Briefsfromshittu

Friday, November 18, 2016

Storm force gales, snow and ice forecast as cold snap strikes UK

Britain is bracing itself for the first blast of winter this weekend with the threat of freezing temperatures, storm force winds, snow, hail and ice making for hazardous driving conditions.

Severe weather warnings are in place across a swathe of the country with wintry showers threatening ice overnight and snow falling on higher ground in western and northwestern areas.

Flurries have already been seen as far south as Exeter.

The wintry weather, which follows an unseasonably warm autumn, is being brought in by a cold northwesterly airstream with clear spells allowing temperatures to plunge below freezing.

Yellow "be aware" warnings of ice have been issued by the Met Office for the Midlands, the North of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The area of low pressure is expected to move across southern Britain on Sunday bringing heavy rain and southwesterly gales.

Gusts of up to 55mph could be seen in inland areas, particularly over Sussex and Kent, while wind speeds of 65mph are possible on exposed south coastal locations.

These gales are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain - up to 30mm within less than 12 hours.

Motorists have been warned over the risk of difficult driving conditions due to localised flooding and the threat of fallen trees.

:: The latest Sky News weather forecast

Weather conditions are expected to improve from the southwest later on Sunday.

Sky News weather presenter and producer Kirsty McCabe said: "Usually the Autumn months are marked by spells of wet and windy weather, but it's been very quiet this year.

"That may change this weekend as an area of low pressure could bring stormy conditions to southern parts of the UK.

"However, there is a lot of uncertainty with the forecast track of this low pressure and the situation may change. It's one to keep an eye on as it could be the first named storm of the season.

"There may be gales or severe gales for southern coastal areas with gusts up to 65mph during late Saturday and early Sunday morning from Lyme Bay eastwards.

"Heavy rain could also be an issue during the early hours of Sunday."

Baton of global leadership passes from US to Germany

Berlin is a place where US presidents make history.

In this once divided city, Barack Obama, the outgoing President of a now divided USA, came bearing a baton, a torch of global international leadership to pass on to Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He lavished praise on his "closest ally" in office. Frau Merkel almost appeared to tear up as he recounted her personal history being the story of Germany's success.

President Obama practically said he would vote for her, if he could.

How history's wheel turns. In his own analysis, it does not move in a straight line, it zigzags.

Donald Trump's election, Brexit, the rise of some populist movements; all have been woven together by digitisation, and the easy percolation of false simple answers to complex truths, he says.

:: Japan PM Shinzo Abe first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump

Frau Merkel responded with the same analysis. She will find it easier to face off the rise of populist parties, due to the German electoral system.

But her lament for the direction of the world was not hidden. She, alone in the G7 industrialised nations, made her welcome to Mr Trump, conditional on respect for human values.

Berlin frets at the sight of Nigel Farage by Mr Trump's side, of his advisers offering support to the Le Pen family.

Diplomatic circles here in Berlin question the new White House's commitment to internationalism, NATO, stopping Vladimir Putin, and the transatlantic alliance.

Mr Obama tried unconvincingly to square his pre-election disdain for the notion of a President Trump with the fact that it is now happening.

His "cautious optimism" was not about Mr Trump per se, but about the fact that if he did not perform in a job "demanding seriousness" he "won't be there very long".

"The President-elect is going to see fairly quickly that the demands of being President cannot be treated casually," he said: a classic lawyer's way of appearing to conform to conventions, while not changing his view of Mr Trump even slightly.

:: French PM: Europe is at risk of breaking apart

Angela Merkel stood next to him, and the overall impression I got was total agreement - and agreement that Obama should carry on doing it.

He can't.

For starters, there is now open talk that a Trump White House means that Germany will have to look after its own defence and security - so Germany as a military power to match the French and the UK.

But President Obama is resting much more on Frau Merkel's shoulders.

He "hopes" the President-elect "stands up" to Russia and doesn't take the dealmaker "realpolitik" position at the expense of "smaller countries".

And the following things can't be taken for granted: the transatlantic relationship, free speech, civil liberties, an independent judiciary, the US system of Government and "our way of life".

Mr Obama clearly thinks Mr Trump is the cause of this uncertainty.

He may be expecting far too much of Frau Merkel.

This is a Germany that struggled with the burdens of Eurozone leadership, prolonging the man-made crisis for years of human misery.

German history means that Berlin is a reluctant imperium even in its own backyard.

It operates globally through the European Union. Berlin is in protective, not leadership mode. And the next move it awaits is who Donald Trump chooses as Secretary of State.

A US President in Berlin tends to direct history - Barack Obama leaves Europe uncertain where the world is heading.

Angela Merkel stood next to him, and the overall impression I got was total agreement - and agreement that Obama should carry on doing it.

He can't.

For starters, there is now open talk that a Trump White House means that Germany will have to look after its own defence and security - so Germany as a military power to match the French and the UK.

But President Obama is resting much more on Frau Merkel's shoulders.

He "hopes" the President-elect "stands up" to Russia and doesn't take the dealmaker "realpolitik" position at the expense of "smaller countries".

And the following things can't be taken for granted: the transatlantic relationship, free speech, civil liberties, an independent judiciary, the US system of Government and "our way of life".

Mr Obama clearly thinks Mr Trump is the cause of this uncertainty.

He may be expecting far too much of Frau Merkel.

This is a Germany that struggled with the burdens of Eurozone leadership, prolonging the man-made crisis for years of human misery.

German history means that Berlin is a reluctant imperium even in its own backyard.

It operates globally through the European Union. Berlin is in protective, not leadership mode. And the next move it awaits is who Donald Trump chooses as Secretary of State.

A US President in Berlin tends to direct history - Barack Obama leaves Europe uncertain where the world is heading.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

'Loser' Mitt Romney could be 'phony' Donald Trump's top diplomat

Donald Trump is understood to be meeting Mitt Romney - the man he referred to as a "loser" during the US presidential campaign - to discuss bringing him on to his team as Secretary of State.

The 2012 Republican presidential candidate had been a fierce and outspoken critic of his successor, describing him as a "phony" and a "fraud", and urging supporters to vote for anyone else but him while the party was choosing its nominee.

Other names rumoured for the Secretary of State role include former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; Bob Corker, chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton, and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Sources say Mr Trump and Mr Romney are set to have a "healing meeting" on Sunday, during which they will speak about the position.

The pair began building bridges after the billionaire businessman's election victory, when Mr Romney called to pass on his congratulations.

Mr Trump has also offered retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn a job as White House national security adviser.

Mr Flynn advised Mr Trump during the election campaign on national security issues and was often an introductory speaker at rallies.

Mr Trump has dismissed reports his transition is in chaos - saying his team is doing "a fantastic job" and the cabinet selection process "is going so smoothly".

:: Who will Donald Trump choose to help make America great again?

US media reports had suggested there is infighting in the President-elect's team - with one insider reportedly describing it as a "knife fight".

But Mr Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said: "It's false to say it's not going well.

"Everything up there is very smooth. I know the President-elect himself is very happy with how the transition is going."

'Freak tornado' wreaks havoc in Aberystwyth

Hurricane-force winds have wreaked havoc in West Wales after what witnesses described as a freak tornado hit the town of Aberystwyth.

TORRO, the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation, said the reports were yet to be verified but warned the cold front was moving eastwards to parts of southern and central England, bringing with it the threat of isolated tornadoes, high winds and lightning.

The Mid and West Wales fire service dealt with 25 weather-related incidents after trees crashed onto roads, power lines fell, caravans overturned and tiles were flung from roofs.

No reports have been received of anyone being seriously hurt in the storm, which saw winds of up to 94mph hit the area this morning.

Aberystwyth Lifeboat said they had heard reports of "lots of damage" in the area, while firefighters and police urged drivers to be careful due to debris on the roads.

In Clarach Bay, to the north of the town, Thomas Scarrott posted pictures on Twitter after the freak winds brought down caravans at his holiday park, Vale Holidays.

He told Sky News that the freak winds descended on the area "without any warning whatsoever" after a mild morning.

"It just descended into complete and utter carnage," he said. "There were caravans being thrown around, there was debris flying everywhere,. It was quite scary, to stay the least."

Mr Scarrott said his father sustained a minor injury after being struck on the wrist by flying debris, but that "luckily" no-one was seriously hurt as the park is currently closed to visitors.

Had it been peak season, there would have "without doubt" been deaths or serious injuries, he said.

"Caravans have been upended... we think there's 10, maybe 12, that have been turned completely upside down, completely written off, and another 10 to 15 have sustained damage beyond repair.

"All in all it's been a very disastrous day for us."

Elsewhere in the town, trees were torn down and roof tiles were blown into roads, with several being forced to close, Dyfed Powys Police said.

Aberystwyth Town FC has postponed training at its Park Avenue site after the extreme winds brought down two floodlights and fencing.

Front National's Marine Le Pen aims to emulate Donald Trump

It is an ominously familiar story.

A controversial, right-wing nationalist figure, accused of pushing a xenophobic agenda, looks set to become a presidential candidate in a head-to-head with a so-called establishment politician.

The French presidential election may not be held until spring, but Front National leader Marine Le Pen is proudly connecting dots between Brexit, Donald Trump and what she predicts will be her political victory.

"It's certainly some kind of emergence of a new world," she told Sky News.

"The victory of Mr Trump registers a striking demonstration of force towards ending the savagery of globalisation. It's just like after Brexit which was also a very interesting show of force."

She was speaking in Henin-Beaumont, near the city of Lens, where she attended an Armistice Day service at the town's war memorial.

She stood alongside Henin-Beaumont's mayor, a fellow Front National member, in what is now seen as the party's northern heartland.

Blighted by post-industrial unemployment, concerns over immigration, a faltering local economy and disillusionment with France's traditional parties has led many to consider Ms Le Pen their only hope.

In the 2012 presidential elections she may have failed to get enough support nationally to make it through to the head-to-head second round, but in Henin-Beaumont Ms Le Pen won around 35% of the vote - topping the poll ahead of Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Deadly New Jersey train crash driver 'had undiagnosed sleep disorder'

The driver of a train which crashed into a New Jersey station, killing a woman, reportedly suffered from undiagnosed sleep apnoea.

A lawyer for Thomas Gallagher, 48, said he had been diagnosed with the condition after the derailment in September.

A woman was killed by falling debris and 114 people were injured at Hoboken station.

Mr Gallagher told investigators he had no memory of the crash, but remembered waking up on the floor.

He was initially described as "critically injured" but was later said to have been well enough to cooperate with police.

An official also told the Associated Press news agency that investigators were considering if Mr Gallagher's alleged condition was the cause of the crash.

The train was at the end of its hour-long southbound journey from Spring Valley, New York, when it hit the terminal at Hoboken station.

Witnesses described a scene of terror and chaos as the crash topped support columns in one of the busiest transit hubs in the New York area.

Following the crash, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said it was obvious the train had come into the station too fast, but not why it had.

He added: "If there's something to learn then we will be sure to learn it and incorporate that lesson."

Sleep apnoea is described by the NHS as a relatively common condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing.

As a result, the person may not get regular sleep.

UKIP group 'misspent' EU funding on Brexit campaign, says leaked audit

UKIP has misspent almost half a million euros of EU funding on its own electioneering and to help boost their Brexit campaign, according to a leaked audit seen by Sky News.

The party splurged taxpayers' cash, breaking European Union spending rules, on polling in key UKIP target constituencies ahead of the General Election and also ahead of the EU referendum.

The money was provided to the European political grouping, the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE), which is dominated by Nigel Farage's party.

The report concluded: "The constituencies selected for many of the polls underline that polling were (sic) conducted in the interest of UKIP.

"Most of the constituencies can be identified as being essential for reaching a significant representation in the House of Commons from the 2015 General Election or for a positive result for the 'Leave campaign'."

And on the EU referendum the auditors said: "Several polling can be considered as financing of a referendum campaign which violates 8(4) ... prohibiting the financing of referenda campaigns."

The audit, drawn up for the European Parliament Bureau, puts the total misspend at over €500,615.55 (£430,486.82) by ADDE, which includes other parties in Europe, but a EU spokesperson said the "lion's share" was by UKIP, amounting to over €450,000 (£386,961).

The money, according to the audit, was used to fund polling in Great Grimsby and Thurrock, Rochester and Strood and Cardiff South and Penarth, all UKIP target seats at the last election.

Polling was also paid for ahead of the General Election in Thanet South, where Nigel Farage unsuccessfully ran to become an MP.

And it continued after the election, to fund several EU referendum attitude polls across the UK.

A final decision by the European Parliament Bureau will be made on Monday.

If the bureau agrees with the conclusion of the external audit, UKIP could be forced to pay back more than €170,000 (£146,185) while not being able to claim hundreds of thousands more.

This comes at a bad time for the embattled party, whose finances are in a poor state, a situation not helped by major party donor Arron Banks threatening to stop funding UKIP.

A spokesman for ADDE said they would be taking the matter to court and that the definition of "expenditure supporting a political party" had been changed.

He said: "The parliament administration has for months taken an aggressive and hostile attitude over the audit, amounting to nothing short of deliberate harassment.

"We have responded to their queries with a mass of information and explanation justifying our activities and expenditure. They have simply ignored our submissions and in several cases these submissions have been made repeatedly on their request."

A UKIP source told Sky News they were "not surprised that it has been leaked to the press before the party has had a chance to see it".