„To leave or stay, to fight or remain,
The world stands on the brink,
While Trump corrupts, Hong Kong erupts,
The EU may finally shrink.“
The hiatus is over! The „Best“ News has returned for good. Before we begin following the breaking stories, I thought it might be worthwhile to review some of the most important events that we have been covering. (Which in themselves are often already breaking news.)
Our first stop: The USA
1. Impeachment Inquiry into President Trump
Even before he took office, people have been calling for Donald Trump’s head. The public opinion of Trump has not improved since then; he and his cabinet have leapt from one scandal to the next. These events have had little effect on Trump’s voters, the majority of which are all too happy to categorize all negative coverage as fake news. The latest scandal may well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and finally throw Trump out of office.
What happened?
After Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014, Hunter Biden, the son of former US-Vicepresident Joe Biden, accepted a position on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company. Jump forward to 2019: Ukraine Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko alleges that Joe Biden tried to get the former Prosecutor General fired to stop a ciminal probe that involved Hunter Biden. Lutsenko later states that Hunter had broken no rules.
In July 2019, Donald Trump blocks money earmarked by Congress to support Ukraine. A week later Trump calls the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. A whistleblower then claims that Trump pushed President Zelensky to investigate the Bidens. Reading between the lines of the (non-verbatim) transcript, many claim that Trump promised to release the funding only if the investigations were reinstated.
There are two reasons why this quid pro quo may be illegal. First of all, Trump may have used his Presidential powers to attack a political rival. Secondly, by doing so, he implicitly allows foreign powers to interfere in American politics and elections. (Trump later doubled-down and asked both China and Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.)
What’s happening now?
The Democrats have now officially launched a formal impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives. The House (primarily controlled by Democrats) voted to begin the investigation. Members of Trump’s parliament have since flip-flopped on whether a quid pro quo actually occured. Just this week, the US Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, revised his testimony and recalls telling an aide to President Zelensky that the US security aid was indeed contigent on performing the political investigation demanded by Trump. The coming public hearings will determine whether the conversation truly constitutes an impeachable offense.
Further Reading: (CNN ; The Guardian)
2. Brexit’s Brexit Battle
The 31st of October came and went, and the United Kingdom has yet to leave the European Union. Without a majority in parliament, Premiere Minister Boris Johnson was forced to concede a No-Deal Brexit, forcing him to negotiate an extension. What followed next was a series of panicked discussions with the EU, with Johnson trying to arrange new Brexit-Deal and as secure the extension. Surprisingly, he succeeded on both counts: the EU agreed to his new proposal (which also guaranteed that the border in Ireland would remain open) and moved the Brexit date to the 31st of January.
Flush with success, Johnson called for elections, hoping to resecure a majority in parliament. The Labour-Party, the largest opposition party, at first resisted the idea, but later agreed to the proposal. Parliament has therefore been dissolved until election day on December 12. The campaign promises to be short and intense.
Further Reading: (BBC)
3. Iran and the Nuclear Agreement
The brewing conflict between the US and Iran has not escalated to further violence. After President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal, back in May 2018, Iran has slowly been responding in time. Tensions have been rising, both sides have issued threats. The US has saddled the Iran with crippling economic sanctions – Iran has responded by attacking oil tankers and Saudi oil reserves.
This week, Iran has decided to withdraw from another section of the nuclear agreement, potentially putting them on the way to producing their own nuclear weapons. A thousand more centrifuges in a previously hidden facility have sprung to life, allowing the Iran to further enrich it’s new stockpiles of low-grade uranium. While Trump has been preoccupied with the impeachment proceedings, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called the alarm, and has been trying to gather international support to curb Iran’s ambitions.
Further Reading: (Al Jazeera, New York Times)
4. Hong Kong protests
The protests in Hong Kong have shown no signs of abating, and both police and protesters are resorting to violence to secure their goals. Protesters from each Hong Kong district have been eager to show their support for the cause – holding fast to their 5 demands: 1. Withdrawal of the extradition bill, 2. An inquiry into alleged police brutality, 3. Reclassifying the “rioters” as protesters, 4. Amnesty for arrested protesters, and 5. More equitable voting rights.
The police have been heavily criticized for their use of tear gas to break up the mostly peaceful protests. Just this week, a young man died after falling in a parking garage. The protester was allegedly trying to escape the heavy concentration of tear gas. Two other cases has been heavily criticized: one involving a nurse who was blinded by a rubber bullet, and another protester who was shot in the chest by a live round.
Both sides are becoming frustrated by the current stalemate. One group of protesters has decided to use violence to draw attention to the demonstrations. During one of the latest conflicts, this militant group came equipped with petrol bombs. The danger of reprisals from the mainland government grows day by day.
Further Reading: (Channel News Asia; BBC)
