Arlene Foster News

 

 

Stories of the week 14 October

 

Brexit

This week’s Brexit was all about movement and lack of movement.

The M26 may well become the ‘road to nowhere’ in the event of a no-deal Brexit. At least that’s what the government plans as they undertook secretive studies in night closures this week.

On the other hand, Nicola Sturgeon believes that Scotland is firmly on the move with talk of the SNP backing a second referendum on top of another Independence vote.

Much like a truck on the M26, Arlene Foster and the DUP are going nowhere over the Northern Irish border issue.  They threatened to bring down the government if they didn’t like the final deal.  Now there’s talk of May either dumping the DUP to get her deal through or paying them millions more to ensure their support.

 

 

Politics

This week was grim for the Conservatives on the domestic front.

Despite May promising the end of austerity, Universal Credit has been found to be a catastrophic mistake.  Warnings of riots when the system is rolled out similar to the Poll Tax were made by politicians from all sides.  To make matters worse, Esther McVey admitted people would be worse off under the new system.  To complete the bleak picture it was also revealed that McVey had made charities sign gagging orders to stop them talking about the failure.

 

 

Society

The Army has launched an investigation after videos and photos emerged of far right figurehead, Tommy Robinson, posing with British soldiers in uniform.

In more ‘shocking’ news, Banksy has been voted more popular than the Queen.

 

 

Environment

A UN report this week had a massive impact around the world. We have 12 short years to halve global emissions or face a bleak future.  Time is running out and we have to move fast or face potentially life-ending consequences.

Damaging his ‘green credentials’, Michael Gove did not attend the Climate Change Summit day after the UN report.

 

 

 

Middle East

More bad news for the Government after they were accused of changing the long-held British approach to the death penalty in order to appease Donald Trump.

Saudi Arabia have been accused of the torturing and killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi as the world considers sanctions.

 

 

Technology

There was a bumper crop of stories in our Technology section this week.

In a world first, MPs invited a robot to give evidence on the subject of AI.  The robot will be the first ‘non-human’ to appear before the UK Parliament.

In the US, the first robot farm replaces humans with intelligent machines.

And finally, an ‘alien base’ has been found Google tools.

Arlene Foster was right to stick it to Michel Barnier — but why did she have to? In The Sun – Go To Article

 

 

Stories of the week 7 October

 

 

Brexit

In surprising domestic Brexit news this week it seems Theresa May has her own problems with Northern Ireland. DUP leader, Arlene Foster, seemed ready to bring down May’s government although she could work with Boris Johnson if he was Prime Minister.

In not so surprising domestic Brexit news, the full implications and impact of Brexit were revealed in terms of employment.  Unskilled males will be hit hardest with up to a million set to lose their jobs. A large percentage of this demographic supported Leave.

Jean-Claude Juncker once again has spoken out on the divisiveness of the UK Press and regretted that David Cameron had not allowed the EU to campaign during the referendum.

Theresa May came on stage at the Conservative Party Conference to the song ‘Dancing Queen’ after her dance performance on a recent trip to Africa.  A European source later claimed Abba called Brexit a disaster.

 

 

Politics

This week’s Conservative Party Conference witnessed divisions in the party come right out into the open.  Boris Johnson made an impassioned appeal to party members for his vision of Brexit whilst Theresa May made an appeal focussed on unity and the promise to end austerity. The Press really did look at this from a wide range of viewpoints.  Take a look and see how they reacted to Boris Johnson’s leadership bid and May’s end to austerity.

 

 

Austerity

Against the background of a teaching crisis, particularly in London, the Government have been accused of trying to disguise funding cuts to education with misleading figures whilst at the same time issuing misleading statements on the amount they actually do spend.

 

 

Society

Whether it’s Brexit or online Social Media trolls, sympathy and compassion are on the decline as sadly most Britons think empathy is on the wane.

 

 

Science

Two fantastic stories from our Science section this week – insect soldiers and Dracula.

Scientists fear that the US plan to genetically modify crops through using insects could also be used to turn them into bioweapons.  The aim is to create drought-resistant crops but the impact of weaponised insects could easily result in food security issues on a global scale.

In another amazing story, vampires may have discovered the elixir of youth or as the headline asks, ‘did Dracula have the bite idea?’  It seems Americans are paying thousands for infusions of young blood.  Top scientists believe it could work.

 

 

World

Thousands of flat-earthers around the world, or should that be across the world, have joined an exclusive dating app.

 

 

 

Stories of the week 9 September

 

 

Austerity

‘Father battling cancer whose benefits were cut because he was ‘well enough to make a cup of tea’ died aged 56 with just £8 to his name, his family says’. The headline says it all.  There are many kinds of austerity wrapped up in this from universal credit to NHS cuts in finding.  Again, the headline says so much more than we could ever say.

 

 

Brexit

‘Brexit’ became associated with unexpected and exciting situations this week.  None of them were what Theresa May or arch-Brexiters might have wanted or expected.

EU Chief Negotiator, Michael Barnier, rejected May’s Chequers plan and suggested a counter-proposal himself. He was not the only one to reject May’s Brexit plan.  Apart from Labour, DUP leader Arlene Foster, David Davis and other hard-line Brexiters rejected it too.

All this against the backdrop of millions of Leave Voters switching to Remain since the referendum in more compelling evidence for another vote.

To make matters even worse for optimistic Brexiters, China called the UK ‘Washington’s sharksucker’ and accused it of provocation by sending the Royal Navy into the South China Sea.  The UK’s support of the US put any post Brexit trade deal at risk, Chinese state authorities confirmed.

 

 

 

Politics

With continuing calls for a Scottish Independence vote and a second referendum, the Scottish National Party (SNP) have more paying members than the Conservatives for the first time. Labour still have the largest paying membership.

Membership of the Conservative party wasn’t the only thing that wasn’t growing. After the summer heatwave, farmers became increasingly unhappy with Michael Gove and the government’s inaction with any support.

 

 

 

NHS

Just at a time when the NHS faces a severe shortage of nurses, figures show a large percentage of student nurses are dropping out before graduating their courses. This at a time when there are increasing job vacancies and increasing reliance on agency nursing support.

 

 

 

Environment

Two environmental stories this week focussed on the letter ‘H’ – humans and hedgehogs.

Humans. We may become extinct. Since every major rise or fall in temperature in the earth’s history has resulted in mass extinction, climate change could be the time for human beings to be no more according to biologists.

Hedgehogs are disappearing fast.  In fact most of the countryside is devoid of any at all according to scientists.

 

 

 

Technology

If you can’t beat them, join them.  Addicted to smartphones?  Can’t stop swiping. Road signs could be put on the ground so people looking at their phones can see them and reduce the smart phone accident syndrome.