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Two whistleblowers who alleged the Justice Department politically interfered with an investigation into President Joe Biden’s youngest son, Hunter, will testify before Congress at 1 p.m. Wednesday, including "Whistleblower X," a 13-year special agent of the IRS whose identity will be revealed for the first time during the hearing and former investigation supervisor Greg Shapley.
According to an opening statement released ahead of the hearing, the unidentified official intends to describe himself as a "whistleblower compelled to disclose the truth" and to shed light on "the shadow that looms over our federal legal system."
"I have witnessed the corrosion of ethical standards and the abuse of power that threaten our nation. It is within this context that I have chosen to shed light on these actions and expose those responsible. I recognize that while I was present at the start of this investigation and was closely involved with the investigation for roughly five years — that I am just a part of the story," the opening statement continued. "My aim is to address systemic problems that have allowed misconduct to flourish. It is not a call for blame but a call for accountability and reform."
"Transparency is the foundation of our democracy," the unidentified IRS agent will tell Congress Wednesday. "Without it, people lose their trust in the institutions and the bonds that tie the fabric of our nation start to fray. The American people deserve to know the truth no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it may be for either political party."
The IRS whistleblowers claim there was a pattern of "slow-walking investigative steps" into Hunter Biden, which included instructions not to speak with him at his residence, tipping the president’s son and staff off about the ongoing efforts and delaying enforcement actions in the months before the 2020 presidential election.
Leaders of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees will join together Wednesday to host the IRS whistleblowers for what is expected to be an intense hearing.
The two IRS agents were assigned to the federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax and gun charges. Biden ultimately pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors in a lenient deal that prompted criticism from Republican lawmakers. The hearing comes as House Republicans continue to investigate the president and his family after the Justice Department failed to find evidence of criminal conduct.
The congressional inquiry into the Justice Department's case against Hunter Biden was launched last month, days after Hunter Biden’s plea deal was announced.
The House Ways and Means Committee previously voted to publicly share hundreds of pages of testimony from the IRS employees. In the testimony, the agents described several roadblocks agents on the case, such as trying to interview individuals relevant to the case or issue search warrants, which they ultimately claim impeded their investigation.
In one specific case, Shapley described IRS agents’ efforts to execute a search warrant of a storage facility in Virginia where the younger Biden’s documents were being stored. He said the assistant U.S. attorney involved in the case reached out to Hunter Biden’s lawyers and the tip-off ruined "our chance to get to evidence before being destroyed, manipulated, or concealed."
Shapley also claimed that U.S. Attorney David Weiss, the federal prosecutor who led the investigation into Hunter Biden, asked to be provided special counsel status in order to bring the tax cases to jurisdictions outside Delaware, including Washington, D.C., and California
Shapley claims Weiss was denied this request but both Weiss and the Justice Department refuted the claim. They said Weiss had "full authority" of the case and never sought to bring charges in other states.
The second IRS whistleblower said he started the investigation into Hunter Biden in 2015 and described persistent frustrations with the way the case was handled, including under the Trump administration and then-Attorney General William Barr.
He said he began to hit roadblocks when he attempted to delve deeply into Hunter Biden’s life and finances. Other agents involved in the case have so far not been willing to testify.
The three chairmen of the committees —Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, James Comer, R-Kentucky, and Jason Smith, R-Missouri — have jointly claimed the Justice Department is rife with political interference and bias.
They have also called the plea agreement Hunter Biden made with prosecutors to likely avoid jail time a "sweetheart deal."
High-ranking officials at the Justice Department have provided some information confirming certain accounts of the whistleblowers but have mostly countered their claims and those from the Republican leaders.
The officials have said federal prosecutors and investigators often disagree about how to conduct an investigation and can reach different determinations and conclusions. They have also pointed to the extraordinary circumstances of investigating the son of a leading presidential candidate. And, Department policy warns prosecutors to take care in charging cases with potential political overtones especially around the time of an election, to avoid any possible influence on the outcome, they have said.
House Democrats have defended the Justice Department, pointing out that Weiss was appointed by former President Donald Trump and the federal investigation into Hunter Biden was initiated by Trump's Justice Department. Biden also kept Weiss on the case after he won the presidency.
Hunter Biden is scheduled to appear for his plea hearing next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
A Russian fighter jet fired flares directly at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over Syria on Sunday, damaging its propeller, according to U.S. Air Forces Central -- the latest in a string of what military officials have denounced as risky and provocative behavior.
The drone was on a counter-terrorism mission against the Islamic State group, according to the Air Force.
"On 23 July, 2023 at 12:23 a.m. (EST) Russian fighter aircraft flew dangerously close to a U.S. MQ-9 drone on a defeat-ISIS mission, harassing the MQ-9 and deploying flares from a position directly overhead, with only a few meters of separation between aircraft," Air Forces Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said.
One of the flares hit the drone, "severely damaging its propeller," according to Grynkewich.
"The Russian fighter's blatant disregard for flight safety detracts from our mission to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behavior," he said.
The crew remotely operating the MQ-9 was able to maintain control of the aircraft and fly it back to its home base.
The U.S. military has recently observed what it has called increasingly "unsafe and unprofessional" incidents in the sky.
Last week, a Russian Su-35 fighter endangered the crew of a manned U.S. MC-12 by forcing it to fly through its wake turbulence, according to a release from Air Forces Central.
"This reduced the crew's ability to safely operate the aircraft and put the four crewmembers' lives at risk," the release stated.
And for two days in a row early this month, officials have said, Russian pilots dropped parachute flares into the paths of U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones, which took evasive maneuvers to avoid damage. Russia claimed the drones had entered airspace designated for a Russian-Syrian counter-drone exercise.
A senior U.S. defense official told reporters there was no such exercise, saying, "It's just an excuse to go after our MQ-9's and try to intercept."
Similar incidents have occurred outside Syria. In March, a Russian fighter collided with a U.S. drone over the Black Sea, bending its propeller. The U.S. was forced to bring the craft down off the coast of Ukraine, according to defense officials.
The U.S. has around 900 troops in eastern Syria assisting in the fight against IS, while Russia has a military presence in northwestern Syria as part of its mission to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Russian and U.S. forces for years have made use of a "deconfliction hotline" to let each other know when they are carrying out missions so as to avoid any dangerous misunderstandings.
The hotline is still used, but "it sometimes gets very heated," with a lot of back and forth during tense encounters, according to the senior U.S. defense official. | Not_Explicit |
Love Island stars Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury have announced their engagement.
It comes after the couple, who finished as runners-up during the 2019 series of the ITV2 hit-reality show, welcomed their first child, Bambi, in January.
In a black and white video captioned "forever" and shared to Hague's Instagram account, the 24-year-old is seen meeting Fury, 24, and their daughter on a mountain top surrounded by huge bouquets of flowers.
As Fury gets down on one knee, Hague looks emotional, before the couple embrace.
The clip, which is set to The Vow by Irish singer RuthAnne Cunningham - who also sung live during the proposal, quickly raked up more than 2.4 million likes and comments from some of the pair's celebrity friends.
The Only Way Is Essex star Gemma Collins commented: "So happy for you. Congratulations," while former Love Islanders Montana Brown and Amber Gill both shared their congratulations.
Other Love Island stars including Millie Court, Nathalia Campos, Mary Bedford, Dani Dyer and Tasha Ghouri also shared that they were happy for the pair.
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Since appearing on the fifth series of the dating show, the couple have both had successful careers, with Hague - who has 7.5 million Instagram followers - having served as creative director of clothing brand PrettyLittleThing before stepping away from the company last month.
Fury, who is the younger half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, beat YouTube sensation-turned-boxer Jake Paul during a hotly anticipated fight back in February.
The pair are due to appear alongside the rest of the Fury family in upcoming Netflix series At Home With The Furys, which will be released in August. | Not_Explicit |
Alabama lawmakers on Friday refused to create a second majority-Black congressional district, a move that could defyto give minority voters a greater voice in elections and trigger a renewed battle over the state's political map.
The legislation now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who is expected to sign it.
Lawmakers in the Republican-dominated House and Senate instead passed a plan that would increase the percentage of Black voters from about 31% to 40% in the state's 2nd District. A conference committee proposed the map as a compromise between plans that had percentages of 42% and 38%, respectively, for the southeast Alabama district.
State lawmakers faced a deadline to adopt new lines after the Supreme Court in June upheld a three-judge panel's finding that the current state map — with one majority-Black district out of seven in a state that is 27% Black — likely violates the federal Voting Rights Act.
Voting rights advocates and Black lawmakers said the plan invoked the state's Jim Crow history of treating Black voters unfairly.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said the map "and the Republican politicians who supported it, would make George Wallace proud," referring to the segregationist former Alabama governor.
"It arrogantly defies a very conservative United States Supreme Court decision ... from just weeks ago," Holder said in a statement.
Republicans argued that their proposal complies with the directive to create a second district where Black voters could influence the outcome of congressional elections. Opponents said it flouted a directive from the panel to create a second majority-Black district or "something quite close to it" so that Black voters "have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice."
"There's no opportunity there for anybody other than a white Republican to win that district. It will never, ever elect a Democrat. They won't elect a Black. They won't elect a minority," said Sen. Rodger Smitherman, a Democrat from Birmingham.
Republicans have been reluctant to create a Democratic-leaning district and are engaging in a high-stakes wager that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals. Republicans argued that the map meets the court's directive and draws compact districts that comply with redistricting guidelines.
"If you think about where we were, the Supreme Court ruling was 5-4, so there's just one judge that needed to see something different. And I think the movement that we have and what we've come to compromise on today gives us a good shot," House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said.
Republican Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed said he believed the changes to the district make it a so-called opportunity district.
"I'm confident that we've done a good job. It will be up to the courts to decide whether they agree," Reed said.
The debate in Alabama is being closely watched across the nation, and could be mirrored in fights in Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and other states.
The three-judge panel ruled in 2022 that the current legislative map likely violates the federal Voting Rights Act and said any map should include two districts where "Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority" or something close. The Supreme Court upheld that decision.
Now that the plan has passed, the fight will shift quickly back to the federal court to debate whether Alabama's congressional districts comply with federal law and offer a fair opportunity to Black voters and candidates in a political landscape dominated by white Republicans.
Black Alabama lawmakers say it's crucial that their constituents have a better chance of electing their choices.
"I have people in my district saying their vote doesn't count, and I understand why they say that," Rep. Thomas Jackson, a Thomasville Democrat, said during a debate Friday. "The person they want to elect can never get elected because they are in the minority all the time."
Black lawmakers disputed that the changes to the 2nd District, an area with deep ties to agriculture and home to military bases, would easily become a swing district. They speculated that state Republicans were seeking to mount another challenge to federal voting law.
"This is designed to protect a few people and ultimately to finish off the Voting Rights Act," said Rep. Chris England, a Democratic lawmaker from Tuscaloosa.
An analysis by The Associated Press, using redistricting software, shows that the 2nd District proposed Friday has mostly voted for Republicans in recent statewide elections. Donald Trump won the district by nearly 10 percentage points in his 2020 reelection bid.
Experts have said the GOP proposals fall short of what the Supreme Court said last month is required.
"They have pretended as though the court didn't say what it said," said Kareem Crayton, senior director for voting and representation at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice. The Brennan Center filed a brief supporting the plaintiffs before the Supreme Court.
for more features. | Not_Explicit |
- Summary
- Companies
- Inflation in India sparks cheaper offers from global giant
- Domino's and Pizza Hut tout world's cheapest pizza
- India is key growth market for global restaurant chains
- Popularity of street food and local chains a big challenge
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - Q: How does the world's biggest pizza brand respond to high inflation in the world's most populous nation? A: With the world's cheapest Domino's pizza.
The 49-rupee ($0.60) pizza in India, Domino's No.1 market outside America, is the tip of the spear in its fight against rampant inflation that's squeezing profits and pricing out many customers, according to the CEO of its franchisee there.
The company wants to "own that price point", said Sameer Khetarpal, confirming the stripped down, seven-inch cheese pizza with a "sprinkle" of basil and parsley is Domino's cheapest anywhere.
"You are coming to the store or open the app, because there is a 49-rupee callout," he said, adding that Domino's global team supported the plans. "Customers are going to eat out less because prices are higher everywhere - our existing consumers should not go out to some competition."
In Shanghai, by comparison, Domino's (DPZ.N) cheapest savoury pizza is priced about $3.80, and in San Francisco about $12, online menu prices show. Domino's global HQ referred queries about India to its local franchisee.
Reuters interviews with six executives and 12 store managers revealed how Domino's and other global fast-food giants like Pizza Hut and Burger King are being forced to change tactics to weather rampant inflation in the market of 1.4 billion people.
The companies are striving to hold onto market share gained over three decades of rapid growth in a nation critical to their futures - and one where it's tough to compete with a street-food culture and a sizzling samosa for as little as 10 rupees.
Khetarpal, whose Jubilant FoodWorks (JUBI.NS) runs Domino's 1,816 outlets in the country, says he holds a staff meeting first thing every Monday to brainstorm new ways to manage costs and fight the "historic high inflation" that contributed to its profits sliding 70% in the first three months of 2023.
He gave new details of Domino's India pivot and its financial gains; his company has removed lids from all boxes of pizzas sold at stores starting December, saving 0.6 cents each time. He said that amounts to a significant saving in packaging costs because 37% of Domino's Indian business is dine-in.
Jubilant - whose Domino's business accounted for most of its $635 million in revenues last year - also aims to secure rent rebates from some store landlords by offering upfront payments, Khetarpal said, declining to give further details about cost benefits.
CUSTOMERS EMPTY POCKETS
Domino's is not alone in zeroing in on prices in India, a highly price-sensitive market that is currently facing higher inflation than many other markets including the U.S. The hope is that low-price offers will draw people to stores and apps who might order more add-ons or upgrade, the executives said.
Pizza Hut is aggressively promoting pizzas starting at 79 rupees ($0.96) that it launched last year and its India franchisee, Sapphire Foods (SAPI.NS), said it was the brand's lowest-priced globally.
Merrill Pereyra, managing director of Pizza Hut in the Indian subcontinent, said the chain was developing products that "make the brand relevant and easy to access" for price conscious consumers in India, adding its budget pizzas were a hit with young people.
McDonald's (MCD.N) launched half-price meals in June. They'll be the focus of promotion efforts in coming weeks, according to Akshay Jatia, executive director at Westlife Foodworld (WEST.NS), which runs 357 outlets in western and southern India. He said the meals would bring in more customers and boost sales and margins.
The budget products are indeed being accompanied by a digital and physical marketing blitz across the nation - with stores, and even a posh New Delhi mall, plastered with banners, according to Reuters visits to stores across four Indian states.
Domino's flagship inflation-buster is the 49-rupee pizza, which was launched in February. Khetarpal said it was "re-engineered" by cutting price - and tomatoes - from its earlier cheapest offering of 59 rupees.
Franchisee Jubilant said in May it witnessed a cheese price surge of 40% during 2022-23, and a 30% rise in chicken and paper boxes. There have been more shocks in recent weeks, with tomato prices rising over 400% to record highs and households toiling under rising rates of everything from milk to cereals and spices, according to official data.
The industry players described a tale of two consumers in a country with yawning gaps between rich and poor.
Many low and middle-income earners who saw dining at foreign chains as a lifestyle upgrade when the economy boomed are tightening belts as inflation bites, while the wealthier continue to spend on products like pricier smartphones, and SUV cars whose sales are touching new highs.
When Khetarpal visited Domino's stores in Chennai and other cities, he said he saw customers emptying out their pockets and only being able to scrape together 49 rupees. By contrast, he added, Domino's new gourmet pizzas priced as high as $14 had seen a sales jump in some affluent areas.
'A SMALL LAYER OF CHEESE'
It's been a bleak year for Domino's, the Indian fast-food restaurant leader with a market share of about 12.5%, as well as for other companies.
Pre-tax profit at Pizza Hut's Sapphire Foods more than halved in the March quarter. Burger King's India franchisee, Restaurant Brands Asia (RESR.NS), saw its net loss widen by 9%.
It's not all doom and gloom, though. Euromonitor International estimates India's nearly $5 billion market for quick-service restaurants which serve fast food is a fraction of United States' $341 billion and China's $137 billion.
The narrower market for pizza, burger and chicken restaurants, dominated by Western chains and worth $2.1 billion in India, will grow, but at a slower pace. Its estimated growth rate is around 15% a year until 2027, Euromonitor forecasts. That compares with 21% growth in 2022 and 43% in 2021 largely due to a post-COVID consumption spike.
Pizza Hut owner Yum Brands (YUM.N) sounded a bullish tone in June, comparing its 17,000 U.S. outlets to its over 2,000 in India, where it sees a "tremendous growth opportunity".
There are still daunting challenges in the near term.
"For a population eating roadside, in the current environment where inflation is hurting their pockets, (the new offers) are still on the higher side," said Devanshu Bansal, a consumer analyst at India's Emkay Global Financial Services.
And many pizza-lovers like Kiran Raj will never contemplate budget offerings. The 26-year-old bank employee said he was prepared to pay a little more for a cheese-loaded product as he devoured slices at Pizza Lounge, a local restaurant in Chennai.
"I avoid buying the sub-100-rupee pizzas at stores operated by big chains as they generally contain less toppings and a small layer of cheese," he added. "It's just a rough crust."
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Not_Explicit |
Heavy Rain In Mumbai; Orange Alert For City, Neighbouring Districts On July 27
Incessant heavy rain lashed Mumbai on Wednesday, slowing down road traffic but services of suburban trains remained normal with slight delays.
Incessant heavy rain lashed Mumbai on Wednesday, slowing down road traffic but services of suburban trains remained normal with slight delays.
The weather bureau has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Palghar districts for Thursday predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, civic officials said.
"The weather bureau has predicted heavy rain in Mumbai and suburbs with the possibility of very heavy rain at isolated places, and the possibility of occasional strong winds reaching 45-55 kmph in the next 24 hours," as per the daily weather forecast issued on Wednesday morning.
Amid the orange alert on Wednesday for Mumbai, the island city and suburbs have been receiving heavy downpours since morning.
Mumbai city received 61.19 mm of rainfall between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., while eastern suburbs and western suburbs recorded 34.53 mm and 40.68 mm of rainfall, respectively, in the same period.
The intensity of rain was more in the suburbs in the morning hours while the island city received intermittent heavy showers in the afternoon.
Andheri subway, an underpass between Andheri and Jogeshwari railway stations, was closed for traffic a couple of times since morning due to waterlogging, but other areas in the metropolis didn't report any major inundation during the day.
The heavy rain slowed down road traffic in Mumbai city and suburbs but services of local trains and BEST buses are normal with some delays, officials said. | Not_Explicit |
DOVER, N.H. – Republican Gov. Chris Sununu says he won't seek re-election next year to what would have been an unprecedented fifth two-year term steering the key general election battleground state of New Hampshire.
Sununu, the popular governor who's been a staple on the national cable news networks and Sunday talk shows, early last month passed on launching a presidential campaign, after seriously mulling a White House bid for over a year.
On Wednesday, Sununu announced his intention not to run for re-election in 2024 in an email to supporters.
"After discussions with Valerie and the kids and much consideration, I have decided not to run for another term as Governor in 2024," Sununu told supporters. "This was no easy decision as I truly love serving as Governor."
"Public service should never be a career, and the time is right for another Republican to lead our great state," he added.
Sununu highlighted a list of accomplishments that he said made New Hampshire better off than when he took office — including the lowest unemployment rate, tax cuts, investments in housing, expanded school choice defense of Second Amendment rights and other social programs.
After a hard-fought election to the New Hampshire governor's mansion in 2016 and a single-digit re-election two years later, Sununu easily cruised to a landslide re-election in 2020 and a large double-digit victory last November.
Asked about his timetable, the governor told Fox News late last month that he would have a decision "this summer. Maybe after the Fourth or something." And pointing to his wife, Valerie, and three children, Sununu added, "I’ve got to talk to Val and the kids. I’ll figure it out. I really don’t know."
Two Democrats have already launched campaigns for governor: Cinde Warmington, the only Democrat on New Hampshire's five-member elected Executive Council, and three-term Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig.
Three Republicans had been laying the groundwork to launch campaigns if Sununu — the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and younger brother of former Sen. John E. Sununu — didn't seek re-election.
They are former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is also a former state attorney general, former state senate president Chuck Morse, and Frank Edelblut, Sununu's education commissioner who came close to defeating Sununu in the 2016 GOP gubernatorial primary. | Not_Explicit |
Emmerdale star Danny Miller has moved into the business of audiobooks.
Familiar to soap lovers as Aaron Dingle, who he played for almost two decades up until last year, Miller announced the career switch via Instagram this week, which was inspired by his toddler son Albert.
In a homemade video, he recalled Albert growing "obsessed" with popular tales like The Gruffalo, while writing: "SUMMER HOLIDAYS ANNOUNCEMENT. Myself & @nigewingmanclucas are delighted to finally announce the release of ALBERT'S BOOKSHELF!!
"If you're lucky enough to be a parent of a child who loves books as much as Albert, this may give you a chance to just sit or lie back with them and let their imagination run free. What was a birthday present idea for Albert, has now turned into a project both myself & @nigewingmanclucas felt proud enough of to share with you.
"The comments are open for any constructive (key word) criticism," mentioned Miller.
"We're looking to record more so will always take in the sensible ones and try and adapt as we do the same in this beautiful world of children and growing up."
In the clip itself, Miller admitted to feeling envious of audiobook voice actors nabbing the attention of Albert even just for a few minutes, hence his decision to give it a go.
It's gone down a storm, too, as one follower replied in the comment section: "We've just listened to wonky donkey and my little one joined in with the donkey sound each time. We're going to enjoy Albert's bookshelf. What a lovely gift to Albert and thank you for sharing."
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
You Might Also Like | Not_Explicit |
Work life is getting longer in Germany, but there are big differences
Can extending work lives be a solution to the future problems of an aging society? If everyone works longer and retires later, the number of people paying into the pension system will increase. Little is known about work life in Germany.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock and the Federal Institute for Population Research have now conducted a study to examine how the length of work life in Germany has changed and what influence the numerous labor market and pension reforms of recent decades have had.
The research team, led by Christian Dudel, Deputy Head of Labor Demography (MPIDR), analyzed data from the German Microcensus. "Since 2002, there have been several policy measures and reforms in Germany aimed at extending work lives. These measures are usually designed for people with a high degree of integration in the labor market, i.e. people with a high income and a long and stable employment record. We asked ourselves whether this can work at all, or whether it has worked so far," says Dr. Dudel, explaining the motivation for the study.
The study looked at birth cohorts from 1941 to 1955 and working ages from 55 to 64. The period from 1996 to 2019 was considered in eastern and western Germany. The analysis was carried out according to gender, level of education and professional qualification.
Work life is getting longer
One positive finding is that the length of work life in Germany is increasing across all cohorts in all educational levels and occupational fields—for both men and women. However, there are significant differences in the length of work life. Highly educated West German men have the longest work lives.
On average, they work three times as long as women with low educational attainment in eastern Germany. Nevertheless, East German women as a whole have a longer work life than women in West Germany. This is partly due to the different histories of eastern and western Germany.
"One reason for the longer work lives is that older workers are staying longer in the labor market, which has remained more or less stable in Germany in recent years. But among people with very low levels of education and in low-skilled occupations, participation rates are rising only very slowly," Dudel explains.
People on low incomes are at a disadvantage
In the past, before the recent labor market reforms, the focus was on making early retirement more attractive. It was less about preventing people from being forced out of the labor market in old age. "The challenge for the future will be to initiate policies that enable people to work longer without increasing inequalities between different groups of workers," said Dudel. In particular, people with low educational attainment will be at a severe disadvantage.
"The baby boomers will soon reach retirement age. The impact on the labor market could possibly be mitigated by the fact that those born after 1955 are increasingly better educated and could therefore potentially work longer. Nevertheless, forecasts from other countries show that the increase in work life could soon stagnate," says the Rostock researcher.
The work is published in the journal Demography.
More information: Christian Dudel et al, The Extension of Late Working Life in Germany: Trends, Inequalities, and the East–West Divide, Demography (2023). DOI: 10.1215/00703370-10850040
Journal information: Demography
Provided by Max-Planck-Institut für demografische Forschung | Not_Explicit |
One word came to mind when I heard the news this week that Donald Trump had received a target letter from the Justice Department special prosecutor Jack Smith, indicating that an indictment is likely of the former President on charges connected with his effort to overturn the 2020 election and remain in power: Finally. This, in the end, is the heart of the matter, a long-delayed reckoning with an offense against the constitutional system so great that it is without historic precedent—no President before Trump ever did such a thing.
Trump received the target letter on Sunday, and revealed it in one of his trademark hysterical social-media posts on Tuesday: “HORRIFYING NEWS!” Over the next couple of days, there were still more legal setbacks. In Florida, a Trump-appointed federal judge overseeing Smith’s other criminal case against the former President—for illegally holding on to top-secret documents—appeared deeply skeptical of Trump’s argument that she should delay a trial indefinitely since he is running for President. In Georgia, the state’s Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s motion to block the Fulton County district attorney, Fani T. Willis, from prosecuting him for his efforts to pressure officials to overturn his 2020 defeat in the state; criminal charges could result in the coming weeks. In New York, meanwhile, a judge said that Trump could not switch the venue of his Manhattan criminal trial for allegedly paying hush money to silence a former porn star with whom he had an affair. Trump is also facing two more civil lawsuits in New York, both of which could go to trial next year. America’s new political reality, in short, is: Donald Trump, Full-Time Defendant.
And yet Republicans remain in such thrall to their Orange Jesus—the honorific that Party apostate Liz Cheney so memorably quoted one of his acolytes calling him during last summer’s January 6th hearings—that, with each new legal woe, his prospects of winning the 2024 G.O.P. nomination keep going up. Few if any of these cases are likely to be fully resolved before the start of next year’s Republican primaries. Trump’s campaign is now explicitly a race not just to retake the Oval Office but to save himself from criminal conviction. This convergence of campaign and courtroom is, as the former Republican National Committee counsel Benjamin Ginsberg said this week, “a toxic mix unprecedented in the American experiment.” Something’s gotta give.
The apparently impending Smith indictment is not like all the other cases. In theory, it will force the question that has cursed the country since the evening of November 3, 2020, when Trump chose to claim victory in an election he had lost: What to do about a President who will do anything to stay in power, even unleash a violent mob of his supporters on the U.S. Capitol? Isn’t that illegal? How can it not be?
For two and a half years, the failure to answer Trump’s brazen acts with a decisive rebuke has only empowered the former President, enabling him to regain political strength within his party and force its nominal leaders to once again acknowledge his hold over their voters. Consider Mitch McConnell, who is the closest thing the current G.O.P. leadership has to an avowed enemy of the ex-President. Minutes after Trump was acquitted by the Senate in his second impeachment trial, he gave a blistering speech about the ex-President’s culpability in the events of January 6th. McConnell had not voted for conviction but, he insisted, only because of his objection to the process of impeaching a President who was no longer in office. “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” McConnell said. “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their President. And their having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated President kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.” The Senate Republican leader all but called for the Justice Department to do what his Senate would not. “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office,” McConnell said. “Didn’t get away with anything. Yet.”
But this week, when liability at last seemed imminent, McConnell said nothing at all. “I’m not going to comment on the various candidates for the Presidency,” he lamely told reporters. In the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy was even worse. In 2021, he had directly blamed Trump for the attack on the Capitol. “Nobody can defend that, and nobody should defend it,” he said. This week, though, he attacked the Justice Department for indicting Trump in a case that has not been filed yet. It was, he said, an effort to “weaponize government to go after their No. 1 opponent.” According to Politico, the Speaker promised Trump that he would hold a House vote to “expunge” the two House impeachments against him—never mind that no one even knows whether such a thing is constitutionally possible. “I don’t see how he could be found criminally responsible,” McCarthy said. “What criminal activity did he do? He told people to be peaceful.”
Republicans used to revel every four years in their self-proclaimed status as the party of “law and order.” Now they follow Trump into attacks on federal prosecutors, on the Justice Department, on the F.B.I. It’s anyone’s guess how far down this road McCarthy may be willing to go, as the former President combines his legal defense with a political campaign of vengeance, retribution, and personal survival. It was surreal to see pictures of the Speaker as Joe Biden’s guest at the annual White House congressional picnic this week, grinning and chomping on an ice-cream bar, even as he seemed all too willing to light the place on fire if that’s what his restive pro-Trump majority were to demand.
The prospect of Trump returning to the White House is an existential one for American democracy, a political test from which there is no escaping. If this wasn’t clear before, it must be now. A reëlected Trump would be a President subject to no constraints at all—having twice dodged congressional impeachment, and either beaten back the Justice Department and the courts or delayed so long that he could seek to use his regained executive powers to nullify the cases against him. Trump, in his ever-more-apocalyptic rhetoric surrounding his effort to retake the White House, has taken to calling his 2024 race “the final battle.” I have increasingly come to believe that he is correct.
Given the stakes, there’s much to anticipate about what Smith’s latest case against Trump might look like. According to the Times, his target letter indicated that Trump could be prosecuted under three criminal statutes: conspiracy to defraud the government, obstruction of an official proceeding, and even a law enacted after the Civil War to give federal agents a means of prosecuting Southern white supremacists, including Ku Klux Klan members who resorted to terrorism to prevent newly freed Blacks from voting.
But knowing what he will be charged with does not mean there is nothing left to learn about this unprecedented plot against America. For that, we must wait for the indictment: Will there be new details showing that it was the President himself who orchestrated the conspiracy to overturn election results in battleground states? New examples of Trump pressuring officials or government agencies? Damning evidence in his own words that he knew he had lost the election and proceeded anyway? Will there be a turncoat—Mark Meadows, perhaps?—to provide revelations from inside Trump’s fevered quest to stay in office after the voters had spoken? I hope and expect so after more than two and a half years of waiting. And yet somehow those questions still seem subordinate to the one that the indictment will not and cannot answer: Did it come too late? ♦ | Not_Explicit |
2016: Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders said Monday his parents would never have thought their son would end up in the Senate and running for president. No kidding. He was a ne’er-do-well into his late 30s.
“It's certainly something that I don't think they ever believed would've happened,” the unabashed socialist remarked during CNN’s Democratic town hall forum, as polls show him taking the lead in Iowa and New Hampshire.
He explained his family couldn’t imagine his “success,” because "my brother and I and Mom and Dad grew up in a three-and-a-half-room rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn, and we never had a whole lot of money."
It wasn’t as bad as he says. His family managed to send him to the University of Chicago. Despite a prestigious degree, however, Sanders failed to earn a living, even as an adult. It took him 40 years to collect his first steady paycheck -- and it was a government check.
“I never had any money my entire life,” Sanders told Vermont public TV in 1985, after settling into his first real job as mayor of Burlington.
Sanders spent most of his life as an angry radical and agitator who never accomplished much of anything. And yet now he thinks he deserves the power to run your life and your finances -- “We will raise taxes;” he confirmed Monday, “yes, we will."
One of his first jobs was registering people for food stamps, and it was all downhill from there.
Sanders took his first bride to live in a maple sugar shack with a dirt floor, and she soon left him. Penniless, he went on unemployment. Then he had a child out of wedlock. Desperate, he tried carpentry but could barely sink a nail. “He was a shi**y carpenter,” a friend told Politico Magazine. “His carpentry was not going to support him, and didn’t.”
Then he tried his hand freelancing for leftist rags, writing about "masturbation and rape” and other crudities for $50 a story. He drove around in a rusted-out, Bondo-covered VW bug with no working windshield wipers. Friends said he was "always poor" and his “electricity was turned off a lot.” They described him as a slob who kept a messy apartment -- and this is what his friends had to say about him.
The only thing he was good at was talking … non-stop … about socialism and how the rich were ripping everybody off. “The whole quality of life in America is based on greed,” the bitter layabout said. “I believe in the redistribution of wealth in this nation.”
So he tried politics, starting his own socialist party. Four times he ran for Vermont public office, and four times he lost -- badly. He never attracted more than single-digit support -- even in the People’s Republic of Vermont. In his 1971 bid for U.S. Senate, the local press said the 30-year-old "Sanders describes himself as a carpenter who has worked with 'disturbed children.’ ” In other words, a real winner.
He finally wormed his way into the Senate in 2006, where he still ranks as one of the poorest members of Congress. Save for a municipal pension, Sanders lists no assets in his name. All the assets provided in his financial disclosure form are his second wife’s. He does, however, have as much as $65,000 in credit-card debt.
Sure, Sanders may not be a hypocrite, but this is nothing to brag about. His worthless background contrasts sharply with the successful careers of other “outsiders" in the race for the White House, including a billionaire developer, a world-renowned neurosurgeon and a Fortune 500 CEO.
The choice in this election is shaping up to be a very clear one. It will likely boil down to a battle between those who create and produce wealth, and those who take it and redistribute it. | Not_Explicit |
JOHANNESBURG -- At least 77 people were injured, five of them critically, after two buses collided at the entrance to a South African university on Tuesday, police and transport authorities said.
One of the buses was a university vehicle ferrying students between campuses at the University of Johannesburg. The other was a city bus.
Metro Bus spokesperson Goodwill Shiburi said that five people suffered critical injuries in the crash, and all 77 of the injured were hospitalized. Both drivers were among those taken to the hospital, he said.
In the aftermath, one of the buses lay on its side after crashing through a fence at an entrance to the university. The accident happened around 7 a.m., authorities said.
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said a case of negligent driving would be opened by police considering “the severity and seriousness" of the crash. The cause of the crash was not yet known, Fihla said.
The University of Johannesburg said three of its students were among those taken to the hospital.
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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa | Not_Explicit |
GENEVA, July 25 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief on Tuesday called for accountability for the deaths of at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war last year in an explosion in a Donetsk region detention facility, rejecting Moscow's claim that they were killed by a rocket.
The prisoners being held in a Russian-controlled detention facility in Olenivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, were killed by an apparent explosion July 28-29 2022. Unverified Russia media video footage showed the burned out remains of the prison and charred bodies.
Russia's defence ministry said at the time that a missile strike by a U.S.-made HIMARS rocket was responsible. Kyiv, which frequently raises the incident, has maintained that Russia conducted the explosion at the Olenivka prison in order to hide mistreatment of the Ukrainian captives held inside.
Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Moscow has previously denied maltreating POWs.
"The prisoners of war who were injured or died at Olenivka, and their family members, deserve the truth to be known, and for those responsible for breaches of international law to be held accountable," said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in a statement sent to journalists.
The UN rights body, which said it has conducted extensive interviews with survivors and analysed additional information, added that the incident "was not caused by a HIMARS rocket".
It said that it has not identified the source of the explosion but would continue to follow up on the incident. Russia has not granted requests to access parts of Ukraine under temporary Russian control nor given the satisfactory safety assurances for a site visit, the statement added.
The U.N. rights office has previously said both Russia and Ukraine have abused prisoners of war during the conflict, although the former has done so on a bigger scale.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Not_Explicit |
Ashok Leyland Q1 Results Review - Near Term Positives Factored In, Maintain 'Reduce': Dolat Capital
Management is confident to maintain double digit margin for FY24.
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.
Dolat Capital Report
Ashok Leyland Ltd. printed strong margin in Q1, despite low volume, Ebitda margin at 10% led by sharp expansion in gross margin. Management is confident to maintain double digit margin for FY24.
The company is gaining strong market share in medium and heavy commercial vehicle segment led by market share gain in Northern and Eastern geography.
In light commercial vehicles segment, the company has aggressive plan underway in Northern and Eastern market.
While we remain positive on Ashok Leyland’s improving fundamentals, we believe that valuations at 22/19 times for FY24/25E earnings per share appear fully priced at the almost top of commercial vehicle cycle.
We maintain 'Reduce' with target price Rs 186 (based on 20 times FY25E EPS).
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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 |
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Five European Union countries will extend their ban on Ukrainian grain imports to protect their farmers’ interests, their agriculture ministers said Wednesday, but food can still move through their land to parts of the world in need after Russia pulled out of a deal safeguarding Black Sea shipments.
The ministers of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria signed a joint declaration ahead of EU discussions on the matter planned next week in Brussels. The declaration said they support continuing to allow Ukraine’s grain to move through their borders by road, rail and river to destinations where it is needed but will keep the import ban to their countries through 2023.
READ MORE: Russia hits critical port facilities in Odesa in second night of attacks after Kremlin halts grain deal
“This coalition is not against anyone, not against Ukraine or the EU, it is in the interest of our farmers,” Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said after meeting with his counterparts in Warsaw, where they decided to push the ban beyond a Sept. 15 deadline.
Except for Bulgaria, all the countries border Ukraine, which faced a major blow Monday when Russia pulled out of a breakthrough accord brokered by the U.N. and Turkey to allow Ukrainian food to be shipped through the Black Sea to countries where millions are going hungry. Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, barley, vegetable oil and corn.
The five agricultural ministers and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who met with them, said Ukrainian grain previously got stuck in their countries, leading to a glut that drove down prices for their farmers, and they don’t want to see that happen again.
The ministers urged the EU to work out mechanisms that will get Ukrainian grain and other food to their destinations without hurting the agricultural industry in transit countries.
“Today the EU should build proper law and infrastructure tools to regulate transport of Ukraine grain in the long term,” Telus said.
“We want to help Ukraine in the transit,” he said.
READ MORE: Major U.S. firms supplied equipment to keep Russian oil flowing after Ukraine invasion
EU commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, a former Polish agriculture minister, said on Twitter in May that some 4.1 million tons of Ukrainian corn, barley and canola grain came to Poland from April 2022 through March 2023, with 3.4 million tons remaining there and only about 700 tons moving through.
Farmers launched protests and the countries passed unilateral bans in April without EU approval, threatening European unity in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The EU later struck a deal allowing the countries to temporarily prohibit some agricultural products from Ukraine and provide farmers more aid. The grain is allowed to move through to other markets in sealed and guarded transports.
Telus said the EU ban has bought “unexpectedly good effects to us all,” saying figures show a doubling of Ukrainian grain moving through Poland this year.
The Ukrainian Grain Association, meanwhile, has pushed to send more grain through the Danube River to neighboring Romania’s Black Sea ports, saying it’s possible to double monthly exports along that route to 4 million metric tons.
But Cezar Gheorghe, founder of Romanian grain analyst firm AGRIColumn, said that’s “not possible.”
Between March 2022 and June 2023, some 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain passed through the Romanian ports of Constanta, Galati and Braila — the maximum that could be handled, he said.
“Ukraine will need to disburse also through Poland, Hungary, Slovakia — it is simple math,” Gheorghe said. “We will stand alongside Ukraine, but through our limitations.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said Tuesday that she was “deeply concerned about Russia’s move to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” stressing that the “risk is that it brings food insecurity to so many vulnerable countries across the globe.”
“The European Union will, with all means, continue to work to ensure that food security for vulnerable people is given,” she said.
READ MORE: Russia threatens to pull out of Ukraine grain deal, raising fears about global food security
More than 45 million metric tons of grain, oilseeds and other products have been exported through Europe, von der Leyen said.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was brokered in a bid to end a global food crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, has allowed an additional 32.9 million metric tons to get to the world, according to the U.N.
Von der Leyen stressed that it was “important that the blocking of the Black Sea is stopped” and that exports can continue via that route.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that his government is working on solutions to keep exporting through the Black Sea despite Russia pulling its safety guarantees for ships.
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Federal judge strikes down Arizona law limiting recording of police as unconstitutional
The law would have made it illegal to film police officers within 8 feet of law enforcement activity if the officer had requested the citizen or journalist to stop filming. In addition, officers could have ordered anyone filming on public property to stop if they determined the area was unsafe or if the person filming was interfering.
U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi cited infringement against a clear right for citizens to film police while doing their jobs in his ruling.
“The law prohibits or chills a substantial amount of First Amendment protected activity and is unnecessary to prevent interference with police officers given other Arizona laws in effect,” Tuchi wrote.
Tuchi suspended the implementation of the law last year. Now, his ruling permanently blocks enforcement.
Media groups, including a group of Associated Press lawyers and the ACLU, successfully sued to block the law last year, which was passed with the backing of Republicans in the state legislature and signed into law by former GOP Gov. Doug Ducey in July 2022.
Prominent law enforcement officials in Arizona refused to defend the law after the lawsuit was filed, however, and legislators refused to defend the law. Even the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh, said he was unable to find an outside group to defend the legislation, according to the Associated Press.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
A smoke flare has been set off at the Open Championship in Hoylake and orange powder thrown at the 17th green by Just Stop Oil protesters.
American golfer Billy Horschel intervened to help remove one woman before greenkeeping staff removed the powdered paint with leaf blowers.
"At around 12.20pm three Just Stop Oil supporters ran onto hole 17," said Just Stop Oil via a statement.
"They set off a smoke flare and threw orange powder paint on the green."
Three people were put in handcuffs and taken away by police officers.
It is understood police have now deployed one officer to each green on the course.
Open organisers were prepared for a protest, putting in extra security precautions and advising players to not engage with anyone who tried to disrupt play.
Just Stop Oil protesters have disrupted several sporting events in England this year, including tennis at Wimbledon and an Ashes cricket Test at Lord's.
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow carried one pitch invader to the boundary at Lord's while three people ran onto a court at Wimbledon throwing orange paper and jigsaw pieces. There was also a protest at the snooker's World Championship, where a a man jumped on a table and dropped orange powder. | Not_Explicit |
TikTok received more requests from Australia’s eSafety commissioner to remove posts that bullied children in the last 18 months than any other social media platform.
Reddit received the most reports of people’s images being shared without their consent.
A total of 795 requests by the eSafety commissioner to remove alleged bullying of children from various platforms were made since the beginning of 2022. For TikTok alone, 209 requests were made in 2022, and 100 in 2023.
The Meta-owned Instagram platform followed with 186 requests in 2022, and 84 in 2023. Snapchat was next with 70 and 45, respectively. There were four requests in 2022 to Roblox, and two so far this year.
The data is contained in tables from the office of the eSafety commissioner, released to Senate estimates in response to questions on notice from the Greens senator, David Shoebridge. Not every complaint received by the commissioner’s office results in a removal request being made.
The acting eSafety commissioner, Toby Dagg, said earlier this month complaints of cyberbullying from children under 14 had tripled since 2019.
“We received around 230 cyberbullying complaints in May this year alone and around 100 of these involved children aged eight to 13 experiencing this kind of harm. Nasty comments, offensive pictures or videos, and impersonation accounts are among the most reported issues,” he said.
The office revealed it has made 852 removal requests for image-based abuse since the start of 2022, with 54 in total made to Reddit, which topped the requests last year. Twitter was third with 21 requests last year.
A spokesperson for Reddit said the platform took the issue seriously and site policies prohibit any nonconsensual sharing of intimate or sexually explicit media, adding that 60% of material is caught by automated systems before anyone sees the content.
“Reddit was one of the earliest sites to establish site-wide policies that prohibit this content, and we continue to evolve our policies to ensure the safety of the platform,” the spokesperson said.
Some sites that had requests made for removal were censored on the table because they were predominantly created for the purpose of exploiting victims of image-based abuse, or threatening or harassing users through doxing, the office said.
In May, the commissioner said that more young men had been reporting image-based abuse than women. A total of 1,700 reports in the first quarter of this year – 1,200 of which were people aged 18 to 24, and 90% of which were male.
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram received the most removal requests for the cyber abuse of adults over 2022 and 2023, with 267 and 153 requests respectively. TikTok was not far behind with 117, followed by YouTube at 37.
A spokesperson for Meta said the company heavily invests in safety tools to ensure users have a positive experience.
“Our policies clearly prohibit people from sharing and engaging in online abuse and we will remove this content as soon as we become aware. We also work collaboratively with the eSafety commissioner and have a dedicated reporting channel where the eSafety commissioner can report content directly to us for review,” the spokesperson said.
The vast majority of the removal requests were informal, the eSafety office said, with only 53 formal removal notices issued since the start of last year.
The eSafety commissioner’s office said it submitted 22,000 notifications to the International Association of Internet Hotlines for rapid child exploitation material removal, and 20 class 1 removal notices related to pro-terror or violent extremism material in that time. But only 2% of those notifications or requests were related to content on social media like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Twitter, the office said.
TikTok was approached for comment. | Not_Explicit |
This set of by-elections amounts to a single question: just how badly did the Conservatives do?
The answer - very badly.
But not as badly as they had feared.
The prospect of a crushing three nil defeat - beaten everywhere - was averted.
Labour managed to win - and win really big - in rural North Yorkshire; the kind of spot some distance from usually fertile political territory for them.
And yet they lost in north west London, where they had expected to win.
But, but, but: the Tory obliteration in Somerset will sow panic among many Conservatives in the south west of England.
So let's unpick where this leaves us, because on the face of it is a rather messy picture.
To what extent were these contests atypical, by-election quirks rather than true indicators of the national mood?
Firstly, Labour's victory in Selby and Ainsty is off the scale big.
Another Keir joins the ranks of Labour MPs, Keir Mather. It's a name rich in Labour history: Keir Hardie was the party's first leader.
If Labour won on this scale nationally, they would be in government with a colossal majority.
But hang on a minute.
The party that has campaigned so fruitfully for so long on the perceived failings of Boris Johnson has failed to take Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the very seat he used to represent.
Just days ago, the Conservatives were ready to blame what they described privately as "Long Boris" to explain away their losses.
In other words, don't blame us, blame the prime minister before last.
But now they have won where he was the MP, and lost in two places where he wasn't.
Downing Street had not anticipated a photo opportunity where smiles would feature today.
But before some of us had reached for the breakfast cereal Rishi Sunak was beaming in Uxbridge.
And his message is one we will keep hearing, I suspect: the general election is not a done deal, and where voters see what he will claim is the "reality of Labour" they vote Conservative.
To hear Conservatives this morning talking about Uxbridge was to hear those swimming through the roughest of rough political seas, and then seeing an unlikely raft upon which to climb, and breathe a brief sigh of relief.
Labour are disappointed to lose in Uxbridge.
Publicly, and more candidly in private, they blame the expansion of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez), a policy idea blamed by many voters on the Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
"If you run on a ticket about the cost of living but you are blamed for adding 90 quid a week to the cost of living for some, it's going to be difficult," acknowledged one party figure.
The Ulez daily charge is £12.50 a day. If a driver fails to pay the charge, or broke the penalty charge rules, the bill could be higher.
Labour's failure to take Uxbridge presents three niggles for the party, as they look to the general election:
- How vulnerable are they to targeted, single issue campaigns?
- What does that say about the depth of support for Sir Keir Starmer?
- And how might rival parties capitalise in parts of the UK where Labour are seen as the party of power - such as London and Wales?
Equally, if you are one of the innumerable Labour figures desperate to not sound complacent, losing in Uxbridge rather helps.
And what about the Liberal Democrats?
Their win in Somerton and Frome was huge.
They hope it is proof of a revival in the West Country, a former heartland for the party before the near oblivion that followed their years in coalition at Westminster.
But: they are a small party with limited resources.
They threw everything at Somerton and Frome, managing to knock on 15,000 doors on polling day alone.
That kind of operation is much harder to do at a general election - when they are likely to be trying to throw everything at around 30 seats, not just one.
Privately, party figures acknowledge that this by-election campaign was helped hugely by former Conservative cabinet minister Nadine Dorries having not yet resigned her seat in Mid Bedfordshire, another Lib Dem target.
Had that contest happened on Thursday too, it would have split their resources in half. At a general election, the demands on staffing would be even more brutal.
But the party does now have ample evidence that they have overcome the paralysing hangover of the coalition years, and are competitive again - and dangerous, particularly to the Tories.
Overall, the scope for Conservative comfort anywhere after these results is very slender.
But not as slender as it might have been. | Not_Explicit |
DUNEDIN, New Zealand -- Stefanie van der Gragt scored on a header in the 13th minute, leading the Netherlands to a 1-0 win over Portugal at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday as the 2019 finalists began their tournament run.
The Dutch defender gathered herself as teammate Sherida Spitse lofted a corner kick her way, then headed the ball across the goal into the far side of the net. An offside review delayed the celebration.
The goal by the 30-year-old van der Gragt, who plans to retire after the Women's World Cup, was the quickest first goal of the tournament. The Dutch controlled the tempo of the game — Portugal’s first shot of the match didn’t come until the 82nd minute.
The meeting with the Netherlands, ranked No. 9 in the world, marked Portugal’s first-ever tournament appearance.
On hand were 11,991 spectators, who were sheltered from the rain inside Dunedin’s covered Forsyth Barr Stadium, known as the Glasshouse, which has a capacity of 25,947.
Though most of the crowd appeared to be Dutch fans, a small but mighty group of Portuguese supporters with flags and team apparel banged on drums throughout the game, the beat echoing across the venue.
KEY MOMENTS
Van der Gragt’s first-half goal gave the Dutch a lead and allowed them to play lockdown defense. Both teams played a physical game, but Portugal was unable to match the Netherlands’ technical mastery.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Dutch victory raises the stakes for their upcoming rematch with two-time defending world champion United States, which defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in that 2019 final. A winner in that match will gain control of Group E and could very well wrap up a berth in the knockout stage.
Portugal failed to break through and become the first of the eight newcomers in the Women's World Cup to get a win.
WHAT’S NEXT
Netherlands heads to the Group E showdown against the U.S. on Thursday in Wellington. Portugal faces Vietnam, which didn't get a single shot on goal in its 3-0 loss to the Americans, also on Thursday. That match is in Hamilton, with the loser likely out of contention for the round of 16.
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Ellen McIntyre is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | Not_Explicit |
Florida's 2023 Social Studies curriculum will include lessons on how "slaves developed skills" that could be used for "personal benefit," according to a copy of the state's academic standards reviewed by CBS News.
The lessons in question fall under the social studies curriculum's African-American studies section, and be taught to students in sixth through eighth grade, according to the state standards.
The lessons for that grade level will include teachings on understanding the "causes, courses and consequences of the slave trade in the colonies," and instruction on the differences and similarities between serfdom and slavery, the curriculum says. Students will also be asked to describe "the contact of European explorers with systematic slave trading in Africa" and look at the history and evolution of slave codes.
The line about "personal benefit" is included as a "benchmark clarification" to a lesson that asks students to "examine the various duties and trades performed by slaves," such as agricultural work, domestic service, blacksmithing and household tasks like tailoring and painting.
The curriculum wason Wednesday.
Vice President Kamala Harris called the lesson plan an attempt to "gaslight" students.
"They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us and we will not stand for it," she said in a speech at Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.'s national convention in Indiana on Thursday. "We who share a collective experience in knowing we must honor history in our duty in the context of legacy. There is so much at stake in this moment."
On Friday afternoon, Harris tweeted that she was traveling to Jacksonville to "fight back" against "extremists in Florida who want to erase our full history and censor our truths." , Harris is expected to "forcefully condemn" the curriculum.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis, a, dismissed Harris' criticism of the curriculum.
"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. Florida stands in their way and we will continue to expose their agenda and their lies," tweeted DeSantis, whose political platform has included statements against alleged " " in schools.
Two members of the work group who established the curriculum standards said in a statement to CBS News that they "proudly stand behind" the language of the lessons.
"The intent of this particular benchmark clarification is to show that some slaves developed highly specialized trades from which they benefitted. This is factual and well documented," said Dr. William Allen and Dr. Frances Presley Rice, members of the group, before listing examples like Crispus Attucks and Booker T. Washington. "Any attempt to reduce slaves to just victims of oppression fails to recognize their strength, courage and resiliency during a difficult time in American history. Florida students deserve to learn how slaves took advantage of whatever circumstances they were in to benefit themselves and the community of African descendants."
Allen and Rice said that the curriculum provides "comprehensive and rigorous instruction on African American History."
"It is disappointing, but nevertheless unsurprising, that critics would reduce months of work to create Florida's first ever stand-alone strand of African American History Standards to a few isolated expressions without context," the pair said.
Earlier this year, Florida rejected a proposed advanced placement course that would have focused on African American studies., which included lessons on Black queer theory and the prison abolition movement, "indoctrination."
"That is more of ideology being used under the guise of history," DeSantis said in January 2023. "That's what our standards for Black history are. It's just cut and dried history. You learn all the basics, you learn about the great figures, and you know, I view it as American history. I don't view it as separate history."
The Florida Department of Education said in a letter to the College Board, which handles AP courses, that the curriculum was "inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value." The College Board, which later posted a revised curriculum that did not include the areas DeSantis criticized, were "slander."
for more features. | Not_Explicit |
The USA had provided Ukraine with 190 Bradley vehicles, about a dozen of which have been fully destroyed; the Ukrainian military lacks spare parts for their repair.
Source: The Washington Post citing sources
Quote from WP: "‘The United States has committed 190 Bradleys overall, with more than half delivered to operational units in Ukraine,’ said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
... About a dozen Bradleys have been destroyed, a senior U.S. defence official said."
Details: Data from the analytical website Oryx, which only takes into account the loss of equipment with video or photo evidence of damage, indicates that several dozen more machines have been damaged to varying degrees. Many of them have been repaired and returned to the battlefield. Some of them have to be sent to Poland for more serious repairs.
In particular, WP journalists recorded six vehicles being repaired in a forested area; most of them were damaged by mine explosions.
Some vehicles can take just a few hours to repair. At the same time, the soldiers with whom the publication spoke feel a lack of spare parts for repairs.
Quote from WP citing the military: "Some vehicles are labelled ‘donors’, meaning the Ukrainians will strip out the usable parts to install in other, less-damaged Bradleys and then fill the donor vehicle with the broken bits before shipping it off for a larger-scale repair at the facility in Poland.
One early limitation for how quickly the Ukrainians can fix the Bradleys and get them back on the battlefield: not enough spare parts, military personnel said."
More details: A high-ranking source of the publication said that in many cases, the Ukrainians used the machines exactly as they were taught during training in Germany, namely as part of a strategy called "combined arms", when infantry, armoured vehicles and aircraft act together.
At the same time, the same source states that there were "anecdotal reports to the contrary". In his opinion, in some cases, Ukrainians are "just not using them [the vehicles – ed.] to their fullest potential with all their other assets that they have available".
Background:
At the end of June, The New York Times reported that about 15% of Bradley combat vehicles were damaged during the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Predominantly, the vehicles exploded on mines.
Earlier, Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi emphasised that Ukraine received the Bradley not in order to "parade on them, but in order for them to be targeted on the battlefield": "Yes, we lose them. A little, let's say, but there are losses. You cannot get away from this. This is normal". | Not_Explicit |
O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — In the national reckoning that followed the police killing of George Floyd three years ago, about 2,000 protesters took to the streets in a St. Louis suburb and urged the mostly white Francis Howell School District to address racial discrimination. The school board responded with a resolution promising to do better.
The resolution passed in August 2020 “pledges to our learning community that we will speak firmly against any racism, discrimination, and senseless violence against people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability.
“We will promote racial healing, especially for our Black and brown students and families,” the resolution states. “We will no longer be silent.”
The board’s decision follows a trend that began with backlash against COVID-19 pandemic policies in places around the nation. School board elections have become intense political battlegrounds, with political action groups successfully electing candidates promising to take action against teachings on race and sexuality, remove books deemed offensive and stop transgender-inclusive sports teams.
The Francis Howell district is among Missouri’s largest, with 17,000 students, about 87% of whom are white. The vote, which came during an often contentious meeting Thursday, rescinded resolutions 75 days after “a majority of current Board of Education members were not signatories to the resolution or did not otherwise vote to adopt the resolution.”
While a few others also will be canceled, the anti-racism resolution was clearly the focus. Dozens of people opposed to its revocation packed the board meeting, many holding signs reading, “Forward, not backward.”
Kimberly Thompson, who is Black, attended Francis Howell schools in the 1970s and 1980s, and her two children graduated from the district. She described several instances of racism and urged the board to stand by its 2020 commitment.
“This resolution means hope to me, hope of a better Francis Howell School District,” Thompson said. “It means setting expectations for behavior for students and staff regardless of their personal opinions.”
The board’s vice president, Randy Cook, said phrases in the resolution such as “systemic racism” aren’t defined and mean different things to different people. Another board member, Jane Puszkar, said the resolution served no purpose.
“What has it really done,” she asked. “How effective has it really been?”
Since the resolution was adopted, the makeup of the board has flipped. Just two board members remain from 2020. Five new members elected in April 2022 and April 2023 had the backing of the conservative political action committee Francis Howell Families.
In 2021, the PAC described the anti-racism resolution as “woke activism” and drafted an alternative resolution to oppose “all acts of racial discrimination, including the act of promoting tenets of the racially-divisive Critical Race Theory, labels of white privilege, enforced equity of outcomes, identity politics, intersectionalism, and Marxism.”
Cook, who was elected in 2022 and sponsored the revocation, said there is no plan to adopt that alternative or any other.
“In my opinion, the school board doesn’t need to be in the business of dividing the community,” Cook said. “We just need to stick to the business of educating students here and stay out of the national politics.”
Many districts are dealing with debates over topics mislabeled as critical race theory. School administrators say the scholarly theory centered on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions is not taught in K-12 schools.
Others assert that school systems are misspending money, perpetuating divisions and shaming white children by pursuing initiatives they view as critical race theory in disguise.
In 2021, the Ohio State Board of Education rescinded an anti-racism and equity resolution that also was adopted after Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020. It was replaced with a statement promoting academic excellence without respect to “race, ethnicity or creed.”
Racial issues remain especially sensitive in the St. Louis region, nine years after a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown during a street confrontation. Officer Darren Wilson was not charged and the shooting led to months of often violent protests, becoming a catalyst for the national Black Lives Matter movement.
Revoking the Francis Howell resolution “sets a precedent for what’s to come,” St. Charles County NAACP President Zebrina Looney warned.
“I think this is only the beginning for what this new board is set out to do,” Looney said. | Not_Explicit |
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a Farmers for Trump campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa on July 7.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a Farmers for Trump campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa on July 7.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump announced this week he's received word that he's a target of the grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump took to social media to say he could be federally charged related to the Jan. 6, 2021 siege on the U.S. Capitol.
If charges in the Jan. 6 case come to fruition, Trump, the first former president in United States history to be criminally indicted, will be facing numerous charges in three separate criminal cases in three states.
So far this year, Trump has been criminally indicted twice for crimes he allegedly committed before and after his presidency — all announced as he's running for president again.
Trump has also been embroiled in civil lawsuits out of New York — one of which is tied to allegations he and close advisers to the Trump Organization (including his children) committed fraud.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in each of the criminal cases he's been charged and says he is not liable in the other cases.
Criminal cases
The Mar-a-Lago classified documents case
U.S. Department of Justice via Getty Images
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In this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, stacks of boxes can be observed in a bathroom and shower in Mar-a-Lago's Lake Room in Palm Beach, Fla.
U.S. Department of Justice via Getty Images
In this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, stacks of boxes can be observed in a bathroom and shower in Mar-a-Lago's Lake Room in Palm Beach, Fla.
U.S. Department of Justice via Getty Images
Number of charges: 37
Expected trial date: Waiting for U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to decide timing for a trial in Florida
Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges for allegedly storing dozens of classified documents at his Florida resort and then refusing to hand them over to the FBI and the National Archives.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is also leading the investigation into the Jan. 6 charges against Trump, oversaw the probe into the documents case.
Federal prosecutors allege Trump had a direct hand in packing classified documents when he left the White House in 2021, that he then bragged about having these secret materials and pushed his own attorney to mislead federal law enforcement about what kind of documents he had in his resort.
Prosecutors have told Judge Cannon they want Trump's trial to begin on December 11. It's expected that legal filings by Trump's team will delay the schedule and potentially push back any trial into 2024. His legal team is working to get the trial pushed back until after the 2024 presidential election. At a pretrial hearing on July 18 Cannon said she would issue an order soon outlining an appropriate schedule.
Trump aide Walt Nauta has also been indicted in this case. He pleaded not guilty in early July to charges that he conspired with the former president to withhold classified documents.
The Stormy Daniels hush money case
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP via Getty Images
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Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, on April 16, 2018, in New York. Trump is facing criminal charges for alleged hush money payments paid to Daniels in 2016.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP via Getty Images
Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, on April 16, 2018, in New York. Trump is facing criminal charges for alleged hush money payments paid to Daniels in 2016.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP via Getty Images
Number of charges: 34
Expected trial date: March 25, 2024 in New York
With this case, Trump became the first former president in United States history to be criminally indicted. The grand jury voted to indict Trump in March on 34 felony counts of business record falsification.
Allegations in this case go back to before Trump was elected president. They are tied to hush money payments made before the 2016 elections to the adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.
Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, has said that she and Trump had an affair in 2006. Following the launch of Trump's campaign in 2016, Daniels offered to sell her story to gossip magazines. In October, National Enquirer executives friendly to Trump flagged this to Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
Cohen agreed to pay $130,000 to Daniels to keep her silent. Her attorney received this money less than two weeks before the election. Cohen was later reimbursed $420,000 after Trump was elected president — which Trump has admitted to doing to pay off Daniels. Trump has long maintained he never had an affair with Daniels.
Elizabeth Williams/AP
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This artist sketch depicts former President Donald Trump, far left, pleading not guilty as the Clerk of the Court reads the charges and asks him "How do you plea?" on April 4, 2023, in a Manhattan courtroom in New York, as his attorney Joseph Tacopina, center, watches.
Elizabeth Williams/AP
This artist sketch depicts former President Donald Trump, far left, pleading not guilty as the Clerk of the Court reads the charges and asks him "How do you plea?" on April 4, 2023, in a Manhattan courtroom in New York, as his attorney Joseph Tacopina, center, watches.
Elizabeth Williams/AP
According to court records, executives with the Trump Organization categorized the reimbursements as a "retainer" for "legal services."
One of Trump's attorneys called the decision to prosecute the former president as "political persecution." Trump himself has called District Attorney Alvin Bragg a racist for pursuing this case.
Ongoing criminal investigations
The Jan. 6 case
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
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Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
It's unclear what any charges against Trump could entail.
Last December, the congressional Jan. 6 committee investigating the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol referred Trump to the Justice Department for four criminal charges. That included obstruction of an official proceeding; conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to make a false statement; and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by assisting, aiding or comforting those involved in an insurrection.
The committee, however, had no power over what the DOJ chose to do.
But a possible indictment from federal prosecutors could touch on attempts by Trump and his allies to pressure officials not to certify the 2020 election results or urging his supporters to "fight like hell" to stop Congress from certifying the result.
Trump spoke with his supporters during a rally in the hours leading up to the mob taking over the U.S. Capitol. In his speech, he told the thousands present "we must stop the steal."
So far, investigators have reached deep into Trump's inner circle, contacting former Vice President Mike Pence and the former president's son-in-law to testify before the grand juries in Washington, D.C.
Secretaries of State in several states were also reportedly interviewed as part of the investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. CNN reported recently that officials in seven key battleground states during the 2020 election, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, that were targeted by Trump and his allies "to subvert the Electoral College" were subpoenaed.
Also, investigators have spoken with dozens of witnesses with knowledge of the final days of the Trump presidency and what he and his team might've done to prevent Biden from taking the White House.
Trump insiders embroiled in the federal investigation have also included attorneys John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark, who both had their phones taken by agents last year during the probe.
Georgia 2020 election interference
Megan Varner/Getty Images
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An exterior view of the Superior Court building of Fulton County on Aug. 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Ga.
Megan Varner/Getty Images
An exterior view of the Superior Court building of Fulton County on Aug. 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Ga.
Megan Varner/Getty Images
In Fulton County, Ga., which is home to Atlanta, District Attorney Fani Willis has impaneled a grand jury to investigate efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn 2020 election results in the state.
The criminal investigation was started by Willis after the publication of a phone call in January 2021 of Trump pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" ballots in support of Trump. This was after the former president narrowly lost the state to Joe Biden.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and still baselessly maintains there was large-scale voter fraud in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election.
Willis has suggested she'll ask the grand jury for indictments later this summer, potentially as soon as August, and has told law enforcement to prep for a major public response.
Trump is also still fighting civil lawsuits
New York AG Letitia James' suit against Trump for alleged fraud
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on July 13, 2022 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on July 13, 2022 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Expected trial date: Oct. 2, 2023 in New York
After a three-year investigation, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against Trump, the Trump Organization's executive team and three of his eldest children, last September.
The lawsuit claims that Trump committed fraud by inflating his net worth by billions of dollars in order to get richer.
The case against Trump's oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, has since been dropped.
James is seeking around $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump, his kids and members of his executive team from operating businesses in the state of New York.
E. Jean Carroll case
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
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U.S. magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll departs the Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on May 9, 2023 after a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for the sexual abuse of the writer in the 1990s.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll departs the Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on May 9, 2023 after a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for the sexual abuse of the writer in the 1990s.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
Expected trial date: Jan. 15, 2024 in New York
In 2019, writer E. Jean Carroll first publicly came forward saying Trump had raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s when Trump was known as just a businessman. Trump responded then (and since), denying the accusation and saying that the writer had ulterior motives.
Carroll sued Trump — twice (in 2019 and later in 2022) — in large part for his alleged defamation.
The columnist filed the second lawsuit against Trump (this time for both defamation and rape) after the state of New York lifted the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual assault to file civil claims.
In May, a federal jury found Trump liable for battery and defamation in this second lawsuit. The jury in this case said he did sexually abuse the writer and defamed her when he denied her allegation.
Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages.
This week, a federal judge in New York rejected Trump's motion for a new trial.
Trump's legal team filed a counterclaim against Carroll in late June for defamation. In that suit, he claims Carroll defamed him during her appearance on CNN after the jury verdict. In that interview, she was asked about the verdict finding Trump sexually abused her, but that he didn't rape her. Carroll responded, "Oh, yes he did."
Carroll's first lawsuit filed in 2019, referred to as Carroll I in the court, was filed for Trump's early alleged defamatory statements. Following her victory in May, Carroll and her lawyers asked a court to expand the scope of the Carroll I case against Trump, seeking at least an additional $10 million in damages. That trial date is expected next year. | Not_Explicit |
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., stumped the head of the Air Force Academy Wednesday during a tense hearing about race and gender-based admissions practices at military colleges and universities.
Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark was unable to define gender identity terms like "agender" and "demigender" that were listed in eligibility guidelines for a fellowship that’s open to Air Force cadets and other Americans, something Gaetz noted during their heated exchange.
"You’re literally pushing a program in the academies that says, ‘If you’re a cisgender woman, a transgender woman, a non-binary, agender, bigender, two-spirit, demigender …' What’s demigender?" Gaetz asked.
"Sir, that's a term of the people that are eligible for that particular scholarship, that is available to," Clarke said.
"It's a person who looks at their gender in a different way than I do, sir," Clarke said when the congressman cut him off to further question him.
"Well, sure. That's all of these people. You're a cisgender man, you don't even get to apply. Do you know what demigender really means?" Gaetz asked.
"I’m not really sure, sir," Clark said. Gaetz then asked if he knew what "agender" meant, and the general again said he didn't know.
"Right. So, here we are, pushing a fellowship calling for people that you don't even know what the words mean," Gaetz said. "And the No. 1 group of people, the cisgender men, are excluded. In the name of diversity, equity and inclusion, should we be pushing programs that we can't define, that exclude the largest group of service members?"
The Brooke Owens fellowship that Gaetz was referring to is open to "women and gender-minority students in aerospace," according to its website.
Under its eligibility requirements, the site says, "If you are a cisgender woman, a transgender woman, non-binary, agender, bigender, two-spirit, demigender, genderfluid, genderqueer, or another form of gender minority, this program is for you."
Clark clarified when pressed that it is not an Air Force Academy program but rather is one students are allowed to apply for "because it’s an opportunity for us to develop them as warfighters."
"I mean, how can you use this as a way to develop the warfighters if you don't know what it means?" Gaetz asked. | Not_Explicit |
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will not be ordering floating barriers to be removed from the Rio Grande, in defiance of the US Department of Justice.
“Texas will fully utilize its constitutional authority to deal with the crisis you have caused,” Abbott wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden following last week’s DOJ request to remove the barriers. “Texas will see you in court, Mr. President.”
The Justice Department told Texas on Thursday that it intends to file legal action against the placement of the floating barriers in the Rio Grande as part of the state’s operation along the Texas-Mexico border, according to sources familiar and a letter obtained by CNN.
The Justice Department gave Texas a deadline of Monday at 2 p.m. ET to commit to the removal of the floating border barriers or face legal action, according to the letter sent to Abbott.
The White House responded to Abbott’s decision by slamming his actions as “dangerous and unlawful.”
“Governor Abbott’s dangerous and unlawful actions are undermining that effective plan and making it hard for the men and women of Border Patrol to do their jobs of securing the border. The governor’s actions are cruel and putting both migrants and border agents in danger,” White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said.
He added: “If Governor Abbott truly wanted to drive toward real solutions, he’d be asking his Republican colleagues in Congress, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, why they voted against President Biden’s request for record funding for the Department of Homeland Security and why they’re blocking comprehensive immigration reform and border security measures to finally fix our broken immigration system.”
The Justice Department’s threat of legal action over the floating barriers is based on a clause in the federal law that “prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States, and further prohibits building any structure in such waters without authorization from the United States Army Corps of Engineers.”
The inspector general for the Texas Department of Public Safety has received several additional complaints from DPS personnel on the front lines at the border about the treatment of migrants trying to enter the United States, three sources familiar with the investigation told CNN. Among the complaints are reports that Texas troopers were told to push back migrants into the Rio Grande and ordered not to give them water.
Abbott’s office has denied that any orders have been given that “would compromise the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally.”
This is a breaking story and will be updated. | Not_Explicit |
Japanese police will begin testing a draconian network of AI-enhanced security cameras — hoping to stop major crimes before they happen.
The pre-crime monitoring tests, reminiscent of the 2002 sci-fi film Minority Report, will intentionally avoid using the tech's 'facial recognition' capabilities, according to Japan's National Police Agency.
Instead the AI cameras will focus on machine-learning pattern recognition of three types: 'behavior detection' for suspicious activities, 'object detection' for guns and other weapons, and 'intrusion detection' for the protection of restricted areas.
Japanese police officials said they intend to launch their AI test program sometime during this fiscal year, which ends March 2024 in Japan.
While some counterterrorism experts maintain that the new AI-powered cameras will 'help to deploy police officers more efficiently' providing 'more means for vigilance,' others worry about introducing hidden algorithmic biases into police work.
Terrified by last year's surprise assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and shocked by a failed attempt on the life of Japan's new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida this April, the nation's police have struggled to prevent high-profile crimes, which are often committed by individuals they call 'lone offenders.'
Police have used the term 'lone offenders' to describe a growing sector of Japanese society, lonely and disaffected young people, sometimes called 'otaku' for 'nerd' or 'shut-in,' who have sometimes proven violent despite no known criminal history.
Japan's National Police Agency AI-camera tests come on the one-year anniversary of Prime Minister Abe's fatal shooting.
Advocates say the AI's so-called 'behavior detection' machine-learning algorithm would be capable of training itself by observing the patterns of individuals deemed suspicious: activities like looking around in a repetitious and nervous fashion.
While Japanese police officials did not get into details, past efforts at AI-enhanced security cameras in the far eastern nation have focused on fidgeting, restlessness, rapid eye movement and other behaviors flagged as products of a guilty mind.
Police officials hope that the software can pull these identifications out of large crowds and other distracting conditions that make identification of risks difficult even to highly trained humans in law enforcement.
AI shape analysis will also help the system detect suspicious items like firearms and other weapons (object detection), while certain protected locations will be programmed in to detect malicious trespassers (intrusion detection).
For now, the National Police Agency's use of this 'crime prediction' tech will only be a test — an effort to evaluate the AI-assisted cameras accuracy to carefully consider the value of officially adopting the system.
The police agency will not employ the technology's 'facial recognition' features, according to Nikkei, focusing only on generic behaviors and suspicious objects.
Isao Itabashi, chief analyst for the Tokyo-based Council for Public Policy, told Nikkei that Japan is far from the first nation to deploy this kind of AI pre-crime tech.
'AI cameras are already being used widely in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, and behavior detection technology is being studied by Japanese companies,' said Itabashi, who is also an expert on counterterrorism defense strategy.
A 2019 survey conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in fact, reporter that AI security camera tech was already in use by 52 of the 176 countries covered in their research.
France has recently adopted legislation authorizing the installation of AI security systems to protect Paris in advance of the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics to be held in the capital city.
Japan's private sector has been years ahead of its national police force on the use of AI-equipped security cameras.
Last May, at G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japanese railway firm JR West implemented a system that would notify security teams of activity the AI deemed suspicious, following train closures and evacuations the preceding month over a 'suspicious object' that has yet to be publicly identified.
And in 2019, Japanese startup Vaak unveiled a controversial new software designed to identify potential shoplifters based on their body language.
While aspects of Vaak's software resemble the promises behind Japan's National Police Agency AI tests, officials have not confirmed that Vaak's product have been contracted for these trials.
Vaak's criminal-detecting AI is trained to recognize 'suspicious' activities such as fidgeting or restlessness in security footage, according to Bloomberg Quint.
Vaak says its AI can distinguish between normal customer behaviour and 'criminal behaviour,' such as tucking a product away into a jacket without paying.
And, in fact, the Minority Report-style system was reportedly used in successfully 2018 to track down a shoplifter who has struck a convenience store in Yokohama.
Vaak has said that their software can alert staff to suspicious behavior via smartphone app once it's spotted something in the CCTV stream, Bloomberg said.
But, while it's designed to crack down on theft, both predictive policing and predictive private security efforts have sparked concerns that people may be unfairly targeted as a result of racial and other biases.
An MIT study published in 2018 found that many popular AI systems exhibit racist and sexist leanings.
Researchers have urged others to use better data to ensure biases are eliminated.
'Computer scientists are often quick to say that the way to make these systems less biased is to simply design better algorithms,' said lead author Irene Chen, a PhD student, when the study was published in November.
'But algorithms are only as good as the data they're using, and our research shows that you can often make a bigger difference with better data.' | Not_Explicit |
The House will consider several pieces of legislation as early as Tuesday under a suspension of the rules, including a bipartisan bill that could crack down on Chinese manufacturers of synthetic opioids.
Republican Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky authored the bill – the "Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act of 2023" – which would impose sanctions on Chinese opioid producers and "opioid precursors," as the fentanyl crisis continues to climb.
Precursor chemicals are used for legal opioid medications but can be diverted for illicit fentanyl and heroin production.
"The Chinese Communist Party plays a prominent role in every step of the fentanyl crisis from producing precursor chemicals to transferring expertise to laundering cartel profits who illegally traffic it into the United States," Barr told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
Barr said he expects broad support for the bill on the House floor.
"The Biden administration has abandoned control of the southern border and I am proud to lead this effort to defend our national security," he said.
According to the bill, first introduced in May, it updates the definition of a "foreign opioid trafficker" in the Fentanyl Sanctions Act to include specific Chinese entities and government officials who don’t take steps to prevent so-called "opioid trafficking."
The U.S. has previously called on both Mexico and China to link arms against the crisis.
Fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, is often made by Mexican cartels in labs with precursors shipped from China. A small amount of fentanyl can lead to a deadly overdose, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has warned, with thousands of fentanyl-related deaths reported each year.
Barr’s bill aims to "hold Chinese officials accountable for the spread of illicit fentanyl," in line with other congressional members who have been calling for a similar crackdown on China’s role in black market opioid production.
Last week, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., floated the idea of including an amendment to the much-anticipated military defense bill that would sanction China over its illicit fentanyl production.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also made remarks last week that the Chinese Communist government "bears responsibility" for cleaning up fentanyl in the U.S.
And the Department of Justice brought conspiracy charges against three Chinese chemical manufacturing companies suspected of manufacturing and distributing fentanyl in the U.S. in June.
Democratic Reps. Chris Pappas, Pat Ryan and Morgan McGarvey are co-sponsoring the bill, alongside Republican Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Gregory Murphy, Mike Lawler, Beth Van Duyne, Anthony D'Esposito and Zach Nunn. | Not_Explicit |
UBS has been ordered to pay $388 million to British and US regulators over Credit Suisse’s dealings with private investment firm Archegos Capital Management, the Swiss bank said Monday.
The settlement is the first of several that UBS could have to pay after it last month closed its takeover of Credit Suisse, which was involved in a number of legal battles.
Under the agreement, UBS is to pay the Federal Reserve $268.5 million and the UK’s Prudential Regulation Authority $111.6 million (87 million pounds).
Reports ahead of time had suggested the US regulator would impose a penalty of up to $300 million and the UK regulator would fine UBS up to 100 million pounds over the bank’s dealings with Archegos.
Switzerland’s regulator FINMA does not have the power to fine financial institutions. | Not_Explicit |
Judge rejects Trump’s bid to move hush money case to federal court
A judge on Wednesday rejected former President Trump’s bid to move his hush money criminal case to federal court, ruling that the allegations are not connected to Trump’s role as president.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a Clinton appointee, granted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) office’s request to keep the case in New York state court.
Trump had argued the case must be moved to federal court because he was being prosecuted for an act under the color of his office as president and that Bragg’s prosecution was politically motivated.
Manhattan prosecutors charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, accusing him of making a series of false entries as he reimbursed his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, in part to conceal a $130,000 hush payment that Cohen made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty.
The former president’s lawyers argued that Trump hired Cohen to handle his personal affairs “solely because he was President of the United States” and that the reimbursements were truthful legal expenses made while Trump was serving in the White House.
“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely a personal item of the President — a cover-up of an embarrassing event. Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a President’s official acts. It does not reflect in any way the color of the President’s official duties,” Hellerstein wrote.
DEVELOPING
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Argentina has claimed a diplomatic “triumph” after the EU agreed to refer to the Falklands as the Malvinas in an official document.
The move was signed off by European Union leaders when they met with the Celac group of Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Brussels.
James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, had asked Brussels to reject any mention of the Falkland Islands in the declaration ahead of the summit.
But EU officials said Britain would not be allowed any say in the matter, since it is no longer a member of the bloc.
The agreed declaration read: “Regarding the question of sovereignty over the Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands, the European Union took note of Celac’s historical position based on the importance of dialogue and respect for international law in the peaceful solution of disputes.”
‘This is outrageous’
James Sunderland, a Tory MP who served in the Falklands War, said: “This is outrageous. The UK has exercised de facto sovereignty over the Falkland Islands since 1833 and went to their defence in 1982.
“The good people of the Falklands have also overwhelmingly voted to remain British. The EU would be wise to respect British sovereignty, rather than waste its time with tokenism.”
The statement was endorsed by all 27 EU member states and 32 of the 33 Celac countries, with Nicaragua refusing to back it because of the language on the war in Ukraine.
Argentina said it was the first time Brussels had officially recognised Latin America’s claim over the Falkland Islands in a joint declaration.
Santiago Cafiero, Argentina’s foreign minister, said Buenos Aires expected to “deepen dialogue with the European Union in relation to the question of the Malvinas Islands” following the pronouncement.
“This joint declaration represents a new call from the international community to the United Kingdom to agree to comply with its obligation to resume sovereignty negotiations with Argentina,” he said.
But a figure close to Mr Cleverly said: “The Argentine government can lobby whoever they wish but it doesn’t change the fact that the Falkland Islands are British.
“That is the clear will of the Falkland Islanders. Ten years ago, 99.8 per cent of Falkland Islanders who voted said they wanted to stay a part of the UK family.
British officials are relaxed over the statement because it does not oblige or promise any change in policy from Brussels over the Falklands.
A spokesman for the European External Action Service, the EU’s foreign affairs arm, said the bloc endorsed the statement in a “spirit” that displayed it is “ready to listen to the position of our partners”.
He added: “The EU member states have not changed their views/positions concerning the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.
“The EU is not in a situation to express any position on the Falklands/Islas Malvinas, as there is not any Council discussion on this matter.
“The EU does not take any position on such matters without a Council mandate.”
Shailesh Vara, a former Cabinet minister who sits on the Falklands Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group, said: “The EU doesn’t speak for the UK on these matters and nothing changes the fact that the Falkland Islands remain British, which is what 99.8 per cent of the Falkland Islanders want.”
Known as the Malvinas in Spanish, the UK-ruled islands were the subject of a short but brutal war after Argentina invaded in 1982
Britain and Argentina last year marked the 40th anniversary of the conflict, which claimed the lives of 649 Argentinian soldiers, 255 British servicemen, and three women who lived on the island. | Not_Explicit |
SEBI Receives 4,085 Complaints For Corporate Governance Violations: Government
SEBI has received 4,085 complaints pertaining to the flouting of corporate governance norms
Capital markets regulator SEBI has received 4,085 complaints pertaining to the flouting of corporate governance norms against 1,551 companies in the last four-and-half years, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
Of these, 132 complaints were received against firms in the current financial year till July 13; 640 grievances in 2022-23, 809 in 2021-22, 1,151 in 2020-21 and 1,353 in 2019-20, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
During the last four years and current year, complaints for corporate governance violations were received against several companies, including Yes Bank, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Religare Enterprises, Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports And Special Economic Zone, Adani Power and ACC Ltd.
In cases of complaints regarding violation of corporate governance norms, Sebi takes up the matter with the concerned stock exchange, which in turn, seeks comments from the concerned company, and subsequent steps are taken for redressal of such complaints, he added.
Further, SEBI constituted a committee under the chairmanship of its former whole-time member G Mahalingam in April last year on strengthening the governance of market infrastructure institutions.
In complaints against companies related to violation of rules on diversion or misappropriation of funds; material misstatement in financial statements, etc. SEBI investigates the allegations, and based on the findings of the probe, appropriate enforcement action is initiated.
Additionally, Sebi's complaints redress system SCORES received 239 complaints against entities for alleged insider trading or price manipulation in the current fiscal till July 13, the minister said.
Some of the entities against which complaints were received for alleged insider trading or price manipulation include Adani Enterprises, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, Coal India, HDFC Bank, Vedanta, IIFL Securities and Eros International Media in the current financial year.
Further, a total of 552 complaints were received in 2022-23, 616 grievances in 2021-22, 1,130 complaints in 2020-21 and 1,801 complaints in 2019-20, according to the data shared by the minister.
SEBI Complaints Redress System, a grievance redressal system launched in June 2011, helps investors to lodge their complaints online with SEBI, pertaining to the securities market, against companies, intermediaries and market infrastructure institutions. | Not_Explicit |
A real estate developer was sentenced Friday to six years in federal prison for paying $500,000 in bribes to a Los Angeles city councilman for help with a downtown project.
Dae Yong Lee, AKA “David Lee,” was also fined $750,000 and a company that he controlled was fined $1.5m plus prosecution costs, the US attorney’s office said in a statement.
Prosecutors said that in 2017, Lee bribed José Huizar and the councilman’s special assistant to help resolve a labor organization’s appeal that was blocking approval of a planned development that was to include more than 200 residences and about 14,000 sq ft (1,300 sq meters) of commercial space.
At the time, Huizar chaired the city’s powerful planning and land use management committee.
In 2017, Lee made three cash payments totaling $500,000 to Huizar’s assistant, George Esparza, prosecutors said.
Last year, Lee and the company were convicted of bribery, honest services wire fraud and falsifying records in federal investigations to conceal the bribes.
The sentence was the latest in a sweeping corruption case swirling around Huizar, whom authorities said ran a pay-to-play bribery scheme from 2013 to 2017 tied to the approval of downtown high-rise developments.
Huizar pleaded guilty in January to racketeering conspiracy and tax evasion. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on 25 September. Under a plea agreement, Huizar agreed to seek a sentence of at least nine years in prison, prosecutors said.
In addition to Huizar, more than a half-dozen other people have been convicted or pleaded guilty to federal charges in the scheme, including Huizar’s brother, Salvador Huizar.
Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and testified against Lee at his trial.
Raymond Chan, the former deputy mayor, is awaiting retrial next year on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that he accepted more than $100,000 to help a Chinese real estate developer. | Not_Explicit |
Michael Gove is announcing plans to relax planning rules in England to create more homes in towns and cities.
The levelling up secretary says he wants to make it easier to convert empty retail premises and betting shops into flats and houses.
But critics say such conversions are often poor quality.
It comes as Rishi Sunak insists his party will meet its commitment to building a million homes before the next election, expected in 2024.
A report by the Commons housing committee earlier this month found that while ministers are on track to deliver its one million homes target they are not expected to meet their other commitment to deliver 300,000 new homes every year by the mid-2020s.
Hitting that figure became harder after the government was forced to water down its housing targets on local councils following a fierce backlash from its own MPs.
The prime minister said his government would not be "concreting over the countryside" adding: "Our plan is to build the right homes where there is the most need and where there is local support, in the heart of Britain's great cities."
Lisa Nandy, Labour's shadow housing secretary, said: "It takes some serious brass neck for the Tories to make yet more promises when the housing crisis has gone from bad to worse on their watch."
In a speech in central London, Mr Gove will provide details of his plan to build more homes including making it easier to convert shops, takeaways and betting shops into homes.
This idea has been around for a long time, with minister launching a consultation on such changes back in 2013.
The Local Government Association has warned that offices, shops and barns are not always suitable for housing, and could result in the creation of poor quality homes.
Mr Gove also wants to ease rules on building extensions to commercial buildings and repurposing agricultural buildings.
In order to speed up big developments, the government will establish what it calls a "super squad" of planners to unblock certain projects - a development in Cambridge will be the team's first task. Developers will be asked to pay higher fees to fund improvements to the planning system.
However, in an early sign that Mr Gove's plans may attract criticism from the government's own MPs, Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire Anthony Browne has tweeted: "I will do everything I can to stop the government's nonsense plans to impose mass housebuilding on Cambridge, where all major developments are now blocked by the Environment Agency because we have quite literally run out of water."
The issue of building more homes has been a tricky one for the government. While there is great demand for housing, particularly among younger voters struggling to get on the property ladder, new housing developments have proved unpopular in Conservative heartlands. | Not_Explicit |
L&T Finance Q1 Result Review - Accelerated Transformation Into A Retail Franchise: Motilal Oswal
Earnings in line; retail RoA/RoE at 3.1%/15.7% in Q1 FY24.
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.
Motilal Oswal Report
L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. reported Q1 FY24 profit after tax of Rs 5.3 billion (inline). Pre-provision operating profit grew ~7% YoY to Rs 12.4 billion (in line), while credit costs of ~Rs 5.2 billion translated into annualised credit costs of 2.6% (previous quarter: 2.5% and previous year: 3.6%).
Retail profit after tax at ~Rs 5.3 billion surged 176% YoY in Q1 FY24. Reported retail return on asset/ return on equity stood at ~3.1%/~15.7% during the quarter.
Mr. Sudipta Roy (Chief Operating Officer) would assume the role of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer effective January 2024, while the current MD and CEO – Mr. Dinanath Dubhashi – has opted for superannuation. He will remain with the company until April 2024 to ensure a seamless leadership transition.
We expect that the retail mix will improve to ~95% by March 2024 (from 82% as of June 2023).
Considering the accelerated rundown in the wholesale book, we model consolidated loan growth of 3%/22% in FY24/FY25E.
We estimate a profit after tax compound annual growth rate of 27% over FY23-FY25, with consolidated RoA/RoE of 2.3%/~11.0% in FY25.
A strong liability franchise, a well-capitalised balance sheet and a keen intent to further accelerate the sell-down of the wholesale book will enable L&T Finance to achieve its targets articulated under Lakshya 2026 much in advance.
We have raised our FY24E/FY25E profit after tax by 7%/5% to factor in higher fee income and margin expansion and now model a 50% dividend payout in FY24E.
L&T Finance is set to transform itself into a retail franchise, which would lead to profitability improvement and RoA expansion. Reiterate 'Buy' with a target price of Rs 160 (premised on 1.6 times FY25E consolidated book value per share).
Click on the attachment to read the full report:
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 |
Protesters breach Swedish Embassy in Baghdad over planned burning of Quran
Protesters breached the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad early Thursday morning to rail against a planned burning of the Quran in Stockholm.
The protesters who stormed the embassy were showing support for Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who called for protests after news broke that two people were planning to hold a demonstration outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm on Thursday. One of those people had reportedly burned the Quran outside the Iraqi Embassy last month, a move that also sparked protests at the Swedish Embassy.
Stockholm police said that a permit was approved for a demonstration outside the embassy on Thursday but did not say whether a Quran would be burned. Iraq has warned Sweden it would cut off diplomatic ties with the country if the Quran was burned.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry said that all embassy staff are safe.
“We condemn all attacks on diplomats and staff from international organizations,” the ministry said in a statement. “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.”
The Swedish Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement Thursday that it is closed to visitors.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the protests on Thursday, which included lighting a fire within the embassy. Video footage shows a small fire being set, protesters climbing over the walls and police and other officials gathering at the site at dawn, where plumes of smoke remained.
“The Iraqi government has instructed the competent security authorities to conduct an urgent investigation and take the necessary security 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,” officials said.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that the U.S. “strongly condemns” the attack on the Swedish Embassy.
“Freedom of peaceful assembly is an essential hallmark of democracy, but what occurred last night was an unlawful act of violence,” Miller said. “It is unacceptable that Iraqi Security Forces did not act to prevent protestors from breaching the Swedish Embassy compound for a second time and damaging it.”
“We are in contact with our Swedish partners and have offered our support. Foreign missions should not be targets of violence. We call on the Government of Iraq to honor its international obligations to protect all diplomatic missions in Iraq against any intrusion or damage, as required by international law,” Miller added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report, which was updated at 9:13 a.m.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
TikTok has finally launched an ads transparency library — starting with data on ads and other commercial content running in Europe but with plans to expand that.
Also today it’s announced expanded access to its research API to Europe.
Both moves look intended to help the company comply with incoming requirements under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Back in April, the video-sharing social network was confirmed as one of 19 so-called very large online platforms (VLOPs) under the DSA — a designation which brings a suite of additional compliance requirements related to algorithmic transparency and accountability.
To wit: Article 39 of the pan-EU regulation requires VLOPs whose platforms display ads to offers a searchable database of ads with information, including who paid for the ad, the main targeting parameters and data on views. While Article 40 concerns data access for vetted and other external researchers to further the regulation’s goal of ensuring that systemic risks flowing from major platforms are able to be robustly studied.
“Today, we’re expanding access to our Research API to Europe and opening up new transparency tools for commercial content,” TikTok wrote in a blog post announcing the launches. “These tools are designed to enhance transparency about content on our platform and are informed by feedback we’re hearing from researchers and civil society.”
A TikTok spokesman confirmed the research API is being made available to researchers working across Europe, not only those at institutions inside the EU — so it’s also open to applications from academics working in the EEA (European Economic Area), Switzerland and the UK.
The social media platform announced it was developing an API for researchers last summer — when it said it would provide select researchers with more transparency about its platform and moderation system by giving access to public and anonymized data about content and activity on the app. An initial version of the Research API was ready for testing by members of TikTok’s Content and Safety Advisory Councils in November — before being opened up to academic researchers in the US earlier this year, in February.
So far, the free API has seen more than 60 applications from US non-profit academic researchers on topics including those related to consumer trends, misinformation and mental health, per TikTok.
The impact of social media platforms on young people’s lives and well-being continues to be a topic of discussion and concern in mainstream media. But scientists have warned we still don’t have robust data to draw strong conclusions — hence the push by EU lawmakers to make major platforms open up to outside scrutiny.
TikTok’s approach for the research API requires researchers to create an account and complete an application which it reviews to ensure its criteria are met before granting access. So it said it expects the first non-profit academic researchers in Europe to get access “in the coming weeks”.
TikTok’s criteria for access to the API require regional researchers to have demonstrable academic experience and expertise in the research area specified in the application; no conflicts of interest with respect to using the services; a clearly defined research proposal; and to be committed to only using the data for non-commercial purposes.
Also today, it said it’s working on being able to grant researchers who are collaborating with others the ability to work together on a shared research project. This incoming collaboration feature, which it says it’s adding in response to feedback from early users, will be called “Lab Access”.
“More than half the applications we’ve received request collaboration with other researchers, so we’ll soon be allowing up to 10 researchers to work together on a shared research project,” it wrote. “All researchers will need to have their own TikTok for Developers account and be located in the US or Europe to access our Research API.
“Principal researchers will be able to submit a single application for collaborators from the same university. Projects involving multiple universities will need to submit separate applications for each school.”
Ads transparency at last
The ads transparency library, or “Commercial Content Library” as TikTok is billing it, is a newer initiative — and the launch plugs a long-standing transparency gap for the platform.
A critical report on TikTok by Mozilla, back in mid 2021, found policy loopholes, lax oversight around influencer marketing and the lack of a public, searchable ads database was making the platform vulnerable to passing off political ads as organic content — rendering TikTok’s official policy banning political ads pretty meaningless.
Now anyone can search TikTok ads or other commercial content by country, date and keyword.
However — big caveat! — for now only data on commercial stuff running in Europe is available. TikTok said it plans to include data from “more countries” in the future (but did not specify where or when).
“The Commercial Content Library is a searchable database with information about paid ads and ad metadata, such as the advertising creative, dates the ad ran, main parameters used for targeting (e.g. age, gender), number of people who were served the ad, and more,” TikTok noted.
The tool also includes information about other content that’s “commercial in nature and tagged with either a paid partnership label or promotional label, such as content that promotes a brand, product or service but is not a paid ad” — so TikTok is including influence marketing in the database too (or at least it is if the influencers have correctly tagged their videos).
“We tested an early version of the Commercial Content Library with researchers and civil society to gather feedback over the last few months before making it more broadly available,” TikTok added. “From our tests and input from experts, we’ve added the ability to perform precise searches, included more targeting parameters, and improved data quality — among other updates.”
TikTok is also providing access to a Commercial Content API to enable researchers to query the ads database.
“Researchers will need to create a TikTok Developers account and submit an application to access the Commercial Content API which we review to help prevent malicious actors from misusing this data,” it added. | Not_Explicit |
- International investment firms have changed their China GDP forecasts nearly every month so far this year, with JPMorgan making six adjustments since January.
- That's according to CNBC analysis of the firms' notes.
- The average prediction among six firms studied by CNBC now stands at 5.1%, close to the "around 5%" target Beijing announced in March.
BEIJING – International investment firms have changed their China GDP forecasts nearly every month so far this year, with JPMorgan making six adjustments since January.
That's according to CNBC analysis of the firms' notes. JPMorgan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
related investing news
The U.S. investment bank most recently cut its China GDP forecast in July to 5%, down from 5.5% previously.
That came alongside cuts this month by Citi and Morgan Stanley to 5%.
The average prediction among six firms studied by CNBC now stands at 5.1%, close to the "around 5%" target Beijing announced in March.
Citi's latest forecast marks the firm's fourth change this year. Morgan Stanley has only adjusted its forecast once since it was set in January.
During that same period, Nomura changed its forecast four times, while UBS adjusted it three times and Goldman Sachs changed forecasts twice.
The investment banks mostly revised their forecasts higher early this year after China's initial rebound, following three years of strict Covid controls.
The latest cuts come as recent economic data point to slower growth than expected, and authorities show little inclination to embark on large-scale stimulus. Second-quarter GDP rose by 6.3% from a year ago, missing the 7.3% growth that analysts polled by Reuters had predicted.
The disappointment in second-quarter GDP growth, however, is due to official revisions to China's quarter-on-quarter growth last year, according to Rhodium Group's Logan Wright and a team.
The resulting low figure helps Beijing make a case for supporting the economy, the analysts said in a July 17 report. "Understand what you are seeing in this year's GDP data: these are artificially constructed narratives for various audiences, not reports on China's economic performance."
The National Bureau of Statistics did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Instead of releasing multiple reads of data, the bureau discloses quarterly GDP relatively soon after the end of the period, and subsequently issues revisions.
The statistics bureau has also issued public statements about punishing local governments for falsifying data. The accuracy of official data in China has long been in question.
Goldman Sachs on Friday noted the seasonal revisions, but maintained its 5.4% forecast for China's growth. "On net, we do not think the surprises are either consistent or large enough for us to make major adjustments to our China growth forecast this year."
Researchers have sought alternatives to gauge growth.
One organization is the U.S.-based China Beige Book, which claims to regularly survey businesses in China in order to put out reports on the economic environment.
Earlier this year, the firm's data "showed there was no revenge spending wave or a bombastic recovery," said Shehzad Qazi, New York-based managing director at China Beige Book.
"Wall Street's predictions of blockbuster growth in China were first based on hype, and then juiced up by China's inflated GDP prints into early 2023."
Qazi testified this month at a hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Investment bank research is often known as the "sell-side," since it is meant to inform buyers about financial products and company stocks.
In the case of China, Qazi pointed out that "investment banks are not only incentivized to sell a 'China booming' story, but given their business interests in China, they are also unwilling to publish any views that can be seen as critical of China's economy."
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund also put out regular economic forecasts for China and other countries. However, their reporting schedule means that predictions may not fully match current the current economic situation.
In June, the World Bank raised its forecast for China's growth this year to 5.6%, up from 4.3% previously.
The International Monetary Fund in April raised its forecast for China's GDP to 5.2%, up from 4.4% previously. This month, its spokesperson noted that growth was slowing in China, and said an "updated forecast" would be reflected in the IMF's next World Economic Outlook.
Chinese officials have in the last several weeks emphasized the country is on track to reach its annual growth target of around 5%.
Among the six investment firms CNBC looked at, the highest China GDP forecast so far this year was JPMorgan's 6.4% figure — when the bank adjusted for the second time in April alone.
In all, the range of the firm's forecasts have spanned 1.4 percentage points, the most of any of those in the CNBC analysis.
Although businesses and investors have expressed uncertainty about China's near-term economic trajectory, analysts expect growth in the world's second-largest economy will still pick up in the longer term.
"Overall, there is a case emerging for a cyclical rebound in China's economy in early 2024, even without any meaningful policy support in the second half of 2023," the Rhodium analysts said.
They said that given four quarters, a steady household consumption recovery should help boost service sector employment, while industrial inventories will likely need restocking down the road. | Not_Explicit |
Reliance Retail Q1 Results: Profit Jumps 18.8% On Higher Footfalls, Store Additions
Reliance Retail witnessed an all-time high of 249 million footfalls during the quarter across its diverse formats.
Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd.’s first quarter revenue and profit rose, aided by increased footfalls and store additions.
The net profit of India’s biggest retailer, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, increased 18.8% over the previous year to Rs 2,448 crore in the quarter ended June, according to its parent company, Reliance Industries Ltd.'s exchange filing.
Reliance Retail Q1 FY24 Highlights (YoY)
Revenue from operations (net of GST) increased by 20.5% to Rs 62,159 crore.
Gross revenue rose 19.5% to Rs 69,948 crore.
Ebitda increased 33.9% to Rs 5,139 crore—an all-time high.
Margin widened to 7.9% from 7.6%.
Reliance Retail recorded the highest ever footfalls at 249 million across formats during the quarter.
In April-June, the company added 406 stores to take the total count to 18,446, the highest in India, spanning across an area of 70.6 million sq. ft.
"Retail business delivered robust growth, with fast-paced store additions and steady growth in footfalls," Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd., said in a statement.
"The contribution of digital and New Commerce initiatives is scaling up, delivering value to consumers, and providing synergistic benefits to merchant partners," he said.
According to the company, revenue growth was led by grocery, consumer electronics, and fashion and lifestyle segments, while margin growth was a result of improving efficiencies.
Segmentwise Performance (YoY):
The grocery business grew 59%.
Fashion and lifestyle reported 15% growth.
Consumer electronics, excluding devices, rose 14%.
Digital and new commerce contributed 18% of revenue. | Not_Explicit |
"They sacrificed protecting our freedoms, but Democrat Joe Manchin turned his back on West Virginia's veterans. Manchin may talk like a Republican ... but he votes like a liberal," the ad targeting Manchin said.
"Joining Washington extremists to deny wounded veterans their Second Amendment rights, limiting constitutional freedoms, pushing more government control, selling out West Virginia veterans. Tell Joe Manchin: Stand with our wounded warriors. Hands off our Second Amendment rights," the ad continued.
The ad targeted against Brown was nearly identical, but the one targeting Tester accused the Montana Democrat of being changed by Washington.
"Washington changes people — just look at Jon Tester. Tester promised to stand up for Montana veterans ... but instead, he sold them out," the ad against Tester said.
All three ads go after the senators for voting against a measure to overturn the Biden administration's rule on pistol braces. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule requires firearms equipped with stabilizing braces to be registered with the government or be subject to fines and possibly jail time.
The rule was decried by Republicans, who said it infringed on the Second Amendment gun rights of disabled citizens who use pistol braces. In the House of Representatives, Republicans voted to overturn the rule, but in the Senate, the measure failed in a 49-50 vote on party lines. Brown, Manchin, and Tester all voted against the measure.
The three Democrats targeted with this series of advertisements all are incumbents in generally Republican states, making them some of the most vulnerable seats for the Democratic Party in the 2024 elections. The Democrats now hold a 51-49 majority, with three of the 51 being independents who caucus with the Democratic Party.
Brown and Tester have both said they are running for reelection in 2024, while Manchin has said he will not make a decision until the end of the year. Manchin has also not ruled out running for president, potentially on a third-party ticket. The West Virginia Democrat has said if he gets "in a race, I’m gonna win." | Not_Explicit |
Nifty Ends Near 20,000, Sensex At Another Record Led By RIL, ICICI Bank, ITC: Market Wrap
The Sensex closed 475 points, or 0.71%, higher at 67,571.90, while the Nifty 50 gained 146 points, or 0.74%, to end at 19,979.15.
India's benchmark stock indices advanced for the sixth day to end at a fresh record close on Thursday. The Nifty 50 closed 21 points away from the 20,000 mark, while the Sensex closed above the 67,500 level.
Intraday, the Sensex rose 0.78% to a new high of 67,619.17, and the Nifty 50 advanced 0.80% to a fresh record high of 19,991.85. While pharma and fast-moving consumer goods were the top gainers, the information technology and consumer durables sectors were under pressure.
Futures on the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up almost all of its 1.4% advance. Japan's and South Korea's equities also fell.
The S&P BSE Sensex closed 475 points, or 0.71%, higher at 67,571.90, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 146 points, or 0.74%, to end at 19,979.15.
Bharti Airtel Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., ITC Ltd., Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., and Reliance Industries Ltd. positively contributed to changes in the Nifty 50.
HCL Technologies Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd., Infosys Ltd., Larsen & Toubro Ltd. and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. weighed on the index.
The broader market indices ended marginally higher, with the S&P BSE MidCap rising 0.05% and the S&P BSE SmallCap gaining 0.19% at the close of trading on Thursday.
Twelve out of the 19 sectors compiled by BSE Ltd. advanced, while seven sectors declined. S&P BSE Fast-Moving Consumer Goods rose the most.
The market breadth was skewed in favour of the buyers. About 1,751 stocks rose, 1,628 declined, and 133 remained unchanged on the BSE. | 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 |
“Jean was Robert’s truest love. He loved her the most. He was devoted to her.”
That quote, from Robert Oppenheimer’s close friend Robert Serber, opens a chapter in the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. He’s talking about Jean Tatlock, a medical student and eventual psychiatrist who was romantically involved with Oppenheimer for years. Their relationship, a key part of Oppenheimer’s personal and also political life, is also a major element of Oppenheimer—which even at three-hours long still doesn’t have quite enough time to get into everything that’s fascinating about Jean Tatlock.
Played by Florence Pugh in the film, Tatlock is described in American Prometheus as “a shapely woman with thick, dark curly hair, hazel-blue eyes, with heavy black lashes and naturally red lips; some thought she looked ‘like an old Irish princess.’” She did first meet Oppenheimer at a party, as depicted in the film, but he was also friendly with her father, John S.P. Tatlock, a Chaucer scholar who was impressed, as so many other people were, with Oppenheimer’s literary knowledge.
Jean too was highly educated, having spent time with a community of Jungian psychoanalysts in Switzerland even before she enrolled at Vassar to study English. One of her Vassar classmates remembered her as “the most promising girl I ever knew, the only one of all that I saw around me in college that even then seemed touched with greatness.” By the time she met Oppenheimer, she was enrolled at Stanford Medical School; she was also a dues-paying member of the Communist Party, and a writer and reporter for the Western Worker newspaper.
As depicted in the film, Jean could be a bit of a skeptic—she called organized religion “claptrap”—but she was a devoted Communist, telling a friend at one point, “I just wouldn’t want to go on living if I didn’t believe that in Russia everything is better.” When she and Oppenheimer began their relationship in 1936, she introduced him to many of her friends in the Party and “opened the door,” in the words of the biography, for his involvement in political causes like the Spanish Civil War and the plight of migrant workers. “I liked the new sense of companionship, and at the time felt that I was coming to be part of the life of my time and country,” Oppenheimer later explained. When he once told Jean he would have to settle for remaining on the outside of some of these causes, Jean retorted, “Oh, for God’s sake, don’t settle for anything.”
Their relationship was intellectual but also “intense” and mercurial, in keeping with what some speculated was Jean’s manic depression. “He’d be depressed some days because he was having trouble with Jean,” Serber remembered, per American Prometheus. She did indeed tell him to stop bringing her flowers, and rejected multiple proposals from him. There’s no evidence in the biography that she made him read the Bhagavad Gita aloud during sex, as happens very memorably in the film, but it’s possible to imagine it happening. She got him into the poetry of John Donne, which later inspired him to name the first nuclear bomb test “Trinity,” and he had been reading Sanskrit since the early 1930s.
Oppenheimer met his wife, Kitty, during a party in August of 1939, and his relationship with Jean had fallen apart by the end of this year. So the breakup scene between them in the film is very plausible. But as we see in the movie, their relationship did not end there. They continued to see each other about twice a year between their breakup and 1943; as Oppenheimer later explained, “we had been very much involved with one another, and there was still a very deep feeling when we saw each other.” Their reunion in June of 1943, during his return trip to Berkeley from Los Alamos, happens as depicted in the film, and was documented extensively by military agents who shared their findings with the FBI. The agents weren’t in the room to see the two naked, of course, but reported that “the relationship of Oppenheimer and Tatlock appears to be very affectionate and intimate.”
Oppenheimer was under “near-total surveillance” during his time at Los Alamos, with the government never letting go of their suspicions about his Communist ties. After this visit with Tatlock, that surveillance extended to her too. On September 1, 1943, J. Edgar Hoover himself wrote a memo recommending that her phone be wiretapped because she had become “the paramour of an individual possessed of vital secret information regarding this nation’s war effort.” Unlike Oppenheimer, she had not given up her Communist ties at this point. But after months of wiretaps the FBI had learned “nothing to confirm their suspicions that the young psychiatrist was Oppenheimer’s (or anyone’s) conduit for passing information to the Soviets,” as biographers Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin write.
Given her brilliance and connections to some of the brightest minds of her era, Jean Tatlock could well have become someone we know as much about as Oppenheimer. Instead, her life ended suddenly on January 4, 1944. As depicted in the film, Tatlock was found lying on a pile of pillows with her head submerged in the bathtub. Her father, Professor John Tatlock, found her, and in an indelible image described in the book, lay her body on the sofa while he went through a stack of her letters and photographs, then burned them in the fireplace.
Tatlock’s death was ruled a “suicide, motive unknown.” She had ingested a number of drugs and left a note that read, in part, “I think I would have been a liability all my life—at least I could take away the burden of a paralyzed soul from a fighting world.” In American Prometheus, the authors speculate she may have been struggling with her sexuality at the time, telling a friend before her death that in order to overcome her attraction to women, she had “slept with every ‘bull’ she could find.” When told the news, as seen in the film, Oppenheimer took “one of his long, lonely walks high into the pines surrounding Los Alamos.”
In the film we see Tatlock’s death in snippets many times, seemingly from Oppenheimer’s imagination. Sometimes she slowly, methodically lowers her head in the bathtub; a few other times we see a black-gloved hand pressing her down as she struggles. That’s a nod to the lingering uncertainty some have about whether Tatlock’s death really was a suicide. One of the drugs in her system, chloral hydrate, is the active ingredient in a “Mickey Finn,” exactly what you would administer to someone if you wanted to knock them out cold. As one doctor says in American Prometheus, “If you were clever and wanted to kill someone, this is the way to do it.”
One potential prime suspect is Boris Pash, the Army intelligence officer played by Casey Affleck in the film, who interrogates Oppenheimer about his Communist ties and also directed the wiretapping at Tatlock’s apartment. In 1975, a Senate hearing on CIA assassination plots determined that Pash’s CIA unit, where he worked from 1949 through 1952, had been assigned “responsibility for assassinations and kidnappings.” None other than E. Howard Hunt Jr., a former CIA officer who went on to play a key role in the Watergate scandal, said in 1975 that he was told Pash’s unit was responsible for “the assassination of suspected double agents and similar low-ranking officials.”
Pash denied any responsibility for assassinations during those hearings; he died in 1995. And in Tatlock’s case specifically, the facts don’t quite line up. By January 1944 he had been reassigned to London, far from Jean’s apartment in San Francisco.
Questions about Jean were a key component of Oppenheimer’s security clearance hearing in 1954, as Nolan vividly captures in Florence Pugh’s last scene in Oppenheimer. She was not the only woman with whom Oppenheimer had an affair—Ruth Tolman, the wife of his good friend Richard Tolman, also appears briefly in the film—but his relationship with Jean was clearly foundational. And because history played out the way it did, we now primarily know about her only because of her connection to him. | Not_Explicit |
What to expect in Lionel Messi's Miami debut? It's a bit of a mystery
Already the talk was all about Messi, the ridiculously talented wunderkind starting to shine at Barcelona. The scuttlebutt was that he could be a legend in the making, maybe even someone to match Diego Maradona, perhaps capable of one day also winning a World Cup for the South American nation. Spoiler alert: it would take 17 more years, but it did happen.
At Budapest's Ferenc Puskas Stadium, Messi trotted onto the pitch in the 63rd minute of an international friendly game against Hungary, replacing Lisandro Lopez. His jersey was too big, his hair fell to his shoulders, but he was ready for action. As play restarted, Messi found some space in midfield, collected the ball, and headed for goal.
Less than two minutes later, he was leaving the field, sent off before his senior Argentina debut could even get properly underway.
Hungarian defender Vilmos Vanczak admitted later he'd heard of Messi's precociousness and had no desire to be made a fool of. So, as the teenager sprinted forward with the ball, Vanczak tugged aggressively at Messi's shirt. That caused Messi to yank backward and his arm swung forcefully to the rear, connecting with Vanczak just below the Hungary player's chin.
Referee Markus Merk was nearby and adjudged there to have been malicious intent. To say it was a poor decision is being kind to the official. But there it was, a red card, leaving a disbelieving Messi to trudge disconsolately to the sideline while his teammates remonstrated with the official.
Soon after, according to reports, he was found in tears in the locker room. "It was not like I dreamed it would be," he told reporters. What a way to begin his international career. Let's just say that things would get a little better from there.
Messi hasn't made many debuts. In fact, if, as expected, he takes the field for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup on Friday, it will be only the third club he has represented at senior level. Naturally, he has played for only one senior national team, the land of his birth, which now regards him as its favorite son, perhaps ever.
He moved to Barcelona's youth academy at age 13 and stayed more than two decades, before switching to French power Paris St. Germain for two seasons.
The small collection of opening acts he's had each say a little something about him, and have added to the Messi legend in different ways.
In his early years, the pressure of playing for his country was sometimes a little much for Messi. The red card against Hungary was harsh, but was still prompted by an unnecessarily rash reaction.
"I wanted it so badly," Messi would later say. "Maybe too badly."
Barcelona meanwhile, for all the associated pressure of the Spain's La Liga and the club's huge following, gave him a little more freedom. His first Barcelona senior outing in a competitive game made had come in October 2004, a Catalan derby against Espanyol.
He played for just seven minutes and his input was restricted to mere flashes of skill, but the simple fact of how his debut came about was significant.
First-team players had already urged head coach Frank Rijkaard to promote Messi to the senior ranks based off his performances in training. Brazil icon Ronaldinho, firmly established as a legendary figure and arguably still the world's best player, befriended Messi, anointed him as his successor, said the sky was the limit for the youngster, and urged management to give him as much playing time as possible.
Before long, Messi was not only an incumbent starter, but the creative heartbeat of the team, a position he would never relinquish until he left all those years later.
"You could see it in him," Ronaldinho told Brazil's Globo television channel, years later. "More than that, you could feel it."
By the time Messi next made a move, his legend was cemented. In the summer of 2021, Barca and he parted company with the club mired in a financial crisis and limited in its capacity to offer new contracts.
Messi headed to France to play for Paris St. Germain and team up with Kylian Mbappe. Much like as he shows up in Miami, there was nothing left for him to prove as a player, and thus his impact was watched and scrutinized in different ways.
Upon arriving in America he has been touted as the player to push Major League Soccer to a new level of international importance and to further increase the game's growth in this country.
When he touched down in France, there were similar vibes. For all of France's might as an international team, Ligue 1 still lags behind the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga, Germany's Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A on the spectrum of global importance.
Yet Messi's first game for PSG was watched 2.2 million viewers in Spain, compared to the 591,000 viewers who saw Barcelona play Getafe the same night. In other words, just the kind of impact PSG, and Ligue 1, was looking for.
Messi's performance was just a glimpse – PSG already led Reims by the final score 2-0 when he came on after 66th minutes, both thanks to Mbappe. Mbappe gave up the chance of a hat-trick to try to set up Messi for a debut goal toward the end, but the pair got in each other's way. His most dangerous interjections came when delivering slicing passes and by the end even the Reims fans stood to applaud him.
Messi didn't always have an easy relationship with PSG, the perception being that there were times when he wasn't fully invested. Yet he still left having had a positive influence on French soccer, as highlighted by his dramatic entrance.
So then, what to expect on Friday? It seems likely that Messi will be restricted to a cameo from the substitutes' bench, given that he has had limited training and competition of late. What can be guaranteed is a sellout crowd, a lot of cameras, worldwide interest and a special night in the history of MLS. Beckham was quoted in Argentina media as saying Messi might not play, though a far more positive tone has been struck in other media appearances.
"This is holy water," Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas shouted, when the rain poured down at Messi's unveiling. That might have been overdoing the hyperbole, but the point was clear, this is as big a splash as could possibly be made.
All debuts are notable in one way or another, but this is a different realm. Lionel Messi, object of the world's attention, all eyes are on you.
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Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Contract details, debut date, full schedule
Lionel Messi takes pictures with fans while shopping at Miami supermarket
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Lionel Messi takes field with Inter Miami teammates for first time since signing
Lionel Messi unveiled in Miami after lengthy weather delay
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How Lionel Messi's Miami arrival mirrors the Beckham Experiment
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Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Contract details, debut date, full schedule
Lionel Messi takes pictures with fans while shopping at Miami supermarket
Wayne Rooney: Lionel Messi 'won't find it easy' in MLS
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Inter Miami owner confirms Jordi Alba will sign, reunite with Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi takes field with Inter Miami teammates for first time since signing
Lionel Messi unveiled in Miami after lengthy weather delay | Not_Explicit |
3 years ago today, China launched the Mission Tianwen-1, or “Heavenly Questions” to Mars, becoming the second nation to have a presence there. It was the first time a nation-state had ever launched an orbiter, lander, and rover all in the same mission, and the Chinese space program became the first in the world to have all three of these machines successfully deploy on Mars on the first try, as well as the first to get them all right at the same time. READ more about the Chinese Martian program… (2020)
The Chinese are a society that is intensely focused on the stars: the organization of the heavenly branches and stems guide their calendars, auspicious and inauspicious signs, and even their language.
The Chinese government sees space exploration as both symbol and substance, believing as NASA does that investments into space science and exploration can come good by developing advanced and useful technology for Earthbound life.
By late 2021, the rover Zhurong, named after a mythical fire god, had already accomplished its primary mission goal and continued to explore the Utopia Planitia plain, providing substantive evidence to support the hypothesis that this part of Mars was an ocean.
Zhurong gathered data on the Martian weather, registering 37 mph winds that blew close to true south from the northern summer solstice, shifting to southeastwards until the northern fall equinox.
MORE Good News on this Day:
- The ice cream cone was invented by Charles E. Menches on the occasion of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri (1904)
- The first successful liver transplant was performed by Dr. Thomas Starzl at the University of Colorado on 19-month-old Julie Rodriguez, a cancer patient who lived for 400 days with her new liver (1967)
- Democracy returned to Greece as military factions, which forced him out, invited the former prime minister Constantine Karamanlis to return and huge crowds gathered to greet him ar the Athens airport as jubilation arose in the streets (1974)
- More than 25 countries joined together to end commercial whaling following more than a decade of public pressure, with major whaling forces like the US becoming strong proponents of the anti-whaling convention (1982)
On this day, 131 years ago, Emperor Haile Selassie was born. One of the seminal figures in Ethiopian history, he was a member of the Menelik dynasty that traced its ancestry to the union of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. As emperor of Ethiopia, he introduced the first written constitution, abolished slavery, presided over the formation of the Organization of African Unity, the precursor of the African Union, and served as its first chairman.
He is believed to have been the reincarnation of Christ on earth in the eyes of the Rastafarian movement, and he is referred to as “Jah” or “Jah Rastafari.” When he eventually traveled to Jamaica to address the growing religious movement, his plane landed on a runway of covered people and couldn’t leave the airplane.
The leader of the Rastafarians was invited up to “negotiate the Emperor’s disembarking” which was eventually done, marking the day as “Grounation Day,” the second holiest day on the Rasta calendar.
Rita Marley, Bob Marley’s wife, supposedly saw the marks on his hands from where his previous form had been nailed to the crucifix by the Romans, hence Bob’s transition to Rastafarianism and the growth of its notoriety thereafter. Marley’s song Iron Lion Zion is about Haile Selassie. (1892)
Happy 52nd Birthday to the amazing musician and singer Alison Krauss, who has won more Grammys than almost anyone.
A teenage prodigy in Decatur, Illinois, she was attracted to bluegrass music and was winning contests at age 10—and at 16 showed off her extraordinary fiddle playing on a debut album with a major label. Her soundtrack performance for O Brother, Where Art Thou? was credited with helping renew Americans’ interest in bluegrass music. As of 2019, she had won 27 Grammy Awards from 42 nominations, ranking her fourth behind Beyoncé, Quincy Jones, and classical conductor Georg Solti for most wins overall.
Her collaboration with Robert Plant, Raising Sand, was certified platinum and won five Grammys, including Album and Record of the Year. She’s sold more than 12 million records to date and will be inducted in 2021 to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Krauss has teamed up with many country musicians, but also across genres with stars like Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, The Chieftains, James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, Cyndi Lauper, Heart, and Phish. Check out her fiddle skills in Man of Constant Sorrow on YouTube, playing with her longtime band, Union Station—and WATCH her perform the ballad, When You Say Nothing At All... (1971)
Happy Birthday to Harry Potter—the actor Daniel Radcliffe—who turns 34 years old today.
At age 11, he was cast as Potter in the debut film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone—and he learned the life-changing news while in the bathtub chatting with his mum in London. While starring in all 8 films of the series for 10 years, until 2011, he became one of the highest-paid actors in the world, and earned critical acclaim in his role as the young wizard.
Later, he portrayed Allen Ginsberg, the famed beat poet, in the 2013 independent film Kill Your Darlings, and won praise in the Broadway musical revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He recently co-starred with Steve Buscemi (who plays God) in a TBS comedy series Miracle Workers about working in heaven as a low-level angel responsible for handling all of humanity’s prayers.
And, on this day in 1983, an Air Canada 767 jet ran out of fuel at 41,000 feet elevation but, thanks to the pilot’s experience in flying gliders, it made a miraculous deadstick landing at Gimli, Manitoba, with no injuries to the 61 passengers or the festival goers attending a drag-racing event at the closed air force base where Captain Bob Pearson, 47, had planned to land. The plane was dubbed ‘The Gimli Glider’.
This TV show segment from The National produced five years ago on the 30th anniversary didn’t include some of the juicier details about the pilots’ calculations and the landing, which you can read on Wikipedia. They encountered good fortune when the nose landing-gear did not stay open and they were able to use a guardrail that had been installed down the center of the old runway to produce added friction for stopping the plane’s momentum.
WATCH the dramatic video from CBC News…
Also on this day 23 years ago, Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to win a complete Grand Slam. At age 24, he held all four modern major championships simultaneously — the U.S. Open, The British Open Championship, the PGA Championship, and the Masters. He won the British Open that year at St. Andrews, with the best score ever recorded—19 under par.
His father Earl, a former Vietnam War lieutenant colonel and a formidable amateur golfer, first lost to his son in a golf match when Tiger was 11 years years old. Even with his dad trying his best, he lost to the boy every time after that.
After personal problems and a divorce he dropped to 58th in the rankings, but in 2013 he climbed back to #1. An injury followed, but with back surgery Woods recovered and just won his first major in 11 years at the 2019 Masters. (2000)
SHARE the Milestones, Memories, and Music… | Not_Explicit |
Michael Gove has rejected proposals by Marks & Spencer to bulldoze and rebuild its flagship Marble Arch store on Oxford Street.
The Housing Secretary on Thursday blocked Marks & Spencer from demolishing its landmark store, objecting on the ground that the project could harm the character of the area.
Stuart Machin, chief executive of Marks & Spencer, immediately hit out at the decision which he described as “pathetic” and “anti-business”.
M&S had planned to demolish the Art Deco building and replace it with a new 10-storey retail and office block with only two and half floors used for retail space.
The retailer vowed to vacate the building if its plans were blocked, warning that the ongoing decline of the shopping district would “accelerate dramatically” if it left.
The retailer argued the change was needed to help meet net zero targets and adapt to the rise of online shopping, which has led to a fall in visits to its in-person stores. It has claimed that demolishing the building, which was built in 1929, was the only way to bring it up to modern energy standards.
Mr Machin said on Thursday: “We have been clear from the outset that there is no other viable scheme – so, after almost a century at Marble Arch, M&S is now left with no choice but to review its future position on Oxford Street on the whim of one man. It is utterly pathetic.”
The project had secured approval from Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority for its plans, but Mr Gove seized control of the planning application amid concerns about its environmental impact.
The Secretary of State called in the plans because demolishing the 90-year-old building would release 40,000 tonnes of so-called embodied carbon.
M&S claimed that 90pc of materials from the existing site would be reused in the construction of the new building, mitigating the impact of embodied carbon. The new building would also be far more energy efficient, saving on fuel needs.
During a public inquiry, which took place last year, M&S argued that refurbishing the site would be “unsustainable” and “undeliverable”.
The retailer said: “The current site is made up of three separate buildings with poor-quality structures and asbestos challenges, which although completely safe, make it impossible to develop without rebuilding.
“The existing store is a confusing warren of dense structures and misaligned floors, which is not the environment in which the modern customer wants to shop, and the “backstage” area where our colleagues work is of a poor standard and impossible to modernise.”
On Thursday, Mr Machin warned Oxford Street risked becoming the “victim of politics”.
He added “At a time when vacancy rates on what should be the nation’s premier shopping street are 13pc higher than the average UK high street and Westminster Council is pleading for help in managing the growing proliferation of sweet shop racketeers, the Secretary of State has inexplicably taken an anti-business approach, choking off growth and denying Oxford Street thousands of new quality jobs, a better public realm and what would be a modern, sustainable, flag-bearing M&S store.”
Other retailers in the area including Selfridges and Ikea, which will be taking the former Topshop site by Oxford Circus, had supported Marks & Spencer’s plans.
Selfridges said the redevelopment would play a vital role in “maintaining Oxford Street as the UK’s national shop window”.
Mr Gove’s decision was originally supposed to be revealed in April but was delayed until July 20. | Not_Explicit |
Prince George will turn 10 on Saturday, a milestone birthday that is special for every child.
Prince William and Princess Kate are understood to have planned a party for family and many of the prince’s friends at their Windsor home, but in keeping with all “big” birthdays, the celebrations will be “special but not showy,” according to one family friend. Football, one of George’s greatest passions, is likely to feature prominently during the gathering.
There will be official pictures to mark the occasion, a royal tradition William and Kate have made their own with the princess often taking charming and candid photographs of her children on their birthdays.
One person who will be watching the occasion closely is childrenswear designer Rachel Riley, as she has been dressing the prince since he was a baby. Her pieces are also popular with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and together, the children have been spotted wearing her brand on 23 occasions. Riley, who works closely with the Princess of Wales’s dresser, Natasha Archer, to ensure Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are all immaculately dressed, has had a pivotal role in all three of the Wales children growing up.
For Riley, who started making clothes for her own children so that they could be comfortably and smartly attired, watching George, Charlotte, and Louis grow up wearing her clothes has been a privilege and an honor. It’s possible that George, who has worn Rachel Riley outfits on many occasions, will be wearing something from Rachel’s collection to celebrate his 10th birthday, however, she never knows what the children will wear until the occasion itself.
“Seeing pictures of the royal children is uplifting and joyous and I think it makes everyone feel happy,” Riley exclusively told Vanity Fair. “There’s a lot of hardship in the world and these children seem to bring a smile to people around the world.”
In recent years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been more relaxed about allowing their children to be in the public arena. Prince George and Princess Charlotte have attended various important occasions from the memorial service for their great-grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh to the queen’s state funeral in September last year. In May, all three children attended King Charles’s coronation where Prince George had a key role as page of honour.
“It has been a very important year for Prince George,” Riley observed. “Turning 10 is always a big deal as a child, as it’s turning double digits, and it puts you on the path to becoming a teenager and moving towards ‘big school’ with all the responsibilities that comes with growing older and becoming more mature. I am sure they will have a lovely celebration with family and friends for this momentous occasion.”
Last September, the Waleses swapped their imposing apartment at Kensington Palace for the more humble four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in Home Park, Windsor, where they are said to be loving their new, quieter lifestyle. William and Kate take turns doing the school run and the family operates without any live-in help, although they still employ their long-term nanny, Spanish-born Maria Borrallo who has been with them since George was a baby.
While Borrallo often chooses clothes from Spanish clothing outlets, Rachel Riley has been Kate’s go-to designer of choice. “I feel so proud being able to dress them,” Riley said. “It’s remarkable that a dress I designed for my daughter who is now 30 is one that Charlotte has worn at least four times. Classic style never goes out of fashion. We bring in new prints and fabrics, but the timeless styles are relevant today as much as they were years ago.”
Having dressed royal children for decades (Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was the first British royal to champion the brand and dressed her daughter Lady Louise in Rachel Riley couture), Riley says that the real fascination into royal dressing began with Prince George.
“It all started with Prince George—everyone wanted to see what a modern-day prince looked like. The princess has chosen our clothes for a number of very important occasions. George wore our embroidered dungarees for his first ever play date in New Zealand and they sold out in hours. He also wore our heritage piped shirt and shorts when he presented his baby sister to the world, and again for the queen’s 90th-birthday commemorative stamps. He also wore the shirt again for when he made Christmas puddings with the queen for another important photo call. I think it’s great the royals re-wear and recycle and hand the clothes down because they are made to last.”
Riley says she is enjoying watching the Wales children enter the spotlight. “It’s so lovely to see Prince George growing up into a handsome older boy now. As he is the eldest (and, of course, heir to the throne) he looks responsible and as though he is looking out for his younger siblings.”
Royal watchers may have noticed George’s style evolving over the years. Traditionally he has been dressed in the brand’s heritage shorts and smart piped white shirts, however, his clothes are more casual now that he is getting older.
“I loved seeing the images from the Father’s Day photographs where both Prince William and Prince George were both wearing blue shirts and casual trousers. They all looked so happy in those photos. Prince George looked so comfortable and at ease in his check shirt and blue jeans. It seems as though he has the freedom to enjoy himself as a child and have fun with his siblings. He was equally at ease when he visited the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019 when Prince George and Princess Charlotte were barefoot with their feet in the stream. I loved that casual look and the appreciation of nature.”
Comfort is of utmost importance to Princess Kate, who oversees the children’s wardrobes with Archer, as is being color-coordinated. “I think the Princess of Wales is very involved. She has a fashion background, so it’s important to her what her children wear. Every mum wants the best for their children, and for them to look great and feel comfortable.”
On recent occasions, including last Sunday’s Wimbledon final, George has upped the fashion stakes and worn a blazer like his father Prince William. “It’s been wonderful to see Prince George wearing suits and more formal wear for certain occasions, and he always looks good. He’s like a mini Prince William and we have seen that with Charlotte too—when she wore McQueen just like her mother for the coronation. I think Princess Charlotte is one to watch, she’s about to go into her tween years, so it’s going to be interesting to see how her style evolves. Interestingly, she wears more blue than pink. That’s quite a trend in France and America. She goes for the blue color palette—then she can match back to her brothers and her parents.”
When it comes to what Prince George will wear on his birthday, it’s a case of wait and see. Having scored more than a hat trick when it comes to dressing the royals, Riley will be hoping to make it 24 times lucky. | Not_Explicit |
Grounded SpiceJet Q400 Aircraft's Engine Catches Fire At Delhi Airport
An engine of a grounded SpiceJet Q400 plane caught fire at the Delhi airport on Tuesday evening, and the aircraft and maintenance personnel are safe, according to officials.
An engine of a grounded SpiceJet Q400 plane caught fire at the Delhi airport on Tuesday evening, and the aircraft and maintenance personnel are safe, according to officials.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said a fire warning was observed in an engine of the Q400 aircraft that was under maintenance, and the fire extinguisher was discharged.
The spokesperson also added that as a precaution, the fire brigade was called and that the aircraft and maintenance personnel are safe.
An official at the airport said that around 8 pm, the fire was reported in one of the engines of the grounded aircraft, and later the fire was extinguished.
"On July 25, SpiceJet Q400 aircraft under maintenance, while carrying out engine ground run at idle power at bay, the AME observed fire warning on #1 engine," the airline spokesperson said in a statement.
Q400 is a turbo-prop aircraft.
As per the airline's website, it has Q400s that can accommodate 78 passengers and 90 passengers.
Earlier in the day, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it has taken off SpiceJet from its enhanced surveillance regime. | Not_Explicit |
Air India Invites Applications For Cabin Crew Jobs; Check Dates & How To Apply
Air India is hiring cabin crew! Walk-in interviews will be held in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Indian airline Air India on Saturday invited applications for job opportunities for vacancies related to cabin crew. The walk-in interviews for the female cabin crew will be held in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Cabin crew walk-in interviews
Candidates are expected to wear wlestern formals on the day of the interview. They are also expected to carry their update resume on the day of interview. Experienced candidates are requested to kindly carry a copy of their SEP cards. Here is the schedule for walk-in interviews of Cabin Crew (Female) in Delhi and Mumbai.
Mumbai
Date: July 28, 2023
Time: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm
Venue: Hotel Parle International, B.N Agarwal Commercial Complex, Opposite Vile Parle Railway station, Vile Parle East, Mumbai - 400057
New Delhi
Date: July 25, 2023 and July 31, 2023
Time: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm
Venue: Essex Farms, 4 Aurobindo Marg, Opposite to IIT flyover crossing, Next to Haus Khas Metro Station, New Delhi- 110016
A life-changing airline job is just an interview away. Dreamers, attend walk-in interviews of Cabin Crew (Female) in Delhi and Mumbai.— Air India (@airindia) July 22, 2023
For more details visit our career page at https://t.co/OaSh5L6Db3#CabinCrewHiring #AirIndiaRecruitment pic.twitter.com/6ZPCQDpL5R
Eligibility Criteria
Indian National holding a current Indian passport, PAN card and Aadhar card.
Between the age of 18-27 years for freshers and till 35 for experienced crew.
Minimum Educational Qualification: Must have completed class 12 from a recognised board /university with minimum 50% marks.
Minimum height required: Female-155 cm
Weight: In proportion to height.
BMI Range: Female candidates - 18 to 22.
Well-groomed with no visible tattoos in uniform.
Fluent in English and Hindi.
Vision 6/6.
Skills and attributes
Represent Air India in a professional manner.
Warm, caring and empathetic.
Maintain up to date knowledge of current safety and security requirements.
Maintain knowledge of service procedures and company policies.
Comply with all DGCA regulations and ability to maintain all required licenses up to date.
Remain medically fit, following rest regulations to comply with flying duties.
Key Responsibilities
Safety and security-related duties.
Check safety equipment for availability and functionality.
Conduct safety demonstration for guests prior to take-off.
Ensuring compliance to all safety procedures throughout the flight.
Managing emergency situations such as performing first aid and emergency evacuations Inflight service duties.
Pre-boarding tasks such as checks on the availability of required food and beverage as well as inflight amenity items.
Boarding of guests, welcoming and directing them to seats, aiding with storage of carry-on luggage.
Conducting Inflight sales and service.
Ensuring that aircraft cabins and toilets are clean and replenished during flights.
Making announcements and responding to guest queries during the flight.
Ensure orderly disembarkation of guests after landing.
Administrative duties
Attending mandatory pre-flight briefings.
Preparation of reports on flight incidents, including safety, service and security incidents.
Other vacancies in Air India
Air India also has various vacancies in multiple locations for positions such as Pilots, Flight Operations, Ground Services and security, Sales and Marketing, Digital and Technology. Interested candidates can apply at https://careers.airindia.com/ | Not_Explicit |
Water Level in Mumbai Lakes Crosses 55%; Check Latest Data Shared By BMC
The water stock in the seven lakes that supply drinking water to Mumbai is now at 55.18%. Check details here.
The water stock in the seven lakes that supply drinking water to Mumbai is now at 55.18%, the BMC said on Tuesday.
The seven reservoirs that supply water to Mumbai city are Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tulsi, Tansa, Vihar, Bhatsa, and Middle Vaitarna.
According to the data shared by the civic body on Twitter, the water level in Modak Sagar is 82.94%. Tulsi Lake started overflowing on July 20.
The water level in Tansa is at 94.27%, while the % of useful water in Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna is at 27.62% and 63.98% respectively.
Water Levels In Mumbai Lakes On July 25
ð° मà¥à¤à¤¬à¤à¤²à¤¾ पाणà¥à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤µà¤ ा à¤à¤°à¤£à¤¾à¤±à¥à¤¯à¤¾ ॠà¤à¤²à¤¾à¤¶à¤¯à¤¾à¤à¤à¤¾ à¤à¤ सà¤à¤¾à¤³à¥ ६ वाà¤à¥à¤ªà¤°à¥à¤¯à¤à¤¤à¤à¤¾ ठहवाल— माà¤à¥ Mumbai, à¤à¤ªà¤²à¥ BMC (@mybmc) July 25, 2023
ð° Report of water stock in the seven lakes, supplying water to Mumbai, till 6am today.#MumbaiRains #MyBMCUpdates pic.twitter.com/m2sZpInBvd
Meanwhile, as per the weather predictions - Mumbai city and the suburban areas are likely to receive to heavy rains on July 25.
Mumbai and neighboring areas have been put on Orange alert on July 25.
ðï¸à¥¨à¥«à¤à¥à¤²à¥ २०२३— माà¤à¥ Mumbai, à¤à¤ªà¤²à¥ BMC (@mybmc) July 25, 2023
âï¸â मà¥à¤à¤¬à¤ शहर à¤à¤£à¤¿ à¤à¤ªà¤¨à¤à¤°à¤¾à¤¤ मधà¥à¤¯à¤® तॠà¤à¥à¤°à¤¦à¤¾à¤° पावसाà¤à¥ शà¤à¥à¤¯à¤¤à¤¾ à¤à¤¹à¥.
ðà¤à¤°à¤¤à¥ -
ðसायà¤à¤à¤¾à¤³à¥ - ०४:३२ वाà¤à¤¤à¤¾ - ०३.à¥à¥¦ मà¥à¤à¤°
à¤à¤¹à¥à¤à¥ -
ð रातà¥à¤°à¥ - १०:५१ वाà¤à¤¤à¤¾ - ०१.४८ मà¥à¤à¤°
ðà¤à¤°à¤¤à¥ -
ð(à¤à¤¦à¥à¤¯à¤¾ - २५.०à¥.२०२३) पहाà¤à¥ - ०५:२५ वाà¤à¤¤à¤¾ - ०३.३१ मà¥à¤à¤°
à¤à¤¹à¥à¤à¥ -
âï¸(à¤à¤¦à¥à¤¯à¤¾ - २५.०à¥.२०२३)â¦
The average rainfall in Mumbai Metropolitan from 8 am on July 24 to 8 am on July 25 is as follows:
Mumbai City received an average rainfall of 30.81 mm
Eastern Suburbs of Mumbai received an average rainfall of 55.78 mm.
Western Suburbs of Mumbai received an average rainfall of 55.20 mm. | Not_Explicit |
Andor’s second season already found itself embroiled in the early days of the WGA strike, when series showrunner Tony Gilroy faced criticism due to alleged misunderstandings that he was continuing to work on the series in spite of the WGA strike’s demands of union members. Now, as Hollywood finds itself facing another, Andor is once again in the spotlight.
Deadline reports that production on the second season of the show, currently filming in England, has been paused “just weeks away” from a wrap on principal photography—but only for members of its cast that are members of the U.S. unions currently striking. Deadline further notes that the series will continue to shoot as much material as it can with local actors involved in the production, although just how feasible that is for what remains to be filmed remains to be seen. The UK’s equivalent to SAG-AFTRA, Equity, operates under different contracts, and members of the UK union have been warned that they can be sued for breach of contract should they strike in solidarity with their SAG-member crewmates.
Gilroy has, for his own part, used Andor’s recent press highlights in the wake of a raft of Emmy nominations for the critically acclaimed series to advocate for a swift end to both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and a fair deal for writers and actors alike.
“You have this massive community of creative people in all departments everywhere. They’ve spent their lives, and some of them are second and third generation, some of them are just brand new; whatever it is, they’ve all come there, and they’re all part of this thing,” Gilroy recently told Collider. “Sadly, we’re in the place right now where the unions are the people that are trying to preserve this industry, this amazing American industry that grew up this incredible system that we have.”
“And who’s trying to protect it? It’s left to the unions to try to protect this industry,” Gilroy concluded. “That sense of community, I think, is the thing that will drive a successful conclusion to all this labor trouble.”
Andor season 2 was anticipated to release some time in the summer of 2024, with Gilroy previously stating at Star Wars Celebration earlier this year that there was approximately a year of post-production planned after the conclusion of principal photography. With this stall, whether that timeframe remains accurate remains to be seen—but it’s just another example of an industry being force to reckon with the impact of the strikes in any way other than negotiating with the unions.
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 |
Swiss drug policy is shifting. Some pharmacies and social clubs in major cities are making cannabis available for recreational purposes under scientific pilot projects. There is even talk of extending such trials to cocaine.
That is welcome news for those who use cannabis for fun or to self-medicate. "As a conscious consumer, I want to be able to decide what kind of cannabis to use,” says E.S, a 40-year-old woman who has been using the substance since her teens, primarily to numb menstrual pain or to relax after a day of work. “Like a wine enthusiast, I want to discover the many varieties without depending on the black market.”
She is among 1,091 people in Switzerland who have signed up to participated in in the scientific pilot SCRIPT.External link The programme will make cannabis available for sale in pharmacies in the Swiss capital Bern, along with the cities of Lucerne and Biel/Bienne. The goal is to evaluate what impact a regulated, not-for-profit sale of cannabis coupled with advisory services may have on cannabis consumption. It is one of several pilot trials planned across Switzerland.
It took over ten years for the SCRIPT project to take off due to political and legal wrangling. The green light came in 2021, when the Federal Act on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances was amended by a regulation permitting their use in scientific studiesExternal link.
Reducing health and social risks
Professor Reto Auer, a doctor and researcher at the University of Bern, is coordinating the project team. This is, he explains, a randomised controlled trial (RCT), namely research in which the results of two comparable groups are contrasted. “The control group consists of people who will continue to obtain cannabis by buying it on the black market,” he explains.
The other group, meanwhile, will be able to buy the substance in pharmacies. Cannabis will be offered in the form of dried flowers (“grass”), resin (“hashish”), liquid for e-cigarettes or oil – all produced in Switzerland in accordance with organic farming regulations. E.S, who didn’t want to give her full name, is particularly concerned about the quality of the substance.
“It has become increasingly difficult to find ‘outdoor’ weed, that is, from plants grown in the open air,” she says. “Due to a prohibitionist policy, which I consider pointless, you must take what you find. These are often substances that are of poor quality, were grown intensively and are too strong.”
The main goal of SCRIPT is harm reduction, Auer stresses. “Cannabis users smoke it mixed with tobacco. And this, beyond the effects of the substance on the brain and psyche, represents the greatest danger to their health,” he says. The study includes a strong counselling component. In the pharmacies, the participants will receive information and advice on alternative ways of taking cannabis.
The trial, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, is expected to collect a large amount of data thanks to laboratory tests and questionnaires completed by the participants. “We want to get information on the social aspects of consumption – because, ultimately, the question of what place drugs should have in society is one of ethics rather than science,” Auer says.
Innovative Swiss cities
In the space of a few months, similar projects have been launched in several Swiss cities. In the northwestern city of Basel, distribution began in January and will continue until mid-2025. In financial hub Zurich, the “Zuri Can – Cannabis with Responsibility” project starts in August. This trial will compare three supply points: pharmacies, social clubs and drug counselling services. In Geneva, a pilot project run by the association ChanGEExternal link will test the model of “cannabinotheque”, a venue providing regulated cannabis access to members for personal use.
The French-speaking city of Lausanne also has its pilot trial, Cann-LExternal link. The aim is to assess the “feasibility and impact of the sale of cannabis on a non-profit basis.” The foundation Addiction Switzerland is a partner in the project. Its deputy director, Frank Zobel, calls for a pragmatic approach on the issue.
“Regulation of cannabis is coming – there is a real wave in many countries around the world,” he says. “Some places, like California and Colorado, have chosen a commercial model. We believe, however, that this model, which is the one used for tobacco and alcohol, could prove dangerous. We think that a scheme where no one makes a profit is more appropriate, where those running it can decide what products to offer and train the sales staff properly. We’ve opted for ideas that put the protection of public health at the centre.”
The global wave and the Swiss case
The list of countries that have decided to regulate cannabis consumption is steadily growing. Uruguay was the pioneer greenlighting cannabis for recreational purposes, followed by Canada and 23 American states. In 2022, Thailand, whose drug legislation has always been among the strictest on the planet, removed it from its banned narcotics list.
In Europe, the first country to decriminalise its consumption was Portugal, although in recent years Malta has stood out. Like Spain, it has adopted the “Cannabis Social Club” model of meeting places for members only. Each club must also grow its own marijuana, according to the requirements laid down by the Maltese government. Assessment procedures and pilot projects are also underway in many other European countries, such as LuxembourExternal linkgExternal link and the Czech Republic. Germany recently went so far as to legalise the possession of up to 25 grammes per personExternal link.
Under Swiss law today, only hemp with less than 1% tetrahydrocanabinol (THC) – the main psychoactive constituent – may be sold or purchased. But anyone found in possession of less than 10 grammes of hashish or weed is only liable to a CHF100 ($112) fine. A legislative vacuum in the early 2000s led to an explosion of hemp production, including extensive plantations, in several cantons, and dedicated shops selling hemp seedlings and cannabis sachets ready for consumption even sprung up in some Swiss cities.
A lot has changed since then, including at the judicial level. In 2019, the Federal External linkCourt passed a landmark ruling that people with drug dependencies can be considered ill and can therefore access disability insurance benefits. The Swiss people last voted on cannabis in 2008, when an initiative to decriminalise consumption was rejected with 63% of the votes.
Public opinion has also shifted. In a survey by the Federal Office of Public Health in 2021, two-thirds of the respondents were in favour of legalisation, albeit accompanied by preventive measures.
Now up to the politicians
Over the years, dozens of parliamentary motions have been submitted on the issue. Today, the question is going through a crucial stage with the deliberations of the “hemp regulation” sub-committeeExternal link. This group of members of the House of Representatives is working to turn into law the initiative ”On regulating the cannabis market to better protect young people and consumersExternal link”, which was tabled by parliamentarian Heinz Siegenthaler of the Centre party and approved by both houses.
In 2021 the Swiss government itself concluded, in its Perspectives on dug policy up to 2030External link, that “the social and health costs of substance use are highest with strict prohibition”. So the executive is also reflecting on the need to regulate the issue. With these stances, the Swiss Federal Council and parliament are once more falling into line with a global trend of legalisation.
Controlled distribution of cocaine
In early June, Bern’s city parliament went even further. It overwhelmingly approving a motion from the Alternative Left partyExternal link calling on the city to conduct a scientific pilot trial of controlled cocaine sales.
According to the party, current policy leads to a clampdown on “small fry” – that is, the people who use it and those who sell it to them – while large-scale traffickers get off scot-free. Bern’s vote is intended to send a signal to the government and to other cities to consider the idea.
Zobel, of Addiction Switzerland, is also concerned about the need to manage the cocaine market. Swiss cities are among those on the continent where consumption is highestExternal link. “A lot of it circulates throughout Europe. The costs are low, the purity is high: it’s a thriving market. And there are people who consume a lot of it.”
The idea of regulating cocaine, as suggested by the Bern city parliament, merits consideration in his view. “Our position is that it is an excellent question, to which we do not yet have an answer,” says Zobel. “There definitely is a problem and something has to be done. We must think it through carefully, as we did with the heroin question many years ago.”
Translated from Italian by Julia Bassam/ds
In compliance with the JTI standards | Not_Explicit |
Russian exiled leader: Post-Putin era may be ‘months’ away
- Quick Read
- Deep Read ( 4 Min. )
| WASHINGTON
Ilya Ponomarev’s life changed forever in March 2014, when he became the sole member of the 446-member Duma – Russia’s lower house of parliament – to vote “no” on the annexation of Crimea.
Russia’s takeover of the strategically significant peninsula, we now know, was just the opening act for President Vladimir Putin’s eventual invasion of Ukraine.
Why We Wrote This
Now living in exile in Kyiv, Ilya Ponomarev expressed gratitude for U.S. weapons and other aid to Ukraine. But he told reporters at a Monitor coffee that “regime change” is a cause for Russians alone.
Today, Mr. Ponomarev is fighting for Ukrainian independence in exile. In the opening days of the war, he fought at the front. He’s also a founder of something called the Congress of People’s Deputies – a kind of Russian parliament-in-exile composed of opposition leaders and former Duma members.
The point is to prepare for a post-Putin Russia, Mr. Ponomarev told reporters Wednesday over coffee at the Monitor’s Washington bureau.
He understands the sensitivities around any discussion in Washington about “regime change” in Russia. But he suggests the United States needs to be less reactive in its approach to the war. The weapons supplies to Ukraine are “fantastic,” he says. But “what’s the endgame? This is something that we want to encourage people to think about.”
The post-Putin era, he adds, may come sooner than many people think. “We are not years away. We are months away,” he asserts.
Ilya Ponomarev’s life changed forever in March 2014, when he became the sole member of the 446-member Duma – Russia’s lower house of parliament – to vote “no” on the annexation of Crimea.
Russia’s takeover of the strategically significant peninsula from Ukraine, we now know, was just the opening act in President Vladimir Putin’s eventual full-blown invasion of Ukraine.
Today, Mr. Ponomarev, now in his late 40s and a Ukrainian citizen living in exile in Kyiv, is still fighting for Ukrainian independence. In the opening days of the war, he fought at the front, and he says he’s “still under active contract with the Ukrainian military.” He started an online TV channel operating from Kyiv that aims to counter Russian propaganda.
Why We Wrote This
Now living in exile in Kyiv, Ilya Ponomarev expressed gratitude for U.S. weapons and other aid to Ukraine. But he told reporters at a Monitor coffee that “regime change” is a cause for Russians alone.
Mr. Ponomarev was also a key founder of something called the Congress of People’s Deputies – a kind of Russian parliament-in-exile composed of opposition leaders and other former Duma members. The 93-member body held its first meeting last November outside Warsaw.
The point is to prepare for a post-Putin Russia, and reform the federal government into a decentralized parliamentary democracy, Mr. Ponomarev told reporters Wednesday over coffee at the Monitor’s Washington bureau.
First question: Why is he in Washington?
“We’re trying right now, firstly, to establish a formal relationship between the congress and the different parliaments of the world. So we’re talking to members of Congress about this,” Mr. Ponomarev says, though when pressed, he won’t name names.
“It’s moving slowly, but still moving. And also, what we want very much to encourage people in Washington to do is to start a discussion about the postwar future of Europe, Russia, in general, how the war would end,” he says.
Mr. Ponomarev, who says he’s “no novice in this city,” is aware of the deep sensitivities around any discussion in Washington about “regime change” in Russia. People here are “extremely reluctant” to discuss this, he says, describing the Biden administration as “extremely cautious.”
In fact, he adds, “I don’t want any other countries to be involved in the regime change. I want this to be the cause for Russians to do.”
Still, he suggests the United States needs to be a bit less reactive in its approach to the war. The weapons supplies to Ukraine are “fantastic,” he says, expressing deep gratitude. “But at the same time, what’s the endgame? This is something that we want to encourage people to think about.”
Mr. Ponomarev, a onetime tech entrepreneur from the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, also asserts that the post-Putin era may come sooner than many people think.
“Being inside Ukraine, I see a lot of signs that it’s a feasible option this year,” he says.
To the assembled reporters, this seems rather optimistic, given that Ukraine’s monthlong counteroffensive has only made incremental gains. Mr. Ponomarev acknowledges that his assertion might seem self-serving.
“Obviously there’s a certain political part of that statement,” he says. “We need to inspire people. We need to say that yes, it will happen tomorrow. But really, we are not years away. We are months away. Maybe it would be the end of this year, maybe it would be the beginning of next year, but I’m absolutely convinced that it would not be like 2025 or later.”
Mr. Ponomarev points to “Ukrainians entering Crimea” – which he clarifies to mean retaking control – as the sign that Mr. Putin is finished. “I will say [there’s] like 80% certainty in my mind that Ukraine would enter Crimea this year. And 80% certainty that if Ukraine is in Crimea, that political changes from Russia will start.”
“Crimea is what this war started from, it has sacred meaning,” Mr. Ponomarev says.
Following are more excerpts from our discussion, lightly edited for clarity:
The recent mutiny by Russian paramilitary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin gave the world a very different view of Mr. Putin. He’s no longer seen as the leader in iron-clad control. What does this tell us?
Putin is fundamentally changing his strategy of how he wants to be seen in the West. In the past, he wanted to be seen as the great macho guy, the alpha male. ... But right now, I think he wants to be seen as weak. He wants to be seen as a vulnerable person because he perfectly realizes that the main fear in [Washington] is that if he falls, it would be chaos – civil war, nuclear arms, Russia collapses.
He’s playing on this distinction between Ukraine not losing or Ukraine winning. ... And a significant part of the American establishment wants something like [the war] to be just settled down, we’ll return to business as usual, because the downside of Russia being defeated could be more dangerous than Putin winning in Ukraine.
You were critical of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution because you said it was dominated by nationalist and neoliberal forces. Part of Mr. Putin’s justification for this war is that Ukrainians are dangerous right-wing nationalists, and many Ukrainians are very sensitive about this characterization. How significant is this nationalist presence in Ukraine today, and how big a threat do you consider it to be?
I was never critical of the revolution. To me, I was stating the obvious, that it was dominated by right-wing forces, nationalist forces. ... [Today] at the front, those people are the core of the resistance. They are the most devoted patriots, and there is a major shift in the position of the society towards this pretty radical nationalist position. Emotionally, it’s fully understandable. Do I think it would be sustainable, [that] there would be some radical nationalist coming to power? No, I don’t think so. In 2014 parliamentary elections, pretty much all the radical nationalist movements failed. In general, it’s the lack of the left that is the problem.
Why do you believe Ukraine will retake Crimea? The counteroffensive is going very slowly.
We will make this offensive successful because just simply the Ukrainian army is way better organized. ... It has the spirit, and the Russian army just simply doesn’t know what it’s fighting for. Just be patient; everything will happen.
You are meeting with parliamentarians around the world as you seek to build support for a democratic parliamentary government in Russia. Are you meeting with members of Congress [in Washington]?
Congress, that is [who] is meeting with us without hiding. The executive office right now is very shy of announcing this. We are planning most likely in the fall a large event on the Hill, but let them speak first.
Are you heading back to Kyiv next?
Firstly, I go to Japan. They have a lot of interest. What our congress is doing generates a lot of interest there. | Not_Explicit |
PARIS -- Neighborhoods in northeast Paris have struggled for years with the scourge of crack cocaine and its use in public. The Summer Olympics, kicking off a year from Wednesday, are offering an impetus to tackle the problem.
Yet despite a surge in arrests and new promises of tougher security around the 2024 Paris Games, some residents question whether the newfound focus is just pushing users elsewhere instead of treating medical and mental health problems, a lack of housing and jobs and other deeper ills at the root of the crack crisis.
Residents in the 18th and 19th arrondissements, or districts, of the French capital have long complained about the open-air crack use in their neighborhoods that stands in sharp contrast to the postcard-perfect tourist areas of Paris farther south.
Small groups of people could be seen using illicit drugs on Sunday at the Porte de la Chapelle metro station and tram stop, located across the street from a new multi-purpose arena that is slated to host badminton and rhythmic gymnastics during the 2024 Olympics. Similar scenes play out along local quays and public parks.
Police cleared out a large encampment of drug users last year at Forceval Square, just outside a huge park that hosts the Paris Philharmonic and other cultural spaces. Since then, police have made an all-out effort to prevent more from gathering, deploying up to 600 officers a day in the northeastern part of the city alone.
Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez promised after taking his job in 2022 to eradicate crack from the streets before the Olympics. On Thursday, declared the efforts a success.
Police have arrested 255 people for selling crack cocaine in Paris so far this year, Nuñez said, compared to 285 in all of 2022. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said an average of two people a day were brought to justice on charges related both to the consumption and selling of crack this year.
While local residents welcome the attention to the problem, some say the number of users hasn't necessarily diminished, but instead been dispersed.
“If the chief of police congratulates himself today, it is because there have been no new camps,” said Frédéric Francelle, the spokesperson of Collectif19, an association of 19th-arrondissement residents calling for an end to drug use in the streets. “But there are still places where consumption is done in the open.”
Francelle said that while the city’s current focus appears to be security, drug users need medical and social help.
“We doubt that they’re really trying to treat them by the time the Olympics start,” Francelle said. “They’ll just pressure them to go somewhere else. They will try to move them to the provinces or the suburbs.”
Last month, a treatment center across the street from the new Olympic arena was moved a few blocks away. It is run by two community associations, Gaïa-Paris and Aurore.
Workers at the center say the number of visitors jumped 30% after the Forceval Square site was cleared but has dropped again, to around 150 people per day.
Local authorities have asked the associations to hire more people, open earlier and close later, according to Gaïa-Paris deputy director Victor Deprez.
“The idea is to broaden our capacities,” Deprez said. “In a way, their request is that these people are not visible in the streets during the day.”
Efforts also are underway to increase the number of hospital beds for crack users in the Paris region, up from the 39 at five sites currently to 50 by September, said Amélie Verdier, chief of the Paris region state health agency. She could not provide an estimate of the number of crack users in Paris today, though past estimates ran into several thousand.
Police chief Nunez said the law enforcement presence around the new arena and other places in the city will be increased “by five or 10 times” during the Olympics.
The arena is among only a few venues being built from scratch for the Paris Olympics, all in underprivileged, multi-ethnic neighborhoods to give the areas an economic boost. The facilities will also be used at the Paralympics before being handed over to local clubs and schools.
“The Olympics are an opportunity to ask ourselves questions about the people who remain in the street,” Jamel Lazic, who oversees drug consumption rooms at Gaïa-Paris that are intended the reduce the harm to addicts and prepare them for treatment. “Maybe it will be an opportunity to try to deal with the problem and to open up large-scale facilities that can accommodate these people and have a better strategy. Why not?”
___
Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
___
More AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games | Not_Explicit |
Patrick Harvie is set to penalise owners of fossil fuel boilers in a shake-up of energy efficiency standards under a “massive transition” to how people heat their homes.
The Greens minister has insisted that millions of homes will need to clean up heating systems “at a pace and scale that is consistent with Scotland’s legal climate targets”.
Scotland has pledged to cut 1990 levels of carbon emissions by 75% in just seven years’ time, while the nation has a legal net zero target of 2045, five years ahead of the UK.
One of the biggest challenges is replacing fossil fuel gas boilers in homes with climate-friendly heating-systems such as heat pumps, with Mr Harvie previously admitting the costs could total £33bn.
From 2025, certain trigger points such as the sale of a home, will mean properties will need to meet EPC band C energy efficiency standards, while new fossil fuel boilers will be banned in new buildings from next April.
Ahead of the shake-up, Mr Harvie is set to reform EPC standards so they are more appropriate for driving the improvements needed to reach net zero.
It is understood that this could include taking account of the type of heating system, raising the possibility of those with an old fossil fuel boilers receiving a lower rating than those who have installed a heat pump.
Currently, EPC ratings take account of how costly it is to heat a home, but the reforms could also include the fabric efficiency and the type of heating.
Statutory advisers, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), wrote to Mr Harvie in February, calling for an overhaul of the EPC system.
The body warned that domestic EPCs should be clearer and focus on four metrics – energy use intensity, fabric, heating system type and cost of heating.
Writing exclusively for the Herald on Sunday, the zero carbon buildings minister said his government wants “all homes to reach new energy efficiency standards by no later than 2033”.
He said: “Improved energy efficiency is essential but nowhere near enough.
“We can’t insulate our way to zero carbon buildings.
“To do that we need to change the way we heat homes.
“To meet our 2030 targets alone, more than one million Scottish homes will need to change to a climate-friendly heating system: a massive transition – as big as the shift from coal to gas last century, but in a shorter timescale.”
The Scottish Government has introduced rules that mean from next April, newly-built homes and other buildings coming forward for a building warrant will need to have a green heating system installed.
Mr Harvie said: “Scotland’s construction industry is building the future we need right now.
“But, of course, the biggest challenge we face is bringing existing properties – 2.5 million homes, 100,000 other buildings – from fossil fuel heating to climate-friendly heating.”
The Greens co-leader said that “for most people”, the transition will mean “either a very energy-efficient heat pump or another modern form of electric heating”.
He added: “For some households, it will mean drawing on a heat network – systems of pipes used to transfer heat from one central source to nearby homes, schools or offices.
“My job is to support that kind of shift at a pace and scale that is consistent with Scotland’s legal climate targets.”
Mr Harvie has stressed that “in every country making this transition, regulation is needed to steer choices about energy use and heating systems”.
He said: “Scotland is no different.
“It’s what our manufacturers and installers need as well, with the prospect of thousands of skilled, secure jobs for decades ahead.”
The minister has insisted that “we are not asking households to make this transition by themselves”, amid concerns over costs.
He said: “The package of support provided by the Scottish Government is already the most generous in the UK.
“We updated the Home Energy Scotland scheme last December and we will be launching a new warmer homes Scotland scheme in the Autumn.
“We have provided specific funds for public buildings, heat networks and social landlords and I am excited by some of the plans I see coming forward.”
Hr Harvie has previously stressed that around £33bn will be needed for Scotland’s buildings to install heating systems that meet net zero targets, the bulk set to come from the private sector.
His Greens co-leader and fellow government minister, Lorna Slater is drawing up an investment plan to lever in “responsible private finance” to plug a £20bn funding gap for nature.
The Herald revealed that former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was lobbying the City of London for investment to reach climate targets.
The Scottish Government is expected to publish the interim report from the green heat finance taskforce, a technical group set up to look at potential ways to fund the transition to net zero.
Mr Harvie has warned “the challenge is daunting but the prize is huge”.
He added: “Not just in making sure that Scotland meets the climate emergency head-on but in securing our energy future; providing the jobs and skills we need and making us all less vulnerable to volatile fossil fuel prices.
“We can’t do it entirely alone and the UK’s Climate Change Committee has highlighted that the UK Government must equally to rise to the challenge.
“But I am confident that Scotland has the ambition and the will to make it happen.”
In his letter to Mr Harvie in February, the outgoing chairman of the CCC, Lord Deben, warned that the present EPC ratings are “not fit for purpose”, adding that they “do not provide the clear information people need to understand the energy efficiency of their homes”.
Lord Deben and the CCC has suggested reformed EPCs to include six ranked categories for the type of heating system.
He said this would provide people “with a clear hierarchy of heating system types, giving clarity on the merits of different heating technologies”.
Scottish Conservative shadow net zero, energy and transport secretary Douglas Lumsden, said: “Patrick Harvie’s plans will be deeply concerning for homeowners reliant on gas boilers.
“The Green minister is typically acting like he knows best by ploughing ahead with these plans. This is hugely naïve considering he has put in a pitiful amount of the funding required to support homeowners to replace gas boilers.
“Penalising them during a cost-of-living crisis is simply unacceptable. While we all want to see a just transition, policies must be fair and measured.
“Patrick Harvie must be fully upfront about what his plans to overhaul these ratings will mean for homeowners in reality.” | Not_Explicit |
DALLAS — As the Taliban swept back into power in Afghanistan, in the summer of 2021, Fahima Sultani and her fellow university students tried for days to get into the Kabul airport, only to be turned away by gun-wielding extremists.
"No education, just go back home," she recalled one shouting.
Nearly two years later, Sultani, now 21, is safely in the U.S. and working toward her bachelor's degree in data science at Arizona State University in Tempe on a scholarship. When she's not studying, she likes to hike up nearby Tempe Butte, the kind of outing she enjoyed in her mountainous homeland.
Seeing students like Sultani rush to leave in August 2021 as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years, colleges, universities and other groups across the U.S. started piecing together the funding for hundreds of scholarships so they could continue their educations outside of their home country.
Women of Sultani's generation, born around the time the U.S. ousted the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, grew up attending school and watching as women pursued careers. The Taliban's return upended those freedoms.
"Within minutes of the collapse of the government in Kabul, U.S. universities said, 'We'll take one;' 'We'll take three;' 'We'll take a professor;' 'We'll take a student,'" said Allan Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education, a global not-for-profit that helps fund such scholarships.
The fears leading the students to quickly board flights were soon justified as the Taliban ushered in a harsh Islamic rule: Girls cannot attend school beyond the sixth grade and women, once again required to wear burqas, have been banned from universities and are restricted from most employment.
Sultani is one of more than 60 Afghan women who arrived at ASU by December 2021 after fleeing Afghanistan, where she had been studying online through Asian University for Women in Bangladesh during the pandemic.
"These women came out of a crisis, a traumatic experience, boarded a plane not knowing where they were going, ended up in the U.S.," said Susan Edgington, executive director and head of operations of ASU's Global Academic Initiatives.
After making their way to universities and colleges across the U.S. over the last two years, many are nearing graduation and planning their futures.
Mashal Aziz, 22, was a few months from graduating from American University of Afghanistan when Kabul fell and she boarded a plane. After leaving, she scoured the internet, researching which schools were offering scholarships and what organizations might be able to help.
"You've already left everything and you are thinking maybe there are barriers for your higher education," she said.
Aziz and three other Afghan students arrived at Northeastern University in Boston in January 2022 after first being taken to Qatar and then a military base in New Jersey. She graduated this spring with a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting management and plans to start work on her master's degree in finance this fall at Northeastern.
Just two days after the fall of Kabul, the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma announced it had created two scholarships for Afghans seeking refuge in the U.S. Later, the university created five more scholarships that went to some of the young Afghans who had settled in the area. Five more Afghans have received scholarships to study there this fall.
Danielle Macdonald, an associate anthropology professor at the school, has organized a regular meetup between TU students and college-aged Afghans who have settled in the Tulsa area.
Around two dozen young people attend the events, where they've talked about everything from U.S. slang to how to find a job. Their outings have included visiting a museum and going to a basketball game, Macdonald said.
"It's become a really lovely community," she said.
Sultani, like many others who left Afghanistan, often thinks about those who remained behind, including her sister, who had been studying at a university, but now must stay home.
"I can go to universities while millions of girls back in Afghanistan, they do not have this opportunity that I have," Sultani said. "I can dress the way I want and millions of girls now in Afghanistan, they do not have this opportunity."
Since the initial flurry of scholarships, efforts to assist Afghan students have continued, including the creation of the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project, which has helped fund 250 scholarships at dozens of U.S. colleges and universities.
But there are still more young people in need of support to continue their educations in the U.S. or even reach the U.S. from Afghanistan or other countries, explained Jonah Kokodyniak, a senior vice president at the Institute of International Education.
Yasamin Sohrabi, 26, is among those still trying to find a way to the U.S. Sohrabi, who had been studying at American University of Afghanistan, realized as the withdrawal of U.S. forces neared that she might need to go overseas to continue her studies. The day after the Taliban took Kabul, she learned of her admission to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, but wasn't able to get into the airport to leave Afghanistan.
A year later, she and her younger sister, who has also been accepted at the university, got visas to Pakistan. Now they are trying to find a way to get into the U.S. Their brother, who accompanied them to Pakistan, is applying to the school as well.
Sohrabi said she and her siblings try not to focus on what they have lost, but instead on how to get to WKU, where 20 other Afghans will be studying this fall.
"That's one of the things in these days we think about," she said. "It keeps us going." | Not_Explicit |
Aston Villa have signed France winger Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen.
Villa have not disclosed the fee or length of contract for the 24-year-old but it has been reported that the deal is worth 60m euros (£51.9m).
Villa's previous club record was £33m for Argentina midfielder Emiliano Buendia from Norwich in June 2021.
"I will always look back happily and gratefully on my time in Leverkusen," said Diaby. "Now I want to take the next step, start a new chapter."
Diaby joined Leverkusen from Paris St-Germain in 2019 and went on to register 49 goals and 48 assists from 173 games for the German Bundesliga club.
He has 10 caps for France after making his international debut in 2021 and is Villa's third summer signing after Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans from relegated Leicester City and Spain centre-back Pau Torres from Villarreal.
"Here [at Leverkusen], as a very young player, I received so much trust and playing time that I was ultimately able to become who I am today," Diaby added.
"It might not have been possible so quickly without Bayer 04 and all the team-mates and employees who have always supported me."
More to follow.
- Our coverage of Villa is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
- Everything Villa - go straight to all the best content | Not_Explicit |
Spain vs. Zambia live updates: Women's World Cup 2023 top plays
Spain — a unanimous favorite to make it out of the group — is led by two-time two Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso. Putellas will make her first start of the tournament as La Roja aims to build on last week's 3-0 victory over Costa Rica.
On the other side, Zambia is one of the eight debutantes in this year's tournament and is aiming for a bounce-back performance after falling to other group favorite Japan, 5-0, in last week's opener. The Copper Queens are headlined by star forwards Barbra Banda (captain), Grace Chanda and Racheal Kundananji.
Follow our live coverage below!
9': Goal
Spain was first on the board with a goal from Teresa Abilleira.
PREGAME
Setting the stage
The "World Cup NOW" crew previewed the match live on Twitter ahead of kickoff.
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Alexi Lalas' Women's World Cup power rankings: Spain No. 1, USWNT out of top 3
2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
Carli Lloyd explains 'art of finishing,' where USWNT can improve
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United States vs. Netherlands: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT match 2
Why USWNT believes Rose Lavelle is primed for World Cup encore
2023 Women's World Cup odds: Unders continue to hit — will market Over-correct?
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New Zealand-Philippines, Switzerland-Norway predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
Women's World Cup Daily: Germany, Brazil put on scoring clinics
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Alexi Lalas' Women's World Cup power rankings: Spain No. 1, USWNT out of top 3
2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
Carli Lloyd explains 'art of finishing,' where USWNT can improve
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United States vs. Netherlands: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT match 2
Why USWNT believes Rose Lavelle is primed for World Cup encore
2023 Women's World Cup odds: Unders continue to hit — will market Over-correct?
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New Zealand-Philippines, Switzerland-Norway predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
Women's World Cup Daily: Germany, Brazil put on scoring clinics | Not_Explicit |
What should China do to revive its economy?
There are a couple of aces that the government hasn't yet played.
OK, I know I said that the previous post in my China’s Economy in 2023 series would be the last one, but I just can’t resist writing one more. In the earlier posts I talked mainly about structural long-term issues, but I really should write something about the macroeconomic situation.
Everyone is talking about China’s economic slowdown. China’s headline growth for the second quarter is being reported at 6.3%, which sounds really fast, and which the country’s boosters have been trumpeting as a sign that China Is Back. But economics writers aren’t being fooled; they know this is a year-on-year figure, and represents a comparison with the darkest days of Zero Covid. In fact, China’s quarterly growth rate was 0.8%, which represents a 3.2% annualized rate of growth:
3.2% isn’t that bad; it certainly isn’t a recession. The question is whether or not even that modest number reflects reality. We have plenty of evidence that China smooths its growth numbers over time; when the economy is slowing down, “smoothing” just means “overstating”. And of course China has become a lot more cagey and secretive about its economic statistics in the last couple of years, and its leaders want to avoid the perception of economic weakness, so there’s a high likelihood that the real growth number is significantly worse than 3.2%.
Other numbers generally corroborate that story. China’s youth unemployment has risen from 11% or so before the pandemic to over 20% now, exports and imports are both falling, and the country appears to be heading for deflation if it isn’t there already:
The reason for this downturn — whether or not you want to call it a “recession” — is clear to pretty much everyone. It’s the real estate sector, which has been China’s biggest economic engine since at least 2008, and which has now mostly ground to a halt after a bunch of developers blew up.
Whether this is a bad thing for the rest of the world isn’t yet clear. On one hand, China used to be the largest contributor to global economic growth, and at least until recently was expected to be this in the 2020s as well. On the other hand, a collapse in Chinese demand for imported commodities has helped lower inflation around the world, and the diversion of international investment from China to other countries could give them a boost.
But either way, China’s policymakers will certainly be looking for ways out of this downturn. So far, the main ideas being suggested are basically the tools the U.S. used to fight its own housing-driven crash in 2008: fiscal stimulus and a central government bailout of bad debts.
Stimulus and bailouts
The economist Richard Koo was one of the intellectual heroes of the Great Recession. Having carefully watched Japan’s bubble bust and “lost decade” in the 1990s, he came up with the idea of the “balance sheet recession”. This is the idea that when a recession follows a big borrowing binge, households and/or companies stop borrowing and start trying to “rebuild” their balance sheets. Of course if everyone tries to save money all at once, it means people stop consuming and companies stop investing. That exacerbates the recession.
Koo’s analysis isn’t very different from traditional Keynesian economics, but it assumes a specific type of what Keynes called “animal spirits”. Basically, it’s the idea that when the economy gets weaker, people are more sensitive to debt. Maybe when it’s 2006 and everyone is seeing their house prices go way up, you don’t mind having a bunch of debt because you expect price appreciation to pay it off for you, or maybe you’re just having so much fun you’re not really paying attention to the “liabilities” side of the ledger. But when it’s 2010 and your house is underwater, maybe you go into financially-conservative mode and decide that you had better pinch every penny you can. There are lots of reasons people could behave like this — extrapolative expectations, limited attention, time-varying credit constraints, or various other reasons. But the evidence generally favors the idea that downturns with a bunch of debt are deeper and last longer.
And the basic policy recommendation is the same: to fight a recession, make people and companies feel financially healthy again. This means either bailouts and/or fiscal stimulus — either have the central government explicitly take on the debts of various other actors in the economy, or have it spend a bunch of money that people can use to pay down their own debts.
(Note: This is a little different than standard Keynesianism, which recommends fiscal stimulus as a way to jump-start spending activity via multiplier effects. In Koo’s modified version, stimulus helps even if the multiplier is low; even if people just save their government checks instead of spending them, that will help repair their balance sheets and eventually make them more confident about spending more.)
[T]he private sector themselves cannot change their behavior -- after all, they're doing the right things: trying to repair their balance sheets -- then the government has to come in and borrow and put that money back into the income stream, which means fiscal stimulus is absolutely essential once you're in balance sheet recession.
Now, the basic macroeconomic argument for stimulus looks pretty strong. Rising youth unemployment and deflation both suggest a lack of aggregate demand, which is the typical Keynesian reason for stimulus. Chinese households have boosted their savings rates in recent years, suggesting a Keynesian “paradox of thrift” is going on. And China’s high amount of private-sector debt — substantially higher as a share of GDP than either the U.S. or the Eurozone — suggests that the central government could afford to assume some of this debt.
China certainly has the fiscal “space” to do massive stimulus and/or bailouts. Its central government debt to GDP ratio is only around 80% of GDP — about where Japan’s was at the start of its lost decade, and much lower than where the U.S., Japan, or most of Europe are today:
But a couple points here. First, China is a very low-tax country. Taxes were less than 20% of GDP in 2022, compared to about 33% in Japan and 27% in the U.S. And that number has gone down in recent years:
If China’s central government does stimulus, it will either have to raise taxes or accept a very large, very rapid runup in government debt. Raising taxes could be politically quite difficult, and there’s also eventually some limit to how much debt the central government can take on before economic problems start emerging. So these will hamper China’s attempts to do big sustained stimulus. This probably explains the general skepticism about whether China will take this route.
Next, it’s far from clear that stimulus will make China avoid Japan’s fate. Koo writes:
And so my guess is that Chinese government will put in the fiscal stimulus, which they're actually quite good at, and that will keep the recession from turning into a depression or something. So that's the key difference between the Japanese situation 30 years ago and what the Chinese may be faced with today…
But if you look at the chart above, you can see that starting in 1993, Japan started to run very large and very sustained fiscal deficits. And in fact those deficits are probably one reason why Japan avoided a large increase in unemployment during its “lost decade”. Japan’s stimulus was macroeconomically successful. It just didn’t stop Japan from becoming “Japanified”. So I’m not sure we should expect even a large Chinese stimulus to achieve significantly better results.
Some people argue that because Chinese property prices aren’t actually plummeting — as Japanese commercial real estate prices did in the early 90s — that China can avoid Japan’s fate. And maybe that’s true — if credit constraints are the reason for balance sheet recessions, then maybe having real estate that’s still worth a lot on paper can help avoid the economic harms of a debt hangover.
But I have my doubts. At this point, Chinese people no longer think of real estate as an asset that always goes up in price. Even if prices don’t plummet, the extrapolative expectations are gone; most people know that the only way to avoid selling their houses at a big loss will be not to sell at all. And if you can’t sell an asset for cash, what’s it really worth?
Japan comparisons aside, there’s the question of what China would actually spend stimulus money on. Koo suggests that China’s government spend money on completing the uncompleted houses that have made lots of people so mad:
I would recommend Chinese government to go in there and help those construction companies so that all the promised construction will be actually completed. I think that will be the most effective way to spend fiscal stimulus, fiscal money.
This might be a good idea, but it would be pretty small potatoes. China was estimated in 2022 to have up to 225 million square meters of unfinished homes (though some of that has probably since been completed or scrapped). That sounds like a lot, until you realize that it’s only 15% of Chinese housing construction in 2021, and less than 7% of the total number of unsold homes China already has sitting on the market.
There are also several big problems with the general idea of using stimulus to prop up the real estate industry. This is what China did again and again throughout the late 2000s and 2010s; when Koo says China’s government is “actually quite good at” stimulus, this is what he’s talking about. But those years of real-estate-focused stimulus came with major costs — in particular, a massively bloated real estate sector and slower productivity growth.
So trying to go back to that well once again might cement China in the dread middle-income trap.
Second, China’s ability to use real estate as stimulus was predicated on the expectation that prices would always go up, which created ever-greater demand for the new apartments that were being pumped out. That’s probably gone now; China has reached developed-world levels of floor space per person, and Chinese people have now spent a couple years watching prices drift downward. So the extrapolative expectations that motivated whole families — eight grandparents, two parents, and a young couple — to pool their life’s savings to buy a single urban apartment have probably been destroyed.
In other words, having the central government borrow a large percentage of GDP and hurl it at the housing market will probably not be a very effectual form of stimulus.
The other big suggestion I’ve seen is to have the central government use stimulus money to bail out local governments, which ran up a ton of real-estate-related debt. I don’t see the point of that. China’s local governments have a lot of debt because they don’t do property taxation, so bailing them out will not allow them to start spending more, now that land sales revenues have dried up. Instead, China’s government can (and probably will) take over some of the day-to-day funding of local governments, though this will require raising income taxes or sales taxes or some such.
Instead, what China should do is just have the central government cut a bunch of checks to Chinese households. If they went out and spent the money, good — that would deal with the aggregate demand problem. And if they used the money to pay down their debts, also good — that would help deal with the balance-sheet problem.
I’m not sure whether China’s government feels comfortable dropping money out of a helicopter, but it seems like the best way to give their economy a short-term boost.
But there’s one more big thing I think China can and should do.
Might as well build a world-class health care system
Some people argue against using a short-term macroeconomic crisis as a reason to undertake needed long-term structural reforms. I don’t see the point of that argument. If there are reforms you need to make anyway, and if they involve spending more government money, then a recession seems like a perfect time to do them.
In China’s case, the reform it needs is a world-class health government-funded health care system. China still spends very little of its GDP on health care compared to advanced economies:
Although China nominally has universal health coverage, it’s actually pretty patchwork and subpar:
Since 2016, the two main [Chinese health insurance] programs covering 95% of population are voluntary, residency-based, basic medical insurance; and mandatory employment-based program for urban residents with formal-sector jobs…Although China has universal coverage, it has a very entrepreneurial, unregulated healthcare system which led to some gaps in the system…
The health system is conflicted between stressing quality of care or spreading the scarce medical resources as widely as possible. As evaluated on a per capita basis, China’s health facilities remain unevenly distributed. Only about half of the country’s medical and health personnel work in rural areas, where approximately three-fifths of the population resides. The severest limitation on the availability of health services, however, appears to be an absolute lack of resources, rather than discrimination in access on the basis of the ability of individuals to pay. An extensive system of paramedical care has been fostered as the major medical resource available to most of the rural population, but the care has been of uneven quality.
Basically, China’s health care system isn’t great because they just don’t spend very much. Well, time to spend more. A massive program of government spending on health care would work as fiscal stimulus even as it also fixed one of the most glaring holes in the Chinese economic model.
It would also deal with that pesky youth unemployment problem. Health care is one of the most labor-intensive industries, so in terms of providing jobs for youngsters, it makes a good replacement for the anemic real estate industry.
It’s also something China is just going to have to do anyway. A huge cohort of Chinese people in their 50s is about to enter old age:
Without a world-class health care system, the burden of caring for these old folks when they get sick or disabled is going to fall on young workers. That eldercare burden will draw young healthy people (especially women) away from productive work, and force them to spend their time doing tasks for which they are not specialized. Which will starve Chinese companies of needed labor and reduce potential growth.
Building a world-class health care system could avert this fate. Maybe the Chinese government won’t do this; maybe Xi Jinping thinks that health care is weak and decadent, and that Real Men (TM) work in factories or construction sites. But what America’s New Dealers realized is that if you lower the amount of time that young people have to spend taking care of grandma and grandpa, you free up young people for more productive work. China would be wise to follow that example. And an economic downturn is a perfect chance to do this.
So those are my two suggestions for China to get its flagging economy on its feet: Cut big checks to households, and rapidly build out a top-notch government-funded health care system. Those will both require spending a lot of central government money, and — eventually, not right now — raising taxes to developed-world levels. But the alternative is to experience a protracted downturn as real estate prices go sideways for a decade and economic pessimism becomes entrenched. And spending money on consumption and health care will yield a lot more bang for the buck than hurling it directly into the maw of the real estate mess. Either way, Chinese growth is going to slow down going forward, but I think my two suggestions would make that transition a lot less painful. | Not_Explicit |
|Fifa Women's World Cup 2023|
|Hosts: Australia and New Zealand Dates: 20 July-20 August|
|Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website & app.Full coverage details; latest news|
England goalkeeper Mary Earps says it is "hurtful" that fans cannot buy a replica of her goalkeeper shirt.
The 30-year-old was named the world's top goalkeeper at last year's Fifa Best awards following the Lionesses' win in the European Championship that summer.
England's kit for this summer's World Cup is manufactured by Nike.
"Millie [Bright] said 'my niece is desperate to get your shirt, where can I get it?' and I was like, 'you can't'," Earps said.
"All my team-mates have ordered a lot of shirts for their friends and family.
"They were talking about it at the dinner table, saying 'oh I wasn't able to get this'. And I'm thinking, 'I can't get it at all'.
"There are a lot of people who have spent a tremendous amount of money on outfield shirts and then put a number one and 'Earps' on the back, which doesn't sit well with me either."
Replicas of Earps' kit with Manchester United, who she plays for in the Women's Super League, sold out last season.
It has been reported that producing new women's goalkeeper kits for the public is not part of Nike's commercial strategy.
The England home and away shirts are available to buy in men's, women's and children's sizes and retail at £79.95 for an adults and £59.95 for kids.
A replica of the men's England goalkeeper shirt is not available on the England Store but is available with other outlets.
Earps says she was not told her kit would not be available to the public and only found out when the outfield kit went on sale.
"For my own family and friends and loved ones not to be able to buy my shirt, I know that sounds like 'oh Mary, what a horrible problem', but on a personal level that is really hard," Earps added.
"I have been trying to go through the correct channels as much as possible, which is why I have not spoken on it publicly.
"On a personal level, it is hugely hurtful. There has been an incredible rise in goalkeeping participation."
Earps started every game as the Lionesses won Euro 2022 and became the first goalkeeper to keep 50 clean sheets in the Women's Super League earlier this year.
She said she had spoken to her team-mates about the issue and that they were also disappointed by the situation.
"I can't really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try. It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful," she added.
BBC Sport has contacted Nike for comment. The Football Association declined to comment.
- Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment | Not_Explicit |
Poland has launched negotiations for the acquisition of S-70i Black Hawk helicopters for its armed forces.
The number of aircraft to be bought is not disclosed. However, Lockheed Martin told media houses last month that the Polish military is looking to buy around 32 units.
The S-70i is an export variant of the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, produced by Lockheed Martin’s Polish arm PZL Mielec.
“The procurement procedure for multi-role S-70i Black Hawk helicopters for the Aeromobile Forces has begun. An invitation to negotiate was sent today,” the Polish Armaments Agency tweeted last week.
“BlackHawk will be able to cooperate with the currently acquired from WSK PZL Świdnik AW149 and the AH-64E Apache planned to be acquired,” it said.
More Rotorcarft Coming
Warsaw bought 32 Leonardo/ AgustaWestland AW149 multirole helicopters for 1.75 billion euros ($1.83 billion) last year. The aircraft’s first batch is expected to arrive this year.
The NATO member has also requested to purchase 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the US.
The country has already loaned an additional eight Apaches from the US, which will start arriving in 2024.
To arm the aircraft, Warsaw is buying 800 anti-armor AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles from the US.
“We are supplementing the helicopter fleet with more BlackHawk. The Polish Army will soon have a full range of helicopters – Black Hawk, AW149, AW101, and Apache,” the Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak wrote on Twitter.
“Training of our soldiers on Apache in the US will begin later this year, and the first machines will arrive in Poland next year.”
Uzupełniamy flotę śmigłowców o kolejne #BlackHawk. Już niebawem Wojsko Polskie będzie dysponowało pełną gamą śmigłowców – Black Hawk, AW149, AW101 i Apache. Szkolenia naszych żołnierzy na Apache w USA rozpoczną się jeszcze w tym roku, a pierwsze maszyny trafią do Polski w… https://t.co/cztAPhxJNE
— Mariusz Błaszczak (@mblaszczak) July 21, 2023 | Not_Explicit |
The chief executive of NatWest, Dame Alison Rose, is to step down after coming under pressure in the row over Nigel Farage's bank account.
She had been heavily criticised for being the source of an inaccurate BBC report about the leading Brexiteer's account at Coutts, which is part of NatWest Group.
NatWest chairman Howard Davies said she was leaving by mutual consent.
Dame Alison had admitted a "serious error of judgment".
In a statement released early on Wednesday morning, NatWest Group chairman Sir Howard Davies said: "The Board and Alison Rose have agreed, by mutual consent, that she will step down as CEO of the NatWest Group. 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."
In a separate statement, Dame Alison thanked her colleagues "for all that they [had] done", saying: "I remain immensely proud of the progress the bank has made in supporting people, families and business across the UK, and building the foundations for sustainable growth."
Earlier, she apologised for discussing the closure of Nigel Farage's account at NatWest's private banking arm Coutts with a BBC journalist, saying it was a "serious error of judgement".
That apology came after the BBC apologised for its inaccurate report earlier this month which said Mr Farage's account was being closed because he no longer met the wealth threshold for Coutts, citing a source familiar with the matter.
On Tuesday evening Downing Street and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt expressed "significant concerns" over her conduct, BBC News was told.
Mr Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence Party, first reported in early July that his account had been closed.
In her first admission that she had been involved, Dame Alison said in conversations with BBC business editor Simon Jack "she had confirmed that Mr Farage was a Coutts customer and he had been offered a NatWest bank account". She said she had believed this was public knowledge.
The NatWest boss said she had not revealed any personal financial information about Mr Farage.
"In response to a general question about eligibility criteria required to bank with Coutts and NatWest I said that guidance on both was publicly available on their websites.
"In doing so, I recognise that I left Mr Jack with the impression that the decision to close Mr Farage's accounts was solely a commercial one," she said.
She added: "I was wrong to respond to any question raised by the BBC about this case. I want to extend my sincere apologies to Mr Farage for the personal hurt this has caused him and I have written to him today."
Mr Farage has said that Coutts did not give him a reason when it decided to close his account.
But Mr Farage had obtained a document outlining his suitability as a Coutts client.
The document had concerns that he was "xenophobic and racist", and assessed the reputational risk of having Mr Farage as a customer.
Dame Alison said that Coutts had told her the account closure had been for commercial reasons.
She said when she spoke to the BBC's Simon Jack she had not seen the dossier obtained by Mr Farage. | Not_Explicit |
Switzerland vs. Norway live updates: Women's World Cup 2023 top plays
Right before the start of the match, Norway attacker and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg was spotted heading back to the team's dressing room. The team doctors confirmed Hegerberg hurt her groin during warm up making her unavailable for the game.
Switzerland is the No. 20 ranked team in the world, according to FIFA, while Norway is ranked No. 12. Norway and Switzerland checked in at 15th and 16th, respectively, in our latest World Cup power rankings.
Switzerland is led by captain Lia Walti, the team's all-time leading scorer and appearance leader Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and star forward Ramona Bachmann, who already has one goal under her belt for La Nati thus far in the tournament.
Follow our live coverage below!
07': Attacking hard
Switzerland aggressively attacked the goal of Norway to begin the game.
00': Unfortunate start
Just before the match kicked off Norway star Hegerberg was seen heading back into the tunnel. According to the team doctor, Hegerberg hurt her groin during warm up.
PREGAME
Setting the stage
The "World Cup NOW" crew previewed the match live on Twitter ahead of kickoff.
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2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
Netherlands' tight win sets up showdown with USWNT
Women's World Cup Daily: Netherlands draws level with USA in Group E standings
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What's with so many PKs, and so many misses, in this Women's World Cup?
Italy-Argentina, Germany-Morocco predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
Women's World Cup power rankings: USA stays on top; Germany holds onto top-3 spot
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2023 Women's World Cup odds: USA remains favorite to three-peat
Brazilian players at Women's World Cup urge fans to skip work to watch their matches
World Cup NOW: How Netherlands might give U.S. problems
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2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results
Netherlands' tight win sets up showdown with USWNT
Women's World Cup Daily: Netherlands draws level with USA in Group E standings
-
What's with so many PKs, and so many misses, in this Women's World Cup?
Italy-Argentina, Germany-Morocco predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
Women's World Cup power rankings: USA stays on top; Germany holds onto top-3 spot
-
2023 Women's World Cup odds: USA remains favorite to three-peat
Brazilian players at Women's World Cup urge fans to skip work to watch their matches
World Cup NOW: How Netherlands might give U.S. problems | Not_Explicit |
Labour must learn the lessons of its by-election defeat in Uxbridge, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader had blamed the loss on London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) - a tax on polluting vehicles.
Conservative Steve Tuckwell won the seat after campaigning against the tax.
Addressing Labour's national forum, Sir Keir said there was "something very wrong" when a Labour policy was on "each and every Tory leaflet".
He said that while a by-election win in Selby and Ainsty, in North Yorkshire, should give Labour "every reason to be confident", the loss in Uxbridge showed there is "still a long way to go".
"That result in Uxbridge demonstrates there is never any reason to be complacent and never a reason to rest on our laurels," Sir Keir told the forum in Nottingham.
"We've got to face up to that and to learn the lesson," he said.
Labour's Keir Mather, 25, won the contest in North Yorkshire on Thursday, overturning a 20,137 majority to become the youngest sitting MP.
But the Conservatives clung onto ex-PM Boris Johnson's former Uxbridge seat, sparking debates about both parties' green policies.
Sir Keir told the BBC the Ulez plan had cost Labour victory - but Mr Khan has defended the measure as the "right one".
Mr Tuckwell, the winning candidate, said the "damaging and costly Ulez policy" had lost Labour the seat.
Some on the right of the Conservative party say that pulling back from some green policies would prove popular with voters, at a time when families are feeling cost-of-living pressures.
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, chairman of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, has suggested delaying the ban on new diesel and petrol cars, pushing it back "at least" five years to 2035.
Downing Street sources say there are no plans to change climate targets - but that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will try to set his party apart from Labour in the coming months.
As the major parties digest the by-election results, ex-climate minister Lord Ian Duncan, a Conservative, warned that if Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak do not put politics aside and agree a common approach to climate change, people will face "serious challenges".
Lord Duncan, who was the parliamentary under secretary for climate change from July 2019 to February 2020, said a "bipartisan approach" was needed from both parties to "get behind" common climate policies.
Politicians might win votes in the short-term by distancing themselves from strong climate policies - "but medium term, I'm not even talking long term anymore, there will be serious challenges and changes to our climate that will affect people in their everyday lives", he said.
However, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Duncan said the challenge was ensuring climate policy did not penalise people "beyond their ability to pay".
Referring to greener technology such as new gas boilers, he said: "We've got to make sure it's a transition and it works for everybody."
No one should be left behind or be impoverished by these policies, "otherwise it will be a problem for democracy", he said. | Not_Explicit |
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GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities have temporarily shut the airspace over a small part of southwestern Switzerland because recreational gliders have endangered the work of emergency teams battling a persistent forest fire in the area.
The Federal Office of Civil Aviation said Friday that the restriction in an airspace of up to 8,000 feet (about 2,400 meters), over a wooded mountainside near the town of Bitsch, will last a week.
READ MORE: Analysis: Nearly twice as many wildfires are recorded on July 4 as other days in the West
The measure affects civil aircraft and drones and is aimed “to protect the ongoing activities of response teams on the ground and in the air,” the office said on its website.
Office spokesman Christian Schubert, in an email to The Associated Press, said the closure affects about 40-50 square kilometers (about 15-20 square miles) in an area that is popular with recreational gliders.
The heads of local helicopter crews and firefighting squads requested the closure because of the dangers presented by the gliders to what was already risky work, Schubert said. No incidents or injuries have been reported, and the measure was “exclusively of a preventative nature.”
REDA MORE: Wildfires driven by climate change are on the rise – Spain must do more to prepare, experts say
Scores of firefighters, police, troops and other emergency teams, backed by helicopters, have deployed to battle the wildfire that was first reported on Monday. The move prompted authorities to temporarily evacuate residents of four villages and hamlets in the area.
Franz Mayr, a community leader in Bitsch, said the fire remained “small” — some 107 hectares (about 265 acres) have been affected — and the situation was stable, though strong winds continued.
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On the eve of the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Maria Lvova-Belova stood before Vladimir Putin and thanked him for giving her another child to raise.
Russia’s smiley ombudswoman for children’s rights had just briefed the president on how many Ukrainian children had been “saved” since the war started.
Among the estimated 750,000 young people who had “arrived in Russia” was Filipp Golovnya, a 17-year-old boy from Mariupol – now her adopted son.
Filipp has become something of a poster boy for Russia’s programme to “rescue” children of war.
He had – the story goes – been found among the rubble in his coastal city flattened by two months of Russian bombing, and had nowhere to go.
But friends and relatives have now told The Telegraph that the boy was likely taken by Russia against his will, casting doubt on the official account broadcast on Russian television.
Thousands of Ukrainian children are thought to have been forcibly taken into Russia and adopted or fostered in a campaign of “Russification”.
Lvova-Belova, 38, and Putin, 70, are wanted by the International Criminal Court for the “unlawful deportation of children” – a war crime.
State television claims that the Russians saved Filipp, spelled Pylyp Holovnya in Ukrainian, after he was kicked out of his home during the invasion.
He was living with his mother’s ex-husband and new wife, who were appointed guardians following his mother’s death from cancer in 2017.
The foster parents, now living under tightly controlled Russian occupation, have never publicly contested the official Russian story.
But they are unlikely to be able to speak freely, said friends and family of Filipp.
Vitaly Golovnya, a brother of Filipp’s guardian Sergei, rejected the Russian claims about Filipp.
“There is no way they could have just thrown him out,” said Mr Golovnya, who fled into Ukrainian-held territory during the siege of Mariupol.
“We were all in Mariupol together when it was captured,” he said.
“Filipp was simply forcibly taken away like many children.”
Mr Golovnya, who now lives abroad, said he was separated from his brother during the Russian invasion and has not spoken to him since Christmas.
Friends and relatives often avoid direct communication across the front lines, as they fear being associated with the enemy.
Many details about Filipp’s story are almost impossible to verify. It demonstrates prosecutors’ challenges in collecting evidence to bring Putin, Lvova-Belova, and other potential suspects to trial.
The Russian story of Filipp is told through This is My Child, a half-hour documentary broadcast on an ultra-nationalist television channel, complete with dramatic footage of war-ravaged Mariupol and interviews with him and his new foster mother.
He says that Ukrainian troops at some point “entered Mariupol” and threw Molotov cocktails at civilians – claims that run counter to well-established facts about one of the bloodiest chapters of Russia’s war.
The bespectacled teenager fidgets nervously with a ring on his index finger during the interview. He explains how he was sheltering in a basement of his block when the building caught fire.
“I went home,” says Filipp.
“My guardian said: ‘What are you doing here? Go back to where you came from.’ He shut the door. I knocked again. I asked for my documents. He gave them to me and I walked away.”
The documentary then shows archive footage of scorched cars at a bombed-out location in Mariupol.
The Telegraph’s requests for telephone interviews with the boy’s guardians went unanswered.
But a friend of Irina Kalatalova, Mr Golovnya’s wife, also dismissed suggestions that the couple threw the boy out in the middle of a war.
“It’s just impossible,” Olga Tulainova told The Telegraph.
“I’ve known her most of my life. She’s not the person to do something like this.”
Ms Tulainova fled to government-controlled areas in Ukraine and has not kept in touch with Ms Kalatalova, a recurrent pattern between Ukraine’s now divided south and east.
An unnamed teacher of Filipp told Radio Free Europe’s Ukrainian this year she also doubted that Filipp’s guardians abandoned him.
The woman, who asked to be anonymous out of fear for her safety, said the boy was well taken care of in Mariupol and his foster parents were involved in the school.
This is My Child portrays Lvova-Belova, a blonde petite woman with a penchant for floaty dresses, as a saviour.
She is shown to give up her comfortable life in Moscow – where she is filmed entering a black Mercedes saloon in a white fur coat – to rescue children from smouldering Mariupol.
Filipp was taken from Mariupol to Russia-controlled Donetsk and later to a resort outside Moscow last spring, along with an unspecified number of other children.
Both Filipp and Lvova-Belova describe their meeting there as a kind of love at first sight.
“That moment I spoke to him I realised he’s mine: this is my child,” she said, while Filipp called her “the most wonderful person I’ve ever met”.
In the documentary, Lvova-Belova, a mother of 10 children – five biological and five adopted – is interviewed in front of a fireplace, sitting next to her husband Pavel Kogelman, an IT engineer-turned-Orthodox priest.
Over the past 17 months of the war, the Kremlin has tried to use the young and likeable role model as a human face for Russia’s deportation campaign.
Lvova-Belova is from Penza, a city 400 miles east of Moscow. She took over as ombudswoman for children’s rights in 2021 from her old friend and co-worker Anna Kuznetsova – another young mother with multiple children and an Orthodox priest for a husband.
Both were heavily involved in charity work, helping orphans and children with disabilities.
Oleg Sharipkov, a well-respected charity worker in Penza who met them in their 20s, described the pair as “just ordinary girls”.
Other former colleagues described her as a “charming young woman and a good fundraiser” who had a gift for getting people involved in her work.
Both Lvova-Belova and Kuznetsova did not appear to be devout Christians until the mid-2010s, when Putin’s third term in power ushered in an era of conservatism with a focus on “traditional values”.
The women became “a spin doctor’s dream” for the Kremlin, said Mr Sharipkov.
Lvova-Belova’s charity began receiving generous donations from Penza’s regional government and businesses that relied on the government for lucrative contracts.
Mr Sharipkov said that colleagues from other NGOs warned her of the risk of being drawn in too close to the Kremlin.
But Lvova-Belova soon started mingling with the governor and top local officials. She appeared to be competing with Kuznetsova on “who’d have more kids, who’d be more pious”, said Mr Sharipkov.
Mr Sharipkov, whose NGO was declared a “foreign agent” over his apparent refusal to toe the Kremlin line, said he was stunned by the transformation of Lvova-Belova.
“I think she does believe in what she says,” he said.
“She used to be someone who genuinely wanted to help others. Then apparently something clicks in your head – and before you know it you turn into a little monster.”
Exact figures on deportations vary, but Lvova-Belova herself reported in April that more than 730,000 children had “arrived in Russia” since the start of the invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine has identified at least 11,000 children deported to Russia and about 400 children who were put into foster care.
That would include Filipp, who joined Lvova-Belova’s family “all thanks to Putin”, as she told the Russian president himself in February.
Rights activists have condemned Russian officials for placing Ukrainian children into foster care without proper background checks. Russia insists it is saving children from the misery of war.
Ukrainian minors in foster care in Russia are trapped and face brainwashing, said Mykhailo Savva, an expert at the Nobel Prize-winning Centre for Civil Liberties in Kyiv.
“Those kids are the most vulnerable,” she told The Telegraph.
“They are not able to leave on their own. Those kids are at a particular risk – for them, the likelihood that they will lose their identity is very, very high. They are not old enough to have formed a worldview or resist attempts to impose a new one on them.”
The Telegraph contacted Mrs Lvova-Belova but received no response. | Not_Explicit |
Is there anything in science more exciting than when an ancient legend is confirmed by modern research?
Archaeologists in Mexico were able to experience this exact triumph when they found evidence that a mythical underground city lies undisturbed beneath the altar of a church—exactly where a Spanish legend stated it would.
In the time of Babylon, there emerged from Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley a culture known as the Zapotec which could create monumental stone architecture, sophisticated crafts and artwork, as well as a written and spoken language that predated Mayan, Mixtec, and Aztec. They were among Mesoamerica’s first great civilizations, and existed longer than perhaps any other, from 700 BCE to the time of Spanish conquests when they were part of the Aztec Empire.
Legend has it that the Zapotec built a great labyrinthine city called “Lyobaa,” or “place of rest,” centered around a large cavity found in the earth which they believed was the gateway to the underworld.
Later, venturing Spanish missionaries were so repulsed and frightened to explore more than a few yards into the tunnel network that they “ordered [the] infernal gate to be thoroughly closed with masonry,” wrote a Dominican chronicler named Francisco Burgoa.
Now, a collaboration between the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Association for Archaeological Research and Exploration called the “ARX Project Lyobaa” has discovered a “vast underground labyrinth” underneath the 15th-century Church of San Pablo, all but confirming the Zapotec legend.
The collaboration began at the archaeological site of the Zapotec city called Mitla, where murals, mosaics, and a monument stone palace are still seen above ground today.
The researchers created a 3D model of Mitla’s subterranean passageways using a combination of three geophysical scanning technologies—ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography, and seismic noise tomography—all of which left the archaeological site above undisturbed.
MORE MESOAMERICAN DISCOVERIES: Ancient Mayan City Hidden for Over 1,000 Years Discovered by LiDAR
The model shows a very large hollow void underneath the precise location of the altar inside the church that was built on the Mitla site. Additionally, the void appears to be connected with another significant geophysical anomaly located immediately to the north of the church.
“Burgoa’s account speaks of a vast subterranean temple consisting of four interconnected chambers, containing the tombs of the high priests and the kings of Teozapotlán,” reads a press release on the truly epic discovery.
“From the last subterranean chamber, a stone door led into a deep cavern extending thirty leagues below ground. This cavern was intersected by other passages like streets, its roof supported by pillars.”
The electrical tomography confirmed the existence of two passageways between 18 and 26 feet below the ground. They enter the void from the east. Their scanning also revealed what could be the barricaded entranceway Burgoa spoke of.
The size and scope of the passageways surprised the researchers, who conclude that more work is needed before we can truly comprehend what has been found.
“Additionally, the study has revealed evidence of an earlier construction stage of the Palace of the Columns, Mitla’s most important and best-preserved ancient monument, as well as several other geophysical anomalies that may be interpreted as tombs or buried archaeological structures,” the press release reads. “These findings will help rewrite the history of the origins of Mitla and its development as an ancient site.”
Further studies of this kind are already scheduled for this September, meaning that the true scope of the mythical Lyobaa could be illuminated before the year is out.
CELEBRATE This Incredible Story Of The Past Coming Alive On Social Media… | Not_Explicit |
Filipina-American Sarina Bolden scores Philippines' first-ever World Cup goal
With its first goal at its first Women's World Cup the unfavored Philippines achieved its first win Tuesday, shocking host New Zealand 1-0 in a Group A match made contentious when a potential equalizer was disallowed.
New Zealand achieved its first World Cup win when it upset favored Norway in the opening match of the tournament five days ago. For the first time in six World Cups, the Football Ferns went into a match as favorite, almost certain with another win to become the first team to reach the round of 16.
But Sarina Bolden scored the Philippines' historic match-winner from its first shot on goal in the 24th minute, flipping the script and silencing a packed stadium of 33,000 mostly newly-minted Kiwi soccer fans.
New Zealand had been ascendant in the first 20 minutes, playing with a confidence which reflected its expectation that this would be its best shot at winning in the group stage. It had 80% of possession, 74 completed passes to 11, five early shots on goal, and it seemed inevitable the goals would come which would carry into the next round for the first time.
New Zealand keeper Vic Esson had nothing to do until the 20th minute when she had to come forward to punch away a threatening free kick. Suddenly there was panic, even disarray in the New Zealand defense.
Four minutes later and from another free kick which caused chaos in the New Zealand goalmouth, the clearance was ineffective and Sara Eggesvik sent the ball back in for Bolden, who leapt high to head the ball home.
Bolden, 27, was born in Santa Clara, CA and attended Loyola Maramount University. She currently plays for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the women's A-League.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
HOOVER, Ala. -- Authorities in Alabama said Monday that a woman has confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of the interstate.
Hoover Police Department Chief Nicholas Derzis said Carlee Russell's attorney, Emory Anthony, provided a statement on Monday saying there was no kidnapping.
"There was no kidnapping on Thursday July 13. My client did not see a baby on the side on the road," the statement read, according to Derzis, who read it at a news conference. She did not leave the city, and acted alone, the statement added.
“My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies as well, as to her friends and family," Anthony said in a statement. "We ask for your prayers for Carlee, as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter. Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers.”
The Hoover Police Department announced the development five days after casting doubt on Russell’s story. Derzis said it is possible that Russell could face charges. He said they are trying to determine where she was in the two days she was gone.
“This was an elaborate deal. When you talk about calling 911,” the chief said.
Russell, 25, disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering beside a stretch of interstate. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle.
Her disappearance became a national news story. Images of the missing 25-year-old were shared broadly on social media.
Russell told detectives she was taken by a man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put her in a car and an 18-wheel truck, blindfolded her and held her at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers, authorities said at a news conference last week. At some point, Carlee Russell said she was put in a vehicle again but managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood.
Investigators cast doubt on her story in a news conference last week. They said in the days before her disappearance, she searched for information on her cellphone about Amber Alerts, a movie about a woman’s abduction and a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham, Alabama, to Nashville, Tennessee, departing the day she disappeared. Her phone also showed she traveled about 600 yards while telling a 911 operator she was following a 3- or 4-year-old child in a diaper on the side of the highway.
Hoover is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Birmingham. | Not_Explicit |
British tourists were among more than 2,000 people ferried to safety from beaches after wildfires swept across the Greek island of Rhodes.
The coastguard, army and more than 30 private boats were working to rescue swathes of people from the south-eastern part of the island, with a navy ship also dispatched to join the evacuation effort.
According to the Greek coastguard, people were being picked up from Kiotari and Lardos beaches on the east of the popular Mediterranean island.
The operation had been hampered by fires cutting off some road access, according to George Hadjimarkos, regional governor of the South Aegean, leaving some tourists to travel to safety on foot.
They are being looked after in local gyms and schools, as well as three passenger ferries moored at the port of Rhodes.
Videos showed crowds of tourists walking away from billowing, black smoke as flames burnt through buildings and vegetation behind them, with some pushing prams carrying small children.
Sarah Roberts, 45, from Southampton, said she could see the flames “lapping the hills” as they fled the five-star Mitsis Rodos Village Beach Hotel and Spa on Saturday.
Abandoning their possessions at the hotel, she and her mother, 78 – who has COPD – along with her two children, aged nine and six, and her partner Chris were among the crowds walking to safety.
She told The Telegraph: “People were still trying to take their suitcases along the beach, it was horrendous and stupid to see.
“There was one tourist boat with one guy trying to board women and children but men were barging past and arguing, delaying the effort. It was horrific.
“There was no point waiting for a boat as there were few in sight, all the time we heard sirens and saw the flames and smoke getting worse.”
The family managed to escape when a hotel waiter drove them to a hotel where other tourists were stranded.
Others caught up in the evacuation described a “terrifying situation”.
Paul Karlburgi wrote on Twitter:
Currently stranded in #Rhodes escaping the wildfires on foot - left everything at the hotel and fled with towels across our faces. My youngest just told me he doesn’t want to die. No news from any authorities. Terrifying situation here. @LBCNews
— Paul Kalburgi ✍🏼 (@PaulKalburgi) July 22, 2023
Some of those seeking rescue had been unable to contact their airlines and missed their flights.
British tourists criticised the response from Jet2, which sells flights and package holidays to the destination.
Jon Hayes shared a clip of crowds evacuating the area on Twitter, writing: “Jet2 where are you? No help, contact or guidance. Had to walk 4 mile in the heat across dirt tracks in smoke and ash with a 5 year old. No possessions”.
Meanwhile, Ian Edwards posted a video of his son walking away from the fire. He said: “No help at all from Jet2”.
A Jet2 spokesperson said their “in-resort teams are working tirelessly to comply with the guidance of local authorities” and it has a dedicated team set up in the UK to help customers.
According to local authorities, a total of 30,000 people were taken away from the evacuated areas.
The blaze, which has been burning since Tuesday, has now damaged three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari, according to the Athens News Agency.
The fire has burnt through swathes of forest since breaking out in a mountainous area. Aided by winds, high temperatures and dry conditions, it spread toward the coast on the island’s central-eastern side.
Already 11 days into its heatwave, Greece’s national weather institute warned reprieve was still days away, setting this up to be the longest hot spell the country has ever seen.
The previous heatwave record in Greece was set in 1987, when scorching temperatures of over 39C (102.2F) lasted 11 days. | Not_Explicit |
Kia India Eyes 10% Sales Growth This Calendar Year
The situation of semiconductor supplies is much better now as compared to last year, says Kia India.
Automaker Kia India expects its sales to grow by 8–10% this year as compared with 2022 on the back of improved chip supplies and introduction of the updated Seltos in the market, according to a senior company official.
The South Korean carmaker, which sells models like Carens, Sonet and Seltos in the Indian market, sold a total of 3.4 lakh units in the domestic and export markets last year.
"So last year our domestic sales were about 2.54 lakh units, while exports stood at around 80,000 units. So we did about 3.34 lakh units overall. So, this year, we are looking at about 8–10% growth," Kia India National Head (Sales and Marketing) Hardeep S Brar told PTI in an interaction.
He said the company outpaced the overall passenger-industry growth in the first half of the year and expects to do the same in the second half as well.
"For the first six months, industry has grown at 10%. We have grown at 12%. So like every other year, we have outpaced the industry," Brar said.
He expressed hope that the overall industry volumes are expected to stay in the vicinity of 40 lakh units this year.
"The second half is not going to be such a high growth period for the industry," Brar said, adding that the high base of last year is going to be a restricting factor.
Last year, the industry volumes were around 18 lakh units in the first six months, it is around 20 lakh units this year in the January–June period, he noted.
Elaborating further, he stated that in the second half, industry volume stood at about 19.5 lakh units.
"So that means from 19.5 lakh units to 20 lakh units would be a very marginal growth. Similarly, for us also, the base is high but for example, if it is at 12% in the first half, we would still like to grow at 8 to 10% so that we can keep that pace of 4–5% higher than the industry," Brar said.
The automaker is targeting about 10% growth over the last year and new Seltos will surely help the company to get closer to that, he added.
On semiconductor supplies, he noted that the situation is much better now as compared to last year.
"It's not to the same extent it was last year. We have about 5–10% mismatches so to say but largely it is sorted out. So not so much of a problem now," Brar said.
With improved supply, Kia is looking to produce around 3.6–3.7 lakh units this year to cater to both domestic and export demand, he said.
On the company's plans regarding the upcoming festive season, Brar said that besides Seltos introduction, the company is looking to roll out certain new trims of Carens and Sonet.
On exports, he noted that the company is exploring new markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
The company currently exports to around 100 countries, with Mexico remaining its number one overseas market in terms of volumes. | Not_Explicit |
Environmental activists and experts are increasingly concerned about the impact that military activity by India, China and Pakistan is having on the unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems of Ladakh, an Indian-administered region high in the Himalayas.
Simmering tensions between India and China since a deadly border confrontation in 2020 have led to a surge in military deployment, with both sides fortifying their positions to ensure territorial security.
The influx of troops, equipment and infrastructure construction for military purposes has disrupted the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. The unchecked expansion of military bases, roads, helipads and related projects has led to deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and increased air and noise pollution, the experts say.
They point to the rapid degradation of sensitive habitats, such as alpine meadows, wetlands and high-altitude forests, which are home to several endangered species, including the elusive snow leopard, Tibetan antelope and black-necked crane.
“Rare birds such as the black neck crane face disturbances in their habitats due to the heavy military presence on both the Chinese and Indian sides,” said Sonam Wangchuk, an environmentalist and past winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award – sometimes referred to as the Nobel Prize of Asia.
He and other experts explained that the military activities disrupt the natural breeding patterns, feeding habits and migration routes of these vulnerable species, threatening their survival.
The damage caused by military activity is exacerbating degradation already underway from rising global temperatures attributed in large part to the burning of fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide, trapping heat from the sun in Earth’s atmosphere.
Mountain regions like the Himalayas are rapidly changing because of the climate crisis, said Doug Weir, policy director at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, a U.K.-based charity working to develop policies that will reduce the environmental harm caused by conflicts and military activities.
Weir told VOA that military activity is estimated to account for 5.5% of all global carbon dioxide emissions.
“Increased military spending and activity help accelerate the climate crisis and the regional changes that are already readily apparent,” he said. “While India has begun to acknowledge a need to reduce its military emissions, efforts are in their infancy. China's views on military emissions reductions remain unclear.”
Wangchuk argued in an interview that the military buildup in Ladakh is contributing significantly to the warming climate.
“The Indian side alone emits approximately 300,000 tons of CO2 [carbon dioxide] annually, considering the substantial amount of fuel transported and burned for military operations,” he said. “Similarly, the emissions would be slightly higher on the Chinese side and somewhat lower on the Pakistani side, resulting in nearly 1 million tons of CO2 being emitted each year in this triangular junction.
“Pollution doesn’t know borders,” Wangchuk added, urging governments to prioritize the well-being of soldiers and civilians alike, irrespective of their nationalities. He compared the disputes between nations “to squabbling neighbors fighting over a fence while an impending avalanche threatens them both.”
Not only the wildlife is threatened. A recent study indicated that if temperature trends continued, the Himalayan glaciers might disappear entirely, “having a significant impact on regional water supplies, hydrological processes, ecosystem services and transboundary water sharing.”
Ladakh is particularly vulnerable to the threat, Wangchuk said. “Its glaciers play a crucial role in sustaining not only the local population but also communities across northern India and northern Pakistan. Consequently, many villages are teetering on the brink of becoming climate refugees.”
In a media report last year, the village of Kumik witnessed residents abandoning their homes and relocating to other parts of Ladakh because of water scarcity.
On a more positive note, Wangchuk said efforts are underway to collaborate with the Indian army to introduce passive solar-heated shelters, which have proven effective in significantly reducing emissions.
“These innovative zero-emission buildings have been successfully tested during two harsh winters, ensuring soldiers' warmth without relying on conventional fuel sources,” he said, calling for China and Pakistan to adopt similar environmentally friendly practices. | Not_Explicit |
MOSCOW, July 21 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused NATO member Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union, and said any aggression against Russia's neighbour and close ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia.
Moscow would react to any aggression against Belarus, which forms a loose "Union State" with Russia, "with all the means at our disposal", Putin told a meeting of his Security Council in televised remarks.
Warsaw's Security Committee decided on Wednesday to move military units to eastern Poland after members of the Russian Wagner mercenary force arrived in Belarus, the state-run news agency PAP quoted its secretary as saying on Friday.
On Wednesday, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part for now in the war in Ukraine but ordering them to gather strength for Wagner's operations in Africa while they trained the Belarusian army.
Prigozhin says Wagner, which led the conquest of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, is Russia's most effective fighting force. But his frequent clashes with the Moscow defence establishment led him to stage an armed mutiny four weeks ago.
The insurrection ended with an agreement that Wagner fighters - many recruited from prison - could move to Belarus if they wished.
On Thursday, Minsk said Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the Polish border.
Russia has in recent weeks begun stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for the first time. The Kremlin said Putin would meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, with whom he speaks regularly, in Russia on Sunday.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Friday that Germany and NATO were prepared to support Poland in defending the allaince's eastern flank.
Putin said there were press reports of plans for a Polish-Lithuanian unit to be used for operations in western Ukraine - parts of which in the past belonged to Poland - and ultimately to occupy territory there.
"It is well known that they also dream of the Belarusian lands," he said, also without providing any evidence.
"But as far as Belarus is concerned, it is part of the Union State (with Russia); unleashing aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation," Putin said. "We will respond to this with all the means at our disposal."
Poland denies any territorial ambitions in Belarus.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Not_Explicit |
- Ukrainian women are using online profiles to lure in Russian soldiers, The Times reported.
- The soldiers often share crucial information about the war with the women, they told The Times.
- The women, who say they feel no remorse, pass on the information to the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian women are using dating profiles with AI images to trick Russian soldiers into giving away military secrets, The Times reported on Wednesday.
A woman identified only as Angelina told the publication that since the start of Russia's invasion last year, she has been using online dating apps to target Russian soldiers operating in occupied bored areas in Ukraine.
Angelina said she uses AI-generated profile pictures and a pseudonym to lure in men posting pictures in military uniform online.
The soldiers, she said, constantly reveal information about the state of the Russian army, which she then passes on to the Ukrainian military.
"We're looking for information about the number of troops, information on the amount of military equipment, the success or lack of success of some attacks, their problems with food and equipment," she told The Times.
Some of the information she has received includes photos of a military passport and videos of soldiers driving, which she can then use to track their location.
Angelina's colleague, a Ukrainian woman who uses the pseudonym Masha, told the Times that she tries to avoid men who are particularly "horny" because they are "less likely he is to talk about anything else."
Both women often make fun of the soldiers, who they refer to as "orcs" — a name Ukrainians commonly use to describe Russians during the war.
"I chatted with Maxim Korneev for a couple of months, this simple guy with a round face. He makes loads of mistakes in his messages — it's unusual to meet someone who writes like this who is not a child," Angelina joked, according to The Times.
"He was responsible for training, he went on trips to train mobilized soldiers in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. He told me that army benefits had actually been cut since the start of the war, rather than increased [as Putin says]."
Another soldier asked Angelina to marry him, screenshots shared with The Times show. The soldier tried to persuade her by saying that she could win his compensation if he deliberately gets wounded in the war.
Angelina, whose brother fought and died in the war last year, said she feels no sympathy for the soldiers.
"I hope what we do means something bad happens to them," she said.
Helping the war effort in this way is not unusual in Ukraine. An OnlyFans-inspired group in Ukraine has been selling nude pictures of themselves to fundraise for their armed forces, Insider previously reported. | Not_Explicit |
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea wasn't responding Thursday to U.S. attempts to discuss the American soldier who bolted across the heavily armed border and whose prospects for a quick release are unclear at a time of high military tensions and inactive communication channels.
Pvt. Travis King, who was supposed to have been heading to Fort Bliss, Texas, after finishing a prison sentence in South Korea for assault, ran into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the border village of Panmunjom on Tuesday. He is the first known American held in North Korea in nearly five years.
“Yesterday the Pentagon reached out to counterparts in the (North) Korean People’s Army. My understanding is that those communications have not yet been answered,” Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, told reporters Wednesday in Washington.
Miller said the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department are working together to gather information about King’s well-being and whereabouts. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. government will continue to work to ensure his safety and his return to his family.
The motive for King's border crossing is unknown. A witness on the same civilian tour said she initially thought his dash was some kind of stunt until she heard an American soldier on patrol shouting for others to try to stop him. But King had crossed the border in a matter of seconds.
King, 23, was serving in South Korea as a cavalry scout with the 1st Armored Division. He could be discharged from the military and face other potential penalties after being convicted of crimes in South Korea.
In February, a Seoul court fined him 5 million won ($3,950) by convicting him of assaulting an unidentified person and damaging a police vehicle in Seoul last October, according to a transcript of the verdict obtained by The Associated Press. The ruling said King had also been accused of punching a man at a Seoul nightclub, though the court dismissed that charge because the victim didn’t want King to be punished.
It wasn't clear how King spent the hours from leaving the airport Monday until joining the Panmunjom tour Tuesday. The Army realized he was missing when he did not get off the flight in Texas as expected.
North Korea has previously held a number of Americans who were arrested for anti-state, espionage and other charges. But no other Americans were known to be detained since North Korea expelled American Bruce Byron Lowrance in 2018. During the Cold War, a small number of U.S. soldiers who fled to North Korea later appeared North Korean propaganda films.
“North Korea is not going to ‘catch and release’ a border-crosser because of its strict domestic laws and desire to deter outsiders from breaking them. However, the Kim regime has little incentive to hold an American citizen very long, as doing so can entail liabilities," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
“For Pyongyang, it makes sense to find a way of extracting some compensation and then expel an American for unauthorized entry into the country before an isolated incident escalates in ways that risk North Korean diplomatic and financial interests,” he said. “In the best-case scenario, the American soldier will return home safely at the cost of some propaganda victory for Pyongyang, and U.S and North Korean officials will have an opportunity to resume dialogue and contacts that went stagnant during the pandemic.”
Other experts say North Korea won't likely easily return King as he is a soldier who apparently voluntarily fled to North Korea, though many previous U.S. civilian detainees were released after the United States sent high-profile missions to Pyongyang to secure their freedom.
The U.S. and North Korea, who fought during the 1950-53 Korean War, still have no diplomatic ties. Sweden provided consular services for Americans in past cases, but Swedish diplomatic staff reportedly haven’t returned since North Korea ordered foreigners to leave the country at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What I will say is that we here at the State Department have engaged with counterparts in South Korea and with Sweden on this issue, including here in Washington,” Miller said.
Jeon Ha-kyu, a spokesperson of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, said Thursday his ministry is sharing related information with the American-led U.N. Command in South Korea, without elaborating.
Currently, there are no known, active dialogues between North Korea and the U.S. or South Korea.
King's case happened as North Korea has been stepping up its criticism of the United States over its recent moves to bolster its security commitment to South Korea. Earlier this week, the U.S. deployed a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea for the first time in four decades. North Korea later test-fired two missiles with the potential range to strike the South Korean port whether the U.S.. submarine docked.
King’s family members said the soldier may have felt overwhelmed by his legal troubles and possible discharge from the military. They described him as a quiet loner who did not drink or smoke and enjoyed reading the Bible.
“I can’t see him doing that intentionally if he was in his right mind,” King’s maternal grandfather, Carl Gates, told The Associated Press from his Kenosha, Wisconsin, home. “Travis is a good guy. He wouldn’t do nothing to hurt nobody. And I can’t see him trying to hurt himself.”
Carl Gates said his grandson joined the military three years ago out of a desire to serve his country and because he “wanted to do better for himself.”
King’s mother, Claudine Gates, told reporters outside her Racine, Wisconsin, home that all she cares about is bringing her son home.
“I just want my son back,” she said in video posted by Milwaukee television station WISN. “Get my son home.”
King’s grandfather called on his country to help rescue his grandson.
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Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Melissa Winder in Kenosha, Wisconsin, contributed to this report. | Not_Explicit |
Rishi Sunak has insisted the Conservatives can still win the next election, despite suffering two damaging by-election defeats.
Labour and the Lib Dems overturned big Tory majorities in Somerton and Frome, and Selby and Ainsty constituencies.
But the Tories held the London seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, despite predictions they could lose there too.
The result showed the next election was not a "done deal" for Labour, the prime minister said.
He added that the results showed his government needed to "double down" on his signature pledges on the economy and illegal migration.
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said its "historic" victory in Selby showed "just how powerful the demand for change is" ahead of the next general election, expected to take place next year.
The Tories' narrow victory in the suburban seat of Uxbridge, which they won by 495 votes, spared Mr Sunak the humiliation of being the first PM for 55 years to lose three by-elections in one night.
The party managed to capitalise on local anger over the planned expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez), a tax on polluting vehicles, to outer London boroughs by the capital's London mayor.
Visiting a cafe in the constituency, Mr Sunak said it showed that people would vote Conservative when confronted with the "reality" of Labour in power.
But the other two results suggest the Tories face a difficult path to possible victory at the next election, with the party trailing Labour in the polls nationally by significant margins.
Asked what the defeats meant for his party, Mr Sunak replied: "The message I take away is that we've got to double down, stick to our plan and deliver for people."
'Electoral Armageddon'
He vowed to renew his focus on his government's five flagship priorities of halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt and NHS waiting times, and stopping small boat crossings.
Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Conservative Party needed to back the prime minister, adding: "Tory MPs including me need to row in behind the prime minister, because divided parties don't win elections."
However, a former cabinet minister on the right of the Conservative Party told the BBC the "eye-watering swings" in Selby and Somerton showed the party needs a "complete change of direction".
"Uxbridge provides no get-out-of-jail-free card for Rishi," they added.
"It is becoming increasingly clear that a failure by the party leadership to act now and change course risks electoral Armageddon."
Progress towards the prime minister's pledges has so far been slow, with inflation in particular falling more slowly than predicted by many economists at the start of the year.
Conservative chairman Greg Hands conceded there was a "lot of work still to be done" to meet the promises, adding they "weren't designed to be an easy thing to meet".
Labour won with a 23.7% swing in the rural North Yorkshire seat of Selby and Ainsty, breaking the record for the largest Tory majority it had overturned at a by-election since 1945.
And a 29% swing to the Liberal Democrats in the Somerset seat of Somerton and Frome showed they could be a stronger challenger to the Tories in the West Country than at the last election in 2019.
He added that its two defeats in Somerset and Yorkshire had both seen tactical voting to eject the Conservatives locally, spelling "bad news" for the governing party.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said her party was hopeful it would be able to persuade Labour voters to lend them their votes to oust the Tories, in seats where they are the main challengers.
She added there were around 15 seats in the West Country with smaller Tory majorities than Somerton and Frome, which the Lib Dems would be targeting at the next general election. | Not_Explicit |
Former Italy striker Giuseppe Rossi announced his retirement from soccer on Saturday following a career that was slowed by severe injuries.
The New Jersey-born Rossi last played for Spal in Serie B last season.
“My journey is unique. A lot of ups but also some downs. Those down moments (mostly injuries) never defined me,” Rossi wrote on Instagram. “My purpose was stronger than any obstacle that was in front of me. I never stopped dreaming when things I couldn’t control got in my way. I love the game so much that I could’ve never given up. That is why I’m writing this with a heavy heart but a big smile on face — I’m proud of what I accomplished!”
Rossi also scored seven goals in 30 appearances for Italy after choosing to play for his father’s country over the United States.
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The Associated Press | Not_Explicit |
Israeli MPs have passed into law a highly controversial bill despite mass protests which had aimed to thwart it.
The law removes the power of the Supreme Court to overrule government actions it considers unreasonable.
It is the first in a series of bitterly contested reforms aimed at curbing the power of courts to be approved.
The planned reforms have triggered some of the biggest protests in Israel's history, with opponents warning they imperil Israel as a democracy.
The government argues that the measures are necessary to correct an imbalance in power which has seen the courts increasingly intervene in political decisions in recent decades.
Hours before the final vote, police used water cannon and arrested protesters outside Israel's parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem.
The vote brings to a head months of turmoil, with Israel's president warning political leaders on Monday that the country was "in a state of national emergency".
On Monday morning protesters blocking a boulevard outside the Knesset 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. Other protesters surrounded a police van shouting "shame" at officers.
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".
Another, Reut Yifat Uziel, the daughter of a paratrooper pictured in an iconic Israeli photograph of the capture of the Western Wall in the 1967 Middle East war, said she feared for her children's future.
"Netanyahu kidnapped the country and I am worried it will become a theocracy," she said.
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.
The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was in parliament for the vote hours after being discharged from hospital following unscheduled surgery for a pacemaker on Saturday.
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 |
L&T Finance - Journey Towards Retailisation At Attractive Valuation: ICICI Direct
With retail loan book gaining traction to almost >90% of outstanding AUM by FY24E, valuation multiple should witness a re-rating.
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 Direct Report
Investment Rationale
Re-orientation of balance sheet towards retailisation: In April 2022, L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. announced 'Lakshya 2026', which was targeted towards retailisation with customised products in mature markets [farm equipment, rural group loans (micro finance) and two wheeler finance] and focus on newer retail segment (consumer loans, home loans, loan against property and small and medium enterprise loans).
Accordingly, in the last quarters, the share of retail loans has increased from 51% to ~82% while the proportion of wholesale book has declined from 49% to ~18%.
Leaner business structure and change in leadership:
L&T Finance's transformation process includes a leaner, simpler organisation structure and hierarchy to enable improved focus on performance. L&T Finance has exited unfocused business lines, stopped growing real estate vertical and is in the process of consolidating L&T Finance and L&T Infra Credit wherein National Company Law Tribunal approval is awaited.
L&T Finance has announced superannuation of current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer and appointment of Mr Sudipta Roy as new MD and CEO from Jan 2024; which remains in-line with focus on retailisation target articulated earlier.
Return on assets managed trajectory to improve to ~2.7-2.8% in FY25E:
Increase in retail proportion will continue to aid net interest margins trajectory (calculated NIMs at 7.5% in FY23), and is expected to improve to ~8-9% levels. Sustainable retail assets under management growth (31%/ 24% YoY in FY24E/ 25E) to aid gradual improvement in efficiency, though cost/income ratio could remain elevated at ~40-41% in the initial phase.
Provision buffer of ~2% is expected to keep credit cost largely steady, thus aiding earnings momentum. We expect return on AUM (RoAUM) to improve from ~2% in FY23 to ~2.7-2.8% by FY25E.
Rating and target price
With retail loan book gaining traction to almost more than 90% of outstanding AUM by FY24E, valuation multiple should witness a re-rating.
Further, contained gross, net non-performing asset guidance of less than 3%, less than 1%, respectively, provide comfort.
At the current market price, L&T Finance currently trades at ~1.2 times adjusted book value offering room for further expansions as RoE, RoA are expected to reach ~10%, ~2.1%, respectively, in FY23-25E. Hence, we assign a target price of Rs 160/share, valuing at ~1.6 times FY25E ABV and recommend 'Buy' rating on the stock
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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 |
What royal watchers can forget the adorable antics of Prince Louis, and all the times he has acted, well, like a kid? At the Trooping of the Colour last month, the five-year-old pulled his famous faces, and at one point seemed to imitate a pilot as the military flew over Buckingham Palace. Fans have also been charmed by Prince William and Princess Kate’s seemingly relaxed and accepting reaction to their youngest child’s cheeky behavior—unthinkable to previous royal generations.
William and Kate’s more modern, tactile parenting style stands in stark contrast to the way royals have parented for centuries. Equally memorable, but much less fun, is the image of Louis’s grandfather, King Charles III, as a solemn young boy greeting his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, after she and Prince Philip had been away on a months-long commonwealth tour. The little prince receives no hug from his mother, just a formal handshake.
Elizabeth and Philip’s cold parenting style would lead Princess Diana to reportedly quip that the only thing her husband “learned about love from the Queen and Prince Philip was shaking hands.” But sadly, the parental distance Charles experienced has been the norm in royal households for centuries.
“Royal parents traditionally had nothing to do with their children’s day-to-day care when they were very young—George V, the late Queen’s grandfather, once saw a maid pushing a pram along a corridor at Buckingham Palace,” Tom Quinn, author of Gilded Youth: A History of Growing Up in the Royal Family, tells Vanity Fair. “He said to the maid: ‘Whose baby is that?’ The maid replied, ‘It’s yours, sir.’”
Royal children were also often treated harshly by their parents. “My father was frightened of his mother,” King George V of England once reportedly said. “I was frightened of my father, and I am damn well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me!”
Fostering out children was seen as a necessity when life expectancy was short and royal children were needed to assume governing duties (and marry) as quickly as possible. “In medieval times, royal princes and princesses were sent away aged just eight or nine to live in other aristocratic households—the idea was to make the child into an adult as soon as possible,” Quinn says. “The modern version of this is the royal obsession with boarding schools: sending princes and princesses to schools where they live and work 24/7 and only return home every couple of months.”
Day-to-day child-rearing was considered undignified for royals; they were usually given to wet nurses from the moment they were born. They were then handed over to nannies (whom many royal women have been notably jealous of for their close relationship to their charges) and strict—sometimes violent—governors and tutors who were pressured to produce dignified, noble “mini adults” who would make the ruling house proud, but this method came at a cost.
“The royal obsession with making princes and princesses as mature as possible as early as possible actually has the opposite effect and many royal children (especially boys) never really grow up,” says Quinn. “They behave like children when they grow up because they were not allowed to be children when they were young. This applies to Edward VII, George V and VI, Edward VIII, and especially King Charles.”
Parental estrangement could also have catastrophic consequences. Kings often viewed their sons, who were virtual strangers, as rivals and enemies. Three sons of Henry II of England would wage war against their father. In 1718, Peter the Great of Russia had his son Alexei tortured and killed. The dysfunctional Hanoverian kings of England uniformly despised their eldest sons, leading one courtier to reportedly quip, “The House of Hanover like ducks produces bad parents… They trample on their young.”
Even loving royal parents often found their hands tied by dynastic ambition and royal precedent. According to In Triumph’s Wake by Julia P. Gelardi, in 1502, a teenage Catherine of Aragon found herself trapped and destitute in England after the death of her first husband, Prince Arthur. Her anguished mother, Queen Isabella of Castile, instructed her ambassador to beg Arthur’s father, King Henry VII, to send Catherine back to her parents:
You shall say to the King of England that we cannot endure that a daughter whom we love should be so far from us when she is in affliction, and that she should not have us at hand to console her; also it would be more suitable for a young girl of her age to be with us than to be in any other place.
King Henry VII declined, and Isabella never saw her daughter again.
The red tape of protocol also often stopped royal parents (particularly mothers) from having meaningful roles in their children’s lives. In 1594, James I of England and his wife, Queen Anne, had their first child, Henry. James soon entrusted his heir to be raised by the Earl of Mar.
“A furious Anna demanded that the Scottish council discuss these arrangements for the heir to the throne to occupy a separate household and began to cultivate allies in her effort to retain custody of her son,” Carolyn Harris writes in Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting. “James refused to allow a debate about the circumstances of Henry’s upbringing. Anna responded by attempting to kidnap her son from his guardians…Anna threatened not to bear any further children unless she were permitted to raise her son.”
According to Harris, a compromise was soon reached, though to modern ears it sounds like a paltry concession. Prince Henry would stay with the Earl of Mar, and Queen Anne would have more input into her future children’s guardians.
However, as David Cohen notes in Bringing Them Up Royal: How the Royals Raised Their Children from 1066 to the Present Day, King James I clearly did love his children. James had endured a horrific, virtually orphaned childhood (his father, Lord Darnley, was murdered when James was an infant, and his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned). Clearly attempting to give his son the parental guidance he never had, he wrote a touching treatise on kingship called the Basilikon Doron for Prince Henry especially.
If royal children were lucky enough to be housed with their parents, they were often in distant nurseries, which could cause distinct problems in times of turmoil. In 1620, when King Frederick and Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia were forced to flee Prague, they accidentally left one of their large brood behind.
“As the last carriages were preparing to leave the castle courtyard, a court chamberlain made a last inspection of the royal apartments,” Harris writes. “Following the sound of a baby’s cries, he discovered Frederick and Elizabeth’s eleven-month-old son, Prince Rupert, who had been forgotten or abandoned by his nurse.”
This parental neglect would continue. Elizabeth’s daughter Sophia wrote witheringly that her mother preferred “the sight of her monkeys and dogs to that of her children.”
As Quinn notes, royal parenting styles often lag generations behind that of their subjects, but there have been exceptions. In the late 18th century, Marie Antoinette of France embraced Enlightenment principles and was determined that her children would be her “friends,” allowed to have childhoods and develop individual personalities, unencumbered by their predestined roles. “He has no idea of his station in his head, and I strongly desire that this continue,” she wrote of her eldest son, Prince Louis Joseph. “Our children learn soon enough what they are.”
Marie Antoinette’s parenting style was not the norm. In the 19th century, royals increasingly presented themselves as united families to appease middle-class sensibilities. No one did this more brilliantly than Queen Victoria, the “mother of Europe,” whose brood of nine was often photographed with their parents. Raised under the careful direction of their strict, progressive father, Prince Albert, they still were primarily looked after by servants.
According to Cohen, Queen Victoria, who was not a great fan of children, warned her daughter that “too great care, too much constant watching leads to the very dangers hereafter which one wishes to avoid.”
But times were changing, and the advent of modern media meant royal families were being “watched” like never before. As the world rapidly changed, some royal parents attempted to shield their precious children from political machinations and press intrusion.
Perhaps the most hands-on, coddling royal parents of the early 20th century were the doomed Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife, Alexandra. “The greatest treasure that parents can leave their children is a happy childhood,” Tsarina Alexandra wrote, per Harris, “with tender memories of father and mother. It will lighten the forthcoming days, it will preserve them from temptation, and it will help them face the harsh realities of life after they leave the parental roof.”
The Tsar and Tsarina were attentive, even smothering parents, and an early nanny was fired when she complained Alexandra popped into the royal nursery too often. The five Romanov children were isolated with their parents and servants, and desperate to learn about the outside world. According to Maria Rasputin, daughter of the “Mad Monk,” the four imperial daughters would pepper her with questions about her life and thought her school and trips to the cinema and circus were “the rarest and most enviable of wonders.”
Queen Elizabeth II would receive much the same upbringing with loving parents and attentive nannies but little contact with the outside world, and long separations from her parents. Her mother, Elizabeth, detailed the anguish many royal parents must have felt when leaving her children for a commonwealth tour. “Feel very miserable at leaving the baby,” she wrote. “Went up & played with her & she was so sweet. Luckily, she doesn’t realize anything…I drank some champagne and tried not to weep.”
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip continued this tradition, although reportedly with less warmth. “Elizabeth…inherited the idea that the young Charles and Anne must be looked after by nannies and governesses—they had nothing to do with Charles’s and Anne’s daily routine when they were babies,” Quinn writes. “All the work was done by paid staff and Elizabeth and Philip saw their children just once each day for a very formal meeting. One member of staff told me that, ‘Queen Elizabeth would no more visit the nursery than fly—instead we took the children to see her each day.’”
Constantly working, Queen Elizabeth is said to have keenly felt she was hurting her children by not being available to them (she would try to spend more time with her younger children, Andrew and Edward). “Once when he walked by her door, Charles asked her to come and play with him,” Cohen writes. “‘If only I could,’ she said.”
With the weight of the Crown on her shoulders, Elizabeth, perhaps misguidedly, left many family decisions to her husband, who had very little parenting in his chaotic childhood. This resulted in a legendary thick shell, and according to Quinn, an awkwardness with children. “I think children should be toughened up and just get on with it,” Philip once said, according to Quinn. “We fuss far too much about children’s sensitivities and emotional well-being. It’s largely nonsense.”
So, imagine the royal family’s shock when Princess Diana decided to shake things up. Like Marie Antoinette, she believed in enlightened parenting and despised the cold, removed relationship she and other aristocratic and royal parents had with their kids. “If only my parents hadn’t had enough money to do stupid things like employing endless nannies,” she told a friend, per Quinn, “they might have done something for us themselves. Stupid people are bad enough but rich stupid people are the absolute worst.”
In many ways, she started a royal parenting revolution that was adopted by many European ruling houses. She was demonstratively affectionate in private and public, took them to McDonald’s and amusement parks, and made sure many harsher aspects of royal life were not imposed on “her boys.” It is a legacy of involvement her sons are attempting to follow, expand, and refine (no McDonald’s for Kate’s children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis).
“William and Kate—but especially Kate—are determined to do things differently,” Quinn says. “William was brought up partly by Charles (who was embarrassed by physical affection) but also by Diana who loved to hug her children. But despite their slightly more modern outlook, both Charles and Diana still relied on paid staff—nannies—to do most of the work. Old habits die hard!”
According to Quinn, the “warm and maternal” Kate, who was raised in a loving, tight-knit family, insisted William change diapers and bathe the kids, take them on school runs, and put their family first. “The family’s recent move to Windsor is designed to ensure that even if the boys go to boarding school at Eton (which is near Windsor), their parents will be close enough to see them regularly,” he explains.
But the Prince and Princess of Wales are still restricted in how much control they have over their children’s lives. According to Quinn, when William and Kate discussed sending their children to state schools, there was pushback from “The Firm.” And the family still has a huge staff, including super nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.
“When [Kate] demurred and suggested she would like to do a little more the nitty-gritty part of the childcare,” Quinn writes in Gilded Youth, “it was made very clear to her that this was best left to the professionals, and Kate is nothing if not obedient to the rules of life in the royal family.”
Nowhere is the Prince and Princess of Wales’s modern outlook on parenting more obvious than in their reaction to Prince Louis’s adorable antics. “Old school royal parents would have felt Louis’s behaviour was undignified for a royal child of any age,” says Quinn, “because elements of the old obsession with royal princes behaving like adults even when they are still children still persists, but Kate and William are acutely aware of how much good publicity comes from having a charming child!”
However, according to Gilded Youth, there are still limits to how much a royal child can misbehave. When Kate tells her children the seemingly benign “let’s take a break,” it seems to mean: You are going to be in big trouble if you don’t stop. Time will tell if the coded parenting technique is a success. | Not_Explicit |
Examining how El Niño affects precipitation over the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica
The precipitation in West Antarctica, especially around the Antarctic Peninsula, exhibits large variability on the interannual time scale. In recent years, scientific research activities, tourism and fisheries have been experiencing remarkable growth there. Thus, understanding the variability of precipitation in West Antarctica, including the Antarctic Peninsula, is of substantial importance both for scientific and practical aspects.
As the strongest signal of interannual climate variability, El Niño exerts significant impacts on climate in the Antarctic, especially in the West Antarctic.
However, a recent study indicated that the effect of ENSO (which stands for El Niño–Southern Oscillation and refers to the broader climate pattern comprising the phases of El Niño and La Niña) on precipitation in West Antarctica is not significant, which is inconsistent with its significant impact on the West Antarctic climate through modulation of the Amundsen Sea low pressure system via Rossby wave trains (atmospheric or oceanic waves that form as a result of Earth's rotation).
In a paper recently published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters, Prof. Shuanglin Li from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, and Xueyang Chen and Dr. Chao Zhang from the China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China, clear up the impacts of different types of El Niño events on precipitation over West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, and explain the uncertain connection between the two.
"Previous studies show that precipitation over West Antarctica, especially the Antarctic Peninsula, is less correlated with El Niño. One possible reason is that these studies did not classify El Niño into its two known sub-types: EP [Eastern Pacific] and CP [Central Pacific] El Niño," explains Prof. Li.
EP and CP events have similar impacts on precipitation over the Amundsen–Bellingshausen seas, but opposite impacts on that over the Weddell Sea, including the eastern Antarctic Peninsula, thereby canceling each other out in terms of the precipitation response they induce. This of course then accounts for the uncertainty in ENSO's influences on precipitation over the Antarctic Peninsula.
"EP events force two branches of Rossby wave trains that propagate southeastward and converge in West Antarctica, which causes an anomalous anticyclone and cyclone over the Ross–Amundsen–Bellingshausen seas and Weddell Sea, respectively. Consequently, anomalous southerly winds occur over the Bellingshausen–Weddell seas, acting to decrease the amount of precipitation there."
"In comparison, only one weak and westward-shifted Rossby wave train is stimulated under a CP event, which induces an anomalous anticyclone and cyclone in the Ross–Amundsen seas and Bellingshausen–Weddell seas. Anomalous southerly winds reduce the precipitation over the Amundsen–Bellingshausen seas, while anomalous northerly winds increase the precipitation over the Weddell Sea," adds Xueyang Chen.
More information: Xueyang Chen et al, Distinct impacts of two kinds of El Niño on precipitation over the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica in austral spring, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.aosl.2023.100387
Provided by Chinese Academy of Sciences | Not_Explicit |
These politicians are fueling talk of late-entry 2024 bids
A number of politicians are stoking speculation that they could make late entries into the 2024 presidential race ahead of what’s shaping up to be a potential rematch between President Biden and former President Trump.
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) became the latest figure to raise questions about a White House bid after he released a cryptic video this week that prompted murmurs about a possible third-party campaign. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has sparked similar questions for the past few months and in recent days.
Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has been floated as a potential late entry into the GOP primary. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) was considered a possible choice as well until he ruled out a run on Monday.
The speculation surrounding these candidates underscores the degree of frustration over the parties’ respective front-runners.
“This is the point of the race every cycle where voters start to think, ‘Are these our only choices?’ And that always draws late interest,” said Alex Conant, a consultant who served as the communications director for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) 2016 presidential campaign.
Although these candidates might ultimately not choose to run, none of them has completely shut the door on the possibility.
The political organization No Labels has also increasingly gained attention around its plan to put forward a centrist ticket made of one Democrat and one Republican. But it has raised some concerns among Democrats that any such ticket could act as a spoiler and hand the race to Trump.
“The nature of our electoral politics means that the third-party candidate is almost never viable and most likely just serves to be a spoiler and primarily spoilers for the incumbent party,” said Sawyer Hackett, a Democratic strategist and senior adviser to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
He said the interest in a possible third-party candidacy comes from the sheer number of voters disillusioned with the two major parties. Meanwhile, he said there’s a significant number of GOP voters who do not want to see Trump win the nomination, leading to hopes that another candidate might join that primary field.
Trump’s age and many legal woes — including the possibility of a second federal indictment in the coming days — could offer another Republican an opportunity, some party members argue.
“So I think everybody is still waiting to see what happens legally, what implications that might have,” said Saul Anuzis, a Republican consultant and former Michigan GOP chairman. “Are there health reasons or any other reasons … that might create an opportunity?”
Here are the top politicians who are rousing speculation about possible late-entry 2024 bids:
Glenn Youngkin
The Virginia governor has allowed questions to swirl about his 2024 ambitions since he was elected to the highest office in a state that was initially assumed to be trending blue.
Youngkin has sent mixed signals for months about joining the race. He declared in early May that he would focus on supporting GOP candidates in Virginia’s state legislative elections this year but did not directly rule out a presidential run later.
He released a campaign-style video later that month paid for by his super PAC that featured comments he previously made calling for a “new era of American values.”
Brian Seitchik, a GOP strategist and former Trump campaign staffer, said Youngkin’s 2021 election was a national story that gave him name recognition, and he would receive at least a “serious look” in the race. He said history shows a late entrant to the race is not likely to break through, but he expects the race will tighten and GOP voters will consider if they want to fully get behind Trump as he faces multiple indictments.
“There will be a time of reflection before this thing is done where voters say are we really ready to make this jump? Now, if you’re wagering today, you’d have to say the odds are yes, but I don’t think Trump goes wire-to-wire here without at least getting pushed for a period of time,” Seitchik said.
Larry Hogan
Hogan, a moderate Republican who served two terms as governor of Maryland, announced in March he would not be a candidate for the GOP nomination following “serious consideration.” But he said shortly after that he had not ruled out a third-party bid.
The video from the super PAC supporting Hogan, An America United, did not directly address a potential campaign but included a voiceover of him talking about being an underdog and finding political success by working with both parties.
“I’ve always been an underdog, and people have always counted us out, but every single time we’ve beaten the odds,” Hogan said in the video he posted Tuesday on Twitter.
Still, he has remained unclear about his plans.
Hogan acknowledged to ABC News on Tuesday that a third-party bid would be a “steep climb” but argued it is “worth trying.” He said in an interview on “CNN This Morning” on Friday that now “may be time” for a third-party candidate, and he is serving as a national co-chairman of No Labels because he believes in “bipartisan, common-sense solutions.”
But he also told CNN he is not considering a third-party run, and he has not taken any “overt steps to take any actions.”
Joe Manchin
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has raised fears among his fellow Democrats that he is open to trying to run a middle lane between Biden and Trump. Facing what would likely be a tough reelection campaign in a strongly conservative state, Manchin has said he wouldn’t decide his “political future” until toward the end of the year.
On Monday, he headlined the first of multiple “Common Sense” town halls organized by No Labels, though he has not directly said whether he would run under its banner.
A recent poll from Monmouth University showed Biden defeating Trump even with Manchin on the ticket as a third-party candidate, but senators from both parties have said they expect his candidacy would hurt Biden more than Trump.
Democrats who spoke to The Hill say they ultimately don’t expect Manchin to run for president.
“I certainly think he will want his legacy to be how helped shape and mold the future of this country as a senator of West Virginia, versus his legacy being how he helped elect right-wing extremists potentially,” said Democratic consultant Antjuan Seawright, who noted that Manchin is known to be a “serious political flirt.”
Manchin said at the No Labels town hall that he has not ever been in a race as a spoiler, and if he runs, he will run to win.
Consultant Simon Rosenberg said he would expect Manchin would perform no better than single digits in polls against Trump and Biden, which he said would be considerably lower than how unnamed independents have performed in polls. He tweeted last week that he expects any third-party candidate will receive even less support than they hope based on the “gravity” of the race.
“My guess is absolute ceiling for Manchin or anyone else is like 8-10%. Will be within a few months clear failure, life long embarrassment for whomever goes,” he said in his tweet.
“I think we’re in still early days, and many of these efforts will not come out to anything,” Rosenberg later told The Hill.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | 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 |
Voters in Maine will likely be the ones to decide whether to restore long removed language about the state's obligations to Native American tribes to printed versions of its constitution.
The Maine Legislature is poised to give its final approval on Tuesday to a proposal to restore the language that requires Maine to honor treaties the state inherited from Massachusetts when it became its own state more than two centuries ago. The language has always applied, but was removed from printed versions of the constitution in 1876.
Statewide voters would have to approve of the change to the constitution for it to take place. The date of the referendum has not yet been set.
The restoration of the language to the printed constitution would improve transparency and illuminate Maine's debts to Native American tribes, said Democratic House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross. The language is not in the official online version of the Maine Constitution either, though it can be read elsewhere, such as in the Maine State Library.
"For decades, the history of the state’s treatment of the Wabanaki people has been concealed and disregarded - even in our most formal and guiding documents," Ross said. "Transparency is critical to truly have an elected government that decides on how we live, what the norms of our society are, and ultimately who gets to participate."
Lawmakers easily approved the proposal earlier in the legislative session and are scheduled to take a final vote on Tuesday, which could be the final day of the session.
The language compels Maine to "assume and perform all the duties and obligations of" Massachusetts upon becoming a state, which it did in 1820. It does not make reference to specific obligations.
Lawmakers are preparing to send the constitutional change to voters at a time when tribes in the state are seeking greater autonomy. The legislature voted in June to let most federal laws apply to Wabanaki tribes in a move designed to put them on equal footing with other federally recognized tribes in the U.S.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills opposed that proposal and vetoed it, saying she feared it could lead to lawsuits. Mills also opposed the restoration of the treaty language to the printed constitution. Her office said in testimony that the change had the potential to create confusion.
Tribal groups have urged passage of the restoration of the language and characterized it as overdue. John Dieffenbacher-Krall, executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance, said in testimony that restoration "would make our Maine Constitution more transparent increasing the likelihood current and future residents of this state do understand the obligations of the State of Maine to the Wabanaki Nations." | Not_Explicit |
A new House of Lords report into the Windsor Framework shows that it 'utterly fails' the DUP's seven tests, says Nigel Dodds
(Scroll down for a link to the main story and editorial)
The party’s House of Lords leader was responding to the findings of a committee of peers who looked at Rishi Sunak’s deal with the EU to reform the Northern Ireland Protocol. Lord Dodds, who is on the committee but which has more pro-EU members than Brexiteers, cited the way in which today’s report says that the new trade arrangement across the Irish Sea will be an improvement on the NI Protocol as it was originally designed but more burdensome than the protocol as it is at present, because it has never been implemented due to the UK’s unilateral imposition of grace periods.
The report today cites various concerns of groups such as hauliers and retailers to aspects of the framework including the proposed red and green lanes and the Stormont lock, and then repeatedly calls on Mr Sunak’s government to provide clarity in response to those concerns.
Lord Dodds said: “It is clear that the Windsor Framework utterly fails the seven tests set by the DUP. It represents the embedding of the Irish Sea border to a greater extent than anything we have seen thus far.”
While the DUP said in its council election manifesto that the framework failed its tests, Lord Dodds is now saying so with particular emphasis. He claimed that the report showed the framework “makes things worse for businesses compared to what they have experienced up to now”.
Lord Dodds, whose party currently refuses to operate power-sharing at Stormont, in protest at the NI Protocol, said: “The original protocol was unworkable and could not be implemented without major damage to our economy. That led to grace periods and easements. Now these are to be done away with and replaced with the more onerous and burdensome Windsor Framework provisions.
“The Windsor Framework renders us worse off in terms of the Irish Sea border and creates greater checks and barriers to trade with the rest of the UK compared to what we have experienced thus far even if it theoretically improves upon the original version of the protocol which was unworkable in any case.”
He continued: “The report points out there are still many unresolved and outstanding problems that have not been settled by the Windsor Framework. It looks through the hype and spin around the government narrative … and objectively analyses the truth behind the propaganda. It is clear that the Windsor Framework utterly fails the seven tests set by the DUP. It represents the embedding of the Irish Sea border to a greater extent than anything we have seen thus far.
“The events at Westminster last week, where the government sacked five of its own MPs from a committee to force through the new border for sending parcels to Northern Ireland, illustrates the reality of what it is actually doing versus the spin it tries to peddle.”
The government’s new legislation on postal regulations was not published when the peers compiled their evidence. However, the committee’s report noted that, “while the provisions are less burdensome than the protocol as originally conceived, they represent an increase in customs processes for business movements compared to the protocol as it has operated to date, in particular for business-to-business movements where suppliers are not trusted traders”.
Lords report into Windsor Framework: Hauliers were forthright witnesses | 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 |
Asian Paints Q1 Results Review - Demand Outlook Healthy; Valuations Expensive: Motilal Oswal
In-line sales; better-than-expected margins.
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.
Motilal Oswal Report
Asian Paints Ltd. reported strong volume growth of 10% in Q1 FY24 (our estimate: 8%). The management attributed this growth to the strong performance of the economy and premium segments, although the luxury segment lagged behind.
Additionally, the company observed an improvement in rural markets, with rural and urban markets coming closer in terms of performance.
The increase in gross margin was attributed to the softening of raw material prices, efficient sourcing, and a favorable product mix. As raw material prices stabilize, the gross margin is expected to return to normal levels.
The management has given guidance for the Ebitda margin to be in the range of 18-20%. Although sharp input cost reductions could lead to healthy earnings growth, Asian Paints’ valuations are fair at 62.3 times FY24E and 54.5 times FY25E earnings per share.
We retain our 'Neutral' rating with a target price of Rs 3,120 (based on 50 times FY25E EPS).
Click on the attachment to read the full report:
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 |
MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review his conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd, now that the Minnesota Supreme Court has declined to hear the case, his attorney said Wednesday.
The state’s highest court without comment denied Chauvin’s petition in a one-page order dated Tuesday, letting Chauvin’s conviction and 22 1/2-year sentence stand. Chauvin faces long odds at the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears only about 100 to 150 appeals of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review every year.
Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. A bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism that is still playing out.
Chauvin's attorney, William Mohrmann, told The Associated Press that they were “obviously disappointed” in the decision. He said the most significant issue on which they appealed was whether holding the proceedings in Minneapolis in 2021 deprived Chauvin of his right to a fair trial due to pretrial publicity and concerns for violence in the event of an acquittal. He said they will now raise that issue with the U.S. Supreme Court.
“This criminal trial generated the most amount of pretrial publicity in history,” Morhmann said. “More concerning are the riots which occurred after George Floyd’s death (and) led the jurors to all express concerns for their safety in the event they acquitted Mr. Chauvin — safety concerns which were fully evidenced by surrounding the courthouse in barbed wire and National Guard troops during the trial and deploying the National Guard throughout Minneapolis prior to jury deliberations.”
Mohrmann asked the Minnesota Supreme Court in May to hear the case after the Minnesota Court of Appeals in April rejected his arguments that he had been denied a fair trial. The Minnesota attorney general’s office, in a response last month, asked the Supreme Court to let that ruling stand instead.
“Petitioner received a fair trial, and received the benefit of a fulsome appellate review,” prosecutors wrote at the time. “It is time to bring this case to a close.”
The attorney general's office did not immediately reply to a request for comment Wednesday.
Morhman asked the Court of Appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court to throw out the ex-officer’s conviction for a long list of reasons, including the decision by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill not to move the trial out of Minneapolis despite the massive pretrial publicity, and the potential prejudicial effects of unprecedented courthouse security.
After his conviction on the state charge, Chauvin pleaded guilty to a separate federal civil rights charge and was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, which he is serving in Arizona concurrent with his state sentence. Three other former officers who assisted Chauvin are serving shorter state and-or federal sentences for their roles in the case.
Only Tou Thao, who held back the concerned crowd, still faces sentencing in state court. That's scheduled for Aug. 7. Thao rejected a plea agreement and, instead of going to trial, let Cahill decide the case based on written filings by each side and evidence presented in previous trials.
Cahill convicted Thao in May of aiding and abetting manslaughter. Minnesota guidelines recommend four years on the manslaughter count, which Thao would serve concurrently with his 3 1/2-year federal sentence. | Not_Explicit |
Bank chiefs have been summoned by City Minister Andrew Griffith to discuss how customers can be protected from being "de-banked" after Coutts terminated its relationship with Nigel Farage.
Mr Griffith is expected to write to the bosses of 19 banks, building societies and digital challengers warning that the government will "take all action necessary" to crack down on accounts being closed in response to customers' political views.
He said that regulations around politically exposed persons, or PEPs, are "being applied in a disproportionate manner by some financial institutions".
It comes after the former UKIP and Brexit Party leader received a 40-page dossier from the private bank Coutts - which is owned by NatWest Group - indicating that his bank account was closed because his views did not align with the firm's "values".
Mr Farage said the bank regarded him as "xenophobic and racist" and a former "fascist" and accused the NatWest Group of passing his personal and financial data to the BBC.
Last week, the Treasury announced reforms designed to give customers greater protections, give them more time to challenge decisions or to find replacement banks.
New measures include making banks explain why they are shutting an account, and extending the notice period from 30 days to 90 days.
Read more:
Coutts hits back amid Nigel Farage bank account row
Key points from Coutts' dossier
Nigel Farage calls bank's apology 'a start' but 'no way near enough'
While the reforms have yet to be enacted legally, they appear to have been accelerated in response to Mr Farage's experience, which sparked outrage among senior Tory MPs.
Mr Griffith has told banks including NatWest, Lloyds Banking Group, Santander and HSBC that the government "expects" that "firms should seek to take action on this policy as soon as possible and make best endeavours to implement" it.
Other chief executives expected to be called include those at TSB, Metro, Allied Irish, Danske Bank and Bank of Ireland, while the heads of digital finance outfits at Monzo, Starling, Chase, PayPal, Revolut and Wise will also be called to the Treasury.
In his letter Mr Griffith says: "I am calling a roundtable at the earliest opportunity to hear your views on how you and your firms will ensure that customers can access payment accounts without fear of being de-banked for their lawful expression, and necessary actions to be taken to implement the reforms announced."
Mr Farage received an apology from NatWest chief executive Dame Alison Rose for "deeply inappropriate comments" about him in official papers.
In a statement on 20 July, Coutts said its policy does not "close customer accounts solely on the basis of legally held political and personal views". | Not_Explicit |
Lionel Messi to come off bench in MLS debut for Inter Miami
Messi arrived for his new team's clash against Mexico's Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup just under two hours before kickoff at DRV PNK Stadium, but on the official team list named among the substitutes.
The move was expected, due to Messi's lack of recent competitive action and his limited training activity since announcing his move to Major League Soccer.
Also starting on the bench was fellow new arrival Sergio Busquets, who enjoyed many successful years playing alongside Messi at Barcelona.
Messi looked relaxed as he exited the team bus and strolled into the stadium, stopping briefly to pose for selfies with fans.
The 36-year-old has been hailed as a monumentally significant signing for Inter Miami, MLS in general, and American soccer as a whole, his switch coming just eight months after he led Argentina to a dramatic World Cup triumph.
However, some patience is required before he plays a full role. Messi has not played 90 minutes since he scored in Argentina's 2-0 friendly international victory over Australia in Beijing on June 15. Busquets, meanwhile, has not seen competitive action since May 28.
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The key to Lionel Messi's MLS mission: Dominating games, not talking about them
How Lionel Messi's Miami arrival mirrors the Beckham Experiment
Cristiano Ronaldo on Lionel Messi joining MLS: 'Saudi League is better'
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Luis Suarez reportedly wants to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami
Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Contract details, debut date, full schedule
Lionel Messi takes pictures with fans while shopping at Miami supermarket
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Lionel Messi unveiled in Miami after lengthy weather delay
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi already has his own chicken sandwich
Wayne Rooney: Lionel Messi 'won't find it easy' in MLS | Not_Explicit |
Arizona fake electors, Cyber Ninjas' 'audit' under investigation by state attorney general
Arizona's fake electors and the Arizona Senate's hand recount of 2.1 million Maricopa County ballots are under investigation by the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
Investigators are looking at a range of Republican-led efforts to overturn results of the 2020 election, including the so-called "audit," which was the only privately run recount of ballots in America, The Arizona Republic has learned.
The state was a nexus of coordinated attempts to challenge 2020 election results, with events here serving as a template for several swing states where former President Donald Trump lost. Arizona saw a campaign by Trump's legal team to pressure state lawmakers not to certify results; two slates of fake electors certifying that Trump carried the state; and the "audit," which sowed doubts in the voting process.
The "audit," led by Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, was managed, financed and organized by allies of Trump. It so far has cost Arizona taxpayers more than $5 million without delivering any definitive results.
Logan was involved in a partisan plot to overturn the 2020 election when then-Senate President Karen Fann hired him, documents obtained through a public records lawsuit by The Republic show.
Logan's own text messages show he was unable to quantify the results of his hand count, and privately admitted that he couldn't make sense of the vote tallies that hundreds of volunteers spent two months recording at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Attorney General's Office confirmed Tuesday it had launched a criminal investigation into GOP efforts, but spokesperson Richie Taylor said he could not discuss the scope of the inquiry or any specific details.
He said he could not answer questions about the "audit," Logan or Cyber Ninjas.
Logan did not respond to an interview request.
Arizona prosecutors since May have sought interviews with Trump electors, documents from election officials and evidence collected by the U.S. Department of Justice and prosecutors in other states who are mounting their own election interference investigations, The Washington Post first reported on July 13.
Arizona's investigation continues as the Justice Department ramps up its probe of some Republicans in seven states who submitted falsified documents claiming to be the rightful electors where Democrat Joe Biden actually won in the November 2020 election.
Michigan's attorney general on Tuesday announced felony charges against a group of 16 fake electors, marking the first criminal case to be brought in any state related to the plan.
Fake electors in spotlight in multiple investigations
The Michigan Republicans are accused of trying to use a phony certificate to award the state's Electoral College votes to Trump despite his 154,188-vote loss to Biden. Each person was charged with eight forgery-related counts.
While federal prosecutors in Nevada and state authorities in Georgia have offered immunity deals to those states' fake electors, it's unclear if the same is true of any of Arizona's fake electors. Some of them were subpoenaed a year ago after questions from the now-disbanded House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
State Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, who was among several Arizona GOP representatives who signed the false documents, denied knowing anything about an investigation during a June phone interview.
He brushed off questions about investigations. Asked if he had sought legal counsel, Kern said he didn't need a lawyer. Only people who have done something wrong or had something to hide would need to hire a lawyer, he said.
None of the other Arizona fake electors would comment when contacted by The Arizona Republic in June. State Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, retreated to a members-only stairwell at the Capitol without addressing the issue.
Emails obtained by The New York Times in 2022 showed Arizona lawyer Jack Wilenchik, who was working with the state's fake electors, discussed the plan with a Trump adviser, which he called wild and inventive.
“We would just be sending in ‘fake’ electoral votes to (Vice President Mike) Pence so that ‘someone’ in Congress can make an objection when they start counting votes, and start arguing that the ‘fake’ votes should be counted,” Wilenchik wrote in a Dec. 8, 2020, email.
Wilenchik did not respond to an interview request.
Biden beat Trump by 10,457 votes in Arizona, or 0.3 percent of the nearly 3.4 million ballots cast.
Arizona had two different groups of fake GOP electors.
One group included then-state party Chair Kelli Ward, Kern and Hoffman, and turned the signing into a social media event, promoting it on Twitter. The other group was made up of lesser-known Trump loyalists who called themselves “The Sovereign Citizens of the Great State of Arizona.”
The fake electors scheme was the brainchild of John Eastman, a lawyer on Trump's legal team who proposed the competing slates could create confusion and give Vice President Mike Pence the justification needed to toss out votes from all seven states.
Trump could then be declared the winner, or short of that, the certification of election results could be delayed long enough to give states time to pursue allegations of fraud. Pence, however, refused to go along.
Eastman is now facing a disbarment trial. The State Bar Court of California has charged him with 11 disciplinary counts for his efforts to keep Trump in office. Bar lawyers allege Eastman knew his advice was not supported by law and his purpose was to prevent Biden from becoming president.
Eastman has countered that he was engaged in legitimate legal discussions about the powers of the office of the vice president rather than trying to overturn the election.
Arizona's fake electors have long held that the effort was nothing more than a backup plan in case any of Trump’s legal challenges to his loss in Arizona were successful, to ensure the state had some electors, even though the documentation they submitted did not say as much.
Prominent former prosecutor seeks criminal probe of Cyber Ninjas
Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley in June called for state and county authorities to investigate Logan for potential criminal charges.
Romley, a Republican, said this is not a partisan issue. He said Logan has defied court orders to turn over thousands of "audit" records.
Logan is not only in contempt of court, he also appears to be violating a state law that makes withholding public records a Class 6 felony, Romley said.
Romley said records Logan has so far released also suggest Cyber Ninjas might have perpetrated fraud by taking millions for an election review that appeared to have a predetermined outcome and could not be completed.
Logan has turned over several thousand text messages in response to The Republic's public records lawsuit, but he has withheld thousands more.
A judge in January 2022 fined Cyber Ninjas $50,000 a day until the company complied with the order to turn over all audit-related material. The Arizona Supreme Court affirmed the daily fine in July 2022, rejecting Logan's request to rescind it. The fines to the company now total millions of dollars.
An independent review by a team of data analysts in June found Logan improperly redacted thousands of texts and eliminated others. The review identified missing messages, long gaps in communications and conversations that dropped in midstream.
Senate Republicans in 2021 announced they would commission a hand count of every ballot cast in Maricopa County to address claims the election had been stolen from Trump. The Senate subpoenaed the ballots and other election material from the county.
Fann tapped Logan to lead the audit after privately communicating with retired Army Col. Phil Waldron, an ardent Trump supporter who met with the former president. Although neither Logan nor his company had election auditing experience, Fann at the time said he was "well qualified" and "well experienced."
The ballot review was supposed to take a few weeks and cost taxpayers $150,000. It ultimately took about two months and so far has cost Arizona more than $5 million.
While Logan confirmed Biden's victory in Arizona, his report to the Senate focused on so-called anomalies that raised doubts about the process. It allowed Trump allies to insist the vote was compromised, instilling distrust in voting machines and encouraging partisan calls for paper ballot tabulations, hand recounts and "audits."
Arizona's two slates of fake electors
This is the Arizona Republican slate of electors. These individuals all were listed as electors on the 2020 ballot:
- Tyler Bowyer, an executive with Turning Point USA and a committeeman for the Republican National Committee.
- Nancy Cottle, who chaired the Arizona Trump electors.
- State Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek.
- Then-state Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale.
- Jim Lamon, a failed U.S. Senate candidate.
- Robert Montgomery of the Cochise County Republican Committee.
- Samuel Moorhead of the Gila County Republican Party.
- Loraine Pellegrino, the secretary of the Arizona Trump electors.
- Greg Safsten, former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party.
- Kelli Ward, the state GOP chair at the time,
- Michael Ward, Kelli Ward's husband and a GOP activist.
The Sovereign Citizens slate
- Federico Buck, a real estate professional.
- Cynthia Franco.
- Sarai Franco.
- Stewart A. Hogue.
- Jamie Hunsaker, a Trump enthusiast.
- Carrie Lundell.
- Christeen Taryn Moser.
- Danjee J. Moser.
- Jessica Panell.
- Donald Paul Schween, who was active in Republican Party politics.
- Peter Wang. | Not_Explicit |
Republicans to play more selective role in 2024 midterm candidates
Establishment Republicans are looking to play a more assertive role in ensuring their preferred candidates win in competitive Senate primaries as they work to flip the upper chamber next year.
There’s broad consensus that candidate quality factored in to the party’s failure to take back the Senate in last year’s midterms, with a number of controversial candidates endorsed by former President Trump losing in key states like Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Georgia.
Now, GOP Senate leaders are doing whatever they can to prevent that from happening again in 2024. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the current head of the party’s campaign arm, has said he plans to be more active in recruiting candidates and selective in where the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) sends its support — a departure from his predecessor, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who argued it wasn’t his job to interfere in primaries.
In West Virginia, for example, Daines is backing Gov. Jim Justice (R) as he runs against fellow Republican Rep. Alex Mooney in the Senate primary. They’re both vying for the seat held by Democrat incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin, who hasn’t said whether he’s running for reelection.
In Montana, Daines has been supportive of businessman Tim Sheehy, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, and said he’d prefer to avoid a contentious primary as Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) weighs a bid that could potentially tee up an eventual Tester-Rosendale rematch of their 2018 Senate race.
“Senate Republicans have seen the majority slip through their fingers in previous cycles. And they’re so close to regaining the majority, they can taste it. Republicans in 2024 have an opportunity to be on offense, and they’re going to be looking for candidates who can prevail in a general election,” said Jeff Grappone, who led communications for the Senate GOP Conference under Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), adding that candidate quality “has been an issue” for the party.
“It’s understandable after the last cycle, that there would be a desire to have a different approach, a winning approach, to go on offense and to not leave any opportunities on the table,” Grappone said.
Given the narrow Senate margin, and “given how high the stakes are, I think it’s the right decision for the NRSC to get involved in primaries,” said GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak, although he added that the decision is “not without some risks.”
“A 50-50 Senate could be decisive one way or the other. If you just look at Montana, Ohio and West Virginia, those three — the GOP should be favored in all three of those states if we don’t blow it,” Mackowiak said, noting that states like Arizona and Wisconsin could also be pickup opportunities this time around.
“There’s a pathway to Republicans gaining three or more seats this election cycle, and that would be significant. It’s the most advantageous map, Senate map, in my lifetime for Republicans,” Mackowiak said.
The election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the Senate races for Manchin’s seat in West Virginia, Democrat Sherrod Brown’s seat in Ohio and Independent Kyrsten Sinema’s seat in Arizona as “toss up” states, while Tester’s seat in Montana and Democrat Bob Casey Jr.’s seat in Pennsylvania are among five posts rated “lean Democrat.”
Daines told CBS News last week that the NRSC plans to stay neutral in the Ohio Senate race, where three Republican candidates are now jostling for their party’s nomination in a competitive primary. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) became the latest Republican to announce his candidacy, joining businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan (R).
“When you have three candidates [where] anyone could win the general election, we don’t stay up late at night worrying about that,” the Senate campaign arm’s chair said of Ohio in an interview with CBS News.
“But if we have a situation where a candidate may not be able to appeal across a broader spectrum, that’s where we’ll be more intentional to try to get candidates that can,” Daines said.
But Brian Darling, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide, said establishment Republicans may be setting themselves up for failure by getting involved in primary battles.
“I think it’s a mistake for the party to get involved in primaries,” Darling said. “The party has a mixed record on picking preferred candidates and it doesn’t always work out for them”
Darling added that the party’s involvement in primaries causes rifts between conservatives and the more establishment-wing candidates, creating problems for the eventual general election.
“You end up having these primaries that are pretty, pretty rough-and-tumble, that end up dividing the party and giving ammunition to the Democrats to go after the conservative if the conservative ends up winning,” Darling said.
Darling also raised concerns that the NRSC risks “trying to defeat somebody who may eventually win,” which could then create “a lot of distrust with leadership before these members potentially get elected.”
Other strategists shrugged off that concern, saying those candidates would have to win a general election first in order for that distrust to become a factor.
After a disappointing midterm cycle in which Republicans barely etched out a majority in the House and lost a chance to lead the Senate, many pointed to controversial Trump-backed candidates as at least partially responsible for the failed “red wave.”
Now, some Republicans are saying Trump should stay out of the primaries.
Daines told CBS News that he’s “getting on the same page” with the former president about endorsements and has endorsed Trump in his 2024 bid to get back to the Oval Office.
Darling said endorsements from the former president are “huge” for congressional hopefuls.
“That’s a much more important endorsement than the Senatorial Committee or anybody sitting in the U.S. Senate today,” he said.
CNN reported this week that Trump has told both Mooney in Montana and Rosendale, if he runs in West Virginia, that they’re unlikely to secure his endorsement.
“Certainly, Trump hurt us” in states like Pennsylvania and Arizona last year, Mackowiak said, but it’s “good news” that the former president now seems not to be getting behind “less electable candidates” in places like Montana and West Virginia.
“It appears as though, at least as of now, he’s not going to be the problem he’s been in the past,” the GOP consultant said of Trump.
The party has also appeared to breathe a sigh of relief that some controversial candidates from last year’s midterms are foregoing getting into next year’s races for both the House and Senate.
Pennsylvania’s state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R), who questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election during his 2022 gubernatorial bid, decided against a 2024 run for Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-Pa.) seat. Endorsed by Trump, Mastriano lost his race last year by 15 points.
Others, though, could still jump into Senate races and complicate things for the establishment, like failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R), who is considering an upper chamber bid for Sinema’s seat.
The Hill has reached out to the NRSC for comment.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Romania is set to start its 155mm self-propelled howitzer armament program in the imminent future, focusing on industrial cooperation. In pursuit of this goal, Romania has been in talks with South Korean defense manufacturer Hanwha to produce some components of the K9 Thunder howitzer domestically.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has already sought parliamentary approval to launch several weapons programs, including the self-propelled howitzer project. The entire programme, which encompasses the procurement of five 155mm self-propelled howitzer systems at the battalion level, is estimated to be worth $1.923 million.
The Defense Romania website has revealed that Romania may procure a total of 59 K9 155mm self-propelled howitzers from South Korea, with the initial procurement consisting of 18 howitzers.
At a recent strategic event organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania, Daniela Nicolescu, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, confirmed talks with Hanwha on the production of K9 Thunder howitzer components in Romania. The South Korean company Poongsan also participated in the discussions on the production of gunpowder.
Romania’s National Company Romarm signed two MoUs with South Korean firms Hanwha Aerospace and LIG Nex1, a missile manufacturer, earlier this year. Procurement of 155mm self-propelled howitzers is expected to start soon, with several tenders anticipated, including Hanwha’s bid for K9 Thunder howitzers.
The K9 Thunder, developed by the South Korean company Samsung Techwin, is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer, initially introduced to the South Korean military in 1999. With a caliber of 155mm, this robust piece of machinery demonstrates impressive range. It can launch standard projectiles up to about 30 kilometers, while the range is extended to about 40 kilometers when rocket-assisted projectiles are used. It is equipped with a highly efficient firing system that allows a burst of 3 rounds in just 15 seconds. The sustained rate of fire is 6 rounds per minute for the first 3 minutes, then reduced to 2 rounds per minute for an hour.
The K9 Thunder is powered by an MTU MT 881 Ka-500 8-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine, which generates a powerful 1000 horsepower. This power allows the 47-tonne vehicle to reach a top highway speed of 67 kilometers per hour. Armament-wise, in addition to the 155mm/52 caliber main gun, it also features a 7.62mm caliber K6 secondary machine gun. It can cover a range of 480 kilometers, demonstrating its substantial endurance in various operational scenarios.
The K9 Thunder is already in service with Estonia, Finland, India, Norway, Poland and South Korea. Australia and Egypt have also bought it. The Turkish Army also signed a contract to produce a localized version called the T-155 Fırtına, replacing many components with domestically produced ones. Furthermore, Finland acquired 48 used K9s from South Korea in 2017 and integrated them into its military forces.
Alain Henry de Frahan | Not_Explicit |
EURACTIV.com with Reuters Est. 3min 22-07-2023 Content-Type: News Service News Service Produced externally by an organization we trust to adhere to journalistic standards. Russian President Vladimir Putin holds an operational meeting via video conference with permanent members of the Russian Security Council in Moscow, Russia, 21 July 2023. [Kremlin pool/EPA/EFE] EURACTIV is part of the Trust Project >>> Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram President Vladimir Putin on Friday (21 July) accused NATO member Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union, and said any aggression against Russia’s neighbour and close ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia. Moscow would react to any aggression against Belarus, which forms a loose “Union State” with Russia, “with all the means at our disposal”, Putin told a meeting of his Security Council in televised remarks. Warsaw’s Security Committee decided on Wednesday to move military units to eastern Poland after members of the Russian Wagner mercenary force arrived in Belarus, the state-run news agency PAP quoted its secretary as saying on Friday. Poland denies any territorial ambitions in Belarus. In his remarks Putin had also stated that the western part of Poland was a gift from Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to the country and that Russia would remind Poles about it. In apparent reference to that, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted on Friday evening that “Stalin was a war criminal, guilty of the death of hundreds of thousands of Poles. Historical truth is not debatable.” “The ambassador of the Russian Federation will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, he said. On Thursday, Belarus said Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the Polish border. Tactical nuclear weapons Russia has in recent weeks begun stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for the first time. The Kremlin said Putin would meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, with whom he speaks regularly, in Russia on Sunday. Putin says Russia positions nuclear bombs in Belarus as warning to West Putin said on 16 June that his deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, something he confirmed for the first time had already happened, was a reminder to the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Friday that Germany and NATO were prepared to support Poland in defending the military alliance’s eastern flank. Putin said there were press reports of plans for a Polish-Lithuanian unit to be used for operations in western Ukraine – parts of which in the past belonged to Poland – and ultimately to occupy territory there. “It is well known that they also dream of the Belarusian lands,” he said, also without providing any evidence. On Wednesday, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part for now in the war in Ukraine but ordering them to gather strength for Wagner’s operations in Africa while they trained the Belarusian army. Prigozhin says Wagner, which led the conquest of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, is Russia’s most effective fighting force. But his frequent clashes with the Moscow defence establishment led him to stage an armed mutiny four weeks ago. The insurrection ended with an agreement that Wagner fighters – many recruited from prison – could move to Belarus if they wished. Read more with EURACTIV New war with Azerbaijan 'very likely', says Armenian PMArmenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned Friday (21 July) of the risk of a new war with Azerbaijan, accusing Baku of "genocide" in the breakaway Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Topics Belarus Global Europe nuclear weapons Poland Russia Russia World | Not_Explicit |
On CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, former Vice President and Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence said he’s not sure Donald Trump’s actions on January 6 were criminal.
“While his words were reckless,” Pence said of his former boss’ actions before and during the pro-Trump mob’s ransacking of the Capitol, “based on what I know, I am not yet convinced that they were criminal.”
“I don’t honestly know what his intention was that day,” Pence added, and “I believe that history will hold him accountable.”
Perhaps. Earlier this week, Trump announced that he’d received a letter notifying him he was a target of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. If true, this indicates that Trump may soon face his third criminal indictment since leaving office. As my colleague Dan Friedman writes:
The letter, according to Trump, offered him a chance to appear before a grand jury meeting in Washington, DC, this week. Prosecutors typically send such letters when they are close to seeking the indictment of a target of their probe.
Trump received a separate target letter from Smith’s office in June prior to his indictment for allegedly violating the Espionage Act, along with other charges, related to his efforts to retain White House documents, many of them highly classified, at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump has also been charged in New York with falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis is also expected to decide soon whether to charge Trump and associates over their attempts to interfere with the 2020 election results in that state.
Pence, of course, was a key target of the January 6 mob. As rioters stormed the Capitol building, toppling barricades, smashing windows, and attacking police officers with various weapons, and the VP and his family were whisked away to a secure location, some of the attackers yelled, “Hang Pence.” Amid all this mayhem, Trump, who appeared to be aware that his vice president was in danger, tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”
He did, actually, by certifying the 2020 election results. But judging from the CNN interview, Pence doesn’t have the courage to stand up to a bully who might literally have gotten him killed. | Not_Explicit |
Conspiracy-mongers in Congress: Republicans go off the deep end
“The most durable narratives are not the ones that stand up to fact-checking. They’re the ones that address our deepest needs and desires,” journalist George Packer once acknowledged. But, he warned, “when facts become fungible, we’re lost.”
These days, in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, conspiracy theories are in the saddle, and facts have become fungible.
During the testimony of John Kerry before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee a couple of weeks ago, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) accused the U.S. Climate Envoy of hyping a global warming “problem that doesn’t exist.” When Kerry pointed to the consensus of climate scientists and the 195 nations that signed the Paris Accords, Perry declared they were “grifting, just like you.” In the 117th Congress, according to one study, 52 percent of House Republicans and 60 percent of Senate Republicans were climate skeptics or deniers. Every time soil or a rock “is deposited into the seas,” opined Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) “that forces the sea levels to rise because now you’ve got less space in those oceans because the bottom is moving.”
In May, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced articles of impeachment against FBI Director Christopher Wray. More recently, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, alleged that the Bureau spied on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign “raided” the former president’s home and targeted conservatives in a “double standard” of the system of justice. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) described the Bureau as a “creepy personal snooping machine.” Blasting the FBI as “tyrannical,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) claimed agents “stormed” the home of an anti-abortion activist and arrested him.
The FBI did not “raid” Mar-a-Lago, Wray said; agents acted pursuant to a search warrant approved by a judge. “There are specific rules about where to store classified information,” Wray added, “and in my experience, ballrooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms are not SCIFs” (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities). In the case of the anti-abortion activist, agents knocked on his door and “asked him to exit. He did without incident.” Given his background as a registered Republican who was appointed by President Trump, Wray concluded, “the idea that I’m biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me.”
In May, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a press release: “Grassley, Comer Demand FBI Record Alleging Criminal Scheme Involving Then VP Biden.” Hours later Grassley tweeted, “I can’t verify whether or not it’s really criminal activity…” Two weeks ago, the DOJ unsealed an indictment filed on Nov. 1, 2022, charging Gal Luft, a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, with arms trafficking, sanctions violations, lying to the FBI, and acting as an unregistered agent for China. Arrested in Cyprus in February 2023, Luft skipped bail in April and may now be hiding in Israel. If convicted, he faces up to 100 years in prison.
After acknowledging that Luft was the whistleblower he and Grassley had referenced, Rep. James Comer (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Oversight Committee, insisted he “is a very credible witness.” Comer alleged Luft was the left’s “worst nightmare,” because the FBI had flown to Brussels to interview him, only to insist as well that the Bureau “never investigated any of this. They turned a complete blind eye.” In another non sequitur, Comer stated that Luft had been charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, “which is the main thing we’ve said the Bidens were all along.”
House Republicans joined Comer in suggesting, without evidence, that Luft had been indicted because he had accused the Bidens of wrongdoing. “I don’t trust the DOJ or FBI. They are trying to silence our witnesses,” maintained Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). As Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) recommended immunity from prosecution in exchange for Luft’s testimony against the Bidens, Comer doubled down on his undocumented assertion that “the president of the United States and his family has taken millions of dollars from a company that’s 100 percent wholly owned by the Chinese Communist Party.”
There are 154 House Republicans who claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen; objected to certifying the Electoral College results; supported recounts in swing states; or attended and/or supported the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol who returned or were newly elected to Congress in November 2022. A couple of weeks ago, GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel told CNN’s Chris Wallace “I don’t think he [Biden] won it fair.” The only evidence she cited — a woman from Wayne County, Michigan, who claimed she was told to backdate ballots, and the removal of Republican poll watchers — has been debunked.
McDaniel did not mention that more than 60 court cases challenging the results were rejected. In one of them, Stephanos Bibas, who was appointed to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President Trump, summarized a simple principle MAGA Republicans and their enablers continue to ignore. Charges of unfairness, Judge Bibas agreed, “are serious.” But such charges “require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”
Let’s hope all Americans keep this principle in mind if, as expected, former President Trump is indicted again in the near future.
Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He is the co-author (with Stuart Blumin) of “Rude Republic: Americans and Their Politics in the Nineteenth Century.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Not_Explicit |
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and said any aggression against its neighbour and ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia itself.
In televised remarks on Friday, Putin warned that Moscow would use any means at its disposal to protect Belarus, which forms a loose Union State with Russia, against possible attacks.
Putin said there were reports of plans for a Polish-Lithuanian unit to be used for operations in western Ukraine – parts of which in the past belonged to Poland – and ultimately to occupy territory there.
“But as far as Belarus is concerned, it is part of the Union State. Unleashing aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin said at a meeting of the Kremlin’s Security Council.
“We will respond to this with all the means at our disposal.”
“It is well known that they also dream of the Belarusian lands,” he said, also without providing any evidence.
‘Pathetic bore from the Kremlin’
Poland, a NATO member and one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in its fight against Russia’s invasion, denied any territorial ambitions in Ukraine or Belarus.
“The pathetic bore from the Kremlin is once again repeating lies about Poland and also trying to falsify the truth about the war against Ukraine,” Poland’s deputy minister coordinator of special services, Stanislaw Zaryn, told the state-owned PAP news agency.
“Vladimir Putin is also using historical revisionism again to spread false accusations against Poland.”
In his remarks, Putin argued Poland’s western territories were a “gift” from former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
“It was thanks to the Soviet Union, thanks to steps taken by Stalin, that Poland got substantial territories in the West – German land. This is a fact,” Putin said. “Western Polish territories are Stalin’s gift to Poland. Have our friends in Warsaw forgotten about it? We’ll give them a reminder.”
Putin’s comments are a message that “Poland has to be grateful to the Soviet Union, to Russia, and instead they are becoming more of an enemy to Russia,” said Nina Khrushcheva, professor of international affairs at the New School and great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
“Also this is a message to the Ukrainians: ‘Please remember that for many years Ukraine and Poland were not great friends, and so now you’re being duped.’ So this is a multilayered propaganda message on the Kremlin’s part,” she told Al Jazeera from Moscow.
Poland has reinforced its defences at the border with Belarus, where fighters from the Wagner mercenary force moved after an aborted mutiny in Russia last month.
Warsaw’s Security Committee decided on Wednesday to move military units to eastern Poland after Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus, PAP quoted its secretary as saying on Friday.
On Wednesday, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part for now in the war in Ukraine but ordering them to gather strength for Wagner’s operations in Africa while they trained the Belarusian army.
Prigozhin’s short-lived insurrection four weeks ago ended with an agreement that Wagner fighters – many recruited from prison – could move to Belarus if they wished.
On Thursday, Minsk said Wagner mercenaries had started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range close to the Polish border.
Poland responded by deploying troops near its eastern border.
“These are hardened war criminals, so of course, any Polish government would be concerned,” Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s former defence minister, told Al Jazeera. “The first duty of any government is to protect its external and international border and the people on our side.”
Poland has provided Kyiv with arms and welcomed refugees since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
It has, however, shown no interest in sending troops to Ukraine.
Putin accused its leaders of trying to “directly intervene in the conflict” to occupy Ukrainian land.
Belarus – which borders Ukraine, the European Union and NATO members Poland and Lithuania – served as a launch pad for Russia’s Ukraine invasion.
“With Belarus and the Wagner Group being there and Poland bringing troops to the border with Belarus and Poland also saying it would potentially like to carry a NATO nuclear arsenal to some degree – that’s why I think Poland has become a piece of rhetoric in the Kremlin,” Khrushcheva said. | Not_Explicit |
The boss of NatWest, which owns Coutts, has admitted a "serious error of judgement" in discussing Nigel Farage's relationship with the private bank.
Dame Alison Rose said she was "wrong" to respond to questions from the BBC about his bank account being closed.
The ex-UKIP leader had demanded NatWest explain how his financial information was made public as the row over his bank account closure escalated.
NatWest said it still had full confidence in Dame Alison at the helm.
Dame Alison's apology comes after the BBC apologised on Monday for its inaccurate report earlier this month which said Mr Farage no longer met the wealth threshold for Coutts, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Mr Farage later secured a Coutts report which indicated his political views were considered.
Dame Alison said in conversations with BBC business editor Simon Jack "believing it was public knowledge" she had confirmed that Mr Farage was a Coutts customer and he been offered a NatWest bank account.
The NatWest boss said she did not reveal any personal financial information about Mr Farage.
"In response to a general question about eligibility criteria required to bank with Coutts and NatWest I said that guidance on both was publicly available on their websites.
"In doing so, I recognise that I left Mr Jack with the impression that the decision to close Mr Farage's accounts was solely a commercial one," she added.
When Coutts decided to close Mr Farage's account, he said it did not give him a reason.
Mr Farage subsequently obtained a document looking at his suitability as a Coutts customer.
The 40-page document flagged concerns that he was "xenophobic and racist", and also questioned the reputational risk of having Mr Farage as a client.
It said that to have Mr Farage as a customer was not consistent with Coutts' "position as an inclusive organisation" given his "publicly stated views".
Dame Alison said she had not been involved in the decision to close Mr Farage's account, but Coutts had told her it was for commercial reasons.
She said when she spoke to Mr Jack, she had not seen the dossier released by Mr Farage.
"I was wrong to respond to any question raised by the BBC about this case. I want to extend my sincere apologies to Mr Farage for the personal hurt this has caused him and I have written to him today," she added. | Not_Explicit |
Federal prosecutors investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results have evidence to charge the former president with three crimes, including section 241 of the US legal code that makes it unlawful to conspire to violate civil rights, two people familiar with the matter said.
The potential charges detailed in a target letter sent to Trump by prosecutors from the office of special counsel Jack Smith, who also charged Trump with retaining classified documents last month, was the clearest signal of an imminent indictment.
Prosecutors appear to have evidence to charge Trump with obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States based on the target letter, two statutes that the House select committee examining the January 6 Capitol attack issued criminal referrals for last year.
The target letter to Trump identified a previously unconsidered third charge, the sources said. That is section 241 of title 18 of the US code, which makes it unlawful to conspire to threaten or intimidate a person in the “free exercise” of any right or privilege under the “Constitution or laws of the United States”.
The statute, enacted to protect the civil rights of Black voters targeted by white supremacy groups after the US civil war, is unusual because it is typically used by prosecutors in law enforcement misconduct and hate crime prosecutions, though its use has expanded in recent years.
What the potential charges means for Trump is unclear.
Prosecutors have been examining various instances of Trump pressuring officials like his former vice-president Mike Pence, but Trump’s efforts to obstruct the transfer of power could also be construed as conspiring to defraud voters more generally.
The other two statutes, meanwhile, suggest a core part of the case against Trump is focused on the so-called fake electors scheme and the former president’s efforts to use the fake slates in a conspiracy to stop the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s election win on 6 January 2021.
The target letter did not cite any seditious conspiracy, incitement of insurrection or deprivation of rights under color of law – other areas for which legal experts have suggested Trump could have legal risk.
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment about the contents of the target letter, though a senior adviser to Trump did not dispute that section 241 was listed when reached late on Tuesday night.
The New York Times also reported the inclusion of the statute.
Trump, who is facing unprecedented legal peril as he leads the pack of candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, called the target letter “HORRIFYING NEWS” in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he first disclosed the development.
Last year, the House select committee that investigated the Capitol attack concluded that Trump committed multiple crimes in an attempt to reverse his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding.
The committee issued symbolic criminal referrals to the justice department, although at that point the justice department had since stepped up its criminal investigation with the addition of new prosecutors in spring 2022 before they were folded into the special counsel’s office.
House investigators also concluded that there was evidence for prosecutors to charge Trump with conspiracy to defraud and obstruction of an official proceeding. They also issued referrals for incitement of insurrection, which was not listed in the target letter.
Should prosecutors charge Trump in the federal January 6 investigation, the case could go to trial much more quickly than the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case – before the 2024 election – because pre-trial proceedings would not be delayed by rules governing national security materials.
Trump was charged last month for retaining national security materials and obstructing the government’s efforts to retrieve them. Trump and his co-defendant, his valet Walt Nauta, who was charged with conspiring to obstruct and making false statements to the FBI, have both pleaded not guilty.
The target letter to Trump comes weeks before the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, is expected to charge Trump and his allies for their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia, the Guardian has previously reported. | 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.
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