Sunday, November 01, 2020
Who Is Donald J. Trump? Narrated by Julianne Moore | NowThis
Nice Mourns Terror Victims as Details Emerge about Suspect | DW News
Spain: Anti-Covid Restrictions Rally Descends into Chaos in Madrid
Macron Criticises Turkey's 'Imperial Inclinations' as Row between Countries Escalates
The French president Emmanuel Macron has accused Turkey of adopting a “bellicose” stance towards its NATO allies, saying tensions could ease if his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed respect and did not tell lies.
In an interview with al-Jazeera broadcast on Saturday, Macron condemned Turkey’s behaviour in Syria, Libya and the Mediterranean and said: “Turkey has a bellicose attitude towards its NATO allies.”
He also sought to calm flaring tensions with Muslims around the world after increasingly heated rhetoric following the murder of French school teacher, Samuel Paty, who showed caricatures of the prophet Muhammad alongside other cartoons as part of a discussion on free speech.
Macron said that France’s wish was that things “calm down” but for this to happen, it was essential that the “Turkish president respects France, respects the European Union, respects its values, does not tell lies and does not utter insults”.
He noted that France had offered its condolences to Turkey following the deadly earthquake in the Aegean and had also offered to send help to the scene. » | Agence France-Presse | Sunday, November 1, 2020
Turkey threatens legal action over Charlie Hebdo's caricature of president »
Un prêtre orthodoxe grièvement blessé par balle devant son église à Lyon
LE MONDE: Employé par le ministère grec de l’éducation et des cultes, la victime, Nikolaos Kakavelakis, est âgée de 52 ans et était en poste à Lyon depuis une dizaine d’années, en tant que recteur de la paroisse grecque orthodoxe de l’Annonciation de la mère de Dieu.
Samedi 31 octobre, vers 16 heures, près de l’Eglise orthodoxe grecque située rue Père Chevrier à Lyon, un archiprêtre orthodoxe, qui était en train de fermer son église, a été pris à partie par un homme seul. Celui-ci a ouvert le feu à deux reprises, avant de prendre la fuite, selon une source policière au Monde. Le prêtre a été blessé, son pronostic vital est engagé.
Employé par le ministère grec de l’éducation et des cultes, la victime, Nikolaos Kakavelakis, est âgée de 52 ans et était en poste à Lyon depuis une dizaine d’années, en tant que recteur de la paroisse grecque orthodoxe de l’Annonciation de la mère de Dieu. » | Par Nicolas Chapuis et Richard Schittly | samedi 31 0ctobre 2020
Samedi 31 octobre, vers 16 heures, près de l’Eglise orthodoxe grecque située rue Père Chevrier à Lyon, un archiprêtre orthodoxe, qui était en train de fermer son église, a été pris à partie par un homme seul. Celui-ci a ouvert le feu à deux reprises, avant de prendre la fuite, selon une source policière au Monde. Le prêtre a été blessé, son pronostic vital est engagé.
Employé par le ministère grec de l’éducation et des cultes, la victime, Nikolaos Kakavelakis, est âgée de 52 ans et était en poste à Lyon depuis une dizaine d’années, en tant que recteur de la paroisse grecque orthodoxe de l’Annonciation de la mère de Dieu. » | Par Nicolas Chapuis et Richard Schittly | samedi 31 0ctobre 2020
Nice Attack, France Boycott Protests, Covid-19, 2020 US Presidential Election
Saturday, October 31, 2020
US Election: Will Voters Turn on Trump after COVID-19 Response Catastrophe? | Conflict Zone
“Americans are looking for hope,” the Trump campaign advisor Mica Mosbacher tells Conflict Zone in the final days before election day.
But with over 200,000 people dead and more than eight million confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, will hopeful voters trust an incumbent president who has played down the threat and been accused of botching the country’s response to the pandemic?
Down the line from Texas, Republican strategist Mica Mosbacher joins host Tim Sebastian on Conflict Zone.
But with over 200,000 people dead and more than eight million confirmed coronavirus cases in the US, will hopeful voters trust an incumbent president who has played down the threat and been accused of botching the country’s response to the pandemic?
Down the line from Texas, Republican strategist Mica Mosbacher joins host Tim Sebastian on Conflict Zone.
German President Steinmeier: 'This Is a Test for Our Democracy' | DW Interview
Kommentar zum Terror gegen Frankreich: Angriff der Totalitären
TAGES ANZEIGER: Frankreich ist kein Provokateur, es wird von fanatischen Mördern ins Visier genommen. Dass viele wegsehen, ist irritierend.
Der Horror verdichtet sich: Am 25. September wurden zwei junge Mitarbeiter einer Fernsehproduktionsfirma in Paris auf der Strasse mit einem Metzgerbeil angegriffen. Sie machten eine Pause vor dem Gebäude, in dem früher die Redaktion der Satirezeitschrift «Charlie Hebdo» gearbeitet hatte. Am 16. Oktober wurde dem Geschichtslehrer Samuel Paty in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine auf offener Strasse der Kopf abgetrennt. Paty hatte im Unterricht über Meinungsfreiheit gesprochen und Mohammed-Karikaturen aus «Charlie Hebdo» gezeigt.
An diesem Donnerstag nun wurden in einer Kirche in Nizza drei Menschen mit einem Messer getötet, sechs weitere verletzt. Eine Frau betete, als der Täter ihr die Waffe an den Hals setzte. Diese Morde sind nicht isolierte Taten einzelner Irrer. Sie sind Teil des islamistischen Angriffs auf Frankreich.
Begonnen hat die aktuelle Mordserie mit dem «Charlie Hebdo»-Prozess. Wie in einer grausamen zweiten Auflage wird wiederholt, was schon 2015 passierte. Die Zeichner und alle, die im weitesten Sinn als ihre Unterstützer ausgemacht werden, sollen in der Logik der Fanatiker dafür zahlen, dass sie Witze über den Propheten Mohammed machen. Und die Reaktion nicht weniger Leute besteht darin, darauf hinzuweisen, die Karikaturen seien geschmacklos und verletzend. Ob die Franzosen es nicht ein bisschen weit trieben mit ihrem Recht auf Gotteslästerung, wird gefragt. » | Nadia Pantel aus Paris | Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020
Der Horror verdichtet sich: Am 25. September wurden zwei junge Mitarbeiter einer Fernsehproduktionsfirma in Paris auf der Strasse mit einem Metzgerbeil angegriffen. Sie machten eine Pause vor dem Gebäude, in dem früher die Redaktion der Satirezeitschrift «Charlie Hebdo» gearbeitet hatte. Am 16. Oktober wurde dem Geschichtslehrer Samuel Paty in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine auf offener Strasse der Kopf abgetrennt. Paty hatte im Unterricht über Meinungsfreiheit gesprochen und Mohammed-Karikaturen aus «Charlie Hebdo» gezeigt.
An diesem Donnerstag nun wurden in einer Kirche in Nizza drei Menschen mit einem Messer getötet, sechs weitere verletzt. Eine Frau betete, als der Täter ihr die Waffe an den Hals setzte. Diese Morde sind nicht isolierte Taten einzelner Irrer. Sie sind Teil des islamistischen Angriffs auf Frankreich.
Begonnen hat die aktuelle Mordserie mit dem «Charlie Hebdo»-Prozess. Wie in einer grausamen zweiten Auflage wird wiederholt, was schon 2015 passierte. Die Zeichner und alle, die im weitesten Sinn als ihre Unterstützer ausgemacht werden, sollen in der Logik der Fanatiker dafür zahlen, dass sie Witze über den Propheten Mohammed machen. Und die Reaktion nicht weniger Leute besteht darin, darauf hinzuweisen, die Karikaturen seien geschmacklos und verletzend. Ob die Franzosen es nicht ein bisschen weit trieben mit ihrem Recht auf Gotteslästerung, wird gefragt. » | Nadia Pantel aus Paris | Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020
'Gigantic Baby': Trump Plummets as His Own Execs Back Biden | The Beat with Ari Melber | MSNBC
Islamisme : Emmanuel Macron va s'exprimer dans une interview à Al Jazeera
La contre-offensive est lancée. Alors que son discours contre le séparatisme islamiste a été «tronqué» voire «manipulé» par certains pays arabo-musulmans, Emmanuel Macron a décidé de répondre lui-même à ses détracteurs. Le président de la République a en effet accordé un entretien de 55 minutes à Al Jazeera, qui doit être diffusé samedi 31 octobre à 17 heures, après avoir été enregistré vendredi à l'Élysée. » | Par Arthur Berdah | Samedi 31 octobre 2020
Friday, October 30, 2020
'A Slap in the Face': Keilar Slams Trump Jr. for False Claim
Marc Anthony
Nach Anschlag von Nizza: Frankreichs Innenminister sieht „Krieg“ gegen den Islamismus
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Gérald Darmanin bezeichnet den Islamismus als „Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“. Nizzas Bürgermeister sagt, dieser „Krieg“ könne nicht mit „den Gesetzen des Friedens“ gewonnen werden.
Nach dem Anschlag von Nizza mit drei Toten sieht Frankreichs Innenminister Gérald Darmanin das Land im „Krieg gegen die islamistische Ideologie“. „Der Islamismus ist eine Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“, sagte der 38 Jahre alte Minister am Freitag dem Sender RTL. Frankreich werde mit allen Mitteln des Rechtsstaats gegen die innere und äußere Bedrohung kämpfen.
Nach Darmanins Angaben war der 21 Jahre alte Tunesier, der als Täter festgenommen wurde, weder der Polizei in Frankreich noch in anderen europäischen Ländern bekannt. Der Innenminister sprach von einer möglichen Veränderung des Täterprofils: „Von den letzten 30 Terroristen, die auf unserem Boden gemordet haben, waren 22 Franzosen“, sagte er. Der mutmaßliche Täter von Nizza war erst im Oktober über Italien nach Frankreich gelangt. Seine Mutter äußerte sich am Freitag in einem Interview des Fernsehsenders Al-Arabija schockiert über die Ereignisse. » | Quelle: AFP/dpa | Freitag, 30. Oktober 2020
Nach dem Anschlag von Nizza mit drei Toten sieht Frankreichs Innenminister Gérald Darmanin das Land im „Krieg gegen die islamistische Ideologie“. „Der Islamismus ist eine Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“, sagte der 38 Jahre alte Minister am Freitag dem Sender RTL. Frankreich werde mit allen Mitteln des Rechtsstaats gegen die innere und äußere Bedrohung kämpfen.
Nach Darmanins Angaben war der 21 Jahre alte Tunesier, der als Täter festgenommen wurde, weder der Polizei in Frankreich noch in anderen europäischen Ländern bekannt. Der Innenminister sprach von einer möglichen Veränderung des Täterprofils: „Von den letzten 30 Terroristen, die auf unserem Boden gemordet haben, waren 22 Franzosen“, sagte er. Der mutmaßliche Täter von Nizza war erst im Oktober über Italien nach Frankreich gelangt. Seine Mutter äußerte sich am Freitag in einem Interview des Fernsehsenders Al-Arabija schockiert über die Ereignisse. » | Quelle: AFP/dpa | Freitag, 30. Oktober 2020
US Shatters Daily Coronavirus Record with Nearly 90,000 New Infections Thursday
THE GUARDIAN: Country approaches world-topping 9m cases as experts warn death rates could more than double by mid-January
The US has shattered the daily coronavirus record, with almost 90,000 new infections reported on Thursday and close to 1,000 deaths, as the US approached a world-topping 9m cases and experts warned of death rates more than doubling by mid-January.
The sobering data and scientific outlook show a pandemic veering further out of control in America even as the president and his son hammered a public message dismissing the grim realities.
According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, the US had a total of more than 8.9m cases on Friday, and was expected to soon cross the 9m mark. So far 228,677 people have died, the most in the world by a significant margin.
The US recorded its highest one-day total of new coronavirus infections of the pandemic, with 88,521 new cases reported on Thursday – a rise of 9,540 on the previous day. The death toll for the 24-hour period was 971. » | Miranda Bryant in New York | Friday, October 30, 2020
The US has shattered the daily coronavirus record, with almost 90,000 new infections reported on Thursday and close to 1,000 deaths, as the US approached a world-topping 9m cases and experts warned of death rates more than doubling by mid-January.
The sobering data and scientific outlook show a pandemic veering further out of control in America even as the president and his son hammered a public message dismissing the grim realities.
According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, the US had a total of more than 8.9m cases on Friday, and was expected to soon cross the 9m mark. So far 228,677 people have died, the most in the world by a significant margin.
The US recorded its highest one-day total of new coronavirus infections of the pandemic, with 88,521 new cases reported on Thursday – a rise of 9,540 on the previous day. The death toll for the 24-hour period was 971. » | Miranda Bryant in New York | Friday, October 30, 2020
Why Europe Is Praying for Trump to Lose the US Election | DW Analysis
I’m praying for Trump to lose the US election, too. I’m praying for him to lose and be TOTALLY HUMILIATED! – Mark
Anti-France Protests Draws [sic] Tens of Thousands across Muslim World
THE GUARDIAN: Demonstrations held in Pakistan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories and Afghanistan
Tens of thousands of Muslims in Pakistan, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere joined protests on Friday over the French president Emmanuel Macron’s vow to protect the right to caricature the prophet Muhammad.
Demonstrations in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, turned violent as 2,000 people who tried to march towards the French embassy were pushed back by police firing teargas and using batons. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of Macron from an overpass after pounding it with their shoes.
Several demonstrators were wounded in clashes with police as authorities pushed to evict activists from the red zone, a security area that houses Pakistan’s diplomatic missions. As night fell, demonstrators staged a sit-in on a main road to protest against authorities’ use of force. » | Associated Press in Dubai | Friday, October 30, 2020
Tens of thousands of Muslims in Pakistan, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere joined protests on Friday over the French president Emmanuel Macron’s vow to protect the right to caricature the prophet Muhammad.
Demonstrations in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, turned violent as 2,000 people who tried to march towards the French embassy were pushed back by police firing teargas and using batons. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of Macron from an overpass after pounding it with their shoes.
Several demonstrators were wounded in clashes with police as authorities pushed to evict activists from the red zone, a security area that houses Pakistan’s diplomatic missions. As night fell, demonstrators staged a sit-in on a main road to protest against authorities’ use of force. » | Associated Press in Dubai | Friday, October 30, 2020
Starkes Erdbeben erschüttert türkische Tourismus-Provinz Izmir
How America Bungled the Plague | NYT Opinion
A year ago, the United States was regarded as the country best prepared for a pandemic. Our government had spent nearly two decades strategizing for a doomsday scenario. So what went wrong?
How is it that America, which wrote the global playbook for pandemic response, accounts for just 4 percent of the world’s population yet more than 20 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths?
One of the most important functions of journalism is to provide accountability, so in the video above, Johnny Harris dives deep into an exploration of what went wrong and when, and who’s to blame and why.
How is it that America, which wrote the global playbook for pandemic response, accounts for just 4 percent of the world’s population yet more than 20 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths?
One of the most important functions of journalism is to provide accountability, so in the video above, Johnny Harris dives deep into an exploration of what went wrong and when, and who’s to blame and why.
'Darkest Part of the Pandemic' Is Approaching, Says Public Health Expert
United States Records Its Worst Week Yet for Virus Cases »
Turkey's Izmir Hit with Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake | DW News
Earthquake Rattles Western Turkey and Greece, Killing at Least 4 »
France Knife Attack: Country in a Fierce Debate over Role of Islam
French President Macron Vows Defiance after 'Islamist' Attack in Nice | DW News
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Protests Erupt in Philadelphia after Police Fatally Shoot Black Man | DW News
Three Killed in Knife Attack in French City of Nice
Drei Tote und mehrere Verletzte bei Messerattacke in Nizza
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Bei einer Messerattacke in Nizza hat es drei Tote und mehrere Verletzte gegeben. Eine Frau wurde enthauptet. Frankreich ruft die höchste Terrorwarnstufe aus.
Ein neuer schwerer Terroranschlag hat Frankreich getroffen. Ein Mann ist am Donnerstagvormittag kurz vor neun Uhr in die Kirche Notre-Dame de l’Assomption im Zentrum von Nizza eingedrungen und hat mehrere Menschen mit einem Messer angegriffen, wie die Polizei mitteilte. Zwei Frauen und ein Mann starben, mehrere wurde verletzt. Eine der Frauen wurde enthauptet. Der Attentäter, der mehrfach „Allahu Akbar“ (Allah ist groß) rief, wurde beim Einsatz der Sicherheitskräfte durch Schüsse schwer verletzt und in ein Krankenhaus gebracht.
Nach französischen Medienberichten wurden zudem in Avignon am Vormittag ein mit einem Messer bewaffneter Mann von der Polizei erschossen. Die Hintergründe der Tat sind noch unklar.
Die Anti-Terror-Staatsanwaltschaft übernahm am Donnerstagvormittag die Ermittlungen zum Fall in Nizza. Dabei gehe es unter anderem um den Vorwurf des Mords in Verbindung mit einem terroristischen Vorhaben, bestätigte die Staatsanwaltschaft der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. Frankreich rief die höchste Terror-Warnstufe aus. Sie gilt landesweit, wie Regierungschef Jean Castex am Donnerstag in Paris mitteilte. Castex verurteilte die „ebenso feige wie barbarische Tat, die das ganze Land in Trauer versetzt“. » | Quelle: FAZ.NET | Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020
Ein neuer schwerer Terroranschlag hat Frankreich getroffen. Ein Mann ist am Donnerstagvormittag kurz vor neun Uhr in die Kirche Notre-Dame de l’Assomption im Zentrum von Nizza eingedrungen und hat mehrere Menschen mit einem Messer angegriffen, wie die Polizei mitteilte. Zwei Frauen und ein Mann starben, mehrere wurde verletzt. Eine der Frauen wurde enthauptet. Der Attentäter, der mehrfach „Allahu Akbar“ (Allah ist groß) rief, wurde beim Einsatz der Sicherheitskräfte durch Schüsse schwer verletzt und in ein Krankenhaus gebracht.
Nach französischen Medienberichten wurden zudem in Avignon am Vormittag ein mit einem Messer bewaffneter Mann von der Polizei erschossen. Die Hintergründe der Tat sind noch unklar.
Die Anti-Terror-Staatsanwaltschaft übernahm am Donnerstagvormittag die Ermittlungen zum Fall in Nizza. Dabei gehe es unter anderem um den Vorwurf des Mords in Verbindung mit einem terroristischen Vorhaben, bestätigte die Staatsanwaltschaft der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. Frankreich rief die höchste Terror-Warnstufe aus. Sie gilt landesweit, wie Regierungschef Jean Castex am Donnerstag in Paris mitteilte. Castex verurteilte die „ebenso feige wie barbarische Tat, die das ganze Land in Trauer versetzt“. » | Quelle: FAZ.NET | Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020
Deadly Knife Attack in Nice Is Terrorism, French Officials Say
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The assault at a church in the south of France left at least three people dead. Local officials said it bore similarities to the killing of a schoolteacher that has shaken the country.
PARIS — Less than two weeks after the beheading of a French schoolteacher, an assailant carrying a knife entered the towering neo-Gothic basilica in the southern city of Nice early Thursday and killed three people, further inflaming tensions in a country already on edge and leading the authorities to increase the terrorism threat level.
Officials in Nice described the attack as Islamist terrorism, and it was quickly followed by two similar events — including a knife-wielding assailant outside a French Consulate in Saudi Arabia — though it was not immediately clear whether the events were coordinated.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, told reporters on Thursday that a suspect, who has not been identified, was arrested after being shot and wounded by the police. The suspect “kept repeating Allahu akbar in front of us even though he was sedated,” Mr. Estrosi said, adding this left “no doubt” about the motivation behind the attack. » | Constant Méheut and Aurelien Breeden | Thursday, October 29, 2020
PARIS — Less than two weeks after the beheading of a French schoolteacher, an assailant carrying a knife entered the towering neo-Gothic basilica in the southern city of Nice early Thursday and killed three people, further inflaming tensions in a country already on edge and leading the authorities to increase the terrorism threat level.
Officials in Nice described the attack as Islamist terrorism, and it was quickly followed by two similar events — including a knife-wielding assailant outside a French Consulate in Saudi Arabia — though it was not immediately clear whether the events were coordinated.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, told reporters on Thursday that a suspect, who has not been identified, was arrested after being shot and wounded by the police. The suspect “kept repeating Allahu akbar in front of us even though he was sedated,” Mr. Estrosi said, adding this left “no doubt” about the motivation behind the attack. » | Constant Méheut and Aurelien Breeden | Thursday, October 29, 2020
France on Urgent Alert Following Nice 'Terror' Attack
Two People Are Beheaded and Several Others Wounded in Terrorist Knife Rampage at a Church in Nice before Attacker Is Shot and Arrested
MAIL ONLINE: Three killed - two of them beheaded - and several more stabbed in a terror attack at a cathedral in Nice / Attack began around 9am before police swarmed the area, where they shot and arrested the attacker / Mass had just begun inside cathedral - largest Roman Catholic church in France - when attack started / Comes fortnight after teacher was beheaded near Paris; a month after stabbings near Charlie Hebdo offices
At least three people have been killed - two of them beheaded - and several others stabbed in a terrorist knife attack at a cathedral in Nice.
The attack began around 9am, according to local reports, before police swarmed the area where they shot and arrested the attacker.
The city's mayor, Christian Estrosi, tweeted: 'I am on site with the [police] who arrested the perpetrator of the attack.
'I confirm that everything suggests a terrorist attack in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice.' » | Chris Pleasance for Mail Online and Peter Allen in Paris for Mail Online | Thursday, October 29, 2020
At least three people have been killed - two of them beheaded - and several others stabbed in a terrorist knife attack at a cathedral in Nice.
The attack began around 9am, according to local reports, before police swarmed the area where they shot and arrested the attacker.
The city's mayor, Christian Estrosi, tweeted: 'I am on site with the [police] who arrested the perpetrator of the attack.
'I confirm that everything suggests a terrorist attack in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice.' » | Chris Pleasance for Mail Online and Peter Allen in Paris for Mail Online | Thursday, October 29, 2020
President Donald Trump: The 60 Minutes – 2020 Election Interview
Streit um Mohammed-Karikaturen: Erdogan spricht von Kreuzzügen des Westens
TAGES ANZEIGER: Der türkische Präsident wirft bestimmten Staaten vor, den Islam zu attackieren. Vor allem Frankreichs Regierung ist ihm ein Dorn im Auge.
Im Streit mit Frankreich über Mohammed-Karikaturen und Meinungsfreiheit wirft der türkische Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan bestimmten Ländern eine «Neuauflage der Kreuzzüge» vor. Diese würden von westlichen Staaten geplant, die den Islam attackierten, sagte Erdogan am Mittwoch in einer Rede vor Abgeordneten seiner Partei AKP. Sich gegen Angriffe auf den Propheten Mohammed zu stemmen, sei «eine Frage der Ehre». » | REUTERS/SDA/fal | Mittwoch, 28. Oktober 2020
Im Streit mit Frankreich über Mohammed-Karikaturen und Meinungsfreiheit wirft der türkische Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan bestimmten Ländern eine «Neuauflage der Kreuzzüge» vor. Diese würden von westlichen Staaten geplant, die den Islam attackierten, sagte Erdogan am Mittwoch in einer Rede vor Abgeordneten seiner Partei AKP. Sich gegen Angriffe auf den Propheten Mohammed zu stemmen, sei «eine Frage der Ehre». » | REUTERS/SDA/fal | Mittwoch, 28. Oktober 2020
Von der Leyen: „Dieses Weihnachten wird sehr anders“
Keilar Calls Out Trump's 'Tone- deaf' Plea to Suburban Women
The US Electoral System Is a Shambles. They Could Learn a Lot from Australia
THE GUARDIAN: Systemic voter suppression and rules still being set for an election within days – this is American exceptionalism
On Monday night the US supreme court voted five to three against allowing more days for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. Given difficulties in the postal service, Democrats wanted to see ballots that are cast before close of voting on 3 November received and counted for another six days. This decision, only a week before election day, follows a supreme court decision on 19 October, by four votes to four, to decline a bid by state Republican legislators to stop the count in Pennsylvania extending three days. But following Monday’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, this could be revisited.
Astonishingly, the US is still settling rules for an election due within days. And a national election is being conducted with a patchwork of state laws and regulations. Further, elected state officials – Republican or Democrat office holders – are making decisions about who goes on the roll, how many voting machines go where and how long postal votes will be counted.
And all subject to appeal to an acutely partisan court.
This is American exceptionalism. It confirms the proposition that the US is simply not a democracy, not in the sense western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are democracies. The point is already made by the electoral college, which in two of the past five presidential elections transmuted Democratic majorities – half a million for Al Gore, 3m for Hillary Clinton – into Republican wins. » | Bob Carr | Thursday, October 29, 2020
On Monday night the US supreme court voted five to three against allowing more days for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. Given difficulties in the postal service, Democrats wanted to see ballots that are cast before close of voting on 3 November received and counted for another six days. This decision, only a week before election day, follows a supreme court decision on 19 October, by four votes to four, to decline a bid by state Republican legislators to stop the count in Pennsylvania extending three days. But following Monday’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, this could be revisited.
Astonishingly, the US is still settling rules for an election due within days. And a national election is being conducted with a patchwork of state laws and regulations. Further, elected state officials – Republican or Democrat office holders – are making decisions about who goes on the roll, how many voting machines go where and how long postal votes will be counted.
And all subject to appeal to an acutely partisan court.
This is American exceptionalism. It confirms the proposition that the US is simply not a democracy, not in the sense western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are democracies. The point is already made by the electoral college, which in two of the past five presidential elections transmuted Democratic majorities – half a million for Al Gore, 3m for Hillary Clinton – into Republican wins. » | Bob Carr | Thursday, October 29, 2020
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Coronavirus: Macron Declares Second National Lockdown in France
BBC: French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a second national lockdown for at least until the end of November.
Mr Macron said that under the new measures, starting on Friday, people would only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.
Non-essential businesses, such as restaurants and bars, will close, but schools and factories will remain open.
Covid daily deaths in France are at the highest level since April. On Tuesday, 33,000 new cases were confirmed.
Mr Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first". » | Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Mr Macron said that under the new measures, starting on Friday, people would only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.
Non-essential businesses, such as restaurants and bars, will close, but schools and factories will remain open.
Covid daily deaths in France are at the highest level since April. On Tuesday, 33,000 new cases were confirmed.
Mr Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first". » | Wednesday, October 28, 2020
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Address | Harvard Commencement 2019
Erdogan-Karikatur: Türkischer Präsident tobt über Charlie Hebdo
Erdogans Boykottaufruf findet Rückhalt in Muslimischer Welt | DW Nachrichten
Muslim Countries Denounce French Response to Killing of Teacher, Urge Boycott
THE NEW YORK TIMES: While the government’s moves against extremism have public support, they have opened France to criticism that its relationship with its Muslim citizens has taken an ugly turn.
BRUSSELS — Since a young Muslim beheaded a French schoolteacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a class, France has conducted dozens of raids against suspected Islamic extremists, closed a major mosque and shut down some Muslim aid groups.
In France, a nation still traumatized by some 36 Islamic State-inspired terrorist attacks in the last eight years, including two that together killed more than 200 people, those broad measures have found widespread support. President Emmanuel Macron, a fierce defender of French secularism and the right to free speech, went as far as to suggest that Islam was in need of an Enlightenment, and his interior minister spoke of a “civil war.”
In the Muslim world, these actions, and the tone coming from top French officials, have opened France to criticism that the nation’s complicated, post-colonial relationship with its six million Muslim citizens has taken an ugly turn. Leading the condemnation has been President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who called Mr. Macron mentally damaged in a speech over the weekend. “Macron needs mental treatment,” he said. “What is the problem of this person Macron with Muslims and Islam?” » | Steven Erlanger | Published Oct. 27, 2020; Updated Oct. 28, 2020
BRUSSELS — Since a young Muslim beheaded a French schoolteacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a class, France has conducted dozens of raids against suspected Islamic extremists, closed a major mosque and shut down some Muslim aid groups.
In France, a nation still traumatized by some 36 Islamic State-inspired terrorist attacks in the last eight years, including two that together killed more than 200 people, those broad measures have found widespread support. President Emmanuel Macron, a fierce defender of French secularism and the right to free speech, went as far as to suggest that Islam was in need of an Enlightenment, and his interior minister spoke of a “civil war.”
In the Muslim world, these actions, and the tone coming from top French officials, have opened France to criticism that the nation’s complicated, post-colonial relationship with its six million Muslim citizens has taken an ugly turn. Leading the condemnation has been President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who called Mr. Macron mentally damaged in a speech over the weekend. “Macron needs mental treatment,” he said. “What is the problem of this person Macron with Muslims and Islam?” » | Steven Erlanger | Published Oct. 27, 2020; Updated Oct. 28, 2020
Anger towards Emmanuel Macron Grows in Muslim World
On the front page of a hardline Iranian newspaper, he was the “Demon of Paris”. In the streets of Dhaka he was decried as a leader who “worships Satan”. Outside Baghdad’s French embassy, a likeness of Emmanuel Macron was burned along with France’s flag.
Rage is growing across the Muslim world at the French president and his perceived attacks on Islam and the prophet Muhammad, leading to calls for boycotts of the French products and security warnings for France’s citizens in majority-Muslim states.
The backlash has cut across an extraordinarily diverse Muslim world with a myriad of cultures, sects, political systems and levels of economic development. It has stoked historical and present-day grievances from the markets of Herat in Afghanistan to the upmarket neighbourhoods of Amman and the universities of Islamabad. » | Michael Safi in Beirut, Redwan Ahmed in Dhaka, Akhtar Mohammad Makoii in Herat and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad | Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
The Guardian View on the 2020 US Elections: It’s Time to Dump Trump. America’s Only Hope Is Joe Biden
THE GUARDIAN: Four years of deranged and unpredictable behaviour is proof that the current US president is uniquely unsuited to the job
Donald Trump’s presidency has been a horror show that is ending with a pandemic that is out of control, an economic recession and deepening political polarisation. Mr Trump is the author of this disastrous denouement. He is also the political leader least equipped to deal with it. Democracy in the United States has been damaged by Mr Trump’s first term. It may not survive four more years.
If the Guardian had a vote, it would be cast to elect Joe Biden as president next Tuesday. Mr Biden has what it takes to lead the United States. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden cares about his nation’s history, its people, its constitutional principles and its place in the world. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden wants to unite a divided country. Mr Trump stokes an anger that is wearing it down.
The Republican presidential nominee is not, and has never been, a fit and proper person for the presidency. He has been credibly accused of rape. He displays a brazen disregard for legal norms. In office, he has propagated lies and ignorance. It is astonishing that his financial interests appear to sway his outlook on the national interest. His government is cruel and mean. It effectively sanctioned the kidnapping and orphaning of migrant children by detaining them and deporting their parents. He has vilified whistleblowers and venerated war criminals.
Mr Trump trades in racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. Telling the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has endorsed violence, to “stand back and stand by” was, in the words of Mr Biden, “a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn”. From the Muslim ban to building a wall on the Mexican border, the president is grounding his base in white supremacy. With an agenda of corporate deregulation and tax giveaways for the rich, Mr Trump is filling the swamp, not draining it. » | Guardian view | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Donald Trump’s presidency has been a horror show that is ending with a pandemic that is out of control, an economic recession and deepening political polarisation. Mr Trump is the author of this disastrous denouement. He is also the political leader least equipped to deal with it. Democracy in the United States has been damaged by Mr Trump’s first term. It may not survive four more years.
If the Guardian had a vote, it would be cast to elect Joe Biden as president next Tuesday. Mr Biden has what it takes to lead the United States. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden cares about his nation’s history, its people, its constitutional principles and its place in the world. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden wants to unite a divided country. Mr Trump stokes an anger that is wearing it down.
The Republican presidential nominee is not, and has never been, a fit and proper person for the presidency. He has been credibly accused of rape. He displays a brazen disregard for legal norms. In office, he has propagated lies and ignorance. It is astonishing that his financial interests appear to sway his outlook on the national interest. His government is cruel and mean. It effectively sanctioned the kidnapping and orphaning of migrant children by detaining them and deporting their parents. He has vilified whistleblowers and venerated war criminals.
Mr Trump trades in racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. Telling the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has endorsed violence, to “stand back and stand by” was, in the words of Mr Biden, “a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn”. From the Muslim ban to building a wall on the Mexican border, the president is grounding his base in white supremacy. With an agenda of corporate deregulation and tax giveaways for the rich, Mr Trump is filling the swamp, not draining it. » | Guardian view | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Monday, October 26, 2020
Anger Spreads in Islamic World after Macron's Backing for Muhammad Cartoons
THE GUARDIAN: Calls for boycott of French goods after president’s remarks at tribute to murdered teacher Samuel Paty
France has appealed for foreign governments to stamp out calls by what it calls a “radical minority” for a boycott of French products after Emmanuel Macron’s public backing of the Muhammad caricatures.
The appeal came as anger escalated across the Islamic world over the president’s remarks at a national tribute to the murdered high-school teacher Samuel Paty last week, with Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling on Monday for a complete boycott of French products in Turkey.
Paty, 47, was killed after he showed his class drawings of the prophet during a debate on free speech.
After Macron promised France would not “renounce the caricatures”, a furious riposte that emerged on Friday on social media under Arabic hashtags gained momentum over the weekend. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Monday, October 26, 2020
France has appealed for foreign governments to stamp out calls by what it calls a “radical minority” for a boycott of French products after Emmanuel Macron’s public backing of the Muhammad caricatures.
The appeal came as anger escalated across the Islamic world over the president’s remarks at a national tribute to the murdered high-school teacher Samuel Paty last week, with Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling on Monday for a complete boycott of French products in Turkey.
Paty, 47, was killed after he showed his class drawings of the prophet during a debate on free speech.
After Macron promised France would not “renounce the caricatures”, a furious riposte that emerged on Friday on social media under Arabic hashtags gained momentum over the weekend. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Monday, October 26, 2020
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