Sunday, November 25, 2018

Will Macron Bow to the Demands of 'Yellow Vest' Protesters? l Inside Story


French fuel tax protesters again vent their anger against President Emmanuel Macron.

Emmanuel Macron was elected last year on presidential pledges to create more jobs and improve lives. But for many French people, his economic reforms are a disaster. Critics accuse him of being a president for the rich - while hurting the poor.

One of his reforms is causing particular outrage - fuel tax. So-called 'Yellow Vest' protesters in Paris blocked roads for a second successive Saturday to tell Macron they've had enough. And his environmentally-friendly tax on diesel aimed at cutting pollution has to go - and so does he.

So, will he change his controversial policies?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan | Guests: Anne Giudicelli - Founder of Terrorisc Consultancy; Jacques Reland - Senior Research Fellow, Global Policy Institute London; Renaud Girard - Chief Foreign Correspondent, Le Figaro daily newspaper



Friday, November 23, 2018

A Royal Family, Episode 1: The Father-in-law of Europe | Documentary


At the end of the 1800s, the Danish King, Christian IX and his wife, Queen Louise, married their six children into the dominating European royal families and Christian IX became known as "Europe's Father-In-Law". Today, his descendants are to be found all over Europe.

These are their stories, stories of power, love, triumph, tragedy and honour, recounted through interviews and never before published letters, photographs and home movie footage, by over 30 members of the European royal family.

Anecdotes handed down through generations give insight into a Europe ruled by 'dynasty politics' where arranged marriages created alliances between countries.

In the Europe of the 1800s, Denmark, England, and Russia each have a childless king; all three need an heir to the throne. Speedily arranged marriages, births, and cunning strategies bring King Christian IX, Queen Victoria and Tsar Alexander II to the throne.


Wadah Khanfar Interview on Media Coverage of the Killing of Khashoggi | One on One Express


We sit down for a one on one interview with Wadah Khanfar, the director of Al Sharq Forum to discuss media coverage of the killing of Khashoggi, how it’s influenced public opinion, and its repercussions.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Trump Chooses “Relationship with Saudi Arabia” over Accountability for Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder


Despite overwhelming evidence that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated at the order of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Trump stood by Saudi Arabia Tuesday in an extraordinary written statement riddled with exclamation points and subtitled “America First,” writing, “It could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn’t! That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Trump’s statement came even after The Washington Post reported last Friday that the CIA has “high confidence” that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. Saudi officials have tried to dismiss Khashoggi’s death as a rare, unauthorized killing, but a recent New York Times report suggests the kingdom has sought out private companies to assassinate perceived enemies since the beginning of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s rule. We speak with the Israeli investigative reporter who helped break the story, Ronen Bergman, author of “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations.” Ronen Bergman is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and the senior national security correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth. His piece in The New York Times is titled “Saudis Close to Crown Prince Discussed Killing Other Enemies a Year Before Khashoggi’s Death.”

How Far Can Trump Shield Bin Salman? l Inside Story


The US President admits Mohammed bin Salman may have known about the plan to murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The CIA says the Crown Prince actually ordered it. But Trump’s contradicted his intelligence agency saying that’s not a definitive determination; and in any case he says it would be foolish to take action against Riyadh. That would threaten lucrative weapons deals and push the price of oil up. Very simple, said Trump, It’s America First.

But it might not be that simple – all eyes are now on the US Congress to see what it will do. So, America First? Or justice last?

Presenter: Laura Kyle | Guests: Mohamad Elmasry, Associate Professor of Journalism at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; Sigurd Neubauer, Middle East Analyst and Columnist; Cinzia Bianco, Senior Analyst and researcher at Gulf State Analytics


Sunday, November 18, 2018

Nancy Isenberg: The Origin of ‘White Trash,’ and Why Class Is Still an Issue in the US


In “White Trash,” Nancy Isenberg delves into the history of class in America, starting with British colonization. At that time, America was seen as a wasteland -- a place to discard the idle poor. The agrarian communities they subsequently formed often remained poor due to a phenomenon Isenberg calls “horizontal mobility.” Jeffrey Brown speaks with the author about how we can evolve past class.

CIA Blames Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman for Khashoggi Murder


’The Washington Post’ is reporting that the CIA blames Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Friday, November 16, 2018

What Can Khashoggi Tape Reveal about His Murder? | Inside Story


Saudi Arabia has given numerous versions of what happened to Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Istanbul, but has always maintained Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew nothing about his death. And it has insisted the killing wasn't pre-meditated.

But now the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet has leaked an audio recording that contradicts the latest Saudi narrative. It suggests a hit squad discussed Khashoggi's murder prior to him entering the consulate on October 2nd.

Presenter Laura Kyle | Guests: Saad Djebbar, International Lawyer and Political Commentator. He represented PLO Leader Yasser Arafat’s widow and Al Jazeera journalists who were in prison; Matthew Bryza, former White House official and Senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; Sahar Aziz, Professor of Law at Rutgers University and Director of the Center on Security, Race, and Civil Rights


Thursday, November 15, 2018

Saudi Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty for Five in Khashoggi Murder l Breaking News


Authorities in Saudi Arabia say they will seek the death penalty for five people accused of carrying out the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Speaking in Riyadh, Shaalan al-Shaalan, Saudi Arabia's deputy public prosecutor, said "the incident" began on September 29 when a "former" deputy chief of intelligence ordered the "leader of the mission" to "bring back the victim by means of persuasion, and if persuasion fails, to do so by force". While the prosecutor's office did not give names, General Ahmed al-Asiri, who was fired as deputy head of intelligence in the wake of the killing, has been implicated. Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reports.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

President Donald Trump Retreating From Duties Into A ‘Cocoon Of Bitterness’ | The Last Word | MSNBC


The Los Angeles Times reports that Trump has almost completely stopped his public duties in the wake of Republicans' major election losses. Lawrence discusses Trump's 'brooding' and 'anger' with Jason Johnson and Jennifer Palmieri.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Trump Spends Veterans’ Day Weekend Insulting America


Between his refusal to attend a World War I memorial in Paris to his decision to skip a memorial gathering at Arlington National Cemetery because of rain, and all of the tweets in between, Donald Trump spent most of his long weekend insulting everything about this country. He blamed Californians for the wildfires that are engulfing their state and he also inadvertently called for an end to troops voting from overseas. Everything this man does is an insult to our country, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.

Who Is “The Boss” in Phone Call after Khashoggi’s Murder? l Inside Story


US intelligence officials believe a phone message to “tell your boss” after journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered was a reference to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

‘The New York Times’ has received a transcript of one of the recordings released by Turkey. The newspaper says the telephone call was made by Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a security officer who frequently travelled with the Crown Prince.

Turkish intelligence believe Mutreb was speaking to one of the prince’s aides, and also used words to the effect that "the deed was done." But officials in Ankara say the audio does not conclusively implicate Mohammed bin Salman.

Presenter: Martine Dennis Guests Abdelwahab El-Affendi, Professor of Politics at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. Mehmet Celik, Political News Editor at Daily Sabah newspaper. Bill Law, journalist and analyst at thegulfmatters.com


Does Europe Need Its Own Army? l Inside Story


French president Emmanuel Macron has suggested creating a European army.

French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump have been at odds on many issues. This week that divide went further when President Macron appeared to call for the creation of a European army. Macron says Europe needs to defend itself against potential threats from nations including Russia, China and even the United States.

But it's not just about defence - the two leaders differ on almost every issue. Trump has pulled out of a number of global treaties from climate change to the Iran nuclear deal, and recently the disarmament treaty with Russia.

While Macron has repeatedly emphasised the need for a global order and rejection of nationalism. He made the call during Sunday's remembrance ceremony in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

But can Europe do without the US in matters of defence?

Presenter: Richelle Carey | Guests: Renaud Girard - Chief Foreign Correspondent at Le Figaro newspaper; David DesRoches - Associate Professor at the National Defense University and former Pentagon Official; Glenn Diesen - Professor of International Relations at Higher School of Economics in Moscow


Sunday, November 11, 2018

Will Saudi Arabia Ever Reveal Who Ordered the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi? l Inside Story


The Turkish president has shared with several world leaders audio recording of the moment journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to put the pressure on Saudi Arabia to reveal who ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Erdogan says his country has shared audio recordings of Khashoggi's last moments with the US, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The leaders of those countries are in France to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Erdogan discussed the issue with US president Donald Trump on Saturday in Paris and also met French president Emmanuel Macron and agreed on a number of issues related to the Khashoggi case. They said Saudi Arabia needs to 'shed more light' on the murder and the case should not destabilise the region.

Erdogan has previously said he believes the order to kill the journalist came from the highest levels of the Saudi government. So, will Riyadh budge?

Presenter: Richelle Carey | Guests: Luciano Zaccara - Assistant Professor of Gulf Politics at the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University; Matthew Bryza - Former White House official, now a non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council; Selva Tor, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Koç University


Appeal: Could You Help This Genuine Man Out of a Predicament?


This man, Neil, has fallen on difficult times. Clearly, he is an industrious man, but life dealt him a raw deal recently, despite his hard work. If you could help him out of this pickle, he would be so appreciative. You can donate by clicking on this link »

This is his story:

I am a British citizen, living in Greece, under the sprectre of Brexit & until recently working from home as a freelance translator from 5/6 continental European languages into English.

I have lived in over 10 countries, over 4 continents, and consider myself a global citizen.

I became homeless at the end of last week (27 October 2018) as a result of not being able to meet my rent, due to an interruption of my income stream as a result of a lightning strike on Saturday 16. June that laid waste to all my IT equipment while I was in the middle of a commission that was to be delivered on the following Monday. Needless to say, panic ensued in order to complete the assignment, but all the remedial action that I took was not enough to save the project in question, let alone further smooth continuation of work.

Once I had directed my resources to replicating my lost equipment, summer holidays were in full swing and commissions rare on the ground. I struggled on with a replacement second-hand laptop and other new equipment but was unable to restore myself to my previous stability. To further add to my already deleterious conditions, I had taken what I considered a wise proactive measure and ordered a new battery for my phone, in order to extend its deteriorating autonomy. Once I had installed the new battery, the phone would no longer work and all my personal contacts (via Whatsapp) became inaccessible, together with all my usernames/passwords and other functionalities such as the camera to photograph ID documents and e-mail them. To illustrate this new folly, I had an older model wherein I inserted my SIM card and could use it solely for telephonic functions. However, all my contact details were lost and when I wanted to get in touch with a friend on the island, I had to ride to his house and restore contact with him. All my Whatsapp contacts remained inaccessible.

With this in mind, my field of contacts is now limited in scope and accessibility to those that had been fortuitously stored on a cloud in my browser settings - but these are merely professional contacts with clients and my Twitter account.

Having moved my household items to an acquaintance's doorless, cement garage (that also serves as my sleeping quarters), I have "set up office" with my replacement laptop at a friend's shop where he grants me space to use his internet in a hope to arrest the current situation.

I would very much appreciate any help you can give me. With many thanks. Neil

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Nacht über Deutschland | Novemberpogrom 1938


Der Schauspieler Günter Lamprecht, bekannt als Franz Biberkopf in "Berlin Alexanderplatz" und "Tatort"-Kommissar, geriet damals selbst unvermittelt in den Strudel der Ereignisse. Und kann es bis heute nicht fassen, was in jenem November 1938 geschah. Als achtjähriger Junge, Sohn eines strammen SA-Manns in Berlin, war er mit dabei, als das Geschäft eines jüdischen Tabakhändlers geplündert wurde.

Nicht ohne beklemmende Gefühle - doch sein Kumpel, die Erwachsenen um ihn, selbst die Polizei, sie alle befürworteten die Übergriffe gegen die jüdische Bevölkerung. Erst mit dem Abstand vieler Jahre realisierte er, in welch verkehrter Welt er damals großgeworden ist.

Lamprecht erläutert und kommentiert diesen Wendepunkt, der vor 75 Jahren den Einbruch der Barbarei in die deutsche Gesellschaft markierte, in ungeschönter Offenheit und zugleich mit ungläubigem Erstaunen darüber, wie einst angesehene Mitbürger nun unbeschränkter Gewalt und Willkür ausgeliefert waren. Auf Geheiß der NS-Führung wurden um den 9. November 1938 an die 400 Deutsche erschossen, erschlagen oder in den Tod getrieben, nur weil sie als Juden gebrandmarkt waren. Unbescholtene jüdische Mitmenschen, auch Frauen, Kinder, Greise, wurden gequält und gedemütigt, 30 000 Männer in Konzentrationslager verfrachtet - oft ohne Wiederkehr. Die staatlich angestifteten Täter verwüsteten 1400 jüdische Gotteshäuser und setzten sie in Brand, demolierten und plünderten 7500 Geschäfte.

Wie war ein derartiger Exzess der Gewalt gegen Mitbewohner, frühere Arbeitskollegen, Nachbarn in einem zivilisierten Land möglich? Was trieb die Täter an, die meist aus der Mitte der Gesellschaft kamen? Wie erlebten die unmittelbar Betroffenen den archaischen Sturm der Erniedrigung und Verfolgung, der kalt-kalkulierend auf die Vertreibung und Enteignung der gesamten jüdischen Bevölkerung in Deutschland zielte?

Die historische Dokumentation beschreibt die Ereignisse aus dem Blickwinkel von Beteiligten und Beobachtern, auf der Seite der Opfer und der Täter. Beklemmende, teils bisher unveröffentlichte Archivaufnahmen vermitteln ein Bild von Gleichgültigkeit und Zustimmung zu den beispiellosen Vorgängen. Spielszenen geben wieder, was Menschen damals erleiden mussten und wie sie in den Sog der Gewalt gerieten.

Neben Günter Lamprecht berichten Georg Stefan Troller, damals in Wien, und Rolf Abrahamsohn, damals in Marl, wie sie die Zeitenwende am eigenen Leib erlebten. Auch Rudolf van Nahl, der an jenem Novembertag mit seinem Sankt-Martins-Lampion vor der lichterloh brennenden Synagoge seines rheinischen Heimatortes Alpen stand, bestätigt in der Rückschau: All das geschah mitten im Leben, im ganzen Land, vor aller Augen. Allen, die ihn erlebten, hat sich der deutsche Schicksalstag in die Erinnerung eingebrannt. Günter Lamprecht hat sich bis heute seine Empörung bewahrt, wann immer simple Parolen und uniformes Verhalten mitmenschliche Empfindungen verdrängen.

Film von Peter Hartl und Gordian Maugg


Der Untergang des alten Europa - 1. Weltkrieg


Die Dokumentation beschreibt die große Katastrophe des Ersten Weltkrieges aus einem gesamteuropäischen Blickwinkel. Sie zeigt, dass die Stimmungslage und die ungelösten Spannungen vor 1914 in Europa längst auf Krieg deuteten. Das Attentat von Sarajewo war nicht mehr als ein willkommener Anlass, diesen schon lange geplanten Krieg zu beginnen. Vor allem die zur Veränderung unfähigen Monarchien, die sich längst selbst überlebt hatten, in Berlin, Wien und St. Petersburg brauchten ihn. Der Krieg war, wie Historiker sagen, eine Art "Selbstmord aus Angst vor dem Tod".

Der Sommer verspricht schön zu werden. Unter den Linden in Berlin, auf den Champs-Elysées in Paris, vor den Cafés in Wien und St. Petersburg, überall genießen die Menschen die lauen Abende. Am 28. Juni 1914 tickern in allen Pressebüros die Telegrafen: Franz Ferdinand, der Thronfolger der österreichisch-ungarischen Monarchie, ist in Sarajewo ermordet worden. Fünf Wochen später steht Europa am Rande des Abgrunds. Mit unglaublicher Leichtfertigkeit haben die europäischen Politiker und Monarchen den Mechanismus der gegenseitigen Drohungen, Ultimaten und Mobilmachungen in Gang gesetzt, der den Kontinent in den Untergang führt, in einen Krieg, wie ihn die Menschen zuvor nicht kannten. Die Militärs und Politiker erkennen zwar in letzter Stunde, dass es sich um einen "Sturz ins Ungewisse" handelt, um einen Krieg, den niemand gewinnen kann. Aber "da es nun einmal beschlossen ist, kann es nicht mehr geändert werden" (Chef des Generalstabs Helmuth von Moltke, 1848 - 1916). Am 3. August 1914, als deutsche Truppen bereits das neutrale Belgien überfallen haben, sagt der britische Außenminister Sir Edward Grey: "In diesem Moment gehen in Europa wieder die Lichter aus. Wir alle werden sie in unserem Leben nie wieder leuchten sehen."

Die Bürger Europas, von ihren Kaisern und Präsidenten manipuliert und belogen, begrüßen den Konflikt begeistert als "Stunde des Vaterlandes" oder als "nationale Wiedergeburt". Zehn Millionen Männer werden den "frischen fröhlichen Krieg" mit ihrem Leben bezahlen. Die großen Monarchien in Deutschland, Österreich-Ungarn und Russland brechen 1917/18 zusammen. Dem Krieg folgen mit dem Erstarken von Faschismus und Bolschewismus das "Zeitalter der Extreme", der verdeckte Bürgerkrieg der 20er Jahre und die revanchistischen Ressentiments, die schließlich in den nächsten Weltkrieg führen.

Mit historischem Filmmaterial aus Deutschland, Österreich, Ungarn, Russland, Frankreich, England, Italien und den USA und mit neuesten Forschungsergebnisse stellt die Dokumentation von Werner Biermann den "Untergang des alten Europa" in ihren Kontext.