Monday on the NewsHour, President Trump removes his controversial communications director on the day his new chief of staff takes over. Also: The expanding range of North Korean missiles, Russian sanctions prompt tit-for-tat from Putin, political stakes for the new White House chief of staff, surfer girls making waves in Bangladesh, lessons from Watergate and remembering Sam Shepard.
US Vice-President Mike Pence has criticised Russia as an "unpredictable threat" wanting to divide Europe by force.
Pence made the comments in Estonia as he starts a four-day European tour. It follows a deterioration in Washington-Moscow relations after President Vladimir Putin ordered hundreds of American diplomatic staff out of Russia on Sunday, in retaliation for new US sanctions against Moscow.
Bill O’Reilly joins Glenn to discuss the GOP’s healthcare failure and his theory on why Sen. John McCain voted against getting rid of ObamaCare. What is going on between President Trump and Attorney General Sessions at this point? Why is President Trump allowing The New York Times into the White House? Who is the high level leaker in the West Wing? Why did the president bring the transgender debate into the week’s news cycle? Are things moving to another nasty level with Vladimir Putin and Russia?
Journalist Joshua Green talks about two men who influenced Steve Bannon’s philosophy: the Italian philosopher Julius Evola, whose ideas became the basis of fascist racial theory, and René Guénon, who developed an anti-modernism philosophy called "Traditionalism." Green writes about Evola and Guénon in his new book, "Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency."
The White House appears ready to abandon the landmark Iranian nuclear deal in favor of what experts say could lead to war with Iran. The New York Times reported last week that President Donald Trump has instructed his national security aides to find a rationale for declaring that Iran is violating the terms of the accord. The order came despite the fact the Trump administration reluctantly certified that Iran has complied with its obligations under the agreement earlier this month. Last week, Trump intensified his threats against Iran during a speech in Youngstown, Ohio. Observers say Trump’s actions are laying the groundwork for a disastrous military confrontation with Iran. We speak with Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council.
Qatar has rejected renewed calls by four Arab countries to concede to a list of demands to end the Saudi-led blockade and restore diplomatic relations. The US State department is also calling for Gulf nations to resolve their crisis.
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt met on Sunday but offered no new plan to move forward. There were also reports that the countries loosened the air blockade on the country, but Qatar says that has not happened. Al Jazeera's David Chater reports from Doha.
A new Pentagon study says the U.S. may be losing its dominant position in world affairs and that the DoD needs a "wakeup call"--but Col. Lawrence Wilkerson says the report is really about using fear to drum up more money for the military
UK Prime Minister Theresa May's lost yet another of her top Brexit strategists. She was also recently voted Britain's most unpopular leader ever at this stage of a premiership.
Newly declassified State Department documents show oil contracts played a key role in the U.S.-backed 1953 coup in Iran that led to the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. "What the documents show is actually the importance of oil in the coup," says Professor Ervand Abrahamian. "The conventional wisdom is, oh, it was all the Cold War scare, communism. But here you see, actually, very occasionally, when Eisenhower intervenes in a discussion, it’s about question of oil contracts and so on and how nationalization would disrupt the whole international framework and would be a threat to U.S. interests, oil interests, elsewhere."
The blunt lingo of President Trump and his new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, can sometimes sound like a cross between “Goodfellas” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Outrage as Trump bans transgender people from serving in US military. There is growing anger in the US after President Donald Trump abruptly announced he was banning transgender people from serving in the military. Tweeting his decision, Trump said Washington cannot be burdened with the medical costs and the disruption of having transgender people in the armed forces. Protests have been growing since his announcement. Al Jazeera's White House correspondent Kimberley Halkett reports from Washington, DC.
Time and again, Republicans gave Donald Trump a pass on his extreme policies and bad behavior. So what’s the one move that has finally turned the GOP against their president? Trump’s continued criticism of Jeff Sessions. Lawrence O'Donnell examines.
Journalist Joshua Green talks about two men who influenced Steve Bannon’s philosophy: the Italian philosopher Julius Evola, whose ideas became the basis of fascist racial theory, and René Guénon, who developed an anti-modernism philosophy called "Traditionalism." Green writes about Evola and Guénon in his new book, "Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency."
The European Union's top negotiator says there are "fundamental" disagreements between the bloc and the UK over citizens' rights. The statement comes as the two sides wrap up the second round of talks on the country's exit from the EU, known as Brexit. A major sticking point is the $70bn financial settlement to leave the EU that needs to be resolved. And Brussels is adamant it is non-negotiable. Al Jazeera's Sonia Gallego reports from London.
The US is hitting Iran with new sanctions - this time over its suspected ballistic missile programme.
The move comes after the White House accused Tehran of not sticking to the “spirit” of the 2015 nuclear deal, despite formally complying with its conditions.
It says the extra measures are necessary because of Tehran's alleged support for the Syrian government, and armed groups in the Middle East.
Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington, DC.
Das Video einer Frau im Minirock sorgt derzeit in den sozialen Netzwerken in Saudi-Arabien für Aufsehen. Der Clip zeigt ein Model namens „Khulood“ in freizügiger Kleidung in einer historischen Festung in der extrem konservativen Region Nadschd. Frauen in Saudi-Arabien müssen eigentlich eine Vollverschleierung aus Abaya und Niqab tragen.
Entsprechend heftig sind die Reaktionen, wie die britische „BBC“ berichtete. Kritiker forderten ein Einschreiten der Religionspolizei und eine Bestrafung der Frau. Wenn sie sich nicht an geltende Gesetze halte, habe sie es nicht verdient, in Saudi-Arabien zu leben, hieß es.
Befürworter hingegen feierten die mutige Aktion in einem Land, in dem Frauen immer noch kaum Rechte haben. Sie wiesen darauf hin, dass auch Melania und Ivanka Trump beim jüngsten Besuch des US-Präsidenten in Saudi-Arabien keine Verschleierung trugen.
Eine Twitter-Nutzerin kommentierte: „Wäre sie eine Ausländerin, würden sie von der Schönheit ihrer Hüften und dem Glanz in ihren Augen schwärmen… Aber weil sie eine Saudi ist, fordern sie ihre Verhaftung.“ Die saudische Religionspolizei, die „Behörde für die Verbreitung von Tugendhaftigkeit und Verhinderung von Lastern“, hat angekündigt, den Vorfall zu untersuchen.
A new investigation by the Guardian has revealed workplace abuse, grueling production targets and deplorably low pay at an Indonesian factory that makes clothing for Ivanka Trump’s clothing label. Many of the female workers at the factory in West Java say the pay is so low, they live in constant debt and can’t afford to live with their own children. In June, Democracy Now! spoke with the journalist who broke the story, Krithika Varagur, when she joined us from Indonesia to describe what she uncovered.
Newsnight's editor Ian Katz speaks to former Prime Minister Tony Blair about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the future of the Labour party and the lessons of the 2017 general election.
In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray about his book The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam.
Douglas Murray is Associate Editor of the Spectator and writes frequently for a variety of other publications, including The Sunday Times, Standpoint and The Wall Street Journal. He has also given talks at both the British and European Parliaments and at the White House. He is the author of The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam.
As President Trump vows not to let human rights concerns interfere with U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia, the country is set to execute 14 men, including Mujtaba’a al-Sweikat, who was only 17 when he was sentenced to death five years ago. He had planned to visit and attend Western Michigan University but was detained by airport authorities in Saudi Arabia for allegedly attending a pro-democracy rally earlier the same year. We speak with Maya Foa, director of the legal charity Reprieve. We also speak with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which is speaking out against the planned execution.
From Vice President Mike Pence to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a new Guardian report exposes how Tobacco companies have gained unprecedented influence in Washington since the Trump administration came to power. Politicians with deep ties to the tobacco industry now head the U.S. Health Department, the top attorney’s office and the Senate, even as tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death. The series also looks at how U.S. and British tobacco giants are trying to expand their global market, especially across Africa. We are joined by Jessica Glenza, health journalist for The Guardian.
For three decades, North Korean Ri Jong Ho was one of many men responsible for secretly sending millions of dollars back to Pyongyang. He worked for the shadowy "Office 39" before escaping with his family in 2014. He sat down with The Washington Post’s Anna Fifield to tell his story.
Qatar's foreign minister has rejected claims that diplomatic efforts to end the dispute between Qatar and Saudi-led quartet were failing. But he did admit that the crisis was not going to be resolved any time soon. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Doha.
In this week's UpFront, award-winning journalist and author Naomi Klein weighs in on how President Donald Trump is more of a brand than a politician, and what strategies his opponents can use to resist him. In the Reality Check, we examine whether Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war is really helping him to "save" his country. And in the Arena, we debate whether Hollywood is too close to the United States military.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., says Trump's policies are the most destructive in our lifetime, hopes the GOP health care bill can be defeated and says the US is less divided than people think.
The Prime Minister Theresa May has told BBC Radio 5 live that she shed "a little tear" after hearing the exit poll result on general election night.
In her most honest interview yet about the election campaign, she told 5 live Daily's Emma Barnett: "When the result came through, it was a complete shock… I felt, I suppose, devastated really."
Emmanuel Macron hat Donald Trump als Ehrengast zum französischen Nationalfeiertag eingeladen, der US-Präsident wird am Freitag die traditionelle Militärparade zum 14. Juli auf den Champs-Élysées besuchen. Anlass ist der 100. Jahrestag des Eintritts der USA in den Ersten Weltkrieg an der Seite Frankreichs.
Zuhause hat die Russland-Affäre den inneren Zirkel von US-Präsident Trump erreicht. Sogar ein Antrag für ein Amtsenthebungsverfahren ist auf den Weg gebracht. Allerdings hat er wenig Aussicht auf Erfolg.
It's the worst dispute to hit this region since the founding of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981. Now, a little more than a month into a blockade of Qatar imposed by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt; the U.S. is taking an active diplomatic approach.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting Saudi Arabia - after having made stops in Doha and Kuwait city over the last few days. He praised Qatar after it became the first regional power to sign a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. to fight terror financing. But can he change the positions of the blockading countries? | Presenter: Adrian Finighan | Guests: Ali Al Kandari - Professor of Contemporary Gulf History at Kuwait University; Fahad Al-Attiya - Qatar's Ambassador to Russia; David Hearst - Editor of the Middle East Eye.
Isn’t it time we took a more intelligent approach to Russia? You don’t have to be a fan of Vladimir Putin or support his invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea to see that an accommodation with Russia might be a good thing. Many would argue that it’s the West that is to blame for the bad blood between Russia and the West in the first place. Ever since the Wall came down, NATO has been expanding eastwards without any regard for Russia’s security interests. Russia’s actions may appear aggressive and expansionist to us, but in Moscow they are seen as a defensive strategy. Surely it is in everyone’s best interests if we understand that. As for the recent US airstrikes on Syria, Trump may have wanted to look tough on the world stage, but the conciliatory line he took towards Russia during his campaign was far more constructive. It’s easy to paint President Putin as the bad guy here, propping up the murderous Assad, but his main aim is to end the civil war in Syria and defeat ISIS. Does the West have anything better to offer?
That’s the case for improving relations with Russia. But should we come to an accommodation with a foreign power which threatens our Eastern European partners and goes so far as to meddle in last year’s US presidential election? The problem is not that the West has been too expansionist towards Russia, but that it hasn’t stood up to Putin’s aggressions. After failing to act over Ukraine and Crimea, the West is now confronted by an emboldened Russia which is helping Assad wreak destruction against captive Syrian civilians, and trying to destabilise Europe at this volatile moment by cultivating populists such as Marine Le Pen and extremist groups sympathetic to its interests. Russia is an unpredictable, dangerous power and should be kept at arm’s length.
For this major debate, Intelligence Squared put together a stellar line-up. Making the case for rapprochement with Russia were Vladimir Pozner, one of Russia’s best known television journalists and a former advocate for the Soviet Union, and Domitilla Sagramoso, a leading expert on security in Russia; arguing against them were Michael Hayden, former director of both the CIA and the NSA, and Radek Sikorski, who was Poland’s foreign minister from 2007 to 2014.
What’s happening to Europe? The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was seen as a triumph for liberal democracy. True, the ‘end of history’ narrative didn’t play out across the world as many predicted. But in Europe political liberalism seemed unshakable, supported as it was by international business and transnational organisations such as the EU and NATO.
But now Europe stands at a precarious moment. Anti-establishment and anti-EU political parties are on the rise. Brexit and the presidency of Donald Trump add to the uncertainty. And while Marine Le Pen didn’t sweep to victory in the recent French presidential election, the new president Emmanuel Macron faces an uphill battle to fix the French economy and reform the EU’s institutions. If he fails, Le Pen could be well set to win the presidency in 2022.
How can we account for this surge of support for far-right and populist parties in Europe? Conventional wisdom has it that it is only in times of economic hardship and high unemployment that these groups begin to gain ground. That may be true of France, which took a serious knocking in the 2008 crash and has a high rate of joblessness. But the Dutch sit comfortably high in all the OECD rankings for income levels, employment and life satisfaction. And look at Poland, a country initially seen by the west as a post-communist success story. Although it has been largely unaffected by the Eurozone crisis and has no immigration as such, a xenophobic, authoritarian government is now in charge.
In this major Intelligence Squared event, we brought together a star panel to explore the reasons behind the rise of populism in Europe and to discuss where the continent is heading next. Is far-right politics the new normal? How will the continent deal with the effects of continuing large-scale immigration and its entrenched economic woes?
The US secretary of state visited Qatar on the second stop of his Gulf tour. On Monday he was in Kuwait, which has been mediating the standoff between Qatar and its neighbours. The US hopes to negotiate a resolution to the diplomatic crisis which began over a month ago.
Rex Tillerson has been speaking to the emir of Qatar pushing for dialogue to solve the dispute. He says Qatar has been clear in its positions, describing them as “reasonable”.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Doha last month, accusing it of supporting “terrorism” - an allegation Qatar's government has strongly rejected. So, will Tillerson's shuttle diplomacy ease tensions in the region? | Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Shafeeq Ghabra - Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University; Nasser Al Khalifa - Former Qatari Ambassador to the US and the United Nations; Andrew Bowen - Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
House of Saud documentary exposes the royal family who rules the Saudi Arabia. Despite the kingdom’s relentless brutal campaign and strict media control, activists have tried to expose the extent of the regime’s barbarity and dismal human rights record through various means, including social media and this recent documentary.
The UK government has been under increasing pressure to be stronger in its public condemnation of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses. This includes its notoriously poor record in relation to women's rights and its extensive use of the death penalty, which has risen rapidly in recent years and has seen even young activists placed on death row.
Our guests question whether America was diminished on the world stage after Donald Trump attended the G-20 summit, where he reportedly addressed critical issues such as a potentially nuclear-armed North Korea.
President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is, along with Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., at the center of a shocking New York Times story published Sunday. According to the article, Kushner, Trump Jr. and then-campaign chair Paul Manafort met with a Kremlin-linked lawyer during the 2016 campaign after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton at Trump Tower two weeks after Trump won the Republican nomination. Kushner is one of Trump’s senior advisers who has assumed a major diplomatic role in the administration, despite having no previous diplomatic experience. We speak to Amy Wilentz, a contributor at The Nation.
Austrian authorities say they are banning Turkey’s Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci from entering the country to attend a rally marking the anniversary of last year's failed coup. However, Zeybekci denies he tried to go to Austria.
This year's G20 summit of the world's major economies was a tense and sometimes frustrating gathering, exposing the United States isolation globally on the key issues of climate and trade.
World leaders deplored President Donald Trump for pulling out of the landmark Paris Accord, reaffirming their commitment to fight global warming, without the US. Washington is now left in what some are calling a “club of one”. Will the world continue to look to the US for leadership? If not, who will step into that role? | Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Marc Pierini - visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe and former EU ambassador to Turkey and Syria; Molly McKew - foreign policy expert and strategy consultant; Inderjeet Parmar - professor in international politics at City University London
The diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf continues to unfold with Qatar standing firm against what it calls bullying by some Arab states. Qatar’s infrastructure has incurred losses due to the ongoing rift, but Qatari citizens and many countries around the world have been showing their support in the face of a boycott imposed on Doha by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain. We have a report.
G20: US President Donald Trump was left isolated on climate change at the end of the G20 summit. The other 19 leaders declared that the Paris climate accord was irreversible. German Chancellor Angela Merkel used her final speech to express disappointment at Trump's position. Al Jazeera's Washington Editor James Bays reports from Hamburg.
Egyptian-German scholar Dr. Hamed Abdel-Samad discussed the treatment of the Jews in the Quran, and said that an entire tribe was punished for what the Prophet Muhammad perceived to be the intentions of one man. "Either he just invented this, or else he was hearing voices in his paranoid head and was hallucinating, Abdel-Samad said of the Prophet Muhammad, and asked: "Is this the divine logic of God, who proclaimed Himself to be Merciful?" In his lecture, which was posted on the Internet on November 7, 2016, Abdel-Samad further said: "Our Lord gives His blessing to theft, the holy theft upon which the entire Islamic economy was based."
Clerics in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt are praising the isolation of Qatar.
State TV in Saudi Arabia broadcast prayers by cleric Abdelrahman Al-Sudais during the holy month of Ramadan, which included comments about "terrorist funders" and social media activists said he was alluding to Qatar.
Other videos and Twitter feeds of clerics in Saudi Arabia were circulated online in what appears to be a mobilisation campaign against Qatar. Some clerics in Egypt and the UAE have also been heard supporting the blockade on Qatar. What are the long term ramifications of using religion in a political conflict? | Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Youcef Bouandel - professor of international affairs at Qatar University; James Dorsey - senior fellow at Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore; Shahid Qureshi - editor of online news website London Post
A new report says that Saudi Arabia contributes major funds to encourage extremism in the UK, but the British government is trying to cover it up. The US did the same when it was revealed that the Saudis played a big role in 9/11. Ring of Fire's Josh Gay tells you why.
