Author: Adrian Mcdonald

The recent ‘Qatargate’ scandal in the European Parliament, which has seen MEPs & at least one former former MEP languishing in Belgian jail cells, has re-opened another serious issue – one that is institutionalised in Brussels – that of the “fake NGO”. The fake NGO is becoming a major problem in Brussels. Typically, such a body would purport to represent human rights interests: it is always going to be difficult for a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), for example, to say “no” to an approach by a human rights NGO – but easy for NGO to use the cover…

A US Coast Guard ship “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit” on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the US Navy. “The Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Stratton (WMSL 752) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on June 20 (local time) through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law,” said the statement released on Wednesday. The news of the transit comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China where he met with top officials and Chinese President Xi Jinping. During his visit, the top US diplomat said the US is not seeking…

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made no breakthrough on Sunday in talks about Sweden’s membership in the military organization with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with officials from the two countries to meet in just over a week to try to bridge their differences. After meeting with Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday in Istanbul, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Sweden has fulfilled its obligations regarding Turkey’s security concerns and hopes the country will be able to join NATO in the coming weeks. At a press conference following the meeting, the Secretary-General said, “We still have time to achieve…

Explore Indigenous culture, heritage experiences, farm-fresh cuisine, and natural wonders along the legendary Fraser River. Just a few hours from Vancouver lies a world rich with Indigenous culture, heritage experiences, and natural wonders—all centred around the mighty Fraser River. This vast river, which stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, is BC’s lifeblood and has played a major role in food harvesting, transport, and commerce for thousands of years. Follow the Mighty Fraser Circle Route from Vancouver to Lillooet and back, and discover ancient traditions, historic sites, and outdoor adventures as you visit the small communities that call BC’s largest river home.  Part 1…

Team Canada has won gold for the 28th time at the World Championships, defeating Germany 5-2 in Riga, Latvia. This was also Canada’s 53rd medal as they continue to be the most decorated nation in tournament history. Here is a look back at their path to gold. Canada’s Path To The Gold Medal Game While Team Canada won five of their seven preliminary-round games, it wasn’t in the same dominating fashion fans have come to expect over the years. Yes, they beat Latvia 6-0 but also suffered their second-ever loss to Norway, falling 3-2 in a shootout. Luckily, they were able to take advantage…

Coordinating the snarl of “alphabet agencies” in the American intelligence community, the “Office of the Director of National Intelligence” instructed the “National Intelligence Council” to prepare “an assessment of the implications of governments’ use of the Internet and other digital technologies to suppress freedom and control public debate”. The (predictable) result was a 31 October 2022 study, some 40%-redacted, entitled “Digital Repression Growing Globally, Threatening Freedoms” which specifically aimed at how “autocrats and personalist leaders in backsliding democracies” have definitely awoken to the potential political power of cyber-technology and invested heavily in controlling the flow of information and shaping public…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The United States on Saturday called on China to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines at a time of simmering geopolitical tension. “We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The Philippines on Friday accused China’s coast guard of “aggressive tactics” following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 195 kilometers off its coast. The Second Thomas Shoal is home to a small military contingent aboard a rusty World War II-era…

Earlier this month, the foreign ministers of China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran shook hands in Beijing, marking a historic moment in Riyadh-Tehran relations. The two countries’ resumption of diplomatic ties under China’s mediation signals the possibility that humanity can rise above conflict and achieve reconciliation for common good. The historic thaw came almost a year after Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era, and promote durable peace…

A convoy of hundreds of Americans has arrived in a port city in eastern Sudan, the State Department said, in the first U.S.-led evacuation effort of private U.S. citizens since deadly fighting erupted in the country two weeks ago. Buses carrying 300 people reached Port Sudan on Saturday after leaving the capital of Khartoum late Friday. The group of mostly Americans — along with some Germans, Norwegians and local staff — were driven on seven buses contracted by the U.S. and monitored by armed drones on the journey, a Pentagon official told NPR. The U.S. government contracted 16 buses total…

The United States and the United Kingdom have long enjoyed what Winston Churchill dubbed a “special relationship” – yet no US president has ever attended a royal coronation. Does this tradition point to an underlying antagonism between the two nations – or something more mundane? The Coronation of King Charles will be marked by centuries of pageantry and tradition. The King will swear his oath in Westminster Abbey in front of thousands of his subjects and heads of state. But there will be one glaring absence among the throng of dignitaries: US President Joe Biden. He was invited, the White…