Blast from the Past - 60's, 70's, 80's Music (2020)
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My wife wanted me to sign a document any money she gets is hers!
All she had to do was take a pic and point google translate it lol. -
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Can those public Reverse Osmosis Water Filters be trusted?
bottoms up ! ... do that everyday and keep a tally -
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EU growing backlash against migration ECHR must adapt
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) must evolve in response to mounting political tensions over migration, according to Alain Berset, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. In a rare interview, Berset emphasized the need for open dialogue and reform, stating, “We are witnessing a world where things are changing rapidly. It is accelerating. We see this, and it means that it is normal that we must also adapt to this. We need adaptation. We need discussion about the rules that we want to have, and there is no taboo.” Berset, a former Swiss president, pointed to growing criticism of the ECHR and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), its judicial body, from across the continent. While defending the convention's core principles, he expressed readiness to discuss reforms. “I see the necessity to adapt but we must also do this respecting our core values,” he said. These remarks invite dialogue with critics of the current system, including figures like UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Conservative British leader Kemi Badenoch is set to argue that the UK should exit the ECHR altogether, saying: “I have thought long and hard about this, and I am increasingly of the view that we will need to leave, because I am yet to see a clear and coherent route to change within our current legal structures.” Berset extended an open door to discussions, stating, “We need to have political discussions … at the committee of ministers of the CoE, or direct with me because I am in charge of the convention. I’ve always been very open to dialogue with member states at the political level, with heads of state, heads of government, to address all issues. I see and I hear, and it’s clear for me that migration is an important issue at the moment.” Pressure for reform surged following a joint letter signed by leaders from nine European countries, including Italy, Denmark, Austria, and Poland. They called for an “open-minded conversation about the interpretation of the ECHR,” arguing that while the principles remain universal, the scale of migration today demands adaptation. “We now live in a globalised world where people migrate across borders on a completely different scale,” the letter stated. Their concerns focused on what they describe as judicial overreach by the Strasbourg court, particularly regarding deportation and border enforcement. “We believe that the development in the court’s interpretation has, in some cases, limited our ability to make political decisions in our own democracies,” the leaders wrote. The data underscores the problem: more than 70 percent of individuals ordered to leave European countries—including convicted criminals and terrorism suspects—have not been deported. Between 2018 and 2024, only 28 percent of the three million failed asylum seekers and irregular migrants were returned. German politicians Thorsten Frei and Jens Spahn have echoed calls for scaling back the court’s authority. Spahn even suggested that Germany might consider leaving the ECHR if reform fails. In total, 15 EU countries are reportedly aligned in their concern over judicial interpretations, with France among them. However, some, like Spain and Luxembourg, remain skeptical of changing the status quo. A critical case highlighting these tensions involved Abdesalem Lassoued, a Tunisian national who lived illegally in several EU countries despite deportation orders, ultimately carrying out a deadly attack in Brussels in 2023. His case galvanized demands for a tougher EU deportation policy. In response, the European Commission proposed legislation that includes longer bans for deported individuals, detention for security threats, and the controversial idea of “return hubs” outside the EU. Failed asylum seekers will no longer be able to delay deportation through appeals. Berset, sympathetic to the reform agenda, cautioned that negotiations will be difficult. He expressed disappointment that Meloni and Frederiksen, both of whom he knows personally, did not consult him before issuing their letter. “We will have a lot of members of the Council of Europe not ready to open the discussion on this,” he said. “Then, when we open [a] discussion, we know that they [disagree] on a lot of things. That means it will make the whole thing really complicated.” Still, Berset insisted reform should focus on the convention itself rather than court rulings. “In a society governed by the rule of law, no judiciary should face political pressure,” he said. “To address the case law of the court is the wrong way because it puts in question the independence of the courts.” He concluded, “When we have a government not really happy with case law, it is always possible to change the rules, to change the law, and the discussion must be in this direction.” Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times 2025-06-07 -
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Trump Administration Sanctions ICC Judges Over Alleged Targeting of U.S. and Israel
Trump Administration Sanctions ICC Judges Over Alleged Targeting of U.S. and Israel The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing them of participating in what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “illegitimate actions” directed against the United States and Israel. The sanctions are the latest expression of U.S. opposition to the ICC’s investigations into alleged war crimes in Gaza and Afghanistan. “These four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel,” Rubio said in a statement Thursday. He asserted that the court’s efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute U.S. or Israeli nationals had been undertaken without the consent of either nation. “The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,” Rubio added. “This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel.” The sanctions come in direct response to the ICC’s decision in November to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The tribunal cited alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza, where Israel conducted a large-scale military campaign following Hamas’ October 2023 attacks. The court has also been investigating alleged U.S. war crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan. https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/06/imposing-sanctions-in-response-to-the-iccs-illegitimate-actions-targeting-the-united-states-and-israel/ Thursday’s sanctions, enacted under an executive order signed by President Trump in February, freeze all U.S.-based assets held by the judges and require that any such holdings be reported to the Treasury Department. The judges targeted are Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. According to the administration, all four played roles in the ICC’s pursuit of cases against American or Israeli nationals. The court sharply rebuked the sanctions shortly after the announcement. In a statement, an ICC spokesperson said the measures were “a clear attempt to undermine the independence” of the institution, which is headquartered in The Hague. Although neither the United States nor Israel recognizes the ICC’s jurisdiction, the court has moved forward with investigations and arrest warrants based on allegations of serious violations of international law. The Trump administration has long objected to the ICC’s authority. During Trump’s first term, officials imposed sanctions on court personnel involved in investigations into U.S. actions in Afghanistan. Those sanctions were lifted by the Biden administration in 2021, but Trump’s return to power has renewed efforts to challenge the court’s legitimacy. Rubio made clear that the administration intends to continue using sanctions to push back against international investigations into the actions of the U.S. and its allies. “The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other U.S. ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC,” he said. Adapted by ASEAN Now from AXIOS 2025-06-07 -
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Lord Hermer’s Past Views on Immigration Stir Tensions Amid Starmer’s Tougher Border Promises
Title: Lord Hermer’s Past Views on Immigration Stir Tensions Amid Starmer’s Tougher Border Promises Lord Hermer, the UK’s Attorney General, is facing growing scrutiny over past remarks in which he championed the “immense positives” of immigration and urged a fundamental shift in the way it is discussed in British politics. In a 2022 podcast interview recorded before he entered Parliament or assumed his current role, Hermer called for efforts to “alter the popular discourse” on immigration and expressed concern that fear around the issue had become a powerful tool for Right-wing movements like Brexit. Speaking on the Matrix Chambers podcast during a discussion about the Conservative government’s controversial Rwanda deportation policy, Hermer argued that the political Right had long exploited immigration to gain support. “The populist Right are very successful in using immigration and the fear of immigration as a recruitment sergeant or just generally in dominating the kind of political field,” he said. He then posed a challenge to his fellow legal and advocacy professionals: “What can those of us who are passionate about the protection of refugee rights do to try and alter the popular discourse?” Hermer added, “How do we go on the offence more generally in terms of our political culture, either to detoxify the whole debate, or to promote the immense positive things that immigration brings to this country? I speak as a second-generation immigrant to this country. How do we change the debate?” His remarks appear to be at odds with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s more recent stance on immigration. Starmer has pledged to “take back control of our borders” and warned that failing to do so could turn the UK into an “island of strangers.” The contrast between Hermer’s earlier comments and Labour’s tougher rhetoric on border control has raised questions among political opponents and within the party itself. The podcast episode also featured refugee rights expert Raza Husain KC and Sile Reynolds of the advocacy organisation Freedom from Torture. The discussion centred on challenging what Hermer described as a “propagandised post-truth world” and presenting an “alternative vision” of Britain as “a country that welcomes people seeking asylum.” Hermer, born in South Glamorgan to a Jewish family and reportedly a frequent visitor to Israel, has not spoken publicly about his parents’ origins. His appointment to the role of Attorney General came only after being granted a peerage by Starmer last year, despite having no prior political experience. That decision has since come under fire, with critics citing alleged conflicts of interest stemming from Hermer’s previous work as a human rights lawyer. His client list has prompted fierce criticism, including representations for Gerry Adams and an Islamist terrorist who planned to bomb Manchester. These associations have led some, including shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, to accuse Hermer of having spent his career “defending Britain’s enemies.” Hermer recently caused further controversy after drawing a historical parallel between politicians who question Britain’s commitment to international legal frameworks like the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and lawmakers in Nazi Germany. He later apologised for the comment but faced renewed calls to resign. The immigration issue continues to dominate headlines. Defence Secretary John Healey admitted this week that Britain had “lost control of its borders” after nearly 1,200 people crossed the Channel in a single day. At the same time, Starmer has pledged to tighten how the UK applies the ECHR, particularly in cases where foreign criminals avoid deportation by invoking the “right to family life.” One such case cited involved an Albanian man who remained in the UK because deporting him would have required his son—who reportedly disliked Albanian chicken nuggets—to leave as well. Adding to the mix, Hermer also previously advised Caribbean nations seeking reparations from Britain for slavery, working with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) as early as 2013. Despite the controversies, a spokesperson for Hermer insisted that the Attorney General is fully aligned with current government immigration policy as laid out in the official white paper. Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph 2025-06-07 -
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Lord Mandelson Bridges Political Worlds in Washington
Title: Lord Mandelson Bridges Political Worlds in Washington Lord Peter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the United States, offered a striking reflection on the political parallels between President Donald Trump and Labour leader Keir Starmer during a lively event in Washington D.C. on Thursday night. Surrounded by members of the MAGA elite, Mandelson was honoured with a plaque at Butterworth’s, a Capitol Hill restaurant that has become a social hub for young Trump supporters. Amid the clinking of glasses filled with Hambledon English sparkling wine, Mandelson responded to a call for a speech, half-jokingly admitting, “I don’t know what to say. I do feel that I have finally made it from tribal politician to real diplomat now that I have unveiled the first plaque in my new diplomatic career.” The plaque, which now rests above a French-style sofa in the restaurant, commemorates Mandelson’s first informal meeting there with Raheem Kassam, Butterworth’s co-owner and former adviser to Nigel Farage. “When I came here, I wandered off the streets hungry not knowing what it was. I thought I might get a nice lobster thermidor if I was lucky. I sprawled out on this sofa and we had a wonderful conversation for a long time,” Mandelson recalled. Since his appointment earlier this year, Mandelson has made notable efforts to engage with figures in and around the Trump movement. He has actively courted younger MAGA adherents, inviting them to embassy functions, including one held specifically for voices from "new media." Speaking warmly about Kassam, a close associate of former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Mandelson observed, “Although we don’t have identical politics, we are familiar with masters of the same drivers that brought our respective figures to power — President Trump in your case and Keir Starmer in mine.” He elaborated that both Trump and Starmer drew their political strength from “angry people who felt they were being unheard by mainstream politics,” adding that this included discontent over the cost of living, unchecked immigration, and “uncontrolled woke culture spreading across institutions.” In a broader reflection on his diplomatic mission, Mandelson said, “I feel that over centuries now, British diplomats here in United States have been creating coalitions that support the special relationship.” Drawing on his experience in the Labour Party, he added, “I have my own classic New Labour experience of fishing for votes across the political spectrum and forging unlikely coalitions, so good luck to you.” He also praised the unique cultural role Butterworth’s plays in Washington, saying, “I just think what you have created here at Butterworth’s is fairly remarkable. You’ve brought the best of British gastro pub food and planted it down here on Capitol Hill. I feel you’ve brought the special relationship up to a new higher level.” Kassam, in return, thanked Mandelson for attending, stating it was important to demonstrate that “Brits back home… can actually work together in His Majesty’s interest.” When asked about the developing fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump earlier that day, Mandelson admitted he hadn’t followed it, citing his absence from social media. Nevertheless, he did add diplomatically that “the office of president ought to be respected.” Reflecting with humour on his earlier political life, Mandelson recalled another plaque unveiling from his days as MP for Hartlepool: “With great flourish and great aplomb I ripped back the curtain and there was no plaque. I looked at it slightly bemused and they said, ‘It is on its way it just hasn’t been done yet’ as if that was that.” This latest unveiling, however, went off without a hitch, adding another layer of nuance to Mandelson’s evolving identity as both politician and diplomat — one seemingly at ease navigating unlikely political spaces in the name of diplomacy. Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times 2025-06-07
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