There are a few other things going on in the world, often submerged in the obsession over Brexit, the occasional demo in Venezuela and the brief horror of a mosque shooting in New Zealand
FRANCE – every weekend, for 18 weeks, hundreds of thousands of “Yellow Vest’ protesters take to the streets all over France, infuriated at the impoverishment caused by their banker-led government. This weekend President Macron is sending armed military in to deal with them.
SYRIA – the war that America engineered and supported in their attempt to oust President Assad has finally come to an end. It was big news for years and now the war has finally ended, the US is taking credit for defeating the forces they supported during the conflict.
ISRAEL – President Trump asserts that the world should recognize the Syrian Golan Heights as part of Israel, after it was illegally occupied following the 6-day war in 1967. Coincidentally, Genie Energy has been awarded drilling rights in the Golan Height for oil and gas. Its board members include Dick Cheney, Jacob Rothschild, Rupert Murdock, ex-CIA director James Woolsey, Wall St trader Michael Steinhardt, ex US energy secretary Bill Richardson, and ex-head of US Treasury Larry Summers. Nothing fishy going on here, of course.
NORWAY – Police have finally found the culprit behind a long-running campaign against their minister of justice Tor Mikkel War. His car was subject to an arson attack, and car and home plastered with swastikas and racist slogans. Seems it was all done by Laila, his partner of 24 years.
SERBIA – Thousand have taken to the streets demanding press freedoms and honest elections. The hard-line authorities prevented any mention of their protest in the national press. Protesters last week stormed the national TV headquarters and invaded the building to rectify this, but were violently ejected by riot police.
MONTENEGRO – Thousands march for the fifth time in protest at the corrupt rule of their President Kukanovic.
ALBANIA – Ditto Montenegro, with violent protests against their prime minister Edi Rama.
CHINA – The government proudly announces that in the past five years it has arrested 12,995 terrorists in the Muslim Xinjiang region. 1588 terrorist groups were apparently eliminated and 2000 explosive devices discovered. No anti-government protests going on there.
PHILLIPINES – President Duterte, notorious for his support of extra-judicial killing of drug users and dealers, with some 5000 murdered to date, has published a list of 46 politicians, mayors and civil officials he accuses of being involved in the narcotics trade. Coincidentally, of course, most of them are political opponents of Duterte or his party.
DR CONGO – 700 political prisoners have been freed by the incoming president Felix Tshisekedi, quelling rumours that he was in cahoots with the outgoing president Joseph Kabila, who had put them in jail. Hurrrah.
BRITAIN – Baron David Steel, former head of the Liberal Party, has admitted that he was personally convinced that Cyril Smith was a pedophile preying on young boys, but did not expel him from the party and subsequently recommended him for a knighthood.
NEW YORK – Gambino family Mafia boss Franky Boy was shot outside his home last week, not buy a rival mafiosi, but by a young man whom he had forbidden to date his daughter.
CHINA – Racing pigeon Armando sold for a record €1.25 million Euros to a Chinese enthusiast. It was the fastest pigeon in the world and will spend the rest of its life making babies.
