By Caille Millner Published 10:26 am PST, Friday, November 9, 2018 City Lights Books was the site of an election night reading. City Lights Books was the site of an election night reading. Photo: Dylan Entelis / The Chronicle 2011 Photo: Dylan Entelis / The Chronicle 2011 Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 City Lights Books was the site of an election night reading. City Lights Books was the site of an election night reading. Photo: Dylan Entelis / The Chronicle 2011 Political, poetic justice after 2 difficult years 1 / 1 Back to Gallery There was no way I was going to let election night 2018 happen the same way election night 2016 did. OK, so maybe I didn’t have any more control over Tuesday night’s … [Read more...] about Political, poetic justice after 2 difficult years
Politics
Lebanon’s Jumblatt voices currency fears over political deadlock
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Friday voiced fears for Lebanon's currency if the deadlock in forming a new government after a May election continues, and directed blame at the Iran-backed Hezbollah group for the delay. Lebanon's rival parties have been unable to clinch a final deal on the distribution of cabinet seats in a new national unity government under prime minister designate Saad al-Hariri. "What worries me is that the continuation of the current crisis will lead to a deterioration in the pound and economic ruin," Jumblatt was quoted as saying in the daily Jumhuriya newspaper. While politicians have often warned of the risk of an economic crisis in Lebanon, public expressions of concern for currency are rare. Lebanon is facing stagnant economic growth and the world's third largest public debt to GDP ratio. Central bank governor Riad Salameh has repeatedly said the Lebanese pound, pegged at its current level of 1,507.5 to the dollar for two decades, … [Read more...] about Lebanon’s Jumblatt voices currency fears over political deadlock
UK supermarket Christmas advert banned for being too political
LONDON (Reuters) - British supermarket chain Iceland has been banned from showing its Christmas advert on television because it has been deemed to breach political advertising rules. The discount supermarket company planned to use a Greenpeace-made animated short film, voiced by actress Emma Thompson, called "Rang-tan", about the destruction of the rainforest caused by palm oil production and its impact on endangered orangutans. Iceland, which earlier this year announced its intention to remove palm oil from its products by the end of 2018, said the film fitted its agenda, leading to its decision to use the film as its Christmas advert. The film was banned by Clearcast, which is responsible for the clearance of television ads before they are broadcast, on the grounds of it being seen to support a political issue. Under the 2003 Communications Act, an advert is deemed to contravene the bar on political advertising if it is "wholly or mainly of a political nature" or is "directed … [Read more...] about UK supermarket Christmas advert banned for being too political
Trump calls court decision on Keystone pipeline political, a disgrace
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the darkened ground of an oil spill which shut down the Keystone pipeline between Canada and the United States, located in an agricultural area near Amherst, South Dakota, U.S., in this photo provided Nov. 18, 2017. REUTERS/Dronebase/File Photo/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday blasted a federal court decision halting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, saying the U.S. judge in Montana had made a political decision and calling it a disgrace. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris ruled late Thursday that the U.S. government did not complete a full analysis of the environmental impact of the project. Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama … [Read more...] about Trump calls court decision on Keystone pipeline political, a disgrace
Iceland Christmas ad on orangutan plight banned for political rule breach
Iceland's main Christmas advert has been banned from TV as it is judged to be too political. The discount supermarket chain planned to use a Greenpeace-made animated short film, about the destruction of the rainforest caused by palm oil production, and its devastating impact on the critically endangered orangutan.Earlier this year, the major food retailer committed to remove palm oil from all its own-brand foods by the end of 2018.Iceland had wanted to make the Emma Thompson-voiced film, Rang-tan, central to its festive marketing campaign to raise awareness among shoppers.But Clearcast, the body responsible for vetting ads before they are broadcast, has said it has been unable to clear it because it breached the political rules set out in the broadcast code for advertising practice (BCAP). Under this code an advert is deemed to contravene the bar on political advertising if it is "inserted by or on behalf of a body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature" or is … [Read more...] about Iceland Christmas ad on orangutan plight banned for political rule breach