List of All Articles with Tag 'rica'

Armored trucks descended on a Philadelphia neighbourhood on Friday, releasing a flood of FBI agents who stormed and raided a house in search of a suspected aspiring terrorist. There were no adults home when agents arrived; they found three minors in the home. But one of them was their suspect, a 17-year-old with alleged ties to a Syrian extremist group. Reporters outside captured the scene as agents marched a cuffed teenager, wearing only his undergarments, out into the street and into federal custody. Days later, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office made clear what had happened; they had arrested someone they claim was engaged in "the most serious alleged terrorist activity prosecuted in Philadelphia County court in recent history”. The suspect The suspect is a minor, and his name has not been released to the public. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called the teenager an "aspiring terrorist" during a press conference after his arrest. "The young man who is under arrest is – was, an aspiring terrorist who was not merely thinking, but was doing things that are deeply disturbing and presented a grave danger to everyone," he said. FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire also spoke at the conference, and revealed the suspect allegedly took steps to build a weapon of mass destruction. "Among the items he purchased were tactical equipment, wiring, chemicals and devices often used as remote detonators," she said. "He had not only taken steps in acquiring those items and materials that are commonly used in improvised explosive devices, but that he had also taken steps to start putting potential devices together," She also noted that the suspect allegedly had access to a "significant number of firearms." "He is currently charged with the following offenses: weapons of mass destruction, criminal conspiracy, arson, causing or risking catastrophe, attempt to commit criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime, and reckless endangerment of another person," she said. He is being tried as a juvenile, according to Mr Krasner. The investigation The 17-year-old landed on the FBI's radar after the agency learned of his alleged communication with members of Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, a Syria- based extremist group that the US classifies as a global terror organisation. The group has ties to al-Qaeda, the organisation formerly led by Osama Bin Laden that carried out the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. The FBI believes the organisation was responsible for the bombing of metro station in St Petersburg, Russia, in 2017, which killed 15 people. The agency also believes the group carried out a suicide car bombing in 2016 that injured three members of the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Federal officials believe the teenager was communicating with the terror organisation between March and April of this year. The FBI also discovered a WhatsApp account allegedly linked to his phone number that used a banner of the Riyad-us-Saliheen Brigade of Martyrs, a terror group based in Chechnya. On 6 August, the banner was reportedly changed to that of Isis. The agency eventually began surveilling the teenager, and allegedly witnessed him purchasing bomb-making materials on 7 August. The following day the US Customs and Border Protection agency said the suspect had 14 international shipments of military and tactical gear delivered to their home. Mr Krasner said that the FBI "potentially thwarted a catastrophic terrorist attack in the name of a perverted ideology that in no way, shape, or form represents the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of peace-seeking people of faith, including Muslims.” The suspect's family While the suspect's name has not been released as he is a minor, his father has commented on the shocking raid that ended with his child in FBI custody. Qawi Abdul-Rahman, a prominent criminal defence attorney in Philadelphia, told The Daily Beast that he was "shocked and devastated" to learn on Monday that his 17-year-old child was facing terror allegations. He recalled receiving a phone call at work from his children as the raid was ongoing. They told him the FBI had swarmed the home. At the time, only his three children — the 17-year-old included — were home, as both Mr Abdul-Rahman and his wife were at work. The attorney rushed home to find his child in FBI custody. He said he was "shocked" and "devastated" to learn about his child's alleged involvement with terror organisations. In the aftermath of the arrest, Mr Abdul-Rahman said he was struggling to discuss the incident and its implications with his two younger children. He said he doesn't know "how to even address it," asking how one could even explain such a concept to a child. "Your job as a father is to protect," he told The Daily Beast. "But I couldn't do a thing." Read More Philadelphia defense attorney ‘devastated’ to learn his son is FBI terror suspect Teen accused of plotting potentially ‘catastrophic terrorist attack’ Man held on suspicion of having information likely to be useful to terrorists after police data breach

Shares in Asia fell Thursday after a selloff in US stocks and bonds as investors digested hawkish signals

A biographer who wrote the book on the life and career of “America’s Mayor” has a new theory for why Rudy Giuliani remains so doggedly loyal to Donald Trump even after it has been proven time and time again that the two never had any convincing proof of election fraud from the 2020 contest. Andrew Kirtzman gave his take on the topic to MSNBC’s Chris Jansing during an interview this week; Mr Kirtzman is the author of Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor. Mr Kirtzman explains that the major turning point in Mr Giuliani’s political life came in 2008, when he failed to deliver a competitive performance in that year’s presidential primary race, despite all expectations for him to do so. “[H]e entered as a front runner and ended it in humiliation with just one delegate,” Mr Kirtzman explained. “[I]t was at that moment in 2008 when things kind of crashed around him, when he lost his 9/11 halo, was left in kind of the political wilderness. There was Donald Trump. And Donald Trump literally took him in to Mar-a-Lago right after his failure in 2008 and kind of shielded Giuliani when he was, kind of fell into a depression,” he continued. According to Mr Kirtzman, that relationship blossomed into a mutually beneficial transaction in 2016 — Mr Trump gained an endorsement from a supposedly credible voice within the GOP, and Mr Giuliani regained a hint of national relevance. But their friendship truly took off in 2020, when Mr Giuliani became Mr Trump’s main stooge in his campaign to tarnish Joe Biden’s name before the onset of the general election. When that failed, Mr Giuliani was right there to pick up the pieces of Mr Trump’s defeat, spinning them instead into a victory supposedly snatched away by the Democrats. Nearly three years after the 2020 election, there’s no sign of any change in the former New York mayor’s feelings for Mr Trump, or vice versa. But it’s an objective fact that Mr Giuliani’s acceptance into the Mar-a-Lago circle has now had more negative consequences for his reputation than positive effects. His law licence is now suspended in both New York and Washington DC; a disbarrment looks likely at least in the latter jurisdiction. He also now faces several felony counts in Georgia, where prosecutors this week handed down a massive indictment charging Mr Trump and his team with crimes related to their election result manipulation efforts. Mr Giuliani has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. It’s unclear where Mr Giuliani goes from here. But it seems, at least for now, that wherever he ends up will have been thanks to a path that became inextricably linked with Mr Trump way back in 2008. Read More Trump accused of skipping debate because he’s ‘scared of Chris Christie’ Will the Georgia gang of 18 turn on Trump? Trumpworld hanging by a thread as co-accused pressured to flip on ex-president Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges

Donald Trump bashed Fox News, claiming that it is working with other Republican candidates to figure out who can beat him in the GOP primary. The former president took to Truth Social to say that the network is “going all out, just as they did in 2016, to figure who in this very large, but failing, Republican field, can beat your favorite President, Donald John Trump”. “They use only the most negative polls, which are still great for me, and do everything possible to show that they still have a chance,” he added. “They even pull out nice guy Marc Thiessen to do contortions with numbers that just don’t exist. On top of all that, I am the only one beating, by a lot, Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST ‘P’ EVER!” Mr Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist, Fox News commentator, and former White House director of speechwriting under George W Bush, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday that “64 per cent of Americans say they definitely or probably will not vote for Trump in 2024 (53 per cent definitely + 11 per cent probably). Like watching a slow-moving train wreck for the GOP”. He was referring to reporting and polling by the Associated Press outlining Mr Trump’s steadfast and growing support within the Republican Party but declining ratings with the general electorate. A number of Republicans have argued that the party must choose a new standard-bearer as Mr Trump’s standing with the public at large has only gotten worse since the 2020 election following the Capitol riot and the chaos around him, specifically in connection to his mounting legal problems and the litany of felony charges he faces. Anti-Trump Republican strategist Sarah Longwell told the AP: “There is a meaningful number of voters who have voted for Trump twice and can’t vote for him again after all of this.” Comparatively, according to the polling from The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 43 per cent said they definitely wouldn’t vote for President Joe Biden, in addition to 11 per cent who said they probably wouldn’t. “Trump needs to embody the voters’ grievances and not his own grievances,” Ms Longwell added. “Anytime he’s talking about 2020 he’s looking backwards and the voters get more excited about looking forward.” CPAC chair Matt Schlapp responded to Mr Thiessen on X, saying: “I love you @marcthiessen. You are a good man. Stop this. Trump has to be the nominee because we have to take it all down. It’s that bad and no one else will be able to do it.” Historian Aaron Aster wrote, “The key item in this poll is that 53% will ‘definitely not’ vote for Trump. 43% will ‘definitely not’ vote for Biden. (10-11% ‘probably’ won’t vote for each, respectively). The ‘definitely’ numbers are more important at this stage bc they set the parameters of possible outcomes.” While he added that “early General Election polling is mostly hot garbage because lots of people pay little attention at this point,” he noted that “the ‘definite’ numbers are more likely to pick up the hard ceiling. Yes, those numbers can change a bit too. But in this case they reflect hardening among Independents against Trump – and a small but decisive group of non-Trump GOPers. And less hard-core anti-Biden among Dems”. “A lot of people who really don’t want to vote for Biden but despise Trump will likely vote Biden in the end,” the historian speculated. Read More Will the Georgia gang of 18 turn on Trump? Trumpworld hanging by a thread as co-accused pressured to flip on ex-president Trump claims mystery report clears him of Georgia election charges as DA seeks March trial date – live updates Fulton County DA Fani Willis proposes Trump’s Georgia trial date the day before Super Tuesday Election workers who face frequent harassment see accountability in the latest Georgia charges Kentucky gubernatorial rivals Andy Beshear and Daniel Cameron offer competing education plans Fundraiser for George Santos charged with impersonating aide to Speaker McCarthy

A high-stakes lawsuit over the future of a widely used abortion drug is likely heading to the US Supreme Court, set to determine the fate of abortion rights access across the country for a second time within two years. Three Republican-appointed judges on a federal appeals court have determined that the federal government did not follow proper procedures when it amended regulations for a commonly used medication abortion drug in 2016. But the restrictions will not immediately take effect. The panel partially upheld a ruling from a Donald Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas, whose sweeping decision earlier this year threatened to strip access to the drug altogether. Nothing in the ruling from a three-judge panel on 16 August will go into effect until the nation’s highest court weighs in. Wednesday’s ruling argues that the US Food and Drug Administration unlawfully expanded access to mifepristone, which was first approved by the federal government more than 20 years ago. Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA in 2000 and is approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. A vast majority of abortions occur within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. From 2019 through 2020, nearly 93 per cent of all abortions were performed before the 13th week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug – part of a two-drug protocol for medication abortions, the most common form of abortion care in the US – is the subject of a lawsuit from a group of anti-abortion activists represented by right-wing Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which joined efforts to overturn Roe v Wade at the Supreme Court last year. In April, US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk – a former right-wing activist lawyer who was appointed to the federal judiciary by Mr Trump – issued a ruling to suspend the FDA’s approval, which was immediately challenged by abortion rights advocates, providers, major medical groups, drug manufacturers and President Joe Biden’s administration. An initial ruling at the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked part of that decision but struck down policies for mail-in prescriptions and rules that expanded the drug’s approval for pregnancies up to 10 weeks. On 21 April, the Supreme Court blocked the lower courts’ rulings from taking effect while the case plays out, retaining the status quo while the legal case plays out. Following the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority decision to revoke a constitutional right to abortion care in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, at least 15 states – mostly across the US South – have effectively banned most abortions and imposed criminal penalties against providers. Abortion rights advocates and providers have warned that eliminating or restricting access to mifepristone could drastically impact an already-fragile landscape for abortion care. A ruling that undermines the FDA’s drug approval process could also open the door for other activist-driven legal battles over other drugs wrapped up in political debates, potentially inviting other destabilising lawsuits to Covid-19 vaccines, contraception, HIV medication, gender-affirming care, and other life-saving drugs. Read More What is mifepristone? The widely used pill in the abortion rights battle at the Supreme Court Abortion rights advocates win major victory in Ohio as voters reject GOP plan to thwart ballot measure Texas women detailed agonising pregnancies after being denied abortions. The state blames doctors Some abortion drug restrictions upheld by in a case bound for Supreme Court Akram criticizes Pakistan Cricket Board for leaving Imran Khan out of Independence Day video Netanyahu voices support for Israel's military after his allies and son lambaste security officials

The ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform is asking the Republican chair in charge to refer former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to the Department of Justice for lying under oath. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote a letter earlier this week to Kentucky Rep. James Comer urging him to send the case to the DOJ to determine if Snyder should be prosecuted for making false statements in his deposition and obstructing a congressional investigation. Raskin pointed to the results of the NFL’s independent review by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White that contradicted Snyder’s testimony, specifically about sexually harassing a former employee and deliberately underreporting revenue to avoid sharing it with other owners. The league fined Snyder $60 million for sexual harassment and financial improprieties last month as part of the completion of his sale of the team to a group led by Josh Harris for a North American professional sports record $6.05 billion. “Making false statements to Congress and obstructing congressional investigations are serious crimes,” Raskin wrote in the letter dated Wednesday. “This Committee cannot conduct effective oversight if witnesses misrepresent and obscure the truth.” A message sent by The Associated Press to Comer's office for a response was not immediately returned. A representative for Raskin said his office had nothing to add beyond the letter. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

A California judge accused of fatally shooting his wife during an argument while he was drunk has claimed her killing was an accident. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson is free on a $1m bail and must wear an electronic tracking bracelet in the state’s Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties after pleading not guilty in court. The 72-year-old judge was arrested on 3 August in the affluent Anaheim Hills neighbourhood 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles after his adult son called the police. When officers arrived at the home they found his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, dead from at least one gunshot wound. Prosecutors say that the couple began arguing at a restaurant and that the fight between them continued when they got back to their home, reported CBS News. Court papers state that the judge made a threatening hand gesture towards his wife “indicative of pointing a gun at” her. Investigators say that hIs wife replied something along the lines of “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?” And the judge allegedly pulled out a Glock 0.40 pistol from an ankle holster and shot her in the chest. Court filings say that their son and Judge Ferguson called 911, and the judge also texted his court clerk and bailiff admitting he had shot his wife. “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry,” the filing states he texted. Following his arrest he was arraigned in Los Angeles after state officials were asked to decide if there was a conflict of interest in him being dealt with by courts in Orange County, His next court hearing is scheduled for 30 October. The suspect has been a judge since 2015 after beginning his career in the Orange County district attorney’s office in 1983. He and his wife were married in 1996 and have two adult sons, according to CBS Los Angeles. Read More California judge charged in wife's murder expected to appear in Los Angeles court Former 'Family Feud' contestant Timothy Bliefnick gets life for wife's murder Testimony set to start in trial of 2 white Mississippi men charged in shooting at Black FedEx driver

The elaborate sexual extortion plot that led to 17-year-old Jordan DeMay’s death unravelled in less than six hours. In the early morning of 25 March 2022, the teenager died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after being gripped by fear that his nude photos would be shared with the world. The exchange that led to the tragedy was initiated by three men far across the Atlantic posing as a woman on Instagram. The trio, who American prosecutors have since identified as Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, and Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, allegedly convinced the minor to send the explicit photos and then blackmailed him for $1,000. Jordan, known by loved ones for his passion for sports and kind-hearted nature, only managed to send $300. Despite telling the Instagram profile carrying out the extortion that he was seriously considering suicide as a result of the extreme duress he was being subjected to, the revolting threats continued to come. “There wasn’t really a chance for him to reach out or for us to stop anything because it happened in the middle of the night,” Jordan’s mother Jennifer Buta tells The Independent. “Losing a child is the worst thing that I could have ever imagined. For the first day, I was just banging my head asking, ‘What happened to my son?’ Because I saw him the night before. I talked to him the night before and when I started my day, he was gone.” The suspects were indicted earlier this year in Michigan, marking a rare instance in which federal authorities have successfully managed to prosecute one of the alarming growing number of sextortion schemes targeting young men in the US. The Ogoshi brothers were extradited to the US on Monday and are expected to appear in court in Grand Rapids for a bond hearing on Thursday. ‘I can’t imagine what Jordan went through’ Jordan was a senior student nearing graduation at Marquette Senior High School when he died. He played basketball and football and had worked hard to physically recover after suffering an injury during his freshman year. “He loved music ... We travelled a lot with basketball so some of my memories, my favourite memories with him are being in the car and listening to the music. Both of us singing, dancing around,” Ms Buta said. “He had a lot of friends and was really good at connecting with people. He wanted to be everybody’s friend.” His suicide came as a shock to his parents, who scrambled to process the sudden loss and work out what could have possibly driven their lighthearted, always-in-good-spirits son to kill himself. Jordan had deleted any messages on his phone that might have alerted his parents or authorities to the extortion scam before he died – but, a day after his death, one of his friends told his mother that they had received his nudes. “Once [law enforcement] got a hold of it, they were able to start digging and get some records from Instagram,” Ms Buta said. “It gave us like answers as to what did happen. What Jordan went through that evening ... as a mom, I can’t imagine how scared he was ... the torture. It makes me feel sick to think about it.” According to prosecutors, Samuel Ogoshi, 22, Samson Ogoshi, 20, and Mr Robert, 19, gained access to an Instagram account by the name of “dani.robertts”. While impersonating the user, they allegedly encouraged Jordan and more than 100 other victims to send them nude photographs. “I have screenshot all ur followers and tags can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes to your Family and friends Until it goes viral… All you’ve to do is to cooperate with me and I won’t expose you,” Samuel Ogoshi allegedly wrote. In a series of texts encouraging Jordan to kill himself after Jordan only paid $300, the social media account responded: “Good/Do that fast/Or I’ll make you do it.” Cyber ‘sextortions’ lead to dozens of suicides The number of reported sextortion cases carried out overseas and targeting Americans have increased in alarming numbers in recent years. In May, the FBI issued a national public safety alert to warn parents after seeing a tenfold increase in online sexual blackmail cases. According to the bureau, 3,000 children were victims of sextortion plots that were connected to more than a dozen suicides in 2022. “These crimes have had devastating effects on children and their families,” FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan said in the statement. “We need to disrupt these criminals by making potential victims and their parents aware of the sextortion threat. Parents and guardians should talk to their children about the dangers of online communication, and the importance of speaking up if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened.” The Justice Department announced earlier this year that agents from the bureau had travelled to Nigeria to conduct a cooperative investigation with the African country’s law enforcement officials regarding Jordan’s case. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) then arrested Samuel and Samson Ogoshi and Mr Robert. The indictment against the three men was announced in May and, late last month, a Nigerian judge ordered the Ogoshi brothers to be extradited to the US. The process was finalised earlier this month after the Nigerian solicitor-general signed the final surrender order. Both Ogohsi brothers face charges of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, distribution of child pornography and stalking. Samuel Ogoshi is also charged with sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death and faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted. Mr Robert is currently awaiting extradition to the US. Ms Buta said she plans to attend the Ogoshis’ hearing on Thursday as she spoke of her gratitude to US authorities. “This is a huge undertaking and accomplishment for our justice system and the FBI. I am so grateful for it and so grateful for the cooperation that they had from their counterparts in Nigeria and the Nigerian Government,” she said. Raising awareness Since her son’s death, Ms Buta has been in touch with other families who have lost their children under similar circumstances. “His dad and I agreed that we needed to let everybody know about this. To let our community know because everyone was affected by this and everybody’s thinking, ‘What did we miss? Here we have this homecoming king who is happy and took his own life ... If we didn’t know about this and we were talking about it with our son, we were certain that other parents weren’t having this conversation and they needed to sit down and have that conversation immediately,” she said. She says she now hopes that by sharing Jordan’s story, other teens going through similar experiences will realise that help is there. “I get messages weekly from parents that this happened to their child and that their child came to them and spoke to them and they were able to stop what was going on,” Ms Buta told The Independent. “Because it’s happening so frequently and because of the sensitivity and the embarrassment factor ... we need to talk about it from all ends of the country. [It happens] in the middle of the night to these young kids. They just aren’t ready to handle a situation.” Jordan was larger than life and always cared for others, his mother said. He was an older brother to four sisters whom he enjoyed sharing his time with and planned to attend Michigan University to study athletic training. “I want my son to be remembered as that smiling kid, there’s one picture out. One of the things that Jordan would say to people was ‘I got you.’ Meaning, ‘I have your back.’ And this is something that friends and family in our community, we’ve really latched on to,” Ms Buta said. “It’s something that we say to each other to provide support. And in a way, Jordan is saying, ‘I got you,’ by us sharing his story and being able to change how these cases are handled.” She added: “And sending a message to the people that are engaging in this that if you are doing it, you can be caught. You’re not just a face on the other side of the computer.” If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Read More Michael Oher’s rags-to-riches story inspired millions in The Blind Side. Now he says it wasn’t true Two years on, I’m haunted by the moment the Taliban brought death to Kabul

Fierce clashes kill 55 people as many families are left trapped in their homes in Tripoli.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court cleared the way Wednesday for Parliament to vote for a new prime minister more than three months after national elections by declining to rule on a complaint over the rejection of the winning party's leader. The court had been asked to decide whether Parliament had violated the constitution by refusing to allow the leader of the progressive Move Forward Party to be nominated for a second time as a prime ministerial candidate. Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat had assembled an eight-party coalition with a majority in Parliament's lower house. But under the military-implemented constitution, a new prime minister must receive a majority of votes from both the elected House and the conservative appointed Senate, which was chosen by an earlier military government. Pita lost a first vote in Parliament for prime minister last month, with many senators voting against him because of his party’s call for reform of a law that makes it illegal to defame Thailand’s royal family. Critics say the law, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, has been abused as a political weapon. Members of the Senate, like the army, see themselves as guardians of traditional conservative royalist values. The combined Parliament then refused to allow Pita to be renominated for a second vote. Several lawmakers from Pita's party and private citizens submitted a complaint to the state ombudsman charging that the action violated the constitution. The ombudsman relayed the complaint to the Constitutional Court, which dismissed the case on Wednesday on the grounds that the complainants had not been directly affected by Parliament’s decision and therefore were not entitled to submit the case before the court. While the court’s decision suggested that Pita himself could file a petition seeking a ruling on the matter, Move Forward spokesperson Rangsiman Rome said Pita would not do so. He said Move Forward continues to strongly believe that Parliament can renominate a prime ministerial candidate, but that the issue should be resolved through parliamentary procedures, not the court. After its two failed attempts, Move Forward stepped aside to allow its biggest partner in the eight-party coalition, the Pheu Thai party, to attempt to form a new government. Pheu Thai, which finished second in the May polls, then excluded Move Forward from the coalition, saying its call to reform the royal defamation law made it impossible to gather enough support from other parties and the Senate to approve a new prime minister. Pheu Thai has since cobbled together a coalition of nine parties with 238 seats in the 500-member lower house, still short of the majority it needs. It plans to nominate real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin as prime minister. Move Forward said Tuesday that its elected House members will not vote for a candidate from the Pheu Thai-led coalition. It said the coalition, which includes parties from the outgoing military-backed administration, had violated popular demand for political reform "that was clearly expressed through the election results.” The results of May’s general election were a strong repudiation of the country’s conservative elites and reflected the disenchantment in particular of young voters who want to limit the political influence of the military, which has staged more than a dozen coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. Move Forward's stunning victory came after nearly a decade of military-controlled rule led by Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army chief ousted a Pheu Thai-led government in a 2014 coup and returned as prime minister after 2019 elections. Many believe that the current Pheu Thai-led coalition needs to include at least one of the two military-backed parties that were soundly rejected in the polls to achieve a House majority. Pheu Thai has not ruled out that possibility. Pheu Thai is the latest in a string of parties affiliated with ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire populist who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. Thaksin has said he plans to return to Thailand soon following years of self-imposed exile to escape a prison term in several criminal cases which he has decried as politically motivated. Following the court’s decision, House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha told reporters on Wednesday that he plans to set the next voting for prime minister on Tuesday and will meet with parliamentary leaders on Thursday to discuss the matter. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Modi says India's economy will be among the top three in the world within five years Grooming cases soar to record high as charity urges tech giants for support Poorer areas missing out because public funding system has broken down – study

President Joe Biden’s offer of a $700 emergency payment to households impacted by the devastating Maui wildfires has been criticised as an insult to survivors. The death toll from the US’s deadliest wildfires in more than 100 years rose to 106 on Wednesday, with hundreds still unaccounted for, thousands left homeless and an estimated $7bn in economic damage. Mr Biden, who has faced criticism for his handling of the disaster, announced an economic relief package on Monday that included cash payments and temporary housing assistance for survivors. “We're laser-focused on getting aid to survivors, including Critical Needs Assistance: a one-time $700 payment per household offering relief during an unimaginably difficult time. “We have staff on the ground dedicated to helping survivors navigate the registration process,” Mr Biden added. A White House statement confirmed the offer was only available to residents who were displaced from their homes and had critical needs. With 1,200 families sheltering in emergency shelters over the weekend, and 2,200 buildings destroyed, it’s not clear how many Hawaiians will be eligible. It was immediately decried as too small to have a meaningful impact by some commentators. “Make it $700 a month. Per family member in a household. For a minimum of two years,” wrote Scott Santens, the director of the ITSA Foundation which backs universal basic income, on X, formerly known as Twitter. “A one time $700 payment will definitely get their lives, houses and property back! Great job Biden,” another user wrote. Many compared the offer unfavourably to the $113bn in aid the Biden administration has sent to Ukraine since February 2022 to support the war effort, with a further $200m approved on Monday. Financial commentator Mark Wlosinski wrote on X estimated the $700 offer would amount to $1.9m, and labelled it “insulting”. “Can someone please explain how our government can send hundreds of billions to other countries, but chooses to pinch pennies when our own people are in need? An entire town on US soil has been destroyed overnight, and the best our government can do is $700?” Actor Rob Schneider, an outspoken anti-vaxxer and Trump supporter, wrote on X: “The ($115bn) US TAX PAYER DOLLARS TO UKRAINE… $1.9 million dollars to American Maui fire victims. Biden hates Americans…” Right-wing commentator Colin Rugg wrote: “Can someone please explain to me why our leaders are so reckless with money sent to Ukraine but then pinch pennies when the money is spent on Americans?” Mr Biden has faced criticism for his response to the Maui fires from his political opponents. He appeared to brush off a White House pool reporter reporter’s questions when asked for a comment on the rising death toll over the weekend. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the snub on Monday, saying that Mr Biden remained “deeply concerned” about the wildfires. The newly-indicted former President Donald Trump seized on Mr Biden's apparent no comment, claiming the Democrat “refuses to help or comment on the tragedy”. On 9 August, Mr Biden offered his “deepest condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the wildfires in Maui” in a statement as the first fatalities were confirmed. The next day he declared a federal disaster in the state, freeing up federal funds to provide grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. Mr Biden made brief remarks during a trip to Salt Lake City last week in his only public comments so far about the unfolding tragedy. “Anyone who's lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately,” he said. The White House has since touted its “whole-of-government response effort”, which included deploying 500 federal personnel and thousands of meals, beds and litters of water. The Democratic Hawaii governor Josh Green has publicly praised Mr Biden’s response to the disaster. The Independent has approached the White House for comment. Read More Maui fires – update: Hawaii death toll rises to 106 with 1,000 still missing amid struggle to identify victims Dramatic video shows family narrowly escaping Maui wildfires by fleeing to the ocean How to help victims of Hawaii wildfires ‘I think I messed up’: Moment US representative mistakenly introduces Joe Biden Death toll from devastating Maui fire reaches 106, as county begins releasing names Maui fires death toll rises to 106 amid struggle to identify victims – live

BHP Group Ltd., South32 Ltd. and a unit of Seriti Resources Holdings Ltd. may face a class action