A painting made by street artist Sirante showing Silvio Berlusconi, Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio featured as in the original Caravaggio painting "I Bari". Photo: AFP The deadlock in Italian politics for the past two-and-a-half months shows little sign of loosening after a court ruled that former government officials colluded with Sicily's Mafia in the early 1990s. A third round of talks for a new government between the Five Star Movement (M5S) and Matteo Salvini's nationalist League, which leads a right-wing coalition that includes Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, went nowhere on Friday as M5S leader Luigi Di Maio continues to demand Salvini dump his scandal-dogged partner. Berlusconi was not involved in the Mafia trial in Palermo, however his close ally Marcello Dell'Utri, fellow Forza Italia founder, was sentenced to 12 years in prison along with other ex-officials and mafia bosses. The verdicts will likely be subject to a lengthy appeals process. Prosecutors had … [Read more...] about Mafia collusion ruling deepens Italy’s political divides
Politics
Brothers Linked To Assad Gave Thousands To Dennis Kucinich’s Ohio Political Machine
POLITICS 04/21/2018 08:00 am ET Updated 31 minutes ago The former congressman is seeking the Democratic nomination in Ohio's gubernatorial race and recently revealed he accepted $20,000 from a pro-Assad group. By Akbar Shahid Ahmed 170 WASHINGTON ― Ahead of a tight primary on May 8, Dennis Kucinich’s bid to win the Democratic nomination for the critical gubernatorial race in Ohio landed in trouble this week because of the revelation that he was paid $20,000 last year by a group sympathetic to Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Now,largely overlooked election filings show that the former congressman’s political apparatus received thousands of more dollars from two brothers involved in multiple efforts to bring Kucinich and Assad together since 2007. Elie Khawam, a member of a pro-Assad party in the Middle East, gave $6,000 to Kucinich Action PAC in two installments: $1,000 on May 4, 2015, and $5,000 on Nov. 1, 2016, two months before … [Read more...] about Brothers Linked To Assad Gave Thousands To Dennis Kucinich’s Ohio Political Machine
This Week In Politics: U.S.-North Korea Relations
Politics This Week In Politics: U.S.-North Korea Relations Audio will be available later today. Facebook Twitter Flipboard Email President Trump tweeted the North Korean news that it was suspending nuclear tests was "big progress." Agreeing to meet with Kim Jong Un was a gamble for Trump, but so far it seems to be paying off. … [Read more...] about This Week In Politics: U.S.-North Korea Relations
A New Generation’s Political Awakening
Politics A New Generation's Political Awakening Listen · 4:43 4:43 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/604293152/604446531" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Facebook Twitter Flipboard Email Enlarge this image Hundreds of students gather at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday to protest gun violence, part of a national high school walkout on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. Jim Mone/AP hide caption toggle caption Jim Mone/AP Hundreds of students gather at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday to protest gun violence, part of a national high school walkout on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. Jim Mone/AP Emily Nakano began doing lockdown drills when she was in second grade. "An alarm plays over the PA system, and we lock the … [Read more...] about A New Generation’s Political Awakening
When Oscars speeches get political: the best, worst and most annoying in Academy Award history
By Martha Ross | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group April 20, 2018 at 11:51 pm When Vanessa Redgrave unleashed her tirade against “Zionist hoodlums” at the 1978 Academy Awards, she became one of the most notorious examples of how things can go horribly wrong when celebrities talk politics on Hollywood’s big night. var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push([’embed’]); The “hoodlums” were Jewish groups who protested the acclaimed British actress for helping to make a pro-Palestinian documentary. Her belligerent, self-righteous rant didn’t go over well. After Redgrave left the stage, author and “Network” screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky came out and blasted Redgrave and other celebrities who think it’s OK to get political at the Academy Awards. He said, “I’m sick and tired of people exploiting the Academy Awards for the propagation of their own personal … [Read more...] about When Oscars speeches get political: the best, worst and most annoying in Academy Award history