Monday, August 12, 2019
British Diplomats to Pull Out from EU Decision-making Meetings within Days
British diplomats will pull out from the EU’s institutional structures of power in Brussels within days, under plans being drawn up by Downing Street.
In an attempt to reinforce the message that the UK is leaving the EU by 31 October, “do or die”, the UK will stop attending the day-to-day meetings that inform the bloc’s decision-making.
The move under discussion is said by UK officials to be in line with Boris Johnson’s first statement in the House of Commons, in which he said he would “unshackle” British diplomacy from EU affairs.
Critics have countered that the symbolic walkout would merely leave the UK blindsided on decisions and ultimately damage the national interest.
…
“Haughty grandstanding like this undermines our place in the world and will be treated as a snub by our European neighbours and allies, who we should be working with to address shared challenges.
“Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill would be appalled by this short-sightedness. We should be leading in Europe, not undermining our own interests.
“To be outside the room while our shared security interests are being discussed shows weakness and pettiness, not strength. Brexit is not inevitable; this national humiliation must end alongside this rotten Conservative government.” » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Monday, August 12, 2019
Sunday, August 11, 2019
US Security Adviser in Britain to Discuss Iran, Huawei – and Brexit
John Bolton, Donald Trump’s national security adviser, has arrived in London for talks at which he is expected to urge Britain to toughen its stance on Iran and Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei.
As the United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union on 31 October, many diplomats expect London to become increasingly reliant on the United States.
Bolton arrived on Sunday night and will hold talks on Monday and Tuesday. They will include a heavy focus on Brexit, reflecting the Trump White House’s attempts to solidify ties with Boris Johnson’s new government after Trump’s strained relationship with his predecessor Theresa May.
The hardliner is expected to urge British officials to align policy on Iran more closely with that of Washington, which has pressured Tehran with an increase in sanctions after the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. » | Reuters | Sunday, August 11, 2019
B-off back to the States, Mr. Bolton, you're not wanted or needed here! – Mark Alexander
Fascist Anthem Played as Bullfighting Returns to Mallorca
Hundreds of animal rights activists protested outside the bullring in Palma de Mallorca at the weekend as bullfighting returned to the island for the first time since it was outlawed in 2017.
Around 400 protestors chanted: “It’s not art, it’s torture” and “No to bullfighting”, while inside the ring 12,000 people waited to watch some of Spain’s top toreros (bullfighters) enter the ring.
Bullfight supporters chanted: “Freedom” while the arena’s loudspeaker system drowned out the protesters, first with the song Viva España, and then a rendition of the banned fascist anthem Cara al Sol (Facing the Sun). » | Stephen Burgen in Barcelona | Sunday, August 11, 2019
Ireland Tells Boris Johnson There Will Be No Backstop Renegotiation
The Brexit stalemate looks set to continue after the Irish government said the backstop would not be up for renegotiation at a planned meeting between Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar.
The two prime ministers will meet early next month but a spokesman for Varadkar said there was no prospect of a rethink on the most contentious part of the withdrawal agreement.
Johnson has been invited by the taoiseach to Dublin with “no preconditions” but the Irish government is keen to avoid any ambiguity. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Sunday, August 11, 2019
Heseltine: Imposing No-deal Brexit 'Intolerable' Attack on Democracy
The Conservatives will lose significant votes to the Liberal Democrats or other remain parties if they force through a no-deal Brexit against the will of parliament, the party stalwart Lord Heseltine has warned.
Imposing a no-deal departure without MPs’ consent was “an intolerable position for democracy”, the former deputy prime minister, who is heavily critical of Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s lead adviser and Brexit enforcer, said.
“It is absolutely central that parliament should be able to call to account people who represent them as ministers, and at the moment we’re being told by a particular figure, who’s proud of it, that he’s more or less running the show,” Heseltine said on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.
In response, the policing minister, Kit Malthouse, a longtime ally of Johnson, accused Heseltine of being among ageing Conservative figures who had “never quite reconciled themselves to the idea” of Brexit.
Heseltine, whose near-30 year frontbench career culminated in him serving as deputy PM under John Major, has been a persistent critic of Brexit and lost the Conservative whip after saying he had voted Lib Dem in the European elections in May.
In a joint comment piece in the Sunday Times with the Labour peer Betty Boothroyd, Heseltine argued a no-deal departure would be a “grotesque act of national self-harm”. » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Sunday, August 11, 2019
Saturday, August 10, 2019
New Documents Reveal Blurred Lines with US & Saudi Arabia Relationship
Coca-Cola Advert for Gay Tolerance Prompts Boycott Call in Hungary
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Coke Ad Riles Hungary Conservatives, Part of Larger Gay Rights Battle » | Marc Santora | Friday, August 9, 2019
Brexit Enforcer Cummings’ Farm Took €235,000 in EU Handouts
Boris Johnson’s controversial enforcer, Dominic Cummings, an architect of Brexit and a fierce critic of Brussels, is co-owner of a farm that has received €250,000 (£235,000) in EU farming subsidies, the Observer can reveal.
The revelation is a potential embarrassment for the mastermind behind Johnson’s push to leave the EU by 31 October. Since being appointed as Johnson’s chief adviser, Cummings has presented the battle to leave the EU as one between the people and the politicians. He positions himself as an outsider who wants to demolish elites, end the “absurd subsidies” paid out by the EU and liberate the UK from its arcane rules and regulations.
But his critics say the revelation that Cummings has benefited from the system he intends to smash underscores how many British farmers are reliant on EU money that would evaporate if the UK leaves. » | Jamie Doward and Josh Sandiford | Saturday, August 10, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein Dies after Apparent Suicide in New York Jail
Wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein has killed himself at a New York jail, according to authorities in New York and media reports.
“Saturday, August 10, 2019, at approximately 6.30am, inmate Jeffrey Edward Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell … subsequently pronounced dead by hospital staff,” reads a statement from the Metropolitan Correctional Center where Epstein, 66, had been held without bail since his arrest on 6 July on charges of sex trafficking girls as young as 14.
Multiple media reports said Epstein had died by suicide.
Lawyers for several of Epstein’s alleged victims, including Virginia Giuffre, whose depositions detailing her experience as one of the financiers’ “slaves” when she was just 14 years old were released yesterday, called for the investigations into his crimes to continue, despite his death. » | Edward Helmore in New York | Saturday, August 10, 2019
THE GUARDIAN: Who were the rich and powerful people in Jeffrey Epstein's circle? » | Edward Helmore in New York | Saturday, August 10, 2019
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Jeffrey Epstein Dead in Suicide at Manhattan Jail, Officials Say » | William K. Rashbaum, Benjamin Weiser and Michael Gold \ \ Saturday, August 10, 2019
Children of Abraham: Part One | Religious History Documentary | Timeline
In this thought-provoking three-part series, Mark Dowd, a Catholic who trained to be a Dominican Friar, embarks on a very personal journey to the Holy Land, Egypt, Turkey, Bosnia and the USA to explore the shared roots and deep enmities of the three faiths, and to discover if there is hope in a shared future. The prophet Abraham is central to the three great monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yet, despite these shared origins, and the reconciliatory promise to Abraham that "all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed by you", his descendants have often resembled a squabbling, dysfunctional family. Dowd's journey of discovery is an attempt to grapple with the big questions: Why, if there is one God, are there three so-called monotheistic faiths? Why do some people abuse religion to demonise their enemies while others build bridges to them? And why have the "children of Abraham" often fallen so short of the legacy of unity that was promised to the prophet?
Friday, August 09, 2019
Wall Street Banks Just Rolled on Trump and His Kids
Eric Holder Exposed In Attack On Obama’s Legacy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)