Hommage au Président Jacques Chirac

Suivez l'allocution du Président Emmanuel Macron en hommage au Président Jacques Chirac.

Will Trump Be Impeached?| Inside Story

Details emerge of the White House's efforts to lock down records of a Presidential phone call, leveraging the office of the US President to interfere in the 2020 election.

That's the accusation facing Donald Trump in a whistleblower complaint that's set him on course for an impeachment investigation.

Donald Trump has been accused of trying to persuade the Ukrainian leader to dig up dirt on his rival, Joe Biden. So, will the impeachment effort against Donald Trump intensify? Or will it backfire on the President's opponents?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan | Guests Greg Swenson, Spokesman for Republicans Abroad UK; Rina Shah, Republican Strategist; Arshad Hasan, Democratic Political Strategist

Les fumeurs autrichiens peuvent compter sur l’extrême droite

LE MONDE: Lanterne rouge de la lutte contre le tabagisme en Europe, l’Autriche doit interdire la cigarette dans les bars et les restaurants le 1er novembre. Norbert Hofer, le chef du FPÖ, a fait du combat pour la liberté de fumer un point essentiel de sa campagne pour les élections législatives de dimanche.

S’il fallait une preuve que le Parti de la liberté d’Autriche (FPÖ) est le parti de la cigarette, il suffit de voir le nombre impressionnant de délégués qui se précipitent à l’extérieur de la salle pour en griller une à chaque interruption de séance lors des congrès. Réunis à Graz samedi 14 septembre, les cadres du parti d’extrême droite – très majoritairement des hommes blancs fumeurs – ont pu compter sur leur nouveau chef, Norbert Hofer, pour tout faire afin qu’ils puissent continuer de fumer en paix dans un pays qui reste la lanterne rouge européenne de la lutte contre le tabac.

Officiellement, l’Autriche doit, en effet, enfin interdire la cigarette dans les bars et les restaurants à partir du 1er novembre, une mesure déjà en vigueur depuis des années dans la presque totalité de l’Union européenne. Sauf si… l’extrême droite arrive de nouveau à faire annuler la mesure. En effet, à côté de la lutte contre « l’immigration illégale », M. Hofer a fait du combat pour la liberté de fumer un point essentiel de son programme de campagne pour les élections législatives anticipées qui sont organisées dimanche 29 septembre. » [€] | Par Jean-Baptiste Chastand | vendredi 27 septembre 2019

The Guardian View on Egypt: Sisi Isn’t Everyone’s Favourite Dictator

THE GUARDIAN: While foreign leaders buddy up to Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, his people endure a brutal crackdown on rights

Even before Egyptian authorities warned that they would “decisively confront” any protests that take place on Friday, it was evident that it would require extraordinary courage to answer the call to the streets. Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s regime has repeatedly shown its utter ruthlessness since seizing power six years ago in a coup. Security forces killed thousands of people protesting against the takeover. The country has locked up 60,000 political prisoners. Executions have soared this year. » | Editorial | Thursday, September 26, 2019

MPs of All Parties Must Unite to Rein In This Reckless, Divisive Government

THE GUARDIAN: I fear Boris Johnson will use political chicanery to bypass the anti-no-deal Brexit law. Time for parliament to show its strength

At the moment, our country is more unsettled, more divided, than I can ever recall. Ministers assure us they are moving towards a deal. The European Union tells us they are not – because no new or viable proposals have been put forward by the British government. The prime minister tells us he wishes to have a deal with Europe. But we don’t see him sitting down in Brussels, hammering out an agreement.

Lip service is paid to the unanimous judgment of the supreme court – that it was unlawful to prorogue parliament for five weeks – while the prime minister tells us the court was wrong and he was right. That is the cry of those found guilty of misdemeanours throughout the ages.

Meanwhile, ministers continue to offer fantasy outcomes of what a post-Brexit future holds for people in every corner of our United Kingdom. As day succeeds day, it seems more likely that we will end up leaving the European Union without any deal at all. On Wednesday night, the prime minister wilfully destroyed any hope of cross-party agreement.

The price of such a negotiating failure will be widespread and will affect rich and poor alike – with one difference: the poor will be far less able to protect themselves. » | John Major | Friday, September 27, 2019

Democracy Now! Over 2,000 Arrested in Egypt in Growing Protests Against Sisi, Trump’s “Favorite Dictator”

Demonstrations continued in Egypt Friday, with thousands taking to the streets to demand the resignation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over accusations of corruption. Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested over the past week amid protests in Cairo and other cities. The demonstrations were triggered by social media posts by a former army contractor accusing Sisi and other officials of misusing public money. Anti-government protests are rare in Egypt as they’ve been effectively banned since Sisi came to power following the 2013 overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi and launched a widespread crackdown on dissent. Earlier this week, President Trump praised Sisi as the two leaders met during the U.N. General Assembly here in New York. Trump also recently referred to Sisi as “my favorite dictator.” For more, we’re joined by Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Democracy Now! correspondent and a reporter with the independent, Cairo-based media outlet Mada Masr.

Mada Masr »

Boris Johnson's Sister Says His Language Was 'Tasteless'

The prime minister’s sister, Rachel Johnson, said her brother was wrong to suggest the best way to honour the memory of Jo Cox was to deliver Brexit. She said Johnson’s language used in the Commons on Wednesday was ‘a very tasteless way of honouring the memory of a murdered MP’

US Troops in Saudi Arabia Defend Hegemony, Not Security

Pushback with Aaron Maté

Are New Laws an Assault on Human Rights in Indonesia? | Inside Story

Extra-marital relations outlawed in Indonesia; and jail sentences for insulting the president. These are some of the controversial proposals causing an outcry in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, which are considered disastrous by rights groups.

Thousands of students vented their anger. Coming under pressure, President Joko Widodo postponed the vote on changes to the draft criminal code, but Indonesians still fear it could be passed by parliament.

They're also angry over the passing of another law that weakens Indonesia's anti-corruption organization. The protests have been dismissed by the Indonesian government. So, can the outrage stop the government's plans?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom | Guests: Greg Barton, expert on terrorism at Deakin University: Calvin Dark, former Indonesian Government Campaign Adviser; Damien Kings, conflict resolution specialist

Former French President Jacques Chirac Has Died Aged 86, His Family Says

Trump ‘Must Be Held Accountable,’ Perlosi Says

The Guardian View on Boris Johnson: Guilty but He Won’t Go

THE GUARDIAN: For adherents of a no-deal Brexit the prize of remaking Britain in a reactionary mould was worth dispensing with legislative scrutiny altogether. It took the judges to stop them – for now

he cabinet manual’s rule that the Queen “should not be drawn into party politics” has been broken by Boris Johnson. It was his decision, as prime minister, to advise the monarch to issue an order in council to prorogue parliament for five weeks. That order was declared “unlawful, void and of no effect” by all 11 justices of the highest court in the land in the most significant constitutional judgment in modern times. The government’s decision to disregard convention was taken to evade scrutiny by MPs at a moment of constitutional and political crisis. The Commons will now reconvene. A prime minister found to have acted unlawfully in this manner should not stay in office.

A prime minister with honour would tender their resignation. But Mr Johnson has no honour and no shame. The precedent such an act of defiance sets ought to be unthinkable. The sooner that Britain is rid of him the better. … » | Editorial | Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Breaking News! Trump Ukraine Row: Democrats 'To Launch Trump Impeachment Inquiry'

BBC: Democrats will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump over claims that he sought political help from Ukraine, US media reports say.

The decision by top Democrat Nancy Pelosi follows growing demands from her party.

Mr Trump has denied impropriety but has acknowledged discussing political rival Joe Biden with the Ukrainian president. » | Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Scharia ohne Peitschenhiebe – Indonesien will sein Strafgesetz verschärfen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Der Entwurf für ein neues Strafgesetzbuch in Indonesien zeigt, wie stark der Einfluss islamischer Moralprediger geworden ist. Es sieht harte Strafen für Abtreibungen sowie aussereheliche und gleichgeschlechtliche sexuelle Beziehungen vor. Präsident Widodo steht zwischen den Fronten.

Indonesien steht vor einer Reform seines Strafgesetzes, von der Islamisten lange nur träumen konnten. Die neue Gesetzessammlung sieht unter anderem vor, dass vorehelicher Sex, Kontakte unter Gleichgeschlechtlichen, Abtreibungen, obszöne Aktivitäten oder Aufklärung über Verhütungsmittel ausserhalb einer Arztpraxis mit Gefängnis bestraft werden können. Abtreibungen ohne «dringenden medizinischen Grund» könnten demnach bis zu vier Jahre Gefängnis zur Folge haben. Auch an anderer Stelle sind Eingriffe in die persönliche Freiheit geplant, die dem Ruf Indonesiens als relativ liberales Land widersprechen. » | Manfred Rist, Singapur | Montag, 23. September 2019

Boris Johnson: Rücktritt, jetzt!

ZEIT ONLINE: Das Urteil des Supreme Courts zeigt: Boris Johnson ist in dieser Krise der Falsche, um Großbritannien zu führen. Er hat Parlament und Queen belogen und muss gehen.

Der britische Supreme Court hat entschieden, einstimmig – und für Boris Johnson vernichtend. Die von ihm verordnete Zwangspause des britischen Unterhauses ist nicht verfassungskonform. Härter hätten die elf Richter des obersten Gerichtshofes nicht urteilen können. Boris Johnson muss die schwerste Niederlage einstecken, die ein britischer Premierminister seit dem Krieg erlebt hat. Eigentlich bleibt ihm jetzt nur eins: Er muss zurücktreten. » | Ein Kommentar von Bettina Schulz, London | Dienstag, 24. September 2019

Supreme Court Announces Prorogation Is 'Unlawful, Void and of No Effect'

The supreme court has ruled that Boris Johnson’s advice to the Queen that parliament should be prorogued for five weeks at the height of the Brexit crisis was unlawful. The judgment from 11 justices on the UK’s highest court follows an emergency three-day hearing last week that exposed fundamental legal differences over interpreting the country’s unwritten constitution. Lady Hale said 11 justices heard the appeal and the judgment is unanimous.

Donald Trump: Skrupellos bis zum Ende

ZEIT ONLINE: Der Skandalanruf des US-Präsidenten in der Ukraine zeigt: Donald Trump ist eine Gefahr, solange er im Amt ist. So darf es eigentlich nicht weitergehen. Wird es aber.

Donald Trump kann jede Hilfe gebrauchen. Auf die Politik des US-Präsidenten trifft das schon lange zu: Seine mexikanische Grenzmauer gegen Einwanderer, sein Handelskrieg gegen China, überhaupt seine außenpolitische Krawallstrategie in vielen Konflikten, die er zum Teil selbst verschlimmert oder sogar begonnen hat – all das entspringt ja mehr einem leidlich scharfen Instinkt als einer umfassenden Einsicht in komplexe Zusammenhänge. Andere müssen dann sehen, dass sie das Beste daraus machen. Unbestritten ist allerdings Trumps Talent, die Schwächen seiner Gegner oder auch des demokratischen Systems zu erkennen und für sich auszunutzen, wenn es seinen Zielen dient. » | Eine Analyse von Carsten Luther | Dienstag, 23. September 2019

Strategic Importance of Aramco and Politics of Saudi Oil

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is heading to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he says he will reveal the details of his Gulf security proposal.

Tensions are high in the region after a series of attacks. Most recently, Saudi Arabia's largest oil processing plants have been crippled by Houthi rebel attacks. Saudi Arabia and the United States say Iran is to blame, and US reinforcements are being deployed to the region.

Iran denies involvement in the attacks and has denounced the presence of more foreign troops in the region.

Saudi Arabia may take several months to get their damaged oil facilities back online, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. It contradicts promises by Saudi oil executives of a speedy recovery taking no more than ten weeks.

Aramco's CEO sought to reassure markets in a published letter in which he said the company is "stronger than ever".

Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid joins us live on set.

As

Stevie Wonder: 1976 - Songs in the Key of Life

A Crackdown on Islam Is Spreading Across China

THE NEW YORK TIMES: YINCHUAN, China — In China’s northwest, the government is stripping the most overt expressions of the Islamic faith from a picturesque valley where most residents are devout Muslims. The authorities have destroyed domes and minarets on mosques, including one in a small village near Linxia, a city known as “Little Mecca.”

Similar demolitions have been carried out in Inner Mongolia, Henan and Ningxia, the homeland of China’s largest Muslim ethnic minority, the Hui. In the southern province of Yunnan, three mosques were closed. From Beijing to Ningxia, officials have banned the public use of Arabic script.

This campaign represents the newest front in the Chinese Communist Party’s sweeping rollback of individual religious freedoms, after decades of relative openness that allowed more moderate forms of Islam to blossom. The harsh crackdown on Muslims that began with the Uighurs in Xinjiang is spreading to more regions and more groups. » | Steven Lee Myers | Saturday, September 21, 2019

Trump Admin Threatens to Defund Colleges for Portraying Islam in Positive Light

Donald Trump swears that he doesn’t discriminate against anyone, but the actions of his administration say otherwise. The Department of Education, headed by Betsy DeVos, has warned Duke and UNC that they will cut funding for the colleges if they don’t stop portraying Islam in a positive way. This is a disgusting move by this administration, but sadly, not all that shocking. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Can the US Guarantee Gulf Security? | Inside Story

Washington has blamed Tehran for the attack on Saudi oil facilities and says it's now building a coalition against Iran.

The Gulf region is on the edge. Who's responsible for last week's attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, has led to accusations from different sides. The US and Saudi Arabia say Iran is behind the Aramco strikes. But the Houthis in Yemen say they are responsible and have warned of more to come.

The US Secretary of State visited allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE to talk to their leaders. Mike Pompeo said Washington was seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis, but blamed Iran for seeking an 'all-out war.'

Iran's foreign minister says the U.S. is preparing to use the Aramco incident as an excuse to attack his country, and that Tehran's ready to defend itself. So, will tension escalate even further? Or would diplomacy defuse it?

Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver; Mohammad Marandi, Professor of American Studies at the University of Tehran; Adolfo Franco, Republican strategist and former adviser to Senator John McCain

Verlierer Netanjahu

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach dem Patt der jüngsten Knessetwahl sind Israels Parteichefs auf der Suche nach Koalitionspartnern. Sind damit die Tage von Benjamin Netanjahu als Ministerpräsident gezählt?

Ein Jahrzehnt hatte sich die Parteienlandschaft Israels von der säkularen Mitte weg nach rechts ins religiöse Lager verschoben. In der Zeit regierte als Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu, der mit seiner Demagogie und Verachtung für das Recht das politische Klima in Israel zunehmend vergiftet hat.

Diesen Trend scheint die jüngste Parlamentswahl gebrochen zu haben. Denn sie stärkte erstmals wieder das säkulare Lager. Zudem könnte sie das Ende der politischen Karriere Netanjahus eingeläutet haben. So verlor keine Partei gegenüber der Wahl im April stärker als sein Likud, und er wird sich nun Anklagen wegen Korruption stellen müssen. Niemand sollte Netanjahu aber vorzeitig abschreiben. Denn in Israel vermag es niemand mit dem Taktiker der Macht aufzunehmen. Derzeit ist eine Konstellation, mit der er noch einmal in das rettende Amt des Ministerpräsidenten einziehen könnte, von dem er bei einer Anklage nicht gleich zurücktreten müsste, aber nicht in Sicht. » | Ein Kommentar von Rainer Hermann | Freitag, 20. September 2019

Ben Ali, l’ex-autocrate tunisien renversé par le « printemps arabe », est mort

LE MONDE: L’ex-autocrate, à la tête de son pays de 1987 à 2011, est mort, jeudi, à l’âge de 83 ans en Arabie saoudite, où il vivait en exil depuis la révolution de 2011.

Le président déchu de Tunisie, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, est mort, jeudi 19 septembre, à l’âge de 83 ans en Arabie saoudite, où il vivait en exil depuis la révolution de 2011, a indiqué à l’Agence France-Presse le ministère tunisien des affaires étrangères. « Nous avons eu la confirmation de sa mort il y a trente minutes », a ajouté le ministère, sans plus de détails.

Après plus de deux décennies d’un pouvoir répressif, Ben Ali avait été renversé début 2011 par un mouvement populaire, point de départ d’une vague de révoltes dans la région connue sous le nom de « printemps arabe ». » | Par Florence Beaugé | jeudi 19 septembre 2019

Has Bibi Lost It? Israel Vote Fails to Deliver Majority for Netanyahu

Could it really be the end for Israel's longest-serving prime minister? Benjamin Netanyahu's gamble of a second snap election to try and rule without hard right rival Avigdor Liberman backfiring. Now the Likud leader could be facing corruption charges. François Picard's panel draws possible scenarios.

US Dials Back Iran Rhetoric and Seeks 'Peaceful Resolution' over Saudi Attack

THE GUARDIAN: Mike Pompeo says goal is to ‘get back on the diplomatic path’ following Trump’s remarks that the US was ‘locked and loaded’

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has said Washington and its allies were seeking a “peaceful resolution” with Iran in the wake of the attack on Saudi oil facilities, making clear that Washington would limit its initial response to further sanctions.

Pompeo’s remarks, made on his return trip to Washington after visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, mark a significant cooling of rhetoric after Donald Trump had warned the US was “locked and loaded” and Pompeo had said the attack, which he blamed on Iran, was “an act of war”.

The Pentagon said its goal was “to deter conflict and get back on the diplomatic path” and stopped short of definitively blaming Tehran for the air strikes which knocked out half Saudi Arabia’s oil production, deferring to Riyadh to make that assessment. » | Julian Burger in Washington | Thursday, September 19, 2019

Cameron and the Queen: Palace 'Displeasure' over Comments

Sir Paul McCartney: Brexit Vote Probably a Mistake

Iran Foreign Minister: US Strike Would Trigger 'All Out War'

Iran Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tells CNN's Nick Paton Walsh that a US or Saudi strike on its territory would trigger an "all out war." Zarif added that Iran hopes to avoid a military confrontation.

Reflections | Sami Yusuf & Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah is an American Muslim who is the Scholar in Residence at the Oasis Initiative based in Chicago, a non-profit organization that educates Muslims in the US about Islamic teachings. He is a respected author and a sought-after teacher and lecturer.

Matters of Faith: Charles Le Gai Eaton Charles Le Gai Eaton: Life and Works (Parts 1 & 2 of 2)

Charles Le Gai Eaton: Life and Works

Should Trump Have the Power to Take Us to War?

Tensions between Iran and the United States are growing thanks to President Trump. But does Trump have the ability to take us to war?

Only Congress can authorize a war. It’s right there in the Constitution. It requires a majority vote of both the House and the Senate to authorize war, and any war that is not authorized by Congress is illegal. The president does not have the power to start a war; that power is exclusively given to Congress. The Founders did this because they did not want any president to ever acquire the king-like power of war-making: they believed it was too much power in the hands of one person, and thus could lead to disaster.

If Donald Trump tries to take us into war with Iran, Congress and massive public opinion must stop him. Call your member of the House and both your senators today.

Raw Politics In Full: Brexit Disconnect

Tesa Arcilla is joined by politicians and journalists to discuss the major political issues that are defining and dividing Europe today.

Full Interview: Edward Snowden On Trump, Privacy, And Threats To Democracy | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

Watch the interview here »

How Dangerous Is Chlorinated Chicken?

Listen to the podcast here »

Bettel's Anger Highlights a Bleak Truth: The EU27 Just Wants Britain to Go

THE GUARDIAN: Luxembourg PM’s exasperation is shared by EU officials and national leaders

It was, by any standards, an unusual spectacle: the leader of the European Union’s second-smallest country deciding to empty-chair the British prime minister at what was supposed to have been a joint press conference after their meeting.

Ostensibly, logistics were the problem: No 10 was concerned by the small but very noisy protest awaiting Boris Johnson outside; Luxembourg government officials said there was no room big enough to move the event inside.

Whatever the reason, the press conference that Xavier Bettel ended up giving alone – gesturing to the lectern where his counterpart should have stood – served as a striking symbol of EU leaders’ mounting frustration with the Brexit process.

The Luxembourg prime minister did not hold back. The leave campaign had been built on lies, he said. Johnson’s oft-repeated claims of progress in the talks were baseless. London had come up with nothing to replace the backstop.

Above all, the UK – not the EU – was to blame for the impasse. “I just want to repeat and remind that Theresa May accepted the withdrawal agreement,” he said. Britain’s “homemade” problems were causing “general problems” for the whole of the EU. » | Jon Henley | Monday, September 16, 2019

Xavier Bettel on Brexit, mocks Boris Johnson »

Incredible Sulk Morphs from Green to Yellow as He Is Bested by Bettel

THE GUARDIAN: PM implodes under weight of his own narcissism as Luxembourg leader lets rip

Exit the Incredible Sulk. It was bad enough getting owned on Twitter by the actor who played the Incredible Hulk – comparing yourself to a comic book hero with anger management issues was always asking for trouble when you’ve got form with the Camberwell police. Classic Dom.

But Boris Johnson’s day just got a whole lot worse when he was completely owned by about 50 unthreatening protesters – this was Luxembourg, where crime waves are measured in the number of people not paying parking fines – and Xavier Bettel, the country’s prime minister.

Faced with a handful of people shouting: “We don’t like you very much,” Johnson imploded under the weight of his own narcissism. The Incredible Bulk morphed from green to yellow and fled sobbing indoors. He’d been in some tricky situations before where the future of the world had been at risk from super-soldiers powered by gamma radiation. But nothing as dangerous as this.

He begged Bettel to move their joint press conference somewhere less noisy. Preferably somewhere no one would ask him any difficult questions. Bettel demurred. The lecterns were set up, the journalists were in place and he’d go ahead without him. Johnson was about to be humiliated by the second smallest country in the EU. Taking back control by losing control. Classic Dom. » | Johnn Crace | Monday, September 16, 2019

Will the Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities Cripple Global Supplies? | Inside Story

Oil prices soar as Saudi Arabia tries to reassure market.

Saudi Arabia is trying to reassure the world that it will quickly recover from Saturday's attacks on its oil plants. However, the reassurance failed to stop oil prices soaring 19 percent - their highest-ever increase in a day.

Prices have since eased, but concerns remain about the 50 percent cut for the world's biggest crude exporter.

Houthi fighters in Yemen are vowing more attacks to cripple the Saudi economy. President Donald Trump warned that the US is 'locked and loaded' to respond, and ready to release emergency oil reserves if needed.

Will the attack force us to rethink our reliance on oil?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Jawad Anani - Former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan; Cornelia Meyer - Oil and gas specialist, Meyer Resources financial advisory firm; Bill Law - Journalist and Gulf affairs analyst

Johnson Humiliated by Luxembourg PM at 'Empty Chair' Press Conference

THE GUARDIAN: Xavier Bettel gesticulates at empty podium as British PM skips press conference amid loud protests

Boris Johnson has been left humiliated after being forced by anti-Brexit protesters to cancel an appearance at a press conference, leaving Luxembourg’s prime minister to lecture and gesticulate at an empty podium about the dangers of the UK prime minister playing politics with people’s lives.

Johnson was booed and jeered as he left a working lunch in Luxembourgwith the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, before being forced to abandon plans to speak alongside the country’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel.

The cancellation left Johnson scuttling past the waiting lecterns in a courtyard outside the prime minister’s office to chants by British protesters a few metres away.

Bettel did not mince his words as he took the lectern next to the one left empty by the British prime minister’s no-show, with the union flag still in position. » | Daniel Boffey in Luxembourg | Monday, September 16, 2019

Lib Dems Pledge to Cancel Brexit If They Win General Election

BBC: The Liberal Democrats have pledged to cancel Brexit if they come to power at the next general election.

Members voted for the new policy at their party conference in Bournemouth by an overwhelming majority.

Previously, the party has backed another referendum or "People's Vote", saying they would campaign to Remain.

After the vote, their leader Jo Swinson, said: "We will do all we can to fight for our place in Europe, and to stop Brexit altogether."

The commitment only comes into force if the party wins the election as a majority government. » | Sunday, September 15, 2019

How Will Saudi Arabia Respond to Attacks on Oil Facilities? | Inside Story

Drone attacks force world's largest oil exporter to halve output. It's being described as an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply.

Oil prices are expected to rise after Saudi Arabia was forced to cut production in half. Houthi rebels in Yemen say their latest drone attacks knocked out the world's largest crude processing plant.

Iran is dismissing US accusations that it was responsible. Is the possibility of a war between Iran and the Saudis increasing?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Hussain Al Bukhaiti - Yemeni affairs specialist; Simon Mabon - Director, Richardson Institute for Peace Studies, Lancaster University; Josh Young - Portfolio Manager, Bison Interests energy investment firm

Trump Is Seriously, Frighteningly Unstable – The World Is In Danger

THE GUARDIAN: It is almost too late for impeachment. The 25th amendment is untested. The ballot box offers our only remaining hope

In retrospect, what’s most disturbing about “Sharpiegate” isn’t Trump’s clumsy effort to doctor a National Weather Service map or even his brazen move to get the same agency to lie on his behalf.

It’s how utterly petty his motive was. We’ve had presidents trying to cover up a sexual liaison with an intern and a botched burglary, but never have we had one who went to such lengths to cover up an inaccurate weather forecast. Alabama being hit by a hurricane? Friends, this is not rational behavior.

Trump also cancelled a meeting with the Taliban at Camp David. The meeting was to have been secret. It was scheduled for the week of the anniversary of 9/11. He cancelled it by tweet.

Does any of this strike you as even remotely rational? » | Robert Reich | Sunday, September 15, 2019

‘Johnson Is a Liar Who Only Backed Leave to Help His Career’ – David Cameron

THE OBSERVER: Former PM vents fury in his memoirs at his old colleagues over their stance on Brexit and compares Leave campaign to racist Tory electioneering in 1964

Boris Johnson is a liar who only backed the Leave campaign to help his career and Michael Gove was a “foam-flecked Faragist” whose “one quality” was disloyalty, David Cameron writes in his memoirs.

The former prime minister poured vituperation on both his former colleagues Priti Patel, the current home secretary, and Dominic Cummings, the No 10 adviser, in extracts from the book published on Sunday.

In what may be Cameron’s most explosive allegation yet, he effectively accused Boris Johnson of mounting a racist election campaign by focusing on Turkey and its possible accession to the EU.

“It didn’t take long to figure out Leave’s obsession,” he writes. “Why focus on a country that wasn’t an EU member?

“The answer was that it was a Muslim country, which piqued fears about Islamism, mass migration and the transformation of communities. It was blatant.” » | Michael Savage and Emma Graham-Harrison | Sunday, September 15, 2019

Fareed Zakaria: Trump's Foreign Policy Is In Shambles

President Donald Trump claimed he was a great dealmaker, but after the collapse of deals with Iran, North Korea and the Taliban, has that claim been proven otherwise?

EU Officials Reject Boris Johnson Claim of 'Huge Progress' in Brexit Talks

THE GUARDIAN: PM’s upbeat account dismissed as Jean-Claude Juncker warns time is running out

EU officials have rejected Boris Johnson’s claim that “a huge amount of progress” is being made in Brexit talks, as Jean-Claude Juncker warned that time is running out.

Juncker, who will stand down as European commission president on 31 October, is expected to ask Johnson to spell out his ideas for replacing the Irish backstop when the pair meet over lunch in Luxembourg on Monday.

Johnson told the Mail on Sunday there were “real signs of movement” in Berlin, Paris and Dublin on getting rid of the backstop, the persistent stumbling block to a Brexit agreement. “A huge amount of progress is being made,” he said.

But EU officials involved in talks with Johnson’s envoy, David Frost, have dismissed his upbeat account. » | Jennifer Rankin and Daniel Boffey | Sunday, September 15, 2019

UK, EU Relationship Will 'Never Be the Same Again' | Conflict Zone

Britain's ruling Conservatives are buckling under the weight of Brexit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expelled many of his own MPs for breaking the whip on a key vote and shut down parliament, but not before it denied him an early election and instead legislated to force Johnson to request an extension to the UK's Brexit deadline from Brussels. But will he obey the law? This week Conflict Zone's Tim Sebastian meets pro-Brexit Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen in London.

Conflict Zone is Deutsche Welle's top political interview. Every week, our host Tim Sebastian is face to face with global decision-makers, seeking straight answers to straight questions, putting the spotlight on controversial issues and calling the powerful to account.

Sam Gyimah Slams ‘Populist Johnson’ as He Joins Lib Dems

THE GUARDIAN: The MP says he has joined Jo Swinson’s party to fight No 10’s ‘scorched earth approach’ to leaving the EU

Boris Johnson has suffered a fresh blow as the former Tory universities minister Sam Gyimah dramatically defected to the Liberal Democrats, accusing the prime minister of “veering towards populism and English nationalism”.

In a major coup for the Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson at the start of her party’s annual conference, Gyimah said he had left the Conservatives to fight against the government’s “scorched earth approach” to delivering Brexit regardless of the cost to the country.

Announcing his defection exclusively to the Observer as his new party gathered in Bournemouth, Gyimah said centrists were being “cast out of both main parties”. The East Surrey MP called on them to unite and fight back against the drift to the extremes. » | Michael Savage | Saturday, September 14, 2019

THE OBSERVER: Sam Gyimah: ‘I am an outcast in the Tory party’ »