Venice to charge tourist entry fee for short stays -
Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46721456
12/31/18
Germany: Merkel vows greater international role for Germany
Merkel vows greater international role for Germany in 2019
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2018/12/31/merkel-vows-greater-international-role-for-germany-in-2019
USA: Elizabeth Warren, first Democratic candidate for President to announce she will run against Trump
Elizabeth Warren announces 2020 run for president against Trump
Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/31/elizabeth-warren-2020-run-president-trump?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger
SPACE - THE NEW FRONTIER - 4 LAUNCHES IN 24 HOURS
Watch this space: Four rockets set for blast-off in busy 24 hours
Read more at :
https://www.euronews.com/2018/12/18/watch-this-space-four-rockets-set-for-blast-off-in-busy-24-hours
BRITAIN-BREXIT: Tory and Labour MP`s will force Brexit delay if May's deal is voted down
Tory and Labour MPs to force Brexit delay if May's deal is voted down
Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/29/cross-party-stop-the-clock-hard-brexit-no-deal-29-march?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger
12/30/18
Romania: EU President doubts Romania's ability to assume EU Presidency
EU's Juncker doubts Romania's ability to assume EU presidency European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker voiced doubts on Saturday about Romania's ability to take over the EU's six-month rotating presidency next month, amid tensions between Bucharest and Brussels.
Read more at: http://www.france24.com/en/20181229-european-union-juncker-doubts-romania-eu-presidency
European Aircraft Industry: Major fire to delay Airbus production
Major fire to delay Airbus production - SamChui.com:
A major fire in one of Airbus' facilities has left the company in a complicated situation as they struggle to meet delivery targets.
A major fire in one of Airbus' facilities has left the company in a complicated situation as they struggle to meet delivery targets.
Italy: the Italian parliament approved revised budget following EU standoff
Italian MPs approve revised budget after EU standoff Italian lawmakers passed Saturday the populist government's revised 2019 budget before a year-end deadline, despite complaints from the opposition that it was dictated by Brussels and had been rammed through without debate.
Read more at http://www.france24.com/en/20181229-italy-budget-passes-EU-deal-deficit-standoff-europe
Serbia: thousands demonstrate against the government in Belgrade
Thousands flood the streets of Belgrade in fourth straight weekend of anti-government protests
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2018/12/30/thousands-flood-the-streets-of-belgrade-in-anti-government-protest
12/29/18
India - polution: Mumbai the toxic shell were poor people are forced to live
The Mumbai 'toxic hell' where poor are forced to live -
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-46436829
12/28/18
Freedom of the Press: Under threat around the world
Opinion: Freedom of the press — A pillar of every democracy
Read more at:
https://p.dw.com/p/3Ahfs
Netherlands - Tax evasion: the Netherlands has published it's own Tax evasion list next to the one from the EU
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-12/28/c_137705182.htm
Britain - the Brexit Drama: where do we stand now?
Brexit Guide: where are we now?
Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2018/11/20/brexit-draft-deal-first-of-many-hurdles-to-a-smooth-exit
Syria: Kurdish troops betrayed by U S Government
Read more at:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/world/middleeast/syria-kurds-turkey-manbij.html
12/27/18
US economy: a 2020 meltdown of the US economy is starting is in the face
Read more at:
https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2017/11/30/biggest-crash-ever-is-probably-coming-by-2020-harr/?slreturn=20181127163026
Middle East - Saudi Arabia: the cover-up continues
Saudi Arabia demotes foreign minister in wake of Khashoggi case -
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46695216
US Government: Impact to be felt after the Christmas holidays
Impacts of U.S. government shutdown to rise following holidays
Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-government-shutdown-politics-1.4959098
12/26/18
USA: Trump says US government to stay closed until he gets his border wall
Trump says US government shutdown to last until agreement on border wall American President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday he would not reopen the government until he gets $5 billion to fund his border wall, as the partial government shutdown dragged into a fourth day.
Read more at:
http://www.france24.com/en/20181225-trump-says-us-government-shutdown-last-agreement-border-wall-democrats
12/24/18
China: cracks down on Christmas celebrations
China cracks down on Christmas celebrations
Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/24/china-cracks-down-on-christmas-celebrations?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger
Canada drones: Canadian military eyes ways to drone-proof airspace
As Gatwick grapples with drones, Canadian military eyes ways to drone-proof airspace
Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/drone-detection-military-spying-technology-1.4949744
ISRAEL: Date for election set
Israel sets date for elections.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46674220
USA: Poor Donald Trump, as he airs his grievances
Who's been naughty? On Christmas Eve, Trump airs more grievances
12/23/18
Germany: President Steinmeier gives upbeat Christmas Speech
Frank-Walter Steinmeier: Our democracy is as strong as we make it.
Read more at:
USA: Nothing to stop Trump now except the Muller report
Read more at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-rogue-presidency-the-era-of-containing-trump-is-over/2018/12/22/26fc010e-055b-11e9-b5df-5d3874f1ac36_story.html?utm_term=.a94a9310d718
Turkey: the country where Journalism is a crime
Read more at:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/12/23/the_nato_country_where_journalism_is_a_crime_139008.html
12/22/18
USA - Trump Administration - but the beat goes on whileTrump lifts sanctions on Rissian companies connected to Trump family empire
Read more at:
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-russia-putin-deripaska-paul-manafort-vtb-bank-glencore-1266018?spMailingID=4781472&spUserID=MTI0NzM2NDgxNDcS1&spJobID=1171634461&spReportId=MTE3MTYzNDQ2MQS2
12/21/18
US Economy in dire straits: US stock market dives into disastrous waters
"Nasdaq confirms bear market; economic worries sink Wall Street" -
Read more at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks/nasdaq-confirms-bear-market-economic-worries-sink-wall-street-idUSKCN1OK1K7
12/20/18
-Britain - Brexit: How will EU-UK trade be affected by a no deal BrexitaA
How would UK-EU trade be affected by a ‘no deal’ Brexit?
Read more at::
https://www.euronews.com/2018/12/19/how-would-uk-eu-trade-be-affected-by-a-no-deal-brexit
https://www.euronews.com/2018/12/19/how-would-uk-eu-trade-be-affected-by-a-no-deal-brexit
Russia: Putin supports elextion Trump and vote on Brexit
Putin: Voters' choices of Trump and Brexit 'disrespected' -
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46630723
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46630723
USA: Fed raises interest rates, signals more hikes ahead
After weeks of market volatility and calls by President Donald Trump
for the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates, the U.S. central
bank instead did it again, and stuck by a plan to keep withdrawing
support from an economy it views as strong.
Wednesday's rate increase, the fourth of the year, pushed the central bank's key overnight lending rate to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.50 percent.
Read more: - by Ann Saphir and Howard SchneiderFed raises interest rates, signals more hikes ahead
U.S.
stocks and bond yields fell hard. With the Fed signaling "some further
gradual" rate hikes and no break from cutting its massive bond
portfolio, traders fretted that policymakers could choke off economic
growth.
"Maybe
they have already committed their policy error," said Fritz Folts,
chief investment strategist at 3Edge Asset Management. "We would be in
the camp that they have already raised rates too much."
Interest rate futures show traders are currently betting the Fed won't raise rates at all next year.
Wednesday's rate increase, the fourth of the year, pushed the central bank's key overnight lending rate to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.50 percent.
Note EU-Digest: " In New York, U.S. S&P 500 Index lost 1.54 percent to hit its lowest
level since September 2017. U.S. stocks are on pace for their biggest
December decline since 1931, the depths of the Great Depression ".
Read more: - by Ann Saphir and Howard SchneiderFed raises interest rates, signals more hikes ahead
12/19/18
SYRIA: Trump shocks allies and advisors with plan to pull troops out of Syria
Trump shocks allies and advisers with plan to pull US troops out of Syria
Read more at
12/18/18
USA: Conservative Columnist Predicts Trump Will Resign To Let Pence Pardon Him - by Naomi Kennedy
 |
| Is Donald Trump walking into the Robert Mueller trap |
During his MSNBC show Hardball With Chris Matthews on Monday, December 17, host Chris Matthews ended with his “Let Me Finish” segment during which Huffington Post noted he offered a suggestion to how special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation could end–with the president offering to vacate his position.
Matthews noted Mueller’s lack of hesitancy to indict anyone he finds guilty, including Trump’s two children Ivanka and Donald Jr., whom Matthews explained could potentially be the “next dominoes to fall.” However, despite facing prosecution and possible prison time, they are unlikely to give up their father as others have done throughout the investigation.
“But what if the prosecutor were to offer the president an alternative,” Matthews speculated to his viewers during the two-minute segment. “What if he were to say he would let the children walk if the old man does the same? That would mean giving up the presidency in exchange for acquittals all around–not just for himself, but for all his kids.”
Conservative Columnist Predicts Trump Will Resign To Let Pence Pardon Him
Belgium - Migration Issues : PM Charles Michel resigns
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel announces resignation Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel announced his resignation Tuesday, less than two weeks after his main coalition partner quit in a row over migration, leaving him leading a minority government.
Read more at:
Freedom of expression: Unprecedented levels of violence against journalists in 2018
Unprecedented levels’ of violence against journalists in 2018, watchdog warns
Read more at:
Britain - Corporations - Brexit: time running out and corporations getting worried about profits an their future
Brexit: 'Horrified' firms warn time is running out -
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46610792
Britain and the Brexit Impasse: A national government or “no deal” - by Brendan Donelly
In a recent article for the New York Times, the distinguished
historian of the Conservative Party, Professor Tim Bale, argued that the
“will to power” of the Conservative Party would enable it in the long
term to reconstruct its inner cohesion, currently compromised by the
Brexit debate. Professor Bale’s argument is controversial but, even if
accurate from a historical perspective, it is highly unlikely to be
reflected in the functioning of the Party over the crucial next three
months. Last Wednesday’s ballot of Conservative MPs was at best a
Pyrrhic victory for the Prime Minister. The 117 votes recorded against
her probably if anything understated the degree of opposition to her
proposed texts for the Withdrawal Agreement from the EU and its
accompanying Political Declaration. It is clear she cannot possibly rely
on her Parliamentary Party to steer these proposals through the House
of Commons against the opposition of the Labour Party and others.
But there is no conceivable majority among Conservative MPs for any other course of action either. A divided and dysfunctional Conservative Party is generating a divided and dysfunctional Conservative government. There is no reason at all to believe that this division can be overcome by any sudden outbreak of unity before 29 March 2019. The true lesson of the past tumultuous week in British politics is that no Conservative government is capable of adopting, much less implementing, a coherent alternative position to that of the United Kingdom’s leaving the EU by automatic operation of Article 50 on 29 March 2019. If in three months there is still a Conservative government, then “crashing out” of the EU without a negotiated withdrawal will have become inevitable. That important minority in the Conservative Parliamentary party favourable to this outcome need only persevere in their current obstructionist tactics to gain their goal through the asymmetric workings of Article 50. Under Article 50 “no deal” emphatically means “no deal.”
There has been much talk in recent days of Parliament’s “taking back control of Brexit.” Amber Rudd has specified cross-party discussions to explore the possibility of a “soft Brexit” involving British membership of the EEA. This particular suggestion seems to rest on a number of questionable assumptions. The issue of British membership of the EEA is not one that in any circumstances can be resolved between now and 29 March 2019. If the EEA option is one the UK wishes to pursue after Brexit, it will need to be painstakingly negotiated with the EU during the “transition period.” The most that the EU might be willing to accept in this connection over the next three months would be changes to the wording of the non-binding Political Declaration, pointing towards future British membership of the EEA. It is more than doubtful however whether such marginal changes would be sufficient to guarantee or even make more likely a Parliamentary majority for the Prime Minister’s “deal.” Some Labour MPs either favour or could accept an EEA-like arrangement, but the majority do not, including Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir Starmer, both of whom for different reasons would have difficulties in accepting the Freedom of Movement at the heart of the EEA. Most importantly, if the EU were to be persuaded at this late stage to make changes to the Political Declaration, it could only be at the pressing and well-grounded request of the sitting British government. No present or future present Conservative government could ever accept favourable references in the Political Declaration to the EEA and Freedom of Movement. Most pressure on the government from the Conservative Party during the Brexit negotiations has come from precisely the opposite direction, seeking to reduce rather than maintain ties with the EU after Brexit. The EEA can provide no solution to the Conservative government’s present impasse.
Note EU-Digest: Re: Brexit: Britain and Britain's political establishment seem to be "up the creek without a paddle", and the so-called Brexiteers are not to be heard from or seen. A wise lesson for European citizens not to vote for Populist, Nationalist or Ultra Right parties in local or the upcoming May 2019 EU parliamentary elections. It's all empty rhetoric what these parties are producing. Just look at Britain (Brexit) and the USA (Donald Trump) to underscore that point.
Read more at: Brexit: A national government or “no deal” | The Federal Trust
But there is no conceivable majority among Conservative MPs for any other course of action either. A divided and dysfunctional Conservative Party is generating a divided and dysfunctional Conservative government. There is no reason at all to believe that this division can be overcome by any sudden outbreak of unity before 29 March 2019. The true lesson of the past tumultuous week in British politics is that no Conservative government is capable of adopting, much less implementing, a coherent alternative position to that of the United Kingdom’s leaving the EU by automatic operation of Article 50 on 29 March 2019. If in three months there is still a Conservative government, then “crashing out” of the EU without a negotiated withdrawal will have become inevitable. That important minority in the Conservative Parliamentary party favourable to this outcome need only persevere in their current obstructionist tactics to gain their goal through the asymmetric workings of Article 50. Under Article 50 “no deal” emphatically means “no deal.”
There has been much talk in recent days of Parliament’s “taking back control of Brexit.” Amber Rudd has specified cross-party discussions to explore the possibility of a “soft Brexit” involving British membership of the EEA. This particular suggestion seems to rest on a number of questionable assumptions. The issue of British membership of the EEA is not one that in any circumstances can be resolved between now and 29 March 2019. If the EEA option is one the UK wishes to pursue after Brexit, it will need to be painstakingly negotiated with the EU during the “transition period.” The most that the EU might be willing to accept in this connection over the next three months would be changes to the wording of the non-binding Political Declaration, pointing towards future British membership of the EEA. It is more than doubtful however whether such marginal changes would be sufficient to guarantee or even make more likely a Parliamentary majority for the Prime Minister’s “deal.” Some Labour MPs either favour or could accept an EEA-like arrangement, but the majority do not, including Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir Starmer, both of whom for different reasons would have difficulties in accepting the Freedom of Movement at the heart of the EEA. Most importantly, if the EU were to be persuaded at this late stage to make changes to the Political Declaration, it could only be at the pressing and well-grounded request of the sitting British government. No present or future present Conservative government could ever accept favourable references in the Political Declaration to the EEA and Freedom of Movement. Most pressure on the government from the Conservative Party during the Brexit negotiations has come from precisely the opposite direction, seeking to reduce rather than maintain ties with the EU after Brexit. The EEA can provide no solution to the Conservative government’s present impasse.
Note EU-Digest: Re: Brexit: Britain and Britain's political establishment seem to be "up the creek without a paddle", and the so-called Brexiteers are not to be heard from or seen. A wise lesson for European citizens not to vote for Populist, Nationalist or Ultra Right parties in local or the upcoming May 2019 EU parliamentary elections. It's all empty rhetoric what these parties are producing. Just look at Britain (Brexit) and the USA (Donald Trump) to underscore that point.
Read more at: Brexit: A national government or “no deal” | The Federal Trust
12/17/18
Saudi Arabia: Fiefdom slams US resolution blaming crown prince for Khashoggi murder.
Saudi Arabia slams US resolution blaming crown prince for Khashoggi murder.
Read more at
https://p.dw.com/p/3AE1U
https://p.dw.com/p/3AE1U
Britain - Brexit: May sets January date for parliamentary Brexit vote
Theresa May sets January date for MPs' Brexit vote -
Read more at:
Turkey and US relations: US prosecutors charge two involved in Michael Flynn lobbying
U.S. prosecutors charge 2 involved in Michael Flynn's Turkish lobbying
Read more at:
12/16/18
European New technology - Auto Industry: EU invests €20m in AI software for self-driving cars
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €20m loan to Hungarian
company AImotive, the European Commission announced Friday. The money
will be spent on research and development of artificial intelligence
software for self-driving vehicles. The commission believes the EU
should prepare for self-driving cars.
"I'm glad we are doing this in Central Europe, where the automotive
industry has a long history of success," said EIB vice-president Vazil
Hudak.
Read more: EU invests €20m in AI software for self-driving cars
Read more: EU invests €20m in AI software for self-driving cars
France: French President Macron's speech key factor behind reduced Yellow Vest turnout this past Saturday
French President Macron’s speech a ‘key factor’ behind reduced Yellow Vest turnout
French President Emmanuel Macron’s concessions to appease Yellow Vest protesters on Monday were a major reason for the reduced turnout in ‘Act 5’ of the protests on Saturday, said Andrew Smith, French politics specialist at Chichester University.
Read more at:
http://www.france24.com/en/20181216-macron-speech-factor-behind-reduced-yellow-vest-turnout-paris-protest-france-tax
Read more at:
http://www.france24.com/en/20181216-macron-speech-factor-behind-reduced-yellow-vest-turnout-paris-protest-france-tax
HUNGARY -Ddemonstrations - Labor Rule Protests: PM Victor Orban's rule becoming more and more dictatorial
Around 10,000 in Hungary protest, calling a new labor rule a ‘slave law’
Read more at:
Middle East - Saudi Arabia: Condemns US Senate interference
Saudi Arabia condemns US Senate 'interference' -
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46588036
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46588036
12/15/18
EU - Parliamentary Elections: Taking back control: How European citizens are slowly gaining power
The news site Politico Europe recently produced one of many inevitable
end-of-year rankings, “The women who shape Brussels – class of 2018”. It
was interesting to see that, in a European Union that is widely
perceived as undemocratic, MEPs were up high on this list. Among them,
the so-called “tech MEP gang” scored highest. This “sisterhood”, as
Politico calls them, includes influential MEPs such as Marietje Schaake,
Eva Kaili, Mady Delvaux, and Pilar del Castillo Vera. They help shape
European laws on robots, blockchain, intellectual property rights, and
privacy. These women are feared in Silicon Valley. And in many European
capitals too.
It is ironic that the only ones who don’t really seem to care about this powerful “gang” are the European voters they are supposed to represent, and in whose names they wage their fierce political battles. Many Europeans do not read Politico. What MEPs do – be they men or women – does not interest them in the least. Brussels, for them, is too far away. They perceive “Europe” as an elite project: “let’s take back control.”
This is a pity, because things have really changed a little in recent years. Citizens often associate MEPs with a toothless, expensive parliament that no one has any control over, but this perception is somewhat outdated. Under the 2010 Treaty of Lisbon, member states have given the EU additional powers in aspects of external relations such as trade agreements, foreign policy, and the EU’s position within the United Nations.
The European Parliament has gained power in these fields too. This follows a democratic logic: if one takes policy to a higher level, democratic control should follow. Although it is far from perfect, the treaty expanded democratic participation a little. And the “female tech gang” has made full use of it. By asking questions, vetoing draft proposals, and putting forward amendments to such proposals, MEPs from across the EU have influenced – for example – agreements on data exchange and counter-terrorism with the United States in a way that was impossible before.
According to a Eurobarometer survey published in September 2018, just 41 percent of European citizens know when the next European Parliament elections will be held (May 2019). Only 51 percent declare an interest in them. A poll taken in April this year found that “a great majority think that people would abstain [from voting in the elections] because ‘they believe that their vote will not change anything’, ‘they distrust the political system’ or ‘are not interested in politics or in elections in general’.” The prevailing assumption is still that the European Parliament is useless because citizens “aren’t heard anyway”.
European Parliament is useless because citizens “aren’t heard anyway”.
Read more: Taking back control: How European citizens are slowly gaining power | European Council on Foreign Relations
It is ironic that the only ones who don’t really seem to care about this powerful “gang” are the European voters they are supposed to represent, and in whose names they wage their fierce political battles. Many Europeans do not read Politico. What MEPs do – be they men or women – does not interest them in the least. Brussels, for them, is too far away. They perceive “Europe” as an elite project: “let’s take back control.”
This is a pity, because things have really changed a little in recent years. Citizens often associate MEPs with a toothless, expensive parliament that no one has any control over, but this perception is somewhat outdated. Under the 2010 Treaty of Lisbon, member states have given the EU additional powers in aspects of external relations such as trade agreements, foreign policy, and the EU’s position within the United Nations.
The European Parliament has gained power in these fields too. This follows a democratic logic: if one takes policy to a higher level, democratic control should follow. Although it is far from perfect, the treaty expanded democratic participation a little. And the “female tech gang” has made full use of it. By asking questions, vetoing draft proposals, and putting forward amendments to such proposals, MEPs from across the EU have influenced – for example – agreements on data exchange and counter-terrorism with the United States in a way that was impossible before.
According to a Eurobarometer survey published in September 2018, just 41 percent of European citizens know when the next European Parliament elections will be held (May 2019). Only 51 percent declare an interest in them. A poll taken in April this year found that “a great majority think that people would abstain [from voting in the elections] because ‘they believe that their vote will not change anything’, ‘they distrust the political system’ or ‘are not interested in politics or in elections in general’.” The prevailing assumption is still that the European Parliament is useless because citizens “aren’t heard anyway”.
European Parliament is useless because citizens “aren’t heard anyway”.
In a remarkable inaugural
lecture at the University of Amsterdam in early November, European law
professor Christina Eckes challenged that assumption. Eckes pointed out
that “while transferring powers to the EU limits the unilateral autonomy
of national governments, it increases control for EU citizens over
central aspects of international relations, such as the conclusion of
international agreements.” In other words: the transfer of power to
Brussels may weaken member states, but it empowers citizens. Why?
Because the European Parliament now has a key role in negotiating and
finalising international treaties. As a result, it can exercise more
control over institutions that implement these treaties – since they are
European – than national parliaments can. In this way, Eckes argues,
“European integration allows European citizens to retain control over
international policies in a globalised world.”
Read more: Taking back control: How European citizens are slowly gaining power | European Council on Foreign Relations
Britain: Tony Blair says second referendum is the best way to go if Brexit plan fails in parliament
EU chiefs should prepare for second Brexit referendum, ex-UK PM Tony Blair tells euronews
Read more at:
US ECONOMY: DEFICIT HITS RECORD HIGH
US Economy: Deficit could cause problems for the US Economy
Read more at:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-13/u-s-budget-deficit-hits-widest-on-record-for-month-of-november
Read more at:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-13/u-s-budget-deficit-hits-widest-on-record-for-month-of-november
United Nations - Poland - COP24: 200 Nations reach deal to implement the Paris Climate Accord
200 Nations today Saturday December 15 reached a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan to limit global temperature rises exposed a range of conflicts.
Read more at:
Australia recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel's capital
Australia recognizes west Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Third country to do so, but first to recognize only West side.
Read more at:
12/14/18
USA-Obamacare: Judge rules Obamacare unconstitutional, endangering coverage for 20 million people - by Adam Cancryn and Paul Demko
A federal judge in Texas threw the health coverage of some 20 million
Americans in limbo by ruling Obamacare must be scrapped because
Congress struck the penalty for failing to obtain insurance coverage.
The invalidation of the landmark 2010 law is certain to send shock
waves through the U.S. health system and Washington after a midterm
election seen in part as a rebuke to Republican efforts to tear down
Obamacare.
“Wow, but not surprisingly, ObamaCare was just ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL by a highly respected judge in Texas,” President Donald Trump wrote in a tweet celebrating the verdict. “Great news for America!”
The decision will be immediately appealed, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led several blue states in intervening to defend the ACA. It could ultimately become the third major Obamacare case to be taken up by the Supreme Court, which has twice voted to uphold the law.
Democrats late Friday decried the decision as reckless and urged an appeals court to overturn it, while also tying it to the GOP’s broader efforts to eliminate the ACA.
Read more: Judge rules Obamacare unconstitutional, endangering coverage for 20 million
“Wow, but not surprisingly, ObamaCare was just ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL by a highly respected judge in Texas,” President Donald Trump wrote in a tweet celebrating the verdict. “Great news for America!”
The decision will be immediately appealed, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led several blue states in intervening to defend the ACA. It could ultimately become the third major Obamacare case to be taken up by the Supreme Court, which has twice voted to uphold the law.
Democrats late Friday decried the decision as reckless and urged an appeals court to overturn it, while also tying it to the GOP’s broader efforts to eliminate the ACA.
Read more: Judge rules Obamacare unconstitutional, endangering coverage for 20 million
Canada-China-USA: While Canada is playing by the rules, the USA and China are not
On international law, Canada is trying to play by the rules as the U.S. and China break them: Opinion
Read more at:
EU: Is strategic monetary independence Europe';s impossible dream ?
Is strategic, monetary independence Europe’s impossible dream? |
Read more:
France: Trump presidency "good news" for the world says French author Houellebecq
Trump presidency 'good news' for the world, says controversial French author Houellebecq Controversial French author Michel Houellebecq has again raised eyebrows with a quasi defense of the US president. Under Donald Trump, "America is no longer the world’s leading power," he said, adding: This is "good news for the rest of the world".
Read more:
Health Alert: Asbestos in Johnson & Johnson powder
Johnson & Johnson shares drop after asbestos report -
Read more:
EU -Turkey-Russian Energy Cooperation: "Politics can make strange bedfellows" - Russia’s Gas Strategy Gets Help From Turkey - by Marc Pierini
 |
| Politics/Energy can make strange bedfellows |
For Ankara, the project is a symbol of
Turkey’s independent decisionmaking and of the country’s significance in
the wider region. Seen from Ankara, Turkish Stream serves a political
purpose. It celebrates the blossoming friendship between Turkey and Russia
and confirms Ankara’s ambition to be part of the solution to major
international issues—in this case, securing the gas needs for a large
part of the EU.
However, Turkish Stream will also increase Ankara’s dependence on Moscow for its energy needs.
The project’s second meaning is that Turkey is contributing to an essential element of Russia’s multi-pronged, long-term strategy of remaining Europe’s major gas supplier, while creating a “third gas corridor” in addition to the Ukrainian and Baltic Sea supply routes. This strategy is unfolding on several fronts: in Ukraine; in the Baltic Sea; and through future extensions of Turkish Stream to southern and central Europe (toward Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, and to Greece and Italy.)
This Russian strategy has raised continuous opposition from the United States.
It is also worth noting that Turkish Stream is not part of the EU’s Energy Union plans since it does not contribute to diversification of supplies. In fact, it will rather reinforce Russia’s market predominance in both Turkey and the EU.
In addition, preexisting disputes between the EU and Russia (including an antitrust investigation against Gazprom, and a Russian complaint at the WTO) have been resolved, signaling that commercial interests on both sides have prevailed, despite a less-than-optimal political climate.
Read more: Russia’s Gas Strategy Gets Help From Turkey - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
It is also worth noting that Turkish Stream is not part of the EU’s Energy Union plans since it does not contribute to diversification of supplies. In fact, it will rather reinforce Russia’s market predominance in both Turkey and the EU.
In Ukraine, the multi-pipeline network channeling Russian gas to Western Europe will remain a vital link.
But reducing its use could inflict massive losses in terms of transit
costs for authorities in Kiev, which is part of Russia’s strategy in
Ukraine.
Much will depend on negotiations for the
extension of the Russia-Ukraine commercial agreement, which will end in
2019. To help alleviate Kiev’s concerns, Germany has made the
continuation of transit via Ukraine an ingredient of a final agreement
on Nord Stream 2, the latter being the subject of controversies within the EU.
The Russian strategy is in no way limited
to selling Russian gas on the European continent. It extends much
further afield in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
Egypt is a case in point.
Following the massive discoveries in the so-called Zohr field to the north and east of the Nile River delta, Russia bought a 30 percent stake
from the Italian energy group ENI in 2016 with the consent of the
Italian government, which Moscow has had a long and close relationship
with. The official reason for the sale was the need for ENI to spread
the risk of its Egyptian operation.
Similarly, offshore gas discoveries in
Lebanese waters have attracted Russian interest— although drilling off
Lebanon is largely dominated by France’s TOTAL and Italy’s ENI, who have
a 40 percent share each. Russia’s NOVATEK has bought a 20 percent stake.
Russia has also made moves to control both the oil and gas sector in Syria,
despite the ongoing war. The actual effect of these recent maneuvers
will very much depend on the final political arrangement expected to end
the almost eight-year-old civil war. Many of Syria’s oil and gas fields
are located north and east of the Euphrates River, currently outside
the control of regime forces. In addition, for reasons linked to the
ongoing naval military activities, no offshore exploration has yet taken
place in Syrian waters.
In Iraq, Russia is involved in pipeline deals in the Kurdistan region
through a number of oil and gas companies, although the actual exports
would have to take place through Turkish territory or possibly even
through Syria in the distant future.
Such an ambitious Russia strategy is justified by Europe’s gas market fundamentals.
A stronger demand for gas in Europe is good for Russia. According to Oxford Energy,
gas demand in Europe (Turkey and non-EU Eastern Europe included, except
Serbia) has started rising again for three consecutive years—in 2015,
2016, and 2017—to reach a level of 548 billion cubic meters (bcm), due
to continued economic recovery, the impacts of climate change, and the
increased use of gas by the power sector. The trend seems to be
continuing in 2018.
According to the Finnish Institute for International Affairs,
Russia took advantage of several factors: economic recovery and
decreasing gas production in the EU, lower Russian selling prices, and
the current limited availability of non-Russian liquefied natural gas
(LNG) on the European market.
In addition, preexisting disputes between the EU and Russia (including an antitrust investigation against Gazprom, and a Russian complaint at the WTO) have been resolved, signaling that commercial interests on both sides have prevailed, despite a less-than-optimal political climate.
In such an environment, Russia is in a strong position to keep dominating gas supplies to the EU,
which amounted to 40 percent of extra-EU imports in 2016—although
new developments could upset the current situation, such as a rapid
development of LNG exports to Europe from other sources.
LNG imports amounted to only 14 percent of total extra-EU gas imports in 2017, with the main supplies coming from Qatar (41 percent), Nigeria (19 percent), and Algeria (17 percent).
LNG imports amounted to only 14 percent of total extra-EU gas imports in 2017, with the main supplies coming from Qatar (41 percent), Nigeria (19 percent), and Algeria (17 percent).
In this wider context, and seen from Brussels, Turkish Stream—with
a final projected capacity to deliver 31.5 bcm/y, of which 15.75 bcm/y
would go to Europe —is a relatively small component of the wider gas
supply chain to the EU. In fact, it would represent just over 6 percent
of the EU’s imports at 2017 levels.
Yet, seen from Moscow, the pipeline is
potentially a significant addition to Russia’s capabilities to export
gas to Europe (Turkey included). Assuming that Turkish Stream’s second
phase will be completed and operational, it would represent between 16
and 19 percent of Russian sales to the EU and Turkey (at 2017 levels and
all other factors remaining unchanged).
In that sense, the ceremony on November 19
in Istanbul was more than just another photo opportunity. It was a
symbol of the success of Russia’s objectives in the wider Western
European area, with Turkey’s help.
Together with Russia’s S-400 missile
deal with Turkey, it was a symbol of how efficiently Moscow has been
using Ankara’s relative diplomatic isolation to its advantage. For
Ankara, this was another way of telling the world: Turkey matters.
12/13/18
Middle East - Saudi Arabia: US Senate votes to end US military support for Saudis in Yemen
Senate votes to end US military support for Saudis in Yemen.
Note EU-Digest: All weapons sales to the Saudi Government should be banned
Read more at:
EU Summit: BREXIT EU LEADERS AGREE- Irish backstop should be temporary
EU summit: EU leaders agreed Irish backstop should only be temporary
Read more:
USA: Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is Coming to an End
Alex Camire left the church a few months before his pastor announced
from the pulpit that the election of Donald Trump was “a miracle of the
Lord.”
The 29-year-old Connecticut social worker had been raised in the evangelical tradition; his parents were married in it. But Camire’s faith had started to fail a decade earlier when his church deemed his mother’s alcoholism—and his parents’ subsequent divorce—a sin. Later, a secular college education taught him that “the world”—the community outside the church—wasn’t going to drag him into a cesspool of sex and drugs, as he’d been taught from childhood. His pastor’s outspoken support of Trump convinced him he’d made the right decision.
Blake Chastain, 35, entered Indiana Wesleyan University the week of 9/11, with hopes of graduating from the seminary. Instead, he began to fall away from the church when he couldn’t reconcile what he was learning in Bible study with his professor’s support for the Iraq War. “Conservative Christianity,” he says, “was at odds with the teachings in the Bible.” He left and started writing and producing his own podcast. Its name: Exvangelical.
Read more at: Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is Coming to an End
The 29-year-old Connecticut social worker had been raised in the evangelical tradition; his parents were married in it. But Camire’s faith had started to fail a decade earlier when his church deemed his mother’s alcoholism—and his parents’ subsequent divorce—a sin. Later, a secular college education taught him that “the world”—the community outside the church—wasn’t going to drag him into a cesspool of sex and drugs, as he’d been taught from childhood. His pastor’s outspoken support of Trump convinced him he’d made the right decision.
Blake Chastain, 35, entered Indiana Wesleyan University the week of 9/11, with hopes of graduating from the seminary. Instead, he began to fall away from the church when he couldn’t reconcile what he was learning in Bible study with his professor’s support for the Iraq War. “Conservative Christianity,” he says, “was at odds with the teachings in the Bible.” He left and started writing and producing his own podcast. Its name: Exvangelical.
Read more at: Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is Coming to an End
USA: gun deaths in US rise to highest level in 20 years
Gun deaths in US rise to highest level in 20 years, data shows
12/12/18
France - Terrorism - Strasbourg : Trump uses terror attack in France to push U.S. border wall even though no terrorists have ever entered US via US-Mexico Border
President Trump on Wednesday seemed to suggest the deadly shooting at
a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France, is evidence that the United
States needs stronger border security.
“Another very bad terror attack in France,” Trump tweeted. “We are going to strengthen our borders even more. Chuck and Nancy must give us the votes to get additional Border Security!”
Witnesses said the gunman, identified by police as 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, yelled out “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire, killing at least two people and wounding seven others. Police believe Chekatt, a Strasbourg native, may have become radicalized while in jail.
Trump’s tweet came a day after he clashed with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi over funding for border security measures — including the president’s long-promised wall along the U.S. southern border — during a contentious Oval Office meeting.
The president said he is willing to shut down the government if Democrats don’t appropriate funding for his proposal to provide $5 billion for a wall along the Mexico border next year.
At one point during their exchange, the president suggested — without evidence — that “10 terrorists” were recently apprehended trying to enter the United States.
Records show this another of Trump's many untruths - because records show no terrorists have come through the US Southern border.
Read more: Trump uses terror attack in France to push U.S. border wall - AOL News
“Another very bad terror attack in France,” Trump tweeted. “We are going to strengthen our borders even more. Chuck and Nancy must give us the votes to get additional Border Security!”
Witnesses said the gunman, identified by police as 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, yelled out “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire, killing at least two people and wounding seven others. Police believe Chekatt, a Strasbourg native, may have become radicalized while in jail.
Trump’s tweet came a day after he clashed with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi over funding for border security measures — including the president’s long-promised wall along the U.S. southern border — during a contentious Oval Office meeting.
The president said he is willing to shut down the government if Democrats don’t appropriate funding for his proposal to provide $5 billion for a wall along the Mexico border next year.
At one point during their exchange, the president suggested — without evidence — that “10 terrorists” were recently apprehended trying to enter the United States.
Records show this another of Trump's many untruths - because records show no terrorists have come through the US Southern border.
Read more: Trump uses terror attack in France to push U.S. border wall - AOL News
BRITAIN: Theresa May survives confidence vote within Tory party to remain leader of the party
Theresa May survives confidence vote of Tory MPs -
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46547246
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46547246
Canada-China Relations: Canadian judge orders Huawei executive released on bail
Canada judge orders Huawei exec released on bail A Canadian judge granted bail Tuesday to a top Huawei executive after her arrest on a US warrant, in a case that has frayed relations between the North American allies and China.
Read more at:
USA: Universal Healthcare could save America trillions, what is holding them back - Medical and Pharma Industry?
Universal healthcare could save America trillions: what’s holding us back?
Read more at:
Britain - Brexit: No new renegotation says EU
No renegotiation on Brexit, EU leaders tell May German leader Angela Merkel, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk all ruled out further Brexit renegotiations on Tuesday as UK Prime Minister Theresa May toured Europe seeking to save her deal.
12/11/18
Time Magazine Person of the year Award: : Khashoggi,murdered by Saudi Arabia and jailed journalists named Time's 'Person of the Year'
Time magazine on Tuesday named a group of journalists, including a
slain Saudi Arabian writer and a pair of Reuters journalists imprisoned
by Myanmar’s government, as its “Person of the Year,” in a cover story
headlined “The Guardians and the War on Truth.”
The honor went to a series of journalists including Reuters journalists Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who the government of Myanmar convicted on Sept. 3 under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act in a case seen as a test of democratic freedoms in Myanmar.
Also honored was Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi was killed two months ago at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul when he went there to collect documents for his forthcoming marriage.
The 95-year-old magazine also honored Maria Ressa, the founder of the Philippine news site Rappler that has been a frequent critic of that nation’s President Rodrigo Duterte, and the staff of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, where a gunman shot and killed five people in June.
Time said it chose to honor journalism at time when the practice critical democracy is under threat both from governments and technological advances. Its annual distinction is intended to recognize the person, group, thing or idea that had the greatest influence on world events that year.
Read more: Khashoggi, jailed journalists named Time's 'Person of the Year'
The honor went to a series of journalists including Reuters journalists Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who the government of Myanmar convicted on Sept. 3 under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act in a case seen as a test of democratic freedoms in Myanmar.
Also honored was Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Khashoggi was killed two months ago at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul when he went there to collect documents for his forthcoming marriage.
The 95-year-old magazine also honored Maria Ressa, the founder of the Philippine news site Rappler that has been a frequent critic of that nation’s President Rodrigo Duterte, and the staff of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, where a gunman shot and killed five people in June.
Time said it chose to honor journalism at time when the practice critical democracy is under threat both from governments and technological advances. Its annual distinction is intended to recognize the person, group, thing or idea that had the greatest influence on world events that year.
Read more: Khashoggi, jailed journalists named Time's 'Person of the Year'
USA: Major shortage of Drs by 2030: NYU Is Offering Free Tuition to Medical Students - by Adam Harris
Medical school costs a lot of money that a lot of people
don’t have. That often means students do a bit of cost-benefit
analysis: Is it worth it to take on hundreds of thousands of dollars of
debt now for the possibility of making hundreds of thousands of dollars a
year later?
New
York University’s School of Medicine is trying remove that calculation
as a factor in students’ career decision making. The school announced
yesterday that it will provide all new, future, and current students a
full-tuition scholarship—financial need and merit aside, meaning wealthy
students and low-income students alike will receive it. The scholarship
doesn’t cover the rest of the costs associated with college—housing,
food, child care—but it takes $55,018 a year out of the picture.
“This decision recognizes a moral imperative that must be addressed, as institutions place an increasing debt burden on young people who aspire to become physicians,” Robert Grossman, the school’s dean, said in a statement. “
A population as diverse as ours is best served by doctors from all walks of life, we believe, and aspiring physicians and surgeons should not be prevented from pursuing a career in medicine because of the prospect of overwhelming financial debt.” The school will need to raise $600 million to fund the project—$450 million of which it says has already been raised.
Read more: NYU Is Offering Free Tuition to Medical Students - The Atlantic
“This decision recognizes a moral imperative that must be addressed, as institutions place an increasing debt burden on young people who aspire to become physicians,” Robert Grossman, the school’s dean, said in a statement. “
A population as diverse as ours is best served by doctors from all walks of life, we believe, and aspiring physicians and surgeons should not be prevented from pursuing a career in medicine because of the prospect of overwhelming financial debt.” The school will need to raise $600 million to fund the project—$450 million of which it says has already been raised.
Read more: NYU Is Offering Free Tuition to Medical Students - The Atlantic
France: Emmanuel Macron Macron offers olive branch to protesters
In his first comments since the deadly protests erupten over social inequality, Emmanuel Macron Foroffera an olive branch to protesters.
For the complete report go to:
http://aje.io/fszwk
For the complete report go to:
http://aje.io/fszwk
Britain : Brexit: Theresa May meeting EU leaders in bid to rescue deal and her conservative Government
Theresa May is holding talks with European leaders and EU officials aimed at rescuing her Brexit deal.
Read more at: Brexit: Theresa May meeting EU leaders in bid to rescue deal - BBC News
Read more at: Brexit: Theresa May meeting EU leaders in bid to rescue deal - BBC News
12/10/18
United Nations - Migration: migration pact agreed on by more than 150 countries except USA, and several EU Eastern European countries
UN migration pact agreed to by more than 150 countries
Read more at:
Britain: British PM delays vote on Brexit
British PM Theresa May delays parliament vote on Brexit
Read more at:
Germany: Could AKK Angela Merkel's successor be the EU's savior
Could Angela Merkel’s successor be Europe’s savior?
Read more:
Ukraine: Russia paved way for Ukraine ship seizures with fake News drive
Russia 'paved way for Ukraine ship seizures with fake news drive'
Read more at:
12/9/18
FRANCE: Mr. Trump:; "please mind your own f..k..ng business", says France
France asks Trump to stop meddling in its domestic affairs U.S. President Donald Trump should not meddle in French affairs, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday after Trump criticised France in two tweets following riots in Paris.
Read more at:
USA: Trump at the center of massive fraud against the American people says top Democrat
Trump 'at center of massive fraud against Americans', top Democrat says
Read more:
Global warming:USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait block key climate study at the COP24 meeting
U.S., Russia, Kuwait and Saudis block key climate study at COP24
Read more at:
12/8/18
France: French Protests fueled by populists and Russian backed internet bloggers as extremists put centrism to the torch - by Max Boot
 |
| France: Extreme Right-Wing Populists cheered on by the Kremlin |
On Dec. 3, amid pictures of burning cars and tear gas in Paris, I woke up to find incessant Twitter criticism of an article I’d written. This was hardly shocking; I’m attacked online all the time. What surprised me was that I was being attacked for a Commentary article published 18 months earlier, shortly after Macron’s election. I posted it on Twitter on June 15, 2017, with the headline: “To defeat populism, America needs its own Macron — a charismatic leader who can make centrism cool.”
This tweet has now earned me a torrent of online abuse. Sean Davis, the co-founder of a pro-Trump website, tweeted: “This 2017 column is a riot.” The right-wing actor James Woods retweeted the article with the gloating tag line: “Twitter is beautiful.” Left-wing journalist Glenn Greenwald apparently thought my article was so ridiculous he retweeted it without any comment at all. Breitbart’s former London editor wrote: “This aged well, didn’t it, @maxboot?”
I asked the information warfare expert Molly McKew what was going on. She replied: “Major Russian info campaign on the Yellow Jackets/Vests protests, so you just kicked the wrong hornets. Over the weekend all the ‘Syria’ accounts were tweeting about how French had snipers on the rooftops to shoot the demonstrators.” The Hamilton 68 website, which tracks Russian disinformation online, confirmed that two of the top Russian hashtags were “giletsjaune” and “France.” Among the Russians cheerleading the protests online is the notorious fascist and pro-Putin ideologue Alexander Dugin. Meanwhile, Russian state media outlets such as RT were hyping chaos in Paris as if it were a “color” revolution.
BuzzFeed reports that the “yellow vests” emerged out of “Anger Groups” that popped up on Facebook to channel the grievances of “fed up” rural, working-class French people — the Gallic version of President Trump’s deplorables or the tea party. Just as in the United States, their online propaganda included a great deal of misinformation. Activists circulated a picture of cars stranded on a highway, claiming it showed German motorists who had abandoned their cars to protest fuel taxes. In fact, the picture was likely of a traffic jam in China. Another popular meme claimed that a 2016 government decree had invalidated the French constitution and that everything that has happened since, including the gas tax, is illegitimate.
There is no evidence that I have seen that Russia social media ignited the protests, but they certainly added fuel to the fire.
But Macron’s desire to curb global warming (the goal of the higher gas tax), his support for the European Union and NATO, his unabashed elitism (he once worked for the Rothschild investment bank, a bogeyman for anti-Semites), and his clashes with Trump have made him a target of the far right, too. Trump himself applauded the protests, falsely claiming they are chanting, “We want Trump.” The right would like to see Marine Le Pen take over; the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The Kremlin would prefer either one to a centrist who will stymie its designs to divide Europe.
Read more: In France and online, extremists put centrism to the torch - The Washington Post
The Liberal Delusion - by Marc Saxer
There’s this prevalent idea that we have
to take a firm stand against right-wing populism. Yet all the
anti-populist hashtags, public un-invites, and goodwill gigs of recent
years have done nothing to halt its rise.
Clearly, we need a more
effective strategy, and the path to finding it begins by asking a simple
question: whose values are actually being defended here?
For
as long as it is part of cultural class warfare, the fight against the
far right will never be won. The frontline runs between middle-class
groupings, which is why – even in these times of extreme inequality –
the debate focusses on questions of morals and identity, not wealth
distribution.
For much of
recorded human history, questions about who we are and where we are
going have been the domain of priests and philosophers. Today, however,
it is academics and creatives who are providing answers.
Read more: The Liberal Delusion • Social Europe
12/7/18
GERMANY: Angela Merkel's CDU elects Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK) as the new CDU party leader
 |
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer |
The
address marked the beginning of her gradual exit from both German
politics and the world stage. Merkel has led the conservative Christian
Democratic Union (CDU) since 2000, and been the country's chancellor
since 2005.
“It
is now the time to open a new chapter, it was a great pleasure for me,
it was an honor,” Merkel said as she concluded her speech. Delegates
held up signs reading: “Thank You, Boss.
”
Merkel, 64, later handed the baton to a successor at the party congress in Hamburg.
Annegret
Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was widely seen as the chancellor's favorite and
has been branded a "mini-Merkel" by some media outlets, was elected as her replacement on Friday.
Kramp-Karrenbauer — who often goes by her initials AKK — got
about 52 percent of the vote in in a run-off with Friedrich Merz, a
former lawmaker who left politics to work as a corporate lawyer.
German party leaders, including Merkel, have traditionally been selected through backroom deals and faced no competition during confirmation votes at party conventions.
German party leaders, including Merkel, have traditionally been selected through backroom deals and faced no competition during confirmation votes at party conventions.
But for the first time since
1971, CDU delegates were on Friday given the opportunity to elect their
new party leader from among several candidates.
Like Merkel, Kramp-Karrenbauer represents
the more moderate wing of their party. The 56-year-old (born 9
August 1962) is a mother of
three who previously served as the governor of the small German state of
Saarland.
The two other candidates who hoped to replace
her for the CDU post had both openly criticized some of the chancellor’s
policies in the past.
Jens
Spahn, Germany's 38-year-old health minister, repeatedly spoke out
against Merkel's open-door migration policy which resulted in the arrival of nearly a million refugees.
EU Parliamentary Elections: Europe dials up pressure on tech giants over election security
The European Union
has announced a package of measures intended to step up efforts and
pressure on tech giants to combat democracy-denting disinformation ahead
of the EU parliament elections next May.
The Commission says 67% of EU citizens are worried about their personal data being used for political targeting, and 80% want improved transparency around how much political parties spend to run campaigns on social media.
Note EU-Digest: Google, Facebook and Twitter will be required to give monthly updates to the EU on tackling fake news from Russia in the lead-up to the 2019 EU elections, European regulators said Wednesday.
Read more at: Europe dials up pressure on tech giants over election security | TechCrunch
United Nations - "US and Israel get a black eye at the UN": In blow to U.S. administration and Israel, UN fails to pass anti-Hamas resolution - by Amir Tibon and Noa Landau
The resolution condemning Hamas, which was presented by the U.S. before the UN General Assembly on Thursday, fell short of the required two-thirds majority and failed to pass.
The resolution condemning Hamas, which was presented by the U.S. before the UN General Assembly on Thursday, fell short of the required two-thirds majority and failed to pass.
Read more: In blow to U.S. administration and Israel, UN fails to pass anti-Hamas resolution - U.S. News - Haaretz.com
The resolution condemning Hamas, which was presented by the U.S. before the UN General Assembly on Thursday, fell short of the required two-thirds majority and failed to pass.
Read more: In blow to U.S. administration and Israel, UN fails to pass anti-Hamas resolution - U.S. News - Haaretz.com
USA: The Trump and Tillerson feud - look who is calling the kettle black
How Trump feud with who he calls 'dumb as a rock' Rex Tillerson erupted -
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46407993
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46407993
US-China Relations: Let’s Take a Closer Look at That Huawei Arrest - by Joe Nocera
When you grow up in the U.S., and then devote your career to writing
about domestic corporations, you don’t spend a lot of time thinking
about the rule of law, or why it matters. It’s like the air you breathe —
you just assume it’s always going to be there.
Yes, the U.S. legal system has plenty of flaws, but you could always count on companies accused of wrongdoing getting their day in court. The government might try to block a merger, but the rationale was invariably based on its interpretation of antitrust law, not on a president’s disapproval. When a corporate executive was accused of a crime, it was because prosecutors had legitimate reasons to believe the executive did something illegal.
The rule of law provides the assurance that so long as you abide by the law, no one is going to arrest you arbitrarily, or take your company away for an illegitimate reason. Investors know they can safely invest their money.
I stopped taking the rule of law for granted in 2010, when I began writing about Mikhail Khodorkovsky. You may recall him as the original oligarch, Russia’s richest man in the early 2000s. By the time I started to focus on him, he had long since been stripped of his company, Yukos, and had spent seven years in a Siberian prison. Indeed, he was then on trial for a new set of “crimes”; if found guilty — hardly in doubt — his sentence would likely be extended by at least a decade.
Which brings me to the American president, Donald Trump. Ever since he took office, pundits have been writing about how he has caused the erosion of important democratic norms. As a business journalist, I’ve been equally horrified by his undermining of the rule of law as it applies to business.
Trump wants the U.S. Postal Service to raise the rate it charges Amazon.com Inc. to deliver packages purely to punish its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post. His constant criticism of CNN may have influenced the Justice Department to oppose AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, which owns the cable network. Just last week, Trump called for General Motors Co. — and General Motors alone — to be stripped of a federal subsidy for electric cars because he is angry it is closing some factories in the Midwest. (The government later said he wanted to end the subsidy for all companies.)
Which brings me to the American president, Donald Trump. Ever since he took office, pundits have been writing about how he has caused the erosion of important democratic norms. As a business journalist, I’ve been equally horrified by his undermining of the rule of law as it applies to business.
Trump wants the U.S. Postal Service to raise the rate it charges Amazon.com Inc. to deliver packages purely to punish its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post. His constant criticism of CNN may have influenced the Justice Department to oppose AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, which owns the cable network. Just last week, Trump called for General Motors Co. — and General Motors alone — to be stripped of a federal subsidy for electric cars because he is angry it is closing some factories in the Midwest. (The government later said he wanted to end the subsidy for all companies.)
Which brings me to the American president, Donald Trump. Ever since he took office, pundits have been writing about how he has caused the erosion of important democratic norms. As a business journalist, I’ve been equally horrified by his undermining of the rule of law as it applies to business.
Trump wants the U.S. Postal Service to raise the rate it charges Amazon.com Inc. to deliver packages purely to punish its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post. His constant criticism of CNN may have influenced the Justice Department to oppose AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, which owns the cable network. Just last week, Trump called for General Motors Co. — and General Motors alone — to be stripped of a federal subsidy for electric cars because he is angry it is closing some factories in the Midwest. (The government later said he wanted to end the subsidy for all companies.)
China is furious, accusing the U.S. of “resorting to despicable hooliganism” and demanding Meng’s release. That’s to be expected. What I didn’t expect was the absence of any outcry in the U.S. Commentators have focused on the arrest’s effect on tech stocks, and on its potential to further damage U.S.-China relations. But no one seems outraged at the possibility that the U.S. nabbed a top Chinese executive as a proxy for a company it may want to punish.
Note EU-Digest : As the article notes "the absence of any outcry in the U.S. is amazing - Commentators mainly focused on the arrest’s effect on tech stocks, and on its potential to further damage U.S.-China relations. But no one seems outraged at the possibility that the U.S. nabbed a top Chinese executive as a proxy for a company it may want to punish. As to the possibility that this Huawei executive is being arrested because the company might be installing spyware in their software? Who can say that Microsoft and other US tech companies don't do the same on behalf of the US government".
Read more: Let’s Take a Closer Look at That Huawei Arrest - Bloomberg
Yes, the U.S. legal system has plenty of flaws, but you could always count on companies accused of wrongdoing getting their day in court. The government might try to block a merger, but the rationale was invariably based on its interpretation of antitrust law, not on a president’s disapproval. When a corporate executive was accused of a crime, it was because prosecutors had legitimate reasons to believe the executive did something illegal.
The rule of law provides the assurance that so long as you abide by the law, no one is going to arrest you arbitrarily, or take your company away for an illegitimate reason. Investors know they can safely invest their money.
I stopped taking the rule of law for granted in 2010, when I began writing about Mikhail Khodorkovsky. You may recall him as the original oligarch, Russia’s richest man in the early 2000s. By the time I started to focus on him, he had long since been stripped of his company, Yukos, and had spent seven years in a Siberian prison. Indeed, he was then on trial for a new set of “crimes”; if found guilty — hardly in doubt — his sentence would likely be extended by at least a decade.
Which brings me to the American president, Donald Trump. Ever since he took office, pundits have been writing about how he has caused the erosion of important democratic norms. As a business journalist, I’ve been equally horrified by his undermining of the rule of law as it applies to business.
Trump wants the U.S. Postal Service to raise the rate it charges Amazon.com Inc. to deliver packages purely to punish its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post. His constant criticism of CNN may have influenced the Justice Department to oppose AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, which owns the cable network. Just last week, Trump called for General Motors Co. — and General Motors alone — to be stripped of a federal subsidy for electric cars because he is angry it is closing some factories in the Midwest. (The government later said he wanted to end the subsidy for all companies.)
Which brings me to the American president, Donald Trump. Ever since he took office, pundits have been writing about how he has caused the erosion of important democratic norms. As a business journalist, I’ve been equally horrified by his undermining of the rule of law as it applies to business.
Trump wants the U.S. Postal Service to raise the rate it charges Amazon.com Inc. to deliver packages purely to punish its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post. His constant criticism of CNN may have influenced the Justice Department to oppose AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, which owns the cable network. Just last week, Trump called for General Motors Co. — and General Motors alone — to be stripped of a federal subsidy for electric cars because he is angry it is closing some factories in the Midwest. (The government later said he wanted to end the subsidy for all companies.)
Which brings me to the American president, Donald Trump. Ever since he took office, pundits have been writing about how he has caused the erosion of important democratic norms. As a business journalist, I’ve been equally horrified by his undermining of the rule of law as it applies to business.
Trump wants the U.S. Postal Service to raise the rate it charges Amazon.com Inc. to deliver packages purely to punish its chief executive Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post. His constant criticism of CNN may have influenced the Justice Department to oppose AT&T’s merger with Time Warner, which owns the cable network. Just last week, Trump called for General Motors Co. — and General Motors alone — to be stripped of a federal subsidy for electric cars because he is angry it is closing some factories in the Midwest. (The government later said he wanted to end the subsidy for all companies.)
China is furious, accusing the U.S. of “resorting to despicable hooliganism” and demanding Meng’s release. That’s to be expected. What I didn’t expect was the absence of any outcry in the U.S. Commentators have focused on the arrest’s effect on tech stocks, and on its potential to further damage U.S.-China relations. But no one seems outraged at the possibility that the U.S. nabbed a top Chinese executive as a proxy for a company it may want to punish.
Note EU-Digest : As the article notes "the absence of any outcry in the U.S. is amazing - Commentators mainly focused on the arrest’s effect on tech stocks, and on its potential to further damage U.S.-China relations. But no one seems outraged at the possibility that the U.S. nabbed a top Chinese executive as a proxy for a company it may want to punish. As to the possibility that this Huawei executive is being arrested because the company might be installing spyware in their software? Who can say that Microsoft and other US tech companies don't do the same on behalf of the US government".
Read more: Let’s Take a Closer Look at That Huawei Arrest - Bloomberg
12/6/18
Britain: Ditch Meaningful Vote And Back Second Brexit Referendum, Tony Blair Tells Theresa May - by Rachel Wearmouth
 | |
| Referendum 2 - Britain's future generations can't be sacrificed |
The former prime minister said a re-run should include just two options: remain “with a renewed offer from Europe” on immigration and a Canada-style hard Brexit.
The Labour grandee said May’s only route out of Brexit gridlock was to “go back to the people” as a Commons compromise was becoming increasingly impossible.
It comes as the deal the government has negotiated with the EU faces a resounding defeat, with as many as 100 MPs – from Labour, the SNP and May’s own backbenches – set to reject it in a showdown on Tuesday.
Blair went on: “Personally I don’t see what the point is of plunging along and being defeated very heavily.
Read more: Ditch Meaningful Vote And Back Second Brexit Referendum, Tony Blair Tells Theresa May | HuffPost UK
Canada: Trudeau denies political motivation arrest Huawei executive
Huawei arrest: Justin Trudeau denies political motivation -
Note EU-Digest: stop the BS Mr Trudeau !
Read more at :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46471904
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46471904
Saudi- US Relations: A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington - by Emma Ashford
At this point,
the evidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about—and
likely ordered—the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is compelling. After
CIA Director Gina Haspel’s presentation to Congress earlier this week, Senator
Bob Corker told reporters that a jury would find the prince guilty “in
thirty minutes.” The only holdout is the president, who continues to stand by
his statement that “we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder
of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi.”
His support for Saudi leadership remains unwavering, even in the face of opposition from media, Congress and his own intelligence agencies.
Indeed, between special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation’s increasing focus on Gulf money, and Trump’s repeated support for the Saudis and Emiratis in regional and international affairs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it’s these states—not Russia—who have undue influence over the president. While there is no suggestion so far of quid pro quo between the president and his friends in the Gulf, the shady connections built during and after the 2016 election have combined with a broader network of money, personal ties, and some genuine policy agreements to produce what is perhaps the most pro-Saudi administration in U.S. histor
The United States has long pursued a generally pro-Saudi policy in the Middle East, a legacy of the Cold War when the United States relied heavily on the Saudis to push back against Soviet influence. Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical importance–and its position as the world’s swing producer of oil–has often led U.S. policymakers to minimize criticism of Saudi Arabia. Even as fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were shown to be Saudi citizens, for example, the George W. Bush administration pushed to maintain the close U.S.-Saudi relationship while privately criticizing Saudi support for religious extremism. The Trump administration, however, has taken the United States’ selective vision on Saudi Arabia to new extremes.
In May 2018, The New York Times reported that the Mueller investigation into foreign influence in the 2016 election was looking at not just Russian, but possible Middle Eastern influence: Diplomats from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it appeared, had facilitated meetings between Russian officials, mercenary-for-hire Erik Prince, and members of the Trump transition team. The lens quickly widened to include adviser to the Emirati government George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who helped to set up meetings at Trump Tower with an envoy for Saudi and Emirati leaders, and key officials including Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner.
In addition, the special counsel is apparently interested in Nader’s work on behalf of Saudi and Emirati leaders, funneling at least $2.5 million in Gulf money to Republican donor Elliott Broidy. Some of it appears to have been used for anti-Qatar lobbying following the blockade of that country in June 2017: A separate New York Times report in May 2018 pointed to two Washington, D.C., conferences featuring anti-Qatar views held by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the Hudson Institute.
The Gulf states have been among the biggest spenders at Trump hotels and resorts since he was elected. In August of this year, the Trump hotel in New York finally reversed a two-year trend of falling revenues when Mohammed bin Salman’s extensive entourage paid premium prices for a last-minute stay. The Saudi government has also been among the biggest spenders at Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel, spending $270,000 in 2016 alone.
Though the Trump Organization has promised that all profits received from foreign governments at these properties will be donated to the Treasury, ethics experts dispute the methods used for calculating these profits, suggesting that the president continues to profit from foreign spending. Several of Trump’s most influential backers–such as Broidy or the investor Tom Barrack—also profit handsomely from business ties and interests in the Gulf States.
The secrecy surrounding Trump’s financial affairs makes it difficult to know exactly how extensive these ties are. During the firestorm following Khashoggi’s death, Trump tweeted that he had no financial interests in Saudi Arabia. As various journalists noted, the statement could be technically true—in other words, no investments physically located within the country’s boundaries—while still misleading, given the Trump hotels’ many Saudi customers. And as always, Trump’s family members further complicate the picture. Over the last few years, for example, the Kushner family’s attempts to refinance or sell their disastrous New York real estate holdings included a failed attempt to secure funding from Qatar–a fact that’s hard not to see as relevant when evaluating Kushner’s unusual hostility toward Doha.
Read more: A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington | The New Republic
His support for Saudi leadership remains unwavering, even in the face of opposition from media, Congress and his own intelligence agencies.
Indeed, between special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation’s increasing focus on Gulf money, and Trump’s repeated support for the Saudis and Emiratis in regional and international affairs, you’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it’s these states—not Russia—who have undue influence over the president. While there is no suggestion so far of quid pro quo between the president and his friends in the Gulf, the shady connections built during and after the 2016 election have combined with a broader network of money, personal ties, and some genuine policy agreements to produce what is perhaps the most pro-Saudi administration in U.S. histor
The United States has long pursued a generally pro-Saudi policy in the Middle East, a legacy of the Cold War when the United States relied heavily on the Saudis to push back against Soviet influence. Saudi Arabia’s geopolitical importance–and its position as the world’s swing producer of oil–has often led U.S. policymakers to minimize criticism of Saudi Arabia. Even as fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were shown to be Saudi citizens, for example, the George W. Bush administration pushed to maintain the close U.S.-Saudi relationship while privately criticizing Saudi support for religious extremism. The Trump administration, however, has taken the United States’ selective vision on Saudi Arabia to new extremes.
In May 2018, The New York Times reported that the Mueller investigation into foreign influence in the 2016 election was looking at not just Russian, but possible Middle Eastern influence: Diplomats from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it appeared, had facilitated meetings between Russian officials, mercenary-for-hire Erik Prince, and members of the Trump transition team. The lens quickly widened to include adviser to the Emirati government George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who helped to set up meetings at Trump Tower with an envoy for Saudi and Emirati leaders, and key officials including Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner.
In addition, the special counsel is apparently interested in Nader’s work on behalf of Saudi and Emirati leaders, funneling at least $2.5 million in Gulf money to Republican donor Elliott Broidy. Some of it appears to have been used for anti-Qatar lobbying following the blockade of that country in June 2017: A separate New York Times report in May 2018 pointed to two Washington, D.C., conferences featuring anti-Qatar views held by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the Hudson Institute.
The Gulf states have been among the biggest spenders at Trump hotels and resorts since he was elected. In August of this year, the Trump hotel in New York finally reversed a two-year trend of falling revenues when Mohammed bin Salman’s extensive entourage paid premium prices for a last-minute stay. The Saudi government has also been among the biggest spenders at Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel, spending $270,000 in 2016 alone.
Though the Trump Organization has promised that all profits received from foreign governments at these properties will be donated to the Treasury, ethics experts dispute the methods used for calculating these profits, suggesting that the president continues to profit from foreign spending. Several of Trump’s most influential backers–such as Broidy or the investor Tom Barrack—also profit handsomely from business ties and interests in the Gulf States.
The secrecy surrounding Trump’s financial affairs makes it difficult to know exactly how extensive these ties are. During the firestorm following Khashoggi’s death, Trump tweeted that he had no financial interests in Saudi Arabia. As various journalists noted, the statement could be technically true—in other words, no investments physically located within the country’s boundaries—while still misleading, given the Trump hotels’ many Saudi customers. And as always, Trump’s family members further complicate the picture. Over the last few years, for example, the Kushner family’s attempts to refinance or sell their disastrous New York real estate holdings included a failed attempt to secure funding from Qatar–a fact that’s hard not to see as relevant when evaluating Kushner’s unusual hostility toward Doha.
Read more: A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington | The New Republic
China-US relations: Arrest Meng Wanzhou, executive of Huawei, not favorable to improving relations China - US
Huawei arrest: China demands release of Meng Wanzhou
Note EU-Digest: Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada at the request of the US, who wants
her extradited to US because of business dealings Huawei has with Iran.
For those who might have forgotten - the US (Trump Administration)
unilattery broke off relations with Iran, when the Trump Administration
pulled out of the International Nuclear Agreement, signed between Iran
and many other nations around the world, including the EU and the US.
Hopefully Canada (Trudeau) will show some "backbone", by not extraditing
her to the US, specially since all the other co-signers of the
International Nuclear Agreement, including the EU and Canada, are still
respecting the agreement with Iran.
Read more at
USA: Trump wants "noble nations" to build new liberal order.
Trump wants 'noble nations' to build 'new liberal order,' Pompeo says
Read more:
12/5/18
EU CONSUMERS RIGHT TO JUSTICE VERSUS BIG BUSINESS MANIPULATIONS
Don’t let big business rob EU consumers of their right to justice
Read more at:
Russia-US relations: If Trump Administration leaves treaty Russia will build missiles
Russia will build missiles if US leaves treaty, Putin warns -
Read more:
France: Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe - Natalie Nougayrède
For Europe’s sake, Emmanuel Macron needs help – not our scorn or hatred. A young, reformist French president who promised a “European renaissance” finds himself struggling at the helm of a country that is fast becoming “the sick man of Europe” again. It was a telling moment last weekend when rioters disfigured the face of a statue of Marianne, the republic’s symbol, at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Just three weeks earlier, world leaders had gathered there with Macron for the centenary of the Armistice. If the “sad passions” that Macron has warned of many times take hold in France, an entire continent will be affected – not just one man’s political career.
Extreme forces across Europe are busily rejoicing over Macron’s gilets jaunes predicament. From Britain’s hardline Brexiters (both left and right) to Italy’s far-right strongman Matteo Salvini, not to mention Putin’s propaganda outlets, the relish is unmistakable. Upheaval and chaos in liberal democracies is what they thrive on. The prize the extremists seek is a political takeover of Europe in next May’s European parliament elections. Events in France are ominous, and their significance extends far beyond one country’s borders.
Not long ago, Macron proudly branded himself as the arch enemy of Salvini and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, two leaders whose trademark policies target migrants, political opponents and the rule of law. Macron is weakened, on the defensive, and ever more isolated.
Scenes in France these past two weeks may seem, to some, like a revival of the May 1968 uprising, but a more pertinent parallel may be 6 February 1934. That day, gangs of far-right nationalists marched on the French capital and clashed with the police in violence that left 15 dead. The events of the day served as a founding myth for that generation of France’s far right.
Read more: Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe | Natalie Nougayrède | Opinion | The Guardian
Extreme forces across Europe are busily rejoicing over Macron’s gilets jaunes predicament. From Britain’s hardline Brexiters (both left and right) to Italy’s far-right strongman Matteo Salvini, not to mention Putin’s propaganda outlets, the relish is unmistakable. Upheaval and chaos in liberal democracies is what they thrive on. The prize the extremists seek is a political takeover of Europe in next May’s European parliament elections. Events in France are ominous, and their significance extends far beyond one country’s borders.
Not long ago, Macron proudly branded himself as the arch enemy of Salvini and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, two leaders whose trademark policies target migrants, political opponents and the rule of law. Macron is weakened, on the defensive, and ever more isolated.
Scenes in France these past two weeks may seem, to some, like a revival of the May 1968 uprising, but a more pertinent parallel may be 6 February 1934. That day, gangs of far-right nationalists marched on the French capital and clashed with the police in violence that left 15 dead. The events of the day served as a founding myth for that generation of France’s far right.
Read more: Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe | Natalie Nougayrède | Opinion | The Guardian
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