France Warns Boris Johnson Not to Play Games with Irish Border

THE GUARDIAN: Minister says withdrawal agreement including backstop will not be renegotiated

The French government has warned Boris Johnson against playing games with the Irish border after the new British prime minister demanded the ditching of the backstop.

Amélie de Montchalin, France’s minister for European affairs, said both sides should avoid “games, gestures and provocations” with just three months to go before the UK is due to leave the EU.

Speaking alongside her Irish counterpart, Helen McEntee, during a visit to the Irish border, De Montchalin said the French president, Emmanuel Macron, would hold talks with Johnson in France in the coming weeks.

She said there was “solidarity” with Ireland and reiterated that the withdrawal agreement was “the best we have” and would not be renegotiated. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, July 26, 2019

From Trump to Johnson, Nationalists Are On The Rise – Backed by Billionaire Oligarchs

THE GUARDIAN: The ultra-rich are benefitting from disaster capitalism as institutions, rules and democratic oversight implode

Seven years ago the impressionist Rory Bremner complained that politicians had become so boring that few of them were worth mimicking: “They’re quite homogenous and dull these days … It’s as if character is seen as a liability.” Today his profession has the opposite problem: however extreme satire becomes, it struggles to keep pace with reality. The political sphere, so dull and grey a few years ago, is now populated by preposterous exhibitionists.

This trend is not confined to the UK – everywhere the killer clowns are taking over. Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump, Narendra Modi, Jair Bolsonaro, Scott Morrison, Rodrigo Duterte, Matteo Salvini, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Viktor Orbán and a host of other ludicrous strongmen – or weakmen, as they so often turn out to be – dominate nations that would once have laughed them off stage. The question is why? Why are the technocrats who held sway almost everywhere a few years ago giving way to extravagant buffoons?

Social media, an incubator of absurdity, is certainly part of the story. But while there has been plenty of good work investigating the means, there has been surprisingly little thinking about the ends. Why are the ultra-rich, who until recently used their money and newspapers to promote charisma-free politicians, now funding this circus? Why would capital wish to be represented by middle managers one moment and jesters the next? » | George Monbiot | Friday, July 26, 2019

The EU Will Not Renegotiate Brexit Deal, Juncker Tells Johnson

THE GUARDIAN: European commission president tells PM existing deal is ‘the best and only agreement possible’

European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has told Boris Johnson that the bloc’s member nations will not give in to his demand to renegotiate the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

On Thursday, Juncker – in his first telephone call with Johnson since he took over as British prime minister – called the existing deal “the best and only agreement possible”.

Johnson has insisted that the current agreement to leave the EU and arrangements regarding the Irish border were not good enough and had to be renegotiated.

Juncker the EU would analyse any ideas put forward by the UK, provided they are compatible with the withdrawal agreement, spokeswoman Mina Andreeva tweeted in a readout of the phone call. The pair also exchanged phone numbers and agreed to remain in touch. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, July 25, 2019

BoJo Cleans Out UK Cabinet, Only Hardliners Remain – Galloway

Newly-minted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is made his debut in Parliament on Thursday. He fielded questions from a noisy House of Commons, with both cheers and jeers directed his way regarding Brexit. So what’s next for the UK political scene? Former UK MP George Galloway breaks it down.

Protests Erupt in London as Boris Johnson Is Sworn In as New Prime Minister, Promising Swift Brexit

Boris Johnson was sworn in as the new British prime minister Wednesday, pledging to deliver a swift Brexit and spending his first full day in office Thursday packing his Cabinet with hard-line Brexiteers. His election was the first time that a party’s membership directly chose the prime minister. The membership of the Conservative Party who voted for Johnson represents less than 1% of the British population. Johnson, who previously served as mayor of London and foreign secretary, replaces outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May. Boris Johnson is a highly contentious figure in the United Kingdom who has built his career on controversy. He is known for outrageous political gaffes and is a close ally of President Donald Trump. He has vowed to cut taxes for the rich, and positioned himself as a friend to big banks. Thousands of protesters marched through Central London to protest the new prime minister Wednesday. We speak with Ash Sarkar, senior editor of Novara Media, who says Johnson has crafted a public persona for himself as “bumbling, ineffectual, posh but benign,” but says this facade conceals “someone who has always been a very ambitious man.”

'This Is Why He [Trump] Can't Have A Second Term' | Morning Joe | MSNBC

While railing against the Mueller probe this week, the president told audience members at the Turning Point USA Teen Student Action Summit that Article II of the Constitution gives him the right to do 'whatever I want as president.' The panel discusses.

The Donald and Boris Love-in Won’t Last Unless the UK Delivers for Trump

THE GUARDIAN: Johnson is now Trump’s man in Downing Street. But it seems Nigel Farage is the true object of the US president’s affection

We all know about Franklin and Winston, Ronnie and Maggie, and George and Tony. For better or worse, these transatlantic allies enjoyed grand visions, global power and left indelible marks on history. But now we have Donald and Boris, whose grand visions stare back at them each morning in the mirror.

And their concept of global power is – how to put this diplomatically? – incompatible with the concept of intelligent life.

To understand how this DoBo partnership is likely to function, you need to recall Trump’s excruciating explanation of his kind words about Johnson while standing next to the walking dead that was his predecessor this time last year.

“I said, he’ll be a great prime minister,” Trump told reporters at Chequers. “He’s been very nice to me. He’s been saying very good things about me as president. I think he thinks I’m doing a great job. I am doing a great job, that I can tell you. Just in case you haven’t noticed. But Boris Johnson, I think would be a great prime minister.” Trump went on to say how much he truly, madly loved Theresa May. “This incredible woman, right here, is doing a fantastic job, a great job,” he said. “And I mean that.” » | Richard Wolffe | Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Far-right Leaders Join Trump in Welcoming Boris Johnson to No 10

THE GUARDIAN: Italy’s Matteo Salvini and Brazil’s Jair Bolsanaro are among nationalists hailing Johnson

Rightwing, populist and nationalist leaders have welcomed Boris Johnson’s imminent arrival in Downing Street after Donald Trump praised the UK’s new prime minister as a “Britain Trump” who was “tough and smart” and would “do a great job”.

In Italy, Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right, anti-immigration League and deputy prime minister, wished Johnson “all the best”, adding: “The fact that on the left they are painting him as ‘more dangerous than the League’ makes me like him even more.” » | Jon Henley | Wednesday, July 24, 2019

'A New Nadir': EU Papers on Boris Johnson's Ascendancy

THE GUARDIAN: Arrival of ‘clown who wanted to be king’ at No 10 is greeted with scepticism in Europe

Europe’s press could not quite believe it either. “The Queen’s jester,” was the headline in France’s Libération as Boris Johnson prepared to enter No 10 Downing St. “He’ll start breaking his promises tomorrow,” warned Der Spiegel in Germany.

In a scathing portrait of the new prime minister, Le Monde said Johnson was “known for his eccentricity, his elastic positions, his narcissism and his lies”. His “insatiable need to be liked and phenomenal aplomb” meant anything was possible, the paper said. “Boris Johnson has a rendezvous with history – his lifelong dream.”

Libération said Johnson would “have to move fast to unveil his Brexit strategy” – something of a problem as “the possibilities open to him to keep his promise of leaving the EU by 31 October are extremely limited ... If the British government has changed, the obstacles remain the same.” » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Guardian View on Boris Johnson’s Leadership: The Years of a Clown

THE GUARDIAN: If the UK’s new prime minister thinks he can sup with populists like Nigel Farage and Donald Trump over Brexit, he risks ending up as dessert

The Conservative party has finally got a leader it deserves. As the UK’s next prime minister, Boris Johnson won’t be able to outrun boring facts and hide from bad publicity. He faces the most daunting challenge – that of how the UK can leave the European Union – on entering No 10 since Winston Churchill in 1940. It is fitting because Mr Johnson is largely responsible for the mess he now has to clear up. The signs are not promising. His pledge that the UK will leave the EU on 31 October “deal or no deal” is as politically expedient as it is destructive. His bravado helped to win the leadership. But it did not unnerve the EU and only hardened opposition within the party. Burning bridges to Europe is an act of arson not statesmanship. Leaving the EU without a deal threatens to wreck the UK economy, break up Britain and rekindle violence on the island of Ireland. No wonder Mr Johnson says he can avoid a hard Brexit, though he can’t say how. He thinks he will be protected from harm if, and when, things go badly wrong. Yet his praetorian guard are from the Tory hard right who, he will find out, prefer to give rather than obey orders. » | Editorial | Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Ambition Fulfilled for Boris Johnson. But What Next for Britain?

THE GUARDIAN: As he becomes PM, new Tory leader knows he has to unite his party – and deliver Brexit

Boris Johnson will underline his determination to unite a fractured and demoralised Conservative party and deliver Brexit by 31 October as he achieves his long-cherished ambition of becoming Britain’s prime minister.

The new Tory leader has already begun “love-bombing” sceptical centre-ground MPs as Theresa May prepared to leave No 10 Downing Street after three fraught years.

“He is at heart a one-nation Tory. That’s who he is and that’s how he’ll govern,” insisted a Johnson ally.

The former mayor of London swept to a convincing victory over Jeremy Hunt, after securing the backing of ardent Brexiters including Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker.

Johnson won 66% of the votes – 92,153, to Hunt’s 46,656. Turnout was 87.4% among the Tory party’s 159,320 eligible members.

But with a wafer-thin majority in the House of Commons, he will need the backing of colleagues from both sides of the divide to get a Brexit deal through parliament. » | Heather Stewart and Jessica Elgot | Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Will Boris Johnson Be Up to His New Job? | Inside Story

Boris Johnson will be the UK's Prime Minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership. Boris Johnson had campaigned on a 'do-or-die' pledge to deliver Brexit. The man who has provoked much controversy, won the leadership of the conservatives as was expected, and will be Britain's next prime minister.

When Johnson walks into Number 10, Downing Street this week, he will be tasked with persuading the European Union to revive talks on a withdrawal deal. If that fails, he says he's ready to lead Britain out of the bloc without a deal on the 31st of October.

But Brexit is not Johnson's only challenge. The prime minister has to deal with an escalating standoff with Iran over its seizure of a UK tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. And his critics will be watching very closely how he handles the so-called 'special relationship' with the US.

Donald Trump has backed Johnson to become the UK's prime minister. So, how will he deliver on Brexit and the many other challenges ahead?

Presenter: Divya Gopalan | Guests Catherine McBride, senior economist at Institute for Economic Affairs; Markus Becker, Europe correspondent for the German news magazine ‘Der Spiegel’. Owen Jones, political commentator, and columnist at the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’

The Hard Right Has Captured My Old Party - and Boris Johnson’s Victory Proves It

THE GUARDIAN: The Tories always used to put pragmatic economics first. British voters should not forgive them for abandoning this

Around 92,000 members who no longer even represent Conservative voters have crowned the “clown prince” as our prime minister. Just when we need a prime minister to bring us together, lead us through the Brexit crisis and on to tackling the serious issues we must confront, the party serves up Boris Johnson. His lifelong ambition has finally been realised; no one and nothing was going to get in his way this time, least of all integrity and truth.

The leadership hustings, far from allaying profound fears about Johnson’s ability and mendacity, went further than merely confirming them. Under friendly fire, he revealed he is actually worse than we had thought.

The hustings also revealed the real Conservative party and its drift to the right. It wasn’t simply that the members don’t look like today’s UK – 71% male and 97% white – it was more about what they said. And the regular applause for Johnson’s dog-whistle rightwing rhetoric proved – as did the election result – that Tory members were prepared, indeed pleased, to lose jobs and the union rather than lose their precious no-deal Brexit. That move to the right, away from the centre ground inhabited by One Nation Conservatives, was the major reason I left the Tory party, after serving it as an MP for nine years. » | Anna Soubry | Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Brussels Greets Boris Johnson Victory by Rejecting Brexit Plans

THE GUARDIAN: EU restates opposition as Ursula von der Leyen warns of ‘challenging times ahead’

Boris Johnson’s election as Conservative leader has been greeted in Brussels with a rejection of the incoming British prime minister’s Brexit demands and an ominous warning by the newly appointed European commission president about the “challenging times ahead”.

Ursula von der Leyen, who will replace Jean-Claude Juncker on 1 November, said both sides had a “duty” to deliver a deal as she offered her congratulations to Johnson on his victory.

“There are many difficult issues we will tackle together,” she said. “It is important to build up a strong working relationship because we have a duty to deliver something which is good for the people in Europe and the United Kingdom.”

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, tweeted that he wanted to work “constructively” with Johnson on the basis that both sides were committed to facilitating “the ratification of the withdrawal agreement”, the deal struck by Theresa May that the new Conservative leader has repeatedly described as dead. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Kommentar: Grossbritannien lässt sich auf ein riskantes Abenteuer ein

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Mit dem unberechenbaren Boris Johnson wird ein Politiker britischer Premierminister, der den bedingungslosen Brexit verspricht. Gleichzeitig ist er für seine Wendigkeit bekannt. Die Ungewissheit um seinen künftigen Kurs sorgt für beträchtliche Risiken.

Grossbritannien hat einen neuen Regierungschef, doch ein hoffnungsvoller Neubeginn sieht anders aus. Boris Johnson wird Premierminister eines zutiefst verunsicherten Landes, das sich in der schwierigsten Situation seit Jahrzehnten befindet. Der Mann, der bisher vor allen Dingen durch seinen nonchalanten Umgang mit Fakten, seine impulsive Persönlichkeit und seine gewagten Versprechungen aufgefallen ist, steht nun vor der Aufgabe, Letztgenannte in die Praxis umzusetzen. Wie dieser Zusammenstoss mit der Realität ausgehen wird, ist die grosse Frage. » | Beat Bumberger | Dienstag, 23. Juli 2019

Morning Joe: This Is a New Level of Racism and Hatred | Morning Joe | MSNBC

The president continues to outright question the patriotism of four minority congresswomen, saying he doesn't believe these women are 'capable of loving our Country,' as he wrote in a tweet on Sunday. The panel discusses.

"Mohammed - Der Prophet und seine Zeit" – History Live am 27. März 2016

Er wird als der Gesandte gesehen, der den Menschen das Wort Allahs offenbarte. Zugleich gilt er als religiöser Stifter des Islam, als mächtiger politischer Führer und als bedeutender Feldherr seiner Zeit. Für rund 1,4 Milliarden Muslime weltweit ist der in der zweiten Hälfte des sechsten Jahrhunderts geborene Prophet Mohammed bis heute ein Heiliger und eine der einflussreichsten Erscheinungen der Weltgeschichte.

Doch hat Mohammed tatsächlich so gelebt, wie es in zahlreichen Schriften überliefert ist? Welche Quellen liefern Aufschluss über sein Leben? Und welche Vorstellung können wir uns heute von ihm und seiner Zeit machen? Wird er zurecht von radikalen Fundamentalisten als Vorbild gesehen? Und muss man nach jüngster Quellenlage einen neuen Blick auf das Wirken des Propheten werfen?

Guido Knopp diskutiert mit seinen Gästen:

Tory Leadership Race: Alan Duncan Resigns as Minister

BBC: Sir Alan Duncan has quit as a Foreign Office minister in protest against a possible Boris Johnson victory in the Conservative leadership race.

In his resignation letter, Sir Alan described Brexit as "a dark cloud".

He told the BBC he quit to demand an emergency Commons debate to give MPs a chance to say whether they supported Mr Johnson's "wish to form a government".

The request for a debate - which would not constitute a binding no-confidence vote - was rejected by the Speaker.

Mr Johnson is the frontrunner in the contest which has seen him go head-to-head with Jeremy Hunt for Tory Party members' votes.

The ballot closes at 17:00 BST - the winner will be revealed on Tuesday morning and will become prime minister on Wednesday. » | Monday, July 22, 2019

Opinion: Boris Johnson Is How Britan Ends

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Not with a bang, but with a burst of blond ambition.

LONDON — Boris Johnson, to whom lying comes as easily as breathing, is on the verge of becoming prime minister. He faces the most complex and intractable political crisis to affect Britain since 1945.

That should be concerning enough. But given Britain’s political system — which relies for its maintenance on the character and disposition of the prime minister — it carries even graver import. Mr. Johnson, whose laziness is proverbial and opportunism legendary, is a man well-practiced in deceit, a pander willing to tickle the prejudices of his audience for easy gain. His personal life is incontinent, his public record inconsequential.

And his premiership could bring about the end of Britain itself. » | James Butler* | Monday, July 22, 2019*

* Mr. Butler is a British journalist.

Brian Stelter Lays Out the Pattern of Trump's Race Baiting

CNN's Brian Stelter goes through a chronological history of Trump's race-related provocations, arguing that the press must not lose sight of this larger pattern.

Der neue Golfkrieg | Doku | ARTE

Zwischen 2013 und 2015 fand in den Königshäusern der drei wichtigsten Golfmonarchien ein Generationswechsel statt. Er brachte drei Männer auf den Thron, die zu den reichsten und mächtigsten der Welt gehören. Sie unterdrücken brutal jede Form von Opposition und liefern einander einen geradezu lächerlichen Ego-Krieg, der in der sensiblen Golfregion zu einer neuen Krise führte.

Als erster kam der heute 38-jährige katarische Emir Tamim Al Thani an die Macht. Der begeisterte Hobbysportler kontrolliert die Mediengruppe BeIN, das weltweit größte Übertragungsnetzwerk von Sportereignissen. Dadurch konnte er zum Neid seiner Nachbarn die Fußball-WM 2022 nach Katar holen. Seinen Einfluss macht Emir Tamim Al Thani zudem über den regional bedeutsamen Sender Al Jazeera geltend. Seine Nachbarn beschuldigen ihn, islamistische Gruppierungen zu unterstützen und ein allzu enges Verhältnis zum Iran zu pflegen.Dem katarischen Staatchef stehen zwei Kontrahenten gegenüber: Da ist zum einen der ehrgeizige Kronprinz Saudi-Arabiens, Mohammed Ben Salman (33 Jahre, genannt MBS), der sein Land in einen blutigen Krieg in Jemen verwickelte. Um seinen regionalen Führungsanspruchs zu verwirklichen, sicherte er sich die Unterstützung eines Verbündeten und Mentors: Mohammed Ben Zayed (58 Jahre, genannt MBZ), Kronprinz von Abu Dhabi und Regent der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate. Der gewiefte Militärstratege rüstete sein kleines Land zur wichtigsten Militärmacht der arabischen Halbinsel auf.Legten ihre Väter und Großväter Streitigkeiten noch in der diskreten Stille der Beduinenzelte bei, tragen die heutigen Herrscher ihre Konflikte mittels Cyberattacken, Wirtschaftsblockaden und Invasionsdrohungen aus.

Boris Johnson’s Braggadocio Will Soon Come Back to Haunt Him at Number 10

THE GUARDIAN: Lusting after the job is entirely different to doing it, and Britain’s next prime minister has made promises he cannot hope to keep

For Theresa May, the worst has been saved for last. After taking her final prime minister’s questions, she will be driven to Buckingham Palace on Wednesday afternoon to perform the most personally disagreeable task of her time at the top. After tendering her resignation, which will be painful enough, she will have the even more hateful duty of recommending that the Queen invites Boris Johnson to become the new prime minister.

Her failings have been a major contributory factor to his ascent. Tory activists think he will deliver them the Brexit that she couldn’t and cheer them up after the torture of the May years. Tory MPs believe that he has the campaign skills to scupper Nigel Farage and squash Jeremy Corbyn. None of which is going to be much use to him in the critical opening weeks of a premiership that will inherit all the problems that defeated Mrs May and with some extra challenges of his own.

He will have to learn how to be prime minister. The schoolboy who wanted to be “world king” has spent many years lusting after the job, but that is entirely different to doing it. Many previous tenants of Number 10 will testify that no other role is an adequate preparation for the demands of the premiership. Tony Blair, a highly accomplished leader of the opposition before he moved into Downing Street, once told me that he didn’t really get the hang of it until he had been doing it for four years and he had the shock absorber of a landslide majority while he was learning on the job. Gordon Brown arrived with a decade as chancellor under his belt, but floundered desperately as prime minister. Boris Johnson has never been in charge of a public service department and was an embarrassment in the one cabinet position that he has held. » | Andrew Rawnsley | Sunday, July 21, 2019

US to Deploy Troops to Saudi Arabia in Face of 'Credible' Regional Threats

THE GUARDIAN: Washington says move will provide ‘an additional deterrent’ in face of ‘emergent’ risks

The United States has authorised the deployment of military personnel and resources to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon says, to provide “an additional deterrent” in the face of “emergent, credible threats” in the region.

The move, agreed in conjunction with the kingdom, aims to boost regional security as tensions in the Gulf mount over Iran’s standoff with the US over sanctions and the 2015 nuclear agreement, and Tehran’s seizure of two British-linked vessels in the strait of Hormuz on Friday.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry confirmed the deployment.

“Based on mutual cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, and their desire to enhance everything that could preserve the security of the region and its stability ... King Salman gave his approval to host American forces,” a ministry spokesman was quoted by Saudi state news agency SPA as saying. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Saturday, July 20, 2019

Will Tension in the Gulf Spiral Out of Control? | Inside Story

Iran seizes a UK oil tanker after Britain detained one of its ships.

When the UK seized an Iranian oil tanker two weeks ago, Tehran warned of retaliation. It appears it's carried out that threat.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards detained a British vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Tehran said the Stena Impero was involved in an accident with an Iranian fishing boat.

A powerful council that works closely with Iran's Supreme Leader later said the seizure was a retaliatory act. Britain's foreign secretary is worried Iran may be going down a dangerous path. Can compromise be found before the situation spirals out of control?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault | Guests: Andreas Krieg - Assistant Professor in the Defence Studies Department at King's College London; Mostafa Khoshcheshm - Iranian political commentator and lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences; Joel Rubin - President of the Washington Strategy Group, a national security consulting firm

Merkel Marks Hitler Assassination Attempt with Anti-extremism Appeal

BBC: German Chancellor Angela Markel has used the 75th anniversary of the most famous plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler to call on citizens to counter rising right-wing extremism.

Ms Merkel thanked the German officer, Claus von Stauffenberg, and other plotters who tried in 1944 to kill the Nazi dictator with a briefcase bomb.

Stauffenberg and some 200 co-conspirators were caught and executed.

Mrs Merkel urged people to join programmes for strengthening democracy.

"This day is a reminder to us, not only of those who acted on July 20, but also of everyone who stood up against Nazi rule," she said in her weekly video podcast.

"We are likewise obliged today to oppose all tendencies that seek to destroy democracy. That includes right-wing extremism." » | BBC | Saturday, July 20, 2019

« Non à Boris, oui à l’Europe », ont scandé des milliers de manifestants anti-Brexit à Londres

LE MONDE: Des opposants au départ du Royaume-Uni de l’Union européenne ont défilé dans la capitale britannique, quelques jours avant la probable désignation de Boris Johnson comme premier ministre.

« Non à Boris, oui à l’Europe ». Voilà Boris Johnson prévenu. Trois jours avant sa probable désignation comme premier ministre, les Britanniques proeuropéens lui ont signifié, samedi 20 juillet dans les rues de Londres, qu’ils n’ont pas baissé la garde. Ce ne fut pas le déferlement spectaculaire, compact et déterminé du 23 mars – un million de manifestants –, mais une sérieuse piqûre de rappel administrée par le noyau dur des anti-Brexit : des gens plutôt militants, plutôt intellectuels, plutôt âgés. Entre Hyde Park et Westminster, ces quelques milliers d’irréductibles Britanniques européens ont conspué dans un même souffle le Brexit et celui qui promet de le mettre en œuvre « coûte que coûte » d’ici au 31 octobre. » | Par Philippe Bernard | samedi 20 juillet 2019

Boris Johnson Is the Epitome of What’s Worst about the English Ruling Class

THE GUARDIAN: In Brussels, people recall an amusing buffoon devoid of principle or political belief – but not a Eurosceptic hardliner

The scene, Cardiff. The date, 16 June 1998. The European summit of heads of state and government has just ended, rounding off the UK’s six-month EU presidency. Tony Blair, who has chaired the summit, is holding a press conference. The EU correspondent for the Daily Telegraph puts up his hand and launches into a tirade that is not so much question as full-blown editorial. Blair, a product of the same public-school system as the questioner, quips: “Boris, you should be prime minister!” Twenty-one years on, this prophecy looks likely to come true.

In Brussels, officials who remember Boris Johnson from his days there (from 1989 to 1994) are dumbfounded. Known to this day as a “buffoon”, he is the source of many painful memories. The son of a former Eurocrat and member of the European parliament, he made a lasting impression as the inventor of the “Euromyth”, a journalistic genre now termed fake news. With the backing of his editors it seems, he eagerly misrepresented events or even completely made up stories to portray the European commission as a bureaucratic monster making absurd proposals. As he once explained to me, aged 28 and dressed as ever in a rumpled jacket, his shirt spilling out in typically English manner: “You mustn’t let facts get in the way of a good story.” Among other yarns, he claimed there were plans to establish a “banana police force” to check the fruit was the right shape, that coffins would be standardised and prawn cocktail crisps would be outlawed. He was quick to highlight the purportedly extravagant lifestyle of overpaid, tax-exempted Eurocrats. » | Jean Quatremer* | Tuesday, July 16, 2019

* Jean Quatremer is Brussels correspondent of Libération

The Guardian View on Boris Johnson: Bad Actor, Dishonest Script

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Boris’ is a stage persona that Britain’s likely next prime minister uses to mask serious character flaws

The most insightful contribution to the Conservative leadership contest was made this week by a smoked fish. That does not reflect well on the human candidates, one of whom brandished a kipper as a prop to facilitate a rhetorical point. Boris Johnson told a hustings audience that “Brussels bureaucrats” had caused distress to a businessman by requiring that shipment of his product be accompanied with an “ice pillow”.

But the kipper told a different story. Its refrigeration was a matter of domestic rules. “The case described by Mr Johnson falls outside the scope of EU legislation,” a European commission official clarified. The prop was only there to set up a pun about “kippers” as former Ukip voters, whose repatriation to the Conservative fold is a promised electoral benefit of Mr Johnson’s candidacy. It was a theatrical flourish to tickle a receptive audience. To that end, facts were immaterial.

Unfashionable though it may be in the Tory party, telling the truth still matters. Especially so when the UK’s EU membership expires in little over three months and Mr Johnson claims, in that time, to be able to enact a deal in Brussels different from the one negotiated by Theresa May. He cannot. A new settlement is not on offer and, even if it were, an extension to the article 50 period would be required to complete it in orderly fashion. As with the smoked fish, Mr Johnson is either lying intentionally or avoiding engagement with facts. Both explanations would be consistent with his character – that word applying in the sense of his temperament but also his stage persona. » | Editorial | Friday, July 19, 2019

Boris Johnson Blimp to Join 9ft Farage on Anti-Brexit March in London

THE GUARDIAN: Pro-Europe grassroots groups to voice opposition to a Johnson premiership

Protesters will take to London’s streets on Saturday for a “No to Boris. Yes to Europe” march days ahead of Boris Johnson’s widely anticipated move into No 10.

A Boris Johnson toddler blimp was launched in Parliament Square at 10am, featuring salmon-pink skin, the politician’s trademark “faux-dishevelled hairstyle”, mismatched running gear and a Brexit-bus T-shirt, according to March for Change.

The singer Billy Bragg and presenter Sandi Toksvig are expected to join the march, which begins at noon in Park Lane and will make its way to Parliament Square.

Tom Brufatto, chair of Britain for Europe, said: “We will not allow Boris Johnson to float into No 10 on a favourable tailwind, or have the summer off, unopposed, after so much hot air on Brexit, with so much at stake.” » | Caroline Davies and Jedidajah Otte | Saturday, July 20, 2019

Iran Seizes British Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz

Boris Johnson’s Take on Islam Is Historically Illiterate

THE GUARDIAN: No printing press until the 19th century? Wrong. But why let reality get in the way of a story that fires up his base?

“You mustn’t let facts get in the way of a good story,” Boris Johnson was reported to have once told the French journalist Jean Quatremer in the early 1990s. It is a claim that defined much of his journalistic career and also appears to shape his pronouncements on the Muslim faith. In an essay written by Johnson in 2007 and unearthed by the Guardian this week, he claims that the Muslim world is “centuries behind” the west, because of a “fatal religious conservatism” that prevented the development of liberal capitalism and democracy. According to Johnson “virtually every global flashpoint you can think of – from Bosnia to Palestine to Iraq and Kashmir” is defined by “some sense of Muslim grievance”. Echoing his hero Winston Churchill’s view that there was “no stronger retrograde force” than Islam, Johnson believes “that the real problem with the Islamic world is Islam”.

Johnson has been here before, with his attacks last year on the Muslim faith as “bizarre and unattractive”, and likening women in burqas to “letterboxes” and “bank robbers”. This clearly played well with the Tory grassroots: a recent poll of party members found that 56% believe Islam is “a threat” to the “British way of life” (whatever that is). But Johnson’s 2007 essay – an appendix to a later edition of his book praising the Roman empire – reveals a level of historical ignorance shocking even for such a political opportunist. » | Jerry Brotton* | Saturday, July 20, 2019

* Jerry Brotton is professor of Renaissance studies at Queen Mary University of London

German Reunification - A Short History | DW Documentary (2017)

The fall of the Berlin Wall changed the course of history overnight. But German Reunification was never a guarantee. The situation could have spiraled out of control at any moment. Find out more in 2 + 4 + X: A SHORT HISTORY OF GERMAN REUNIFICATION.

West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl took advantage of the chaos during this turbulent time. His 10-point plan paved the way for the reunification of a divided Germany - but this was done behind the backs of the Allied Forces. Those who witnessed the events tell the story of the “2+4” negotiations and rocky road the world took to reunite the GDR with the West.

Life on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall (2009)

Ilhan Omar Greeted with Cheers, Trump Flip Flops on 'Send Her Back' | The Last Word | MSNBC

The day after a crowd chanted 'send her back' at a Trump rally, Rep. Ilhan Omar was greeted with a different kind of chant when she arrived home in Minnesota: cheers from constituents. Lawrence O’Donnell discusses Trump's attempt to flip flop on the chant with Neera Tanden and Renee Graham.

Why Epstein Is Being Called a Foreign Asset

A federal judge denied bail to billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday ahead of his sex-trafficking trial. RT America’s Michele Greenstein and investigative journalist Ben Swann join Rick Sanchez to discuss the Epstein case. Was his “hedge fund” really a hedge fund – or a front for something else? Mounting evidence suggests that he may even be a Mossad agent.

What Happens When the Far Right Takes Over of Democracy?

How is the right wing take over of the Republican party going to do to our country and its citizens and our democracy?

Ursula von der Leyen: Hard Brexit Would Be Massive Blow for Both Sides

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: newly elected EU chief suggests there could be emergency help for Ireland

The European commission’s new president has said a hard Brexit would have “massively negative consequences” for both Britain and the EU, and said Brussels could provide emergency help for nations such as Ireland that bear the brunt of such an outcome.

In her first interview since narrowly being approved for the post by the European parliament on Tuesday, Ursula von der Leyen said the withdrawal deal concluded between Theresa May and the commission’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michael Barnier, would remain the basis of any future talks.

“We don’t want a hard Brexit, it’s a bad outcome for both sides. We have a good withdrawal agreement,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian and four other European newspapers.

Both of the contenders to succeed May, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, have vowed to renegotiate the exit deal with the EU, declaring that the most controversial component, the Northern Ireland backstop, is unacceptable.

When asked about their position, Von der Leyen said the withdrawal agreement was “not dead”. She said: “No, it is a good agreement, which was negotiated properly in accordance with the red lines drawn by the British government.” » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Thursday, July 18, 2019

Trump's Iran Treaty Withdrawal and Sanctions Based on Lies, But War Could Be a Reality

Khury Petersen-Smith outlines how Trump's untruths and policies are making America the aggressor, not Iran, and how American media from the New York Times to Fox News are falling for his rhetoric.

Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister, Iran – BBC HARDtalk

HARDtalk’s Zeinab Badawi is in New York for a rare interview with Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif who is attending high level talks at the UN. Hostilities between Iran and the US are at a historic high; recently, President Trump said he was ‘ten minutes away from war with Tehran’. Could the two countries stumble into a war? And is Iran raising the stakes in the Persian Gulf after Washington tore up the nuclear deal last year?

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 18, 2019

1992 Tape of Trump and Epstein - The Day That Was | MSNBC

November 1992 tape in the NBC archives shows Donald Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate more than a decade before Epstein pleaded guilty to felony prostitution charges in Florida. MSNBC hosts discusses.

Crowd Chants ‘Send Her Back’ at Trump Rally | The Last Word | MSNBC

After Trump continued his attack on four freshmen Congresswomen, the crowd at Trump’s rally launched into a chant of “send her back!” Lawrence O’Donnell discusses with Leonard Pitts, Jr., Yamiche Alcindor, and Rep. Eric Swalwell.

Is Donald Trump Racist? | Inside Story

The House of Representatives has condemned as racist, comments by the US President about four congresswomen. The House's resolution was backed by 240 votes to 187, with only four Republicans supporting the motion.

Trump has launched a series of attacks on the congresswomen of colour, known as the 'squad' - telling them to ‘go back to the crime-infested places from which they came'.

The politicians – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, were born the U.S., and Ilhan Omar came to the US as a refugee aged 12.

The remarks have been widely denounced, mainly by Democrats, who have renewed calls to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump. But as he remains defiant, what does it mean for race and ethnicity in the US?

Presenter: Nastasya Tay | Guests: Rina Shah, Republican strategist and consultant; Christopher Metzler, conservative commentator and author of the book ‘Divided We Stand: The Search for America's Soul’; Christine Pelosi, Democratic strategist and the daughter of House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi

The Guardian View on Donald Trump: A Racist in Substance and Style

THE GUARDIAN: The US president’s bigotry has a political purpose: to distract voters and energise his base. He doesn’t care about the damage he might inflict in the process

Donald Trump’s agenda is to turn the clock back in the United States half a century, to a time when elected leaders spoke the language of white supremacy. Like Mr Trump, they did not use dog whistles. Until 1967, 17 states had laws banning interracial marriage. Mississippi did not vote to abolish the 13th amendment of the US constitution, which outlawed slavery, until 1995. Of course, legal segregation is a distant memory today, and race in America is not the chasm it once was. The country has had a black president and immigrants, white and non-white, have become rich and famous. Yet Mr Trump has, in a short space of time, remoulded the Republican party by excluding and gagging anyone who challenges him. This is no longer a question of the Republican leadership’s inability to deal with the president’s racism, but of its complicity in it. » | Editorial | Tuesday, July 16, 2019

How Did Neo Nazis in Italy Acquire Missiles? | Inside Story

A huge stash of weapons is found in Italy with neo-Nazi sympathisers and the government says the seizure is unprecedented.

An arsenal of weapons has been seized by Italian police in a raid on a far-right group. The stockpile was discovered during an investigation into the involvement of Italy's far-right movement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine; and it included an air-to-air missile, rocket launchers and automatic rifles described as 'latest generation'. Neo-nazi propaganda material was also seized.

Police have arrested three people, including a former candidate for the neo-fascist Forza Nuova party. Fabio Del Bergiolo's house was found to contain a huge stash of arms, as well as Hitler memorabilia.

So, how significant is this? And what does it tell us about the re-emergence of Nazism and the far-right movement in Europe?

Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests Stefano Vergine, Italian journalist; Michal Bilewicz, Chair at the Center for Research on Prejudice at the University of Warsaw; Ludovica Di Giorgi, Manager of the Far-Right Programme at the social enterprise group Moonshot Countering Violent Extremism

Jeffrey Epstein Just Had a Really Bad Day In Court

Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein was in court on Monday for his bail hearing, and things could not have gone worse for him. The prosecutors unloaded a treasure trove of new information showing that Epstein was not only a flight risk, but that his lawyers’ claim that he’s been squeaky clean for the past decade is an absolute lie. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains what happened.

Trump Says His Racist Tweets Are “Not at All” Racist

Four outspoken Democratic politicians - all women of colour, all US citizens, all but one born in the United States, yet, according to President Trump, they should all go home and fix the problems in their own countries.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — July 15, 2019

Boris Johnson Claimed Islam Put Muslim World 'Centuries Behind'

THE GUARDIAN: Anger as 2007 essay lamenting ‘no spread of democracy’ in Islamic world comes to light

Boris Johnson has been strongly criticised for arguing Islam has caused the Muslim world to be “literally centuries behind” the west, in an essay unearthed by the Guardian.

Writing about the rise of the religion in an appendix added to a later edition of The Dream of Rome, his 2006 book about the Roman empire, Johnson said there was something about Islam that hindered development in parts of the globe and, as a result, “Muslim grievance” was a factor in virtually every conflict.

Johnson’s argument was described as disconcerting and problematic by Tell Mama, which monitors anti-Muslim hate and said he had demonstrated a lack of understanding of the religion. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said many people would like to know if the favourite to become the next prime minister still believed “Islam inherently inhibits the path to progress and freedom”.

Last year, Johnson was accused of dog-whistle politics after he used a Telegraph column to liken women wearing the burqa to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”. » | Frances Perraudin | Monday, July 15, 2019

Trump’s Tweet Was Condemned as Racist. His Response: No, They’re the Racists

THE NEW YORK TIMES: WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday increased his attacks on four first-term Democratic congresswomen and warned the party about uniting “around the foul language & racist hatred spewed” from the American women whom he recently told to “go back” to their own countries.

Instead of walking back his remarks, Mr. Trump demanded that the four congresswomen, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts, issue their own apologies to him and “the people of Israel.” Ms. Omar is the only one of the four who was born outside the United States.

“So many people are angry at them & their horrible & disgusting actions!” he wrote. » | Eileen Sullivan | Monday, July 15, 2019

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.

Ivanka Trump Isn’t a Diplomat. So Why Is She Acting Like One?

Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of the President, acted like an unofficial Secretary of State during a trip to Japan and South Korea for the G20. But with no international relations or foreign policy credentials, should she be playing the role of a diplomat?

Die Suche hat ein Ende: Von der Leyen als EU-Kommissionspräsidentin nominiert

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Die deutsche Bundesverteidigungsministerin Ursula von der Leyen soll Jean-Claude Juncker beerben. Die Chefin des Internationalen Währungsfonds, Christine Lagarde, soll künftig der EZB vorstehen.

(dpa) Die EU-Staaten haben die deutsche Verteidigungsministerin Ursula von der Leyen offiziell als Präsidentin der EU-Kommission nominiert. Die Entscheidung fiel am Dienstag bei einem EU-Sondergipfel in Brüssel, wie EU-Ratspräsident Donald Tusk auf Twitter mitteilte.

Die neue Kommissionschefin muss aber noch vom EU-Parlament bestätigt werden. Dies soll planmässig Mitte Juli geschehen. Von der Leyen wäre die erste Frau an der Spitze der Brüsseler EU-Behörde. » | dpa | Dienstag, 2. Juli 2019

Mika Brzezinski on Trump Attacking Her: ‘It Has Gotten Scary’

MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski revealed intimate details about her and husband-co-host Joe Scarborough’s fraught relationship with President Trump, claiming the conflict has made her concerned about her security, family and privacy and worrying that “anything goes” with Trump. "It has gotten scary,” Brzezinski said in an interview with the Yahoo News show “Through Her Eyes.” “And we've made changes in our life to deal with the fact that it has gotten scary.” Brzezinski also isn’t shy about taking a fair measure of credit for the show's success, saying it was her husband’s idea, but she’s “the reason it’s still going.”

Ivanka Trump Faces Criticism for G20 Involvement | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Ivanka Trump was at her father's side for several meetings at the G20, and new video posted by the French government shows the first daughter having an awkward chat with world leaders.

Boris Johnson: Playing the Clown for the Media Circus? | The Listening Post (Full)

Startling Numbers Show How Bad the Wealth Gap Really Is in America

The wealth gap in the United States has been getting worse for decades, but few understand just how bad things really are. Since 1989, the top one percent has gained $21 trillion in wealth while the bottom half has lost more than $900 billion. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, and that isn’t an accident. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Remembering Stonewall: On 50th Anniversary, Leaders of Uprising Look Back on Sparking LGBTQ Movement

Fifty years ago today, just after midnight, at 1:30 in the morning on June 28, 1969, New York City police officers raided a gay- and trans-friendly bar called the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. As the police began dragging some of the patrons out, the community fought back, sparking three days of rioting. Their historic resistance launched the modern-day LGBTQ movement and became known as the Stonewall uprising. We hear the leaders of the Stonewall uprising in their own words, in a radio documentary produced by Dave Isay in 1989 called “Remembering Stonewall.”

Wildfire in Spain as Europe Roasts

Several countries have broken their June temperature records after a huge reservoir of hot air from the Sahara engulfed Europe.

Hundreds of firefighters have struggled to contain a major wildfire in northeastern Spain. The Spanish military has sent a unit of 120 specialists to help local firefighters battle the flames, which have sent thick plumes of smoke high into the air above the Catalonia region.

Boris Johnson’s Talk of ‘Global Britain’ Is about to Look Even More Ridiculous

THE GUARDIAN: While the favourite to be Britain’s next prime minister feeds his public disinformation, the EU is homing in on a huge trade deal

Three years after the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum, the UK is no closer to figuring out how to leave the European Union – and what comes next – than it was when the result was announced. And now a Conservative party leadership election to replace the outgoing prime minister, Theresa May, is in full swing. To those of us watching from the outside, the debate between the candidates confirms that they have learned nothing whatsoever from the past two years of negotiations with the EU.

Sadly, this comes as no surprise, given that the lead candidate is Boris Johnson, the leave campaign’s most prominent architect and a man who continues to dissemble, exaggerate and disinform the public about Brexit. In 2016, Johnson and his fellow Brexiteers duped a narrow majority of UK voters into thinking that leaving the EU would somehow furnish the NHS with an additional £350m per week. He also drummed up fears that Britain’s EU membership would somehow lead to mass immigration from Turkey(which happens to be the homeland of his paternal great-grandfather, Ali Kemal).

Though Johnson will most likely soon find himself in a position where he must make good on his promises, he continues to spread untruths. Chief among them is the myth that Britain can tear up the withdrawal agreement that May negotiated with the EU, withhold its financial commitments to the bloc, and simultaneously start negotiating free-trade deals. To Johnson’s followers, however, he is more prophet than politician: only he can deliver a mythical “true Brexit” that will bring the prosperity promised during the referendum campaign. » | Guy Verhofstadt | Thursday, June 27, 2019

Boris Johnson's Brexit Deal Claims Rubbished by Guy Verhofstadt

THE GUARDIAN: EU Brexit coordinator likens Tory frontrunner’s claims to ‘false promises’ of referendum

Boris Johnson’s claims about the prospects of rewriting the Brexit deal have been compared by the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator to the “false promises, pseudo-patriotism and foreigner-bashing” he is said to have used to win the EU referendum.

The suggestion from the Conservative leadership frontrunner that he will be able to dump Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, withhold the UK’s £39bn divorce bill and still negotiate a free-trade deal in Brussels was savaged by Guy Verhofstadt.

The former prime minister of Belgium said Johnson’s assertion during the current leadership campaign was a myth. In a withering assessment of the race between Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, who also claims he will be able to renegotiate the deal, Verhofstadt said it appeared they had “learned nothing whatsoever”.

The EU has repeatedly said it will not renegotiate the agreement and that the UK will crash out unless the House of Commons ratifies the full package, including the protocol containing the Irish backstop for avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland. » | Daniel Boffey in Helsinki | Thursday, June 27, 2019

Trump's "Deal of the Century" Just Means More Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Land

Ali Abunimah discusses Jared Kushner's presentation of his peace plan's economic portion in Bahrain this week. He dangled fifty billion dollars for the Palestinian economy, but no freedom, political rightsm, nor an end of the Israeli occupation.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — June 27, 2019

Tunisia: Twin Suicide Attacks Target Police

Two suicide blasts rocked the Tunisian capital on Thursday, according to the country's interior ministry, killing at least one police officer with several people wounded.

The first blast was caused by a suicide bomber targeting a police patrol on Tunis' central Charles de Gaulle street, not far from the French embassy. Two police officers and three civilians were injured, according to the interior ministry. Body parts were strewn in the road around the police car, an AFP news agency correspondent said. The loud explosion was heard throughout the surrounding neighbourhood.

A second attacker blew himself up shortly afterwards near a police station elsewhere in the capital, the interior ministry said. Four people were injured in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incidents.

Analysis: UN Rapporteur Criticises Saudi’s Khashoggi Murder Probe

Agnes Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, has criticised the Saudi Arabian investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. Callamard, who presented her report into the killing on Wednesday, said the investigation failed to examine who may have ordered the killing, adding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, and other senior officials should be investigated over the murder. "The investigation carried out by the Saudi authorities has failed to address the chain of command," she told the UN Human Rights Council.

Exclusive: 'The Middle East Does Not Need Another War' Says Iraqi President

The president of Iraq, Barham Salih, tells Sky News about his fears over heightening tensions between America and Iran.

Prince William Says It's Fine If His Children Come Out as LGBT | 5 News

Prince William has said it would be 'absolutely fine' by him if any of his children come out as LGBT in the future. The Duke of Cambridge was visiting an LGBT charity which helps young people who have been made homeless because of their sexuality.

Boris Johnson May Be the Next Prime Minister of Britain. Who Is He?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Boris Johnson, Political Escape Artist, Lands in Hot Water. Again »

Islam and Democracy: What's the Problem? | UpFront

In a special edition of UpFront, recorded before Ennahda's announcement, Mehdi Hasan speaks to a panel of experts, analysts and activists about whether there can be a balance between Islamic and democratic values.

Iranian President Calls White House 'Mentally Retarded'

Jeremy Hunt is not just a Tory leadership hopeful, he is, in fact, also the Foreign Secretary, and today he told parliament he could not envisage any situation in which the UK joins the US in a war with Iran.

Donald Trump announced new sanctions yesterday, but Iran's President has responded by calling them "useless, outrageous and idiotic," adding that the White House appears to be "afflicted by mental retardation".

Seriously? Pompeo Seeks Saudi Advice on ‘Bad Behavior’

Author and professor of international human rights Dan Kovalik joins Rick Sanchez to unpack western canards about Iran and double-standards in discussions of “terrorism.”

President Trump's Full, Unedited Interview with Meet The Press | NBC News

President Donald Trump sat down for an exclusive interview with Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd on Friday, June 21st, 2019.

Is the US an Honest Broker between the Israelis-Palestinians?

Iran Says 'Idiotic' New US Sanctions Have Closed Path to Diplomacy

THE GUARDIAN: Foreign ministry spokesman accuses Trump administration of destroying peace and security

Iran says the US decision to impose sanctions on its supreme leader and other top officials is “idiotic” and has permanently closed the path to diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.

Donald Trump imposed new sanctions on Monday against the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and top military chiefs, in an unprecedented step designed to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran’s downing of an unmanned American drone. Khamenei is Iran’s utmost authority who has the last say on all state matters.

Washington said it would also impose sanctions this week on Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal with the US and other major powers and has spearheaded Iranian diplomacy since.

Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, described the White House as “afflicted by mental retardation” and said the sanctions against Khamenei were “outrageous and idiotic”, especially as the 80-year-old cleric has no overseas assets and no plans to ever travel to the US. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Tuesday, June 25, 2019

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