In the wero before the test against Italy, the halfback referenced the toitu te tiriti movement, opposing the Treaty Principles Bill. The team also posed with the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. It's drawn questions about the place of politics in professional sport. But lawyer and consultant Te Wehi Wright says Tino Rangatiratanga needs viewing in a wider context. He says it's about showcasing the beauty of all cultures, particularly the two main parties to te Tiriti o Waitangi, and how they can shape unity.
JD Vance is leaving the Senate for the vice presidency. That's set off a scramble for his Ohio seat COLUMBUS, Ohio -- JD Vance's election as vice president has opened up one of Ohio's U.S. Senate seats for the third time in as many years, setting off a scramble for the appointment among the state's ruling Republicans. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine is tasked with filling the vacancy, giving the pragmatic center-right politician a hand in setting his party's course in the state potentially for years to come. His decision will be made in the afterglow of sweeping wins by Republicans in November under the leadership of Donald Trump, but a poor choice could also help Democrats reclaim a place in Ohio's Senate delegation when the seat comes up for reelection in less than two years. "Look, being a United States senator is a big deal," the governor told reporters in the days after the election. "It's a big deal for the state, and we need to get it right." DeWine has a long list to choose from — particularly given the number of GOP candidates who competed unsuccessfully in Senate primaries in 2022 and 2024. Those under consideration who previously lost crowded Republican primaries are former Ohio Republican Chair Jane Timken; two-term Secretary of State Frank LaRose; and state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns baseball's Cleveland Guardians. Two-term Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican attorney and strategist Mehek Cooke, a frequent guest on Fox News, are also in the mix. One other prospective appointee — a 2024 presidential contender, Cincinnati pharmaceutical entrepreneur and Vance insider Vivek Ramaswamy — pulled out of contention after accepting a position in the new Trump administration. While Vance's departure also offers DeWine an opportunity to alleviate a bottleneck at the top of Ohio Republicans' political pecking order, where Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Attorney General Dave Yost are preparing to face off for governor in 2026, that appears unlikely. Husted is... JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press
Arsenal moved back up to second in the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Ipswich at the Emirates – their first fixture without Saka after the England winger tore his right hamstring in a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend. Prior to Friday’s fixture, Arteta said Saka, 23, would be sidelined for “many weeks”, but speaking in the moments after his side saw out a win that keeps the pressure on leaders Liverpool, Arteta afforded a grizzlier timeframe for his star man. “He has had a procedure and everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks,” said Arteta. “It will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, and the mobility of that. It is very difficult to say. “The replacement of Bukayo is going to be the team. There were moments where it flowed well tonight and moments where you could see there is still work to do. But I am certain that we are going to do that. We have to rely on the team and not the individual.” The length of Saka’s injury will come as a significant blow to Arteta, who is bidding to oversee Arsenal’s first Premier League title in two decades. In Saka’s absence, and in the Gunners’ final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the game’s sole goal midway through the opening period. Gabriel, Havertz and Martin Odegaard all spurned chances to increase Arsenal’s lead in the second period, but their victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool – having played one match more than the Reds – and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Arteta continued: “I am very happy with the victory and the clean sheet and big parts of the game. They are difficult opposition and we are playing so many games. “You see that teams are winning from small margins. Today we could have made that margin bigger but we didn’t and we held our nerve in the last few minutes to defend well. “We should have scored more. We had big openings in the second half, the big header of Gabriel from one yard, but the team was consistent and conceded nothing and that is something that will always give us the chance to win games.” Arsenal will next be in action against Brentford on New Year’s Day. Ipswich, who remain second from bottom, three points away from safety, host Chelsea on Monday night. Ipswich suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in the fixture which preceded their trip to the Emirates, and this marked their fifth loss from six games. “It was a good step back in the right direction for us,” said boss Kieran McKenna. “We didn’t hit our levels against Newcastle. We knew today we had to be resilient and we did that.”From British rule in India to cinema actors turning politicians, the predictions of Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy have intrigued generations. Known for his remarkable foresight, Brahmendra Swamy authored the Kalagnanam, a book containing over 14,000 prophecies in Telugu poetry, offering a glimpse into the future of the world. While modern technology enables us to predict natural disasters like cyclones and famines, Brahmendra Swamy’s predictions continue to captivate us with their uncanny accuracy. Here are the 20 predictions by Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy that came true. World Wars and Disasters - Brahmendra Swamy predicted that the 5000 years of Kaliyuga would be marked by devastating events, including natural disasters and wars. The 1939-1945 World War II and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which killed over 230,000 people, align with his predictions of massive destruction. British Rule in India - Swamy’s prophecy about "fair-faced people" ruling India came true with the British colonization, where the British controlled India for nearly 200 years. A Woman Would Rule for 16 Years - He predicted that a woman would rule for 16 years, which matches the tenure of Indira Gandhi, India’s first female Prime Minister, who ruled from 1966-1977 and again from 1980-1984. The Advent of Automobiles - The "non-living vehicles" predicted by Swamy refer to the invention of cars, trains, and planes, which revolutionized transportation. Electricity and Hydroelectric Power - He foresaw that "lamps would be lit with water," symbolizing the development of electricity and hydroelectric power, where water is used to generate energy. Fraudulent Gurus - Swamy predicted that genuine spiritual teachers would be rare, and fraudulent ones would be plentiful. This reflects the rise of self-proclaimed gurus today. End of Monarchies, Rise of Democracy - He predicted that traditional monarchies would end, and democracies would rise. This is seen in India after independence in 1947 when democracy replaced monarchy. San Francisco Earthquake - Swamy predicted a huge earthquake in San Francisco, which occurred in 1906, causing significant destruction. Cinema Actors Turned Politicians - Swamy’s prediction that "images on the screen would rule countries" has come true with film stars like N.T. Rama Rao, M.G. Ramachandran, and Arnold Schwarzenegger entering politics. Global Mobility - Swamy predicted that people would move constantly for work or other reasons, which is true in today’s globalized world. Decline in Social Morality - Swamy predicted that immoral actions, like the sale of children and increased affairs, would become common. These issues are being reported more today. Rise of Cruel Husbands - He predicted the rise of cruel husbands who treat their wives poorly. Unfortunately, this is seen in many instances of domestic violence today. Religious Conflicts - Swamy warned that conflicts based on religion would harm humanity, which is evident in ongoing religious extremism and terrorism. Rising Oceans and Global Warming - Swamy’s prophecy about rising oceans swallowing cities aligns with today’s fears of global warming and rising sea levels. Foreigners in Power and New Education Systems - Swamy predicted that foreigners would rule and bring a new education system. This happened with British colonial rule, which introduced Western education systems in India. Extinction of Wild Animals - Swamy foresaw the extinction of wild animals like lions due to poaching and habitat destruction, with many species now endangered.Selling of Merit - Swamy predicted that people would prioritize money over merit, seen today in education where management quotas and donations often replace merit-based admissions. Musi River Flood in Hyderabad - Swamy predicted the Musi River flood in Hyderabad, which happened in 1908, causing widespread destruction. Adulteration of Goods - He foresaw widespread adulteration of food and goods, which is a common issue today with fake products and compromised quality. The Birth of Gandhi - Swamy’s mention of a great soul named "Gandhi" refers to Mahatma Gandhi, who led India to independence through non-violence. Disclaimer: This article is based on popular beliefs. Times Now is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the information and facts provided here. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Astrology and around the world.
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Western Union Co. stock falls Tuesday, underperforms marketWe have recognized before that the policy of hostility towards Cuba has been a mistake. First of all, because it never worked to achieve its objectives. But also because it was counterproductive... We know that Cuban policy does not automatically align itself with the enemies of the United States; and that it is not fair to have put Cuba on the list of terrorist countries, where none of our allies have it. If Cuba feels like a besieged fortress, and fears that its opponents are at the service of a foreign power, we would like to reiterate that it will have no reason to perceive any threat from us... That is why we have invited a group of young students and professors from public universities, doctors, farmers, businesspeople, communicators, artists, scientists, religious people from various states, some of whom have already initiated exchanges with Cuba on their own, to accompany us in this meeting, so that they may take part in this new dialogue between civil societies on both shores. A dialogue that should not be limited, naturally, to the non-state sector, but should include primary and secondary school teachers, university professors, health specialists, journalists from public media, People’s Power delegates, diplomats, experts in law and public order, leaders of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Young Communist League, all of whom also constitute the human capital of the new Cuba. We witnessed how the previous administration poisoned the atmosphere of understanding achieved in 25 months of intense negotiations, and recharged it with the sound and fury of the worst moments of the Cold War; it closed the doors of the consulate in Havana to the relatives of Cuban immigrants in the United States; it restricted air traffic between our airports and those of the Cuban provinces; it interrupted the people-to-people exchange policy; it severely limited remittances, and put the channels for their delivery in crisis; finally, it obliquely encouraged rhetoric hostile to normalization within Cuba itself. This is how I imagined, in the first hundred days of his administration, a speech by Joe Biden in Havana. I reproduce it here, not only to illustrate how one makes mistakes at the beginning of a government, but to remember the lost opportunities and the policies not rectified at the time; and how history never stops taking its toll. In all fairness, when Biden and Harris took office in January 2021, all the forecasts were optimistic, not just mine. From “anything will be better than Trump” to “he will pick up where relations left off under Obama.” And so on. But those predictions were nothing more than calculations and opinions based on the U.S.-Cuba rapprochement under Obama, of whose administration the new president and numerous appointees in his new government had been part. However, it was not known how those same people were going to act in their new roles, and in the context of a work team that was beginning its first term. The advantage we have now regarding the future is that we do know how President Trump behaved in his previous government; and how Biden’s behaved. Let’s see how much we can extract from a cold assessment, which allows us to think about the present and the foreseeable future, so as not to make mistakes again, by excess or by default. Related Posts Antidotes to Trump? Comments on Cuban policies November 7, 2024 Extreme right-immigrants? Notes for a political sociology October 26, 2024 Notes on the far right October 12, 2024 Mexico and us September 26, 2024 var jnews_module_313515_0_673fcc88216a1 = {"header_icon":"","first_title":"Related Posts","second_title":"","url":"","header_type":"heading_1","header_background":"","header_secondary_background":"","header_text_color":"","header_line_color":"","header_accent_color":"","header_filter_category":"","header_filter_author":"","header_filter_tag":"","header_filter_text":"All","post_type":"post","content_type":"all","number_post":"4","post_offset":0,"unique_content":"disable","include_post":"","exclude_post":313515,"include_category":"34473","exclude_category":"","include_author":"","include_tag":"","exclude_tag":"","sort_by":"latest","date_format":"default","date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","force_normal_image_load":"","pagination_mode":"nextprev","pagination_nextprev_showtext":"","pagination_number_post":"4","pagination_scroll_limit":0,"boxed":"","boxed_shadow":"","el_id":"","el_class":"","scheme":"","column_width":"auto","title_color":"","accent_color":"","alt_color":"","excerpt_color":"","css":"","paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_21"}; The hostility of the Trump administration was not long in coming. Within the first 100 days, the Treasury Department put Cuba on a list of countries that favor money laundering, and just five months after taking office, the president proclaimed in Miami that he was “canceling President Obama’s completely unilateral agreement with Cuba,” “firmly limiting the money that flows to the military services” [remittances], as well as “enforcing the ban on tourism” [people-to-people individual visits and cruises ]. Trump’s changes At that gathering of “Cuban-American brotherhood” at Miami’s Manuel Artime Theater, the new president would make clear, however, that he would maintain “safeguards to prevent Cubans from risking their lives by traveling illegally to the United States” [ the cancellation of the dry foot/wet foot policy ], as well as “our Embassy open with the hope that our countries can forge a much stronger and better path.” The most radical action in Trump’s turn toward Cuba occurred in August of his first year: the affair of the “ sonic attacks ” against U.S. diplomats and representatives in Havana. This affair served to reduce the staff at its Embassy in Havana to a minimum and to suspend de facto the processing of immigrant visas, agreed since 1995. I have no space to dwell here on the boom of conspiracy speculations unleashed among many commentators on bilateral relations, attributing those strange and never verified “neurological damages” of the supposed victims to the surreptitious action of a mysterious “external” or internal factor (“the Cuban G2”). The harvest of the so-called “Havana syndrome,” harvested by respectable news agencies and periodicals, and quickly replicated in Beijing and other propitious places, with a true cloud of covert actions attributed to incarnations of the evil empire (Russia, North Korea, Iran), vanished into nothingness. However, its direct consequences in the interruption of the Cuban migratory flow to the United States and the deterrent effect among possible visitors, extended for more than five years, were very tangible. In November of that first year, 2017, the U.S. government launched its first blacklist of “prohibited Cuban organizations and companies” (179), including the Ministry of the Armed Forces and Ministry of the Interior, agencies, companies, hotels, etc. This inquisitorial index grew until it reached almost 250. I believe that, at this point, there is only one hotel in Havana where visiting Americans can legally stay. The second event that would mark the extent of Trump’s hostility towards Cuba was his failure to sign the suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act in May 2019. The decision, which not even the George W. Bush administration had adopted, left the door open to a frenzy of lawsuits against third-country interests, which could be presented not only by U.S. firms nationalized in 1959-60, but by affected Cubans (who at the time were not U.S. citizens), including, say, members of the Batista dictatorship whose embezzled property was confiscated in 1959. Naturally, most experts predicted a wave of lawsuits against Cuba’s numerous foreign investors and trade partners. It is difficult to measure the psychological inhibitory effect that this application of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act could have, in 2019 and subsequently, on these potential businesses. However, expectations about the wave of lawsuits were not met; and some that seemed to be initiated were resolved by agreement between the parties. This observation does not underestimate their negative impact, it only attempts to establish the effectiveness and scope of these hostile measures. A striking example was the litigation against large Cuban-American businessmen, the Fanjul brothers, for having bought Cuban sugar from London, which the claimant finally abandoned . Subsequently, the number of remittances was again restricted, people-to-people visits and direct flights to the provinces were canceled, dozens of vessels transporting crude oil to Cuba were blacklisted, new Cuban entities were included among those prohibited, the agreement was canceled between both sides so that players residing on the island could participate in the Major Leagues, numerous European companies were fined for transactions with Cuban institutions, Cuba was classified in the worst category of countries that practice “human trafficking.” In his last year in the White House, the Trump administration banned Western Union from sending remittances to the island , put Cuba on the list of “countries that do not cooperate in the fight against terrorism,” put us on the highest “risk alert category for visits by U.S. citizens,” prohibited them from bringing rum and tobacco from the island in their suitcases, eliminated the general license to attend conferences, sports competitions, art exhibitions, etc.; extended restrictions on funds for cultural and educational exchanges, and kept us on the watch list of “governments that have participated in or tolerated systematic, continuous, and atrocious violations of religious freedom.” Ten days before leaving the presidency, Trump made sure that Cuba remained on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism. How many of these measures have been dismantled by Biden in his first and only term, as announced just days after taking office? Very few and none of the main ones. Quite the opposite. Despite having declared himself “committed to reviewing the previous administration’s policy decisions, including that of designating Cuba as a sponsor of terrorism,” the island was never removed from that list. The regulations established would prevent supplies of spare parts for the main Cuban thermoelectric plants by European companies, as well as equipment for transportation services. About a hundred banks blocked accounts and transactions related to Cuba, including humanitarian donations; fines were imposed on accommodation agencies such as Airbnb for violating prohibitions on categories of travelers; the Cuban government was accused of nothing less than “interfering in the US elections”; the inclusion of the island on the list of countries “that do not do enough to prevent human trafficking” was maintained, alleging that “medical missions abroad” presented “strong signs of forced labor.” The blockade policy did not give way even in exceptional situations, such as the fire at the Supertanker Base in Matanzas . I have previously commented, with references from the Foreign Ministry itself and from U.S. diplomats in Havana, on the instructions and actions aimed at directly supporting the opposition, since before the demonstrations of July 11, 2021 . To a large extent, this interventionist and hostile tone, initiated under Trump, and reflected even in the discourse of President Biden himself, was further reinforced from that moment on, marking the climate of relations from then on. The Biden administration kept the flame of the “Havana syndrome” alive, granting compensation to “the victims,” without advancing a serious investigation into the problem itself, but rather prolonging the closure of consular services for visa processing, and breaching the migration agreement, until relatively recently. For four years, the Trump administration continued to “study” the exclusion of Cuba from all blacklists, in particular, those of terrorist countries, practitioners of “slave labor,” “human trafficking,” and other that were equally disconcerting, and lacking the endorsement of any of its allies. Derived from this meticulous and incomplete inventory, a couple of conclusions jump out. The first is that the Trump administration applied practically everything imaginable in the U.S. arsenal, except military force, to isolate, erode, destabilize, and subvert not only the Cuban government but the system itself. It is difficult to conceive of new measures that, in the next four years, could catch Cuba and Cubans off guard. Although the old ones can continue to cause a lot of damage, especially today, experience shows, for the hundredth time, that they do not achieve more than what dialogue does, and that they also affect not only the government and residents in Cuba but also emigrants and their descendants in the United States. The second is that the Biden administration, despite integrating decision-makers from the Obama administration, not only did not want to resume that policy but, by omission and also by conviction, in fact, adopted Trump’s logic. The explanation that its hands have been full of all kinds of global and regional conflicts and challenges is not enough to justify this fidelity to a Cold War pattern towards Cuba as the one that is maintained, not only in the facts but even in his rhetoric, very similar to that of Trump. For Cuba, in practical terms, never as now has it been more evident that the policy of force and exclusion has a bipartisan character, that it continues in the logic of the so-called deep state, the bureaucracies in charge of implementing it, regardless of who is in the White House. A week before the end of his term in January 2017, Obama signed an agreement with Cuba ending the wet foot/dry foot policy (which he had previously refused to adopt, arguing that the Adjustment Act prevented it). And less than 48 hours after handing over the presidency to Trump, a company made an export to the United States (40 tons of vegetable charcoal from that shrub known as marabú in Cuba), the first in more than half a century. This administration has only 60 days left in government. How many executive measures could it adopt to reduce some of the most irrational and counterproductive areas of this bipartisan policy, based on exclusion and force? While this remains unfulfilled, the Cuban government, political system, and society, under the shock of Trump’s sweeping victory, are experiencing the anticipated tension in the face of what is to come. Typically, the syndrome of the besieged fortress will tend to increase. From experience, we Cubans know that this syndrome is not at all favorable to change. It is time to think carefully, with a cool head, about what can be done to control this damage. Tags: donald trump featured Joe Biden Trump Measurements
Budget 2025: Mobile phone makers seek import duty cuts on key partsHOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. What happened at Enron? Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work and wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. Is Enron coming back? On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory claiming all birds are actually government surveillance drones. What do former Enron employees think of the company’s return? Peters said she and some other former employees are upset and think the relaunch was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, 74, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. But Sherron Watkins, Enron’s former vice president of corporate development and the main whistleblower who helped uncover the scandal, said she didn’t have a problem with the joke because comedy “usually helps us focus on an uncomfortable historical event that we’d rather ignore.” “I think we use prior scandals to try to teach new generations what can go wrong with big companies,” said Watkins, who still speaks at colleges and conferences about the Enron scandal. __ This story was corrected to fix the spelling of Ken Lay’s first name, which had been misspelled “Key.” ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70 Juan A. Lozano, The Associated Press
South Korea lifts president's martial law decree after lawmakers reject military ruleCity has not won in seven games in all competitions — its worst run under Guardiola — and De Bruyne has featured only as a substitute in the last five of those matches after recovering from a pelvic injury. The Belgium midfielder was injured during City’s Champions League match with Inter Milan on Sept. 18 and hasn't started since. A number of prominent pundits, including former City defender and club ambassador Micah Richards, have questioned why De Bruyne has not been starting games amid the champions’ dramatic slump. Richards said on “The Rest is Football” podcast that it appeared “there’s some sort of rift going on” between De Bruyne and Guardiola. Guardiola responded in his news conference ahead of Wednesday's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, saying: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? No, I don’t want Kevin to play? “The guy who has the most talent in the final third — I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together? He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club, but he’s been five months injured (last season) and two months injured (this year). He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best, like last season, step by step. He’ll try to do it and feel better. I’m desperate to have his best.” Both De Bruyne and Guardiola have spoken since of the pain De Bruyne was in after his injury against Inter and the need to ease him back into action. De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract. “I’d love to have the Kevin in his prime, 26 or 27. He would love it too — but he is not 26 or 27 anymore," Guardiola said. “He had injuries in the past, important and long ones. He is a guy who needs to be physically fit for his space and energy. You think I’m complaining? It’s normal, it’s nature. He’s played in 10 or 11 seasons a lot of games and I know he is desperate to help us. He gives glimpses of brilliance that only he can have." AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
