An update on Brexit
The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, leading to the resignation of then Prime Minister David Cameron, who was replaced by then Home Secretary Theresa May. Other than that, little has changed since for the U.K. or the E.U. Much of this is because a nation’s leaving the E.U. is far more complicated than a referendum. The next step in the process will come next week when May is scheduled to deliver a letter to the European Council formally declaring the U.K.’s intent to leave, according to the BBC. After the letter is delivered, talks can officially begin between the U.K. and the E.U.
Espionage cases before Congress
The Russian hacking of email accounts that may have impacted the 2016 presidential elections, and the alleged wiretapping of Trump Tower by the Obama Administration are both being examined by Congress, and two U.S. intelligence chiefs are scheduled to testify before Congress next week, according to the BBC. Intelligence officials have released a report, and reported to various media outlets that the Russian government was behind the hack and release of Democratic National Committee emails, and investigation into members of President Trump’s cabinet have been called for by several Democratic politicians since then. Trump has also called for investigations into the claim that the Obama administration had his personal home and office wiretapped based a story which originated on Fox News.
The “Israeli Apartheid Report”
An international drama played out last week after the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia published a report calling the Israeli treatment of Palestinians “apartheid.” The report, which was published without the official approval of the ESCWA, was equated to “Nazi propaganda” by the Israeli government. The report was officially withdrawn Friday, only days after its publication, and Under Secretary General Rima Khalef, who was largely responsible for the publication of the report, has resigned her position after being honored by the Palestinian government according to the BBC and Aljazeera.
