LL Flooring Slips After Founder Rescinds Second Buyout Offer
LL Flooring Holdings Inc. shares slumped Thursday after its founder withdrew his proposal to buy the flooring business,
2023-08-18 04:19
Pemex Shelves Plans for Goldman-Led Asset-Backed Debt Deal
Petroleos Mexicanos shelved plans to raise at least $1 billion in an asset-backed debt deal structured by Goldman
2023-08-18 03:58
A Brazilian hacker claims Bolsonaro asked him to hack into the voting system ahead of 2022 vote
A Brazilian hacker claimed at a Congressional hearing on Thursday that former President Jair Bolsonaro wanted him to hack into the country’s electronic voting system to expose its alleged weaknesses ahead of the 2022 presidential election. Walter Delgatti Neto did not provide any evidence for his claim to the parliamentary commission of inquiry. But his detailed testimony raises new allegations against the former far-right leader, investigated for his role in the Jan. 8 riots in the capital city of Brasilia. Delgatti also told lawmakers that he met in person with Bolsonaro and told the former president it was not possible for him to hack the electronic voting system. The Associated Press has reached out to Bolsonaro’s lawyers who have not yet responded. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoings. Bolsonaro's political nemesis, leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, won the Oct. 30, 2022 election with just 50.9% of the votes. According to Delgatti, Bolsonaro had wanted the attempted hack to convince some voters that the country’s voting system was not reliable. Delhgatti also said he was promised a presidential pardon in case he ended up being investigated for his actions. Bolsonaro had long stoked belief among his hardcore supporters that the nation’s electronic voting system was prone to fraud, though he never presented any evidence. In June, a panel of judges concluded that Bolsonaro abused his power to cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system and barred him from running for office again until 2030. During Thursday’s hearing, Bolsonaro’s allies in the commission questioned Delegatti’s credibility. In 2015, Delegatti was jailed for lying about being a federal police investigator. Two years later, he was investigated for allegedly forging documents, which he denies. Several people have also accused him of embezzlement — allegations that resurfaced during Thursday’s hearing. In Brazil, witnesses caught lying before a parliamentary commissions of inquiry — more commonly known under its Portuguese acronym CPI — can be imprisoned, according to Luis Claudio Araujo, a law professor at Ibmec University in Rio de Janeiro. Members of parliamentary commissions have the power to investigate, but also pass on information to prosecutors and federal police, Araujo said. The congressional hearing adds to the numerous legal headaches facing Bolsonaro for activities during his term in office. Federal police earlier this month alleged that Bolsonaro received cash from the nearly $70,000 sale of two luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia while in office. Officers raided the homes and offices of several people purportedly involved in the case, including a four-star army general. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing involving the gifts. “It is shocking this somewhat amateurism and naïveté of Bolsonaro’s political group in congress," said Creomar de Souza, founder of political risk consultancy Dharma Politics. "So much material is documented and they insist they can control the interpretation of the facts and insist in keeping this congressional probe working.” ___ Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Brazil's police allege Bolsonaro got money from $70,000 sale of luxury jewelry gifts Brazil has 1.7 million Indigenous people, near double the count from prior census, government says An Indigenous leader has inspired an Amazon city to grant personhood to an endangered river
2023-08-18 03:54
Pakistan elections could be delayed as election body needs 4 months to draw new constituencies
Pakistan’s election oversight body said Thursday that parliamentary elections must be delayed because it needs four months to redraw constituencies to reflect the recently held census. A delay would likely heighten the political strains in Pakistan, which has seen now opposition leader Imran Khan removed as prime minister by a no-confidence vote by parliament in April 2022 and his imprisonment this year after a graft conviction. In a statement, the Election Commission of Pakistan said it won’t be able to complete drawing new constituencies before Dec. 14. That means the vote could possibily be delayed at least until February. The development came a week after President Arif Alvi dissolved parliament at the completion of its five-year term. Usually, that step starts the process of holding elections for a new parliament within 90 days. But elections could still be held later this year if the caretaker government, which was installed under Premier Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar this week, decides to go ahead with it under the previous census. Kakar had no immediate comment on the announcement by the election oversight body. Analysts said the judiciary could also push Kakar’s government to hold the vote on time to meet the constitutional requirement. Under the constitution, a vote was to be held either in October or November. Kakar’s new Cabinet was sworn in Thursday at the Presidency in the capital, Islamabad. Kakar has chosen former diplomat Jalil Abbas Jilani to head the foreign ministry, and longtime journalist Murtaza Solangi to be the information minister. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party is hoping to return to power after what is expected to be a close election. Khan, a highly popular 70-year-old former cricket star, has been held at the Attock prison in eastern Punjab province since Aug. 6, when he was sentenced to three years in prison by a court after being convicted of concealing assets he amassed by selling state gifts. A court in Islamabad will take up Khan's appeal next week, and his legal team is expecting him to be released. Khan will not be able to run in the election unless his conviction is overturned. Pakistan bars anyone with a criminal conviction of leading a political party, running in elections or holding public office. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
2023-08-18 03:28
DeSantis debate strategy revealed on super PAC website: Defend Trump and ‘hammer’ Ramaswamy
A super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis has revealed the Florida governor’s strategy for a comeback in next week’s Republican presidential primary debate, The New York Times reported. Axiom Strategies, which works with Never Back Down, a super PAC that supports Mr DeSantis, released a bevy of research memos on its website to give advice for the governor ahead of the first primary debate in Milwaukee. One of the memos outlines “four basic must-dos” for Mr DeSantis, whom the memos refer to as “GRD,” saying he would need to attack fellow candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has begun to ascend in the polls against Mr DeSantis. “1. Attack Joe Biden and the media 3-5 times. 2. State GRD’s positive vision 2-3 times. 3. Hammer Vivek Ramaswamy in a response. 4. Defend Donald Trump in absentia in response to a Chris Christie attack,” the memo said. Jeff Roe, a chief strategist for Never Back Down, owns Axiom. Mr Roe served as the campaign manager for Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) when Mr Cruz won the 2016 Iowa caucus and came in second behind Mr Trump. When The Times reached out to Axiom, the firm removed the memo from its website. “When GRD's name is invoked and he is given a chance to respond, there are two approaches,” the memo says. “1. When there is a core attack on GRD's central candidacy (calling GRD a liberal, hitting veteran record, hitting conservative record), GRD should take the time, correct the record, and highlight the positive/dismiss the attacker if it's a tier one candidate. GRD can also pivot to hitting Joe Biden when possible.” The memo also says when another candidate attacks Mr DeSantis but does not make a “core” attack, Mr DeSantis should pivot and the take up time. “GRD should ignore the weak attack , not even address it, and instead pivot to message and vision and name check Iowa, New Hampshire , etc. voters directly ‘Iowans/Americans , I'm talking directly to you now,’” the memo says. Super PACs cannot officially coordinate with candidates. But Never Back Down has featured Mr DeSantis and his wife Casey at multiple events as a guest. Candidates can use memos that Super PACs release pubicly. The memo says that Mr DeSantis should attack Mr Ramaswamy, who has started gaining steam by adopting talking points similar Mr DeSantis’s against “wokeness,” as “FakeVivek” or “Vivek the Fake.” A new Fox News poll showed that since June, Mr DeSantis has fallen by six points to 16 per cent in terms of whom Republican primary voters prefer to be the nominee for president. The same poll showed that in June, five per cent of GOP primary voters preferred him to be the nominee, but that number has grown to 11 per cent. The memo also said that Mr DeSantis should defend Mr Trump when former New Jersey governor Chris Christie attacks the former president. “Trump isn'there so let's just leavehim alone. He's too weak to defendhimselfhere. We're all running against him. I don't think we want to join forces with someone on this stage who's auditioning for a show on MSNBC,” the memo suggests Mr DeSantis say. The memo also suggested that Mr DeSantis, who has often been portrayed as awkward or impersonable, “[i]nvoke a personal anecdote storyabout family, kids, Casey, showing emotion.” In addition, the campaign memo showed how Mr DeSantis could simultaneously defend Mr Trump but pivot to get people to support him. “Manyvoters , like me, voted for Donald Trump, love Donald Trump,” he said. “He was a breath of fresh air and the first president to tell the elite where to shove it. But he was attacked all the time, provoked attacks all the time, and it was non-stop. The drama affected families. Trump's drama pitted brother against brother, friend against friend. He's gotso many distractions that it's almost impossible for him to focus on movingthe country forward.” epublicans will hold their first debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee. Fox News will host the debate. Read More Robert F Kennedy Jr Democratic primary support is plummeting – latest 2024 election polls When is the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate and how can you watch it? Tim Scott will share the spotlight at massive South Carolina campaign event headlined by DeSantis Jenna Ellis forced to crowdfund Georgia lawyer fund after cutting ties with Trump Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’ Renata Scotto, soprano of uncommon intensity, dies at 89 Why is a police raid on a newspaper in Kansas so unusual? Tom Jones, creator of the longest-running musical ‘The Fantasticks,' dies at 95
2023-08-18 02:52
Ex-wife charged with murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan
The ex-wife of slain Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, who was fatally shot by a gunman as he drove home with his two-year-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with his murder. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez was arrested in Washington state on Thursday and will be extradited back to Duval County, Florida, where she has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of first-degree murder and child abuse. “We promised at the outset of this investigation we would not relent until we uncovered the truth of Jared’s murder, the whole and entire truth,” State Attorney Melissa Nelson told reporters. Prosecutors say they will push for the death penalty for both Ms Gardner-Fernandez and her husband, Mario Fernandez. He and his former tenant, Henry Tenon, have both already been charged for their alleged roles in the February 2022 murder in a wealthy suburb of Jacksonville Beach. Bridegan, a father of four, was murdered after he had dropped off the twins he shares with his ex-wife and was headed back to the house he lived at with his second wife, Kristen Bridegan. Investigators say that he stopped his vehicle when he was a tire in the middle of the road, and when he got out to move it he was shot multiple times in front of his daughter Bexley. Court documents say that several bullets came within inches of hitting the youngster, who was strapped into her car seat. Bridegan and his ex-wife divorced in 2015 but had been involved in court battles over custody of their twins and finances. Ms Gardner-Fernandez hired a prominent criminal defence lawyer following the murder and then moved back to the Pacific Northwest and prevented the twin from having any contact with their half-sisters, reported Fox News. Mr Tenon, 62, was charged on 25 January with conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital felony and child abuse. Authorities say that he was a former tenant of Mr Fernandez. He has a long criminal history and was already behind bars awaiting trial on unrelated charges. Police announced on 16 March that Mr Fernandez had been arrested in Orlando and he was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. On the same day, it was announced that Mr Tenon had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against him and anyone else potentially involved in the killing. The state attorney said that Mr Tenon had admitted that he was the gunman and he faces up to 15 years in prison under the plea agreement. Mr Fernandez pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned in July and prosecutors say that he will not be offered a plea deal. According to the indictment, he wrote Tenon three checks and phone records show the men made more than 70 phone calls to each other before and after the killing. Read More An ambush on a quiet road, a fatal shooting and a year-long mystery: A breakthrough in Jared Bridegan’s murder case Husband of Microsoft executive’s ex-wife could face death penalty for roadside murder Husband of Microsoft executive’s ex-wife is charged with his murder on Florida roadside Arrest made in mysterious murder of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, police say more suspects likely Widow of Microsoft executive gunned down in front of 2-year-old daughter prays ‘evil and cowardly’ killers are brought to justice
2023-08-18 02:25
Britney Spears' husband Sam Asghari files for divorce
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are getting divorced after 14 months of marriage.
2023-08-18 01:16
Fortnite x LEGO Collaboration Release Date
The Fortnite x LEGO collaboration is likely to be released on Nov. 6, 2023 in Fortnite update v27.00 with a new Battle Pass, cosmetics, and more.
2023-08-18 01:15
This Vietnamese automaker is worth more than Ford and GM. But it hasn't sold many cars
Vietnamese electric vehicle company Vinfast is already more valuable than Ford and GM, based on its stock price, despite just entering the US market. But you may not have even heard of it. Here's what it's all about, and what's been happening with it.
2023-08-18 00:57
Cape Verde boat disaster: 'My brother died for a dream we all have'
A man whose brother was among around 60 Senegalese feared drowned says he would take the same risk.
2023-08-18 00:52
ERCOT issues voluntary power conservation call in Texas heat wave
The Electric Reliability Council Of Texas (ERCOT) urged consumers to voluntarily conserve power between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00
2023-08-18 00:49
Dual citizen of France and Canada who mailed ricin to Trump sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison
A dual citizen of France and Canada who sent letters containing homemade ricin to then-President Donald Trump and eight Texas law enforcement officials was sentenced Thursday to nearly 22 years in prison.
2023-08-18 00:48
