Thursday, January 19, 2017
Donald Trump’s Inauguration Chair Explains Why Kanye West Wasn’t Asked to Perform
Kanye West made headlineswhen he met with President-elect Donald Trump in Trump tower in December, but he won’t be among the performers at the Inauguration.
Trump’s chair of his Presidential Inaugural Committee, Tom Barrack, said that the team did not invite the rapper to perform at the inaugurationduring an interview on CNN’s Outfont. “We haven’t asked him. He considers himself a friend of the president-elect, but it’s not the venue. The venue we have for entertainment is filled out, it’s perfect, it’s going to be typically and traditionally American, and Kanye is a great guy, but we just haven’t asked him to perform. We move on with our agenda,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
The rap star had publicly endorsed Trump telling his audiences mid-concert, “If I would’ve voted, I would’ve voted [for] Trump,” and calling Trump’s campaign approach “absolutely genius.” Following their December meeting, Trump told reporters they were “Just friends. Just friends—and he’s a good man.” West later said he met with Trump with goal of discussing “multicultural issues.”
The Rockettes, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Jackie Evancho, are scheduled to perform for the inaugural ceremonies, while Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, Lee Greenwood are slated to appear at the kickoff event.
Barrow 'inaugurated' as Gambian president
The Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow has taken the oath of office at his country's embassy in neighbouring Senegal.
The ceremony was administered by Sheriff Tambadou, president of the Gambian Bar Association.
The tiny West African state now has two men claiming to be president. Its parliament voted earlier this week to extend Yahya Jammeh's rule by 90 days while he challenges his election defeat at the hands of Mr Barrow, a former estate agent, in the courts.
Regional forces, led by Senegal, have threatened to enter the country to oust Mr Jammeh.
The Gambia, popular with European tourists because of its beaches, has never had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.
The ceremony was administered by Sheriff Tambadou, president of the Gambian Bar Association.
The tiny West African state now has two men claiming to be president. Its parliament voted earlier this week to extend Yahya Jammeh's rule by 90 days while he challenges his election defeat at the hands of Mr Barrow, a former estate agent, in the courts.
Regional forces, led by Senegal, have threatened to enter the country to oust Mr Jammeh.
The Gambia, popular with European tourists because of its beaches, has never had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.
Vice President Saidy quits, abandoning Yahya Jammeh
Gambia's Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy has quit, Al Jazeera has learned, amid rising political tensions as Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down as president despite losing a December election.
Saidy, who had been in the role since 1997, is the highest level official to abandon Jammeh's camp in his standoff with opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won the election.
Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Barrow, has refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.
Saidy, who had been in the role since 1997, is the highest level official to abandon Jammeh's camp in his standoff with opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won the election.
Jammeh, who lost a December 1 presidential vote to Barrow, has refused to leave office despite international pressure and a threat by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, to enforce his election defeat.
Botswana 'no longer recognises Jammeh'
Botswana has become the first African state to announce that it no longer recognises Yahya Jammeh as The Gambia's president following his refusal to hand power to Adama Barrow who defeated him in elections on 1 December.
In a statement, Botswana's goverrnment said:
Mr Jammeh’s decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.
In a statement, Botswana's goverrnment said:
Mr Jammeh’s decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.
The Government of Botswana therefore continues to appeal to the international community to do all within its power to exert pressure on Mr Jammeh to hand over power in order to ensure a smooth transition.
Mr Barrow was due to be inaugurated at a ceremony in The Gambia today, but Mr Jammeh has imposed a state of emergency and parliament has controversially extended his term by 90 days.
Mr Barrow was due to be inaugurated at a ceremony in The Gambia today, but Mr Jammeh has imposed a state of emergency and parliament has controversially extended his term by 90 days.
Gambian Dictator Yayha Jammeh’s Lawyer Flees To Senegal, Tells Him To Step Aside
Mr. Edward Anthony Gomez, the lawyer to embattled President Yaya Jammeh of Gambia, has fled to Senegal and advised his client to step aside and respect the wishes of Gambian people as expressed in the presidential election results.
Mr. Gomez said the decision to flee to Senegal along with his son was because of the increasing tension in Gambia and in the interest of peace and stability.
The lawyer announced the development in a letter dated 17 January, which he personally signed. He said he escaped a round-the-clock security watch around his house to flee to neighboring Senegal, where he said he has now found some inner peace after being coerced to be part of President Jammeh’s plot to cling to power.
Mr. Gomez advised President Jammeh to avoid a gruesome end to his stay in office.
“Everything except God’s kingdom comes to an end. I advocate for a peaceful end, rather than a violent and gruesome end. Please, in the name of the most merciful God, do not allow your legacy to be described as one where ‘the pen of sword dipped in innocent blood writes its history on the rough pages of tyranny
“The general perception is that after midnight on January 18th, 2017, the mandate of President Yaya Jammeh would expire and President-elect, Mr. Adam Barrow, would be sworn in as president in line with the dictates of our constitution. Any attempt to interrupt this ceremony, it is clearly understood, opens The Gambia to attack from ECOWAS forces,” Mr. Gomez wrote.
The lawyer also gave a hint into his relationship between President Jammeh and lawyers working on the dubious election petition filed by the beleaguered President and his party, the APRC, before the country’s Supreme Court.
“As a lawyer representing President Jammeh and the APRC party in the ongoing petition filed on his behalf at the Supreme Court of The Gambia, I have to admit that I was working under tremendous pressure and coercion with the said petition. As the retainer lawyer for the APRC, I could not refuse the brief on professional grounds, despite my apprehension,” he wrote.
Mr. Gomez said the decision to flee to Senegal along with his son was because of the increasing tension in Gambia and in the interest of peace and stability.
The lawyer announced the development in a letter dated 17 January, which he personally signed. He said he escaped a round-the-clock security watch around his house to flee to neighboring Senegal, where he said he has now found some inner peace after being coerced to be part of President Jammeh’s plot to cling to power.
Mr. Gomez advised President Jammeh to avoid a gruesome end to his stay in office.
“Everything except God’s kingdom comes to an end. I advocate for a peaceful end, rather than a violent and gruesome end. Please, in the name of the most merciful God, do not allow your legacy to be described as one where ‘the pen of sword dipped in innocent blood writes its history on the rough pages of tyranny
“The general perception is that after midnight on January 18th, 2017, the mandate of President Yaya Jammeh would expire and President-elect, Mr. Adam Barrow, would be sworn in as president in line with the dictates of our constitution. Any attempt to interrupt this ceremony, it is clearly understood, opens The Gambia to attack from ECOWAS forces,” Mr. Gomez wrote.
The lawyer also gave a hint into his relationship between President Jammeh and lawyers working on the dubious election petition filed by the beleaguered President and his party, the APRC, before the country’s Supreme Court.
“As a lawyer representing President Jammeh and the APRC party in the ongoing petition filed on his behalf at the Supreme Court of The Gambia, I have to admit that I was working under tremendous pressure and coercion with the said petition. As the retainer lawyer for the APRC, I could not refuse the brief on professional grounds, despite my apprehension,” he wrote.
Avalanche hits hotel after Italy earthquake killing 'many'
Up to 30 people are feared to have died after an avalanche triggered by an earthquake hit a hotel in Italy.
The heavy snowfall buried the remote, three-storey Hotel Rigopiano in the town of Farindola on the Gran Sasso mountain in the central Abruzzo region on Wednesday evening.
SKYTG24 reported bodies had been found inside the hotel, while Italian news agency Ansa quoted a rescuer at the scene as saying "there are many dead".
Tom Kington, a reporter for The Times in Rome, said the hotel had reportedly "partly collapsed" under the impact of the avalanche and weight of the snow.
He told Sky News: "Rescuers have yet to get there in force.
"Apparently they were only able to reach it on skis very early this morning at around 4am.
"There is talk of at least 20 people trapped inside the hotel, talk of fatalities and talk of two survivors."
The heavy snowfall buried the remote, three-storey Hotel Rigopiano in the town of Farindola on the Gran Sasso mountain in the central Abruzzo region on Wednesday evening.
SKYTG24 reported bodies had been found inside the hotel, while Italian news agency Ansa quoted a rescuer at the scene as saying "there are many dead".
Tom Kington, a reporter for The Times in Rome, said the hotel had reportedly "partly collapsed" under the impact of the avalanche and weight of the snow.
He told Sky News: "Rescuers have yet to get there in force.
"Apparently they were only able to reach it on skis very early this morning at around 4am.
"There is talk of at least 20 people trapped inside the hotel, talk of fatalities and talk of two survivors."
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Brexit: Theresa May set for parliamentary 'headache' over Article 50
Theresa May is preparing for a "headache" in Parliament as the two-year process of triggering Britain's divorce from the EU begins.
Ministers privately admit they are almost certainly going to have to put a draft law through Parliament to kick off formal EU exit negotiations in anticipation they will lose a landmark legal fight in the Supreme Court.
Sky News has been told the "most likely" option would be a two-clause bill that would give permission to trigger Article 50 and also pull the UK out of a raft of EU agencies that regulate medicines, the nuclear industry and the environment.
Ministers had hoped the court would allow Mrs May to put together a short, three-line bill, focused solely on Article 50 and difficult to amend.
Leading Brexiteers are now privately conceding that the idea of a unamendable bill is not realistic, but want to limit their opponents' manoeuvring on the floor of the House.
A two-clause bill would give opposition MPs more scope to table amendments.
"The majority of MPs have made it clear that no-one wants to block triggering Article 50 in the House of Commons," Wes Streeting, Labour MP, told Sky News.
"However, a bill with more than one clause, particularly when that plans to take us out of a whole range of agencies, has the recipe to cause quite a headache for the Government in the House of Commons - because it does give people the ability to table amendments and cause trouble."
:: Article 50 court case explained
The Government is preparing to allow a couple of days of debate in the House of Commons before pushing through a second reading by mid-February in order to get the bill into the House of Lords by the beginning of March - a tight timetable designed to hit the Prime Minister's March-end deadline.
Mrs May is adamant that she will get the bill through Parliament by her self-imposed deadline and has drawn up various versions of the draft law because the "detail of the Supreme Court judgment will be crucial to the framing" of any bill.
In addition to requiring parliamentary approval to trigger formal Brexit talks, a senior source said the Court could well require ministers to seek permission to withdraw from any EU agencies the UK is a member of "by virtue of what is now the Lisbon Treaty and various acts of Parliament".
Mike Nyman, chief executive of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Centre, told Sky News he was aware that the Government was preparing to get parliamentary approval to legally withdraw from agencies, including the European Atomic Energy Community (Eurotom),but said he was optimistic that UK-EU collaboration could still continue post-Brexit.
He said: "Collaboration of civil nuclear power has been very beneficial for member states and we need to find a way of maintaining that collaboration to ensure cross-country learning and development of advanced technology or nuclear continues."
Mr Nyman said it was important that regulators in the UK and EU continued to collaborate in order to ensure UK participation in pan-European civil nuclear developments.
The highest court in the land is to give its judgment over whether the Prime Minister must give MPs and peers a vote on whether to trigger Article 50 - starting the formal process of leave the EU - next Tuesday.
The ruling is the culmination of a series of court cases over who has the authority to begin formal Brexit talks - the Government or parliament.
The High Court already ruled that MPs should be given a vote on kicking off the process.
Ministers privately admit they are almost certainly going to have to put a draft law through Parliament to kick off formal EU exit negotiations in anticipation they will lose a landmark legal fight in the Supreme Court.
Sky News has been told the "most likely" option would be a two-clause bill that would give permission to trigger Article 50 and also pull the UK out of a raft of EU agencies that regulate medicines, the nuclear industry and the environment.
Ministers had hoped the court would allow Mrs May to put together a short, three-line bill, focused solely on Article 50 and difficult to amend.
Leading Brexiteers are now privately conceding that the idea of a unamendable bill is not realistic, but want to limit their opponents' manoeuvring on the floor of the House.
A two-clause bill would give opposition MPs more scope to table amendments.
"The majority of MPs have made it clear that no-one wants to block triggering Article 50 in the House of Commons," Wes Streeting, Labour MP, told Sky News.
"However, a bill with more than one clause, particularly when that plans to take us out of a whole range of agencies, has the recipe to cause quite a headache for the Government in the House of Commons - because it does give people the ability to table amendments and cause trouble."
:: Article 50 court case explained
The Government is preparing to allow a couple of days of debate in the House of Commons before pushing through a second reading by mid-February in order to get the bill into the House of Lords by the beginning of March - a tight timetable designed to hit the Prime Minister's March-end deadline.
Mrs May is adamant that she will get the bill through Parliament by her self-imposed deadline and has drawn up various versions of the draft law because the "detail of the Supreme Court judgment will be crucial to the framing" of any bill.
In addition to requiring parliamentary approval to trigger formal Brexit talks, a senior source said the Court could well require ministers to seek permission to withdraw from any EU agencies the UK is a member of "by virtue of what is now the Lisbon Treaty and various acts of Parliament".
Mike Nyman, chief executive of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Centre, told Sky News he was aware that the Government was preparing to get parliamentary approval to legally withdraw from agencies, including the European Atomic Energy Community (Eurotom),but said he was optimistic that UK-EU collaboration could still continue post-Brexit.
He said: "Collaboration of civil nuclear power has been very beneficial for member states and we need to find a way of maintaining that collaboration to ensure cross-country learning and development of advanced technology or nuclear continues."
Mr Nyman said it was important that regulators in the UK and EU continued to collaborate in order to ensure UK participation in pan-European civil nuclear developments.
The highest court in the land is to give its judgment over whether the Prime Minister must give MPs and peers a vote on whether to trigger Article 50 - starting the formal process of leave the EU - next Tuesday.
The ruling is the culmination of a series of court cases over who has the authority to begin formal Brexit talks - the Government or parliament.
The High Court already ruled that MPs should be given a vote on kicking off the process.
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