State of play: The face-off Tuesday in Philadelphia‘s National Constitution Center won‘t have a live audience and also won‘t feature live mics despite Harris‘ push for the feature.
Archiv: International
US-Diplomatin Nuland räumt offen ein: Friedensverhandlungen zwischen Kiew und Moskau auf „Empfehlung“ von Washington abgebrochen
„Relativ spät im Spiel begannen die Ukrainer, um Rat zu fragen, wohin diese Sache führen würde, und es wurde uns, den Briten und anderen klar, dass Putins Hauptbedingung in einem Anhang zu diesem Dokument, an dem sie arbeiteten, versteckt war. Sie enthielt Beschränkungen für die genauen Arten von Waffensystemen, über die die Ukraine nach der Vereinbarung verfügen durfte, so dass die Ukraine als militärische Macht im Grunde kastriert wäre. Für Russland gab es keine ähnlichen Beschränkungen. Russland wurde nicht verpflichtet, sich zurückzuziehen. Russland wurde nicht verpflichtet, eine Pufferzone an der ukrainischen Grenze einzurichten, und es wurde nicht verlangt, dass seinem Militär, welches der Ukraine gegenüberstand, dieselben Beschränkungen auferlegt werden. Und so begannen die Menschen innerhalb und außerhalb der Ukraine zu fragen, ob dies ein guter Deal sei, und das war der Punkt, an dem er auseinanderfiel.“
Nuland confirms West told Zelensky to abandon peace deal
“Relatively late in the game the Ukrainians began asking for advice on where this thing was going and it became clear to us, clear to the Brits, clear to others that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin‘s main condition was buried in an annex to this document that they were working on,” she said of the deal being discussed by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Türkiye’s largest city.
The proposed agreement included limits on the kinds of weapons that Kiev could possess, as a result of which Ukraine “would basically be neutered as a military force,” while there were no similar constraints on Russia, the former diplomat explained.
“People inside Ukraine and people outside Ukraine started asking questions about whether this was a good deal and it was at that point that it fell apart,” Nuland said.
Grief over Gaza, qualms over US election add up to anguish for many Palestinian Americans
Demoralized by the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, Palestinian American Samia Assed found in Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension — and her running mate pick — “a little ray of hope.”
That hope, she said, shattered during last month’s Democratic National Convention, where a request for a Palestinian American speaker was denied and listening to Harris left her feeling like the Democratic presidential nominee will continue the U.S. policies that have outraged many in the anti-war camp.
State of the Race: A Dead Heat With 8 Weeks to Go
According to the New York Times polling averages, Kamala Harris and Donald J. Trump are locked in an extremely tight contest heading into their first debate Tuesday. Neither candidate has a clear lead in the battleground states likeliest to decide the Electoral College.
Kamala Harris Trails Donald Trump in 5 New Battleground Polls
While Harris has seen waves of enthusiasm for her 2024 bid since she was endorsed by President Joe Biden after he ended his reelection campaign, the surveys showing her not beating Trump in battleground states are largely consistent with polling companies‘ previous results.
Elsewhere, InsiderAdvantage swing-state polling shows that Trump is ahead of Harris in all but one of the remaining four major swing states.
Harris’ CNN interview is the latest highly anticipated twist in wild presidential race
Harris will appear alongside her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, in a CNN primetime special airing at 9 p.m. ET from Georgia, where she is on a bus tour designed to put a swing state the GOP thought it was close to securing in November back on the board.
Donald Trump plans to name Robert Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard as honorary co-chairs of his transition team.
Donald J. Trump plans to name his former rival, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard, a one-time Democrat, as honorary co-chairs of a presidential transition team that will help him select the policies and personnel of any second Trump administration, according to a campaign senior adviser.
Mr. Kennedy, who ended his independent campaign for president and endorsed Mr. Trump on Friday, described his transition role briefly in an interview that aired Monday.
Trump adds RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard to his transition team as he recruits supporters ‚across partisan lines‘
„As President Trumps’s broad coalition of supporters and endorsers expands across partisan lines, we are proud that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard have been added to the Trump/Vance Transition team,“ Trump campaign senior advisor Brian Hughes told Fox News Digital.
Hear RFK Jr.‘s sister‘s response to her brother endorsing Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s sister and human rights activist Kerry Kennedy joins CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and shares her reaction to her brother announcing that he is suspending his campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump.
Biden campaign refuses invitation to address US Muslim voter advocacy groups
In addition to Biden‘s campaign, the coalition said that the campaign for former US President Donald Trump also refused the invitation.
Israelism Is a Powerful Indictment of Pro-Apartheid Indoctrination
(June 22, 2023)
After the movie was over, Simone Zimmerman and director Eric Axelman sat on the edge of the stage and took questions from the audience. One of the questions was from a Palestinian-American man who asked about how to respond to people who took offense when phrases like “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” were used to describe the treatment of Palestinians.
In his response, Axelman pointed out that recent polling shows that more than a third of American Jews under the age of forty agree with the statement, “Israel is an apartheid state.” The message is starting to get through. It’s about time.
In the News: „Israelism“ at UCLA
(Jun 15, 2023)
Following last week‘s UCLA screening of „Israelism,“ Abe Foxman, former ADL Head, and Natalie Masachi, President of UCLA SSI, share their perspectives on the new documentary that rails against the pro-Israel „indoctrination“ of young Jews. With Shahar Azani.
Were young American Jews lied to about Israel? A new documentary says yes
(February 24, 2023)
From directors Eric Axelman and Sam Eilertsen, Israelism follows two millennial Jews — Simone Zimmerman, co-founder of IfNotNow and Eitan, an American former IDF soldier who didn’t want to use his last name in the documentary — as they talk about becoming disenchanted with the Israel they were taught to defend and believe in growing up within the American Jewish system. (Filmmakers Axelman and Eilertsen are also millennial Jews, and in a director’s statement, Axelman wrote about their own, similar arc with Israel.)
SCOTUS probes assassinations and coups in Trump immunity hearing
The immense gravity of the case weighed heavily on the Supreme Court on Thursday, with justices across the ideological spectrum expressing fears of the new order they could unleash.
The immediate question is whether Trump will face trial in his Jan. 6 criminal case before the 2024 election. But the conservative-led court‘s decision will shape history well beyond November.
„We‘re writing a rule for the ages,“ Justice Neil Gorsuch observed.
COP29 Climate Summit Countdown Starts With Finance at Forefront
At the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, Germany’s foreign affairs minister Annalena Baerbock said developing nations would need $2 trillion annually, with half of that coming from foreign sources. The event in Berlin this week is an important point in the climate diplomacy calendar leading up to the annual United Nations climate summit, which will take place in Baku in November.
Germany launches new Ukraine air defense initiative, appeals to EU and NATO allies
Berlin has already appealed to EU and NATO partners as well as other unspecified countries, as Russia‘s intensifying aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to highlight the growing shortage of sufficient air defense systems.
A Russian missile attack on the city of Chernihiv on the morning of April 17 killed at least 17 people.
„This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world‘s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient,“ President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
Bundesregierung startet Initiative für mehr Flugabwehr
Die Bundesregierung startet eine neue Initiative, um der Ukraine weiteres Gerät zur Flugabwehr bereitzustellen. Dazu hätten sich Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock und Verteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius an Partner gewandt, teilten Sprecher beider Ministerien mit. Die Adressaten seien Partner bei NATO und Europäischer Union sowie auch Drittstaaten, sagt ein Sprecher des Auswärtigen Amts, ohne dabei konkreter werden zu wollen.
China, Germany send strong message of mutually beneficial cooperation to stabilize world: Global Times editorial
The two sides not only had in-depth discussions on current China-Germany relations but also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, reaching consensus on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict. As China and Germany are respectively the second and third largest economies in the world, the consolidation and development of their relations carries significance that goes beyond the bilateral scope, and has a major impact on the Eurasian continent and the entire world, Xi said, calling on the two countries to view and develop bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, and work together to inject greater stability and certainty into the world.
Xi schlägt vier Grundsätze zur Lösung der Ukraine-Krise vor
Xi traf sich mit dem zu Besuch weilenden deutschen Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz in Beijing, und die beiden führenden Politiker tauschten sich in ihren Gesprächen eingehend über die Krise in der Ukraine aus.
Xi betonte, dass in der derzeitigen Situation alle Parteien zusammenarbeiten sollten, um den Frieden so schnell wie möglich wiederherzustellen, damit der Konflikt nicht außer Kontrolle gerate. Zu diesem Zweck schlug er vier Grundsätze vor.
Kanzler besucht Xi Jinping: Warum Scholz sich in China schwergetan hat
Olaf Scholz spricht mit der chinesischen Regierung vor allem über Geopolitik und Wirtschaft. Trotz drei möglicher Handelsabkommen: Ein Handschlag zwischen Scholz und Xi bleibt aus.
Negotiations on Ukraine make no sense without Russia — Kremlin spokesman
Peskov emphasized that Russia is open to talks on Ukraine, but seeing as how Kiev has banned itself from negotiating, Moscow does not see any prospects for this. „President [Vladimir] Putin has repeatedly emphasized that we remain open to the negotiating process, as we prefer solving problems this way, but in an environment where these negotiations have been banned by Ukraine itself, we don’t see the horizon ahead at this point,“ he added.
On Wednesday, Swiss President Viola Amherd said that Switzerland will hold a conference on the so-called Ukrainian peace formula in the Burgenstock region in June 2024.
Biden Has Relaunched Reagan’s Murderous War Against Nicaraguan Democracy–How Many Is He Willing to Kill to Win?
(14.09.2023)
When CIA-trained terrorists tried to overthrow the Sandinista government in the 1980s, the left erupted in protest. Now the left is cheering for the CIA.
Gantz‘s prospects remain stable while trust in Netanyahu‘s leadership declines – poll
Along with polling for the distribution of mandates in the Knesset, respondents were asked about leadership and who they deemed fit to lead Israel as prime minister. These results remained similar to last week‘s, with 45% of respondents supporting a Gantz premiership, while support for Netanyahu as prime minister decreased by four points, currently at 34%.
In surprise close call, Lapid holds on to party leadership by a mere 29 votes
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid beat out opponent MK Ram Ben Barak by the skin of his teeth in Thursday afternoon’s Yesh Atid primary, the party’s first leadership contest since it was founded by Lapid in 2012. (…)
Ben Barak had not presented a strong challenge to the longtime leader, stating repeatedly that he does not differ materially in his policy outlook from Lapid and is mainly running in order to promote the “democratization” of the party, which has been under the same leadership for over a decade.
Ballot Access HQ
Your dedication and hard work will put RFK Jr. in the White House as the first independent president since George Washington. The national revitalization that he leads from office will tremendously improve millions of lives at home and around the world. You’ll forever own a piece of that change in your heart and carry it with pride. And you’ll make great friends along the way.
55 Things You Need to Know About Nicole Shanahan
Raised on welfare in a single-parent household in Oakland, California, the daughter of a Chinese immigrant, Shanahan went from a successful career as a patent lawyer and entrepreneur to marrying into uber-wealth after meeting Google co-founder Sergey Brin at a yoga festival. The two divorced in 2022, amid reports that she had had an affair with Brin’s friend and fellow tech titan, Elon Musk. (Shanahan and Musk deny the allegations.)
Like so many others who have amassed a fortune from the tech sector, Shanahan has become a philanthropic force but also a political player.
LIVE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to announce VP pick for independent presidential campaign
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to announce Bay Area attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate Tuesday, The New York Times reported, citing two people close to the campaign.
The move will accelerate Kennedy‘s attempt to gain ballot access in as many states as possible.
Lloyd Austin promised at Ramstein meeting that US and other allies will not allow Ukraine to fail
(19.03.2024)
US Secretary of Defenсe Lloyd Austin, opening the Ramstein meeting on Tuesday, promised that the United States will continue to support Ukraine‘s military efforts against Russia. In practice, however, the US Congress continues to obstruct funding for Kyiv.
In his opening remarks, Austin said Russia paid a staggering price for the war, echoing estimates that at least 315,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded during the war, which has cost Russia up to US$211 billion.
«Nur einen Schritt vom Dritten Weltkrieg entfernt» – Blick ordnet seine Drohung ein: Bläst Putin nach dem Wahlsieg zum grossen Angriff?
Das Problem allerdings sind die russischen Soldaten, von denen laut dem britischen Verteidigungsministerium schätzungsweise 70’000 getötet und 250’000 verwundet worden sind. Viele Russen befürchten daher eine neue Mobilmachung. «Putin weiss zwar um die gesellschaftlichen Risiken einer solch unpopulären Massnahme, dennoch ist eine neue Teilmobilmachung in den nächsten Monaten wahrscheinlich», meint Schmid. Hunderttausende von Reservisten könnten eingezogen und an die Front in der Ukraine geschickt werden.
Happening soon: President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address
President Joe Biden is set to deliver his annual State of the Union address amid his 2024 campaign.
Democrats pin 2024 hopes and fears on Biden‘s State of the Union
Democratic lawmakers tell Axios that President Biden‘s State of the Union performance on Thursday will be pivotal for his attempts to dispel voter concerns about his age.
Democrats quietly ‚nervous‘ about Biden‘s performance at the State of the Union, believe he will make mistakes
„We are all nervous,“ one House Democrat told Axios, citing concerns about the 81-year-old Biden‘s „ability to speak without blowing things.“
Another House Democrat told the outlet that Biden was likely to make mistakes during his speech.
The Republican Primary Is Over
The Republican presidential primary is over. Nikki Haley, the last remaining challenger to Donald Trump, plans to leave the race today, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and other outlets, clearing the way for the former president to claim the GOP nomination.
Takeaways from Trump’s big win at the Supreme Court in the 14th Amendment case
Monday’s Supreme Court decision appeared certain to shut down those and other efforts to remove the frontrunner for the GOP nomination from the ballot.
“States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office,” the court’s unsigned majority opinion read. “But states have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the presidency.”
Supreme Court rules 9-0 that Trump can stay on Colorado election ballot, preventing future removal efforts
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday that former President Donald Trump can remain on Colorado’s presidential primary ballot, reversing an extraordinary state court ruling that had deemed him ineligible to run for the presidency and preventing future attempts by states to remove him from their ballots.
The decision, which came one day ahead of a slate of Super Tuesday primary elections from coast to coast, further cements Trump’s widening path to the Republican presidential nomination.
Kurdistan‘s PM: we are very proud to say that we are American allies
On Monday, the Kurdish Government revealed that Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the headquarters of the US State Department in Washington.
Before the meeting, the two officials expressed in remarks reported by the Secretary of State the close ties between the two sides.
Defending the Defenders with Dr. Cornel West, Senator Nina Turner, Arshia Ali-Khan, and Basheer Jones
WHEN
March 02, 2024 at 6:30pm – 8:30pm
WHERE
Crystal Banquet
6300 Independence Pkwy
Suite B
Plano, TX 75023
United States
An Evening with Cornel West in NYC!!!
WHEN
February 22, 2024 at 7:00pm – 9:30pm
WHERE
The Center at West Park
165 W 86th Street
New York, NY 10024
United States
Jon Stewart kicks off The Daily Show‘s election coverage with a wellness check on America‘s two chronologically challenged candidates: Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
(13.02.2024)
EXCLUSIVE: #AU Spox @EbbaKalondo informs me that #Israeli officials have not been invited to the African Union summit. Asked if she is aware of the presence of an Israeli delegation in Addis Ababa. „Have no clue, but I hope they know better than to attempt the thuggish behavior of their officials experienced at our last summit.“
Reports suggest that an #Israeli delegation had arrived in #Ethiopia to attend the ongoing summit but was denied participation.
@EbbaKalondo emphasises that the State of #Israel was not invited to last year‘s Summit and it‘s officials entered with fraudulent papers obtained in collaboration with other states.
Travel to Albania and Germany, February 14-17, 2024
In Munich, Secretary Blinken will participate in the Munich Security Conference as part of the U.S. delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris. The Secretary will hold bilateral meetings to underscore the United States’ enduring support for the people of Ukraine, continue discussions with partners on how to achieve lasting peace and security in the Middle East, and highlight our steadfast commitment to transatlantic security.
Iraq says talks resume on US-led coalition withdrawal
Iraq said on Sunday that it had resumed talks with the United States on the future of the anti-Islamic State coalition, expressing hope that they would not be disrupted and lead to an outcome soon.
A first round of talks opened on 27 January but was swiftly suspended after a drone attack killed three US military personnel at a base in Jordan the following day.
Delays spoil the party for PTI backed independents
Even after a lapse of more than seven hours, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not given any reason for the delay leading to the expression of suspicions from contesting parties.
Prior to the elections, the electoral watchdog had introduced a new system called the Election Management System (EMS) to organize the results, but so far, the performance of the system has belied the ECP claims.
Twitter down in Pakistan after ‘controversial election under internet blackout’
ISLAMABAD: Social media platform ‘X’ is down across Pakistan as reported by Netblocks, on Saturday.
“Live metrics show a nation scale disruption X/Twitter across Pakistan: The incident come amid political turmoil after controversial election held under an internet and mobile network blackout”. the post on ‘X’ by Netblocks read.
Delays, deals, nepo babies, trends and vote rigging: Five takeaways from Pakistan’s elections
Candidates observing the count at polling stations said they saw significant leads suddenly disappear or results that were announced in their favor only to be reversed to declare an opponent the winner. They said they were marched off polling station grounds or barred from entering once voting ended and that polling agents were stopped from collecting results.
The majority of irregularities and impediments were reported by independent candidates backed by imprisoned ex-premier Imran Khan’s party.
Pakistan Army Chief Says Need To Move On From „Politics Of Anarchy“
Politicians and political parties rise and fall with the backing of the military, which this year was widely believed to be backing the party of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Nawaz Sharif declares victory in Pakistan‘s election, despite failing to win a majority of seats
Mr Sharif‘s party won the most seats by a single party in Thursday‘s election, but supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Mr Khan, who ran as independents instead of as a single bloc after his party was barred from the polls, won the most seats overall.
In shock result, allies of jailed ex-leader Khan win most seats in Pakistan election
(Updated 3:01 AM EST, Sat February 10, 2024)
Khan’s opponent, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, claimed that his PMLN party had emerged with the largest share. He admitted that his party did not have the “majority to form a government” and was looking for coalition partners.
Sharif, who once saw one of his terms end in a military coup, is considered by analysts to be favored by the country’s military establishment. The military has previously denied backing Sharif.
Pakistan: Election-day internet shutdown is a reckless attack on people’s rights
(08.02.2024)
On 6 February, Amnesty International and other members of the #KeepItOn coalition — a global network of over 300 organisations from 105 countries working to end internet shutdowns — wrote to the caretaker Prime Minister Mr Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, to ensure unfettered access to the internet, social media platforms, and all other communication channels throughout Pakistan’s general election.
Pakistani authorities have already imposed multiple shutdowns that violated the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including of opposition leaders and parties, during this election cycle.