Thursday, November 14, 2019
White Nationalists Are Running the White House
Kein britischer EU-Kommissar : Johnsons Signal
Boris Johnson hat gesprochen. Großbritannien werde bis zur Unterhauswahl keinen Kandidaten für die neue EU-Kommission benennen. Unabhängig davon, was dies für die Installierung des Teams um die gewählte Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen bedeutet, sendet der britische Premierminister damit ein unmissverständliches Zeichen.
In einer Hinsicht kann man den Wahlkämpfer Johnson ja verstehen. Er möchte nicht den Hauch eines Zweifels daran aufkommen lassen, dass er es gar nicht erwarten kann, sein Land endlich aus dem „Gefängnis“ namens Europäische Unionherauszuführen. Aber es wird eine Zeit „danach“ geben, egal wie die Wahl ausgeht. Und Johnson hat eben auch gesagt, dass die EU auch künftig ein wichtiger Partner Großbritanniens sein solle und werde. » | Ein Kommentar von Peter Sturm | Donnerstag, 14. November 2019
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Brexit
Donald Tusk Urges British Voters Not to 'Give Up' on Stopping Brexit
As campaigning ramps up ahead of next month's general election, he warned that leaving the EU would leave the UK a "second-rate player".
In a speech, he also said Brexit would likely mark the "real end of the British Empire".
Read the Telegraph article here »[£]
Hear! Hear! – Mark
Labels:
Brexit,
Donald Tusk
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Saudi Arabia Defended by Conservative MP, Daniel Kawsczynski (January 2016)
Opinion: The Toxic Relationship between Britain and Russia Has to Be Exposed
Someone in Downing Street calculated that it was less embarrassing to suppress the intelligence and security committee’s report into Russian interference in the UK than it was to publish it.
Boris Johnson’s refusal to allow voters to read the report made waves in parliament a week ago, yet the election campaign has offered a convenient distraction since then. The government can survive one uncomfortable news cycle; but a 50-page report full of revelations about rich Russians funding political parties and associating with politicians, as well as Russian bots meddling in the referendum, could have fed the media for days.
The report will only emerge once we have a new parliament, by which stage any revelations it contains will have lost their power, and thus be safely ignored. This is a shame, because the toxic relationship between the Russian and British elites is something that needs full exposure. They have been collaborating to their mutual enrichment, and to the detriment of democracy and accountability everywhere, for decades. » | Oliver Bullough | Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Labels:
Russia
Hong Kong on the Brink of a Total Breakdown? | DW News
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Uber CEO's Outrageous Take on Khashoggi's Death
Bolton Slams Trump, Suggests Foreign Policy Guided by Personal Interest | Andrea Mitchell | MSNBC
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Behind Trump’s Dealings With Turkey: Sons-in-Law Married to Power »
Daniel Kawczynski Marries Long-term Partner in House of Commons Ceremony
Mr Kawczynski wed his long-term Brazilian partner Fernando at a civil partnership ceremony at the House of Commons on Saturday afternoon.
The 46-year-old received hundreds of messages of support and congratulations on social media, including one from the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Councillor Shaun Davies.
The pair have not always seen eye to eye, often clashing over issues such as healthcare, but Councillor Davies put political differences aside for one day. » | Aimee Jones | Shrewsbury | Sunday, November 10, 2019
Hillary Clinton 'Dumbfounded' UK Government Won't Release Report on Russian Influence
Monday, November 11, 2019
The Billionaire Class Is Scared. They Should Be
UK Government Delay of Russia Report Is Shaming, Says Clinton
Hillary Clinton has called Downing Street’s suppression of a report into potential Russian infiltration of British politics “damaging, inexplicable and shaming”.
The 2016 US presidential candidate told the Guardian it was “incredibly surprising and unacceptable that in your country there is a government report sitting there about Russian influence and your current government isn’t releasing it”.
The potentially incendiary report by the intelligence and security committee has already been approved by the intelligence agencies. Downing Street was sent a final draft on 17 October and had been expected to sign off the report by the end of last month.
However, No 10 indicated that the parliamentary report would not be made public before the election, citing a sign-off process that it said could take six weeks. The chairman of the committee, Dominic Grieve, called the decision to delay publication “jaw-dropping”.
Clinton said: “I mean, who do they think they are that they would keep information like that from the public, especially before an election?
“Well, I’ll tell you who they think they are. They think that they are the all-powerful, strong men who should be ruling,” she said, linking the suppression of the report to a rising authoritarian turn in western leaders. » | Charlotte Higgins | Monday, November 11, 2019
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Royal Family Lead Britain's Remembrance Sunday Tributes at Cenotaph Service
Political leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, took a break from election campaigning to attend the service at the memorial on Whitehall in central London.
Hundreds of armed forces personnel were also present at the occasion, alongside Cabinet ministers, religious leaders and representatives of Commonwealth nations.
As Big Ben struck 11am, a two minutes silence was observed, with its beginning and end marked by the firing of a gun by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Buglers of the Royal Marines sounded the Last Post before wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph by members of the royal family, politicians, foreign representatives and senior armed forces personnel. » | Telegraph Reporters | Sunday, November 10, 2019
Saturday, November 09, 2019
Waking the Titanic | Titanic Documentary | Timeline
Labels:
documentary,
Timeline,
Titanic
Titanic: The Facts Told by Real Survivors | British Pathé
On 14 April 1912, on her maiden voyage, the passenger liner RMS Titanic hit an iceberg. More than 1500 men, women and children perished. This is a short television documentary about the sinking of the Titanic, including interviews with survivors talking about their experiences and their escape.
On 14 April 1912, on her maiden voyage, the passenger liner RMS Titanic hit an iceberg. More than 1500 men, women and children perished. This is a short television documentary about the sinking of the Titanic, including interviews with survivors talking about their experiences and their escape.
Labels:
British Pathé,
Titanic
Friday, November 08, 2019
Lawrence and Rachel on 'Anonymous' Book: ‘This Is a Warning about Danger to the Country’ | MSNBC
Another Greedy Billionaire Enters the Democratic Race
Author's 'Warning' Raises Question of Trump Staff Responsibility | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
Saudi Twitter Spying – Interview with Saudi Political Affairs Expert Ali al Ahmed
A former media partnership manager and an engineer with Twitter have been charged. Investigations revealed that data of over 6,000 users was accessed in return of tens of thousands of dollars into secret bank accounts. Saudi Arabia had also requested emergency disclosure of at least 33 usernames from twitter.
For more on this, Saudi political affairs expert Ali al Ahmed, from Institute for Gulf Affairs, and joins us from Washington DC
Labels:
espionage,
MbS,
Saudi Arabia,
Twitter
Saudi Twitter Spying – Interview with Sami Hamdi from the International Interest
Labels:
MbS,
Saudi Arabia,
Twitter
Book by ‘Anonymous’ Describes Trump as Cruel, Inept and a Danger to the Nation
In “A Warning” by Anonymous, obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its release, a writer described only as “a senior official in the Trump administration” paints a chilling portrait of the president as cruel, inept and a danger to the nation he was elected to lead.
The author — who first captured attention in 2018 as the unidentified author of a New York Times opinion column — describes Trump careening from one self-inflicted crisis to the next, “like a twelve-year-old in an air traffic control tower, pushing the buttons of government indiscriminately, indifferent to the planes skidding across the runway and the flights frantically diverting away from the airport.” » | Philip Rucker | Thursday, November 7, 2019
Labels:
Donald Trump
Thursday, November 07, 2019
It’s Not Just Britain That’s Breaking Up, Europe Is Too
Arguably the most surreal event during the general election campaign is scheduled for the week before polling day. On 3 December, Nato leaders, including Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, will gather at a Buckingham Palace reception. The next day, the Nato chiefs will meet in a luxury – but thankfully non-Trump-owned – hotel outside Watford. It’s the event where the leaders will discuss big subjects including Syria, Afghanistan, Russia and military burden-sharing – and where none of these big subjects is likely to be solved.
In the not so distant past, a leader fighting an election might have seen an international summit they were hosting as a golden opportunity. The grandeur and importance of such a gathering would mean free publicity from the campaign gods, reminding voters that the incumbent is someone who bestrides the world stage, has the ear of powerful allies, and is at ease with the deepest responsibilities of office. As a prime minister milked the occasion, opponents could only grind their teeth in frustration.
But this summit is not like that. It could be more problem than opportunity. It may even prove to be the most disruptive political event of the election. Part of that is because of the always careless self-confidence of Johnson, for whom the Watford summit may be the final gig – or let us hope so – of the briefest prime ministership of the modern era. Most of it, though, will be down to Trump, whose comments about Brexit and Britain could hijack the final week of the campaign and even have explosive effects on the outcome. » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Labels:
Europe
Jane Fonda: The Sooner We Move Beyond Trump the Better
US: Saudi Arabia Recruited Twitter Employees Charged for Spying
The prosecutors say that Saudi Arabia was growing increasingly frustrated with being criticised online.
The two Saudis who worked at Twitter were tasked with gathering the email addresses linked to the Twitter accounts and internet protocol addresses that indicate the user's location.
Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports.
Labels:
espionage,
Saudi Arabia,
Twitter
A Not-Do-Special Relationship: Facing Voters, Johnson Backs Away From Trump
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain spoke with President Trump by phone on Tuesday, and to judge by the dueling summaries of the call provided by the White House and 10 Downing Street, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Trump were involved in two completely different conversations.
The White House said the two leaders pledged to negotiate “a robust bilateral free trade agreement once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.” Downing Street said nothing about a deal, noting instead that Mr. Johnson urged Mr. Trump to lift American tariffs on Scotch whisky.
Such divergent accounts of a leader-to-leader call are not unheard-of, but the timing of this one, on the eve of Britain’s general election campaign, was telling. It shows just how much of a liability Mr. Trump has become for Mr. Johnson. Once, the prime minister talked up the benefits of having a close friend in the White House; now he is distancing himself from a figure who is radioactive to many Britons. » | Mark Landler | Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Ukraine Crisis Put On Ice by Trump Staff Busy Working Out How to Buy Greenland
After the White House cut off military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump’s top officials scrambled to get it restored but were unable to organise a meeting with the president, in part because his staff were too busy pursuing his interest in buying Greenland, according to newly released congressional testimony.
The acting US ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, told Congress that Trump’s order in mid-July to cut off security assistance triggered a series of high-level meetings with cabinet members on how to get it resumed, given the urgency of the Russian military intervention in eastern Ukraine.
Taylor testified on 22 October, but the House committees holding impeachment hearings released a full transcript on Wednesday. The veteran ambassador told congressional investigators it was the “unanimous opinion of every level of inter-agency discussion” that the aid should be restored and that the secretaries of state and defence as well as the CIA director and the national security adviser work together to arrange an urgent meeting with Trump “to convince him to release the hold”.
However, no meeting could be arranged until September. Taylor said part of the reason was the cabinet secretaries involved went on work trips abroad during the period, but he added: “I think this was also about the time of the Greenland question, about purchasing Greenland, which took up a lot of energy in the NSC [National Security Council].” » | Julian Borger in Washington | Thursday, November 7, 2019
Is Trump's deep fear and envy of Obama behind his plan to purchase Greenland? »
Labels:
Denmark,
Donald Trump,
Greenland,
Ukraine
Wednesday, November 06, 2019
Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and Greens Launch Pro-remain Electoral Pact
The Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Greens have finalised a plan to step aside for each other in 60 seats across England and Wales in the general election. The alliance is intended to give a free run to one pro-remain party in each constituency.
The agreement, which does not include Labour, covers 49 seats in England and 11 in Wales. It was made under the banner of a cross-party group called Unite to Remain, which has spent several months trying to broker the plan.
A so-called progressive alliance plan, also including Labour, was attempted before the 2017 election but arrangements were only made for a handful of seats, in part because of the difficulty of getting local parties to agree. » | Peter Walker and Heather Stewart | Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Twitter Employees Charged with Spying for Saudi Arabia
Two former Twitter employees have been charged with spying after they reportedly obtained personal account information for critics of the government of Saudi Arabia.
A complaint unsealed on Wednesday in US district court in San Francisco detailed a coordinated effort by Saudi officials to recruit employees at the social media giant to look up the private data of thousands of Twitter accounts.
One of the former Twitter employees, Ahmad Abouammo, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of spying and falsifying an invoice to obstruct an FBI investigation. He is a US citizen. The other former employee, a Saudi citizen named Ali Alzabarah, was accused of accessing the personal information of more than 6,000 Twitter accounts in 2015 on behalf of Saudi Arabia. » | Kari Paul in San Francisco and agencies | Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Labels:
Saudi Arabia,
Twitter
Wife of Killed Isis Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Captured, Says Turkey
A woman married to the slain Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been captured and is in Turkish custody, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said.
Erdoğan made the announcement during a speech in Ankara on Wednesday but did not provide any further details. “The United States said Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel,” Erdogan said, criticising the US for a “communications campaign” over the jihadist’s death.
“But, I am announcing it here for the first time: we captured his wife and didn’t make a fuss like them. Similarly, we also captured his sister and brother-in-law in Syria.” » | Bethan McKernan in Istanbul | Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Boris Johnson Officially Calls General Election: Watch in Full
What a load of tosh this man speaks! Do you recognize this country from BoJo’s description of it? Because I don’t! Listening to him, anyone would be forgiven for concluding that he’s describing El Dorado, not the UK!
Oh God! These dudes think the people are stupid. If anyone believes this man’s claptrap, I’ve got a bridge to sell him in the desert. – Mark
John Bercow: Brexit Is UK's Biggest Mistake Since Second World War
Days after bowing out as Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercowhas described Brexit as the biggest mistake Britain has made since the second world war.
Bercow, who was persistently accused of bias by Brexit-backing MPs during his term as Speaker, gave a valedictory speech to the Foreign Press Association, revealing himself to be a remainer.
“I don’t think it helps the UK. Brexit is the biggest mistake of this country after the war. I respect [the] prime minister, [Boris] Johnson, but Brexitdoesn’t help us. It’s better to be part of the [EU] power bloc,” Bercow said, according to the journalist Antonella Guerrera, of La Repubblica, who attended the event in London.
However, Bercow rejected the idea he had blocked Brexit, insisting “it was parliament” that had prevented Britain from leaving before now, “not me”. » | Heather Stewart, Political editor | Wednesday, October 6, 2019
John Bercow is right, of course. Brexit is our biggest mistake since WWII – Mark
Labels:
Brexit,
John Bercow
Brexit Has Made Britain's Problems Worse, Says Juncker
Brexit has worsened Britain’s problems, the outgoing head of the European commission has said in another parting shot at the UK government.
Jean-Claude Juncker, who is standing down as head of the EU executive, delivered a typically blunt assessment in an interview with Germany’s public broadcaster, ARD.
“Britain also has problems other than Brexit and these problems have got bigger with Brexit. They are trying to cover that up, but they just got bigger,” he said.
Juncker also described Britain’s departure from the European Union as a perpetual cycle of “promises, promises not kept, and lies repeated over and over again”, two days after he accused Boris Johnson of telling “so many lies” during the 2016 campaign. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Wednesday, November 6, 2019
UK Prime Minister Withholding Report on Russia's Role in Brexit | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Brexit,
Rachel Maddow,
Russia
Monday, November 04, 2019
Will Aramco's IPO Succeed? I Inside Story
The initial public offering, or IPO, will be on the Saudi stock exchange. How much of the company's for sale and at what price, will be determined later.
Part of the Crown Prince's economic plans for the kingdom, the flotation aims to raise billions of dollars. But estimates of how much it might actually draw, vary widely. Mohammed Bin Salman wants a $2 trillion price tag, many bankers put it at $1.5 trillion.
But can ARAMCO's IPO satisfy his ambitions? And what, if any, are the risks?
Presenter: Dareen Abu Ghaida | Guests: Mohammed Cherkaoui, author and senior fellow at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies; Jeff Colgan, associate professor at Brown University and author of 'Petro-Aggression: When Oil Causes War'; Joseph Kechichian, senior fellow at King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic studies
Labels:
Aramco,
Inside Story,
IPO
Sunday, November 03, 2019
The Debate: Macron and Islam: French President Weighs In on New Headscarf Row
Labels:
France 24,
hijab,
Islam in France,
The Debate
Opinion: The Happy, Healthy Capitalists of Switzerland
Like many progressive intellectuals, Bernie Sanders traces his vision of economic paradise not to socialist dictatorships like Venezuela but to their distant cousins in Scandinavia, which are just as wealthy and democratic as the United States but have more equitable distributions of wealth, as well as affordable health care and free college for all.
There is, however, a country far richer and just as fair as any in the Scandinavian trio of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. But no one talks about it.
This $700 billion European economy is among the world’s 20 largest, significantly bigger than any in Scandinavia. It delivers welfare benefits as comprehensive as Scandinavia’s but with lighter taxes, smaller government, and a more open and stable economy. Steady growth recently made it the second richest nationin the world, after Luxembourg, with an average income of $84,000, or $20,000 more than the Scandinavian average. Money is not the final measure of success, but surveys also rank this nation as one of the world’s 10 happiest.
This less socialist but more successful utopia is Switzerland. » | Ruchir Sharma | Saturday, November 2, 2019
Labels:
Switzerland
Saturday, November 02, 2019
What's Next for the Impeachment Inquiry against Donald Trump I Inside Story
At the centre of the investigation is whether President Donald Trump abused his power and jeopardised national security by withholding US military aid from Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into his political rival, Joe Biden.
Trump has repeatedly denied doing anything wrong, and the White House is refusing to cooperate; so what happens next? And what will be the impact on next year's elections?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault | Guests: Richard Goodstein - Political consultant for the Democratic Party and former adviser to President Bill Clinton; Jack Kingston - Republican Party member and former senior adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign; Scott Lucas - Professor of political science and international studies at the University of Birmingham
Defiant Requiem | Holocaust Survivor Documentary | Timeline
Labels:
documentary,
Holocaust,
Timeline
Friday, November 01, 2019
Farage Seeks Brexit Election Pact with Tories
That's after Nigel Farage offered him an ultimatum: scrap your EU withdrawal deal and team up with us - or the Brexit party will fight the Conservatives in every seat.
But now the Tories have explicitly ruled that out.
Could the Leave vote be split?
Labels:
Brexit,
Nigel Farage,
Tories
Brexit: Tearing the Tories Apart?
Clarke had the whip withdrawn in September after he voted against the government.
A passionate opponent of Brexit and a life-long Europhile Clarke discusses how Brexit and Europe is eating away at his party with his long-standing colleague and former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith - a vocal proponent of leaving the EU.
Labels:
Brexit,
Channel 4 News,
Tories
'Good Riddance': New Yorkers on Trump's Declaration He's a Floridian
Donald Trump’s decision to declare himself a resident of Florida instead of his native New York, thereby avoiding New York’s high rates of state and city taxes, was greeted by the public in the Big Apple with opinions ranging from anarchy-tinged approval to envy, scorn and indifference.
“Why should I care?” offered New Yorker Mike Mitchell, a construction engineer, as he walked the sunny streets of lower Manhattan in a chilly breeze, a stone’s throw from the Statue of Liberty on Friday morning. » | Edward Helmore in New York | Friday, November 1, 2019
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Florida,
New York
Rationing In Britain
Labels:
rationing
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Trump Criticises Corbyn as Labour Launches Election Campaign | Brexit
But he also criticised Mr Johnson's Brexit deal, suggesting the US couldn't make a trade agreement with the UK. All this on the very day Britain was supposed to be coming out of the EU.
Labels:
Brexit,
Donald Trump
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Neuwahl im Dezember: Großbritannien ist nicht zu beneiden
Labels:
Brexit
Tactical Voting Could Deliver Remain Victory in Election – Study
Tactical voting could swing a victory for pro-remain parties in the December election, new research suggests.
Boris Johnson would fail to get a majority if one in three pro-remain voters in England and Wales switched their vote, the campaign group Best for Britain said.
In this scenario, the Conservatives would win 309 seats, Labour 233, the Liberal Democrats 34, Plaid Cymru four and the Greens one. When the Scottish National party, Democratic Unionist party and the Commons Speaker are factored in, this would give pro-remain parties a majority of four.
Best for Britain has launched GetVoting.org to give tactical voting advice based on postcode. Naomi Smith, the organisation’s chief executive, said: “If we vote tactically we can stop a Boris Johnson majority and return a parliament that much more accurately reflects the state of the country’s views on the issue of Europe, which is now a majority pro-European country and we need a majority pro-European parliament. » | Kate Proctor | Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Tactical voting: GetVoting.org »
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Michel Barnier Tells UK: Ignore EU Regulatory Standards at Your Peril
British companies risk trade barriers to the European Union if a future government seeks to abandon EU standards on workers’ rights and environmental protection, Michel Barnier has signalled.
In an interview with the Guardian and seven other European newspapers, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said any British government would face a “proportional” response if it sought to roll back core social, environmental and consumer standards.
The EU and UK have agreed to negotiate a free-trade agreement as part of Boris Johnson’s revamped Brexit deal, but Barnier stressed that tariff and quota-free access to the EU were linked to maintaining regulatory standards. “Access to our markets will be proportional to the commitments taken to the common rules,” he said. “The agreement we are ready to discuss is zero tariffs, zero quotas, zero dumping.” » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Labels:
Brexit,
Michel Barnier
Liban : Saad Hariri, le premier ministre du Liban, annonce sa démission au treizième jour de la contestation
Le premier ministre libanais, Saad Hariri, a annoncé mardi 29 octobre qu’il allait présenter la démission de son gouvernement, au 13e jour d’un soulèvement populaire marqué par de nouveaux heurts dans les rues de Beyrouth.
Son intervention a été accueillie par les vivats de la foule qui l’écoutait en direct dans plusieurs lieux de rassemblement, avant que ne retentisse l’hymne national – An-nasid al-wataniyy al-lubnani – repris à pleins poumons par les manifestants. Des feux d’artifice ont été aussitôt tirés dans Beyrouth tandis que des voitures sillonnaient la ville klaxons hurlants en signe de victoire. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mardi 29. Octobre 2019
Labels:
Liban,
Saad Hariri
Monday, October 28, 2019
Boris Johnson Fails in Third Attempt to Call Early General Election
Boris Johnson has lost his third bid for a general election, after Labour abstained and he failed to reach the two-thirds majority of MPs he needed for a poll. The result was 299 votes for and 70 against.
The prime minister is now expected to back a Liberal Democrat plan to change the law in order to secure an early election, although the parties do not yet agree on a date.
The Lib Dems want a date of 9 December, while students are still at university, but the Tories favour 12 December, after some have broken up for Christmas. » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Monday, October 28, 2019
Early Facebook Investor: We Need to Hold Big Tech Accountable for Creating “Toxic Digital Spills”
Labels:
Democracy Now!,
Facebook
James Comey Jokes He Will Move to New Zealand If Trump Is Re-elected
Labels:
Donald Trump,
James Comey
Sunday, October 27, 2019
An Interview with HIM Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran by ¡HOLA! TV
Analysis – US Targeted ISIL Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: US Officials
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Brexit Referendum Should Never Have Been Called, Say Majority of Voters
Twice as many people now think it would have been better never to have held a referendum on Brexit than believe it was a good idea, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.
Asked to consider the difficulties the government has had in reaching an agreement, 57% of UK adults surveyed said that they believed it would have been better not to have had a public vote in June 2016.
This compares with 29% of voters who believe it was right to hold the referendum on whether the UK should stay in or leave the EU. » | Toby Helm | Saturday, October 26, 2019
THE OBSERVER: Number of Britons leaving for Europe hits a 10-year high »
Labels:
Brexit
Brexit: Can Westminster Seal a Deal? | To the Point
Labels:
Brexit,
To the Point
Friday, October 25, 2019
Klimawandel-Debatte: Esst ruhig Fleisch!
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Fleisch ist in Verruf geraten, das Schnitzel nur noch mit Schuld zu verzehren. Dabei macht Fleischverzicht weder gesund noch rettet er das Klima. Der große Fleischreport.
Löschen Sie alles, was Sie in den letzten Jahren über rotes Fleisch gehört haben. Es ist nicht ungesund, und sein Beitrag zum Klimawandel ist geringer als propagiert. Eine jahrzehntelange Kampagne hat das Nahrungsmittel in Verruf gebracht und Menschen zu fleischarmen Diäten gedrängt, die ihrer Gesundheit schaden und den Klimawandel nicht stoppen können. Schlecht fundierte Forschung, kommerzielle Interessen und religiös-ideologische Vorstellungen prägen das Narrativ einer überlegenen fleischfreien Ernährung. Genauer Überprüfung hält dieses nicht stand. » [€] | von Winand von Petersdorff | Freitag, 25. Oktober 2019
Labels:
Fleisch,
Klimawandel
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Guardian View on Boris Johnson’s Election Demand: MPs Should Call His Bluff
Boris Johnson is the playground bully of British politics. He acts as if he is prime minister with a majority in parliament when in fact he has no majority. Because he cannot govern in that way with parliament, he has tried instead to govern against parliament. The delusion that he can do as he pleases led him to try to prorogue parliament this autumn – a bluff that was called by the supreme court. It then led him to concoct a fantasy legislative agenda by commissioning a Queen’s speech, though none of its measures will ever become law. Now he is trying to make his Brexit withdrawal bill conditional on the Commons agreeing to a general election in December. This proposal, like all the others before it, is merely another bluff, and parliament should duly call it. » | Editorial | Thursday, October 24, 2019
Most Voters Believe Violence against MPs 'Is Price Worth Paying' over Brexit
A majority of voters in England, Wales and Scotland believe that the possibility of some level of violence against MPs is a “price worth paying” in order to get their way on Brexit, an academic survey has found.
The poll from Cardiff University and the University of Edinburgh asked respondents what they would be prepared to see happen in order to leave or remain within the European Union.
Most leave voters who took part in the Future of England study thought violence towards MPs was a “price worth paying” for Brexit to be delivered – 71% in England, 60% in Scotland and 70% in Wales.
The majority of remain voters felt that potential violence was worth it if it meant we would stay in the EU – 58% in England, 53% in Scotland and 56% in Wales. » | Amy Walker | Thursday, October 24, 2019
Labels:
Brexit
Should Trump Be Committed to a Mental Health Facility? (April 2019)
Now Dr. Justin Frank, Psychoanalyst, and author of 'Trump on the Couch' joins the Thom Hartmann program to call for locking Donald Trump up in a Mental Health facility,
Is it time to put Donald Trump in the funny farm? Is the President's mental health out for lunch?
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Österreich: FPÖ schmeißt Straches Ehefrau raus
Die FPÖ hat Philippa Strache aus der Partei ausgeschlossen. Als Grund nannten die österreichischen Rechtspopulisten eine schriftliche Stellungnahme der 31-jährigen Frau von Ex-Parteichef Heinz-Christian Strache. Sie hatte darin mitgeteilt, ihr Mandat im Parlament anzunehmen. Laut FPÖ hatte die Mitteilung "eindeutig parteischädigenden Charakter".
Philippa Strache saß am Mittwoch bei der ersten Sitzung des neuen Parlaments als fraktionslose Abgeordnete hinter den SPÖ-Parlamentariern.
Die Straches sind bei der FPÖ mit ihrem neuen Chef Norbert Hofer in Ungnade gefallen. Gegen beide ermittelt die Staatsanwaltschaft. Heinz-Christian Strache soll private Rechnungen auf Kosten der Partei abgerechnet haben. Er und seine Frau bestreiten die Vorwürfe. Die Spesen-Affäre und das Ibiza-Video dürften die wichtigsten Gründe für das Wahldebakel der rechten Partei sein. Die FPÖ stürzte am 29. September um fast zehn Prozentpunkte auf 16,2 Prozent ab. » | als/dpa | Mittwoch, 23. Oktober 2019
Labels:
FPÖ,
Österreich
Is Russia the New Power Broker in the Middle East? Inside Story
Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides of the war in Syria. Moscow backs the Syrian president, while Ankara supports opposition rebels who want to remove Bashar Al Assad. However, the two sides have been working more closely in recent months.
On Tuesday, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave Kurdish fighters six days to retreat from the Syrian-Turkish border. They reached the agreement just before the end of a US-brokered ceasefire that halted Turkey's military offensive in the region.
As Washington pulls back from the region, is Russia becoming the new power-broker? And what are the implications for the wider Middle East?
Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Yusuf Alabarda - Retired Colonel of the Turkish Armed Forces; Pavel Felgenhauer - Russian Defence and Military Analyst; Samuel Ramani - Researcher at Oxford University and a member of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank and discussion forum
Labels:
Inside Story,
Middle East,
Russia,
Turkey,
USA
US Healthcare: Is Medicare Supplements Availability Disappearing? (w/ Alex Lawson)
Benny Gantz to Be Tasked with Forming Israeli Government
Israel’s president is expected to task the former military chief Benny Gantz with forming a government after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to do so following an inconclusive election last month.
Neither Gantz’s Blue and White coalition nor the incumbent prime minister’s Likud party came out with a clear win, and few expect the opposition leader to form a coalition through deals with disparate political parties with ease.
He will have 28 days to try, after which parliament can nominate a third candidate, although that appears extremely unlikely given the divided makeup of Israel’s legislature, the Knesset.
If no contender can end the political crisis, the country will face an unprecedented third election in a year. » | Oliver Homes in Jerusalem | Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Labels:
Benny Gantz,
Israel
Could Donald Trump Actually Be Impeached?
Labels:
Donald Trump,
impeachment
Dan Rather, Sam Donaldson Have Dire Warning about Trump
Labels:
Donald Trump
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Abschiedsrede im Parlament: Juncker: Bekämpft den dummen Nationalismus
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach fünf Jahren an der Spitze der EU-Kommission verabschiedet sich Jean-Claude Juncker vor dem Europaparlament. Er mahnt: „Frieden ist nicht selbstverständlich.“
Mit einer emotionalen Rede hat EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker sich nach fünf Jahren Amtszeit verabschiedet und seine Erfolge herausgestrichen. „Ich scheide aus dem Amt nicht betrübt, auch nicht übermäßig glücklich, aber im Gefühl, mich redlich bemüht zu haben“, sagte der 64-Jährige am Dienstag im Europaparlament. „Ich war stolz darauf, während langer Zeit und vor allem in den letzten fünf Jahren ein kleines Teilchen eines größeren Ganzen zu sein, das wichtiger ist als wir.“
Der Luxemburger erinnerte daran, dass die Europäische Union vor allem ein Friedensprojekt sei. „Frieden ist nicht selbstverständlich, und wir sollten stolz darauf sein, dass Europa den Frieden erhält“, sagte Juncker. Darüber müsse man auch mit jungen Menschen reden. Den Parlamentariern gab er mit auf den Weg: „Bekämpft mit aller Kraft den dummen Nationalismus.“ Seine Rede schloss Juncker mit den Worten: „Es lebe Europa!“ » | Quelle: nto./dpa/AFP | Dienstag, 22. Oktober 2019
Remember Thatcher’s Britain? That’s Where This Brexit Deal Would Take Us
Hopes for a second referendum on Brexit are receding, as more and more Tories show their true colours and fall in line behind Boris Johnson and his controversial deal. They have passed through all the stages of grief to arrive at acceptance of a Brexit that they know will make Britain poorer and weaker. One of their leading lights, the former home secretary Amber Rudd, explicitly acknowledged that the deal would “hurt the economy” – but she said “it’s the right thing to do because we had a referendum”.
Pursuing an economically devastating Brexit is a choice, not a necessity. The referendum was a mandate to change the political basis of our relationship with Europe, not to terminate all our economic cooperation altogether, as envisaged in the new withdrawal agreement. The proposal would give Britain the same economic relationship with the EU as distant countries such as Mexico or Canada. That’s why the extremist interpretation of the 2016 referendum that was begun by Theresa May and accelerated by Johnson can and must be resisted. If that cannot be achieved by a second referendum – even the most ardent campaigners now accept they don’t have the numbers – then it is vital that politicians return to the arena of compromise. » | Tom Kibasi | Tuesday, October 22, 2019
There’s a message in this story: Never trust the Tories with the economy again! It’s high time for the Tories to go the way of the Whigs – into oblivion! – Mark
Labels:
Brexit
Dominic Raab
Labels:
Dominic Raab
Monday, October 21, 2019
Boris Johnson in Final Push to Ram Through Brexit Deal
Boris Johnson will make a final bid on Tuesday to force Brexit through by the 31 October “do or die” deadline, amid growing signs he will make a renewed push for a general election whether his deal passes or not.
Johnson has already requested a delay to Brexit, by sending the letter to Brussels required by the backbench Benn act after MPs declined to support his deal on Saturday – something he said he would rather be “dead in a ditch”than do.
But if the government can force its Brexit bill through parliament in time, the UK could in theory still leave the EU by next Thursday’s deadline. » | Heather Stewart and Rowena Mason | Monday, October 21, 2019
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Brexit
Netanyahu Fails to Form a Government. Israel Turns to Gantz.
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel gave up on his latest attempt to form a government on Monday, clearing the way for Benny Gantz, the former army chief who narrowly defeated him in last month’s election, to try to become the country’s next leader.
Mr. Netanyahu, who turned 70 on Monday and has been prime minister since 2009, told President Reuven Rivlin that he had been unable to put together a 61-seat majority coalition in Parliament.
Mr. Rivlin said he would give Mr. Gantz, 60, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, the mandate to form a government “as soon as possible.” Under the law, Mr. Gantz will have 28 days to do so.
“The time of spin is over, and it is now time for action,” Mr. Gantz’s party said in a statement. “Blue and White is determined to form the liberal unity government, led by Benny Gantz, that the people of Israel voted for a month ago.” » | David M. Halbfinger and Isabel Kershner | Monday, October 21, 2019
Prince William Worried about Harry after TV Interview Discussing Their 'Rift', Source Claims
The Duke is said to be “worried” about his younger brother, who on Sunday night publicly confirmed the siblings are on “different paths” and spending less time together.
A palace source told the BBC of household fears the Sussexes are in a “fragile place”, with Prince William hoping they “are alright” after Prince Harry unexpectedly laid bare details of their private relationship in a television documentary.
Acknowledging a “rift” in conversation with friend and broadcaster Tom Bradby on ITV, Prince Harry admitted "inevitably stuff happens" under the pressure of royal life.
His decision to speak about the brothers’ relationship immediately placed them at the centre of a worldwide conversation, detailed on the front page of five leading British newspapers and headline news on radio and television from the Today programme to Loose Women. » | Hannah Furness, Royal Correspondent | Monday, October 21, 2019
People's Vote Marchers: ‘Brexit Is Not Done by a Long Way’
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Brexit Delay: Boris Johnson Sends Opposing Letters to EU | DW News
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Brexit,
DW News
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Super Saturday: MPs Debate Boris Johnson’s New Brexit Deal – Watch Live
Labels:
Brexit
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Eric Trump Defends Emoluments Violations Then Claims They Aren’t Happening
'It Was News I Was Scared to Tell': Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski Calls for Understanding of Same-sex Relationships
Mr Kawczynski revealed how he had travelled back to Shrewsbury from Parliament, with some big news for his constituents.
"It was news I was scared to tell, even to my closest supporters in the local Conservative Association – so much so that I was quietly praying the train would break down so I would not have to impart it. The news was that I was now in a same sex relationship."
The MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham will this year enter into a civil partnership with his long-term partner Fernando. And he says the supportive reaction he got from his constituency party six years ago will stay with him all his life.
"Full of apprehension, I looked up at the faces of the people I had spoken to, 50 of the most senior members of my local party and awaited their reaction," he recalls.
"Almost immediately, a gentleman in the front row stood up and said, 'I think that’s marvellous news, well done' and began clapping. » | Mark Andrews, Shrewsbury | Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Divorced Conservative MP: 'I’ve fallen in love with a man’ »
EU's Juncker Says Brexit Deal Agreed
Labels:
Brexit
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
What Neo-Nazis Have Inherited from Original Nazism | DW Documentary | Neo-Nazi Documentary
History may not repeat itself, but one can still learn from it. The years of the Weimar Republic were scarred by post-war trauma, political extremism, street fighting, hyper-inflation and widespread poverty. But they also saw economic boom, the establishment of a liberal democratic order and a parliamentary party system. Nobody could really imagine that the Nazis would brush aside the achievements of this young democracy just a few years later. But there were signs, warnings even that all was not well.
So how does that resonate today? How do today’s right-wing populist movements and parties achieve their political aims? Which slogans, images and stereotypes played a role then, and which ones are playing a role now?
The film also looks beyond Germany’s borders. How has Europe changed in the last few years and how have far-right movements been able to gain such influence? In the interwar period, democracies across the continent collapsed one after the other like a house of cards. What about today? Riding on the coat-tails of the political party the Alternative for Germany (AfD) the far-right has become a factor in both national and state parliaments, united by nationalist and often racist ideologies directly linked to those of the 1930s. At that time, global economic crisis and mass unemployment drove people straight into the fascists’ arms. So what will happen if crisis strikes now? Are our democracies and their achievements today any more stable than they were in the years before the Second World War?
Labels:
DW documentary,
Germany,
Nazism,
Neo-Nazism
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Fourteen Weddings and a Divorce | British Royal Family Documentary | Timeline
Monday, October 14, 2019
tagesschau 20:00 Uhr, 14.10.2019
Labels:
Deutschland,
Tagesschau
Réduit National: Ein Film über die Schweiz im zweiten Weltkrieg
The Unlikely Romance of a Black Nurse and a German POW in World War II
Enemies in Love: A German POW, a Black Nurse, and an Unlikely Romance »
Labels:
USA,
World War II
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Pete Buttigieg: I Would Keep Troops in Syria If Needed
Labels:
Pete Buttigieg,
Syria
Saturday, October 12, 2019
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