Noble Peace Prize: Campaign Against the Arms Trade nominated for the Noble Peace Prize

CAMPAIGN Against the Arms Trade has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its ongoing work to stop Britain’s complicity in the bombing of Yemen.

The anti-arms group received the joint nomination along with its partner Mwatana for Human Rights, a grassroots organisation in Yemen, from Nobel Laureate the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW).

The nomination is intended to draw attention to the suffering of the Yemeni people and CAAT’s latest judicial review against Britain’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Read more at: Campaign Against the Arms Trade nominated for the Noble Peace Prize | Morning Star

US Presidential Campaign: Trump resumes campaign with Florida rally 10 days after COVID-19 disclosure

U.S. President Donald Trump will try to put his bout with COVID-19 behind him when he returns to the campaign trail on Monday, beginning a three-week sprint to the Nov. 3 election with a rally in the battleground state of Florida.

The event at an airport in Sanford, Fla., will be Trump's first campaign rally since he disclosed on Oct. 2 that he tested positive for COVID-19. Trump, who spent three nights in the hospital for treatment, said on Sunday he had fully recovered and was no longer infectious, but he did not say directly whether he had tested negative for the coronavirus.

The Republican president, 74, is seeking to change the dynamics of a race that national opinion polls and some state polls show he is losing to Democratic challenger Joe Biden, 77.

Read more at: 
Trump resumes campaign with Florida rally 10 days after COVID-19 disclosure | CBC News

USA; Presidential Elections: Trump's train is running off the tracks - Opinion by John Avlon

he fever may be starting to break. Donald Trump has held his party in line with bullying tactics and the white-hot love of the conservative populist base.

But now — badly trailing in the polls and marred by increasingly erratic, self-sabotaging behavior — there are signs that some Republicans are beginning to distance themselves from Trump in a desperate attempt to avoid political doom.

 

The unlikely canary in the coal mine came in the form of Arizona Sen. Martha McSally — typically a Trump sycophant — who avoided answering several direct questions on whether she was proud of her support for the President during her debate against Democratic challenger Mark Kelly. Instead, she robotically repeated that she was "proud to be fighting for Arizona."

 

It wasn't subtle but it was strategic. That's because hugging Donald Trump too tight is a liability in a purple state general election. Independents make up 32% of registered voters in Arizona and in the latest CNN poll, Trump has just a 37% approval rate among independents nationally.

 

In Arizona, Trump has the added burden of repeatedly insulting the state's favorite son, John McCain, whose wife Cindy has endorsed Joe Biden. Trump's persistent disrespect of McCain provoked McSally to slap the President more directly: "It pisses me off when he does it."

Read more at: 
Opinion: Trump's train is running off the tracks - CNN

USA - Pence campaigns for his boss: Hundreds gather for Pence visit in Janesville

Speaking to about 300 people at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Pence said police are “some of the best people in this country … They count our lives more than their own.”

He did not directly address the issue that has led to massive protests in recent weeks over charges of racially motivated police brutality and killings of Black people.

Pence did mention the apparent ambush shooting of two Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies Saturday and the protesters who showed up at the hospital where they were treated, saying, “We hope they die.”

Read more at: Hundreds gather for Pence visit in Janesville | Local News | beloitdailynews.com

USA - Freedom of the Press: Trump Allies Target Journalists Over Coverage Deemed Hostile to White House - by Kenneth P. Vogel and Jeremy W. Peters

A loose network of conservative operatives allied with the White House is pursuing what they say will be an aggressive operation to discredit news organizations deemed hostile to President Trump by publicizing damaging information about journalists.

It is the latest step in a long-running effort by Mr. Trump and his allies to undercut the influence of legitimate news reporting. Four people familiar with the operation described how it works, asserting that it has compiled dossiers of potentially embarrassing social media posts and other public statements by hundreds of people who work at some of the country’s most prominent news organizations.

The group has already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times — three outlets that have aggressively investigated Mr. Trump — in response to reporting or commentary that the White House’s allies consider unfair to Mr. Trump and his team or harmful to his re-election prospects.

Operatives have closely examined more than a decade’s worth of public posts and statements by journalists, the people familiar with the operation said. Only a fraction of what the network claims to have uncovered has been made public, the people said, with more to be disclosed as the 2020 election heats up. The research is said to extend to members of journalists’ families who are active in politics, as well as liberal activists and other political opponents of the president.

It is not possible to independently assess the claims about the quantity or potential significance of the material the pro-Trump network has assembled. Some involved in the operation have histories of bluster and exaggeration. And those willing to describe its techniques and goals may be trying to intimidate journalists or their employers.

It is clear from the cases to date that among the central players in the operation is Arthur Schwartz, a combative 47-year-old conservative consultant who is a friend and informal adviser to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son. Mr. Schwartz has worked with some of the right’s most aggressive operatives, including the former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon.

Read more at: Trump Allies Target Journalists Over Coverage Deemed Hostile to White House - The New York Times: 

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EU: Microsoft discovers Russian hacking campaign ahead of EU parliamentary elections

Read more at:

https://news.sky.com/story/microsoft-spots-russian-hacking-campaign-ahead-of-eu-elections-11642702

Germany: Erdogan to campaign in Germany- but should he be allowed to do so? - by Beata Stur

Erdogan takes his political campaign into the EU

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will reportedly visit Germany next month to hold a campaign rally on his controversial constitutional reform plan.

As reported by Handelsblatt Global online, Erdogan will visit western Germany after an official visit in Strasbourg.

There are 1.4 million Turkish voters residing in Germany. Many of them live in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, home to the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf as well as the industrial Ruhr region.

But German politicians have reacted to the reports of Erdogan’s visit. For instance, the government’s integration commissioner, Aydan Özoguz, said that “everyone should campaign solely in their own country”. She told regional daily Ruhr Nachrichten that such events are toxic in Germany and harm peaceful coexistence.

Sven Lehmann, the chairman of North Rhine-Westphalia’s chapter of the Green party, which governs the state in a coalition with the Social Democrats, accused Erdogan of polarising Turkey and undermining fundamental rights in his country. “The federal government should make it clear that no anti-democratic events are to be held here,” Lehmann said.

According to Handelsblatt Global online, Turkish voters will decide on April 16 on a constitutional reform pushed by Erdogan’s party, the AKP, making Turkey a presidential republic with greatly increased powers for the president.

Last week, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, addressed 10,000 supporters gathered in an arena in Oberhausen, a city in the Ruhr region. He said that if they love their country, they have to vote yes.

Erdogan or any foreign dignitary for that matter, should not be allowed to campaign in EU member States for political causes which are foreign in origin. In this particular case for a Turkish referendum on giving Erdogan additional  dictatorial powers. 

It is also important that immigrants, who have chosen, for economic reasons, to live and work in a country other than that of their origin,  should not get involved in politics of their country of origin. 

If they still have a desire to do so, they should return to their country of origin and live there. 

As the saying goes "you can't have your cake and eat it also" and that also goes for Mr. Erdogan and his followers who live abroad.

EU-Digest

Britain - turmoil: British opposition MP Jo Cox dies after shooting

 Labour MP Jo Cox has been confirmed dead hours after being shot outside her advice surgery near the city of Leeds. Both sides in Britain's EU referendum debate have suspended campaigning following the attack.

The 41-year-old was shot close to her constituency advice surgery in Birstall, near Leeds in northern England, earlier in the day.

DCC Collins said the mother-of-two was reportedly shot in the face three times and attacked with a knife, adding that a full investigation was underway to establish a motive for the murder. Collins added that Cox died at 1.48 p.m. local time (12:48 UTC), within an hour of the attack.

The UK's Press Association news agency cited eyewitnesses who said the MP for the constituency of Batley and Spen appeared to be involved in a struggle in the street with a man, who pulled out a gun. Cox was left bleeding on the pavement and another man was also injured.

Police later said they believe the attack was a localized incident and they were not looking for anyone else than the 51-year-old man arrested earlier in the day, named locally as Tommy Mair. Weapons, including a firearm, were also recovered.

 Read more: British opposition MP Jo Cox dies after shooting | News | DW.COM | 16.06.2016

The Netherlands: Health groups: We need a “smoke free” generation; 1 in 3 can’t quit cigarettes - by Janene Pieters

Three health organizations have joined forces and launched a campaign for a “smoke free generation”. The campaign aims to have children grow up in a smoke-free environment and without the temptation to start smoking.

 Figures released by Statistics Netherlands on Friday shows that one in three smokers recently tried to quit smoking and failed. Young smokers and female smokers have a particularly hard time quitting.


The three health organizations that initiated this campaign are the Hartstichting (Heart Foundation), KWF Kankerbestrijding (the Dutch Cancer Society) and Longfonds. (Lung Fund), the Hartstichting announced recently

According to the organizations, 20 thousand people in the Netherlands die every year due to smoking and second hand smoke – more than the number of deaths caused by alcohol, drugs, crime and traffic combined. And yet about 100 kids start smoking in the Netherlands every day.

The organizations have therefore decided to intervene. They will promote various large and small initiatives that work towards a smoke-free environment for children. This includes smoke-free school yards and sports associations, among others. They also want to provide better information and support for young parents.

The organizations will help health centers to advise young and new parents on how they can raise their children smoke-free and assist them in this. As the child grows older, schools and sports clubs can help the parents provide a smoke-free environment for their kids.

“Parents with children should have the opportunity to let their child grow up completely smoke-free. Parents who choose to do so should be able to prevent their children continuously being confronted with the bad example of smoking people and without the temptation of shiny packets and added flavors to cigarettes.” the Hartstichting writes.

Read more: Health groups: We need a “smoke free” generation; 1 in 3 can’t quit cigarettes - NL Times

Preventive Healthcare: Pro-business lobbying giant US Chamber of Commerce waging global lobbying campaign against anti-smoking laws

CVS Health Corporation (CVS) made big news recently when it cancelled its membership in the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, the pro-corporate,Washington lobbying giant that was recently revealed to have been waging a global lobbying campaign against anti-smoking laws.

Given its stated commitment to health promotion, CVS did the right thing. But six major health care companies, four of which sit on the Chamber's board – and all of which have anti-smoking programs – haven't done anything. It's time to hold them accountable.

These companies should not be allowed to profit from the US Chamber's corporate lobbying and then stick their heads in the sand when it's caught working directly against public health and safety.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and a group of fellow Democratic senators have just sent a letter to all 108 companies on the Chamber's board, demanding that they state their positions on the Chamber's pro-smoking lobbying.

But six major health care companies who are Chamber members – Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, the Health Care Service Corporation, the Steward Health Care System of Boston, and the Indiana University Health system – also have a responsibility. All of them support anti-smoking programs, but the Chamber’s efforts undercut that mission.

Today, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. and around the world. Cigarette smoking accounts for almost half a million deaths a year in the U.S. alone. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.³

Tell these health care companies: Drop your affiliation with the pro-smoking U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Click here to sign the petition.

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