Russia: Local lawmakers in St.Petersburg and Moscow call for the resignation of Putin, following the disasterous Russian military campaign in Ukraine and economic hardship Russìa ìs sufferiñg as a consequence.

Local Russian lawmakers in both St. Petersburg and Moscow issued calls this week for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be removed from power over the war in Ukraine — a potentially risky move in a country where dissent can lead to imprisonment or worse. 

Municipal deputies from the Smolninsky District Council in St. Petersburg, the Russian president's hometown, issued a statement calling on Russia's parliament to remove Putin from power and charge him with high treason for launching the war in Ukraine.

The Council of the Smolninskoye Municipal District decided to appeal to the State Duma deputies with a proposal to bring charges of treason against President Putin in order to remove him from office," Palyuga stated in the tweet with the document, adding, "The decision was supported by the majority of the deputies present."

Read more at: https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-lawmakers-call-for-putin-removal-from-power-over-ukraine-2022-9

Britain: 'Partygate': Renewed calls for Johnson to quit as police recommend 20 COVID rule breach fines

Johnson’s government was shaken by public anger over revelations that his staff held “bring your own booze” office parties, birthday celebrations and “wine time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021 while millions in Britain were barred from meeting with friends and family because of his government’s COVID-19 restrictions. Thousands of people were fined by police for rule-breaking social gatherings.

Johnson has denied any wrongdoing, but he is alleged to have been at several of the dozen events in his 10 Downing St. office and other government buildings that are being investigated by the police. He has acknowledged attending a “bring your own booze” party in the Downing Street garden in May 2020 during the first lockdown, but insisted he believed it would be a work event.

In January, civil servant Sue Gray published a report into some of the gatherings, the ones not under criminal investigation. She said “failures of leadership and judgment” in Johnson's government allowed events to occur that should not have happened.

Read more at: 'Partygate': Renewed calls for Johnson to quit as police recommend 20 COVID rule breach fines | Euronews

USA: The Real October Surprise: Trump to Drop Out.

By November 3rd Donald Trump will be off the ballot, ensconced at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, and busy launching a new stage in his reality TV career.

Trump will walk away from the White House and dedicate the rest of his life to pushing two storylines. The first is that he was the United States’ greatest but most abused president.

The second is that he and his followers — the “real people” — were stabbed in the back by the liberals, the Clintons, the Bidens, the Deep State, Fake News, George Soros, the radical left and Antifa. But why would Trump quit?

Trump is too emotionally frail to ride out a November drubbing. He felt compelled to lie about his numbers in the 2016 U.S. presidential election even when he won that election.

This time, when he might get roundly trounced, there would be no fiction he could turn to for cover. His ratings are everything to him.

 In short, things are collapsing around him and Trump always keeps an eye on the exit. He has a long track record in building devices to cut out partners, paths to evade big invoices and prenups to end marriages.

 If Trump quits in time, he might even turn the election. The Republicans’ ship has a much better chance of righting itself once they have offloaded Trump.

Read more at:
The Real October Surprise: Trump to Drop Out - The Globalist

USA November Presidential elections:Trump's bump goes bust: Polls point to rising disapproval as voters sour on U.S. president's pandemic response

Trump should take the advice of some of his close advisers and resign, if he does not want to get humiliated in the November Presidential  election elections.

Read more at:
Trump's bump goes bust: Polls point to rising disapproval as voters sour on U.S. president's pandemic response | CBC News

Britain-Brexit: Amber Rudd Resigns Over Boris Johnson's Brexit Plan - by Shannon Van Sant

Britain's Secretary of State for Work and Pensions resigned from Boris Johnson's cabinet on Sunday, accusing the prime minister of "an assault on decency and democracy" for his handling of the ongoing Brexit saga.

In a letter to Johnson, Amber Rudd said she was resigning the Conservative whip — meaning she'll stay in parliament but no longer serve as a member of the Conservative party.

Rudd blasted Johnson for his decision to expel 21 members of the Conservative Party for opposing his plans to leave the European Union by the October 31st deadline, with or without a deal. Among those he kicked out were senior members of parliament, including Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, and Ken Clarke, the longest serving member of Parliament. Some were notified of their firing via text message.

"This short sighted culling of my colleagues has stripped the Party of broad-minded and dedicated Conservative MPs. I cannot support this act of political vandalism," Rudd said.

Read more at:
Amber Rudd Resigns Over Boris Johnson's Brexit Plan : NPR

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USA: Conservative Columnist Predicts Trump Will Resign To Let Pence Pardon Him - by Naomi Kennedy

Is Donald Trump walking into the Robert Mueller  trap

Despite constant criticism, steadily decreasing poll numbers, and legal action surrounding him and his colleagues, Donald Trump has stood strong in his position as president of the United States for two years, though one man believes his time might be up.

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: 

http://www.france24.com/en/20181218-belgian-pm-resigns-coalition-comes-under-pressure

United Nations: US Ambassador to the UN resigns

US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley resigns

Read more at:
https://p.dw.com/p/36Ep9

The Netherlands: Dutch foreign minister resigns after lying about Put0in meeting

Dutch foreign minister Halbe Zijlstra has resigned after admitting he lied about being in Russian president Vladimir’s dacha in 2006 and hearing Putin talk about his plans for a greater Russia.

Zijlstra had been under fire since admitting on Monday that he lied about overhearing Putin define ‘Greater Russia’ as ‘Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states,’ then adding that ‘Kazakhstan was nice to have’.

He had been due to debate the incident with MPs on Tuesday afternoon but resigned ahead of the scheduled debate.

In a short statement, Zijlstra said the lie was ‘by far the biggest mistake I have made in my political career’. ‘The Netherlands,’ he said, ‘deserves a foreign affairs minister who is above all reproach.’

Note EU-Digest: a courageous move by Halbe Zijlstra showing respect, as a politician, for Democratic values, in contrast to US President Donald Trump, who is able to lie on a daily basis and get away with it.

Read more: Dutch foreign minister resigns after lying about Putin meeting - DutchNews.nl

The Netherlands: Dutch foreign minister admits lying about meeting with Putin (AP)

In a potentially damaging admission on the eve of his first visit to Russia as a member of the Dutch government, Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra on Monday acknowledged lying about attending a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2006.

Zijlstra issued a statement confirming the admission he made in an interview published in Monday’s edition of respected Dutch daily De Volkskrant.

Zijlstra has in the past said he was present as an employee of energy giant Shell at Putin’s country retreat when the Russian president said he considered Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states as part of a “Greater Russia.”

In a written statement, Zijlstra said that he was not present at the meeting in 2006 but heard the story from somebody who was there. He said he considered Putin’s statements so geopolitically important that he spoke about them publicly and took credit for hearing the comments as a way of protecting his source.

“The manner in which I wanted to protect my source and underscore my message about Russia was not sensible, that is crystal clear,” Zijlstra said.

Zijlstra is due to fly to Moscow Tuesday for a meeting Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Read nmore: Dutch foreign minister admits lying about meeting with Putin - The Washington Post

Trump Administration: Donald Trump likely to resign before Congress can impeach him, says senior Democrat - by Tom Bachelor

Donald Trump would resign before Congress is able impeach him, a senior US representative has said, as pressure mounts over his team's alleged links to Russia.

Jackie Speier, who sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said attempts by the President to pardon members of his family or fire the man appointed to investigate Russian meddling in last year’s presidential election could trigger an impeachment vote.

“I have always thought that he was never going to fulfil his full term,” she said.

“I am more convinced that he will leave before any impeachment would take place.”

On Friday it emerged that the special counsel appointed to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 vote, Robert Mueller, was using a grand jury – suggesting his probe was entering a new, more serious, phase.

Read more: Donald Trump likely to resign before Congress can impeach him, says senior Democrat | The Independent

The Trump White House Staff: Michael Flynn: Trump's national security adviser quits

Donald Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has resigned over his contacts with Russia, the White House has announced.

Mr Flynn is alleged to have discussed US sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Mr Trump took office.

He is said to have misled officials about the conversation.

Earlier, US media reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House about the contacts late last month.

They said that Mr Flynn might be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.

Senior Democrats had called for Mr Flynn to be fired.

It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy, and the calls happened late last year before Mr Flynn was appointed to the administration.

In his letter of resignation, Mr Flynn said he had "inadvertently briefed the vice-president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador".

A White House statement said Lt Gen Joseph Keith Kellogg had been appointed as interim replacement.

Note EU-Digest: the obvious question is:  did Mr. Flynn resign to protect his boss who might have been the one who put him up to contact the Russian ambassador?

Read more: Michael Flynn: Trump's national security adviser quits - BBC News

EU Commission: Britain's EU commissioner, finance chief Hill, resigns

The British member of the EU executive, Financial Services Commissioner Jonathan Hill, resigned on Saturday after having campaigned against Britain leaving the European Union.

Following the referendum vote for Brexit on Thursday, few expected a Briton to retain oversight of the EU banking and finance market that will be a key battleground in negotiations between London and Brussels on dissolving British membership.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was handing the portfolio to Valdis Dombrovskis, who will take it into his brief as vice president for the euro from July 16.

An EU official said the move made it clear that plans for an EU capital markets union would now focus on the euro zone after Hill had worked to ensure new EU rules would not disadvantage London's huge finance industry based outside the currency area.

"It's clear there will be a less clear division between the capital markets union and the euro zone," the official said.

London-based banks and other financial firms are concerned about access to the EU once Britain leaves the single market.

Hill said in a statement a day after British voters backed Brexit in a referendum called by Prime Minister David Cameron: "I don't believe it is right that I should carry on as the British commissioner as though nothing had happened."

Dombrovskis, who as prime minister took Latvia into the euro, and whose current role already oversees Hill's portfolio, said his priority was to maintain financial stability in markets.

Cameron, who will be replaced once his Conservative party elects a new leader, will leave it to his successor to discuss what to do with Britain's seat on the Commission, a British spokesperson said. It retains the right to a seat, along with the 27 other EU states, until it finally leaves the Union.

Read more: Britain's EU commissioner, finance chief Hill, resigns | Reuters

Greek crisis: Deputy finance minister resigns before bailout vote

It’s official. Nadia Valavani, deputy finance minister, has resigned from Alexis Tsipras’s government just hours before the parliament votes on the bailout package.
 
As flagged earlier, Valavani has told Tsipras that it is “impossible” for her to keep serving in his government, given the austerity measures he had agreed to.

In a letter released by the finance ministry, Valavani warned that Greece faced a “crushing” capitulation at the hands of its creditors in Brussels.

The bailout terms were not a “viable solution” to Greece’s problems, she insisted, warning:

The solution imposed today in such a depressing way is not sustainable for the Greek people and for the country.

Greek crisis: Deputy finance minister resigns before bailout vote - live | Business | The Guardian

FIFA: Sepp Blatter announces resignation as FIFA president

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has said that he is to step down just four days after being re-elected to a fifth term at the helm of football’s world governing body, which is embroiled in a corruption scandal.

The 79-year-old made the announcement during a hastily convened press conference in Zurich, saying that although he had decided to stand again because he was convinced it was the best option for football, he added that his mandate does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world.

Blatter said this why he would call an extraordinary congress to be held as soon as possible, for a new president to be elected to succeed him.

Switzerland’s attorney general said that Blatter is not currently under investigation by its office.

Read more: Sepp Blatter announces resignation as FIFA president | euronews, world news

USA: David Petraeus resigns as CIA director - by Greg Miller

CIA Director David H. Petraeus resigned Friday and admitted to having an extramarital affair, bringing a surprisingly abrupt end to his brief tenure at the spy agency as well as his decorated career in national security.

Petraeus, a retired four-star U.S. Army general once considered a potential presidential candidate, met with President Obama on Thursday and said he was prepared to step down because of the affair. Obama accepted the resignation in a phone call to Petraeus on Friday, officials said.

“After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair,” Petraeus said in a statement distributed Friday to the CIA workforce. “Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation.”

Read more: David Petraeus resigns as CIA director - The Washington Post