Archives Revue de presse - 2019
03 October 2019 - UK expresses 'regret' over Māori killings after Cook's arrival in New Zealand
Britain expresses regret for killing of Māori during Captain Cook’s landing 250 years ago
(NewsNow, 02/10/2019)
The British government today expressed "regret" that British explorers killed some of the first indigenous Māori they met 250 years ago, but stopped short of issuing a full apology.
British High Commissioner Laura Clarke met with Māori tribal leaders in Gisborne as New Zealand marked the anniversary of Captain James Cook and the crew of his ship Endeavour arriving in 1769.
Clarke's words held historic significance but fell short of the full apology that some had sought from the British royal family.
Iwi to receive message expressing regret for Māori killed in James Cook meeting
(Stuff.co.nz, 02/10/2019)
Gisborne iwi are set to receive a message this afternoon from the British High Commissioner for the Māori killed when James Cook arrived in 1769.
The British High Commissioner is taking part in one of her first of two ceremonies in an expression of regret to iwi in Gisborne - in what is understood to be a first in New Zealand.
British High Commissioner Laura Clarke has been working closely with leaders of Gisborne iwi Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Te Aitanga a-Māhaki, Ngāti Oneone for many months to prepare for this meeting.
Captain Cook's legacy is complex, but whether white Australia likes it or not he is emblematic of violence and oppression
Paul Daley (The Guardian, 03/10/2019)
The British government has issued an oh-so-carefully worded expression of “regret” for the killing of Māori in Aotearoa, today’s New Zealand, at the point of first contact during Lieutenant James Cook’s “voyage of discovery” 250 years ago.
Regrets! The old empire certainly has had cause for a few when it comes to the violence it has meted out to the indigenes of the places it took during Britain’s colonial expansion.
For the deaths of a million Irish in the potato famine. For the Kenyans tortured and imprisoned during the Mau Mau insurgency. For the Indians killed in the Amritsar massacre. And, now, for the Māori, whose first contact with Cook’s HMS Bark Endeavour in 1769 was characterised by disastrous violence for the first Aotearoans.
How Captain Cook became a contested national symbol
Tracy Ireland (The Conversation, 11/05/2018)
Captain Cook has loomed large in the federal government’s 2018 budget. The government allocated $48.7 million over four years to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Cook’s voyages to the South Pacific and Australia in 1770. The funding has been widely debated on social media as another fray in Australia’s culture wars, particularly in the context of $84 million in cuts to the ABC.
Closer scrutiny suggests that this latest celebration of Cook may serve as a headline for financial resources already committed to a range of cultural programs, at least some of which could be seen as business as usual. These include the development of digital heritage resources and exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum, National Library, AIATSIS and the National Museum of Australia, as well as support for training “Indigenous cultural heritage professionals in regional areas”.
07 October 2019 - Gandhi's ashes stolen from memorial site on 150th birthday
Gandhi's ashes stolen and photo defaced on 150th birthday
(BBC News, 03/10/2019)
Thieves stole some of Mahatma Gandhi's remains on what would have been his 150th birthday, police say.
The ashes were taken from a memorial in central India, where they had been kept since 1948 - the year of Gandhi's assassination by a Hindu extremist.
The thieves also scrawled "traitor" in green paint across photographs of the independence leader.
Did Vandals Steal Gandhi’s Ashes From an Indian Memorial?
Jeffrey Gettleman and Sameer Yasir (The New York Times, 04/10/2019)
He is the revered father of Indian independence, and it was what would have been his 150th birthday. And yet, on Wednesday, vandals attacked a memorial to Mohandas K. Gandhi, painted “traitor” in lurid green across his picture, and may have stolen some of his ashes.
Police officials in Rewa, in central India, site of the memorial, said they thought it was an inside job because there were no signs of a break-in and the thick green paint defacing Gandhi’s picture was being used by workmen at the memorial.
Gandhi shrine vandalised as parties fight over his legacy
Hugh Tomlinson, Saurabh Sharma (The Times, 04/10/2019)
Vandalism at a shrine to Mahatma Gandhi has cast a pall over celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth. Indian police are investigating after “traitor” was sprayed in green paint over posters of the “Father of the Nation” in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
The incident has exposed the faultlines through Indian society as nationalists and liberals quarrel over the right to claim Gandhi.
Mangaldeep Tiwari, a caretaker at the Bapu Bhawan memorial, said that the incident was shameful. Reports that Gandhi’s ashes had been stolen were denied.
Mahatma Gandhi's portrait defaced in MP's Rewa
Pti Rewa (Deccan Herald, 04/10/2019)
A portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced at Bapu Bhawan in Laxmanbagh Sansthan here on Gandhi Jayanti by unidentified persons who wrote "deshdrohi" (traitor) over it and also stole an urn which was used for immersing his ashes, police said on Thursday.
08 October 2019 - 'Sorry, this is an emergency': Climate protesters block streets around the world
Extinction Rebellion protests: UK arrests as global demonstrations begin
(BBC News, 08/10/2019)
Police have arrested 280 people in London at the start of two weeks of protests by environmental campaigners.
Extinction Rebellion activists are protesting in cities around the world, including Berlin, Amsterdam and Sydney.
Organisers have blockaded key sites in central London, in addition to demonstrating outside government departments.
Boris Johnson Ridicules Extinction Rebellion Protestors As 'Hemp-Smelling Crusties'
Paul Waugh (The Huffington Post, 07/10/2019)
Boris Johnson has ridiculed Extinction Rebellion protestors as annoying “nose-ringed”, “hemp-smelling” “crusties”.
In a broadside at the demonstrators who started a fortnight of disruption in central London, the prime minister used a speech praising Margaret Thatcher to make plain his disdain for the group’s tactics.
Johnson told an event hosted by the Policy Exchange think tank that Thatcher was an environmentalist “long before Greta Thunberg”, taking action on greenhouse gases.
Extinction Rebellion is on the right side of history, whatever you think of the group’s style
Editorial (The Independent, 08/10/2019)
The UK is reducing its carbon emissions almost as fast any developed nation. It also represents just 1 per cent of the global population. In the international fight against climate change, which is not being fought with anything like the urgency it should, its power is extremely limited.
Still, the Houses of Parliament, the building around which the climate change direct action group Extinction Rebellion has tried to build an effective barricade, has, for some years, been way ahead of the curve in the fight on climate change. Its parties are, to a great extent, on the same side.
Thanks to Extinction Rebellion, we’re experiencing a climate culture change
Polly Toynbee (The Guardian, 07/10/2019)
In the Mall, up Whitehall, or crossing Trafalgar Square early this morning, the climate activists looked like rush-hour office workers and civil servants – mainly 30 to 50-year-olds, with no dreadlocked tree-huggers, SWP banners or black-masked anarchists looking for a punch-up. Chanting about the climate emergency, frankly, they seemed a bit sheepish, not used to it. Their ordinariness makes Extinction Rebellion, or XR, especially effective: farmers, scientists, doctors, Cumbrians and other local platoons stand at the 12 key roadblocks.
After their successful capture of central London in April, local cells or “affinity groups” all over the country have trained and planned for this protest. Deciding who would be “arrestable” for highway obstruction – and who wouldn’t be, because of jobs or young families – they were primed to expect a tougher police response after rightwing press complaints against the friendly policing last April, when officers were caught dancing at a blocked Oxford Circus.
11 October 2019 - Hollywood split over Ellen DeGeneres's defense of George W. Bush
Celebrities split over Ellen DeGeneres's remarks about George W. Bush
Aris Folley (The Hill, 09/10/2019)
A number of celebrities are split over Ellen DeGeneres’s defense of her friendship with former President George W. Bush, days after a photo of the two seated next to each other at an NFL game this past weekend went viral.
DeGeneres and Bush stoked controversy on Twitter over the weekend after footage emerged of the pair and their spouses seated together at the Dallas Cowboys' matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
After getting some heat over the sighting, the "Ellen" host dedicated her opening monologue on her show Tuesday to address the matter.
'We’re all different. And I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s OK’: Ellen DeGeneres says she’s ‘friends’ with George W. Bush
Mike Brest (Washington Examiner, 08/10/2019)
Ellen DeGeneres defended her friendship with former President George W. Bush on Monday after facing criticism for going to Sunday's Dallas Cowboys game with him.
DeGeneres and Bush attended the game with their spouses and sat with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. In her explanation of the situation, she revealed that they were invited by Jones's daughter Charlotte. The controversy began when Bush and DeGeneres were shown on the television broadcast and people expressed their displeasure on social media.
Mark Ruffalo breaks Hollywood ranks over Ellen's George W Bush friendship
(BBC News, 10/10/2019)
Avengers star Mark Ruffalo has disagreed with Ellen DeGeneres' defence of her friendship with ex-US President George W Bush.
After being pictured with Mr Bush, the TV host said she was friends with many people who don't share her views, adding we should "be kind to everyone".
But Hulk actor Ruffalo said Mr Bush should be "brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War".
Ellen DeGeneres, George W. Bush, and the death of uncritical niceness
Constance Grady (Vox, 09/10/2019)
On Sunday, Ellen DeGeneres spent her afternoon in a luxury box at a football game in Texas, watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers and laughing cheerfully next to former president George W. Bush. The TV cameras panned over the pair sitting together, apparently in the midst of a friendly exchange, and on social media, people erupted into outrage.
Ellen is a trailblazer who taught middle America not to be afraid of lesbians. Most famously, she came out of the closet in 1997 while still the star of a primetime network sitcom, and weathered both the ensuing controversy and her show’s cancellation to survive and thrive in Hollywood.
Ellen DeGeneres, George W. Bush, and the Limits of Unconditional Kindness
Laura Bradley (Vanity Fair, 08/10/2019)
In her latest stand-up special, Relatable, Ellen DeGeneres spends around an hour telling her audience just how different her life is from theirs. The bathrooms she visits have attendants, she says; while telling a joke about emotional-support animals, she quips, “10B; does the plane go back that far? I‘ve never been back there.” But fame, she admits, comes with drawbacks too: “When you do something stupid, you’re just a person someone saw doing something stupid,” she says. “When I do something stupid, it’s a story.”
That joke has come to mind for me twice this year. The first time: when DeGeneres groused with Kevin Hart over the firestorm that erupted when he refused to apologize for his past homophobic humor and eventually relinquished the job of Oscar host. “There are so many haters out there,” DeGeneres told Hart in January. “Whatever’s going on on the internet, don’t pay attention to them; that’s a small group of people being very, very loud. We are a huge group of people who love you and want to see you host the Oscars.”
14 October 2019 - Fake video of Trump shooting reporters screened by his supporters
Fake video of Trump shooting media and opponents 'shown at president's resort'
Josh Taylor (The Guardian, 14/10/2019)
A mocked-up video depicting US president Donald Trump stabbing and shooting his political opponents and the media has reportedly been shown at a meeting of the president’s supporters at his Miami resort.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that the video, which has since been posted on Twitter, shows a scene from Kingsman: The Secret Service, edited to appear as though Trump is stabbing and opening fire on people and news organisations in a church.
The targets include CNN, Politico, Black Lives Matter, the BBC, the Guardian, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, Hillary Clinton, the late senator John McCain, Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama and others inside the “Church of Fake News”.
A pro-Trump group showed a video of a fake Trump shooting and brutally stabbing journalists and political foes at a conference for his supporters
Sonam Seth (Business Insider, 14/10/2019)
A group that supports President Donald Trump played a gruesome video at a conference last week depicting a fake Trump shooting, stabbing, and assaulting news organizations, The New York Times reported.
The three-day conference was hosted by American Priority at the Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida, and it was attended by Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and his former White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the report said.
Trump Jr. and Sanders denied seeing the video. A person close to Trump Jr. told The Times he was unaware the video was played at the conference, and Sanders said she "wasn't aware of any video, nor do I support violence of any kind against anyone."
Press organization condemns fake massacre by Trump depicted at pro-Trump event
David Cohen (Politico, 13/10/2019)
The White House Correspondents’ Association on Sunday night condemned “a video reportedly shown” at a pro-Trump event held at a Trump resort in Miami that depicted graphic violence against journalists and various political figures.
“The WHCA is horrified by a video reportedly shown over the weekend at a political conference organized by the President’s supporters at the Trump National Doral in Miami,“ said the statement, issued in the name of WHCA president Jonathan Karl.
CNN Calls on Trump to Denounce Video Showing Violence Against Media
Gene Maddaus (Variety, 13/10/2019)
CNN has called on President Trump to denounce a video that was shown at a pro-Trump conference last week, in which the president is depicted slaughtering figures representing media outlets.
The New York Times reported that the video was shown at a conference for Trump supporters held at Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Fla. According to the Times, the video shows a church massacre taken from the 2014 film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Trump’s face is superimposed on the shooter, while the victims’ faces are replaced by media logos — including CNN, Politico, NPR, and PBS — as well as images of Trump’s political opponents.
Trump’s son, Donald Trump, Jr., and his former spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, were both scheduled to speak at the conference, which was put on by a group called American Prosperity. Representatives for each told the Times that they had not seen the video at the conference.
17 October 2019 - Plan to exhume James Joyce’s remains fires international ‘battle of the bones’
Bid to repatriate James Joyce's remains ahead of Ulysses centenary
Sian Cain (The Guardian, 15/10/2019)
A plan to repatriate the remains of James Joyce and his wife Nora Barnacle and finally observe their last wishes, has been proposed by Dublin city councillors more than 70 years after the author’s death.
Born in the Dublin suburb of Rathgar in 1882, Joyce spent decades living away from Ireland due to his growing animosity towards Irish society and his need to find work. He died in Zurich in January 1941 at the age of 58, after undergoing surgery on a perforated ulcer. He is buried in Fluntern cemetery in Zurich, alongside his wife Nora, who died 10 years later. In 1966, they were moved from an ordinary grave to a more prominent one, where their son Giorgio was later buried with them in 1976.
'James Joyce did not wish to go back to Ireland': Head of Joyce Foundation says there would be 'resistance' to repatriation
Conor McCrave (The Journal, 16/10/2019)
James Joyce never showed any intention of returning to Ireland and there would likely be resistance to any request to have his remains repatriated, the director of the Joyce Foundation in Switzerland has warned.
On Monday, councillors on Dublin City Council backed a motion to write to the government and ask that the remains of the Irish writer, which are buried with his wife, Nora Barnacle, and his son and his wife, in Fluntern cemetery in Zurich, be repatriated to Dublin.
Why Irish Politicians Are Seeking to Unearth James Joyce
Arden Dier (Newser, 16/10/2019)
James Joyce could be in for an international move some 70 years after his death. Officials in Ireland hope to dig up the country's "premier writer" in order to repatriate his remains and those of his wife, kept at a Swiss cemetery, before the 100th anniversary of Joyce's masterpiece Ulysses in 2022, reports the Guardian. Dublin City Council backed the move Monday after councillors Dermot Lacey and Paddy McCartan made the case that it was the final wish of the couple to be buried in the homeland Joyce departed in 1904 at age 22, per the Irish Times. "Exile was a key element in his writing but for it to follow him into eternity? I don't think that was part of the plan," says McCartan, who will now petition the Irish government to get on board. He may also need to convince Joyce's grandson and quite a few others.
Dublin councillors are fighting to have James Joyce's remains brought back to Ireland
Rachael O'Connor (The Irish Post, 15/10/2019)
A meeting of Dublin councillors in a South East Area committee took an interesting turn this week when two members, Dermot Lacey and Paddy McCartan, put forward a motion to have writer James Joyce's remains exhumed from Switzerland and returned to his home country of Ireland.
According to The Irish Times, the councillors argued that it had been the wish of the late great author, and that of his wife Nora Barnacle, that they be buried in Dublin.
“It would appear he wanted to be buried here, and it would be nice to do it on the centenary of the publication of one of the most important books of modern literature," Councillor Lacey said.
04 November 2019 - EU agrees to Brexit "flextension" until January 31
Prime Minister agrees to Brexit ‘flextension’ until January 31
Sebastian Payne, Jim Brunsden and Mehreen Khan (Financial Times, 28/10/2019)
Boris Johnson has accepted a Brexit extension until January 31 and urged EU leaders not to grant any further delays as he pushes for a general election before the end of the year.
National ambassadors from the 27 other EU member states approved a “flextension” on Monday that could last as long as the end of January but which gives the UK the possibility to leave the bloc sooner if its withdrawal agreement has been ratified.
Boris Johnson's general election gamble
Anushka Asthana (The Guardian, 31/10/2019)
Britain is bracing itself for a winter election on 12 December after MPs finally supported Boris Johnson’s call to let voters decide which party should take control of the Brexit talks. It comes just over two years after the last election left no party with a majority and a deadlock in parliament.
Heather Stewart joins Anushka Asthana to discuss how the parties will aim to attract votes in what is being called the most volatile election in a generation. Voters have never been more willing to switch parties and the divide on Brexit could produce unpredictable local results.
General Election 2019: What does 'Get Brexit done,' mean?
Chris Morris (BBC News, 03/11/2019)
The Conservative slogan "Get Brexit done" suggests a quick and easy path to leaving the European Union (EU), allowing the UK to focus on other things apart from Brexit. But it's not that simple.
We know Brexit has been delayed again. No longer 29 March, nor 31 October, it's now been pushed back to 31 January 2020.
If a deal is done, Brexit could happen before that, or it could be delayed again.
General Election 2019: The five paths to power
Isla Glaister (SkyNews, 04/11/2019)
For the third time in just over four-and-a-half years, the people of the UK will vote at a general election - and they will determine not only which party gets to govern, but also the winner in the bitter battle between Leave and Remain.
Westminster has been paralysed by the 2016 referendum, with Brexit splintering decades-old party allegiances.
05 November 2019 - Guy Fawkes Day
Guy Fawkes Night: Are bonfire traditions fizzling out?
(BBC News, 05/11/2019)
Bonfire Night has long been a loud and colourful celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot. But while we remember the 5th of November have some of its traditions been forgotten?
Generations of families have fashioned Guy Fawkes dummies to burn atop bonfires.
Children would stuff old clothes with newspaper and wheelbarrow their effigy around asking for money to buy fireworks.
Over 100,000 people sign petition to ban sale of fireworks in shops
Jen Mills (Metro, 03/11/2019)
Parliament will have to consider debating banning the sale of fireworks after a petition reached 100,000 signatures.
The petition reached the milestone today and is still rising, with 116,318 at the time of writing.
Those who signed are calling for fireworks to only be used at professional displays for safety reasons.
Guy Fawkes Night: Why are bonfires a big deal in Sussex?
Guy Pell (BBC News, 05/11/2019)
To some, Bonfire Night represents an excuse to set off some fireworks. But it is perhaps in the south east of England that memories of Guy Fawkes and his failed bid to blow up King James I burn brightest.
The festivities are about far more than one night though. The Sussex Bonfire season starts on the first weekend of September and ends in the third week of November.
Bonfire societies from towns around Sussex and the western edges of Kent capitalise on the fact the events are staggered across several weeks to take part in each other's parades and the biggest nights attract crowds of several thousand.
Guy Fawkes Night: Police post adorable puppy photo to spread fireworks safety message
Caroline Williams (Stuff, 05/11/2019)
Police have shared an adorable police pup photo in a bid to remind people to keep their pets inside for Guy Fawkes Night.
In the photo posted to police social media on Tuesday, the puppy wore headphones bigger than his body, while snuggled in a blacket next to a cup that read "future dog squad star".
"Let's be smart tonight NZ. Not everybody enjoys Guy Fawkes.
07 November 2019 - New Zealand passes Zero Carbon Bill with near-unanimous support
Zero Carbon Bill passes with near-unanimous support, setting climate change targets into law
Henry Cooke (Stuff, 07/11/2019)
The Government's Zero Carbon Bill passed with near-unanimous support on Thursday, after National agreed to support the climate change law.
Despite supporting the bill National have set out several changes to the law that they would make in their first 100 days if elected, including removing the controversial methane target and asking an independent commission to set it.
National's votes are not needed for the bill to pass but are hugely important in setting out whether or not the law can survive across governments, a fervent hope of Climate Change Minister James Shaw.
Two climates in one day: explaining the new climate change bills
Phil Smith (RNZ, 06/11/2019)
There are two different climate change bills in Parliament this week. One bill is just starting off (it passed a first reading on Tuesday), the other is being polished off this week.
Two similarly named bills up at the same time is a recipe for confusion so here’s a brief outline of which is which, and what they do.
Ardern says New Zealand on 'right side of history' as MPs pass zero-carbon bill
Eleanor Ainge Roy (The Guardian, 07/11/2019)
Jacinda Ardern’s landmark climate legislation has passed in New Zealand parliament, with historic cross-party support, committing the nation to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and meet its commitments under the Paris climate accords.
The climate change response (zero carbon) amendment bill passed on Thursday afternoon with the centre-right opposition National party throwing their support behind it late in the day, despite none of their proposed amendments being accepted. The bill passed 119 votes to one.
'This is our nuclear moment': NZ passes climate change law
Ben McKay (The Sydney Morning Herald, 07/11/2019)
New Zealand has reached agreement on climate change policy, passing the Zero Carbon Bill in Parliament.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government landed their flagship climate legislation on Thursday with the support of the opposition National party, which she hopes will ensure the longevity of the law.
12 November 2019 - New Zealand elects rare anti-social penguin as bird of the year
Hoiho, the yellow-eyed penguin, wins bird of the year
(Stuff, 11/11/2019)
The Hoiho, the yellow-eyed penguin, has won the hotly contested Bird of the Year competition.
It is the first time a seabird has won since Forest & Bird launched the competition 14 years ago.
The hoiho took 12,022 out of the 43,460 votes made and verified.
Bird of the Year competition: Keeping the good vibe flying high
Nik Dirga (RNZ, 11/11/2019)
The tweeting is over, the hashtags are going back to their nest, and New Zealand's wonderfully eccentric frenzy over the Bird of the Year vote is done for another year.
But while the online survey by Forest & Bird fires up thousands of avian aficionados for a few weeks, there's no reason bird lovers can't spread their wings all year long.
Bird of the Year is one of those charming things Aotearoa gets all worked up about that may seem a bit quaint to the rest of the world.
Bird of the Year: Speculation over Russian votes takes flight online
Jordan Bond (New Zealand Herald, 13/11/2019)
Forest and Bird says there is nothing to suggest a Russian hacking scandal has hit its Bird of the Year competition, despite hundreds of votes coming from the Federation.
Votes from Russia were the fourth most of any overseas country with 335, after Australia (684), the UK (682) and the US (563).
"There's certainly been a bit of speculation online about whether or not that's suspicious," Forest and Bird spokesperson Megan Hubscher said.
New Zealand's bird of the year: the most important election – aside from the real one
Elle Hunt (The Guardian, 05/11/2019)
The data team picked up on them first – 310 “dubious” votes from an IP address in Australia, sending one trend line suddenly, suspiciously skyward above the others. Something funny was going on with the shag.
Of course, by then – the 13th year of the competition – organisers knew to expect dodgy dealings in New Zealand’s bird of the year poll.
If a nationwide vote to name a favourite native bird sounds like innocuous good fun – a creative means of celebrating unique, threatened fauna – you may be underestimating bird of the year. Coordinated by the Royal Forest & Bird Society, an environmental nongovernmental organisation, it is often described as the country’s most important election – second only to, you know, the actual elections. Since 2017, too, it has had the same validation as two other Kiwi creations, pavlova and Russell Crowe: Australia has tried to pass it off as its own.
14 November 2019 - Public impeachment hearings begin
Public impeachment hearing paints damning portrait of Trump
Stephen Collinson (CNN, 14/11/2019)
Dramatic new disclosures on Day 1 of the House impeachment hearings painted an incriminating picture of Donald Trump as a President instinctively willing to sacrifice America's interests for his own.
In the most critical step so far in the investigation into Trump's alleged scheme to coerce Ukraine's help for his reelection campaign, Democrats posed a question to every US citizen at the core of this dark national chapter.
"If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, asked, arguing that the republic's values and the concept of an accountable presidency were at stake for future generations.
Key Moments From the First Public Impeachment Hearing
Michael D. Shear (The New York Times, 13/11/2019)
Witnesses testified that President Trump pressured a foreign power to help him win re-election during historic hearings that previewed an intensely partisan battle.
Bill Taylor Says Aide Was Told Trump Cared More About Biden Probe Than Ukraine
Hayley Miller and Ryan J. Reilly (The Huffington Post, 13/11/2019)
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, while testifying in an impeachment inquiry hearing Wednesday, revealed new information about President Donald Trump’s conversations about Ukraine.
In his opening remarks to the House Intelligence Committee, Taylor said one of his staff members told him just last week about a conversation he had with Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland the day after Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Donald Trump Jr. on day one of public impeachment hearings: ‘I’ve never seen anything more ridiculous’
Talia Kaplan (Fox News, 14/11/2019)
Donald Trump Jr. reacted to the first day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry against his father on Wednesday saying, ‘‘I’ve never seen anything more ridiculous.”
The first day of public hearings wrapped up with no major revelations -- but he said it also highlighted weaknesses in Democrats' key witnesses, who relied primarily on second-hand information.
Speaking on “Hannity” on Wednesday night, Trump was quick to point that out.
15 November 2019 - Australian bushfires destroy over 200 homes
Bushfire threatens homes on Sydney's doorstep as four blazes reach emergency level
Peter Hannam (The Sidney morning Herald, 15/11/2019)
A bushfire burning out of control at emergency level on Sydney's outskirts is spreading quickly and threatening homes, already claiming one property.
Four fires in NSW were at emergency level as of 4pm on Friday, the Rural Fire Service said, including the Gospers Mountain fire in the Hawkesbury area to Sydney's north-west.
"The Gospers Mountain fire is burning in the Hawkesbury area and is spreading very quickly," the RFS tweeted. "Spot fires are starting ahead of the main fire. The large air tanker is working in the area to protect properties."
Australia fires will not be contained for 'many weeks'
(Times of Oman, 13/11/2019)
Bushfires in eastern Australia destroyed more than 50 homes and injured 13 firefighters on Wednesday, according to officials.
150 fires were burning across the states of New South Wales and Queensland. Police ordered more mass evacuations, including the population of the popular tourist destination of Noosa, north of Brisbane. Firefighters told people to "leave immediately."
"Conditions are now very dangerous and firefighters may soon be unable to prevent the fire advancing," Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said in a statement. "The fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path."
As Australia faces more extreme weather, the nation's politics continue to fail
David Crowe (The Sydney Morning Herald, 15/11/2019)
Australians saw the power of nature to shape a political debate more than a decade ago when the rivers ran dry, the bushfire season came early and the country's politicians argued over climate change. With the 2007 federal election in sight, the nation waited to see whether the immediate threat of drought and fire would bring about a lasting shift in the electorate and a long-term response from governments.
There was a palpable sense voters were changing their minds on climate change. Prime minister John Howard agreed to an emissions trading scheme. His challenger Kevin Rudd pledged to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and meet hard targets on climate action. Observers spoke of Australians changing their attitudes "once and for all" because of the extreme conditions.
Virtual tools, real fires: how holograms and other tech could help outsmart bushfires
David Tuffley (The Conversation, 14/11/2019)
Australia continues to experience unprecedented destruction from bushfires. Now is the time to harness our technological tools, and find innovative ways to help alleviate the problem, and also prevent future disaster.
Predictive mapping has been a vital tool in an ongoing effort to identify at-risk forest areas and proactively manage the risks of fires. It works by analysing images to see what human eyes don’t always see.
Now, progress in technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and Internet of Things sensors have opened new ways for us to better prevent and effectively respond to bushfires. For this, the key is to have plenty of data relevant to that location.
18 November 2019 - Prince Andrew's interview about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein
Five Things We Learned From Prince Andrew's Interview About His Involvement With Jeffrey Epstein
Sarah Turnnidge (The Huffington Post, 17/11/2019)
From claiming allegations he’s had sex with a teenage girl in 2010 were inaccurate because he’d been in a Pizza Express in Woking, to suggesting he was unable to sweat because of an “overdose of adrenaline” during the Falklands War, Prince Andrew’s televised interview about his association with Jeffrey Epstein left viewers across the UK astounded.
In a sensational “no holds barred” and “no questions vetted” interview, filmed at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, the prince was confronted BBC’s Emily Maitlis with a number of allegations made against him.
Prince Andrew’s association with Epstein had been widely scrutinised in the past, however returned to the fore after Epstein died whilst in custody in August.
Prince Andrew describes BBC interview as ‘great success’
Vincent Wood (The Independent, 17/11/2019)
Prince Andrew has reportedly described the interview in which he answered questions on his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a “great success” – despite it being widely described as a “car-crash”.
The Duke of York is believed to have been a driving force in the decision to take part in the public grilling from the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, during which he said he did not regret his relationship with the disgraced billionaire financier as it had “seriously beneficial outcomes” for him.
His attempt to set the record straight has been widely condemned for its unsympathetic tone and lack of remorse for the friendship.
Prince Andrew stands by 'car-crash' Jeffrey Epstein BBC interview
(BBC News, 18/11/2019)
The Duke of York stands by his decision to take part in an interview about his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sources have told the BBC.
People close to Prince Andrew said he wanted to address the issues head-on and did so with "honesty and humility".
It came after the prince's interview with BBC Newsnight on Saturday was described as a "car crash".
Prince Andrew: entitled, obtuse and shamefully silent over Epstein’s victims
(The Guardian, 17/11/2019)
There was a moment towards the end of Emily Maitlis’s extraordinary interview with Prince Andrew when she was unable to conceal her astonishment at what she was hearing. Did he, Ms Maitlis had asked, feel any sense of shame at his association with the convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein? “Do I regret that he [Epstein] has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes,” was the prince’s reply. “Unbecoming?” said Ms Maitlis incredulously. “He was a sex offender.”
It was an exchange that summed up a grotesque mismatch between the Duke of York’s language and demeanour, and the gravity of the allegations which continue to surround him; between the obtuse self-absorption of a prince and what we know of the appalling sexual exploitation of teenage girls by his friend. Not once did Prince Andrew’s thoughts turn to the sex trafficking victims who found themselves forced to perform sexual acts with Epstein and others. No sympathy was expressed on their behalf; no sense of outrage. This lack of empathy revealed a man focused only on his own exculpation. It gave a damning insight into a sense of entitlement that hardly helped his cause.
21 November 2019 - Oxford Dictionaries declare "climate emergency" word of the year
Word of the Year 2019
(Oxford Dictionaries)
The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression shown through usage evidence to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.
The Oxford Word of the Year 2019 is climate emergency.
Climate emergency is defined as ‘a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.’
Oxford Dictionaries declares 'climate emergency' the word of 2019
Naaman Zhou (The Guardian, 21/11/2019)
Oxford Dictionaries has declared “climate emergency” the word of the year for 2019, following a hundred-fold increase in usage that it says demonstrated a “greater immediacy” in the way we talk about the climate.
Defined as “a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it”, Oxford said the words soared from “relative obscurity” to “one of the most prominent – and prominently debated – terms of 2019.”
According to the dictionary’s data, usage of “climate emergency” soared 10,796%.
Scientists Around the World Declare ‘Climate Emergency’
Avery Thompson (Smithonian.com, 05/11/2019)
The world’s scientists are increasingly worried about our civilization’s reluctance to tackle climate change, so in a paper released today, thousands of them are raising the alarm.
In a report published in the journal BioScience, over 11,000 of the world’s leading climate scientists have added their names to a declaration calling the planet’s current warming trends a “climate emergency.” Titled “World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency,” the paper takes an urgent tone, detailing a dire situation that will require extreme responses to avert disaster.
“As a scientist, I feel that I must speak out about climate change, since it is such a severe threat to humanity,” says Bill Ripple, an ecologist at Oregon State University and lead author of the new report. In addition to a warning about the future, Ripple, his co-authors and the 11,258 other people who attached their names to the paper suggest a set of tools to make sense of our changing world.
3 ways cities can prepare for climate emergencies
Ryan Plummer (The Conversation, 15/11/2019)
Cities are on the front line of climate change. While their footprints cover a mere two per cent of the Earth’s surface, they consume 78 per cent of global energy and account for over 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
More than 80 per cent of Canadians reside in urban areas and this trend is accelerating. Critically, a recent study found that most Canadian cities are ill-prepared to manage the impacts of climate change.
Canadians are increasingly standing up against the devastating impacts of climate change. In June 2019, the House of Commons declared a national climate emergency. In September, more than six million people around the world joined Greta Thunberg to stage a global strike for climate. And during this fall’s federal election, voters across the country made every party realize that climate policy is an urgent issue for people of all ages.
25 November 2019 - Billionaire Michael Bloomberg enters Democratic presidential race
Michael Bloomberg confirms White House run and kicks off $30m ad buy
Tom McCarthy (The Guardian, 24/11/2019)
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a presidential run on Sunday, unveiling a minute-long campaign video that called the billionaire, one of the richest men in the world, a “middle class kid who made good”.
“I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions. He represents an existential threat to our country and our values. If he wins another term in office, we may never recover from the damage.”
Democrats have urgency, but no momentum
Bill Schneider (The Hill, 24/11/2019)
What the Democratic presidential race has is urgency. What it lacks is momentum.
None of the 18 Democratic candidates has been able to build increasing strength in the polls. Former Vice President Joe Biden has sustained a lead in national polls of Democrats. But Biden’s support has been slipping, not growing. There was a brief flurry of enthusiasm for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the early states, but it has already faded.
The incredible wastefulness of Mike Bloomberg
James Downie (The Washington Post, 25/11/2019)
Former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg finally entered the Democratic presidential race on Sunday. To make up for lost time, reports The Post, “his campaign has made more than $30 million in television advertising reservations to help introduce him as a candidate. … Bloomberg has also announced a $100 million ad campaign to criticize Trump in key battleground states and a $15 million voter registration effort in those same places.” That’s an enormous sum — and a colossal waste compared to how else he could spend it.
Michael Bloomberg Set For 2020 Run
(The Onion, 11/11/2019)
Billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg filed paperwork this week designating himself as a Democratic Party candidate in Alabama, setting the stage for a candidacy that could prove a threat to other moderates in the race. What do you think?
“I’m glad someone is serious about stopping the Democrats’ slide towards charismatic, likable candidates.” - Simona Smyth • Seltzer Carbonator
26 November 2019 - Uber stripped of licence to operate in London
Uber stripped of London licence over passenger safety risk
(Sky News, 25/11/2019)
Uber has been stripped of its London operating licence by the regulator over a series of breaches that put passenger safety at risk.
Transport for London (TfL) said it has identified "a pattern of failures" by the ride-hailing app firm which led it to conclude that it "is not fit and proper at this time".
Uber loses licence to operate in London
(BBC News, 25/11/2019)
Uber will not be granted a new licence to operate in London after repeated safety failures, Transport for London (TfL) has said.
The regulator said the taxi app was not "fit and proper" as a licence holder, despite having made a number of positive changes to its operations.
Uber initially lost its licence in 2017 but was granted two extensions, the most recent of which expires on Monday.
Why the London crackdown on Uber had to happen
James Moore (The Independent, 25/11/2019)
Uber’s fleet of cars looks to be heading for the garage again. The ride-hailing app has been told that it has lost its London licence after it was found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with drivers who had faked their identity on its app.
According to Transport for London (TFL), those who had either lost their licences to carry passengers, or who never had them in the first place, were able to pick people up by fraudulently using other drivers’ accounts. They did this through uploading their photos on to the app.
Uber boss hits out after it loses London licence a second time and faces exile from capital
Matthew Field (The Telegraph, 25/11/2019)
Uber has condemned Transport for London’s decision not to renew its licence in the capital, with bosses labelling the verdict “extraordinary and wrong”.
It was the second time in two years that the taxi-hailing company lost its licence due to concerns that it had put “passenger safety and security at risk”.
28 November 2019 - What does Black Friday even mean?
What Does ‘Black Friday’ Even Mean Anymore?
Vanessa Friedman (The New York Times, 27/11/2019)
“Black Friday Sale Starts Now!” “Shop Black Friday Deals Now!” “Gear Up, It’s Black Friday” — so read the emails in my inbox and the banners on my search engine.
Well, yes, you shrug. What do you expect? It’s that time of year.
Except when I received said emails, and said banners began to appear, it was not, in fact, the day after Thanksgiving. It was not that day when, in order to kick-start the holiday shopping season, brands and department stores cut their prices and everyone rushes out to buy, buy, buy.
Black Friday History: The Dark True Story Behind The Name
Casey Bond (The Huffington Post, 11/11/2019)
Maybe you’re familiar with the wholesome origin story of Black Friday. It goes something like this: For years, tryptophan-happy shoppers would flood local shops and malls the day after Thanksgiving, and that surge in spending was enough to put retailers “in the black” for the year. Therefore, the Friday following Thanksgiving was dubbed “Black Friday,” and it became the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
Except that wasn’t always how the phrase was used. Before the retail industry put a tidy little spin on Black Friday, it had a much more sinister meaning. Here’s the real reason the term “Black Friday” exists.
5 Examples Of How Black Friday Is Out And Consumer Mindfulness Is In
Blake Morgan (Forbes, 26/11/2019)
The rush to find the perfect gift, the lines around the store, the stampedes to get the best deals. For years, chaos has defined Black Friday as brands compete for excited customers and often put their employees at risk. Every year we hear about both customer and employee injuries as a result of shopping. But now, more companies are shifting their focus to mindfulness and making a difference.
Modern customers care about more than just things. Firstly not everyone wants to spend their day off of work on a screen or fighting traffic in a store. They might prefer playing games with family or enjoying a quiet walk with their dog. Many customers now consider the environmental costs of their purchases and want to make sustainable choices. More customers than ever prefer spending money on experiences over things. The growing obsession with sales and materialism is counter to the beliefs of many customers who focus more on quality than quantity.
Black Friday UK: just one in 20 discounts are genuine, research finds
Patrick Collinson (The Guardian, 26/11/2019)
Just one in 20 Black Friday deals are genuine, according to damning research by Which? that concluded the annual shopping event was “all hype”.
The consumer group price checked 83 items on sale on Black Friday last year and found that nearly all were cheaper or available for the same price at other times of the year.
A Samsung soundbar was a Currys PC World Black Friday deal last year at £299. But the researchers found that the price dropped by a further £49 during the month after Black Friday and was priced at £279.97 at least 13 times in the following six months.
29 November 2019 - General elections 2019: climate debate
The climate crisis leaders' debate: what did we learn?
Zoe Williams, Alice Bell, John Vidal and Ellie Mae O’Hagan (The Guardian, 28/11/2019)
The climate change debate left me mournful: it wasn’t the montage of environmental emergency that opened it, though if I never heard the sound of a koala in pain again, that would be a-ok. It wasn’t any of the individual leaders, who all put their best foot forward, though weren’t without their less appealing moments.
It was the magnificent insufficiency of politics, all its conventions, all its rubric, in the face of this disaster. There is nothing like watching five people who fundamentally agree – who all believe the science, who all want to see children grow up into a liveable world, who all see this as the most pressing challenge humanity could face – try to suck endless arguments out of who believes it the most, and whose track record shows them in the best light, that makes you doubt our collective ability to fix this, or indeed, anything.
General election 2019: Climate debate fact-checked
Reality Check team (BBC News, 28/11/2019)
Five party leaders took part in Channel 4's climate debate.
Two other leaders, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage were invited but chose not to take part. They were replaced by melting ice sculptures.
Reality Check has been looking at some of the claims made in the debate.
Boris Johnson refuses to take part in climate debate, despite UN’s dire environmental warning
Emma Snaith (The Independent, 27/11/2019)
Boris Johnson is refusing to take part in the first ever election leader’s debate focusing on the climate crisis, with Channel 4 threatening to leave an empty chair if the prime minister does not attend.
The broadcaster said Mr Johnson had yet to respond to a request to attend the hour-long Emergency On Planet Earth debate on Thursday.
It came hours after the UN published a report warning that countries would need to increase their carbon-cutting efforts five fold to avoid climate chaos.
#BorisTheCoward trends ahead of no-show at climate debate
Zoe Drewett (Metro, 28/11/2019)
Climate change takes centre stage of election campaigning today as party leaders attempt to appeal to voters concerned about the environment.
But while the Labour, SNP, Lib Dem and Green party leaders are gearing up for a head-to-head TV debate on the issue – the prime minister has so far ignored an invite to join them.
Both Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage look set to snub the hour-long Emergency On Planet Earth debate on Channel 4 News.
02 December 2019 - COP25 opens as 'point of no return' looms
Climate change: COP25 talks open as 'point of no return' in sight
Matt McCrath (BBC News, 02/12/2012)
Political leaders and climate diplomats are meeting in Madrid for two weeks of talks amid a growing sense of crisis.
According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, "the point of no return is no longer over the horizon".
Meanwhile, Save the Children says that climate shocks have left millions in Africa facing hunger.
Trade deals may be an effective method of enforcing climate action
Editorial (The Sydney Morning Herald, 01/12/2019)
As world leaders gather this week in Madrid to try to breath some life into the Paris Agreement climate accord, it has its work cut out. With US President Donald Trump triggering the one-year get-out clause and the latest United Nations Emissions Gap Report starkly revealing a world further off course than ever from meeting its emission goals, it's increasingly looking like an agreement in name only. It may explain why some countries are looking elsewhere to enforce change.
Australia's Trade Minister Simon Birmingham recently got a taste of this. During negotiations with the European Union, France proposed tying a free trade deal to Australia adopting climate change targets enforceable by sanctions. As part of a government that has repeatedly defied pressure on it to set more ambitious targets, Senator Birmingham was always going to baulk, stating: "I think it would be unprecedented to see those type of provisions proposed in an agreement."
COP25: youth ‘leadership’ contrasts with government inaction, says UN chief
Fiona Harvey (The Guardian, 02/12/2019)
António Guterrez, the United Nations secretary general, contrasted the “leadership” and “mobilisation” shown by the world’s youth on the climate emergency with the lack of action by governments, which was failing to keep up with the urgency of the problem despite increasing signs that the climate was reaching breakdown.
Before the start of a critical conference on the climate crisis on Monday, he said the world had the technical and economic means to halt climate chaos, but what was missing was political will.
No one should want their children to live in this ‘bleak’ future
Editorial Board (The New York Times, 02/12/2019)
The U.N. Environment Program released its latest report last week on where we are and where we need to be on addressing climate change. The word the authors chose to describe humanity’s future: “bleak.”
“Countries collectively failed to stop the growth in global [greenhouse gas] emissions, meaning that deeper and faster cuts are now required,” the report found. The hope that global emissions of heat-trapping gases might level out with the increasing use of natural gas in the United States and energy intensity improvements in China turned out to be too optimistic. After temporarily leveling out, emissions continued their rise. That includes in the United States, where Republicans’ various excuses for inaction — such as that the natural gas boom showed that government policy was unnecessary to cut emissions — ring more hollow than ever.
03 December 2019 - Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on French Goods in Retaliation for Digital Tax
French Wine Could Face 100% Tariffs as Trump Confronts France Over Tech Taxes
Jim Tankersley and Ana Swanson (The New York Times, 02/12/2019)
The Trump administration said on Monday that a new French tax that hit American technology companies discriminated against the United States, a declaration that could lead to retaliatory tariffs as high as 100 percent on French wines.
It could also jeopardize international efforts to negotiate a truce on so-called digital taxes.
The announcement from the Office of the United States Trade Representative ended a monthslong investigation into the French tax, which hits companies like Facebook and Google even though they have little physical presence in France. The investigation concluded that the tax “discriminates against U.S. companies, is inconsistent with prevailing principles of international tax policy and is unusually burdensome for affected U.S. companies.”
US threatens tax on champagne and French cheese
(BBC News, 03/12/2019)
The Trump administration is threatening to slap import taxes on $2.4bn worth of French goods in retaliation for the country's new digital services tax.
The US says the tax penalises firms like Google, Amazon and Facebook, and is proposing to hit back with tariffs of up to 100% on products including cheese, champagne and handbags.
The digital tax is designed to prevent tech firms from dodging taxes.
U.S. Proposes Tariffs on France in Response to Digital Tax
(Bloomberg Technology, 02/12/2019)
The U.S. proposed tariffs on roughly $2.4 billion in French products, in response to a tax on digital revenues that hits large American tech companies including Google, Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. Bloomberg's Laura Davison reports on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia."
How ‘Digital Tax’ Plans in Europe Hit U.S. Tech: QuickTake
William Horobin and Aoife White (The Washington Post, 03/12/2019)
Big internet companies have long been the target of complaints that they don’t pay enough in taxes. Fed up, France imposed a 3% levy on the digital revenue of companies that make their sales primarily in cyberspace, such as Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. Other countries also are targeting companies, most of which are American, that have multinational earnings that often escape the taxman’s grip. The U.S. isn’t taking this sitting down.
1. How does a digital tax work?
The French law imposes a 3% levy on companies with at least 750 million euros ($845 million) in global revenue and digital sales of 25 million euros in France. Of about 30 businesses affected, most are American, but the list also includes Chinese, German, British and even French firms. The idea is to focus taxation where users of online services are located, rather than on where companies base their European headquarters or book their earnings.
09 December 2019 - SNL skit about Trump being mocked by world leaders at NATO summit
Saturday Night Live: James Corden plays Boris Johnson in ‘good-looking bad boys of NATO’ sketch
Adam White (The Independent, 08/12/2019)
James Corden has made his Saturday Night Live debut, portraying Boris Johnson in a sketch in which he, Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron bully Donald Trump.
Paul Rudd played Macron and Jimmy Fallon played Trudeau in the sketch, which sees the trio described as “bad boys” of NATO, in a spoof of the world leaders overheard on a hot mic making fun of Trump this week.
The sketch began with a narrator explaining that the incident was nothing compared to what occurred in “the NATO cafeteria” earlier in the day, with Macron, Trudeau and Johnson sat at “the cool kids’ table” and not allowing Trump (Alec Baldwin) to sit with them.
'Saturday Night Live' mocks Trump, bars him from sitting at NATO 'cool kids table'
Justin Wise (The Hill, 08/12/2019)
"Saturday Night Live" satirized President Trump's relationship with NATO leaders just days after video caught French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apparently gossiping about and mocking the U.S. president.
The skit opened by summarizing the leaders' exchange before noting that the audience "should have seen what happened in the NATO cafeteria" during the summit. Jimmy Fallon, as Trudeau, and Paul Rudd, as Macron, then enter the cafeteria with loud guitar music playing in the background.
"Look! It's Trudeau and Macron. They're so cool," a Denmark delegate says.
'SNL' mocks Trump's week at the NATO Summit with bullying from world leaders in the cafeteria
Lydia Ramsey (Business Insider, 08/12/2019)
"Saturday Night Live" took the real-life events of the NATO Summit and dropped them in the middle of a high school cafeteria.
With seating rejections, an "Impeach Me" sign, and harsh words about the president's climate policy — "Did you hear him talk about climate change the other day? He said we need stronger toilets," said "SNL's" European leaders, referencing statements made by US President Donald J. Trump earlier in the week.
The sketch featured Alec Baldwin as Trump getting bullied by "cool kids" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, played by Jimmy Fallon, French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, played by Paul Rudd, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, played by James Corden, in the NATO cafeteria.
Trudeau’s ‘hot mic’ video overshadows a crucial meeting for NATO
Jaime Watt (The Star, 08/12/2019)
On Wednesday, video emerged of Justin Trudeau, accompanied by a group of world leaders at a NATO summit in London, poking fun at President Donald Trump. In the video, the prime minister made a jibe about Trump’s penchant for impromptu press conferences and his staff’s apparent dismay at yet another off-the-cuff pronouncement.
Since then, there has been much carry on over Trudeau’s comments. Some are outraged, declaring that it’s foolish for the PM to be snickering behind the back of our largest trading partner. Others argue that the comments are merely the predictable outcome of Trump’s own bullying and standoffishness.
Canadians can debate whether it’s wise for their prime minister to be seen criticizing the president while, among many issues that face our two countries, NAFTA 2.0 has yet to pass through Congress.
10 December 2019 - British General Elections 2019
Live Latest on campaigning as election day nears
(BBC News, 10/12/2019)
It's the penultimate day of campaigning, ahead of Thursday's general election. Labour focus on the NHS, following criticism of Boris Johnson over his response to an image of a sick child. A Conservative minister insists Mr Johnson did "apologise and empathise", but Labour say the picture shows the impact of Tory "under-funding". Jeremy Corbyn rejects criticism of his own leadership, telling the BBC "it's not a presidential election".
General election 2019: Boris Johnson's bad day shows election not over
Laura Kuenssberg (BBC News, 09/12/2019)
Talking to voters around the country two big issues have had the elusive "cut through" in this campaign - the Tories promise to take us out of the EU at the end of next month and Labour's attack on their handling of the NHS.
Of course, other subjects have been part of the conversation but those are the issues that have come up most often during the last few weeks when we've been travelling around the country.
And in every election in recent history, the Labour Party has tried to sow doubts in voters' minds about whether or not the Tories can be trusted with the health service at all.
Labour's Brexit plans are politically impossible
Jason S. Reed (The Independent, 09/12/2019)
If Corbyn won’t support his own Brexit deal, who will?
Unlike the Conservative Party leadership contest earlier this year, this election presents two very different options – particularly when it comes to Brexit. The Conservatives, tapping into widespread frustration that we are still stuck in the mud three and a half years later, are promising to “get Brexit done” with their “oven-ready deal”.
Labour’s plan is more convoluted. The party has promised to conjure a new-and-improved withdrawal agreement in just three months, before holding a confirmatory referendum on it three months later. Yet even if anything close to that timetable were logistically possible, it is hard to see how it could be politically possible.
Whoever wins this week, the Tories should worry about their future
John Harris (The Guardian, 09/12/2019)
Where are the Tories? Boris Johnson appears on TV from time to time, and his party machine is said to be in the midst of a social media blitz. But wherever I have been over the past month, the supposed likely winners in this election have been all but invisible. I have encountered Labour, Liberal Democrat and Brexit party activists, but no teams of Conservatives. The party and its leader come up in conversation, and plenty of people say the Tories will get their vote, but there is a strange, almost ghostly aspect to the story: amid the noise, there is a party trying to creep back into power while making as little impression as possible.
Think about the reality of Tory politics out in the country, and this sense of absence adds up. By contrast with Labour’s 450,000-plus members, the Conservatives are reckoned to have around 160,000. How many of them are active is unclear, but four out of 10 are aged over 65, and 70% are men. After a decade of cuts, many of their councillors seem to be in a state of despondency and disaffection, complaining that their colleagues in national positions of power will not listen.
12 December 2019 - Greta Thunberg named youngest "person of the year" by Time Magazine
Greta Thunberg named TIME's youngest Person of the Year ever
Evie Fordham (Fox Business, 11/12/2019)
Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg is TIME's 2019 Person of the Year, TIME magazine editor Edward Felsenthal announced Wednesday morning.
"She was a solo protester with a hand-painted sign a few months ago. ... She's taken this issue from backstage to center," Felsenthal said of the Swedish 16-year-old.
"That Thunberg is the youngest individual ever named TIME’s Person of the Year says as much about the moment as it does about her," Felsenthal wrote on Wednesday. "But in this moment when so many traditional institutions seem to be failing us, amid staggering inequality and social upheaval and political paralysis, we are seeing new kinds of influence take hold. It is wielded by people like Thunberg, leaders with a cause and a phone who don't fit the old rubrics but who connect with us in ways that institutions can't and perhaps never could."
The Story Behind TIME's 2019 Person of the Year Cover
Karl Vick (Time Magazine, 11/12/2019)
After returning to Europe by sailboat, Greta Thunberg greeted the throngs of press and young climate activists who trail her everywhere. She rested for a day, then returned to the sea to be photographed for TIME’s Person of the Year cover.
The image was taken by Evgenia Arbugaeva, who grew up in the Russian Arctic, and makes photos of remote, quiet and unlikely beauty. “When TIME asked me to photograph Greta, I was thinking how can I make a portrait that combines gentleness and at the same time courage. How do I capture the intense, focused gaze inwards as well as outwards, which I feel is characteristic of Greta,” she says. “It was not an easy task.”
Arbugaeva wanted a photograph that captured the spirit of the young activist. She started by creating a mood board with references from Botticelli, Monet, Norse mythology, tarot cards, and Romantic period art.
Why Greta Thunberg Is One Of The World’s Most Powerful Women
Maggie McGrath (Forbes, 12/12/2019)
Greta Thunberg is not your typical listee on the Forbes Most Powerful Women rankings.
She is not an elected official, like German chancellor Angela Merkel. She is not a CEO or founder of a company, like Susan and Anne Wojcicki (of YouTube and 23andMe, respectively). And nor is she a perennial entry on one of Forbes’ wealth lists, like Forbes 400 mainstay Oprah Winfrey or Celeb 100 star Taylor Swift.
What Thunberg is: influential in ways that people three and four times her age are not.
Greta Thunberg being named Time person of the year won't stop the climate crisis
Rivkah Brown (The Independent, 11/12/2019)
It speaks volumes of the store our society sets by a woman’s consent that, despite repeatedly saying she does not want awards over her climate activism, we gave Greta one anyway.
Not two months ago, Thunberg declined an environmental prize from the Nordic Council, because “the climate movement does not need any more awards”. Today she will no doubt be thrilled to discover that she has been nominated Time’s person of the year.
Thunberg joins Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Donald Trump in being deemed by the magazine to have, “for better or for worse… done the most to influence the events of the year”. In other words, the award is mostly meaningless, less a way of indicating which people matter than of reminding us that Time magazine still matters. Nevertheless, the nomination reveals a great deal about how the liberal media views the climate crisis.
16 December 2019 - Nicola Sturgeon warns Boris Johnson Scotland can't be 'imprisoned' in UK
Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland 'cannot be imprisoned' in UK
(BBC News, 15/12/2019)
Scotland "cannot be imprisoned in the union against its will" by the UK government, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The Scottish first minister says the SNP's success in the general election gives her a mandate to hold a new referendum on independence.
However, UK ministers are opposed to such a move with Michael Gove saying the vote in 2014 should be "respected".
Overwhelming majority is now open to another Scottish referendum
Lesley Riddoch (The Scotsman, 16/12/2019)
Is Scotland in a different place as we hurtle towards 2020? Absolutely.
Of course, not everyone who voted SNP on Thursday supports independence. But I’d guess the overwhelming majority is now open to another referendum – as are once-sceptical players like Scottish business, the British media, international opinion and progressive English voters.
Fresh from election wins, Johnson and Sturgeon clash over Indyref 2
Alan McGuiness (SkyNews, 15/12/2019)
A senior member of Boris Johnson's government has "absolutely" ruled out allowing a second Scottish independence referendum.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday that the SNP did not have a mandate for such a vote.
Nicola Sturgeon's party won 48 out of Scotland's 59 seats in the general election - and she has made clear that she will push for another public vote on the question of Scotland's place in the union.
Senior Scottish Labour figures urge party to drop opposition to second independence referendum in 2020
Simon Johnson (The Telegraph, 15/12/2019)
Scottish Labour's beleaguered leader is under pressure from senior figures including his health spokesman for the party to drop its opposition to a second independence referendum in 2020.
Richard Leonard has rejected SNP calls for another separation vote next year, insisting a mandate could only be achieved by the nationalists winning the 2021 Holyrood election.
But Monica Lennon said another separation vote "feels inevitable" and argued Nicola Sturgeon is entitled to demand one after the SNP's landslide Westminster election win in Scotland last week.
Scottish Labour's health spokesman told the Sunday Mail she still opposed independence but argued Boris Johnson should allow Holyrood, which has...
19 December 2019 - Trump impeached by House of Representatives
President Trump Impeached By The House In Historic Rebuke
Philip Ewing (NPR, 18/12/2019)
House lawmakers voted to impeach President Trump on Wednesday in only the third such rebuke in American history.
The move triggers a trial for Trump in the Senate, expected in January — one in which majority Republicans are likely to permit him to retain his office.
The vote was 230 to 197 on the first of two articles of impeachment — abuse of power — with one member voting present. The House then passed the second article — obstruction of Congress — with a vote of 229 to 198, with one member voting present.
Trump has been impeached, but he's still President. What's next?
Zachary B. Wolf and Paul LeBlanc (CNN, 19/12/2019)
U.S. President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in a near party-line vote Wednesday. He is still the President.
What comes next is a trial in the Senate early next year that could, but probably won't, cost him the White House.
What happens next in the impeachment of President Trump?
Amber Philips (The Washington Post, 18/12/2019)
President Trump entered the history books in a new category Wednesday: he is the third president in U.S. history to have been impeached by the House.
The two votes on impeachment brings to an end the House's months-long inquiry into whether Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.
The House’s Sad, Predictable, Partisan, and Historic Impeachment of Donald Trump
Susan B. Glasser (The New Yorker, 18/12/2019)
It was a sad day—on that, at least, everyone could agree. On her way to the House floor, soon after 9 A.M., to begin the historic debate on the impeachment of Donald Trump, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, told reporters that she felt “sad.” She and other Democrats had coördinated to dress in funereal black, a sartorial nod to the moment. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was also “sad,” he told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning, because Democrats wanted only to impeach Trump and prevent him from doing his “amazing” work—an observation that the President liked so much that he promptly tweeted it.