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Thousands of rejected petitions reveal Brexit most popular issue and interests in vegan diets, plastic pollution and war in Syria White chocolate Creme Eggs, a ban on the computer game Fortnite and a peerage for Danny Dyer were among the desires expressed in thousands of rejected petitions to parliament in 2018, revealing a unique picture of a nation’s thwarted desires. As well as Brexit, which was the single most frequent issue raised, topics on the nation’s mind included plastic pollution, war in Syria, dog welfare, vegan diets and bad landlords, according to examination of almost 6,000 rejected petitions. They also show a nation hungry for junk food and longer holidays, anxious about the sell-off of Wembley stadium and dismayed about everything from potholes to software updates on Snapchat, a social network. Continue reading... from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2SrC3BP

From opera to bus stop signs, Insiders/Outsiders will tell the stories of arts figures who fled Nazis They are far from household names but perhaps should be: Fritz Busch, Carl Ebert and Rudolf Bing in the field of opera, the photographer Gerty Simon, and Hans Schleger, the graphic designer behind the London bus stop sign. All fled the Nazis as refugees, and each played an important part in shaping different aspects of British culture. Continue reading... from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2AmbsPm

Democrats refuse to provide funds for president’s pet project Opinion: It’s important to remember: this isn’t normal With time dwindling before a new Congress is sworn in, Donald Trump has not budged in his demand for billions in funding for a border wall, narrowing prospects for a government shutdown to end immediately when the legislature reconvenes. Related: John Kelly: judge me on what Trump didn't do while I was chief of staff Continue reading... from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2QafcsA

Guardian journalists spell out the potential impact, sector by sector, on national life If Theresa May fails to get her deal through parliament in January, the prospect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal becomes more likely. Here, Guardian journalists examine what a no-deal Brexit could mean for the country, sector by sector. Continue reading... from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2CHzWEF

Expect English cricket to thrive, women’s football to have a record-breaking year and more controversy surrounding Russia “It is dangerous to make predictions, especially about the future.” Some attribute that quote to Mark Twain. Others to the legendary baseball player and coach Yogi Berra. Either way, it’s useful advice for anyone daring to decipher what 2019 might hold. So with that in mind, consider what follows as less of a forecast and more of a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Hopefully in 12 months’ time I won’t look like an ass. Continue reading... from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2AwOSUD

Brexiteers who say we need some collective hardship insult those who lived through the hell of world war two As 2018 limps to a close, senior government ministers are back on parade to remind us how glorious Brexit is going to be – lest, in the gluttonous stupor of Christmas, we had allowed ourselves to forget what marvels lie ahead. In the Sunday Telegraph, Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, declared that Britain, far from retreating into indigent introspection, will become a “ true global player ” after 29 March 2019, with military bases all over the world. In the Mail on Sunday, meanwhile, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, invoked the economic success of Singapore since independence in 1965 as a blueprint “for us as we make our post-Brexit future”. Like Williamson, Hunt suggests that the rest of the world is on tenterhooks, longing for Britain to assume a bullish new role once liberated from the tyranny of Brussels: “We may no longer be a superpower but we are still very ...