Thursday, July 18, 2019

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


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

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


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

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Is Donald Trump Racist? | Inside Story


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

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

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

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

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


Tuesday, July 16, 2019

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


Jeffrey Epstein Just Had a Really Bad Day In Court


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

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


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

Monday, July 15, 2019

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


Boris Johnson Claimed Islam Put Muslim World 'Centuries Behind'


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Most Ambassadors Think Trump Is a Complete Idiot


Earlier this week, British ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch resigned after cables were released showing Mr. Darroch calling the Trump administration “inept.” But according to other former ambassadors to the US, it could have been any one of them writing those words because Trump and his administration are so painfully ignorant and horrible to work with. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains what’s happening.

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Right-wingers Now Claim Jesus Was a Free Market Capitalist


The folks over at PragerU are terrified of the word “socialism” and they’ve gone as far as to say that Jesus Christ himself was definitely not a socialist but instead was a full on free market capitalist. This is an absolutely ridiculous claim, even when they try to give us examples from the Bible with their own unique, reality-warping spin on them. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

If Jesus Never Called Himself God, How Did He Become One? – Bart Ehrman


Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio (NPR). She interviews Bart on April 7th, 2014 and prepares the discussion to reflect on Bart's book "How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee." The discussion addresses topics such as the major difference between the first three gospels — Matthew, Mark and Luke — and the last gospel, John, on how Roman emperors were called "God,” on the emergence of the Trinity, on the difference between history and the past and on the empty tomb and the resurrection, just to name a few.

Poll: Religion in Decline in Arab Countries, Anger at the US Growing


James Zogby of the Arab American Institute discusses the results of a large survey conducted by the BBC in 11 Arab countries among 25,000 responders. The results show interesting developments in Arab public opinion on matters of religion and politics.

Palestinian Homes: Israeli High Court Rules In Favour of Demolitions | Al Jazeera English


Israel is expected to demolish more Palestinian homes. The high court has ruled 60 houses in occupied East Jerusalem should be knocked down.

Palestinians say Israel is trying to settle as many Jews as possible on the edge of Jerusalem’s old city and rename an area the Palestinians consider their capital the City of David.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reports from occupied East Jerusalem.


Jordan's Angry Tribes | People and Power


Jordan and its Hashemite monarchy have long been regarded as stable fixtures in a region often beset by political uncertainty.

But King Abdullah II is under growing pressure to reboot a struggling economy, institute constitutional reform, and stand firm against a controversial US-Saudi scheme, the so-called "Deal of the Century" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We sent filmmakers Mariam Shahin, Nada Issa and George Azar to find out why these pressures are becoming difficult for the government to ignore and what effect they are having on the kingdom's delicate demographic balance - between increasingly angry members of its indigenous tribes, known as "East Bankers", and Palestinians who have fled here in the past six decades and become citizens.


Kim Darroch's Fall from Grace Casts Chill over Washington Ambassadors


THE GUARDIAN: Fellow envoys say they have made similar observations about the Trump administration and deplore the lack of support from Boris Johnson for their UK counterpart

It was like a tennis match with an empty umpire’s chair. On Friday, the British ambassador’s residence in Washington hosted a Wimbledon Watch Party and English Breakfast, with two giant TV screens showing the men’s semi-final. In the ballroom there were bacon and eggs, orange juice and buck’s fizz and, of course, strawberries and cream. But there was no ambassador.

Kim Darroch had left for a planned holiday a day early, officials said, after a “rough week” in which his leaked memos led to abuse from Donald Trump and his resignation, though the ambassador does intend to return for an unspecified period. The embassy considered cancelling the annual Wimbledon event but a mood of “keep calm and carry on” prevailed, not least because of Darroch’s love of tennis. » | David Smith in Washington | Saturday, July 13, 2019

Friday, July 12, 2019

Will There Be Another War in the Gulf? | Inside Story


The United States, UK and Iran all agree: they don't want war; but tensions are rising by the day. Iran accuses Britain of being a servant of the US as it demands the return of an oil tanker seized off Gibraltar.

It’s been suggested British Royal Marines boarded the vessel at the request of America. And the UK is looking at boosting its military presence in the Gulf after an apparent close encounter with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard just days later.

The US, meantime, is turning the screw further on Iran's already faltering economy, and Britain finds itself in an awkward position. It's working with Europe to try and save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the US has abandoned. But it also needs to maintain close ties with Washington as it seeks to leave the European Union.

The situation with the tanker has infuriated Iran with the foreign minister demanding Britain return the ship or face what he called 'the consequences'.

Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, research fellow at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute; Mohammad Marandi, head of American Studies Department at the University of Tehran; Phil Diacon, managing director of Dryad Global, a maritime security risk management company


Trump Planning Mass Immigration Raids


Trump: “I don’t call them raids”.Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

Trump Parade Is Total Disaster


Trump’s Fourth of July Parade is set to be a total disaster. Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, and Ron Perlman hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.

Iran Warns Western Powers to 'Leave Region' amid Gulf Crisis


THE GUARDIAN: Foreign ministry demands release of Iranian oil tanker UK seized last week

Iran has called on Britain to release its seized oil tanker and warned foreign powers to “leave the region because Iran and other regional countries are capable of securing the regional security”.

The Royal Marines seized the tanker last week on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, told the IRNA news agency: “This is a dangerous game and has consequences ... The legal pretexts for the capture are not valid ... The release of the tanker is in all countries’ interests.”

Iran has said it will take reciprocal measures if its tanker is not released. » | Patrick Wintour and agencies | Friday, July 12, 2019

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Is the UK's Special Relationship with US Under Threat? – Inside Story


What started as a leak of secret diplomatic memos to a British tabloid newspaper has led to the resignation of a top ambassador and questions about the UK's position in the world.

Kim Darroch felt compelled to quit as Britain's envoy in Washington after a row over leaked memos. The diplomat had described Donald Trump and his administation as insecure, inept and dysfunctional. The U.S. President responded with a barrage of angry tweets, calling Darroch "very stupid."

Boris Johnson, Britain's likely next prime minister, refused to publicly support the ambassador. So how will this incident affect the UK's ties with its closest ally?

Presenter: Martine Dennis Guests: Crispin Blunt - Conservative member of the British parliament Nancy Soderberg - Former U.S. Ambassador the the U.N. Matthew Parris - Columnist for The Times newspaper, and a former conservative British MP.


Wednesday, July 10, 2019

The UK's Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch Resigns over Leaked Memo Branding Trump 'Incompetent'


BUSINESS INSIDER: The UK's ambassador to the US has resigned after his comments labeling Trump "dysfunctional" were leaked to the press.

Darroch entered the eye of a diplomatic storm this week after remarks he made disparaging the Trump administration were leaked to the Mail on Sunday newspaper over the weekend.

In the notes, the UK ambassador to the US said that Trump's government was "uniquely dysfunctional" and added: "We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal.

He also described Trump's presidency as "incompetent," and "inept."

Trump on Tuesday tweeted that Darroch was a "very stupid guy" and a "pompous fool."

Following the row Darroch said it was now "impossible" for him to remain in post. » | Adam Bienkov | Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Tuesday, July 09, 2019

Big Names Drop as Epstein Sex Scandal Grows


Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein remains in jail on Tuesday, charged with running a sex trafficking ring of underage girls, as calls grow louder for US Labor Secretary Alex Acosta to resign and former US President Bill Clinton makes a public statement. Meanwhile, a top White House official is ramping up the rhetoric of “maximum pressure” on Iran and critics fear that a potential US-India tariff war could hurt US wallets after President Trump called India’s tariffs on U.S. goods “unacceptable.” Finally, we’ll hear from experts about what could happen if an asteroid hits the Earth.

Jeffrey Epstein, Called ‘Terrific’ by Trump, Charged with Sex Trafficking | The Last Word | MSNBC


Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein has been charged with sex trafficking of underage girls. He pleaded not guilty. Trump's now-Labor Secretary Alex Acosta gave Epstein what many critics called a sweetheart deal in 2008. Lawrence O'Donnell discusses the fallout of the charges with Berit Berger and Tim O'Brien.

Germany Rebuffs US Order to Send Troops


The US has asked Germany to deploy training forces, logistical experts and technical workers to north-eastern Syria to support Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces against what remains of Islamic State in the region. A former German chancellor replied that his country “isn’t a banana republic.” RT America’s Michele Greenstein joins Rick Sanchez with the details.

The Guardian View on Undiplomatic Language: Don’t Pander to Donald Trump


THE GUARDIAN: The US president is angry at the British ambassador’s frank assessment. His reaction reinforces Kim Darroch’s verdict on his administration

Though the president of the United States has fired off another volley of insults, his primary target – the British ambassador, Kim Darroch – has done nothing but his job. The national interest would hardly be served by Her Majesty’s chief representative in Washington sending back sanitised and euphemistic dispatches. Governments rely upon thorough, honest and frank information and advice from their diplomats. Sir Kim’s unflattering assessments of Donald Trump and his administration are embarrassing; but the problem was the leaking of the documents, not their drafting.

If the memos are unusually strong stuff, that is because the US administration is a wholly abnormal one. Indeed, the ambassador’s verdict of a dysfunctional, faction-riven and inept White House is not only blindingly obvious to any observer but looks decidedly diplomatic when set beside some of the accounts which have emerged from the leaky Trump administration itself. There are multiple reports of senior figures describing him as an idiot, a moron or unhinged. » | Editorial | Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Sunday, July 07, 2019

Christchurch Mosque Killer’s Theories Seeping into Mainstream, Report Warns


THE OBSERVER: Call to tackle extreme white nationalist ideas propagating hatred and violence gaining traction on social media

The extreme rightwing ideology that inspired the Christchurch mosque killer has been promoted so effectively by the far right that it has entered mainstream political discourse, new analysis reveals.

Researchers have found that organised far-right networks are pushing a conspiracy known as the “great replacement” theory to the extent that references to it online have doubled in four years, with more than 1.5 million on Twitter alone, a total that is rising exponentially.

The theory emerged in France in 2014 and has become a dominant concept of the extreme right, focusing on a paranoia that white people are being wiped out through migration and violence. It received increased scrutiny after featuring in the manifesto of the gunman who killed 51 people in the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand in March.

Now the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a UK-based counter-extremist organisation, has found that the once-obscure ideology has moved into mainstream politics and is now referenced by figures including US president Donald Trump, Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini and Björn Höcke of the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). » | Nosheen Iqbal and Mark Townsend | Sunday, July 7, 2019

Thursday, July 04, 2019

Who is EU Commission President Nominee Ursula von der Leyen? | DW News


The 28 EU member countries have agreed on their nominees for the bloc's top jobs. In a surprise move the leaders nominated. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen was nominated for EU Commission President. The conservative Christian Democrat and former Labor Minister and Minister for Families was nominated to replace Jean-Claude Juncker after most of the front-runners for the post were rejected. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was one of the names being floated for the EU top job. But in a last minute reshuffling the liberal PM was nominated to replace Donald Tusk as EU Council President. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde received unanimous backing as the next president of the European Central Bank. If confirmed she would be the first woman to head the ECB. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell was nominated as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The socialist would replace Federica Mogherini as the EU's top diplomat. But the biggest hurdle in this political race has still to be cleared. The European Parliament has to approve the line-up, and the Social Democrats have already set themselves against it.

What Does the World Think of Boris Johnson?


He's the favourite to become our next Prime Minister in just three weeks' time. But Boris Johnson has only held one ministerial post - a two year stint as Foreign Secretary.

Tuesday, July 02, 2019

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


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

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


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

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

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

Monday, July 01, 2019

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


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

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


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

Saturday, June 29, 2019

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


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


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

Friday, June 28, 2019

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


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

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Wildfire in Spain as Europe Roasts


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

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


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


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

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

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

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

Boris Johnson's Brexit Deal Claims Rubbished by Guy Verhofstadt


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


Tunisia: Twin Suicide Attacks Target Police


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

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

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


Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Analysis: UN Rapporteur Criticises Saudi’s Khashoggi Murder Probe


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

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


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

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


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

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



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