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© (L) REUTERS/ Toby Melville; (C) Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/Pool; (R) REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May has called off a crucial vote in Parliament on whether to approve her Brexit deal, after being warned she was on course for a devastating defeat, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Key Developments
- May said to pull key vote on Brexit deal
- Top EU court ruled the U.K. can unilaterally revoke Brexit Article 50; government responded immediately it has no intention of doing so
- Environment Secretary Michael Gove said May is seeking last-minute changes to Brexit deal; May spoke to key EU leaders over the weekend
The vote in the House of Commons to approve the terms of the U.K.'s divorce from the European Union was due to be held on Tuesday evening but will now be rescheduled, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Comment: A tweet from the following RT article sums up the UK government and Brexit perfectly:
Theresa May to address Parliament on Brexit amid reports key vote will be postponedRT reports that the conservative vultures are circling:
Theresa May has reportedly canceled the parliamentary vote on her EU Withdrawal Deal, a day before it was scheduled to take place. The PM is set to address Parliament later this afternoon.
Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for May claimed that the vote would be going ahead as planned. Minutes later, Bloomberg and the Telegraph claimed that sources had revealed that the vote would now be delayed.
Unnamed sources referenced by Sky News and the BBC's political editor, among others, said that the vote had been called off.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has slammed May for canceling the crucial vote, claiming the PM has had to delay her own government's vote because her Brexit deal is "disastrous."
While SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted: "if rumours of a delay are correct, it will be pathetic cowardice..."
The alleged U-turn has led to accusations that the government is in 'chaos'.
[...]
May is set to address the Commons at 3:30pm, after which MPs will hear a statement from Leader of House Andrea Leadsom, who may formally pull the vote.
The PM was facing near certain defeat on the historic bill. More than 100 Tory backbenchers signaled they would vote against her, along with her Northern Irish allies, the DUP and Labour.
If May lost the vote she could have been ousted as leader, with her multiple cabinet ministers refusing to rule out a leadership challenge over the weekend.
In the wake of reports that the Brexit vote had been called off, sterling fell 0.4 percent against the US dollar to $1.26, the Press Association reports. Against the euro, the pound was down 0.6 percent at €1.10.
Javid circling May, ready to launch leadership bid if PM's 's*** Brexit deal' is defeatedAnd on it goes:
British Home Secretary Sajid Javid is apparently preparing to launch a leadership challenge this week, in case Theresa May's Brexit deal is defeated in the House of Commons and she is axed as PM, with Tory rivals ready to pounce.
Javid is building a team of ministers in a bid to ready himself for the top job ahead of Tuesday's crucial Brexit vote in Parliament which could potentially seal the fate of the beleaguered prime minister, the Daily Mail reports.
If successful, Javid would become the first non-white prime minister in UK history. One Cabinet minister told The Sun: "Sajid is tapping us up. He is very direct, but he's not offering jobs yet, which wouldn't be a good look."
Another senior Tory claims Javid thinks May's "Brexit deal is s***," and that "she'll be forced out when it falls, and he is then going to declare immediately," according to the paper.
The revelation comes as a string of Tory contenders are reportedly jostling for May's crown with the PM facing a week that could see the end of her reign.
Javid and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are both said to be testing the water with Tory colleagues on whether they would support any potential leadership bid, it is alleged.
Boris Johnson, meanwhile, fueled speculation that he is positioning himself to be the next PM, after refusing to rule out challenging May on the BBC's Andrew Marr show on Sunday. The former foreign secretary added to the rumors, by doing away with his idiosyncratic messy hair look, in favour of a new haircut dubbed by TV presenter Piers Morgan as "a smart prime ministerial crop."
Brexiteers, former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and former Work and Pensions Sec Esther McVey have also not ruled out running for leadership of the Conservatives in interviews on Sky News' Sophie Ridge on Sunday show. McVey insisted: "If people asked me, then of course you'd give it serious consideration."
It comes after reports that May has been considering whether to delay the Brexit vote in a desperate attempt to renegotiate a deal with Brussels which could command the support of Parliament, after fears she could be heading for a heavy defeat in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
- Brexit: A Political Farce Based on a Public Lie
- May refuses to delay vote on Brexit deal despite near-certain defeat, so why is she doing it?
© Reuters / David RyderThe Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, where Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is being held.
Police collected evidence at the scene of the break-in but made no arrests, according to local media sources. There are no details yet available about the number of people involved, nor the motivation for the break-in, particularly whether it is related to the high-profile international arrest of the home-owner's wife, who is pending extradition to the United States.
The police said that they received a 911 call around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday about the break-in attempt. The suspects fled the scene, allegedly after scuffling with an unidentified person who was in the house at the time.
The break-in occurred on Sunday, the same day Meng released an affidavit seeking to be released on bail because of health fears. She says she is suffering from hypertension and was even taken to hospital after being detained.
Comment: Global Times reports that the US seems to be lacking any substantial evidence for her conviction, which may provides clues as to the break in:
Canada's treatment of Meng Wanzhou in violation of human rightsRFE/RL reports what action China has taking thus far:Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, had her bail hearing Friday in the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver, Canada. The hearing was adjourned with no decision made on bail, and will resume at 1 pm on Monday.© ReutersMeng Wanzhou
Court reporters said she was not handcuffed for the hearing and was wearing a green sweatsuit. She seems to be getting humane treatment, but these are only illusions on the surface.
A source familiar with the case told Global Times that since Meng was detained by Canadian police on December 1, she has been subjected to rude and degrading treatment. She was immediately handcuffed at the airport and taken to a detention facility. She was also cuffed on her way to and from hospital from the facility. It is worth noting that Meng was wearing ankle braces when she was taken to the correction center after her first bail hearing.
In the absence of a conviction by trial, Meng was put into restraining devices used on felons. Treating her as a prisoner is not only degrading, but is also a violation of her basic human rights.
Global Times has learnt that Meng had surgery in May to remove her thyroid gland. She also has high blood pressure which requires daily medication. It seems that the Canadian detention facility is not offering her the necessary health care.
Canadian police have treated Meng in such an inhumane way by putting her in handcuffs and ankle braces without conviction. The Chinese public, who are very concerned about this matter, find it hard to believe that Meng was treated in such way, especially in Canada. Canada is a country well-known for emphasizing human rights and the rule of law. How can they do such things that are only done in an uncivilized and barbaric country?
There is no doubt that Canada is on the wrong side in this case. To describe with an old Chinese saying, such behaviors are like holding a candle for the devil. Meng did not violate any Canadian law. US authorities are accusing her of violating US domestic laws, but it is still unknown if the US side can provide sufficient evidence to prove their accusations are valid.
The Canadian prosecution accused Meng of being a director in a subsidiary that was decoupled from Huawei, and that the company has sold computer equipment to Iran in violation of US sanctions on Iran. There is huge controversy over the facts as stated by the prosecution. In any case, even if the US found some so-called evidence, the nature of such a case still leaves a lot of room for legal debate.
As of now, most of the cases concerning foreign companies violating US bans on Iran have been dealt with by fines and sanctions. And it is not just one or two companies - many European companies have been involved. The EU still encourages European companies not to withdraw from Iran. Does that mean executives from these companies should all be arrested and put into detention in Canada when they transit through the country, and should they all be handcuffed?
It is time for Canadian authorities to figure out the reasons why Ms Meng is the only wanted member of the board of Skycom, a company based in Hong Kong, accused by the US of violating sanctions.
Canada is an independent sovereign nation. Although its relationship with the US is quite special, it should remain neutral in dealing with Meng's case, and not simply do whatever the US has told it to do. It is important for Canada to respect the fundamental spirit of justice and law while providing judicial assistance to the US. It should resolutely reject the possible impact of the long-term bias of the US on Huawei and Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei in this case.
It does not serve Canada's national interest if it intends to fawn over the US by treating Ms Meng unjustly. If Meng is refused bail and extradited to the US, Canada will get minimal gratitude from the US, but maximum opposition from China. Chinese people will take the issue seriously, and will ask the Chinese government to impose severe sanctions on Canada. Canadian public interest will definitely be impaired if Sino-Canadian relations are put at a risk of major retrogression.
We hope that Canadian authorities handle the case seriously and properly. We also hope that Ms Meng will be treated humanely and will be bailed out. We would like to see Meng's case being handled properly, so that she can regain her freedom as soon as possible.
Chinese society has always respected Canada, and it is sincerely hoped that the way how Canadian authorities handle this matter will live up to Chinese people's expectation and impressions regarding the country.
China Summons U.S. Ambassador As Huawei Defends Iran OperationsFor more on the story, see:
China has summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing to protest the detention by Canada of a senior Chinese electronics executive at the request of the United States.
Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on December 9 "lodged solemn representations and strong protests" with Ambassador Terry Branstad in regard to the detention of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of electronics giant Huawei.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, Le called Meng's detention "extremely egregious" and demanded that the United States cancel her arrest warrant or face further steps by Beijing.
Chinese authorities had summoned the Canadian ambassador a day earlier and issued similar warnings.
[...]
In a sworn affidavit released in Canada, Meng insisted she is innocent of the allegations and that she will fight them in a U.S. court if she is extradited there.
In court documents, Huawei asserted that its operations in Iran were "in strict compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and sanctions" of the United States, European Union, and the UN.
- 'Arrogant jingoist policy': Lavrov blasts Washington's 'revolting' request to arrest Huawei CFO
- China summons Canadian ambassador over detention of Huawei exec Meng Wanzhou
© Pixabay
What could go wrong?
In a speech Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said:
"Hate tries to make its headquarters in the digital world. At Apple, we believe that technology needs to have a clear point of view on this challenge. There is no time to get tied up in knots. That's why we only have one message for those who seek to push hate, division and violence: You have no place on our platforms."Here's the goliath problem: Who gets to define what words and phrases protected under the First Amendment constitute hate - a catchall word that is often ascribed to any offensive speech someone simply doesn't like? Will Christians who don't support abortion rights or having their tax dollars go toward Planned Parenthood be considered purveyors of hate for denying women the right to choose? Will millions of Americans who support legal immigration, as opposed to illegal immigration, be labeled xenophobes or racists and be banned from the digital world?
Yes and yes. How do we know? It's already happening, as scores of conservatives nationwide are being shadow banned and/or censored on social media, YouTube, Google and beyond. Their crime? Running afoul of leftist Silicon Valley executives who demand conformity of thought and simply won't tolerate any viewpoint that strays from their rigid political orthodoxy.
© PAJeremy Corbyn's focus is on a no confidence vote in the government - but Labour MPs are already looking to what comes next
On the surface, the cryptically named Institute for Statecraft is a small charity operating from an old Victorian mill in Fife.
But explosive leaked documents passed to the Sunday Mail reveal the organisation's Integrity Initiative is funded with £2million of Foreign Office cash and run by military intelligence specialists.
The "think tank" is supposed to counter Russian online propaganda by forming "clusters" of friendly journalists and "key influencers" throughout Europe who use social media to hit back against disinformation.
© AP Photo/Christophe EnaA man walks his dog past a tag reading : Happy Christmas Manu, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. Paris monuments reopened, cleanup workers cleared debris and shop owners tried to put the city on its feet again Sunday, after running battles between yellow-vested protesters and riot police left 71 injured and caused widespread damage to the French capital.
That's an unlikely prospect. Instead Macron is expected to announce a series of measures to reduce taxes and boost purchasing power for the masses who feel his presidency has favored the rich. He's being forced to act after four weeks of "yellow vest" protests that started in struggling provinces and spread to rioting in the capital that has scared tourists and foreign investors and shaken France to the core.
Macron met Monday morning in his presidential palace with local and national politicians, unions and business leaders to hear their concerns. In the evening, he will give a national televised address, his first public words in more than a week.
Comment: See also:
- Watch turmoil unfold in France as Yellow Vest protests enter 4th weekend, with 125,000 protesters and 89,000 additional police - UPDATES
- Fitting: 95% of speed cameras in central France region destroyed - part of 'Yellow Vest' protest
- Joe Quinn on PressTV: French Protests Expose Macron's Globalist Regime
- Joe Quinn on Sputnik: 'Macron Has United People of France Against Globalism'
- 'Yellow Vests' dust off guillotines for Macron regime
- Niall Bradley on PressTV: 'French Fury Stems From Accumulation of Grievances Against Elite'
© Reuters / Anushree FadnavisTwitter CEO Jack Dorsey
Dorsey, with a net worth of some $4.5 billion, felt the righteous wrath of the monster he co-founded after sharing the details of his birthday present to himself - a meditation trip to Myanmar - with his 4.12 million followers.
Dorsey described his humbling "experience" in Myanmar in painstaking detail in a series of tweets on Sunday. In one of the tweets, he dwelled upon how uncomfortable it was to sit on a bare concrete floor "cross-legged for an hour without moving."
"Pain arises in the legs in about 30-45 minutes. One's natural reaction is to change posture to avoid the pain. What if, instead of moving, one observed the pain and decided to remain still through it?" the now-enlightened Dorsey tweeted.
Comment: Good for you Dorsey. Now how about doing something useful like making Twitter a neutral platform instead of censoring viewpoints you don't like?
No act by him was more contentious.
It cost me hundreds of followers gained throughout the campaign who wanted to believe Trump was playing 4-D chess. My Periscopes went from being events to afterthoughts.
Those that left needed to believe this because they had invested so much in him.
They had to believe he was playing some deep game with Putin to bring peace to the region.
He wasn't.
Congressman Beto O'Rourke
In fact, the first time O'Rourke came into my news orbit it felt like I was being sold a box of cereal by Madison Avenue. After reading an illuminating article by Ziad Jilliani earlier today in Current Affairs, it appears my intuition was correct.
The first paragraph tells you a lot about what the sorts of people who like Beto, like about him.
Beto O'Rourke-a three-term Congressman from El Paso, Texas who recently failed to unseat Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz-is suddenly one of the hottest names in Democratic Party politics. The once-obscure representative is on the lips of many as a presidential contender. "All the guy would have to do is send out an email to his fundraising base...and he raises $30 million," one anonymous Democratic bundler told Politico. "That has totally changed the landscape for tier 1 guys, because now Bernie and Warren, now they have competition. It completely changes the game if Beto runs. And he should run...He's Barack Obama, but white."
An intended anti-Venezuela propaganda photo, which makes much more sense when you see the little girl as Venezuela, and the police as the United States.
The Guardian used to be a superb member of the Fourth Estate. It was the "guardian" for the people from the excesses and abuses of power by the government and the ruling class. The free press is vital to democracy because the governing establishments, corporations and oligarchs cannot be trusted to act in the best interest of the public.
Unfettered power in the dark becomes corrupted. It acts in its own best interests even when those interests are harmful to the public's well-being. The free press is the guardian for the public by keeping it out of the dark of the goings on and shenanigans of the rich, famous and powerful. Transparency has become an overused word in the past few years by the powerful, for the very reason to fool the public of how opaque the actions of the powerful have become.
Comment: Unfortunately Venezuela, or rather Venezuela's oil, is still in the US' cross-hairs.
- A Once and Future Revolution: The Legacy of Hugo Chávez
- US sabotaging Venezuela's economy
- Nicolás Maduro: Protests by rich are U.S. attempt to steal Venezuela's oil and subvert our democracy
Comment: See also: