Thursday briefing: Trump's Israel intervention a 'tragedy'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/16/thursday-briefing-trumps-israel-intervention-a-tragedy

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Top story: Anger as Trump trashes two-state policy

Good morning, this is Graham Russell bringing you today’s Guardian morning briefing.

Palestinian figures have reacted with shock at Donald Trump’s apparently casual abandonment of a decades-old US commitment to seek a Palestinian state as part of a permanent solution in the Middle East. Undermining a two-state solution was no joke, said senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, and would be a “tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians”.

Elsewhere, US defence secretary James Mattis told Nato allies they must honour military spending pledges (2% of GDP) or face the prospect of America “moderating” its commitment to the organisation. On Russia and Michael Flynn’s resignation, Trump called his former national security adviser a “wonderful man” and blamed his downfall on intelligence services he said were trying to cover up for Hillary Clinton’s “terrible loss”. We have rated Trump’s foreign diplomacy efforts so far.

And Trump’s cabinet suffered another blow, when his proposed labour secretary Andrew Puzder backed out amid concerns about his business record, acrimonious divorce and revelations he paid cash to an undocumented immigrant to be his housekeeper.

English champagne, anyone? – The EU fears that, after Brexit, British companies could violate protections given to more than a thousand European products – such as Parma ham and champagne – while still enjoying safeguards on products such as Scotch whisky. The European commission has given “geographical indication” status to 1,150 products, but after Brexit the UK will no longer need to heed the directives.

Church’s same-sex anguish – Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, suffered a blow to his authority after the Church of England’s synod voted to reject a report on same-sex marriage. The report upholds traditional doctrine on marriage but says teaching should be interpreted with “maximum freedom” for same-sex couples and called for a “fresh tone and culture of welcome and support” for gay people.

North Korea killing arrests – police in Malaysia have detained a second woman in connection with the apparent assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. She was identified as Siti Aishah, an Indonesian national. The latest arrest came after reports that Kim had written to his half-brother five years ago pleading to be spared from assassination.

Eurovision faces fright night – Ukraine risks “nul points” for its Eurovision song contest after almost all its top organisers quit. Last week 21 senior staff abruptly left before May’s event. There are also reports of financial difficulties as well as accusations of blasphemy over the venue – an 11th-century cathedral. The European Broadcasting Union has warned Ukraine to “stick to the timeline”.

Enough to give you a Thor head – We might have all faced lazy or irritating housemates in our time but have you ever had one who keeps trying to pay the rent with Asgardian coins and pumpkins?

Lunchtime read: Delhi’s deadly dust

Areas of the fast-growing city of Delhi are packed with building sites and cranes but with the pace of change come threats to health from some unlikely sources. A 2016 study has found dust kicked up by cars contributes up to half of harmful pollutants, while the production of raw materials such as bricks and concrete are also an outsized contributor, leading to alarm among some lung specialists.

Sport

Arsène Wenger has admitted Arsenal’s players had “mentally collapsed” after a 5-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League that increased the pressure on the manager. England fans have been warned they were “100% guaranteed” to be the target for Russian hooligans at the 2018 World Cup and that the tournament would be “a festival of violence” for some locals. Newly appointed Joe Root can take heart from a proud history of Yorkshire’s England captains, writes Vic Marks, and Conor McGregor won’t get a fight with Floyd Mayweather unless the American believes the clash will make him very rich – and therein lies the impasse, writes Les Carpenter.

Business

Following more record-breaking highs on Wall Street on Wednesday, Asian markets had a mixed day with the Nikkei into the red thanks to a weaker US dollar and stronger yen. The FTSE in London is expected to open slightly down while European bourses are on course for a positive beginning to the day.

The pound is buying $1.25 and if you’re off to the eurozone it will get you €1.17.

For all the morning’s business news, go to theguardian.com/business

The papers

The Times and Independent both lead with the news that the US defence secretary, James Mattis, has warned Nato countries to honour military spending pledges or face the Pentagon “moderating” its commitment to the pivotal post-1945 alliance.

For the Mail, the big story is that small businesses are going to get clobbered with new rates that will raise £1bn – but big tech firms will end up better off as a result.

The Telegraph has the rates and Nato story on its front page but its lead says the Church of England is moving closer to approving same-sex marriage after a key synod vote rejected a report upholding the traditional view of marriage. The Mirror says England World Cup winner George Cohen will donate his brain to dementia research after his death amid concern about the impact of heading the ball on youngsters. And the Guardian leads with Donald Trump’s decision to rip up decades of US policy on Israel.

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