Category: International Affairs,

‘This was the worst call by far’: Trump badgered, bragged and abruptly ended phone call with Australian leader 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Middle East,, Pacific Basin,Leave a comment

Even in conversations marred by hostile exchanges, Trump manages to work in references to his election accomplishments. U.S. officials said that he used his calls with Turnbull and Peña Nieto to mention his election win or the size of the crowd at his inauguration.

One official said that it may be Trump’s way of “speaking about the mandate he has and why he has the backing for decisions he makes.” But Trump is also notoriously thin-skinned and has used platforms including social-media accounts, meetings with lawmakers and even a speech at CIA headquarters to depict his victory as an achievement of historic proportions, rather than a narrow outcome in which his opponent, Hillary Clinton, won the popular vote.

The friction with Turnbull reflected Trump’s anger over being bound by an agreement reached by the Obama administration to accept refugees from Australian detention sites even while Trump was issuing an executive order suspending such arrivals from elsewhere in the world.

Trump’s position appears to reflect the transactional view he takes of relationships, even when it comes to diplomatic ties with long-standing allies. Australian troops have fought alongside U.S. forces for decades, and the country maintains close cooperation with Washington on trade and economic issues.

‘This was the worst call by far’: Trump badgered, bragged and abruptly ended phone call with Australian leader – The Washington Post

What childish loser with no idea of the rules or even the setting for the games he plays. #hugeloser

Chase Iron Eyes among protesters arrested in confrontation

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Environment,, The Americas,Leave a comment

Former Congressional candidate Chase Iron Eyes was among 76 people arrested Wednesday after Dakota Access Pipeline protesters tried to establish a new camp on private property 

Chase Iron Eyes among protesters arrested in confrontation | North Dakota News | bismarcktribune.com

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Gambia president plans massive overhaul, but keeps secret police

On By peanutgallerynhIn Africa,Leave a comment

Gambian President Adama Barrow said Saturday that every aspect of his tiny west African state would need an overhaul after ex-leader Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule, but that its dread secret police would remain.

Barrow faces an uphill task after taking over from Jammeh, who left behind a dysfunctional  economy and allegedly emptied state coffers ahead of his departure.

Rights group blame the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA) under his longtime control for forced disappearances and torture.

Gambia president plans massive overhaul, but keeps secret police

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U.S. Stealth Bombers Strike ISIS Training Camps In Libya 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Middle East,Leave a comment

The Pentagon said the two ISIS training camps housed fighters who had escaped their former stronghold in Sirte, on Libya’s central coast. It added that militants there were planning attacks in Europe.

…Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the precision strikes 45 kilometers southwest of Sirte were part of a mission that lasted more than 30 hours. As NPR’s Philip Ewing reports, the Pentagon picked stealth bombers that took off from Missouri “as opposed to American units already in Europe — because they had so many targets to hit, and wanted to strike them all at once.”

U.S. Stealth Bombers Strike ISIS Training Camps In Libya : The Two-Way : NPR

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Living in limbo: documenting life as a migrant in Libya

On By peanutgallerynhIn Middle East,Leave a comment

“Why, if they know they could die at sea, are they still coming?” That’s the question being asked by many Europeans about the continuing flood of migrants trying to cross from Africa to Italy, Greece and other parts of Europe in crowded, often unseaworthy boats, many dying in the attempt. I wanted to show what is happening on the other side of the Mediterranean, in Libya. Working in Libya is difficult and dangerous, even with a good knowledge of the country and good connections. We didn’t know what to expect.

Living in limbo: documenting life as a migrant in Libya | The Independent

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Malia Obama went on secret trip to South America 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, The Americas,Leave a comment

Mamani told the New York Times he had no idea who Malia was during the mountain excursion, instead thinking it was one of the other hikers who prompted the security — which came at the behest of President Obama, who called Bolivian President Evo Morales to request the extra personnel.“

There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one,” Mamani said.

Malia Obama went on secret trip to South America | New York Post

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How blood feud is growing among the Syrian youth 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Middle East,, Modern Parenting,Leave a comment

The schism in the fabric of Syrian society is very evident and yet intricate at the same time.

…”Assad is worse than ISIL, believe me,” he continued. This judgement may raise a few eyebrows, but it shouldn’t, as this is an inevitable sentiment of young people watching their fellow countrymen killed in cold blood and evacuated from their homes.

…Tens of thousands of civilians – in the aftermath of an agreement – fled Aleppo, most of them with the bitter taste of evacuation, after enduring years of war.

Poverty, despair and hunger for revenge will drive the evacuated youth to restore their honour and self-worth. The evidence of this intense yearning is becoming more visible, warning all of us about an even more complicated situation in Syria.

…The destruction of their loved ones’ lives is the driving force for many young Syrians to get revenge against the regime for obliterating their families, houses, lives and everything else in its path.

…Recent research done by the Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed that the need to earn a basic living, a desire for a sense of purpose and revenge are the key factors that push young Syrians into joining extremist groups.

…If the revenge valve exploded in Syria, the current death toll would seem minor compared to what will happen next. The only way out of this bloodbath is the political compromise between the Syrians themselves and the international powers involved.

This option seems to be the most ridiculous, least honourable, solution for the youth whose hearts are full of hard feelings, while unfortunately being the only rational solution.

How blood feud is growing among the Syrian youth – Al Jazeera English

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The Curious World of Donald Trump’s Private Russian Connections 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Central Northern Asia and The Caucasus,, Domestic Affairs,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Did the American people really know they were putting such a “well-connected” guy in the White House?

….Putin and his billionaire friends have plundered the wealth of their own people. They have also run numerous schemes to defraud governments and investors in the United States and Europe. From public records, using his renowned analytical skills, Henry shows what the mainstream news media in the United States have failed to report in any meaningful way: For three decades Donald Trump has profited from his connections to the Russian oligarchs, whose own fortunes depend on their continued fealty to Putin.

The Curious World of Donald Trump’s Private Russian Connections – The American Interest

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Canadian ‘detained in Turkey for allegedly insulting Erdogan’ 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Middle East,Leave a comment

A Canadian dual national is reportedly detained in Turkey for allegedly insulting the president.

Mr Erdogan has been accused of mounting a growing crackdown on freedom of speech.

Almost 2,000 cases for insulting Mr Erdogan have been opened in recent years.

They include a former Miss Turkey and a 16-year-old student.

Another man was found guilty of insulting the president and given a suspended one-year jail sentence after he shared images comparing Mr Erdogan to the fictional character Gollum.

Canadian ‘detained in Turkey for allegedly insulting Erdogan’ – BBC News

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