Tag: Year

But rather than see the day as a liberation, the ruling party's detractors, including Sam Rainsy, the exiled acting leader of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), have branded January 7 as the start of an occupation by an historic enemy. "Even today, Cambodian politicians, from Prime Minister Hun Sen and opposition leader Sam Rainsy on down, spend much of their energy fighting an old civil war which has little relevance to the problems facing most of Cambodia's 15 million people." "Without Vietnam, I was about to get killed right away because I was in jail already. Siphan said Sam Rainsy, who has long taunted Hun Sen with accusations of being a Vietnamese puppet, had no understanding of the importance of January 7 due to not living under the Pol Pot regime. "Sam Rainsy was living abroad; they never came across the suffering from the killings of the Khmer Rouge. Nee and his family followed the Vietnamese for around 15km as forces poured across the border, sending the Khmer Rouge scarpering west. He later joined the CNRP in 2012 before passing away four years later. "January 7 was a victory day but also a sad day [because] Vietnam violated Cambodian autonomy," Sovann told The Phnom Penh Post in 2001. "After January 7, from year to year Vietnamese have put pressure on all kinds of freedom of expression in Cambodia and the fate of Cambodia was decided by Vietnamese." But Hun Sen's efforts to paint himself as a national saviour did not make sense for young people who had never known war, genocide or the origins of the ruling party, he added.

It has been dominated by a series of elections as all party groups in the assembly, for one reason or another, sought a change in leadership. And it was a year that saw the first minister Carwyn Jones leave the office he held for nine years, following a long contest to replace him. While some of the inquiries launched after Carl Sargeant's death completed in 2018, two of the most significant did not. The main inquiry into what happened, to be led by QC Paul Bowen, has yet to get off the ground in the face of legal action from the Sargeant family. All opposition leaders had faced pressure to go but Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood, which has the third largest group of AMs, fought on despite challenges from Adam Price and Rhun ap Iorwerth. Mr Price promised to put Welsh independence at the centre of Plaid Cymru's political platform, and was successful. Paul Davies became Tory assembly leader after he defeated Suzy Davies in what was arguably the most polite, and deeply uneventful, contest of the year. The new operator, Transport for Wales, suffered a series of cancellations a month after it got started, in November. A row brewed between with the UK and Welsh governments about whether devolved powers would be lessened after the UK left the EU - and in response the assembly passed an act that enshrined EU law in Welsh law. Will Welsh politics be calmer in the next 12 months than the last, or will the conditions continue to be bracing?

The pound has dropped to its lowest level for almost two years amid the growing risks to the British economy from political paralysis over Brexit and on a no-deal scenario. Theresa May’s decision to delay the parliamentary vote on her Brexit plan to avoid an embarrassing defeat for the government sent sterling tumbling by more than 1.3% against the dollar and by almost 1% against the euro on the foreign exchanges. Pound v dollar 10 December Value of £1 in US$ 1.275 1 3 1.270 2 1.265 4 1.260 1.255 1.250 8am 10am 12pm 2pm 4pm 1 10.30am Cabinet ministers put on standby for emergency conference call with the prime minister 2 11.30am Theresa May holds conference call with her cabinet to update them on the conclusions of her talks with EU leaders over the weekend 3 11.33am Reports emerge that the PM has called off tomorrow's vote 4 15.30pm Theresa May delivers statement to parliament and falling pound Value of £1 in US$ 1.275 15.30pm Theresa May delivers statement to parliament 11.33am Reports emerge that the PM has called off tomorrow's vote 1.270 1.265 1.260 10.30am Cabinet ministers put on standby for emergency conference call with the prime minister 11.30am Theresa May holds conference call with her cabinet to update them on the conclusions of her talks with EU leaders over the weekend 1.255 1.250 8am 10am 12pm 2pm 4pm Guardian graphic. Source: Thomson Reuters Neil Wilson, the chief market analyst at the financial trading company Markets.com, said the pound had experienced one of its worst [days] since the 2016 referendum, adding that “the government [had] left investors completely in the dark about what happens next”. Economists at the Capital Economics consultancy said the chances of May’s deal passing the parliamentary vote in future, whenever it was held, was about 40%, with similar odds for a no-deal Brexit. It gave a 20% chance to a second referendum or a longer period of membership in the EU beyond the March 2019 deadline for article 50. Ruth Gregory, the senior UK economist at the firm, said the delay was “kicking the can further down the road”, adding: “We would not be surprised if Brexit uncertainty – which we estimate has knocked 0.5 percentage points off growth since the referendum – starts to weigh more heavily on the economy.” The FTSE 100 closed down by almost 60 points after a day of selling on financial markets as concerns grew over the US trade war with China. The index of leading UK companies usually rises when the pound is weak because many firms make large amounts of money in foreign currency. Thomas Cook, Stagecoach and Dominos Pizza were among the biggest fallers. Stephen Martin, the director general of the Institute of Directors, said: “Business leaders may understand the political reasons for the delay, but today’s announcement will be viewed by most as another extension of the frustration and uncertainty.”

Lower PFAS levels have been detected a mile away in drinking water pumped by a municipal well on East Washington Avenue. Concentrations in Well 15 water have tested below federal health advisory levels. The military hasn’t done testing to determine if or when drinking water quality could worsen. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and military bases in the state are facing criticism for failing to move quickly on cleanups. Congress allotted about $180 million for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1 for cleanups and for replacement of firefighting foam known to include high levels of harmful PFAS compounds. “I am aware that the U.S. EPA has established a Health Advisory Level for (two PFAS compounds,) however it is not applicable to the complex mixture of PFAS found in Wisconsin’s groundwater and affected drinking water wells,” Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, said in a letter to DNR secretary Dan Meyer. Another 41 wells had lower detection levels, said Fraser Engerman, spokesman for Tyco’s parent company, Johnson Controls in Milwaukee. Still, it may be years or decades before researchers determine if the new compounds are hazardous to human health. In 2016, the DNR published a study of PFAS in fish tissue that recommended more research to determine if people who eat fish should be warned about health hazards. The EPA advisory drinking water limit of 70 parts per trillion covers two of more than 3,000 existing PFAS compounds.

States in bold changed status in the previous two years, in some states including off-year and special elections National Conference of State Legislatures, Ballotpedia Democrats took outright control of seven chambers in six states, leaving Minnesota as the only state with a divided legislature. “They’re still trying to chip away at the thousand seats they lost over the course of the decade, to crawl out from those historic lows.” Democrats’ more impressive gains this week came in governor’s races, which will help them blunt the effect of some legislatures still in Republican control: Which party holds the governor's office Governorships that were held by a Republican, Democrat or a third party candidate. National Conference of State Legislatures, Ballotpedia Democrats won seven governor’s offices (with races in Florida and Georgia still undecided). (Democratic candidates won a majority of Senate seats there in 2012, but a group of them formed a coalition with Republicans, giving them control of the chamber, and our charts here reflect that Republican control). Where parties have unified state control State legislatures and governorships controlled by Republicans Democrats or were split. National Conference of State Legislatures, Ballotpedia Political scientists say that Republicans have become so dominant at the state level because of their focus on organization and alliances with well-funded pro-business groups, like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). “All those old clichés that ‘states are laboratories of democracy,’ that ‘all politics is local’ — it has been the opposite in the last decade.” Scholars suggest that Democrats and their donors might have been slow to respond to these trends in state politics because they’re philosophically more inclined to focus on what the federal government can do — and to be suspicious of “state control.” “That stems from how Democrats view how government should work,” said Mr. Morrison, the Democratic activist. State legislatures controlled by Republicans Democrats or were split. States in bold changed status in the previous two years, in some states including off-year and special elections National Conference of State Legislatures, Ballotpedia Governorships that were held by a Republican, Democrat or a third party candidate. National Conference of State Legislatures, Ballotpedia State legislatures and governorships controlled by Republicans Democrats or were split.

Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents. The Times said that Kushner’s tax bills reflected the use of a tax benefit known as depreciation that lets real estate investors deduct part of the cost of their properties from their taxable income. The Times report said nothing in the documents reviewed “suggests Mr Kushner or his company broke the law”. He added: “Always following the advice of numerous attorneys and accountants, Mr Kushner properly filed and paid all taxes due under the law and regulations.” The records reviewed by the New York Times did not expressly state how much Kushner paid in taxes, but included estimates for how much he owed called “income taxes payable” and how much Kushner paid in expectation of forecasted taxes known as “prepaid taxes”. Kushner sold his interests in the company to a family trust last year. The White House and Kushner Companies did not immediately comment on Saturday. The newspaper noted that the 2017 tax rewrite signed by Trump includes provisions that benefit real estate investors. In December, a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote to Kushner, asking whether in his talks with foreign officials he had ever discussed financing for a deeply indebted property in midtown Manhattan, citing concern he was using his position for financial gain. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner made over $82m outside White House roles Read more Kushner Companies said previously it had more than $2.5bn in transactions 2017 and has 12m sq ft under development in New York and New Jersey. Documents released by the White House in June showed Kushner held assets worth at least $181m, the Associated Press reported.

Labour raised £55.8m in 2017, while the Tories managed to raise £45.9m, also their highest ever total, as both parties financed general election campaigns. Labour received just over £16m from membership subscriptions, according to the data, an increase of £1.6m from the previous year. In total, these parties reported £125,322,000 in income and £122,194,000 of expenditure. Labour raised nearly £10m more than the Tories in 2017 Standfirst ... total income £0m 10 20 30 40 50 Labour, £55.8m Conservative, £45.9m Lib Dem, £9.7m SNP, £5.8m Green, £2.5m Ukip, £1.7m Guardian Graphic | Source: The Electoral Commission Labour beat its previous highest amount of £51m, which was raised in 2015, also a general election year, but one that was fought under Ed Miliband. The Tories’ second-highest amount raised in a year came in 2010, when donors gave £43.1m. Even Corbyn’s critics have been surprised by the way his popularity has turned around the party’s funding model. Under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Labour was reliant on a small number of wealthy donors. Labour received more than £16m from membership subscriptions in 2017 while Tory membership income fell below £1m Standfirst ... membership income 0m 5 10 15 Labour Conservative Guardian Graphic | Source: The Electoral Commission The party is now reliant on smaller donations from ordinary members. Spending by all political parties increased by 30% in 2017 compared with the year before, the figures showed. The Guardian disclosed last month that in the nine months from July 2017, the party raised £7.4m from donors paying a minimum of £50,000 to dine with Theresa May.

From George Osborne, the Evening Standard editor and former Conservative chancellor (@George_Osborne) What a bargain this is all turning out to be .... BBC News - Brexit: Technology-based customs system 'could cost £20bn' https://t.co/W6ICo5eE47 From the FT’s Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) Chief executive of HMRC thinks "max fac" could cost companies up to £200bn over a decade: yet Eurosceptic Tory MPs still believe they are *pro business* https://t.co/b7ySOyjQs6 pic.twitter.com/Pja40dFjjT From Hugh Bennett, deputy editor of BrexitCentral (@HughRBennett) HMRC offers hypothetical figure of £17-£20bn cost of customsIn the real world, former Swiss Foreign Secretary Prof Michael Ambuhl says the cost of customs is 0.1% of the value of trade for Switzerland - translates to around £500m a year for the UKhttps://t.co/SE6hUuELmq And Jon Thompson, the HMRC boss, also explained why he thought the new customs partnership (NCP) proposal could cost business nothing once it was up and running. (@jrmaidment) Downing Street says HMRC estimate that max fac Brexit customs option could cost businesses £20bn is “speculation”. The question is, how much does it cost to complete a customs declaration? The highly streamlined option is going to cost businesses £32.50, approximately, per customs declaration. That’s a cost of between £17bn and £20bn a year. She says the “max fac” customs system would involve firms having to pay £32.50 per customs declaration. This would cost them up between £17bn and £20bn a year, she says. (@jl_owen) HMRC say Max Fac could cost business up to £20bn...Last September, we @instituteforgov looked at potential costs - declarations alone could cost business up to £9bn pic.twitter.com/ecUlz3sXPx Thompson confirms that HMRC has asked firms to sign non-disclosure agreements before it discusses with them how customs arrangements might work after Brexit. Thompson says the “max fac” system could cost business between £17bn and £20bn. HMRC says “max fac” customs system preferred by Brexiters could cost business up to £20bn.

Saturday finds us once again marking Armed Forces Day, a day of respect and thanks for those who serve. But Jackson was recently chased out of the confirmation process to be VA secretary for the nebulous accusation of prescribing sleeping pills to officials traveling overseas and for other unsubstantiated allegations. When we thank a soldier on this Armed Forces Day we’ll be thanking them not just for what they might have done overseas, but also for what they represent for us at home. On Friday, President Donald J. Trump came right back at the bureaucracy by announcing he is nominating Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, an intelligence officer in the U.S. This viewpoint sees our soldiers as uneducated, brutish and flawed, as if there really is something very wrong with our armed forces and all that they do. Part of the reason the left casts members of the military this way is about politics. They are well aware that members of the armed forces more often vote for Republicans. Of course, at least part of the reason why members of the military more often vote for Republicans is that the military life requires people to grow up and take responsibility for themselves and others—things that tend to make people more conservative. This is why we need to get political on this day of thanks. This way, when we thank a soldier on this Armed Forces Day we’ll be thanking them not just for what they might have done overseas, but also for what they represent for us at home.

Politics always features, however. Some are brilliant at building a national brand through Eurovision. In the last century, Europe loved Brand UK. He resigned after the 2008 contest. The UK ended up mid-table, with over 100 points. “Not winning” won’t show this. If the professionals like Storm but the public do not, we can read that as disapproval. Songs in English have dominated the contest this century, winning every year except 2007 – and last year, when the winner was in Portuguese. Eurovision, like political Europe, is a liberal project. The professionals’ votes are announced first, so we shall have to wait till the end of the evening to see what Eurovision’s public voters have to say about SuRie – and by extension about Britain.