Barack Obama backs net neutrality and says Internet must stay “free and open” November 10, 2014 US President Barack Obama has nailed his colours to the mast of net neutrality, as he urged the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fully embrace the principle in its new rules on internet governance. The FCC, an independent governmental agency, is currently drawing up new rules on internet governance which are expected to [...]
Obama dealt blow by Republican victory November 5, 2014 BARACK Obama was dealt a significant blow yesterday when the Republican Party won control of the Senate in the US mid-term elections, increasing their power in the final two years of his presidency. The Republicans also increased their grip on the House of Representatives and now control both chambers of Congress for the first time [...]
Barack Obama faces the press after Republicans triumph over Democrats in US midterms November 5, 2014 President Obama has finished his first press conference since his party's shellacking in America's midterm elections. Republicans strengthened their control over the House of Representatives gaining ten seats. However, the big story of the night was the GOP takeover of the Senate going from 45 to 52 seats so far. Furthermore, Republicans won governors' races [...]
US elections: Obama can only salvage his failing presidency if his party loses November 2, 2014 There is a lovely story about how the administration of US President John F Kennedy – for all its intellectual glitter and panache – managed to get Vietnam so wrong. Coming back from his first cabinet meeting, vice president Lyndon Johnson told his mentor and great friend Sam Rayburn, a crafty giant of the House [...]
Obama under pressure to put a stop to forced Ebola quarantine October 27, 2014 President Obama is under pressure to end the practice of forced quarantines, imposed by some US states on healthcare workers returning from countries affected by Ebola. The row was sparked after volunteer nurse Kaci Hickox became the first person to be held in New Jersey under the measures, despite not showing any symptoms of the [...]
Ebola travel bans: Obama says blocking flights from west Africa could make the outbreak worse October 18, 2014 US President Barack Obama has said that blocking flights from west Africa to stem the spread of Ebola could actually make the situation worse. Lawmakers have been placing pressure on him to block all flights from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone – the three countries suffering most at the hands of the epidemic – [...]
Obama and US Treasury announce new rules to end tax inversion deals September 23, 2014 US president Barack Obama has announced sweeping new measures to end the increasingly popular practice of US firms relocating their headquarters to countries with more favourable tax regimes through foreign takeovers. The US Treasury will introduce new measures making so-called tax inversion deals less attractive to firms. Measures include an end to “hopscotch” loans whereby [...]
Would Andy Murray, Alex Ferguson, Barack Obama, Boris Johnson and Groundskeeper Willie vote for independence in the Scottish referendum? September 18, 2014 It’s crunch time in the Scottish independence debate as Scots finally head to the polls today. In a campaign that’s been going on longer than we can remember, feelings about Scottish independence- for and against- have emerged, from economists, business leaders, celebrities and sports stars. Even fictional Scots have taken a side. Have you been [...]
Scottish independence referendum: Barack Obama urges Scots to vote No September 18, 2014 US President Barack Obama has urged Scots to vote No and preserve the Union in the Scottish Independence Referendum. With just hours to go until polling stations open, Obama took to Twitter to express his hope that Scotland remains with the UK. Obama described the UK as “a force for good in an [...]
The five questions Obama must answer to prove Iraq disasters won’t be repeated September 11, 2014 We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.” – John F Kennedy, Profiles in Courage I HAVE a theory about those of us engaged in politics or political analysis; each of us will have a “Profiles in Courage” [...]