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GT20 Canada 2023: Date, Schedule, Teams, Squads, How To Watch Global T20 Canada Online
The 3rd edition of Global T20 Canada tournament begins on July 20 and ends on August 5.
The Global T20 Canada is a T20 cricket league played in Canada. The league is operated by Bombay Sports Limited and is also sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). This will be the third edition of this 20-over tournament, the inagural edition took started on June 2018 followed by the 2nd edition in 2019.
The inagural edition which started on June 28 got over on July 15, 2018. The first edition of the GT20 Canada tournament was won by Vancouver Knights who ended up beating Cricket West Indies B Team by seven wickets in the finals.
In 2019, the second edition which began on July 25 and ended on August 11 saw Winnipeg Hawks overcome the defedning champions Vancouver Knights in a super-over thriller. The third season was supposed to happen in 2020 but was later postponed to 2021 due to covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 season was moved to Malaysia but was latter shelved due to eminent covid-19 restrictions.
The tournament will cover a total of 25 matches which will also include - two qualifiers, one eliminator and a final (in a similar format as IPL).
Just a day away and our excitement has peaked for GT20 Canada Season 3 𤩗 GT20 Canada (@GT20Canada) July 19, 2023
Kicking off tomorrow with the home team Brampton Wolves taking on the neighbours Mississauga Panthers ð#GT20Canada #GT20Season3 #GlobalT20Â #CricketsNorth @BWolvesGT20 pic.twitter.com/ltqSgj8G2U
GT20 Canada Date And Time
The 3rd edition of Global T20 Canada would be played from July 20, 2023 – August 6, 2023 at the Brampton Sports Park.
The games are being scheduled at the following times (IST):
1:00 AM, 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM, with the qualifier 2 and final scheduled at 9:30 PM local time.
The matches will be held at 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM local time, with the qualifier 2 and final scheduled at 12:00 PM local time.
GT20 Canada 2023 Teams
Here are the six teams which are participating in the Global T20 Canada tournament
Brampton Wolves
Montreal Tigers
Toronto Nationals
Vancouver Knights
Surrey Jaguars
Mississauga Panthers
GT20 Canada Schedule
The schedule comprises 21 round-robin matches followed by 2 qualifiers, 1 eliminator, and a final.
Time is IST
GT20 Canada Squads
Brampton Wolves: Harbhajan Singh, Colin De Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Mark Chapman, Usama Mir, Hussain Talat, Usman Khan, Logan Van Beek, Jan Nicolaas Frylinck, Max O Dowd, Jeremy Gordon, Aaron Johnson, Rizwan Cheema, Shahid Ahmadzai, Rishiv Joshi, Gurpal Singh Sandhu
Montreal Tigers: Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Chris Lynn, Sherfane Rutherford, Carlos Brathwaite, Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Zahir Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Akif Raja, Aayan Khan, Dipendra Airee, Kaleem Sana, Srimantha Wijeratne, Matthew Spoors, Bhupendra Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Anoop Chima
Introducing the Montreal Tigers! ð¯ð¥— Montreal Tigers (@montreal_tigers) July 16, 2023
Ready to unleash their cricketing prowess and dominate the field! ðð¥
Grab your tickets now and secure your spot in the roaring stands! ðhttps://t.co/PlcCEMedWv
#montrealtigers #roarwithus #cricketnorth #globalt20canada pic.twitter.com/FQ8pN0ajdz
Mississauga Panthers: Shoaib Malik, Chris Gayle, Azam Khan, James Neesham, Cameron Scott Delport, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahoor Khan, Tom Cooper, Cecil Pervez, Jaskarandeep Singh Buttar, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nikhil Dutta, Shreyas Movva, Parveen Kumar, Mihir Patel, Ethan Gibson
Surrey Jaguars: Alex Hales, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ben Cutting, Litton Kumar Das, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mohammad Haris, Sheel Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jatinder Singh, Ayaan Khan, Bernard Scholtz, Pargat Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Ammar Khalid, Sunny Matharu, Kairav Sharma
Toronto Nationals: Colin Munro, Shahid Afridi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zaman Khan, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Hamza Tariq, Gerhard Erasmus, JJ Smit, Saad Bin Zafar, Farhan Malik, Nicholas Kirton, Armaan Kapoor, Sarmad Anwar, Rommel Shahzad, Udhaya Bhagwan
Vancouver Knights: Mohammad Rizwan, Rassie van der Dussen, Naveen-ul-Haq, Reeza Hendricks, Corbin Bosch, Najibullah Zadran, Junaid Siddiqui, Vriitya Aravind, Karthik Meiyappan, Ruben Trumpelmann, Ravinderpal Singh, Harsh Thaker, Rayyan Pathan, Muhammad Kamal, Nawab Singh, Kanwar Tathgur
GT20 Canada Marquee Players
Brampton Wolves
Harbhajan Singh
Tim Southee
Montreal Tigers
Shakib Al Hasan
Andre Russell
Chris Lynn
Carlos Brathwaite
Mississauga Panthers
Chris Gayle
James Neesham
Shoaib Malik
Surrey Jaguars
Alex Hales
Ben Cutting
Vancouver Knights
Mohammad Rizwan
Van Der Dussen
Toronto Nationals
Colin Munro
Shahid Afridi
Where to Watch GT20 Canada Live On TV?
The tournament will be broadcasted live on the Star Sports network in India.
Here are the global broadcast details:
In Australia, you can watch the tournament on Fox Sports, with live streaming available on foxsports.com.au and cricket.com.au.
In Canada, on CBC TV
In United Kingdon, on Free Sports
In Middle East, on Bein Sports
In South Africa, on SuperSport
Where to Watch GT20 Canada Live Online?
Live streaming of the GT20 Canada will be available on the Fancode app and Website. | Not_Explicit |
KABUL: Security officials shot into the air and used firehoses to disperse dozens of Afghan women protesting in Kabul on Wednesday against an order by Taliban authorities to shut down beauty parlours, the latest curb to squeeze them out of public life.
Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban government has barred girls and women from high schools and universities, banned them from parks, funfairs and gyms, and ordered them to cover up in public.
The order issued last month forces the closure of thousands of beauty parlours nationwide run by women — often the only source of income for households — and outlaws one of the few remaining opportunities for them to socialise away from home.
“Don’t take my bread and water,” read a sign carried by one of the protesters on Butcher Street, which boasts a concentration of the capital’s salons.
Public protests are rare in Afghanistan — and frequently dispersed by force — but around 50 women took part in Wednesday’s gathering, quickly attracting the attention of security personnel.
Protesters later shared videos and photos with journalists that showed authorities using a firehose to disperse them as shots could be heard in the background.
“Today we arranged this protest to talk and negotiate,” said a salon worker. “But today, no one came to talk to us, to listen to us. They didn’t pay any attention to us and after a while they dispersed us by aerial firing and water cannon.”
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the protest breakup. “Reports of the forceful suppression of a peaceful protest by women against the ban on beauty salons — the latest denial of women’s rights in #Afghanistan — are deeply concerning,” it said in a tweet.
Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023 | Not_Explicit |
Hundreds of protesters stormed the main gates of the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad early Thursday in response to police in Stockholm granting permission for a demonstration were organizers are reportedly planning another burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
Videos posted on social media showed a large number of protesters inside the Swedish embassy’s perimeter as well as black smoke and fire coming from the building.
The protest in Sweden, scheduled for Thursday, comes just weeks after a lone man set fire to pages of the Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque, leading to widespread outrage and condemnation around the world, including in Iraq.
According to AFP, Swedish police said Wednesday they had granted a permit for a protest outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, with media reporting the organizers planned to burn the Muslim holy book.
Stockholm police told AFP they had granted a permit for a “public gathering” outside the Iraqi embassy but did not wish to give further comments on what the protesters were planning.
The Swedish police have stressed that they only grant permits for people to hold public gatherings and not for the activities conducted during them, according to AFP.
At the Baghdad protest eyewitnesses told CNN that the protesters withdrew from the perimeter of the Swedish Embassy after setting part of it on fire “after delivering their message of protest against the act of burning the Holy Book of God.”
Sweden’s embassy staff in Baghdad are all safe amid protests outside of the building, the foreign ministry’s press office told CNN via email.
“We condemn all attacks on diplomats and staff from international organizations. Attacks on embassies and diplomats constitute a serious violation of the Vienna Convention. Iraqi authorities have the responsibility to protect diplomatic missions and diplomatic staff,” it said.
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the burning of Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad, the ministry said in statement.
The incident is part of a concerning pattern of assaults on diplomatic missions, posing a significant security threat, the ministry said.
It added that the Iraqi government has taken swift action, instructing competent security authorities to launch an urgent investigation, “measures in order to uncover the circumstances of the incident and identify the perpetrators of this act and hold them accountable according to the law.”
At the end of June, a man burned a copy of Islam’s holy book outside a Stockholm Mosque sparking mass condemnations across the Muslim world.
Images of the event showed he was the only person apart from his translator at the demonstration, which coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, one of the most significant dates in the Islamic calendar. | Not_Explicit |
HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba says it does not plan to sell any shares in its one-third shareholding in financial technology company Ant Group because it wants to retain its stake in an “important strategic partner.”
Alibaba Group Holdings said in a filing Sunday that it will not participate in Ant’s share buyback program. It allows shareholders to sell back up to 7.6% of their holdings at an unspecified price that values the company at 567.1 billion yuan ($78.8 billion).
Ant, which operates one of China’s leading mobile payments services Alipay, has seen its valuation fall nearly 70% from about $280 billion ($38.9 billion) at the time it was planning an IPO in 2020. That was derailed by regulators who conducted an investigation into the firm and then fined it nearly $100 billion for violating laws and regulations in the payments sector.
Given the plunge in Ant's valuation, investors who sell their shares to Ant will likely get far less than they would have gotten in 2020.
“Given that Ant Group continues to be an important strategic partner to Alibaba Group’s various businesses, Alibaba Group has decided that it will not sell any shares to Ant Group under the proposed share repurchase, so as to maintain its shareholding in Ant Group,” Alibaba said in the filing.
Alibaba had said earlier that it might sell shares during the program. Singapore state-owned investment firm Temasek Holdings also said it was considering selling some of its shares.
Founded by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, Ant Group's Alipay is the primary payment method on Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall e-commerce platforms. It serves over a billion users.
Alibaba earlier this year split its businesses into six business groups to try to increase shareholder value. It plans to spin off those businesses into companies that could eventually go public and raise funding.
In May, Alibaba said that its cloud unit, headed by Alibaba’s former CEO Daniel Zhang, is expected to list within a year. | Not_Explicit |
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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to press ahead with his contentious judicial overhaul, despite unprecedented mass protests at home, growing defections by military reservists and appeals from the U.S. president to put the plan on hold.
Netanyahu’s message, delivered in a prime time address on national television, set the stage for stepped-up street protests in the coming days leading up to a fateful vote expected Monday. After Netanyahu’s speech, protesters blocked Tel Aviv’s main highway for several hours, lighting bonfires and clashing with the police. Hundreds of others continued a roughly 70 kilometer (roughly 45 mile) march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Netanyahu was at times conciliatory during his address, saying he understands the differences of opinion that have bitterly divided the country and offering to seek a compromise with his political opponents.
But he was also defiant, saying his opponents were bent on toppling him and lashing out at the scores of military reservists who say they will stop reporting for duty if the plan is passed. Some have already quit.
“The refusal to serve threatens the security of every citizen of Israel,” he said.
Parliament is expected to vote Monday on a bill that would curtail the Supreme Court’s oversight powers by limiting its ability to strike down decisions it deems “unreasonable.” The reasonability standard is meant as a safeguard to protect against corruption and improper appointments of unqualified people.
WATCH: White House says Biden is still concerned about judicial overhaul as he extends invite to Israel’s Netanyahu
The bill is one of several keystone pieces of the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul plan. Netanyahu and his allies — a collection of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties — say the plan is needed to curb what they consider excessive powers of unelected judges.
Critics say the legislation will concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his far-right allies and undermine the country’s system of checks and balance. They also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, has a conflict of interest.
The proposal has bitterly divided the Israeli public and attracted appeals from U.S. President Joe Biden for Netanyahu to slow down and forge a broad national consensus before passing any legislation.
After Netanyahu’s speech, opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Netanyahu to defy his coalition allies and halt the legislation.
“This extremist group has no mandate to turn Israel into a messianic and non-democratic state,” Lapid said. “The Netanyahu government is waging a war of attrition against the citizens of Israel.”
Perhaps the biggest threat to the plan are growing calls by military reservists who say they will stop reporting for duty in key units. They include fighter pilots, commandos and cyberwar officers.
Israeli leaders and military commanders have expressed growing alarm, saying the refusals to serve could hurt the country’s security. Reservists, whose service is voluntary, make up the backbone of Israel’s military.
On Thursday, the former head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency, Nadav Argaman, voiced support for the reservists.
READ MORE: Israel pushes ahead with judicial overhaul plan despite widespread opposition, protests
“We need to stop this legislation by any means,” he told the Army Radio station, saying the reservists “are very concerned and fearful for the security of the state of Israel.”
Argaman was appointed head of the Shin Bet by Netanyahu in 2016 and stepped down in 2021.
Netanyahu said the refusals to serve undermined Israel’s democratic institutions, in which the army is subordinate to the government and not the other way around.
“If they succeed in dictating their threats, this is the end of genuine democracy,” he said. “A responsible government and a responsible state cannot tolerate this.”
Tens of thousands of Israelis have joined mass protests against the overhaul since it was proposed in January, and business leaders have said that a weaker judiciary will drive international investors away.
In Tel Aviv, movement leaders staged a “night of resistance,” marching through the city’s streets, beating drums and blaring horns. Police used water cannons and officers on horseback to clear protesters from the Tel Aviv highway, which remained blocked after midnight. Police reported at least six arrests.
The movement has also begun to shift its focus from Tel Aviv, where weekly demonstrations draw tens of thousands, to Jerusalem, where the parliament is set to vote next week.
READ MORE: Thousands protest outside U.S. offices in Tel Aviv, say Netanyahu government is straining relations
Hundreds of protesters packed up rows of small white tents and continued a march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, where they plan to camp outside parliament ahead of the vote.
Protesters flocked outside the home of the chairman of the Histadrut, Israel’s national labor union. The Histadrut ordered a strike in March, leading Netanyahu to freeze the overhaul. Netanyahu revived the plan last month after talks seeking compromise with opposition lawmakers failed. But the union has yet to authorize another strike.
After Netanyahu’s statement, movement leaders vowed further escalation. “We call on all those who care about Israel’s future as a democracy to take to the streets,” said Josh Drill, a protest spokesman.
Presidents of major Israeli universities said they would hold a strike Sunday to protest the bill, according to reports from Israeli media. Doctors held a two-hour “warning strike” Wednesday to protest the overhaul, which they said would wreak havoc on the healthcare system by granting politicians greater control over public health.
They vowed more severe measures if the bill is voted through.
The judicial overhaul plan was announced shortly after Netanyahu took office as prime minister following November’s parliamentary elections. It was Israel’s fifth election in under four years, with all of the votes serving as a referendum on his leadership while facing legal charges.
Critics say removing the reasonability standard would allow the government to appoint unqualified cronies to important positions without oversight. They also say that it could clear the way for Netanyahu to fire the current attorney general — seen by supporters as a bulwark against the overhaul plan — or appoint legal officials who could ease his way out of the corruption charges he is facing in an ongoing trial.
Netanyahu now heads the country’s most ultranationalist and religiously conservative government in Israel’s 75-year history.
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Jul 13 | Not_Explicit |
Ola S1 Air Arrival Confirmed, CEO Bhavish Aggarwal Announces Date; Check Details Here
The booking will first open for the one's who have reserved the electric scooter.
Ola Electric on Friday announced the date for the arrival of Ola S1 Air electric scooter.
Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder of Ola Cabs and Ola electric announced the news on Twitter.
"Purchase for S1 Air will open from 28th July-30th July for reservers and all our existing community, at an introductory price of ₹1,09,999. Everyone else can purchase from 31st July at ₹1,19,999. Reserve now to get the introductory price! Deliveries start early August!" he tweeted.
Purchase for S1 Air will open from 28th July-30th July for reservers and all our existing community, at an introductory price of â¹1,09,999.— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) July 21, 2023
Everyone else can purchase from 31st July at â¹1,19,999. Reserve now to get the introductory price!
Deliveries start early August! pic.twitter.com/EBM35oSh0B
Soon after the announcement, Ola Electric also announced the arrival from its official Twitter handle.
"The all-new versatile S1 Air is coming on 28th July #EndICEage", the tweet said.
Ola S1 Air Purchase Date
As per the information shared by Bhavish, the purchase of Ola S1 Air will first open for the people who have reserved the vehicle and also for the existing Ola Users and community members. They can purchase the Ola S1 Air Scooter from July 28-30, at an introductory price of Rs 1,09,999.
For others, the booking window will open on July 31 at a price of Rs 1,19,999.
He also stated that buyers can still go ahead and reserve the Ola S1 Air if they want to buy it for the introductory price!
When Will Ola S1 Air Deliveries Begin?
Many have already reserved the Ola S1 Air scooter and are keen to know the purchase date as well the delivery date.
Ola Cabs CEO confirmed through his tweet that the deliveries of Ola S1 Air will start from early August
How to Book Ola S1 Air?
To book an Ola S1 Air in Mumbai, you can follow these steps:
Go to the Ola Electric website and click on Explore Ola S1 Air button
Click on Reserve at Rs. 999 button
You will get options of various Ola S1s.
Select the Ola S1 Air.
Choose the colour you want to buy
Add your pin code.
Click on Reserve for Rs 999
Remember, the Scooter price depends on PIN Code. For registration, PIN Code should be as per your address proofs.
Once you have booked the Ola S1 Air, you will be assigned a delivery date. Currently, there is a waiting period for the Ola S1 Air in Mumbai.
About Ola S1 Air
The S1 Air is equipped with the newest MoveOS 3 software by Ola, which introduces several innovative features. Powering the S1 Air is a 2.5 kWh battery pack and a hub-mounted motor, which delivers a maximum output of 4.5 kW.
Ola S1 Air boasts an IDC-certified range of 100 kilometres on eco mode, the scooter can accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph in 9.8 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 90 kmph. A complete charge from zero takes approximately 4.5 hours.
The Ola S1 Air is fitted with a standard telescopic suspension at the front and shock absorbers at the back, and drum brakes are installed at both ends. These alterations, among others, have resulted in a weight reduction to 99 kg from the 125 kg of the Ola S1 Pro.
The S1 Air features a redesigned seat and a regular tubular grab-rail. With an under seat storage capacity of 34 litres—2 litres less than the S1 and S1 Pro—it also incorporates a 7-inch touchscreen and three riding modes: Eco, Normal, and Sports.
The Ola S1 Air will be offered in four colour options - Porcelain White, Coral Glam, Liquid Silver, and Midnight Blue. | Not_Explicit |
All Industrial Licences Issued Under IDR Act Will Be Valid For 15 Years
The government on Monday said that all industrial licences issued under the IDR Act will now be valid for 15 years
The government on Monday said that all industrial licences issued under the IDR Act will now be valid for 15 years as against three years with a view to promoting ease of doing business.
The Industries (Development and Regulation) Act deals with issuance of licences to industries.
"In supersession of all earlier Press Notes, the period of validity of industrial licence is being extended from three years to fifteen years for all kinds of Licenses henceforth to be granted under IDR Act in line with the validity of licenses being issued for defence items as a measure for ease of doing business," the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade said.
Streamlining the procedure for grant of industrial licences, the DPIIT said an extension of three years may be granted by the concerned ministry as per specified guidelines.
These guidelines are applicable for extension of validity of the licence in cases where the existing licence holder has not commenced production of the items within 15 years of issue of licence.
"The application for extension of licence should be submitted to the concerned administrative ministry/ explosive section, prior to the expiry of 15 years period or otherwise specified for commencement of commercial production," according to the guidelines.
It added that applicants should meet certain conditions at the time of applying for extension.
These conditions include acquisition of land either under ownership or on lease for a minimum period of 30 years; construction on the project should have been completed; and plant and machinery for the project should have been installed/commissioned. | Not_Explicit |
The Daily Telegraph says a number of unnamed cabinet ministers now want Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to consider abandoning green policies in the wake of the Tories' "shock" by-election win in Uxbridge.
The Conservatives held on to ex-PM Boris Johnson's former seat amid anger at plans by the Labour mayor of London to expand charges for polluting cars - a scheme the paper calls "arrogant".
It says Tory MPs looking for a path to victory at the next general election are now examining what it calls green "wedge issues", which they can campaign on to coax voters away from Labour. They are said to be encouraging Mr Sunak to scrap or delay net zero schemes in time for the next election manifesto.
Likewise, the Financial Times suggests that Uxbridge has persuaded some Conservative MPs to argue that Mr Sunak should now exploit voter concerns about the cost of green measures at a national level.
Craig Mackinlay, chair of the net zero scrutiny group of Tory MPs, said that "rethinking the net zero pathway" could put clear water between the Conservatives and Labour.
But in its editorial, the paper cautions the prime minister against obeying the "siren voices" urging him to swerve to what it calls the right-wing populism of abandoning green policies, and bringing in unaffordable tax cuts.
The Times suggests that the Uxbridge by-election win has buoyed the prime minister as he plans a series of "divisive policies" on crime, migration and transgender rights to highlight differences with Labour.
The paper says he believes that if a substantive issue is at stake - as was the case in Uxbridge - the Tories can win. It said they had effectively turned the by-election into a referendum on mayor Sadiq Khan's ultra-low emission zone plans.
Go True Blue is the Mail's headline, saying senior Tories want the prime minister to cut taxes and concentrate on house-building to lure voters back. The Express quotes Mr Sunak as saying the next general election is not a done deal. He said voters would back the Conservatives when confronted with the reality of Labour policies.
The Guardian, though, says the chances of the Tories succeeding at the next general election look increasingly slim, after suffering what it called "shattering defeats" in both the North Yorkshire and Somerset by-elections.
It claims those results underline the extent to which the national mood has turned against Mr Sunak's party.
There is no by-election coverage on the front of the Sun. Instead, Hell Hol! is the headline, over a picture of a congested motorway.
It says the British summer getaway ground to a halt yesterday because of delays via land, sea and air. There is worse to come, it warns.
For the Daily Mirror, it is all eyes on Brisbane, Australia, where the England women's football team - the Lionesses - kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti in a few hours time.
Roar Us On it says simply, over a huge picture of the team captain, Millie Bright.
- CHATGPT, AI, THE CLOUD: WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?: The podcast helping you understand the technology that's become a part of our everyday lives
- NEWS SATIRE AT ITS MOST CHAOTIC: Call Jonathan Pie for rants, drama, and an unexpected live phone-in radio show | Not_Explicit |
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. on Wednesday reported a net profit of Rs 10,644 crore in the June quarter as a freeze on the retail selling price of petrol and diesel despite a fall in oil prices helped turn around fuel marketing margins.
BPCL signage at petrol pump. (Photo: Vijay Sartape/BQ Prime)
State-controlled Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. on Wednesday reported a net profit of Rs 10,644 crore in the June quarter as a freeze on the retail selling price of petrol and diesel despite a fall in oil prices helped turn around fuel marketing margins.
State-controlled Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. on Wednesday reported a net profit of Rs 10,644 crore in the June quarter as a freeze on the retail selling price of petrol and diesel despite a fall in oil prices helped turn around fuel marketing margins.
The consolidated net profit of Rs 10,644.30 crore in April-June (first quarter of current 2023-24 fiscal year) compared to a net loss of Rs 6,147.94 crore in the same period last year, according to a company's filing with the stock exchanges.
The earning in the first quarter was 55% higher than the net profit of Rs 6,870.47 crore in the preceding January-March quarter.
In early April last year, BPCL and other government-owned fuel retailers—Indian Oil Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.—froze retail petrol and diesel prices to cushion domestic consumers from rising international oil prices.
That freeze led to the three retailers suffering heavy losses in not just April-June 2022 but also in the subsequent quarter.
Margins on petrol and diesel turned positive following softening of international oil prices in the June quarter, but rates were not revised, and the companies recouped losses they incurred last year. | Not_Explicit |
• Blinken claims 50pc occupied land recaptured by Ukraine
• Minsk, Moscow hold strategic dialogue
KYIV: The Ukrainian port city of Odesa came under renewed Russian missile attack early on Sunday, just hours before President Vladimir Putin declared that Kyiv’s counteroffensive had “failed” as he began two-day talks with his Belarus counterpart and ally Alexander Lukashenko.
The longtime leaders met for the first time since Lukashenko helped end a mutiny by Russian Wagner mercenaries in Russia last month, in the biggest threat to Putin’s more than two-decade rule.
“There is no counteroffensive,” Lukashenko said, before being interrupted by Putin: “There is one, but it has failed.”
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an interview to CNN on Sunday claimed that Ukraine took back about 50pc of the territory that Russia had initially seized, although Kyiv’s counteroffensive would extend several months. “These are still relatively early days of the counteroffensive. It is tough,” he said, adding: “It will not play out over the next week or two. Were still looking I think at several months.”
Hours before Lukashenko’s meeting with Putin in St Petersburg for “strategic” dialogue, Russian strikes targeted Odesa, which has been bombed several times since the start of the invasion.
Ukrainian leader Zelensky promised to strike back at Russia for the deadly attack. “Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral,” Zelensky said. “There will definitely be a retaliation against Russian terrorists for Odesa.”
Also, Unesco while condemning the attack on Odesa stated: “Unesco is deeply dismayed and condemns in the strongest terms the brazen attack carried out by the Russian forces, which hit several cultural sites in the city centre of Odesa, home to the World Heritage property ‘The Historic Centre of Odesa’”.
At Saint Petersburg, it was the first time Putin and Lukashenko have met since the latter helped end a dramatic mutiny by Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group.
The Belarus strongman now hosts Wagner fighters on his territory, after brokering a deal that convinced its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to end a march on Moscow and exile himself to Belarus.
Lukashenko said Minsk was “controlling” the situation with the notorious Wagner fighters, and restricting them to staying in the centre of the reclusive country. Wagner’s presence in Belarus has rattled EU and Nato member Poland, which has strengthened its border.
Both Putin and Lukashenko accused Warsaw of having territorial ambitions on Ukraine and Belarus, with the Belarusian strongman issuing a veiled threat.
Lukashenko accused Poland of trying to “rip off a western chunk” of Ukraine. He also accused Poland of bringing mercenaries to the border, saying he had “brought him a map of moving armed forces of Poland to the borders of the union state”.
After their talks, Putin and Lukashenko greeted crowds in the naval town and base of Kronstadt on Kotlin Island in a rare walkabout.
Earlier, Ukraine’s southern operational command said Odesa was targeted with at least five types of missile, including Kalibr cruise missiles. “Air defence forces destroyed a significant amount of the missiles,” it said.
“The rest caused damage to port infrastructure,” and several buildings, it said, adding that a missile had hit the Orthodox cathedral in the city centre.
The Orthodox Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa was damaged, according to a video posted by city hall on its Telegram channel.
The strategic port has come under repeated attack since Moscow pulled out of a grain export deal last week.
More missiles
The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, repeated Kyiv’s call for more missiles and defence systems after the latest attack on Odesa. “The enemy must be deprived of the ability to hit civilians and infrastructure. More missile defence systems, as well as ATACMS — this will help Ukraine,” he said on Telegram, referring to the long-range tactical missiles that Kyiv wants Washington to supply.
Kyiv has accused Russia of targeting grain supplies and infrastructure vital to any resumption of Ukrainian grain exports.
Moscow has claimed it only targeted military sites.
The attack on Odesa comes a day after a Ukrainian drone strike blew up an ammunition depot in Crimea, forcing the evacuation of the surrounding population and temporary suspension of rail traffic on the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2023 | Not_Explicit |
Netherlands vs. Portugal live updates: Women's World Cup 2023 top plays
The last time the Netherlands played in the World Cup, it met the United States in the final, losing 2-0. The squad is looking to do one better this time around and is in stellar shape heading into the tournament, having won seven of its last 10 outings in international competition. The Oranje Leeuwinnen are averaging 2.3 goals per contest over that same span.
On the other side, the Seleção das Quinas are 1-1-1, with six goals scored and two allowed, against World Cup teams in 2023. Portugal wasn't among the 24 countries that participated in the last World Cup in 2019, as it failed to qualify.
Follow our live coverage below!
13': Off the head!
Aggressiveness was the name of the game for the Netherlands early. They earned themselves a corner early in the match, and capitalized in with some crafty teamwork. Stefanie van der Gragt was the woman of the moment on the header, which was deemed good after a VAR check.
PREGAME
Setting the stage
The "World Cup NOW" crew previewed the match live on Twitter ahead of kickoff.
Bleeding orange
The Oranje Leeuwinnen faithful were out in full force in support of their beloved Netherlands squad.
Out for more
The Netherlands finished as the runner-up in 2019's tournament. To top that result only means one thing for Lieke Martens & co.
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Women's World Cup 2023 highlights: USWNT tops Vietnam, 3-0
2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
United States vs. Vietnam: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT's opener
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USWNT puts Julie Ertz, Savannah DeMelo in starting lineup for World Cup opener
United States dispatches Vietnam 3-0: Takeaways from World Cup-opening win
United States-Vietnam, England-Haiti predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
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World Cup 2023 social media tracker: Reactions to USWNT's solid 3-0 win
Don't fret if USWNT doesn't blow out Vietnam in World Cup opener
World Cup Daily: Spain makes a loud statement, Canada can't capitalize
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Women's World Cup 2023 highlights: USWNT tops Vietnam, 3-0
2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
United States vs. Vietnam: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT's opener
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USWNT puts Julie Ertz, Savannah DeMelo in starting lineup for World Cup opener
United States dispatches Vietnam 3-0: Takeaways from World Cup-opening win
United States-Vietnam, England-Haiti predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
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World Cup 2023 social media tracker: Reactions to USWNT's solid 3-0 win
Don't fret if USWNT doesn't blow out Vietnam in World Cup opener
World Cup Daily: Spain makes a loud statement, Canada can't capitalize | Not_Explicit |
Joe Rogan has turned down numerous requests from Donald Trump’s camp to interview the former president on his popular Spotify podcast, according to a report.
Rogan has stated he is not a Trump supporter and that he has no desire to give the 45th president a platform — even though a large chunk of the podcaster’s 11 million listeners do support the Republican front-runner.
However, after the two were seen shaking hands during a recent UFC fight in Las Vegas, Trump urged his advisers to explore further avenues for a sit-down, The Daily Beast reported.
One of Trump’s informal advisers, Roger Stone, has reportedly offered to engage Rogan in a UFC-style cage match in hopes of forcing the podcaster to interview the former president, according to the news site.
“The mere discussion of Donald Trump on a blockbuster podcast like Joe Rogan builds a remarkable audience,” a Trump adviser told The Daily Beast.
“Perhaps the only person bigger in the new media world than Joe Rogan is Donald Trump and the whole idea that the two of them would be together at long last — it would be an incredible audience.”
Trump recently appeared on the “Full Send” podcast, whose YouTube page counts more than 2 million subscribers.
The “Full Send” interview with Trump generated millions of views, though the YouTube video of it was removed by parent company Alphabet because the former president repeated his claims that the 2020 presidential election was fixed.
Rogan, who has faced his own criticism for spouting COVID conspiracies, has said in the past he has no desire to indulge Trump.
“I’m not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form,” Rogan told podcaster Lex Fridman last year.
“I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once. I’ve said no every time. I don’t want to help him. I’m not interested in helping him.”
On his own podcast last year, Rogan referred to Trump as a “man baby” while speculating that the current Republican frontrunner may be using Adderall.
Nonetheless, Trump isn’t taking the snub to heart, according to The Daily Beast.
“The president listens to Rogan,” one Trump adviser told the news site.
“I don’t think the president takes Rogan’s criticism personally, and really, in the end, Donald Trump would listen to a non-politician with some mild criticism more than a politician that kisses his ass.”
The Post has sought comment from Trump and Rogan. | Not_Explicit |
The governor’s campaign manager, Generra Peck, told NBC this week that DeSantis would begin focusing on a more national approach to campaigning, shifting away from touting his political victories in Florida. DeSantis formalized his long-expected bid for the White House in May but has so far failed to make headway against former President Donald Trump’s vice grip on GOP primary polls. DeSantis’ campaign has been plagued by missteps, and skepticism about his bid has begun to grow among Republicans.
“Ron DeSantis has never been the favorite or the darling of the establishment, and he has won because of it every time,” Peck said in a statement to NBC. “No one in this race has been under fire more and won than Gov. DeSantis. He’s ready to prove them wrong again. Buckle up.”
She added that DeSantis would shift focus from large campaign events to more intimate appearances and could give more access to media outlets. The governor has largely resisted such appearances on major networks, an unusual strategy for a candidate trying to appeal to voters across the nation.
There’s also growing concern about the breakneck pace at which DeSantis has been spending campaign funds. He brought in $20 million during last quarter’s fundraising haul, but a reported 70% of his donors have already given the federal maximum for a primary race. The governor has also struggled to secure a large coalition of smaller donors, although his affiliated super PAC, Never Back Down, has raised $130 million since March.
Politico reported last week that his campaign had begun cutting staff, a troubling sign as the race is only just gearing up, with the first GOP primary debate set for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. It’s unclear if Trump will attend the debate.
Despite such concerns, DeSantis defended his bid for the presidency earlier this week in a rare interview with CNN, saying he wanted the country to look forward rather than back, a dig at Trump, who lost reelection in 2020.
“They’ve been saying that I’ve been doing poorly for my whole time as governor, basically,” he quipped to CNN’s Jake Tapper.
DeSantis sparked nationwide criticism earlier last month after his campaign shared a new ad celebrating his efforts to limit freedoms for LGBTQ+ Americans. The video attacked Trump’s words of support after the 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 49 people dead. | Not_Explicit |
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — West Indies stubbornly fought to avoid the follow-on against India on a snail-paced third day of the second test at Queen's Park Oval on Saturday.
After scoring at barely two runs per over, West Indies doggedly reached stumps on 229-4 in reply to India's 438. West Indies need only 10 more runs to make India bat again.
The first test in Dominica ended in three days and the West Indies was embarrassed by a heavy innings defeat. In Trinidad, the home side has dug in to grind out a draw against a team it hasn't beaten in 21 years.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite has set the tone. The opener started on Friday and not until after lunch on Saturday did he reach his fifty off 170 balls, the second slowest of his career.
West Indies' determination to take its time, block or leave, netted only 143 runs in 67 overs, 33 of which were maidens. Two hours were lost to rain delays and play ended 20 minutes early because of bad light.
India's spinners have remarkable figures. Ravichandran Ashwin, who hauled in 12 wickets in Dominica, has 1-61 from 33 overs. Ravindra Jadeja has 2-37 from 25 overs.
Brathwaite started the day with new cap Kirk McKenzie, who took three boundaries off Jaydev Unadkat and gave medium-pacer Mukesh Kumar his maiden test wicket after taking a cut on 32.
As soon as McKenzie was out, rain arrived to delay the game for an hour.
After lunch, Kumar was pulled over fine leg for a six by Brathwaite, then the captain was out for 75 after facing 235 deliveries. He was drawn forward by Ashwin, whose ball turned in and took out middle stump.
After a period in which West Indies scored 20 runs in 15 overs, Alick Athanaze hit successive fours off Ashwin and he and Jermaine Blackwood survived India reviews.
Blackwood, on 20 from 92 balls, was out straight after tea, deflecting Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane, who made a one-handed catch in the cordon.
Joshua Da Silva was bowled on 10 trying to drive Mohammed Siraj, right before another rain delay of nearly an hour.
India finally took the new ball in the 103rd over, but Athanaze and Jason Holder remained untroubled to stumps. Athanaze was on 37 from 111 balls and Holder on 11.
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog gave a thinly-veiled rebuke to members of the House of Representatives for their attacks on Israel during his Wednesday speech at a joint session of Congress.
Herzog did not name names, but he referenced criticism of Israel from House members. More than one progressive Democrat recently vilified the Jewish state in public statements.
"Mr. Speaker, I am not oblivious to criticism among friends, including some expressed by respected members of this House. I respect criticism, especially from friends, although one does not always have to accept it," Herzog said.
"But criticism of Israel must not cross the line into negation of the State of Israel’s right to exist," he added, with those in attendance responding with resounding applause.
"Questioning the Jewish people’s right to self-determination, is not legitimate diplomacy, it is antisemitism. Vilifying and attacking Jews, whether in Israel, in the United States, or anywhere in the world is antisemitism. Antisemitism is a disgrace in every form, and I commend President Joe Biden for laying out the United States’ first ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism," he continued.
Herzog's remarks were a not-so-subtle reference to criticism by progressive Democrats. Most recently, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called Israel a "racist state" during an appearance at an event. Jayapal later walked back the remarks, which were met with criticism, even from those in her own party.
In May, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said in a tweet that Israel is an "apartheid state," that "was born out of violence and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians." She added that "75 years later, the Nakba continues to this day, using the Arabic word for "catastrophe" that Palestinians use to refer to Israel's establishment.
Jayapal's words led to the House passing a resolution to affirm that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state,
Nine Democrats were the only ones who voted against the measure. They were Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Cori Bush of Missouri, Andre Carson of Indiana and Delia Ramirez of Illinois. Another Democrat, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., voted "present."
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
LOS ANGELES — Another bus containing migrants from Texas arrived Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, the fifth to arrive here since June 14, Mayor Karen Bass’ office announced.
“One bus with migrants on board from Texas arrived around 11:30 AM PT today at Union Station,” the mayor’s office said. “The city has continued to work with city departments, the county, and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to our faith partners, to execute a plan set in place earlier this year. As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan.”
No further information was immediately available about the latest arrivals.
Before Saturday’s bus arrived, the most recent arrival took place Tuesday, when a bus of migrants that originated in Brownsville, Texas, arrived at Union Station.
The L.A. Welcome Collective said those immigrants were from Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Guetemala, Haiti, Honduras and Venezuela.
The group, which is composed of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Central American Resource Center-Los Angeles, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Esperanza Immigration Rights Project, and Immigrant Defenders Law Center, issued a statement Wednesday.
“The L.A. Welcomes Collective reiterates our commitment to work hand in hand with our City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles partners to receive and guide asylum seekers when they arrive,” the L.A. Welcome Collective said. “As a united front, we hope to serve as a beacon of hope to those seeking safe harbor as well as advocate for every human being be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of immigration status. Our purpose as non-profit organizations serving immigrants for decades is to help each Angeleno be fully integrated into society. We do not want to play politics with people’s lives. We will strive to do everything possible to maximize our limited resources until the busing of migrants stops or until we as a nation find a way to fix and improve a broken immigration system.”
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles issued the following statement Saturday afternoon in response to the latest arrival:
“… Our Archdiocese was founded by immigrants and we will continue to welcome our migrant brothers and sisters with open arms. We are honored to take part in the LA Welcomes Collective and the vital work being undertaken by each of our partner organizations. We are called to show compassion through accompaniment and pastoral care. As a united front, we hope to serve as a beacon of hope to those seeking safe harbor as well as advocate for every human being to be treated with dignity and respect. Our work to help migrants is that of mercy, emulating the love of God for his people.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently proclaimed his state’s border region “overrun” and hinted that more shipments of immigrants could follow.
“Texas’ small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden’s refusal to secure the border,” Abbott said in a statement after the first bus arrived. “Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Our border communities are on the front lines of President Biden’s border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border.”
In June, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a motion directing the city to draft a “Sanctuary City” ordinance that, when passed, would prohibit any city resources, property or personnel from being utilized for any federal immigration enforcement. | Not_Explicit |
Athenea del Castillo went off injured after Spain had used all subs.
Jenni Hermoso and Alba Redondo scored twice as Spain underlined their credentials as potential Fifa Women's World Cup winners by thrashing Zambia to progress to the last 16 with a game to spare.
The Spanish opened their Group C campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win against Costa Rica last week, having a total of 46 shots on goal.
They picked up where they left off against Zambia, racing into a ninth-minute lead when Teresa Abelleira drove in a stunning strike from distance.
Hermoso doubled the lead just four minutes later, heading home a cross on her 100th appearance for her country.
Redondo then rounded the goalkeeper in the second half before Hermoso scored her 50th international goal late on after a lengthy video assistant referee check.
Hermoso almost had a hat-trick soon after but her shot was pushed on to the crossbar, but Spain got their fifth when Redondo drove home in the final few minutes.
The victory also ensured Japan - who beat Costa Rica 2-0 earlier on Thursday - also progress and the two sides will meet in a battle for first place on Monday, 31 July (08:00 BST).
More to follow.
Line-ups
Spain
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Rodríguez Rivero
- 2BatlleSubstituted forHernándezat 45'minutes
- 4Paredes
- 5Andrés
- 19Carmona
- 6BonmatíSubstituted forGuerreroat 61'minutes
- 3Abelleira
- 11PutellasSubstituted forRedondoat 45'minutes
- 18ParallueloSubstituted forNavarroat 45'minutes
- 10Hermoso
- 8Caldentey OliverSubstituted fordel Castilloat 83'minutesSubstituted forat 0'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Guerrero
- 9González
- 12Hernández
- 13Salón
- 14Codina
- 15Navarro
- 16Pérez
- 17Redondo
- 20Gálvez
- 21Zornoza
- 22del Castillo
- 23Coll Lluch
Zambia
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 18Sakala
- 8Belemu
- 15Musesa
- 3MweembaSubstituted forPhiriat 76'minutes
- 13TemboBooked at 90mins
- 14Lungu
- 4BandaSubstituted forWilombeat 37'minutes
- 19MapepaSubstituted forChitunduat 37'minutes
- 12KatongoSubstituted forLubandjiat 76'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 17Kundananji
- 11Banda
Substitutes
- 2Soko
- 5Mulenga
- 6Wilombe
- 7Lubandji
- 9Mubanga
- 10Selemani
- 16Lungu
- 20Chanda
- 21Chitundu
- 22Banda
- 23Phiri
- Referee:
- Hyeon-Jeong Oh
- Attendance:
- 20,983
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home75%
- Away25%
- Shots
- Home22
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home13
- Away2
- Corners
- Home9
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away5
Live Text
Match ends, Spain 5, Zambia 0.
Second Half ends, Spain 5, Zambia 0.
Martha Tembo (Zambia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Eunice Sakala.
Attempt saved. Alba Redondo (Spain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Irene Guerrero with a cross.
Attempt missed. Racheal Kundananji (Zambia) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Offside, Zambia. Agness Musesa tries a through ball, but Barbra Banda is caught offside.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Athenea del Castillo (Spain).
Jenni Hermoso (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ochumba Lubandji (Zambia).
Attempt missed. Avell Chitundu (Zambia) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Margaret Belemu following a set piece situation.
Foul by Eva Navarro (Spain).
Martha Tembo (Zambia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Teresa Abelleira (Spain).
Ochumba Lubandji (Zambia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Irene Paredes (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ochumba Lubandji (Zambia). | Not_Explicit |
27 injured in latest Russian attack on southern Ukraine
At least 27 people were injured and two killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern cities, including the port city of Odesa.
The attacks mark the third straight day of strikes on the south, coming after Russia announced it would suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a diplomatic deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports from Odesa.
“Russian terrorists continue their efforts to destroy the life of our country,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram. “Unfortunately, there are wounded, there are dead. My condolences to my family and friends!”
“But there is no evil state of missiles that would be stronger than our will to save lives, support each other and win,” he added.
Odesa Gov. Oleg Kiper said that Russian strikes damaged both port and civilian infrastructure, including damaging the Chinese consulate in the city. At least two people were killed and eight others injured during the attack and rescue efforts, he noted.
“The aggressor deliberately beats port infrastructure — administrative and residential buildings around, as well as the consulate of the People’s Republic of China,” Kiper argued. “This suggests that the enemy does not pay attention to anything.”
The attack comes as Russia said it seeks “retribution” for a strike on the Kerch Bridge, connecting Crimea to Russia, on Monday. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for that attack, which shares similarities with a 2022 attack on the bridge that the Ukrainian government also did not claim responsibility for.
Russian missiles also destroyed an apartment building in Mykolaiv, another Black Sea city, injuring at least 19, according to officials.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Tech Mahindra Q1 Results: Revenue, Profit Slump As IT Slowdown Bites
Revenue at Tech Mahindra fell 4.07% from the previous three months to Rs 13,159 crore in the quarter ended June 30.
Revenue growth and profit at Tech Mahindra Ltd. faltered in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, underscoring the slowdown seen in the wider Indian information technology services industry.
The Pune-based software outsourcer's revenue fell 4.07% from the previous three months to Rs 13,159 crore in the quarter ended June, according to an exchange filing on Wednesday. That compares with the Rs 13,579.2 crore consensus estimate of analysts tracked by Bloomberg.
Tech Mahindra Q1 Results: Key Highlights (QoQ)
Revenue down 4.07% at Rs 13,159 crore (Estimate: Rs 13,579.2 crore).
Net profit declines 37.5% to Rs 703.6 crore (Estimate: Rs 1,146.9 crore).
EBIT down 32.4% at Rs 891.4 crore (Estimate: Rs 1,435.9 crore).
EBIT margin at 6.77% vs. 9.60% (Estimate: 10.57%)
"This is one of the toughest quarters I have seen," Chander Prakash Gurnani, chief executive officer at Tech Mahindra, said during a post-earnings virtual media interaction. "While the drop could have been anticipated, some of the macroeconomic headwinds and stretchy dealmaking have impacted our earnings."
On Wednesday, shares of Tech Mahindra fell 0.84% to Rs 1,144.05 apiece on the BSE, even as the benchmark Sensex ended the day 0.53% higher at 66,707.20 points. The quarterly results were declared after market hours. | Not_Explicit |
No Report Of Milk, Product Shortage; Milk Procurement Up 5.6% In June: Rupala
Milk procurement increased by 5.6% year-on-year in June, the government said on Tuesday.
Milk procurement increased by 5.6% year-on-year in June, the government said on Tuesday.
"No such report has been received by this Department, about the shortage of milk and milk products in the country. The milk procurement has increased in June 2023 by 5.6 per cent compared to last year," Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
The department periodically reviews the milk situation in the country, he said.
"Based on the inputs received from major dairy cooperatives, the stock of Skimmed milk powder has increased from 1,16,002 tonnes to 1,30,000 tonnes during May 2023 to June 2023," Rupala said.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying does not regulate the procurement and sale prices of milk in the country, the minister added.
"Prices are decided by the cooperative and private dairies based on their cost of production and market forces. Wholesale Price Index of fodder is in decreasing trend and it was 248 in January 2023, 237.4 in April 2023 and has moderated to 222.70 in June 2023. With the ensuing monsoon season, green fodder availability has improved," Rupala said.
During 2021-22, All India Milk production was 221.06 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT). The combined milk processing capacity of dairy cooperatives is 989.43 lakh litres per day. | Not_Explicit |
As he witnessed the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945, a piece of Hindu scripture ran through the mind of J. Robert Oppenheimer: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” It is, perhaps, the most well-known line from the Bhagavad Gita, but also the most misunderstood.Oppenheimer, the subject of a new film from director Christopher Nolan, died at the age of 62 in Princeton, New Jersey, on February 18, 1967. As wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, the birthplace of the Manhattan Project, he is rightly seen as the “father” of the atomic bomb. “We knew the world would not be the same,” he later recalled. “A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.”Oppenheimer, watching the fireball of the Trinity nuclear test, turned to Hinduism. While he never became a Hindu in the devotional sense, Oppenheimer found it a useful philosophy to structure his life around. “He was obviously very attracted to this philosophy,” says Stephen Thompson, who has spent more than 30 years studying and teaching Sanskrit. Oppenheimer’s interest in Hinduism was about more than a sound bite, Thompson argues. It was a way of making sense of his actions.The Bhagavad Gita is 700-verse Hindu scripture, written in Sanskrit, that centers on a dialog between a great warrior prince named Arjuna and his charioteer Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu. Facing an opposing army containing his friends and relatives, Arjuna is torn. But Krishna teaches him about a higher philosophy that will enable him to carry out his duties as a warrior irrespective of his personal concerns. This is known as the dharma, or holy duty. It is one of the four key lessons of the Bhagavad Gita, on desire or lust; wealth; the desire for righteousness, or dharma; and the final state of total liberation, moksha.Photograph: CORBIS/Getty ImagesSeeking his counsel, Arjuna asks Krishna to reveal his universal form. Krishna obliges, and in verse 12 of the Gita he manifests as a sublime, terrifying being of many mouths and eyes. It is this moment that entered Oppenheimer’s mind in July 1945. “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one,” was Oppenheimer’s translation of that moment in the desert of New Mexico.In Hinduism, which has a non-linear concept of time, the great god is involved in not only the creation, but also the dissolution. In verse 32, Krishna says the famous line. In it “death” literally translates as “world-destroying time,” says Thompson, adding that Oppenheimer’s Sanskrit teacher chose to translate “world-destroying time” as “death,” a common interpretation. Its meaning is simple: Irrespective of what Arjuna does, everything is in the hands of the divine.“Arjuna is a soldier, he has a duty to fight. Krishna, not Arjuna, will determine who lives and who dies and Arjuna should neither mourn nor rejoice over what fate has in store, but should be sublimely unattached to such results,” says Thompson. “And ultimately the most important thing is he should be devoted to Krishna. His faith will save Arjuna’s soul." But Oppenheimer, seemingly, was never able to achieve this peace. “In some sort of crude sense which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatements can quite extinguish,” he said, two years after the Trinity explosion, “the physicists have known sin; and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose.”“He doesn’t seem to believe that the soul is eternal, whereas Arjuna does,” says Thompson. “The fourth argument in the Gita is really that death is an illusion, that we’re not born and we don’t die. That’s the philosophy, really. That there’s only one consciousness and that the whole of creation is a wonderful play.” Oppenheimer, perhaps, never believed that the people killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki would not suffer. While he carried out his work dutifully, he could never accept that this could liberate him from the cycle of life and death. In stark contrast, Arjuna realizes his error and decides to join the battle.“Krishna is saying you have to simply do your duty as a warrior,” says Thompson. “If you were a priest you wouldn’t have to do this, but you are a warrior and you have to perform it. In the larger scheme of things, presumably, the bomb represented the path of the battle against the forces of evil, which were epitomized by the forces of fascism.”For Arjuna, it may have been comparatively easy to be indifferent to war because he believed the souls of his opponents would live on regardless. But Oppenheimer felt the consequences of the atomic bomb acutely. “He hadn’t got that confidence that the destruction, ultimately, was an illusion,” says Thompson. Oppenheimer’s apparent inability to accept the idea of an immortal soul would always weigh heavy on his mind. | Not_Explicit |
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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — As Russia seeks more allies during its invasion of Ukraine, longtime U.S. security partner Kenya might not be an obvious choice. But hours after Russia terminated a deal to keep grain flowing from Ukraine, Moscow’s ambassador saw an opening to appeal to one of the African countries that would feel the effects the most.
In an opinion piece for two of Kenya’s largest newspapers, Ambassador Dmitry Maksimychev blamed the United States and the European Union for the deal’s collapse, asserting they had “used every trick” to keep Russian grain and fertilizer from the global markets.
“Now, my dear Kenyan friends, you know the whole truth about who is weaponizing food,” he wrote.
READ MORE: South Africa urges Putin to not attend August summit due to international arrest warrant
It’s the kind of brash outreach expected this week at the second Russia-Africa Summit. Grain supplies are in question. The future of the Wagner military group is, too. It’s a notable time for Russia to host nearly 50 African countries that rely heavily on Moscow for agricultural products and security. It’s not clear how many heads of state will attend.
President Vladimir Putin’s government is under new pressure to show its commitment to a continent of 1.3 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage.
Africa’s 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia’s invasion.
If they leave the two-day summit, which starts Thursday, feeling unheeded, they might distance themselves from Russia, said analyst Cameron Hudson with the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“I think you could see Africans beginning to vote with their feet,” he said. “This is a decisive moment for both Africa and Putin in their relationship.”
Putin has repeatedly said that Russia would offer free grain to low-income African countries now that the grain deal has been terminated. “I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis,” Putin said in a statement Monday, asserting that Russia shipped almost 10 million tons of grain to Africa in the first half of this year.
The Russian military company Wagner, after its brief rebellion against Moscow, will be an urgent issue for countries like Sudan, Mali and others who contract with the mercenary group in exchange for natural resources like gold. Russia’s foreign minister has said Wagner’s work in Africa will continue.
As for a peace proposal for Ukraine that African leaders have tried to pursue, that “could be discussed” at the summit, Russian ambassador-at-large Oleg Ozerov told the Kommersant newspaper.
Putin himself is a question. He has visited sub-Saharan Africa only once in more than two decades in power. Last week, after considerable diplomatic pressure, South Africa announced that Putin had agreed not to attend an economic summit there in August because of an arrest warrant for him by the International Criminal Court over Ukraine.
READ MORE: African leaders visit Kyiv, push for peace between Ukraine and Russia
South Africa’s debate over whether to arrest him was another sign of the ambivalence toward Moscow by a once-steady U.S. ally. But President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office on Friday made clear that African leaders are working “for an end to the destabilizing Ukraine-Russia war,” saying it would be in the continent’s economic interests.
The U.S.-backed Africa Center for Strategic Studies has predicted that Russia will try to pull other influential countries including Ethiopia, Congo, Nigeria and Senegal into its orbit. Africa is “the most welcoming region for Russia of any other region in the world,” the center’s Joseph Siegle said.
Like China, Russia tries to appeal to African nations’ distaste at feeling dictated to by global powers.
A busy tweeter, Russia’s ambassador to Kenya drew the praise of that country’s foreign minister last week when he objected to a statement by the U.S. and allies expressing concern about live bullets used against Kenyan protests over the rising cost of living. “If it is not interference in internal affairs, what is it?” Maksimychev asked.
“Thank you @russembkenya for this principled position,” Kenya’s foreign minister, Korir Sing’Oei, replied — just a day after he called Russia’s decision to end the grain deal a “stab on the back.”
Despite its high profile in Africa, Russia invests relatively little in it. At the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019, Putin vowed to double Russia’s trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year. Moscow offers less than 1 percent of what goes to Africa in foreign direct investment, with almost no humanitarian aid.
But Russia can connect with African nations in ways that the West cannot, said Tim Kalyegira, a Ugandan analyst and writer. “Russia is one of the few European countries allied with Africa in views about homosexual relations: ‘We are a traditional Christian country. Every time you have an anti-gay bill, we’re with you,’” he said.
That could play to U.S. allies like Nigeria and Ghana as well, Kalyegira said.
Uganda faced Washington’s criticism this year for a new law that prescribed the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” President Joe Biden threatened sanctions amid “democratic backsliding” by a longtime partner.
Now Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is listed as a panelist at the Russia-Africa Summit for a discussion on “What forms of new colonialism are being imposed on the global majority by the West today?”
Uganda also has been one of the largest buyers of weapons from Russia, Africa’s top arms supplier, along with Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia, Angola and Burkina Faso.
Kalyegira said Russia now could broker grain supply deals with individual African nations, weakening any continental stance on the war.
READ MORE: Ukraine, Russia both suffering heavy casualties amid Kyiv’s counteroffensive, UK assesses
The U.S. hosted its own Africa summit last year as part of a growing number of such Africa gatherings by powers including China, France, Turkey, Japan and Britain.
“It’s worth asking why Americans should care about competing in Africa or investing in its stability. The answer is clear: Africa is poised to shape the 21st century as the world’s fastest-growing demographic and economic power,” Joseph Sany with the U.S. Institute of Peace told a U.S. House subcommittee this month.
“By 2050, Africans will make up a quarter of the global population,” he said.
The delegations heading to Russia are being urged to use that to their advantage.
“African states would no doubt rather be kingmakers than be caught in another proxy war,” a consultant with the Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, Ronak Gopaldas, wrote earlier this year. “A smart approach is to straddle these powers for maximum benefit.”
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Jul 04 | Not_Explicit |
IoTechWorld Avigation Gets DGCA Certification For New Agri-Drone Model
Anoop Upadhyay, co-founder and director, said the new drone is very easy to transport and operate because of its compact design.
Agri-drone maker IoTechWorld Avigation on Wednesday said it has received certificate from Directorate General of Civil Aviation for its new indigenous product 'AGRIBOT A6' which is more advanced and compact than previous model.
In a statement, Gurugram-based IoTechWorld said its indigenously designed and manufactured 'AGRIBOT A6' drone has received the 'Type Certificate' from the DGCA.
Type Certificate for drones is an official document issued by the DGCA certifying that a specific type of drone meets all the technical parameters and safety standards for operation in India, it added.
IoTechWorld Co-Founder and Director Deepak Bhardwaj said the newly launched model is 30% more compact compared to the previous model of 'AGRIBOT' and much more stable and reliable.
He said the company has not increased rate for this new product despite advanced design.
"AIF (Agriculture Infrastructure Fund) is available for AGRIBOT A6 in which 90% collateral free loan is available at 3 per cent subvention on the interest rate," Bhardwaj said.
Anoop Upadhyay, co-founder and director, said the new drone is very easy to transport and operate because of its compact design.
IoTechWorld said it has established partnership with agrochemical company Syngenta and has undertaken more than 25,000 kilometres of drone yatra in various parts of the country.
The company aims to sell more than 3,000 drones in the current financial year. Recently, it announced securing a large order from cooperative major IFFCO. | Not_Explicit |
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers intent on reducing China ‘s influence on the U.S. economy are pushing the Treasury Department to help curb the outsized role of Beijing at the Inter-American Development Bank, which supports economic and social development in Latin America and Caribbean.
The bipartisan group of lawmakers say Beijing is using the bank as a tool to expand its influence in the region. And they want the U.S., the biggest voice at the bank, to do more to rein in the awarding of projects to Chinese firms and to block Chinese attempts to acquire more shares at the bank.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of a new House select committee focused on China, is the lead sponsor of of the legislation, which is being introduced Tuesday, seeking to understand and reduce Beijing’s power at the bank.
The Inter-American Development Bank Transparency Act would require the Treasury to issue a report every two years on the scope and scale of Chinese influence and involvement in all aspects of the bank, including a list of Chinese-funded projects and an action plan for the U.S. to reduce Chinese involvement at the bank.
READ MORE: China-U.S. ties at a crossroads but could possibly stabilize, Xi tells Kissinger
“For too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited its presence in the Inter-American Development Bank to advance its own geopolitical, economic, and technological goals,” Gallagher said in a statement. “Latin American citizens deserve to have the IDB serve their economic development, not as a vector of CCP malign influence.”
The IDB is a non-commercial development bank made up of member countries. The bank, for instance, disbursed a record $23 billion last year intended to alleviate poverty made worse by the coronavirus pandemic in the region. The U.S. is the largest shareholder, with a roughly 30 percent voting share. At issue is the number of contracts the IDB awards to Chinese firms relative to its meager share of the bank, which hovers around 0.1 percent.
China formally joined the bank in 2009 as its 48th member nation, and its influence in Latin America, both economically and diplomatically, has grown exponentially in the past two decades.
In 2022, Latin American and Caribbean trade with China rose to record levels, exporting roughly $184 billion to China and importing an estimated $265 billion in goods, according to a Boston University Global Development Policy Center analysis.
More than a dozen Republican and Democratic lawmakers have signed on with Gallagher as co-sponsors of the legislation, including Sen. Robert Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
It’s seen as a first step at addressing China’s influence over the multilateral development banks. And while the Biden administration already has the authority to do much of what lawmakers are seeking, the legislation is intended to force the issue.
READ MORE: Blinken heads to Tonga, New Zealand, Australia as U.S. aims to counter China’s influence in the region
Menendez said in a statement that “as China continues to use economic tools to advance its coercive economic agenda across the Western Hemisphere, it’s more important than ever that we protect the integrity of the IDB and ensure its critical work can continue unhampered by Beijing’s interference.”
Diplomatic relations between Latin American and China have also increased. In March, Honduras cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, following the steps of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic in turning their backs on Taiwan.
Enrique Dussel Peters, a professor and coordinator of the Center for Chinese-Mexican Studies at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, said the U.S. effort to compete with China in Latin America “comes 20 years too late.”
“In many cases in many countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru,” he said, “China is already the most important trading partner and it has become a very dynamic investor in these countries, from lithium to raw materials to oil to gas to whatever issue you can image.”
Other development banks have also been scrutinized for possible undue influence by the Chinese.
In 2021 IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva came under fire after allegations that while she was a World Bank official, she and others pressured staffers to change business rankings in an effort to placate China. The IMF’s 24-member executive board reviewed Georgieva’s actions and concluded that she “did not conclusively demonstrate” an improper role.
The House formed the new China committee in January to focus on improving U.S. competitiveness with China economically and militarily. The committee’s early work has included investigations into partnerships that American companies and universities have entered into with Chinese entities as lawmakers take a harder look at efforts that could benefit Beijing at the long-term expense of the U.S.
Gallagher said earlier this month that every business entering China takes on a business partner whether they know it or not in the Chinese Communist Party.
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Jun 19 | Not_Explicit |
Wildfires driven by an extreme heatwave have encircled Palermo after temperatures in the Sicilian city climbed to 47C (117F) on Monday.
Local authorities closed the airport temporarily and part of the motorway as more than 55 wildfires were reported on the island. Hundreds of firefighters from other regions in Italy were due to arrive to help battle the flames.
An 88-year-old woman was reported to have died in San Martino delle Scale, a few miles from the Sicilian capital, after disruption caused by the fires prevented emergency services from reaching her in time.
“We have never seen anything like it,” a San Martino delle Scale resident told Italy’s Ansa news agency. “We were surrounded by fire. We could not go anywhere. We spent the night in the square. These were terrible moments.”
More than 120 families have been evacuated from their homes in Mondello, Capo Gallo and Poggio Ridente since Monday, as clouds of smoke advanced towards the city centre and the sirens of fire engines and ambulances resounded across the Sicilian capital.
Temperatures in Palermo soared on Monday, breaking the previous record for the city of 44.8C set in 1999. The National Institute for Astrophysics said 47C was recorded at its digital weather station at the top the medieval Palazzo dei Normanni at 3.42pm local time.
Hospitals across the city have reported a sharp rise in the number of people seeking emergency care for heat-related illnesses.
In the east Sicilian city of Catania, temperatures were close to 47C and people were struggling with power cuts and problems with the water supply.
The European record of 48.8C was registered in Floridia, Sicily, in August 2021. Temperatures are high across southern Italy and forecast to remain so before a drop on Wednesday.
A 50-year-old man from Tunisia working on a farm near Viterbo, north of Rome, on Monday became the fifth worker to die of heatwave-related causes in Italy over the past two weeks, the trade union CGIL said.
But while the heat stifles the south, northern regions continued to bear the brunt of bad weather caused by the arrival of cooler air from northern Europe, with more torrential rain and gales forecast in Lombardy, Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
On Monday, bad weather felled trees and blocked the metro in Milan, and the northern Italian rail company Trenord said its network had experienced widespread damage and breakdowns.
In the province of Brescia, a teenage girl died after being struck by a tree. The 16-year-old was killed during a camping trip in Cedelogo after the storm caused a tree at the site to collapse on to her tent.
Lombardy’s fire service received hundreds of calls from residents as strong winds ripped the roofs of several homes.
Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan, said residents endured a sleepless night as winds exceeded 63 mph (100 km/h).
The overnight storms followed extreme weather, during which huge hailstones damaged the nose and wings of a Delta Air Lines plane that had been bound for New York, forcing it to divert to Rome Fiumicino.
Sala said: “What we are seeing is not normal. We can no longer deny that climate change is changing our lives. We can no longer turn a blind eye, and above all, we can’t not do anything.”
The climate crisis is supercharging extreme weather across the world, leading to more frequent and more deadly disasters from heatwaves to floods to wildfires.
The civil protection minister, Nello Musumeci, said: “Climate change is not just a contingency and Italy must realise that it now has a tropical climate.
“On one hand, we are paying the price of climate change, for which we should have paid more attention several years ago, and, on the other, of infrastructure that does not seem to be totally adequate for the new context.” | Not_Explicit |
Russian Agents, Who Were Going to Blow up Trains with Aid for Ukraine, Exposed in Poland
Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Russian agents who were allegedly planning to sabotage trains with weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine have been exposed in Poland.
According to Gazeta Polska, citing its sources, the uncovered Russian network, including its 66 case volumes, had plans to sabotage trains carrying weapons and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
The risk of direct attacks apparently prompted the Polish special services to initiate arrests. "For this reason, the first arrests were made precisely at that time, not any other. The risk of attacks was too significant to continue monitoring the group's actions," shared an anonymous source familiar with the case materials.
Journalists also learned that the intelligence network was relatively "fresh" as it was created in early 2023.
The agents reportedly were instructed directly from Moscow and were compensated mainly in cryptocurrencies for executing assigned tasks.
This exposed network is currently considered the largest of its kind in modern Polish history.
In March, Poland announcedthe liquidation of a spy network operating in favour of Russia. Nine individuals were initially arrested as part of the operation, later increasing to 15. Among them were citizens of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, according to media reports. | Not_Explicit |
Rishi Sunak has avoided a clean sweep of by-election defeats after holding onto Uxbridge and South Ruislip in a night of three votes.
There had been pessimism in the Conservative Party that they would lose the west London seat, alongside Selby and Ainsty in north Yorkshire and Somerton and Frome in Somerset.
But the vote in west London was dominated by the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone - ULEZ - into the area by Labour's mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
Follow by-election coverage live: Tories hang on in Uxbridge after ULEZ backlash
It means Mr Sunak avoids becoming the first prime minister since Harold Wilson in 1968 to lose three by-elections in one go.
Sir Keir Starmer will be disappointed to not have gained the west London seat. The majority before the vote was around 7,000 - and at one point in the campaign, Labour candidate Danny Beales had an eight-point lead over the Tories' Steve Tuckwell.
Mr Tuckwell walked away with a majority of 495 votes - and claimed Mr Khan had "lost Labour this election" after bagging 13,965 to Labour's 13,470.
At the other end of the country, in North Yorkshire, Labour sealed their largest ever by-election win - overturning a Conservative lead of roughly 20,000 - by taking 16,456 compared to 12,295.
The party threw a substantial amount of resources at the Selby and Ainsty seat, which was not on their target list before the snap vote was called when former MP Nigel Adams stepped aside.
But Conservative voters appeared to stay at home - they were down by almost 22,000 votes compared to 2019 - letting Labour take home the seat with a swing of 23.7 points.
There was further grim reading for the Tories in Somerset's Somerton and Frome as the Liberal Democrats overturned a majority of 19,213, reclaiming a seat they had held until 2015. Now the Tories trail by 11,008 behind the Liberal Democrats' 21,187 votes with 10,179.
Read more:
Labour secure record win in Selby and Ainsty
Lib Dems win Somerton and Frome
Conservatives hold Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Early on in the night, the Conservatives were playing down the likelihood they would hold any of the three seats.
The Lib Dems were so confident in their lead in Somerton and Frome, they declared their victory before all the ballot boxes had even been opened to start counting.
The Conservatives' expectation management appears to have worked for them - and they can now claim the election win in Boris Johnson's old seat as a victory, a rare win for a government in a by-election, and a condemnation of Sir Keir as a leader.
Labour are now claiming the ULEZ issue that dominated Uxbridge and South Ruislip does not represent the feeling across the UK.
A Labour spokesman said: "This was always going to be a difficult battle in a seat that has never had a Labour MP, and we didn't even win in 1997.
"We know that the Conservatives crashing the economy has hit working people hard, so it's unsurprising that the ULEZ expansion was a concern for voters here in a by-election."
The by-elections came about after Mr Johnson, Mr Adam and David Warburton stood aside from their seats amid scandal and shunned honours. | Not_Explicit |
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Democrats are embracing Bidenomics. Both parties say that’s a good thing.
As President Joe Biden steers toward his re-election campaign with a tour promoting his economic record, congressional Democrats are pointing to cooling inflation, low unemployment, a cap on insulin prices, and a steady roll-out of infrastructure projects as evidence that their agenda has delivered benefits for everyday Americans — and will continue doing so as next year’s races for the White House and Congress unfold.
“You can call it Bidenomics, you can call it significant progress. I think what the middle class wants to see is that these are policies that are working,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the third-ranking Democrat in the House. “Over 13 million jobs created by the Biden-Harris administration, record (low) unemployment numbers, inflation lowering months and months in a row. These are positive, strong signs to growing the middle class from the middle out and the ground up.”
The problem for Aguilar, Biden, and battleground Democrats facing tough re-elections: Polls suggest that after three years of high inflation, most voters aren’t sold on Bidenomics.
“I hope he keeps it up. It’ll be good for the campaign,” said Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the Republican whip.
“The American public does not agree that this is a much better economy,” Emmer said. “They’re not buying it. And they shouldn’t, people are struggling at home.”
Senate Republicans asked about “Bidenomics” immediately quoted the president’s polling average on the issue, as compiled by the web site Real Clear Politics: fewer than 39% of voters approve of his work on the issue.
“It’s amusing that he’s stuck his name on the policy and he’s not that popular himself, even among Democrats,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Democrats countered daunting polling by arguing that voters will increasingly see the upside of their work as time goes on, and they hope, lower inflation becomes normal again. Democrats are planning to highlight those results with events built around groundbreakings for roads and bridges, broadband expansion, and other projects over the coming August recess and throughout the 2024 cycle.
“Not all of it you can feel right away,” said Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.), who represents one of the country’s most closely divided districts. “But I do think Bidenomics is exactly what he should be talking about.”
‘Tangible things people can see’
Biden has emphasized the economy as a triumph of his first term, an effort he continued Thursday when he spoke at a shipyard in Philadelphia. In a state that’s crucial to control of the presidency, Senate, and House, Biden promoted an offshore wind project vessel to be built by more than 1,000 workers, with steel plates made in Indiana, and which the White House pointed to as an example of the benefits of his administration’s investments in clean energy.
Biden might not have much choice but to talk about the economy. The issue consistently ranks as voters’ top concern, and no president can run away from economic conditions on their watch — no matter how much, or little, they did to shape the results.
While other issues will also factor into the outcome of the 2024 campaign, including individual candidate quality and debates over abortion, crime, health care, and border security, Democrats in tough races predicted that the economic news this year and next will be increasingly positive.
“There’s a powerful story to tell about the impact he’s made since he’s been president and that our Democratic Senate has contributed to,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who’s seeking re-election in a Midwestern battleground.
The most recent data has shown the lowest inflation rate in more than two years. Unemployment remains low. Wages have started growing faster than costs. Some analysts are downgrading the chances of a recession. The stock market has surged. And Democrats say the public is only beginning to absorb the results of their work.
Baldwin and other Democrats pointed to the infrastructure projects, a $35 insulin price cap, and investments in green energy and semiconductor manufacturing spurred by laws they passed — sometimes with GOP support, sometimes without.
“There’s more positive change yet to come,” Baldwin said. “There are the things that are highly visible — the roads being built, the bridges being secured, the relief people feel when they know that when they turn on their faucet, there’s not going to be lead … There are some very tangible things that people can see.”
Democrats believe when voters are given a choice between Biden and the GOP, they’ll reject Republicans who, under former President Donald Trump, passed a tax package weighted toward the wealthy, and whose right wing recently threatened the country with a default by resisting an increase in the federal debt ceiling.
“There is a real lack of understanding between the GOP and the, you know, people who work for a living across this country,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.).
Reminding voters about prices
Republicans say it’s Democrats who don’t understand.
“They are trying to memory-hole the last three years of the president’s term, the economic pain they’ve inflicted on everyone in America,” said Jack Pandol, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s campaign arm.
Some 62% of American adults disapprove of Biden’s handling of inflation, according to a Monmouth University poll released this week. There was a nearly even split when it came to his work on jobs.
Biden has been shadowed throughout his presidency by inflation, which took off early in his term and, despite pronouncements that it was a short-term problem, proved persistent. While rising prices have been a global phenomenon, and economists vary on how much of the US price spikes can be chalked up to government spending as opposed to wider economic factors after the pandemic, most believe the vast programs rolled out by Biden, and Trump before him, at least contributed to the problem.
Democrats argue that their bills were a necessary bridge after the pandemic, and that inflation was better than an anemic recovery. But Republicans say the spending was excessive, and came after the worst of the emergency had passed.
“Republicans are going to be reminding voters of high grocery costs, high gas prices, the things that have taken a bite out of family budgets, and reminding people who is responsible for that,” Pandol said.
A changing election environment
Democrats faced an even more difficult political environment last year, when inflation was running much hotter, and they still fared far better in that election than most analysts expected. This year, they’re hoping that good economic news puts the wind at their backs. Though given the unpredictability of the economy, it’s also possible the opposite happens: That a downturn inflicts economic pain just before voters weigh in on Biden’s leadership.
Republicans say they’re not wishing for that. But they’ll point to Bidenomics if it does.
“We’re all hoping for a soft landing, but that’s by no means assured,” Cornyn said. “We could well be in a recession at some point in the not too distant future. I hope that’s not true, but I don’t think the American people are particularly pleased with President Biden’s handling of the economy.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Tamari at [email protected] | Not_Explicit |
A former government minister is investigated for corruption in Ghana. The inquiry comes after she reported her housekeeper for stealing a large sum of money, but prosecutors want to know where the money came from. Also in this edition: At least 30 people have been killed by a building collapse in Cameroon. Rescue teams are still on the scene, as the government investigates the cause of the disaster. And finally: on the eve of two years after Kais Saied came to power in Tunisia, rights groups are once again shining a spotlight on the country's human rights record. We'll have an interview with Amnesty International.
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- On Monday, Russia pulled out of an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain.
- It then started bombing Ukrainian ports and threatened to attack ships.
- Putin's latest economic assault on the West has sent wheat prices soaring and sparked fears of a global food crisis.
Vladimir Putin's latest attack on the world economy has reignited fears that Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine will trigger a global food crisis.
On Monday, Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a United Nations-brokered deal that had allowed Ukraine to export grains and oilseeds through a safe shipping corridor.
Moscow then started bombing Ukrainian ports – and on Thursday threatened to attack any ships headed for those harbors on the grounds they could be carrying weapons.
That sent benchmark wheat prices surging by as much as 8.5% on Wednesday, the second biggest single-day jump in over a decade (prices had jumped 8.6% in one day soon after the Ukraine war broke out in February 2022). Corn and soya bean costs have climbed this week as well.
Ukraine produces so much grain that it's often referred to as the "breadbasket of Europe" and is the world's seventh-largest wheat producer, according to the UN. The Black Sea agreement had helped keep benchmark prices of the foodstuff under control by boosting supply.
When international grain prices rise, it becomes more expensive for poorer countries to import those commodities – so Russia's withdrawal from the UN's initiative has fueled policymakers' fears that there could be a worldwide food crisis.
'Huge food crisis'
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Kremlin's decision to pull out of the grain deal would end "a lifeline for global food security" and extinguish "a beacon of hope", while the European Union's head of foreign policy Josep Borrell told journalists there could be a "big and huge food crisis in the world".
"This adds a significant layer of pressure on the price of wheat, with concerns from suppliers and consumers alike now swelling," Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sophie Lund-Yates said Friday. "The possibility of a full-blown food crisis for poor nations can't be ruled out, and further volatility on the commodity markets is likely going to take a long while to abate."
Earlier this month, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned of bigger threats to the world than an economic slowdown, underscoring the risks of food shortages and a spreading out of the conflict in Ukraine.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Putin has tried to squeeze commodity supplies in a bid to disrupt the global economy and hinder Kyiv's Western allies.
The West has also made Russia's economy a battleground in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, with the G7 group of countries and the EU capping the price of Russian oil in a bid to cut the Kremlin's revenues so it has less money to fund its war effort. | Not_Explicit |
First lady Jill Biden delivers a speech during a ceremony at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Tuesday. Photo by Aurelien Morissard/EPA-EFE
July 25 (UPI) -- First lady Jill Biden praised the work of UNESCO in Paris on Tuesday during a speech to the organization that the United States dropped out of during the Trump administration.
She said President Joe Biden, made the decision to rejoin UNESCO -- the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- in recognition of the fact that the United States must partner with global allies "to create a better world."
"When my husband, President Biden, took office two and a half years ago, he made a promise to the American people: That he would rebuild the systems that were broken and fortify our institutions, that he would work to bring divided communities back together that he would put os on a path to a better, brighter future while restoring our leadership on the world stage," she said. "And he did."
The United States cut its contributions to UNESCO in 2011, while Joe Biden was serving as vice president, to protest its decision to grant full membership to Palestine. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump left the organization completely. Congress, though, reauthorized funding for the organization last year, leading to the United States' re-entry.
The first lady said UNESCO can play a factor in spreading the importance of education which she said has the power to help people overcome the challenges facing the world today.
"That's why we're so proud to rejoin UNESCO," she said. "Because, in my opinion -- and sure, as a teacher, I'm a little biased -- education is one of our greatest shared tools in shaping our future for those who will come after us."
"Education is a powerful key to that future," Biden added. "It changes us -- so we can go on to change our world together. Everyone deserves that opportunity. It was in that spirit that UNESCO was created."
She also recognized UNESCO's effort to preserve art, heritage and science around the world.
"The new ideas that pass from person to person like a flame, growing brighter without diminishing its source," Jill Biden said. "Together, let's empower the next generation of thinkers and dreamers and doers, helping them unleash their possibility. "The challenges of our times, from authoritarianism to climate change, create an uncertain future. But what is certain is the possibility still inside of us to innovate, to cooperate, to discover new solutions." | Not_Explicit |
Metro Bank has insisted it is politically neutral after being accused of closing down the Reform UK party's account because of its support for Brexit.
The party's leader Richard Tice believes Reform has been caught up in the same debanking scandal as his friend and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and has written to Metro demanding answers.
The Treasury has announced banks will be forced to give customers three months' notice of account closures and to provide a full explanation of the reasons in response to the controversy triggered by wealthy private bank Coutts cutting ties with Mr Farage.
Mr Tice is a prominent Brexiteer who was in UKIP prior to setting up the Brexit Party, which later became Reform UK. He has revealed Metro Bank closed his party's account in July 2021.
A letter sent to him at the time gives no reason.
Mr Tice told Sky News: "I was suspicious at the time but didn't join enough of the dots. But it is crystal clear now what has gone on. I have submitted a subject access request and look forward to seeing it."
Metro Bank said in a statement: "Metro Bank is and will remain politically neutral and it is not our policy to close an account due to the political or personal beliefs of an individual or organisation. We cannot comment on individual cases."
Meanwhile, Mr Farage has formally accused the NatWest Group of passing his personal and financial data to the BBC.
He has also complained to the Information Commissioner about the way in which his personal details have been handled by NatWest and its subsidiary, Coutts Bank.
A letter from his lawyers to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) mentions a BBC news report which claimed he was losing his account at Coutts because he had fallen below a required £1m threshold.
Mr Farage made a subject access request to Coutts to discover why his account was being closed.
He revealed he had received a 40-page document showing he met the "criteria for commercial retention" but Coutts - a bank also used by the Royal Family - wanted him to leave because of his views, which ranged from his position on LGBTQ+ rights to his friendship with former US president Donald Trump.
Mr Farage tweeted on Saturday: "The BBC report gives rise to the inescapable conclusion that NatWest Group provided the media with confidential information (and personal data) regarding my financial affairs.
"This would constitute a serious data breach and, worse still, disregard client confidentiality by the bank.
"My legal team have written to the ICO asking them to investigate and take action."
Read more:
Are banks allowed to close accounts?
Key points from Coutts' dossier on Nigel Farage
The BBC has admitted part of its reporting was inaccurate in light of the new evidence, in a post on its webpage dedicated to corrections and clarifications.
On Thursday, NatWest Group CEO Dame Alison Rose wrote to Mr Farage to apologise.
But the letter from his legal team to the ICO adds: "Conspicuously, she did not apologise for any information that had been passed to the media citing inadequate finances as the reason for the closure of his accounts." | Not_Explicit |
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PRAGUE — China and its communist ruler Xi Jinping are “absolutely complicit” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the chief of the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service (known as MI6) said at a rare public appearance hosted by POLITICO in Prague Wednesday.
Richard Moore — known in the intelligence community as “C” — also blamed China for enabling the brutal actions of Myanmar’s military junta and warned of threats to other countries from Chinese “data traps” and technological advances.
He said MI6 now devotes more resources to tackling China than anything else.
“When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Chinese very clearly supported the Russians,” Moore told POLITICO executive editor Anne McElvoy. “They have completely supported the Russians diplomatically, they’ve abstained in key votes at the United Nations, they’ve absolutely cynically repeated all the Russian tropes, particularly in places like Africa and Latin America — blaming NATO and all of this stuff.”
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But this support has come at a cost to Vladimir Putin’s rule and prestige in Russia.
“What may have happened, which I know many Russians find deeply uncomfortable, is that the balance of power between them has shifted,” he said. “It’s very hard to look at them and not recognize that one is very much now subservient to the other.”
The Chinese Communist Party has put forward a widely discredited “peace plan” for Ukraine and often claims it is a neutral party in the conflict.
From the late 1970s until about a decade ago, Chinese leaders described the country’s foreign policy as “tao guang, yang hui” — or “hiding one’s light and biding one’s time.”
But under chairman Xi Jinping, Beijing has jettisoned that caution and become increasingly aggressive abroad, while ramping up repression at home.
“We now devote more resources to China than anywhere else,” Moore told POLITICO Wednesday. “The resources and size of the Chinese intelligence agency effort is huge and they deploy overseas in large numbers.”
He warned China has laid “data traps” for other countries that dilute their sovereignty and increase their vulnerability, and during the pandemic Beijing required countries to share vaccination data as a condition of receiving Chinese vaccines.
“That is exactly the kind of condition in any deal which should ring alarm bells,” Moore said.
He also noted China’s untrammeled access to vast data sets at home and its practice of illegally “hoovering up” data from abroad gave it some advantages in developing artificial intelligence.
“The Chinese authorities are not hugely troubled by questions of personal privacy or individual data security, they are focused on controlling information and preventing inconvenient truths from being revealed,” he said. But “my service, together with our allies, intends to win the race to master the ethical and safe use of AI,” he added.
As well as supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine, Beijing is propping up several unsavory and corrupt authoritarian regimes around the world, such as Iran and Myanmar, he said.
“On Myanmar, it’s appalling to see what is happening in that wonderful country … it’s deeply, deeply tragic. I’m afraid China does have responsibility because they are the foremost supporter of that regime and it’s hard to see that it would be able to operate in the way that it currently does if it didn’t receive that support.”
From its founding in 1909 until 1994, the U.K.’s overseas intelligence agency did not officially exist, apart from in James Bond films or in spy novels. But in recent years, MI6 has drawn back the veil a little.
The event with POLITICO at the British ambassador’s residence in Prague was Moore’s second-ever public speech in his role as C. It included a livestream and recorded podcast interview with McElvoy — herself an expert on the Cold War and co-author of a biography on an East German spymaster.
It is the only public appearance Moore plans to make this year. | Not_Explicit |
Su has been serving as acting labor secretary since former Secretary Marty Walsh departed the administration in early 2023. Su served as deputy labor secretary under Walsh, where she assisted the Biden administration in several key labor and supply chain disputes during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic recovery.
"Upon Secretary Walsh’s departure, Acting Secretary Su automatically became Acting Secretary under its organic statute, not under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act,” a White House official said in a statement. "As a result, Su is not subject to the time limits of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and she can serve as Acting Secretary indefinitely."
Unlike other federal agencies, the Department of Labor is not beholden to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which requires nominees to be confirmed by the Senate within a set time frame. A 1946 law was amended in 1986 to allow the deputy labor secretary, a post to which Su was confirmed in 2021, to indefinitely perform the duties of secretary until the president announces a new nomination.
Biden, top White House officials, the majority of congressional Democrats, and several prominent union voices have all consistently pushed for Su's confirmation after her nomination was announced five months ago.
However, Democrats only hold 51 Senate seats, and Su does not currently have the support required to confirm her to her new position. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told the White House that he has concerns with Su's "progressive background" and would vote down her confirmation.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters this week that, despite pushback from some senators, Biden still believes Su is qualified to lead the Labor Department.
"He nominated her because he believed that she was eminently qualified to do the job. And she has done it in a — in a brilliant way," she said during a press briefing on July 19. "Let's not forget the major labor agreements that she was able to do with the West Coast ports. That's something she did as acting. And let's not forget what that would have done. That would have hurt our supply chain. And so, she has been able to do that."
Manchin's concerns echo those made by a large share of Republicans regarding her tenure as secretary of California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency. During her time in that role, California fulfilled $20 billion in fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment claims, which have still not been accounted for years after disbursement.
Meanwhile, centrists, including Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), and Jon Tester (D-MT), have not publicly declared if they would support Su or not.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) told the Washington Examiner she still believes Su can be confirmed at some point.
"I'm hoping that some people will just wake up to their responsibilities and do the right thing," she stated. "All I can say is that she deserves all of our support and note that every single Democrat supported her for deputy. She's already shown her ability to lead this department as secretary, and I would like everybody to just make up their mind to get on with it and do the right thing."
Tester has also opposed the idea of Su serving indefinitely as acting secretary.
“I don’t support that myself. I didn’t support it in the last administration. I don’t support it in this one," he told NBC News. "I just don’t think they can do the job they need to do in an acting position. That’s my own opinion, could be wrong. But I just think there’s much more certainty if you’ve been confirmed.”
Former President Donald Trump utilized a similar strategy to Biden's plan for Su to bypass Senate confirmation protocols at multiple agencies in the latter part of his term in office.
Both Chad Wolf and Chris Miller, respectively, led the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense as acting secretary. A federal judge in Maryland ruled in September 2020 that Wolf and his top lieutenant, acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, were serving in their positions in an unlawful violation of the Appointments Clause of the Constitution and Federal Vacancies Reform Act, though neither were removed from their posts.
The Government Accountability Office, an independent government agency, also released a report in September 2020 alleging that in total, 15 Trump administration officials at 12 different agencies were serving in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
David Sivak contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
President Biden is threatening to veto a pair of Republican-led spending bills that would defund progressive policies on abortion, diversity and LGBTQ issues.
The White House released policy statements on Monday morning announcing it "strongly opposes" appropriations bills for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Agriculture that were put together by the House of Representatives’ GOP majority.
"These bills include billions in additional rescissions from the [Inflation Reduction Act] and other vital legislation that would result in unacceptable harm to clean energy and to energy efficiency initiatives that lower energy costs and critical investments in rural America," the White House said.
"The draft bills also include numerous new, partisan policy provisions with devastating consequences, including harming access to reproductive health care, threatening the health and safety of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans, endangering marriage equality, hindering critical climate change initiatives, and preventing the administration from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion," the White House said.
Republicans have attempted to use their thin House majority to curb the Biden administration’s progressive policies multiple times this year so far, but many of those same bills have had little to no success in the Democrat-held Senate.
The spending bills are two of 12 that Congress hopes to pass before Sept. 30 or else risk a partial government shutdown if no funding agreement is reached.
In the statements opposing the spending packages, the White House accused Republicans of trying to impose "draconian cuts" that should have been avoided by the debt limit deal struck between Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and President Biden.
The deal, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, roughly froze non-defense discretionary spending levels at fiscal year 2023 levels while increasing defense by about 3%. But conservatives, wielding an outsized influence in McCarthy’s razor-thin House majority, have successfully pushed for lower spending levels in the House Appropriations Committee.
"House Republicans had an opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process, but instead, with just over two months before the end of the fiscal year, are wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below the FRA agreement and endanger critical services for the American people," the White House said.
"These levels would result in deep cuts to climate change and clean energy programs, essential nutrition services, law enforcement, consumer safety, education and health care," it added.
With Biden's strong opposition, the bills are unlikely to get any Democratic support on the House floor, although they can still pass if only a few GOP lawmakers oppose them. House conservatives sent a letter to McCarthy last week, however, warning they would vote down any appropriations legislation that did not drastically cut spending, including below the levels set in the debt limit deal. | Not_Explicit |
The cost of the NHS strike action is “eye-watering” and could run into billions of pounds, a health boss has said as he urged ministers to resolve the row over pay.
Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said some NHS trusts were losing £500,000 for every day of industrial action.
Consultants in England began striking for the first time in a decade on Thursday after eight months of industrial action by other staff across the health service. Their strike will continue until 7am on Saturday, and they will strike again for 48 hours in August.
Hospitals are having to spend vast sums on agency workers to cover shifts during the strikes and administration costs to cancel and reschedule hundreds of thousands of appointments, procedures and operations. Taylor said the strikes were also derailing efforts to tackle the backlog of 7 million patients waiting for care.
“Many health leaders have told us they are deeply concerned by the long-term impact prolonged industrial action is having on the NHS’s ability to reduce waiting lists, improve staff morale and patient satisfaction,” Taylor said. “They feel like the government has buried its head in the sand by refusing to acknowledge this.
“Several members have estimated that each previous round of industrial action from junior doctors has cost them around half a million pounds, so there is an increasing financial toll to this which could run into many billions the longer the walkouts continue.”
He added: “The longer these strikes continue, the more money the NHS will have to spend on their eye-watering costs as waiting lists rise further and vital shifts need to be covered at higher rates. The direct costs of April’s industrial action involving junior doctors has been estimated to be around £100m. However, this does not include the wider loss of earnings from elective or other activity not being carried out. The true cost is likely to be much higher.
“Some leaders have told us their trusts have seen losses of around £500k each day from the strikes, so if junior doctors alone were to strike each month, it’s possible this bill could run into billions.”
Taylor urged ministers to “get back to the table to find a solution that gets the NHS moving again”.
At a rally by senior doctors at the central London headquarters of the British Medical Association (BMA) on Thursday, the union said the consultants’ strike was a last-ditch attempt to save the profession in the face of years of pay erosion and undermined patient care.
The BMA consultants committee chair, Dr Vishal Sharma, said: “When we say strike action is a last resort, we really mean it is a last resort. We have tried everything to get them to listen. We have demonstrated that our pay has fallen not only against inflation but against all our comparator groups. For 15 years, we have pleaded for the government to listen but they have ignored us and inflicted pay cut after pay cut after pay cut.”
Steve Barclay, the health secretary, has told consultants they will receive a 6% pay rise but the BMA has called this derisory and said doctors’ take-home pay has fallen in real terms by more than a third over the past 14 years.
Sharma said pay had fallen by 35% since 2008, “a staggering figure which means effectively we are working for four months of the year for free”.
According to the BMA, consultants on a 2003 contract have a starting salary of £88,364 in basic pay, rising to £119,133 after about 19 years.
The Department of Health says extra payments such as clinical excellence awards and cash for being on call would take the average NHS pay for consultants in 2023-24 to about £134,000.
Patients expressed mixed views about the latest strike action. Sarah Goodchild, 57, said she “doesn’t have a lot of sympathy” for the consultants after her hospital appointment in relation to an endocrine condition, organised nine months ago for Thursday, was cancelled.
“I’m quite angry actually because I’ve been waiting a long time for the appointment,” said Goodchild, a silversmith from Norfolk. “This is going to cause delays in detection, delays in treatment, and I think people are going to die.”
Another patient, whose life was saved by the NHS, said she supported the strike action but only if it ended quickly. Manou Dhama’levy, a patient at University College London hospital for nine years, said: “I’m unhappy about the strikes, especially senior doctors, but they do such an amazing job. I am behind them, as long as it doesn’t last too long.” | Not_Explicit |
When the infamous slogan “education, education, education” was uttered by Sir Tony Blair in 1996 at the launch of Labour’s priorities for government in Blackpool, few could have foreseen the problems facing our bloated higher education sector today.
In a report published last year by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the former prime minister’s think tank acknowledged that a significant portion of Britain’s post-2008 economic growth had been on the back of the expansion of universities and colleges.
The UK has “come to rely on the expansion of education to prop up economic growth”, the foreword said. It went on to recommend that the sector be expanded further, from approximately 53pc of young people going to university today to 60pc by 2030 and 70pc by 2040.
Just a year after Sir Tony’s target of putting half of all young adults through higher education was finally reached in 2019, then education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that the “absurd mantra” would be dropped.
It didn’t seem to matter that nearly a decade of Conservative education policies had been responsible for pushing that target over the line. In 2015 the government abolished the cap on the number of students each university was allowed to enrol.
When tuition fees were raised in 2010 from £3,225 a year to £9,000 and again to £9,250 in 2017 it came with the proviso that universities would be expected to use the extra funding to expand access to higher education.
But England’s higher education funding model is unlikely to remain sustainable for much longer. Tuition fees, which are currently frozen, will leave universities and colleges £2,500 out of pocket for every home student this year, with the shortfall expected to rise to £5,000 in the academic year between 2029 and 2030, according to the Russell Group of 24 leading British research universities.
At the same time, the promise of a university education has become increasingly tenuous for students. During Britain’s national lockdowns students were banned from campuses and learning was confined to virtual Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings, with in-person lectures only gradually returning at many institutions long after restrictions were ended.
Universities are now facing a wave of legal action from graduates who paid full price for online teaching.
The University and College Union is in its fifth year of industrial action, which has lost students hundreds of thousands of teaching hours. The union’s latest tactic, a boycott of marking assessments, has seen scores of students graduating without a degree this year.
Striking lecturers have argued that revenue earned by universities is not being reflected in their wages, while senior leadership at many institutions preside over six-figure salaries. In February, universities and unions agreed to bring forward a pay settlement for next academic year, worth 5 to 8pc, in recognition of “urgent inflationary pressures” facing staff.
The Blair-era expansion
Following Labour’s landslide victory in 1997, the government inherited a university system that only took in a minority of school leavers.
Approximately 20pc of English students went on to study at university by the age of 30 at the start of the decade. Earning a degree was seen largely as a preserve of the country’s elite, even with the ambitious reforms enacted by Sir John Major, which abolished the divide between the polytechnics and universities.
Baroness Estelle Morris, who as education secretary oversaw part of New Labour’s expansion of higher education between 2001 and 2002, said that critics today have “legitimate” questions about the reforms, which have since allowed millions more people to hold degrees.
“I’m not uncritical. I am absolutely not saying that every course that was started during this period of expansion was worth doing. [However] I cannot see one single argument against having half of our people having studied to degree level.
“To be honest if you freeze the number I don’t think the middle classes were going to stop their children going to university. I don’t know how you change the social mix or widen participation if you kept the numbers as they were.
“I think this question about the expansion of higher education is legitimate. I think there’s a legitimate argument there… but we needed more people achieving that degree level.” She said the Government should have pursued alternative paths to degree level qualifications, such as diplomas, which don’t require going to university.
“If you’re working really hard to raise standards in schools you need a destination for the children who are doing better than they did before. When I visit schools I try not to ask youngsters questions that assume they were going to university. If I asked them 20 years ago I probably would ask that.
She said that alternatives to university, such as apprenticeships, have provided good career paths that do not require taking on debt but that they lacked the life experience that university offers.
“One of the things I worry a little bit about is I can’t think of any other post-18 study that provides that [experience]. You don’t get that university life. Children from poorer backgrounds now because of the debt they have they’re not leaving home. I worry that the children of the more affluent will still get that lifestyle and those from poorer backgrounds won’t leave home because they can’t afford it.
She added: “We also thought that there needed to be more diversity in degree level provision. We talked about a two year course with less holidays. We talked about employers sponsoring their employees to go to university.”
Debt woes
Drawing in ever-increasing numbers of students has turned higher education into a booming business. Universities in England contribute around £95bn to the economy and support more than 815,000 jobs, according to consultancy Frontier Economics.
Yet the surge in wealth generated by higher education providers has come under the backdrop of a mountain of student debt accumulated by generations of graduates. Between 2022 and 2023, student debt surpassed £200bn, according to data from the Student Loans Company. Despite the growth of the sector to become a pillar of the British economy, average earnings of both graduates and postgraduates have been steadily declining since 2007, data from the Department of Education shows.
Russell Group vice chancellors handed themselves a 6pc pay rise last year, making the average salary £413,000 a year, amidst protests from lecturers in response to a proposed 3pc pay offer, according to analysis of published accounts by The Sunday Times.
Imperial College London topped salary rankings for its outgoing president Alice Gast, who received a 35.5pc payrise to £714,000 last July.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Russell Group universities were revealed by The Telegraph to have amassed a £2.2bn cash surplus as a result of spiralling grade inflation, which saw school-leavers gaining record places at the institutions after cancelled exams meant they were handed their predicted grades in lieu of results.
Alarm bells are now ringing over the quality of some degrees. Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, recently warned that some students were being “ripped off” by institutions over degrees that do not lead to decent salaried jobs and has announced plans for the universities regulator, the Office for Students, to take future earnings into account when deciding whether degrees were failing participants.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “I personally think that some of the focus the Government and regulator have put on quality is right. The alternatives to university are pretty few and far between. The cohort graduating this summer have had a pretty torrid time. They’ve been plagued by industrial action [and] they’ve been through Covid.
“Some of those courses… creative arts courses and some business courses have very low wage returns. People who do fine art at university are not expecting to be millionaires. They are doing it for the love of the subject.
“People who say too many people are going to university say ‘do vocational courses’, but business and art are vocational courses. So they are saying [both] don’t do a vocational course, [and] do a vocational course.
“I personally think university is still very much worth doing for most people. It doesn’t work out for everybody. [However] All the evidence about the likelihood of being unemployed during the financial crisis or the covid crisis suggests having a degree on average stands you in pretty good stead.
He added: “I also think there are a lot of people that now insist you have a degree. If you want to be a nurse you basically need a degree. Policing was moving in that direction for a bit. Teaching never used to be a graduate profession.”
Sam Freedman, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government, another think-tank, said: “The big thing that would change the view at the moment is if the employers change their practices.
“It’s really driven by the labour market. There are so many jobs that are graduate only, if more of those jobs became accessible to people who didn’t have degrees I think the dynamics would change quite quickly.”
“One thing that hasn’t been talked about much is that the loan cost is going to get quite a lot more expensive from September. I think that may have an impact over time on people’s view of affordability. Under Blair and Cameron the tuition fees repayment structure was generous but not too burdensome in terms of when you had to start paying off with your salary.
“Now the cutoff rate has been extended [from 30 to 40 years before being written off] and repaying back from a lower salary, so the amount graduates are paying back overtime is getting higher. It’s just going to be more burdensome and more noticeable early in your career. It’s going to be from £25,000, which most graduates will earn pretty early.
He added: “For most young people it will still be worth doing a degree. The growth in university admissions over a very long time has been driven by very high demand from students and parents who know there is a wage premium. If it stopped being true you would see that demand drop away.
The latest “Plan 5” student loans, due to apply to students going to university from September 2023, will see the threshold at which graduates start repaying debt drop to earnings above £25,000 a year, down from the old threshold of £27,295. The period after which loans are written off, currently 30 years, will rise to 40, meaning graduates will pay more for longer and in total.
Graduates pay 9pc of their income above the threshold (on top of the usual income tax and National Insurance). Hargreaves Lansdown said a student starting a three-year degrees today could expect to graduate with a student loan of up to £61,000.
Broken dreams
When Andy Davis, who left Britain to live in Canada for five years to work in aviation, sent his daughter to study at Durham University in 2019 he earmarked £10,000 a year from his savings to support her studies.
“My daughter has always been a hard worker and a high-achiever. I was looking forward to seeing her graduate with a degree, most likely a First. Covid was so hard for her, she started university at Durham in September 2019, so suffered from isolation and loneliness when lockdowns commenced in early 2020.
“This was a hard time for all the students there and teaching staff seemed to have a longer Covid break than the rest of the country. However, no fees were ever returned.”
He said that his daughter, who graduated without her degree certificate this summer due to the marking boycott, faces “ridiculous state of affairs” as she waits to find out what degree she will be awarded.
“Strikes took place earlier in the year and have been rectified with large pay rises. This action appears to me to be pointless and made without any thought of these students who had to cope with a two year interruption to their university lives.”
At the time Durham University said it was “deeply disappointing” that some of its staff had taken part in the the marking boycott.
Emily Bell, a English Literature graduate at the University of Glasgow who received her final result without having all of her work marked, said: “I handed in my final assignment ten days after it [the marking boycott] started. I got my degree classification after the deadline for them to return stuff, I got my dissertation after that and really weak feedback on how it was written.
“No-one was as excited [to graduate] as we expected. It was so anticlimactic.”
Ollie Lewis, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh this summer, was handed little more than an apology during the ceremony. “What a shambles this all is. Walking across the graduation stage to be handed a measly apology letter was, to put it mildly, very disappointing.
“Four years of work and nearly £40,000 worth of fees ended with a graduation ceremony which featured parents shouting “resign” at senior management and countless student protests. I think trust has completely broken down between universities across the UK and students, including potential future students.
“Why should anyone believe that they will be given a degree on time in the future? Whatever the difficulties of this industrial dispute, universities have failed students and there will now be considerable clamour for compensation.”
Those entering the workforce this year, or returning to university for further study, will have become accustomed to the uncertainty that comes with being a student in Britain today.
From career prospects and finding ways to stand out in a crowded field of qualified graduates, to the cost of repaying loans, which surpassed £1,000 a year for the average graduate for the first time last year according to Hargreaves Lansdown, university degrees are a life-long financial commitment that appear to be losing their ability to change lives for the better. | Not_Explicit |
Democrats put RFK Jr. on blast in change of strategy
Democrats are no longer trying to ignore Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and have taken to calling him out in public after a week of controversies.
National party leaders for the first time acknowledged Kennedy’s disruptive presidential bid with sharp criticism, and lawmakers met his claims of censorship head-on during his testimony on Capitol Hill.
It’s a notable change from their previous approach, in which Democratic leaders and party officials hoped Kennedy would simply fade away on his own. It also serves a purpose for President Biden, who has so far been cautious about addressing his primary rival directly.
“On his own, he was doing a really good job of showing everyone his initials stood for Real F—ing [K]razy, so made sense to let him be,” said Eddie Vale, a strategist who has worked on numerous Democratic campaigns.
“This week was different and made sense for folks to engage, because of the combination of outright antisemitism and being a witness for Republicans’ nonsense hearing,” Vale said.
Kennedy this week drew backlash for asserting without evidence that COVID-19 was “ethnically targeted” — a claim infectious disease and ethics experts refuted. Kennedy was caught on video by a reporter saying Chinese people and Ashkenazi Jews were not targeted as much as other races, including Black and white people.
“I’ve never even believed that he was a legitimate candidate,” said Arthur Caplan, a biomedical expert who’s spoken out about the various public relations storms that have dominated Kennedy’s campaign.
“COVID just doesn’t lend itself to being that kind of weapon,” added Caplan, who has written extensively about bioweapons and viruses. “I knew he was basically talking out of his rear end.”
But while Kennedy has frequently drawn negative attention for his views on vaccines, his remarks this week seemed to be even more offensive to many. A wave of White House officials and congressional Democrats rushed to criticize Kennedy, accusing him of spreading misinformation and making antisemitic and racist comments.
In a rare showing of condemnation toward a rival from the same side of the aisle, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took to the podium to portray Kennedy’s comments as factually inaccurate and an “attack” on people.
“If you think about the racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories that come out of saying those types of things, it is an attack on our fellow citizens, our fellow Americans,” Jean-Pierre said on Monday.
“It is important that we essentially speak out when we hear those claims made more broadly,” she added.
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, called the candidate’s COVID-19 comments “reprehensible” and said they were disqualifying.
“Last week, RFK Jr. made reprehensible anti-semitic and anti-Asian comments aimed at perpetuating harmful and debunked racist tropes,” DelBene said in a statement.
“Such dangerous racism and hate have no place in America, demonstrate him to be unfit for public office, and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” she added.
Adding fuel to the fire for Democrats, Kennedy on Thursday testified before a House Judiciary select subcommittee examining the “weaponization” of the federal government, using the event to argue he was being censored despite receiving widespread coverage from major news outlets. Although House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) defended him, Democrats — led by Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) — made their disapproval of him clear.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also waded into the intraparty conflict, questioning why the GOP would grant Kennedy a forum in Congress.
“Why would you give Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a congressional platform to spew his hatred? Here’s the answer: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a living, breathing false-flag operation,” the New York congressman said.
The growing chorus of criticism poses a challenge for Kennedy, who always faced an uphill climb to defeat Biden. But the events of the past week could turn off even those voters who had been more open to his campaign.
Adding to the feeling of many Democrats that Kennedy is playing into the hands of the GOP, former President Trump recently praised the insurgent candidate as “a very smart person,” saying he “hit a little bit of a nerve.” Kennedy had expressed during a town hall hosted by NewsNation — owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill — that he was “proud” Trump liked him.
“His whole campaign is being run by right-wing political operatives who have one objective: try to take down President Joe Biden,” Jeffries argued this week.
That sentiment is shared by many others in the party. The Hill reported earlier this week that two pro-Israel House Democrats said he should not be allowed to serve in the Oval Office if elected following his COVID-19 remarks.
Still, Biden has been careful not to pile on, and some Democrats argue it’s better to disregard him again. Reached for comment, spokespeople from the Biden campaign and the White House also declined to comment on the record beyond what Jean-Pierre said at the podium this week.
As long as he teeters around the same polling numbers, Democrats say they should continue paying him no mind.
“I think it makes most sense to go back to ignoring him,” Vale said. “Let him just hang out with Steve Bannon and do weird push-ups in jeans.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Harris slammed the Florida Board of Education's unanimous decision on Wednesday to revise the state's black history curriculum, which critics argue whitewashes U.S. history, during a speech Thursday at the national convention for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. in Indianapolis. Chief among the criticisms is that standards require middle schools to teach students that slaves benefited from skills they learned.
“Extremists pass book bans to prevent [children] from learning our true history — book bans in this year of our Lord 2023. And while they do this, check it out, they push forward revisionist history,” Harris said. "Just yesterday in the state of Florida, they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery. They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it.”
DeSantis took to Twitter on Friday, the same day Harris is visiting the Sunshine State, to push back against her comments. "Democrats like Kamala Harris have to lie about Florida's educational standards to cover for their agenda of indoctrinating students and pushing sexual topics onto children," he wrote. "Florida stands in their way and we will continue to expose their agenda and their lies."
As a 2024 presidential candidate, DeSantis has campaigned on ending "wokeness" in public schools, arguing that it encourages "state-sanctioned racism" and encourages children to hate the U.S. It's also a key part of his strategy to become the pro-parent candidate as he attempts to defeat former President Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination. Last year DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act into law which prohibited critical race theory from being taught in public schools and determines how businesses and schools address race and gender.
DeSantis's campaign has faced a hurdle of problems in recent weeks, yet the campaign maintains they are the only team that is able to defeat President Joe Biden next year.
"The Harris-Biden administration is obsessed with Florida ... yet they ignore the chaos at the border, crime-infested cities, economic malaise, and the military recruitment crisis. Maybe if Biden’s granddaughter moved to Florida he’d actually visit her," DeSantis also tweeted.
Democrats like Kamala Harris have to lie about Florida's educational standards to cover for their agenda of indoctrinating students and pushing sexual topics onto children.— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) July 21, 2023
Florida stands in their way and we will continue to expose their agenda and their lies.
In January, DeSantis's administration rejected a College Board Advanced Placement course on African American history because “we want education, not indoctrination," the governor said. | Not_Explicit |
Rishi Sunak is being urged by senior Conservatives to go for a spring election next year, with the plan said to be “gaining traction” among campaign strategists who believe it may be their best chance to stem losses.
In the aftermath of Thursday’s byelections, which saw a 21-point average swing against the Tories, some party insiders suggested May 2024 could be an “economic sweet spot” – providing the best window for “damage limitation”.
Sunak has come under pressure since the defeats in North Yorkshire and Somerset this week, despite the Tories pulling off a narrow win in Boris Johnson’s former seat in west London.
Friday’s results caused some ministers to privately push the government to soften its net zero plans and take a stronger stance on “wedge” issues that could be used to create more of a dividing line with Keir Starmer’s party.
The 19,000 and 20,000 majorities that were overturned by Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also renewed jitters among Tory MPs about the safety of their own seat.
With talk of a planned cabinet reshuffle towards the end of the summer and pressure on Sunak growing to buoy his party up at its conference in October, attention is turning among a select few in No 10 to the timing of the next election.
“Rishi will take a stronger view once we get to next January – when the economic picture is clearer and the new cabinet have had time to bed in,” said one senior Tory source. “But the case for an early election is gaining traction.”
Dan Poulter, the Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, told Times Radio on Sunday: “If we look at historical precedents, at the moment it would suggest that – unless things change and turn around – we’re probably heading for a change of government in 15, 18 months’ time.” He added there was a “slim” chance of victory, but conceded the government was in a “very difficult place”.
The idea has been advanced by those including Daniel Finkelstein, a Conservative peer and adviser to John Major in the run up to the party’s crushing defeat in 1997, as well as other figures in parliament and Conservative Central Headquarters.
“There are sound reasons for why we’d stand a better chance by going early than in November,” a minister claimed. “But if we are heading for opposition anyway, it would still help us avoid wipeout territory.”
Tory strategists point to inflation falling faster than expected – to 7.9% from 8.7% – and hopes that Sunak’s aim to halve inflation will be reached, if not by the end of the year, then in early 2024.
“There’s an economic sweep spot,” said one insider. They suggested there would probably be a period next spring where inflation comes under control but before a potential recession and the full effect of further interest rate rises has been felt.
Such a move would allow the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to store up some intended measures and announce these at the spring budget, in March 2024.
The possible giveaways – reported to include abolishing inheritance tax – would be a pre-electoral springboard and challenge for Starmer to match, given his repeated warning that Labour’s ambitions will have to be limited to the finances they inherit.
Further advantages to an early election are reducing the potential punishment levied on the Conservative government for rising mortgage payments. Those who have been shielded from the effects of interest rates due to being on relatively low fixed-rate mortgages are gradually seeing their deals expire.
“Every person who ends up paying an extra £500 a month because they’ve come off their mortgage deal between the spring and the autumn will end up blaming us,” said one MP. “The quicker we get out the way with a damage limitation early election, the quicker we can be back in power after a spell as the opposition.”
Others have pointed to forthcoming fixtures in the political calendar. They fear a narrative-defining drubbing in the May 2024 local elections; followed by another summer where the unresolved small boats issue goes unresolved; and then, as the colder months approach, warnings of an impending winter crisis in the NHS.
Party conference, which is also held by the Conservatives in the first week of October, could also prove problematic. It is considered highly unlikely the party would pull or drastically slim down next year’s event before an election in 2024, given how vital it is to fundraising. However, CCHQ sources pointed out that this would mean activists coalescing in Birmingham in a week when their time would be better spent door-knocking across the country.
Views differ about when the election, which has to happen by January 2025, is most likely to take place. Some who want Sunak to go later point to the risk of the economy not having recovered enough by next May. They also suggest Sunak may want to make as much headway as possible in clearing the NHS backlog given the difficulties posed by strikes – making a November election more preferable. | Not_Explicit |
Living, as I do, a life of blameless rustic obscurity, I don’t go to posh dos in London much these days. So I missed the BBC Correspondents’ Charity dinner at the Langham Hotel on July 3, where media titans chowed down in chandeliered splendour with top bankers and philanthropists.
I wasn’t able to earwig on the conversation between NatWest Group boss Dame Alison Rose and the BBC Business Editor Simon Jack. They happened to be sitting next to each other and, say eyewitnesses, were plainly having a fine old time.
I cannot say for sure that they were talking about the story of the hour — the claim by Nigel Farage that he had been mysteriously and arbitrarily dropped as a customer of Coutts bank.
I didn’t hear Simon Jack ask Alison Rose the question that frankly it was his job to ask that night: namely, whether it was true that Farage had been boycotted for political reasons, as the former MEP seemed to suggest. I didn’t hear what Dame Alison said. But you know what, I have a pretty good idea.
In fact, I would wager the entire contents of my own personal bank account that they discussed the matter; and I would bet my house that it was no coincidence that the following day Simon Jack ran a BBC story claiming that the decision by Coutts to whack Farage was nothing to do with politics.
The sad truth, said the Beeb, was that Farage just didn’t have enough money. He had ‘fallen beneath the wealth limit’. It was a purely ‘commercial’ decision, said Simon Jack, and he cited ‘people familiar with Coutts’ move’.
Well, who do you think those people might be? Is there anyone who seriously thinks that Alison Rose was not involved — especially since neither party is now willing to comment?
Coutts decided to breach one of the most important principles of banking — the principle behind the survival of the bank for the past 331 years. They, or their supreme boss at NatWest, decided to betray the confidentiality that their client might expect.
They talked in deprecating terms about the state of his finances. They humiliated their customer by causing at least two media organisations — the BBC and the Financial Times — to run the same derogatory story: that he just wasn’t rich enough to qualify as a Coutts customer. And they lied.
Days later, by means of a subject access request, Nigel Farage was able to get hold of the report by the wealth reputation risk committee of Coutts — and there it is, plain as a pikestaff. The report says: ‘The client’s economic contribution is now sufficient to retain on a commercial basis.’
It wasn’t just a partly political decision. It was purely political. The conclusion of this 36-page dossier of prejudice and innuendo is that ‘the committee did not think that continuing to bank Nigel Farage was compatible with Coutts given that his publicly stated views were at odds with our position as an inclusive organisation’.
Please be in no doubt that Farage is, and has for decades, been my political opponent. His activities have eaten away at Tory majorities; he has made it more difficult for us to win, and he has several times helped impede the formation of a strong majority Conservative government.
I certainly do not endorse or support all of his views — least of all on Vladimir Putin, where I believe that he has made a serious mistake (as he might now accept himself). I doubt that we see eye to eye on the need to protect the environment by reducing CO2 and many other matters.
But on this issue — his treatment by Coutts — I find myself vehemently supporting him.
I read the Coutts’ dossier with cold, hard fury. There is nothing here to justify the termination of a commercial relationship.
So what if Farage compares the tearing down of a statue in Bristol with the actions of the Taliban, who destroyed the Buddhas of Bamiyan? Is Coutts in favour of the violent destruction of our heritage?
So what if he stresses the biological differences between men and women? It’s a point of view shared by tens of millions — if not the majority — of people in this country. So what if he backed Brexit? So did 52 per cent of the UK electorate, and the current government.
If only ministers would proclaim it more loudly.
Why the hell does it matter if he personally supports former U.S. President Trump. So do millions of Americans, not all of them bigots or idiots.
I have news for the snowflakes on the Coutts committee: Donald Trump is very likely to be nominated as the Republican candidate in the U.S. election. Are they really going to de-bank any American who supports him?
There is no conceivable defence of the bank’s decision. There was no ‘reputational’ risk to banking Farage. Did you know he was a client? Neither did I. They did it purely to make themselves feel better — about themselves.
They wanted to feel that they were doing more than lending money at interest.
They wanted to feel environmentalist, egalitarian, trans-sensitive, anti-Brexit, anti-racist and altogether woke, and they thought they could do it by shunning Farage. Then they lied about it.
They have made a terrible mistake. Coutts is no longer the self-styled posho bank used by kids at my school, who would buy turkey sandwiches from the tuck shop with 50p Coutts cheques. It is no longer entitled to behave as it likes.
As a subsidiary of NatWest, Coutts belongs nearly 40 per cent to you and me, the taxpayers, because we bailed it out in 2008; and Alison Rose is publicly accountable for her decisions and her £5.2million salary. That matters because what this bank has done is — paradoxically — disastrous for the reputation of UK financial services.
Why would you put your money in London, if some woke committee can suddenly and arbitrarily decide to close your account? I wonder whether Dame Alison has stopped for one second to think about how the UK has prospered, and why we are seen around the world as a beacon of opportunity.
It is because we uphold the great principle: that you should not discriminate against people because of what they lawfully say or believe; and, as the report admits, time and again Farage has done nothing to break the law.
There is only one way forward. Andrew Griffith MP, the banking minister, has risen impressively to the occasion.
He now needs to establish all the facts about how a false impression of Farage’s financial circumstances was given to the media, and I am afraid that if Dame Alison was in any way responsible then she really needs to go.
And Farage — if that is what he wants — should have all his accounts restored forthwith. This is about far more than the bank account of one person.
It is about freedom under the law, for everyone in this country. It is about the freedom to think and say what you believe — provided you don’t break the law — without the fear of open or covert persecution.
That freedom made our country great. It is under threat. It is time to fight. | Not_Explicit |
The Democratic National Committee named former President Donald Trump the "real Speaker of the House" on Tuesday after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) suggested that an investigation into President Joe Biden's family could lead to an impeachment inquiry.
"He has made sure the House majority is little more than an arm of his 2024 campaign, and Kevin McCarthy is happy to do his bidding — promising to expunge Trump’s own bipartisan impeachments, and now threatening President Biden with a baseless impeachment to distract from their lack of any meaningful agenda and Trump’s own significant challenges," DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison said in a statement reacting to McCarthy.
Discussing allegations against Biden and his family regarding their foreign business dealings, McCarthy told Fox News's Sean Hannity: "I believe we will follow this all the way to the end, and this is going to rise to an impeachment inquiry, the way the Constitution tells us to do this, and we have to get the answers to these questions."
The speaker said: "This president has also used something we have not seen since Richard Nixon, used the weaponization of government to benefit his family and deny Congress the ability to have oversight."
Harrison dismissed the Monday evening threat as "another political stunt intended to help Trump, which House Republicans have already admitted."
"Instead of wasting the American people’s time and money carrying water for Trump, Republicans should join President Biden in working to provide relief for hardworking families, lowering costs, and bringing jobs back to America instead of playing reruns of the Trump show," he said.
At the center of the allegations against Biden is an unclassified FBI FD-1023 form in which informants detail claims of the now-president wielding his influence to coerce payments from foreign entities.
Last week, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released a lightly redacted version of the form to the public.
Congressional Democrats have pushed back against Republicans over the form, which the bureau uses to collect “raw, unverified” information from confidential sources, calling the claims levied “conspiracy theories.”
After the form was released, White House counsel spokesman Ian Sams said: “It is remarkable that congressional Republicans, in their eagerness to go after President Biden regardless of the truth, continue to push claims that have been debunked for years.” | Not_Explicit |
Strengthening Food Safety Systems Through Global Collaboration
Food safety is a global issue that transcends boundaries and geographical locations. Safe food is essential for sound health and food safety is critical to the policymakers of any nation for securing public health and the economic strength and stability of a nation.
The burden of foodborne diseases to public health and to economies is a matter of concern. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 600 million people fall ill each year due to about 200 different types of foodborne diseases. The burden of these illnesses disproportionately affects the poor and the young. Tragically, foodborne diseases are responsible for 4,20,000 preventable deaths annually worldwide.
The 2019 World Bank report on the economic burden of the foodborne diseases indicated that the total productivity loss associated with foodborne disease in low- and middle-income countries was estimated at $95.2 billion per year, and the annual cost of treating foodborne illnesses is estimated at $15 billion. Addressing the burden of foodborne diseases is a crucial task for safeguarding public health and ensuring economic stability for a better quality of life of people around the globe.
The Global Food Regulators Summit 2023, an endeavour of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, demonstrates India's commitment to strengthening the global food safety ecosystem. The summit aims to create a cohesive approach to food safety and regulatory frameworks by facilitating discussions and sharing best practices among food regulators and research institutions from around the world, thereby ensuring safe and quality food for all.
Through this summit, India provided a crucial platform for global food regulators from over 40 countries, including G20 member countries, to collaborate and strategise on transforming the food safety ecosystem and regulatory frameworks. Apart from the Codex Alimentarius Commission created by the World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 60 years ago, this is the first time food regulators from across the world gathered under the same roof for a global regulatory conference of such magnitude.
Apart from regulators, reputed international organisations, including WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Food Programme and 25 international research institutes and universities took part in the summit.
A total of around 5,000 people took part over two days at the plenary sessions, exhibition and concurrent CEO’s meetings held as part of the summit, which over one lakh people joined virtually. This included around 40,000 food business operators, 35,000 students/research institutes, 6,000 exporters, 5,000 importers, 3,500 food safety officers, 2,500 food safety trainees, 2,000 laboratory officials, 1,000 Food Safety Mitras and Indian Missions Officials in 60 countries across the world.
Key goals of the summit included establishing a platform for exchanging information on food product regulatory and safety requirements. The discussion centered around five crucial areas divided into as many technical sessions–Global Regulatory Framework, Anti-Microbial Resistance: Challenges and Solutions for Global Food Safety, Best Practices on Robust Standards Setting Framework, Impact of Animal Feed on Food Safety and Human Health, and Innovation in Food Emergency Responses, Recall and Analysis.
The Global Food Regulators Summit introduced ground-breaking initiatives that will transform the accessibility and sharing of food safety information. These included the launch of Food-o-Copoeia, a comprehensive collection of food categorywise monographs that serve as a single-point reference for all applicable standards and regulatory provisions, covering aspects such as quality standards, food safety measures, labelling and claim requirements, packaging specifications and testing methods.
Additionally, the common regulators platform called 'SaNGRAH'-Safe food for Nations: Global food Regulatory Authorities Handbook features a database of Food Regulatory Authorities from 76 countries, providing insights into their mandates, food safety ecosystems, food testing facilities, contact details, etc.
Furthermore, a Common Digital Dashboard, a unified IT portal offering comprehensive information on standards, regulations, notifications, advisories, guidelines, contamination limits and the latest developments by food regulators in India has also been launched as part of the summit.
India Taking The Lead
In 1964, India became one of the first countries to join Codex and has host chaired the Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs, apart from chairing and co-chairing many working groups. From the enactment of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Law in 1954 to the formation of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the focus in the country has moved from just preventing food adulteration to ensuring food safety through setting of standards and nudging consumers towards right eating choices.
India's food market is currently valued at $905.2 billion and it is projected to grow annually at a substantial rate of 8.4%. As one of the world's major food producers and exporters, India plays a crucial role in the global food safety ecosystem. The country has exported food products worth $172.48 billion over the past five years (2017-18 to 2021-22).
Given the immense scale of the food value chain worldwide, India has taken the lead in addressing global food safety challenges and this conference serves as a significant platform for promoting international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and cross-learning, aiming to create a safer and more sustainable global food system.
The Food Safety and Standards Act now encompasses more than 710 products and 31 principle regulations have been formulated, which includes milk, meat, organic food, pesticide, nutraceuticals, etc.
The food authority in India has a Scientific Committee and 21 Scientific Panels that are its principal scientific arms in the standards development process, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has 49 technical and scientific advisory committees. The European Food Safety Authority has 10 scientific panels that include external scientific experts. The European Parliament’s Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety plays a crucial role in legislation related to most of the food sector.
The laboratory approval system at E.U., U.S., Australia and New Zealand includes primary, referral and reference labs under private and government sector, which is similar to the system in India.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has 13 reference and research laboratories, New Zealand has two national laboratories and 119 accredited laboratories. In Australia, there are seven laboratories that are approved for testing imported food. While Germany has 14 national reference laboratories, U.K. has 29 national reference laboratories.
India has a network of 246 laboratories for food testing, including four National Food Labs of the FSSAI. Out of the total notified laboratories, 13 have been recognised as reference labs for development and validation of new methods of testing. India also has the world’s largest network of mobile food labs–‘Food Safety on Wheels’–which brings testing facilities and food safety education to the remotest corners of this vast country.
Food safety is an integral part of our public health system and India has been a pioneer of this sector, which includes bringing regulation for Ayurveda Aahara and vegan food. Historically speaking, ships laden with spices and condiments would take the ‘Spice Route’ from India to the western world, taking along food and food habits. Post-globalisation, Japanese food is enjoyed by people in the U.S. while food of the Middle East is easily available in Japan. As Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly said ‘One Earth,’ ‘One Family’ and ‘One Future’, every country is eating food imported from the other country.
India’s ancient tradition of Yoga and its universal appeal has found a significant global platform, thanks to the International Yoga Day celebrated on June 21 every year, as proposed by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 27, 2014.
Just as the International Yoga Day has helped bring global attention towards the holistic approach of this ancient practice towards health and wellness, the Global Food Regulators Summit would become an international platform where regulators, policy makers and scientists can exchange ideas and collaborate to counter emerging hazards, changing consumer habits, pandemic situations, etc.
The Global Food Regulators Summit would act as the catalyst for a future where food safety for all is ensured through international collaboration, open dialogues and the sharing of experiences and innovations.
G Kamala Vardhana Rao is Secretary to the Government of India and Chief Executive Officer of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of BQ Prime or its editorial team. | Not_Explicit |
White House marks rejoining UNESCO, says Trump-era absence harmed US interests
The White House marked the United States rejoining the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ahead of first lady Jill Biden’s trip to France, four years after former President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement.
Senior administration officials outlined that the U.S. not being a part of the international organization was harmful to its interests.
“In recent years with UNESCO, it became clear that the U.S. absence from this organization was actually harming our interests,” officials said, adding that U.S. competitors are “working hard in the U.N. to shape the global agenda on issues ranging from emerging technology to sustainable development.”
“If we aren’t in the room, we can’t push back and if we don’t show up, we can’t fight for the American people and defend our allies abroad from unfair attacks,” officials said.
The U.S. in 2019 officially withdrew from UNESCO, two years after the Trump administration cited anti-Israel bias for the decision to leave the group. The withdrawal was largely procedural, and came as the Trump administration more broadly raised concerns about the United Nations’ agenda and attitudes toward Israel.
The first lady will deliver remarks at the UNESCO flag-raising ceremony. She is set to leave Sunday evening and return on Wednesday.
Officials cited rejoining UNESCO as part of President Biden’s overall focus on U.S. leadership and participation on the global stage following the Trump years.
“From the very early days of this administration, we took steps to strengthen our global partnerships and recommit to American leadership at the U.N. and international organizations,” officials said.
The first lady will engage with UNESCO leaders on ethics of emerging technology, press freedom, and education, which is notable for her as a longtime teacher.
She will also meet with France’s first lady Brigitte Macron, a fellow teacher, while in Paris. And, she will visit Brittany American Cemetery in Normandy to honor World War II troops. UNESCO was co-founded by the U.S. after World War II.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
UN begins extracting oil from tanker, mitigating risk of environmental catastrophe
The United Nations announced Tuesday morning that it began operations to remove oil from a deteriorating supertanker, the first step toward preventing a natural disaster from unfolding in the Red Sea.
“In the absence of anyone else willing or able to perform this task, the United Nations stepped up and assumed the risk to conduct this very delicate operation,” U.N. Secretary–General António Guterres said about the project in a press statement.
FSO Safer, the 47-year-old tanker, has been a burden on the U.N.’s shoulders since 2015, when Yemen halted maintenance on the vessel due to an outbreak of a civil war in the country.
As a result, FSO Safer has been abandoned and stranded off the coast of Yemen for more than 8 years.
Despite numerous reports over the years warning that the tanker’s structural integrity is failing, Yemen’s rebel group, the Houthis, continued to block foreign attempts to access and inspect the ship.
The U.N.’s project to prevent a colossal oil spill by extracting the tanker’s 48 million gallons of oil was initially launched in 2019, but they also faced pushback from the Houthis when trying to access FSO Safer.
President Biden’s foreign policy regarding Yemen also complicated the matter. Shortly after being inaugurated, Biden stopped U.S. aid to Saudi Arabia’s offensive against the Houthis, which was the strategy of the two previous administrations.
This change, along with removing the Houthis’ designation as a foreign terrorist organization, signaled a shift toward diplomacy within U.S.’s approach to the country’s conflict.
But Biden’s policy switch-up did not have any immediate effect on the effort to stop the oil spill, which is projected to be four times the size of the Exxon Valdez leak. The 1989 incident was the second-largest oil spill in U.S. history.
On February 24th 2021, 20 days after the policy change, the Houthis made a new list of requests that delayed the U.N.’s mission.
After a drawn out process, the U.N. was finally able to begin offloading oil from FSO Safer with the help of a $10 million donation from the U.S. The U.N. anticipates the operation will last 19 days.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck mission and the culmination of nearly two years of political groundwork, fundraising and project development,” Guterres said in the press statement.
U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller called on the global community and private industries in a press release to supply the additional $22 million needed to complete the project.
“The oil transfer is a critical step towards averting an economic, environmental, and humanitarian crisis in the Red Sea and beyond,” Miller said.
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) spokesperson Sarah Bel estimated that the potential oil spill would take $20 billion and multiple years to clean up during a press briefing in Geneva.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Asia Stocks Face Cautious Start As U.S. Futures Slip: Markets Wrap
Track the global equity, currency and commodity markets here.
(Bloomberg) -- Asian markets are poised for a cautious open as US stock futures slipped in early Asia trading after disappointing results from companies including Netflix Inc. and Tesla Inc.
Equity futures for Japan fell, while contracts for Australia were little changed. A reprieve from a two-day slide in Hong Kong may be in store, with equity futures pointing to a small gain. An index of US-listed Chinese companies bounced back Wednesday from their worst day in almost a month.
Meanwhile, futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 ticked lower in Asia after Netflix declined in postmarket trading as sales missed estimates and its third-quarter forecast also fell short. Tesla fell after profitability shrank in the second quarter, a sign the electric-vehicle maker’s margins are being squeezed.
In official trading Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose for a third day. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 ended marginally lower and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average extended its winning streak into an eighth day, the longest rally since September 2019. Apple Inc. advanced after Bloomberg reported on its efforts to build artificial intelligence tools, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ended in the green even after its profit slump stood in contrast to beats earlier in the week from peer investment firms.
US Treasuries gained, spurred by a UK inflation report earlier in the session that sent guilt yields tumbling. Price pressures in Britain dropped to the lowest in 15 months, adding to evidence central banks can go easier on raising interest rates. However, gains across the Treasury curve eased following a spike in commodities including wheat after a warning from Russia that any ships to Ukraine would be seen as carrying arms.
The dollar rose against almost all of its Group of 10 counterparts, with the pound falling as much as 1.3% in the biggest intraday drop in more than four months. The yen and Aussie were also among the worst performers Wednesday.
In the US, new home construction retreated in June after surging a month earlier, while applications to build, a proxy for future construction, slipped, data Wednesday showed.
In Asia on Thursday, Japan’s trade deficit is expected to narrow last month as exports increased, while Australia is due to report jobs figures for June following an unexpected surge the prior month.
Evidence of easing price pressures in the US and UK is bolstering hopes among investors a campaign of monetary tightening is drawing to a close. However, shaky economic reports have made clear the Federal Reserve is far from claiming victory.
“The risk of recession has receded dramatically,” said Neil Dutta, head of economics at Renaissance Macro Research, on Bloomberg TV. “I think the markets are right to allocate a little bit more to the soft-landing story, but I think you can make a good case that maybe we’re getting a little bit over our skis here and we should probably put some more potential on the resurgence of the inflationary-boom scenario.”
In other corporate news, Carvana Co. gained 40% after the used-car retailer reached a deal to restructure its debt and filed to sell as much as $1 billion in stock. AT&T Inc. rose 8.5% after the telecommunications company reassured investors by saying less than 10% of its nationwide copper-wire telecom network had lead-clad cables.
Key events this week:
- China loan prime rates, Thursday
- US initial jobless claims, existing home sales, Conf. Board leading index, Thursday
- Japan CPI, Friday
Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
- S&P 500 futures fell 0.3% as of 8:18 a.m. Tokyo time. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%
- Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.6%. The Nasdaq 100 was little changed
- Nikkei 225 futures fell 0.4%
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index futures were little changed
- Hang Seng Index futures rose 0.3%
Currencies
- The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
- The euro was little changed at $1.1204
- The Japanese yen was unchanged at 139.65 per dollar
- The offshore yuan was little changed at 7.2314 per dollar
- The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.6768
Cryptocurrencies
- Bitcoin fell 0.3% to $29,864.79
- Ether fell 0.6% to $1,886.5
Bonds
- The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined four basis points to 3.75%
- Australia’s 10-year yield advanced four basis points to 3.91%
Commodities
- West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.2% to $75.23 a barrel
- Spot gold was little changed
This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Not_Explicit |
The Council of the EU has adopted new rules intended to make it much easier for EV owners to travel across Europe, while simultaneously helping to reduce the output of harmful greenhouse gases. From a report: The new regulation is set to benefit owners of electric cars and vans in three ways: It reduces range anxiety by expanding the EV charging infrastructure along Europe's main highways, it makes payments "at the pump" easier without requiring an app or subscription, and ensures pricing and availability is clearly communicated to avoid surprises. From 2025 onward, the new regulation requires fast charging stations offering at least 150kW of power to be installed every 60km (37mi) along the EU's Trans-European Transport Network, or (TEN-T) system of highways, the bloc's main transport corridor. The fast charging network along European highways is already pretty robust, I discovered on a recent 3,000km (2,000 mile) roadtrip with a VW ID Buzz. This new law could all but eliminate range anxiety for those sticking to TEN-T roads.
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Do you develop on GitHub? You can keep using GitHub but automatically sync your GitHub releases to SourceForge quickly and easily with this tool so your projects have a backup location, and get your project in front of SourceForge's nearly 30 million monthly users. It takes less than a minute. Get new users downloading your project releases today!
Do you develop on GitHub? You can keep using GitHub but automatically sync your GitHub releases to SourceForge quickly and easily with this tool so your projects have a backup location, and get your project in front of SourceForge's nearly 30 million monthly users. It takes less than a minute. Get new users downloading your project releases today! | Not_Explicit |
Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: [email protected].
Canadian Immigration Work Initiative Reaches Cap in Two Days
Canada’s recently launched immigration work permit program is no longer accepting new applications since receiving an overwhelming response and reaching its cap of 10,000 applicants in two days. Aiming to attract highly skilled technology professionals from the United States with H-1B work visas, Canada unveiled the initiative in late June. VOA’s Immigration reporter Aline Barros has the story.
House-Approved Defense Bill Does Not Increase or Extend Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans
The country’s annual defense spending measure was narrowly approved by the Republican-led House of Representatives on July 14, and although the bill is several steps from becoming law, the White House has announced its opposition to a range of national security provisions, including inaction on the special immigrant visas for Afghans. Immigration reporter Aline Barros has the story.
Texas Trooper's Accounts of Bloodied, Fainting Migrants on US-Mexico Border Unleash Criticism
Texas Governor Greg Abbott's escalating measures to stop migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico came under new criticism Tuesday after a state trooper said migrants were left bloodied from razor-wire barriers and that orders were given to deny people water in the sweltering heat. The Associated Press reports.
Biden, Trump Asylum Rules Differ, Administration Tells Judge
The Biden administration argued Wednesday that its new asylum rule is different from versions put forward under President Donald Trump in a court hearing before a judge who threw out Trump's attempts to limit asylum on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Associated Press reports.
Hundreds of Migrants in Southern Mexico Form Group to Head Toward US
Nearly 1,000 migrants that recently crossed from Guatemala into Mexico formed a group on July 15 to head north together in hopes of reaching the border with the United States. The group, made up of largely Venezuelan migrants, walked along a highway in southern Mexico led by a Venezuelan flag with the phrase "Peace, Freedom. SOS." The men, women, children and teenagers were followed by Mexican National Guard patrols. The Associated Press reports.
How Are ‘Talent Visas’ Used to Lure International Students to the US?
Foreign students educated in the United States are often bright, hardworking and eager to land a job. But the backlog for U.S. work visas has created an opportunity for other countries to snag talented workers. Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Report has more.
Immigration around the world
Spain's Early Election Could Put Far Right in Power for First Time Since Franco
Spain's general election on Sunday could make the country the latest European Union member to swing to the populist right, a shift that would represent a major upheaval after five years under a left-wing government. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and its small far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos ("United We Can"), took a beating in local and regional elections. The Associated Press reports.
UN: UK Migration Bill Contrary to International Law
Britain's Illegal Migration Bill, aimed at stopping thousands of migrants arriving in the country, is at odds with London's obligations under international law, the United Nations said Tuesday. The bill, which has been passed by parliament and now awaits the formality of being signed into law by King Charles III, means migrants arriving by boat will be refused the right to apply for asylum in the U.K. Agence France-Presse reports.
Israel to Allow Palestinian Americans Entry in Bid for US Visa-Free Access
Israel said that beginning Thursday it will allow entry to all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans living in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in a policy change it hopes will secure visa-free access for Israelis to the United States. Reuters reports.
News in Brief
—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement welcoming steps taken by Israel toward meeting the Visa Waiver Program requirements. | Not_Explicit |
Staff working on laptop in an office space. (Photo: Annie Spratt Source: Unsplash)
Russia's largest lender Sberbank's branch in India has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India to establish an information technology unit in Bengaluru, where it plans to employ up to 200 IT specialists.
Russia's largest lender Sberbank's branch in India has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India to establish an information technology unit in Bengaluru, where it plans to employ up to 200 IT specialists.
The new IT office would house Sberbank's in-house data processing centre, it said.
While Sberbank's India branch has been active in New Delhi since 2010 and offers a wide range of financial services, the Bengaluru office will be fully focused on developing information technologies, the state-owned bank said in a statement on Friday.
Anatoly Popov, Deputy Chairman of Sberbank's Executive Board, said: "The Bangalore (Bengaluru) hub will not only handle the technological needs of our Indian branch but also develop and implement new digital products for its clients. And in the longer term, we plan to employ up to 200 IT specialists in our new unit." | Not_Explicit |
Shree Cements Gets Inspection Notice From MCA After Tax Evasion Charge
Shree Cements Ltd. said it will comply with the directions.
Shree Cements Ltd. received an inspection notice from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on Wednesday, nearly a month after the Income Tax Department's search at its offices revealed a Rs 23,000 crore tax evasion.
The MCA order came under Section 206(5) of the Companies Act, under which the central government can direct inspection of the books and papers of a company.
"This is to inform that the Company has today received a letter dated 19.7.2023 from the office of Regional Director, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, informing order of inspection under Section 206(5) of the Companies Act, 2013," Shree Cements said in an exchange filing.
The company said it will comply with the directions. | Not_Explicit |
England are hours away from kicking off their World Cup campaign down under with their opening match against Haiti.
The Lionesses go into the tournament off the back of their Euro 2022 win last year and as one of the big favourites to lift the World Cup trophy in August.
England sit 49 places above Haiti in the global rankings, and are expected to win comfortably in Brisbane later on.
The team will also face Denmark and China in their Group D games.
Talismanic boss Sarina Wiegman said her squad will do "everything" they can to bring the World Cup home, but warns facing opposition lower down the ranks means they have more to lose.
"We're here and we have a dream, and of course there's always a chance to win the World Cup, and many more countries can win the World Cup I think, but of course we're going to give our everything...," she said.
"The pressure is always something. Everyone expected England to win anyway... so that's not different.
"What we're just trying to do is play our game and focus on what we have to do and how we can win, and that's basically what we do all the time, so bring it back to what actions we need to take as a team."
Wiegman is no stranger to the World Cup, having made it to the final in 2019 with the Netherlands but ultimately losing to the USA, who will be looking to retain the trophy.
However, while the Lionesses prepare to run out on to the pitch in Australia, they have expressed their disappointment after not being able to come to an agreement with the Football Association around performance-based bonuses and commercial endeavours.
Read more:
England goalkeeper hits out at Nike over shirt row
Analysis: Women 'empowered' ahead of World Cup amid pay disputes and feeling 'marginalised'
For the first time, FIFA prize money will be paid directly to the Lionesses squad rather than the FA, and England's players have been pushing the association to top up the central payments awarded to every side since 2022.
But captain Millie Bright said the squad had to put conversations on hold in order to focus on their campaign, saying they want to grow the women's game.
British expats and England supporters who've flown to Australia are planning a day of activities leading up to the game and the city's well-known British style pubs are planning for a big crowd.
More than 40,000 tickets have been sold for the big game which starts at 7.30pm local time (10.30am UK time).
Brisbane was quiet early on Saturday morning but it is expected to ramp up.
George Gallantree established the British branch of the "Barmy Army" and can't wait to support the Lionesses.
"We're really excited to see them," he told Sky News.
"I think it's a chance for young girls to see their idols play. Girls' football is huge in Australia and it's growing by the day." | Not_Explicit |
While Israeli police smothered Palestinian protests on the streets of East Jerusalem in May 2021, a separate agency attempted its own sweep online. The Cybercrime Department in Israel’s Ministry of Justice sent social media companies lists of thousands of user accounts it wanted removed for violating the services’ content policies with their posts about the protests.A former Twitter employee says the company suspended a few of the accounts flagged by the Israeli agency for using hateful or harassing language. But policy staffers determined that most were simply Palestinians and others tweeting comments that, while critical of Israel, did not break any rules.The Israeli cyber department is an example of what scholars of online platforms call an internet referral unit—a government team created to badger online services into taking action against content it doesn’t like. A raft of IRUs have been launched by countries across the world as governments of all kinds grapple with online platforms. Tech companies often prioritize IRU requests in moderation queues, to the concern of critics who say the units can reflect political motivations and often skirt legal hurdles designed to prevent unfair censorship.After a decade of growing mostly unrestricted, internet referral units are now facing new checks and balances in the US and the EU.A federal judge in Louisiana this month issued a preliminary injunction banning 41 Biden administration officials and their staff across 10 different US agencies from tipping off social media companies about content thought to violate a service’s terms of use. The ban severely curtailed the White House’s influence on digital town squares through the agencies’ informal IRUs, and it caused the State Department to postpone a planned meeting with Meta to share information on countering disinformation abroad.In the EU, referral units are set to be subjected to new transparency requirements by one provision of the wide-ranging Digital Services Act that takes effect next year.The ruling and the law are the first significant disruptions to the coziness that has existed between online platforms and the government agencies and other organizations patrolling the web to quietly suppress unfavorable commentary. But though rights groups that promote freedom of expression have applauded the new interventions, they also warn that IRUs and the moderation decisions they prompt will largely be allowed to continue without adequate controls or disclosures.Shadow ModerationInternet referral units first emerged around 2010 in the UK, as services such as Facebook and YouTube faced pressure from counterterrorism officials to better handle content generated by violent Islamic extremists. Companies trying to establish better relations with governments generally accepted the requests and even anointed IRUs as “trusted flaggers,” whose reports of bad content would get reviewed more swiftly than those of standard users.The numbers and activity of IRUs expanded rapidly. Companies also added civil society organizations as trusted flaggers. Authorities in countries including Germany and France used the tactic to suppress far-right political extremism on social media in the later 2010s, and then health disinformation during the pandemic.Referral units are not always formal or well-organized entities, and their remits vary, but a common process has become established: Choose a topic to monitor, such as political misinformation or anti-Semitism, trawl for problematic content, and then flag it to companies through dedicated hotlines, physical letters, personal relationships with insiders, or the “report this” buttons available to all users. The units may report solely what appears to be criminal activity, but some flag content that is legal but banned under a platform’s rules, like nudity or bot accounts.More often than not, experts say, compliance by platforms is voluntary because the requests are not legally binding; users are generally not informed of who reported their content. Rights groups have long expressed concern that IRUs effectively circumvent legal processes, trading speed and simplicity for transparency and checks on the abuse of power—while also pushing reports from users to the back of the line.Social media companies can feel significant pressure to act on IRU requests because fighting them could lead to regulations that raise the costs of doing business, according to several experts and four former tech company policy staffers who have handled demands. It’s common for politicians and influential groups to request direct channels to escalate concerns about content, and for platforms to provide them.Power balances established offline get reflected in the programs. The Palestinian Authority, one of the small governing groups at odds with Israel, “does not have the leverage or relationship with Meta to operate an effective IRU,” says Eric Sype of the Palestinian rights group 7amleh. Meta, TikTok, and Twitter did not respond to requests for comment for this story, and YouTube declined to comment.IRUs have been challenged before. In 2021, the year Israel clashed with protestors in East Jerusalem and pinged companies including Twitter, the country’s Supreme Court ruled against a challenge to the Justice Ministry’s unit. The court called work “crucial to the national security and social order,” and it allowed it to continue because plaintiffs couldn’t demonstrate direct harm. That year, the IRU ultimately sent nearly 6,000 requests to tech companies, including over 1,300 to Twitter, for voluntary removal or restriction of content such as “praise of terrorism” and Covid vaccine misinformation, according to the Israeli government’s annual disclosures and a US State Department analysis. Almost 5,000 requests were granted, the data show. Israel’s embassy in Washington, DC, did not respond to a request for comment.Meta’s independent Oversight Board, an appeals body for thorny content moderation issues, has also pushed back. The company last year had removed a UK drill-music track at the request of London police over concern that the song’s reference to a shooting could incite violence. The board overturned the takedown, saying Meta lacked sufficient evidence of a credible threat, and chastised the company for accepting informal law enforcement requests in “a haphazard and opaque” manner. It called for Meta to publicize all such requests, a plea that Oversight Board cochair Michael McConnell and member Suzanne Nossel, repeated in separate op-eds this month. Meta on its website says it is working on doing so but isn't sure how long it will take, because centralizing all the requests is complicated.New RulesThe US federal court ruling this month that banned agency officials from making takedown pleas dealt the biggest blow yet to IRUs. It came after two conservative-led states and several social media users filed a lawsuit alleging that the White House was violating the First Amendment’s protection against government censorship by pressuring Facebook and Twitter to place advisory labels on posts and suspend or ban accounts. The disputed content questioned Covid face-masking, vaccines, virus origins, and lockdowns.Judge Terry Doughty ruled that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in proving that a bombardment of takedown requests by emails and calls from White House and federal agency officials forced the social media companies’ hands, amounting to a practice known as jawboning. He accused the administration of targeting “disfavored conservative speech” and pointed to officials’ informal but sometimes intense emailed demands. One said: “Cannot stress the degree to which this needs to be resolved immediately. Please remove this account immediately.”Wrote Doughty, “Defendants ‘significantly encouraged’ the social-media companies to such extent that the decisions (of the companies) should be deemed to be the decisions of the government.”Doughty’s ban, which is now on hold as the White House appeals, attempts to set the bounds of acceptable conduct for government IRUs. It provides an exemption for officials to continue notifying social media companies about illegal activity or national security issues. Emma Llansó, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology in Washington, DC, says that leaves much unsettled, because the line between thoughtful protection of public safety and unfair suppression of critics can be thin.The EU’s new approach to IRUs also seems compromised to some activists. The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires each EU member to designate a national regulator by February that will take applications from government agencies, nonprofits, industry associations, or companies that want to become trusted flaggers that can report illegal content directly to Meta and other medium-to-large platforms. Reports from trusted flaggers have to be reviewed “without undue delay,” on pain of fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s global annual sales.The law is intended to make IRU requests more accurate, by appointing a limited number of trusted flagging organizations with expertise in varying areas of illegal content such as racist hate speech, counterfeit goods, or copyright violations. And organizations will have to annually disclose how many reports they filed, to whom, and the results.But the disclosures will have significant gaps, because they will include only requests related to content that is illegal in a EU state—allowing reports of content flagged solely for violating terms of service to go unseen. Though tech companies are not required to give priority to reports of content flagged for rule breaking, there’s nothing stopping them from doing so. And platforms can still work with unregistered trusted flaggers, essentially preserving the obscure practices of today. The DSA does require companies to publish all their content moderation decisions to an EU database without “undue delay,” but the identity of the flagger can be omitted.“The DSA creates a new, parallel structure for trusted flaggers without directly addressing the ongoing concerns with actually existing flaggers like IRUs,” says Paddy Leerssen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam who is involved in a project providing ongoing analysis of the DSA.Two EU officials working on DSA enforcement, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media, say the new law is intended to ensure that all 450 million EU residents benefit from the ability of trusted flaggers to send fast-track notices to companies that might not cooperate with them otherwise. Although the new trusted-flagger designation was not designed for government agencies and law enforcement authorities, nothing blocks them from applying, and the DSA specifically mentions internet referral units as possible candidates.Rights groups are concerned that if governments participate in the trusted flagger program, it could be used to stifle legitimate speech under some of the bloc’s more draconian laws, such as Hungary’s ban (currently under court challenge) on promoting same-sex relationships in educational materials. Eliška Pírková, global freedom of expression lead at Access Now, says it will be difficult for tech companies to stand up to the pressure, even though states’ coordinators can suspend trusted flaggers deemed to be acting improperly. “It’s the total lack of independent safeguards,” she says. “It’s quite worrisome.”Twitter barred at least one human rights organization from submitting to its highest-priority reporting queue a couple of years ago because it filed too many erroneous reports, the former Twitter employee says. But dropping a government certainly could be more difficult. Hungary’s embassy in Washington, DC, did not respond to a request for comment.Tamás Berecz, general manager of INACH, a global coalition of nongovernmental groups fighting hate online, says some of its 24 EU members are contemplating applying for official trusted flagger status. But they have concerns, including whether coordinators in some countries will approve applications from organizations whose values don’t align with the government’s, like a group monitoring anti-gay hate speech in a country like Hungary, where same-sex marriage is forbidden. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen,” says Berecz, leaving room for some optimism. “For now, they are happy being in an unofficial trusted program.” | Not_Explicit |
Christian thriller 'Sound of Freedom' faces criticism for stoking conspiracy theories
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
The film "Sound Of Freedom" is this summer's surprise box office hit, raking in more than $85 million in ticket sales. As NPR's Shannon Bond reports, the movie is being criticized as a vehicle for conspiracy theories.
SHANNON BOND, BYLINE: "Sound Of Freedom" is a thriller about a former federal agent rescuing children from exploitation.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SOUND OF FREEDOM")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Why are you doing it?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Singing) Sweet land of liberty.
JIM CAVIEZEL: (As Tim Ballard) 'Cause God's children are not for sale.
BOND: The film, based on a real-life controversial anti-trafficking activist, is being heavily promoted in conservative media. It caught the wider world's eye when it earned almost as much money on its release day as the latest "Indiana Jones" movie. And a big part of its success is an appeal from its star, Jim Caviezel, who comes on screen at the end urging viewers to buy more tickets so other people can see it.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SOUND OF FREEDOM")
CAVIEZEL: Let's make this film a historic event and the start to the end of child trafficking.
BOND: Caviezel is drawing attention to the film in other ways. For years, he's been a prominent promoter of the false, violent QAnon conspiracy theory, specifically the claim that an international cabal of elites is abusing and killing children to extract a substance called adrenochrome. These wild claims have become deeply enmeshed with narratives about child trafficking, and Caviezel is pushing them on his press tour. Here's a recent exchange with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon about what's driving demand for children.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CAVIEZEL: Adrenochrome. The whole adrenochrome empire. This is a big deal.
BOND: Now, "Sound Of Freedom" itself does not contain any references to adrenochrome or other conspiracy theories. It was actually filmed before the QAnon phenomenon started. Angel Studios, the film's distributor, publicly rejects any association with conspiracies. So do Tim Ballard, the former federal agent Caviezel's character is based on, and his organization Operation Underground Railroad. They all declined or didn't respond to my interview requests. But recently, Ballard claimed adrenochrome harvesting is real. And his statements and Caviezel's have an impact, says Mike Rothschild, who wrote a book about QAnon.
MIKE ROTHSCHILD: It's being marketed to QAnon believers. It's being embraced by this community, and its leading actor is a huge part of the QAnon community.
BOND: Setting aside the QAnon cloud, the rescue story the film tells is also a lightning rod. Many of the missions Operation Underground Railroad describes are hard to verify or contain significant misrepresentations, according to reporting by Tim Marchman and Anna Merlan at Vice News.
TIM MARCHMAN: They're not whole-cloth falsehoods, but they reassemble things that are true or close to being true into stories that are just wildly and completely different from what actually happened.
BOND: Operation Underground Railroad has denied Vice's findings. On screen, "Sound Of Freedom" goes even further in fictionalizing Ballard's story, showing him single-handedly taking on a crime syndicate. The studio acknowledges taking, quote, "creative liberties." But these popular depictions raise concerns among anti-trafficking experts. They say they offer an incomplete portrait of a real and urgent problem. Elizabeth Campbell is co-director of the University of Michigan's Human Trafficking Clinic.
ELIZABETH CAMPBELL: Because trafficking is so varied and does span so many populations, it really tests our brain to not distill it down to some sort of this is what a common victim of human trafficking looks like. And by doing that, I think we make actual victims of human trafficking more invisible and more vulnerable to exploitation.
BOND: And she says they divert people's energy, resources and policy proposals away from where they're most needed.
Shannon Bond, NPR News.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | Not_Explicit |
Judge Aileen Cannon Friday set a May 20, 2024 trial date for former President Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
The controversial Trump-appointed jurist slapped down Trump’s demand that she suspend the trial until after the 2024 presidential election.
But Cannon also pushed back on special counsel Jack Smith’s claim that the case could start before the end of the year.
“The Court rejects (Trump’s) request to withhold setting of a schedule now ... and does not see a sufficient basis on this record to postpone entry of a scheduling order,” Cannon wrote in a seven-page order.
Cannon said the Trump case is “complex” and will require a lengthy schedule of pretrial motions and possibly litigation over the handling of dozens of classified documents that are prime pieces of evidence in the case.
She handed down a detailed schedule of 24 hearings starting in October and stretching up to the May trial date.
Cannon did not even mention Trump’s argument it was unfair to put him on trial while he is running to return to the White House.
Trump pleaded not guilty last month to a 37-count federal indictment charging him with mishandling classified documents and defying a subpoena demanding their return.
He took hundreds of classified documents with him when he left the White House in January 2021 and stashed them at his Mar-a-Lago waterfront resort home. Trump’s loyal bodyman, Walt Nauta, is also facing charges of helping Trump hide the documents from prosecutors. | Not_Explicit |
Wheat prices have risen sharply on global markets after Russia said it would treat ships heading for Ukrainian ports as potential military targets.
Moscow pulled out of a deal this week that had guaranteed safe passage for grain shipments through the Black Sea.
A White House spokesperson accused Russia of planning to blame Ukraine for attacks on civilian ships.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin said he would return to the grain agreement immediately if his demands were met.
They include reconnecting Russia's agricultural bank to a global payment system.
A Russian air strike on the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv killed an unknown number of people on Wednesday night, according to a local official. Other air strikes were reported on the port of Odesa.
Following previous air strikes around Odesa this week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately targeting grain export infrastructure and putting vulnerable countries at risk.
Kyiv urged other countries in the Black Sea region to intervene to assure the safe passage of cargo ships.
"From 00:00 Moscow time on 20 July 2023 [21:00 GMT Wednesday], all vessels sailing on the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports will be regarded as potential carriers of military cargo," the Russian defence ministry said.
"Flag states of such vessels will be considered to be involved in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of the Kyiv regime," it added.
Wheat prices on the European stock exchange soared by 8.2% on Wednesday from the previous day, to â¬253.75 (£219.78) per tonne, while corn prices were up 5.4%.
US wheat futures jumped 8.5% on Wednesday, their highest daily rise since just after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said strikes had destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain and damaged considerable parts of grain export infrastructure.
Russia began targeting Ukraine's ports in the early hours of Tuesday within hours of its withdrawal from the grain deal.
Marex Capital analyst Charlie Sernatinger said the threat of this kind of escalation could "cut all of the waterborne grain shipments off from the Black Sea, both Russian, and Ukrainian" which would cause a similar situation to that at the start of the war.
Jim Gerlach, president of A/C Trading, said: "Things got heated back up over in Ukraine. There is some real shooting going on over there and nobody is going to get in the middle of that.
"That is the bread basket of Europe and shippers are pulling out."
On Wednesday Mr Putin accused the West of using the grain deal as "political blackmail".
Moscow also accused Ukraine of using the Black Sea grain corridor for "combat purposes". It struck at Ukraine's Black Sea ports after a suspected seaborne drone attack damaged its sea bridge to Crimea on Monday. | Not_Explicit |
Goods Exports, Imports Slump, But Improving Goods, Services Trade Balances Bode Well For CAD: ICICI Securities
RBI data for April-May 2023 shows services exports decelerating to +7.6% YoY growth, while services imports declined.
BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy.
ICICI Securities Report
India’s goods exports declined 15.1% YoY in April-June 2023 (Q1 FY24), succumbing to the slump in global import demand from the U.S., Europe and China. Goods imports declined 12.7% YoY in Q1 FY24, and this caused the quarterly trade deficit to shrink 7.9% YoY to $57.6 billion.
Data from the Reserve Bank of India shows services exports decelerating to +7.6% YoY growth in April-May 2023, while services imports declined 0.4% YoY, resulting in a 40% YoY increase in the services-trade surplus to $23.77 billion.
With the incomes surplus still strong (because of remittances), the current account deficit is likely to be about 1% of gross domestic product in Q1 FY24, down from 2.1% in Q1 FY23, but higher than the 0.2% of GDP in Q4 FY23. The latter, though, reflects seasonality.
The goods trade deficit had soared in April-December 2022 amid a terms of trade shock, as the prices of key import commodities – crude-oil, edible oils, coal and fertiliser – had surged.
The commodity price surge has fully subsided now, and India is thus set to benefit from a positive terms of trade shock in FY24 while the West’s industrial recession (and China’s deceleration) cause commodity prices to remain subdued.
China’s weak domestic demand is a mixed blessing: while commodity prices stay low, China continues to dump numerous exports (including steel and chemicals) that it cannot sell at home, pressuring Indian competitors. Overall, however, India is on track to see its CAD moderate to 0.6% of GDP in FY24.
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DISCLAIMER
This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime.
Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner. | Not_Explicit |
BRISBANE, Australia -- England edged out Haiti 1-0 on a retaken penalty from Georgia Stanway in a difficult Women’s World Cup opener Saturday for the European champions against a team on debut at the tournament.
England dominated possession in the first half but had to wait until the 29th minute for Stanway to convert from the spot. She was awarded a second shot on a VAR review after her first attempt was well saved by Kerly Theus diving full stretch to her right.
The Group D game between the No. 4 and the 53rd-ranked teams was tense from start to finish with Haiti forward Melchie Dumornay regularly troubling the England defense.
Theus made a succession of saves to thwart England’s chances of increasing its margin and then Haiti went within inches of a stunning late equalizer.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps made a crucial reflex save in the 81st in a close-range, one-on-one with substitute forward Roseline Éloissaint.
It was a second key moment from the keeper. Just after halftime Dumornay lashed a powerful right-foot shot that forced Earps into a save.
It was an impressive debut in front of a 44,369 crowd from Haiti, one of the last three teams to qualify for the biggest Women's World Cup ever staged.
Despite being in control in the first half, England was far from convincing against a Haiti lineup that got numbers back in defense.
Dumornay was threatening on the counter and made inroads after having some early medical treatment. After a long upfield pass in the 35th, she didn’t quite connect with a cross from the right as she attempted a bicycle kick from inside the area.
England was missing some key performers from its title triumph at Euro 2022 but would have been expecting a more polished display.
Alessia Russo started up front and created opportunities but wasn't able to convert them. Approaching the hour, she forced two saves from Theus within a minute, while Haiti was down to 10 players with inspirational skipper Nérilia Mondésir getting treatment on a left ankle injury.
Russo’s header in the 64th was tipped over the crossbar by Theus, the seventh save from the Haiti goalkeeper. Millie Bright also fired over the crossbar minutes later.
Both teams are back in action Friday, with England moving to Sydney and likely to make lineup changes to face Denmark, and Haiti meeting China in Adelaide.
The Haiti team, drawing on players based mainly in France and the U.S., aims to bring some positive news to a country in turmoil.
The team has l imited sponsors, its training center is closed because of gang violence and some of its biggest fans can’t afford a TV to watch the World Cup.
___
More AP coverage of the Women’s World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | Not_Explicit |
Evan Davis has told how his wedding day turned into a "reflective" occasion after he learned his father had taken his own life.
The BBC Radio 4 presenter, also known for hosting Dragon's Den, revealed to his wedding guests he had just been informed of his father's death but told them not to be "alarmed" and there's "nothing we can do".
Mr Davis said he "burst into tears" the next day when he was asked about his wedding.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the presenter said his 92-year-old father, Quintin, had been diagnosed with bowel cancer and had a failing heart.
He said his father had also "felt guilt" over not being able to care for Mr Davis's mother, who had been admitted to a care home during the COVID pandemic with symptoms of dementia.
During his wedding, Mr Davis said he received a text message from his brother, Roland, to call him.
Despite the news, Mr Davis was urged to continue with his day by Roland and their other brother, Beric.
Mr Davis told his small number of guests of the news and said the wedding in London in July 2022 became a "very warm-hearted, supportive, reflective day".
"We've just had some news," he said at his wedding reception. "My father died. But I don't want you to be alarmed. He was very elderly and it was definitely time.
"There's actually nothing we can do. So I'm going to propose that we carry on."
Quintin, who had previously emailed his sons of his intention to kill himself, had left a bag of fresh clothes for his wife, while notes were found alongside his body.
One note said: "To all my family, I am so sorry - so, so sorry - to spring this on you. But it is the best outcome.
"My system is closing down and I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I really have no alternative. Thank you all for being such a wonderful family."
Mr Davis had been getting married to Guillaume Baltz in a follow-up occasion to their civil partnership ceremony in 2012 when Quintin had also made a "proud and loving" speech.
The radio presenter added: "We've all speculated on what the hell was going on in his head… there's no good day, is there? And I know he didn't do it to spoil our day." | Not_Explicit |
Manchester United have signed goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan for a fee of around €50 million ($56.1m). David de Gea's 12-year spell at Old Trafford came to an end earlier this month when he opted to leave on a free transfer, but how will the 27-year-old Onana fare as a replacement?
ESPN brings you all you need to know about the former Cameroon international.
Early career and info
Onana was spotted playing on the streets of Cameroon's capital city Yaounde by a member of the Samuel Eto'o Foundation -- the charity set up by the country's all-time top scorer and former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward. He was signed by Barcelona at age 14 and played in the Blaugrana's La Masia youth academy, where he became the No. 1 goalkeeper at his age group.
Developing his technical and physical skills during his time in Catalonia, the 6-foot-2 stopper became comfortable with the ball at his feet -- playing out from the back and transitioning play well -- to become a standout at under-19 level. But with a desire for regular first-team football, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen a fixture between the posts for the senior side, he decided to make the switch to Ajax in 2015, making his debut in 2016-17 season.
At Ajax he met manager Erik ten Hag, who arrived at the Johan Cruijff Arena in 2017. With his years at La Masia behind him, the Cameroon star proved to be a perfect fit for Ten Hag's possession-based style of play. In total, he made 214 appearances and picked up a hat trick of Eredivisie titles, as well as two Dutch cups, while he helped guide Ajax to the semifinals of the Champions League in 2019.
A nine-month ban for a doping violation, which Onana said was down to accidentally taking a medicine meant for his girlfriend, saw his career stall in 2021. But he returned to action in November and helped Cameroon to a third-placed finish at the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
He opted not to extend his Ajax contract and signed for Inter on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, but controversy was not far away again as he quit international football in December after being sent home from the World Cup in Qatar after a disagreement over tactics.
Onana established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe and shone in the 2022-23 Champions League, helping Inter to the final where they narrowly lost out 1-0 to Manchester City. He conceded only 36 goals in 41 games at Inter, keeping 19 clean sheets.
Key Stats
Last season's league stats indicate that Onana is a clear upgrade on De Gea in terms of build-up play. The 27-year-old averaged 27.1 passes in his own half, compared to De Gea's 17.1. He was also more accurate with his passing with a 79.17% completion rate against De Gea's 68.33%.
Onana had a slightly better save percentage (72.09%) than De Gea (70.14%), but the Spaniard did face 58 more shots.
When compared to some top Premier League goalkeepers, the data shows that Onana also had a better save percentage than both Liverpool's Alisson (71.52%) and Manchester City's Ederson (58.97%). Onana faced a similar number of shots (85) to Ederson (78) and made 62 saves, compared to his 46; while Alisson made 108 saves from 149 shots to sum up Liverpool's poor season.
Onana's passing wasn't quite as accurate as Alisson (83.37%) or Ederson (84.40%), but he did show an greater tendency to play the ball forward (17.8 times per 90 mins, compared to 14.8 and 13.9 respectively) -- a trait that should suit the style of his new team well.
Strengths
Manchester United will benefit immediately from Onana's buildup play. Ten Hag hasn't always been able to deploy the system he has wanted to since arriving at Old Trafford, but the acquisition of Onana should have a similar impact to when he signed another of his former Ajax players for United: centre-back Lisandro Martinez.
Onana is a clear upgrade on De Gea with the ball at his feet, but is also more capable under pressure and can find his way out of trouble by forcing attackers off balance with quick turns before distributing the ball.
He excels at making reflex saves and has impressive reactions. He protects his near post well and is generally reliable in stopping shots from inside the box.
Some goalkeepers are much less comfortable when forced onto their weaker foot, but United fans shouldn't to see that with Onana. He is capable with both feet when passing and clearing the ball.
Areas to improve
At 27, Onana is yet to reach his prime as a goalkeeper but needs to deal better with long shots. Generally, more consistency is required and while Onana is often quick to come off his line, he can sometimes be hesitant with his decision-making when the attacker gets to the ball first in one-vs.-one situations.
How will he fit at Manchester United?
De Gea played a key role at United since arriving from Atletico Madrid for around €25m in 2011, but it was vital that the club found a goalkeeper who fitted the core principles of Ten Hag's tactical system. Despite his high level of ability at stopping shots, De Gea wasn't at the required level with the ball at his feet and made too many mistakes.
The addition of Onana was Man United's No. 1 priority this summer and he can help the club take the next step.
More adept at dealing with the opposition's press with his passing and dribbling ability, his consistency in transitioning the ball forward at a higher success rate means Manchester United will enjoy a greater number of attacks during a game. He should also take little time to settle under Ten Hag, having enjoyed their time together at Ajax.
All things considered, it seems an excellent move for United, who have locked down their No. 1 spot for the foreseeable future. | Not_Explicit |
Michigan's attorney general Dana Nessel has announced that more than a dozen Republican figures have been charged with felony offenses as part of a so-called "false electoral" scheme.
The allegations stem from claims that 16 GOP figures in the state plotted to wrongly declare that Donald Trump had beaten Joe Biden in Michigan in the 2020 Election by falsely claiming they were the official slate of electors.
This is the first time anyone has been charged over any "false electors" scheme, which is alleged to have taken place in states across the country in the wake of the last election as part of efforts to keep Trump in power.
Below, Newsweek has compiled the names of each Republican figure who is alleged to have been part of a team of fake electors in their respective state, and whether they are under investigation.
Michigan Alleged False Electors
On Tuesday, Nessel confirmed that 16 people, including Meshawn Maddock, a former co-chair of the Michigan Republican party, and Kathy Berden, a national committeewoman for the Republican National Committee have been charged with felony offenses in relation to the alleged 2020 election plot.
- Kathy Berden
- William (Hank) Choate
- Amy Facchinello
- Clifford Frost
- Stanley Grot
- John Haggard
- Mari-Ann Henry
- Timothy King
- Michele Lundgren
- Meshawn Maddock
- James Renner
- Mayra Rodriguez
- Rose Rook
- Marian Sheridan
- Ken Thompson
- Kent Vanderwood
Each defendant has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit forgery, two counts of forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing, one count of uttering and publishing conspiracy to commit election law forgery, and two counts of election law forgery.
The suspects are scheduled to appear before Ingham County for arraignment at a date yet to be confirmed.
"The false electors' actions undermined the public's faith in the integrity of our elections and, we believe, also plainly violated the laws by which we administer our elections in Michigan," Nessel said.
"The evidence will demonstrate there was no legal authority for the false electors to purport to act as 'duly elected presidential electors' and execute the false electoral documents," Nessel added. "Every serious challenge to the election had been denied, dismissed, or otherwise rejected by the time the false electors convened. There was no legitimate legal avenue or plausible use of such a document or an alternative slate of electors."
Arizona Alleged Fake Electors
Days prior to the charges in Michigan getting announced, it was reported that Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' office is investigating the false slate of electors who attempted to claim Trump had won the state in 2020.
Mayes has long suggested she will probe into those who attempted to falsely declare Trump had won the state's 11 electoral votes in 2020, but until now there were no real signs of any inquiry.
Dan Barr, Mayes's chief deputy, told The Washington Postthat the investigation is in the "fact-gathering" phase.
"This is something we're not going to go into thinking, 'Maybe we'll get a conviction,' or 'Maybe we have a pretty good chance,'" Barr said. "This has to be ironclad shut."
On 14 December, a group of Republicans, including Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward, and her husband Michael Ward, met to sign a document falsely declaring themselves the "duly elected and qualified electors" for the state and declared Trump the winner. Another group consisting of activists also signed a similar fake declaration.
The fake electors in Arizona include:
- Kelli Ward
- Michael Ward
- Nancy Cottle
- Loraine B. Pellegrino
- Tyler Bowyer
- Jake Hoffman
- Anthony T. Kern
- James Lamon
- Robert Montgomery
- Samuel I. Moorhead
- Greg Safsten
Georgia Alleged Fake Electors
In May, it was reported that eight of the 16 people who are under investigation over an alleged fake electoral plot in Georgia have been granted immunity.
The group of 16 Republicans met at Georgia's state capitol on December 14, 2020, to sign a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring themselves the state's "duly elected and qualified" electors.
The immunity deal for the eight Republicans was disclosed in court filings, but no other details were revealed.
The full 16 names are:
- Joseph Brannan James
- "Ken" Carroll
- Vikki Townsend Consiglio
- Carolyn Hall Fisher
- State Senator Burt Jones
- Gloria Kay Godwin
- David G. Hanna
- Mark W. Hennessy
- Mark Amick
- John Downey
- Cathleen Alston Latham
- Daryl Moody
- Brad Carver
- David Shafer
- Shawn Still
- C.B. Yada
Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis' investigation into the fake electoral scheme is part of an expansive probe into the attempts to overturn the 2020 election in the state. A decision from Georgia prosecutors on whether to indict Trump and his allies is expected within the next few weeks.
Wisconsin Alleged Fake Electors
Among the names involved in the suit is:
- Andrew Hitt, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin
- Kelly Ruh
- Carol Brunner
- Edward Scott Grabins
- Bill Feehan
- Robert Spindell
- Kathy Kiernan
- Darryl Carlson
- Pam Travis
- Mary Buestrin
Wisconsin congressman Mark Pocan previously wrote a letter to the Department of Justice requesting an investigation into the alleged plot.
Elsewhere, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco confirmed to CNN last January that federal prosecutors were looking into the "fraudulent elector certifications" in other states such as Michigan and New Mexico, but no charges have been brought forward.
New Mexico Alleged Fake Electors
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, previously told CNN he was "pleased" the DOJ is looking into allegations of fake electoral scheme in the state.
The alleged fake electors are:
- Jewll Powdrell
- Deborah W. Maestas
- Lupe Garcia
- Rosie Tripp
- Anissa Ford-Tinnin
Nevada Alleged Fake Electors
Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford also told CNN last January that "we welcome the Department of Justice's recent announcement that it is investigating the fake electors matter, and we look forward to providing any support we can in that endeavor."
The names of the six alleged fake electors are:
- Michael J. McDonald
- James DeGraffenreid
- Durward James Hindle
- Jesse Law
- Shawn Meehan
- Eileen Rice
Pennsylvania Alleged Fake Electors
Earlier in July, it was reported that Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt met Special Counsel Jack Smith's team as part of the attempts to overturn the last election, although it is unclear if the alleged fake electoral scheme was a line of questioning.
The group of false electors in the Keystone State are:
- Bill Bachenberg
- Lou Barletta
- Tom Carroll
- Ted Christian
- Chuck Coccodrilli [deceased]
- Bernadette Comfort
- Sam DeMarco III
- Marcela Diaz-Myers
- Christie DiEsposti
- Josephine Ferro
- Charlie Gerow
- Kevin Harley
- Leah Hoopes
- Ash Khare
- Andre McCoy
- Lisa Patton
- Pat Poprik
- Andy Reilly
- Suk Smith
- Calvin Tucker | Not_Explicit |
The top official at the Treasury who was sacked days after Liz Truss became prime minister received an exit payout of £335,000.
Sir Tom Scholar was fired after Ms Truss pledged to change "Treasury orthodoxy" during the Tory leadership campaign last year.
His dismissal was criticised by former officials, who said it was an attack on the impartiality of the civil service.
At the time, the Treasury thanked Sir Tom for his "dedicated service".
The details of Sir Tom's severance payment for "loss of office" were included in the Treasury's annual report and accounts for 2022-23.
The figures show Sir Tom's total pay for 2022-23 was more than £550,000, including salary and pension benefits.
The Treasury's latest accounts also revealed the severance payments made to ministers during the 2022-23 period.
Ms Truss and her predecessor as PM, Boris Johnson, both received £18,660 after resigning, while the former chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, was given £16,876.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak received a payment of £16,876 after resigning as chancellor in July 2022, but later repaid this amount.
Severance payments of £7,920 were handed to three ministers, including Chris Pincher, who resigned as deputy chief whip in June 2022 over allegations he groped two men at a club in London.
The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, called for the payouts to be given back.
She said: "This is a slap in the face for all those who have seen their mortgages soar because of Truss and Kwarteng's disastrous mini-budget."
Dismissal criticised
Large exit payouts to senior civil servants have proved controversial and Sir Tom's is higher than those handed out to other senior officials in recent years.
For example, the Department for Education handed former permanent secretary Jonathan Slater a £277,780 payout after he left in 2021.
A Treasury spokesperson said Sir Tom's payment was a "contractual amount resulting from the Civil Service Compensation Scheme - the payment is based on length of service and includes pension payments".
The Treasury says Sir Tom left his role as permanent secretary on 8 September, two weeks before the then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng delivered a financial statement widely known as the mini-budget.
The mini-budget caused turmoil on the financial markets and after a period of political and economic turbulence, Ms Truss resigned as prime minister after 45 days in office.
James Bowler, who was appointed as the permanent secretary to the Treasury in October last year, told a committee of MPs that Sir Tom's departure "wasn't normal".
Mr Bowler said: "I think the then-chancellor of the exchequer said he didn't want Tom to continue as the permanent secretary, so Tom stood aside and the process was undertaken to appoint someone in his stead."
Sir Tom had served as the permanent secretary to the Treasury for six years before his sacking brought an end to his career in the civil service.
In a brief statement following his dismissal, Sir Tom said: "The chancellor decided it was time for new leadership at the Treasury, and so I will be leaving with immediate effect.
"It has been the privilege of my career to lead this great institution since 2016. I wish the Treasury all the best for the times ahead, and I will be cheering on from the sidelines."
Throughout her campaign to be Tory leader, Ms Truss blamed "Treasury orthodoxy" for slow economic growth over recent years.
Ms Truss, a former Treasury minister, accused her old department of promoting an "abacus economics" and insisted there needed to be a greater focus on stimulating economic growth.
She promised to boost the economy through "bold" tax cuts - a move that her leadership rival and successor as prime minister, Mr Sunak, predicted would stoke further inflation.
Ms Truss was ultimately forced to ditch her economic plan and quit as as prime minister after a Tory revolt sapped her of authority. | Not_Explicit |
- Summary
- Odesa region grain terminals hit again, governor says
- Russia says Black Sea fleet practised seizing ships
- Reconnaissance drone crashes in NATO-member Poland
KYIV, July 21 (Reuters) - Russia pounded Ukrainian food export facilities for a fourth day in a row on Friday and practised seizing ships in the Black Sea in an escalation of what Western leaders say is an attempt to wriggle out of sanctions by threatening a global food crisis.
The direct attacks on Ukraine's grain, a key part of the global food chain, followed a vow by Kyiv to defy Russia's naval blockade on its grain export ports following Moscow's withdrawal this week from a UN-brokered safe sea corridor agreement.
"Unfortunately, the grain terminals of an agricultural enterprise in Odesa region were hit. The enemy destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley," regional governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
Two people had been injured, he said. Photographs released by the emergencies ministry showed a fire burning among crumpled metal buildings that appeared to be storehouses, and a badly damaged fire-fighting vehicle.
Moscow has described the attacks as revenge for a Ukrainian strike on a Russian-built bridge to Crimea - the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Russia said on it would deem all ships heading for Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons from Thursday, in what Washington called a signal it might attack civilian shipping. Kyiv later responded by issuing a similar warning about ships headed to Russia.
Russia's defence ministry on Friday said its Black Sea fleet had practised firing rockets at "floating targets" and apprehending ships. Moscow's ambassador to Washington denied any plan to attack ships.
The attacks on grain export infrastructure and perceived threat to shipping drove up prices of benchmark Chicago wheat futures on Friday towards their biggest weekly gain since the February 2022 invasion, as traders worried about supply.
The U.N. Security Council was due to meet later over the "humanitarian consequences" of Russia's withdrawal from the safe corridor deal, which aid groups say is vital to stem growing hunger in a string of poorer countries.
The president of Turkey, which brokered the deal alongside the U.N. said, he hoped planned talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to the restoration of the initiative.
The end of the deal could lead to rising global food prices, scarcity in some regions and potentially new waves of migration, Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on a flight back from a trip to Gulf countries and northern Cyprus.
The West should listen to some of Russia's demands, he said. "We are aware that President Putin also has certain expectations from Western countries, and it is crucial for these countries to take action in this regard."
Moscow says it will not participate in the year-old grain deal without better terms for its own food and fertiliser sales.
Western leaders have accused Russia of seeking to loosen sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, which already exempt exports of Russian food. Russian grain has moved freely through the Black Sea to market throughout the conflict and traders say Russia is pouring wheat onto the market.
WAGNER NEAR POLAND BORDER
A Polish broadcaster reported on Friday that a military reconnaissance drone of unspecified origins had crashed near a base in southwestern Poland earlier this week.
NATO-member Poland has been reinforcing its border with Belarus, where Russia's Wagner mercenary force has taken up residency after a failed mutiny last month.
The mercenary chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was shown on video Wednesday welcoming his fighters to Belarus, and Belarus has said Wagner fighters are now training its troops near the Polish border. People in Poland near the border said on Thursday they could hear shooting and helicopters.
Inside Ukraine, Yuriy Malashko, the governor of the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, reported 80 Russian attacks on settlements in the region in the previous 24 hours, and said that four people had been killed.
A married couple in their fifties had also been killed early on Friday in Russian shelling of the city of Kostiantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk, the general prosecutor's office said.
Russia had already used almost 70 missiles and almost 90 Iranian-made loitering munitions to attack so far this week, mostly targeting Odesa and other southern regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
MORE SANCTIONS
The United States on Thursday imposed Russia-related sanctions against nearly 120 people and entities aimed at blocking Moscow's access to electronics and other goods that aid its war against Ukraine.
Russia's embassy in Washington said they were part of the "endless attacks" by U.S. President Joe Biden's administration "in the context of the hybrid war unleashed by the West against our country."
Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine last year and claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of its territory. Moscow says it is responding to threats posed by its neighbour; Kyiv and the West call it an unprovoked war of conquest.
Zelenskiy urged his government on Thursday to keep a tight rein on spending in wartime, prompting his culture minister, a proponent of several high-profile and costly projects, to offer his resignation.
"Cobblestones, city decorations, fountains will have to wait. Victory first," Zelenskiy said.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Not_Explicit |
Long-time Slashdot reader maxcelcat writes: A fleet of some 500 drives were performing a display over Melbourne's Docklands in the lead up to the FIFA Women's World Cup. About 350 of them didn't come back and are now being fished out of the Yarra River, no doubt somewhat worse for wear.
According to the operators, the drones experienced some kind of malfunction or loss of signal, which triggered a fail safe — an automated landing. So hundreds of drones landed safely... on the surface of a river!
One local newscaster called it "a spectacular malfunction" (in a report with a brief clip of the drones gently lowering themselves into the water).
The report also notes another drone company also once lost 50 drones in a river — worth tens of thousands of dollars — during a Christmas show.
According to the operators, the drones experienced some kind of malfunction or loss of signal, which triggered a fail safe — an automated landing. So hundreds of drones landed safely... on the surface of a river!
One local newscaster called it "a spectacular malfunction" (in a report with a brief clip of the drones gently lowering themselves into the water).
The report also notes another drone company also once lost 50 drones in a river — worth tens of thousands of dollars — during a Christmas show. | Not_Explicit |
The Alabama Republican party is pushing forward with its latest congressional map, proving if it’s one thing they have in droves, it’s audacity. On Friday, Governor Kay Ivey signed a new map with just one majority-Black district. All of this could be viewed as typical gerrymandering shenanigans if it weren’t for the fact that multiple courts (including the Supreme Court) ruled that the state needed to form two majority-Black districts or “quite close to it.”
Alabama’s Republican Governor didn’t even try to pretend like she was following the court’s order in a statement she released after signing off on the map. “The Legislature knows our state, our people, and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups, and I am pleased that they answered the call, remained focused, and produced new districts ahead of the court deadline,” said Ivey.
In June, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling in Allen v. Milligan, which found that the state’s original map violated the Voting Rights Act. The original map only had one Majority-Black district, despite Black Americans making up 27 percent of the state. The court ordered Alabama to draw an additional majority district.
Instead of following what sounded like a pretty straightforward ruling, the new map includes one voting district that is roughly 50 percent Black and one that is a little less than 40 percent Black.
“I am convinced that passing a non-compliant map was the plan all along,” said State Representative Chris England on Twitter. “We could have saved time and money by not doing anything and just letting the court draw it.”
The fate of the new map is now back in the hands of the court system that threw out the first one. Federal judges will hold a hearing on August 14th to hear objections to the new congressional map. But Black Democratic lawmakers, like England, are worried that won’t be the end of this saga.
“We find ourselves back in a familiar position of waiting for the Federal Court to tell us what to do,” wrote England on Twitter. “But, the thing is, I am convinced that this is what some folks actually wanted. And because of this defiance, who knows what’s going to happen next.” | Not_Explicit |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Doug Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, met with former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Friday to discuss ways to combat online hate and extremism.
Emhoff was in Auckland to lead a delegation to the FIFA Women’s World Cup and meet with officials. He told a meeting of the Christchurch Call the world was witnessing a “global epidemic of hate.”
Emhoff, who is Jewish, said he was “working against this scourge of anti-Semitism and this epidemic of hate in general. So this work is very, very personal to me.”
“But my work is not just about Jews. It’s about all of us. It’s about combating hate in all of its forms,” he said.
The group is named after the New Zealand city where a gunman in 2019 shot and killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques while streaming his attack online.
Ardern thanked Emhoff for his work and for sharing in the “joyous occasion" of the World Cup. She launched the Christchurch Call with French President Emmanuel Macron two months after the Christchurch attack. After stepping down as leader earlier this year, she was appointed special envoy for the Christchurch Call, declining to take any pay for the role.
Emhoff will next travel to Samoa. | Not_Explicit |
Superspeed is a difficult power to portray in superpowered adaptations. There are almost as many ways to portray superhuman agility as there are movies that have attempted it, from dilated time to blurs of vision. And yet, as more and more speedsters race to the big-budget world of the Hollywood blockbuster, none have been rendered so captivatingly like a single scene in Shin Kamen Rider.
Superspeed is not one of the abilities Takeshi Hongo (Sosuke Ikematsu), the young student transformed by the insidious organization SHOCKER into a cybernetic and biologically augmented hero known as Kamen Rider, has. In the world of Shin Kamen Rider, which hit Amazon Prime Video this past weekend, SHOCKER’s elite agents—including ones that go rogue like Hongo and his ally, Ruriko Midorikawa (Minami Hamabe)—have all been transformed into hybrid augmented beings adopting the traits of their cross-species pattern. Hongo’s grasshopper hybrid grants him violently powerful proportionate strength and jumping abilities. Some of the agents he and Ruriko chase down in their quest to bring SHOCKER to justice are similar—the Spider-Aug shoots webs, the Bat-Aug has wings and enhanced hearing. But one augment they face, the Wasp-Aug Hiromi (Nanase Nishino), hones her abilities with superspeed to give Hongo and Ruriko one of the most dazzling fight scenes in the whole movie.
While every Augment in Shin Kamen Rider is presented to us, in the midst of their struggles against each other, as distinctly unnatural and uncannily inhuman, the Wasp-Aug’s movements as she races into a duel with Kamen Rider are unlike anything else presented in the movie. Director Hideaki Anno frames Hiromi’s movements in the perspective of not just the human audience, but the enhanced augments she battles against in Hongo and Ruriko as well. At this point in the movie, well into its second act, we’ve seen Hongo move at rapid speeds, defy gravity, spray someone’s blood in gushing fountains from a single strike: when he’s transformed into Kamen Rider, he is something beyond human capability by magnitudes. And yet Hiromi moves so much faster than what even he is capable of that his confusion becomes Ruriko’s as she watches from outside the fight, and becomes our own as Hiromi blurs and bounds across the screen.
And it’s crucially how she does that that makes the scene, albeit brief, masterful to watch. Shin Kamen Rider doesn’t bring time to a halt to highlight Hiromi’s movement. Nor does it keep itself moving a normal pace either, blurring her entirely. Instead, much like an angry hornet itself, it herks and jerks Hiromi all about the place as she dashes around and at Hongo. One second she’s smooth and gracefully gliding across the ground, the next awkward, jerked motions. She pings about the place going from an indistinct blur of glowing trail lines to a series of framey action shots that feel almost like stop motion. Crucially, all the ways Hongo moves in reaction to her—just to get out of the way, barely to land a hit on her or deflect a blow—are similarly presented, just nowhere near as smoothly, emphasizing how much he can’t keep up.
At times, Hiromi doesn’t look like we’ve been trained a human being should look, even doing superhuman things. The jerkiness of her movements is as unsettling as it is captivating, she moves less like a person and more like a series of still images being rapidly shuffled through a flip book, or panels from a manga. It’s full of stops and starts and impact frames, speeding up and jerking to a halt, the camera overwhelmed as it climaxes in a rapid-fire sequence of cuts between Hongo’s perspective, Hiromi’s perspective, and Ruriko on the sidelines. The scene is short at just around 40 seconds of action, but its unsettling, uncanny appearance is burned into your mind. And that unsettling look, the intentional surreality of it, is key to Shin Kamen Rider’s view of superpowered action, and making itself feel almost wholly unique in the superhero genre.
Shin Kamen Rider doesn’t have the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster film, but its effects work isn’t bad—it’s uncanny, it’s not showy or particularly graceful, but not because of the aforementioned budget. A movie like The Flash or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could’ve, and probably did, spend the equivalent of Shin Kamen Rider’s entire budget on single scenes, let alone just VFX work. As the superhero cinemascape has exploded in the west across the last two decades, we’ve come to expect a display of computer-enhanced superpowers that is as slick and as “real” as we can aim for, where any indicator of uncanniness is a weakness to be pointed out and mocked—that for all the billions of dollars and horrifying labor practices, these raw machines of Hollywood capital can’t make Barry Allen not run weird.
Shin Kamen Rider, whether with superspeed or superstrength, or even the application of gravity itself, instead embraces that uncanniness with a strong authorial intent. These heroes and villains are meant to look off-kilter and surreal to us. They’re not human. The very sight of what is ostensibly normal to them should appear jarring and unsettling to us. It shouldn’t feel right. That uncanny feeling isn’t a limitation of what Shin Kamen Rider could afford to present to us, but a key aspect of its world, of its view of superhuman abilities. It’s an effective and yet also haunting dissonance that separates the human from the super. In amplifying that dissonance, it makes for one of the most visually unique live-action superhero aesthetics we’ve seen in a long, long time.
Shin Kamen Rider is streaming now on Prime Video.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. | Not_Explicit |
The Defense Department has no plans to stop covering the travel costs of female troops who seek abortions across state lines, despite protests from a Republican senator who has blocked hundreds of military promotions over the issue, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said on Thursday.
“I see this, and I think the (defense secretary) does as well, as taking care of our soldiers, and it’s the right thing to do, and I don’t think we’re going to change it,” Wormuth told NBC News’ Courtney Kube at an event at the Aspen Security Forum.
Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision removed the constitutional right to abortion last year, more than 40% of female service members stationed in the United States have no access, or severely restricted access, to abortion services, according to the Rand Corporation think tank.
Wormuth said the policy also was important to ensure that the Army can retain female troops who might leave the military if they cannot get access to abortion services. “I see this as a retention issue,” Wormuth said.
The policy also ensures women in the military have access to in vitro fertilization, since it is not necessarily available in the areas where troops are posted, Wormuth said.
Wormuth said she had not seen data on how many female troops had traveled across state lines for abortion services or the amount of Defense Department funds spent on it so far.
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has held up the promotions of more than 250 military officers for months in order to force an end to the policy.
Tuberville says he wants a vote on a bill introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., that would codify the Pentagon abortion policy into law, and that he will end his blockade if it passes. In return, Tuberville says that he wants the Defense Department to agree to cancel the policy if the measure fails.
Defense Department officials held a closed-door briefing Wednesday with senators on the Armed Services Committee, including Tuberville, regarding the department’s abortion travel policy, NBC News has previously reported.
The issue has complicated the normally bipartisan politics that surround the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual defense policy bill. Republicans in the House have inserted an amendment into their version of the bill that would force the Pentagon to end the policy.
Wormuth, echoing comments by other Pentagon officials and senior officers, said the blockade is having ripple effects on troops and families that could jeopardize readiness and prompt some service members to quit.
“Basically what’s happening is our whole system is getting kind of constipated,” Wormuth said.
About a dozen three- and four-star generals have had to put off their retirements for two or three months, and the officers selected to replace them are not in their new positions, she said.
The biggest concern, she said, is that junior officers may conclude that it’s not worth remaining in the military given the uncertainty and delays affecting their families.
“I really worry that we’re going to have a brain and talent drain as a result of this really unprecedented step that Sen. Tuberville has chosen,” she said.
The blockade on promotions is just the latest example of the military being drawn into Washington’s polarized politics and turned into a “political football,” Wormuth said.
“I think our military is being dragged into the political space in ways that are very unproductive,” she said. “But I want to be clear that I do not see our officers becoming politicized, that is the last thing most officers that I’ve worked with want to happen.”
She said younger officers might think twice about pursuing high-ranking positions having seen the polarized atmosphere at congressional hearings where generals face partisan questioning.
“I do think they look at our general officers who testify in hearings and see the kinds of interactions that our general officers are having each and every week and they ask themselves, ‘Do I want to be on the receiving end of that type of interaction?’” | Not_Explicit |
Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive water to not impact Vietnam: official
Hanoi (VNA) – Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive water into the sea will not impact Vietnam’s sea areas, said Deputy Director of the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Ministry of Science and Technology Pham Van Toan told the ministry's regular press conference for the second quarter in Hanoi on July 19.
Toan said that on March 11, 2011, an incident occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan due to the impact of an earthquake and tsunami, resulting in a large amount of radioactive wastewater. To handle this waste, Japan's discharge plan has been assessed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and leading nuclear safety experts based on the IAEA's safety standards. The experts come from 11 countries, including Dr. Nguyen Hao Quang, former Deputy Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute.
On July 4, 2023, after more than two years of working, the IAEA officially handed over an assessment report to the Japanese government, concluding that the Japanese government's plan for the discharge of treated wastewater into the sea is consistent with relevant safety standards.
“It should be noted that the total amount of tritium to be released each year in the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)-treated water will be well below the amount of these radionuclides produced by natural processes each year, such as interaction of cosmic rays with gases in the upper atmosphere,” the IAEA report said.
According to the report, the concentration of radioactive substances in the water at a distance of 30km from the planned discharge location is very small compared to the natural background radiation level in the seawater and has almost no significant impact on the marine environment in terms of radiation.
Toan said it can be seen that the radiation impact from the discharge is negligible to both people and the environment in Japan. Consequently, this activity will not have any impact on Vietnam's sea areas.
On the occasion, he reiterated the statement made by Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang in a recent regular press conference that Vietnam supports the development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Vietnam believes that the responsibility for ensuring nuclear safety and security lies with the countries using atomic energy. At the same time, Vietnam suggests the need for close international cooperation, transparency in sharing information, responsible behaviour, and compliance with international law in the event of an incident.
Vietnam also emphasises the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region, protecting the marine environment and maritime resources in accordance with international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and relevant regulations of the IAEA, he said./. | Not_Explicit |
Chinese Banks Keep Lending Rates Unchanged After PBOC’s Pause
The one-year loan prime rate was held at 3.55%, in line with the forecasts from all 21 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese banks kept their benchmark lending rates unchanged on Thursday, in line with the central bank’s move earlier this week as policymakers assess the economy’s recovery.
The one-year loan prime rate was held at 3.55%, in line with the forecasts from all 21 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The five-year rate, a reference for mortgages, was also kept at 4.2%, as expected, data from the People’s Bank of China showed.
The loan rates are based on one of the PBOC’s key interest rates, which was kept unchanged this week following a cut in June. Central bank officials recently signaled it may offer more support to the slowing economy, hinting at a possible reduction in the reserve requirement ratio for banks and targeted property easing.
The economy’s recovery lost further momentum in the second quarter, while economy-wide prices declined for the first time since 2020. Loan expansion recovered in June, but questions remain on whether credit growth will pick up as business confidence remains low.
Economists expect the PBOC to take moderate steps to ease monetary policy in the rest of this year, including a potential cut to policy interest rates, lowering the RRR, and increasing the use of targeted tools to funnel credit into areas like small businesses.
The LPRs are based on the interest rates that 18 banks offer their best customers, and are published by the PBOC monthly. They are quoted as a spread over the central bank’s one-year policy rate, or the medium-term lending facility rate, which was kept unchanged this month following a 10-basis point cut in June.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Not_Explicit |
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is calling for a "real investigation" into the corruption allegations against President Biden just days after shrugging off the growing controversy.
During an interview on Sunday with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, Kennedy was asked to comment on corruption in government, specifically to findings from congressional Republicans showing how several members of the Biden family received big payments from foreign entities through various bank accounts.
"I have avoided criticizing the president because I’m trying to bring people together and end some of the vitriol, the poison that’s made politics so poisonous," Kennedy said.
"But corruption is corruption," Bartiromo interjected. "We don't want corruption in government."
"You're right," Kennedy responded. "I think though the issues that are now coming up are worrying enough that we really need a real investigation of what happened."
The candidate then invoked the revelations from the FBI's FD-1023 form released last week by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that outlined accusations of a bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, which had been paying his son Hunter as a board member despite his lack of experience.
"I mean, these revelations where you have Burisma- which is a notoriously corrupt company that paid out apparently $10 million to Hunter and his dad- if that’s true, then it is really troubling," Kennedy said. "It needs to be investigated."
Kennedy went on to express concern about the politicization of federal agencies after Bartiromo alluded to the IRS whistleblower claims of the DOJ interfering into the Hunter Biden probe.
"I think that that’s something that every American needs to worry about and our federal agencies, which used to be above politics, and now become weaponized as political instruments, and that, again, is another really damaging trend for our democracy," Kennedy told Bartiromo.
Kennedy's comments mark a dramatic shift towards the Biden corruption allegations, which he shrugged off just eight days prior in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"I don't have a comment on that," Kennedy told Fox News Digital on Saturday in response to the corruption claims plaguing the First Family.
Kennedy was then pressed on the controversies surrounding Hunter Biden and the findings from House Republicans claiming millions of dollars in foreign money had been funneled to the Biden family. He refused to opine.
"What I've tried to do in this campaign is to focus on issues and focus on the values and not focus on ad hominem attacks on people," Kennedy said.
"Isn't alleged corruption an issue that voters should be concerned about?" Fox News Digital asked.
"I think on every side it's something that people should be concerned about, but it's not something that I'm making a spear tip to my campaign," Kennedy responded.
The Biden challenger had previously refrained from weighing in on the plea deal Hunter struck with the DOJ.
Corruption allegations continue plaguing the president. Miranda Devine, a New York Post columnist and Fox News contributor, reported Monday that Hunter Biden's longtime business partner Devon Archer is expected to tell the House Oversight Committee about meetings he witnessed attended by both Hunter and his father with dozens of Hunter’s business associates while he was serving as vice president between 2009 and 2017. | Not_Explicit |
The Florida Board of Education approved a new set of standards for how Black history should be taught in the state’s public schools, sparking criticism from education and civil rights advocates who said students should be allowed to learn the “full truth” of American history.
The curriculum was approved at the board’s meeting Wednesday in Orlando.
It is the latest development in the state’s ongoing debate over African American history, including the education department’s rejection of a preliminary pilot version of an Advanced Placement African American Studies course for high school students, which it claimed lacked educational value.
The new standards come after the state passed new legislation under Gov. Ron DeSantis that bars instruction in schools that suggests anyone is privileged or oppressed based on their race or skin color. DeSantis has used his fight against “wokeness” to boost his national profile amid a national discussion of how racism and history should be taught in schools.
The new standards require instruction for middle school students to include “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,” a document listing the standards and posted in the Florida Department of Education website said.
When high school students learn about events such as the 1920 Ocoee massacre, the new rules require that instruction include “acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans.” The massacre is considered the deadliest Election Day violence in US history and, according to several histories of the incident, it started when Moses Norman, a prominent Black landowner in the Ocoee, Florida, community, attempted to cast his ballot and was turned away by White poll workers.
“Our children deserve nothing less than truth, justice, and the equity our ancestors shed blood, sweat, and tears for,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement condemning the new standards. “It is imperative that we understand that the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow were a violation of human rights and represent the darkest period in American history.”
“We are proud of the rigorous process that the Department took to develop these standards,” Alex Lanfranconi, director of communications for the Florida Department of Education, said in a statement, noting the standards were created by a group of 13 educators and academics.
“It’s sad to see critics attempt to discredit what any unbiased observer would conclude to be in-depth and comprehensive African American History standards. They incorporate all components of African American History: the good, the bad and the ugly. These standards will further cement Florida as a national leader in education, as we continue to provide true and accurate instruction in African American History,” Lanfranconi said.
The Florida Education Association, a statewide teachers union, called the new standards a disservice to students and “a big step backward for a state that has required teaching African American history since 1994.”
“How can our students ever be equipped for the future if they don’t have a full, honest picture of where we’ve come from? Florida’s students deserve a world-class education that equips them to be successful adults who can help heal our nation’s divisions rather than deepen them,” Andrew Spar, the association’s president, said in a statement. “Gov. DeSantis is pursuing a political agenda guaranteed to set good people against one another, and in the process he’s cheating our kids. They deserve the full truth of American history, the good and the bad,” Spar added. | Not_Explicit |
The House Oversight Committee is hearing from two IRS whistleblowers whose testimony alleging that the Hunter Biden criminal probe was mishandled has ignited a firestorm among House Republicans.
One of the two whistleblowers is speaking for the first time publicly: Joseph Ziegler, a 13-year IRS Special Agent with the Criminal Investigation Division.
In his statements to the Oversight committee, Ziegler outlined what he described as examples of prosecutors not following the normal investigative process, and echoed fellow whistleblower Gary Shapley’s claims that IRS investigators recommended charging Hunter Biden with far more serious crimes than what the president’s son has agreed to plead guilty to, and that US attorneys in other districts wouldn’t seek an indictment of the President’s son.
“It appeared to me, based on what I experienced, that the US Attorney in Delaware in our investigation was constantly hamstrung, limited, and marginalized by DOJ officials as well as other US attorneys,” Ziegler said.
The whistleblowers told lawmakers Wednesday that Justice Department officials stopped their investigators from scrutinizing President Joe Biden and his grandchildren, after finding evidence potentially linking them to Hunter Biden’s troubled finances. Shapley, told the committee that Joe Biden’s name came up in their probe of Hunter Biden’s finances, and that his team was essentially blocked from running down those leads. (Some of these references to Joe Biden, including in a much-discussed, alleged WhatsApp message from 2017, occurred when he wasn’t president or vice president.)
“When the subject’s father is somehow related to the finances of the subject, in the normal course of any Investigation, we would have to get that information, to properly vet the financial flows of money, and determine what we end up charging,” Shapley said.
The Justice Department and the White House have previously denied the whistleblowers’ claims that there was any political interference in the Hunter Biden criminal probe. These allegations are consistent with their previous closed-door testimony, which was made public last month. Biden has said he wasn’t involved in his son’s business deals.
Ziegler, who is Shapley’s deputy, also told the panel in his written testimony that he wanted to interview Hunter Biden’s adult children after uncovering potentially illegal deductions in Hunter Biden’s tax returns, related to payments to his children. But a Justice Department prosecutor said that would “get us into hot water” and it didn’t happen, Ziegler wrote.
“This, again, was abnormal and deviation from normal procedure,” Ziegler wrote, though he later acknowledged to lawmakers there are some situations when it might be appropriate for prosecutors to oppose pursuing an interview with a key player.
GOP claims of a politicized DOJ
House Republicans have capitalized on the allegations – from Shapley, a 14-year IRS veteran who oversaw parts of the Hunter Biden criminal probe, and Ziegler, whose prior testimony was anonymous – to support their claims that the Justice Department has become increasingly politicized to protect Democrats and target conservatives.
The testimony from the IRS whistleblowers has also reignited a new push for potential impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland, as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces growing pressure from an increasingly restive right flank eager to take aim at President Joe Biden and his Cabinet. McCarthy fueled the momentum by saying he’s open to an impeachment inquiry if the whistleblowers’ claims hold up.
Shapley and his deputy told the House Ways and Means Committee in June that Justice Department officials slow-walked the criminal probe into Hunter Biden’s tax issues, stymied their efforts to obtain subpoenas and search warrants and repeatedly blocked prosecutors from filing felony charges.
The whistleblowers also claimed US Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump and is overseeing the Hunter Biden probe, allegedly said in an October 2022 meeting he could not make final charging decisions against the president’s son, and that he was denied special counsel status when he asked for it.
Republicans have seized on these comments to claim that Garland was not truthful when he told Congress that Weiss had full authority on the investigation. But Garland and Weiss have rejected most, if not all, of the GOP lawmakers’ assertions. Also, it’s common for there to be internal disagreements among investigators, like those described by the IRS agents, a point Democrats have made in memo ahead of the hearing, according to a copy of the memo obtained by CNN.
Shapley accused Weiss and DOJ of responding to his allegations with “carefully worded denials and evolving half-truths.”
Whistleblower defends his credentials
In his closed-door deposition last month, Ziegler told lawmakers that he is gay, and pushed back against the notion that his sexual orientation influences his politics or his job.
“People have said, because I’m gay and that I am working as the case agent on this investigation, that I must be a far-left liberal, perfectly placed to fit some agenda. This was stuff that was on social media regarding me,” Ziegler told the committee, according to a transcript of his deposition. “I can tell you that I am none of those things. I’m a career government employee, and I have always strived to not let politics enter my frame of mind when working cases.”
It’s not clear which social media posts Ziegler was referring to. But a 644-page report about Hunter Biden – which was compiled by a former Trump White House aide, posted online, and has circulated widely in right-wing circles – highlighted Ziegler’s sexual orientation and used it to accuse him of being “biased” in the Hunter Biden criminal probe.
Ziegler said in his private testimony that he grew up in a conservative household and “held conservative beliefs,” but now identifies as a Democrat with “middle-of-the-road” views.
Democrats push back
Democrats also noted that many investigative decisions that the two whistleblowers disagreed with occurred during the Trump administration, highlighting specific examples from late 2020.
In his opening statement, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, called his Republican colleagues out for not following through on their mission to connect their investigation to President Joe Biden directly.
“Like every other try by colleagues to concoct a scandal about President Biden, this one is a complete and total bust,” Raskin said.
The White House repeatedly also pointed out that Weiss had been appointed by Trump in advance of Wednesday’s hearing, encouraging Republicans instead to “focus on the issues most important to the American people.”
“There are real issues Americans want us to be spending our time on, and President Biden believes we can work together to make real progress, if House Republicans would make an effort instead of constantly staging partisan stunts to try to damage him politically,” said Ian Sams, a White House spokesman responding to Republican-led congressional investigations.
Weiss also refuted claims made about his title overseeing the investigation, writing in a separate letter to Congress that he never requested special counsel status but rather explored becoming a “special attorney” under a different statute.
House Republican committee chairs have requested interviews from Weiss and a number of individuals involved in the Hunter Biden criminal probe. The Justice Department informed House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, last week that they will make Weiss available “at an appropriate time” when the ongoing criminal investigation into Hunter Biden is officially closed, and offered to start negotiating how to move forward.
Asked whether Wednesday’s hearing with the IRS whistleblowers is a step toward impeaching Garland, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer told CNN, “There’s obviously a lot of eagerness to get the facts out and we’re moving as quickly as we can.” He added, however, that he’s “just in charge of getting the facts out” and that questions of impeachment will come later.
Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said, “We have two brave and credible IRS whistleblowers who have risked their careers to come forward and provide important testimony. Their testimony about the DOJ, FBI, and IRS’s investigation of Hunter Biden confirms the committee’s findings. That there is nothing normal about the Biden family’s business activity.”
Garland, a top target of the House GOP, is slated to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee for a routine oversight hearing in September.
Hunter Biden is scheduled to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors at a court hearing next week in Delaware.
This story and headline have been updated to reflect additional developments. | Not_Explicit |
Oil Holds Near $80 as US Stockpile Drop Offsets Demand Worries
Oil steadied as persistent demand concerns were offset by declines in crude stockpiles in the US.
(Bloomberg) -- Oil steadied near $80 a barrel in London as traders assessed a mixed picture in the US market and China’s efforts to revitalize its sagging economic growth.
Brent futures were slightly higher on Thursday in thin trading volumes typical for this time of year. US data showed crude inventories at the nation’s storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, shrank last week by the most since October 2021. However, that was tempered by a second weekly drop in demand for the main refined products: gasoline, distillates and jet fuel.
Crude has traded in a narrow range this week, and is still marginally down this year, after making a sharp break higher since late June on signs the market may finally be tightening.
“Brent is clearly finding it difficult to convincingly break above $80 a barrel,” said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy aat ING Groep NV.
China’s efforts to revive growth, ranging from lower interest rates, easier access to credit and a series of measures to kick-start the moribund housing market have done little to bolster the economy of the biggest crude importer. Another signal that Beijing was seeking to boost corporate confidence came this week, with a joint pledge by the Communist Party and the government to improve conditions for private businesses.
The recent revival in the US dollar, following a slump last week, added to the bearishness for oil, with commodities priced in the currency more expensive for most buyers.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Not_Explicit |
Washington — The letter from special counsel Jack Smith's office to former President Donald Trumpthat he is the target of a criminal investigation into his actions after the 2020 election cited three federal statutes, according to a senior Trump source.
Two of the statutes relate to conspiracy to commit an offense or to defraud the U.S., and deprivation of rights under color of law. The third includes potential charges ranging from obstruction of an official proceeding to tampering with a witness, victim or an informant.
Thewas the clearest indication yet that Trump could soon face charges related to his attempts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. Smith's office has been investigating alleged efforts to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power, including the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, since he was appointed special counsel last November. No charges stemming from this investigation have been filed against the former president, who has denied all wrongdoing and claimed any potential prosecution would be politically motivated.
The statutes mentioned in the letter offer some insight into the potential legal basis for possible future charges. Hundreds of defendants in the Justice Department's probe into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack have faced obstruction-related charges. Deprivation of rights under color of law entails using the guise of legal authority to take away constitutional or legal rights.
The former presidentthat he received the letter, and multiple sources confirmed to CBS News that the former president's post was accurate. A senior Trump source said Trump received the target letter on Sunday night.
Sources close to witnesses in the grand jury's probe have told CBS News that Smith is building a case focused on how Trump acted after he was informed that claiming the 2020 election had been rigged could put him at legal risk. The special counsel is also said to be examining whether Trump criminally conspired to block congressional certification of the Electoral College votes.
Smith has also led the investigation into the former president's. The former president faces more than three dozen federal charges in federal court in South Florida in that case, and has pleaded not guilty.
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Yevgeny Prigozhin only lives twice
Like his James Bond movie doppelgänger Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Yevgeny Prigozhin is the man who will not go away.
Just when you think he is dead, marginalized or put out to pasture in the potato fields of Belarus, he comes roaring back to life when least expected for a diabolical second act.
Prigozhin has indeed returned, this time reappearing in a video filmed at dusk at one of the Wagner Group’s new military camps in Belarus. His silhouette and voice are unmistakable, as are his criticisms of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. He is as harsh as ever, characterizing the Kremlin’s war effort on the front lines as a “disgrace.”
The specter (SPECTRE?) of Prigozhin rising once again is surely a discomfiting one for Putin, who has been left badly weakened in the aftermath of the Wagner Group’s short-lived uprising on June 24. Even more deeply troubling to Putin is that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, himself under immense pressure, appears to be coyly trying to weaponize Prigozhin against the Russian president.
On the surface, Lukashenko, during his meeting with Putin on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Russia, appeared to be aiming Prigozhin as a dagger against Poland. To that end, albeit jokingly, Lukashenko teased Putin, “The Wagner guys have started to stress us. They want to go west. ‘Let’s go on a trip to Warsaw and Rzeszow.'”
Yet the not so subtle below-the-surface hint to Putin, who likely did not fail to grasp it, was that a “stressed” Prigozhin could just as easily move east toward Moscow if he so chose — or was so directed. As the Institute for War noted in its July 23 update, the bulk of Prigozhin’s Wagner Group forces in Belarus are now positioned far closer to Moscow (about 447 miles “along an excellent military highway”) than they were from their previous main base in Krasnodar Krai (851 miles) during their abortive mutiny against the Russian Defense Ministry.
Lukashenko fully understands that Prigozhin’s military forces, publicly neutered of their heavy weaponry and supplies after Prigozhin’s rebellion — including T-90 tanks, artillery, surface-to-air missile systems, armored vehicles and ammunition — pose no real threat to Poland or to NATO as currently armed. Bringing a map of Poland, in this regard, was simply the excuse for Lukashenko to visually remind Putin that Minsk now believes it holds a strategic wild card in the form of Prigozhin, which he can play at any time against the Kremlin.
To paraphrase a ubiquitous saying: With friends like Lukashenko and Prigozhin, Putin does not need enemies.
Lukashenko, since day one, despite characterizing Putin’s war in Ukraine as “our” war, has tried to avoid at all costs getting dragged into the actual fighting. Minsk is solely in it for the spoils of war, if and when they come, unwilling the shoulder the actual economic and military cost.
Prigozhin, however, is another matter.
Lukashenko, wily as he may be, likely overplays his hand when it comes to controlling the man once known as “Putin’s chef.” Undoubtedly, Lukashenko views Prigozhin as a useful and multifaceted tool, whether for rattling his saber to unsettle Warsaw, protecting against any domestic Belarusian uprising, keeping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky off-balance or keeping Putin at bay.
But Prigozhin likely sees his future far differently. Like his fictional alter ego Blofeld, who first made his appearance in Ian Fleming’s 1964 novel “You Only Live Twice,” Prigozhin is learning, as Blofeld did from James Bond, the useful art of rising from the dead.
Bond first pulled off that feat in Japan in the 1967 movie of the same name. Prigozhin is well along the process of doing the same in Belarus.
Lukashenko, in coming to Prigozhin’s rescue after his failed mutiny in Russia, is giving the Wagner Group chief the chance to prove that yes, you can live twice. Yet in doing so, Lukashenko is playing with fire.
Prigozhin is a mercurial psychopath, useful but deadly. Even Putin has struggled to control him over time. Putin has decided for now that Prigozhin is better alive than dead. Even Sir Richard Moore, who heads up the real-life MI6, is perplexed by Putin’s decision.
Moore, who is referred to as “C” in British intelligence circles (the equivalent of “M” in the 007 movies”), noted, “If you look at Putin’s behaviors on that day, Prigozhin started off I think, as a traitor at breakfast. He had been pardoned by supper and then a few days later, he was invited for tea.”
Now, Prigozhin is having tea in Belarus.
Slippery as Prigozhin has been to date, it is best to prepare for a variety of plot twists that are likely yet to come. Lukashenko appears to believe Prigozhin is a check on Putin, but Putin might offer Prigozhin a chance to redeem himself by serving as a check on Lukashenko. Villains, after all, are infamous for turning against each other.
Or Prigozhin could turn out to be what he has always been: his own man. He could go rogue, deciding to go out in a blaze of glory and attack Poland and NATO forces as his ultimate revenge against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Russian Ministry of Defense. He could wait and plot to topple Lukashenko himself.
Prigozhin could also turn south, attempting to drag Belarus into a hot war with Ukraine. Kyiv would be forced to respond to any threat coming from its north. Or, perhaps in the most Blofeld-like storyline of all, Prigozhin could seek revenge against Putin by marching yet again on Moscow — or detour to take St. Petersburg.
Regardless of what choice Prigozhin ultimately makes, “Putin’s chef” has proven he has indeed found a way to live twice. Only he knows where that second life is headed and who will come to regret it. When it does, and the closing credits roll after the end of whatever his next act turns out to be, wait until the very end to see whether, as in the Bond movie style, they read: “Prigozhin will return.”
Mark Toth is an economist, entrepreneur, and former board member of the World Trade Center, St. Louis. Jonathan Sweet, a retired Army Colonel and 30-year military intelligence officer, led the U.S. European Command Intelligence Engagement Division from 2012 to 2014.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Former Trump deputy AG: Special counsel ‘not an agent of the deep state’
A former Trump deputy attorney general defended special counsel Jack Smith after the former president revealed he was the target of the Jan. 6 federal investigation looking into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
NewsNation’s Dan Abrams asked Richard Donoghue, who served in Trump’s Justice Department from December 2020 to January 2021, what he thought of remarks made by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Tuesday accusing President Biden of weaponizing the government to go after his opponent.
“I think nothing could be further from the truth,” Donoghue said. “For some people, Donald Trump will always be a man who was targeted because he stands up to corrupt elites, and for others he will always be Benedict Donald, a leader who puts his own interests above the country’s.”
“I don’t think he’s political. He’s not left-wing, he is not an agent of the deep state,” he said said of Smith. “His politics would put him right of center, I believe, and look, he secured the first capital sentence in New York in more than 50 years. He’s not a bleeding heart liberal.”
Abrams asked Donoghue if he believed it was unfair for those to describe Smith as a “tool of the left wing.”
“Absolutely, I don’t believe that for a minute,” he said. “I’ve known Jack for decades. I’ve seen and worked many, many cases over the years up close. I’ve seen him work incredibly hard at doing that and what he’s always done is follow the facts and apply the law.”
Trump revealed Tuesday that he received a letter informing him that he is a target of Smith’s investigation looking into the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Legal experts say that means the former president will likely be indicted for a third time this year.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal counts of mishandling classified documents and attempting to keep them from the government in a separate case last month. And he has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a hush money case in New York City.
Donoghue was one of several former Trump Justice Department officials who testified before the House Jan. 6 select committee last year. He is also a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Both NewsNation and The Hill are owned and operated by Nexstar Media Group.
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Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For more information on his work, visit www.lordashcroft.com or follow him on Facebook.
Last week, we held focus groups with wavering former Conservative voters as they prepare to go to the polls in Thursday’s by-elections: in Wincanton, in the heart of the Somerton & Frome constituency; at the South Ruislip end of the Uxbridge seat; and in Selby.
People in all three places had a pretty clear view about the unorthodox circumstances giving rise to the contests. Nigel Adams “didn’t get his honours, did he? So he threw his toys out of the pram and said right, that’s it.”
David Warburton “took way too long to step down… It’s a little bit naughty of the Conservatives to let it go on for so long. I think they tried to let it die down because there was so much going on elsewhere” (though there was some sympathy: “He had to stand down, but he had a really rough ride from the Parliament people… It sounds like he’s been gagged from saying anything about the harassment allegations. I mean, people can forgive the odd snort of cocaine these days, but the sexual allegations were the real meat of the scandal and we’re none the wiser about what happened, if anything at all”).
“He jumped before he was pushed. It’s not because he’s done the honourable thing or anything like that.” (Uxbridge & South Ruislip)
Boris Johnson also had some support (“the whole partygate thing was overblown and was very politically motivated;” “I liked his differentness, the way he approached people;” “he should have stuck around. It just looks like a joke now. I don’t think anyone will take the Tories seriously”) – but only up to a point: “He jumped before he was pushed. It’s not because he’s done the honourable thing or anything like that.” Either way, “we’ve got four or five by-elections at the same time, who are all MPs who have voluntarily resigned, which doesn’t reflect well on the Conservative leadership in government.”
Campaigning in all three seats had evidently been relentless: “I’ve never seen so many leaflets. The more you get, the less you look at;” “I’ve had personal letters. ‘Dear Caroline!’ I had one from Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street;” “Keir Starmer sent me a letter.” “Did you write back?” “No, I thought he was over-familiar.”
The Liberal Democrat candidate, Sarah Dyke, had evidently made an impact in Somerton & Frome: “She has actually come to parish council meetings. Anyone that rocks up at seven o’clock on a Tuesday to listen to what local concerns are, from my perspective, that almost overrides your political party;” “I’d never heard of her before, but she’s certainly got a profile now. I’m fed up to the back teeth with her!” “Tory Faye Purbrick “says ‘I’m a Somerset girl’. Well, yes, because she lives in Yeovil, and actually that’s not in the constituency;” “One of her policies was about local transport. Well, I’ve never seen her at the Bus Back Better meetings in the last year. If you’re going to say you want to make a difference, you have to have a background.” In her defence, the constituency is huge and diverse: “It’s like two constituencies in one. Frome was hived off from Wells all those years ago. Frome is very separate. These days it seems to be run by left-wing women.”
“They’re bothered about your vote, but they’re not bothered about you.” (Selby & Ainsty)
Many had views about their candidates’ localness or otherwise. In Uxbridge, “the Labour candidate is a chap called Danny, who is a councillor from Camden. Very unusual to be standing in this area, I would have thought.” In Selby & Ainsty, “the Tory is selling herself as a local, but she’s a councillor in East Riding!” Labour’s Keir Mather (“he was born in Hull”) had been out and about – “he came to our village fete at the weekend. I made him buy a raffle ticket” – but there were mixed views as to whether it matters that “he looks about twelve.” On the one hand, “he’s not very assertive. He might get eaten alive.” Then again, “the older ones haven’t exactly made a great job of it.”
Several noted that they had been favoured with visits from high-profile figures including Sunak and Starmer. At such a tough time, this did not always produce the intended reaction: “You don’t see them, and then even the leaders are on your doorstep. It just makes you sick, the fact that they’re bothered about your vote, but they’re not bothered about you.”
Local issues were evidently playing a big part in all the campaigns. Farming, planning disputes and local bus services were common themes in the two rural seats, and health services in all three: “Hillingdon Hospital is falling apart. It was approved to be rebuilt but it keeps being delayed;” “I waited four weeks for a doctor’s appointment. I think that’s wholly unacceptable;” “Please don’t tell me about the NHS and dentists because how long have you been in power and how hard is it to get a dentist in Somerset? You have to go to Cardiff to get an NHS dentist.”
“The Labour guy has stuck his ass firmly on the fence.” (Uxbridge & South Ruislip)
Two further issues in Uxbridge had the potential to play in the Conservatives’ favour. One was crime, provided they could pin the situation on the Mayor: “I feel like Sadiq Khan doesn’t care. There’s not enough police. But when that girl was murdered by a police officer, they wanted to stop men going out on the street after 9pm and he was talking about stuff like that. And they can spend money putting rainbow things round their hats;” “Uxbridge town centre has changed a lot. You feel different, especially late at night. Early evening, I should say, because you wouldn’t want to be out later.”
The other was Khan’s planned extension to the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which would see some residents charged £12.50 a day for driving in the district. “ULEZ is a big, big thing. It affects my business because people don’t want to cross over from outside the area;” “The Labour administration has completely overspent, so they’re using ULEZ as a cash cow. I do quite admire Boris, because he did actually call it a bonehead scheme;” “Essentially it is only the rich being able to drive in the area. You can pollute as much as you like as long as you pay £12.50.”
The view was not universal: “With all the pollution it’s something we’ve got to get on board with. There was that young black girl that died. I don’t know how to resolve it, but if our kids are going to be dying something needs to be resolved.” Even so, Labour clearly felt under pressure: “The Labour guy is now sending out literature that says he’s in favour of it being delayed since he started canvassing. So he’s stuck his ass firmly on the fence.”
“There’s nothing on the Lib Dem leaflet about legal or illegal immigration. The Conservatives have shown they’re no good and everyone else just wants an open door.” (Somerton & Frome)
The list of national issues exercising voters was familiar, including the cost of living, interest rates, the NHS and public services, and small boats. This last was particularly vexing for former Tories who felt the government did not have a grip on the situation, but that other parties would not even try: “There’s nothing on the Lib Dem leaflet about legal or illegal immigration. The Conservatives have shown they’re no good, and everyone else just wants an open door.”
Whether or not the Government was directly to blame for the state of the country, “that’s the job. They have been in power for 13 years, and are we in a better position than we were 13 years ago?” “They’ve had so many years to fix these problems. Striking nurses! It reminds me of the 1970s. And at the end of the day, you’ve been in power for untold years and you’re going round in circles.” The situation had hardly made people receptive to political promises: “They knock on the door and say ‘oh, we’re going to do this’. It’s like a man promising you everything until they get what they want, and you end up doing the washing up.”
“I don’t think they care whether they win the next election or not.” (Uxbridge & South Ruislip)
There was some praise for Sunak – “straightforward,” “economically very sound,” “not scandalous,” and “quite honest with people, he doesn’t sugar-coat things” – but also a widespread feeling that he was “treading water,” “a bit of a lame duck,” and “just kind of placeholding.”
More generally, the government seemed detached – “I don’t think they’ve got a grip on reality and what it’s like for real people” – and seemed to be running out of steam: “I don’t think they care whether they win the next election or not;” “I think no matter what policies they come out with, people just don’t trust them anymore.” Kinder descriptions of the administration included disappointing, ineffective, dishonest, a circus, a shambles, dormant, paralysed, static and “a hot mess” (and the participants had all voted Conservative in 2019).
However, none of this could be taken as a positive endorsement of the Tories’ opponents. Starmer was better than his predecessor but “Donald Duck would be an improvement on Corbyn.” Many thought the Labour leader seemed lacklustre: “He needs a bit more about him, does Keir Starmer. He’s just a little bit drab. He needs to be a bit more vocal and have a bit more passion, more fire in his belly. He has it in his hands to win the election but he needs more oomph;” “I can’t see him on the world stage. I don’t think he has the backbone to go toe-to-toe with Putin.”
“They whinge and bitch about the Tories but it’s not good enough just to say you can do it better.” (Somerton & Frome)
While there were honourable mentions for Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips, some felt Labour seemed as disunited as the Conservatives: “It would be nice if he liked his deputy enough to talk to her. It’s not exactly hashtag one team, is it?”
People also felt the party was light on direction: “It’s hard to pin down what they will actually do. They whinge and bitch about the Tories but it’s not good enough just to say you can do it better;” “The Shadow Chancellor is on TV a lot but she’s very cagey. When they ask her ‘would you lower taxes? Would you do this or that?’ she just evades it and there’s no answer.”
Similarly, while plenty of our Somerset participants were inclined to vote for Sarah Dyke, they remained very doubtful about her party. “Would a Lib Dem really have any sort of power? They’ve got a reputation of being a south-west England party rather than a national party that can make a difference;” “If you don’t think you’re going to win, you can aspire to anything, and you’ll never have to prove anything.”
Some also had bitter memories of the Cameron-Clegg years: “I fell for the Nick Clegg trap all those years ago. He promised me on his mother’s flippin life that he would scrap tuition fees, so I gave him my vote and he threw me under a bus;” “David Heath was the Lib Dem MP here and he was a decent chap, but he was given a portfolio in the Coalition Government and ended up in the Ministry of Agriculture gassing badgers. That did for him. No-one liked him after that.”
“I can do this, and I’ll do it again if you don’t buck up your ideas.” (Somerton & Frome)
Both our groups in Somerton & Frome expected a Lib Dem victory on Thursday, but our west London and North Yorkshire participants were less sure of the outcome.
Several said they would stay at home, some said they would grudgingly vote Conservative, and others were planning to make their displeasure felt: “I think the Conservatives do need a bit of a warning. I could actually vote for them at the general election, simply because I don’t have any faith in Labour or the Lib Dems. But in this by-election I will vote Lib Dem so they realise I am really pissed off;” “It’s the last-chance saloon. You have let us down in so many ways, and this is my life you’re playing around with. It’s about time you realise that I do have influence. I’m a woman and I have a vote and I would like to know that I can make a difference. I can do this, and I’ll do it again if you don’t buck up your ideas.”
“He’s not going to be ordering a pina colada, put it that way.” (Selby & Ainsty)
To conclude, a seasonal exercise. Imagine Starmer and the Labour team go on their summer holidays together. Is there anyone they would accidentally-on-purpose leave behind? “Angela Rayner. She’s not part of their metropolitan elite. And they couldn’t keep up with her;” “Jonathan Ashworth, because he’s incredibly annoying. He’d be the one with the itinerary, ticking boxes. They’d tell him it was Gatwick and actually they’re all at Heathrow.”
Where would they go? “Probably nowhere because they can’t decide. The plane can’t take off because they don’t know where they’re going;” “It would have to be a package because they couldn’t organise anything.”
What kind of place would they stay at? “I think they’d want to make a statement that they’re not big spenders;” “He’s got to be a hotel man. He’s a sir, Keir Starmer, so he’s not going to be staying in a tent, is he? Too posh;” “Well it could be a bit of glamping, couldn’t it? True Labour would have roughed it in a tent, but they would want something more sophisticated. So you go glamping, but you still need wellies to get to the toilet.”
What would they all have to drink before dinner? “I don’t think he would have a pint. He’s not a man of the people, is he? Maybe a gin and tonic. Or a nice cup of tea;” “Something really plain. He’s a really plain guy. He’s not going to be ordering a pina colada, put it that way;” “They’ve got vodka in their handbags and they’re only buying Coke from the bar.”
Meanwhile, what’s happening on the Tory getaway? “It would be somewhere tax-free like Grand Cayman. But they’d pretend it was the Canary Islands, or Morecambe;” “Rishi’s pad in California. Or Mrs Sunak’s castle;” “Somewhere that was owned by somebody else. Necker Island or something like that.”
What would they do? “Drinking and golfing. If it’s gone the 12th, they’ll be on the grouse moors;” “They try and leave Boris behind, but he turns up with a case of Stella and wrecks it;” “Afterwards they’d put it down as a business trip. Or deny that they went anywhere.” | Not_Explicit |
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Reports Q1 Net Up By 11.53% At Rs 261.23 Crore
Private sector Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has reported 11.53% rise in its April-June quarter net at Rs 261.23 crore, the bank said on Monday.
Private sector Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has reported 11.53% rise in its April-June quarter net at Rs 261.23 crore, the bank said on Monday.
The Tuticorin-based over Century old bank had registered net profit at Rs 234.21 crore during the corresponding period of last year.
Total business of the bank during the quarter under review grew by 9.40% to Rs 84,300 crore as compared to Rs 77,056 crore registered in the corresponding quarter of last year, the bank said in a statement.
The retail, agriculture and micro, small and medium enterprises portfolio witnessed an increase of 12.86% during April-June 2023 quarter at Rs 33,574 crore from Rs 29,749 crore registered in the same period of last year.
During the quarter ending June 30, 2023 the bank said it opened six branches.
To tap the emerging micro, small and medium enterprise market with focused attention, the bank said MSME Loan processing hub has been set up in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tuticorin. | Not_Explicit |
Russian authorities on Monday sentenced an ally of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to nine years in prison for "participating in an extremist organization," Navalny's team announced on Telegram.
Vadim Ostanin was head of Navalny's office in the Siberian city of Barnaul and was detained in December 2021. He was also charged with belonging to a nonprofit that "infringes on citizens' rights."
According to Navalny's team, Ostanin had carried out "legal political work."
Ostanin's conviction is part of a wider crackdown on political opposition in Russia. This has intensified since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Navalny is an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was arrested in January 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany where he had been recovering from nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin.
Russia cracks down Putin's political opponents
As Russian authorities continue to go after Putin's critics, many of Navalny's political allies have either fled into exile or been arrested. Moscow banned Navalny's political organizations in 2021.
Recently, Lilia Chanysheva, another Navalny ally from Ufa in central Russia, was sentenced to over seven years in prison on similar charges.
Ostanin had described the squalid conditions of his prison cell as "six square meters in a basement with a window covered with debris" that would flood and was full of rats and spiders.
Navalny is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison outside Moscow on several charges including fraud and contempt of court. Last week, prosecutors requested an additional 20-year term on "extremism" charges.
Navalny maintains that the charges and his lengthy prison sentences are an attempt to silence Russia's political opposition.
In a statement released Thursday by his legal team, Navalny said: "Anyone in Russia knows that a person who seeks justice in a court of law is completely vulnerable. The case of that person is hopeless."
wmr/nm (AP, Reuters, AFP) | Not_Explicit |
(Bloomberg) -- El mercado mundial de la soja está dominado por un gran comprador: China. Durante años, Brasil le ha quitado a Estados Unidos una parte cada vez mayor de ese comercio.
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Ahora, los exportadores sudamericanos empiezan incluso a dominar durante la típica pausa de la temporada.
Los clientes chinos están comprando activamente soja brasileña para entrega en octubre, una época del año en la que las exportaciones estadounidenses suelen estar en su punto álgido, según personas con conocimiento directo. Todavía es probable que se cierren más contratos para el cuarto trimestre, según las fuentes, que pidieron no ser identificadas por tratarse de transacciones privadas.
Las ventas se producen en un momento en que Brasil tiene una cosecha récord y ofrece precios mucho más bajos que productores rivales. También reflejan el plan del presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva de estrechar lazos con China como parte de su plan de crecimiento para la mayor economía de América Latina.
“Todavía tenemos primas competitivas durante al menos otro mes más o menos”, dijo Thiago Milani, jefe de comercio y originación de 3Tentos, una empresa agroindustrial familiar en Brasil, refiriéndose a los precios de envío del país.
Los agricultores estadounidenses están perdiendo su ventaja competitiva en los mercados agrícolas a medida que crece la producción brasileña. Las tensiones geopolíticas también han llevado a China a buscar lazos más estrechos con la nación sudamericana y reducir su dependencia histórica de EE.UU.
El plan de Lula para profundizar las relaciones con China incluye obtener más financiamiento de la nación asiática y reducir el papel del dólar en las transacciones de comercio exterior. El viaje de una delegación brasileña a China este año produjo más de 15 acuerdos por un valor aproximado de US$10.000 millones en compromisos de inversión chinos.
Actualmente, a los procesadores chinos les resulta rentable moler los granos brasileños para fabricar aceite de cocina y piensos, mientras que los márgenes son negativos para los suministros estadounidenses, según datos recopilados por Bloomberg. Como resultado, los clientes chinos están comprando en Brasil al inicio de la temporada.
De hecho, las compras fueron tan tempranas que ya hay cinco barcos programados para recoger cargamentos en Brasil en septiembre, según la agencia naviera Alphamar. Se trata del inicio más temprano de la temporada para este tipo de comercio, según datos de la naviera.
“Ahora hay enormes existencias en las explotaciones agrícolas que llegarán a los puertos en los próximos meses, por lo que pronto veremos más buques en la línea”, declaró Arthur Neto, director comercial de Alphamar.
Las compras también se producen en un momento en que los cultivos estadounidenses, que normalmente se cosechan a partir de septiembre, se ven afectados por un clima seco y caluroso. En junio, la cosecha de soja estadounidense estaba en las peores condiciones en tres décadas, antes de que las lluvias regresaran al Medio Oeste.
Sin embargo, el tiempo volverá a ser seco y caluroso. Los futuros de la soja en Chicago han subido más del 5% este trimestre a unos US$14,20 el bushel.
“Desde el punto de vista meteorológico, las probabilidades de que mejoren las condiciones de los cultivos no son altas”, señaló el viernes el corredor chino Huatai Futures en un informe. “Es poco probable que la oferta de la cosecha de soja estadounidense de la nueva temporada crezca mucho”.
Traducido por Paulina Munita.
Nota Original:Brazil Is Pushing the US Out of World’s Biggest Soybean Market
--Con la colaboración de Jasmine Ng, Alfred Cang y Vanessa Dezem.
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Not_Explicit |
The tournament co-host will face Nigeria in its second match on Thursday without forward Mary Fowler and defender Aivi Luik after the two sustained mild concussions in separate incidents during practice on Tuesday, the Matildas announced.
Fowler and Luik have reportedly both "fully recovered" and begun the team's graduated return to play protocol, but it won't be quick enough to face Nigeria.
Australia was already without captain and all-time leading scorer Sam Kerr, who will miss at least one more match due to a pre-tournament calf injury. There had actually been some confusion courtesy of midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross that Kerr might have torn her calf, which would all but end her tournament before it began, but Australia later clarified that wasn't the case.
With Kerr out, Australia started Fowler, who plays for Manchester City, at striker in their 1-0 tournament opener against Ireland. The lone goal came on a penalty kick from Steph Catley, who was wearing the captain’s armband in place of Kerr, but the Matildas only generated two shots on target in the whole match. They will now have to find a third option up front, but only for the Nigeria match if the federation's outlook is to be believed.
Nigeria played Canada to a scoreless draw in its own opener. | Not_Explicit |
Miami, 24 jul (EFE).- Un hombre de 30 años permanece desaparecido tras saltar por la borda de un crucero de la compañía Carnival que se dirigía a Florida al cabo de un trayecto de cuatro días por Bahamas, informó este lunes la Guardia Costera de EEUU.
De acuerdo a la agencia federal, que mantiene un operativo de búsqueda en el área, el hecho ocurrió la mañana del domingo cuando el barco Elation de Carnival se hallaba a unas 95 millas (153 km.) al este de la ciudad de Melbourne y rumbo a su puerto base en Jacksonville, en el noreste de Florida.
Los guardacostas señalaron hoy en su cuenta de Twitter que desarrollan una búsqueda por mar y aire para dar con el hombre reportado como desaparecido por otro pasajero que viajaba con él y no tuvo noticias suyas a lo largo del domingo.
Una vez notificada, la tripulación procedió a "una exhaustiva búsqueda en la cubierta" que no logró resultados, tras lo cual revisaron las imágenes de la cámara de seguridad que permitieron determinar que el hombre había saltado por la borda, según declaraciones de un portavoz de Carnival recogidas por el canal local WTSP.
La tripulación alertó a las autoridades antes de arribar este lunes por la mañana al puerto de Jacksonville, según la firma, que agregó se mantiene en contacto con los familiares del pasajero desaparecido.
Como recuerda el medio, en lo que va de este año al menos dos personas han caído de la cubierta de cruceros de Carnival que navegaban frente a las costas de Florida.
En abril, un hombre de 43 años cayó de la borda del Carnival Mardi Grass que iba a rumbo a Port Canaveral, en el este central del estado, mientras que en el mes de mayo Ronnie Peale Junior, de 35 años, presuntamente cayó de la borda del Carnival Magic y frente a la costa de Jacksonville
Los guardacostas suspendieron el operativo al cabo de dos días de infructuosa búsqueda de Peale.
En noviembre del año pasado, efectivos de la Guardia Costera lograron rescatar a un hombre que había caído de un crucero de Carnival que zarpó de Nueva Orleans (Luisiana) y estuvo varado en aguas del Golfo de México por más de 15 horas.
(c) Agencia EFE | Not_Explicit |
Boebert apologizes ‘for appearance’ of disrespecting Uvalde victims
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) offered an apology Saturday “for the appearance” of disrespecting children who died in the Uvalde shooting, after footage of the congresswoman discarding a tribute pin for one of the victims prompted a wave of harsh criticism.
“If anyone thinks that I was disrespecting a child who tragically lost their lives at the hands of an evil, evil person, I want to apologize for the appearance of that. But that’s not at all what it was,” she said.
In a video that circulated late last week, an activist appears to hand Boebert a pamphlet and a pin. The pin honored one of the 19 children who died in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Another activist is heard saying to Boebert, who is well known as an advocate for gun rights and an opponent of gun control, that “we hope you take action on gun violence prevention.”
Boebert does not appear to respond to the two activists but can be seen in the video discarding the items in a nearby trash can as she continues walking.
The activist who posted the video said Boebert shook her head and said “no” when she gave her the pamphlet.
In the new video, Boebert accused the activist of being aggressive with her previously.
“I simply did not want to receive anything from this aggressive man who has been harassing me and my office,” Boebert says in the video. She also said she was wearing AirPods and told the person that she was “occupied.”
She said her pastor inspired her to film the response video.
“Last week, there was a video of me throwing an item away that I had received randomly from somebody in the hallway. I was walking and had AirPods in, tried to tell the man that I was occupied, and he continued, and as he was handing me what turned out to be a memorial pin, I recognized him as a man who came at me very aggressively just a few weeks prior during a press conference,” Boebert said.
Boebert, one of the most vocal pro-gun members of Congress, immediately came under fire when the video first aired last week. Local news reported on the backlash from families of the victims and from political activists.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Lawyers helping conjure up fake asylum claims are telling migrants to find themselves a wife as a loophole around immigration controls, the Mail investigation uncovered.
Solicitors told an undercover reporter posing as an economic migrant to apply for asylum and then 'find a girl, arrange a marriage' to 'anyone who has permanent residence here'.
One even offered to play matchmaker, mentioning a client who had two daughters that could be prospective spouses.
Getting married would mean 'the whole route is changed' and the small boat arrival could apply to stay in the UK as a spouse regardless of his original asylum application, lawyers said. One solicitor advised getting his potential wife to call utility providers and 'put his name on the bills' to give the impression the couple lived together.
Asylum seekers are allowed to wed in the UK but getting married for immigration purposes when not in a genuine relationship is illegal and the Home Office receives thousands of reports a year of suspicious nuptials.
According to figures obtained by the Mail, 21,638 reports of dodgy marriages have been received by the Home Office since 2015.
The number of reports peaked in 2019, when 2,648 suspicious marriages were flagged to officials, and more than 1,000 reports have been received from January to May this year alone.
Our revelations come as part of an investigation into abuses of Britain's asylum system by immigration solicitors who are making thousands of pounds making fabricated claims to the Home Office.
The Mail covertly visited a string of firms with a reporter posing as an Indian national who had arrived in the UK illegally on a small boat to look for work. Muhammad Azfar Ahmad, a lawyer at Kingswright Solicitors in Birmingham, warned that while he could 'fight' for an asylum case, such claims for Indians were 'very weak' and suggested another possibility.
'If he can get married then we can, while asylum claim is pending, we go to the other route,' Mr Ahmad said. He said if he can offer proof he has lived with a person who has settled status for two years he could apply as 'unmarried partners'.
He added: 'On the other hand, once he claimed asylum he will be able to register a marriage in a marriage office.
Once the marriage is registered he can apply any time as a spouse of a British national or whatever the position will be with the British settled person.'
He said it must be either a British citizen or someone with indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Later he said: 'Wedding, yes that is better thing. As soon as you find someone who is ready to get married to him, put his name on the bills. Just tell utility provider to add his name. She can call them.'
Mr Ahmad said this was to show that they were living together.
Asked if he knew of a 'matchmaker', the lawyer suggested a Punjabi couple in Walsall with two daughters who were his clients and said he could get their number. As the meeting came to an end, Mr Ahmad said: 'We will make some story. But do something to get him married, that's better.'
Mr Ahmad said it would cost £2,000 for the asylum claim and more to submit a marriage application to the Home Office.
A solicitor at another firm in south London told an undercover reporter to marry 'anyone who has permanent residence here' telling him to 'find a girl, arrange a marriage. 'Nothing stops you from doing that. The moment he applies for asylum he can legally get married,' he added.
Kingswright Solicitors said: 'We entirely refute the allegations. However, we have commenced an internal investigation concerning the same. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.' | Not_Explicit |
Police have used water cannon and arrested protesters outside Israel's parliament ahead of a key vote on reforms which have caused uproar.
The vote brings to a head months of turmoil with some of the biggest demonstrations in Israel's history.
About 150 major firms, including banks, are striking on Monday in protest.
The reforms aim to curb the powers of the courts, which the government says have grown too wide. Opponents say the reforms imperil Israel as a democracy.
On Monday morning protesters blocking a boulevard outside the Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem were sprayed with water cannon and pulled off the road by police amid a cacophony of noise from drums, whistles and air horns.
One protester was hurt, local media say, and six were arrested, police said.
A demonstrator lying in the street told the BBC he was was defying "dictatorship", adding that his grandfather had been a wartime codebreaker against the Nazis at the UK's famous Bletchley Park.
Asked how long he would stay put he said: "We will never surrender".
The protesters - tens of thousands of whom marched some 45 miles (70km) from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem at the end of last week - are trying to thwart the passage into law of the first bill of a package of reforms, due to be voted on later on Monday.
The so-called "reasonableness" bill would remove the power of the Supreme Court to overturn government decisions which it deems to have gone too far.
The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he will be in parliament for the vote after he underwent unscheduled surgery on Saturday to be fitted with a pacemaker. He was discharged from hospital on Monday morning.
The controversial reforms have polarised Israel, triggering one of the most serious domestic crises in the country's history.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets weekly since the start of the year in protest at what they say is an attack on democracy. The government says the reforms serve to strengthen democracy, arguing the Supreme Court has accrued too much power over politics in recent decades.
Deepening the crisis, thousands of reservists, including pilots in the air force crucial to Israel's offensive and defensive capabilities, have vowed not to volunteer for service. Such unprecedented dissent has caused alarm over the potential impact on Israel's military readiness.
Former heads of Israel's security services, chief justices, and prominent legal and business figures have also been vocal against the government's reforms.
The measures have also been criticised by the US President Joe Biden, who in his most explicit comments yet called for the "divisive" bill to be postponed. | Not_Explicit |
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said production at a planned facility in Arizona will be postponed from late 2024 until 2025, an ominous delay as Washington tries to establish a more robust chip industry.
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Chairman Mark Liu said there are several challenges that TSMC faces at the US facility, including a shortage of skilled workers and expenses running higher than in Taiwan. The company is shifting some employees to Arizona to help with the development.
“We are working on improving this by sending skilled technical workers from Taiwan to the US,” Liu said on a conference call after earnings.
President Joe Biden’s administration has made development of domestic chip production a top strategic priority, backed by subsidies in the Chips Act that may top $50 billion. As the US clashes with China, American politicians have been concerned about the vulnerability of Taiwan, which Beijing has claimed as its own territory.
TSMC made the remarks as the company reported financial results for the second quarter and cut its outlook for revenue in 2023. The company, which makes chips for Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp., projected a 10% decline in US dollar terms this year, compared with guidance for single-digit declines previously.
ASML Holding NV, the leading producer of chipmaking equipment, warned that politicians seem to be underestimating the complexity of building new fabs. While governments from Washington to Beijing to Berlin want to create domestic chip capabilities, such production is complicated and requires deep expertise.
“People don’t seem to realize that when we start building those fabs across the globe now and are everywhere, that skill has been refined over the last couple of decades in only a few places on the planet — predominantly in Taiwan and in Korea and a bit in China,” said Peter Wennink, chief executive officer of ASML. “Getting access to the requisite skills and skilled workers to keep the construction plan on time is a challenge.”
--With assistance from Adrian Kennedy.
(Updates with ASML comments from sixth paragraph)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Not_Explicit |
Planning system ‘set up to fail’ as housing crisis gets worse, say councillors
Councillors nationwide now agree with many developers that Britain’s planning system is “set up to fail” and is contributing to the housing crisis.
The latest National Planning Barometer, a survey of more than 300 councillors undertaken by SEC Newgate, a consultancy, found two thirds thought the housing crisis was getting worse. A similar proportion agreed that housing supply in their local area was “somewhat” or “severely” lacking.
The report concluded that there was “a crisis of resource that sees local authority planning departments unable to deliver the service on which [the] system relies”.
Six in ten of those surveyed said their planning teams lacked the resources to do a timely and effective job, echoing the concerns of developers. Just over half said planners were | Not_Explicit |
TALLINN, Estonia -- Russian prosecutors asked a court to sentence imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 20 years in prison on extremism charges, his ally Ivan Zhdanov said Thursday.
According to Zhdanov, the trial against Navalny, which went on behind closed doors in the prison where the politician is serving another lengthy sentence, is scheduled to conclude with a verdict on Aug. 4.
Navalny, 47, is President Vladimir Putin's fiercest foe who exposed official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.
The authorities sentenced him to 2 1/2 years in prison for parole violations and then to another nine years on charges of fraud and contempt of court. The politician is currently serving his sentence in a maximum-security prison east of Moscow.
The new charges relate to the activities of Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation and statements by his top associates. His allies said the charges retroactively criminalize all the foundation's activities since its creation in 2011.
Navalny has rejected all the charges against him as politically motivated and accused the Kremlin of seeking to keep him behind bars for life. | Not_Explicit |
Latest Developments:
- A former U.S. Marine who was freed by Russia last year in a prisoner swap has been injured while fighting for Ukraine against Moscow's forces, the U.S. State Department said.
- Russia's prosecutor-general declared independent TV channel Dozhd to be an undesirable organization, continuing the crackdown on news media and groups regarded as threats to Russia's security. Dozhd, which is often critical of the Kremlin, closed its operations in Russia soon after the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, moving first to Latvia and then to the Netherlands.
- The European Union is considering helping fund the costly transportation of grain out of Ukraine after Russia halted a deal that allowed Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain vital to global food security.
The United States will send Ukraine an additional $400 million in military aid, including air defense missiles, small drones and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The weapons are being provided through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows for the speedy delivery of defense articles and services from U.S. stocks, sometimes arriving within days of approval. The materiel will come from U.S. excess inventory.
The aid announcement comes at a time when Ukrainian troops are involved in a slow-moving counteroffensive against invading Russian forces.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the assistance is aimed at "strengthening Ukraine's brave forces on the battlefield" and "helping them retake Ukraine's sovereign territory."
"The people of Ukraine continue to bravely defend their country against Russia's aggression while Russia continues its relentless and vicious attacks that are killing Ukrainian civilians and destroying civil infrastructure," Blinken said in a statement.
The new aid package includes an array of ammunition, ranging from missiles for Patriot air defense systems and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASMS), Stinger anti-aircraft systems, more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Stryker armored personnel carriers, and a variety of other missiles and rockets.
It also will include for the first time U.S.-furnished Black Hornet surveillance drones — tiny nano drones used largely for intelligence-gathering. Ukraine has previously received these drones from other Western allies.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has provided more than $43 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said their air defenses intercepted Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia fired at Kyiv overnight. It was the sixth drone attack on the capital this month.
Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv regional military administration, said no casualties or damage were reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry said a Russian patrol ship destroyed two Ukrainian sea drones that attacked it in the Black Sea early Tuesday.
Ukrainian officials said Russia used cluster munitions in an attack on Kostiantynivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, late Monday.
Also Tuesday, Russian lawmakers approved a bill extending the upper age limit for the compulsory military draft from 27 to 30, a move that appears aimed at expanding the pool of recruits for the fighting in Ukraine.
The measure was quickly approved by the lower house on Tuesday. It will need to be approved by the upper house and signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said its staff saw directional anti-personnel mines located on the perimeter of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The IAEA said in a statement late Monday that the mines were seen Sunday "in a buffer zone between the site's internal and external perimeter barriers." The agency said no mines were seen "within the inner site perimeter."
Russia has controlled the site since the early stages of its invasion of Ukraine. The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the potential for a nuclear catastrophe as it advocated for safety and security measures at Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the agency was told the placement of the mines was a military decision and done in an area controlled by the military.
"But having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff — even if the IAEA's initial assessment based on its own observations and the plant's clarifications is that any detonation of these mines should not affect the site's nuclear safety and security systems," Grossi said.
IAEA experts are also continuing to monitor the availability of water to cool the plant's reactors following the June destruction of the Kakhovka dam that affected a reservoir near the plant, the agency said.
"The site continues to have sufficient water for some months," the IAEA said.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. | Not_Explicit |
BRASILIA, July 25 (Reuters) - Brazil's government issued an executive order on Tuesday to initiate taxation on sports betting, in line with a measure announced by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's economic team to increase revenues.
The measure takes immediate effect but must be voted on by Congress within four months to remain valid.
Under the new regulation, companies will be subject to an 18% tax on so-called Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
According to the proposal, national or foreign legal entities established in the country and meeting the requirements set forth by the Finance Ministry may apply for authorization to operate fixed-odds betting lotteries.
In 2018, Brazil passed a law allowing online fixed-odds betting for the first time, permitting bookmakers to offer odds on the outcomes of sports events.
However, the necessary sector regulation was never implemented.
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad stated in March that the measure was necessary as online gambling companies were not paying any taxes while profiting immensely from their operations in the country.
Haddad recently estimated the government would raise about 2 billion reais ($423 million) with the measure in 2024, saying the estimate was conservative.
Internet sports betting firms, including bet365, Betano, and Betfair, have been expanding globally and strengthening their presence in Brazil by sponsoring major soccer clubs.
($1 = 4.7233 reais)
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Wall Street’s Next Prize Is A $2 Trillion Australia Pension Pot
Inflows of more than A$1 billion a week need to find an investment destination.
(Bloomberg) -- Morgan Stanley chief James Gorman has been tapping his Australian roots to access one of the world’s fastest-growing corners of global capital.
The bank’s Melbourne-born boss is one of a string of executives from Wall Street and beyond doing more business with the largest players in Australia’s A$3.5 trillion ($2.4 trillion) pensions industry. The big attraction: inflows of more than A$1 billion a week that need to find an investment destination.
As the guardians of the country’s retirement savings outgrow their own backyard, they’re partnering with more global asset managers across a range of private market deals. In the past few months, A$120 billion pension fund UniSuper invested alongside KKR & Co. in a European mobile towers firm, while A$160 billion Aware Super Pty joined investors including Allianz SE in a U.K. build-to-rent developer, shortly before buying into a U.S. data-center operator.
“The market is on a growth trajectory,” said Daniel Vanden Boom, managing director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management Australia. The firm works with Australian pensions on co-investing opportunities in areas like infrastructure and property and “our engagement on these topics has never been higher,” he said.
New York-based Gorman and his investment-management chief Dan Simkowitz regularly speak with pension executives in Australia, particularly about growth areas like private markets, said Vanden Boom.
Global tie-ups are a natural evolution for Australia’s pensions, known as superannuation funds, which are raking in more money than they know what to do with. As the funds grow, their size allows them to participate in deals alongside private markets asset managers, in contrast with their more traditional role of simply being invested in a fund. This gives them a seat at the table, helping to forge other deals and make decisions on what to invest in.
Ken Kencel, the head of Nuveen’s private credit specialist Churchill Asset Management, last November made the 20-hour flight from New York to Melbourne — the country’s pensions hub — to sign a lending partnership with AustralianSuper, the industry’s largest fund with A$300 billion of assets.
The initial $250 million investment from AustralianSuper is expected to “grow substantially,” according to the pension fund, which has plans to triple its private credit exposure — partly via other similar partnerships — in the coming years.
This year, “there are a lot more managers coming to Australia seeking capital from Aussie funds because this is one of the few areas that’s growing,” Con Michalakis, deputy chief investment officer for A$100 billion pension fund Hostplus Pty, said in an interview.
Still, while the surging clout of pensions is giving them access to deals that were once reserved for larger players, there are drawbacks that accompany the growth.
Constant inflows place extra pressure on large funds to put that money to work. And as the industry pours money into private assets at home and abroad, it’s facing fresh regulator pressure over valuations of unlisted assets. At the same time, there’s a heightened regulatory focus on performance at home, which is boosting competition for members who can easily switch to rivals.
Trillion-Dollar Club
The industry’s asset growth has helped funds weather the volatility in global markets as interest rates ratcheted higher, weighing especially hard on fixed-income returns. Total assets have surged by almost A$1 trillion in the past five years to stand at A$3.5 trillion in the first quarter of 2023.
Australian law is turbocharging the industry’s inflows. From this month, companies must pay 11% of workers’ salaries into their chosen pension fund. That’s going up to 11.5% next year and rising to 12% in 2025.
As a result, industry assets are forecast to triple to as high as A$10.5 trillion by 2040. KPMG expects that the two largest funds could each cross the trillion-dollar mark in that time. The predictions are being made against the backdrop of the economy’s low unemployment, climbing wages and resurgent levels of immigration.
In 2021, Australian pension contributions amounted to 6.9% of gross domestic product, more than three times the OECD average, according to the latest available data. Only Iceland and Switzerland, two significantly smaller pension markets, ranked higher. Australia’s retirement system is now the world’s fifth largest, while its population ranks 54th.
“There are a lot of really significant tailwinds” to the industry’s growth, said Rosemary Shannon, an Edinburgh-based director for U.K. fund manager Baillie Gifford. She oversees the firm’s ties with super funds, including AustralianSuper, and travels to Australia for up to six weeks at a time.
“We’re seeing the rise of the mega funds — that is something we’ve been keeping an eye on,” Shannon said. “Asset managers can be a part of that and take a chunk of the pie.”
The magnitude of the growth is changing the shape of the Australian economy and its capital markets. Reserve Bank economists last year identified expanding superannuation assets as a key driver behind Australia becoming a net exporter of capital. It’s also meant domestic equity markets are no longer big enough, with pension funds looking to put more investment abroad, especially in private markets.
The A$23.6 billion buyout of Sydney Airport in 2021, which was backed by a consortium of funds including AustralianSuper, removed one of the country’s few publicly-traded infrastructure assets and set a record for the biggest cash M&A deal in Australian history.
Talent Hunt
Funds are also doing more investing themselves, reducing their roster of external fund managers and increasing the importance for specialist corners such as alternatives. AustralianSuper, for instance, is building out offices in London and New York in a bid to lure talent for its internal teams, while Aware Super plans to open offices overseas.
This has provided an opportunity for Wall Street firms and other asset managers by offering extra services beyond the specific mandates they hold with funds and building out red-hot asset classes like private credit. Pacific Investment Management Co., for one, routinely offers investment research and expertise, part of a growing industry trend.
“There is a shift from many external managers to fewer, deeper partnerships,” said Sam Watkins, head of business for Australia and New Zealand at Pimco, which manages $1.8 trillion globally and is owned by Allianz. “It has become more common. There is an expectation you will do more,” Watkins said.
For T Rowe Price Group Inc., a $1.4 trillion Baltimore-based fund manager, Australia’s become a high-priority growth market, said Darren Hall, its head of distribution for Australia and New Zealand. The firm’s taken heed of the growing appetite for alternative assets and two years ago purchased Oak Hill Advisors LP, a private debt specialist with existing links to super funds.
Meantime, Franklin Templeton’s Felicity Walsh says the opportunities are large for her California-based firm.
“It’s a huge market,” said Walsh, managing director of Franklin Templeton Australia, the local offshoot of the $1.4 trillion fund manager. “It’s meaningful and you need to be in it.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | Not_Explicit |
FIRST ON FOX: The campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released a six-minute video showing liberal media personalities repeatedly labeling the Republican presidential candidate as "more dangerous" than former President Donald Trump.
The DeSantis War Room on Sunday posted the video, "6 MINUTES Of The Left Admitting They Fear DeSantis More Than Trump," which features commentary from an array of left-wing commentators including Van Jones, David Pakman and Olayemi Olurin.
"This guy is worse than Trump," Jones says in the video.
"I honestly believe DeSantis was forged in Hell. There’s no doubt in my mind," Olurin says in the video.
"If you thought Donald Trump was bad, you got another thing coming," says Maxwell Frost.
The commentators in the clip make their point by arguing DeSantis is more "savvy," "disciplined" and "competent" than Trump and would be more capable of executing the Republican agenda.
"The Trump agenda would be far more likely to be carried on by people less cartoonishly problematic, and Ron Desantis is a perfect example of such an individual," Pakman argues in the video.
"He’s honestly more sinister, you know why? Because there’s less buffoonery to it," Olurin says.
"Based on what he’s done in five years in Florida, what would he do with all the levers of power in the White House?" former Rep. David Jolly, D-Fla., says in the video.
The Trump campaign issued a statement to Fox News Digital on Sunday saying the liberal talking points are irrelevant.
"President Trump has been dominating in poll after poll – both nationally and statewide," the campaign said. "It's not what commentators or pundits think, it's about what the voters think, and they are clearly behind President Trump in a big way."
"The fact is that President Trump will be the nominee and will beat Crooked Joe Biden because he's the only person who can supercharge the economy, secure our border, safeguard communities, and put an end to unnecessary wars," the statement added. "Americans want to return to a prosperous nation and there’s only one person who can do that – President Trump."
On the campaign trail, DeSantis repeatedly points to his overwhelming gubernatorial re-election last November in the once-purple Sunshine State.
"What we did was not just a big victory. It was really a fundamental realignment of Florida from being a swing state to being a red state," DeSantis recently touted on the campaign trail.
According to a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll released last week, Trump’s lead over DeSantis is shrinking.
Trump leads DeSantis by 37% to 23% in the poll, which is five percentage points down from the previous UNH survey in April.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
Several grisly bloodsports, legal or otherwise, are enjoyed in the English countryside. But none is as popular as shooting the messenger. Rather than attend to our environmental crisis, politicians, lobbyists and the media prefer to hunt the people seeking to address the problem. No quarry is pursued as keenly as the government’s conservation agency Natural England.
This weekend, a full-spectrum attack was launched in the billionaire press. The Sunday Telegraph raged against the agency’s call for “nutrient neutrality”. This means that new housing or business developments should not increase the amount of shit in our rivers. The paper also attacked Natural England’s advice that when new homes are built there should be no net increase in air pollution. It quoted a mysterious “insider” accusing the agency of “green activism”. What’s the betting that this “insider” is a property developer? A similar attack was launched in the Times on Monday.
A column in the Sunday Times by Robert Colvile, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, a dark-money junktank that won’t reveal who funds it, also excoriated Natural England for advising councils that housing developments should be accompanied by new green spaces, to take pressure off existing nature reserves.
In all these cases, Natural England is simply discharging its statutory duties. Under the habitat regulations, it must ensure that new developments don’t adversely affect important wildlife sites, through water pollution, air pollution, visitor pressure and other impacts. It is following the evidence, not the politics. This is its cardinal sin.
But the campaign against it seems to be working. Rishi Sunak is reported to be rewriting the rules. Instead of ensuring that wastewater treatment plants must be upgraded before major new developments are completed, the government, the Telegraph says, intends to “forward count” promised improvements. In other words, just as sewage pollution becomes a major political issue, our rivers can be loaded with even more excrement, on the grounds that one day the problem will be addressed. Relying on promises of future action by water companies and housebuilders – what could possibly go wrong?
The Tories will claim they are simply eager to ease the housing shortage – and that this reported reversal is entirely unrelated to the fact that property developers are among the principal donors to the Conservative party, and seem to give most when their demands are met. The Telegraph correctly points out that the largest share of water pollution comes not from homes but “from farms”. But the government has got that covered too. Following representations from another powerful lobby – the National Farmers’ Union – it introduced loopholes into the farming rules for water, permitting livestock farmers to load rivers with dung without fear of prosecution.
There’s been a similar hue and cry about Natural England’s attempts to defend protected places (sites of special scientific interest or SSSIs) on Dartmoor. In 2012 and 2013, it struck 10-year agreements with farmers on the moor to adjust their “grazing calendars” (how many animals they release, where, when and for how long) to reverse the disastrous decline of protected species. The farmers proposed a new grazing regime that, they agreed, would be adjusted if it wasn’t working. In return, they were given millions of pounds of public money, in the form of “higher level stewardship” payments.
As the conservationist Tony Whitehead documents, it became clear several years ago that these agreements weren’t working, either because the wrong calendars had been proposed or because the farmers weren’t sticking to them. The protected sites are still in catastrophic decline. The farmers were repeatedly asked to make adjustments by Natural England.
This year, the agreements were due to expire. But the farmers receiving this money could, if they wanted, seek a five-year extension. Natural England published a blogpost explaining the issues and sent emails to farmers taking the payments, asking for further changes if they wanted another tranche of money. The result was an eruption in parliament and the press. The Country Land and Business Association led the charge, calling for a “full-scale review of Natural England’s remit and track record”, and claiming that the agency “does not receive sufficient scrutiny”. But it was simply doing its duty: it has a legal responsibility to protect and restore SSSIs.
In a parliamentary debate on the issue, only one MP (Labour’s Daniel Zeichner) offered a halfhearted defence of Natural England. Everyone else – Conservative, Labour, LibDem and DUP – lacerated the agency. MPs wrongly claimed that no one was consulted and no warnings were given, that Natural England “is attempting to force farmers out of business” and that its efforts to improve the condition of protected sites are “an insult”, “heavy handed” and a “grave wrong”.
Somehow they all managed to forget that the special subsidies – higher level stewardship grants – are payments for services rendered. If you don’t render the service, you shouldn’t get paid. Farmers could continue to trash the land, but they would no longer be paid public money for it. Somehow, they all also managed to forget that Dartmoor, allegedly a national park, is an ecological disaster zone, among the most mistreated ecosystems in Europe.
At the end of the festival of ignorance that passed for parliamentary debate, the farming minister Mark Spencer gave our elected vandals everything they demanded. The issue would be taken out of the hands of Natural England and handed to an “independent” review. In the meantime, the livestock farmers would continue to receive the special payments, regardless of the damage they inflicted. Who would chair this review? David Fursdon, the former president of the Country Land and Business Association.
Attacks like this are launched whenever Natural England tries to do its job. It was furiously denounced at the end of last month when it designated, for solid environmental reasons, a new protected site in Cornwall.
Wildlife protection is in freefall in this country. The government’s own figures show that the proportion of SSSIs in favourable condition has fallen from 44% in 2003 to 38% last year. The figures are even worse in our national parks. Natural England has an average of just one staff member to assess the condition of every 73 protected sites: an impossible workload. It doesn’t have the capacity even to see what is happening, let alone act on it.
None of the official targets are being met. The government is preparing to smash its promise of no decline in environmental protection after we left the EU. There are two options in such circumstances: address the problem or find a scapegoat. Who could have guessed they would take option two?
George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist | Not_Explicit |
Beijing — Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as an "old friend" as the two met in Beijing on Thursday. Kissinger's visit tothis week has seen him call for a rapprochement between Washington and Beijing, which remain at loggerheads over a range of issues, from to and national .
The 100-year-old diplomat was central to the United States establishing ties with communist China in the 1970s and has maintained close contact with the country's leaders over the years.
"Chinese people value friendship, and we will never forget our old friend and your historic contribution to promoting the development of China-U.S. relations and enhancing the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," President Xi told Kissinger on Thursday, according to state media. "This not only benefited the two countries, but also changed the world."
"The world is currently experiencing changes not seen in a century, and the international order is undergoing enormous change," the Chinese leader added. "China and the United States are once more at a crossroads, and both sides must once again make a choice."
Kissinger, in response, thanked Xi for hosting him at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse's building number five — where he met with then premier Zhou Enlai in 1971.
"The relations between our two countries will be central to the peace in the world and to the progress of our societies," the former diplomat said.
Kissinger's history with China
Kissinger secretly flew to Beijing in 1971 on a mission to establish relations with communist China. The trip set the stage for a landmark visit by former U.S. president Richard Nixon, who sought both to shake up the Cold War and enlist help in ending the Vietnam War.
Washington's overtures to an isolated Beijing contributed to China's rise to become a manufacturing powerhouse and the world's second-largest economy.
Since leaving office, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kissinger has grown wealthy advising businesses on China - and has warned against a hawkish turn in U.S. policy.
His trip this week overlapped with a trip by U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, and follows recent visits by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"Since 1971, Dr. Kissinger has visited China more than 100 times," CCTV said on Thursday.
The former U.S. diplomat had met previously with Xi multiple times, including in recent years during economic summits in China.
"Challenges and opportunities coexist"
State news agency Xinhua said Kissinger had told defense minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday that, "in today's world, challenges and opportunities coexist, and both the United States and China should eliminate misunderstandings, coexist peacefully, and avoid confrontation."
Kissinger also met Wednesday with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who praised Kissinger's "historic contributions to the ice-breaking development of China-U.S. relations."
"The U.S. policy toward China needs Kissinger-style diplomatic wisdom and Nixon-style political courage," Wang said.
Kissinger has long been feted by the American elite and was co-awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a ceasefire in Vietnam.
But he is seen by many as an unindicted war criminal for his role in, among other events, expanding the Vietnam War to Cambodia and Laos, supporting coups in Chile and Argentina, and turning a blind eye to Pakistan's mass atrocities during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence.
for more features. | Not_Explicit |
LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - NatWest (NWG.L) CEO Alison Rose stepped down with immediate effect on Wednesday after she admitted to a "serious error of judgment" in discussing former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage's relationship with the bank with a BBC journalist.
Paul Thwaite, the head of the bank's commercial and institutional business, will helm NatWest for an initial period of 12 months, the company said in a statement.
NatWest has faced intense political and media scrutiny over a decision by its private bank Coutts to close Farage's accounts. An internal review obtained by the politician-turned-TV show host showed Coutts' wealth reputational risk committee had said his values did not align with the bank's own.
In a post on the X social media platform on Wednesday, Farage called for further heads to roll in the wake of Rose's resignation.
"Others must follow," he said. I hope that this serves as a warning to the banking industry," he said, pledging to speak up for other people who had their accounts shut down.
NatWest shares were down 3% at 0920 GMT, the biggest faller in the FTSE 100 index.
A government official told Reuters ministers had been unhappy with the way Rose behaved and she did "the right thing" by resigning. NatWest remains 39% owned by taxpayers following its bailout in the 2008-9 financial crisis.
"I hope the whole financial sector learns from this incident. Its role is to serve customers well and fairly - not to tell them how or what to think," said financial services minister Andrew Griffith on the X platform.
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour party, told a BBC radio phone-in that Rose was right to resign and said no-one should be refused banking services over their political views.
PERSISTENT SPECULATION
Rose, who had a more than 30-year career at the state-backed lender and was made a Dame for services to the financial sector, had faced days of speculation over whether she had discussed the account after the BBC ran a story on the topic.
On Tuesday, she acknowledged in a statement that she had discussed Farage's "relationship with the bank" with BBC Business Editor Simon Jack.
At the time, NatWest Chairman Howard Davies said Rose retained the "full confidence" of the bank's board and there would be an independent review into the matter. But following an emergency board meeting late on Tuesday, the bank said she would step down.
"It is a sad moment. She has dedicated all her working life so far to NatWest and will leave many colleagues who respect and admire her," Davies said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Farage said on his eponymous TV show that Rose was "unfit" to run a bank. He also lambasted Davies and Coutts CEO Peter Flavel.
The BBC on Monday apologised to Farage, after originally reporting that his accounts were closed after he fell below the financial threshold required to be a Coutts customer.
The review later obtained and published by Farage revealed his political views were also a factor in the decision, alongside commercial considerations. Jack later described the original story as "incomplete and inaccurate".
In her Tuesday statement, Rose said she had not revealed any personal financial information about Farage in her discussions with Jack and had answered a general question about eligibility criteria required to bank with Coutts and NatWest.
She realised that her comments had left Jack with the impression that the decision to close Farage's accounts was solely a commercial one, Rose said in the statement.
Rose also said she was not part of the decision-making process to "exit" Farage's accounts and said this was a decision made by Coutts.
Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged NatWest's board to review the matter.
"It is vital that the review is well resourced and those conducting it have access to all the necessary information and people in order to investigate what happened swiftly and fully," said Sheldon Mills, the FCA's executive director of consumers and competition.
Britain's financial services minister Andrew Griffith is set to meet lenders later on Wednesday to discuss concerns that banks have closed customer accounts over their political views. This comes ahead of reforms requiring banks to explain and delay these decisions.
($1 = 0.7765 pounds)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Not_Explicit |
WASHINGTON -- A target letter sent to Donald Trump suggests that a sprawling Justice Department investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election is zeroing in on him after more than a year of interviews with top aides to the former president and state officials from across the country.
Federal prosecutors have cast a wide net, asking witnesses in recent months about a chaotic White House meeting that included discussion of seizing voting machines and about lawyers’ involvement in plans to block the transfer of power, according to people familiar with the probe. They’ve discussed with witnesses schemes by Trump associates to enlist slates of Republican fake electors in battleground states won by Democrat Joe Biden and interviewed state election officials who faced a pressure campaign over the election results in the days before the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
It is unclear how much longer special counsel Jack Smith's investigation will last, but its gravity was evident Tuesday when Trump disclosed that he had received a letter from the Justice Department advising him that he was a target of the probe. Such letters often precede criminal charges; Trump received one ahead of his indictment last month on charges that he illegally hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
Though it's not known when charges might come, the scope of the inquiry stands in stark contrast to Smith's much narrower classified documents investigation. The vast range of witnesses is a reminder of the tumultuous two months between Trump's election loss and the insurrection at the Capitol, when some lawyers and advisers aided his futile efforts to remain president while many others implored him to move on or were relentlessly badgered to help alter results.
A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment about the target letter or the interviews that prosecutors have conducted.
Even before Smith inherited the election interference probe last November, Justice Department investigators had already interviewed multiple Trump administration officials, including the chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence and former top lawyers at the White House, scrutinized post-election fundraising and seized as potential evidence the cellphones of numerous lawyers and officials.
Since then, Smith's team has questioned senior administration officials including Pence himself before a grand jury in Washington and has conducted voluntary interviews with a wide array of witnesses inside and outside the federal government. Those include election officials in states where Trump associates waged fruitless challenges to get results overturned in the Republican incumbent's favor.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was personally lobbied by Trump to “find 11,780 votes” to overtake Biden, has been interviewed by Smith's team, as has Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, according to their representatives.
Wisconsin’s top elections administrator and election leaders in Milwaukee and Madison have spoken with federal investigators. And former Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who silenced a call from the Trump White House as he was publicly certifying Biden’s narrow victory in the state, has been contacted by Smith’s team, a spokesperson said Tuesday.
One person familiar with Smith’s investigation said prosecutors in recent months have expressed interest in the ordeal of Ruby Freeman, a Georgia election worker who along with her daughter recounted to the House of Representative's Jan. 6 committee how their lives became upended when Trump and allies latched onto surveillance footage to level since-debunked allegations of voter fraud.
Smith's team has subpoenaed Raffensperger’s office for any “security video or security footage, or any other video of any kind” from State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Nov. 3, 2020, according to a copy of the document obtained by The Associated Press. That’s the video Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies have claimed showed Fulton County election workers, including Freeman, pulling “suitcases of ballots” from under a table. Georgia officials have repeatedly called those claims false.
A consistent area of interest for investigators has been the role played by Trump-allied lawyers in helping him cling to power, according to people familiar with the investigation who, like others interviewed for the story, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal probe.
John Eastman, a conservative law professor, advanced a dubious legal theory that said Pence could halt the certification of state electoral votes to block Biden's win. Another lawyer, Sidney Powell, promoted baseless claims of voter fraud and pushed an idea — vigorously opposed by Trump's lawyers at the White House — that Trump had the authority under an earlier executive order to seize state voting machines.
Charles Burnham, a lawyer for Eastman, said Tuesday that his client had not received a target letter. “We don’t expect one since raising concerns about illegality in the conduct of an election is not now and has never been sanctionable,” he said. A lawyer for Powell declined to comment.
Multiple witnesses have been asked about a heated Dec. 18, 2020 meeting at the White House in which outside advisers, including Powell, raised the voting machines idea, people familiar with the matter said. The meeting, which devolved into a shouting match, featured prominently in the House Jan. 6 investigation, with former White House official Cassidy Hutchinson memorably describing it as “unhinged.”
Giuliani, a Trump lawyer who participated in the meeting and who spearheaded legal challenges to the election results, was asked about that meeting during a voluntary interview with Smith's team and also detailed to prosecutors Powell’s involvement in failed efforts to overturn the election, according to a person familiar with his account. Giuliani has not received a target letter.
Giuliani's interview was part of what's known as a proffer agreement, the person said, in which a person speaks voluntarily with investigators while prosecutors agree not to use those statements in any criminal case they might bring. Prosecutors have worked to negotiate similar arrangements with other witnesses.
As prosecutors dig into efforts by Trump allies to thwart Biden's victory, they've focused on the creation of slates of fake electors from key states captured by Biden who were enlisted by Trump and his allies to sign false certificates stating that Trump had actually won.
Smith's team has also focused on Trump's efforts to punish officials from his administration who contradicted his false election fraud claims.
Chris Krebs, who was fired by Trump as director of the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity agency after vouching for the integrity of the 2020 vote, was interviewed by prosecutors a couple of months ago about the perceived retaliation, according to a person familiar with the questioning.
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Associated Press writers Kate Brumback and Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Mich., and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Tonga, New Zealand and Australia next week as the Biden administration shifts its Indo-Pacific strategy into overdrive in part to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
The State Department said Thursday that Blinken will dedicate a new U.S. embassy in the Tongan capital of Nukuʻalofa on July 26 before heading to Wellington, New Zealand, where he will attend the women's World Cup match between the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Blinken will then have meetings with New Zealand officials and move on to Brisbane, Australia, for meetings with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts on July 28-29.
The trip will be Blinken's third to Asia in the past two months — following a visit to China last month and a visit to Indonesia for talks with Southeast Asian officials just last week. And, it comes as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and climate envoy John Kerry have recently wrapped up their own trips to China. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff is currently in New Zealand for the World Cup and will be making a side trip to Samoa in the coming days.
Blinken's travel was announced a week after the State Department notified Congress that it plans a massive increase in diplomatic personnel and spending for facilities at new U.S. embassies in the Pacific islands. The boost in the U.S. presence in the Pacific is in response to China's increasing assertiveness there.
The update to Congress, which was obtained by The Associated Press, pointed out that China has permanent diplomatic facilities in eight of the 12 Pacific island nations that the United States recognizes and said the U.S. needs to catch up.
The department told lawmakers that it envisions hiring up to 40 staffers over the next five years for each of four recently opened or soon-to-be-opened embassies in the Pacific.
Those include the embassy in embassy in Nuku’alofa, an embassy in Honiara, Solomon Islands, that opened in January; and planned embassies in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and in Tarawa, Kiribati. Currently there are only two temporary American staffers each in Honiara and Nuku’alofa.
At each of those posts, the department said it will spend at least $10 million for start-up, design and construction costs. | Not_Explicit |
Tory net-zero sceptics sense wind of change
Rishi Sunak’s hesitancy this week over climate change targets is an indication of their importance as an electoral issue
The government’s position on net zero is mutating with astonishing speed. Its most visible green target is a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Boris Johnson declared, when the plan was announced in 2020, that it “put Britain on course to be the fastest G7 country to decarbonise cars and vans”.
But earlier this week Rishi Sunak refused to confirm that the target still stands, saying only that “net zero is important to me”. The cause of his evasion is no great mystery: last week’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, in which a suburban revolt against Sadiq Khan’s Ulez scheme upended an expected Labour win and kept the seat Conservative.
Green campaigners will claim that the prime minister’s hesitancy | Not_Explicit |
A London mother campaigning for stronger action on air pollution has said plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) had become a "political football".
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's daughter Ella died aged nine in 2013 - partly due to the effects of pollution.
She supports the Labour mayor of London's plans to extend the scheme across the whole of the capital.
But Labour's leader has said Sadiq Khan should "reflect" on the proposals.
The expansion of the scheme, due to be enforced from the end of August, would mean drivers of the most polluting cars will have to pay £12.50 a day to drive in any part of Greater London.
Sir Keir Starmer has blamed the plans for the party's loss at the recent by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, a seat made vacant by the former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Khan has defended his plan as "the right one".
The scheme has been strongly opposed by motoring groups and some councils. Five Conservative councils have brought a judicial review of the plans to London's High Court. A judge is expected to make a ruling in the coming weeks.
Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who has campaigned for tougher legislation to cut pollution told the BBC on Monday: "We should this morning be talking about children and the most vulnerable and this has now turned in to a political football".
Ella, from Lewisham, south-east London, was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed by a coroner as a cause of death.
She was found to have been exposed to "excessive levels" of toxic air near her home.
"The coroner was very clear that everyone needs to work together - the Department of Heath, transport, the environment, the mayor of London's office and all councils," Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said.
After Labour's loss at the Uxbridge by-election, Sir Keir said ULEZ was "the reason we didn't win there" adding, "we've all got to reflect on that, including the mayor".
He said he had spoken to Sadiq Khan, but declined to say whether he believed the ULEZ expansion should be paused or scrapped.
Sources close to Mr Khan told the BBC he was in "constructive listening mode" but added that he had no plans to delay the scheme's expansion at the end of August.
In the decade since her daughter's death, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah has campaigned for a new law.
"Mr Khan is legally obligated to clean up the air and so is the government," she told Radio 4's Today programme.
'People want clean air'
When asked whether she was seeing Labour's commitment to cleaning up the air "wavering", she said: "I am".
"We should be talking about different ways to mitigate ULEZ, that is what we should be discussing. People do want clean air."
Sir Kier Starmer said on Friday: "When it comes to green commitments, it's not a question of whether they should be done, of course it needs to be done - it's how they're done."
Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah also said she had told Ed Miliband, the shadow secretary of state for Net Zero, she did not think a planned new anti pollution law would ever be introduced.
If it were to become law, The Clean Air Bill would force the government to act to bring air quality to minimum standards set by the World Health Organization, which are stricter than the UK's current standards.
It has so far had two readings in the House of Commons. | Not_Explicit |
Santos granted more travel freedoms during bail period
A federal judged agreed to loosen Rep. George Santos’ (R-N.Y.) travel restrictions as the freshman lawmaker awaits trial on more than a dozen criminal charges.
Santos was charged with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and lying to the U.S. House of Representatives in May. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Republican lawmaker was released from custody ahead of trial on a $500,000 bond, but was directed to notify the government if he planned to travel anywhere in the continental U.S. outside of New York City, Long Island or Washington, D.C.
To prevent “unnecessary notifications” of Santos’ travels, his lawyer Joseph Murray asked the court Wednesday morning to allow Santos to travel up to 30 miles outside D.C.
“In light of the small geographical area of the District of Columbia, there is a frequent
need to travel outside the District of Columbia for usual and customary functions of someone
who lives and works in the District of Columbia, such as dining, shopping, meetings, events, and
even use of the local airports,” Murray wrote.
“This has resulted in unnecessary notifications which can easily be remedied by extending the geographical area in which my client can freely move about without providing prior notice, to include a thirty-mile radius around the District of Columbia,” he continued.
Neither prosecutors nor pre-trial services took issue with Santos’ request. Magistrate Judge Anne Shields, who is overseeing Santos’ case, agreed to allow the Republican lawmaker to travel farther without notifying the court Wednesday afternoon.
New York prosecutors allege that Santos misled donors and misrepresented his finances to the public and government agencies.
“This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a May statement announcing Santos’ indictment. “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.”
A month before his arrest, Santos announced his reelection bid for New York’s 3rd congressional district despite his implication in several state and federal investigations, plus an inquiry from the House Ethics Committee.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called for his resignation from Congress, which Santos has rebuffed.
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