Written by The Globalist on .
Posted in Headlines.
Terrorism, oil, the crisis in Iraq, the Syrian civil war and geopolitics all weigh against the birth of a new Kurdish state.
The recent referendum for the independence of Kurdistan, only applies to the white region (Basûr) in the map
Oct. 4.– The Kurds have been scourged by history (as well as by British and French imperial designs, with their 1920s “peace to end all peace,” as David Fromkin termed it in his remarkable 1989 book).
In drawing up the borders that followed the First World War and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, despite earlier promises, left them stateless, split between Turkey, Syria, Iran and the – by now – fictitious country that is Iraq. But the stability of the latter has become crucial to the entire region.
Written by The Economist on .
Posted in Headlines.
A dynamic Emmanuel Macron and a diminished Angela Merkel point to a new order in Europe
Brussels, Sept.30.– Who leads Europe? At the start of this year, the answer was obvious. Angela Merkel was trundling unstoppably towards a fourth election win, while Britain was out, Italy down and stagnating France gripped by the fear that Marine Le Pen might become the Gallic Donald Trump.
This week, it all looks very different. Mrs Merkel won her election on September 24th, but with such a reduced tally of votes and seats that she is a diminished figure (see article). Germany faces months of tricky three-way coalition talks. Some 6m voters backed a xenophobic right-wing party, many of them in protest at Mrs Merkel’s refugee policies. Having had no seats, Alternative for Germany, a disruptive and polarising force, is now the Bundestag’s third largest party.
Written by The Independent on .
Posted in Headlines.
French President says 'door will always remain open' for America to re-join
United Nations, Sept.19.─ Emmanuel Macron has said the landmark Paris climate deal will not be renegotiated, after White House officials suggested Donald Trump could remain a signatory of the agreement but only if new terms were reached.
The French President's comments during his address to the UN General Assembly effectively end renewed hopes that the world's second largest polluter would remain tied to the accord's carbon emission targets.
Written by Democracia Participativa on .
Posted in Headlines.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19, 2017
Trump expects "all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties: to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation."
Trump warns that major portions of the world ‘are going to hell’
Trump says U.S. is prepared to take further action in Venezuela
Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, world leaders, and distinguished delegates: Welcome to New York. It is a profound honor to stand here in my home city, as a representative of the American people, to address the people of the world.
As millions of our citizens continue to suffer the effects of the devastating hurricanes that have struck our country, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to every leader in this room who has offered assistance and aid. The American people are strong and resilient, and they will emerge from these hardships more determined than ever before.
Fortunately, the United States has done very well since Election Day last November 8th. The stock market is at an all-time high -- a record. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before. Companies are moving back, creating job growth the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time. And it has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense.
Our military will soon be the strongest it has ever been. For more than 70 years, in times of war and peace, the leaders of nations, movements, and religions have stood before this assembly. Like them, I intend to address some of the very serious threats before us today but also the enormous potential waiting to be unleashed.
We live in a time of extraordinary opportunity. Breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine are curing illnesses and solving problems that prior generations thought impossible to solve.
But each day also brings news of growing dangers that threaten everything we cherish and value.
