theweekuk--2020-06-23--How White Lives Matter ‘misses the point’ of Black Lives Matter

Burnley Football Club bosses have vowed to slap lifetime bans on supporters who flew a “ White Lives Matter ” banner over the Etihad Stadium on Monday .
A light aircraft towing the banner appeared in the skies shortly after players from Burnley and Manchester City had kneeled in support of Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) ahead of kick-off .
Speaking to reporters after the game , which ended in a 5-0 defeat for his side , Burnley captain Ben Mee said that he and his teammates “ were embarrassed , disappointed , upset ” about the stunt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
“ White Lives Matter ” is a counterchant to the “ Black Lives Matter ” slogan used by anti-racism campaigners in the US and other countries worldwide .
“ Use of the tag had increased as a response to the # BlackLivesMatter movement , with many posters opposing or criticising the protests , ” says the BBC .
It is an extension of the term “ All Lives Matter ” , which is often used by those who misunderstand the BLM phrase .
“ By saying Black Lives Matter , you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t matter , ” Dr Ali Meghji , a social inequalities researcher at Cambridge University , told Cambridgeshire Live .
“ However , you are bringing attention to the way that black people across the world are denied certain human rights by virtue of being black.
” In other words , saying “ All Lives Matter ” ignores the racism experienced by black people across the globe .
Whereas “ All Lives Matter ” is often the result of misinterpretation of what BLM means , the phrase “ White Lives Matter ” is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Responding to the Burnley plane stunt , Piara Powar , executive director of football equality group Fare , told The Guardian that “ the racist backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement across Europe is a trend we have seen and documented ” .
“ Set against the BLM message of equal rights , ‘ White Lives Matter ’ can only be motivated by racism and a denial of equal rights .
It shows exactly why the fight for equality is so important and why the majority of people have supported it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( SPLC ) , which monitors hate groups and other extremists , describes the term as “ a racist response to the civil rights movement ” .
As well as being a phrase used by anti-BLM activists , White Lives Matter is also the name of a neo-Nazi group that describes itself as “ dedicated to promotion of the white race and taking positive action as a united voice against issues facing our race ” .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Who says it ?
The slogan has been chanted and brandished on signs at a series of far-right protests , including a recent rally by Britain First activists in Westminster .
But more mainstream groups are also using the phrase .
Discussing the Burnley stunt on ITV ’ s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday , host Piers Morgan said that these people were also “ part of the problem ” , reports Metro .
“ Already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lighting up , ” he said , before quoting viewers ’ comments including “ sorry , white lives do matter ” , “ white lives matter too ” and “ why do white lives not matter ?
” Urging people to educate themselves , Morgan said : “ Honestly , if that ’ s the way you think , you are ignorant , and you need to find out what it means , why Black Lives Matter has become a hashtag , what it ’ s about .
”

Burnley Football Club bosses have vowed to slap lifetime bans on supporters who flew a “White Lives Matter” banner over the Etihad Stadium on Monday.
A light aircraft towing the banner appeared in the skies shortly after players from Burnley and Manchester City had kneeled in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) ahead of kick-off.
Speaking to reporters after the game, which ended in a 5-0 defeat for his side, Burnley captain Ben Mee said that he and his teammates “were embarrassed, disappointed, upset” about the stunt.
"I'm ashamed and embarrassed" Burnley's Ben Mee responds to an offensive banner flown over the Etihad Stadium before today's game with Man Citypic.twitter.com/FEQqOEb3yu — Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 22, 2020
What is the history of the term?
“White Lives Matter” is a counterchant to the “Black Lives Matter” slogan used by anti-racism campaigners in the US and other countries worldwide.
“Use of the tag had increased as a response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, with many posters opposing or criticising the protests,” says the BBC.
It is an extension of the term “All Lives Matter”, which is often used by those who misunderstand the BLM phrase.
“By saying Black Lives Matter, you are not saying that other lives don’t matter,” Dr Ali Meghji, a social inequalities researcher at Cambridge University, told Cambridgeshire Live. “However, you are bringing attention to the way that black people across the world are denied certain human rights by virtue of being black.”
In other words, saying “All Lives Matter” ignores the racism experienced by black people across the globe.
Is it racist?
Whereas “All Lives Matter” is often the result of misinterpretation of what BLM means, the phrase “White Lives Matter” is usually used in a knowingly racist way.
Responding to the Burnley plane stunt, Piara Powar, executive director of football equality group Fare, told The Guardian that “the racist backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement across Europe is a trend we have seen and documented”.
“Set against the BLM message of equal rights, ‘White Lives Matter’ can only be motivated by racism and a denial of equal rights. It shows exactly why the fight for equality is so important and why the majority of people have supported it.”
The US-based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors hate groups and other extremists, describes the term as “a racist response to the civil rights movement”.
As well as being a phrase used by anti-BLM activists, White Lives Matter is also the name of a neo-Nazi group that describes itself as “dedicated to promotion of the white race and taking positive action as a united voice against issues facing our race”.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Who says it?
The slogan has been chanted and brandished on signs at a series of far-right protests, including a recent rally by Britain First activists in Westminster.
But more mainstream groups are also using the phrase.
Discussing the Burnley stunt on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, host Piers Morgan said that these people were also “part of the problem”, reports Metro.
“Already our GMB iPad here with viewers comments lighting up,” he said, before quoting viewers’ comments including “sorry, white lives do matter”, “white lives matter too” and “why do white lives not matter?”
Urging people to educate themselves, Morgan said: “Honestly, if that’s the way you think, you are ignorant, and you need to find out what it means, why Black Lives Matter has become a hashtag, what it’s about.”


theweekuk--2020-06-23--Botched painting restoration fuels calls for new rules to protect artworks

Art lovers are calling for new rules governing restoration after a famous 17th century painting by Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo got an unwelcome makeover .
A private collector in Valencia reportedly paid €1,200 ( £1,084 ) to a furniture restorer to clean a copy of The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables .
But “ the job did not go as planned and the face of the Virgin Mary was left unrecognisable despite two attempts to restore it to its original state ” , says The Guardian .
The Daily Mail adds that the restorer ’ s first effort left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a “ subsequent attempt to correct it just made it worse ” .
The incident is the latest in a string of bungled restoration attempts , including the infamous “ Monkey Christ ” incident eight years ago , when a parishioner tried to refresh a painting of Christ on the wall of a church in the northeastern Spanish town of Borja .
The so-called “ Potato Madonna ” row has prompted calls from Spain ’ s Professional Association of Restorers and Conservators ( Acre ) to impose government regulation on restoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing time and time again and yet it keeps on happening , ” former Acre president Fernando Carrera , a professor at the Galician School for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage , told The Guardian .
“ I don ’ t think this guy , or these people , should be referred to as restorers .
Let ’ s be honest - they ’ re bodgers who botch things up .
They destroy things.
” Carrera added that part of the problem with regulating art restoration is that some politicians “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heritage ” .
However , some commentators have suggested that the latest restoration disaster might have an upside .
Monkey Christ “ enlivened his town ’ s stream of tourist cash , which has in turn allowed Borja to better care for its seniors ” , says The Cut .
“ His appearance in Borja has arguably proved something of a blessing , so perhaps we should not judge the Potato Madonna on her appearance , ” the site adds .
“ Like mother like son , we hope .
”

Art lovers are calling for new rules governing restoration after a famous 17th century painting by Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo got an unwelcome makeover.
A private collector in Valencia reportedly paid €1,200 (£1,084) to a furniture restorer to clean a copy of The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables. But “the job did not go as planned and the face of the Virgin Mary was left unrecognisable despite two attempts to restore it to its original state”, says The Guardian.
The Daily Mail adds that the restorer’s first effort left “Mary’s face disfigured”, and a “subsequent attempt to correct it just made it worse”.
The incident is the latest in a string of bungled restoration attempts, including the infamous “Monkey Christ” incident eight years ago, when a parishioner tried to refresh a painting of Christ on the wall of a church in the northeastern Spanish town of Borja.
I cried laughing for days at monkey Jesus pic.twitter.com/2iZXoC2Mye — 🇧🇧🏳🌈 marcusxdusty (@marcusxdusty) June 22, 2020
The so-called “Potato Madonna” row has prompted calls from Spain’s Professional Association of Restorers and Conservators (Acre) to impose government regulation on restoration.
“We see this kind of thing time and time again and yet it keeps on happening,” former Acre president Fernando Carrera, a professor at the Galician School for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, told The Guardian.
“I don’t think this guy, or these people, should be referred to as restorers. Let’s be honest - they’re bodgers who botch things up. They destroy things.”
Carrera added that part of the problem with regulating art restoration is that some politicians “just don't give a toss about heritage”.
However, some commentators have suggested that the latest restoration disaster might have an upside. Monkey Christ “enlivened his town’s stream of tourist cash, which has in turn allowed Borja to better care for its seniors”, says The Cut.
“His appearance in Borja has arguably proved something of a blessing, so perhaps we should not judge the Potato Madonna on her appearance,” the site adds. “Like mother like son, we hope.”


theweekuk--2020-06-23--Housing secretary embroils Conservatives in second planning row

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has been drawn into a second planning row in as many weeks amid reports that he intervened in a development project funded by high-profile Conservatives and party donors .
According to The Times , Jenrick “ used his ministerial planning powers ” to rule on an appeal by the Jockey Club , Britain ’ s largest horse-racing organisation , for permission to build 318 homes and a hotel at the Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey .
The application had been rejected by Elmbridge Borough Council because the proposed development would be on green-belt land and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The newspaper reports that an appeal would normally be “ decided by the government ’ s planning inspectorate ” , but that Jenrick “ intervened to recover the appeal and determine it ” .
“ That means that instead of a government planning inspector writing a decision , the inspector will prepare a report , which will be forwarded to the minister to inform his decision , ” The Times adds .
Councillor Richard Williams , of Esher Residents ’ Association , described Jenrick ’ s intervention as “ alarming ” , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspector of our case , not a minister.
” And further objections have been raised after it emerged that the Jockey Club board members include Baroness Harding , the Conservative peer behind the government ’ s Covid-19 tracing app , and Rose Paterson , who is married to Tory MP Owen Paterson .
The board also includes Peter Stanley , who donated £5,000 to Matt Hancock ’ s constituency office in Newmarket last year , and Tim Syder , a racehorse owner who handed the Tories £12,500 last November , shortly before joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– As the row deepens , the Daily Mail reports that Jenrick has “ resisted legal attempts to get him to hand over files ” in a separate “ cash-for-favours ” scandal relating to a property development in east London .
Jenrick overruled Tower Hamlets Council in January to approve a request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes on the site of a former printworks .
Former media mogul Desmond donated £12,000 to the Conservative Party shortly after the development was approved .
No .
10 yesterday moved to “ distance itself ” from the ongoing row , after Desmond appeared to contradict Jenrick ’ s version of events during the run-up to the application getting the green light , The Guardian reports .
A Downing Street spokesperson declined to tell the newspaper whether officials knew that Jenrick “ viewed a promotional video for a £1bn property development before overruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Sunday Times this weekend that he showed the video to the minister during a Tory party fundraising dinner two months before the decision was made , adding that Jenrick watched it “ for three or four minutes ” .

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has been drawn into a second planning row in as many weeks amid reports that he intervened in a development project funded by high-profile Conservatives and party donors.
According to The Times, Jenrick “used his ministerial planning powers” to rule on an appeal by the Jockey Club, Britain’s largest horse-racing organisation, for permission to build 318 homes and a hotel at the Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey.
The application had been rejected by Elmbridge Borough Council because the proposed development would be on green-belt land and would include only 20% affordable housing. The newspaper reports that an appeal would normally be “decided by the government’s planning inspectorate”, but that Jenrick “intervened to recover the appeal and determine it”.
“That means that instead of a government planning inspector writing a decision, the inspector will prepare a report, which will be forwarded to the minister to inform his decision,” The Times adds.
Councillor Richard Williams, of Esher Residents’ Association, described Jenrick’s intervention as “alarming”, saying: “We should be convincing the inspector of our case, not a minister.”
And further objections have been raised after it emerged that the Jockey Club board members include Baroness Harding, the Conservative peer behind the government’s Covid-19 tracing app, and Rose Paterson, who is married to Tory MP Owen Paterson.
The board also includes Peter Stanley, who donated £5,000 to Matt Hancock’s constituency office in Newmarket last year, and Tim Syder, a racehorse owner who handed the Tories £12,500 last November, shortly before joining the Jockey Club’s decision-making body.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
As the row deepens, the Daily Mail reports that Jenrick has “resisted legal attempts to get him to hand over files” in a separate “cash-for-favours” scandal relating to a property development in east London.
Jenrick overruled Tower Hamlets Council in January to approve a request by billionaire Richard Desmond to build 1,500 homes on the site of a former printworks. Former media mogul Desmond donated £12,000 to the Conservative Party shortly after the development was approved.
No. 10 yesterday moved to “distance itself” from the ongoing row, after Desmond appeared to contradict Jenrick’s version of events during the run-up to the application getting the green light, The Guardian reports.
A Downing Street spokesperson declined to tell the newspaper whether officials knew that Jenrick “viewed a promotional video for a £1bn property development before overruling officials to approve it”.
Desmond told The Sunday Times this weekend that he showed the video to the minister during a Tory party fundraising dinner two months before the decision was made, adding that Jenrick watched it “for three or four minutes”.


theweekuk--2020-06-23--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 23 Jun 2020

Several authors have quit the literary agency that represents J.K. Rowling in protest at her views on transgender issues .
@ @ @ @ @ authors said that they could no longer work with the Blair Partnership because they felt @ @ @ @ @ they regarded as an appropriate “ commitment to transgender rights and equality ” .
They @ @ @ @ @ saddened and disappointed ” .

One in three Covid-19 survivors could face long-term issues
One in three patients who recover from Covid-19 could endure long-term damage to their lungs, chronic fatigue and psychological disturbances, according to new research. The study also found evidence that the coronavirus could cause impairment to the brain and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The Daily Telegraph says around 30% of patients who recover from Covid-19 may be left with damaged and scarred lung tissue.


theweekuk--2020-06-23--Trump wanted Elton John’s music to make peace with North Korea

Donald Trump tried to use Elton John as peacemaker with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , according to a new book .
Trump ’ s former national security adviser , John Bolton , says the president is a big fan of John ’ s music and tried to get Kim a CD of Rocket Man after discovering the North Korean leader had never heard the track .
“ Boy , I bet Elton will get a kick out of this !
” the president reportedly said .
Officials told the public not to panic as a huge mushroom-shaped cloud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital of the Ukraine .
One concerned resident took to social media to ask : “ Is it Putin is testing a new nuclear weapon ? ''
The city is located just 60 miles from the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster .
Irish ghost hunters say they ’ ve got footage of a ghoul Ghost hunters insist they have “ proof ” a 19th century spirit is haunting an Irish castle .
Paranormal Supernatural Investigations Ireland says the ghost is of Walter Peter Lambert who died in 1892 at the Imperial Hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The team say they have footage that proves the ghost ’ s presence in the area .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Donald Trump tried to use Elton John as peacemaker with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to a new book. Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, says the president is a big fan of John’s music and tried to get Kim a CD of Rocket Man after discovering the North Korean leader had never heard the track. “Boy, I bet Elton will get a kick out of this!” the president reportedly said.
Panic over mushroom cloud near Chernobyl
Officials told the public not to panic as a huge mushroom-shaped cloud filled the sky above Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine. One concerned resident took to social media to ask: “Is it Putin is testing a new nuclear weapon?" The city is located just 60 miles from the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Irish ghost hunters say they’ve got footage of a ghoul
Ghost hunters insist they have “proof” a 19th century spirit is haunting an Irish castle. Paranormal Supernatural Investigations Ireland says the ghost is of Walter Peter Lambert who died in 1892 at the Imperial Hotel in Tuam, Co Galway after choking. The team say they have footage that proves the ghost’s presence in the area.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-06-24--Does Donald Trump really want a second term in the White House?

Donald Trump is facing ridicule and disbelief after telling a campaign rally that has instructed his administration to “ slow the testing down ” for the Covid-19 coronavirus .
Amid growing outrage , the president ’ s advisers claimed his comments to supporters in the Oklahoma city of Tulsa on Saturday had been “ tongue-in-cheek ” .
But addressing White House reporters on Tuesday , Trump insisted : “ I don ’ t kid.
” “ By having more tests , we have more cases .
We ’ ve done 25 million .
Therefore we have more cases , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing are the latest in a string of seemingly self-sabotaging statements that have prompted some analysts to ask : does Trump really want a second term in office ?
Does Trump want out ?
The president “ is acting trapped and defensive , and his self-destructive behaviour has been so out of step for an incumbent in an election year that many advisers wonder if he is truly interested in serving a second term ” , says The New York Times ( NYT ) .
Trump has reportedly “ complained that nothing he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fallout from his handling of the coronavirus crisis and the George Floyd protests .
And “ people close to him ” say that while Trump has “ shown enthusiasm ” for resuming his trademark rallies , “ he has not seemed excited about the possibility of governing for four more years ” , according to the newspaper .
Those claims have been denied by the White House .
A spokeswoman told the NYT that “ the president is fully committed to serving a second term ” , and that he wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first-term accomplishments for the American people ” .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– What are Trump ’ s chances of winning a second term ?
As the 3 November election date draws nearer , Trump ’ s “ path to re-election is getting steeper and steeper , ” says The Hill .
As the Washington D.C.-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been “ almost universally dire for the president ” , with a Fox News poll last week putting him 12 points behind presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
The president has dismissed the Fox figures , tweeting that the news network had released “ another of their phony polls , done by the same group of haters that got it even more wrong in 2016 ” .
But “ the Fox poll is not an outlier ” , says The Hill .
“ Three other recent surveys , from CNN , CNBC and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by broadly similar levels — 14 points , 10 points and 9 points , respectively.
” Trump definitely intends to serve another term , according to CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer , who insists that the president ’ s “ re-election strategy is starting to take form ” .
Zelizer believes this strategy comes down to five points : ensuring a low voter turnout , propping up big business and Wall Street , fuelling anger in red ( Republican ) states , destroying Biden ’ s reputation , and ramping up anti-immigration rhetoric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president ’ s recent behaviour is simply true to form .
Since taking office , Trump has enjoyed “ thumbing his nose at the media geniuses ” who wrote off his chances due to his “ freewheeling , attacking style ” .
“ Maybe his advisers are right that toning it down would improve his chances of beating Joe Biden , ” Kurtz says .
“ But I have no doubt that is his goal .
”

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theweekuk--2020-06-24--Instant Opinion: MPs ‘only just saved’ from reputational disaster

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
1 .
Eliot Wilson , former House of Commons clerk , in The Daily Telegraph on MPs playing with fire over bullying cases The House of Commons has only just saved itself from reputational disaster “ To allow MPs , including those accused of misconduct , the opportunity to debate the case under the terms of Parliamentary privilege would have been a grotesque parody of natural justice .
It was the equivalent of giving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a place on the jury .
As one woman who had been let down by the old system remarked , there were concerns that ‘ old attitudes ’ persisted , that some MPs were not really serious about making themselves accountable for their behaviour ... Let ’ s be fair .
MPs , many of whom are new , have had a lot to deal with this year .
But their failure to grasp the obvious is worrying in terms of how they think they are perceived .
Politicians ’ standing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have never seen Parliament treated with such scorn and , worse , dismissiveness in my life .
Nevertheless , there is a counterintuitive defensiveness , a resentful sense on the part of MPs that they are hard done by .
They are still , despite everything , consumed by the Westminster ‘ bubble ’ , living in an atmosphere in which they are treated with deference and instinctive respect.
” on the trouble brewing on Boris Johnson ’ s ranks Boris Johnson , the good news prime minister , hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was pressure from Tory MPs rather than business which pushed Johnson into such a big package of lockdown easing measures .
He chose the most comprehensive option the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies ( SAGE ) put to him , rather than a more phased reopening .
Johnson wanted to throw a bone to his backbenchers , who are in a rebellious mood , feel ignored by Number 10 and are worry about his lack of grip after a spate of U-turns .
Grumbling about his relatively low profile led to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hope of dispelling rumours he has not fully recovered from his own brush with coronavirus .
( Tories who use their Commons questions to tell the PM he looks ‘ fighting fit ’ rather give the game away ) ... With his MPs so grumpy , Johnson ’ s majority of 80 is not as secure as it looks.
” 3 .
Sean R. Roberts , author of War on the Uyghurs , in The Guardian China ’ s hidden partner in suppressing the Muslim Uighurs - the US “ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s war on terror ’ that was in reality nothing less than a war on the Uighurs .
They began building an expansive electronic surveillance network to track Uighurs , started beta-testing ‘ re-education ’ classes for political indoctrination , and criminalised many cultural practices important to Uighur identity as signs of ‘ extremism ’ .
In 2017 , this war was put into full motion through the mass internment of large swaths of the Uighur population .
China ’ s ongoing campaign against the Uighurs has always been an effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full integration of the Uighur homeland into a unified and monocultural Chinese state .
It has never been a response to a terrorist threat , real or imagined – but a narrative of Islamist terrorism founded in the US-led ‘ war on terror ’ has always served as its convenient justification .
In this context , nobody should be surprised if Bolton ’ s revelations about Trump ’ s tacit approval of Beijing ’ s actions are true.
” on the data behind US racial inequality These numbers show that black and white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Numbers can help put American racism in perspective .
And here is what the numbers say : The United States is a vastly different country , depending on the color of your skin .
For African Americans , hardship begins before birth .
The infant mortality rate for blacks , for example , is more than twice that of white Americans ...
In this parallel reality , family income is much lower .
The percentage of black children living below the poverty line is three times that of whites ...
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blacks live in a country where the economy is always in recovery .
Even though white Americans haven ’ t seen an unemployment rate near 15 percent in decades , African Americans have seen it many times - about once a decade over the past 50 years ...
The bottom line is clear .
Here ’ s how the numbers add up : Whites live in one America and blacks live in another.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– on the need to liberalise the UK ’ s euthanasia laws We don ’ t have to live with this way of dying “ Suicide used to be illegal .
It was until 1961 , believe it or not .
That is why we still talk about people ‘ committing ’ suicide .
We use the same word that we use for crime , because it was a crime .
It became obvious that it was inhuman to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and failed to kill themselves .
How long before we do something about the similarly inhuman practice of having to interrogate relatives over the voluntary death of a loved relative who was terminally ill ?
Everyone imagines that this will never be them , never be their relatives , because if they get ill like that the doctors will ‘ know what to do ’ .
Or they will be able to go to Dignitas or something .
In reality it isn ’ t like that .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Eliot Wilson, former House of Commons clerk, in The Daily Telegraph
on MPs playing with fire over bullying cases
The House of Commons has only just saved itself from reputational disaster
“To allow MPs, including those accused of misconduct, the opportunity to debate the case under the terms of Parliamentary privilege would have been a grotesque parody of natural justice. It was the equivalent of giving the defendant in a trial a five-minute infomercial and a place on the jury. As one woman who had been let down by the old system remarked, there were concerns that ‘old attitudes’ persisted, that some MPs were not really serious about making themselves accountable for their behaviour... Let’s be fair. MPs, many of whom are new, have had a lot to deal with this year. But their failure to grasp the obvious is worrying in terms of how they think they are perceived. Politicians’ standing is at its lowest for a generation; I have never seen Parliament treated with such scorn and, worse, dismissiveness in my life. Nevertheless, there is a counterintuitive defensiveness, a resentful sense on the part of MPs that they are hard done by. They are still, despite everything, consumed by the Westminster ‘bubble’, living in an atmosphere in which they are treated with deference and instinctive respect.”
2. Andrew Grice in The Independent
on the trouble brewing on Boris Johnson’s ranks
Boris Johnson, the good news prime minister, hasn’t killed off his backbench rebellion yet
“It was pressure from Tory MPs rather than business which pushed Johnson into such a big package of lockdown easing measures. He chose the most comprehensive option the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) put to him, rather than a more phased reopening. Johnson wanted to throw a bone to his backbenchers, who are in a rebellious mood, feel ignored by Number 10 and are worry about his lack of grip after a spate of U-turns. Grumbling about his relatively low profile led to him becoming more visible 10 days ago, in the hope of dispelling rumours he has not fully recovered from his own brush with coronavirus. (Tories who use their Commons questions to tell the PM he looks ‘fighting fit’ rather give the game away)... With his MPs so grumpy, Johnson’s majority of 80 is not as secure as it looks.”
3. Sean R. Roberts, author of War on the Uyghurs, in The Guardian
on western complicity in China’s mass internment programme
China’s hidden partner in suppressing the Muslim Uighurs - the US
“In 2014, China declared a ‘people’s war on terror’ that was in reality nothing less than a war on the Uighurs. They began building an expansive electronic surveillance network to track Uighurs, started beta-testing ‘re-education’ classes for political indoctrination, and criminalised many cultural practices important to Uighur identity as signs of ‘extremism’. In 2017, this war was put into full motion through the mass internment of large swaths of the Uighur population. China’s ongoing campaign against the Uighurs has always been an effort to neutralise Uighur resistance to China’s full integration of the Uighur homeland into a unified and monocultural Chinese state. It has never been a response to a terrorist threat, real or imagined – but a narrative of Islamist terrorism founded in the US-led ‘war on terror’ has always served as its convenient justification. In this context, nobody should be surprised if Bolton’s revelations about Trump’s tacit approval of Beijing’s actions are true.”
4. Sergio Pecanha in The Washington Post
on the data behind US racial inequality
These numbers show that black and white people live in two different Americas
“Numbers can help put American racism in perspective. And here is what the numbers say: The United States is a vastly different country, depending on the color of your skin. For African Americans, hardship begins before birth. The infant mortality rate for blacks, for example, is more than twice that of white Americans... In this parallel reality, family income is much lower. The percentage of black children living below the poverty line is three times that of whites... It’s not just income but employment itself: Blacks live in a country where the economy is always in recovery. Even though white Americans haven’t seen an unemployment rate near 15 percent in decades, African Americans have seen it many times - about once a decade over the past 50 years... The bottom line is clear. Here’s how the numbers add up: Whites live in one America and blacks live in another.”
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5. Daniel Finkelstein in The Times
on the need to liberalise the UK’s euthanasia laws
We don’t have to live with this way of dying
“Suicide used to be illegal. It was until 1961, believe it or not. That is why we still talk about people ‘committing’ suicide. We use the same word that we use for crime, because it was a crime. It became obvious that it was inhuman to start criminal proceedings against those who tried and failed to kill themselves. How long before we do something about the similarly inhuman practice of having to interrogate relatives over the voluntary death of a loved relative who was terminally ill? Everyone imagines that this will never be them, never be their relatives, because if they get ill like that the doctors will ‘know what to do’. Or they will be able to go to Dignitas or something. In reality it isn’t like that.”


theweekuk--2020-06-24--‘Wagatha Christie’: Rebekah Vardy suing Coleen Rooney over newspaper leak claims

Rebekah Vardy and Colleen Rooney are set to face off in the High Court in a libel battle triggered by a social media squabble .
The pair fell out last October after Rooney tweeted a message accusing Vardy , wife of Leicester and England footballer Jamie , of leaking stories from her private Instagram account to The Sun .
In a revelation that earned her the nickname “ Wagatha Christie ” , Rooney said she had posted three fake stories using the app ’ s close friends filter in order to find out who had been talking to the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the now-iconic line : “ It ’ s ... ... ... Rebekah Vardy ’ s account.
” The fellow Wag denied the allegations and is now suing Rooney , wife of ex-England captain Wayne , for libel and slander in a £1m lawsuit that the Daily Star predicts will be “ one of the most explosive celebrity feuds heard in London ’ s High Court ” .
Vardy “ denied any wrongdoing and said the stress of their public dispute had caused severe anxiety attacks ” , the Daily Mirror reports .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Vardy said that “ third parties had access to her Instagram account and an ITV forensic expert was working to discover who could have been behind the leaks ” , the newspaper adds .
Responding to the launch of the lawsuit , Rooney ’ s lawyer Paul Lunt said : “ It is disappointing that Mrs Vardy has chosen to issue court proceedings .
Coleen feels that the time and money involved could be put to better use - her offer to meet face to face still stands.
” The case is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless a settlement is reached .
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Rebekah Vardy and Colleen Rooney are set to face off in the High Court in a libel battle triggered by a social media squabble.
The pair fell out last October after Rooney tweeted a message accusing Vardy, wife of Leicester and England footballer Jamie, of leaking stories from her private Instagram account to The Sun.
In a revelation that earned her the nickname “Wagatha Christie”, Rooney said she had posted three fake stories using the app’s close friends filter in order to find out who had been talking to the media about her.
Her post concluded with the now-iconic line: “It’s......... Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
The fellow Wag denied the allegations and is now suing Rooney, wife of ex-England captain Wayne, for libel and slander in a £1m lawsuit that the Daily Star predicts will be “one of the most explosive celebrity feuds heard in London’s High Court”.
Vardy “denied any wrongdoing and said the stress of their public dispute had caused severe anxiety attacks”, the Daily Mirror reports.
When Rooney first made the claims against her, Vardy said that “third parties had access to her Instagram account and an ITV forensic expert was working to discover who could have been behind the leaks”, the newspaper adds.
Responding to the launch of the lawsuit, Rooney’s lawyer Paul Lunt said: “It is disappointing that Mrs Vardy has chosen to issue court proceedings. Coleen feels that the time and money involved could be put to better use - her offer to meet face to face still stands.”
The case is due to be heard later this year unless a settlement is reached.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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theweekuk--2020-06-24--Reaction: PM says ‘hibernation at an end’ as experts warn of second Covid wave

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Boris Johnson is celebrating the beginning of the end of the UK’s “long national hibernation” as his government prepares for the next stage of easing the coronavirus lockdown.
From 4 July, pubs, restaurants, hotels and barbers in England can reopen, and the two-metre social distancing rule will be reduced to one metre, the prime minister announced on Tuesday.
Members of two households will also be allowed to meet indoors, and may stay overnight as guests, as long as they practise social distancing.
The planned changes have met with both joy and concern. In an open letter to ministers published in the British Medical Journal, health leaders including the presidents of the royal colleges of surgeons and nursing are calling for an urgent review to determine whether the UK is properly prepared for the “real risk” of a second wave of Covid-19.
But the warning hasn’t worried the country’s tabloids, which are celebrating the impending easing of lockdown restrictions.
“Summer’s back on!” says the Daily Mail’s front page, while the Daily Express opts for “Cheers Boris! Here’s to a brighter Britain.”
Metro goes with “Get the beers in! (and Boris can have a haircut at last”). The Sun also applauds Johnson’s decision to reopen pubs, leading with the headline “Vast orders”.
The Guardian’s John Crace says the next phase of lockdown lifting allows the PM to return to his prefered role as “Mr Fun”.
“For someone whose whole life seems to have been spent trying to explain his way out of awkward situations, the prime minister is notably averse to confrontation and passing on bad news,” writes Crace.
“He is the country’s Mr Fun. The Cheerer-Upper in Chief. The Mr Motivator who lets the good times roll. So a statement on relaxing many of the country’s lockdown rules was just up his street.”
A snap YouGov poll following Johnson’s announcement suggests that voters are generally in favour of the changes. Of the 2,264 adults quizzed, 64% backed the reopening of pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, cinemas and other venues, with 29% “somewhat opposed” or “strongly opposed” to the plan.
And 73% supported the change to allow two separate households to meet up indoors, with just 20% opposed.
“It would seem, then, that the public’s attitudes towards lifting the lockdown are converging with those of the government,” writes Matthew Smith, lead data journalist at YouGov, in The Times. “But that is not the same as thinking that the crisis has been handled well.”
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Indeed, net approval for the UK government’s management of the coronavirus outbreak “is the fourth-worst in the world - tied with Trump’s America on minus ten”, says Smith.
Only 7% of Britons “think the changes do not go far enough”, he adds.
This minority includes The Telegraph’s Sherelle Jacobs, who says that “this was Boris Johnson’s moment to declare to the nation that the overwhelming evidence suggests lockdown was a mistake”.
Instead, he “did the exact opposite”, downplaying it as something akin to a “hibernation”.
“In truth, we shot ourselves in the foot with lockdown,” Jacobs concludes. “That speech was the sound of Britain shooting itself in the other one.”


theweekuk--2020-06-24--Thousands of Brits hit by Donald Trump’s skilled immigrant visa ban

Around 30,000 skilled British workers will be prevented from taking jobs in the US this year as a result of Donald Trump ’ s decision to extend an employment-based visa ban , government figures suggest .
The US president signed an executive order on Monday prohibiting the issuance of skilled worker visas in fields including banking and technology until at least the end of the year .
Visas already issued are not affected .
According to a a review of US State Department statistics by The Times , a total of 30,507 visas were issued in the UK last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - equivalent to a third of all non-immigrant US visas handed to Britons .
The Trump administration is presenting the extension of the ban , first implemented in April , as a way to preserve US jobs “ while the economy reels from the coronavirus pandemic ” , says The Guardian .
Visas already issued are not affected , however .
A senior official “ who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ” estimated the restrictions would free up to 525,000 jobs for Americans , the newspaper reports .
The ban covers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as visas issued to the spouses of these visa-holders : H-2B , L-2 and J-2 .
The Times notes that H-1B visas are commonly used by Silicon Valley technology companies to hire skilled software developers .
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Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TechCrunch says that the visa suspensions will “ hit Silicon Valley hard ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to get off the ground ” .
Meanwhile , Thomas Donohue , chief executive of the US Chamber of Commerce , said the ban was akin to “ putting up a ‘ not welcome ’ sign for engineers , executives , IT experts , doctors , nurses and other workers ” .
Todd Schulte , president of pro-immigration business group Fwd.us , called the restrictions a “ full-frontal attack on American innovation ” .
Tech giants including Amazon and Twitter have also criticised the decision .
Amazon has issued a statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , whileTwitter ’ s vice-president for public policy and philanthropy , Jessica Herrera-Flanigan , said : “ This proclamation undermines America ’ s greatest economic asset : its diversity .
”


theweekuk--2020-06-24--Jacob Rees-Mogg loses vote on debating Westminster bullying claims

MPs last night voted down a proposal introduced by Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg to allow the House to debate complaints of bullying and harassment brought against them .
An amendment tabled by Labour MP Chris Bryant ruling out debates on sanctions made by a new independent panel set up to deal with such allegations passed by 243 to 238 - “ to the delight of parliamentary staffers and campaigners ” , says The Guardian .
In an open letter seen by the newspaper , past and present parliamentary staff , union leaders , MPs and women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new independent system .
The eight-member panel replaces the committee of MPs that currently decides on disciplinary action against their peers , and has the power to “ impose sanctions including suspensions and exclusions of MPs in serious cases ” , the BBC reports .
Although MPs were given a free vote on the Bryant amendment , Tory whips had told their MPs that the chief whip would be voting against it , in a move that The Time ’ s political reporter Esther Webber claims left Tory staffers “ furious ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Despite the intervention , the amendment won cross-party support , with new Tory MP and former employment law barrister Laura Farris arguing that a disciplinary process that “ invites members to speak up for colleagues against a background of party allegiance and personal loyalties is fundamentally problematic ” .
Labour MP Meg Hillier warned that the Commons could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if public debates went ahead , with complainants potentially being named under parliamentary privilege .
That fear was echoed by Tory MP and former leader of the House Andrea Leadsom , who said that allowing complaints to be debated would “ result in a complainant feeling re-victimised ” .
And Labour ’ s Jess Phillips warned that “ allowing debates would stop victims from coming forward ” .
The vote result was described as a “ historic moment ” by Amy Leversidge , assistant general secretary of the FDA Union .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brave women and men who spoke out publicly to try and make Parliament a better place to work , ” she said .

MPs last night voted down a proposal introduced by Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg to allow the House to debate complaints of bullying and harassment brought against them.
An amendment tabled by Labour MP Chris Bryant ruling out debates on sanctions made by a new independent panel set up to deal with such allegations passed by 243 to 238 - “to the delight of parliamentary staffers and campaigners”, says The Guardian.
In an open letter seen by the newspaper, past and present parliamentary staff, union leaders, MPs and women’s groups had accused Rees-Mogg of undermining the new independent system.
The eight-member panel replaces the committee of MPs that currently decides on disciplinary action against their peers, and has the power to “impose sanctions including suspensions and exclusions of MPs in serious cases”, the BBC reports.
Although MPs were given a free vote on the Bryant amendment, Tory whips had told their MPs that the chief whip would be voting against it, in a move that The Time’s political reporter Esther Webber claims left Tory staffers “furious”.
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Despite the intervention, the amendment won cross-party support, with new Tory MP and former employment law barrister Laura Farris arguing that a disciplinary process that “invites members to speak up for colleagues against a background of party allegiance and personal loyalties is fundamentally problematic”.
Labour MP Meg Hillier warned that the Commons could be used as a “bully pulpit” if public debates went ahead, with complainants potentially being named under parliamentary privilege.
That fear was echoed by Tory MP and former leader of the House Andrea Leadsom, who said that allowing complaints to be debated would “result in a complainant feeling re-victimised”. And Labour’s Jess Phillips warned that “allowing debates would stop victims from coming forward”.
The vote result was described as a “historic moment” by Amy Leversidge, assistant general secretary of the FDA Union.
“It is an astounding achievement for all the brave women and men who spoke out publicly to try and make Parliament a better place to work,” she said.


theweekuk--2020-06-24--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Wednesday 24 Jun 2020

America ’ s leading infectious disease expert has told lawmakers that the US is seeing a “ disturbing surge ” @ @ @ @ @ states .
With cases climbing rapidly , a panel of health officials , including Dr @ @ @ @ @ next few days will be crucial in the fight against the pandemic .
About 2.3 @ @ @ @ @ and at least 120,000 have died .

US is witnessing a ‘disturbing surge’ of Covid-19
America’s leading infectious disease expert has told lawmakers that the US is seeing a “disturbing surge” in Covid-19 infections in some states. With cases climbing rapidly, a panel of health officials, including Dr Anthony Fauci, said the next few days will be crucial in the fight against the pandemic. About 2.3 million Americans have been infected and at least 120,000 have died.


theweekuk--2020-06-24--What are the UK’s kinkiest names?

What are the UK’s kinkiest names?

People called Charlie and Jessica are the most kinky in the UK , according to a new study .
The shopping marketplace OnBuy.com studied sales data and found which names made the most purchases of kinky products .
Among the men , Charlie was followed by Mike and Ryan .
For women , Jessica had Liz and Hannah hot on her heels when it came to raunchy retail habits .
The Barcelona opera house has reopened with a performance to thousands of plants .
A total of 2,292 plants were crammed into the venue , while the string quartet performed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that , following this “ strange , painful period , ” it wanted to “ offer us a different perspective for our return to activity , a perspective that brings us closer to something as essential as our relationship with nature ” .
Speculation about the Loch Ness Monster has re-emerged after a tourist shared a photo of a mysterious creature .
Steve Challice , from Southampton , says he took the picture of what he describes as a “ big fish ” while holidaying in Scotland .
He says it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ness Monster expert said : “ If this is a genuine picture of a creature in Loch Ness , it would easily rank in the top three of all time.
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People called Charlie and Jessica are the most kinky in the UK, according to a new study. The shopping marketplace OnBuy.com studied sales data and found which names made the most purchases of kinky products. Among the men, Charlie was followed by Mike and Ryan. For women, Jessica had Liz and Hannah hot on her heels when it came to raunchy retail habits.
Opera house reopens with concert for 2,292 plants
The Barcelona opera house has reopened with a performance to thousands of plants. A total of 2,292 plants were crammed into the venue, while the string quartet performed Puccini's Crisantemi. The opera house said that, following this “strange, painful period,” it wanted to “offer us a different perspective for our return to activity, a perspective that brings us closer to something as essential as our relationship with nature”.
New photo sparks fresh Loch Ness speculation
Speculation about the Loch Ness Monster has re-emerged after a tourist shared a photo of a mysterious creature. Steve Challice, from Southampton, says he took the picture of what he describes as a “big fish” while holidaying in Scotland. He says it was about eight feet long. A Loch Ness Monster expert said: “If this is a genuine picture of a creature in Loch Ness, it would easily rank in the top three of all time.”
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theweekuk--2020-06-23--The sound of couture: Fendi in Rome

The sound of couture: Fendi in Rome

Seldom , if ever , is the question asked : what does couture sound like ?
But in a spectacular collaboration , the esteemed Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia music institute and luxury fashion house Fendi propose an answer : Anima Mundi ( meaning soul of the universe ) .
A unique and mesmerising performance of Antonio Vivialdi ’ s Estate from The Four Seasons - broadcast from the maison ’ s Palazzo della Civilta Italiana HQ - in which the orchestra ’ s leading violinist , Anna Tifu , is dressed in three different Fendi couture looks .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the highest quality of sound , finds for the first time its iconographic expression through Fendi ’ s couture dresses , which visually personify the narrative of Estate , ” explains the house of the concept , which pertinently launched over the weekend of summer solstice celebrations - “ symbolizing the common desire to restart , reunite and rejoin , ” they said .
“ The idea of the performance comes from the desire to share with the community , after the pandemic , a positive message.
” It comes at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and music following the confines of recent months .
And the piece echoes the initial tone of societal isolation as the musicians begin by playing separately – though the performance adheres to current social distancing norms - before finally coming back together .
All the while , Fendi ’ s grandiose HQ provides an impressive ( if not teasing ) backdrop : see the orchestra commence on the steps at dawn , later take to the arches , and finally head to the rooftop - complete with a further incredible view .
Tifu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stradivari Marechal Berthier violin , is seen in a trio of beautifully crafted gowns that embody the elegant heritage of the Roman house , which first launched back in 1925 as a handbag shop .
Watch the performance in full on www.fendi.com

Seldom, if ever, is the question asked: what does couture sound like? But in a spectacular collaboration, the esteemed Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia music institute and luxury fashion house Fendi propose an answer: Anima Mundi (meaning soul of the universe). A unique and mesmerising performance of Antonio Vivialdi’s Estate from The Four Seasons - broadcast from the maison’s Palazzo della Civilta Italiana HQ - in which the orchestra’s leading violinist, Anna Tifu, is dressed in three different Fendi couture looks.
“The symphonic music, whose peculiarity lies in the highest quality of sound, finds for the first time its iconographic expression through Fendi’s couture dresses, which visually personify the narrative of Estate,” explains the house of the concept, which pertinently launched over the weekend of summer solstice celebrations - “symbolizing the common desire to restart, reunite and rejoin,” they said. “The idea of the performance comes from the desire to share with the community, after the pandemic, a positive message.”
It comes at a moment of rebirth in art, fashion and music following the confines of recent months. And the piece echoes the initial tone of societal isolation as the musicians begin by playing separately – though the performance adheres to current social distancing norms - before finally coming back together. All the while, Fendi’s grandiose HQ provides an impressive (if not teasing) backdrop: see the orchestra commence on the steps at dawn, later take to the arches, and finally head to the rooftop - complete with a further incredible view.
Tifu, who plays a prestigious 1716 Antonio Stradivari Marechal Berthier violin, is seen in a trio of beautifully crafted gowns that embody the elegant heritage of the Roman house, which first launched back in 1925 as a handbag shop.
Watch the performance in full on www.fendi.com


theweekuk--2020-06-25--Instant Opinion: ‘poor lives matter whatever their colour’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
“ According to Lancashire county council , on an index of multiple deprivation Burnley is the 11th most deprived area in England and Wales , out of 317 .
A higher proportion of adults are reliant on benefits , recorded crime is ‘ noticeably higher ’ than for Lancashire as a whole , and the proportion of residents hospitalised due to alcohol is above the average .
Figures for infant mortality and physical exercise are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for England .
Educational attainment is the lowest of the 12 Lancashire districts .
Finally , whereas the population of England as a whole is projected to grow by more than 12 per cent by 2041 , Burnley ’ s is projected to fall .
There is a lot to be said for Burnley — it has some great buildings , is set in gorgeous countryside and of course its people can ’ t be summarised in a series of average stats .
All the same , those figures tell us something about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them don ’ t matter enough.
” on the lessons Brits can learn from Germany ’ s response On different planets : how Germany tackled the pandemic , and Britain flailed “ Why can ’ t Britain do things more like Germany ?
The question remains an absolutely crucial one .
It affects not just the handling of Covid-19 , massively important though that was and still is .
It also affects many other vastly significant strategic challenges facing modern Britain too , especially in the aftermath of Brexit .
These include the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model , its social welfare system , its environmental approach , its governance , its values system and its international role .
Johnson leads a government that is defined by the fact that it seeks ‘ world-beating ’ nationally focused solutions to modern problems .
That ’ s why it rejects the European Union .
Yet the curious thing is that Johnson ’ s government also simultaneously rejects all the national models that have underpinned most politics and economic thinking in western Europe since 1945 .
It is just as scornful of suggestions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s national success as it is of post-Brexit working with the EU .
As a result it sets itself up to be world-trailing rather than world-beating.
” It ’ s our patriotic duty to go to the pub , and save one of Britain ’ s last great institutions “ For a nation of boozers , the opening of the pubs next month brings glad tidings , and a dystopian ‘ new normal ’ .
Patrons could soon be queuing , supermarket-style , outside , before listing their personal details on arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-way systems and dodging hazmat-suited barmaids .
They may order their G & Ts through apps , and sit inside perspex booths to drink them .
Outside , social distancing Stasi could patrol the beer gardens for signs of non-compliance .
Sounds terrible , doesn ’ t it ?
And yet , I miss the pub so much , I don ’ t even care .
When they are finally liberated , I ’ m half-tempted to pack a deckchair and thermos , and queue up overnight , swathed in a Union Jack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lindo Wing whenever a new royal baby arrives .
The PM insists supporting pubs is a ‘ patriotic duty ’ , and so it is – not because this timid Government says so , but because , through no fault of its own , a great British institution is in mortal peril.
” on Brits flocking to the seaside The scenes on Bournemouth beach make Britain look like the jackass of the world “ It might be the case that the beachgoers of Britain represented a lumpen minority .
Trouble is , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them may pay a fatal price for their anti social behaviour .
But the problem with coronavirus is they might just drag Mr and Mrs Nelmes , innocently picking up their groceries in Tesco without realising that they ’ re standing uncomfortably close to an ( expletive deleted ) , with them .
The government is at least partly at fault , and there is no escaping that .
It ’ s messaging , something we keep being told that the government ’ s chief advisor and lockdown breaker Dominic Cummings is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the least .
When Boris Johnson puffed out his chest , smiled his cheeky smile and started bloviating about the end of the ‘ national hibernation ’ too many people took that to mean it ’ s over .
They turned a tin ear to the words of caution about rowing back if the infection rate takes a turn for the worse.
” ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5 .
Ruy Teixeira , senior fellow at the Center for American Progress , in The New York Times on how US senior citizens could be Biden ’ s secret weapon Who Are the Key Voters Turning Against Trump ?
“ Democrats have a secret weapon in 2020 on the other side of the age spectrum : senior voters .
Among this age group — voters 65 and older — polls so far this year reveal a dramatic shift to the Democrats .
That could be the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bipartisan States of Change project estimates that Mrs. Clinton lost this group by around 15 points .
By contrast , the nonpartisan Democracy Fund + U.C.L.A .
Nationscape survey , which has collected over 108,000 interviews of registered voters since the beginning of the year , has Mr. Biden leading among seniors by about six points .
We are looking at a shift of over 20 points in favor of the Democrats among a group that should be at least a quarter of voters in 2020 .
That ’ s huge ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Mr. Trump ?
As you might expect , the racial composition of the 65 and over population is majority white — about four in five .
And among white seniors , we see the same shift as among seniors as a whole , over 20 points .
The movement of white seniors against the president is clearly driving this trend .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. David Aaronovitch in The Times
on Britain’s working-class communities
Poor lives matter whatever their colour
“According to Lancashire county council, on an index of multiple deprivation Burnley is the 11th most deprived area in England and Wales, out of 317. A higher proportion of adults are reliant on benefits, recorded crime is ‘noticeably higher’ than for Lancashire as a whole, and the proportion of residents hospitalised due to alcohol is above the average. Figures for infant mortality and physical exercise are ‘significantly worse’ than the average for England. Educational attainment is the lowest of the 12 Lancashire districts. Finally, whereas the population of England as a whole is projected to grow by more than 12 per cent by 2041, Burnley’s is projected to fall. There is a lot to be said for Burnley — it has some great buildings, is set in gorgeous countryside and of course its people can’t be summarised in a series of average stats. All the same, those figures tell us something about lives in Britain. Too many of them don’t matter enough.”
2. Martin Kettle in The Guardian
on the lessons Brits can learn from Germany’s response
On different planets: how Germany tackled the pandemic, and Britain flailed
“Why can’t Britain do things more like Germany? The question remains an absolutely crucial one. It affects not just the handling of Covid-19, massively important though that was and still is. It also affects many other vastly significant strategic challenges facing modern Britain too, especially in the aftermath of Brexit. These include the nature of Britain’s post-Brexit economic model, its social welfare system, its environmental approach, its governance, its values system and its international role. Johnson leads a government that is defined by the fact that it seeks ‘world-beating’ nationally focused solutions to modern problems. That’s why it rejects the European Union. Yet the curious thing is that Johnson’s government also simultaneously rejects all the national models that have underpinned most politics and economic thinking in western Europe since 1945. It is just as scornful of suggestions it has anything to learn from Germany’s national success as it is of post-Brexit working with the EU. As a result it sets itself up to be world-trailing rather than world-beating.”
3. Madeline Grant in The Daily Telegraph
on sustaining Britain’s public houses
It’s our patriotic duty to go to the pub, and save one of Britain’s last great institutions
“For a nation of boozers, the opening of the pubs next month brings glad tidings, and a dystopian ‘new normal’. Patrons could soon be queuing, supermarket-style, outside, before listing their personal details on arrival (for contact-tracing purposes), navigating one-way systems and dodging hazmat-suited barmaids. They may order their G&Ts through apps, and sit inside perspex booths to drink them. Outside, social distancing Stasi could patrol the beer gardens for signs of non-compliance. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? And yet, I miss the pub so much, I don’t even care. When they are finally liberated, I’m half-tempted to pack a deckchair and thermos, and queue up overnight, swathed in a Union Jack, like those starry-eyed monarchists at the Lindo Wing whenever a new royal baby arrives. The PM insists supporting pubs is a ‘patriotic duty’, and so it is – not because this timid Government says so, but because, through no fault of its own, a great British institution is in mortal peril.”
4. James Moore in The Independent
on Brits flocking to the seaside
The scenes on Bournemouth beach make Britain look like the jackass of the world
“It might be the case that the beachgoers of Britain represented a lumpen minority. Trouble is, that’s all it takes. Some of them may pay a fatal price for their anti social behaviour. But the problem with coronavirus is they might just drag Mr and Mrs Nelmes, innocently picking up their groceries in Tesco without realising that they’re standing uncomfortably close to an (expletive deleted), with them. The government is at least partly at fault, and there is no escaping that. It’s messaging, something we keep being told that the government’s chief advisor and lockdown breaker Dominic Cummings is good at, has been problematic to say the least. When Boris Johnson puffed out his chest, smiled his cheeky smile and started bloviating about the end of the ‘national hibernation’ too many people took that to mean it’s over. They turned a tin ear to the words of caution about rowing back if the infection rate takes a turn for the worse.”
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5. Ruy Teixeira, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, in The New York Times
on how US senior citizens could be Biden’s secret weapon
Who Are the Key Voters Turning Against Trump?
“Democrats have a secret weapon in 2020 on the other side of the age spectrum: senior voters. Among this age group — voters 65 and older — polls so far this year reveal a dramatic shift to the Democrats. That could be the most consequential political development of this election. The bipartisan States of Change project estimates that Mrs. Clinton lost this group by around 15 points. By contrast, the nonpartisan Democracy Fund + U.C.L.A. Nationscape survey, which has collected over 108,000 interviews of registered voters since the beginning of the year, has Mr. Biden leading among seniors by about six points. We are looking at a shift of over 20 points in favor of the Democrats among a group that should be at least a quarter of voters in 2020. That’s huge... Who are these seniors who are turning against Mr. Trump? As you might expect, the racial composition of the 65 and over population is majority white — about four in five. And among white seniors, we see the same shift as among seniors as a whole, over 20 points. The movement of white seniors against the president is clearly driving this trend.”


theweekuk--2020-06-25--Plane crashed ‘as distracted pilots discussed Covid fears’

The pilots of a passenger plane that crashed in Karachi last month repeatedly ignored directions from air traffic controllers after getting caught up in a chat about the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Pakistani authorities.
A preliminary report on the crash says that the two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots repeatedly ignored instructions and warnings from air traffic control that the plane was flying too high on its approach to the runway at Jinnah International Airport, The New York Times reports.
The pair “also ignored automated warnings in the cockpit and failed to lower the landing gear, causing the plane’s engines to hit the runway”, says the newspaper.
“The pilot and co-pilot were not focused and throughout they were having a conversation about corona,” Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told the Pakistani parliament’s National Assembly on Wednesday. “The [virus] was on their minds. Their families were affected and they were having a discussion about it.”
The duo failed to follow protocol, said Khan, adding that “the pilot was overconfident”.
After failing to deploy the plane’s landing gear and scraping the engines, the pilots took off again to make a second landing attempt.
But according to the investigators’ report, “air traffic controllers failed to inform the pilot that the engines had been left badly damaged”, says the BBC.
Both engines failed as the Airbus A320 turned to attempt a second landing, leading the plane to plummet into a crowded residential area. A total of 98 people were killed in the crash, including a child on the ground, with only two passengers surviving.
Many of the people on the plane, which departed from Lahore, were heading home for the Islamic holiday of Eid-al-Fitr.
Pakistan has a chequered aviation safety record. In 2010, an aircraft operated by private airline Airblue crashed near Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board.
And in 2016, “a PIA plane burst into flames while travelling from northern Pakistan to Islamabad, killing 47 people”, says the BBC.
The latest crash “came days after domestic commercial flights resumed following a two-month coronavirus lockdown”, adds The Guardian.


theweekuk--2020-06-25--Coronavirus and ME: doctors fear wave of chronic fatigue syndrome


theweekuk--2020-06-25--What was the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone?

Protesters at Seattle ’ s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone have begun packing up their tents following a call from the mayor to clear out .
The de facto leader of the occupation , which emerged out of the Black Lives Matter protests , said yesterday that “ a lot of people have already ” left the area as one of the organising committees declared that the “ project is now concluded ” .
The statements came just days after Seattle ’ s mayor said she would try to persuade protesters to leave the six-block area of the Capitol Hill neighbourhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , two weeks after the death of George Floyd .
What was the protest all about ?
Protesters “ initially came to direct their energy towards racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death , ” says Forbes .
But as the days went past , the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone or CHAZ ( which was also known as the Capitol Hill Organised Protest or CHOP ) , grew “ to encompass calls for reform of many aspects of civic life ” , the website adds .
The most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a neighbourhood without police , but some demonstrators also began demanding rent control , the reversal of gentrification , funding of community health and the defunding of the police .
The protest had “ a carnival-like atmosphere ” , the Los Angeles Times says .
Entertainment included “ movie screenings , poetry performances , free food , medical supplies and more in a makeshift camping area ” , Forbes reports .
A “ Conversation Cafe ” hosted wide-ranging discussions and handed out free food .
For several weeks , the “ experiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hottest new neighbourhood ” , according to Buzzfeed .
Why did the protest end ?
President Donald Trump called for Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan to “ take back your city NOW ” .
The threat didn ’ t seem to ruffle Durkan , who shot back at the president “ Make us all safe .
Go back to your bunker.
” Earlier this week however , Durkan announced that Seattle ’ s police department would return to the neighbourhood following a weekend of violence in which three people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The impacts on the businesses and residents and the community are now too much , ” Durkan said .
The statement from the semi-official CHAZ committee said it expects “ a very small number of holdouts ” but that they are likely to be “ too small to be more than an annoyance for pedestrians rather than a zonal blockade.
” What happens next ?
Organisers urged CHAZ sympathisers to turn their protests online , and pledged to “ shift into a phase of virtual activism ” , The Hill says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Mara , even if the CHAZ peters out , it will be remembered as a microcosm of America ’ s 2020 struggle with racism and police brutality .
“ Clearly something remarkable is blooming in this season of pandemic and protest , ” O ’ Mara said in The New York Times .
“ It is forcing our city to reckon with truths that can and should make white citizens like me uncomfortable , and that remind us just how much Seattle is like the rest of America : impossibly divided , @ @ @ @ @ @ @


theweekuk--2020-06-25--Who are the two candidates vying to become Liberal Democrat leader?

Ed Davey and Layla Moran have been named as the candidates set to battle to succeed Jo Swinson as the next leader of the Liberal Democrats .
The two hopefuls have both secured backing from the required 200 party members and one other MP after nominations opened yesterday , the BBC reports .
The only other candidate in the contest , Bath MP Wera Hobhouse , dropped out of the race on Tuesday .
So what do the two remaining would-be leaders stand for ?
Davey has been acting leader of the Lib Dems since Swinson resigned in the aftermath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He first entered Parliament as MP for Kingston and Surbiton in 1997 , and served as energy secretary in the 2010-15 Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government .
Davey formally kicked off his campaign to make his position as party leader permanent in early June , putting forward his plans for a “ caring revolution ” , as The Independent reported at the time .
He is calling for a citizen ’ s basic income and a “ new deal ” to support bereaved children and their families .
“ From quality mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is much to do .
We must build a more caring society post-Covid , and improve the lives of millions , ” Davey said .
Davey ’ s policy platform also includes a “ green-based economic recovery ” from Covid-19 , with proposals to invest £150bn in environmentally friendly projects over the next three years , according to The Guardian .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Moran is still relatively new on the parliamentary scene , after being elected as the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2017 general election .
The former maths and physics teacher is the first MP to publicly identify as pansexual , and has previously criticised the House of Commons as a “ weird , backwards place ” .
Speaking to Sky News in March , she described her party ’ s Brexit policy as a “ big mistake ” and said it was “ really important that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been going wrong ” .
She has also called on the party to “ learn from the mistakes ” of the Lib Dems ’ stint in government with the Tories .
In an interview with The Independent earlier this month , Moran said : “ I would say to people , imagine what we can do with me as leader , without the yoke of coalition , moving forwards.
” The leadership hopeful is the editor of the recently published Lib Dem policy review Build Back Better , which advocates for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and universal basic income .

Ed Davey and Layla Moran have been named as the candidates set to battle to succeed Jo Swinson as the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.
The two hopefuls have both secured backing from the required 200 party members and one other MP after nominations opened yesterday, the BBC reports.
The only other candidate in the contest, Bath MP Wera Hobhouse, dropped out of the race on Tuesday. So what do the two remaining would-be leaders stand for?
Ed Davey
Davey has been acting leader of the Lib Dems since Swinson resigned in the aftermath of last December’s general election.
He first entered Parliament as MP for Kingston and Surbiton in 1997, and served as energy secretary in the 2010-15 Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government.
Davey formally kicked off his campaign to make his position as party leader permanent in early June, putting forward his plans for a “caring revolution”, as The Independent reported at the time. He is calling for a citizen’s basic income and a “new deal” to support bereaved children and their families.
“From quality mental health care to more support for young carers, there is much to do. We must build a more caring society post-Covid, and improve the lives of millions,” Davey said.
Davey’s policy platform also includes a “green-based economic recovery” from Covid-19, with proposals to invest £150bn in environmentally friendly projects over the next three years, according to The Guardian.
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Layla Moran
Moran is still relatively new on the parliamentary scene, after being elected as the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2017 general election.
The former maths and physics teacher is the first MP to publicly identify as pansexual, and has previously criticised the House of Commons as a “weird, backwards place”.
Speaking to Sky News in March, she described her party’s Brexit policy as a “big mistake” and said it was “really important that we listen and understand where we’ve been going wrong”.
She has also called on the party to “learn from the mistakes” of the Lib Dems’ stint in government with the Tories.
In an interview with The Independent earlier this month, Moran said: “I would say to people, imagine what we can do with me as leader, without the yoke of coalition, moving forwards.”
The leadership hopeful is the editor of the recently published Lib Dem policy review Build Back Better, which advocates for a variety of centre-left policies including free broadband and universal basic income.


theweekuk--2020-06-25--Four things we learnt from Robert Jenrick’s property planning scandal texts

Housing minister Robert Jenrick is under pressure to resign after newly released text messages and emails indicate that he was “ insistent ” a planning application be allowed just in time to save its Tory donor backer up to £50 million .
Jenrick ’ s decision allowed former Daily Express owner Richard Desmond to avoid paying the sum , overruling both Tower Hamlets Council and a planning inspector .
The minister later reversed the decision following legal action by Tower Hamlets Council .
Jenrick was forced to admit that what he did was “ unlawful by reason of apparent bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest documents reveal : The housing secretary approved the controversial housing development after receiving a text message from Desmond telling him that delays would “ cost £45 million ” .
After the pair met at a Tory fundraising dinner on 18 November in which Desmond showed Jenrick pictures of the planned development on his phone , the two exchanged a number of texts , reports The Guardian .
On 20 November , Desmond texted Jenrick saying : “ Your efficient PA has arranged a meeting for 19 December at 10.30am for meet and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspectors reports have gone to you today , we appreciate the speed as we don ’ t want to give Marxists loads of doe for nothing !
“ We all want to go with the scheme and the social housing we have proposed and spent a month at the Marxist town hall debating , thanks again , all my best , Richard.
” Desmond followed up with Jenrick on 23 December , but the minister didn ’ t reply : “ Morning Robert How does the advice look ?
We have to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 45 million pounds to tower hamlets meaning we have to stop and reduce social housing Thanks Robert look forward to speaking soon Best Richard ” On 9 January , an email from a Ministry of Housing , Communities and Local Government ( MHCLG ) official says : “ We have to provide reasoning…as to justify why the SoS [ Jenrick ] is going against the recc [ recommendation ] of inspector and officials .
That is what we have tried to do.
” “ On timing , my understanding is that SoS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ie tomorrow – as next week the viability of the scheme is impacted by a change in the London CIL [ community investment levy ] regime.
” An email on 14 January appears to show that Jenrick was keen to get the decision passed quickly , says Sky News .
An MHCLG official writes that they needed confirmation “ by 5pm ” to “ avoid any criticism that the decision was not received within office hours ” .
Less than twenty minutes before the deadline , at 4.41pm , the decision was finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports The Telegraph .
Jenrick was worried about getting caught After Desmond ’ s text railing against the “ Marxists ” in Tower Hamlets council , Jenrick appears to change his tone .
He replies saying : “ Richard .
As Secretary of State it is important not to give any appearance of being influenced by applicants of cases that I may have a role in or to have predetermined them and so I think it is best that we don ’ t meet until after the matter has been decided… ” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying : “ Richard I hope you understood that I could not speak with you or have contact whilst I was making my decision with respect to the planning application at Westferry ‐ which was why I did not return your messages .
Best wishes Robert ” .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– A letter written by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Labour ’ s shadow communities secretary Steve Reed in reply to his questions on the Westferry planning decision , says Boris Johnson considers the matter “ closed ” .
Sedwill wrote that Jenrick had “ set out a full and factual account ” of his actions , adding : “ In light of this account , the prime minister considers that the matter is closed.
” When asked previously if Jenrick had done the right thing , the prime minister replied : “ As far as I know , of course he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed Jenrick , telling Sky News that the housing minister ’ s “ intention was to get more homes built in London and the rest of the country and that should be the focus , rightly so .
`` I think the matter is considered to be over .
This government has been more transparent on this than any previous government on any planning issue .
”

Housing minister Robert Jenrick is under pressure to resign after newly released text messages and emails indicate that he was “insistent” a planning application be allowed just in time to save its Tory donor backer up to £50m.
Jenrick’s decision allowed former Daily Express owner Richard Desmond to avoid paying the sum, overruling both Tower Hamlets Council and a planning inspector. The minister later reversed the decision following legal action by Tower Hamlets Council.
Jenrick was forced to admit that what he did was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias”. Here’s what the latest documents reveal:
Desmond pressured Jenrick to save him money
The housing secretary approved the controversial housing development after receiving a text message from Desmond telling him that delays would “cost £45m”.
After the pair met at a Tory fundraising dinner on 18 November in which Desmond showed Jenrick pictures of the planned development on his phone, the two exchanged a number of texts, reports The Guardian.
On 20 November, Desmond texted Jenrick saying: “Your efficient PA has arranged a meeting for 19 December at 10.30am for meet and site visit. Good news finally the inspectors reports have gone to you today, we appreciate the speed as we don’t want to give Marxists loads of doe for nothing!
“We all want to go with the scheme and the social housing we have proposed and spent a month at the Marxist town hall debating, thanks again, all my best, Richard.”
Desmond followed up with Jenrick on 23 December, but the minister didn’t reply: “Morning Robert How does the advice look? We have to get the approval before January 15 otherwise payment of 45 million pounds to tower hamlets meaning we have to stop and reduce social housing Thanks Robert look forward to speaking soon Best Richard”
Jenrick rushed the decision through
On 9 January, an email from a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) official says: “We have to provide reasoning…as to justify why the SoS [Jenrick] is going against the recc [recommendation] of inspector and officials. That is what we have tried to do.”
“On timing, my understanding is that SoS is/was insistent that decision issued this week ie tomorrow – as next week the viability of the scheme is impacted by a change in the London CIL [community investment levy] regime.”


theweekuk--2020-06-25--Kosovo president indicted for war crimes while travelling to White House peace talks

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been indicted on ten counts of war crimes dating back to his country ’ s battle for independence from Serbia .
Thaci , who commanded the Kosovo Liberation Army ( KLA ) , and other former fighters are “ criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders ” , torture and enforced disappearances , according to a statement from an international prosecutor in The Hague .
The president was “ en route to the US ” on Wednesday for a meeting with his Serbian counterpart , Aleksandar Vucic , at the White House when the “ stunning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special court ” , Politico reports .
Thaci will no longer attend the peace talks , “ dashing American hopes that the negotiations might finally lead to a settlement between Serbia and Kosovo ” , says The New York Times .
The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo , former spy chief Kadri Veseli , has also been indicted .
Veseli told reporters in Kosovo capital Pristina that the “ accusations are completely without basis ” .
“ I ’ m worried that the true motivations of the prosecutor are political .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of days ahead of the White House meeting ... people are right to suspect this is not a coincidence , ” Veseli added .
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise , refreshing and balanced take on the week ’ s news agenda - try The Week magazine .
Start your trial subscription today ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– What happened during the war ?
In the late 1990s , Kosovo won autonomy from Serbia , aided by a Nato bombing campaign .
The Balkan nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not recognise Kosovo ’ s sovereignty , however , and negotiations to reach a peace deal faltered in 2018 .
During the war , Thaci fought in the KLA , which backed independence for his country and its ethnic majority of Albanians .
According to the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Centre , most of the 13,000 people known to have been killed during the conflict were Kosovar Albanians .
Human Rights Watch has documented “ torture , killings , rapes , forced expulsions , and other war crimes committed by Serbian and Yugoslav @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 of the casualties were Serbs and Roma killed by Nato bombs or by guerilla groups such as the KLA .
The special court in The Hague was set up to investigate “ war crimes committed during and after the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict ” , Politico says .
In 2008 , a former Hague war crimes prosecutor , Carla del Ponte , set out allegations against the KLA of organ-trafficking , the BBC reports .
Thaci has held various roles in the Kosovo government since the end of the war , becoming president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West in a bind ” , says Politico .
As well as complicating peace efforts and raising questions about cooperation with the Kosovo leader , the allegations also “ raise uncomfortable questions about Western foreign policy then and now ” , the news site adds .

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been indicted on ten counts of war crimes dating back to his country’s battle for independence from Serbia.
Thaci, who commanded the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and other former fighters are “criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders”, torture and enforced disappearances, according to a statement from an international prosecutor in The Hague.
The president was “en route to the US” on Wednesday for a meeting with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, at the White House when the “stunning announcement appeared on the website of the special court”, Politico reports.
Thaci will no longer attend the peace talks, “dashing American hopes that the negotiations might finally lead to a settlement between Serbia and Kosovo”, says The New York Times.
The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, former spy chief Kadri Veseli, has also been indicted. Veseli told reporters in Kosovo capital Pristina that the “accusations are completely without basis”.
“I’m worried that the true motivations of the prosecutor are political. Having in mind the timing, a couple of days ahead of the White House meeting... people are right to suspect this is not a coincidence,” Veseli added.
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What happened during the war?
In the late 1990s, Kosovo won autonomy from Serbia, aided by a Nato bombing campaign. The Balkan nation declared independence in 2008.
Serbia still does not recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty, however, and negotiations to reach a peace deal faltered in 2018.
During the war, Thaci fought in the KLA, which backed independence for his country and its ethnic majority of Albanians. According to the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Centre, most of the 13,000 people known to have been killed during the conflict were Kosovar Albanians.
Human Rights Watch has documented “torture, killings, rapes, forced expulsions, and other war crimes committed by Serbian and Yugoslav government forces”. But more than 2,000 of the casualties were Serbs and Roma killed by Nato bombs or by guerilla groups such as the KLA.
The special court in The Hague was set up to investigate “war crimes committed during and after the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict”, Politico says.
In 2008, a former Hague war crimes prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, set out allegations against the KLA of organ-trafficking, the BBC reports.
Thaci has held various roles in the Kosovo government since the end of the war, becoming president in 2016 - which now “puts the West in a bind”, says Politico.
As well as complicating peace efforts and raising questions about cooperation with the Kosovo leader, the allegations also “raise uncomfortable questions about Western foreign policy then and now”, the news site adds.