on gays, attacks on the dead relatives of your own residents on your own island and after that who is left to support you?” Smith asked the governor. “Is it even safe for you to govern?”Rosselló, meanwhile, meekly said he has apologized and is trying to make amends, prompting the Fox anchor to ask him what exactly he’s apologized for.After claiming he’s apologized for the chats, the embattled governor attempted to say he wants to move on to battling corruption, leading Smith to remind him that the corruption is within Rosselló’s own administration.Noting the widespread calls for him to step down, Smith grilled the governor on his lack of support in Puerto Rico, wondering aloud: “Who has come forward to support you?”“There are folks who have supported me, who have come forward,” Rosselló muttered, causing Smith to demand a name. The governor, however, struggled to answer the Fox News host.“Can you give me one name?” Smith pressed. “Just one name, governor.”Finally, after Smith continued to confront Rosselló, noting that the governor wasn’t able to come up with anyone who had his back, Rosselló finally tossed out the name of the mayor of one city: San Sebastian Mayor Javier Jimenez.Moments after the interview aired, however, Jimenez told CBS News' David Begnaud that he did not, in fact, support the governor.“There are other folks that have established people in the legislature and people in the Senate, as well, said that have supported me,” the governor added. “They have supported the fact that I will not run and I shouldn’t seek reelection but they have established it’s important to follow the rule of law.”Smith went on to relentlessly grill Rosselló, questioning whether the governor has “appropriately apologized” while highlighting that Rosselló has so far refused to meet with the Puerto Rican people who are demanding his resignation.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Jeremy Hunt announces joint European task force to protect ships in Gulf after Iran's tanker seizure

Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, on Monday announced a joint European maritime mission on the Strait of Hormuz in the aftermath of a British tanker seizure in the Gulf. In a statement to the House of Commons he said the UK will ask all British flagged ships to give notice of intention to pass through the Strait of Hormuz so they can be given protection. It followed a signal from the United States that it would not aid Britain in the Persian Gulf, in a fresh sign of disagreement between the allies over Iran policy. Asked about any possible US role in the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, said on Monday that "the responsibility ... falls to the United Kingdom to take care of their ship". The US has been attempting to build a “coalition of navies” to coordinate efforts to protect ships in the Gulf, which the UK has not said it will participate in.  It is understood Britain is hesitating over fears such a move could be seen by Tehran as provocative, at a time when the Government wants to avoid being dragged into more confrontation. Iran seized the British-flagged Stena Impero on Friday in retaliation for Royal Navy marines impounding an Iranian supertanker off Gibraltar earlier this month on suspicion it was transporting oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. A speedboat of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard moves around a British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which was seized on Friday by the Guard, in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, Credit: AP It is thought that British authorities had been pressured by the US, which has its own sanctions on Iran and is keen to stop as much of its oil exports as possible. Mr Hunt said he had spoken to the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, as well as the foreign ministers of Oman, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain and Denmark. He added he had "raised the security level for British-flagged shipping to Level 3, advising against all passage in Iranian waters and, for the moment, in the entire Strait of Hormuz." Mr Hunt said: "We will now seek to put together a European-led maritime protection mission to support safe passage of both crew and cargo in this vital region." He added that the UK would not be joining the US's "maximum pressure policy" on Iran, saying: "we remain committed to preserving the Iran nuclear agreement." He said he would discuss how this would complement US proposals in the area. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported over the weekend that the US alerted Madrid that the Grace 1 was heading towards its waters. It has also been reported that after Spain denied a request by Washington to seize the ship, the UK then accepted, despite reservations it would escalate already heightened tensions. The US has pursued a policy of maximum pressure on Iran after pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal; reimposing sanctions while designating the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist entity.  The UK on the other hand has attempted to deescalate tensions and keep the accord alive. It agrees with other European signatories to the deal that it is the best chance of limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Following discussions with Mr Hunt on Sunday and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday, Heiko Maas, Germany's Foreign Minister, said that alongside handling the dangers in the Strait of Hormuz, Europe will continue to play the "diplomatic card". Mr Maas said that "what we need is deescalation, and my British and French colleagues have the same opinion." He said that Germany does not want to join the US’s strategy. Sir Michael Fallon, the former defence secretary, said over the weekend that Britain could have joined with the US and other nations in protecting shipping in the strait, while distancing itself from the Trump administration's decision to tear up the nuclear deal. "We don't have to support Trump's position to recognise Britain and America have to be part of an international protection force for the international waterway," Sir Michael said.

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US sanctions Chinese oil trader for violating Iran restrictions: Pompeo

The United States is placing a leading Chinese oil importer on its sanctions blacklist for trading in Iranian crude, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday. "As part of that maximum pressure campaign, I am announcing that the United States is imposing sanctions on the Chinese entity Zhuhai Zhenrong and its chief executive Youmin Li," Pompeo said in a speech.

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Voice Of America Ignores Reasons For Trump’s Criticism Of Rep. Ilhan Omar

Ilhan Omar, but failed to include most of the reasons for the criticism.VOA wrote “Trump has found his latest target for acerbic ridicule — a hijab-wearing Muslim newcomer to Congress named Ilhan Omar.”The news agency mentioned briefly only two instances of Omar’s anti-Semitic remarks, referring to one as playing “off tropes questioning the influence of Jewish money in American politics.”Trump began tweeting Sunday about how the “‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen…should go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it’s done.”The tweets were likely aimed at Democratic Reps. Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.The article explains how Omar is a refugee from Somalia who has worked her way up to become “the first Somali-American Muslim legislator in U.S. history.” It also stated that Trump “vilified” Omar and three other congresswomen after he tweeted suggesting they “go back” to their home countries.The article briefly mentions that Omar apologized to some Jewish communities after backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, and that the House of Representatives approved resolutions to “indirectly rebuke Omar.”VOA’s article avoids giving most of the reasons for Trump’s criticism of Omar, but details the aggressive commentary used by Trump in his attacks against her and other congresswomen.Omar has made several anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments, almost all of which were not reported by VOA in the article.

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On Politics: Trump’s ‘Go Back’ Attacks May Help Him

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The Nation’s Top State Courts Face a Crisis of Legitimacy

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Your Tuesday Briefing

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Trump says Mueller should not be allowed to testify about investigating possible obstruction of justice

Donald Trump has said Robert Mueller should not be allowed to testify to congress about his investigation into the president’s possible obstruction of justice and links to Russia.“Highly conflicted Robert Mueller should not be given another bite at the apple,” the president tweeted, after Mr Mueller appeared in front of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees on Wednesday.“In the end it will be bad for him and the phony Democrats in Congress who have done nothing but waste time on this ridiculous Witch Hunt. Result of the Mueller Report, NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION!”The president has repeatedly hit out at Mr Mueller as “conflicted” – without evidence – as well as calling the investigation into Russia election interference a “witch hunt”. The aim for Mr Trump has always been to undermine Mr Mueller’s credibility throughout the two-year probe.Mr Mueller’s report did not find sufficient evidence to establish charges of criminal conspiracy but did find evidence Mr Trump had potentially obstructed the investigation.Presenting his report in May, the then-special counsel indicated he was prevented from indicting a sitting president – saying such an action was “not an option” – because of the legal opinion of the Justice Department.He did not use the word “impeachment” but said it was the job of congress to hold the president accountable for wrongdoing.> Highly conflicted Robert Mueller should not be given another bite at the apple. In the end it will be bad for him and the phony Democrats in Congress who have done nothing but waste time on this ridiculous Witch Hunt. Result of the Mueller Report, NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION!...> > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) > > July 22, 2019“But the questions should be asked,” the president said in a second tweet on Monday. “Why were all of Clinton’s people given immunity, and why were the text messages of Peter S and his lover, Lisa Page, deleted and destroyed right after they left Mueller, and after we requested them(this is Illegal)?”Mr Trump was referring to Peter Strzok, who led the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server. He also worked on Mr Mueller's probe into the president's possible campaign links to Russia. Mr Mueller is expected to testify before congress in back-to-back hearings on Wednesday in a move that could potentially lead the Democrat-led House of Representatives to begin formal impeachment inquiry proceedings. In a statement preparing for the upcoming testimony, house judiciary committee chair Jerrold Nadler said the testimony would provide “very substantial evidence” against Mr Trump.“This is a president who has violated the law six ways from Sunday,” said Mr Nadler, a New York Democrat, on Sunday. He added: “We have to present – or let Mueller present – those facts to the American people ... because the administration must be held accountable and no president can be above the law.”Mr Mueller has said he does not intend to reveal anything more than what he laid out in his nearly 400-page report. But many Democrats in congress will hope the public testimony could push forward the case for impeachment when he is asked about the 10 examples of the president's alleged obstruction of justice. Republicans are likely to follow a similar line of questioning line to Mr Trump, and ask Mr Mueller about his team.

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Little Boy Is OK After Fish-Stealing Great White Shark Leaps at Him to Steal Fresh Caught Fish

“It had come up and it lunged out of the water"

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The Latest: Hospital sued over school principal's death

A hospital sued by the family of a New Jersey high school principal who died after a procedure to donate blood marrow to an anonymous French teenager says it is saddened by the tragic death. Hackensack University Medical Center is a defendant in the suit filed by the fiancee and family of Derrick Nelson, who fell into a coma in February and died in April. A spokeswoman for Hackensack Meridian Health says the hospital isn't commenting on the lawsuit but says it has been in touch with Nelson's family and fiance Sheronda Braker.

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Millions of Barrels of Iranian Oil Are Piled Up in China’s Ports

(Bloomberg) -- Tankers are offloading millions of barrels of Iranian oil into storage tanks at Chinese ports, creating a hoard of crude sitting on the doorstep of the world’s biggest buyer.Two and a half months after the White House banned the purchase of Iran’s oil, the nation’s crude is continuing to be sent to China where it’s being put into what’s known as “bonded storage,” say people familiar with operations at several Chinese ports. This supply doesn’t cross local customs or show up in the nation’s import data, and isn’t necessarily in breach of sanctions. While it remains out of circulation for now, its presence is looming over the market.The store of oil has the potential to push down global prices if Chinese refiners decide to draw on it, even as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies curb production as growth slows in major economies. It also allows Iran to keep pumping and move oil nearer to potential buyers.“Iranian oil shipments have been flowing into Chinese bonded storage for some months now, and continue to do so despite increased scrutiny,” said Rachel Yew, an analyst at industry consultant FGE in Singapore. “We can see why the producer would want to do so, as a build-up of supplies near key buyers is clearly beneficial for a seller, especially if sanctions are eased at some point.”See also: Iranian Oil Tanker Daniel Enters Chinese Port: Ship TrackingThere could be more of the Persian Gulf state’s oil headed for China’s bonded storage tanks, Bloomberg tanker-tracking data show. At least ten very large crude carriers and two smaller vessels owned by the state-run National Iranian Oil Co. and its shipping arm are currently sailing toward the Asian nation or idling off its coast. They have a combined carrying capacity of over 20 million barrels.The bulk of Iranian oil in China’s bonded tanks is still owned by Tehran and therefore not in breach of sanctions, according to the people. The oil hasn’t crossed Chinese customs so it’s theoretically in transit.Some of the crude, though, is owned by Chinese entities that may have received it as part of oil-for-investment schemes. For example, one of the Asian nation’s companies could have helped fund a production project in Iran under an agreement to be repaid in kind. Whether this sort of transaction is in breach of sanctions isn’t clear, and so the firms are keeping it in bonded storage to avoid the official scrutiny it would if it’s registered with customs, according to the people.Nobody replied to a faxed inquiry to China’s General Administration of Customs.Lack of ClarityThe build-up of Iranian oil in Chinese bonded storage has yet to be clearly addressed by Washington. The White House ended waivers allowing some countries to keep importing Iranian oil on May 2.There are currently no exemptions issued to any country for the import of Iranian oil, and any nation seen importing cargoes from the Persian Gulf producer will be in breach of sanctions, according to a senior Trump administration official, who asked not to be identified because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter.“The U.S. will now need to define how it quantifies the infringement of sanctions,” said Michal Meidan, director of the China Energy Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. There’s a lack of clarity on whether it would look at “financial transactions or the loading and discharge of cargoes by company or entity,” she said.See also: China Buying Iran LPG Despite Sanctions, Ship-Tracking ShowsChina received about 12 million tons of Iranian crude from January through May, according to ship-tracking data, versus about 10 million that cleared customs over the period. The discrepancy could be due to the flow of oil into bonded storage. China will release June trade data that will include a country-by-country breakdown of oil imports in the coming days.One of the Iranian tankers that appears to have loaded oil after the U.S. waivers ended is VLCC Horse. It discharged at Tianjin in early-July after sailing from the Middle East, where shipping data showed it signaling its destination as Iran’s Kharg Island on May 4.Several other Iran-owned tankers offloaded in China or were heading there, according to ship tracking data. VLCC Stream discharged at Tianjin on June 19, while Amber, Salina and C. Infinity offloaded crude at the ports of Huangdao, Jinzhou and Ningbo. Snow, Sevin and Maria III were last seen sailing in the direction of China.Putting crude into bonded tanks in China also means Iran can avoid having to tie up part of its tanker fleet by storing the oil at sea for months at a time. The Islamic Republic used floating storage in 2012 to 2016 and again in 2018 as buyers shunned its crude due to U.S.-imposed trade restrictions.Should the Iranian crude leave bonded storage and end up in the market, it could pressure oil prices, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. West Texas Intermediate plunged more than 20% from late April to mid-June as the U.S.-China trade war intensified. It’s since recovered some of those losses, partly as a result of the rising tension between Washington and Tehran, and is trading near $57 a barrel.“A further escalation in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods could jointly drive global economic growth a lot lower and encourage Iran-China cooperation,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a June note. “If Chinese refiners start to purchase Iran oil in large volumes on a sustained basis as U.S. tariffs rise again, WTI could drop to $40 a barrel.”(Updates with mention of June trade data in 12th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Nick Wadhams.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Serene Cheong in Singapore at scheong20@bloomberg.net;Sarah Chen in Beijing at schen514@bloomberg.net;Alfred Cang in Singapore at acang@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Serene Cheong at scheong20@bloomberg.net, Andrew JanesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Pete Buttigieg: white supremacy could be the end of America

South Bend mayor says this ‘is the only issue that almost ended this country’ amid controversy over Trump’s racist remarksDemocratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg speaks at the AARP presidential candidates forum in Iowa, on Saturday. Photograph: Olivia Sun/APWhite supremacy “could be the lurking issue that ends this country”, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has said. He added: “The entire American experiment is at stake.”The mayor of South Bend, Indiana made the stark comments to ABC News, in the midst of boiling national controversy over Donald Trump’s racist remarks about four Democratic congresswomen.“That is the only issue that almost ended this country,” Buttigieg said. “We’ve had a lot challenges in this country, but the one that actually almost ended this country in the civil war was white supremacy.“It could be the lurking issue that ends this country in the future, if we don’t wrangle it down in our time.”The civil war was fought from 1861 to 1865 and resulted in the end of slavery in southern states. It is commonly accepted that around 620,000 soldiers died. Some estimates are considerably higher.Since running for office in 2015, Trump has both failed to convincingly disavow support from the far right and expressed racist views. Most notoriously, when white supremacists rallied to defend a statue of Confederate general Robert Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017 and a counter-protester was killed, the president insisted there were “very fine people on both sides”.> Replacing a racist historical structure with a more neutral current one is not enough> > Pete ButtigiegOn Sunday the president returned to the offensive against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, leading progressive voices in the House, all of whom are from ethnic minorities.Trump said last week the congresswomen should “go back” to the “places from which they came”. Only Omar was not born in the US. At a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday the Minnesota representative was the subject of a chant of “send her back” which the president and his allies have failed to fully disown.Trump claims to have quieted the chant. He did not.Buttigieg was one of a host of prominent politicians to defend the congresswomen in an incident which united the Democratic party. Some Republicans have remained silent, some have mildly criticised the president and some have supported him outright.Buttigieg has, however, had his own problems on race, concerning the shooting of an African American man by a white police officer in South Bend last month. As the incident brought national attention to the 37-year-old mayor’s record in office, he left the campaign trail to meet relatives and protesters.Buttigieg told ABC: “The key to dealing with racial discussions in the country is honesty. And that means honesty about how we got here. It means honesty about what we are up against.“Also, in my view, it means treating racial inequality as a specialty issue, as an issue to be talked about with audiences of color only – but as something that frankly white Americans need to take more seriously.“The entire American experiment is at stake in whether we can manage to deliver prosperity in a way that your race has no bearing on your income, your wealth, your employment opportunities, your experience with criminal justice [and] your ability to vote.”He added: “We’re just not there and we won’t get there until we acknowledge that replacing a racist historical structure with a more neutral current one is not enough.”Buttigieg is an Oxford graduate and Afghanistan veteran who would be both the first openly gay president and the youngest ever.He surged in polls after announcing his candidacy in April and currently places fifth on the realclearpolitics.com national polling average, behind Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and the frontrunner, Joe Biden.

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Hong Kong Tempts China’s Ire as Protests Take More Violent Turn

(Bloomberg) -- From stick-wielding mobs who attacked activists to one pro-independence group accused of stockpiling explosives, the latest unrest in Hong Kong has prompted new fears that protesters and the China-backed government are heading toward a violent confrontation.In one case, Hong Kong residents -- many wearing the black shirts favored by protesters -- were attacked in a train station near the mainland border by groups of men wearing white shirts. In a separate episode, police arrested three men after finding volatile explosives and separatist campaign material in a raid on an industrial area. Elsewhere, police fired tear gas at protesters who had surrounded China’s local government headquarters, defaced the national emblem, declared a provisional legislature and spray-painted the exterior with slogans like “Liberate Hong Kong” and “Revolution of our time.” The incidents were part of the seventh-straight weekend of protests in the former British colony, and illustrate the fact that there is no simple solution to the ongoing political chaos. On Sunday, a peaceful rally of more than 100,000 people devolved into running street battles on opposite sides of the city, and violence continuing to spread into outlying areas. The developments not only increased the risk that bystanders could be swept into the escalating political disputes, they drew the harshest warnings yet from Beijing, which said that protesters were testing its “bottom line.” U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday noted that Chinese authorities could stop the protests “if they wanted,” and praised counterpart Xi Jinping for acting “responsibly, very responsibly” so far. “It’s definitely a turning point in Hong Kong politics and history,” said Alvin Yeung, an opposition lawmaker who heads the city’s Civic Party. Yeung noted that Hong Kong, despite years of dissent over Beijing’s rule, was one of Asia’s safest big cities. “Last night was an exception. And that’s why it’s so shocking. It’s completely out of control,” he said.The events showed that positions are hardening on both sides as the city’s embattled leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, resists calls to resign despite protests exceeding 1 million participants. What began as a largely leaderless effort to block legislation allowing extraditions to the mainland has expanded into a list of demands including investigations into police tactics to a direct vote to replace Lam.With more rallies planned for as early as this weekend, and little sign that either side will accede to the others’ demands, activists and government supporters alike have been warning that the further unrest could lead to ever greater injuries. A handful of suicides by protesters in recent weeks have already added life-and-death stakes to the debate.The financial hub is also starting to grapple with the economic cost of continued unrest, which risks keeping local shoppers away and deterring mainland visitors. Last week, police clashed with protesters inside a shopping mall in suburban Sha Tin.The attacks Sunday on passengers and bystanders at a train station in Yuen Long by unidentified groups of men further raised alarm that the unrest could begin to effect regular people. “Clashes might be expected during a protest, but no one expected the elderly, children, pregnant women and former news reporter that had not joined the protest, might be attacked by pro-Beijing gangs,” democracy advocate Joshua Wong told Bloomberg News.The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, which says it represents businesses employing a third of the local workforce, called for a formal withdrawal of the extradition bill and the setup of a commission of inquiry to examine the facts surrounding the ongoing tensions and their escalation.“Protests are becoming increasingly confrontational while factions are being created that pit citizen against citizen,” the chamber said in a statement on Monday. “The situation is also raising concerns in Hong Kong and internationally about our commitment to the basic law and the rule of law.”Lam’s efforts to resolve the crisis, including declaring the extradition bill “dead,” have so far only prompted further protests. At a news conference Monday, she condemned the vandalism at the Liaison Office while promising to investigate the attacks on activists, warning that “the whole of Hong Kong and its people will suffer as a result of the loss of order.” The police later said they arrested six men, age 24 to 54, in connection with the Yuen Long attacks. The South China Morning Post newspaper reported last week that Chinese officials in charge of Hong Kong were working to present leaders with a comprehensive strategy to resolve the crisis. Authorities have ruled out any military intervention and saw the police as key to maintaining stability and exposing the intentions of protesters, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.China’s PresenceA broader solution appears increasingly out of reach as protesters turn their ire from the local government to China. Xi has warned that challenges to Beijing’s sovereignty over Hong Kong won’t be tolerated and efforts to allow direct elections have been stalled since pro-democracy lawmakers blocked Beijing’s proposed system for choosing candidates in 2015. Demonstrators ransacked the city’s legislature building on July 1, the anniversary of its return to Chinese rule.Protesters risked further provoking Xi by bringing the chaos directly to the doorstep of Communist Party authority in Hong Kong, the central government Liaison Office. Riot police pursued the protesters past high rises and across highways to outside the ferry terminal, where they fired tear gas after some activists hurled projectiles.China’s top representative in the city, Wang Zhimin, denounced the protesters’ acts as “villainous and wicked” in a news briefing. The party’s flagship People’s Daily warned in an editorial Monday that protesters at the liaison office “openly challenged the authority of the central government.”Some lawmakers warned that the growing focus on Beijing risked jeopardizing the delicate framework that have allowed Hong Kong to exist as a pocket of free expression and free markets in China.“The violent attacks on the liaison office have gone way beyond the protests against the rendition bill,” said Regina Ip, a pro-Beijing lawmaker and member of Lam’s Executive Council. “These rebels must stop these provocative actions, which will seriously damage the relationship between the central government and Hong Kong.”(Updates with Donald Trump comment in fifth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Natalie Lung, Kari Lindberg, Ben Sharples, Fion Li and Josh Wingrove.To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Why Didn't the Soviets Ever Make It to the Moon?

A new video delves into the history of the Soviet space program and all the reasons it was never able to put a person on the moon.

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Mike Pence says Trump 'might make an effort to speak out' if 'send her back' chant happens again

Trump described the audience that chanted, "Send her back" about Rep. Ilhan Omar as "incredible people" and "incredible patriots."

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UPDATE 1-Iran warns West against starting conflict, says not looking for confrontation

Iran's foreign minister warned the West on Monday against "starting a conflict," saying it was not seeking confrontation after its military seized the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz last week. London described the seizure of the Stena Impero as "state piracy" and on Monday called for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking in Nicaragua, Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif said Iran had taken measures against the ship to implement international law, not in retaliation for the British capture of an Iranian tanker two weeks earlier in Gibraltar.

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Miss Michigan stripped of title over 'offensive' social media posts

Kathy Zhu received an email Thursday dismissing her as a Miss World America pageant participant and revoking her Miss Michigan World America title.

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Jeremy Hunt announces joint European task force to protect ships in Gulf after Iran's tanker seizure

Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, on Monday announced a joint European maritime mission on the Strait of Hormuz in the aftermath of a British tanker seizure in the Gulf. In a statement to the House of Commons he said the UK will ask all British flagged ships to give notice of intention to pass through the Strait of Hormuz so they can be given protection. It followed a signal from the United States that it would not aid Britain in the Persian Gulf, in a fresh sign of disagreement between the allies over Iran policy. Asked about any possible US role in the tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, said on Monday that "the responsibility ... falls to the United Kingdom to take care of their ship". The US has been attempting to build a “coalition of navies” to coordinate efforts to protect ships in the Gulf, which the UK has not said it will participate in.  It is understood Britain is hesitating over fears such a move could be seen by Tehran as provocative, at a time when the Government wants to avoid being dragged into more confrontation. Iran seized the British-flagged Stena Impero on Friday in retaliation for Royal Navy marines impounding an Iranian supertanker off Gibraltar earlier this month on suspicion it was transporting oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. A speedboat of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard moves around a British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which was seized on Friday by the Guard, in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, Credit: AP It is thought that British authorities had been pressured by the US, which has its own sanctions on Iran and is keen to stop as much of its oil exports as possible. Mr Hunt said he had spoken to the Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, as well as the foreign ministers of Oman, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain and Denmark. He added he had "raised the security level for British-flagged shipping to Level 3, advising against all passage in Iranian waters and, for the moment, in the entire Strait of Hormuz." Mr Hunt said: "We will now seek to put together a European-led maritime protection mission to support safe passage of both crew and cargo in this vital region." He added that the UK would not be joining the US's "maximum pressure policy" on Iran, saying: "we remain committed to preserving the Iran nuclear agreement." He said he would discuss how this would complement US proposals in the area. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported over the weekend that the US alerted Madrid that the Grace 1 was heading towards its waters. It has also been reported that after Spain denied a request by Washington to seize the ship, the UK then accepted, despite reservations it would escalate already heightened tensions. The US has pursued a policy of maximum pressure on Iran after pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal; reimposing sanctions while designating the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist entity.  The UK on the other hand has attempted to deescalate tensions and keep the accord alive. It agrees with other European signatories to the deal that it is the best chance of limiting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Following discussions with Mr Hunt on Sunday and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday, Heiko Maas, Germany's Foreign Minister, said that alongside handling the dangers in the Strait of Hormuz, Europe will continue to play the "diplomatic card". Mr Maas said that "what we need is deescalation, and my British and French colleagues have the same opinion." He said that Germany does not want to join the US’s strategy. Sir Michael Fallon, the former defence secretary, said over the weekend that Britain could have joined with the US and other nations in protecting shipping in the strait, while distancing itself from the Trump administration's decision to tear up the nuclear deal. "We don't have to support Trump's position to recognise Britain and America have to be part of an international protection force for the international waterway," Sir Michael said.

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Quotation of the Day: A Cry Pierces Museums’ Hush: Raise Our Pay

By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://ift.tt/2Z7W6Z8