FRANCE - Divine retribution struck Thursday night as world powers gathered in Paris for talks that could end in attempts to pressure Israel to accept a Palestinian state.
EUROPE - As Britain prepares to vote on June 23 on whether to remain in the European Union, skepticism about the bloc is on the rise across Europe, with about two-thirds of Britons wanting some powers returned to their national government, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan institution based in Washington. The survey of respondents in 10 European countries showed increasing dissatisfaction with the European Union since last year, a period of low growth and during a migrant crisis, particularly in France and Spain. In France, 38 percent of respondents viewed the European Union favorably and 61 percent viewed it unfavorably. In Greece, 27 percent viewed it favorably and 71 percent unfavorably. In Britain, by contrast, 44 percent of respondents viewed the bloc favorably while 48 percent viewed it unfavorably.
UK - News that a university lecturers’ union has banned straight, white men from attending their equality conferences in a bid to create “safe spaces” is deeply depressing. University and College Union equality conferences are held exclusively for women, LGBT, ethnic minorities or disabled people, and members must declare their “protected characteristic” when applying to attend. Surely UCU can see the irony of hosting an equality conference where – as George Orwell wrote – some are more equal than others? One cannot deny the privileges that straight, white men have in today’s society. By excluding this group, UCU is only strengthening the divide. That is not the way to tackle inequality, and it’s absurd that UCU thinks it is.
UK - Britain's cutting-edge £1 billion warships are breaking down in the Persian Gulf because they are not designed for the heat. Contractors claim the Ministry of Defence did not tell them the 8,000-ton Type 45 Destroyers would be spending a long time in warm waters. As a result, the six warships have an engine which keeps cutting out in the middle of the sea, leaving servicemen stranded for hours in total darkness.
GERMANY - You know times have changed when the Germans announce they are expanding their army for the first time in 25 years — and no one objects. Back when the Berlin Wall fell, Britain and France in particular feared the re-emergence of a German colossus in Europe. By contrast, Berlin’s pledge last month to add almost 7,000 soldiers to its military by 2023, and an earlier announcement to spend up to 130 billion euros, about $148 billion, on new equipment by 2030 were warmly welcomed by NATO allies.
ISRAEL - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Sunday not to divide Jerusalem in his pursuit of a two-state solution with the Palestinians. “The idea of a divided, split, wounded city is one we will never return to,” Netanyahu said as he spoke at a special ceremony at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem to mark the unification of the city 49 years ago, during the Six Day War.
USA - What you are about to see is major confirmation that a new economic downturn has already begun. Last Friday, the government released the worst jobs report in six years, and that has a lot of people really freaked out. But when you really start digging into those numbers, you quickly find that things are even worse than most analysts are suggesting.
EUROPE - While NATO officials are preparing for a July summit in Warsaw, European social activists and prominent politicians have launched a new anti-NATO campaign, protesting against the bloc's nuclear buildup and anti-Russia provocations, French journalist Karel Vereycken told Sputnik. At the Warsaw NATO Summit 2016, due to take place on July 8-9 in Poland, "NATO will enter the next phase in its evolution," according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Following the event announcement, European social activists and prominent politicians have drawn up a petition entitled "The Warsaw Summit Prepares for War, It's Time to Leave NATO Now!" "The upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 is expected to be yet another provocation against Russia. By this call, we, the undersigned, want to say 'stop' to this nuclear escalation before the irreparable occurs!"
GERMANY - As the EU referendum looms, a great counsel of war is gathering. Henri de Castries, the Chairman of the influential Bilderberg Group, has made his way to the highest hill above Dresden, placed a mighty conch shell to his aristocratic French lips and blown. Responding to his call, 140 or so of the most powerful pro-European business leaders and politicians will be making their way to the five-star Hotel Taschenbergpalais to discuss the future of their beloved free trade zone.
USA - All over the planet, global weather patterns have gone completely nuts. Just over the past few days we have seen “life threatening” heat waves, extremely dangerous wildfires, vicious tornadoes and unprecedented flooding – and that is just in the United States.
UK - Muslims in the UK are facing the "longest" Ramadan in 33 years, as the holy month coincides with the summer solstice, meaning long days of fasting. Many Muslims will not eat or drink water during daylight, which this year can last about 19 hours in the UK.
UK - Two words are back on the lips of every investor in the City. “Event risk” has begun to dominate trading floor conversations, as a slew of central bank decisions, legal rulings, and political upheavals threaten to bring an end to the calm that has descended upon the markets.
USA - Americans are experiencing increased intolerance and chaos throughout our politics, culture, colleges, corporate boardrooms and even mainline churches, because the progressive left thinks it is successfully transforming the country, according to one author. These elites consider it “a mopping-up operation and they’re going in for the kill,” Dr Kim Holmes says in a 23-minute video interview.
EUROPE - The process of drawing up a joint EU budget has just commenced: it is the first step to a fiscal union. The idea of having a joint budget has long been pushed forward by the proponents of a more tight integration, just as it has been opposed by the European population at large. The term budgetary or fiscal capacity should be properly understood: it is a joint budget for the eurozone that will be governed by a real treasury in Brussels. To create a collective treasury, Europe’s social and economical model has to be brought in line. For this, Brussels wants all minimum wages to be equal. Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament, announced drastic reforms after the Brexit referendum. Following 23 June the aforementioned process of integration will gain momentum and it is likely to encounter upheavals because there is widespread aversion to federalization.
UK - Much excitement from the BBC last week over a report from a body called REN21 – with the headline on its website “Renewable energy surge reaches record levels round the world”. Global spending on renewables, it trumpeted, last year soared to £200 billion, bringing total investment in the past six years alone to more than £1 trillion.