Tag: Separatism

Hosting several young activists from around the world, former President Bill Clinton on Friday argued that harder policing isn’t the solution to Chicago violence. Chelsea Clinton also commented about the nation’s political divides in her remarks before she introduced her father at the Clinton Foundation event, held at the University of Chicago. The 42nd president said those who attack underrepresented groups do it to “fill this emotional chasm … that we think our differences matter more.” He added: “One of the things that is most disturbing about this new separatist time is, there seems to be an assumption that … in order for you to win, someone else has to lose.” Clinton’s remarks about Chicago came during a panel that included 18-year-old activist D’Angelo McDade, wounded last year in a shooting that killed his grandfather and uncle on the front porch of their West Side home. None were the intended targets. “Chicago gets high publicity for a high crime rate, a high murder rate. His group, the Peace Warrior Organization at North Lawndale College Prep, has recruited 1,129 student employees citywide. “Surviving is the only goal that I had,” said McDade, who still has a bullet fragment in his body. Why not set the trend that I’m better than what other people already said that I was.” Asked by Clinton how he relates to local police, McDade said officers can’t protect anyone if they don’t understand the communities they’re serving. “This is one beloved community … we can work together.” Also on the panel was Syrian refugee, activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Muzoon Almellehan, known for her work in Syria to keep girls there in school. “I strongly believe education is the only solution to rebuild my country and to help so many children in the world,” Almellehan said.

European markets posted declines on Friday, as investors digested the latest in political and economic news coming from the region. The pan-European STOXX 600 came under pressure in early afternoon trade, off 0.25 percent, pulling back from the previous day's session. Sectors pointed in different directions. Major bourses fell into negative territory during the session, with the U.K.'s FTSE 100 closing down 0.15 percent provisionally. Shares pulled back slightly following news coming out of Spain. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said that the absolute majority win by the separatists was a victory of the "Catalan republic" over the Spanish state, Reuters reported. Following the independence vote earlier this year, the news is set to continue to shake up the nation's political crisis between Catalonia and Madrid. In individual stock news, pharmaceutical firm Roche and Ignyta announced Friday, that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement for Roche to fully acquire the U.S. biotech firm, for $1.7 billion, paying $27.00 per share for Ignyta. GVC slipped over 2 percent, while Ladbrokes was up around 1.5 percent. Shares of the energy firm rose 2.5 percent.