India - Pakistan Crisis -- News Updates February 28, 2019

DW: Pakistan to release captured Indian pilot 'as a peace gesture'

Pakistan's Imran Khan said the pilot would be released Friday. India welcomed the announcement, but its military said it would remain in a "heightened state of readiness to respond to any provocation from Pakistan."

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that his country would release a captured Indian pilot "as a peace gesture."

Speaking to Pakistani lawmakers in parliament, Khan said the pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, would be released on Friday. Khan also said that he tried to reach out to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to de-escalate tensions between the two countries.

"Pakistan wants peace, but it should not be treated as our weakness," Khan said. "The region will prosper if there is peace and stability. It is good for both sides."

Khan's comments came after Modi said that "India's enemies are conspiring to create instability in the country through terror attacks."

Read more ....

India - Pakistan Crisis -- News Updates February 28, 2019

India-Pakistan border crisis: Live updates -- CNN
India-Pakistan tensions: All the latest updates -- Al Jazeera
Pakistan pledges to release captive Indian fighter pilot -- AP
Pakistan says it will return captured Indian pilot, as U.S. urges de-escalation -- Reuters
Pakistan ready to free India pilot if leads to 'de-escalation' -- AFP
Pakistan to release Indian pilot captured in Kashmir attacks -- The Guardian
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan pledges to free Indian pilot from downed warplane as a peace gesture -- ABC News Online
Captured Indian pilot at centre of Kashmir crisis to be released -- Al Jazeera
Pakistan says it will free Indian pilot, but warns India not to "take this any further" -- CBS
Abhinandan: Villagers recount dramatic capture of pilot -- BBC
Imran Khan ready to talk peace with India's Modi: Pakistan FM -- Al Jazeera
Captured Indian pilot will be released by Islamabad on Friday 'as a peace gesture' - but Pakistani mobs and New Delhi politicians demand MORE military action -- Daily Mail
India says 'happy' Pakistan is releasing downed pilot -- Reuters
Trump hopeful India-Pakistan crisis will be resolved -- AFP
India and Pakistan walk conflict tightrope: analysts -- AFP
How people are trying to end the India-Pakistan crisis one tweet at a time -- Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN
India-Pakistan crisis: What we know so far -- Al Jazeera

World News Briefs -- February 28, 2019

Daily Mail: 'This wasn’t the right time to sign something': Trump says North Korea 'wasn't ready' for a real nuclear agreement

* Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un abruptly ended their summit in Hanoi early without signing a deal
* He said the issue was Kim's insistence that all sanctions get lifted in return for only giving up some nukes
* Trump continued to tout his 'warm' relationship with Kim, but added 'you have to be willing to walk away'
* Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that progress had been made 'but we didn't get all the way'
* Planned lunch never happened
* Kim's state news agency KCNA said on Thursday: 'Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome'
* The talks came just hours after Michael Cohen's bombshell testimony to Congress which damned his ex-boss as a racist and a liar

President Donald Trump defended his decision to walk away from his North Korean nuclear summit without a deal in an interview Fox News host Sean Hannity from Vietnam that will air on Thursday evening in the United States.

Trump said he wasn't 'satisfied' with the outcome and he suspects that Kim Jong-un 'wasn't satisfied,' either.

'We’re working towards something, but we didn’t sign anything today, it didn’t quite work out,' he told Hannity on Thursday afternoon local time. 'Good relationship, but I decided this wasn’t the right time to sign something so we’ll see what happens over a period of time.'

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be indicted on bribe and fraud charges.

Gaza protest deaths: Israel may have committed war crimes - UN.

IS holdout in Syria retaken in a week: commander.

How thousands are leaving IS's last Syria holdout.

Damascus calls on Syrians to leave camp near Jordan border.

Iran power struggle continues as Zarif keeps top diplomatic post.

U.S., Saudi Arabia and UK back 'global coalition' for Jordan.

ASIA

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un cut short their nuclear summit after failing to reach deal.

N Korean FM says Pyongyang seeks partial not complete sanctions relief - Reports.

Trump: I 'trust' Kim's promise he won't resume nuclear, missile tests.

Trump-Kim summit 2019: Xi could be ‘more helpful’, says US president.

India-Pakistan tensions force airlines to cancel and reroute flights.

India's economy slows ahead of national election.

AFRICA

Huge blast rocks Somali capital, killing at least five: police.


South Sudan peace deal breaking up, church warns.

President Buhari's win challenged by Nigeria's opposition.

29 killed as ethnic violence grips NW Nigeria.

Libya rivals agree to hold polls: UN.

Sudan police fire tear gas as protesters defy ban.

Comoros opposition in joint call for fair vote.

Mozambique sues Credit Suisse in debt scandal.

Egypt train crash: Investigators say driver to blame.

EUROPE

Russia's Putin hopes for quick settlement of India-Pakistan crisis: Kremlin.

Britain's Labour Party leader backs Brexit referendum.

EU angers UK with support for Spain's Gibraltar airport claims.

Russia's TurkStream 2 pipeline in Bulgaria sparks EU energy worries.

Sweden arrests suspected Russian spy in Stockholm.

Moscow court orders US investor Calvey to stay in detention.

Nazi-era mass grave discovered on building site in Belarus.

AMERICAS

SNC-Lavalin: Trudeau denies wrongdoing in corruption case.

U.S. economic growth slows moderately in fourth quarter.

Former Trump lawyer back in Congress for third day of testimony.

Venezuela's Guaido to meet Brazil's president in anti-Maduro push.

Venezuelan politician accuses Maduro's regime of sneaking 8 tons of gold worth more than $300 MILLION from country's central bank to sell it on the international market.

Venezuelans cross into Colombia despite border closure.

Nicaragua resumes talks over political crisis after long delay.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Mass grave with dozens of decapitated bodies found in last ISIS enclave: 'They were slaughtered'.

Germany investigates why deported 9/11 terrorist was given prison wages.

Defence sums up in Brussels Jewish museum terror trial.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

US defeats China at WTO in vast grain-subsidy case, after accusing Beijing of US$100 billion price propping.

‘Painful’ enforcement ahead for China if trade war deal is reached with US insisting on unilateral terms.

Huawei units plead not guilty to U.S. trade secret theft.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 28, 2019

BBC: Yongbyon: The heart of North Korea's nuclear programme

After the US-North Korea summit talks in Hanoi ended abruptly, President Donald Trump said his stumbling block with Kim Jong-un was over one key point: What North Korea would get in exchange for disabling its Yongbyon nuclear facility.

Yongbyon is the site that produces material that could be used in North Korea's nuclear weapons.

Long ahead of the Hanoi talks, rumours have swirled that Pyongyang could offer to shut Yongbyon, or parts of it, in exchange for sanctions relief.

Melissa Hanham, defence expert at One Earth Future, explains the notorious site which is the heart of North Korea's nuclear programme.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 28, 2019

Yongbyon: The North Korean nuclear complex at the centre of Trump-Kim deal-breaker -- AFP

The Daunting Challenge of Shutting Down North Korea's Nuclear Complex -- Time

India vs Pakistan: Military strength and arsenal -- Al Jazeera

Pentagon urges Pakistan and India to de-escalate tensions -- The Hill

U.S. Army Says It Needs New Weapons to 'Fight and Win Against the Russians and Chinese' -- Newsweek

U.S. Army orders tactical vehicles from Oshkosh Defense -- UPI

Navy Promised Changes After Deadly Accidents, but Many Within Remain Skeptical -- Mother Jones

Navy to commission USS Charleston on Saturday -- UPI

Lockheed Martin to Conduct Maiden Flights of New Sikorsky Combat Rescue Copters -- Sputnik

U.S.-Made Sneakers Become Standard Issue For The Military -- KUT

The military wants to build lethal tanks with AI -- ZDNet

Navy builds new massive undersea attack drones -- FOX News/Warrior Maven

US Air Force laying groundwork for future military use of commercial megaconstellations -- Space News

Russia's military shows off hardware seized in Syria -- Reuters

Russian News Outlet Says It Was Hit by U.S. Military Cyberattack -- Bloomberg

Parts of Yellow Sea Blocked as China’s New Aircraft Carriers Drill Together -- Sputnik

China denies speculation of military presence in Afghanistan -- Washington Post

China’s new veterans’ law to be reviewed at National People’s Congress next week -- SCMP

Trump’s Space Force Isn’t the Only Military Space Program: Here’s What China and Russia Are Up To -- FoxTrot Alpha

Turkey's Largest Naval Drills Start in All Seas Surrounding Country -- Sputnik

New Swiss defense chief orders second opinion on huge air-defense revamp -- Defense News

UK Defence Secretary announces five-year plan for key military sites -- Gov.uk

France to Send Updated Charles de Gaulle Carrier to Indian Ocean Next Month -- Sputnik

Conference call confusion: Is the joint French, British fighter program ‘terminated’? -- Defense News

Canadian military making slow progress against sexual misconduct, says report -- CBC

Boeing unveils fighter jet-sized drone designed for Australia -- UPI

By Walking Away From The Hanoi Summit President Trump Is Sending A Message To Chinese President Xi

U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Edmund DeMarche, Fox News: At Hanoi summit, China’s Xi saw a president willing to walk away: Gordon Chang

President Trump may have hit a roadblock when North Korea's Kim Jong Un refused to meet his demands at Thursday's Hanoi summit, but Trump’s decision to walk away could serve to rattle China’s Xi Jinping.

Gordon Chang, an expert on the region and author of “The Coming Collapse of China,” argued that what on the surface looked like a diplomatic stalemate could in fact be a diplomatic coup for Trump when it comes to North Korea's neighbor.

“I think this is a moment of reassessment for China,” Chang said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Darn!!!! I was about to write a post saying the same thing, but Gordon Chang beat me to it. The above analysis is spot on. President Trump is sending a very clear message to Chinese President Xi that by walking away from the nuclear talks he is also willing to walk away from current trade talks if China continues to not wanting to compromise on their trade policies. I am also willing to bet that the U.S. is going to ratchet the pressure on North Korea by ratcheting up the pressure on their chief ally China via through trade to do something about it. Bottom line .... I do not need to contact my friends in China to know what is happening. I know enough to know that right now there is a huge reassessment in Beijing on what to do next when it comes to President Trump.

Update: Yup .... Trump-Kim summit 2019: Xi could be ‘more helpful’, says US president (SCMP).

Commentaries And Analysis On The Failed U.S. - North Korea Nuclear Summit

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump talk in the garden of the Metropole hotel during the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 28, 2019. Photo by Leah Millis/Reuters

Hao Gui, DW: Trump-Kim summit — predictably disappointing outcome

The Kim-Trump meeting in Vietnam came to an end without concrete results. The confidence-building process between North Korea and the US must soon be followed by multilateral talks with other stakeholders, says Hao Gui.

Much excitement, no progress — a predictable outcome. It was already clear in advance that the outcome of the Hollywood-style meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would not live up to its political symbolic meaning.

The fact that the two opponents met for talks at all was mainly for domestic political reasons on both sides. Kim wants to prove to his followers that he can force the "capitalist arch-enemy" to have direct talks at eye level. His risky escalation strategy has helped the young politician to appease hardliners in the party and army and to expand his power.

Read more ....

Commentaries And Analysis On The Failed U.S. - North Korea Nuclear Summit

No deal, no problem at Trump-Kim summit: analysts -- AFP
North Korea summit ends with no deal but Trump's move sent a message that matters – What will Kim do now? -- James Jay Carafano, Fox News
How far off is a deal? 4 takeaways from the Trump-Kim summit -- PBS News Hour
The art of no deal: how Trump and Kim misread each other -- Julian Borger, The Guardian
Inside the dying moments of the Trump-Kim summit at a Hanoi hotel -- Reuters
Analysis: Even without a deal, Kim makes gains at summit -- Adam Schreck and Eric Talmadge, AP
Trump's Hanoi Hail Mary failed to score -- Stephen Collinson, CNN
The lunch that never was: Trump’s North Korea summit falters -- Deb Riechmann and Jill Colvin, AP
What Trump’s personal relationship with Kim Jong Un means for U.S. policy -- PBS News Hour

A Closer Look At North Korean Leader's Sister Kim Yo Jong

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim Yong Chol, Vice Chairman of the North Korean Workers' Party Committee, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talk while Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un looks on

Daily Mail: Kim keeps his trusted sister close as she's seen watching from the sidelines while the North Korean leader and Trump greet each other at the historic nuclear summit in Vietnam

* Kim Yo Jong was seen standing close by as the two leaders greeted each other
* Experts say Kim Yo Jong functions as her brother's chief of staff, managing his engagements, offering trusted advice and acting as a gatekeeper
* She has already been seen holding a large crystal ashtray as her brother smoked
* As a favorite daughter she received key government positions
* Kim and Trump resumed their summit in Hanoi on Thursday morning local time
* Trump has once again asserted that he was in 'no rush' to make an agreement

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un kept his trusted sister close by Thursday as he met with President Donald Trump for their historic nuclear summit in Vietnam.

Kim Yo Jong was seen standing close by, watching on from the sidelines as the two world leaders greeted each other in Hanoi.

Kim and Trump resumed their summit on Thursday morning local time – as the U.S. president predicted a 'fantastic success' but the North Korean dictator said it was 'too early' to say they would reach a deal.

Experts say Kim Yo Jong functions as her brother's chief of staff, managing his engagements, offering trusted advice and acting as a gatekeeper.

Read more ....

Update: Smoke signals - Kim Jong Un's sister rushed off her feet on Vietnam trip (Reuters)

WNU Editor: As I have mentioned before, Kim Yo Jong is always her brother's shadow. She is also (in my book) the second most powerful person in North Korea. If you want to meet Kim Jong-un, you will have to go through her. She is also always on the sidelines looking at everyone. I am willing to bet that after every meeting where she is there .... and she is always there for the important meetings .... she tells her brother later on how the people in the room were reacting to his remarks and comments.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un Answers A Question From A Foreign Journalist For The First Time

Al Jazeera: In a summit first, Kim responds to foreign journalists' questions

North Korean leader takes questions from foreign reporters during his summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi.

Some 3,000 journalists from 40 countries descended this week in Vietnam's Hanoi to cover the second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, at the start of the second day of high-stakes talks on denuclearisation, one of them shouted at the North Korean leader.

"Chairman Kim, are you confident?" David Nakamura, of the Washington Post, asked as the two men sat down before a one-on-one session.

What followed was almost certainly unprecedented.

"It is too early to tell. I would not make a prediction," Kim said, after leaning back slightly to hear his interpreter's whispers. "But my instinct is that good results will come out," he added in his typically gravelly voice, in what was believed to be his first ever response to a foreign journalist.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Not to be outdone. President Trump took a question from a Russian news agency .... Trump dares take question from RUSSIAN media, world stops turning (RT).

South Korea Reacts To The Breakdown In Nuclear Talks Between The U.S. And North Korea

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un looks towards President Donald Trump at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi, February 28. REUTERS/Leah Millis

Reuters: South Korea says no deal between Trump, Kim regrettable but progress made

HANOI (Reuters) - South Korea said it regretted that no deal was reached at a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday but the two sides had made meaningful progress.

Trump said he had walked away from a nuclear deal at his second meeting with Kim, in Vietnam, because Kim had made unacceptable demands on lifting biting U.S.-led sanctions.

South Korea’s presidential office, known as the Blue House, said in a statement Trump and Kim made “more meaningful progress than ever”, and Trump’s willingness to continue dialogue would brighten prospects for another meeting.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: My South Korean contacts and friends are telling me that the onus is now on South Korea to continue the dialogue with North Korea, and to continue the process of talks and de-escalating tensions. I agree, and I expect the Chinese will also become more engaged to find common ground to continue the goal of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.

U.S. - North Korea Nuclear Talks Collapse

Daily Mail: NO DEAL! Vietnam summit ends abruptly as Kim REFUSES Trump’s denuclearization demands, leaders fail to agree on lifting North Korean sanctions and abandon lunch and cancel signing ceremony

* Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un abruptly ended their summit in Hanoi early without signing a deal
* He said the issue was Kim's insistence that all sanctions get lifted in return for only giving up some nukes
* Trump continued to tout his 'warm' relationship with Kim, but added 'you have to be willing to walk away'
* Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that progress had been made 'but we didn't get all the way'
* Planned lunch never happened
* Kim's state news agency KCNA said on Thursday: 'Sincere and in-depth views were exchanged to bring about a comprehensive and groundbreaking outcome'
* The talks came just hours after Michael Cohen's bombshell testimony to Congress which damned his ex-boss as a racist and a liar

Donald Trump's talks with Kim Jong-un ended abruptly on Thursday as the president said he was forced to walk away after the North Korean dictator demanded that all sanctions be lifted in return for giving up only some of his nukes.

Trump said the final snag that caused the sudden breakdown was over sanctions – and Kim's push to have all of them lifted in exchange for a concession Trump and his secretary of state could not live with.

'Sometimes you have to walk away,' Trump told reporters at a press conference in Hanoi that was abruptly moved up after a breakdown in talks.

The president expressed his hope that the two leaders would meet again, but acknowledged: 'It might be soon, it might not be for a long time. I can’t tell you.'

Read more ....

WNU Editor: No one said this was going to be easy. Expect a flurry of action from diplomats in the next few months .... Burden back on diplomats as Trump and Kim fail to reach North Korea deal (Reuters). I also expect China and South Korea will be stepping in.

U.S. - North Korea Nuclear Talks Collapse

The Latest: Pompeo says talks with North Korea will resume -- AP
Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam: All the latest updates -- Al Jazeera
No deal: Trump, Kim summit collapses over sanctions impasse -- AP
'Sometimes you have to walk': Trump scraps North Korea summit deal -- Reuters
Trump’s Talks With Kim Jong-un Collapse Over North Korean Sanctions -- The New York Times
No agreement reached at Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam -- DW
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un cut short their nuclear summit after failing to reach deal -- ABC News Online
Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi collapses after negotiations fail -- The Guardian
Trump, Kim leave Vietnam summit without agreement -- Al Jazeera
'Progress' but no deal: Mixed scorecard for Trump & Kim's Hanoi summit -- RT
Pompeo says more U.S-North Korea meetings possible, but no plans -- Reuters
We asked Kim ‘to do more’ but he wasn’t prepared to – Pompeo -- RT
Japan's Abe backs Trump after Kim summit ends with no deal -- AFP
China says N. Korean nuclear issue can't be solved 'overnight' -- AFP
'I told you so!': No deal summit no surprise to N. Korean defectors -- AFP
Trump-Kim meeting: The big moments from the dramatic summit in Vietnam -- Bill Birtles, ABC News Online

Former Canadian Minister of Justice/Attorney-General Accuses Prime Minister Trudeau Of Political Interference In A Criminal Case Concerning The Engineering Giant SNC-Lavelin

CBC News: Wilson-Raybould says she faced pressure, 'veiled threats' on SNC-Lavalin; Scheer calls on PM to resign

Conservative leader says powerful politicans should not try to overrule court proceedings

Jody Wilson-Raybould says she faced intense political pressure and veiled threats related to the SNC-Lavalin affair, and was warned directly by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the negative consequences if the company faced prosecution.

It was a day of high political drama, as the former justice minister and attorney general accused top Liberal government officials of inappropriate, excessive political interference in an independent criminal prosecution, and the opposition parties called for Trudeau's resignation and a public inquiry into the scandal.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: First things first. For those who may not know, I live in Canada and I have been watching this story very closely. And yesterday was quite a day. I watched two individuals giving testimony to elected officials .... former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen in the morning and former Canadian Minister of Justice/Attorney-General Jody Wilson-Raybould later in the afternoon. It took me about 15 minutes of listening to Michael Cohen to realize he was not (and is not) a credible witness. As for former Canadian Minister of Justice/Attorney-General Jody Wilson-Raybould's testimony, she was the exact opposite. She was forthright, meticulous, factual, backed by evidence and witnesses. She outlined how the Prime Minister and his aides put pressure on her to alter a criminal investigation, with the Prime Minister himself being blunt to her that the Justice Department "must find another solution" because it would impact his political prospects in the province of Quebec. She refused, and (she believes) was the reason on why she was fired as Attorney General. The reaction that I have heard from those who I trust when it comes to Canadian politics is one of shock. We basically learned yesterday that there is a two tier system of justice for this government, and friends of the Prime Minister will be protected. My prediction. The impact of her testimony on Prime Minister Trudeau and his government are going to be severe and consequential when Canadians go to the polls later this year. And even though the government and the Prime Minister are now making the case this morning that they were only trying to protect jobs, in my opinion they are not being persuasive. My prediction. A criminal investigation on what has happened is now warranted. And as for Prime Minister Trudeau's prospects for this year's election, they are in deep trouble. The Liberal base that Prime Minister Trudeau needs to go to the polls are going to stay home.

More News On Former Canadian Minister of Justice/Attorney-General Jody Wilson-Raybould's Testimony

Read the full text of Jody Wilson-Raybould’s statement to the House of Commons justice committee -- National Post
Wilson-Raybould claims political interference in SNC-Lavalin affair -- iPolitics
Wilson-Raybould says she was pushed, got veiled threats on SNC-Lavalin -- Times Colonists/Canadian Press
Key moments from Jody Wilson-Raybould's SNC-Lavalin testimony -- CBC

Prime Minister Trudeau's Reaction

'I and my staff always acted appropriately' regarding SNC-Lavalin: Trudeau -- Ottawa Citizen
Canada's Trudeau disputes ex-minister's charge she was pressured on SNC-Lavalin -- Reuters
Trudeau ‘definitely not in agreement’ after Wilson-Raybould details pressure, ‘veiled threats’ in SNC-Lavalin affair -- Global News
Trudeau doesn’t address calls for resignation, says Canadians will choose in general election -- Global News

Commentaries And Analysis On This Scandal

Today sounded and felt like a death knell for the Liberal government -- Christie Blatchford, National Post
Trudeau has lost the moral mandate to govern -- The Globe and Mail
Trudeau now finds himself up to his neck in the SNC-Lavalin scandal -- Chantal Hébert, Toronto Star
PM needs to be criminally investigated -- Brian Lilley, Toronto Sun
ANALYSIS: The Trudeau brand takes a hit after Jody Wilson-Raybould testimony -- David Aiken, Global News
Wilson-Raybould's convincing testimony may cost Trudeau his job -- John Ivison, National Post
The moral catastrophe of Justin Trudeau -- Paul Wells, Macleans
SNC-Lavalin affair weighs down Trudeau government in polls -- CBC
SNC-Lavalin: What happened and when -- Hamilton Spectator