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Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:20 a.m. No.10421   🗄️.is 🔗kun

China about to pull off ‘diplomatic coup’ by striking world’s largest free trade agreement

 

13 Nov, 2020 09:22

 

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations including China and Japan plan to sign the world’s biggest free trade deal this weekend. The FTA will cut tariffs, strengthen supply chains with common rules of origin, and codify new e-commerce rules.

 

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to be announced at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, which Vietnam is hosting virtually. It will involve the ten member states of the ASEAN bloc – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – as well as their trade partners Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

 

The new economic bloc will thus represent around a third of the world’s gross domestic product and population.

 

It will become the first-ever free trade agreement to include China, Japan, and South Korea – Asia’s first, second and fourth-largest economies. One of the original partners, India, said last November that it would not participate in the negotiations due to concern that opening up its market would cause its trade deficit with China to grow.

 

https://www.rt.com/business/506564-china-worlds-largest-free-trade/

Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:21 a.m. No.10422   🗄️.is 🔗kun

WASHINGTON – The members of Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) Executive Committee – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Assistant Director Bob Kolasky, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chair Benjamin Hovland, National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) President Maggie Toulouse Oliver, National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) President Lori Augino, and Escambia County (Florida) Supervisor of Elections David Stafford – and the members of the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Council (SCC) – Chair Brian Hancock (Unisyn Voting Solutions), Vice Chair Sam Derheimer (Hart InterCivic), Chris Wlaschin (Election Systems & Software), Ericka Haas (Electronic Registration Information Center), and Maria Bianchi (Democracy Works) - released the following statement:

 

“The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. Right now, across the country, election officials are reviewing and double checking the entire election process prior to finalizing the result.

 

“When states have close elections, many will recount ballots. All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote, allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary. This is an added benefit for security and resilience. This process allows for the identification and correction of any mistakes or errors. There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.

 

“Other security measures like pre-election testing, state certification of voting equipment, and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) certification of voting equipment help to build additional confidence in the voting systems used in 2020.

 

“While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too. When you have questions, turn to elections officials as trusted voices as they administer elections.”

 

https://www.cisa.gov/news/2020/11/12/joint-statement-elections-infrastructure-government-coordinating-council-election

Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:22 a.m. No.10423   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>0451

Republicans Pick Up Tenth House Seat With New York Victory

 

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 By Tristan Justice

 

House Republicans added one more to their ranks this week after New York Democratic Rep. Max Rose conceded defeat Thursday in the Staten Island-area district.

 

“I received a gracious phone call from Rep. Max Rose today conceding the election,” wrote State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis on Twitter. “I want to thank him for his service to our nation in both the military and in Congress. We agreed to work together on a seamless transition to best serve our constituents.”

 

Rose, a freshman Democrat in the lower chamber had flipped the seat two years ago in what is widely considered one of the most conservative districts in New York City. Rose was one of 41 Democratic lawmakers to oust Republicans in 2018 to reclaim the House majority halfway into President Donald Trump’s first term putting California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi back in the speaker’s chair.

 

The Republican victory in New York marks the GOP’s tenth pick-up for a net gain of six seats in the House, a majority of whom are women.

 

MORE AT LINK:

 

https://thefederalist.com/2020/11/12/republicans-pick-up-tenth-house-seat-with-new-york-victory/

Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:23 a.m. No.10425   🗄️.is 🔗kun

UK summons Chinese ambassador after expulsion of Hong Kong MPs

 

The government views China's latest action as part of a campaign to stifle all voices critical of Beijing's policies.

 

By Greg Heffer, political reporter

 

Thursday 12 November 2020 14:23, UK

 

The government has summoned China's ambassador to register "deep concern" after Beijing ordered the expulsion of four opposition MPs from Hong Kong's parliament.

 

Kwok Ka-ki, Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok and Kenneth Leung were banished from the territory's assembly for allegedly endangering national security.

 

They were expelled under a new Chinese law banning supporters of Hong Kong independence from holding office.

 

The action saw the remaining opposition members of Hong Kong's parliament resign en masse and means the territory's pro-Beijing government is now effectively unchallenged in the legislature.

 

MORE AT LINK:

 

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-summons-chinese-ambassador-after-expulsion-of-hong-kong-mps-12130665

Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:24 a.m. No.10426   🗄️.is 🔗kun

South Africa Ruling Party Official Charged With Graft, Fraud

 

By S'thembile Cele and Gemma Gatticchi

 

November 13, 2020, 5:14 AM EST

 

ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule appears in court

 

South African president has vowed to crackdown on corruption

 

South African prosecutors charged the second-highest ranking official in the nation’s ruling party with corruption, fraud and money-laundering.

 

The charges were put to African National Congress Secretary-General Ace Magashule at a court appearance in the Magistrate Court in the central city of Bloemfontein on Friday. The court granted Magashule bail of 200,000 rand ($12,827).

 

Magashule, who currently oversees the day-to-day running of the ANC, is the highest-profile serving politician to face charges since President Cyril Ramaphosa took office in 2018 and pledged to crack down on the corruption that became endemic during his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s rule. The government estimated that more than 500 billion rand was stolen.

 

The case against Magashule relates to a 255 million-rand asbestos audit contract that was awarded in the Free State, according to the police’s special investigating unit. Four government officials and business people were also detained in connection with the contract in September.

 

While the legal processes against Magashule could take years to be concluded, he may be politically sidelined in the interim. That’s because the party has instructed all its members facing charges to step aside from their posts until their cases are concluded – although not all of them have complied.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-13/south-africa-ruling-party-official-charged-with-graft-fraud?srnd=premium

Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:27 a.m. No.10427   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Justice Alito warns of dangers to free speech, religious liberty in Federalist Society address

 

“In certain quarters religious liberty has fast become a disfavored right,” Alito said

 

By Brie Stimson | Fox News

Published 2 hours ago

 

Religious liberty and free speech are among Americans' personal freedoms potentially imperiled along with government overreach during the coronavirus pandemic, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned Thursday.

“Tolerance for opposing views is now in short supply,” Alito added in a virtual keynote speech to a conference of the conservative Federalist Society, in which he referenced the current state of discourse in the nation's law schools and the “broader academic community.”

Many recent law school graduates claim they face “harassment” and “retaliation” for any views that depart “from law school orthodoxy,” Alito said.

“In certain quarters religious liberty has fast become a disfavored right,” he said. “For many today, religious liberty is not a cherished freedom. It’s often just an excuse for bigotry and it can’t be tolerated even when there’s no evidence that anybody has been harmed.”

He cited the Supreme Court cases of the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Roman Catholic nuns who were exempted from a requirement to provide birth control coverage to employees and Colorado baker who was allowed to refuse service to a gay couple for their wedding.

No employees with the Little Sisters of the Poor asked for birth control coverage and the gay couple was given a free cake by another shop and had celebrity chefs jump to their defense, he said.

“The question we face is whether our society will be inclusive enough to tolerate people with unpopular religious beliefs,” he added, saying Christians deserve the same protections as the any of the religious minority groups in cases over which has presided throughout the years.

When Alito, 70, a nominee of former President George W. Bush who was confirmed by the Senate in 2006, touched on the pandemic, he said it has “resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty” and whatever people believe about the coronavirus restrictions, the U.S. can’t allow the restrictions to stand after the pandemic has passed.

He also said that houses of worship have been treated unfairly compared to other businesses during the pandemic, like in the case of casinos in Nevada.

 

MORE:

 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/justice-alito-warns-of-dangers-to-free-speech-religious-liberty-in-federalist-society-address

Anonymous ID: 8ba1f9 Nov. 13, 2020, 3:58 a.m. No.10441   🗄️.is 🔗kun

New device puts music in your head — no headphones required

 

Neat/ cue tin foil hats

 

https://apnews.com/article/new-tech-device-sound-beaming-noveto-38327ae5fe116080a5eaf2374eb0f5c8