Italian populists could be second biggest force in EU parliament

Italy's anti-migrant and eurosceptic League party, led by interior minister Matteo Salvini, is projected to be the second biggest party in the European Parliament (EP) after this May's election, while the centre-right is to remain the biggest political family, according to polls released by the EU assembly on Monday (18 February).

The League would receive 27 seats in the next parliament, behind Germany's ruling centre-right CDU/CSU party, which is foreseen to send 29 MEPs.

The EP released the figures 100 days ahead of elections, taking place between 23 and 26 May, based on its aggregate of figures by "reliable" national polls.

Overall, the next EP could see a surge of nationalist, populist parties across Europe, while traditional left-right political families are set to become weaker, the polls indicated.

https://euobserver.com/elections/144194

Media Now Offering Free Campaign Advice to Democrats

The media, which is now almost exclusively devoted to politics, no matter what its ostensible subject, is now offering helpful advice for the large field of Democrat candidates for 2020 (you know, just like they did with the GOP in 2016). Message: Orange Man Bad, so play nice:

https://pjmedia.com/trending/media-now-offering-free-campaign-advice-to-democrats/

At “World Government Summit,” Globalists Push UN Agenda 2030

Top globalists are coming out of the closet. Thousands of leading globalists, communists, Islamists and others from around the world converged on the Arabian Peninsula this month for the World Government Summit. Their goal: promote technocratic globalism and plot the future of what they often call their “New World Order.” Senior officials from the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, Communist China, central banks, and even the Trump administration showed up to mingle with heads of state and advocates of Islamic Sharia law from across the region. Even Pope Francis delivered a message. As usual, despite top U.S. media outlets partnering with the summit, the establishment press in the United States largely failed to inform Americans about it.

https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/31542-at-world-government-summit-globalists-push-un-agenda-2030

Saudi Arabia, but not Russia, on EU 'dirty money' list

The EU has stigmatised Saudi Arabia and four US territories on "dirty money", but let Azerbaijan and Russia off the hook.

Saudi Arabia and the US offshore havens of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands posed a "high-risk" of "money laundering and terrorist financing", the European Commission said on Wednesday (13 February).

'Europe cannot be a laundromat for dirty money', Vera Jourova said

It also added six other jurisdictions to its register: the Bahamas, Botswana, Ghana, Libya, Panama, and Samoa.

The total number of states on the blacklist, first created in 2016, now includes 23 countries.

The additions must still be approved by EU capitals and by MEPs.

But if they get through, EU banks dealing with Saudi Arabia, for instance, will be obliged to do "enhanced due diligence" on financial transactions, the EU's justice commissioner, Vera Jourova said on Wednesday.

https://euobserver.com/foreign/144166

Dozens killed in Nigeria poll violence: observers

ABUJA (Reuters) - As many as 39 people have been killed in election violence in Nigeria, civil society groups said on Sunday, as the country awaited the results of voting in what was forecast to be its tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999.

The Situation Room - which represents more than 70 civil society groups - gave the death toll the day after voting, citing data from Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence. But authorities were braced for the possibility of further unrest after election results emerge later this week.

President Muhammadu Buhari, 76, a former military ruler who is seeking a second term on an anti-corruption platform, faces Atiku Abubakar, 72, a businessman and former vice president who has promised to expand the role of the private sector.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdulmajid Ali said police were still gathering information and could not provide figures on casualties. He said violence was greatest in the southern states of Rivers and Akwa Ibom.

The Nigeria Police Force said 128 people had been arrested nationwide for election-related offences including homicide, theft of ballot boxes and vote fraud. Thirty-eight weapons and a cache of explosives were also recovered.

http://www.foreigndesknews.com/news/politics/dozens-killed-in-nigeria/