The Globalist Weekly: 24th June 2019
A concise weekly digest of the top readings, content, ideas and discussions from our global bureaux and correspondents at ComplexGlobal.
Trump says US was ready to strike Iran
President Donald Trump said Friday that he called off the attack on Iran just as the US was “cocked & loaded” to strike because he decided there would be too many deaths for a proportionate response to the downing of a US drone earlier this week. “We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights (sic) when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General,” Trump tweeted.
Pilot behind MH370 disappearance
A leading theory on why Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, doesn’t point to a hijacker, pilot error or a mechanical failure — but to the captain of the plane. In a meticulous new report published by The Atlantic, William Langewiesche, a former national correspondent for the magazine, gives credence to that theory.
Ousted Egyptian president, dies in court
Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy collapsed and died in a Cairo court Monday, soon after making a final statement in his trial on espionage charges.Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, Morsy, 67, had just been led back to a soundproof glass cage inside the courtroom when he fell unconscious, Egypt’s public prosecution office said in a statement.
Myanmar: UN threatens to withdraw aid
The United Nations in Myanmar has warned it will withdraw support in Rakhine state to avoid complicity in a government “policy of apartheid” for Rohingya Muslims.A letter seen by the Guardian, sent from UN resident coordinator, Knut Ostby, to the Myanmar government, relayed a decision by the UN and its humanitarian partners to withhold support “beyond life-saving assistance” in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps deemed “closed” by the government, unless fundamental changes occur.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in the United States on Sunday in a show of solidarity with the almost 2 million Hongkongers who marched to demand the controversial extradition bill be scrapped, and for the resignation of the city’s leader. The rallies in New York and Washington were part of 39 planned protests taking place over the weekend around the world, with protests in Britain, Germany, France, South Korea, Australia, and North America, among others.
World Refugee Day: Huge painting unveiled
A large ephemeral painting depicting clasped hands and sprayed on the park adjoining the world-famous Eiffel Tower in Paris was unveiled to mark World Refugee Day (June 20).The artwork by Saype — real name Guillaume Legros — spans the 15,000 square metres of the Champs de Mars park and was realised with biodegradable paint made with chalk and charcoal.
Originally published at https://www.complexglobal.co
