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    (Bloomberg) -- In the daily onslaught of news - from the coronavirus to the U.S. presidential race - it would have been easy to miss a little fracas in the Baltics this week.On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Tallinn issued a blunt statement slamming the “ignorance, prejudice as well as a Cold War mindset” displayed by Estonia’s foreign intelligence service in its annual report.The document, published the previous week, was critical of China’s overseas investments, which the service said were used for political purposes and represented a security threat.China’s response was far from unprecedented. Earlier this month, its embassy in fellow Baltic state Lithuania expressed “grave dissatisfaction” at a similar security assessment. China’s ambassador to Norway, Yi Xianliang, rebutted a Norwegian Intelligence Service report that concluded China posed a growing threat. China’s envoy in Sweden has a record of run-ins with the government there.The wall of pushback is a reminder that China remains a prickly partner for Europe, even as U.S. pressure might be expected to push Beijing and Brussels closer together. The European Union, President Donald Trump said last month, treats the U.S. “worse than China.”Trump’s appointment as acting director of national intelligence of Richard Grenell, the combative U.S. ambassador to Germany, suggests Europe will remain firmly in his sights.With an emboldened Trump in the White House, Europe may have nowhere left to turn.Global HeadlinesTaking fire | Michael Bloomberg came under sustained attack in a spirited Democratic debate that saw Elizabeth Warren compare him to Trump in his treatment of women and Bernie Sanders assail him over his attitude toward minorities. The focus on Bloomberg deflected some of the heat that Sanders might have otherwise gotten from his rivals as the current front-runner in the race, though he didn’t completely escape criticism, particularly from Pete Buttigieg. The debate came at a pivotal moment, with the Nevada caucuses Saturday, followed a week later by a primary in South Carolina.(Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.) Click here for more key takeaways from last night’s face-off.Economic impact | The White House has acknowledged what many economists considered obvious through much of last year: Its trade stance depressed economic growth and business investment. “Uncertainty generated by trade negotiations dampened investment,” Trump chief economist Tomas Philipson told reporters in an annual briefing. The admission contrasted with the president’s repeated assertions that his tariff tactics hadn’t hurt the economy while swelling the government’s tax coffers.Iran’s pain | When Hassan Rouhani was elected president of Iran in 2013, supporters hoped he’d revive the country’s fortunes and its relationship with the rest of the world. But as Golnar Motevalli explains ahead of parliamentary elections tomorrow, even amid U.S. sanctions pressure, the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet full of Iranians by their own military last month provides a tragic reminder of how the country has alienated the very people who swept Rouhani to power.Seeking redemption | Saudi Arabia is hoping to repair its tarnished international reputation when it welcomes leaders from the world’s biggest economies this weekend. Officials see the Group of 20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors as a chance to highlight the Kingdom’s reforms that have been overshadowed by outrage over a murdered critic, a crackdown on dissent and Riyadh’s leading role in the grinding five-year war in Yemen.Rising star | Giorgia Meloni has gone from bartending at a Roman nightclub to leading one of Italy’s main political forces - which traces its roots to fascism - and she’s now one of the most popular politicians in the nation. As John Follain explains, while the 43-year-old Meloni doesn’t define herself as a feminist, she’s aiming to become Italy’s first woman prime minister.What to WatchEU leaders travel to Brussels today to thrash out the bloc’s next long-term budget. Trump ally Roger Stone’s sentencing today has become a test of judicial independence after the president inserted himself in the court’s deliberations. Ireland’s parliament meets to try to choose a prime minister, the first step in what’s likely to be a prolonged search for a new government. U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has criticized China’s move to revoke the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters over a controversial headline, a decision that comes as Beijing continues to lash out at countries that fault its handling of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.Tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... Japan is emerging as one of the riskiest places for the spread of the coronavirus, prompting criticism of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government. And with cases mounting internally to 84 - tying with Singapore for the highest outside China - Tokyo received a rare rebuke from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over its management of the quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where infections surged during two weeks docked in Yokohama. \--With assistance from Ruth Pollard and Gordon Bell.To contact the author of this story: Alan Crawford in Berlin at acrawford6@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Kathleen HunterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • 'It's none of their business': The Wet'suwet'en people who want the protesters to stop

    Another day of blockades across the country means more protesters with signs bearing slogans such as "Wet'suwet'en Strong" and "Stand with Wet'suwet'en."They're showing support for the heredity chiefs who oppose construction of a new pipeline through their territory in northern B.C.The protesters though are drawing the ire of many in the Wet'suwet'en Nation who not only support the project, but see it as a way for the community to flourish.The Coastal GasLink pipeline would move natural gas from northeastern B.C. to the West Coast for export, while creating jobs and other financial benefits.It's why 20 elected First Nations signed their support of the project. Calgary-based TC Energy is developing the $6-billion pipeline.Overall, the Wet'suwet'en Nation is divided over whether to support a new natural gas pipeline through its territory.A group of hereditary chiefs touched off the national protest by opposing the project, saying it violated their recognized rights over the territory. But on Wednesday, about 200 people gave up three hours of their afternoon to pack a movie theatre in the community of Houston, a town of about 3,000 people in northwestern B.C., in the heart of the Wet'suwet'en Nation.WATCH | Members of the Wet'suwet'en Nation speak at a pro-pipeline event:This was a pro-pipeline event as members of the Wet'suwet'en Nation explained why they support construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline.The people who came out to the meeting say they want to see the natural gas pipeline built. They say the project will create well-paid jobs that will bring economic opportunities to their communities.Among the supporters was Robert Skin, who said he was elected to the council of the Skin Tyee First Nation, which is part of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, to move the community forward. He said the pipeline will mean a better life for the next generation."With the benefit agreement that [the Skin Tyee] did sign, I see us being in a better place even within the next five years," Skin said.Speaking to the crowd at the theatre, he said protesters "only get one side of the story" and don't understand the advantages this type of infrastructure project can provide.Similar sentiments were shared by others who want to see more people working and providing for their families, especially as the lumber industry struggles in the region.The Wet'suwet'en people at the event said they resent the protests because they aren't helping their community, which they say already has fractured governance. They say the protests have amplified the conflict in the community and distracted Wet'suwet'en people from resolving their differences.Others said they want the First Nation to be part of Canada, not separated from it.The nearby Witset First Nation, which is also part of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, is split almost evenly between those who want the pipeline to be built and those who resist it, according to Edward Tom, a community liaison and monitor of construction projects.Financial boostTom sees the project as improving the community's quality of life. When discussing the protesters, he grew agitated, describing them as liars who are causing more harm than good."They're very pugnacious and overbearing. They're professional protesters," Tom said.Many who attended the meeting said the protesters across the country don't understand the issue, and don't realize many of the Wet'sewet'en want the project to be built.Those who have spoken up about their reasons for backing the pipeline say they have faced intimidation and threats by other community members.That's why the event was the first time Marion Tiljoe Shepherd has shared her feelings. She owns her own trucking company in Houston. She's optimistic the project will be built and the economic benefits will provide a financial boost to her business and many others in the area.Shepherd said she's increasingly angered by the protesters across the country. She said they don't speak for, nor represent her community."It's none of their business," she said in an interview following the event. "All of these protesters don't have the right to close down railways and ships. It's not right. Go away. I want them to leave."The pipeline dispute is also splitting families, with some supporting the project and others opposing it.Chiefs to thank Mohawks"It's divided my family. It's just so sad," Shepherd said. Her father's cousin is a hereditary chief. At the Houston meeting Wednesday, he spoke in favour of the pipeline.On Thursday, four Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs are scheduled to travel east to meet and thank the Mohawks of Tyendinaga behind a rail blockade in Ontario. The trip has raised doubts about when proposed talks with federal and provincial leaders could occur to settle the rail crisis.Currently, those chiefs are refusing to negotiate until RCMP leave the area. "The chiefs don't feel that we can possibly have any meaningful dialogue with any levels of government while there is still a huge RCMP force on our territories," Molly Wickham, a spokesperson for one of the Wet'suwet'en Nation clans.On Wednesday, Carolyn Bennett said in an open letter that she and her B.C. counterpart, Scott Fraser, will be available in northern B.C. as early as Thursday to meet with any of the hereditary chiefs who might be willing to talk.Some provincial premiers are demanding the blockades come to an end either by peaceful resolution or police action.

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