What's in the News? 2.0

[Shekinah]

Japanese actress Yuko Takeuchi found dead at 40 :(

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54314962?fbclid=IwAR3COKOJGFwH4tVhfMdOOSCFVuO6MGuqvpHHJptt1uF8niMGi9xqR52V4VU

[Yukina]

Japanese actress Yuko Takeuchi found dead at 40 :(

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54314962?fbclid=IwAR3COKOJGFwH4tVhfMdOOSCFVuO6MGuqvpHHJptt1uF8niMGi9xqR52V4VU

No one should have to go that way :(

[Haibane]

Terribly sad news. Apparently Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

[Mechelle]

This is hardly news as it relates to Boris Johnson's schooldays at Eton, but it seems to indicate a lot of crucial things about his character.  At Eton, he was selected to play the lead role in a performance of Shakespeare's Richard II, but didn't bother to learn any of his lines, and just winged it, flinging out one-liners. His father, Stanley, thought it was wonderful and hilarious, but the other actors and teachers, who had worked hard for the play, did not. A young Boris or Alex thought that normal rules did not  apply to him.

Of course, Richard II was to lose his throne.



https://bylinetimes.com/2019/06/12/the-boris-johnson-show-part-1-a-role-on-which-the-curtain-never-falls/

[Aiden]

Terribly sad news. Apparently Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

There are some really crazy documentaries about Japan.

The work culture one is def one of the main issues that ripples out.

Causing their lowering birth rates, less marriages and couples etc etc.

[Skynet]

Fox News has legally declared themselves to be Fake News.

[Haibane]

There are some really crazy documentaries about Japan.

It is still a nation where women are second class citizens as well. To a significant level. The sexualization of females, including school girls, in animation and comic books is (in)famous.

[Haibane]

Fox News has legally declared themselves to be Fake News.

...lawyers argued that "no reasonable viewer would take Tucker Carlson seriously..."

The problem is of course that a good number of viewers of Carlson's shows do not fall into that category. The world is full of many many conspiracy theorists and flat earthers which is excellent evidence that there's a vast demographic of viewers who aren't reasonable. I came to this logic after about 10 seconds so surely the plaintiff's lawyers should have.

[Avalon29]

Not sure who all has been following AP news’ palm oil investigation  but as a result FGV is now blocked in the US and their shipments detained followed by an official investigation. A good first step for righting these wrongs and a good example why investigative reporting is still so important

Original palm oil investigation article
https://apnews.com/f258329cd8ec06fb9b296ef7ee6f6e42

Blocking of FGV
https://apnews.com/e2258c8e29cf5dbc6906d14303614679

[Beguile's Mistress]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/nyregion/clare-bronfman-nxivm-keith-raniere-sentence.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20200930&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=72754896&segment_id=39469&user_id=72fa3178692fde114d89c32076547de2

Clare Bronfman, a Seagram's heir, was sentenced to more than 6 years in prison for her role in Nxivm, a cultlike group that coerced women into sex.

[Beorning]

There's a new configuration of Polish cabinet. There's an interesting development in Jarosław Kaczyński finally taking a cabinet function (since 2016, he was a de facto ruler of Poland without holding any kind of official position). But there's also an absolutely infuriating development, as Przemysław Czarnek, an outspoken homophobe and misogynist, was nominated as the new Minister of Education and Science:

https://notesfrompoland.com/2020/09/30/new-polish-government-kaczynski-returns-alongside-education-minister-who-likens-lgbt-to-nazism/

It's as bad as if PiS nominated an anti-vaxxer to head Ministry of Health...

[gaggedLouise]

The EU is suing the UK over Johnson's attempt to override parts of the withdrawal agreement, relating to the Irish border.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/01/brexit-eu-launches-legal-action-against-uk-for-breaching-withdrawal-agreement

This is logical after Boris announced his intentions - but good luck with fleshing out a final deal for free trade and the rest in two weeks after this... 

[Callie Del Noire]

The EU is suing the UK over Johnson's attempt to override parts of the withdrawal agreement, relating to the Irish border.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/01/brexit-eu-launches-legal-action-against-uk-for-breaching-withdrawal-agreement

This is logical after Boris announced his intentions - but good luck with fleshing out a final deal for free trade and the rest in two weeks after this... 

So, if I understand this..they are breaking their agreement before the country has actually withdrawn from the EU. And to do it over something tied to the peace process in Norther Ireland?  Boy, when idiots lead...

[gaggedLouise]

So, if I understand this..they are breaking their agreement before the country has actually withdrawn from the EU. And to do it over something tied to the peace process in Norther Ireland?  Boy, when idiots lead...

Yes, London essentially said: "We are going to break international law here, just so you know, because we have to break part of the agreement we solemnly signed". And yes, it ties in with the NI peace deal.

Many conservative Brits are fuming that the EU has stood by Ireland and insisted that Dublin would not be pushed into a corner by the UK's negotiation tactics over the last three years, or by threats. Ireland used to be their poor backyard, I think it's very hard forsome of  them to accept her as an equal.

God help the Boris. 

[gaggedLouise]

Well, they haven't formally sued yet, but they are entering a formal legal action and have notified London. If Whitehall doesn't budge and pledge to stand by the WAB deal, then by early next year the case could end up in the European Court of Justice, Luxembourg.

I'm looking forward to Nigel Farage's comments on this... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Koqsu_KN5f0

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2020-09-30/bob-murray-who-fought-against-black-lung-regulations-as-a-coal-operator-has-filed-for-black-lung-benefits

Robert E. Murray, the former CEO and president of the now-bankrupt Murray Energy, has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Labor for black lung benefits. For years, Murray and his company fought against federal mine safety regulations aimed at reducing the debilitating disease.

If you are going, wait THAT Bob Murray? Yes.. That one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw6RsUhw1Q8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8bJb8biZU

[Callie Del Noire]

https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2020-09-30/bob-murray-who-fought-against-black-lung-regulations-as-a-coal-operator-has-filed-for-black-lung-benefits

If you are going, wait THAT Bob Murray? Yes.. That one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw6RsUhw1Q8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8bJb8biZU

Hi, this is Irony..nice to meet you Bob

[Mechelle]

I'm looking forward to Nigel Farage's comments on this... 

Seeing as you ask, they are rather surprising, and he even speaks nicely, although with a barb, about the EU.

He says "The “oven ready deal” was an international treaty — for the EU Commission, that is like the Bible.

Whilst the EU always acts in bad faith, all they are doing today is asking Boris to keep his promises.

It should never have been signed in the first place."

He wants us to just leave without a deal, he says now, but at the last election he stood down lots of Brexit Party candidates, without consulting them or the membership to give Boris Johnson's Conservatives a free run in seats they held.


https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1311595930236465152

[Haibane]

So, if I understand this..they are breaking their agreement before the country has actually withdrawn from the EU. And to do it over something tied to the peace process in Norther Ireland?  Boy, when idiots lead...

The legislation put in place will guarantee that NI remains an integral no-hard border part of the UK if (and only if) the EU invokes certain functions of border legislation between NI and the Rep of Ireland. So its a backstop, an insurance, only if the EU acts in a certain way. There is one viewpoint that the EU may well do this to simply make life hard for the UK post-Brexit, and given the intransigence of the EUs behaviour in the talks so far as well as a no-deal end to all this, things may well end up in acrimony.

If there is an acrimonious ending then Boris saw a need to have an insurance policy in the event of further anti-UK EU initiatives.

So while the legislation breaks an international treaty it only does so if its invoked because of certain actions by the EU regarding the NI and Rep of Ireland border. The UK actually HAS to do this in order to sustain and protect the Good Friday Agreement. In effect the UK has inadvertently signed two conflicting treaties. Yes its a fuck up, but the real fuck up was negotiating these clauses of the treaty in the first place. No-one apparently saw the potential loophole until now. And its that loophole Boris is trying to plug.

[Callie Del Noire]

The legislation put in place will guarantee that NI remains an integral no-hard border part of the UK if (and only if) the EU invokes certain functions of border legislation between NI and the Rep of Ireland. So its a backstop, an insurance, only if the EU acts in a certain way. There is one viewpoint that the EU may well do this to simply make life hard for the UK post-Brexit, and given the intransigence of the EUs behaviour in the talks so far as well as a no-deal end to all this, things may well end up in acrimony.

If there is an acrimonious ending then Boris saw a need to have an insurance policy in the event of further anti-UK EU initiatives.

So while the legislation breaks an international treaty it only does so if its invoked because of certain actions by the EU regarding the NI and Rep of Ireland border. The UK actually HAS to do this in order to sustain and protect the Good Friday Agreement. In effect the UK has inadvertently signed two conflicting treaties. Yes its a fuck up, but the real fuck up was negotiating these clauses of the treaty in the first place. No-one apparently saw the potential loophole until now. And its that loophole Boris is trying to plug.

Nobody saw the potential to break the border issues? I imagine that someone did, they just got ignored and possibly fired/let go. The entire time the Brexit issue has been on the news, I’ve heard occasional comments about NI and the border. 

But hey, it will all magically vanish once the UK exits..,(sarcasm). I honestly don’t understand how the leadership in Downing Street could be THIS bad

[Haibane]

Perhaps it was seen but also perhaps it was thought irrelevant while the EU and UK were in constructive talks. Now that those have basically broken down someone in Whitehall probably said "Hey, if this happens and they play dirty, we are going to break our Good Friday Treaty, we're screwed." Hence (my guess) why the new legislation.

I don't know why this happened. I wouldn't think it wise to paint people as wrong, or stupid, or just vindictive. They may be or they may not, we don't know. Perhaps, like the masks issue with COVID, its a thing that changed over time among the shifting sands of politics.

[Haibane]

A comment made by TheGlyphstone on the Trump thread made me think a link here was necessary.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been simmering hot and cold for around 20~25 years, though mostly cold. It is a problem of long-standing that almost all western democracies seem happy to ignore. It is now a full blown war again, the last major fighting was in 1994 although a "Four Day War" erupted in April 2016 that left 350 dead on both sides, military and civilian.

Interesting. I didn't even know Armenia and Azerbaijan were fighting.

https://www.polgeonow.com/2020/10/nagorno-karabakh-artsakh-conflict-map-2020.html

[stormwyrm]

Looks like Belarus is not alone. Now there have been similar protests in Kyrgyzstan as well:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54422884

They actually managed to storm the parliament building. Why do I feel like this is all a prelude to some kind of terrible finale in November?

[Haibane]

The election results have been annulled already. Unlike in Belarus I guess the man in power there doesn't have the backing of a Putin.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-54432030

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/06/entertainment/johnny-nash-death/index.html

Johnny Nash has passed away, age 80. You know him from "I Can See Clearly Now"