'Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been formally barred from competing in next year's presidential election.'
You could probably file that under least surprising political news of the year.
I wonder what Putin plans for when his 6 year term runs out in 2024. Formally he can't stand again, so repeat the job-swap stunt with Medvedev? Or screw that, abandon the pretence and declare himself Eternal Leader for life?
I thought he'd changed the constitution so he could stand again?
Edit - no, I see I'm wrong, must be the changes to term lengths I was thinking of.
Can @SandraMc pls bring her (?) crossword acuity to our daily Brexit political discussions.
Cool Yule, all.
Edit: I of course have zero political crossword acuity.
Thanks for the flattery but I'm one of those nerd types who are good at crosswords but little else - although I do enjoy following the discussions on PB.
Can @SandraMc pls bring her (?) crossword acuity to our daily Brexit political discussions.
Cool Yule, all.
Edit: I of course have zero political crossword acuity.
Thanks for the flattery but I'm one of those nerd types who are good at crosswords but little else - although I do enjoy following the discussions on PB.
98.574% of PB contributors are just such nerdy types.
Seems you need to know your obscure US history for this one!
I had never heard of him, I deduced him from the clue and looked him up on wikipedia. Mildly interestingly he was 8th president but "was the first President of the United States to be born a United States citizen. Of Dutch descent, he is the only U.S. president who spoke English as a second language."
Seems you need to know your obscure US history for this one!
I had never heard of him, I deduced him from the clue and looked him up on wikipedia. Mildly interestingly he was 8th president but "was the first President of the United States to be born a United States citizen. Of Dutch descent, he is the only U.S. president who spoke English as a second language."
And nicknamed “OK” after Old Kinderhook, apparently
Seems you need to know your obscure US history for this one!
I had never heard of him, I deduced him from the clue and looked him up on wikipedia. Mildly interestingly he was 8th president but "was the first President of the United States to be born a United States citizen. Of Dutch descent, he is the only U.S. president who spoke English as a second language."
I went through a stage of reading a lot of Gore Vidal novels and Van Buren plays more than a passing role in his 'Burr', part of the plot revolving around the idea that MVB was Burr's bastard.
Just to ride the thespy zeitgeist for a mo', it was Burr who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
Insane would fit 4D, I am admitting bafflement and defeat over the other two. Many thanks for a most enjoyable couple of hours, and merry Christmas (what's left of it)
The monarch is Anne, (again!). Half heartedly she is ane. Because half of the heart, or centre, of “Anne” is removed. Sweden on international car identifiers is S. So, as a down clue, ane supporting In S becomes INSANE.
The monarch is Anne, (again!). Half heartedly she is ane. Because half of the heart, or centre, of “Anne” is removed. Sweden on international car identifiers is S. So, as a down clue, ane supporting In S becomes INSANE.
Right there is a perfect example of why my brain has not been appropriately trained for crossword puzzles. One year to practice.
'Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been formally barred from competing in next year's presidential election.'
You could probably file that under least surprising political news of the year.
I wonder what Putin plans for when his 6 year term runs out in 2024. Formally he can't stand again, so repeat the job-swap stunt with Medvedev? Or screw that, abandon the pretence and declare himself Eternal Leader for life?
Kylo Ren: "The Supreme Leader is dead!"
General Hux: [being Force-choked by Ren] "Long live the Supreme Leader!"
'Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been formally barred from competing in next year's presidential election.'
You could probably file that under least surprising political news of the year.
I wonder what Putin plans for when his 6 year term runs out in 2024. Formally he can't stand again, so repeat the job-swap stunt with Medvedev? Or screw that, abandon the pretence and declare himself Eternal Leader for life?
At some point the salami tactics have to be seen as unnecessary effort for such autocrats I'd have thought(especially if they are still actually popular). Even at a lower level you see chaps like the Bolivian president, having put a proposal to the people to remove term limits defeated, and so deciding, 'screw it' and declaring that term limits are a breach of peoples' rights, and getting the courts to remove it, even though he himself had written a constitution which had term limits in it.
Given his much higher profile than Chinese presidents for some decades, I'd be more interested who Xi will transfer power to than Putin.
Though if we're talking job titles, I'd prefer 'Supreme Archon' myself.
Just returned from a late after dinner stroll to see we've lost the toss. The pitch looks utterly benign, and the team selection more tediously conservative than Theresa May. Don't think I'll be staying up for this one.
'Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been formally barred from competing in next year's presidential election.'
You could probably file that under least surprising political news of the year.
I wonder what Putin plans for when his 6 year term runs out in 2024. Formally he can't stand again, so repeat the job-swap stunt with Medvedev? Or screw that, abandon the pretence and declare himself Eternal Leader for life?
I think he'll go for a constitutional referendum to remove term limits. Conducted via guided democracy, konyechno...
If that doesn't happen and he decides to do the PM/President job swap again then he'll want someone slavishly loyal and with zero political initiative of their own. Putin's ex-bodyguard Alexi Dyumin could be an option. He has been made governor of Tula to give him political and administrative experience for some reason.
To li dozhdik, to li sneg. To li bydet, to li nyet...
'Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been formally barred from competing in next year's presidential election.'
You could probably file that under least surprising political news of the year.
I wonder what Putin plans for when his 6 year term runs out in 2024. Formally he can't stand again, so repeat the job-swap stunt with Medvedev? Or screw that, abandon the pretence and declare himself Eternal Leader for life?
I think he'll go for a constitutional referendum to remove term limits. Conducted via guided democracy, konyechno...
If that doesn't happen and he decides to do the PM/President job swap again then he'll want someone slavishly loyal and with zero political initiative of their own. Putin's ex-bodyguard Alexi Dyumin could be an option. He has been made governor of Tula to give him political and administrative experience for some reason.
To li dozhdik, to li sneg. To li bydet, to li nyet...
То ли дождик, то ли снег. То ли будет, то ли нет...
Comments
Brexitpolitical discussions.Cool Yule, all.
Edit: I of course have zero
politicalcrossword acuity.Edit - no, I see I'm wrong, must be the changes to term lengths I was thinking of.
In tribute to arguably the best PB poster ever. Certainly one of my top 5.
The former Tory, now UKiipper, but ever reasonable and courteous, Sean Fear.
FDrR said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”
So FEAR is his “only”, self-referential term.
But American President has only 40 possible answers, or thereabouts, I think. So as a definition it felt too easy.
MVB apparently campaigned as OK or Old Kinderhook, as he was from that part of New York.
Mar is to spoil and regeneration of “invent urban” gives the answer.
Unfashionable = out; following = back.
Just to ride the thespy zeitgeist for a mo', it was Burr who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
The monarch is Anne, (again!). Half heartedly she is ane. Because half of the heart, or centre, of “Anne” is removed. Sweden on international car identifiers is S. So, as a down clue, ane supporting In S becomes INSANE.
Then it’s D (a vid s) on. Ruth, of course.
-t-l-e-n
I'm therefore guessing that it is a person's name?
Poll (cut the top off) contest (battle) before each (ea) point (n)
Poll is to lop, or take the top of something, usually a tree.
Contest is battle. So poll ‘contest” is attle. Each abbreviated is ea. As in Turkeys, £4 ea.
Point = north, ( compass point),n.
Attle + ea + n = Attlean.
Of government is the definition. The Attleean government. As in the Attleean Welfare State. Or the Attlean legacy.
Apologies for a few “stinkers” in this year’s xword.
Thanks to everyone who contributed and those who helped solve it.
That’s all folks!
https://mobile.twitter.com/nw_nicholas/status/945381330669461504
General Hux: [being Force-choked by Ren] "Long live the Supreme Leader!"
Given his much higher profile than Chinese presidents for some decades, I'd be more interested who Xi will transfer power to than Putin.
Though if we're talking job titles, I'd prefer 'Supreme Archon' myself.
The pitch looks utterly benign, and the team selection more tediously conservative than Theresa May. Don't think I'll be staying up for this one.
https://twitter.com/natehiggins/status/945424230119854081
If that doesn't happen and he decides to do the PM/President job swap again then he'll want someone slavishly loyal and with zero political initiative of their own. Putin's ex-bodyguard Alexi Dyumin could be an option. He has been made governor of Tula to give him political and administrative experience for some reason.
To li dozhdik, to li sneg. To li bydet, to li nyet...