All Purpose Politics and News Thread

[GoodBoy]

May be an interesting U.K. election yet ...

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id...source=twitter

Polls show UK's Conservatives losing ground as policies set out

[Darth Penguin]

Deaths confirmed after Manchester Arena blast

Police have confirmed a "number of fatalities" following reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena.
Witnesses reported hearing a "huge bang" following an Ariana Grande gig at Manchester Arena.
Network Rail said train lines out of Manchester Victoria station, which is close to the concert venue, were blocked.
Greater Manchester Police tweeted to urge people to stay away from the area.
A number of eyewitnesses have described the confusion in the aftermath.
Robert Tempkin, 22, from Middlesbrough, said: "Everyone was screaming and running, there were coats and people's phones on the floor. People just dropped everything.
"Some people were screaming they'd seen blood but other people were saying it was balloons busting or a speaker had been popped.
"There were lots of ambulances. I saw somebody being treated. I couldn't tell what had happened to him."

[Darth Penguin]

May be an interesting U.K. election yet ...

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id...source=twitter

Polls show UK's Conservatives losing ground as policies set out

While I'd like a Labour govt, it comes with the odious little toad...

[Natalka]

Manchester Arena blast - 19 confirmed dead, no number out of how many injured.
Just horrid.

[Natalka]

22 people have died, and 59 people are being treated in hospital. Many have life-threatening injuries

[Natalka]

Yet another attack on Coptic Christians

At least 28 are reported dead and 22 injured after unidentified gunmen opened fire on buses carrying Coptic Christians in Egypt’s Minya, announced Egypt’s Health Ministry.

According to Coptic Church officials, the buses were carrying dozens of children and other adults to a trip to a Monastery in Minya.

Of the victims who have been identified, two are children (two and four years old).


Coptic Christians have been the target of a recent campaign waged by ISIS.
In April of this year, two churches were attacked by suicide bombers. The total death toll from the church bombings at Tanta’s church of St George and Alexandria’s Cathedral of St Mark’s on Palm Sunday reached 47, with many more injured.
In December 2016, another attack on a chapel connected to Cairo’s St Mark’s Cathedral killed 29 people.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the three attacks.

https://egyptianstreets.com/2017/05/...a-governorate/


Egypt Bombs Terrorists in Libya Following Massacre

Egyptian officials announced that the Armed Forces carried out six airstrikes on terrorist locations in Libya, reported AFP and local media.
The airstrikes, which reportedly struck positions in the Libyan city of Derna appeared to be confirmed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in a speech addressing the nation following the killing of 28 Coptic Christians in the Egyptian city of Minya.

https://egyptianstreets.com/2017/05/...ians-in-minya/

[Darth Penguin]

2 men stabbed to death trying to stop anti-Muslim abuse

Two men have died in the US trying to stop a man abusing two women of Muslim appearance, Oregon police say.
The abusive man turned on the two men and fatally stabbed them in the city of Portland, police said.
The incident happened on a commuter train. Another passenger was wounded before the attacker was arrested.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations urged President Trump to speak out against increasing Islamophobia in the US.
It accused the president of exacerbating the trend with his statements and policies.
The attack took place at about 16:30 local time (00:30 GMT) on a train at Hollywood Transit Station, police said in a statement. One of the victims died at the scene, the other died in hospital.
Police have identified the suspect as Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35. He has been charged with offences including aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon.
"Suspect was on the train and he was yelling and ranting and raving a lot of different things, including what would be characterised as hate speech or biased language," said Sgt Pete Simpson.
"In the midst of his ranting and raving, some people approached him, appeared to try to intervene with his behaviour. Some of the people that he was yelling at, they were attacked viciously by the suspect, resulting in the two deaths and one injury."

[DaveP]

Sri Lanka floods: Nearly 500,000 displaced as death toll rises

At least 103 people have been killed and nearly 500,000 displaced in Sri Lanka following flooding and mudslides triggered by monsoon rains, the government says.

A further 113 people have been reported missing, a spokesman said.

An Indian navy ship carrying medical teams and emergency relief supplies has arrived in response to a Sri Lankan government plea for help.

[DaveP]

Manchester attack: CCTV shows bomber before arena blast

CCTV images showing suicide bomber Salman Abedi on the night he attacked Manchester Arena killing 22 people, have been been released by police.

Fourteen locations are being searched and 11 men remain in custody on suspicion of terror offences.

Abedi's identity was known within two hours of Monday's attack, police said.

The UK threat level has been reduced from critical to severe and soldiers deployed to support the police will be gradually withdrawn from Monday night.

Prime Minister Theresa May made the announcement after leading a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra on Saturday morning.

[GoodBoy]

If true then the excited states are getting more ludicrous by the day.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id..._medium=Social

[Darth Penguin]

Panama military leader Noriega dies aged 83

General Manuel Antonio Noriega, the former military leader of Panama, has died aged 83, officials have announced.
Noriega recently underwent an operation after suffering a haemorrhage following brain surgery.
Noriega had been a key US ally but was forcibly removed when American troops invaded in 1989 and was later jailed in the US on drugs and laundering charges.
He spent the rest of his life in custody, latterly in Panama for murder, corruption and embezzlement.
But the former leader was released into house arrest in January to prepare for an operation in early March to remove a brain tumour.

• From US ally to convict
• Noriega: A life in pictures
• Music torture: How heavy metal broke Noriega

He underwent further surgery after cerebral bleeding but died late on Monday local time in Panama City's Santo Tomas hospital, Secretary of State for Communication Manuel Dominguez announced.
President Juan Carlos Varela tweeted: "The death of Manuel A Noriega closes a chapter in our history; his daughters and relatives deserve a funeral in peace."

[Darth Penguin]

White House communications director quits

The White House communications director has resigned only three months after being hired by President Donald Trump.
Mike Dubke, an experienced Republican strategist, was hired in March to revamp the White House media strategy.
As part of the shake-up, White House press secretary Sean Spicer will reportedly hold on to his position, but there will be fewer media briefings.
The reshuffle follows reports of disarray in the White House communications team.
Mr Dubke tendered his resignation on 18 May and is leaving on good terms, according to Axios News, a politics website which first reported his exit.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Mr Dubke had agreed to stay on until Mr Trump returned from his trip to the Middle East and Europe on Saturday.
"Mike tendered his resignation just before the President's historic international trip and offered to remain onboard until a transition is concluded," said Mr Priebus.
"Mike will assist with the transition and be a strong advocate for the President and the President's policies moving forward."
According to news website Politico, Mr Dubke, 47, provided few details on his departure in an email to friends.
"The reasons for my departure are personal," he wrote, "but it has been my great honor to serve President Trump and this administration.
"It has also been my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments.
"This White House is filled with some of the finest and hardest working men and women in the American Government."

[Natalka]

Some good news!

$50M Children's Hospital donation largest in Sask. history


B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison and Premier Brad Wall

The Children's Hospital of Saskatchewan will be getting a new name following the largest private donation in Saskatchewan history.
The $285-million construction project adjacent to Royal University Hospital will now be known as the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital. Pattison was on hand Tuesday as officials announced his $50-million pledge to support equipment purchases and research.

The 88-year-old native of Luseland, Sask., grew emotional at the podium as he described his Saskatchewan roots.
"My family owes a lot to Saskatchewan," said Pattison. "My mom's family were homesteaders and my dad's family were homesteaders, so we wouldn't be here without Saskatchewan people."

Premier Brad Wall said he's grateful for the donation, and that the new hospital is needed.
"We're going to have a world-class children's hospital," he said. "I think it was always the vision of our government that we would have one in the province."
Wall lauded Pattison's commitment to Saskatchewan.
"He has never forgotten the province," Wall said. "It's just great to have him home, and we're grateful for his generosity."



The hospital was 55 per cent complete at the end of April, and is on-time and on-budget. The hospital is expected to open in 2019.
The Ministry of Health said the hospital has recruited more than 70 per cent of the pediatric specialists it will need.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...tion-1.4137724

[GoodBoy]

By Paul Vieira
May 24, 2017 9:24 p.m. ET


TORONTO—Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan said Wednesday he believes there should be two more additional rate increases in 2017, and even then monetary policy would still be accommodative.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-ka...5492?mod=e2twe

[Natalka]

London attacks tonight

London Bridge, Vauxhall and Borough Market

• The first report was of a van ploughing into pedestrians on London Bridge
• Witnesses say the van was reported to have swerved onto the pavement and there have been unconfirmed reports of gunfire
• A second incident is ongoing in Borough Market where there are reports of multiple stabbings
• Police say they are responding to a third event at Vauxhall

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-incident-live