List of All Articles with Tag 'rl'

L’Occitane International SA’s controlling shareholder is considering a move to take the skin-care company private, people with knowledge

A campaign staffer for Ron DeSantis who shared an online video using Nazi imagery with the Florida governor’s face has been fired. Nate Hochman, a 25-year-old campaign communications staff member who has written for The National Review and The New York Times, shared a video over the weekend to an anonymous pro-DeSantis Twitter account featuring a meme template that has been adopted by far-right and neo-fascist creators. The video shows a “wojack” character, unhappy with news footage of Donald Trump, watching the Florida seal turn into the Nazi-appropriated Sonnenrad symbol. Mr DeSantis is then seen superimposed on the icon in front of soldiers marching in formation. That video was then retweeted by Mr Hochman before it was deleted, according to posts reviewed by The Independent. Mr Hochman appears to have retweeted posts from the anonymous account at least six other times. “Nate Hochman is no longer with the campaign,” a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign said in a statement to NBC News. “And we will not be commenting on him further.” Another clip on the anonymous account included audio of a man calling Mr DeSantis a “fascist” and cut together footage of the Florida governor alongside clips of Nazis and Benito Mussolini. The account also has been retweeted by the DeSantis campaign’s War Room account and the DeSantis-linked Never Back Down super PAC account. His departure also follows another video promoted by the DeSantis campaign that relies on the familiar aesthetics of far-right and neo-fascist memes to celebrate Mr DeSantis’s “draconian” anti-LGBT+ agenda and threat to “trans existence”. That video also was created by a campaign staffer but was made to appear as if it was produced externally, according to The New York Times. The videos have underscored the growing influence of fringe far-right online communities within mainstream Republican spaces, from the emergence of explicitly violent authoritarian “dark MAGA” memes to the dominance of “fashwave” aesthetics on social media platforms. The DeSantis campaign has fired more than 40 per cent of its original staff since launching his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. At least 38 staffers have been laid off since the campaign’s launch in May, including at least 26 people on 25 July. Read More Ron DeSantis is caught in a death spiral of his own making DeSantis lays off a third of his campaign staff as presidential bid sputters Four cars in Ron DeSantis motorcade crash into each other on way to Tennessee fundraisers

Ron DeSantis was in a car crash while on his way to a fundraiser in Tennessee. The Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate was uninjured in the Tuesday morning incident. “We appreciate the prayers and well wishes of the nation for his continued protection while on the campaign trail,” spokesperson Bryan Griffin said in a statement. Mr DeSantis was set to attend fundraisers in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville on Tuesday as his campaign is reported to be floundering both in terms of funding and poll numbers. Meanwhile, the governor’s presidential campaign continues to suffer internal turmoil. A staffer was recently fired for posting a video using Nazi imagery superimposed on Mr DeSantis’s face. Read More Ron DeSantis in car crash as he heads to Tennessee campaign event DeSantis campaign fires aide behind neo-Nazi meme video Ron DeSantis is caught in a death spiral of his own making Ron DeSantis has already blown 40 per cent of his campaign donations – on private jets and fancy campaign dinners

The 2023 Women's World Cup is now in full swing with teams entering the second round of fixtures from the group stage phase.

MLB Rumors: Could Mariners steal a top trade target from Yankees?The New York Yankees' interest in Cubs star Cody Bellinger is already well-documented. With Chicago looking more and more like sellers at the deadline, Bellinger stands out as one of the most desirable sluggers ready to be dealt...

Federal Reserve policymakers are poised to hike interest rates to the highest level in 22 years, while retaining

Joe Lewis, the UK billionaire and owner of the Tottenham Hotspur football club, has been indicted in the US for what officials called a “brazen” set of insider trading schemes. “He used inside information as a way to compensate his employees or shower gifts on his friends and lovers,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a video statement on Tuesday. “That’s classic corporate corruption,” he added. “It’s cheating, and it’s against the law.” The Independent has contacted Tottenham for comment, as well as Tavistock Group, the investment office founded by Mr Lewis. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.

Biff Poggi was not happy at AAC media day.

Six men have been found guilty of murder over the 2016 Brussels terror attacks that killed 32 people and injured hundreds in what is Belgium’s worst peacetime violence. The morning rush hour attacks on March 22, 2016, at Zavantem Airport and on the Brussels subway’s central commuter line deeply shook the city, home to the headquarters of the European Union and Nato, and put the country on edge. Among those convicted was Salah Abdeslam, who already is serving a life sentence without parole in France over his role in attacks that hit Paris cafes, the Bataclan theatre and France’s national stadium in 2015. Both the Brussels and Paris attacks were claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. The verdict was reported by public broadcaster RTBF, newspaper Le Soir and news websites HLN and Nieuwsblad. The chief judge read out the verdict and explanations by the 12-person jury, who made a clear connection to IS and its extremist ideology. The reading of the verdict was expected to take several hours. In addition to the six people convicted of terrorist murder, four others on trial were acquitted or facing other charges. Terrorist murder was among various charges suspects were facing. Sentencing will be decided in a separate process, not before September. The biggest trial in Belgium’s judicial history unfolded over seven months in a special court to address the exceptional case. In addition to the 32 people killed in the attacks, nearly 900 others were wounded or suffered serious mental trauma. Jamila Adda, president of the Life4Bruxelles victims’ association, gathered a group of survivors at the special courthouse to hear Tuesday’s verdict. Among them was a man named Frederic, who said the ‘”atrocious crimes” of March 22 still haunt him. “We have been waiting for this for seven years, seven years that weighed heavily on the victims ... We are waiting with impatience, and with some anguish” for the verdict, he told The Associated Press. Frederic, among the commuters who survived the attack at the Maelbeek metro station, spoke on condition that his last name not be published to protect his identity. Survivors have supported each other through the proceedings, some coming every day. “It is important to be together, to hear the decision of justice,” Frederic said. And then, they hope “to be able to turn the page”. The 12 jurors have been deliberating since early July over some 300 questions the court asked them to consider before reaching a verdict. Those convicted could face up to 30 years in prison. Abdeslam was the only survivor among the Islamic State extremists who struck Paris in November 2015 and were part of a Franco-Belgian network that went on to target Brussels four months later. After months on the run following the Paris attacks, Abdeslam was captured in Brussels on March 18, 2016, and his arrest may have prompted other members of the Islamic State group cell to rush ahead with attack plans on the Belgian capital. Also on trial in Brussels was Mohamed Abrini, childhood friend of Abdeslam and a Brussels native who walked away from Zaventem airport after his explosives failed to detonate. Oussama Atar, who has been identified as a possible organiser of the deadly attacks on both Paris and Brussels, was tried in absentia. He is believed to have died in the Islamic State group’s final months of fighting in Iraq and Syria. Read More Jury to deliver verdict over Brussels terrorist attacks that killed 32 Trial of 10 accused over 2016 Brussels attacks that killed 32 takes major step toward conclusion ‘We are waiting for answers’: Belgium’s largest terror trial begins in Brussels Jury to deliver verdict over Brussels terrorist attacks that killed 32 Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change? Firefighters killed in Greece plane crash as more record temperatures are forecast

Donald Trump has shared a QAnon post on his Truth Social platform as he continues to lash out at President Joe Biden, special counsel Jack Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland ahead of his third potential looming criminal indictment. The former president reTruthed a post from a QAnon supporter which showed an image of Mr Trump along with the ominous message: “Nothing can stop what is coming. Nothing.” Mr Trump has gone on the attack in recent days over the grand jury investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In one of the clearest signs Mr Trump could face federal charges in the case, the former president said last week that he had received a letter saying he is a target of a grand jury investigation. Court documents revealed on Monday that former New York City Police Department commissioner Bernie Kerik, who collected spurious evidence of alleged voter fraud and manipulation for Mr Trump’s campaign, has agreed to turn over hundreds of documents to the DOJ as part of its probe. Mr Kerik was working for Rudy Giuliani and had previously refused to share the evidence. Read More What Donald Trump’s trial date means for the 2024 election Trump demands cameras in courtroom for potential election fraud case Trump legal team tries again to block Georgia election interference grand jury probe Is Donald Trump a legal unicorn?

Startup chipmaker Cerebras Systems Inc. announced that it’s built the first of nine artificial intelligence supercomputers in a

President Joe Biden’s German shepherd Commander reportedly bit seven people in a four-month span last year, making him the second White House dog to exhibit aggressive behaviour after former first dog Major was removed from the residence due to similar conduct. The report of Commander’s aggressiveness comes from internal Secret Service communications obtained by the New York Post. On 3 November, the White House physician’s office referred a bitten Secret Service officer to a local hospital for treatment after the dog bit down on the officer’s arm and thigh, according to emails obtained by Judicial Watch. A second incident took place on 10 November, when Commander allegedly bit an officer’s thigh while on a walk with first lady Jill Biden in the Kennedy Garden. Days later, another officer described having to fend off the pet with a chair. Weeks later, Commander tore the skin of another Secret Service officer’s hand and arm, according to the Post. One month later, Commander bit the back of a security technician at the president’s Wilmington, Delaware residence. A Christmas Eve email from a Secret Service inspector suggested issues with Commander were widespread. “Nearly every official in the room with me today spoke about specific incidents surrounding the First Family’s dog,” the email read. Commander’s behaviour resembles Major’s, a rescue adopted by the Bidens in 2018, who was rehomed in 2021 after a number of incidents in which the dog bit Secret Service agents. “As as you all know, the White House complex can be unique and very stressful. And that is something I’m sure you all can understand,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. “The first family is working through ways to make the situation better for everyone.” The White House press secretary also relayed a message from Elizabeth Alexander for communications director for First Lady Jill Biden. Ms Alexander said, “They have been partnering with the Secret Service and Executive Residence staff on additional leashing protocols and training, as well as establishing designated areas for Commander to run and exercise,” Alexander said. She added, that the president and first lady are “incredibly grateful to the secret service and executive resident staff for all they do to keep them and their family and the country safe.” Read More Israel's government has passed the first part of its legal overhaul. The law's ripples are dramatic DeSantis cuts a third of his presidential campaign staff as he mounts urgent reset Biden signs proclamation creating Emmett Till national monument