British politics still weird – shock

It’s been another turbulent week in British politics as the Tory leadership race went through its first round of voting, a motion to prevent a no-deal Brexit was defeated in the House of Commons, and Chuka Umunna – remember him? – is now a member of the Liberal Democrats. Let’s start by watching TV, shall we?

The first Conservative leadership “debate” took place on Channel 4 on Sunday evening, featuring all of the remaining contenders except front-runner Boris Johnson (who has said he will show up for the BBC’s debate on Tuesday). Needless to say there was precious little consensus over an approach to Brexit. One highlight among the few was Sajid Javid again proposing bypassing the EU altogether and offering a monetary settlement with the Irish government if they just agree to whatever it is he wants. There. Simple.

At Westminster this week, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion that aimed to see Parliament take control of the legislative agenda on 25 June, thus allowing MPs to introduce legislation that would stop a no-deal Brexit. This was narrowly defeated in the House of Commons, after 10 Conservative Party rebels were cancelled out by 12 Labour MPs going the other way – eight voted against the motion while four were absent without leave. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson subsequently turned up the heat on his boss on calls for a second referendum, but that’s hardly going to lead anywhere, especially if an early election appears more likely.

Meanwhile…

Man Oh-man

Tensions rose after two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman,  just a month after a similar incident damaged four tankers in the same vital passageway for the world’s petroleum, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The US blamed Iran, but there was, shall we say, some degree of skepticism.

The US described the incident as an “unprovoked attack” by Iran, while Iran called these accusations a part of a campaign of American disinformation and “warmongering”. The US military promptly released video footage which it says shows the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (Iranian special forces) patrol boat removing an unexploded mine from the side of one of the oil tankers damaged during the attack.

Dozens of crew members were rescued from one Japanese-owned tanker and one Norwegian-owned tanker. Japan’s trade ministry have stated that the two oil tankers carried “Japan-related” cargo, making the timing of the attack in this past week especially sensitive as the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was holding talks with Iranian leadership in Tehran, in an effort to find a basis for discussions between US and Iran. Tensions have heightened between the two countries over the past year since the US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-instated sanctions against Iran, to the detriment of the country’s economy. Saudi Arabia has also blamed Iran for these attacks, while the UN Secretary General António Guterres said he strongly condemned any attack against civilian vessels and warned that the world could not afford “a major confrontation in the Gulf region”.

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that if Iran was involved, “it is a deeply unwise escalation which poses a real danger to the prospects of peace and stability in the region”. However after the UK Foreign Office carried out an assessment stating that it was “almost certain” that a “branch of the Iranian military” carried out the attacks, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn questioned whether there was “credible evidence” for this conclusion.

Iran responded by protesting to Britain’s ambassador in Tehran, Rob Macaire, who is said to have asked for an “urgent meeting” with the Iranian Foreign Ministry. These diplomatic tensions are all playing out against the backdrop of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian jailed in Tehran, beginning a new hunger strike. Jeremy Hunt has urged Iran to release Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, stating “whatever the disagreements you may have with the United Kingdom, there is an innocent woman at the heart of this”.

Meanwhile, as the US and Iran face off in the Gulf of Oman, in Tehran and Washington political hard-liners look like they are itching for war. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is driving for a policy of maximum pressure, while Trump has described Iran as a “nation of terror”. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, has also stated that his country “does not want war” but “will not hesitate to deal with any threat.

All normal in Trumpworld

The President’s familiar twitter onslaught against the press intensified over the past few days, culminating in him accusing the New York Times of a “virtual act of Treason” after they reported on increased US cyber activities against Russia. The story on Saturday described a “broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction – and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials.”

Meanwhile, extracts of an interview the President gave to ABC‘s George Stephanopolous (the full version aired Sunday night US time) indicated that he  might be open to accepting foreign help with his 2020 campaign. Nothing to see here, just move right along folks. What is it with Norway, though?

Meanwhile, Sen McConnell and his wife, Transport Secretary Elaine Chao, found themselves in the spotlight over grant applications for projects in McConnell’s state of Kentucky, according to Politico.

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said she’d be leaving the White House – probably to run for Governor of Arkansas – and presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway was accused by a government watchdog of violating the Hatch Act, something that could require her removal from federal service. The House Oversight committee will hold a hearing to investigate on June 26.

But the President apparently had a great meeting with the Prince of Whales.

So, just another week in Washington.

Hong Kong still angry

Mass protests continued throughout the week against a new extradition bill that would allow Hong Kong to detail and transfer people to mainland China. This controversial legislative measure has pushed the former British colony to its biggest political crisis in years.

The bill was due for a second reading in the legislature on June 12, with officials arguing that the law is needed to ensure that Hong Kong doesn’t become a refuge for criminals. However public opposition to the extradition bill persisted even after the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, watered down the proposal slightly by narrowing the number of offense categories liable to extradition to 37 from 46.

Following protests that drew crowds of an estimated 1 million people (although police have stated that the real numbers were more around 200,000 people) last weekend, Hong Kong leader announced her suspension of the extradition bill. However, in announcing the suspension of the bill, Lam emphasised that it was not being withdrawn outright as protestors had demanded. Lam previously defended the bill and denounced the protestors but backed down following 22 former top officials and lawmakers in Hong Kong asking her in a letter to “yield to public opinion and withdraw the bill for more thorough deliberation.” They also urged her advisers to resign if their pleas to that effect are ignored.

Despite what is considered to be the most serious government climbdown in the face of public pressure since a security law was dropped in 2003, the mass protests have continued. Organisers say that nearly 2 million people have taken part in the latest mass protest in which participants dressed in black and carrying white flowers of mourning to demand that Lam steps down while calling on authorities to withdraw the bill, free activists rounded up after previous demonstrations, and hold police accountable for violent crowd control tactics. Earlier in this past week police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray against peaceful protestors, injuring more than 70 people. White flowers were carried in order to mourn a protestor who fell to his death after unfurling an anti-extradition banner.

After a surprisingly large crowd poured onto the streets of Hong Kong to protest on  Sunday, Lam released an apology through a spokesman “acknowledging that deficiencies in the government’s work” have caused controversy and disputes. Many protestors have stated that they were disappointed in this apology, calling Lam’s words insincere as she did not fully withdraw the bill as demonstrators demanded. It is important to note that Lam is firmly supported by Beijing. Protests are therefore expected to continue as worries continue to grow around the relationship between Hong Kong and Beijing. Despite her apology, a clear message is being sent to Carrie Lam and China’s central government: the people of Hong Kong are still angry.

#BlueForSudan

It’s been another week of violence and killing by the Sudanese military as protestors peacefully campaign for civilian rule.

At least for people were killed on the first day of “civil disobedience that left streets in the capital Khartoum largely deserted after opposition and protest groups had called for workers to stay at home. Lt Gen Jamaleddine Omar, from the ruling transitional military council, stated that by closing roads and setting up barricades, the protesters had committed a crime.

This call for “civil disobedience” came just a day after the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Khartoum in an attempt to revive talks between the military and protest leaders on the country’s transition. The Sudanese military seized power in April following the removal of President Omar al-Bashir. Al-Bashir appeared in public for the first time since he was overthrown in this past week when he was brought to the prosecutor’s office where he was read the corruption charges against him.

In the past week it was also revealed that Sudan’s ruling military had forcibly removed opposition members to neighbouring South Sudan. The deported men are part of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), one of many groups that form an alliance pushing for a handover to civilian rule.

The military crackdown on peaceful protestors calling for civilian rule has prompted international outcry via social media. The #BlueForSudan movement has been adopted by celebrities and influencers to raise awareness of the current situation facing civilians after more than 100 innocent protestors were killed at a sit-in in Khartoum on 3 June. In addition to this most African and western countries have backed the protestors, while the US National Security Advisor, John Bolton, condemned the Khartoum violence, calling it “abhorrent”.