Most Ambassadors Think Trump Is a Complete Idiot

Earlier this week, British ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch resigned after cables were released showing Mr. Darroch calling the Trump administration “inept.” But according to other former ambassadors to the US, it could have been any one of them writing those words because Trump and his administration are so painfully ignorant and horrible to work with. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains what’s happening.

Right-wingers Now Claim Jesus Was a Free Market Capitalist

The folks over at PragerU are terrified of the word “socialism” and they’ve gone as far as to say that Jesus Christ himself was definitely not a socialist but instead was a full on free market capitalist. This is an absolutely ridiculous claim, even when they try to give us examples from the Bible with their own unique, reality-warping spin on them. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

If Jesus Never Called Himself God, How Did He Become One? – Bart Ehrman

Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio (NPR). She interviews Bart on April 7th, 2014 and prepares the discussion to reflect on Bart's book "How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee." The discussion addresses topics such as the major difference between the first three gospels — Matthew, Mark and Luke — and the last gospel, John, on how Roman emperors were called "God,” on the emergence of the Trinity, on the difference between history and the past and on the empty tomb and the resurrection, just to name a few.

Poll: Religion in Decline in Arab Countries, Anger at the US Growing

James Zogby of the Arab American Institute discusses the results of a large survey conducted by the BBC in 11 Arab countries among 25,000 responders. The results show interesting developments in Arab public opinion on matters of religion and politics.

Palestinian Homes: Israeli High Court Rules In Favour of Demolitions | Al Jazeera English

Israel is expected to demolish more Palestinian homes. The high court has ruled 60 houses in occupied East Jerusalem should be knocked down.

Palestinians say Israel is trying to settle as many Jews as possible on the edge of Jerusalem’s old city and rename an area the Palestinians consider their capital the City of David.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from occupied East Jerusalem.

Jordan's Angry Tribes | People and Power

Jordan and its Hashemite monarchy have long been regarded as stable fixtures in a region often beset by political uncertainty.

But King Abdullah II is under growing pressure to reboot a struggling economy, institute constitutional reform, and stand firm against a controversial US-Saudi scheme, the so-called "Deal of the Century" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We sent filmmakers Mariam Shahin, Nada Issa and George Azar to find out why these pressures are becoming difficult for the government to ignore and what effect they are having on the kingdom's delicate demographic balance - between increasingly angry members of its indigenous tribes, known as "East Bankers", and Palestinians who have fled here in the past six decades and become citizens.

Kim Darroch's Fall from Grace Casts Chill over Washington Ambassadors

THE GUARDIAN: Fellow envoys say they have made similar observations about the Trump administration and deplore the lack of support from Boris Johnson for their UK counterpart

It was like a tennis match with an empty umpire’s chair. On Friday, the British ambassador’s residence in Washington hosted a Wimbledon Watch Party and English Breakfast, with two giant TV screens showing the men’s semi-final. In the ballroom there were bacon and eggs, orange juice and buck’s fizz and, of course, strawberries and cream. But there was no ambassador.

Kim Darroch had left for a planned holiday a day early, officials said, after a “rough week” in which his leaked memos led to abuse from Donald Trump and his resignation, though the ambassador does intend to return for an unspecified period. The embassy considered cancelling the annual Wimbledon event but a mood of “keep calm and carry on” prevailed, not least because of Darroch’s love of tennis. » | David Smith in Washington | Saturday, July 13, 2019

Will There Be Another War in the Gulf? | Inside Story

The United States, UK and Iran all agree: they don't want war; but tensions are rising by the day. Iran accuses Britain of being a servant of the US as it demands the return of an oil tanker seized off Gibraltar.

It’s been suggested British Royal Marines boarded the vessel at the request of America. And the UK is looking at boosting its military presence in the Gulf after an apparent close encounter with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard just days later.

The US, meantime, is turning the screw further on Iran's already faltering economy, and Britain finds itself in an awkward position. It's working with Europe to try and save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the US has abandoned. But it also needs to maintain close ties with Washington as it seeks to leave the European Union.

The situation with the tanker has infuriated Iran with the foreign minister demanding Britain return the ship or face what he called 'the consequences'.

Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, research fellow at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute; Mohammad Marandi, head of American Studies Department at the University of Tehran; Phil Diacon, managing director of Dryad Global, a maritime security risk management company

Trump Planning Mass Immigration Raids

Trump: “I don’t call them raids”.Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

Trump Parade Is Total Disaster

Trump’s Fourth of July Parade is set to be a total disaster. Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, and Ron Perlman hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

Iran Warns Western Powers to 'Leave Region' amid Gulf Crisis

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign ministry demands release of Iranian oil tanker UK seized last week

Iran has called on Britain to release its seized oil tanker and warned foreign powers to “leave the region because Iran and other regional countries are capable of securing the regional security”.

The Royal Marines seized the tanker last week on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, told the IRNA news agency: “This is a dangerous game and has consequences ... The legal pretexts for the capture are not valid ... The release of the tanker is in all countries’ interests.”

Iran has said it will take reciprocal measures if its tanker is not released. » | Patrick Wintour and agencies | Friday, July 12, 2019

Is the UK's Special Relationship with US Under Threat? – Inside Story

What started as a leak of secret diplomatic memos to a British tabloid newspaper has led to the resignation of a top ambassador and questions about the UK's position in the world.

Kim Darroch felt compelled to quit as Britain's envoy in Washington after a row over leaked memos. The diplomat had described Donald Trump and his administation as insecure, inept and dysfunctional. The U.S. President responded with a barrage of angry tweets, calling Darroch "very stupid."

Boris Johnson, Britain's likely next prime minister, refused to publicly support the ambassador. So how will this incident affect the UK's ties with its closest ally?

Presenter: Martine Dennis Guests: Crispin Blunt - Conservative member of the British parliament Nancy Soderberg - Former U.S. Ambassador the the U.N. Matthew Parris - Columnist for The Times newspaper, and a former conservative British MP.

The UK's Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch Resigns over Leaked Memo Branding Trump 'Incompetent'

BUSINESS INSIDER: The UK's ambassador to the US has resigned after his comments labeling Trump "dysfunctional" were leaked to the press.

Darroch entered the eye of a diplomatic storm this week after remarks he made disparaging the Trump administration were leaked to the Mail on Sunday newspaper over the weekend.

In the notes, the UK ambassador to the US said that Trump's government was "uniquely dysfunctional" and added: "We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal.

He also described Trump's presidency as "incompetent," and "inept."

Trump on Tuesday tweeted that Darroch was a "very stupid guy" and a "pompous fool."

Following the row Darroch said it was now "impossible" for him to remain in post. » | Adam Bienkov | Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Big Names Drop as Epstein Sex Scandal Grows

Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein remains in jail on Tuesday, charged with running a sex trafficking ring of underage girls, as calls grow louder for US Labor Secretary Alex Acosta to resign and former US President Bill Clinton makes a public statement. Meanwhile, a top White House official is ramping up the rhetoric of “maximum pressure” on Iran and critics fear that a potential US-India tariff war could hurt US wallets after President Trump called India’s tariffs on U.S. goods “unacceptable.” Finally, we’ll hear from experts about what could happen if an asteroid hits the Earth.

Jeffrey Epstein, Called ‘Terrific’ by Trump, Charged with Sex Trafficking | The Last Word | MSNBC

Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein has been charged with sex trafficking of underage girls. He pleaded not guilty. Trump's now-Labor Secretary Alex Acosta gave Epstein what many critics called a sweetheart deal in 2008. Lawrence O'Donnell discusses the fallout of the charges with Berit Berger and Tim O'Brien.

Germany Rebuffs US Order to Send Troops

The US has asked Germany to deploy training forces, logistical experts and technical workers to north-eastern Syria to support Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces against what remains of Islamic State in the region. A former German chancellor replied that his country “isn’t a banana republic.” RT America’s Michele Greenstein joins Rick Sanchez with the details.

The Guardian View on Undiplomatic Language: Don’t Pander to Donald Trump

THE GUARDIAN: The US president is angry at the British ambassador’s frank assessment. His reaction reinforces Kim Darroch’s verdict on his administration

Though the president of the United States has fired off another volley of insults, his primary target – the British ambassador, Kim Darroch – has done nothing but his job. The national interest would hardly be served by Her Majesty’s chief representative in Washington sending back sanitised and euphemistic dispatches. Governments rely upon thorough, honest and frank information and advice from their diplomats. Sir Kim’s unflattering assessments of Donald Trump and his administration are embarrassing; but the problem was the leaking of the documents, not their drafting.

If the memos are unusually strong stuff, that is because the US administration is a wholly abnormal one. Indeed, the ambassador’s verdict of a dysfunctional, faction-riven and inept White House is not only blindingly obvious to any observer but looks decidedly diplomatic when set beside some of the accounts which have emerged from the leaky Trump administration itself. There are multiple reports of senior figures describing him as an idiot, a moron or unhinged. » | Editorial | Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Christchurch Mosque Killer’s Theories Seeping into Mainstream, Report Warns

THE OBSERVER: Call to tackle extreme white nationalist ideas propagating hatred and violence gaining traction on social media

The extreme rightwing ideology that inspired the Christchurch mosque killer has been promoted so effectively by the far right that it has entered mainstream political discourse, new analysis reveals.

Researchers have found that organised far-right networks are pushing a conspiracy known as the “great replacement” theory to the extent that references to it online have doubled in four years, with more than 1.5 million on Twitter alone, a total that is rising exponentially.

The theory emerged in France in 2014 and has become a dominant concept of the extreme right, focusing on a paranoia that white people are being wiped out through migration and violence. It received increased scrutiny after featuring in the manifesto of the gunman who killed 51 people in the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand in March.

Now the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a UK-based counter-extremist organisation, has found that the once-obscure ideology has moved into mainstream politics and is now referenced by figures including US president Donald Trump, Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini and Björn Höcke of the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). » | Nosheen Iqbal and Mark Townsend | Sunday, July 7, 2019

Who is EU Commission President Nominee Ursula von der Leyen? | DW News

The 28 EU member countries have agreed on their nominees for the bloc's top jobs. In a surprise move the leaders nominated. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen was nominated for EU Commission President. The conservative Christian Democrat and former Labor Minister and Minister for Families was nominated to replace Jean-Claude Juncker after most of the front-runners for the post were rejected. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was one of the names being floated for the EU top job. But in a last minute reshuffling the liberal PM was nominated to replace Donald Tusk as EU Council President. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde received unanimous backing as the next president of the European Central Bank. If confirmed she would be the first woman to head the ECB. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell was nominated as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The socialist would replace Federica Mogherini as the EU's top diplomat. But the biggest hurdle in this political race has still to be cleared. The European Parliament has to approve the line-up, and the Social Democrats have already set themselves against it.

What Does the World Think of Boris Johnson?

He's the favourite to become our next Prime Minister in just three weeks' time. But Boris Johnson has only held one ministerial post - a two year stint as Foreign Secretary.