Getting away with murder: Saudi fund’s Newcastle United purchase puts Khashoggi assassination in rearview

Opinion: With English Premier League teams regularly losing money, this Saudi deal is likely more about 'sports washing' than making a profit, writes Kristian Coates 

Newcastle United supporters dressed in robes pose with 'sold' placards as they celebrate the sale of the club to a Saudi-led consortium, outside the club's stadium at St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne in northeast England on 8 October 2021. [Getty]

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
12 Oct, 2021

A consortium led by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia has acquired ownership of Newcastle United in the English Premier League after an 18-month long controversy over whether the Saudi state, rather than its sovereign wealth fund, would exercise control over the soccer club. Almost three years to the day after Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and never came out, the scenes of jubilation involving up to 15,000 Newcastle supporters celebrating the takeover vividly illustrated some of the soft power benefits the Saudi leadership anticipates will accrue from the purchase.

One of the oldest and historically more successful teams in England, Newcastle United has developed a reputation for having one of the most passionate fanbases in the country. In recent years, supporters had turned on the previous owners, accusing them of under-investing in the team and of presiding over years of poor performances.

Against this background of chronic underachievement, the April 2020 announcement that the Public Investment Fund was partnering with RB Sports & Media and PCP Capital Partners to purchase the team sparked the excitement of Newcastle fans who anticipated the deal would catapult the team into a European powerhouse just as Abu Dhabi’s takeover of Manchester City in 2008 and Qatar’s purchase of Paris Saint-Germain in 2010 did.

"The fact that the Newcastle takeover was finally given the green light by the English Premier League a day after the resolution of the beIN issue was announced is unlikely a coincidence"

Although the decision to proceed with the Newcastle takeover, which had been stalled since July 2020, was framed by assurances the English Premier League received from the Public Investment Fund regarding its separation from the Saudi state, the key to unlocking the deadlock appears to have been a Saudi decision to unblock the Qatar-owned beIN Sports from broadcasting in the Kingdom.

beIN holds the Middle East North Africa rights to show English Premier League games, as well as a host of other sporting competitions, but its signal had been blocked in Saudi Arabia since 2017 as part of the blockade of Qatar. The Saudi authorities were also accused of turning a blind eye, at best, to an audacious shadow company, tellingly named beOutQ, that systematically pirated beIN broadcasting rights, including for Premier League games, in 2018 and 2019, in an apparent effort to score points against Doha during the blockade.

The fact that the Newcastle takeover was finally given the green light by the English Premier League a day after the resolution of the beIN issue was announced is unlikely a coincidence. The unpalatable truth is that business and commercial considerations were paramount over issues such as the Public Investment Fund's apparent ownership of the planes that transported Khashoggi's killers to Istanbul in 2018.

The enthusiasm that has greeted the new Saudi owners in Newcastle is another signal that the post-Khashoggi cold-shouldering of Mohammed bin Salman has come to an end, just as Joe Biden did not follow through on a campaign statement that he would make Saudi Arabia "the pariah that they are."

What do the Saudis get from purchasing a team that currently lies second-last in the Premier League and without a championship since 1927? The 20 teams in the English Premier League collectively lost almost a £1 billion in the pandemic-hit 2019-20 season, and Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City has recorded yearly losses upwards of £100 million. Buying a team hardly guarantees a conventional return on investment.

It is likely the Saudis see themselves as buying a prestige asset for state-branding (or "sports-washing") purposes because the acquisition does not contribute to the Public Investment Fund’s mission to assist in economic diversification and job creation in Saudi Arabia. There is, instead, an intangible factor that the new owners will be seeking which is about soft power projection, changing the image of Saudi Arabia, and utilizing the mass appeal of soccer to reach new audiences around the world.

Like it or or not, sport will always be political

Voices

Sam Hamad

03 August, 2021

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who doubles as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Public Investment Fund, has staked his credibility as the ruler-in-waiting of Saudi Arabia on Vision 2030 and the premise that he, and he alone, can transform the Saudi economy and society. Sport, entertainment, and tourism feature heavily in Vision 2030 and in the associated "giga-projects" announced by MBS since 2017 (and entrusted to the Public Investment Fund for delivery).

These include Qiddiya, a large-scale entertainment, sports, and cultural complex near Riyadh that was launched by the Crown Prince in 2017. Under Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has also become far more active in trying to harness the power of culture and sport to burnish its image, with the first Saudi Arabia Grand Prix set to take place on a street circuit in Jeddah in December and the Kingdom is leading a push to hold the FIFA World Cup every two years, instead of four, with hopes that it might host the tournament as well.

"To be sure, sports-washing is neither a new concept nor associated with Saudi Arabia alone"

To be sure, sports-washing is neither a new concept nor associated with Saudi Arabia alone; one need only recollect the spectacle of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin to appreciate the convening power of elite-level sport. English Premier League games are viewed in more than 200 countries and territories and Newcastle could play a visible role in "selling" Saudi Arabia to a genuinely global constituency.

Mohammed bin Salman may therefore be hoping that the passage of time may dim the memory of Khashoggi’s murder and dismemberment, to say nothing of the Saudi war on and blockade of Yemen, and that turning Saudi Arabia into an international sporting powerhouse "normalises" the Kingdom and its leadership after a difficult couple of years.

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, PhD, is a Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Follow him on Twitter at @Dr_Ulrichsen.

This article was originally published by our friends at Responsible Statecraft.

Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.

Israeli minister sees no compromise on U.S. Palestinian mission in Jerusalem

Israel says it will remain completely opposed to US plans to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that serves 

MENA
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
12 October, 2021

The consulate was subsumed into the U.S. Embassy that was moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018 [Getty]

Israel will remain opposed to Washington's plan to reopen a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem that has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to the Palestinians, even if political conditions change, an Israeli cabinet minister said on Tuesday.

The consulate was subsumed into the U.S. Embassy that was moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018 by then-U.S. president Donald Trump, steps hailed by Israel and condemned by Palestinians.

President Joe Biden wants to reopen the consulate to rebuild relations with the Palestinians, who seek parts of Jerusalem, as well as the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, for a hoped-for state.

"No way, no way," Justice Minister Gideon Saar told a conference hosted by the Jerusalem Post newspaper when asked if the consulate reopening might go ahead - perhaps in the event of this or a future Israeli government yielding to U.S. pressure.

"It needs Israeli approval," he added, speaking in English. "We will not compromise on this issue" for generations to come.

The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment.

The issue is likely to come up during a visit to Washington on Tuesday by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a nationalist atop a cross-partisan coalition, opposes Palestinian statehood, and Lapid has said that reopening the consulate could unsettle the government.

But Israeli media have speculated that Bennett could relent if Washington holds off until after his government secures more domestic stability by passing a long-delayed national budget, with ratification votes due next month.

Saar ruled out such a scenario, saying: "I want to make it very clear - we oppose it. We won't oppose it now and ... have a different opinion after the budget. We are 100% opposed to it."

(Reuters)

 

Israeli drone attacks Gaza municipal crew in border area

October 12, 2021 - 11:04 AM News Code : 1187983 Source : Palestine InfoLink: 

Israeli drone attacks Gaza municipal crew in border area An Israeli military drone on Monday night opened fire at a Palestinian municipal crew as they were trying to extinguish a fire in a dumpsite in Juhor ad-Dik area, east of Gaza City.

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Israeli drone attacks Gaza municipal crew in border area An Israeli military drone on Monday night opened fire at a Palestinian municipal crew as they were trying to extinguish a fire in a dumpsite in Juhor ad-Dik area, east of Gaza City.

The Gaza City municipality said the shooting attack forced its crew to withdraw from the place for some time, but they returned after the civil affairs office coordinated for their access to the dump.

The municipality added that the Israeli occupation army allowed two of its water vehicles to reach the site, although they were not enough to put out the blaze.

Assisted Dying to Be Legal in New Zealand From November

A citizen wearing a face mask takes a selfie with blooming tulips at the Botanic Garden of Wellington in Wellington, capital of New Zealand, Sept. 26, 2021.

 | Photo: Meng Tao/Xinhua

Published 12 October 2021 

New Zealand Minister of Health Andrew Little said here on Tuesday that the country's health system is ready to implement the End of Life Choice Act, making assisted dying legal in New Zealand.

Little said the government had appointed a three-person specialist committee to oversee the operation of the act. The End of Life Review Committee members includes a medical ethicist, a doctor specializing in end-of-life care, and a health practitioner.

Little said, "This independent review mechanism is one of the many safeguards put in place to ensure the service is operating in line with strict criteria set out by the Act."

Apart from the End of Life Review Committee, the New Zealand government also set up the Support and Consultation for End of Life in New Zealand group, or SCENZ, in August. Its responsibilities include maintaining a list of health practitioners providing assisted-dying services, and helping develop and oversee standards of care.

Little said, "We expect that in most circumstances, these services will be provided in the community and will be free for people who meet the strict eligibility criteria."

US: On Indigenous Peoples Day, Activists Demand Climate Action

Spurred by national calls for racial justice, communities across the U.S. have finally taken a deeper look at Columbus’ legacy in recent years – pairing or replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 

| Photo: Twitter/@_SemaHernandez_

Published 11 October 2021

On Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States, Native activists demanded more action on the climate crisis. It affects the whole country and planet and specifically Native American lands.

The Washington Post reported that Native American leaders and tribal members from across the country are in Washington for five days of protests beginning Monday.

The demonstrations, according to the Post, are "part of People v Fossil Fuels protests by a coalition of groups, known as Build Back Fossil Free, who are demanding that the Biden administration take more extreme actions to curb carbon-producing fossil-fuel projects at a time when scientists say the world needs to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions."

The federal holiday is traditionally officially dedicated to Christopher Columbus. This situation highlights the sharp divide between what the Associated Press reports are "those who view the explorer as a representative of Italian American history and others horrified by an annual tribute that ignores native people whose lives and culture was forever changed by colonialism."

Encouraged by national calls for racial justice, communities across the U.S. have been to take a deeper look at Columbus' legacy in recent years – choosing to replace the holiday with Indigenous Peoples' Day."

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet member in U.S. history, ran the Boston Marathon Monday (the first time the event is being held since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic) and tweeted that: "As I run today's Boston Marathon on Indigenous Peoples' Day, I will carry with me my ancestors who gave me the ability to run."

Haaland marked on Friday the government's order to restore National Monument protections to, among other places, Bears Ears in Utah, which is steeped in Native history and which Donald Trump tried to shrink in area. Haaland spoke alongside Joe Biden, who issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples' Day, yet which grassroots climate activists criticized for being filled with empty words and promises.

Oct. 12: Latin America Commemorates Indigenous Resistance Day

Indigenous women, Venezuela | Photo: Twitter/ @PlasenciaFelix

Published 12 October 2021

"It has been 529 years since the cry of the rebellion of our Indigenous peoples, who resisted and battled to defend these lands from the Spanish invasion," tweeted Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.

Spain celebrates Oct. 12 as its National or "Hispanic" day. On the other hand, in many Latin American countries, this day is no longer marked as "Columbus" or "Discovery" day, but as the "Indigenous Resistance Day."

In Latin America, there are some 826 different Indigenous Peoples, who represent more than 45 million people, about 10 percent of the continent's population. However, in certain countries, they account for a much higher percentage of the total population.

In this region, significant progress has been made regarding the constitutional and legal recognition of their rights. However, their formal rights are often frustrated in practice by the discrimination and exclusion that they continue to face due to the capitalist interpretation of "modern development."

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Francisco Cali highlighted violations of Indigenous peoples" rights in the name of environmental conservation in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Mexico. Also, the construction of highways, electricity networks, and hydroelectric plants transforms their territories and models of economic and social development.

"It has been 529 years since the cry of the rebellion of our Indigenous peoples, who resisted and battled to defend these lands from the Spanish invasion ... today the Bolivarian Revolution supports their struggles," tweeted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Last week he considered that Spain should apologize to Latin America and the Caribbean peoples for the American conquest crimes. Pope Francis and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) expressed themselves in the same vein in recent days.

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Placencia stressed that today" "we remember the warrior impetus of our ancestors, defenders of these land." FormerBolivia'ss president Evo Morales recalled that "10/12/1492 is the day of the invasion, and it is not the day of the arrival of civilization. The alliance between the monarchy and the Catholic Church imposed economic relations of exploitation, political relations of subordination and cultural relations of oppression".

The Senior Counselor of the National Organization of Colombian Indigenous Peoples (ONIC), Orlando Rayo, said that this is not a day of celebration because "it is the day of the extermination of Indigenous Peoples. Our knowledge and wisdom are colonized by forms of life and government that do not belong to our culture; they increase our physical and cultural extinction" Today is a day of struggle for Latin American Indigenous peoples.

Also, in Mexico City, marches to denounce their systemic marginalization have occurred. In Buenos Aires, several Indigenous organizations are demonstrating in front of the Argentine Congress to demand an Indigenous community property law extension. In Asuncion, groups demand that the government set up a work table to discuss land restitution. The event "Memories of October and meeting of social organization" is held in Quito, led by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), among many others.

 

Venezuela Calls on Spain to Rectify Indigenous Massacres

Venezuela’s Maduro: Spain must ask “forgiveness” from Latin America for colonial period “crimes”. | Photo: Twitter @TheRioTimes

Published 12 October 2021 

On the Day of Indigenous Resistance, the Venezuelan president recalled the victims of murder and slavery due to the expansion of Spanish colonizers on the American continent.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday called on the Spanish government to rectify and apologize for the massacre of millions of indigenous people from America during colonization.

Indigenous Resistance Day: Five Contemporary Struggles in the Americas

On the Day of Indigenous Resistance, the Venezuelan president recalled the victims of murder and slavery due to the expansion of Spanish colonizers on the American continent.

'More than 500 years ago, the Spanish empire killed, banished and enslaved millions of indigenous people. They came here to invade, colonize and massacre our grandfathers and grandmothers. Spain must rectify and apologize to all of America,' the dignitary said on Twitter.



Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Sacha Llorenti, also paid tribute to the millions of people exterminated during colonial times. 'Our gratitude goes to those who fought for decades and won the war for our independence. Today, we ratify our anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist essence,' the ALBA-TCP executive secretary said.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia recalled that 529 years ago, the arrival of European colonists to the Americas changed the course of humankind, especially the history of the native peoples of the continent.

'Today, we recall the warrior-like impetus of our ancestors, defenders of these lands,' the foreign minister said.

'You should be ashamed': Far-right GOP congresswoman slammed for attacking Pelosi and Pope Francis as 'communists'

Alex Henderson, AlterNet
October 12, 2021

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) during an interview. (Image via screengrab)

On Saturday, October 11, Pope Francis met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — and far-right Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York, in response, called both of them "communists."

The MAGA Republican and Donald Trump apologist, tweeting a photo of Pelosi and Pope Francis together, wrote, "Just two communists."

 

  

  

00:0303:36

Overwhelming majority of Kaiser Permanente union members vote to strike

Lynne Terry, Oregon Captial Chronicle
October 12, 2021

Kaiser Permanente (Kaiser Permanente)

An overwhelming majority of nurses, physician assistants, lab specialists and others have voted to strike at Kaiser Permanente.

Nine out of 10 Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals participated in the days-long vote, with 96% endorsing a walkout.

Shane Burley, spokesman for the union, called the endorsement unprecedented.

“I've never seen a strike authorization vote like this," Burley told the Capital Chronicle. “It's astounding."

The union represents 3,400 employees at Kaiser Permanente, which has two hospitals and clinics in the Portland area as well as clinics in McMinnville and the Salem area.

Burley said the union hopes the vote will spur Kaiser to finalize a new contract to replace one that expired Sept. 30.

For a strike to happen, the union has to set a date for a walkout, giving Kaiser 10 days notice. The earliest the union could strike would be Oct. 22.

In February, the union called for a strike of technicians at the St. Charles Health System in central Oregon. After nine days, the two sides agreed to a proposal by a federal mediator and the technicians returned to work.

Burley said some of those workers won raises of 70%.

At Kaiser, the union is asking for raises around 3 to 4%, He said Kaiser has proposed 1%.

Arlene Peasnall, senior vice president of human resources at Kaiser Permanente, released a statement following the union vote.

“We strongly believe that differences in bargaining are best worked out at the bargaining table, and we have a 24-year history of union partnership which proves that point," the statement said. “We will continue to work collaboratively with OFNHP to reach an agreement that meets the interests of both parties."

Kaiser Permanente cared for the first hospitalized Covid-19 patient in Oregon. It's not clear whether any are in its hospitals now.

“In the event of any kind of work stoppage, our facilities will be staffed by our physicians along with trained and experienced managers and contingency staff," Kaiser said in its statement.

The last time workers at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon walked out was in 1988, Burley said.

Besides the wage increase, the union is worried about a Kaiser proposal to create a two-tier system in which new employees would start at a lower rate. Burley said over time that would have a “disastrous effect on the entire industry" by bringing down wages.


Kaiser Permanente also faces potential walkouts among tens of thousands of workers in four other states where union members have voted for a strike.

In Oregon, Burley said the federation plans to keep negotiating.

Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Les Zaitz for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.

SQUID GAME USA

'Insult to injury': Target workers fume after company hands out fortune cookies that seemingly mock meager pay raises

Bob Brigham
October 12, 2021

Screengrab.

Target employees in Michigan felt insulted by the company following news that would not be receiving the pay raises they had asked for.

And then, reports WWMT-TV's Maria Serrano, the company added "insult to injury" by handing out fortune cookies that contained messages that seemingly mocked the meager raises they were receiving.

Serrano interviewed employee James Campbell, who described the fortune cookies they received.

"Not one of those that I read was uplifting, positive," Campbell explained.

"I see money in your future; it is not yours though," read one fortune.

"The fortune you seek is in another cookie," read another.

Another fortune said the cookie had fallen on the ground.

Campbell noted the timing came after Target announced they would only be getting a $2 hourly raise during the holiday season.

"And then we received the cookies a day later," said Campbell. "It felt like a direct stab to the employees that work here, especially when I can leave, come back and make more money than I currently am. It just doesn't quite feel right. The employees seem pretty disgruntled and disappointed by this and the fact it took the news getting involved to get any kind of apology."

To demonstrate employees had reached their breaking point, Serrano crushed one of the cookies on-air.

Target denied that the cookies were a cruel joke.

"We provided snacks to the team this week, including fortune cookies with pre-printed messages inside. We've looked into this and are confident target did not have any hand in choosing the written fortunes; they were simply the messages that came in the fortune cookies," spokesperson Brian Harper-Tibaldo said.

Watch:

  

This undated photo released by Netflix shows a scene of contestants vying to win the Dalgona Korean candy challenge in a scene from "Squid Game." Squid Game, a globally popular South Korea-produced Netflix show that depicts hundreds of financially distressed characters competing in deadly children’s games for a chance to escape severe debt, has struck a raw nerve at home, where there’s growing discontent over soaring household debt, decaying job markets and worsening income inequality. (Youngkyu Park/Netflix via AP)

WTF

Georgia school suspends Black students for planned anti-Confederate flag protest: report

Brad Reed
October 12, 2021

Confederate flag waving on the wind (Shutterstock)

Several Black students at the Coosa High School in Rome, Georgia say they've been suspended simply for planning a protest against the Confederate flag.

Local news station CBS 46 reports that many students at the school were upset last week when a group of white students came to school brandishing the Confederate flag while hurling racial slurs.

However, the school quickly jumped in to clamp down on a potential protest against the flag and suspended the students who organized it.

A recording obtained by CBS 46 reveals a high school administrator announced that the protest would not be allowed over the intercom system last week.

"The administration is aware of tomorrow's planned protest," the administrator said. "Police will be present here at school and if students insist on encouraging this kind of activity they will be disciplined for encouraging unrest."

Student organizer Jaylynn Murray told CBS 46 that the school shouldn't allow students to brandish the Confederate flag, especially since it doesn't allow them to wear Black Lives Matter apparel.

"I feel the confederate flag should not be flown at all. It is a racist symbol and it makes me feel disrespected," she said.

Watch CBS 46's report on the student protests below.