Anti trump protests

Activist Osman Kavala (Image: Wikipedia) Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala was jailed for life without parole on Monday after he was convicted of trying to overthrow the government by financing protests, in a case that Europe's top court and Western powers say is politically motivated. Kavala, 64, has been in jail for 4-1/2 years without a conviction and denies the charges he faced over the Gezi protests, which began as small demonstrations in an Istanbul park in 2013 and snowballed into nationwide anti-government unrest. The court also sentenced seven others to 18 years in jail each for aiding an attempt to overthrow government and ordered their arrests. The court said it decided to acquit Kavala of espionage charges due to lack of evidence. The courtroom was packed with more than 200 people, including opposition members and rights activists, many of whom yelled and screaming slogans at the panel of judges in protest. In his last words before the verdict, Kavala said … [Read more...] about Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala jailed for life, activists protest

Useable foreign reserves have dwindled, and rampant inflation and shortages of fuel have brought thousands onto the streets in protest. (File photo by Reuters) - A + A COLOMBO (May 14): Sri Lanka lifted a nationwide curfew for 12 hours on Saturday (May 14), further easing tight curbs as new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sought to form a government after clashes with anti-government groups killed nine people. More than a month of predominantly peaceful protests against the government turned violent this week after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stormed an anti-government protest camp in the commercial capital of Colombo, burning tents and clashing with protesters. The initial clashes and reprisals against government figures also left more than 300 injured. The government lifted the curfew from 6am (0030 GMT) on Saturday until 6pm. A 24-hour curfew imposed on Monday had been lifted for a few hours on Thursday and Friday to allow … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka eases curfew as new PM seeks to form Cabinet

COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lanka lifted a nationwide curfew for 12 hours on Saturday, further easing tight curbs as new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made first his cabinet appointments after clashes between pro- and anti-government groups killed nine people. More than a month of predominantly peaceful protests against the government turned violent this week after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stormed an anti-government protest camp in the commercial capital Colombo, burning tents and clashing with protesters and police. The initial violence and reprisals against government figures also left more than 300 injured. Hit hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and tax cuts by the populist government, Sri Lanka is in the throes of its worst economic crisis since independence from Great Britain in 1948. Useable foreign reserves have dwindled, and rampant inflation and shortages of fuel have brought thousands onto the streets in protest. The government … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka eases curfew as new PM begins forming cabinet

Emmanuel Macron (File picture Bloomberg In 2017, France bucked the populist trend by voting for Emmanuel Macron against europhobic Marine Le Pen. In 2022, it has done so again – just as Slovenia looks set to eject its nationalist leader. An overwhelming display of pro-EU values? Not quite. Macron’s lead is narrower than last time – around 58%, rather than 66% — and turnout was at its lowest in decades. Voter fatigue runs high. Yet visions of an anti-elite “domino” effect after Brexit and Trump are increasingly fading in a post-Ukraine, post-Covid world. The French have voted for a France at the heart, not the fringes, of Europe – albeit one that has to better protect its people. There is opportunity here for Macron. France has strategic weight as the EU’s only nuclear power, with an economy that’s outperforming Germany’s and that is less dependent on Russian gas in a time of war and surging energy prices. But it needs better direction. Close The … [Read more...] about Macron’s Win Is an Opportunity for France and the EU: Lionel Laurent

Abortion rights supporters participate in nationwide demonstrations following the leaked Supreme Court opinion suggesting the possibility of overturning the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision, in New York City, US, May 14, 2022. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz) WASHINGTON — Thousands of abortion rights supporters gathered for protests across the United States on Saturday, starting what organizers said would be “a summer of rage” if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. Planned Parenthood, Women’s March, and other abortion-rights groups organized more than 400 “Bans Off Our Bodies” marches for Saturday, with the largest turnouts expected in New York City, Washington, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The demonstrations are in response to the May 2 leak of a draft opinion showing the court’s conservative majority ready to reverse the 1973 landmark decision that established a federal constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. The court’s … [Read more...] about US abortion rights activists start ‘summer of rage’

(CNN) The New York Police Department is cracking down on offenses that have become part of daily life in some neighborhoods: public consumption of alcohol, open-air marijuana sales and public urination. The goal is to combat relatively minor infractions that the nation's largest police department maintains lower the quality of life and foment the type of disorder that resulted in 30 shootings last weekend and Monday -- including a 7-year-old girl wounded in gang crossfire. In Detroit, the city's newly released plan to reduce violent crime over the summer refers to the association between "urban blight" and gun violence and vows greater enforcement of noise complaints and traffic offenses and keeping a close eye on vacant lots and buildings. In Miami Beach, city officials responded to what they say are "excessively large and unruly spring break crowds" by declaring a state of emergency and imposing a midnight to 6 a.m. curfew through Monday. New … [Read more...] about Law enforcement focus on quality-of-life offenses renews old debate over ‘broken windows’ policing

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo TOKYO — When U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel met with Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki at the Okinawa prefectural government office on April 27, he told Tamaki that what Japan and the United States do together will shape the next 30 years in the region surrounding Okinawa Prefecture. Emanuel stressed the significance of deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance with a view to deterring China, saying the two countries have a responsibility to cooperate. It was the first time in about four years and five months that a U.S. ambassador to Japan had met with the Okinawa governor in the prefecture. Emanuel’s visit to Okinawa Prefecture three months after arriving to take up his new post is perceived as showing that the United States is aware of the significance of its military bases in the prefecture and the importance of understanding the local community. The importance of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa is growing. A contingency in the Taiwan Strait has begun … [Read more...] about Eyeing China, US stresses bridge-building in Okinawa

United States President Joe Biden announced on March 11 that the US will dramatically downgrade its trade status with Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine President Joe Biden’s pick for ambassador to Ukraine will bolster relations between Washington and Kyiv after years without a Senate-confirmed envoy in the post, veteran diplomats say, but a return to a U.S. diplomatic presence during a war brings new risk for the Biden administration. After months of delays that confounded veteran diplomats, Biden on Monday announced his intention to nominate for the post Bridget Brink, the current U.S. ambassador to Slovakia. A native of Michigan, Brink joined the State Department in 1996 and has served in Serbia, Uzbekistan and Georgia. If confirmed, Brink will become a high-level interlocutor between Ukraine’s government and the Biden administration, which have been communicating on an unusually direct basis. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks several times a week … [Read more...] about Biden announces Ambassador pick for Ukraine after months of delay

Bloomberg Inflation is often viewed as an economic phenomenon, with mostly economic effects. Policy makers today worry about what inflation will do to the housing market; they express concern about government borrowing costs. They might note changes in individual economic behavior: a shopper pinching pennies at the grocery store. Politicians will worry about being voted out of office if they are blamed for its economic impact. But inflation is associated with more than just economics and electability. It is also linked to political instability. The historical record contains many cases where inflation went hand in hand with major political realignments, coups and even bloody revolutions. This history is worth keeping in mind as countries throughout the world grapple with spiraling prices. That inflation could fuel political instability — or vice versa — may seem self-evident, but teasing out a causal relationship is easier said than done. It’s a classic chicken-and-the-egg … [Read more...] about Which Comes First: Inflation or Political Instability?: Stephen Mihm

Palestinian mourners carry the casket of slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, during her funeral procession in Jerusalem. (AFP Photo) JERUSALEM: The US and EU led an international outcry Saturday after Israeli police charged the funeral procession in Jerusalem of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and beat pallbearers who almost dropped her coffin. Thousands of people packed Jerusalem's Old City on Friday for the burial of the veteran Al Jazeera journalist, two days after she was killed in an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. Television footage showed the pallbearers struggling to stop Abu Akleh's casket from falling to the ground as baton-wielding police officers charged towards them, grabbing Palestinian flags from mourners. The United States said it was "deeply troubled" by the scenes, while the European Union said it was "appalled" by the "unnecessary force". The Jerusalem Red Crescent said 33 people were injured, of whom six were hospitalised. … [Read more...] about Outcry after Israeli police beat mourners at journalist’s funeral