Stories of the week 20 January 2019
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The largest ever cache of hacked personal data and passwords was dumped on the internet this week.
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.
