Jurors begin deliberating in the trial of the man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband
A lawyer for the man who broke into former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home and attacked her husband has asked jurors to consider that he was acting because of his political beliefs
2023-11-16 06:52
Philippine president to deliver state-of-the-nation speech amid protests
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was to deliver a state-of-the-nation speech Monday after his first year in office, which saw him allow an expanded U.S. military presence and refuse to rejoin the International Criminal Court in a move aligned with his predecessor, whose bloody anti-drugs crackdown was under an ICC investigation. More than 20,000 police, backed by other security forces and army troops, were deployed to keep order amid protests and secure the House of Representatives, where Marcos will deliver his speech before a joint session of Congress. Marcos, 65, rose to power in June last year in a landslide victory that was among the most dramatic political comebacks in recent history. His father was ousted as a dictator accused of widespread human rights violations and plunder in a 1986 pro-democracy uprising that became a harbinger of change at the time in authoritarian regimes worldwide. The president has refused to apologize and has steadfastly defended his father’s legacy. Marcos told reporters last week that his speech would be “a performance report for Filipinos to see if the flurry of pronouncements, the many words, had an impact or were just mere words." "That's what I want to explain to people — that we have made significant progress. We can see the difference now not only in terms of how the systems work, how the government works. It is also in how we are now seen or judged in the international community,” Marcos said. He was expected to press his campaign call for national unity, although deep divisions remain. About 6,000 left-wing, labor and human rights groups staged protests ahead of his speech in Congress with diverse demands, including for wage increases, to address attacks against political activists and journalists, and to recall a government program to phase out traditional but aging passenger jeepneys. A group of drivers began a three-day strike on Monday to protest the jeepney phaseout, but no major transport paralysis was reported by midday, police said. Marcos approved the suspension of school classes and government work in metropolitan Manila on Monday due to the planned transport strike and an approaching typhoon. Despite a police restriction on the burning of effigies, left-wing activists burned a mock giant coin that depicted a smiling Marcos flashing the peace sign with his fingers on one side and as a thief holding a gun and bag of cash in the other. Pro-Marcos groups separately held a musical concert and displayed congratulatory streamers. Since assuming the presidency, Marcos has embarked on more than a dozen foreign trips, including to the United States and China, to seek investments and boost trade. He was scheduled to leave for Malaysia on Tuesday for a three-day visit. The government said the foreign trips are crucial to drum up economic reforms and initiatives, including a bill that Marcos signed into law last week creating the country’s first sovereign wealth fund, which aims to pool money for infrastructure and other projects. But opponents said the trips, including one that brought him to Singapore to watch Formula One races in October, reflected the president’s misplaced priorities given problems at home, including soaring food prices early in his presidency. Marcos made himself agriculture chief to directly deal with what he said last year was a looming food crisis caused in part by the war in Ukraine. He has held the post until now despite calls for him to appoint another official so he can focus on other concerns. In February, Marcos approved an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines to add four new bases from five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the longtime treaty allies. The move, which Marcos said would help boost the Philippines’ coastal defense, dovetails with the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China. China warned the move “will drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development at the end of the day.” But Philippine officials said the move was not aimed at China. Marcos's moves to reaffirm ties with Washington was a key turnaround from the often-hostile approach his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, took toward Manila’s treaty ally. In a decision that clearly favored Duterte but came under attack from human rights activists and Marcos' opposition, he refused to take steps to bring the Philippines back to the ICC and said his administration would not cooperate with its investigation into thousands of killings under Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs. Duterte withdrew the Philippines from The Hague-based court in 2019 in a move rights activists said was an attempt to evade accountability and prevent an international probe into the killings in his anti-drugs crackdown. The ICC, however, has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member state of the court. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Gunman who killed co-workers at New Zealand building site died from self-inflicted wound, police say Moscow, Crimea hit by drones as Russian forces bombard Ukraine's south Macron promotes French interests on a trip to South Pacific where US-China rivalry is intensifying
2023-07-24 16:29
How tall is Jack Black? Actor asserts he is taller than online claims
Jack Black is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the comedy rock duo Tenacious D, known for songs like 'Tribute' and 'The Metal'
2023-10-02 20:19
Adin Ross' high school friend Misha apologizes to him for 'publically rejecting' him after he hit on her
Adin Ross' high school friend Misha's claims that the Kick streamer 'still talks about me on his streams'
2023-09-23 19:23
Ron DeSantis picks up 10 South Carolina endorsements from former backers of Tim Scott's campaign
Ron DeSantis has picked up 10 endorsements in South Carolina from former backers of Sen. Tim Scott’s presidential campaign
2023-11-17 21:25
France vows a ‘merciless fight’ against antisemitism after anti-Jewish graffiti found in Paris
French prime minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday vowed a “merciless fight” against surging antisemitism after residents of the French capital discovered anti-Jewish graffiti on buildings in several districts. The discovery comes weeks into the Israel-Hamas war in which thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed and hundreds of Israelis have been taken hostage by the militants in Gaza. “The situation in the Middle East does not justify antisemitism,” Ms Borne told the National Assembly during a regular questioning session. “Nothing ever excuses antisemitism ... my government is determined to wage a merciless fight against it." Since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, French authorities have registered 857 antisemitic acts, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday. “That's as many acts of antisemitism in three weeks as there have been so far this year,” he said. Mr Darmanin said police and judicial authorities have opened several investigations into the anti-Jewish graffiti around the capital and vowed to Jewish communities around France that “we will protect you, absolutely, completely, day and night.” The graffiti included a blue Star of David stamped on several buildings around the capital. “I am crying because I am going to again feel the hatred that was there when we were children,” a tearful resident of a graffiti-tagged building who gave only her first name, Marie, told BFM-TV. Carine Petit, the mayor of Paris's 14th district, reminded residents that such tags trigger painful memories. "This act of marking (buildings) is reminiscent of the acts in the (19)30s and the Second World War, which led to the extermination of millions of Jews,” Petit said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Read More Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel over ‘disproportionate’ attack in Gaza Orsted scraps 2 offshore wind power projects in New Jersey, citing supply chain issues The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a celebration for the 5 senses
2023-11-01 11:55
British man fighting in Ukraine found dead in water with his hands bound
A British man who fought in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back, his family have revealed. Jordan Chadwick, 31, who travelled to Ukraine in early October 2022, was fighting in the International Legion. His mother, Brenda Chadwick, told the BBC her family was “devastated” by her son’s death. Mr Chadwick, known as Joe, was from Burnley in Lancashire. He served as a Scots Guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015. The Ukrainian International Army repatriated his body on 7 August. Brenda Chadwick told the BBC Joe had always wanted to be a soldier. “His passion to support freedom and assist others with his skills led him to leave the UK and travel to Ukraine in early October 2022,” she said. On 26 June, Mrs Chadwick was informed by Lancashire Police that her son had been killed. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) contacted her the following day to confirm the news. There will be an inquest held to find out the cause of Mr Chadwick’s death in February. Mrs Chadwick said: “Although we are extremely proud of his unwavering courage and resilience, his death has been devastating. “No words can be found to describe the loss of such a short life. “A son, brother, grandson, nephew and uncle, who was loved immensely,” she added. A spokesperson from the FCDO said: “We are providing assistance to the family of a British man who died in Ukraine and we are in contact with the local authorities.” The Ukraine Foreign Legion was created by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2022 and consists of soldiers from 60 countries. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: British man found dead in water with hands bound The African Union is joining the G20, a powerful acknowledgement of a continent of 1 billion people Fears that climate crisis will be ‘collateral damage’ of G20 as focus trained on Ukraine and US-China tensions
2023-09-09 16:55
Big 12 not quite the same, but it feels like home to a 98-year-old Colorado fan
Peggy Coppom says it was a good day to be a Colorado Buffaloes fan when university regents approved the school's move back to the Big 12 next year
2023-07-28 19:55
Adin Ross keen on 'stepping' into the world of rap by releasing his album, Internet calls it 'cringe'
Adin Ross recently surprised his audience by displaying his singing talent during a live stream on Kick
2023-11-12 20:19
How tall is Kourtney Kardashian? Eldest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan is also the shortest
Kourtney's height was in focus as she recently posed alongside her husband Travis Barker, sister Khloe, and basketball player Tristan Thompson
2023-08-17 19:49
Maine shooting victims: Pipefitter who loved wrestling, father and son at bowling league
By Gabriella Borter and Sharon Bernstein LEWISTON, Maine (Reuters) -A father and son out for a night of bowling, a
2023-10-28 03:50
4 people shot during a funeral procession near Chicago, police say
A spray of bullets aimed at a funeral procession in a Chicago suburb left four men injured, one critically, according to police.
2023-06-12 06:52
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