Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dead at 89 - CNN

Known affectionately as "Hawkie," Hawke was Australia's prime minister from 1983 to 1991, winning four elections and becoming the country's third longest-serving leader.

His wife, Blanche D'Alpuget, released a statement on Thursday describing her husband as "the greatest Australian of the post-war era."

"Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," her statement said.

A Rhodes scholar who graduated from Oxford University in 1956, Hawke quickly rose through the ranks of Australia's trade union movement to become the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 1970, according to the Museum of Australian Democracy.

In 1983, after only being in parliament for three years, he became Australia's prime minister and would go on to serve for almost nine years in the country's top job.

Famous for his bouffant hair and cheeky sense of humor, Hawke reportedly held the world record for skolling a yard of beer in the quickest time when he was a student at Oxford.

When an Australian yacht won the America's Cup in September 1983, Hawke famously declared, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."

But he was also a major economic reformer who with his then-treasurer Paul Keating liberalized the Australian economy, floating the Australian dollar and brought in universal healthcare for all citizens.

In the end, it was Keating who took his job as leader of the Labor Party in 1991 coup.

But even after he left office, Hawke remained one of Australia's most popular prime ministers, regularly invited to quickly drink beers at major sporting events by attendees to cheers and applause.

In a statement, opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said that "the Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them."

"In Australian history, in Australian politics, there will always be B.H. and A.H: Before Hawke and After Hawke. After Hawke, we were a different country. A kinder, better, bigger and bolder country," he said.

Developing story, more to come.

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2019-05-16 10:01:00Z
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With a stroke of his pen, Trump worsens Europe's Huawei dilemma - CNN

On Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order escalating his administration's campaign against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, raising pressure on allies to follow suit in banning the company from their 5G and other networks.

The US claims Huawei, one of China's most important companies, poses a spying risk to Western technology infrastructure. The latest move against the firm comes amid a worsening trade war between Beijing and Washington, after talks expected to bring a breakthrough fell apart, resulting in billions of dollars in further tariffs from both sides.

While some US allies -- notably Australia and New Zealand -- have followed Trump's lead on Huawei, others have been more reticent. Europe in particular is split over whether to ban the company, a market leader on 5G technology which is expected to be the lifeblood of the new economy.

The Huawei issue cuts to the heart of tensions between security and economic interests when it comes to China and Chinese influence. While many countries around the world share Washington's suspicion -- even hostility -- towards Beijing, they are unwilling to take the economic hit that openly standing apart from China would entail.

UK in chaos

Nowhere will Trump's order cause more chaos -- outside perhaps Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen -- than in the United Kingdom.

Earlier this month, British Prime Minister Theresa May fired her defense secretary, Gavin Williamson, after it was alleged he was the source of a news report that the UK was preparing to give Huawei access to parts of the country's 5G network.

May accused Williamson -- who had previously expressed "very deep concerns" about Huawei -- of leaking information from a meeting of the UK National Security Council, a claim he has "strenuously" denied. The council's discussions are normally strictly guarded and the publication of its discussions sparked an immediate furor in the UK.

The Huawei issue has exposed new tensions within May's Conservative Party, already riven over Brexit and shopping around for a new leader to takeover when the Prime Minster stands down in the wake of the UK eventually agreeing how to leave the European Union.

May and her allies are believed to favor limited involvement of Huawei in British network infrastructure, but not a full ban. This is based on the advice of GCHQ, the British intelligence agency responsible for communications surveillance, which has advised close monitoring of Huawei.

Others in the party strongly favor a complete ban, following Washington's lead. Last month, Tom Tugenhadt, Conservative chair of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, said in allowing Huawei to build parts of the country's 5G network "we will be nesting a dragon in the critical national infrastructure of the UK."

He accused May -- in ignoring US and Australian advice against Huawei -- of "putting in danger the 70 year intelligence sharing relationship that has underpinned the security of the UK is worth it, for Chinese commercial gain."

That sense of commercial gain is likely to come into sharp focus should the UK finally leave the EU. Brexit supporters have made it clear they hope better trade relations with China will help boost the British economy in the face of an unavoidable dip following a split with Europe.

Tugenhadt's committee is conducting an inquiry into "China and the international rules-based system." In the panel's most recent report, it said members "see considerable grounds for concern about Huawei's involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure."

Bob Seely, another Conservative member of the committee, has argued that "Huawei -- by definition -- cannot be a trusted provider because it comes form a one-party state and is mandated to work with Chinese security services."

He has said he hopes Huawei will become an issue in the upcoming Tory leadership contest, and is one of several MPs within the party pressuring May to reverse her position.

The Chinese company has strenuously denied espionage claims, saying that agreeing to spy for Beijing would be equivalent to committing economy suicide.

Speaking during a visit to London this week, Huawei chairman Liang Hua said the company was "willing to sign a no-spy agreement with the UK government ... No spying, no back doors."

Germany uncertain

Another of Huawei's rotating chairmen, Ken Hu, is also in Europe this week. On Thursday, Hu will attend the annual Viva Tech conference in Paris, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

France is believed to be on the fence about Huawei, but is less likely to issue a full ban than the UK. However, Macron has been encouraging other European leaders to take a stronger stance on China, and he may seek to use Trump's latest move against Huawei as a means to push this agenda.

Certainly, other European countries are more skeptical. The continent also plays host to two of Huawei's biggest competitors when it comes to 5G, Ericsson of Sweden and Nokia of Finland.

During a recent visit to the UK and Germany, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that allowing Huawei into those countries' telecoms infrastructure would make partnering with them "more difficult."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far refused to bow to US pressure to ban Huawei, however, even as opposition to its involvement is reportedly growing among some sectors of the German security state.

"Security, particularly when it comes to the expansion of the 5G network, but also elsewhere in the digital area, is a very important concern for the German government, so we are defining our standards for ourselves," Merkel said in March, according to Reuters.

She said the German government would discuss any concerns with European partners, "as well as the appropriate offices in the United States."

That pressure could see Merkel change her position, as she seeks European agreement on this issue. In an interview with the Guardian this week, she said that China, Russia and the US "are forcing us, time and again, to find common positions. That is often difficult given our different interests. But we do get this done."

Trump's latest salvo against Huawei, and indications that more could follow if relations with Beijing do not improve, could juice those discussions. But in a Europe already riven over Brexit and struggling to come up with a coherent strategy on China, it's not clear a consensus is actually on the cards.

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2019-05-16 08:54:00Z
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‘US will RETREAT’ - Iran issues CHILLING warning to Trump as tensions escalate - Express.co.uk

In an incendiary speech, Khamenei insisted the US will retreat from any further moves against the Islamic Republic due to the Iranian people’s resolve. Tensions between the two countries have been souring ever since Trump took office three years ago, especially since the US President withdrew from the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. Commenting on the current relations between the two countries, Khamenei said: “In this showdown America will be forced to retreat because our resolve is stronger.

“The definite decision of the Iranian nation is to resist against America.”

The Supreme Leader’s comments come as the UK’s Iranian ambassador, Hamid Baeidinejad, warned that Iranian forces would be “ready for any eventuality in the region”.

He added: “They should not try to test the determination of Iran to confront any escalation in the region.”

Amid the recent back and forth between the two countries, Trump has boldly stated he would send more troops to the region if necessary.

READ MORE: US-Iran crisis: B-52 bombers leave Qatar to 'send message' to Iran

Khamenei continued: “This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war.

“Neither we nor the US seek war.

“They know it will not be in their interest.”

Recent reports have stated the US would consider sending almost 120,000 troops to the region to respond to any attack or escalation.

READ MORE: Iran nuclear deal: What will happen as Rouhani DITCHES nuclear deal?

Moreover, the State Department announced it would be evacuating all non-emergency staff from neighbouring Iraq and would closing the US Embassy in Baghdad.

In response to those rumours, Trump stated: “Hopefully we’re not going to have to plan for that.

“And if we did that, we’d send a hell of a lot more troops than that.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed Iran is not seeking conflict but “always defended” themselves.

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2019-05-16 06:24:00Z
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Trump Administration Balks at Global Pact to Crack Down on Online Extremism - The New York Times

PARIS — The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it would not sign an international accord intended to pressure the largest internet platforms to eradicate violent and extremist content, highlighting a broader divide between the United States and other countries over government’s role in determining what content is acceptable online.

Citing free speech protections, the administration said in a statement that “the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement.” It added that “the best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech.”

The statement coincided with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand meeting in Paris to sign what they have labeled the Christchurch Call. The agreement was crafted after a terrorist attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March that left 51 Muslim worshipers dead. The massacre was live streamed on Facebook, and spread virally over the internet.

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Ms. Ardern has used the Christchurch killings to rally support for increased vigilance toward keeping violent and extremist content off the world’s largest internet platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have vowed to monitor their services more aggressively for material that encourages and facilitates violence.

Yet the debate about regulating the internet is raising broader questions about what constitutes acceptable free expression online. Companies and governments have largely coalesced around addressing violent, terrorist-related and child-exploitation content online, but there is less consensus on issues like what qualifies as hate speech and misinformation, and what forms of political rhetoric are tolerable even if they are offensive and polarizing.

The Christchurch Call is not binding and does not include penalties for platforms that do not comply. But as governments around the world consider new laws and regulations, tech companies are under growing pressure to demonstrate that they can police their platforms. On Tuesday, before the gathering in Paris, Facebook said it would place more restrictions on the use of its live video service

Last week, France proposed new laws that would require companies to eliminate harmful content. Britain put forward a similar proposal last month. And after the Christchurch massacre, Australia passed a law that made company executives personally liable for the spread of violent material.

Dipayan Ghosh, who worked on privacy policy issues at Facebook and in President Barack Obama’s administration, said the absence of the United States from the accord showed that it was ceding tech regulation to other nations.

“That the U.S. is a no-show to such an important meeting indicates a shocking lack of concern about the tremendous harms perpetuated by the internet, including terrorism and killing,” said Mr. Ghosh, who is now co-director of the Platform Accountability Project at Harvard University. “Further, our lack of participation will reinforce the intellectual divide between Americans and the rest of the world.”

He said the agreement was symbolically significant and put tech companies on notice that they must meet new safety obligations.

“If companies participate in the accord, they are necessarily representing to consumers that they will live up to its demands, and they will be compelled by governmental agencies to live up to those commitments,” he said.

On Wednesday, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter signed on to the Christchurch Call and to a nine-point plan for addressing extremist and violent content. The plan calls for the companies to take steps like updating their terms of use; identifying checks on live streaming; sharing technology development; and collaborating on protocols for responding to crises. The companies also agreed to improve tools for users to report objectionable content, and to publish transparency reports on efforts to detect and remove such material.

In a joint statement, the companies called the Christchurch shootings a “horrifying tragedy” and said “it is right that we come together.”

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, said in an interview that the companies’ plan was part of the tech industry’s broader shift away from self-regulation.

“Now you see a clear reaction and, in some cases, rejection of that,” Mr. Smith said in an interview.

Mr. Macron and Ms. Ardern said the Christchurch Call was the start of a wider effort to address the use of the internet to spread violent and extreme ideologies. The push is to continue at a meeting of Group of 7 leaders later this year and a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

“We have taken steps to act,” Mr. Macron said.

Ms. Ardern said, “The social media dimension to the attack was unprecedented and our response today with the adoption of the Christchurch Call is equally unprecedented.”

At a news conference at the French presidential palace, the two leaders played down the Trump administration’s position. Ms. Ardern noted that American officials had expressed support for the pledge’s broad goals.

In its statement on the subject, the Trump administration said it supported the Christchurch Call’s “overall goals” and would “continue to engage governments, industry, and civil society to counter terrorist content on the internet.”

Mr. Macron, acknowledging the differing views on free speech, argued that stricter policies were needed to stop the spread of not just explicitly violent content, but also anti-Semitic and other types of hate speech, bullying and racist material, which he said could incite extremist behavior. There have not been clear definitions about what is acceptable in those areas.

“That’s the gray zone,” Mr. Macron said.

Both leaders praised the tech companies for vowing to make changes. “We have an agreement here that involves both tech companies and countries,” said Ms. Ardern. “In the past we have had either one or the other.”

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2019-05-15 19:18:45Z
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Steve Bannon: There is 'no chance' Trump is going to back down in the China trade war - CNBC

There is "no chance" President Donald Trump will back down in the U.S. trade war with China, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon told CNBC on Wednesday.

"China has been running an economic war against the industrial democracies for now 20 years," said the hardline ex-White House chief strategist, who helped craft Trump's nationalist message.

Bannon said previous presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — passed the buck on addressing and fixing the problems of China's protectionist economy. But Trump is not shying away from the fight, he added.

"There is no chance that Donald Trump backs down from this. I think he's looking at the good of people on a global basis," Bannon said in the  "Squawk Box" interview.

Under Trump, Washington has taken a tougher stance on China than his recent predecessors. In addition to disputes around trade and the alleged Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property, American intelligence chiefs expressed their distrust of Chinese tech giant Huawei and Chinese telecom company ZTE.

The standoff with China "cuts to the core of what the United States is going to be in the future," Bannon said. "With 'Made in China 2025,' 'one belt-one road,' and Huawei's 5G rollout, this is a master plan to become an economic hegemon, " he added, referring to Chinese policies on its economy and trade.

U.S. officials have repeatedly said the Chinese stock market and economy have suffered more than those in the U.S. from the tariff fight, and will continue to bear the brunt. On Wednesday, China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales and industrial output for April, adding pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus as the trade war with the United States escalates.

"We have all the cards," Bannon said. "The Chinese business model cannot continue. It won't continue."

For its part, China's Communist Party has remained defiant, putting out a rallying cry in state media.

The deal that Trump has said China backed out of was not really about trade, Bannon said. "They refused and basically walked away from the deal because they understood that they've been running an economic war in this. And this is not a trade deal. This is a truce in an economic war, an armistice so to speak, and that they weren't prepared to do it."

With trade talks at a stalemate, the U.S. is considering putting tariffs on the remaining billions and billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods coming into the U.S. Last week, the Trump administration followed through on its threat and increased duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10% to 25%. On Monday, in retaliation, China announced plans to raise tariffs, some to as high as 25%, on $60 billion in U.S. goods.

Trump's tweets and tough public rhetoric aside, negotiators for both sides — led by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and China Vice Premier Liu He — need to get behind closed doors, "take the heat down" and work hard on getting an agreement, Bannon said. "This is not going to take place overnight."

Addressing a question about whether the Chinese would have rather negotiated with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin than China-hawk Lighthizer, Bannon praised Lighthizer. "There is no gap between Lighthizer and President Trump."

Since May 5, when Trump surprised investors with tweets threatening higher tariffs on China, the S&P 500 had lost about $1.1 trillion in value — the type of decline that if it were to persist could put a real drag on U.S. economic growth. The index made some of that back with Tuesday's nearly 1% recovery after Monday's 2.4% decline. Despite the knock from trade concerns, the S&P 500 was still only 4% away from its May 1 all-time intraday high as of Tuesday's close, and up more than 20% since the 2018 low on Christmas Eve.

The China dispute certainly makes for strange bedfellows, with Trump facing calls from allies on Wall Street and free-trade conservatives to reach a deal. U.S. stocks opened lower Wednesday. Meanwhile, Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are urging the president to extract the most concessions possible from China.

Bannon, a Goldman Sachs alum who became a proponent of nationalism, said he believes the China issue will frame the 2020 presidential campaign in favor of Trump. "This is history in real time. This is the most significant thing that any president can possible do," he said, adding that Trump won't bow to the pressure and make a superficial agreement that doesn't address all the ways Beijing is cheating economically.

On Tuesday evening, former Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein was on the same wavelength as Bannon, tweeting, "Tariffs might be an effective negotiating tool."

— CNBC digital correspondent in Singapore Yen Nee Lee and Reuters contributed to this report.

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2019-05-15 12:16:52Z
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'Jeremy Kyle Show' canceled after cheating guest dies by suicide - Fox News

British broadcaster ITV on Wednesday canceled a popular, long-running daytime reality show after the death of a guest who failed a lie-detector test during a recording.

ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall said "The Jeremy Kyle Show" was being scrapped "given the gravity of recent events."

The tabloid-style talk show, which had run for 14 years, was pulled after 63-year-old Steve Dymond was found dead at a home in Portsmouth, southern England, on May 9.

WOMAN, CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND REVEALED TO BE HALF-SIBLINGS ON 'JEREMY KYLE SHOW'

Media reported that he had killed himself. Police said the death was not suspicious, and a post-mortem will be held to determine the cause.

On an episode filmed earlier this month, Dymond took a lie-detector test to convince his fiancee that he had not been unfaithful, but was told he had failed.

The episode has not been aired.

"The Jeremy Kyle Show" was canceled after a guest died by suicide. The guest overdosed after failing a lie detector test about his alleged cheating on the British tabloid-style talk show. (Getty)

Dymond's death has heightened concern in Britain about the stress put on people appearing on reality television and online shows, and program-makers' duty to protect their guests.

'LOVE ISLAND' STAR MIKE THALASSITIS DEAD AT 26

It's a debate that has raged, off and on, for close to two decades since Britain began making home-grown equivalents of sensationalist U.S. programs like "The Jerry Springer Show" and putting ordinary people under intense scrutiny on reality shows such as "Big Brother."

ITV was already under pressure following the deaths of two former contestants, Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis. on reality show "Love Island." Gradon's 2018 death was ruled a suicide at an inquest. An inquest has not yet been held for Thalassitis, who died in March.

'LOVE ISLAND' STARS' DEATHS PROMPTS PAST CONTESTANTS TO ASK FOR HELP WITH PRESSURES OF FAME

Lawmaker Damian Collins, chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said the panel would discuss "what should be done to review the duty of care support for people appearing in reality TV shows" during a private meeting on Wednesday.

Simon Wessely, a former head of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said shows like "Jeremy Kyle" were "the theatre of cruelty."

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"And yes, it might entertain a million people a day, but then again, so did Christians versus lions," he said.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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2019-05-15 11:35:42Z
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Jeremy Kyle Show canceled 'for good' after guest's death, ITV says - CNN

Broadcaster ITV said it has permanently canceled production of the Jeremy Kyle Show, which had been running for 14 years.

Widely seen as the UK's answer to the Jerry Springer Show, the Jeremy Kyle Show often featured feuding couples or friends accused of betrayal, with participants sometimes agreeing to lie detector tests in order to settle disputes. Results would be revealed in front of a baying studio audience, with occasionally violent consequences.

The deceased participant, who has been identified as Steve Dymond, died a week after appearing on the show, ITV said, but no cause of death was confirmed.

Jenny Cummins, head of press for ITV, told CNN Wednesday that the show would be canceled "for good," and ITV CEO Carolyn McCall released a statement as a review of the long-running program continues.

"Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show," said McCall.

"The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end."

"Everyone at ITV's thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond," continued the statement.

ITV previously announced it would not screen the episode in which Dymond appeared.

The broadcaster said it will continue to work with Jeremy Kyle on other projects.

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2019-05-15 11:35:00Z
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