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Stories of the week 5 May

 

 

Politics

Local Elections took place this week and in no uncertain terms it was a Remain backlash against pro-Brexit parties particularly the Conservatives and the Labour Party.  Pro-Remain parties the Liberal Democrats and The Green Party surged ahead at the polls. The Conservatives lost hundreds of seats and control of numerous local Councils in what was seen as voter rejection from both Remainers and Leavers who have been dissatisfied with how Brexit has been dealt with by the Government. In no uncertain terms, voters across every region have shown their opinion and their voice by this overwhelming landslide victory for Pro-Remain parties in the clearest signal yet that the mood and the opinion of the country has changed in the almost three long years since the referendum.

In more bad news for the Government and for Leavers, Gavin Williamson was instantly dismissed by Prime Minister Theresa May for potentially breaking the Official Secrets Act and certainly for failing to adhere to the Ministerial Code. Williamson was found guilty of leaking vital security information over the possible inclusion of Huawei technology in the UK’s infrastructure. The highly embarrassed Prime Minister wants the matter close but not so Gavin Williamson who continues to plead his innocence despite having admitted he talked to the Press soon after the high level security meeting but didn’t mention this. MPs want a Police probe. The Government are saying that’s up to the Police. The Police are saying actually it’s the Government’s decision. Williamson could face up to two years in prison if found guilty.

In bizarre news for the UK’s now verging on comedy government, Boris Johnson was forced to delete a tweet claiming that he had voted in the local elections wher there wasn’t any voting taking place at all in his constituency. Also, Scottish Tory Leader, Ruth Davidson, has prevented Boris from appearing at the Scottish Tory Party Conference. Boris is anything but potential leadership material for a great many Conservatives.

 

 

Environment

At last some great political news for the UK. Jeremy Corbyn, after the Labour Party expressed report for Extinction Rebellion, begged MPs to declare a Climate Emergency which they dutifully did. The Climate emergency is the first official recognition of the huge and devastating impact climate change is having on our planet. It’s hoped that more governments will do the same and a number of environmental decisions can now be taken in the UK with this as its official position. A report was also released stating that the UK should target zero carbon emissions by 2050.

 

 

World

Venezuela’s President Maduro survived an attempted coup this week led by his political rival Juan Guaido. Donald Trump supported the coup whilst Putin supported the President, both leaders taking the world back to the 1960s with violent clashes with the military all over the country.

 

Stories of the week 24 February

Politics

Brexit pressure blew Westminster wide open this week with both parties suffering major splits and defections.  The new Independent Group formed this week as the clock counts down to leaving. A group of Labour MPs left to seek a new referendum and a group of Conservative MPs left because of the ‘Ukipisation’ of the Party and the continuing Tory threat of No Deal. The Press, unlike the MPs, didn’t know which way to turn. Brexiter Press were running scared of the new group whilst more liberal, remain Press hoped for some kind of breakthrough.  There were recriminations, denials and accusations flying around as the various newspapers tried to come to terms with the fast-forming new political landscape. You can see how all sides of the Press lined up on the issue right here.

Brexit

In other news, it was still a pretty bad week for Brexit. Aviva moved assets worth £9bn out of the UK to Ireland. The US will support Ireland and not the UK over the issue of a hard border.  Tariffs on food will send prices soaring in the event of No Deal and the former World Trade Organisation boss warned that Brexiter No Deal trade plans are nonsense.

In more devastating news, Honda announced it was closing its Swindon plant. Brexiters immediately took their usual position of denial and denied it had got anything to do with Brexit. Remainers pointed to the recently signed free trade agreement, the largest ever made, between Japan and the EU as the final nail in the coffin for the UK car industry. Within seven years Japan will be able to import cars directly into the EU with zero tariffs making their investment in Brexit Britain redundant.

Middle East

The troubling case of Shamima Begum, the UK ISIS bride now with child, hit the headlines this week.  The Press, as you would expect, tried to ramp up the anti-Islam sentiments. The Government was accused of running away from the issue by removing Shamima’s UK citizenship. A move that was seen as dangerous, racist and illegal.

World

In moves harking back to the Cold War, Putin has threatened to target both the US and Europe with nuclear missiles if Trump deploys intermediate range missiles to the EU.

Environment

In continuing harrowing environmental news this week, Australia will let toxic sludge be dumped near the Great Barrier Reef, the biggest threat to health in the UK is air pollution and plummeting biodiversity will severely damage food production.

Science

And in our favourite headline of the week, a 12 year old created a nuclear reaction in his playroom lab.

 

Stories of the week 10 February

 

Brexit

This week the Brexit battle ground opened up with some retaliation from the EU after a couple of years of UK taunts.  With May returning yet again to try and open negotiations despite the EU being clear that this was not an option, Donald Tusk pointed out what seems to be the simple truth that ‘there’s a special place in hell’ for those who promoted Brexit without a plan. And look where we are now…still no plan.

The Press were also quick to point out the Government’s other failings in creating this Brexit chaos. The UK is bullying developing countries into unfair trade deals. The benefit system and Government deceit is the real hell. We are being conned by lies, pantomime and half-truths were just some of the failings.

Brexit didn’t look any better on the wider stage with the potential for UK exports to be locked out of harbours around the word. The US will side with Ireland over No Deal and Europe and, in the ultimate insult to May, Europe says Jeremy Corbyn’s solution is the best.

Rumours of a fantasy No Deal Dunkirk Brexit spirit were finally ground into the dust with Nissan hinting that even a Government bribe of £60m wasn’t enough to keep them in No Deal Britain. The biggest free trade deal in history was signed between Europe and Japan, putting the final nail into the UK car industry’s coffin. Japan will move production to mainland Europe and have a zero tariff within seven years in any case.

But all is not lost for Brexiteers. Apparently, if Brexit is delayed by even a millisecond thousands of Tory voters will leave the sinking ship and join Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party. Hurrah.

 

 

 

Society

In another shockingly appalling Government failure, the Windrush hardship fund had only helped one single person by the end of 2018. An absolute disgrace and so much for the Government denying ‘the hostile environment’.

 

 

World

Donald Trump continues to focus on Venezuela with threats of troops as well as aid. Europe has been thrown into disarray over whether to side with Trump on this or not. In the meantime, Maduro is convinced this is a ‘gringo’ plot to overthrow the revolution.

 

 

Environment

The Met Office have predicted global warming could exceed the dreaded 1.5C target within five years.  We have already reached a melting point where the dissolving ice sheets will cause climate chaos.

 

 

Technology

This week saw the great tech rip-off.  Cryptocurrency investors became locked out of $190m after exchange founder dies with the password.

 

 

 

Stories of the Week 27 January

 

Society

In more shocking proof of the incredible global inequality we find ourselves in, figures released this week show that 26 people – think about that number for a moment – that number of people wouldn’t even half fill a single decker bus but they have the same wealth as 3.8 billion people. That’s right, 3.8 billion people. That’s a lot of buses. The Press wonder how long this inequality can and will continue.

 

 

Brexit

If Brexit was a motorway, the carriageways in both directions would be littered with pile ups but still no delays.

Theresa May’s deal is seemingly even further away from parliamentary approval and there are reports of her withdrawing the Human Rights Act.  Germany would like the UK to think again.

Airbus, Ford and Sony are among a host of companies either pushing the exit button or threatening to leave with a NO-Deal Brexit. Some Leavers are actually leaving too with Brexit hero Dyson becoming Brexit zero after jumping ship to Singapore.

Theresa May attempted to fix the tricky back stop issue by trying to rewrite the Good Friday Agreement. In other worrying reports there are 700 MI5 Officers in Belfast and Ireland has pointed out the potential for uniformed guards on a hard border.

Now at long last after the pile ups come the consequences. All sides of the Press and all sides of Brexit are coming to an uneasy agreement that Article 50 will need to be extended. Now there’s a surprise.

It all became too much. So much so that the Queen intervened although Rees-Mogg said NO 10 asked her to get involved.

An old friend of Brexit, Nigel Farage, returned this week with talk of a new party.

 

 

 

World

Borders seemed to be the centre of attention outside Ireland too. Trump’s US Government shutdown came to a temporary end for three weeks even though there is still no movement on financing his border wall.

President Trump also decided to exercise his powers across borders by backing the opposition in Venezuela creating civil unrest and a political upheaval along the way.

 

 

Science

This week saw new moves to combat the rising and deadly problem of drug resistant superbugs that could bring medicine back into the dark ages and savagely reduce human life expectancy. In what is seen as a two-pronged approach, Doctors have been set targets to reduce antibiotic use and pharmaceutical companies are to be given large financial sums of money to produce the next generation of antibiotic drugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 13 January 2019

 

Brexit

In the week running up to the big vote, Brexit was strangely muted but it did take some sinister turns.

Far Right abuse of MPs became completely out-of-hand and then a Conservative Minister warned that No Brexit would be a boost to the Far Right. A claim that was dismissed as Leaver desperation.

In Westminster, MPs backed a cross-party amendment to prevent a No Deal and the chaos that would follow.  Brexiteers even accused the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s warning that the ‘whole world’ is against no deal Brexit as a stunt.  

Prime Minister, Theresa May, took some unexpected twists and turns this week in an attempt to get her deal through Parliament. May met with Trade Union Leaders and Labour rebel MPs to gain support. In the meantime, continuing threats of 2^nd referendums and general elections continue to circulate.

The single thing about Brexit the Press could agree on was whatever happened in the vote, Article 50 would be extended.

In the meantime Jaguar Land Rover along with other car manufacturers announced job losses as fears of the UK crashing out of Europe grew.

 

 

Austerity

In really very disturbing news, teachers are reporting that malnourished children are searching school bins for food. Four out of five teachers are paying for school resources using their own money.

The Government also quickly moved to stop more impact of the failed Universal Credit scheme even though in a staggering moment of insensitivity, Amber Rudd said these appalling stories of crushing poverty only happened to one or two people.

 

 

 

NHS

In more bad news for the Government, NHS chiefs have warned that the much-heralded £20bn ‘extra funding’ will not impact waiting times unless staffing problems are met.

 

 

 

World

Donald Trump has broken yet another record. He has succeeded in beating Bill Clinton to the record for shutting down the US Government for the longest time. National Parks and other federal resources have shut down as the stand-off continues on the financing of the border wall.

 

 

 

Science

In an incredibly amazing and highly chastening discovery this week, scientists have found that elephants are evolving to lose their tasks after experiencing decades of ivory poaching.

 

 

 

Stories of the week 2 December

 

 

World

This week had some potentially explosive news in more ways than one.

First off the block, Russia seized Ukrainian ships in what Ukraine considered to be a precursor to all-out war. In preparation , Ukraine implemented martial law in certain regions.

The migrant caravan arrived at US Border at long last amid reports of appalling conditions. The situation became extreme when US Border officials fired tear gas into crowds of women and children.

 

 

Middle East

The repercussions of the appalling Khashoggi murder continued to rumble around the world this week.  President Trump changed his mind to support the Saudi regime while edgy world leaders at the G20 meeting came face-to-face with the Crown Prince.

 

 

Brexit

Brexit had a frenzy of stories from a lot of different angles this week.

The terrifying picture of a No-Deal Brexit once again was framed this week by the Press and the usual disclaimers of ‘Project Fear’ followed.  No-Deal was seen as being worse than the 1930s crash.

The Government went against the will of Parliament and refused to publish the full legal advice surrounding the Brexit Deal in a direct attack on democracy.

Despite denying the people a vote, Theresa May is happy to talk the people about her deal even though they are powerless to do anything to change it.  The TV debate has all sides wanting to be represented but it seems the very artificial debate will now just be May and Corbyn.

Follow this link for some fascinating reading as you can see what all sides of the press think of the Brexit deal and reveal exactly where they stand.

 

 

Austerity

On what promises to be a very miserable Christmas for many, the use of foodbanks is unhappily set to break recently broken records.

Out of desperation and need, a group of mothers is taking the Government to court over their broken Universal Credit system.  The claim is that the system infringes their human rights and ability to work,

 

 

Environment

In bad news for the planet, after his own administration delivered an apocalyptic report on climate change Donald Trump refused to believe it much to the world’s surprise.

 

 

Science

NASA’s InSight probe reached the end of its journey this week and managed to survive a seven-minute violently turbulent descent onto the surface of Mars. The InSight probe will dig down into the red planet in a search for signs of life.

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 18 November

 

Austerity

Poverty is politics in the UK as a UN Report this week has left the world astounded and a nation hanging its head in shame. The Report condemns Conservatives for austerity and universal credit as social re-engineering, cruel and malicious.  The fifth richest country in the world has levels of poverty not seen in developed countries.

 

 

Environment

After a recent UN Report talked about the need to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 or face disaster, a new group, Extinction Rebellion took climate action to the streets. Claiming the social contract has been broken by the Government, it’s everyone’s moral duty to stand up to climate change or face extinction.

 

 

Brexit

A big Brexit week in the news as the truth about the warring factions is revealed and open warfare starts to rip the Conservatives apart.  The Press were as divided as the Tories and the country.  The only discussion of any hope of reconciliation came from Europe.

As Brexit gets closer to take-off or a crash landing, British Airways were accused of planning to move operations to Spain in the event of  No-Deal Brexit.

 

 

Society

In a move that will be sure to upset the work-life balance and privacy, a suggestion has been made that employees could be micro-chipped, much like cats or dogs, to improve security at work.  Needless to say, this has not been well-received.

 

 

Middle East

More troubling stories this week.

There was more fighting in Gazza as Israel took out Hamas’ TV station and rockets were launched in retaliation with yet more fatalities.

The grim Khashoggi murder continues in the news.  The CIA has openly accused the Crown Price of orchestrating the crime.

 

 

NHS

Another outcome of the Government’s continuing NHS under funding and privatisation this week, as private company, CAPITA, failed in another tragic cancer screening blunder.

 

 

World

Against the backdrop of the Centenary of the First World War and the call for a European Army, Donald Trump mocked France, Macron and Merkel with references to the US saving France from speaking German in World War Two.

 

 

Technology

The Government is considering giving teenagers digital passports in the fight against access to online pornography.

 

 

Science

In more surprising news, although perhaps the surprise is that it took so long to prove, men and women really do think differently to each other.  Scientists have compared autism to an extreme version of the male brain.

 

 

 

 

Stories of the week 4 November

 

 

World

It’s hard to believe but Donald Trump was mentioned many more times in the Press this week than usual.

In South America, Jair Bolsonaro – dubbed the country’s Donald Trump or ‘Tropical Trump’ as one headline was brave enough to say – won the election becoming President of Brazil. A victory for the far-right.

It seems Donald Trump has had an opinion or two on elections himself. His former lawyer, Michael Cohen, claims the President said ‘black people are too stupid to vote for him’.

Continuing the electoral theme, Trump repeated his threat that migrants could be shot on the Mexican border or kept indefinitely in tent cities. Something that many in the Press saw as a cynical ploy for votes in the US midterms.

 

 

Politics

Philip Hammond’s budget this week was supposed to deliver Theresa May’s promise to end austerity. Did it?  The Press didn’t think so. In fact, they pointed out it did the opposite with many hidden details.

 

 

Society

More disturbing reports this week on how MI5 has taken over in the fight against right wing extremism.

As if to prove the need, Klu Klux Klansmen were pictured on British streets for the first time. All this on top of a recent report on a divided hate-filled Britain.

 

 

Brexit

The big news this week was not on the final deal but how Arron Banks could afford his donation to the Leave Campaign and on what deal, if any, Theresa May made to stop an earlier investigation.  Banks and other Brexit campaigners have been referred to the National Crime Agency over suspected criminal offences.

 

 

Middle East

While the dreadful fate of journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues to unfold and the dreadful war in Yemen continues to take a heavy toll, the UK has fallen out of step with Europe and the US.  Germany immediately stopped arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the US is considering sanctions. The UK Government has refused to make any significant comment and Conservative MEP’s abstained from a vote on Europe introducing sanctions too. More questions are being asked about why the UK sends aid to the Yemen and supports bombing raids to destroy the good it does.

 

 

Environment

Following the recent UN report stating emissions need to be slashed by 2030 or we face a bleak future, another study found that a catastrophic 60% of wildlife on the planet has been wiped out since 1970. In other words, in less than 50 years.

In another environmental story, India have created anti-pollution police to combat the toxic toll on the Ganges.

 

 

 

Stories of the Week ending 30 September: 

 

 

Brexit

Brexit this week took its usual twist and turns. The EU almost seemed irrelevant as we began party conference season and the battle lines are drawn not only between political parties but also between Leave and Remain.

On the one hand, Jacob Rees-Mogg wanted the whole country to enjoy a magical Disney happy-ever-after Brexit.

Elsewhere, Brexit took a potentially unexpected turn. Just as The Soros Foundation takes Hungary to court over human rights violations, Conservative MEPs get a personal thank you from far right Hungarian PM Viktor Orban for their support in standing against proposed EU sanctions.  Michael Gove also refused to condemn Orban although later Conservative MEPs were ordered to ‘distance themselves’ from the Hungarian leader.

 

 

Politics

The Labour Party started the conference season in spectacular fashion.  Keir Starmer firmly launched Labour’s stance on a final say on the Brexit deal and a possible 2^nd Referendum.  But that wasn’t all. A range of social and economic policies either made Labour a government in waiting for some of the Press whilst others simply saw ‘an insane Marxist’ programme.

Labour also claimed Theresa May’s government ‘the most divided ever’ as various leadership candidates lined up in what was called ‘a Tory beauty parade’ to take over from the PM.

Also much was made of the government’s Northern Powerhouse Minister and how little he had actually been up north.

 

 

Austerity

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, clashed with Theresa May over Conservative Austerity.  After the Archbishop criticised the Government for failing the poor and deserting a section of society, May responded with ‘work is the best way out of poverty’.

As an example of austerity and the failure of Universal Credit, a very alarming story highlighted how a couple violently induced a miscarriage because of Government benefit cuts.

 

 

Environment

Two of the most icon and important species – whales and bees – featured heavily this week in disappointing news.

Benny the beluga whale was spotted lost and in the Thames estuary.  This rare event was greeted with curiosity and wonder by some of the Press whilst others saw Benny as an omen representing a global catastrophe no-one is talking about.

It was bad news too for killer whales. In yet another potential man-made extinction, half the killer whale population will die from a man-made chemical banned more than 40 years ago.

The news wasn’t good for bees either.  The world’s most popular weed killer harms them and other studies show they become addicted to harmful and deadly pesticides.

 

 

Science

This week saw a truly amazing scientific breakthrough when paralysed patients were able to walk again using an implant that responds to their thoughts.

And yes, in other amazing news, it seems our star signs really do control our destiny.

 

 

NHS

Life expectancy is shortening in the UK. For the first time children’s life expectancy is shorter than their parents.

 

 

World

Whilst Donald Trump and Theresa May talked up a post Brexit deal, he also managed to bring laughter to the world at the UN.