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All the top stories of the week 18th August

 

 

Brexit

Boris Johnson upped his No Deal broadcast game as the Rebel Alliance of cross party MPs united by the consequences of No Deal for the country.  The Alliance plans to bring down the Tory Johnson government and launch a General Election.

Another No Deal for the UK is coming. Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi once again reiterated the fact that if Brexit threatened the Good Friday Agreement in any way then the much promised US Trade Deal by Trump and Johnson will not take place. This was in addition to stories arising that chlorinated chicken and other US food were high on the list while Brexit will decimate UK agriculture.

 

 

Politics

The cross party rebel alliance will not suffer the contempt for Parliament that Johnson is currently spouting. Their plan is to launch a No Confidence vote as soon as Parliament returns from its summer recess. Unelected Dominic Cummings has laid out a plan to try and push through No Deal before the Parliamentary and the judicial systems in the UK can stop it.

 

 

World

Civil unrest in Hong Kong continued this week as tension grew between protesters and the Chinese Government. Satellite pictures revealed armoured vehicles massing on the Chinese side of the border with Hong Kong along with threats from Beijing that China could take military control of Hong Kong in under an hour.

 

 

Middle East

Encouraged by Donald Trump, Israel took the widely criticised move of banning congress women IIhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country. This was widely seen as an attack on democracy by the rest of the world as well as in the USA.

 

 

NHS

Austerity and Tory cuts continue to take their toll on the beleaguered NHS. For the very first time in its history, patients are having to wait for more than 2 weeks to get a GP appointment.  This on the back of reports stating that GPs are misdiagnosing patients because appointment times are too short.

 

 

Environment

Arch Brexiter Arron Banks made jokes about yachting accidents as Greta Thunberg set sail across the Atlantic for a UN crisis summit on the Climate Emergency.  Greta has caused a major upturn in teenagers and children reading environmental books.

As Greta sails, scientists warn that micro plastics have already reached the Arctic and are contaminating the air around us. Not so amusing now, Arron, is it?

 

 

 

 

Top stories of the week 11 August

 

 

Brexit

Boris Johnson continued his delusional march towards No Deal this week.  His optimism is wearing particularly thin as more disastrous news emerges daily. A Business Disaster Fund is being set up to save the UK’s biggest employers from going bankrupt. The UK is entering a recession and No Deal will be economically devastating with bookmakers already taking bets on which foods will be rationed first.

It’s also becoming increasingly apparent that No Deal will mean the break-up of the Union. The majority of Scots now support independence and a popular swing to leave the UK is growing in Wales and Northern Ireland. UK Army combat units are already 40% below strength and the break-up of the Union will lead to further devastation of the UK’s armed forces.

The long awaited trade deal with the US hit more problems this week. Despite Donald Trump enthusiasm for the deal, he threatened to refuse any negotiations until the UK dropped its move to tax the US tech giants. Congress has already stated that no trade deal is possible if the Good Friday Agreement is threatened in anyway. On top of all this, the UK was accused of being ‘too desperate’ to get a good deal.

 

Politics

Unelected Dominic Cummings has been accused of becoming a dictator by the Press. Cummings commented that even after a vote of no confidence, Johnson would refuse to step down politically turning the UK into North Korea. Such an eventuality would necessitate the Queen becoming involved in front line politics because only the Monarch can dismiss a Prime Minister and appoint another.  A move that would have seismic repercussions.  The Press are divided. Pro-Brexit Press say bringing the Queen into politics is a disgrace. The rest of the Press state that Johnson refusing to act democratically is the real cause.

True to form, Boris Johnson continued his long track record of not telling the truth by claiming he would make a £1.8bn new cash injection into the NHS. The fact that this money was already in the NHS budget and not additional funds at all was quickly revealed.

 

 

World

Two mass shootings in 13 hours claimed 29 lives in dreadful atrocities in the US. Donald Trump was accused of creating racial tensions and turning the US into the United States of Hate.  Trump was slated for ‘making America hate again’.  Later the President blamed mental health, computer games and social media.  He did not mention white right wing terrorism or gun laws at all. Trump had a hostile welcome when he visited one of the scenes.

 

 

 

Stories of the week 4 August

 

 

Brexit

Boris Johnson and his Cabinet are pressing ahead with the No Deal threat refusing to speak to EU leaders until the Irish backstop is withdrawn. The only thing is that they’re not listening to Johnson because they say the deal is done and negotiations will not be reopened.

Food shortages, raised illegal immigration, panic buying are just some of the things predicted with No Deal and, as usual, Brexiters are in denial over the impact No Deal will have. The head of BMW and other business leaders are pleading with Johnson to listen to business to avoid an economic catastrophe with huge job losses.  He’s not listening.

Donald Trump calls Boris Johnson my ‘mini me’.  Both Trump and Johnson have talked up a great UK-US trade deal ahead.  But wait. All is not as it seems. First of all, Congress say they will not pass any trade deal if peace in Ireland is jeopardized in any way. A major block for Johnson’s ‘drop the backstop’.  Secondly, Trump himself won’t allow a deal unless the UK drops its plans to tax digital giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple.   The question is will Johnson stand up to Trump?

 

 

Politics

Bad news already for the new Prime Minister.  Tory rebels are already threatening Johnson’s No Deal promise threatening to cross the floor and join the Liberal Democrats or stand as independents. As many as 24 Conservative MPs are ready to jump ship. That’s not all. Johnson was jeered for the third day in a row as he visited Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It seems he’s disliked everywhere but England.

In a nightmare for Brexiters, Remain parties formed an alliance to win a by-election and reduce the Tory’s previous 8,000 majority. Boris Johnson does not have a legitimate franchise and the Conservatives have an untenable majority of one.

 

 

Austerity

In grim news this week it emerged that almost 5m people in the UK are in working poverty with 4 in 10 children living in child poverty. What’s even worse is that the summer school holidays, usually a wonderful time for children, will see millions of children go hungry as schools shut and school meals are no longer available.

 

 

World

Political ideologies continue to collide as protests in Hong Kong continue. China is taking an increasingly hard line against activists and protestors with more arrests and more strong-arm tactics used.

Donald Trump continued his racist attacks on four congress women resulting in shootings, targeted racial ad campaigns and more hate across the US.

 

 

Environment

The remarkable Greta Thunberg is sailing across the Atlantic in a yacht to a UN Climate summit to live by what she preaches and refrain from carbon causing travel.

As the 10 hottest years on record in the UK have all happened since 2002, Ethiopia planted 350m trees in one day. Scientists say that the UK needs to plant 1.5bn trees as British weather is getting hotter and more extreme.

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 14 July

 

Politics

The big stories this week in Politics are all around the Conservative Leadership race.

Boris Johnson was accused by the Press of being a spineless coward as he refused to support UK Ambassador to the US, Kim Darroch and threw him under a bus.  Despite Brexiteers accusing Remainers of making the UK a vassal state of the EU, the Press say that Johnson has done exactly the same thing with Brexit making the UK a vassal state of the US.  ‘Ordered by Trump, sacked by Johnson’ and ‘Trump said jump, Johnson said how high.  MPs from all sides, including a host of Tory MPs condemned Johnson for his lack of leadership.

It also seems that Conservative Party members are completely out of step with the rest of the country. Johnson has a huge lead over Jeremy Hunt with Party members according to Polls. However, Hunt is far more popular with the rest of the country with voters saying Johnson is an ‘irresponsible, self-serving buffoon’. But the real bad news for Conservatives is that the majority of voters polled say that neither Johnson nor Hunt would make a good Prime Minister.

MPs passed an historic and long overdue vote this week when they voted to bring the same level of human rights to Northern Ireland as enjoyed by the rest of the UK. MPs voted to allow abortion and same sex marriage in a landmark step.

Very bad news for the Brexit Party this week. Polls show that the party’s popularity is in sharp decline. Perhaps that may be something to do with outbursts such as these when a Brexit Party MEP said that the Royal Navy should attack EU fishing boats. A national embarrassment.

 

 

Brexit

There was more dreadful news on the potential fallout from a No Deal Brexit this week. BMW is moving engine manufacturing; Ireland say that the Northern Irish backstop debate is being badly and irresponsibly handled by both Hunt and Johnson; the UK faces decades of decline and Brexit will signal the end of the Union.  Project Fear was the usual unbelievable Leaver reply. Even the Head of the World Trade Organisation stated that Johnson is not grasping the truth of what post-Brexit trade looks like.  Trouble ahead.

 

 

Environment

This week saw massive shock waves on the environmental front as big hitters and big events hit the headlines. David Attenborough likened the fight against the climate emergency to the fight against slavery and warned of civil unrest in the face of our climate crisis. Prince Charles even warned that we have 18 months to save the planet. The UN revealed that we have one major climate event every week and a report found that city dwellers have billions of toxic are particles lodged in their hearts.

 

 

World

Violent protests continue in Hong Kong. Carrie Lam has said the extradition bill is dead but it’s not withdrawn as Joshua Wong, leader of the protest groups, states that the British police commander should face the consequences and pay the price for police action.

 

Technology

It seems it’s worth taking a gamble on Artificial Intelligence.  A robot beat top poker players in a major breakthrough for AI.

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 7 July

 

 

Brexit

 

This week revealed yet more ways the Brexit fantasy dream is turning into a real nightmare. In devastating news for the UK’s future trade, Canada refused to roll over the same deal they have with the EU for the UK. After years of negotiations, the Canadians refused to budge putting all future trade deals up for grabs in terms of conditions.

Local Councils in the UK are set for more misery after an £8bn EU fund for local growth will disappear in 2020.

There were several warnings this week from the likes of Theresa May and Liam Fox that the Union would not survive No Deal Brexit. Despite a poll of Conservative Party members finding that they prefer Brexit to keeping the Union if the choice had to be made. A sentiment supported by Nigel Farage.

Women are set to head-up EU institutions for the first time including Ursula Von Der Leyen who called Brexit ‘a burst bubble of hollow promises’.

 

 

Politics

The Conservative Party Leadership contest took a dangerous and worrying turn this week when it was revealed that Party Members are about to elect a Prime Minister who is not trusted by UK secuirity services. State secrets and sensitive material were routinely kept from Boris Johnson because he can’t be trusted with keeping them.

Boris Johnson also launched a bizarre proposal to review sugar tax.  Despite facing a backlash from medical professionals and other politicians, Johnson’s move wasn’t so strange when it was linked to paving the way for US high sugar food imports and the fact that his advisors have financial links to high-sugar drink brands.

Both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were ridiculed for their No Deal Brexit threats with Philip Hammond claiming it would cost £90bn whilst other MPs are plotting to make sure Parliament can prevent it.

Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party became even more of a national embarrassment this week as they childishly turned their backs on the EU anthem at the opening of the EU Parliament in Brussels. The Press were far from impressed.

 

 

World

The heart-breaking protests in Hong Kong continue as China starts to clamp down hard on any unrest. Despairing Hong Kong freedom fighters are taking their own lives in the ultimate sacrifice for personal freedoms. The world is doing little but watch.

Donald Trump faced a severe backlash for militarising the traditional US 4^th of July celebrations through adding military vehicles and troops to the White House Parade. All the heads of the US armed forces were absent as a sign of protest as President Trump proudly proclaimed that the 1775 Revolutionary army took over airports.

 

 

Austerity

Five former chiefs of Scotland Yard announced this week that Government cuts had reduced policing to dangerously unsafe levels resulting in a feeling of lawlessness across the UK. Make no mistake, they said, the blame for this lies firmly with the Conservative Party.

 

Environment

This week scientists claimed that the answer to the Climate Emergency is right in front of our eyes. Planting 1 trillion trees would capture enough carbon to make a difference.  Greta Thunberg thanked OPEC for saying Climate Activists provided the greatest threat to oil and Prince Charles along with Chris Packham are planning an environmental summit.

 

 

Stories of the week 9th June

 

Politics

The state visit of Donald Trump took place this week against the usual background of hypocrisy, fake news, demonstrations and controversy.  But according to the President himself, ‘the Queen had never enjoyed herself so much’ as she did during his visit.  Whilst Conservative Party Leadership hopefuls queued up to meet Trump along with Trump’s ‘good friend’ Nigel Farage, other politicians including Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan who came in for a barrage of tweets from the US leader, joined protestors to condemn the visit..

Fears for the influx of chlorinated chicken and other horrendous imports from the US as part of any post-Brexit trade deal were heightened this week. Both Trump and the US UK ambassador made statements on how the NHS was up for grabs in terms of any future trade negotiations. The uproar was immense and the subject was dropped. For now.

The Brexit Party was in the news this week for two big stories.  Much to the ire of Brexiter press, the Brexit Party lost the Peterborough election and the chance of getting the first Brexit Party MP into Westminster. Labour won the election with the Brexit Party coming second and the Conservatives a humiliating third.

Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage refused to appear before a European commission investigating why he had not declared almost half a million pounds given to him by long-time supporter Arron Banks, himself under investigation for electoral crimes.

 

 

Brexit

In more disastrous Brexit news, Ford announced this week that it was closing its Welsh engine plant with a loss of 1700 jobs.  Adding to the concerns, Ford also said that a No-Deal Brexit would put a further 6,000 jobs on the line.

With UK economic data weakening all the time because of Brexit, growing sections of the Press asked have we learnt nothing from D-Day and the forces that are keeping Europe united are stronger than those trying to tear it apart. A message Brexiters just want to ignore.

 

 

Environment

In a shocking and chilling report this week, Humanity could end by 2050 from ecological collapse, disease pandemics, lethal heatwaves and even the threat of nuclear war. The case for more Extinction Rebellion on a global scale could not be stronger.

But there has been some climate good news this week. The Greta effect is making children push their parents to be greener. Theresa May has promised zero emissions in the UK by 2050 as public concern over environmental issues reaches a record high, although this can be rolled back by future PMs. The Danes rejected populism in their elections to focus on the climate emergency.

 

 

Stories of the week 19 May

 

Brexit

As the pressure mounts on Theresa May and the days are counting down until departure, she is determined to bring her deal back for another Commons vote one last time. There seems even less chance of it passing this time unless some miraculous additional offer or change of approach materialises. If the vote, as expected, fails one more time then many pundits suggest there will only be two choices left, Revoke or No Deal.

Meanwhile, a Remain tactical voting site remainvoter.com launches to show Remain voters which Remain party to vote for in their area to make sure their vote really counts. Angela Merkel this week encouraged the EU to unite and stand up against the tyranny of Russia, China and the US.

This week Nigel Farage showed his true leadership credentials by fleeing the scene of a Road traffic Accident. Police asked McDonalds to stop selling milkshakes during a Farage rally in Edinburgh. It was also revealed that Arron Banks had given Farage £450,000 and MPs are considering investigating a Brexit party fake members scam and dark money pouring into the party.  Meanwhile the trial of Boris Johnson for misleading the public over the referendum continues.  Another reminder of the illegal Leave campaign during the referendum.

 

Politics

Labour announced this week that is was going to renationalise the National Grid as part of its green new deal to cut both emissions and utility bills.

Divisions in the Conservative party continue to plague the country. Reportedly, a tearful Theresa May had to agree to a schedule for her departure. The leadership race is on with all the usual suspects and even some new contenders putting themselves forward for the title.

 

Austerity

It was revealed this week that 1 in 4 northerners are paid less than the minimum wage as yet more appalling stories of teachers feeding school children emerged.  Some Press reported that child poverty has become the new ‘normal’ with an estimated 500,000 more children trapped in poverty since 2010.

 

Middle East

The relationship between the US and Iran is delicately balanced on a knife-edge this week. Supposedly encouraged by Bolton, Donald Trump has upped the war of words with Iran and has sent more ships and troops into the area. Iran has told its militias throughout the region to prepare for a proxy war.

 

Environment

The whole world faced yet another wake-up call this week with the news that more than 20 million babies are born underweight each year. This is a clear indication of health problems to come and a measurement of how healthy our environment actually is.

The plastic crisis continues with more than 414 million pieces of plastic waste found on remote Indian Ocean islands.

 

 

 

Stories of the week 21 April

 

Environment

 

The news this week was dominated by Extinction Rebellion and global protests about the political and economic terrible lack of action and commitment to tackle climate change and potential human extinction.  Initially in London, the relationship between police and well-mannered, non-violent protesters was peaceful, even jovial sometimes. However, the Conservative Government whilst falsely claiming to be listening to the protestors ordered the police to get tough with people and move them on.

The Press were deeply divided over Extinction Rebellion. As you would expect, the Conservative, Brexit-backing, more right wing newspapers dismissed protestors as ‘middle-class Marxists’.  Whatever side you’re on, it is impossible to dismiss the drive and commitment of these protestors trying to save us from ourselves. One teacher has lost their career through volunteering to be arrested. More ‘rebellions’ are planned.

 

Brexit

It was revealed this week that the cost of No Deal planning has topped £4bn in a Brexit scenario nobody except hard-line Brexiters want. But huge sums of money was not the only cost of No Deal. Thousands of the UK’s rarest orchids were bulldozed to make potential truck parks in Kent.

In another huge blow for Brexiters, Nancy Pelosi confirmed in Dublin that there was no chance of a US-UK trade deal if the seamless Northern Irish border was threatened by the UK leaving the EU. Pelosi reminded the world that US politicians were instrumental in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement and were unwilling to compromise.

 

 

Politics

Labour MP and Remainer, David Lammy, accused Jacob Rees-Mogg, Boris Johnson and the rest of the ERG of being like Nazis. The recent spread of right wing doctrine by ERG members would seem to support Lammy’s view that even this Nazi comparison is not strong enough.

Ahead of the Euro elections, Facebook countered the threat of right wing groups by banning far-right groups including the BNP, EDL and Britain First.

 

 

Austerity

More shocking news this week on austerity and inequality.

The fatality rate of new born babies in England’s poorest areas is rising. Local Councils have been accused of social cleansing through issuing ridiculous £100 fines for rough sleepers.  And quite astonishingly, more than half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population.

 

 

World

In dramatic and emotional scenes that touched the world, an immense fire engulfed Notre Dame. The cathedral was reportedly only thirty minutes away from total collapse. A human chain passed historic objects and relics from hand-to-hand to save them from the fire. A rescue fund was launched with billions of euros promised which in turn created its own set of problems internally in France.

It has been a little while since Donald Trump has been in the news but here he was again this week. In a nutshell, the Mueller report was published this week and did not clear Trump from obstructing justice. A growing movement for impeachment is threatening the President’s future.

 

 

 

Stories of the week 24 March

 

Brexit

Marches, deadlines and political coups. What’s not to like about Brexit this week?

A million people marched in London to protest against Brexit. And, in one of our favourites headlines of the week, whilst a million turned out to protest against Brexit, Nigel Farage addressed a crowd of 200 pro-Brexiters. Bit of a difference in turn out there. As if this wasn’t enough to demonstrate anti-Brexit feeling sweeping the country, nearly 5 million people have signed an online petition demanding that Article 50 be revoked Looks like Brexiteers are the anti-democratic movement now in the UK.

Theresa May has had a big week. Firstly, she was told to stop bullying Parliament and behaving like a dictator. There is strong precedent for stopping Governments repeatedly putting the same thing before MPs until they vote it through. May was told in no uncertain terms that she could not simply return with the same deal to Parliament and make them vote again and again.

This all may be academic as the Tories say enough is enough. There are various plots sweeping the party to out May and replace here with various contenders, depending on which newspaper you are. A divided country, a divided party and plenty of misery for the UK ahead.

Looking forward to what’s to come next week. Where Brexit stops, nobody knows.

 

Society

In a terrible indictment of racial tensions and the threat of white right wing terrorism, the atrocity in New Zealand sparked a number of Islamophobic hate attacks in the UK.

To make matters even worse if that were possible, the Home Office has been found to have completely failed on immigration detention.

 

World

New Zealand started to heal this week. Parliament opened with a reading form the Quran, thousands of people from all faiths donned headscarves to pay their respects to the victims and gun laws were immediately changed.

 

Middle East

The sad and complex story of Shamima Begum continued this week. Having lost her baby, her distraught family have launched an appeal against the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid’s decision to strip her UK citizenship.

US President Donald Trump continues on his mission to disrupt the rest of the world as much as he possibly can. This week Trump announced that the US should recognise Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights. In even more extraordinary news, Trumps’ ally, Mike Pompero, claimed that Trump has been ‘sent from God to save Jewish people from Iran.’

 

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 17 March

 

World

Thousands of people came together across the globe at vigils to pay tribute to victims of the New Zealand terror attack. White right wing extremists attacked mosques killing 49 people and streaming the despicable event live to the internet. MI5 was looking into links with right extremist groups in the UK. The Press talked about the threat of ‘White ISIS’.

 

 

Brexit

It has been quite a week. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.

The Government announced a cunning plan to slash import tariffs in the event of No-Deal.  However, it seems their plan wasn’t so cunning after all. In fact it was condemned as ‘madness’ and a ‘sledgehammer for the UK economy’.

In theory, these tariffs should never need to be slashed since MP’s also voted No Deal could never be an option. It remains theoretical because the motion isn’t legally binding.

The various votes, amendments and strategies played out this week in Westminster have taken their toll. Both the Conservatives and the Labour party finally suffered splits as ministers and factions could no longer support official party lines.

Theresa May remains intent on trying to get her deal back from the dead for the third time prompting a Labour MP to ask ‘how is it undemocratic to give the people a second vote and we are asked to vote three times on the same thing?’ A very good question.

MPs did come to their senses and realise what a mess we’re in and voted to extend Article 50. Europe are saying, quite rightly, if the UK has a plan they’re happy to agree. If no plan then perhaps no way.

Just to add to the Government’s distress and embarrassment, President Trump told the world how he’d advised Theresa May and was disappointed with the way Brexit was going.

 

 

Austerity

In very saddening and disheartening news, more terrible repercussions from Government cuts in benefits were revealed this week. More than half of Senior School Head Teachers reporting having to wash clothes and feed pupils.

 

 

Environment

‘It’s our time to rise up’ was the rallying cry as hundreds of thousands of children and young people staged youth climate strikes in 100 countries in a mass Extinction Rebellion. The biggest lesson of the day was teaching adults to stop destroying their future world.

 

Science

According to one report this week, time travel really is possible. In a seemingly incredible breakthrough, Scientists actually reversed time with a quantum computer. Really?

 

Stories of the week 3 March

 

 

Brexit

It turns out that Brexit really does leave a bad taste in the mouth. Trump and the US are demanding chlorinated chicken and other such delicacies are part of any post Brexit trade deal. It seems that the real Brexit Betrayal is the health of our nation.

Yet more Westminster splits this week as this time Conservative MPs joined the New Independent Group. There were further rumours of strife within. Hard line Brexiters were biding their time in return for a timetable of when Theresa May would quit to crown Boris as king. At the same time, a senior Minister approached the Independent Group with many more defections to come.

The Press couldn’t be more divided over this. Having seen its version of Brexit rejected, it moved, as it stated it would, to an option of a second referendum and came up with an ingenious method of moving the log jam. If Parliament would accept Theresa May’s deal, Labour would abstain as long as it was put to a People’s Vote with an option to Remain.

 

 

Politics

The new Billion pound man Chris Grayling or ‘Failing Grayling’ has been once again charged with more gross incompetence. Eurotunnel took the Government to court over their handling of the ferry contracts, costing the tax payer £33 million. Labour say that Grayling’s sheer incompetence across a long list of disastrous endeavours has cost the country a staggering £2.7 billion.

 

 

Environment

MPs debated recent climate strikes by school children but no-one turned up. In an almost direct response, 2000 sites across the UK were found to have toxic air. Air pollution is known to radically reduce intelligence and also severely affect health outcomes to those exposed long term.

The UK Heatwave continued to astonish climate researchers as the UK recorded the warmest ever winter’s day and almost 200 wild fires set the countryside light.

 

 

Middle East

The Shamima Begum story continued to hit the news this week. With her poof family continuing to suffer, Shamima and her baby were spirited away from the refugee camp with claims there was a price on her head. A nation still failed to do anything.

 

 

NHS

Under continuing Government cuts and underfunding, almost 50 % of GPs are considering quitting or retiring in the next five years. The Government continues to claim the NHS is safe in their hands.

 

 

World

Hostilities between Pakistan and India broke out over Kashmir. Tension mounted as the two nuclear powers faced up to each other. Planes were shot down and a pilot returned in a gesture of peace by Pakistan.

A UN court rejected the UK’s claims of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands outright and ruled its decolonisation unlawful and Britain should remove itself immediately.

Michael Cohen accuses ‘racist, conman’ Trump of criminal conspiracy and maintains he broke the law in the Oval Office.

 

 

Stories of the week 17 February 2019

 

 

Environment

The future takes control as thousands of UK school children stage a climate strike against the climate crisis facing us all. Following recent reports from the UN and the Met Office on emissions and global heating, there has been a growing Extinction Rebellion around the world. Theresa May slammed kids for protecting their future while adults looked the other way. Many more climate strikes are planned as part of the continuing global Extinction Rebellion.

In more distressing and alarming environmental news, insect numbers are collapsing at a staggering rate, triggering fears for the ‘collapse of nature itself’.

 

 

 

Brexit

This week Brexit finally sank to the bottom of the glass when Theresa May’s chief negotiator was overheard revealing May’s negotiating strategy in a bar. It’s great to know our country’s future is being sorted out down the pub.

Europe remains totally bemused and confused over the UK’s approach to Brexit and the fact that Theresa May only seems to be negotiating with the Conservative Party.  The Dutch Prime Minister highlighted the fact that the UK is fast retreating from the world stage and will be an insignificant force on its own.

The constant Tory party in-fighting has now turned into a total war.  Hard line Brexiteers have accused of giving Brussels the perfect excuse not to renegotiate.  Rees-Mogg, Johnson and the ERG have been told to leave the Conservative Party and join UKIP by the other Tory MP’s as the civil war continues and the Tories move closer to a final split. Guy Verhofstadt joined the condemnation claiming Brexiteers could end up on the guillotine like the leaders of the French Revolution for not representing true national interests.

Even worse was to come for May and the Conservatives. At least a dozen ministers and many more Conservative MP’s are set to resign if there is No Deal. At the same time, a ‘purple momentum’ is rising where UKIP members join Conservative associations to deselect moderate Tory MPs.

 

 

 

Middle East

This week saw strong reactions against the west in the region.

Firstly in Iran, the President called Donald Trump and idiot and there were chants of ‘Death to Theresa May’ on the streets of Tehran as the country celebrated the 40^th Anniversary of the Revolution.

In more condemnation of the UK, UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia are killing women and children in Yemen as people there kill themselves rather than face the pain of starving to death.

 

 

World

Donald Trump called a State of emergency in order to fund his border wall. He was accused of ‘shredding the constitution’ and is being taken to court by California. Trump encouraged families to hold up images of their relatives ‘killed by illegal immigrants’ to create some kind of threat.

 

 

Stories of the week 3rd January 2019

 

 

Brexit

Japan has warned there is no future with no deal. A Cabinet minister states that May’s plan C is going nowhere as Germany and Ireland dismiss the idea of replacing the backstop with technology. Barclays moves £160bn to Ireland.

There are record rises in stock piling in the UK and, believe it or not, May’s secretly negotiating a customs union. Our old friend, Nigel, returned to Politics this week or, at least, a certain kind of politics. And, oh yes, as almost a perfect metaphor for No Deal Britain, the post Brexit landscape will be full of rotting rubbish. Just some of the headlines and stories this week.

There were chilling reports this week that plans for martial law were being drawn up in the event of No Deal.

In more alarming Brexit news, whatever Brexit we get will leave the UK unstable for decades to come with the break-up of the Union highly likely.

What all sides are beginning to agree on is the fact that Article 50 will need to be extended.

Back at Westminster, May has been accused of ‘pork barrel’ politics by trying to bribe Labour MPs to back her deal in return for money for their constituencies. Brexiteers are beginning to play the blame game say the Press. They demand impossible requests then blame Brussels for being inflexible.

 

 

Society

1 in 20 or 2.6m Britain’s are holocaust deniers according to a very disturbing new report. People are also becoming meaner and angrier.

 

 

World

This week was full of surprises in the news but Donald Trump being at the centre of major world news stories wasn’t one of them.

Firstly, Trump’s involvement in the Venezuelan crisis deepened as UK Government Ministers urged the EU to follow suit with sanctions.

Just to lighten the mood a little, Donald Trump also said this week that being President was costing him a fortune. We don’t think he meant in bribes.

 

 

Science

It was announced this week that pharmaceuticals are going to be given millions of pounds to develop new anti-biotics to combat drug-resistance. At the same time, ‘superbug’ genes have been found in one of the last Artic wildernesses.

Stories of the week 20 January 2019

 

Brexit

Brexit entered Big Bang territory this week.

Jeremy Corbyn called the conservatives a ‘Zombie Government’ and Theresa May a ‘Zombie Prime Minister’ as he launched an official vote of No Confidence. May stayed in power but without authority and without a Brexit deal after her planned deal was crushed contemptuously by Parliament.  Despite May calling for cross-party talks, she is unwilling to drop any of her red lines which makes it a purely futile exercise and adds to the ‘zombie’ narrative. Unthinking, Unmoved, Unwilling to compromise and, of course, Undead.

In typical Conservative MAYhem, all Brexit solutions are on the table – second referendum, No-Deal, No Brexit, and, least likely, an agreed UK deal.  Europe watched in horror at the Westminster mess and prepared for No Deal.  The SNP prepared for Indy2RF2 and the DUP moved towards full customs union to get around the Brexit backstop despite Arlene Foster ridiculously claiming Ireland never had a hard border.  The majority of Press and pundits agreed that Article 50 would need to be delayed.

More fall out from Brexit was announced this week with jobs to go at Phillips, Hitachi pulling out of a £15bn deal and the UK’s prized Financial Services sector has shrunk by 16% already.

 

 

World

As another caravan sets out for the US border, it was revealed that many more thousands of children and babies were separated from their parents by the US authorities than was initially claimed by the Government.

‘Big Don’ buys ‘Big Ron’ for state banquet was one of the more surprising stories this week. As the US Government shutdown continues, Trump purchased 300 McDonald’s meals to serve at a State banquet as White House catering staff are on shutdown.

 

 

Society

At long last many women would say but there were calls this week to make misogyny a hate crime after more stories emerged about the treatment many women have to suffer at the hands of men.

 

 

Middle East

After Trump had threatened Turkey with economic ruin if they attacked the Kurds, the deal almost turned full circle with the Kurds worried about a buffer zone Trump and Turkey had decided to create.

 

 

Environment

Scientists have come up with a plant-focused diet that would cut meat consumption and help to save both humans and the planet in the face of climate change.

Time is running out to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ when it was announced this week that 60% of coffee plants face extinction.

 

 

Technology

The largest ever cache of hacked personal data and passwords was dumped on the internet this week.

 

 

Science

This week’s stories had our favourite headline – GIANT LEAF FOR MANKIND – after a plant germinated on the moon in China’s dark side of the moon adventure.

 

 

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.