Now the Brexit Blame Game Will Play Out at the Door of No 10

THE GUARDIAN: A deal is better than no deal, but the prime minister will be personally held to account for every negative impact on the UK

They left it late but a deal has been done. It will take some time to digest the details but it is clear that the agreement reached is thin. We should not kid ourselves that this is the full and comprehensive trade deal that the country needed in order to minimise the damage caused by our departure from the European Union. January will still involve yet further disruption to our trade (it is very regrettable that there is no implementation period). More importantly, in the longer term, the UK’s diminished access to EU markets will make us a less attractive place to locate jobs and investment.

The deal gives us tariff-free and quota-free access to the EU but this is far from the frictionless access that business wanted. Importing and exporting to the EU will become more bureaucratic, complex supply chains will struggle – putting us at a competitive disadvantage. Services, of course, see little direct benefit. » | David Gauke | Thursday, December 24, 2020

The Aussie Princess: The Wedding of Mary and Frederik in Denmark | 60 Minutes Australia

'The Worst President Ever. Period': Cuomo Unloads on Trump

CNN's Chris Cuomo says that President Donald Trump's pardons of Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, his threat to upend a bipartisan Covid-19 relief bill, and veto of a military spending bill cements Trump as the worst president ever.

„ZWEI WAHNSINNIGE“: Irans Präsident vergleicht Trump mit Saddam Hussein

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Irans Präsident Rohani greift den amerikanischen Präsidenten Donald Trump mit scharfen Worten an – und zieht einen Vergleich zum früheren irakischen Diktator.

Irans Präsident Hassan Rohani hat seinen amerikanischen Amtskollegen mit dem früheren irakischen Diktator Saddam Hussein verglichen. „In der jüngeren iranischen Geschichte mussten wir uns zweimal mit zwei Wahnsinnigen auseinandersetzen ... (Donald) Trump und Saddam“, sagte Rohani am Mittwoch. Der eine habe Iran in einen militärischen Krieg (1980-88), der andere in einen Wirtschaftskrieg verwickelt, so der Präsident im Staatsfernsehen.

Iran hat aus Sicht Rohanis letztendlich in beiden Kriegen als Sieger dastehen können. Weder habe Saddam den süd- und südwestlichen Teil des Irans besetzen noch Trump den geplanten Regimewechsel erzwingen können. „Saddam wurde wegen seiner Verbrechen hingerichtet (...) Trumps Schicksal wird auch nicht viel besser aussehen“, sagte Rohani. » | Quelle: dpa | Mittwoch, 23. Dezember 2020

Lufthansa Flies 80 Tonnes of Fresh Food to UK amid Shortage Fears

THE GUARDIAN: German carrier delivers fruit and vegetables as border issues persist despite end of French blockade

Lufthansa is flying in 80 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to help restock UK supermarket shelves amid fears that the lifting of a French blockade will not prevent some shortages in stores.

The German airline said it was carrying a cargo of lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries and citrus fruits, and considering whether to put on additional special cargo flights to meet demand.

It said a B777 freighter aircraft would arrive at Doncaster Sheffield airport at lunchtime on Wednesday.

The flight comes as supermarkets and their suppliers scramble to find alternative ways to stock shelves as thousands of lorries and vans remain stuck outside Dover. » | Sarah Butler | Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Pardons Sink Trump Further into Swamp of His Own Shamelessness

THE GUARDIAN: Analysis: President sanctions first federal execution of a woman in 67 years – but war criminals, fraudsters and Russia-linked cronies go free

Lisa Montgomery is set to become the first woman put to death by the US federal government in 67 years. On Tuesday senators including Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren wrote to the justice department demanding an investigation into an “unprecedented spree” of federal executions on Donald Trump’s watch

. A few hours later the president announced a slew of 15 pardons. Strikingly they included four military contractors imprisoned for the killing of unarmed men, women and children in Iraq. In short, war criminals.

Trump’s motivation had less to do with the quality of mercy than a boundless quantity of shamelessness. In his binary worldview people on death row must face implacable justice but those who pass his loyalty test have a ticket to freedom. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Would it be even possible for America to elect a more disgusting, shameless president than Trump? – ©Mark

'Our blood is cheaper than water': Iraqis' anger over Trump pardons »

Turkey Sentences Journalist Can Dündar to 27 Years in Jail

THE GUARDIAN: Ex-Cumhuriyet newspaper editor given verdict in absentia on charges described as politically motivated

A prominent Turkish journalist has been sentenced in absentia to more than 27 years in jail on terrorism-related charges that his legal team have described as politically motivated.

Can Dündar, who edited Turkey’s Cumhuriyet newspaper before fleeing to Germany in 2016, was previously found guilty by an Istanbul court of espionage and aiding an armed terrorist organisation.

His lawyers refused to attend the final hearing on Wednesday, saying in a written statement beforehand that “we do not want to be part of a practice to legitimise a previously decided, political verdict”. They will appeal the verdict.

“It is sad and strange that we knew what the verdict in my case would be before the case even ended. There are no means to defend yourself in Turkey anymore because the judges and judiciary cannot be trusted,” Dündar told the Guardian. » | Bethan McKernan, Turkey and Middle East correspondent | Wednesday, December 23, 2020

America Braced for Final Month of Madness as Trump Show Nears Its End

THE GUARDIAN: The president’s recent conduct has raised alarms of an increasingly desperate power bid in his last 30 days. So what can we expect?

As the Trump show nears its final episode, America is bracing for potentially the most dramatic, disturbing and outlandish twists yet.

Donald Trump’s recent conduct has led critics to suggest that he has lost touch with reality and raise alarms over an increasingly desperate, deranged power grab in the climactic month of his presidency.

Trump has entertained extreme ideas such as military intervention and appointing a conspiracy theorist as a special counsel to investigate voter fraud. He has turned on allies and retweeted threats to put Republicans who failed to back him in jail. He has also undermined his own secretary of state’s assessment that Russia launched a massive cyber-attack on the US government.

And that was just in the past week. “I guess we cannot quantify the level of crazy that could come out of the Trump White House in his final days here,” said Tara Setmayer, a former Republican communications director on Capitol Hill. “This behavior is 100% a by-product of Donald Trump’s psychosis.” » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, December 23, 2020

World's Media Ask How It Went So Wrong for 'Plague Island' Britain

THE GUARDIAN: Boris Johnson comes under fire as countries suspend travel from UK over new Covid variant

In the eyes of the world’s media, Britain – a “Plague Island” led by a man who thinks “optimism is a substitute for hard truths and proper management” – is currently getting a good lesson in “what ‘reclaiming sovereignty’ means”.

If never quite explicit, the schadenfreude is palpable as dozens of countries, days before the end of the Brexit transition period and with no trade deal yet agreed, suspend travel from the UK in response to the new, more contagious coronavirus variant.

Much of the blame was on Boris Johnson, whose U-turn on Christmas had “once more shown the yawning gulf between the prime minister’s airy promises and the real world,” said Germany’s Die Welt.

That vacuum, however, is now “fast being filled with the anger and fear of a nation hit ever since by horror story upon horror story”. The continental blockade could well be “preparing the British for what Brexit might actually mean”, the paper said, “since there is still no agreement on a trade deal, 10 days before the deadline.” » | Jon Henley | Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Europa isoliert Großbritannien aus Sorge vor mutiertem Coronavirus | DW Nachrichten

'Massive Red Line': GOP Lawmaker Reacts to Flynn's Martial Law Pitch

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) discusses Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn suggesting the President invoke martial law in an Oval Office meeting and the relationship between election conspiracy theories and social media.

COVID-19: Prime Minister to Hold COBRA Meeting as Europe Closes Borders

Boris Johnson is to call an emergency COBRA meeting after many countries in Europe closed their borders to the UK.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister will chair a COBRA meeting on Monday to discuss the situation regarding international travel, in particular the steady flow of freight into and out of the UK."

It comes after France suspended "all flows of people from the United Kingdom for 48 hours, and for all means of transport".

Bernie Sanders: COVID Relief Package Is "Totally Inadequate" for "Unprecedented" Economic Crisis

As Congress is rushing to pass a new $900 billion coronavirus aid package, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is calling the new relief package "totally inadequate, given the nature of the unprecedented crisis that we face." Sanders took to the floor of the Senate Friday to call for $1,200 emergency checks for every working-class adult and $500 per child. We air portions of his address.

Brüssel statt London: Schottlands Regierungschefin will zurück „nach Hause“ in die EU

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nicola Sturgeon ist überzeugt, dass die Schotten bei einem weiteren Referendum für die Unabhängigkeit von Großbritannien stimmen werden. Von Boris Johnson will sie sich bei ihren Plänen nicht ausbremsen lassen – und wenn nötig auch vor Gericht ziehen.

Die schottische Regierungschefin Nicola Sturgeon hält weiter an ihren Plänen zum Beitritt Schottlands zur EU fest. Nach dem von ihr angestrebten Unabhängigkeitsreferendum werde sie ihre Nation zügig in die Europäische Union führen, sagte Sturgeon im Interview mit der Tageszeitung „Die Welt“ und anderen europäischen Medien. „Mehr als die Hälfte der Schotten will laut jüngsten Umfragen die Unabhängigkeit. Ich bin zuversichtlich, dass die Schotten beim nächsten Referendum Ja sagen werden.“ » | Quelle: dpa | Freitag, 18. Dezember 2020

Trump’s Niece Calls President’s Pandemic Handling ‘At Best, Criminally Negligent Homicide'

As the COVID-19 death toll passed 300,000 in the U.S. on Monday, President Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, reflected on her uncle’s handling of the pandemic.

“This is, at best, criminally negligent homicide and at worse, mass murder,” she said. “And I’m leaning toward mass murder, because he’s continuing to do nothing even though we have at our disposal means to stop this.”

Monday also marked the official certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, raising further concerns about what the president might do next, according to his niece.

“The problem for us now: This is really the end of the road,” she told Jim Braude on Greater Boston, where she appeared along with former Trump Organization top executive Barbara Res. “There really aren’t any other avenues to pursue, which means he’s going to become increasingly desperate. He’s going to continue to sow division because, if he feels like he’s going down, he’s literally going to try to take all of us down with him. Let’s face it, he’s committing sedition every single day. I can only imagine what’s going on behind the scenes in terms of what he’s going to smash on his way out the door.”

Breaking News: London to Enter Tier Four Covid Restrictions

The planned relaxation of Covid rules for Christmas has been scrapped for London. From midnight Sunday 20 December, a new tier four will be introduced. Those in tier four cannot mix indoors with anyone not from their household. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the changes at a Downing Street briefing after scientists said a new coronavirus variant is spreading more rapidly.

'I Took a Trip to the North Pole': Anthony Fauci Tells Children He Vaccinated Santa

THE GUARDIAN: Top US infectious diseases expert tells Sesame Street event Father Christmas is ‘good to go’ for present-delivery duty

Children around the world should not worry about the logistics of Christmas present delivery while the coronavirus pandemic rages, Dr Anthony Fauci said – because he vaccinated Santa himself.

“I took care of that for you,” the top US infectious diseases expert told CNN. “Because I was worried that you’d all be upset.

“So what I did a little while ago, I took a trip up there to the North Pole. I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. He can come down the chimney. He can leave the presents, he can leave, and you have nothing to worry about. Santa Claus is good to go.” » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Saturday, December 19, 2020

Johnson Announces Tier 4 for London and Scraps Christmas Mixing Rules

Boris Johnson has issued a new 'stay at home' order covering London and much of the south and east of England, and dramatically curtailed plans for Christmas mixing nationwide, in response to a new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus. Just days after reaffirming the festive 'bubble' plan and claiming it would be 'inhuman' to cancel Christmas, the prime minister announced the creation of a new, stricter tier 4

Trump Remains Silent on Russia’s Cyberattack | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Trump’s silence in the face of Russian aggression will force the incoming administration to respond. So then why has the Pentagon delayed Biden’s transition briefings? Annie Karni, A.B. Stoddard, and Jeremy Bash discuss. Aired on 12/19/2020.

Murdoch Gets Vaccinated as His Media Outlets Spread Lies, Attack Essential Workers | All In | MSNBC

After getting vaccinated, Rupert Murdoch strongly encouraged people to get the vaccine and thanked essential workers. Meanwhile, his minions at Fox News and the New York Post are spreading lies about the coronavirus and bullying health care workers. Aired on 12/18/2020.

Mehdi Hasan: ‘Where Is Donald Trump?’ | The Last Word | MSNBC

Mehdi Hasan explains why Donald Trump’s silence in the face of unprecedented crisis is “unacceptable and unforgivable.” Aired on 12/18/2020.

Winter in the Coldest City on Earth – In Pictures

THE GUARDIAN: Located south of the Arctic Circle, in Russia’s far east, Yakutsk is known for its severe climate

Yakutsk has the coldest winter temperatures of any major city, with an average monthly temperature in January of -38.6C » | Yevgeny Sofroneyev/Tass/Getty Images | Friday, December 18, 2020

Detention of Former Saudi Crown Prince 'Risks Security of West'

THE GUARDIAN: Mohammed bin Nayef does not have access to lawyer, family or doctor, according to evidence given to MPs

The detention of the former crown prince of Saudi Arabia in breach of international law is weakening the security of both the kingdom and the west, a cross-party investigatory panel of British MPs has found.

Mohammed bin Nayef was arrested in March as part of a consolidation of power ordered by the current crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

The panel found that, since March, Bin Nayef had lost a significant amount of weight. He is “suffering from pains in his joints, particularly his knees, making it difficult for him to walk comfortably without assistance, and there is evidence of damage to his feet, adding to the pain in walking”, the panel found.

The panel also claims evidence submitted to it shows “he has not been able to contest his detention before an independent and impartial judge, has no access to a lawyer to discuss his situation and his case has not been reviewed to determine whether it is appropriate to continue his detention”. He has not been allowed to see either his family or his doctor. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Thursday, December 17, 2020

Unicef to Feed Hungry Children in UK for First Time in 70-year History

THE GUARDIAN: UN agency will help fund food parcels for those affected by coronavirus crisis in Southwark, south London

Unicef has launched a domestic emergency response in the UK for the first time in its more than 70-year history to help feed children hit by the Covid-19 crisis.

The UN agency, which is responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children worldwide, said the coronavirus pandemic was the most urgent crisis affecting children since the second world war.

A YouGov poll in May commissioned by the charity Food Foundation found2.4 million children (17%) were living in food insecure households. By October, an extra 900,000 children had been registered for free school meals. » | Rhi Storer | Wednesday, December 16, 2020

This is to our enduring shame! So many untaxed billionaires; so many poor children! This is enough to bring tears to the eyes of any decent human being! Disgusting! – © Mark

Deutschland: Harter Lockdown: (Fast) nichts geht mehr

Seit Mittwoch gilt deutschlandweit der sogenannte „harte Lockdown“, die meisten Geschäfte müssen geschlossen bleiben. © REUTERS, EPA

Lacher im Bundestag: Merkel weist AfD-Impfskeptiker zurecht

Während der aktuellen Stunde im Bundestag ist Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel von einem AfD-Abgeordneten zu den kommenden Corona-Impfungen befragt worden. © AFP, EPA

The Guardian View on US Democracy: Safe – for Now

THE GUARDIAN: Republicans are finally acknowledging Joe Biden’s victory, but the damage caused by their acquiescence in Donald Trump’s lies goes deep

That the worst did not happen is a cause for relief – but not too much of it. The electoral college officially approved Joe Biden’s victory on Monday. On the same day, the attorney general, William Barr, resigned, having earned Donald Trump’s wrath by denying that there had been widespread fraud. Hours later, Mitch McConnell, the senate majority leader, finally recognised Joe Biden as president-elect. Days earlier, the supreme court unanimously rejected a preposterous lawsuit aiming to invalidate results in swing states. » | Editorial | Tuesday, December 15, 2020

1965 Intimations - John le Carré Interview

The false and lonely world of the writer.

‘Until I die, the father-son relationship will obsess me’: inside John le Carré's brutal childhood »

Claude Debussy - Arabesque No. 1 (Première arabesque)

Trump Is Spending the Last Days of His Presidency on a Literal Killing Spree

THE GUARDIAN: In disregard for political precedent or basic humanity, Trump has fast-tracked federal executions before Biden takes office

Donald Trump is on a killing spree. He is turning the anger and resentment which burnishes his brand into a virtually unprecedented string of federal executions. From 14 July 2020, when the attorney general, William Barr, restarted the federal death penalty by executing Daniel Lewis Lee, through last week, the administration has put ten people to death. Three more executions are on the docket in the days leading up to the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Last week, Trump and Barr executed Brandon Bernard even though his crime was committed when he was just 18 years old, and they killed Alfred Bourgeois even though his IQ put him in the intellectually disabled category.

Trump and Barr have turned the solemn process of punishment into an assembly line of death. In doing so they have shown themselves to be indifferent to history, inattentive to the troubling problems plaguing the federal death penalty, and out of step with the country they lead. » | Austin Sarat | Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Joe Biden's Full Address to the Nation after Electoral College Reaffirms His Victory

After the Electoral College affirmed his win, President-elect Joe Biden addressed the American people and slammed attempts by President Trump and Republicans to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Biden Tops 270 Votes in the Electoral College, Affirming His Presidential Victory

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Joseph R. Biden Jr. was affirmed as the president-elect on Monday as members of the Electoral College pushed him past the 270 threshold to win the White House, all but ending a disruptive chapter in American history in which President Trump sought to use legal challenges and political pressure to overturn the results of a free and fair election.

The president-elect passed the threshold after California cast its 55 votes for Mr. Biden on Monday evening, capping a day marked by heightened security in battleground states and an unusual level of scrutiny for what is normally a formal, procedural affair. » | Nick Corasaniti and Jim Rutenberg | Monday, December 14, 2020

Trump in Trouble as His Bankers Forced to Cooperate with Investigators

If Donald Trump seems a little more panicky than usual right now it might be because his bankers and insurance brokers have been having talks with investigators at the Manhattan District Attorney's office. The President is facing massive investigations when he leaves office and will likely be subpoenaed for testimony or depositions very soon after he loses his presidential power. Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

Speculation Swirls over Ivanka Trump’s Potential Run for US Senate in Florida

THE GUARDIAN: Trump and Kushner reportedly buying property as a potential base for soon to be ex-first daughter to launch political career

Speculation about the post-White House career of Ivanka Trump is now centered on Florida, where the soon to be ex-first daughter and senior aide to her president father has reportedly bought an expensive plot of land for a house and may be considering a run for Senate.

Ivanka Trump is frequently mentioned as desiring a political career of her own and during her time working for Donald Trump has sought to position herself as a more media-friendly version of her father. » | Guardian staff | Sunday, December 13, 2020

German Chancellor Merkel Announces Hard Holiday Lockdown | DW News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has set the table for a bleak holiday season, announcing a raft of tough coronavirus lockdown measures, which she said were necessary to bring down the spiraling numbers of new COVID-19 cases.

From Wednesday, non-essential shops are going to close. Supermarkets, pharmacies and banks are allowed to remain open. Schools are going to be shut in principle until the 10th of January and employers are being encouraged to allow their staff to work from home as far as possible.

Chancellor Angela Merkel also made an appeal for people to limit their social contacts during the holidays. The number of people allowed to meet indoors will remain restricted to five, not including children under 14. And, in anticipation of New Year's celebrations, sales of fireworks are going to be banned.

Brexit Is the Worst Decision of Modern Times. Why Are Its Critics in Cabinet So Silent?

THE GUARDIAN: The UK will soon be on its own – sovereign, in charge and control regained. Yet none of that creates jobs or ensures a glorious future

After a lifetime close to the workings of government, I approach drafting an article about Brexit for a Sunday publication with trepidation. Both sides have said a decision will be taken today, but not what that may be; and anyway, can you believe that any decision will really be the last?

What I do know is that both sides will be presenting the story that best serves their negotiating positions and pleases their most important audiences. Facts are in short supply; there is a plethora of spin.

“Taking back control” will summon up the blood of British patriotism. The union jack prominently displayed before the negotiating table reinforces the demand for sovereignty, while a few asides about cheating foreigners reinforce national prejudices. The leadership necessary to listen to the other side, and understand where compromises may lead, all too soon becomes a cult of nationalism led by the most extreme of partisan groupings.

“I will have my cake and eat it” is rather a good joke on this side of the Channel. It has a quite different implication for the rest of Europe where sovereignty matters as well – theirs, not ours. » | Michael Heseltine | Sunday, December 13, 2020

4 Stabbed and One Shot as Trump Supporters and Opponents Clash

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Supporters of the president in several cities said they were still convinced that the election was stolen, no matter what the courts say. Some confrontations with counterprotesters turned violent.

WASHINGTON — Incensed by a Supreme Court ruling that further dashed President Trump’s hopes of invalidating his November electoral defeat, thousands of his supporters marched in Washington and several state capitals on Saturday to protest what they contended, against all evidence, was a stolen election.

In some places, angry confrontations between protesters and counterprotesters escalated into violence. There were a number of scuffles in the national capital, where four people were stabbed, and the police declared a riot in Olympia, Wash., where one person was shot. » | Hailey Fuchs, Pranshu Verma and Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | Published: Saturday, December 12, 2020; Updated: Sunday, December 13, 2020

Opinion: The Republicans Who Embraced Nihilism

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Supreme Court thwarts the latest Trumpist attack on American democracy.

What is left to say about a political party that would throw out millions of votes?

The substance of a lawsuit filed by the State of Texas, and backed by more than 17 other states, would be laughable were it not so dangerous. Texas’ attorney general, Ken Paxton — who is under indictment for securities fraud — asked the Supreme Court to overturn the results of the presidential election in four other states. As a legal matter, this is the rough equivalent of objecting on the grounds that the other side is winning. As political rhetoric, however, it is incendiary.

The Supreme Court was right to toss out the lawsuit. But that the Republican Party tried and failed doesn’t make the attempt any less odious. There are a lot of Republican leaders who, the history books will record, wanted it to succeed.

What makes this entire episode so sad is that the nation needs a vibrant, honest, patriotic opposition party. A party that argues in good faith to win more votes the next time around. Many Republicans, particularly at the state and local level, stood tall and proud against the worst instincts of the national party.

The health of a democracy rests on public confidence that elections are free and fair. Questioning the integrity of an election is a matter of the utmost seriousness. By doing so without offering any evidence, Mr. Paxton and his collaborators have disgraced themselves. Attorneys general are sworn to uphold the rule of law. » | Adam Liptak | Published: Friday, December 11, 2020; Updated: Saturday, December 12, 2020

German Politician Helge Lindh Slams Anti-Muslim Hatred

German politician Helge Lindh has been praised for his speeches slamming racism and anti-Muslim hatred. TRT World spoke with Lindh about European leaders advancing anti-Muslim sentiments and the mainstreaming of far-right attitudes. #HelgeLindh #GermanIslamophobia #TurkishGerman

Alle 52 Minuten nimmt sich in Deutschland ein Mensch das Leben. | Gott und die Welt | Reportage

Alle 52 Minuten nimmt sich in Deutschland ein Mensch das Leben. Trotz dieser erschreckend hohen Zahl spricht kaum einer darüber: Suizid ist ein Tabuthema. Der Film begleitet Angehörige bei dem Versuch, Antworten auf die Fragen nach dem Warum des Suizids zu finden und mit ihren Gefühlen von Schuld, Trauer, Wut und Verzweiflung umgehen zu lernen - und sich dabei nicht aufzugeben.

John Kasich on Americans' Hardships: It Makes You Want to Cry

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich joins CNN's Kate Bolduan to talk about the stimulus bill in Congress and why lawmakers are having such a difficult time getting it worked out.

Chris Hayes: I'm Enraged over America's 'Depraved' Covid Indifference | All In | MSNBC

“As the coronavirus continues to devastate this country, I'm finding it hard to hold my rage and anguish together. We are watching a lack of action by the federal leadership that feels almost criminal. It is depraved indifference at a level I cannot quite articulate,” says Chris Hayes. Aired on 12/9/2020.

Boris Johnson Would Only Have Himself to Blame for a No-deal Brexit

THE GUARDIAN: The prime minister is in this mess because he has always considered his own interests before Britain’s

What Boris Johnson once described as a failure of statecraft now looms over Downing Street. As Britain prepares to end normal commercial contact with the rest of Europe, we must try to understand the endgame that is passing through the prime minister’s mind.

Johnson has egotistically ensured that the final resolution rests with him. Only a major last-minute concession by him personally can avert the economic calamity of a no-deal Brexit. In the Commons this week, he seemed to be pumping up the anti-EU rhetoric, revelling in the cheers from what must be a tiny band of no-deal enthusiasts. Can he now find the guts to back down?

Throughout the negotiations, Britain’s team has misjudged the weakness of its position. All that was required was a continuation treaty for the UK to trade freely with its 27 neighbours, as it had done for 40 years. At stake was 43% of the UK’s total export trade; by contrast, according to 2016 figures, the UK accounts for only 16% of the EU’s exports market. It was never conceivable that the UK could dictate the terms of a treaty. The issue had nothing to do with democracy or sovereignty, only with the terms on which each side wished to do business. » | Simon Jenkins | Thursday, December 10, 2020

The Guardian View on Boris Johnson in Brussels: Not to Be Trusted

THE GUARDIAN: The EU is wise not to believe the prime minister. The result is a tragedy in the making for Britain

Boris Johnson got where he is today by telling lies about Europe. He made stories up as a journalist. He told fibs on an industrial scale in the referendum campaign. Now he is telling whoppers as prime minister too. There was an “oven-ready” EU trade deal. Not true. The chances of no deal were “absolutely zero”. Same again. Britain was prepared for any outcome after 31 December. Utterly false. The prospect of EU tariffs on British goods was “totally and utterly absurd”. Another porkie.

Mr Johnson was again having us on when he gave the impression that he was going to Brussels on Wednesday to get an EU withdrawal trade deal over the line. A good deal is there to be done, he told the Commons. But in the evening it was the very opposite. Mr Johnson arrived in Brussels to tell the EU that Britain was not ready to make a fisheries agreement, would never accept the European court of justice as the arbiter on future disputes, and could not agree to any form of agreement on trading standards that tied Britain’s hands to EU rules. The two sides now remain far apart, the Commons was told on Thursday. » | Editorial | Thursday, December 10, 2020

In Trump’s Final Days, a Rush of Federal Executions

BBC: As President Donald Trump's days in the White House wane, his administration is racing through a string of federal executions.

Five executions are scheduled before President-elect Joe Biden's 20 January inauguration - breaking with an 130-year-old precedent of pausing executions amid a presidential transition.

And if all five take place, Mr Trump will be the country's most prolific execution president in more than a century, overseeing the executions of 13 death row inmates since July of this year.

The five executions are to begin this week, starting with convicted killers 40-year-old Brandon Bernard and 56-year-old Alfred Bourgeois. They are both scheduled to be put to death at a penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. » | Holly Honderich | BBC News, Washington | Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Coronavirus: Merkel Urges for Stricter Lockdown as COVID Deaths Peak in Germany | DW News

Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for much tougher restrictions on public life going into Christmas. She came out explicitly in favor of the recommendations that Germany's National Academy of Science, Leopoldina, released on Tuesday. They call for an end to required school attendance starting Dec. 14, an extended Christmas school break, full closure of businesses and working from home to the fullest extent possible. Merkel said she opposed opening hotels so families could meet over the Christmas and New Year's holidays and that she agreed with recommendations to close shops after Christmas until January 10. Merkel made her remarks in the Bundestag parliament Wednesday morning as part of the debate over the government’s 2021 budget debate. These debates are traditionally an opportunity to take stock of government performance over the previous year. This was Merkel's last budget debate, as she will not stand for reelection next year, after 15 years of heading the German government. Merkel pushed back against criticism over her government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, arguing the country was going through an "exceptional situation." Merkel said the new debt the government has taken on as it imposes measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 was justified. "We are living in a pandemic, we are living in an exceptional situation," she told lawmakers in the Bundestag.

Whether Germany remains an example of how to cope with the pandemic is under debate. The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's public disease health authority, on Wednesday announced a record daily death toll in Germany of 590 people bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 19,932 with more than 1.2 million infections.

Merkel came under sharp criticism from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party's co-leader Alice Weidel called for an end to "counterproductive lockdowns" and slammed what she called Merkel's "aimless and grotesque" handling of the pandemic. "She locks up citizens and destroys entire industries," said Weidel, who argued a lockdown was being imposed with a "sledgehammer" and will lead to more harm than good. Merkel also warned that the dark days of the pandemic were not yet over, saying that there would not be enough vaccines available in the first quarter of 2021 to significantly tamp down COVID-19. However, she said that with the right measures in place, deaths could be reduced. "The most important key to us successfully fighting the virus is the responsible behavior of every individual and the willingness to cooperate," the chancellor said. Merkel does not have the authority to implement new measures on her own. She needs the agreement of the leaders of Germany’s 16 states.Some, such as Saxony and Bavaria, are already on board with tougher restrictions

Merkel Gets Emotional in Speech | DW News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel begs Germans to follow coronavirus restrictions in an unusually emotional appeal ahead of Christmas. She urged Germans to heed scientists' warnings and calls for stricter lockdown measures in a passionate speech: "Europe is where it is today thanks to the Enlightenment and the belief that there are scientific findings which are real and should be followed."

Spain’s Juan Carlos Makes a Big Tax Payment amid New Financial Probe

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The former king of Spain paid about $820,000, his lawyer said. He did not say why, but the news came amid the latest investigation into possible financial wrongdoing by Juan Carlos.

MADRID — King Juan Carlos, Spain’s former monarch, has paid about $820,000 in back taxes, his lawyer said on Wednesday, amid an investigation by prosecutors into whether he and other members of the royal family used bank accounts in other people’s names to hide assets from the tax authorities[.]

The king’s lawyer, Javier Sánchez-Junco Mans, did not say why or when Juan Carlos had made the payment. But the announcement came just a month after Spanish media revealed an investigation into possible tax evasion and money laundering based on the former king and his relatives using those bank accounts to pay their credit card charges.

The anticorruption prosecutor’s office has confirmed the existence of a new case involving the king, but has not elaborated. He was already the subject of another investigation by the same office. » | Raphael Minder | Wednesday, December 9, 2020

France Takes On Islamist Extremism with New Bill

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The French government says draft legislation aimed at combating the extremist ideology that has taken many lives on French soil in recent years is a “law of freedom” necessary for peaceful coexistence.

PARIS — The French government, determined to combat an ideology it views as “the enemy of the Republic,” on Wednesday unveiled draft legislation to combat radical Islamism, calling the measure “a law of freedom” essential to peaceful coexistence in French society.

The law, which has been assailed by Turkey and other Muslim countries, and criticized as “heavy-handed” by the U.S. envoy on international religious freedom, reflects President Emmanuel Macron’s resolve to address a series of terror attacks that have left more than 260 people dead in France since 2015. Three such attacks in recent months, including the beheading of a history teacher, Samuel Paty, who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his class, have hardened positions around the legislation.

“This bill is not a text aimed against religions or against the Muslim religion in particular,” Prime Minister Jean Castex declared after the cabinet approved the draft law. “It is the reverse — it is a law of freedom, it is a law of protection, it is a law of emancipation against religious fundamentalism.” » | Roger Cohen | Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Surviving the Holocaust: Full Show

“You don’t ever expect to be hauled out of your house, marched into a gas chamber, and be choked to death,” says Irene Fogel Weiss.

Yet, that is exactly what happened to most of her family in the summer of 1944. Irene was thirteen at the time, and by several twists of fate, she survived.

“There is a life force in all of us that you just want to live another day,” she says. “Let’s survive this. We have to survive this.” Irene shares her story of survival with hundreds of high school students every year. In this program, we listen in on her presentation to Woodson High School students as she shares a personal account of the events that lead to the Holocaust. She discusses her life as a child in Hungary, the changes she witnessed as the Nazis took power, and all manner of degradations imposed on the Jewish people.

Irene describes how her family was ostracized from society and how the Jewish “ghettos” were created. She discusses what her family did and did not know about Nazi practices across Europe and how the deportation of Jews worked. She recounts her arrival at the worst of all Nazi death camps – Auschwitz-Birkenau – and shares historic photos, taken by the Nazis, which capture the very day that her family arrived. She talks about the painful separation from her family and what it was like to be a prisoner at Auschwitz.

After sharing the story of her liberation and rebuilding her life in America, Irene examines the questions of propaganda and humanity that surround the Holocaust. She helps students understand the importance of critical examination of information and comparing sources. She discusses how a basic lack of empathy and humanity toward each other can lead to cruel, and ultimately horrific, behaviors. Irene uses her experience in the Holocaust as a lesson for us all.

Under Boris Johnson, Corruption Is Taking Hold in Britain

THE GUARDIAN: Cronyism is rife, our system of checks and balances is being dismantled, and ordinary people will soon start to suffer

Many people view the government’s handling of Covid-19 and the Brexit negations as incompetent and lacking common sense. But beneath all the controversies about test and trace, PPE and deal or no deal, what if there is an ideological agenda being cunningly and cynically executed during this time of crisis?

Boris Johnson once described Covid-19 as an “invisible mugger”. I’m starting to wonder if that is how we will come to see his government’s impact on our country. That’s because Johnson has used his parliamentary majority, and the Conservatives’ innumerable business and media friends, to systematically relieve us of our democratic checks and balances, and even our freedoms. » | Gina Miller | Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Little Appetite on Streets of Brussels for Drama of Crunch Brexit Dinner

THE GUARDIAN: European quarter deserted before high-stakes meeting between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen

It may have been billed as the dinner that will decide the fate of Brexit, but on the half-frozen and almost wholly deserted streets of Brussels’ windswept European quarter there were few who seemed to know, and even fewer who cared.

“Are they really?” asked Emma Delprez, 37, a PR consultant, informed that the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, and Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president, were due to meet later in a do-or-die attempt to break the impasse.

“I had no idea. I’ve kind of given up following it, to be honest. It seems to have been going on for ever. I don’t understand the ins and outs of it but the English do seem to be causing a lot of trouble. I hope whatever they get is worth it.” » | Jon Henley in Brussels | Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Theologians under Hitler (Religious Belief Documentary) | Timeline

In the days after World War II, a convenient story was told of church leaders and ordinary Christians that defied the Nazis from the beginning. Recent research has uncovered a very different story. Rather than resisting, the greater part of the German church saw Hitler's rise in 1933 as an act of God's blessing, a new chapter in the story of God among the German people.

This film, based on groundbreaking research, introduces the viewer to three of the greatest Christian scholars of the twentieth century: Paul Althaus, Emanuel Hirsch, and Gerhard Kittel, men who were also outspoken supporters of Hitler and the Nazi party. In 1933 Althaus spoke of Hitler's rise as "a gift and miracle of God." Hirsch saw 1933 as a "sunrise of divine goodness." And Kittel, the editor of the standard reference work on the Jewish background of the New Testament, began working for the Nazis to find a "moral" rationale for the destruction of European Jewry.

This provocative film asks: how could something like this happen in the heart of Christian Europe? Could it happen again? How does the scholarship of this period affect the church today? Does the church of today retain the ability to recognize profound evil?

MbS Denies Sending Hit Squad to Kill Former Saudi Intel Chief

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has dismissed allegations that he sent a hit squad to kill former Saudi former intelligence officer Saad al Jabri. Jabri, who is in exile in Canada, says MBS plotted to kill him because he "knew too much." #SaadAlJabri #TigerSquad #MBS

Lawrence: Supreme Court ‘Crushed’ Trump | The Last Word | MSNBC

The Supreme Court unanimously denied Donald Trump’s effort to overturn Pennsylvania’s election results. Lawrence O’Donnell says the court told Donald Trump “you are out of your mind.” Aired on 12/8/2020.

We Shall Not Die Now (Holocaust Documentary) | Timeline

From Blackbird Pictures, in association with the US Holocaust Museum and the Claude Lanzmann “Shoah” Collection, We Shall Not Die Now chronicles the Holocaust, when, between 1939 and 1945, over six million Jews and millions of others were systematically murdered by the Nazi regime. Seventy-five years after the conclusion of the war, the film explores not only the horrific human tragedy and what we can learn from it, but also the resilience of those that rebuilt their lives in spite of the unimaginable. Told by the survivors and liberators who experienced it first-hand such as Cantor Moshe Taube (number twenty-two on Schindler’s List) and Ben Ferencz (concentration camp liberator and last living prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials), We Shall Not Die Now is a journey of despair, hope, and the triumph of the human spirit through history’s darkest hours.

With the help of the US Holocaust Museum's archival team and Claude Lanzmann’s daughter, Angelique, the production was able to explore dozens of hours of unused material filmed for the 1985 documentary “Shoah.” Select reels of that footage was incorporated into the film with the blessing of the Lanzmann family. The film also includes new footage filmed at the camps in Poland, new interviews with survivors and liberators, and original music composed by Golden-globe nominated composer, Benjamin Wallfisch.

The film was created by 19-year-old Indianapolis-based filmmaker Ashton Gleckman, who traveled around the country to interview survivors. He worked with the various memorial sites in Poland to film at the concentration camps and historical sites and went on to edit the film and help to compose the score. The film commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.


Movie: We Shall Not Die Now »

Saudi Activist Faces Terrorism Charges for Driving While Female | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Lina Alhathloul joins Mehdi Hasan to describe the torture her sister, Loujain, has faced while in prison awaiting trial for terrorism charges.

Cooper: Trump Didn't Have Courage to Tell US People the Truth

CNN's Anderson Cooper calls out President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to surge across the country.

Trump Compares 2020 US Election to 'Third World Nation'

As President Donald Trump has become consumed with contesting the results of an election he lost, staffers acknowledge that Trump has not given many signals about what his plans will be once the Electoral College affirms President-elect Joe Biden's win. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports.

Saudi Prince Calls Israel ‘Western Colonising Power’ at Bahrain Summit

At a security summit in Bahrain, a prominent Saudi royal, Prince Turki al Faisal, criticised Israel for "colonisation" and "apartheid" against Palestinians. #BahrainSummit2020 #TurkiAlFaisal #IsraeliOccupation

When MBS Tortured His Relatives at the Ritz-Carlton | I Gotta Story to Tell | Episode 18

It’s been three years since Saudi Arabia’s young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rounded up 400 of the kingdom's top businessmen, princes and ministers and confined them to the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Recently, a number of those detained have spoken to The Guardian and revealed new details of how the prominent figures were beaten for hours and extorted, often by clueless interrogators.

See Bernie Sanders’ Reaction to Trump Floating 2024 Presidential Run

Sen. Bernie Sanders talks to CNN’s Anderson Cooper about the possibility of President Donald Trump running for president again in 2024.

Jailed Saudi Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Accused of Passing Classified Information

Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul is accused of contacting "unfriendly" states and providing classified information, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister told AFP Saturday, after the campaigner's trial was transferred to a terrorism court.

The Accidental Hero (Oskar Schindler) - Heart Of The Matter - BBC1 - 1997

Most of a 30-minute documentary about the real Oskar Schindler, presented by Joan Bakewell. Was shown soon after Schindler's List on Sunday 19th October 1997. With Emily Schindler, Moshe Bejski, Dr Mordecai Paldiel, Robin O'Neil, Thomas Keneally, Nahum Manor, Jonathan Drezner.

Ausschreitungen bei Protesten in Paris gegen Sicherheitsgesetz

Vermummte hatten am Samstag die Polizei mit Feuerwerkskörpern angegriffen, Autos angezündet und Schaufensterscheiben eingeschlagen. © REUTERS

German Christianity and The Third Reich | Hearts Divided (WW2 Christianity Documentary) | Timeline

German Christianity was, like all other areas of German life, exploited by the Nazis to further their agenda of hatred.

In 1933 Berlin Bishop Joachim Hossenfelder proclaimed the popular, pro-Nazi "German Christian" movement the "Storm Troopers of Christ." Hossenfelder led the early phase of a movement that still echoes through the church today, even though the world has tried to forget. This film looks at the people who lived through the movement: Ludwig Mueller, the bishop of the Third Reich, Martin Niemoeller, the first to resist the Nazification of the church, Karl Themel, a pastor who used baptismal certificates to send "Jewish Christians" to the concentration camps, Werner Syltan, a pastor who died at Dachau because of his work on behalf of persons of Jewish descent amd Walter Grundmann, a reknown Biblical scholar and architect of the "Institute for the Study and Eradication of Jewish Influence on German Church Life."

Can France Resolve Tensions with Muslim Community? - Inside Story

The French government is stepping up its crackdown on what it is calling religious separatism. 76 mosques face closure if they are found to be a security threat.

It is President Emmanuel Macron's latest response to recent attacks he has blamed on 'radical Islam'. His government denies it is deliberately targeting the Muslim community, but recent comments have triggered protests worldwide.

So how can this crisis be resolved?

Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: Yasser Louati - Justice and Liberties For All Committee; Philippe Marliere - Professor of French and European Politics, University College of London; Nizar Messari - Associate Professor of International Studies, Al Akhawayn University

Sen. Bernie Sanders: People Are Suffering ‘in a Way We Have Not Seen Since the Great Depression’

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders discusses the need for Congress to pass a new coronavirus stimulus bill and the importance of the upcoming Senate race in Georgia. He tells Ali Velshi, “What’s happening in Georgia is going to impact the entire country.”

Trump Whines about Election as Covid Overtakes America

The United States hit a grim milestone this week with 3,000 deaths in a single day and more than 100,000 Americans hospitalized. As this happened, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was bragging about how great Trump has done on the pandemic, and Trump was tweeting about the election being stolen from him. These people are letting Americans die and need to be removed from power immediately. Farron Cousins discusses this.

The Virus Is Devastating the U.S., and Leaving an Uneven Toll

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The United States saw the most new coronavirus cases of the pandemic on Friday, with deaths and hospitalizations also rising. Underlying conditions largely determine who survives.

HOUSTON — The United States is winding up a particularly devastating week, one of the very worst since the coronavirus pandemic began nine months ago.

On Friday, a national single-day record was set, with more than 226,000 new cases. It was one of many data points that illustrated the depth and spread of a virus that has killed more than 278,000 people in this country, more than the entire population of Lubbock, Texas, or Modesto, Calif., or Jersey City, N.J.

“It’s just an astonishing number,” said Caitlin Rivers, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “We’re in the middle of this really severe wave and I think as we go through the day to day of this pandemic, it can be easy to lose sight of how massive and deep the tragedy is.” » | Manny Fernandez, Julie Bosman, Amy Harmon, Danielle Ivory and Mitch Smith | Friday, December 4, 2020

Anthony Scaramucci on President Trump's Short-Term Vision | Zerlina. | The Choice

Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci joins Zerlina Maxwell to discuss why President Trump is spreading baseless election fraud claims and whether he may pardon himself.

Zerlina.: Incisive and timely coverage of politics and current events, through in-depth conversations that unpack the latest developments in this era's breakneck news cycle and draw back the curtain on their real-world consequences.

Trump Has Failed to Protect to the People He's Supposed to Lead - Legendary Journalist Bob Woodward

Legendary journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein talk to Anderson Cooper about President Trump's legacy and his remaining time in office.

Mitt Romney Blasts Trump's Lack of Pandemic Leadership

Sen. Mitt Romney blasted President Donald Trump's leadership, or lack thereof, in the face of the deadly coronavirus pandemic as "a great human tragedy."

France Cracks Down on 76 Mosques Suspected of 'Separatism'

THE GUARDIAN: Interior minister says any found to be ‘breeding grounds of terrorism’ will be shut

France’s interior minister has announced a crackdown on 76 mosques that the government suspects of “separatism” and encouraging extremism.

Gérald Darmanin said the mosques would be inspected and any found to be “breeding grounds of terrorism” would be shut.

The move is part of the French government’s ongoing campaign to combat Islamist extremism after a series of terrorist attacks – including the recent beheading of a teacher and the killing of three people in a church in Nice – but has led to accusations it is unjustly targeting the wider Muslim community.

The president, Emmanuel Macron, has strenuously denied that new legislation to reinforce secularism that he outlined at the beginning of October was targeting Muslims. He said the law, under which France would train imams and impose a wider ban on home schooling and controls on religious, sporting and cultural associations, was aimed at tackling radical “Islamist separatism”. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Thursday, December 3, 2020

Trump's Voter Fraud Lies Have Earned Him $150 Million

Donald Trump's campaign has been asking people to send them money to fight their legal battles, and it looks like those emails paid off. A new report shows that the Trump campaign managed to raise a staggering $150 million, and the legal challenges were a complete bust. But that was always expected, at least to the people raising the money, and that was the plan all along. Farron Cousins explains what happened.

A Conversation with Margaret Thatcher

In 1991, KERA's Lee Cullum talked with Margaret Thatcher as part of the station's "Conversations" series. At the time of the interview, Thatcher had recently resigned as the 49th prime minister of Great Britain. The former leader recounts her years at the pinnacle of her career and reveals unexpected facets of her personality, her love of poetry and her devotion to her father.

Margaret & Denis Documentary

Decoded: When Bibi Met MbS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a secret meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the future city of Neom - an encounter the Saudis deny. Decoded this week tries to zoom in on the facts and significance of when Bibi met MbS.

Trump Losing Twitter Followers Since Election – as Biden Gains Them

THE GUARDIAN: President has lost 133,902 followers since 17 November as president-elect has gained 1,156,610

Donald Trump has been losing Twitter followers since he lost the presidential election to Joe Biden – while the Democratic president-elect has been adding them.

According to Factbase, a website dedicated to tracking Trump’s public utterances, the president has lost 133,902 followers since 17 November while the president-elect has gained 1,156,610.

In a Sunday tweet, the CNN host and media reporter Brian Stelter said that while Twitter followers were “surely not the most important metric in the world”, it was “still worth noting: for the first time since 2015, Trump is consistently losing followers”.

Factbase, he pointed out, had “measured small declines for 11 days in a row”.

Trump has 88.8 million followers, to whom he continues to tweet baseless claims of electoral fraud and all-out conspiracy theories surrounding his loss to Biden. » | Martin Pengelly in New York | Monday, November 30, 2020

Spain Appeals for Covid 'Common Sense' after Shopping Crowd Scenes

THE GUARDIAN: Minister urges people across country to behave responsibly amid second coronavirus wave

The Spanish government has called on people to behave responsibly and use their “common sense” after pictures over the weekend showed the streets of Madrid and other big cities heaving with crowds despite the country’s ongoing struggle with the second wave of the coronavirus.

Spain has been in a state of emergency since the end of October and is subject to an overnight curfew. The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has asked people to drastically curtail their social lives and limit their movements for the common good.

However, a combination of Black Friday, seasonal shopping and the switching on of Christmas lights appears to have brought large numbers of people out on to the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga over the weekend. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Monday, November 30, 2020

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — November 30, 2020

Almost 700,000 Driven into Poverty by Covid Crisis in UK, Study Finds

THE GUARDIAN: Total includes 120,000 children, according to thinktank that is calling for anti-poverty strategy

Almost 700,000 people in the UK, including 120,000 children, have been plunged into poverty as a result of the Covid economic crisis, according to a thinktank analysis.

The Legatum Institute also said an additional 700,000 people had been prevented from falling below the breadline by the chancellor’s temporary £20-a-week boost to universal credit, introduced in April to help claimants cope with the extra costs of the pandemic.

Overall, the pandemic has pushed the total number of people in the UK living in poverty to more than 15 million – 23% of the population – according to the institute, which uses poverty measures developed by the independent Social Metrics Commission. » | Patrick Butler, Social policy editor | Monday, November 30, 2020

Pubs in Wales to Close by 6pm under New Covid Restrictions

THE GUARDIAN: Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will also not be allowed to sell alcohol from Friday

Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in Wales will have to close by 6pm and will not be allowed to sell alcohol, the Welsh government has said, under restrictions to come into place from 6pm on Friday.

Indoor entertainments such as cinemas, bingo halls, soft play areas and casinos will also have to close.

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the facts behind the new regime were “stark”. He said that unless the government responded now it had been advised that by 12 January there would be 2,200 people in hospital in Wales with Covid and between 1,000 and 1,700 preventable deaths could take place this winter.

The decision to put stricter restrictions on hospitality across the country has been criticised by the Conservatives in Wales and is causing huge concern to owners of bars, pubs and restaurants. » | Steven Morris | Monday, March 30, 2020

President Trump on Alleged Election Fraud: The DOJ Is 'Missing in Action

Nov. 29, 2020 - 7:55 - President Trump tells 'Sunday Morning Futures' in his first interview since Election Day that he has 'not seen anything' from the Department of Justice or the FBI on investigating alleged election fraud.

This man is whacko! – Mark

Trump Has Now Told More Than 23,000 Lies Since Taking Office

According to the Washington Post fact checkers, Donald Trump has now told more than 23,000 lies since being sworn in as President of the United States. The saddest part is that most of these lies were absolutely unnecessary and easily verifiably false, but he had to tell them to soothe his own ego. Farron Cousins discusses this.

Donald Trump Admits 'It's Hard to Get to the Supreme Court' as Legal Options Dwindle

CNN's Amara Walker, Carl Bernstein and Brian Stelter discuss President Trump's admission during a Fox News interview that "it's hard" to get cases to the Supreme Court and how Trump's continued legal challenges could undermine future election processes.

Paris Police Clash with Protesters over New Security Bill | DW News

Authorities clashed with protesters in the French capital Paris over a new security bill that would restrict the right to publish images of police officers. The issue came into focus after footage emerged of police beating up and racially abusing Black music producer Michel Zecler. Opponents say the law would prevent such images becoming public -- and could cover up official misconduct.

Iran Vows Revenge after Top Nuclear Scientist Apparently Assassinated

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has vowed revenge and to continue the country's "scientific" activities after the killing of the country's chief nuclear scientist, as top Iranian officials pile blame on Israel over the killing. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who became the face of Iran's controversial nuclear program, was killed in a district east of Tehran, in what Iranian officials are calling an assassination.

Abdul Nacer Benbrika: Australia Revokes Citizenship of Terror Plotter

BBC: Australia has cancelled the citizenship of an Algerian-born Muslim cleric convicted of planning a series of terror attacks in 2005.

Abdul Nacer Benbrika was jailed for 15 years in 2009 and is eligible for release from next month.

But Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said it was "appropriate" to revoke his citizenship to protect Australians.

The move makes Benbrika the first person to be stripped of Australian citizenship while still in the country.

His lawyer has declined to comment on the government's decision, ABC News reports.

"If it's a person who's posing a significant terrorist threat to our country, then we'll do whatever is possible within Australian law to protect Australians," Mr Dutton told reporters in Brisbane.

Under Australian law, the government can only strip people of citizenship if they are dual citizens, ensuring they will not be left stateless. » | Wednesday, November 25, 2020

The Path to Nazi Genocide

This 38-minute film introduces the history of the Holocaust. It begins by looking back at the major changes from 1918 to 1933 that created the political climate for the birth and rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. It explores the basis for the party’s support among ordinary Germans and the military, government, and business establishment before and after Hitler was appointed chancellor in January 1933.

After 1933, Nazi leaders used violence and intimidation, propaganda, laws and decrees, and parliamentary maneuvers to quickly destroy the remains of democratic rule. Having established a dictatorship, leaders began pursuing ideological goals. These included the purification and strengthening of the “superior” German “race” and the return of Germany to great power status through economic revival and the build-up of the military.

Jews, who were viewed in Nazi ideology as a separate and dangerous “race,” went from being German citizens with full equal rights to outcasts. They were pressured to immigrate and excluded from the racially based “people’s community” that gave many Germans, especially youth, a sense of belonging. Other excluded groups included Roma, persons with disabilities, gay men, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and political opponents.

During World War II, which began in 1939, German military conquests and alliances endangered Jews living in countries across German-dominated Europe. The German invasion of the Soviet Union in summer 1941, envisioned by Nazi leaders and the German military as a “war of annihilation,” was a key turning point on the path to the genocide of Europe’s Jews. The murder of 6 million Jewish men, women, and children required the active participation or acquiescence of countless Germans and Europeans from all walks of life.

Iran: Rouhani Vows to Avenge Killing of Nuclear Scientist Fakhrizadeh

Iran's President Rouhani has reacted defiantly to the killing of a leading nuclear scientist. Hassan Rouhani blamed Israel for the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh - the man suspected of masterminding a secret nuclear weapons program. Rouhani said his death showed what he called the depth of the enemy's despair and said it would not slow down Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran state media describes Fakhrizadeh as an eminent nuclear scientist. But he was also a member of the powerful Revolutionary Guard. Whose job is to guard the country's cleric-dominated system.

Trump Flips Out on Reporter: 'I'm the President of the United States!'

President Trump condemned a reporter after being asked if he would concede the election if the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden.

I may well be wrong, and I hope I am, but in my humble opinion, this arrogant, objectionable man has no intention of leaving office in January. Is the Electoral College being bribed to vote for Trump, perhaps? This is a coup d’état in the making! – © Mark

Trump's Last Days in Office: Lame Duck or Raging Bull? | To The Point

Donald Trump's days in the White House finally seem to be numbered. The question is: how much damage can he still do? Our guests: Susanne Koelbl (Spiegel), Ali Fatholla-Nejad (analyst), Erik Kirschbaum (LA Times),

A Feared Law to Protect the Monarchy Returns Amid Thailand’s Protests

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The country’s lèse-majesté law, which makes insulting the king punishable by years in prison, is being used against the protesters’ leadership for the first time.

BANGKOK — The number 112 strikes fear in Thailand. It refers to Section 112 of the country’s criminal code, which makes insulting or defaming the king and his close kin an offense punishable by three to 15 years in prison.

On Tuesday night, a leader of the protest movement that is calling for changes to Thailand’s monarchy and political system received a summons to face multiple charges of lèse-majesté, as the crime is known. It was the first time that Section 112 had been applied during the protests, which have brought thousands of people onto the streets since July.

The protest leader, Parit Chiwarak, commonly known as Penguin, must report to a police station by Dec. 1 to face the charges, which stem from speeches he gave in September and this month. In those speeches, Mr. Parit and others called for the monarchy to come under the Thai Constitution and for the public to be allowed to scrutinize its considerable wealth. » Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono | Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Coronavirus Pandemic: Germany Seeks EU Deal to Close Ski Resorts

BBC: Germany is seeking an agreement with EU countries to keep ski resorts closed until early January, in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament that efforts were being made to reach a Europe-wide decision.

Italy and France have expressed support for a co-ordinated approach. But Austria has voiced concern.

Some of the early European coronavirus hotspots were at ski resorts, helping spread infections across the continent. » | Thursday, November 26, 2020

Joe Biden's Thanksgiving Address: 'Our Democracy Was Tested This Year'

Biden appeals for resilience and unity in Thanksgiving address to America »

In Another Country This Would Be Called a Coup: Detroit NAACP Head on Trump Trying to Overturn Vote

As part of the unprecedented attempt to keep President Trump in office despite his election loss, Republicans have focused on Michigan, where the party is seeking a delay in the certification of the vote results and to throw out votes from Detroit, which is overwhelmingly Black. A group of Michigan Republicans met with President Trump at the White House last week in what was widely viewed as an attempt by Trump to personally pressure the lawmakers to block Biden from being awarded the state’s 16 electoral votes. “This is an attempt to disenfranchise the African American vote and to give the election to Trump,” says Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit branch of the NAACP. “If we were in a different country, this would be called a political coup.”