Tuesday Morning Briefing: Canada's Justin Trudeau clings to power, but loses some of his luster

TOP STORIES

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals held onto power after a closely fought election but were reduced to a minority government that will need the support in Parliament of a smaller left-leaning party. Trudeau held on to his job in Monday’s election, securing his spot as one of the world’s few high-profile progressive leaders, but tarnished by scandal and with his power diminished.

U.S. forces that crossed into Iraq as part of a pull-out from Syria do not have permission to stay and can only be there in transit, the Iraqi military said. The Iraqi statement contradicts the Pentagon’s announcement that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq to continue the campaign against Islamic State militants and “to help defend Iraq”.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces two pivotal votes in parliament that will decide if he can deliver on his pledge to lead the United Kingdom out of the European Union in nine days time. As the clock ticks down to the latest Oct. 31 deadline for Britain’s departure, Brexit is hanging in the balance as a divided parliament debates when, how and even whether it should happen.

U.S.-CHINA TRADE

China and the United States have achieved some progress in their trade talks, Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said, and any problem could be resolved as long as both sides respected each other. The United States has forced an unwanted trade war on China and Beijing must take the necessary countermeasures to protect its interests, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said.

At one of the world’s showpiece tech conferences in China, jibes at the United States for its ‘bully behavior’ lent a Cold War tone to proceedings as trade tension once again reared its ugly head in an event that drew a dearth of top U.S. executives. China will take steps to safeguard its interests, but won’t close its door to foreign investment and the global industry despite trade frictions with the United States, a Chinese official said. Firms on the U.S. “entity list” are barred from buying U.S. parts and components without U.S. government approval due to national security concerns.

Politics

U.S. lawmakers conducting an impeachment inquiry into Trump will hear from the top U.S. official in Ukraine, who once said it was “crazy” to withhold military aid for the country for domestic political reasons.

Democratic Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, is expected to rally with striking Chicago school teachers as a work-stoppage led to classes being canceled for a fourth-day in the third-largest U.S. school system. Warren is scheduled to visit with striking Chicago Teachers Union teachers in the morning, according to her campaign.

Facebook has announced steps to combat misinformation and voter suppression ahead of the November 2020 U.S. presidential election, on the same day it disclosed the removal of a network of Russian accounts targeting U.S. voters on Instagram. Three U.S. lawmakers active in tech issues will introduce a bill requiring social networks like Facebook to allow users to pack up their data and go elsewhere, Senator Warner’s office said in a statement.

Asia

In ancient throne ritual, Japanese emperor vows to fulfill duty

Japanese Emperor Naruhito formally proclaimed his ascendancy to the throne in a centuries-old ceremony attended by dignitaries from more than 180 countries, pledging to fulfill his duty as a symbol of the state.

5 min read

South Korea says scrambled fighters after Russian warplanes violated air defense zone

South Korea scrambled fighter jets after Russian warplanes entered South Korea’s air space identification zone, the latest in a series of such violations, its military said.

2 Min Read

Uniqlo ad sparks protest, parody as South Korea-Japan dispute flares

A commercial by Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo has stirred a consumer backlash in South Korea amid accusations that it mocks victims of wartime forced labour and brothel workers, reopening deep wounds from Japan’s colonial past.

4 min read

Hong Kong, Taiwan authorities tussle as fate of murder suspect in limbo

A murder case that led to mass street protests in Hong Kong should be handled independently by Taiwan, where the suspect allegedly committed the crime, authorities in the Chinese-ruled city said.

3 min read

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