
Israeli lawmakers give initial nod to new judicial overhaul bill - Knesset
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday gave an initial nod to a new bill that limits some of the Supreme
2023-07-04 21:26

Thailand chooses a House speaker as the Move Forward Party tries to secure the prime minister job
Thailand's new government took a step closer to forming with the speaker of the House of Representative chosen Tuesday in what has been an arduous task before the next prime minister is named. The House vote for prime minister is the next major move, expected next week. The leader of the surprise election winner Move Forward Party, 42-year-old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, has faced strong opposition from conservative lawmakers in his bid to take the job. A successful candidate must have the backing of a combined majority of the elected lawmakers in the Lower House and the military-appointed Senate, which represents the country’s traditional ruling class. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the Prachachat Party's veteran leader who is better known as Wan Noor, was the sole nomination for the speakership and was automatically chosen with no house vote required. “I will perform my duty with political neutrality,” Wan Noor gave a speech after the nomination. “I will perform my duty with transparency, honesty, and I will fully comply with the constitution and the rules of the parliament.” The House Speaker position was highly sought after as it could influence the passage of legislation. Move Forward said it needed the post to ensure their progressive policies, often blocked by conservative lawmakers, will pass through. But many members of the populist Phue Thai Party insisted that their party should take the crucial post as it was the second winner of the election. Weeks of tensions between the two parties over the speaker’s post had raised concerns over the unity of their coalition and added to the anxiety Move Forward is facing in forming a government, but the proposals Tuesday went according to a compromise the two parties made the day before. Move Forward and Pheu Thai, the two biggest parties in the coalition, each got a candidate endorsed for the two deputy speaker posts. Several Move Forward supporters expressed their disappointment in the speaker deal, fearing it would be seen as the party backing down, which could undermine their reform agendas. Party leader Pita wrote Tuesday on Facebook that the decision was reached in order to “preserve the unity of the work among parties of the coalition government” and that he fully trusts Wan Noor will serve the post with integrity and for the right causes. The general election in May saw Move Forward and Pheu Thai score a major win over parties in the army-backed ruling government. The victory alarmed the country’s conservative ruling establishment — especially with Move Forward, which they regard as radical and a threat to the monarchy because of modest reforms it had proposed during the election campaign. The election results reflected a public weary of nine years under Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army commander seized power in a 2014 coup. He was returned as prime minister after the 2019 election. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
2023-07-04 19:17

Federal judge blocks Florida election law that would have set limits on voter registration
A federal judge on Monday blocked a Florida election law that would have set limits on voter registration in the state.
2023-07-04 18:48

Billionaire Winklevoss Outlines ‘Final Offer’ in Genesis Crypto Bankruptcy
Billionaire Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of the Gemini Trust Co. crypto platform, outlined what he termed a “best and
2023-07-04 12:50

Spain Wants to Be a Green Energy Hub, But Risks Moving Too Fast
At a port across from Gibraltar, two European monarchs made a rare joint appearance in June to bestow
2023-07-04 12:21

For Advising on a $64 Billion India Bank Deal, Bankers Get a 0.0002% Fee
A $64 billion merger of two big Indian lenders is yielding almost no fees to financial advisers, highlighting
2023-07-04 09:59

GIC-Backed $2 Billion Fintech Nium Targets US IPO in Two Years
Singapore payments company Nium Pte aims to break even in time for a US initial public offering within
2023-07-04 09:27

How Ron DeSantis gained a fan base among some suburban women far from Florida
In the early days of the Covid pandemic, mothers frustrated that opening schools seemed a low priority formed communities online. Ron DeSantis became their hero.
2023-07-04 08:51

Asian Futures Slip as Equities Momentum Moderates: Markets Wrap
Stock futures suggest small declines in Asia on Tuesday after equities on Wall Street scratched out marginal gains
2023-07-04 07:59

Hardline DeSantis immigration law causes exodus of migrant workers from Florida agriculture and construction
A new immigration law passed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, described by observers as one of the harshest in the country, has caused a massive decline in the Sunshine State’s labour force since it took effect, according to some business owners. The Republican leader and 2024 presidential campaign’s signature immigration law, which took effect 1 July, makes it a third-degree felony for unauthorised immigrants to knowingly use false ID’s for employment, and business that knowingly employ unauthorised immigrants or who avoid using the E-Verify system can lose their licenses or face up to $1000 in fines. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to check for immigration status, and invalidates drivers licenses issued to unauthorised immigrants from other states. In Miami’s booming construction industry, some companies are reporpting up to a 25 per cent decline in workers, The Wall Street Joural reports. “We’ve seen some fallout on job sites, particularly as it relates to hourly labor as a result of this new law,” Tom C Murphy, co-president of Coastal Construction, a company with more than 30 active projects across the state, told the paper. There at least 400,000 undocumented immigrants working in the state, according to Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the American Business Immigration Coalition’s Florida director. “We are in dire need of workers,” he told the Associated Press last month. “So there is a lot of fear from across the state ... that this new law will actually be devastating.” Migrant groups protested the new law in June, while the governor’s office told the AP in a statement, “Any business that exploits this crisis by employing illegal aliens instead of Floridians will be held accountable.” Mr DeSantis, despite governing a state known for its vibrant immigrant populations from Latin America, has positioned himself as a hard-line anti-immigrant crusader as he runs for president. In late June, he visited the US-Mexico border, where he blamed security issues on the Biden administration and proposed a return to most of Donald Trump’s most controversial immigration policies. That includes detaining migrant families with children beyond the customary 20 days, finishing the US-Mexico border wall, and ending the long-standing practice of releasing migrants into the US ahead of their court dates on potential immigration charges, which are usually civil violations rather than criminal ones more typically associated with prison. Read More Pete Buttigieg takes down Ron DeSantis over ‘strange’ anti-LGBT campaign video with ‘oiled-up bodybuilders’ 'Parental rights' group Moms for Liberty plans nationwide strategy for school board races in 2024 Florida's new DeSantis-backed laws address immigration, guns and more Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about ‘shouting match’ in fight to overturn election Former sheriff who nabbed 'Green River Killer' to run for Washington governor Senegalese President Macky Sall says he won't seek a third term in 2024 elections after protests
2023-07-04 07:26

Rudy Giuliani grilled by prosecutors about 'shouting match' in fight to overturn election
Federal prosecutors are nearing a decision on whether to charge Donald Trump and his associates with crimes related to their efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and recently interviewd teh former president’s top attorney for that project as their investigation winds down. Rudy Giuliani spoke to investigators in a voluntary interview in recent weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, and is likely to be among the DoJ’s eventual targets for a criminal indictment if the agency goes forward with a case. According to the Journal, Mr Giuliani spoke among other things about a chaotic December 2020 meeting between the so-called “war room” established at Mr Trump’s now-shuttered DC hotel and the White House legal team, which was revealed throughout the January 6 committee’s investigation to have been firmly opposed from the beginning to the various theories regarding how Mike Pence or others could interfere in the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. The Journal reports that meeting devolved into a “shouting match” as conspiracy monger Sidney Powell and others presented their case — prompting Mr Trump to ask Mr Giuliani, another devotee of those conspiracies, to mediate the discussion. Mr Giuliani’s interview with the DoJ, previously reported by The Independent, was described as a so-called “queen for a day” interview in which a subject of an active investigation can testify to prosecutors about the case and generally receive immunity for whatever criminal acts are described in the session — assuming they are truthful. The former New York City mayor was reported by The Independent last week to be among those that DoJ investigators are considering for potential criminal charges as the agency weighs a decision on whether to file a superceding indictment charging the former president with dozens of crimes related to the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on the Capitol. A source familiar with the situation told The Independent last week that Mr Smith’s office will “most definitely” bring at least a handful of charges against Mr Giuliani for his service on Mr Trump’s legal team in the weeks following the November 2020 election and leading up to the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol. In addition to possible criminal charges, Mr Giuliani previously saw his law license suspended in both Washington DC and New York for false statements he made regarding the 2020 election. Other Trump attorneys like John Eastman have faced similar consequences. The ex-president and his legal team also remain under a separate criminal investigation in Fulton County, Georgia, over their efforts to overturn the lawful election results in that state; a grand jury investigation as part of that case recently concluded and a decision on whether charges will be filed is expected over the summer. Andrew Feinberg contributed to this report Read More What's 'Bidenomics'? The president hopes a dubious nation embraces his ideas condensed into the term Pete Buttigieg takes down Ron DeSantis over ‘strange’ anti-LGBT campaign video with ‘oiled-up bodybuilders’ Melania Trump hawks $50 NFTs to ‘celebrate our great nation’ ahead of July 4 Mike Pence and Liz Truss among VIPs who speak at Iranian dissident rally despite pressure from Tehran Trump’s own words about an indicted president come back to haunt him Ex-Trump spokesperson claims she saw him show off documents on Mar-a-Lago dining patio
2023-07-04 07:17

Biden nominates controversial former Trump-appointee to Public Diplomacy Commission
President Joe Biden announced Monday his intention to nominate a former appointee under former President Donald Trump with a controversial past in Latin America to the bipartisan United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.
2023-07-04 06:25