What's in the News? 2.0

[Haibane]

Some good news (in a way), some 154,000 Hong Kong citizens are expected to take up the offer in 2021 of a five year visa to stay in the UK and apply for UK citizenship and passports under the British National (Overseas), or BNO, visa scheme. Its a tragedy that so many people must suffer the uprooting of their lives but at least away from the Chinese government they will enjoy freedom.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56669016

[Haibane]

And the Myanmar protests have now reached London where the ambassador has been locked out of his own embassy and the deputy-ambassador has been appointed by the military coup leaders in his place. The UK government along with the EU and the USA does not recognise the leaders of the military coup which means the current ambassador is still recognised as Myanmar's representative to the UK and not any officially appointed by their military.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56670524

It may transpire that the Myanmar ambassador is offered new lodgings by Boris Johnson's govt. and the coup-appointed embassy is ignored, or even closed down and sent home which would be an interesting development.

[The Lovely Tsaritsa]

People in US, donate most to this politican? ???

https://www.vox.com/22372051/marjorie-taylor-greene-campaign-donations-republican-primary-midterms

I don’t understand US any more, at all.  :-\

[Kathadon]

President Biden looks to be restarting Trump's border wall. Or at the least "fill in the gaps."

https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-restart-border-wall-construction-trump-pledge-gaps-2021-4

https://www.newsweek.com/what-biden-admin-has-said-about-reports-restarting-construction-trumps-border-wall-1581707

[Skynet]

President Biden looks to be restarting Trump's border wall. Or at the least "fill in the gaps."

https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-restart-border-wall-construction-trump-pledge-gaps-2021-4

https://www.newsweek.com/what-biden-admin-has-said-about-reports-restarting-construction-trumps-border-wall-1581707

coughbernieshouldhavewoncough

[Beorning]

One of the most disgusting members of Poland's ruling clique rears her head again - this time, by basically outing a transgendered teen and condemning her right to be called by her chosen name in school:

https://notesfrompoland.com/2021/04/07/polish-constitutional-court-judge-criticised-for-publishing-details-of-10-year-old-trans-pupil/

Not surprised here - Krystyna Pawłowicz is an awful, awful person. And our government made her into a Constitution Tribunal judge...  >:(  >:(  >:(

[Hades]

Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 99.

[TeamVelma]

Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 99.

Operation Forth Bridge is now in full effect.

[Beguile's Mistress]

The Queen will enter an eight-day period of mourning and step back from all public engagements.  My heart goes out to her.  Their marriage was a long and close one and he was a great source of comfort and support for her and the burdens she carries.  I hope she has the strength to endure and soldier through this time.

[Kathadon]

Looks like Amazon's workers have voted against the Union in Alabama. Even after a number of high profile Democrats came out for organized labor, including President Biden's tepid response. Even a few Republicans were luke warm about it as well, which is against the grain.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-is-ahead-in-union-vote-as-tallying-set-to-resume-11617960604
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/early-vote-counts-show-amazon-warehouse-workers-not-likely-unionize-n1263558

[Haibane]

It just goes on and on... a US army lieutenant sues Virginia police over a violent arrest. The video shows extreme use of aggressive language and a pepper spray sprayed in his face THREE TIMES while he sat in his car with both hands raised and visible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56707979

The sheer aggression by US cops needs to stop. Its just so patently obviously behaviour that does not produce calm situations and only provokes potentially violent ones.

[ShadowFox89]

It will only stop when they're presented with very present and powerful repurcussion to their actions. Which will never happen in the US so we're just kinda fucked here. They worship Punisher and Judge Dredd like they're characters to be admired and are trained to treat everyone who isn't a cop as a potential murderer. I cut my friendship to one cop off after he claimed he didn't have to obey any kind of rules of engagement, that he was allowed to take any action needed.

[Mechelle]

The Queen will enter an eight-day period of mourning and step back from all public engagements.  My heart goes out to her.  Their marriage was a long and close one and he was a great source of comfort and support for her and the burdens she carries.  I hope she has the strength to endure and soldier through this time.

I am sure that, with her sense of duty, the Queen will soldier on, and, in fact, be a tower of strength to her relatives. Her favourite son, Prince Andrew, the disgraced Duke of York, has taken the opportunity to re-emerge into public life by stating that Prince Phillip's death will leave a huge void in her life.

Under the current covid regulations, only 30 people can attend the funeral, which is apparently a royal ceremonial funeral, which is one step down from a state funeral. Prince Harry will fly over to attend his grandfather's funeral, while his pregnant wife, Meghan, will not attend. While I am often sceptical about her, that is perfectly understandable and reasonable given the limited attendance. The right wing tabloid press are probably writing a story now about how she couldn't be bothered to attend, while, if she had, they would have written a story about how she was pushing her way in.


https://twitter.com/MENnewsdesk/status/1381241615289827329

[Oniya]

Prince Harry will fly over to attend his grandfather's funeral, while his pregnant wife, Meghan, will not attend. While I am often sceptical about her, that is perfectly understandable and reasonable given the limited attendance.

I recall (vaguely, since it's been almost 20 years) that my OBGYN recommended avoiding air travel during part of my pregnancy.  Not sure if it was something to do with health risks (blood clots, etc.) or simply the madness of possibly going into labor in an airplane.  I don't follow things enough to know how far along she is, but if she's in the third trimester, this would be a likely factor regardless of COVID restrictions.

[Mechelle]

I recall (vaguely, since it's been almost 20 years) that my OBGYN recommended avoiding air travel during part of my pregnancy.  Not sure if it was something to do with health risks (blood clots, etc.) or simply the madness of possibly going into labor in an airplane.  I don't follow things enough to know how far along she is, but if she's in the third trimester, this would be a likely factor regardless of COVID restrictions.

Oh, yes, I was trying to imply that. I just mentioned her absence as I expect it will be used as a reason to criticise her.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Some of the media take every opportunity to criticize her but it has been stated that she is under her doctors' orders not to fly during this time.  I believe she is due to deliver in only a few months time.

[Haibane]

Under the current covid regulations, only 30 people can attend the funeral, which is apparently a royal ceremonial funeral, which is one step down from a state funeral.

I am watching to see how many people attend under the Queen's wishes. I feel she may play this by the book and follow the rules, which would be a wonderfully obedient and selfless act and will also expose the recent funeral of Bobby Storey ex-Chairman of Sinn Féin for the insult that it was to everyone else during this pandemic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53275733

[Mechelle]

Very fair comment.

Boris Johnson is in serious danger of completely derailing the Good Friday Agreement, which achieved peace in Northern Ireland in  1998, firstly  by establishing a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom in his Brexit "deal", and secondly by turning  a blind eye to the Sinn Fein funeral in which the politicians ignored covid regulations. There have been riots in Northern Ireland.

I am not a royalist at all, but I would expect Prince Phillip's funeral to be observed more decorously.

[Haibane]

Israel, Iran and nuclear agreements. A tit-for-tat 'near war' has been going on for a long time and things look bleak in the middle east.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56715520

[gaggedLouise]

The new and tragic white cops-black man shooting in Minneapolis feels only too drearily familiar, and it will once again add more fuel, more suffering to the BLM debate.

I was wondering about a critical detail cited by CNN:

Daunte Wright was driving with his girlfriend Sunday afternoon when he was pulled over in the Minneapolis suburb.

Earlier, police said they tried to take the driver into custody after learning during a traffic stop that he had an outstanding warrant. The man got back into his vehicle, and an officer shot him, police said. They said the man drove several blocks before striking another vehicle.

Bodycam video released by the police chief Monday provided more details about what happened. Wright got out of his car, but then got back in. It's not clear why, but the police chief told reporters it appeared from the video that Wright was trying to leave.

An officer is then heard shouting, "Taser! Taser! Taser!" but then fires a gun -- not a Taser -- at Wright.
"Holy sh*t!" the officer screams. "I shot him."

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/12/us/brooklyn-center-minnesota-police-shooting/index.html

What does "outstanding warrant" mean here? Was Wright on a list of wanted hard criminals? Was he on a probation sentence for some earlier traffic offence? Was he being sought by police for some other reason? - Lots of people have dismissed George Floyd as a criminal who more or less got what he deserved, so the circumstances where Wright was stopped are important, of course.

[Oniya]

An outstanding warrant can be as trivial as forgetting to pay a parking fine.

[gaggedLouise]

An outstanding warrant can be as trivial as forgetting to pay a parking fine.

Ah, thanks, I suspected something like that. ;)

[gaggedLouise]

WTF??

Several members of the local Minnesota press were locked out of a press briefing Monday where police in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center discussed the officer-involved shooting that left 20-year-old Daunte Wright dead.

The StarTribune and Minneapolis Public Radio both confirmed reporters were barred from entry. “No one from the StarTribune is being allowed in. Or MPR. I asked the guy his name and he shut the blinds on us,” StarTribune reporter Andy Mannix posted on Twitter.

(---)

Minneapolis Public Radio also confirmed its reporters were prevented from attending the press conference.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/547788-minnesota-local-media-barred-from-police-shooting-press-conference

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is the largest newspaper in Minnesota, and one of the most prestigious.

[Iniquitous]

The new and tragic white cops-black man shooting in Minneapolis feels only too drearily familiar, and it will once again add more fuel, more suffering to the BLM debate.

I was wondering about a critical detail cited by CNN:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/12/us/brooklyn-center-minnesota-police-shooting/index.html

What does "outstanding warrant" mean here? Was Wright on a list of wanted hard criminals? Was he on a probation sentence for some earlier traffic offence? Was he being sought by police for some other reason? - Lots of people have dismissed George Floyd as a criminal who more or less got what he deserved, so the circumstances where Wright was stopped are important, of course.

Here's my thing.  If you are not capable of telling the difference - by weight and feel - between a glock and a taser then you have absolutely NO business being a cop.  Matter of fact, you have no business being allowed to possess EITHER.

[legomaster00156]

Here's my thing.  If you are not capable of telling the difference - by weight and feel - between a glock and a taser then you have absolutely NO business being a cop.  Matter of fact, you have no business being allowed to possess EITHER.

My thoughts exactly when reading this article. Race and such doesn't even factor in: She should be able to tell the difference between a loaded, safety-off firearm and a taser.