U.K. Parliament Recesses As Boris Johnson Reels From String Of Defeats - NPR

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, seen at a joint news conference Monday with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin. Johnson has suffered a rough couple of weeks, as lawmakers scuttled first his attempt to maintain a hard Brexit deadline — then, his attempt to call a snap general election. Charles McQuillan/Getty Images hide caption

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The bad days just keep on coming for Boris Johnson.

On Monday, less than a week after lawmakers roundly rejected the British prime minister's plan to leave the European Union with or without a deal, Johnson's fallback plan suffered much the same fate: Members of Parliament voted a second time to shoot down his call for an early general election, sending his political fortunes staggering as the lawmaking body embarks on a five-week suspension.

Beginning Tuesday, Parliament is out of session until Oct. 14. The legislative recess, which Johnson requested late last month, means lawmakers will return to work with precious little time before the Oct. 31 deadline to leave the EU — though now that Parliament has enacted a law forcing him to ask the EU for a delay if there's no deal in place, it's unclear just how likely it is they'll make that deadline.

In the meantime, Johnson has plenty to stew on.

In the past week, a defection cost his Conservative-led coalition its working majority in Parliament; lawmakers — including 21 of his fellow Conservatives — voted down his bid to plow ahead with Brexit; his own brother, Jo Johnson, stepped down from Parliament, citing a tension "between family loyalty and the national interest"; and his secretary of state for work and pensions, Amber Rudd, resigned from his cabinet and lambasted his punitive expulsion from party membership of Conservatives who had voted against him as "an assault on decency and democracy."

The string of stinging defeats was capped Monday with his failure to obtain the votes necessary to call a snap election next month. He had hoped that positive polls promised a big victory in the election, which would allow him to shore up his support in Parliament. But to call that election, he needed the approval of two-thirds of lawmakers, or more than 430 votes. Instead, he got just 293.

"I want an election, we're eager for an election, but as keen as we are, we are not prepared to inflict the disaster of a no-deal on our communities, our jobs, our services, or indeed our rights," said Johnson's counterpart in the opposition, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Now, Johnson is faced with a teeming array of angry lawmakers, many of whom have vehemently objected to his controversial decision to suspend Parliament. In the final chaotic moments before their formal departure Tuesday, some members of the body displayed their displeasure on the chamber floor with signs reading "Silenced."

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— Rosie Duffield MP (@RosieDuffield1) September 10, 2019

The speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, criticized the move to suspend Parliament, as well.

"It is not typical," said Bercow, who stunned the House of Commons by announcing his decision to step down Oct. 31 after 10 years as speaker. "It is not standard. It's one of the longest for decades and it represents — not just in the minds of many colleagues, but huge numbers of people outside — an act of executive fiat."

It is unclear how Johnson plans to proceed at this point. Despite the law against a no-deal Brexit, he has made quite clear he has no intention of requesting another delay from the EU. In fact, last week he outright vowed that he would not do so, telling reporters that he'd rather be "dead in a ditch."

If Johnson follows through on that pledge, another showdown with Parliament — as well as a legal challenge — could be in the offing. Several lawmakers have already warned him against it.

"Be careful," Ian Blackford, leader of the opposition Scottish National Party, told Johnson. "You occupy the highest office in the land. And what you're demonstrating to the people of the United Kingdom is that the law doesn't matter."

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https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/759285001/u-k-parliament-recesses-as-boris-johnson-reels-from-string-of-defeats

2019-09-10 09:15:00Z
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UK Parliament is now suspended as Brexit crisis boils over: Here's what could happen next - CNBC

Demonstrators gather outside Houses of Parliament for a protest on 03 September, 2019 in London, England to oppose the prorogation of the U.K. Parliament.

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With the U.K Parliament now shuttered for five weeks and the recent political turmoil throwing up more questions than answers, analysts have been busy contemplating what could happen next in Britain as it approaches its Brexit deadline.

The shutdown of Parliament — known as prorogation — will see lawmakers reconvene on October 14. The suspension marks the end of one parliamentary session before the start of the next, and it's usual for it to take place at this time of year.

However, the current shutdown, which began in the early hours of Tuesday, is more controversial than most due to its extended length and because it comes at a period of high anxiety in U.K. politics over the direction of Brexit.

It's fair to say the U.K.'s political establishment has been in tumult since the divisive 2016 referendum on EU membership. It has culminated in Parliament's three-time rejection of the existing Brexit deal on offer, but also the dismissal of a no-deal Brexit.

This summer, Parliament saw the arrival of a new prime minister in July determined for the U.K. to leave the EU on October 31 "come what may."

What just happened?

That divide between Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government and Parliament was thrown into sharp relief in a dramatic week full of intrigue, votes and resignations.

In the last seven days, lawmakers seized control of parliamentary business, voted to block a no-deal Brexit and to force the prime minister to ask for a further delay to the departure (legislation that hastily became law on Monday) as well as twice rejecting Boris Johnson's bid to bring about a snap election that could strengthen his hand.

Johnson was dealt further blows with key resignations from his government, including that of his own brother who said he was torn between "family loyalty and national interest."

Now Parliament is suspended for five weeks and will reconvene just days before an EU Council summit on October 17 which is just over two weeks from the currently proposed Brexit departure date.

Here's a brief guide to what could (and what is meant to) happen next:

Brexit on October 31?

As it stands, the U.K. is still due to leave the EU on October 31 whether it has a deal or not. A majority of Parliament voting to block a no-deal Brexit does not mean that it won't still happen.

For starters, the EU would have to agree to granting another delay to the U.K.; and there are already grumblings from the continent that the U.K. has not presented valid reasons for requesting more time. Johnson could also ignore the law requiring him to ask for more time.

Ignoring a no-deal Brexit

Despite Parliament voting to block a no-deal Brexit and passing a law, Johnson has repeatedly said he would still try to take the U.K. out the EU on October 31.

In fact, he has said he would rather "die in a ditch" than ask the EU for more time and some believe he could launch a legal challenge to the no-deal Brexit legislation, also known as the "Benn Law."

"Johnson is expected to challenge the Benn Law in the Supreme Court," analysts Joseph Lupton and Olya Borichevska at J.P. Morgan said in a note Monday.

"He also may send a letter to the EU to encourage it not to grant an extension. Those strategies are unlikely to succeed on their own merits, but could further Johnson's pre-election signalling of a hard-line, no compromise Brexit on October 31."

More talks?

Johnson has insisted he wants a deal and would use the time that Parliament is suspended to continue last-ditch talks with Brussels to get over the major stumbling point of the Irish "backstop."

This is seen as an insurance policy designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland if the U.K. and EU can't agree a trade deal in a post-Brexit transition period (only envisaged if there is a deal). As it stands, the backstop would keep Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. in a customs union with the EU, making it very unpopular with Brexiteers in Parliament.

The BBC reported Monday that the government could be considering a compromise over the Irish "backstop" in that it could be applicable to Northern Ireland only, potentially placating Brexiteers — albeit at the expense of lawmakers bent on keeping the U.K. indivisible in terms of law.

Election before 2020?

Although opposition parties defeated Johnson's bids to hold an early election (his Conservative Party still leads opinion polls) most did so because they wanted to see the threat of a no-deal Brexit dissipate.

The legislation to block a no-deal Brexit was not enough for many lawmakers, however, with several opposition parties wanting to see the departure date delayed before agreeing to a snap election (Johnson needs two-thirds of Parliament to approve a snap vote).

With Parliament also suspended now until October 14 and the no-deal Brexit legislation in place, most Brexit watchers now see a snap election as likely to happen in November, after a possible delay to the departure date.

Deal by October 31?

With speculation that Johnson's government could be considering the proposal of a compromise over the "backstop" policy, some experts believe that a deal could still possibly be passed before October 19.

Goldman Sachs' base case scenario says "there is no pre-Brexit general election and a Brexit deal is struck and ratified by the end of October," according to its European Economist Adrian Paul.

"In substance, we think that deal is unlikely to look very different from the Brexit deal already negotiated between the EU and the U.K. — a deal that was repeatedly rejected under PM May's premiership."

Still, Goldman Sachs notes that a delayed departure could lead to a November election in which either the one-issue Brexit Party could do well leaving "the path open to a 'no deal' Brexit early next year."

Second referendum?

Alternatively, opposition parties could unite to try to bring about a second referendum. "The potential for the Liberal Democrats or the SNP (Scottish National Party) to accrue influence in a minority government led by the Labour Party after a November general election preserves a path to a second referendum," the Goldman analysts noted.

Goldman has revised down the probability on a "no-deal" Brexit from 25% to 20% and the probability of "no Brexit" from 30% to 25%.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/10/uk-parliament-is-now-suspended-what-happens-next-with-brexit.html

2019-09-10 08:56:27Z
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Why Trump is taking flak for inviting the Taliban to Camp David - Fox News

Another historic Camp David summit was not to be.

We didn’t learn until late Saturday that President Trump planned to meet with Taliban leaders at the Maryland retreat to finalize a peace deal for Afghanistan. That news came through presidential tweets announcing that the secret session had been canceled, in the wake of a Taliban attack whose victims included an American soldier.

This is one of those rare instances when Trump is drawing criticism from some of his allies on the right as well as his harshest critics on the left. Just about everyone seems relieved that the agreement collapsed at the last minute.

And the plan to use Camp David, where Jimmy Carter famously negotiated peace between Israel and Egypt, is bringing an extra measure of passion to the debate.

PERFECT STORM: MEDIA POUND TRUMP OVER ‘SHARPIE-GATE’ HURRICANE MAP

Simply put, it is hard for many Americans to stomach that the Taliban, who harbored Osama bin Laden in the runup to 9/11, would be given a civilized welcome by a president of the United States in those storied cabins--especially with the anniversary of that terrible day approaching.

It may well have been a bad idea for several reasons. But I will say this: Many people have a hard time understanding why, 18 years later, the United States still has troops in a country torn by civil war. And Trump ran for the White House as an opponent of endless wars.

No one wants to allow brutal terrorists to again operate with impunity in Afghanistan—but few want American troops bogged down there for decades.

The New York Times, which has by far the most detailed reporting on the episode, said it has “all of the characteristic traits of the Trump presidency — the yearning ambition for the grand prize, the endless quest to achieve what no other president has achieved, the willingness to defy convention, the volatile mood swings and the tribal infighting.”

The Washington Post says that when the top U.S. negotiator asked for a summit meeting in D.C., “Taliban leaders said they accepted the idea — as long as the visit came after the deal was announced.

“That would become a fundamental dividing point contributing to the collapse of the talks. Mr. Trump did not want the Camp David meeting to be a celebration of the deal; after staying out of the details of what has been a delicate effort in a complicated region, Mr. Trump wanted to be the dealmaker who would put the final parts together himself, or at least be perceived to be.”

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These and other news outlets agree that the maneuvering highlighted the divisions between Mike Pompeo, the secretary of State, and John Bolton, the national security adviser. Pompeo, according to the Times, increasingly tried to isolate Bolton, the leading opponent of the deal.

The tentative agreement would have the U.S. withdrawing its remaining 14,000 troops over 16 months in exchange for counterterrorism assurances from the Taliban. Bolton has argued that Trump could pull out 5,000 troops without a deal. But what incentive do the Taliban have make concessions if the American troop presence is being slashed anyway? And how come the Afghan government isn’t in on these talks?

Lindsey Graham and retired generals David Petraeus and Jack Keane counseled Trump against the meeting, as did (according to CNN) Mike Pence. (Trump called it fake news that he overruled the VP and other advisers, saying the "Dishonest Media likes to create the look of turmoil in the White House." He also tweeted that "we have been serving as policemen in Afghanistan.")

Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted, “Camp David is where America’s leaders met to plan our response after al Qaeda, supported by the Taliban, killed 3000 Americans on 9/11. No member of the Taliban should set foot there. Ever. The Taliban still harbors al Qaeda. The President is right to end the talks.”

I wonder whether the car bombing that killed the American soldier is the entire reason for Trump’s pullback. After all, it’s routine to hold peace talks while wars are raging unless there’s a cease-fire. Perhaps the president thought the death would just galvanize the deal’s opponents.

But what rankles most of all is the venue. The Vietnam peace talks were held in Paris. The two summits with Kim Jong-un were in Singapore and Hanoi. The summit meeting with Vladimir Putin was in Helsinki. To invite the terroristic Taliban to Camp David, whatever the negotiating details, is really hard to swallow.

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https://www.foxnews.com/media/why-trump-is-taking-flak-for-inviting-the-taliban-to-camp-david

2019-09-10 08:33:40Z
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Gen. David Petraeus: Camp David Taliban meeting 'symbolism would've been troubling' but Trump was right to ... - Fox News

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1. Gen. David Petraeus: Camp David Taliban meeting 'symbolism would've been troubling' but Trump was right to ...  Fox News
2. Trump overruled advisers, VP on Taliban Camp David meeting  CNN
3. Fallout from Trump's canceled Taliban summit | ABC News  ABC News
4. Trump’s invitation to the Taliban was disgraceful. So was Republican silence about it.  The Washington Post
5. The Taliban hardly deserve Camp David talks with a president. What was Trump thinking?  USA TODAY
6. View full coverage on Google News

https://www.foxnews.com/media/david-petraeus-trump-taliban-meeting-camp-david-afghanistan

2019-09-10 04:26:05Z
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Analysis: Why did Donald Trump cancel peace talks with Taliban? - Al Jazeera English

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY73VQLleaY

2019-09-09 10:26:29Z
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Japan typhoon leaves thousands stranded at the airport - CNN

Typhoon Faxai, which made landfall early Monday morning in the coastal city of Chiba, brought heavy rain and winds of 120 miles per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The storm then moved over Tokyo and paralyzed transport. Major subway stations in Tokyo were crammed full of commuters on Monday morning, all stuck waiting for bullet trains and subway services that had shut down.

The train services gradually resumed mid-morning, but all lines are still experiencing delays.

More than 100 flights to and from airports in the Tokyo area were canceled on Monday, including 49 Japan Airlines flights and 41 by All Nippon Airways, according to the airport website. The entire Keikyu rail line, which connects Tokyo and Yokohama to Haneda Airport, is still suspended.

As of Monday afternoon, 6,800 passengers were stranded at Narita International Airport, according to an airport spokesperson. Flights are still arriving, but with highways blocked and two railways to the city center shut down, arriving passengers had no way to leave the airport.

Narita is one of two international airports in the Tokyo area.

Highways were shut down, departing ships were canceled at Tokyo Port, and rail lines closed on Sunday and Monday.

Photos show flooded streets, littered with downed trees and branches. Workers on Monday tended to signposts and lamps that had blown over, and employees at the Higashi Chiba train station inspected the roof, which was twisted and torn apart.

There are also widespread blackouts -- nearly a million households are without power, according to public broadcaster NHK. The entire islands of Shikinejima and Oshima off the country's south coast lost power, according to the Tokyo Disaster Prevention Department.

So far there have been no deaths reported, but at least ten people have been hospitalized, NHK said on Monday.

Ahead of the typhoon, JMA issued storm surge, flood, and landslide warnings, and asked the public to avoid going outdoors.

An evacuation advisory was issued Sunday night for about 150,000 people in the Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and Tokyo prefectures, with evacuation preparation information delivered to about 2.5 million people, according to NHK. Evacuation shelters were set up across Tokyo, including the city wards of Minato, Machida, Meguro and more.

By Monday mid-morning, most of the evacuation orders across Tokyo had been canceled, and storm warnings in the Tokyo area lifted. However, the Tokyo Disaster Prevention Management warned residents to remain alert for strong winds.

The typhoon is now forecast to move northeast away from Japan and into the open Pacific over the next day, with maximum wind speeds expected to weaken to 26 mph by Tuesday, according to JMA.

Junko Ogura and Sol Han contributed reporting.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/asia/typhoon-faxai-japan-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

2019-09-09 09:19:00Z
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Typhoon leaves 100 flights canceled and 1 million without power in Japan - CNN

Typhoon Faxai, which made landfall early Monday morning in the coastal city of Chiba, brought heavy rain and winds of 120 miles per hour, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The storm then moved over Tokyo and paralyzed transport. Major subway stations in Tokyo were crammed full of commuters on Monday morning, all stuck waiting for bullet trains and subway services that had shut down.

The train services gradually resumed mid-morning, but all lines are still experiencing delays.

More than 100 flights to and from airports in the Tokyo area were canceled on Monday, including 49 Japan Airlines flights and 41 by All Nippon Airways, according to the airport website. The entire Keikyu rail line, which connects Tokyo and Yokohama to Haneda Airport, is still suspended.

Highways were shut down, departing ships were canceled at Tokyo Port, and rail lines closed on Sunday and Monday.

Photos show flooded streets, littered with downed trees and branches. Workers on Monday tended to signposts and lamps that had blown over, and employees at the Higashi Chiba train station inspected the roof, which was twisted and torn apart.

There are also widespread blackouts -- nearly a million households are without power, according to public broadcaster NHK. The entire islands of Shikinejima and Oshima off the country's south coast lost power, according to the Tokyo Disaster Prevention Department.

So far there have been no deaths reported, but at least ten people have been hospitalized, NHK said on Monday.

Ahead of the typhoon, JMA issued storm surge, flood, and landslide warnings, and asked the public to avoid going outdoors.

An evacuation advisory was issued Sunday night for about 150,000 people in the Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and Tokyo prefectures, with evacuation preparation information delivered to about 2.5 million people, according to NHK. Evacuation shelters were set up across Tokyo, including the city wards of Minato, Machida, Meguro and more.

By Monday mid-morning, most of the evacuation orders across Tokyo had been canceled, and storm warnings in the Tokyo area lifted. However, the Tokyo Disaster Prevention Management warned residents to remain alert for strong winds.

The typhoon is now forecast to move northeast away from Japan and into the open Pacific over the next day, with maximum wind speeds expected to weaken to 26 mph by Tuesday, according to JMA.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/asia/typhoon-faxai-japan-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

2019-09-09 07:14:00Z
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